Senior Ella Caputo has been a mainstay of the Riverside Brookfield High School girls soccer program since she was a freshman. Caputo anticipates the same soccer experience when she attends NCAA Division II Drury University in Springfield, Missouri.
“The coaches are absolutely amazing, completely supported me,” Caputo said. “I have an opportunity to start my freshman year. They’re losing a lot of seniors so I definitely have an opportunity to get a lot of playing time.”
Caputo joins Lucy Drenth, Isa Hernandez and Raleigh Jesswein as four-year varsity seniors for the Bulldogs (3-10, 0-1 in Upstate Eight Conference East Division), who hope to snap an eight-match losing streak as they enter the teeth of their conference schedule. Senior Katie Doyle will play soccer at Division III Knox (Galesburg).
Caputo earned All-Metro Suburban Conference honors in 2024. Caputo and Drenth were All-MSC Red in 2023 when the conference was larger with two divisions.
“It’s definitely weird being the oldest ones now,” Caputo said. “When we’re in the center and doing the team cheer, it’s very weird making sure we’re the ones getting each other hyped up and we’re the ones saying the team speech, taking leadership. It’s crazy how time flies.”
Juniors Mia Rodriguez (4 goals, assist) and Michelle Panduro (3 goal, 2 assists) and senior Abigail Jurkovic (4 assists) are current scoring leaders.
Caputo (goal, 2 assists) contributed to all three goals during the current streak. She scored her first goal in the 2-1 UEC East loss at Elmwood Park, April 8, with an assist from Jurkovic. She assisted junior Aylin Romero (goal, 2 assists) in the 2-1 loss at Niles North April 16 and Panduro in the 5-1 loss at Hinsdale South April 12. Currently at 16 career goals and 23 assists for the Bulldogs, Caputo had 10 goals and a team-best 10 assists in 2024.
Her first goal is still the most memorable. That came March 21, 2022, freshman year against visiting Hinsdale Central in a 3-2 loss. The Bulldogs later lost to the Red Devils in the regional semifinals on penalty kicks.
“I remember Natalie Rubi sent a cross in. I trapped it with my thigh, shot it with my left foot right into the right corner of the net,” Caputo said.
“It was such a good feeling, all of the seniors, juniors, everyone running and jumping on me. One of the upperclassmen I was really close to [Nina Bretz] started crying because she was so proud of me.”
At Drury, Caputo plans to study psychology and minor in criminology.
This past fall, the Panthers ended with a program-best No. 14 national ranking in Division II after their 16-3-4 season and trip to the Midwest Regional finals.
Caputo’s recruiting class is 15 players, two of them transfers.
“Other than their skills, the community is amazing,” Caputo said of Drury’s players.
“They’re family. They’re all close. They hang out every Sunday. They hang out every day. They’re all roommates so I have a built-in friend group. It’s the community that got to me.”
LTHS boys gymnastics
Senior Devon Mackenzie was part of the greatest season in Lyons Township competitive cheerleading history. The Lions reached the second day of the state finals for the first time and finished 10th in the Coed Division, Feb. 8. He’s hoping to finish as strong at the boys gymnastics state meet May 17 at Hoffman Estates.
“In cheer, we had our best year. Hopefully I can place at state [gymnastics] because I’ve never done that before,” Mackenzie said. “Top five would be nice but definitely I think I can get top 10.”
The Brookfield resident equaled his high score of 9.2 on floor exercise Saturday for sixth place at the Dave Donaldson Invitational at Wheaton Warrenville South.
The Lions were fifth (126.30 points) in the 11–team field with the state’s two best teams, Wheaton co-op (159.25) and Glenbard West (157.05), which both posted season highs. Junior TJ Carr was ninth on pommel horse (7.45) and still rings (7.75) and 11th in all-around (44.80).
Mackenzie opened the season, March 7, with a 9.15. He has since added a front handspring, front half twist combination to raise his routine’s start value to the maximum 10.0. The handstand remains a key skill.
“It’s very unpredictable. I either hit it or I don’t,” Mackenzie said. “All I have to do is just hold it a little longer.”
He believes that cheerleading has helped his gymnastics.
“With tumbling at cheer being on a dead mat, it definitely builds strength, which overall helps me on an easier [spring-based] floor at gymnastics,” Mackenzie said. “At cheer, I’m also working on my technique and form and that sticks with me as I continue into gymnastics.”
The Lions have the 11th best season-high score (131.20, March 27) and are ranked No. 11 overall. And that’s without ever having their full lineup in any of eight meets. To reach the 10-team state field, the Lions need a top-10 score among the state’s three sectionals. Their sectional is May 6 at Niles West.
“We need to pull everybody together on the same day where they can all be there. Then we can see what we can do,” LTHS coach Sam Zeman said. “Injuries aren’t the issue. We need a team concept.”