Alumni Spotlight: Xander Krauland

Today’s alumni spotlight is former GYL player and current GMHS player Xander Krauland. Xander was recently recognized as GMHS Lacrosse Player of the week!

Head Coach Gaeta had this to say about Xander:

“In a week where we sustained a lot of injuries and had a fair amount of absent players Alexander Krauland stepped up and filled a necessary role for us. He selflessly gave up the glory of being an offensive middie and became a force on the field for us at LSM. Xander put the team first and by doing so exemplified what it is to be a teammate. He is always supportive, engaged, and he cares deeply for this team and about the sport of lacrosse. We look forward to the continued impact he has on the lacrosse field for Granby Memorial High School.”

When asked for comment, Xander had the following to share:

How it started: “I played baseball all my life, but after a rough 0-16 season I decided to call it quits. I decided I was going to try a sport called lacrosse. Covid hit in 6th grade so I didn’t get to play my first season. Coming from a small town like Hartland I had never heard of lacrosse so it was new to me. But because I already had friends in Granby, I felt welcomed on the team. I started my lacrosse journey in 7th grade and it was the best decision I ever made.”

How it’s going: “Middle school lacrosse was great. Coach Mario was a great mentor and brought me up from knowing nothing about the sport to teaching me a lot. This plus countless of hours of hard work got me to achieve serious varsity playtime on Granby high school’s team by sophomore year. Sophomore year we had a great regular season going 14-2 and ending up as NCCC co-conference champions. We ended up losing in the class s semi finals to Somers but this team is something I will never forget. The countless memories, 14 game winning streak, and the teammates on that team was unforgettable.”

Big congrats to Xander from the whole GYL community; we’re rooting for you!