Every year, Westfield produces talented athletes who go on to play at the collegiate level all around the country. This series highlights a former WHS student-athlete who has taken their game to the next level. This edition features Christian Gilford, a freshman lacrosse player at Sacred Heart University.
Located in Connecticut, SHU is a NCAA Division I lacrosse program and competes in the MAAC conference. Back in 2024, the Pioneers won the MAAC conference for the first time and made their first ever appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Gilford was a two-year varsity starter and offensive leader at Westfield. During his senior year as captain, the Blue Devils won the Union County Tournament and the Group 4 State Championship. Gilford scored a goal in the state championship last year and had 15 goals on the season after dealing with an injury.
As for the transition between high school and college, Gilford experienced some change. “The biggest adjustment for me personally has honestly been balancing school and lacrosse because after a long day of lift, film and practice, it’s very hard to motivate yourself to do school work,” Gilford explained. “Developing time management skills has been really helpful towards me adjusting to this problem.”
Gilford went into college with a lot of experience in big time games. Playing in and winning the state championship gave him exposure, which helped him adapt better to practices, games and leadership at the collegiate level.
Gilford stated, “You always have to stay humble and hungry because one thing I learned after winning back to back state championships is that you can not take anything for granted in life. Everyday is a blessing and you have to make the best of it. We never would have won back to back state championships if we never worked 100 percent everyday in practice or in the weight room.”
SHU has had an impressive start to their season winning their first eight games. Their next game is March 25 against Manhattan University. Gilford emphasized the relationships he has with his teammates: “We all are so close, it is similar to high school. We all spend so much time together, you start to build connections on and off the field with each other:”
Gilford hopes to add to his team’s success this season and stay strong in the classroom. He is in the first few weeks of his spring season and has a bright future ahead as a Pioneer.
