Fifty years after the first young women claimed their place at Gonzaga Prep, a new generation stepped onto the turf—carrying that legacy forward with the school’s first official girls flag football team and opening another chapter in Bullpup history.

 
Last week, under a blanket of fog in Bullpup Stadium, a dozen young women made history for girls sports at Gonzaga Prep—and the GSL—when they took the field for the school’s first official girls flag football game. This was not a spirit week powder puff competition. It was a sanctioned contest, complete with officials, a real scoreboard, and borrowed uniforms, for now.

In that moment, the players knew they were stepping into something a little bit larger than themselves. Fifty years after the first young women walked onto campus as Bullpups, this team felt an echo of what it meant to be first—to claim space in a place where teamwork and a willingness to try something new matter more than the final score.

Julia Kosinski decided to step outside her comfort zone and try something new in her senior year. “I have learned at Prep that growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone, and this felt like the perfect way to do that,” she says. She’s one of two quarterbacks for the team. The other—Grace Njagi—connected with senior Izzi Hydzik for the team’s first touchdown on the way to a 49-7 win over East Valley. It was a play that will live on in the stats, but also in the memory of a season that opens a new chapter in Gonzaga Prep athletics.

“It definitely feels surreal,” says Hydzik, “But it's so cool that a group of girls is coming together for this. We want to make history.”

The inaugural team is coached by a trio of Gonzaga Prep alumni siblings: head coach Brian Cronin ’94, Matthew Cronin `00, and Bridget (Cronin) Lemberg `96. Brian has coached flag football at other levels and brings extensive knowledge of the fledgling GSL sport. Lemberg, a multi-sport athlete during her years as a Bullpup, has coached grade-school flag football for her boys, and brings both enthusiasm and curiosity to the role. It was important to have a female coaching presence, and Lemberg embraces that role. She intuits questions the girls may have, and helps manage player rotation on the sidelines. Together, the coaching staff is building something from the ground up—skills, confidence, and a shared sense of belonging.

Lemberg's daughter, Maggie, joined the team to try something new, and even though it's added to a busy schedule of academics and club volleyball, she's enjoying it. It's cool having another group of girls she knows in the hallways and the classroom.

“It feels exciting and empowering to be part of something new, especially during such an important milestone year,” says junior Brittney Mace. “Being on this team shows how Prep continues to create more opportunities for young women.” Adding flag football further broadens Mace’s activities—she’s on the bowling team, a member of Agape Service, and on junior class council.

Last April, the WIAA Representative Assembly officially sanctioned girls flag football, making it the first sport added since girls bowling in 1999. That didn’t mean automatic adoption as a GSL sport. Longtime Athletic Director Paul Manfred explained that while west-side schools are already competing in full seasons, the GSL was hesitant because of unpredictable weather in the Inland Northwest in winter. Two schools—Prep and East Valley—wanted to give it a try. Three other schools then came aboard.

“In the fall and in the spring, we offer five options in each of those seasons for our girls,” Manfred said “In the winter, there is only one option. Girls flag football adds another.”

Other logistics to iron out during this pilot season include learning the rules, operating procedures, uniforms, flags, and more. The hope is to secure a dedicated space for the GSL to play games regardless of conditions.

For Gonzaga Prep, this first season of girls flag football is part of a longer story that began in 1975, when women first claimed their place in Bullpup classrooms, hallways, and teams. Fifty years later, that story continues—on the turf, and with a new generation carrying it forward.

“Knowing that we are the first girls flag football team at Prep makes every practice, game, and challenge feel even more special,” Kosinski says. “Being part of this team feels empowering, knowing we are helping open doors for future students and showing that girls belong on the field just as much as anywhere else. It is an honor to be part of something that will leave a lasting legacy at Prep.”