Photo by Steve Buchanan Photography
Easton has produced its share of great athletes over the past decade, and then there’s senior Lily Osborne.
Osborne pulled off the rare feat in her four-year career by earning First-Team All-Bayside Conference in three sports: lacrosse, basketball, and soccer. Easton Girls Basketball Coach Matt Griffith says Osborne is the best female athlete he’s coached in 26 years.
“You see so many athletes come in that are great at one or two things,” he explains. “She can do so many things well. If Lily had the same time to work on each of her sports, I think she could have played Division I college in all three.”
Osborne elected to play Division I lacrosse, and for one of the top women’s lacrosse programs in the country. She’ll be attending Loyola University Maryland on a lacrosse scholarship.
For years, soccer was her No. 1 sport, but that changed early on in high school. “I wanted to play soccer in college,” she says. “But having played soccer for so long, I got tired of it. I realized the love for it just wasn’t there anymore. I could never get tired of lacrosse.”
The 5-foot-4 Osborne picked Loyola—ranked No. 3 in the Nike/U.S. Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20 preseason poll—over a scholarship offer from Liberty University in Virginia.
She plans to major in physical therapy after carrying a 3.67 grade-point average at Easton. Once she checked out Loyola’s team, she knew it was the right fit for her.
“I like how they play at such a fast pace,” says Osborne, a midfielder who specializes in draws. “I just love a fast team, and that’s what they are. Right when I got there, I felt it was the place for me. I just fell in love with the campus, team, and the coaching staff.”
Osborne started rigorous workouts in February to start preparing for college lacrosse. She trained with former George Mason standout Kristin Morgan, focusing on weight-lifting, including dead lifts and squats, along with sprinting and long-distance runs.
This summer, she’ll jump on a Loyola workout program, spending up to three hours per day training. “I just have to work really hard so I will be ready for fall lacrosse practice,” Osborne says.
Loyola Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach Dana Dobbie described Osborne as a “hidden gem.” “We are so excited to have her,” Dobbie says. “She has those innate attributes that you can’t teach. Her competitiveness is off the charts and she has the ability to put the game on her shoulders when her team needs her the most. That’s true in every sport Lily plays.”
Osborne added another thing to her impressive resume when Under Amour named her to its All-American watch list for 2021. “I was just grateful to make the team,” Osborne says. “I really wasn’t expecting to make it. It’s amazing.”
Osborne had a stellar lacrosse career at Easton. She started for three years and led her team in draws as a freshman and sophomore (90 total). Osborne also ranked during those seasons among the team leaders in goals and assists, finishing with 58 points in 2019.
She also played for Lady Crabs Club team year-round at the same time she competed for Easton. Her explosiveness above all else made her a dominant player. “She has a different gear than any kid I have coached,” says Lady Crabs Club Coach Robert Smith, who also ran the Easton girls lacrosse team for three seasons. “The combination of speed, power, and quickness she had was just remarkable.”
On the soccer field as a midfielder, she was named First-Team All-Bayside Conference midfielder during her first three years in high school. Her leadership skills showed in the winter for basketball. Osborne started for three seasons at point guard. She led the team in assists (4.6 average) and steals (4.8) while chipping in 11.5 points per game.
“She was a game changer, and had the ability to make big plays,” Griffith says. “We called her the motor of the team. She had so much energy. She never stops or gets tired.”
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