Junior Cece Burt has been named Athlete of the Week for her standout contributions to the girls lacrosse team this season. She has anchored the team as a midfielder, playing on both ends of the field, while also emerging as one of the team's most trusted and beloved leaders.

Cece's path to lacrosse began fairly simply: She picked up the basics in eighth grade, going out to practice with friends for lack of a Middle School team—but Cece always had her eye on playing in high school. After joining the Upper School and trying out for girls lacrosse, she was placed on the JV team.

Her love for the game clicked early in her lacrosse career. During one of her first JV games, she took the faceoff to start the game and felt something she hadn't expected. "It was just really fun," she said. "I was also playing with one of my close friends, so we had great chemistry. That's when I knew I was going to love it."

Her time spent on JV was short-lived. After just a month and a half of floating between rosters, she was asked to move up to varsity officially. "That's when it became more serious to me," she said. "I was surrounded by better players and had to work harder to keep up."

That drive to improve has carried her all the way to becoming a varsity captain as a junior—a title that reflects how far she's come since her time on JV as a freshman.

Cece sees this captaincy as a reflection of her deliberate effort to lead by example, on and off the field. "I feel like it shows that my coaches recognized my leadership when they named me captain, which is something I really try to work on," she said. "I want to be someone my teammates can talk to and look up to, like how I looked up to older players when I was a freshman."

Cece adopted her game mentality and mojo from a specific person. “When I was a freshman, I really looked up to Reese Benford [Latin Class of ‘24]. She was a senior and an incredible player, and now she plays D1 lacrosse [at Johns Hopkins University],” she said. “I always wanted to be like her.”

Now an upperclassman herself, Cece is mindful of how she shows up for her teammates, especially in difficult moments. "Attitude is really important in my opinion," she said. "It's easy to get frustrated, but you can't take that out on your teammates. There's a difference between playing with urgency and being negative. Staying positive helps everyone play better."

Cece’s attitude has produced results that have shaped the team's culture this season. "We have really good team chemistry, and we're a pretty young team, which is exciting," Cece said. "Everyone puts in effort, and we've had some good wins."

Cece has contributed to the team's growth not just as a leader, but as a player willing to adapt—switching from offense to midfield this season. Her new position requires her to cover every inch of the field while offensive and defensive players get to stay on their respective halves.

Instead of complaining about the demands involved with being a midfielder, Cece embraced the challenge.

“You're playing both offense and defense, so you're constantly moving. Midfielders can go anywhere on the field, unlike other positions," she said. But the chaos is part of the appeal to her. "I love how fast-paced it is. It's super physical and high intensity, which makes the position really fun."

The transition between positions hasn't been without challenges, though. Over the first few weeks of the season, Cece has been focusing on sharpening her defensive instincts and taking control of the field, while eyeing refinement in her shooting and footwork. "I still have a lot to improve," she said, "but I think I've gotten better this year because of the effort I’ve put in."

For anyone on the fence about trying lacrosse, Cece has a simple pitch: "It's pretty easy to pick up, but it's hard to get really good at. It's definitely worth playing, though, because it's a lot of fun and you make great memories."

And for younger players coming up, her advice is even simpler. "Just give 110% effort," she said. "Coaches and teammates notice that more than anything. It doesn't matter if you're the best; what matters is that you're trying your hardest."