Lake Forest junior guard Charlie Axus prefers that her traveling happens away from the basketball court.
Axus, who was born in Wisconsin, has also lived in England and Massachusetts. Her family moved to Lake Forest when she was in fourth grade and often makes trips to France, where her father Guillaume grew up.
“I’ve tried to make the most of every opportunity, and it’s taught me to be adaptable, and I translate that onto the basketball court when I’m playing,” Axus said. “That’s because not every team is the same and not every game is the same.”
Axus has been making the most of her opportunity to lead the Scouts (11-17, 5-9), who begin the postseason on Monday with a game against Wheaton Academy (14-12) in the Class 3A Cary-Grove Regional semifinals. She’s averaging a team-high 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals.
Among her best games, Axus had 17 points, five steals and four rebounds during a North Suburban Conference win against Mundelein on Dec. 6 and had 20 points, four assists and four steals during a win against Dundee-Crown on Dec. 27. She’s shooting 48.5% from the floor, including 33% from 3-point range.
“She worked really hard getting her shot ready and on her skills overall,” Lake Forest girls basketball coach Stacey Leach said. “She has really improved from her freshman year to her junior year and definitely taken on a leadership role.”
The Scouts have relied on Axus, a team captain, to be a steady presence during an up-and-down season.
“She’s really good at being vocal on the floor, has a high basketball IQ and is doing a really good job running our offense and getting everything set up,” Leach said. “She plays hard and has a short-term memory and doesn’t let missed shots affect her.”
Lake Forest senior guard Lauren Richards appreciates Axus’ approach to the sport.
“Charlie always brings a positive spirit no matter what,” Richards said. “She’s always at practice working hard, getting extra shots up and checking in on her teammates. She’s a tremendous player and has found a really good rhythm offensively and is a key part of our team dynamic.”
Axus is also a key part of Lake Forest’s girls tennis team. She has already been named a captain for next season. Her father played the sport in France and got her into it.
“It was very important to me because I grew up playing tennis and loving it,” Guillaume Axus said. “As an individual sport, it makes you tough mentally and know how to deal with adversity. It’s also a great life sport to have and to socialize in your adult life.”
Charlie Axus finished in second place at No. 2 doubles in the conference tournament in the fall.
“Tennis is a really big thing in my family,” she said. “My mom played basketball and wanted me involved in it. I like basketball better, but I love the atmosphere of tennis, being an outdoor sport and the wind blowing in my hair and the steadiness of the ball hitting hard against the strings. It’s more relaxing.”
Axus said playing tennis prepares her for basketball.
“Tennis is a mental game,” she said. “When you’re playing tennis, it’s you against your opponent. That’s really translated into basketball for me and made me mentally stronger.”
Axus, who said she has a 5.53 GPA and is a member of the Student Council and Women in STEM at Lake Forest, is motivated to succeed.
“I have high goals that I hold myself to and that translate to playing basketball and tennis,” she said. “I like to achieve my goals when I make them for myself.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
