Athlete of the Month: Lily Aguilar

Liliana “Lily” Aguilar, a junior at Santa Barbara High School (SBHS), is a passionate lacrosse player and dedicated to her teammates. Aguilar’s love for the sport developed as a freshman in high school when she began playing for SBHS and Missi

on Lacrosse Club as a midfielder. Now in her third season, she has become a standout player due to her commitment to her team and growth as a player. Aguilar’s coach,

Jessica Gastelum, said “Lily is a great example to everybody on showing up, being prepared, having positivity, and directing her teammates with grace and kindness. She’s definitely been someone I leaned on tremendously last year and I will keep doing so in her leadership position.” Being a midfielder, Aguilar is a versatile and well-rounded player, and loves the fast-paced movement of each lacrosse game.

Last year, Aguilar was a team captain alongside Gigi Tarleton, Emma Hall, and Kata Olvera. Sh

e is a varsity captain again this year with Nina Abraham. Aguilar spoke about the importance of having a strong team bond and what it’s meant for her to be a captain. “I think being a leader in this type of environment is really fun…There’s not a ton of pressure but there’s a sense of responsibility for the whole team…and it’s such a good group of people in the community, it makes lacrosse really fun to play.” Aguilar’s inclusivity and dependability are a couple of qualities that set her apart. First-time lacrosse player Cora Heckes said “Lily is a really good captain and I feel like she’s very welcoming.” Since having a tight-knit team is important to Aguilar, and because of this she has helped organize multiple bonding events, such as tie dying and team lunches. Aguilar said: “I really value team effort, and if I work together with my team and if we do things together as a collective group, then that’s really good.” This only begins to show Aguilar’s dedication and hard-work put into her team’s lacrosse spirit and energy.

Outside of school, Aguilar enjoys hanging out with friends, going to the beach, photography, attending concerts, listening to music, and driving around. She has a younger sister, Sofia, who is a freshman playing on the SBHS lacrosse team as well. Aguilar looks forward to the rest of the 2026 season with anticipation for a full and exciting couple of months. She is most excited about playing the SBHS cross-town rivals, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos High School. The team will face Dos Pueblos on Tuesday, March 17, and will play against San Marcos on Thursday, March 26. “I think it will be a challenge, but overall a really fun experience — I’m definitely looking forward to playing both teams”, shared Aguilar.

With her passion for the game and commitment to her teammates, Lily embodies what it means to be The Forge’s Athlete of the Month.