Team honors

So much of success in life is determined by effort and talent.

Two area high school teams used both to claim state titles on the same day last Saturday.

One was the St. Vincent High School girls soccer team, which overtook Trinity Catholic 3-1 for the state crown.

The other was Notre Dame Regional High School's baseball team, which won its first baseball title since 1993, and the first title for coach Jeff Graviett, who has taken the Bulldogs to several final fours. The Bulldogs, who lost only once in 28 tries this season, won 18-4 over Carl Junction for the crown.

The dedication both teams showcased will serve them well in other life pursuits.

Before the season started, the girls on the soccer team at St. Vincent's in Perryville approached coach Dustin Wengert about working them harder during practice. That's right. Teenagers wanted to work harder. To be pushed. Their reward came Saturday.

The same can be said for the team at Notre Dame in Cape Girardeau. During an interview on KGIR earlier this week, Graviett shared a story about one of his players staying up into the late hours hitting a ball off a tee into a net in his backyard. This is after hours, days and years of practice.

We should all be inspired by the dedication of these high school athletes. We also acknowledge that many students and teens show their efforts and talents in ways not tied to athletics. These two achievements, and the work behind them, are more reasons to feel optimistic about the future of our communities.