The phrase “teamwork makes the dream work” is used often, but it describes the varsity girls basketball season perfectly. By working hard together, the girls earned a trip to Redbird Arena and were runners-up for the state title. The team features players from all four grade levels, which allowed for mentorship opportunities and created a team culture that propelled them to success.

The camaraderie played an immense role in their season’s success, especially in the postseason. Senior Lenee Beaumont admits, “not many people expected us to make it as far as we did, but we stuck together and played our best basketball when it mattered.” The team especially followed through with this at the super-sectional game against Kenwood. With mere seconds left, Benet was down by one point, but after a series of passes, Beaumont got the ball to sophomore Lindsay Harzich, who made the game-winning shot. The students rushed down to the court to congratulate their fellow Redwings on a fantastic win and the opportunity to go downstate to compete at Redbird Arena. Making the basket at super-sectionals is probably my favorite memory this season,” Hazrich described, “I will never forget jumping, hugging, and celebrating with my teammates when the buzzer sounded.”  

While age diversity might pose problems for other teams, the Redwings took this as an opportunity for mentorship and personal growth. Freshman Bridget Rifenburg said, “Sometimes it is hard to have a freshman on the team, but since day one, everyone has been so welcoming and inclusive.” Such an atmosphere breeds success. The Redwings saw this first-hand with their trip downstate. The seniors played a crucial role in the season by leading the way for the underclassmen. Beaumont explained, “We had a much younger team this year, so I had a bigger leadership role, which wasn’t too hard to adjust to because when I was a freshman and sophomore, I had great seniors who mentored me.” 

It is clear that the girls basketball program has been and still is full of talented players and strong leaders. The legacies of past seniors’ mentorship have been carried through years of Benet girls basketball players. Solid leadership from older players is instrumental to a team’s success, and Harzich described the seniors as “strong leaders and role models on and off the court.” When considering the kind of people the team is composed of, it is no wonder why the team had such outstanding success. A team of talented, welcoming, and inclusive players has no choice but to excel, and the girls team did just that.

In such a competitive sport, finding those willing to share their knowledge and wisdom with their teammates may be challenging, but the Redwings were fine. Focusing on inclusion and mentorship, they found that working together leads to success. Their commitment to working together transcended the gaps between upper and underclassmen, ultimately leading to a successful season.