Naylor, Glancey lead Lenape Valley lacrosse

It’s should rightfully be a special occasion when a young student athlete earns the honor of being selected as a sports team captain.

What can make the situation extra special is when that student athlete is chosen to be a captain by the rest of the players on the team.

Chloe Naylor and Megan Glancey, as picked by the rest of the members of the Lenape Valley High School girls lacrosse program, are the team captains for the 2022 season.

“Captains are selected by their team through a vote,’’ Lenape Valley head coach Corinne Bright said. “The girls each select two teammates to nominate with justification based on this criteria: the noun captain can be defined as ‘the leader of a team, a powerful or influential person in a particular field. However, a captain also needs to lead by example, be accepting of others and maintain a positive and encouraging attitude, among other necessary traits.

“Based on this definition and your thoughts on the qualities of a captain, list two teammates you think should be captains this year and provide a brief explanation of why they are a great candidate.’’

Each captain has already made their presence felt in a positive way in the early going this regular season.

As of April 19, Naylor, a midfielder, had 24 goals, three assists, 20 groundballs, 38 draw controls and three caused turnovers. Glancey, who plays attack, had eight goals, four assists, 11 ground balls and caused three turnovers.

Coach Bright has witnessed the improvements made by Glancey and Naylor since the beginning of preseason practice.

“Both have improved in their leadership and ability to settle the team down when needed,’’ Bright said. “They know when to settle the ball offensively, and when to create scoring opportunities.

“Megan has been a great asset in our defensive ride with double teams to prevent the other team from clearing out of their defensive zone and Chloe has improved her groundball accuracy to maintain or gain possession for the team.’’

Both captains interact well with their teammates.

“They are supportive and motivating,’’ Bright said. “They cheer on their teammates no matter what and embody the girls lacrosse family philosophy that I’ve worked to create for this program.’’

In games played through April 23 the Patriots has an overall record of 5-4 with one win in the NJIGLL Colonial Division.

“I know it’s cliche, but all of our seniors have stepped up as leaders in their own right and deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to finding success through improvement: Angie Falleni, Avella Richards, Quinn Dachisen, Emma Church, and Kayla Petrucelli,’’ Bright said.