Athlete of the Week: Olivia Duarte

Caravel junior Olivia Duarte has scored 303 career goals, just 40 shy of the state high school record in girls lacrosse.

OLIVIA DUARTE, junior, Caravel girls lacrosse

THE WEEK: Scored seven goals – including the 300th of her career – and added three assists as Caravel defeated Smyrna 21-5 last Tuesday to cap a 13-2 regular season.

THE MILESTONE: Duarte has 303 career goals, just 40 short of the state record set by St. Mark’s Haley Schweizer in 2013. “Scoring my 300th was kind of cool, but it was also really nice to just come out with a big win and have the team be so supportive of you,” she said. “I know they’re the reason I’ve scored 300 goals.”

THE WORK: “Olivia puts in as much time out of season as she does in season,” Caravel coach Carolyn Thompson said. “If you drive by her house, she’ll be in her yard shooting balls all the time. She will stay for as long as I will. I have to chase her out of here, and that’s what makes her the player she is.”

THE SHOOTING: “I shoot with my little brothers every day, and my club coach,” Duarte said. “It’s a really good way to just get out there and work on your stick skills.”

THE DESIRE: “She will do whatever it takes on the field, whether it’s on the defensive end or the hustle,” Thompson said. “We like to joke on the sideline and say that she might be 5-4, but she plays like she’s 6-foot-8. Because if a ball is there, she’s going to go get it.”

THE POSTSEASON: The fifth-seeded Bucaneers open the state tournament at fourth-seeded Charter of Wilmington on Tuesday. Caravel has lost its tournament openers in overtime the last two seasons. “I think we’re really prepared for the tournament,” Duarte said. “I think the way we practice and the way we run and condition at practice is really going to serve us well.”

THE CLASSROOM: Duarte’s favorite subject is AP Biology. “My teacher [Steve Oliver] is a really great teacher, and bio really challenges me. I like that,” Duarte said. “I like learning about how the body works.”

THE FUTURE: Duarte has committed to continue her lacrosse career at Colgate. “That’s my dream school,” she said. “… I stepped on campus at Colgate, and it’s breathtaking. Then I met the coaches and met the team, and I was sold. That’s exactly where I wanted to go.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