Mars Varsity Girls Lacrosse Captains
In pursuit of a fourth straight WPIAL Class 2A championship, the Mars girls lacrosse team is leaning into a culture they call “As One.”
The team has leaned on its captains to help lead the way.
In recent interviews with the Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team captains and assistant coaches, I discussed culture, leadership, team unity, positivity, and hard work.
The Lady Planets 2026 Team Captains consist of three seniors Anna McGrath, Tess McGrath, and Lydia Tomkovicz and junior Hailey Long.
The team’s connection is evident every time I watch them. The captains echo the ‘As
One’ mentality in everything that they do. The team plays with grit, a positive attitude, and respect.
“The team chemistry is unique to me. I intermingle with all the girls. Each one of the girls can call me anytime. I make sure everyone feels included, especially when they are having a bad day,” explained Hailey Long, who is committed to Villanova Southeastern.
Lydia Tomkovicz said the team shares a special bond, spending time together on and off the field—at school, before practice, and after—adding that they genuinely enjoy being around each other.
“Success doesn’t just happen,” Anna McGrath explained. “You have to work for it.”
“It’s a day-to-day thing, small builds that end up being strong habits to have an overall great outcome,” Assistant Coach Naomi Grus.
That leadership extends beyond the players and into the coaching staff.
Talent and Leadership Times Two
Before becoming high-level WPIAL athletes, Anna and Tess McGrath moved across the country into Mars, PA. They began playing lacrosse in the sixth grade.
The sisters are both recognized on the 2026 Post-Gazette Players to Watch list. Additionally, they both earned All-WPIAL honors in 2025.
Mars benefited not only by adding two talented players, but two high-IQ leaders.
Both sisters have been critical to the Mars Girls Lacrosse team’s success in Western Pennsylvania, playing significant roles in leadership, and on the midfield and attack lines.
“At our very first ever Mars practice, I could tell right away that everyone was super hardworking, and we had a supportive coach that set that tone of uplifting each other,” Anna McGrath said.
“I’m going to have fun while working hard and I’m going to lift up the girl next to me,” avid viola player Tess McGrath explained.
The twins’ natural supportive leadership blends with their competitive nature. They often work in tandem on the offensive end.
Since arriving at Mars, both players have transformed their game—even switching positions.
At Mars, Tess is a lefty x-attacker. However, that wasn’t always the case.
“I actually started as a defender in California and switched to attack when I came to Mars,” explained Tess McGrath, “Coach Abby wanted me to be straight attack.”
Anna is noted for playing big scoring, assisting, and contributing to critical games including the 2023 and 2024 WPIAL Class 2A championships.
“I was a defensive midfielder and played a lot of different positions. Now I’m a midfielder, who is focused on both sides of the field,” Anna McGrath said.
The sisters understand the importance of the ride and two-way play to create winning lacrosse.
Tone Setting Culture
The coaching staff understands what it takes to sustain a winning culture as the Lady Planets chase a fourth straight WPIAL title.
In her first year on the staff, former Slippery Rock Goalie, coach Gillian O’Rourke has stepped right in with a similar mindset.
“We have a fun group of lively girls that aren’t afraid to put the work in,” Gillian O’Rourke said. “It is fun to push them further than they have been pushed before. They can handle more so I hope that I can bring that to them.”
“I’m working with the goalies on LAX IQ, understanding their abilities and communication,” said Coach O’Rourke. “Communication is such a big part, making sure their defenders are sliding in front of them.”
“These girls can outwork some college teams,” added O’Roarke.
The coaching staff is excited about the team’s situation at goaltender this year.
“Julia is amazing. She is a different type of goalie with her being a lefty. It throws a lot of shooters off because they are used to a right hander,” said coach Naomi Grus.
Now in her third year as an assistant coach, former Mars player, Mara Fuller understands the importance of culture.
“Our culture is special. We describe ourselves as family. We describe ourselves—‘As One’,” explained coach Fuller.
As a former player, Fuller has been instrumental in increasing the growth curve of the current defenders. Her understanding of defensive concepts, proper slides and positioning makes a significant difference. She makes it a point to not only focus on the girls growing as a player but growing as young women.
“In the end, I want them to be successful women, who can go on to do whatever they want after high school,” Fuller explained.
“The transition from being a player at Mars to an assistant coach makes me relatable to the current players,” noted Fuller. “I’ve been able to use some mistakes that maybe I made as a defensive player to teach the girls.”
Going into her fourth year, Coach Grus is the longest-tenured assistant coach on the staff. She is a stabilizer.
“We have had a lot of success over the years which we are working to repeating and getting better from it,” coach Grus explained.
Competitive Schedule
Something fans can look forward to this spring is two top Ohio teams that will be visiting the MAC to face off against the Lady Planets. These two games against should prove to be highly competitive.
“We’re excited to play these games,” said Head Coach Abby Latona. “We did this to make our schedule even more competitive to prepare for states.”
The Lady Planets will face Olentangy High School girls Lacrosse on Saturday, April 11th at 11:30AM and their final game of the season against Rocky River High School Girls Lacrosse on Saturday, May 9th at 12:00PM. Both games will be played at the Mars Athletic Complex.
“Against any competition, I trust in our preparation and practice,” explained Anna McGrath.
“I agree with what Anna said. The experience that our team has playing a lot of games together and the trust that we have for each other along with focused preparation and practice gives us a lot of confidence,” added Tess McGrath.
“I love playing against good competition. It makes you so much better, even if you lose. Getting that experience is so much fun and it gets us ready for states,” Hailey Long explained.
Junior Players to Watch
Mars features a talented and athletic junior class led by Lucy Balazs, Katie Blake, and Hailey Long—three players who continue to elevate the team’s performance.
