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Maine South senior swimmer Annika Wagner is always ready for a new challenge. That's why the Northwestern recruit decided not to defend her state championship in the 200-yard individual medley this year. "Swimming for me is all about setting my goals and achieving them," Wagner said. "My goal for high school swimming was to win the 200 I.M. and make the state record and I did that last year. "So I didn't think it would be as fun to do that event and not have as many high...
The last meet of Plainfield Co-op seniors Jessica Davis and Kali Franckowiak's high school swimming careers included a lot of firsts. The Division-I recruits each won four medals at the state finals Saturday at New Trier, becoming the first swimmers in program history to accomplish that feat. Davis and Franckowiak finished third and sixth, respectively, in the 200-yard freestyle and teamed with junior Karly Sonnenberg and senior Samantha Kershner to capture seventh place in...
It was a game that surpassed all the records, benchmarks and superlative descriptions of a college football game, postseason or otherwise, and the torrid pace set by the offenses of both teams left most spectators figuring the outcome would come down to the last team to possess the ball. And that was the case in North Central College’s second-round NCAA Division III playoff game at the University of Mount Union on Saturday, but after all the points and yards had been piled up, it was a defensive stand which sealed the o...
A pair of University of St. Francis football senior student-athletes, Kody Randa (SR/Sandwich, Ill.) and Brandon Ruffin (SR/Peoria, Ill.) will be representing the Saints at the 2019 NAIA Senior Football Classic, which will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Memorial Stadium in Savannah, Ga. The inaugural game will feature around 100-plus seniors from across the nation with team rosters divided into east and west squads. Randa, a three-year starter and 2018 honorable mention All-MSFA Midwest League honoree, compiled a team...
Does someone's name truly define them? In the case of Benet Academy senior Hattie Monson, the answer is a resounding yes. Monson said her parents chose her name as they drove through Hattiesburg, Mississippi and liked how it sounded. However, by its American origin, the name means "Home Ruler." A self-admitted gym rat, Monson made the Benet volleyball court her home the last four years and she ruled it with authority. Monson posted 370 digs, 98 assists and 12 service aces on...
In its IHSA Class 5A quarterfinal match-up, with St. Louis' Metro-East Mascoutah Indians, the defending Class 5A State Champions from Joliet Catholic Academy (8-4), were deadlocked at 14-14 with 7:13 remaining, at Memorial Stadium in Joliet on Saturday night. The visitors marched 70-yards on 15 plays behind their huge offensive line and scored the game-winning touchdown with 16 tics remaining on the scoreboard. Led up front by offensive lineman, Matt Wilson (6-foot-5, 320),...
Bolingbrook did something that many teams have not done in the 2019 season against Warren - score a touchdown. In the 2019 season, the 12-0 Blue Devils have given up an average of 3.3 points per game. In the Raiders first quarterfinals appearance since the 2014 season, they lost 18-6, preventing them from playing Brother Rice in the semifinals. "Anyone who was here understood that we struggled moving the ball the entire game," said Bolingbrook coach John Ivlow. "They...
The Plainfield co-op girls swim team is sending swimmers to the state met after placing fifth at the Neuqua Valley Sectional last weekend with 148 points. Oswego East won the meet with 240 points, followed by Neuqua Valley (231), Rosary (159) and Naperville Central (154). In the 200-yard freestyle, senior Jessica Davis finished second in the sectional in 1 minute, 51.02 seconds, while senior Kali Franckowiak was third in 1:51.67. Davis also advanced in the 100 freestyle (51.78), while Franckowiak will swim at state in the...
In the 2018 York Thanksgiving Tournament championship game, Niles West slipped past Downers Grove South 48-47. The Wolves were led by the 2019 Voyager Media Publications Girls Player of the Year, Sam Galanopoulos. The Mustangs were led by the 2019 All-Area Selection Holly Lueken. All-Stater Galanpoulos is now a freshman at Loyola University and All-Stater Lueken is a freshman at Colgate University. Without those stars, the two schools opened the 2019 York Thanksgiving Tournament. Behind a Lueken-like performance from Mustang...
On Tuesday night at Bolingbrook High School those who attended the Chicago Marshall-Bolingbrook girls varsity basketball game witnessed the presence of USA Girls High School Basketball royalty. On the Marshall sideline, in her 45th season of coaching, with her two-time defending IHSA Class 2A state champion Commandos stood the venerable, Dorothy L. Gaters. Gaters, who has won more girls high school basketball games than any other girls high school coach (1,133), in the nation, led her Commandos out to face senior Jayden...
On a cold Saturday evening in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood of Chicago, the historic 2019 football campaign of the Minooka Indians came to an end. After winning a school-record 11 consecutive games to open up the season, the Indians (11-1) fell 38-21 to Chicago Catholic League Blue-power Brother Rice (8-4) in their IHSA Class 8A quarterfinal game. "Turnovers," Minooka Hall of Fame coach John Belskis said. "We drove right down the field on Rice on our first two drives of the game and threw interceptions that kept us out of...
Last season, as Benet Academy placed third in the state in Class 4A, then-junior Colleen McGuire was not on the floor at Redbird Arena. After playing on the lower levels her first two seasons at Benet, McGuire decided not to play last season in order to focus on training for her future in beach volleyball, which she will play next season at the University of California-Davis. This year, she decided to return to the Redwings and the move paid off for both her and the team. McGu...
