Lynn Classical graduating softball player Jillian Strileckis followed her teammates in delivering separate farewell speeches, which is an annual tradition for the seniors in coach Chris Warren’s outstanding program.
Much in the manner of her fellow seniors, including three-sport standout Francesca Galeazzi, Strileckis said it was difficult to say goodbye to her teammates and coaches.
“It is so unbelievably hard to say goodbye to a team where I’ve made lifelong friends, goodbye to coaches who have taught me to much in just four short years, saying goodbye to this program as a whole,” Strileckis said at the banquet held at the Lynn Housing Authority.
Strileckis, also an excellent soccer goalkeeper at Classical, offered words of advice, saying that her teammates should treasure every minute of their high school experience.
“Just remember that your time in high school will fly by and I know you’ve heard this countless times but I can’t emphasize it enough. Enjoy these years while they’re here.”
Strileckis closed her thoughtful speech by saying it was time for her and the other seniors, Francesca Galeazzi, Krista Cuozzo, Kathy Perez, and Jessica Perez “to start a new chapter in our lives.”
“The five of us, we’re going off to college and we’re going to grow and be successful. We just have to remember where we came from because once a Ram, always a Ram.”
Strileckis’s remarks evoked memories of another classic farewell address by former Classical star Jennie Erekson, who said in her remarks the awards banquet, “I was never in a rush,” meaning that athletes should savor each and every moment of their high school careers. Erekson is currently a student at UMass/Amherst.