North Jersey Female Athlete of the Week comes up clutch in return from injury
Toughest player in North Jersey girls lacrosse? We submit Northern Highlands sophomore attack Maddie Willkomm.
“I hope so,” Willkomm said, laughing.
Playing just weeks after breaking her right wrist, Willkomm scored a dramatic overtime goal in a state tournament game against Randolph with her team playing down two players.
“I started playing lacrosse in kindergarten,” said Willkomm, the oldest of four. “I think my parents still have a picture of me in my uniform on my first day.”
The Ho-Ho-Kus native has been a starter for the Highlanders lacrosse program since she was a freshman. She’s blessed with speed and stick skills, and one other special thing that makes her stand out.
Remember how she broke her right wrist? That was a pain, but Willkomm is left-handed.
“You don’t see a lot of lefties in lacrosse, and being able to use both hands and also be a left-handed attacker is something that shocks other teams,” Willkomm said. “I really like driving to the goal and giving it a good over-the-top shot or sidearm.”
Willkomm and the Highlanders were playing in the Bergen County Tournament final against perennial champ Ridgewood when she broke her wrist. She’d love to say it was some great diving effort for a ground ball, or maybe a wayward stick from a defender.
But, actually, she took a shot and fell.
“It was a high-stakes game and I already had some points on the board and I was getting super excited,” Willkomm remembered. “After I fell, I didn’t really notice anything. I was so jacked on adrenaline that I think I scored after I broke it.”
After getting home after the close loss, Willkomm’s wrist still hurt and began to swell. She went to the doctor and was told she had broke her arm/wrist in two spots.
Because of where the break was, there was really nothing to do. Willkomm didn’t need a cast. She just couldn’t play. She played wall ball with her good hand to keep her skills sharp.
Lacrosse has been Willkomm’s sport forever. Her father played and both her parents remain athletic. All of her siblings play too.
“My Dad would play with me in the yard and then I would play with my brothers and younger sister,” she said. “A lot of my friends played in the rec league and I started club in fourth or fifth grade and I love going to tournaments with my team.”
Willkomm is active in school. She’s in the DECA program. She works as a ski instructor, works as a pool lifeguard at Crestwood Lake, and participates in Relay for Life. She’s hoping a college will give her a chance to play lacrosse and she can show her skills and toughness at the next level.
“I feel really lucky to be part of the Highlands team,” Willkomm said. “We have amazing coaches who really care about us on the field and off the field. I think of all of my teammates as my closest friends and when I step on the field with them, I know they have my back. Playing with this group has showed me the true meaning of a team.”
Maddie Willkomm
Sport: Lacrosse
School: Northern Highlands
Class: Sophomore: Age: 16
Accomplishment: Playing two players down, Willkomm had the game-winning goal for the Highlanders in the State Tournament against Randolph.
Also nominated: Ayanna Chape of Hackensack, Olyvia Burrell of Emerson, and Elliot Eddy of Hasbrouck Heights for track and field; and Lindsey Devir of Ridgewood for lacrosse.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Record Female Athlete of the Week: Maddie Willkomm, Northern Highlands