“Our junior class is really strong and focused,” assistant coach Naomi Grus said.
Long emphasized her focus on consistency this season. “I worked specifically in the offseason to become more consistent,” she said. “In the state game last season, I came out really slow. I want my play to be consistent across the board.”
That mindset reflects a group that has grown together over time. “We’ve been playing together for a long time and have built strong connections,” Blake said. “We’ve put in a lot of work, and we want to go farther than we ever have this year.”
Balazs pointed to the group’s shared commitment and support for one another. “We’ve worked hard together and really play as a team,” she said. “What stands out is how much we care about each other—on the field and off.”
Early Games
On Friday, March 27, the Lady Planets continued their winning ways by dominating Moon 14-1 in a non-conference game. The windy and chilly weather did not affect the Lady Planets as it took about 10 seconds for Tess McGrath to score. McGrath finished the game with a hat trick.
Juniors Katie Blake and Lucy Balazs led the way for the Lady Planets by combining for nine of the team’s fourteen goals. Katie Blake poured in a team-high five goals and added three assists. Lucy Balazs had four goals.
The three-time defending WPIAL Class 2A Lady Planets are 3-0 to start the season, including a win at home against Peters Township and an away win at Sewickley Academy.
“I just think our quick ball movement and our knowledge of what we all like to do helps us a ton,” Blake said.
Junior Hailey Long had the other two goals for the Lady Planets.
“We come into games confident in our skill and can bring it to other teams,” Latona said.
Mars defense and goaltending was solid again by not giving up the lone Moon goal until about a minute left in the game. In their first three games the team has scored 62 goals and has only allowed six.
Mars Boys Lacrosse Early Schedule
The nine-time WPIAL Class 2A champion Fightin’ Planets are 2-1 and have not given up a goal in their past two games. They blanked Freeport 21-0 and hung a 13-0 loss on Taylor Allderdice.
The Planets are playing good defense and are getting solid goalkeeping from multiple goalies. Junior Luke Reinhart, senior David Renner and freshman Gavin Elmeier all have displayed quality time in the net.
“The defense has been playing well over the first few games of the season,” coach Matt Grus explained. “We have played extremely well in settled defense by following the scouts, communicating, and being aggressive while playing as one unit in some crazy Pittsburgh Spring weather.”
The only freshman in the starting lineup Nate Caldwell, the younger brother of 2024 grad, Dominic Caldwell was dealing on Monday night against Freeport. The freshman rang up a goal and six assists in the first half, assisting on four of senior mid-fielder Grant Weaver’s six goals and on two of senior Jack Tirch’s six goals.
“Nate has a very high lacrosse IQ. He moves the ball quickly, which is how we like to play,” Head Coach Marcoux said.
“Tonight, we played six freshmen in the first half alone,” Marcoux explained. “Young guys getting some varsity playing this early in the year, absolutely helps us down the road.”
Freshmen attack Mason Wyzkoski scored all three Mars goals in the fourth quarter.
Mars talent runs deep. “If you deserve to play, you’ll be on the field,” senior midfielder Grant Weaver said.
In an out-of-state road trip to Virginia on Friday, March 27, they lost 13-6 to Independence High School in a hard fought game.
Other Mars Sports News
Baseball: The St. Louis Cardinals are entering the 2026 season in one of the few rebuilds in the storied history of the franchise. Building toward the future comes with opportunity. At the forefront of that opportunity is top prospect, Mars Alum, JJ Wetherholt, who in 2024 was drafted as the seventh overall pick out of West Virginia. The Cardinals expectation is that Wetherholt will play second base and possibly be their everyday leadoff man. Last season, Wetherholt split time between Double-A and Triple-A. He played 62 at the Double-A level then 47 games with Triple-A Memphis. He hit .306 with 17 homeruns, 28 doubles, two triples, 59 RBI, 82 runs scored and 23 stolen bases in 496 plate appearances.
In 15 games in the big leagues during spring training with the Cardinals, Wetherholt hit .212 with two homeruns, seven RBI, two steals and six runs scored. A good sign is that he drew nine walks in 44 plate appearances, showing a good eye for the major league strike zone. He is entering the 2026 season as one of the favorites for the National League Rookie of the Year.
That expectation was realized when Wetherholt hit a 425-foot solo homerun in his opening day debut for the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. He’s the first Cardinal to accomplish the feat in a MLB debut on opening day in 69 years. Bobby Smith did it against Cincinnati at Crosby Field on April 16, 1957.
Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol discussed Wetherholt’s debut after the game in which the rookie added a key sacrifice fly in the eight-run sixth inning rally as well.
“It’s slowing down enough to understand what the situation is calling for,” Marmol said. “There’s a pace to the way he plays. I love that about him, I really do.”
Relief pitcher, Mars alum, David Bednar was on the roster for Team USA at World Baseball Classic. Bednar, who now pitches for the New York Yankees after being traded there by the Pittsburgh Pirates provided four crucial innings in four appearances for Team USA. He did not allow a run, struck out eight, hit one batter and only allowed six hits. He was a key reason that Team USA made the final by pitching a scoreless inning in the 2-1 semifinal win over the Dominican Republic.
Hockey: The Mars Middle School Hockey Team defeated Beaver Middle School 5-4 in overtime to capture the 2026 PIHL Championship.
Bradley Briggs scored the game winning goal in Overtime. Carson Myers led the way with two goals. Both Joey Maker and Carson Whitling chipped in for a goal each. Levi Rosswog and Michael Bowser had assists for Mars.
Nick Lancy made some key saves in a clutch performance in the net to help secure the win.
