It was a year worth remembering–and repeating. In fact, many Chicago-area teams did repeat their feats of the 1995-96 season by defending state championships. The year in review, sport by sport:
Boys golf
Loyola’s J.D. Goering said he took his inspiration from his late grandfather, and whatever got into him, he played inspired golf on the final day at the state tournament. He shot a 3-under-par 69–the first 69 in state competition in seven years–to rocket out of nowhere and win the Class AA state title.
He entered the second day down seven strokes, then fired the best round of his life to overtake Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Kevin Streelman, the first-round leader who finished second overall. It was a startling change from Goering’s 1995 state tourney, when he collapsed on the second day and shot a 93.
Goering’s impressive finish helped Loyola to the Class AA team title–its first since 1986–as the Ramblers beat defending champ New Trier by 13 strokes. Normal U-High won the Class A title and Belleville Althoff’s Tim Riley won the Class A individual medal.
Girls golf
The state tournament belonged to a diminutive, red-haired Homewood-Flossmoor junior named Emily Gilley, whose cool calm became the talk of the large gallery following her every shot.
Gilley dominated the event, putting it away early the second day with a perfect chip shot for par on the 11th hole. She had just one bogey and one birdie on the final day, nailing par the rest of the way. Laura Myerscough of Charleston finished six strokes behind Gilley.
In team competition, Lake Forest finally got a state title for longtime coach Marlene Miller, a 19-year veteran. The Scouts stretched a nine-stroke lead after the first day into a 15-point final margin over Homewood-Flossmoor.
Girls tennis
Two stories were equally compelling: an exhaustive singles title match and a long-awaited team championship.
In singles, Laura Granville, a 15-year-old sophomore from Chicago Latin ranked among the top young players in the nation, outlasted Stevenson’s Michelle Dasso in two long sets to take the trophy. Granville was so tired she could barely muster a relieved smile at the end of the match and had to hang on the net as she waited for Dasso to come over for the handshake.
The team title went to West Aurora, and it was believed to be the school’s first in any sport in almost 80 years. The Blackhawks’ top doubles team of Stephanie and Natalie Matko took the doubles championship, and No. 2 team Kristi Dunham and Rorry Kinnally won a late back-draw match to clinch the team title.
Boys soccer
St. Charles ran its two-season unbeaten streak to 59 games and won its second straight state championship in typical fashion as juniors Derek Shanahan and Mike Murphy each scored in a 2-0 title victory over Collinsville.
Coach Paul Keenan’s team was the first back-to-back state champion since Collinsville in 1991-92 and only the third team to post an unbeaten state championship season.
Boys cross country
It was supposed to be a six-team logjam at the top, but Lockport blew everyone away behind three of the top 14 runners–Nick Setta (fifth), Jason Bialka (10th) and Jason Olszowka (14). Second-place Fenton finished 50 points behind the Porters.
The Class AA individual title went to Wheeling sophomore Jorge Torres, who trained in the mountains of his parents’ native Mexico during the summer.
In Class A, University High’s Peter Muller won individual honors by 12 seconds and Kewanee took the team crown.
Girls cross country
Freshman Rebecca Mitchell of Geneva capped an undefeated season with a 19-second victory at the state meet, just 14 seconds off the all-time state best. But her postrace actions drew the most attention.
Just moments after she finished the 2.1-mile race, Mitchell sat at the finish line and cradled friend Tera Moody in her arms. Moody, the fourth-place finisher from St. Charles, had collapsed in exhaustion at the finish line, and Mitchell ran to be by her side.
For the sixth time in eight years, the team title went to Palatine, whose highest finisher was 46th (junior Christine Jackson).
Herscher was the Class A team champion, and the top small-school runner was Alana Crisman of Rushville.
Girls volleyball
Downers Grove South has been one of the top contenders in the 1990s. The 1996 season didn’t appear to be one of the Mustangs’ best chances for the Class AA title, but freshman Chantel Reedus changed everything.
