Gazette MVP: Lauryn Krajzel's versatility, leadership guides Medina

Though her senior season was filled with unpredictable ups and downs, the lacrosse field remained where Medina's Lauryn Krajzel felt most at home. Krajzel turned in another fantastic season, leading the Bees to another Greater Cleveland Conference championship and a return to the Division I regional semifinals. For her exploits on the field and calm and confident way of leading Medina in games, Krajzel earned the first Gazette MVP award for girls lacrosse. "I've always said lacrosse is one of my happy places," Krajzel said. "I can decompress, shoot around. I've been playing since third grade and my life has been kind of surrounded by lacrosse. I've never had a true offseason from it. It's a time where I can be myself and express myself through the sport." A talented player who has been hard to keep out of the starting lineup since her freshman year, Krajzel never rested on her laurels and found ways to improve each year. This season was no exception, as the Robert Morris commit turned in 57 goals and 13 assists for 70 points. Krajzel's impact wasn't just felt attacking the net, as she was one of Medina County's best players winning draws (61), causing turnovers (33) and scooping ground balls (27). Her all-around impact didn't come as a surprise to her coaches and teammates, as it is something Krajzel has been working toward her entire career. "She's always been consistent for us," Bees coach Colleen Kubasta said. "She's always filled her role really successfully. We had a lot of scoring power her freshman and sophomore years, so she was more of a maintenance role player for us. Her junior year and senior year she really flourished." Krajzel's poise and leadership were needed this season because Medina graduated a number of talented players last spring, leaving a number of questions without players like Anna Vaccarelli and Carleigh Johns in the attack, Kylie O'Cull and Abby Cassidy in the midfield and Sylvie Hipp, Mia Macron and Kate Sturgill on defense. The Bees quickly set the tone by winning two out of three games to start the year, against Charlotte Latin (N.C.) and Cleveland Heights. "I think we were nervous coming into this season after losing so many amazing seniors," Krajzel said. "Watching this whole season unfold has been really exciting. If we weren't better than last year, we were (on) the same (level). I'm most proud of the way everyone came together, played together and went through adversity." Perhaps the most memorable point of the season occurred between those two wins, which were nearly two weeks apart. Returning from a spring break trip from the Carolinas after the 10-8 win over the Hawks, Medina's bus caught fire. Though everyone was able to escape safely, the damage and loss of equipment was significant. Through donations from boosters, other lacrosse programs and equipment companies, the Bees were able to continue the season. "Most if not everyone had no sticks, no goggles, nothing," Krajzel said. "We had a lot of generous donations. It was just a waiting game on when we'd get our stuff. Practices, half of us were in tennis shoes and using random sticks we found in the locker room. "It was definitely a challenge, but honestly I'm proud of how everyone did playing a game while trying to break in all new equipment." Behind Krajzel's quiet leadership and relentless work ethic, the Bees continued to improve and had a stretch where they won nine out of 10 games. The last of those games was a 10-6 win over rival Strongsville that clinched Medina its ninth straight GCC crown. "Her strength is to lead by example," Kubasta said. "She's somebody that stays after practice. She logged a lot of time on the turf trying new things, working on different shots and helping some of our younger players. She went 100% in practice every time, which really forced everyone else to step up as well." Medina continued to build momentum with tournament wins over Brunswick (17-9) and Avon (12-6) to reach a sixth straight regional semifinal. Unfortunately for Krajzel, she was forced to watch the majority of that run from the sideline after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament early in the win over the Blue Devils. With a surgery to repair the injury coming later this month, Krajzel is looking forward to regrouping and getting ready for her first collegiate season next spring. "Tearing your ACL is never fun, obviously," she said. "It's been really hard, but I've learned to have a positive outlook on it all. This is my time to relax and recharge before I go to college. After years and years of no breaks, I can have a moment to calm down a little bit." She credits her coaches and teammates, especially Kubasta and sophomore Audrey Thompson, for helping her stay positive through her recovery. She also credits Kubasta for helping her develop into the player she has become. "Colleen has always been the type of person to help me not doubt myself," Krajzel said. "Ever since freshman year, I've played varsity. She always told me how well I was doing when I got frustrated and was a positive reinforcement." Krajzel also is grateful for the support of her dad, Michael, and mom, Shannon. "My dad has always inspired me to play," she said. "He always wants to go outside and throw the ball with me. He helps me practice, coaches me and tries to teach me new things. My mom is always so supportive and tells me how amazing I am." Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com.