LYNN — If you’ve attended the Agganis Games in recent years, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Luz Quirk on the sidelines.
“I’ve been covering these games since I was certified as an athletic trainer. It’s got to be 22 to 23 years now, probably more,” Quirk said. “When I moved out here from Springfield College, it was one of the first jobs I actually had out here.”
One of the many reasons Quirk enjoys Agganis is because of who its named after – one of Lynn’s best.
“Harry Agganis was such a talented athlete coming out of Lynn Classical and he was a legend in Lynn. He died way too young,” Quirk said. “I love how they do these events in his name, and being able to give back to the community by giving a scholarship to student-athletes.”
As for why she keeps coming back to Agganis, look no further than its players and staff.
“The seniors – they’re leaders on their field and in their community so it’s fun to be on the sidelines. It’s a good time,” Quirk said. “The staff that put this together has done such a great job throughout the years. They make it easy for me to come back every summer to cover them.”
Quirk believes the week is great for seniors as it’s the last taste of competition for some of them.
“Just being chosen means a lot to play in Harry Agganis’ name and wear that uniform,” Quirk said. “Just to be recognized I think is a special thing, whether you are playing in college or not.”
This year, however, she won’t be the only Quirk in attendance as her daughter and St. Mary’s now-alumna, Payton Quirk, will be between the pipes during the girls lacrosse game.
“It’s just so cool. This is one of my favorite events to cover and now to be the athletic trainer and having my kid in the game is pretty cool,” Luz said. “It’s like a dream come true.”
Luz said they were beyond excited after receiving the email about Payton’s selection.
“I was so excited when she got that email saying she was playing. Her face lit up,” Luz said. “She came with me when she was a kid. She watched the games, looked up to these kids, and will now play in the game. She’s so psyched for it.”
It’s the perfect way for Payton to end her high-school career, according to Luz.
“This will be the last event she plays in as a high-school athlete,” Luz said. “Now, she’s moving on to the next phase of her life and I think this is the best way for her to close out her athletic career.”
Payton is on her way to play lacrosse at Endicott College, to which her mother couldn’t be more proud.
“She’s such a hard worker. She’s so disciplined and dedicated,” Luz said. “She was a captain and was chosen as MVP for this past season. She takes such great care of herself and is always in the gym.”
But first, the Agganis Games, as girls lacrosse plays Sunday at Manning Field (11).
“I am so pumped for this event. I was covering these before I was even married,” Quirk said. “I have a 21-year-old who is playing at Springfield College and I was covering the games when I was seven months pregnant with him. I came out of maternity leave when I had Payton to cover these games. With her being selected to play makes me so proud.”
