The stakes were never higher for varsity girls soccer goalie freshman Tyra Bogan, who knew that the outcome of the game rested upon her, the only defensive player on the field.

The entire season came down to one single moment — a penalty shootout after a scoreless night to determine the outcome of the CCS Division 1 Championships. In just 15 minutes, the hours-long match ended 6–5 in the penalty shootout with Tyra stopping the crucial last shot that sent LAHS home as champions.

Tyra, now a sophomore, juggles three varsity sports while also playing for a nationally ranked club soccer team, MVLA 07 ECNL. As a freshman, she made the varsity tennis team, soccer team and lacrosse team, winning her athlete of the year.

Everyone who knows Tyra praises her work ethic and attitude, which she inherited from her parents.

As undergraduates, both her parents, Christina Cragholm and Andrew Bogan, played a sport at Princeton University: rugby and rowing. They raised her with the philosophy that natural talent is never enough because success always requires hard work. And she applies this philosophy to every sport she tries.

“Every time a goal would get past her, her dad would say, ‘what’s the most important save?’, and that’s the next one,” Tyra’s mom, Christina Cragholm said. “Her ability to not worry about what just happened and shift her mindset to whatever’s next is such a valuable tool.”

Coincidentally, when asked what her mantra is, Tyra replied, “You’ve got this. The only save or shot that matters is the next one.”

Varsity girls soccer coach Zanin Mahic commended Tyra’ dedication.

“Tyra’s work ethic is one that every coach would love to have — you can’t teach passion and competitiveness,” Mahic said. “Tyra has both.”

“She has a fighter athlete’s mentality where you just fight no matter what,” varsity girls tennis captain and senior Sophia Shao said, acknowledging Tyra’s work ethic. “I admire Tyra’s mentality because she’s younger than me and I feel like I’m still not there. There’s no way she would‘ve gotten as far as she had as a freshman if her mentality wasn’t perfect.”

Of course, playing at such a high competitive level means that she doesn’t always win, and Tyra’s fiery energy extends to losing as well.

“I can’t stand it when people blame the other team for something stupid,” she said. “If we lose fair and square, then we suck it up.”

Her process of self-improvement also serves as great advice towards other athletes.

“I like to give myself about 24 hours to process the loss and then focus on improving the little things,” Tyra said.

“What I find interesting about her dynamic is that it doesn’t seem to stress her out, it’s almost like she prefers to be under pressure,” Cragholm said.

When asked what she does to relax, Tyra responded, “I literally go play sports. They make me so happy! Like I was just juggling a soccer ball so I could stop stressing about homework.”

Tyra’s genuine enjoyment and love for the game makes it all worthwhile.

“At times it can be overwhelming, but I really enjoy the challenge of keeping a balanced life,” Tyra said.

With her tennis season coming to a close and her soccer season underway — gearing up to secure a back-to-back CCS championship — it seems like the job is never done. She holds true to her phrase, always looking for that next play.