Sebastian Szymanski’s Dream Becomes Reality With First Memorial Soccer Tournament

Members of the Szymanski family at the field dedication. Left to right: Avery Szymanski, Carter Szymanski, Chastity Szymanski, and Chris Szymanski. All photos in this article were provided by Jorge Delgado from tournament sponsor Alltech.

Justin Scott - Info@redarrowpreps.com

8/7/2026

A soccer tournament Sebastian Szymanski once dreamed of bringing to life became reality at Swisslane Farms, with family, friends, former teammates and members of the agricultural community gathering for the inaugural Sebastian Szymanski Memorial Soccer Tournament.

The event also marked the dedication of the new Sebastian Szymanski Memorial Soccer Field and helped launch the next chapter of a scholarship created in his honor.

For Sebastian’s family, longtime members of the Lowell community, seeing the tournament take place carried particular meaning.

“Early on, one of our biggest fears was that Sebastian would be forgotten,” Sebastian’s mother, Chastity Szymanski, said on behalf of the family. “Our experience has been far from that. We are continually amazed at the impact that Sebastian had on those that loved him, his community and his workplace. Swisslane made his dream come true with this tournament and we will forever be grateful.”

Sebastian, a 2020 Lowell High School graduate, died in a car accident on March 9, 2025, at the age of 23.

Soccer had remained an important part of his life well beyond high school. He played, coached and continued competing after graduation while working as a hoof trimmer at Swisslane Farms.

Chris Szymanski cuts the ribbon for the opening ceremony.

One of Sebastian’s ideas was to bring those two parts of his life together through a soccer tournament featuring teams from local dairy farms.

Swisslane Farms, a local farm with a longstanding tradition of supporting both the schools and its programs, made sure that idea did not disappear with him.

Six teams competed in the first tournament, including two teams representing Swisslane Farms and three teams from neighboring area farms. A sixth team was assembled in Sebastian’s honor and included many of the players who had shared the field with him during his Lowell soccer career.

That team featured Carter Szymanski, Brett Evink, Nick Struckmeyer, Drew Struckmeyer, Jay Stadt, Braiden Hamilton, Gabe Bendall, Ian Ostrander, Brenan Conlan, Jesús Miramontes, Caleb Kortman and Mark Gorton.

Most had played high school soccer with Sebastian, while others had connections to him through indoor soccer.

Gabe Bendall, who a day later who took part in the soccer program’s alumni game scored the deciding goal in the championship game. The team won the inaugural memorial tournament following a penalty-kick shootout.

Many Lowell Soccer alumni members joined forces with Sebastian’s brother Carter to lift the inaugural trophy.

Bendall was two years older than Sebastian and someone Sebastian looked up to as a fellow goalkeeper during his soccer career. Years later, Bendall was the player who delivered the winning kick in a tournament being played in Sebastian’s memory.

The tournament was part of a larger dedication at Swisslane Farms, where Sebastian had become an important member of the farm and agricultural community.

“Seeing Sebastian’s dream of a dairy farm soccer tournament become a reality right here on this field was deeply moving,” Swisslane Farms partner Tommy Oesch said. “Having our own Swisslane crew, neighboring farms and Sebastian’s high school teammates all playing side-by-side was unforgettable.”

Support for the tournament and dedication was also provided by Alltech, GPS Dairy Consulting, AIS Construction and Dairy Discovery.

While the tournament created a new way to remember Sebastian through the sport he loved, Swisslane is also working to make another piece of his legacy permanent.

The Sebastian Szymanski Agriculture & Trade Scholarship was established for Lowell High School seniors who plan to pursue careers in agriculture or the skilled trades.

Swisslane Farms initially committed to funding the scholarship for three years. The farm is now raising money toward a $25,000 permanent endowment that would allow the scholarship to continue supporting Lowell graduates into the future.

“Now, our goal is to fund the endowment in honor of Sebastian so future Lowell High School students always have support as they enter trades and agriculture,” Oesch said.

Sebastian’s connection to both areas made the scholarship a fitting extension of his life.

Along with his years playing soccer in Lowell, Sebastian built a career in agriculture at Swisslane Farms and was known for the work ethic and dedication he brought to his position.

Annie Link (Oesch) speaks at the opening field dedication.

Now, both parts of his life are represented in the ways his name will continue forward. One is a soccer field where a tournament he once envisioned finally took place. The other is a scholarship designed to help future Lowell students build careers of their own.

Those interested in contributing toward the $25,000 Sebastian Szymanski Agriculture & Trade Scholarship endowment can visit www.swisslanefarms.com or contact Swisslane Farms at 616-293-0432.