H-ton Senior Katie Reilly Accepted by Princeton University
Katie Reilly is all about putting her team first. She doesn’t particularly care about compiling personal statistics or receiving plaudits. The teenager is much more interested in seeing her team win. A sensational athlete and exceptional student, the Huntington High School senior has been accepted by Princeton University for the fall semester and will play on the Tigers’ NCAA Division I lacrosse team.
Ms. Reilly considered USC, Georgetown, Cornell, North Carolina, Syracuse and High Point, but Princeton was the university that ultimately captured the teenager’s affection.
“Princeton seemed like the perfect balance for a college experience,” Ms. Reilly said. “Being Ivy League, it’s obviously known for its academics, but the women’s lacrosse team is among the Top Ten [in the country] as well. After visiting many other universities and meeting many coaches and players, it was a clear choice that Princeton was the best fit for me.”
Ms. Reilly has always been one of the best students in her class, which is filled with exceptionally bright and talented young men and women. While Princeton recruited her to play on its superb lacrosse team, she was still required to meet all of the Ivy League school’s stringent admission requirements.
“Princeton is among the most selective universities in the nation, if not the most selective,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “In Katie, it has admitted a tremendously bright, well-rounded and giving young person with a personality that quickly lights up a room. Truly well-deserved and the university will be truly fortunate to have her on campus. Congratulations to Katie and her family.”
Team First
Ms. Reilly’s philosophy can best be summed up in a short statement she gave Inside Lacrosse magazine when she verbally committed to Princeton: “Team first; team chemistry is extremely important to me and I try to involve as many of my teammates in the game as possible. The more people involved, the happier everyone is. In my opinion, nothing looks better than an assisted goal.”
While the teenager has scored 83 goals as a sophomore and junior on Huntington’s lacrosse team, she is better known as a playmaker, with an uncanny ability to find an open player and thread a needle with her passes. She had 138 assists over the past two seasons.
A two-time All-County soccer and lacrosse player for the Blue Devils, Ms. Reilly is a captain of Huntington’s basketball team this winter. She plays full-throttle and doesn’t like coming out of a game, if only for a short breather. It’s that competitiveness and dogged determination that led college lacrosse coaches to enthusiastically recruit her.
“I am so happy for Katie on her signing with Princeton,” said Huntington Class of 2015 member Samantha Lynch, a former teammate of Ms. Reilly’s who is now playing lacrosse at Notre Dame. “She is an amazing lacrosse player and teammate and the Tigers are so lucky to have her. I had the privilege of playing on three different sports teams with Katie and can honestly say I loved every minute of it. She brings energy, personality and leadership to every practice and is loved and respected by all of her teammates. She is going to do amazing things at Princeton!”
Will Always Remember Hometown
Ms. Reilly might be headed to Princeton University and a much bigger academic and athletic stage, but the teenager will always remember where she came from and she considers herself fortunate.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up in any other town than Huntington,” Ms. Reilly said. “Huntington’s community is so supportive and enthusiastic about everything it does.”
Although she has kept a very busy schedule with a long list of honors and Advanced Placement classes and three different varsity sports teams, Ms. Reilly always found time to hold elected office with Huntington High School’s student government.
“Katie Reilly has been so much fun to work with over the last four years,” said social studies teacher Camille Tedeschi, who is co-advisor to the senior class. “Every Class of 2016 meeting we have she arrives at with a smile and a great sense of humor. She has no qualms about telling it like it is and her honesty is always appreciated. We have worked on a variety of events together for student government including fundraisers, Safe Halloween, Playfest, float night and the Homecoming Day parade each year and it is always so much fun to be with her. We have developed a bond that is special and I am going to miss not having her as part of our student government team when she graduates. She has made my job as an advisor that much more exciting.”
“Diligent, Kind, Motivating and Inspiring”
The teenager has developed close relationships with several teachers and has compiled an enviable academic record. “Katie is diligent, kind, motivated and inspiring,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “I am proud of the person she has become over the last four years and I know her future will be met with great success.”
Few people would find it possible to cram more into the past four years than Ms. Reilly has. She is constantly on the go and rarely has any downtime. The senior will graduate with memories that will never leave her.
“What I’ll remember is that I was never bored,” Ms. Reilly said. “From sporting events to the Homecoming Day parade to the fundraisers for those that passed away and all the other events that are so well attended, Huntington is one-of-a-kind and I am truly blessed that I can call this my hometown.”
The teenager’s long journey through the Huntington School District began when she stepped off a bus at Washington Primary School and walked inside for her first day of kindergarten. Even then her teachers spotted something that was unique in her along with a noticeable degree of maturity for someone her age.
“My advice to an incoming freshman would be to take advantage of what Huntington has to offer, always be there for your friends and remember that anything is possible, so set your sights high,” Ms. Reilly said.