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Chicago Tribune
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Marquette commit Allessandra Russo's powerful kicks give Neuqua Valley a leg up. Against Naperville North too.
On a sunny afternoon, Neuqua Valley junior Allessandra Russo was ready to unleash the thunder. The Marquette commit changed a DuPage Valley Conference game with one swing of her powerful left leg, sending a free kick nearly 50 yards into Naperville North's penalty area. 'I was just really hoping to get it far post,' she said. 'I saw that we had our runners stacked on that side, so I was just kicking and hoping someone got on it.' Russo's serve landed in a crowd. Yale-bound senior forward Selma Larbi pounced on it and scored with 19:28 left in the second half. Larbi's goal was all the host Wildcats needed to win 1-0 and claim a share of the DVC championship in Naperville on Tuesday. It was their first victory against Naperville North since 2015. Larbi, who has returned to the team after playing club soccer last year, knew Russo had the strength to get the ball to her despite the long distance. 'She hit it, and I knew that it was going to bobble in the box a little bit,' Larbi said. 'I realized that it was going up, and the defender that was on me was probably a little bit taller, so I didn't want to risk heading it. 'So I kind of waited for it to settle at my feet, and I just picked it. It was kind of just like timing.' Timing played a crucial role in Russo's transformation from standout defender to leading scorer, a shift that has coincided with the Wildcats' reemergence as an elite team. Russo had always played defense, including as an outside back on her Galaxy club team that won back-to-back national titles. But an ankle injury caused her to miss a few weeks at the beginning of last season. While she was out, Neuqua Valley coach Arnoldo Gonzalez found an adequate replacement for her on the back line. But the Wildcats needed offensive help. 'Gonzo talked about moving me up to forward and getting me chances in front of goal,' Russo said. 'So I was excited about that, and then this year especially, I've played a lot of forward.' The move has paid dividends. Russo has 11 goals and seven assists, leading the Wildcats (13-3, 4-1) in both categories. 'Even her freshman year, we knew she could be that winger because she has it in her,' Gonzalez said. 'She has the endurance to do it, so we tried that a bit last year. 'We knew right off the bat she was going to be our winger. We had our left back, and it just worked out beautifully. You know, sometimes injuries happen for a reason, right?' Russo will most likely play defender in college. But she's enjoying the chance to create goals rather than prevent them. 'It's definitely different, and I had to learn, like, to keep my composure in front of goal and make sure I didn't just sky it over,' she said. 'But I think the more I've played it, the more comfortable I've gotten on the ball in those kinds of spaces. And I think that's really helped.' Russo's play has given Neuqua Valley a confidence that had been missing in recent years. The Wildcats began DVC play by stunning Naperville Central 2-1 on April 8 and finished it by beating Naperville North (11-5-3, 3-2) for the first time since the Class 3A sectional semifinals in 2015, when they lost to New Trier in the state championship game. 'It's been so fun, and she's just helped our team a lot, especially being a left-footed threat,' Larbi said. 'You don't get a lot of left-footed players. 'I think a lot of defenders have a hard time defending her because they're not gonna realize that she can kick it with her left. So I think that makes her a really unique player.' Russo is left-footed, but her power is the result of hard work. 'I do a lot of weightlifting,' she said. 'I'll do that before school sometimes. I've weightlifted for the past two years, but I really picked it up this last two months. 'I feel like I have noticed a difference since I started that. I just developed a little bit more power.' But Russo hasn't sacrificed accuracy for that power. Gonzalez said that through 14 games, Russo had put all 28 of her shot attempts on goal. She also takes most of Neuqua Valley's corner kicks and free kicks, like the one Larbi scored on Tuesday. 'She's going to play that type of ball, and it's going to be a ball played with a purpose,' Gonzalez said of Russo. 'She definitely gets our offense going.'
Chicago Tribune
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Yale commit Selma Larbi returns for Neuqua Valley, which is winning too. ‘Definitely good to have her back.'
