Eureka senior Kylee Pickens walked to the Falcons’ logo at midfield with 20 seconds remaining until halftime during the Wildcats’ May 7 lacrosse game at Summit.
Like an artist looking over a blank canvas, Pickens surveyed the field and identified a small section of open space where she wanted to direct the ball.
Four Eureka attackers ignored the restraining line where they normally align themselves and stood within a few yards of the opposing goalie, creating a vacuum of open space for Pickens to paint her picture.
In an instant, Pickens flung the ball skyward, allowed it to bounce exactly where she aimed it, scooped it up, and sprinted to the goal. She drew two defenders to her and delivered a perfect assist seconds before the halftime buzzer sounded.
“We have the gift of putting so much trust in her to be able to place the ball and create a fast break opportunity,” Eureka coach Melissa Menchella said. “Her draw controls are like nothing else.”
And like nothing ever seen before in Missouri girls lacrosse.
Pickens has controlled 215 draws this season for a mind-blowing average of 14.22 per game. Her total eclipsed the previous marks of Annie Spewak of Parkway West (159 in 2013), Jennifer Williams of MICDS (149 in 2018) and Maria Johnson (145 in 2016).
“If I can see that (open) space, I usually can get it there,” Pickens said. “Having a variety of different draws and being able to adjust in the draw circle has been huge.”
Thanks to Pickens, Eureka enjoyed a huge advantage in possession time this season and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association (MSLA) state tournament, which begins Tuesday with first-round games.
The teams joining Eureka as top-8 seeds are (2) MICDS, (3) Summit, (4) John Burroughs, (5) Cor Jesu, (6) Marquette, (7) Ladue and (8) Visitation. Those teams receive double byes and begin tournament play on Saturday, May 18. The championship game will be played at 11 AM on Saturday, May 25 at Missouri Baptist University.
Pickens began her lacrosse journey as a freshman who was brand new to the sport, having been persuaded to try out for the lacrosse team by her freshman teacher, Menchella.
“My whole lacrosse career I owe to her,” said Pickens, a Rockhurst University signee.
As a freshman, Pickens played on the Wildcats’ junior varsity team. As a sophomore, she earned a starting position on the varsity squad and quickly took an interest in draw-taking, studying the technique of current Maryville University sophomore Haley Ritchie.
“I learned a lot from watching (Ritchie),” Pickens said. “I did a lot of observing and listening to people who knew more than me. I was just trying to absorb everything I could.”
As a junior, Pickens accrued 98 draw controls and finished second in the area behind Francis Howell North’s Kendra Swope (103) in total draw controls.
As a senior, Pickens turned draw-taking into an art form, amassing at least 12 draw controls in each of her final 10 games. She snagged 24 against Francis Howell and 21 against St. Teresa’s.
“I’ve taken the time to discover all the different tactics and techniques, so I trust myself to make the decision where to put the ball,” Pickens said. “And my draw circle girls are so aggressive, I know I can trust them to get it if I can’t.”
Pickens recently eclipsed 300 draw controls for her career, but her record-setting numbers in the circle tell only part of the story of her remarkable season.
Over the summer, Pickens worked on her offensive game by practicing precise movements without the ball and accurate shooting with it. She did not expect the Wildcats to rely on her goal-scoring abilities since All-American attacker Bailey Boulay was also returning for her senior season.
But early in the Wildcats’ second game, Boulay suffered a torn ACL in her right knee. Pickens, the leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) organization at Eureka High, huddled the team on the sidelines and led them in prayer.
“We asked for God to be with her and to heal her as fast as possible,” Pickens said. “That game was really tough for all of us, but it especially hit me hard. She’s my best friend and she’s always been by my side in basketball and lacrosse.”
Two days later, Eureka lost its first and only game, an 8-7 setback to Wentzville. The Wildcats’ next contest was against perennial powerhouse MICDS, the winners of 14 of the past 23 state titles.
“As heartbroken as Kylee was, she knew she had to step up and carry the team in Bailey’s absence,” Menchella said.
Pickens had never scored more than three goals in a game before she netted five against MICDS in a 15-10 victory on April 8.
“That win was huge,” Pickens said. “We started thinking, ‘Ok, we can do this.’”
It provided the springboard for a 12-game winning streak for Eureka and a breakout season for Pickens, who elevated her game to another level. She scored seven goals against Francis Howell, eight against Parkway South and poured in six more in a 12-11 victory over John Burroughs, the team that defeated Eureka in the 2023 state championship game.
“I think Kylee realized when we lost Bailey that she had to fill that spot,” junior Ruby Copeland said. “She’s our number one goal scorer, she’s breaking draw control records and she’s been such a good leader. I can’t imagine this team without her.”
Pickens leads the Wildcats with 57 goals, averaging 4.1 goals per game since Boulay’s injury. She also leads Eureka in assists, caused turnovers and draw controls.
“She’s been unstoppable, but to us, it’s not a surprise what she’s doing. She always had this in her,” said Boulay, a Maryville signee. “She is so selfless and humble and always looking to pass. Now, I think she’s realizing just how easily she can score, too.”
Eureka, the back-to-back state runner-up, has defeated each of the top 12 seeds in the MSLA tournament this season except No. 7 Ladue – a team they did not play. The Wildcats feel increasingly optimistic as they embark on a third attempt to capture an elusive state title.
“Knowing that we have (reached the championship game) the past two years gives us the confidence and motivation that we can do it again,” Pickens said.
And with her artistry in the draw circle and newfound scoring touch, Pickens hopes to sculpt the perfect ending to this rocky, yet beautiful season.
“I put in a lot of work in the offseason, and it all kind of clicked. I know what I’m capable of now, and I’m ready to keep going.” Pickens said.