Oak Knoll School’s award-winning lacrosse team (ranked No. 1) hit the ground running on Saturday, May 22, 2021, defeating Summit (No. 2) 11-5 and claiming the Union County Tournament title for the first time since 2017.

The last New Jersey team to hold Summit to five goals or fewer was Ridgewood in a 7-4 decision on April 1, 2017.

The Royals kept their energy high and their teamwork churning like clockwork right out of the gate. Goalie Madeline Sepe ’23 of Watchung stepped away from the game with eight saves. Other OKS athletes to put up numbers on the board included Devon Gogerty ’22 of Brookside, Colleen Quinn ’21 of Summit, Lily Ramsey ’21 of Summit, Sara Rogers ’21 of Madison, Annika Spoor ’21 of Madison, and Teagan Kocaj ’22 of Westfield.

“Oak Knoll versus Summit is always a great rivalry, and this game was no different,” said Kelly Childs, Oak Knoll School’s Athletic Director. “It was great to see the hard work and preparation by the team and coaching staff pay off with a well-deserved Union County Championship.”

Gianna Spinelli, Head Coach of Oak Knoll’s lacrosse team, said this team is special to coach because of their willingness to work hard and put in the effort to prepare in practice to win games.

“They are all very unselfish players, and their attitude as a team is to put one another first to find success,” said Spinelli. “That’s been a huge factor in our ability to adapt and to win. We always face tough competition, and the girls have really bought into the coaches’ mantra of leaning on each other to win, instead of playing as individuals. Their team-first mentality and coachability have played a huge role in why we are successful today. Having a lot to prove with such a high ranking in the pre-season, the girls knew they needed to find their team identity and not ride the coattails of a different Oak Knoll team personnel-wise, two years ago. This realization helped us to play to find out who we are as a newer, less experienced team.”

Next up for the Royals? The OKS lacrosse team enters states next week, where they must win group finals to enter the Tournament of Champions where they will play to win and earn the TOC title.

Congratulations, Royals!