Hawk Herald May 2013 | Volume 9 Issue 4 | Page 7

PAGE 7 Student Leaders at Mill Creek A great group of young men and women recently visited students at Puckett's Mill Elementary. We expected to just go over there and read, but it turned out to be much more than that. We ended up playing basketball with the 4th and 5th grade PE classes and discussed the importance of academics and balancing that with other activities. We read to grades 1 - 3 and served as tutors in one of the math classes. These students represented boy's and girl's lacrosse, cheerleading, girl's cross country, girl's swimming, baseball, girl's soccer, football, theater and even Miss Mill Creek. But, most importantly, they did a great job of representing the student body of Mill Creek High School. Thank you for allowing these young men and women to take a break from class and be reminded of the impact they can make on other people. Lady Hawks Lacrosse! The Lady Hawks Lacrosse Program enjoyed a stellar third season this year, finishing up with some of the best records in its history. The JV Lady Hawks welcomed veteran coach ErinRose Wilder onto the staff and started off the year reviewing and refreshing the skills that our excellent community rec teams have instilled in its players. They opened the season with a 15-1 win against Sprayberry High School and then were on the receiving end of a similar stomping when they lost 1-15 to Walton High School. Both games taught the girls invaluable lessons, though, as they worked hard this season on winning and losing with grace, being able to ‘see the field’ better, brushing up on their abilities to make in-game corrections, and communicating as a team. They ended their season at 10-2-1, having faced off against some of the most highly ranked teams in the state. With all the summer and fall-ball options out there, you can bet these ladies will be returning next season with honed skills, whetted appetites, and hungry for some more wins! The Varsity Lady Hawks celebrated its third and most successful season yet, guided by Coaches Brian Williamson and Bob Merry. Led by Seniors Nicole Gump, Tyler Rediger, Hannah Rosenblatt, and Tori Windom, the team started the year off big winning a very snowy Peachtree Invitational Tournament, defeating South Carolina state champions J.L.Mann Academy in the process. They continued with this success, winning hard-fought games against such seasoned teams as Sprayberry, Chattahoochee, and last year’s State Runners-Up Roswell. Déjà vu hit as the Lady Hawks were again matched up against Peachtree Ridge for the Region Championship, and skill and drive were in their favor as they claimed their second Region Title in three seasons. This started off a long fight down the championship road, and the Lady Hawks topped Roswell a second time in the first round of playoffs and rolled West Forsyth in the second round, becoming the first ever lacrosse team from Gwinnett County – boys or girls – to win the State Quarterfinals and reach the Final Four. Supported by the largest and loudest crowd Mill Creek has ever hosted, the Lady Hawks fought valiantly until the last second, falling to the eight-time State Champ Milton Eagles. They ended an incredible and unmatched season at 19-2, and while they will greatly miss the graduating seniors, the ladies are already looking ahead to next year’s match-ups with bated breath. HAWK HERALD