Reedus, a 6-foot hitter, led the Mustangs with 16 kills as they defeated Mother McAuley 15-12, 10-15, 15-13 for the title at Redbird Arena in Normal. Downers South, which finished 35-7, was making its fifth straight trip to the quarterfinals while defending champion McAuley was shooting for a record 11th state title and a record seventh under coach Nancy Pedersen.
In Class A, Huntley and St. Francis met in the quarterfinals. Huntley defeated the Spartans, playing without All-Stater Christie Landry because of a disciplinary suspension, 15-6, 15-7. Huntley lost its semifinal match to eventual champion Breese Central 15-5, 6-15, 15-11. The Redskins came back to take third place with a 15-4, 8-15, 15-6 victory over Colchester.
Girls swimming
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The match race between sprinters Michael Johnson and Donovan Bailey was a bust.
The match race between sprinters Lindsey Farella and Alison Wimer was a bonanza.
Friends and training partners, Elk Grove’s Farella and Palatine’s Wimer met in the 100-yard final in the state championships at Evanston. Earlier in the day, Wimer had set a state record (and U.S. public high school mark) of 22.78 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle.
Wimer was seeking a third straight 100 title but lost to Farella 50.16 to 50.20.
Farella set a state record in the 200 freestyle in 1:49.06, topping the old mark of 1:49.67 set by Evanston’s Stacy Cassidy in 1983.
Driscoll junior Amy Migawa won two events, the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle. St. Charles, though it failed to win an individual event, won the team title with Palatine second.
Football
What an ending to a terrific season. Wheaton-Warrenville South bolted to a 32-7 lead and looked to have a repeat Class 6A title locked up when Lincoln-Way junior Cory Paus uncorked some south suburban lightning. Paus set all kinds of title-game records, completing 24 of 52 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns as the Knights (13-1) came within 11 midway through the fourth quarter. Then came Kelly Crosby’s 78-yard TD pass from Tim Brylka and Wheaton South (13-1) was on its way to a 42-27 victory in Normal. The teams combined for 789 yards of offense, and the 69 total points set another title-game record. It was Wheaton-Warrenville South’s third title in five years.
In 5A, Joliet Catholic and Mt. Carmel–programs that have now won a combined 13 championships–met for the first time in a championship setting. Although Joliet Catholic’s All-State breakaway back James Randle rushed for 176 yards on a 5A title-game record 37 carries, Mt. Carmel (14-0) prevailed 17-6. Randle finished the season with 2,691 yards, third best in state history.
Second best belongs to Providence All-Stater Louis Medina, who wound up with 2,745 yards in a season where seven running backs cracked the 2,000-yard barrier. Providence (14-0) was trailing Metamora throughout most of the 4A title game when the Celtics rallied with two Robert Cruz quarterback keepers for a 28-21 victory. Medina ran for 181 yards and one TD on a title-game record 40 carries. This extended Providence’s winning streak to 42 games, currently the longest in the state.
Bowling
No one matched Stacy Shapiro’s 1996 state championship 300 game, but Downers Grove South’s Nikki Pietrzak came close.
Pietrzak, a junior who qualified for state with her team but not individually, entered the record books with her 298 in first-round state action.
Kim Hunn, a sophomore from Streamwood, rolled a 278 in the third game of the opening round at the two-day state finals and went on to take top state individual honors with a 213 average.
Rockford East won team honors with a 188 average, followed by Oswego (184), Lockport (180) and Streamwood (180).
Boys swimming
Fremd’s Jay Glenn won two events, and perennial power St. Charles, without winning even one event victory, took its ninth state title.
Glenn broke the state record with a time of 50.08 in the 100-yard backstroke. He also won the 200 freestyle in 1:39.74.
Waubonsie Valley’s 200 freestyle relay team of Greg Busse, Tim Smyser, Greg Jackson and Brian Roskens set a state record in winning the event with a time of 1:24.00.
