Grayslake Central’s Sara Armstrong has won state championships in cross country. She’s one of the top runners in Illinois.
But soccer, not track, has Armstrong’s full attention in the spring.
“Soccer has always been my favorite sport,” she said. “It’s very important for me to experience playing as a team. I like the team aspect, where you rely on everybody.”
Grayslake Central soccer coach Keith Andersson is glad Armstrong feels that way. The junior midfielder is one of the top scorers for the Rams this season with eight goals and five assists. She had a hat trick during their 6-2 North Suburban Conference win against Round Lake last week.
“Sara is a beast,” Andersson said. “It’s a huge difference from last year. She’s a force to be reckoned with. She showed her speed against Round Lake. They couldn’t keep up with her. She was blowing past people.
“Our problem is sometimes she’s too fast. Our girls can’t keep up with her.”
Armstrong, who helped Grayslake Central’s girls cross country team win the Class 2A state title in each of the past two seasons with a pair of top-20 finishes, ran indoor track for the first time over the winter and was part of the 1,600-meter relay team that set a school record.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Grayslake Central girls track coach Shawn Murphy wonders about Armstrong’s potential.
“She knows it because I tell her all the time for her to come out and join our team,” Murphy said. “I have zero reservations that she could have a state (track) medal around her neck. She’s that good. … She’s an amazing talent and an amazing kid. I don’t think there’s any sport Sara plays that she’s not going to be successful at.”
Armstrong said she enjoyed running indoor track but never considered not playing soccer this season.
“I wanted the extra conditioning before soccer started,” she said. “It was a very different experience, a new way of learning things, because I had never done indoors. It really helped me for soccer. I didn’t get tired in the first game of the season. Having that preconditioning allowed me to play longer.”
Armstrong’s presence has proved vital for the young Rams (5-10-1, 4-1), who won just two of their first 11 games with a brutal nonconference schedule but sit in second place in the Northern Lake County Conference. She’s one of three captains.
“She’s not very talkative,” Andersson said. “I’ve had her for three years, but she’s come out of her shell this year. She’s actually giving us one-liner comebacks. She’s also more confident with the ball.
“She’s a strong leader and captain. She’s so fun to watch, turning from a little freshman into a really strong young woman. She always has a great outlook on every game and even every loss. She wants to work hard on her craft. She never stops in practices.”
Armstrong, who also played basketball during her freshman year, said she won’t start training for cross country until the middle of June. She’s motivated to make an impact on the soccer field.
“This is the first year I’ve been a team captain, so it makes me feel my team is relying on me and that I can never give up,” she said.
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
