Opinion Editor
The Crespi Homecoming Court has been a long-standing tradition between Louisville girls and Crespi boys. The Homecoming princesses of Louisville, voted on by the Crespi and Louisville seniors, was a spectacular line up. Kylie Morris, Audrey Koechner, Sekai Sardinha, Emma Brewer, Taylor Westbrook and Bella Wellbaum were the lucky ladies this year.
The ceremony took place during the Friday night homecoming football game at halftime. Tractors drove both the girls and their Crespi dates to the center of the field where the Celt mascot awaited them. They talked about their accomplishments they have all achieved during their high school career. Audrey Koechner was crowned as Homecoming queen, alongside Homecoming King Byron Benbow.
I asked the Louisville homecoming princesses some questions about their experience of having the honor of being voted onto the court.
Kylie Morris ’24, a varsity volleyball and soccer player, said how cool it was to “get nominated with all [her] friends, and [she] thought it would be fun.”
Her sparkly red dress was something she had “wanted to wear forever.”
Taylor Westbrook ’24, a varsity volleyball, soccer and basketball player, was “excited to dress up” for the occasion.
When asked for advice for future candidates, Westbrook said “to be happy for anyone who wins. You got nominated for a reason, that's something to celebrate if you don't win queen.” Very true and positive words for anyone who is nominated for future Homecoming Queen.
Another candidate is Bella Wellbaum ’24, a varsity softball player. Wellbaum said getting voted on to the court was accomplished by,“Talking about it with my friends and telling other classmates why I wanted to be on it” was a big part of it. She said that she “felt so happy and loved by all [her] friends. It was a great experience and [she is] so happy [she] was on it” said Wellbaum.
Sekai Sardinha ’24, who was also a candidate, is an accomplished soccer player on the varsity team. Sardinha said that, “Having a good amount of friends at both Crespi and Louisville” is what helped her get onto the court. The advice she gave for future contestants is to “Make friends and be nice to everyone”, and it clearly worked.
Emma Brewer ’24, a varsity cross country and track star, wore a dress that her mom picked out, and when she saw it, she “totally fell in love with it. It is a super timeless and pretty dress that [she] can wear forever.”
“I just think that it is a memory that I will keep with me forever. It made me feel really good that people thought to even vote for me,” Brewer commented when asked about the significance to her of the nomination and ceremony. The reward of being surrounded by loved ones while accomplishing something is a feeling we can all relate to.
Audrey Koechner ’24, the 2023 Homecoming Queen, is an outstanding student who is a social butterfly between both schools. The question of how she felt when she got crowned was a question everyone was wondering.
“Being crowned was a really amazing and surreal moment…The moment they were announcing the queen I prepared myself to hear someone else's name and I was happy to just even be on the court. Right when I heard my name I was just so overwhelmed with excitement and disbelief but it was a very happy moment that I will always remember” said Koechner.
Koechner also talked about what the title meant to her and how she is “extremely thankful for the relationships [she has] made with [her] classmates, and [she was] so honored they would think to choose [her].”
The Homecoming Court of 2023 is a group of talented girls, and their advice for the future Homecoming Court is inspiring. The festivities of Homecoming are a long tradition passed to each generation and every year we are reminded of it.