Two other marks were set in Friday’s preliminaries. Naperville North junior Tim Carlson won the 200 individual medley in 1:51.00. The Oak Park 200 medley relay team of Tim Barry, Adam Guzauskas, Matt Daggett and Jamie Daggett set a record of 1:51.00 in the prelims. Carlson and Oak Park each wound up with victories in the finals.
Girls gymnastics
The state meet was business as usual for Fremd and its all-around star, MaryAnne Kelley. The Vikings won their fourth straight championship and Kelley claimed her second straight all-around title. Kelley, a junior, also dominated the event finals, taking titles in balance beam (9.575), floor exercise (9.875) and the uneven bars (9.675). She finished second in vault to Rich Central’s Corynne Cooper.
Wrestling (individual)
Thornridge senior David Douglas became the sixth wrestler in 60 years to win four state championship.
He also became the first wrestler to win titles in Class A and Class AA. He wrestled for Luther South as a freshman in Class A and then transferred to Thornridge.
Proviso West heavyweight Hubert Thompson successfully defended his title with a 5-3 decision over Joliet Catholic’s Jake Vercelli. Naperville North junior Charles Martelli (44-0 at 152) and Weber junior Alexis Rivera (31-0 at 112) won titles with unbeaten records.
In Class A, Todd Combes of Coal City (112) and Chad Hay of Sandwich successfully defended championships. Nick White of Sandwich (140) also won a title.
Wrestling (team)
Providence got revenge for its only loss of the season with a 26-20 victory over Marist for the Class AA state title at Huff Hall in Champaign.
The Celtics, who finished the season 31-1-1, were tied 20-20 going into the final two bouts. Freshman Nick Passalano scored a decision at 135 pounds for Providence, and senior Jason Guisinger clinched the title with a 12-8 victory at 140 over state individual 135 runner-up Pat McEneaney.
Sandwich won the Class A title with a 40-19 victory over Oregon. The key match of the tournament was a 23-22 victory over Mahomet-Seymour in the semifinals. Sandwich won the final three bouts, getting decisions from Brian Olson (103), Matt Thielk (112) and Chad Hay (119), for the comeback victory.
Girls basketball
It wasn’t a Miracle on 34th Street. It wasn’t even a Miracle on Laramie Avenue in Wilmette. But Santa did have something to do with Loyola’s first state championship in girls sports.
Kristin Santa, a 5-8 senior, scored 25 points–21 coming on a title-game record seven three-pointers–in Loyola’s 59-40 victory over previously undefeated Taylorville. Sophomore center Olga Gvozdenovic also had 25 in the game and returns for the Ramblers (31-2) next year with another outstanding sophomore, Laura Sobieszczyk, for coach Tanya Johnson.
Coaches and media members around the state voted Class A Carlyle’s Courtney Smith as Ms. Basketball.
Boys basketball
The 1996-97 season marked the end of an era in some ways, a compelling duel between Peoria Manual and Thornton for supremacy in Illinois. The difference between Thornton and Manual was best summed up by USA Today, whose final national poll ranked Manual No. 1 and Thornton No. 2.
Manual finished with a 31-1 record and won an unprecedented fourth consecutive state championship, again at the expense of Thornton (32-1). The Wildcats, Class AA runner-ups the last two seasons, settled for third in their final hurrah. Amazingly, Thornton compiled a 93-4 record the last three years but lost three times to Manual in the state tournament.
A primary reason why the Wildcats were denied again is Manual star Sergio McClain. Honored as the state’s Mr. Basketball by state coaches and media, McClain played through an earlier injury suffered in the quarterfinals to take Thornton out in the semifinals. Manual trailed for most of the title game before McClain put on a late, individual burst in lifting the Rams to a 47-43 victory over an underrated West Aurora team.
Badminton
As expected, New Trier repeated as state champion, taking the team title over Evanston and Willowbrook. The Trevians did break with tradition, however, because five of their previous six titles had come every three years.