Tradition. That is at the heart of all Joliet Catholic Academy athletics and the girls volleyball team is one of those top programs. This season, the Angels battled injuries as well as a schedule that featured a conference that has a pair of nationally-ranked teams that played in the final four in Class 4A. JCA overcame all of that to place second in Class 3A at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. The Angels fell 25-16, 25-19 to defending...
NORMAL - Coming into the IHSA Class 4A state volleyball semifinals, Benet Academy had only one loss on its resume, a 25-13, 25-21 loss at Marist in the final regular season match of the season. That same Marist program had defeated the Redwings in the 2018 semifinals and went on to win its second-straight title. To say Benet was focused was an understatement. That focus showed as the Redwings used a dominant first set and a come-from-behind second to defeat the RedHawks...
Joliet Catholic Academy senior middle hitter Bella Ray said there was one word to sum up the Angels' IHSA Class 3A semifinal match against University High of Normal – revenge. "We knew they were going to come out with revenge in their eyes because we knocked them out last year and we were thinking that we had revenge in our eyes because we wanted to make it to the state championship match last year and we didn't make it," she said after JCA's 25-23, 25-20 sweep of the Pioneers...
As if winning the IHSA Class 2A soccer championship wasn't enough, the way Benet Academy won was unprecedented. The Redwings defeated Crystal Lake South 2-0 – the eighth consecutive shutout of the playoffs, leaving Benet unscored upon the entire postseason run. In the 11 years of the three-class system, no Class 2A champion has ever blanked every opponent from the regional opener through a championship. "It is almost overwhelming to think about," said Benet coach Sean W...
If only the game were a little bit longer. Notre Dame found its offensive rhythm in the second half of the second round matchup at Lincoln-Way East, but needed more time as the clock ran out on the game and the season with a 23-13 loss to the No. 1 ranked team in Illinois. "They counted us out from the beginning and I think we held our own against the No. 1 team in the state," said junior quarterback Anthony Sayles. "I give them credit, but we held our own." The Dons found...
After watching Edwardsville (8-3) score the last 10 points of the first half, the host Minooka went to its halftime locker room trailing the Tigers 17-14. That was all the scoring Edwardsville got in Saturday's 34-17 loss to the Indians in the Class 8A second-round playoff tilt. When a football team has not one but three Illinois High School Football Coaches Association's Hall of Fame coaches half-time adjustments that lead to victory have been a norm for the Indians. John...
A loss to a 39-1 team that is ranked No. 12 in the nation by USA Today is nothing to be ashamed about. Minooka (32-8, 10-1) fell to the No.2 ranked team in the state in two sets at the supersectional, preventing them from making it to the title game at Illinois State University. "[Benet] is a great team and I think mentally we kind off took ourselves out of the game," said coach Carrie Prosek. "Hands down they're one of the best teams in the state, and tonight we just had too...
The Plainfield North volleyball team had a goal this season – and that goal was met. With a 22-25, 25-23, 29-27 win over Naperville North on Halloween night, the Tigers won the Oswego Regional championship and met their goal set at the beginning of the season. "We had a tremendous season overall," said Plainfield North coach Matthew Slechta, "Our goal was to win regionals and see what happened, so everything after that was icing on the cake." The regional championship was the...
The final 28-7 loss to Wheaton Warrenville South is not indicative of the way Downers Grove North performed in the Class 7A second-round playoff game. The Trojans (6-5, 2-4) went into the fourth quarter only behind 14-7. "I don't really think the score showed the story of the game," said coach Joe Horeni. "We certainly had a lot of opportunities in the game to put some more points on the board, but they're a really well coached team, physical up front and I'm just sad for our...
For the second-straight season, the IHSA girls Class 4A state volleyball finals will feature a match between a pair of nationally ranked teams. And, for the second-straight season that match will feature Benet Academy and will take place in the semifinal match. Conference opponents Benet and Marist will be the feature match of the opening night and will allow only one team in the USA Today Volleyball top 15 rankings to compete for a state championship. In the most recent...
The last time Bolingbrook was in the IHSA Class 8A quarterfinals was 2014 after defeating Oswego 31-28 in overtime to get past the second round. Saturday night, the Raiders advanced again with another win over Oswego – only this time it took two overtime periods and the Raiders won 31-30. The teams traded first-play touchdowns in the first extra period and after Antonio King scored the go ahead touchdown to open the second OT, Oswego answered, but instead of sending the g...
Combining both the 100th anniversary of the National Football League and the Chicago Bears franchise with the University of St. Francis' upcoming 100th year as an academic institution of higher learning, the University of St. Francis Athletic Department has announced that 2018 NFL Hall of Fame inductee and Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher will be the guest speaker at its 43rd annual Brown & Gold Night. The event will take place at the Pat Sullivan Center on Friday,...
In what was a complete dominant performance, Bolingbrook rolled past Hinsdale Central 42-13. The Raiders (7-3, 3-3), who have been bounced out of the first round for the last four years, were determined to not let it happen for the fifth consecutive year. "We've been knocked out the last four years so it feels good to make it to the second round," said coach John Ivlow. "We're very healthy at this point in the season and that's what has been our Achilles heal the last few...