Selma Larbi's family heritage spans the Atlantic Ocean, and the smile she frequently flashes can seem just as wide. The Neuqua Valley senior forward is known for her sunny disposition as well as her prodigious talent on the field. The Wildcats missed both when Larbi opted to play club last year after shining on the varsity team as a freshman and sophomore. But happy times are here again. 'It's definitely a lot of fun, and it's definitely good to have her back,' Neuqua Valley junior forward Alexis May said. 'She's always creating chances, and it's just good to have a goal scorer back.' Larbi, a Yale commit, has produced four goals and two assists in her first eight games, spurring the Wildcats (7-1) to a surprising start. May, who scored twice during Neuqua Valley's 5-0 victory over East Aurora in Naperville on Thursday, said the team has benefited from Larbi's leadership. 'She always keeps the vibes up, and even if we're down, she's always pushing us to get back into the game,' May said. 'She always keeps the energy going.' That's been vital for a young team. Ten of the 20 players on the roster are freshmen or sophomores. Neuqua Valley coach Arnoldo Gonzalez said Larbi's efforts have helped bend the learning curve in the team's favor. 'That's the thing — her approach to the game,' Gonzalez said. 'She's a great student of the game because she's always looking to learn. She's always looking to improve what we can do. 'She got voted as captain by her peers, and that speaks volumes. So she's a great asset because if you're a good individual, most likely you're a good individual on the pitch as well and a great teammate, and they see that.' Larbi credits her parents, Michael and Stella, for her upbeat personality. 'I think my parents just raised me to always find the good in situations, even when it's tough,' she said. 'When tough things happen, you learn life lessons from it, so just always learn something from the things that may not always look good. 'There's always good in life and reason to smile.' Larbi's parents are from Ghana, where her father ran track and played soccer. She has many relatives in Ghana and has visited them often. 'My dad put me in soccer when I was 4 years old,' Larbi said. 'Like in most African countries, soccer is the only thing in Ghana. It's just huge. I did other sports, but I kind of just fell in love with that.' Larbi has developed a close bond with her teammates. 'Last year, we lacked a forward, so I'm glad that she's back,' Gonzalez said. 'She does add to the attack. She does add to keeping possession of the ball. She holds the ball well, and I think that gives everyone confidence.' It shows. The Wildcats, who last had a winning record in 2019, did not win more than seven games in any of the past three years. They've already reached that total this season, which includes a stunning 2-1 upset win against Naperville Central in the DuPage Valley Conference opener on April 8. Larbi scored the game-winner that day off an assist from May. 'We've just really focused on the fundamentals and sticking to our game plan,' May said. 'We've really been working on finishing, and obviously that's come into play this year because we've been getting goals and we've been competing really well.' Larbi also does well in the classroom. She has a 3.9 unweighted GPA and said her parents instilled a work ethic and love of learning. 'I would say my parents are really smart,' she said. 'But they worked hard for their grades, and I think that kind of inspired me to also work hard for my grades and study hard.' Larbi is passing that ethos down to her younger teammates. 'Being a captain is really fun, to just step into that leadership role,' she said. 'I'm really excited to kind of set an example for the lowerclassmen. 'As a team, I think we're doing really, really well. I think it's our chemistry that is really better this year, and because of that chemistry we're able to work off of each other a lot more compared to the other years.'
BBC News
13-03-2025
- BBC News
Elianne Andam: 'Croydon is full of angry boys like Hassan Sentamu'
Denzil Larbi had just got off a flight and was looking at the messages on his phone when he received a call from his sister. She had the worst kind of news. His beloved cousin Elianne had been stabbed to death."I picked up to my sister, and she told me that Elianne is dead. I remember I just froze. Me and my wife just stood there, weeping."Minutes earlier, he had seen that an unnamed 15-year-old girl had been stabbed to death on her way to school in Croydon, south London. "I remember I just paused and really felt for the family, you know, what they must be going through."But as it turned out, that family was his family. As senior pastor at West Croydon Baptist Church, Rev Larbi knew all too well about the fear of knife crime experienced by many in the the murder of his young cousin, repeatedly stabbed outside the Westfield shopping centre in front of other children, shoppers and commuters, was nonetheless extremely difficult to try to come to terms was born into a large and loving family, a much longed-for "miracle baby," Rev Larbi tells me, after his aunt and uncle had struggled to have children. "I always wanted a younger sister," he smiles. "I used to babysit and take her to school, and pick her up at times when her parents were working. She was very joyful, very funny, very cheeky. She was just a bundle of joy."They bonded over their shared love of music, and through their Christian faith. Elianne loved singing and dancing, and dreamed of becoming