Waltham High girls lacrosse team raring to go for 2026 season

Following a 2025 campaign in which the Waltham High girls lacrosse team earned a postseason berth, the Hawks are brimming with confidence heading into a fresh spring.

Last year concluded with defeat at the hands of a formidable Chelmsford High School team in the Round of 32 of the MIAA Division 1 state championship last May. However, the Hawks’ success throughout the year has armed them with experience as the new season approaches.

“I am really excited,” head coach Jill Cannon said. “These girls have worked very hard at making this program move in a positive direction. They have made a lot of changes that have certainly helped us get everyone on the same page. We have a lot of upperclass players that are returning and they are definitely going to be looked at as the leaders, showing some of these underclass players how we have been successful these last couple of years.”

Among this group of leaders are a pair of Dual County League all-stars, senior Quinn Gavin and junior Mia Kearney, in addition to goalie Leah France. Gavin and Kearney look to spearhead the offensive attack while France and Emma Gaspar will aim to make it tough on the opposition to net goals of their own. This group has ensured the Hawks are prepared as gameplay nears. WHS has taken part in a Sunday league over the course of the winter to build up their chemistry and organized workouts before school in the lead up to the season.

“It has been nice to remove myself from the picture and let everyone get their stick work and conditioning in,” Cannon said. “It has been really exciting to see the upperclass players take over that part.”

Playing in the DCL, the Hawks will inevitably have a tough schedule. However, big wins against stiff competition in the past few seasons has stripped any fear WHS might have in terms of facing intimidating foes.

“Our league games are challenging,” Cannon said. “The DCL is the toughest conference in the state. The exciting part is that we have competed with a lot of these teams. The next step is putting it all together to make an exciting matchup. We had a big win against Wayland last year, and now we are looking to compete with more teams in the league. We want to make it known that we are here and we are ready to work against anyone.”

The Hawks’ regular season begins on April 1 at Medford High School. That game will be followed by consecutive home contests against Methuen High School, Westford Academy and Acton-Boxborough Regional High School.