“We thought we might be jinxed,” said senior Katie Goodwin, who won the singles championship with a two-game victory over Christina Ladd of Wheaton-Warrenville South. Ladd was the surprise of the tournament, having knocked off previously undefeated Selma Kurtagic of Hersey in the semifinals.
Randi Osterman and Miwa Kuniwake of Stevenson, who had been overlooked by just about everyone, were on the verge of elimination in their first-round match but came back to claim the doubles championship by shocking top-seeded Kate Riley and Kate Fogelberg of Evanston in the final.
Boys gymnastics
For the first time in the 46-year history of the state meet, the top two trophies went to south suburban teams. Homewood-Flossmoor convincingly won its first state championship, scoring an impressive 161.75. Lincoln-Way, in its finals debut, took second, edging Hinsdale Central.
Junior Derek Hartmann lead the Vikings, racking up 55.95 of H-F’s points during the team competition. During event prelims on the meet’s second day, he won the all-around competition (55.5). In the event finals, Hartmann won the high bar and took third on still rings and fifth on horse. Teammate Tony Cirullo erased the state floor-exercise mark with a 9.7 and tied for first on vault with Beecher’s Nick Becker. Hinsdale Central’s Matt Lorek and Mundelein’s Marc Chiappetta tied for the rings title with a 9.8.
Boys tennis
Continuing its spring racket sport dominance, New Trier repeated as champions here, too–and set a state-tournament record for most points in the process. The Trevians returned only one star from the 1996 champions, but it was senior Marc McCallister, who overcame an up-and-down season and a rib injury to take second in singles. Sophomores Pete Rose and Russell Bennett won the doubles title in three sets over Chris Kushner and Eric Kozlowski of Lyons Township.
The real story of the Trevians’ year, however, was the retirement–and then unretirement–of longtime coach John Schneiter. It now appears likely that despite his leaving New Trier as a teacher, Schneiter should be back next season as tennis coach for a try at his eighth state championship.
Though New Trier was the overwhelming team favorite entering the state meet, the singles field was a tossup. Top seed Terry Green of Glenbrook South suffered his first loss of the year in the quarterfinals to McCallister, and Oak Park senior Nick Vizzone, the area’s highest finisher in ’96, lost in When it was all over, Hinsdale Central’s Tom Buetikofer–who didn’t lose a set in the three-day tournament–stood alone as champion after dominating foes with his mental stamina. Stevenson junior Karl Sloss took third, installing him as the favorite for ’98.
Girls soccer
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If, centuries from now, historians want to find out about the 1997 championship on the Internet, all they’ll need in the search field are St. Charles and Laurie Seidl.
Seidl, a senior forward, scored two goals in St. Charles’ 4-0 championship-match victory over Lyons Township. She dominated the proceedings at Naperville Central, scoring a record six goals in the three state finals games as the Saints (26-0-2) won a record fifth title.
Statistical junkies would have a field day with this team and Seidl, who scored 43 goals this season 115 for her career. St. Charles hasn’t lost in 53 games and allowed only four goals in 28 games for coach Joe Moreau.
The Saints’ toughest games came against Glenbard West. The Hilltoppers tied St. Charles 0-0 in the last regular-season game but lost 2-1 in overtime in the supersectionals.
Boys volleyball
Sandburg hoped to become the state’s first back-to-back state champ. But Naperville North had other plans.
The Huskies (37-4) grabbed the title for themselves with a surprisingly easy 15-6, 15-9 title victory over the Eagles for the school’s first boys volleyball championship.
Glenbrook South, the Tribune’s No. 1 team for nearly half the season, was eliminated in the first round in a grueling 7-15, 15-13, 15-13 loss to Naperville North.
York, behind all-time state career kill leader Tim Stratton (978), rebounded from a state semifinal loss to bury Prospect 15-2, 15-1 for third place and to send retiring coach Andy Laux out with a victory.
