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01/06/2015 11:00 PMFrank Ranfone has always possessed a steady stream of passion while playing lacrosse for Guilford and he will soon have his chance to display that desire on an even bigger stage.
The senior captain for the Indians' 2015 squad traded in a baseball bat for a stick in 3rd grade and has hit the ground running ever since. As a junior, the midfielder was the team's leading scorer, Offensive MVP, and garnered Second Team All-SCC honors for conference finalist Guilford. Now as his last year with the Indians draws closer, Frank has signed his National Letter of Intent to play at LIU Post University-a program that's played in the NCAA Division II national championship game in three of the last six seasons.
"It's an honor to sign and a great accomplishment for me, but also my teammates because I couldn't do it without them," says Frank. "It's all really been a tribute to my hard work. I chose the program because it's a great place to push myself."
Indians' Head Coach Brian White says that both Frank's intangibles off the turf and his abilities on it have played key roles in Guilford's recent run to consecutive SCC championsip games.
"I haven't had anyone work as hard at the sport as Frank and he's always had the goals of playing in college and being competitive with the sport," says White. "He is one of our more skilled players, yet he is also an approachable kid that gets along with everyone. On the field, he is hard-working and intense. He also adds a spark to the team that we need."
Whether he's improving his stamina while running or increasing his strength by hitting the gym, Frank is always willing to better himself for his true athletic love.
"It's my favorite sport because I like the fast-pace nature and how there's never a dull moment," Frank says. "I always want to improve and I want to beat that imaginary person that is always off somewhere else working harder."
Frank explains that his coaches have helped him grasp the game of lacrosse throughout his Indians' tenure, which paved the way for him to have a breakout junior campaign.
"It's all about the positions that our coaches put us in and, for me, I've just been becoming more comfortable with our system. The game has slowed down and come to me," says Frank. "Last year was about the team because, without them, I couldn't do it. I worked a lot on my shot for last season, like with shooting on the run and making my first step."
As he looks to study exercise science at college, Frank still has his eyes set on his final stint with the Indians this spring with hopes of bringing some gold to Guilford.
"It's an awesome feeling to be a captain and lead this team," says Frank, who thanks his parents, Ann and Frank, his cousin Michael, along with Coach White and Guilford assistant Scott Davidson. "We expect to go back to the SCC final and take it, plus go deep in states and have a shot at a state title."