a human rights lawyer, Rev Larbi says. Her teachers at the Old Palace of John Whitgift School, a selective girls' school, remember Elianne as artistic and creative and devoted to her close group of friends. "They were thick as thieves," explains Harsha Evangeli, who taught the teenager art. "They could all rely on each other and they all had each other's backs."Pastoral leader Michele Smith tells me that the final time she saw Elianne was on a Tuesday afternoon, as she left her classroom. "The last words she said to me were, 'thank you Mrs Smith'." The following morning, on Wednesday 27 September 2023, Elianne was repeatedly stabbed with a kitchen knife by 17-year-old Hassan Sentamu, who was the ex-boyfriend of one of her who admitted killing Elianne, has been ordered to spend at least 23 years in prison for her murder, after his defence - that his autism meant he had diminished responsibility - was rejected by an Old Bailey jury. Jurors had heard how Elianne agreed to go along with her friend, and two other friends, to meet him ahead of school, so the former couple could exchange their belongings, among them a teddy when Sentamu turned up empty-handed, Elianne - anxious that they would be late for school and eager to stand up for her friend - snatched back the bag that had been handed to Sentamu. 'Sense of comfort' CCTV footage shows her running and laughing as she seized the bag."One of the last moments that we see Elianne alive, she's smiling as she grabs the bag," says Det Ch Insp Becky Woodsford, who led the investigation for the Metropolitan Police."This was no malice, this was her trying to do what's right, and get to school on time."Sentamu took out a kitchen knife, chased after Elianne, and repeatedly stabbed her. "Hearing that it was pretty much over a teddy bear, it was like, 'wow'," Rev Larbi tells me. "This amazing young beautiful girl, who had a bright future, parents have invested so much into her, gone in seconds, for this reason."During the weeks of painful evidence at the Old Bailey murder trial, the court heard from a bus driver who explained how he had tried to give first aid to Elianne, promising that he would not leave her Larbi says the family have been able to meet him to express their thanks."I remember that bringing me a great sense of sadness, but also comfort, to know that someone from the community of Croydon really comforted her in her last breath." The family found strength in the outpouring of support. Roads were closed to allow crowds to gather for a vigil to Elianne, while cards and flowers were sent from all over the world."To see the the community really support us in our most difficult time was so beautiful to see," says Rev Larbi."We had over 800 people at the funeral, and people standing outside, and like, wow, this is really honouring to her." 'He was looking for revenge' The Old Bailey heard that on the morning Sentamu killed Elianne, she and her group had teased him and thrown water over him in an attempt to get him to apologise to his were also told that the day before, the teenager had told a friend he felt there had been disrespect shown to him by Elianne and her court heard that Sentamu had called the friend and told him: "I can't let this slide.""We knew exactly what that meant," Rev Larbi tells me. "We knew it meant he's going to bring some sort of harm."I honestly believe if it wasn't Elianne it would have been someone else, and so yeah, he was looking to bring some sort of revenge that day." In an impact statement read out to the Old Bailey at Sentamu's sentencing, Elianne's mother Dorcas Andam said: "I feel the wait of her absence in every corner of my life. No 16th birthday, no prom, I will never see her walk down the aisle."My world almost stopped. She'd a beautiful mind, heart and soul... He killed my identity as a mother of two, killed me financially, socially, killed my future."The trial had heard that Sentamu, who had spent time in foster care, had a history of aggression towards other children, and had brought a knife into class at the age of 12, threatening to harm himself. 'I wonder if she could still be here' Although Rev Larbi tells me he is angry with Sentamu, he has also been questioning whether more could have been done to prevent Elianne's murder. "What would have happened if maybe another male took him by the hand and maybe invested in him and mentored him?"Or if other organisations really took him by the reins and said: 'Yes, we recognise you're struggling here, we're here to listen.'"I really wonder if maybe my cousin would still be here." Croydon Council has said there are no plans for a serious case Larbi says Elianne's family hope to work with schools to talk to young people about the dangers of carrying a knife."There are many Hassans just walking around Croydon. Young boys who are angry, young boys who are lost, young boys that want to be listened to."But I do believe there are great people in our community, great organisations who are in place who can really help and support these young people." 'I hope people stop and think' On the first anniversary of Elianne's murder, her family unveiled a mural at the spot where she with personal messages from those who loved her, it shows a beaming Elianne, her hair worn in her favourite pom-pom style."That mural is beautiful, because it really does reflect Elianne," Rev Larbi says. "And hopefully it's a reminder, as people walk and drive through one of the most busy parts of Croydon, to just stop and think about the impact knife crime has on this community."