New Trier coach Deb Kirch also stepped down after her third trip to the finals in five seasons. Kirch, whose Trevians won the state title in 1995, will become head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Girls track
Shakedia Jones became the first girl to win an event four straight years and did it in two events.
The Waukegan senior won the 100- and 200-meter dashes at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field in Charleston and is the only runner–boy or girl–to win the same two events four straight years.
Jones didn’t set any records as wind conditions hampered her, but she was dominant. She won the 200 in 23.89, 1.33 seconds ahead of second-place Wanikka Vance of Crete-Monee.
Evanston unseated three-time defending champion Morgan Park for the Class AA team title. The Wildkits and Mustangs went to the final race of the day with Evanston taking the title 57-51. Evanston won the 1,600-meter relay to clinch the title shortly after senior Tameeka McFarlane set a state and Class AA record in the 300-meter hurdles with 42.33.
McFarlane and Rosary’s Dore DeBartolo were the only meet record-breakers. DeBartolo set the discus mark with 155-5.
Boys track
Lake Park had sprinter Anthony Moorman and more as it won its first Class AA state track championship at O’Brien Field in Charleston.
Moorman won his second straight 100- and 200- meter championships and led the 400- and 800-meter relays to victory. Pole vaulter Burt Holloway won the state title with a 14-9 effort, and the Lancers received fourth and eighth places in the 1,600 meters from Dan Taulbee and Mike Mueller.
Hoffman Estates took second, with hurdler Pierre Leinbach leading the way. Leinbach set a state and class record in the 110-meter high hurdles with a 13.9, won the 300-meter hurdles in 37.16 and anchored the third place 800-meter relay.
Naperville North junior Mark Pilja won the 1,600-3,200 distance double. Pilja, who tripped 300 yards from the finish, ran 9:00.03 in the 3,200 and came back strong with a 4:14.92 in the 1,600 meters.
Luther South won its fifth Class A title. Senior Sherman Armstrong helped account for 30 of the Braves’ 44 points.
Softball
Lockport (38-3) became the first Chicago-area team to win the state title since Downers Grove South in 1993. In the process, the Porters set a school record for most victories in a season. Their 3-2 title-game victory over Morton in 15 innings set a state record for the longest championship game. Catcher Vicki Rinando, who had driven in the winning run in the 3-2 eight-inning semifinal victory over Belleville West, drove in Amy Somerville with the game-winner in the final.
In Class A, Westmont (22-8) surprised the Chicago-area field in gaining its second quarterfinal berth. Behind junior pitcher Jenny Messmer, the Sentinels upset highly favored Carrollton 2-1 in the quarterfinals, handing that southwestern Illinois power only its second loss in 39 games. Westmont fell to eventual champion Casey-Westfield 11-1 in the semifinals and lost the third-place game 9-7 to Carmi-White County.
Baseball
The season began amid swirling snowflakes on March 21 and ended on a balmy June 14 night at the Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva, when Schaumburg’s Brian Wojtanowski lined a two-out bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth to beat Lockport 5-4 and give the Saxons the championship.
Among the season’s highlights–or lowlights–was Thornton Fractional South’s 26-25 victory on April 25 in Lansing over crosstown rival Illiana Christian. In his 3 2/3 innings on the mound, T.F. South starter pitcher Chris Richter yielded 15 hits and 16 runs–all unearned.
Pitching peaked in the state quarterfinals when, within hours, Mike Nall of Schaumburg and Jeff Blaesing of Lockport both pitched no-hit victories.
There had not been a no-hitter among Elite Eight teams since 1981, but in the semifinals, Lockport’s junior lefty Vince Serafini threatened to make it three no-hitters within 24 hours. Despite control trouble that caused six walks, Serafini carried a no-hitter into the sixth when he permitted Mattoon’s only two hits. Lockport won 6-0.
In the Class A tournament, Driscoll captured its third title of the decade when it edged Williamsville 8-6. Mike Wisniewski provided the heorics when he blasted a triple in the bottom of the sixth to break a 6-6 tie.