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Vindy Spring Athletes: Gavin Kostelic
What started as side activity in between football seasons became a full-time passion for Canfield’s Gavin Kostelic.
A local pastor introduced Kostelic to the game when he was in sixth grade. He played his first game as a freshman at Canfield, when the team was in its second year of existence as a club team. He leaves Canfield as a team captain and leader of the defense.
Heading into his senior year, the OHSAA sanctioned lacrosse as a varsity sport. At the same time, Kostelic quit football to give lacrosse his full attention.
“I just lost the interest in football and I absolutely loved lacrosse.”
Kostelic was a vocal leader for a Cardinals team that was the only Mahoning Valley team to have a winning record in its first season at 8-7. They fell in the first round of the postseason, 10-7, to Louisville.
“In the beginning, we actually played in the high school parking lot and over the years, we got to go on the practice fields,” Kostelic said. “This year we could finally go on the turf everyday. It was a great feeling to see how much it grew.”
Kostelic will continue his education at Youngstown State, where he’ll study engineering and play club lacrosse.
“I learned how to be a leader — especially the last two years — we had seniors who graduated and I had to step up,” Kostelic said.