More than a Passion: Westwood's Biron Ready for the Next Move

When she heard that she was being named as the top lacrosse player in the northeast region earlier this month, Westwood High School 2011 graduate and star lacrosse player Sarah Biron was a little taken back.

"They called me when I was on vacation, and I was so surprised and I had no idea they even did that," Biron told Westwood Patch this week. "When I found out that I was named, I was like, 'Oh my God.' It's a huge honor."

Biron was named the in August by U.S. Lacrosse Magazine. And although the mention was a humbling experience, she does not take full claim for the achievement.

"The name 'Westwood' carries so much prestige, there's so much associated with it," Biron said. "It's always a big deal, we're always up there."

Under the guidance of Westwood's varsity girls lacrosse coach Leslie Frank, Biron, a midfielder, helped lead the team to a strong victory last season, winning the state title for the third time in the last four years with a .

She attributed the success to non-stop hard work every day leading up to each game.

"We're always at practice, always giving 100 percent," Biron said.

The mention in U.S. Lacrosse Magazine was another bullet point on a growing list of Biron's achievements.

In addition to being named the Northeast Player of the Year, she's also played with the Under Armor All-American Senior Team, which comprises the top 44 girls in the country who play the sport, her father, Scott Biron, said. Biron was among the top 22 players from the Northeast. She has also taken part in an All-American showcase held in partnership with U.S Lacrosse and ESPN.

Biron will be continuing her lacrosse career in the fall at Johns Hopkins University, where she will be playing on a scholarship.

"When I started playing in seventh grade, I always wanted to go to Johns Hopkins," she said. "That was my big dream. I couldn't have gone to a better high school program to help me get prepared. Leslie is amazing, she's the best coach I've ever had. She pushes us mentally and physically, and to be the best people we can be."

Frank couldn't be reached for comment as of this writing, but Biron's father said the head coach was ecstatic when they were first notified about the recent achievement.

"She's just a grinder," he said. "An all-purpose athlete that likes to do the little things that make te big things happen. That's a credit to her; that's something that's imbedded in her. That's the ultimate player they're looking for, the player who's self-driven, who doesn't need to have the limelight around them every second of the day."

Scott Biron, who coaches varsity lacrosse at , said he helped practice with his daughter when she first took up the sport in her early teenage years.

"It wasn't me saying, 'Go out and throw the ball around,' or, 'Let's go practice,'" he said. "It was always her that was generating that. She was dragging me out in the back yard to play catch. That's kind of a unique thing, because you can challenge the player as they grow . . . I can't take much credit for it; she was the one who's driven the bus."

He added, "The coolest part is, I deal with players at the high school level and have for a long time. It's kind of special when you see a player of her caliber come along. It's even better when it's your kid."

As far as a degree goes, Biron said she isn't rushing it. She's enrolled as undeclared and said she isn't entirely sure what she wants to do yet. For now, the main focus is the sport.

Biron has been training all summer to prepare for her experience at Johns Hopkins. She received a training packet in June and has been using that as a guide for workouts through September 12, when the fitness test is held at the college and when the season actually starts. But she's more than ready for the challenge.

"I'm not going to be coming from a high school program that allows you to slack off, so I'm excited to go to college because I know I have that experience with Leslie and Westwood," she said.

And for all you aspiring lacrosse players out there, Biron has one valuable piece of advice:

"Give 100 percent of everything you have all the time. It's probably the advice I used most in high school and I will my whole life. You can't go wrong if you give your best. It's all people can ask for."