Athletes who became stars early were household names by the time they finished their high school careers: gymnast MaryAnne Kelley of Fremd, golfer Emily Gilley of Homewood-Flossmoor, quarterback Cory Paus of Lincoln-Way, basketball forward Quentin Richardson of Young, to name a few.
All can look back on their senior seasons with fond memories of a state championship. A trip down memory lane, from the 1997-98 season:
BOYS GOLF
Wheaton-Warrenville South junior Dan Kraft had six bogeys on the front nine holes, then capped a furious rally with a spectacular chip shot to tie Rantoul junior Clark Smith. Kraft defeated Smith in a one-hole playoff to claim the Class AA individual title. In team competition, New Trier overcame a five-stroke deficit to defeat Quincy by three strokes.
In Class A, junior Dan Citro of Quincy Notre Dame won the individual title with a 142. Quincy Notre Dame defeated Normal U-High 604-614 for the championship.
Andy Kern.
GIRLS GOLF
Defending champion Emily Gilley of Homewood-Flossmoor became the fourth golfer in Illinois history to repeat as champion as she shot a two-round, record-low 143 to win her second consecutive state individual title.
Gilley’s first-round score of 70 tied the lowest 18-hole total in state tournament history. Her performance put Gilley and her team in an unusual position: While closing in on the individual title, Gilley made an exceptional pitch shot on the 18th green, then made her fifth birdie of the day to give Homewood-Flossmoor the state team title by one stroke over Lake Forest, 652-653.
Andy Kern.
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GIRLS TENNIS
The state tournament was dominated by some expected events and one very unexpected event. West Aurora repeated as team champion with a score of 40 points and a 14-point advantage over runners-up Barrington and Hinsdale Central. That was expected.
The Blackhawks’ top doubles team, sophomore twins Natalie and Stephanie Matko, claimed their second straight championship after holding off Champaign Central’s Liz Fraker and Nicole Griglione 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. That was expected too.
To further bolster the Matko tennis dynasty, Natalie and Stephanie’s older sister, senior Michelle Matko, made it to the singles championship. A semifinalist at state in 1996, Michelle seemed destined to make it to the finals in 1997.
She lived up to expectations, but Glenbrook South’s Chrissie Nolan provided the surprise of the tournament when she rallied to beat Matko 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 to claim the singles title.
Ellen Horrow
BOYS SOCCER
The IHSA split the boys soccer tournament into two classes, and top-ranked St. Charles was the likely choice to win the Class AA championship. Instead, the title went to Fremd. The Vikings beat Edwardsville 2-0 in November behind the record-tying performance of an unheralded senior.
In the 26 games before the state finals at St. Charles, Louis Litrenta had scored 13 goals and played a complementary role to Christian Lonteen and goalkeeper Doug Warren, both All-Staters. But Litrenta used the finals as a showcase. He scored five goals in three games for the Vikings (24-2-3) and coach Gerardo Pagnani, who has decided to let go of the coaching reins after compiling 314 high school victories at Hoffman Estates and Fremd.
St. Charles had come into the season with a 59-game unbeaten streak but fell to Marquette (Milwaukee) in the sixth game of the season. A 2-1 loss to Edwardsville in the state semifinals was the Saints’ first to a team from Illinois since 1994.
Springfield whipped St. Joseph 7-0 in Edwardsville for the Class A title.
Alan Sutton
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Word had spread quickly in Peoria’s Detweiller Park: An unofficial count gave York the Class AA state title. But the Dukes were stunned when they learned Lockport had edged them by a point to win its second straight state crown. The champion Porters were led by Greg Targosz, 12th overall in the 3-mile race in 14 minutes 52 seconds, and Nick Setta, who was 14th in 14:55. Setta, Lockport’s record-setting placekicker, drove in for the race Saturday morning after Lockport had lost a second-round football playoff game Friday night.
Wheeling junior Jorge Torres claimed his second consecutive individual title in 14:15–7 seconds faster than runner-up Don Sage of York–to lead Wheeling to third.
In Class A, Oregon won the team title with a 144 score. Ryan Young of Prairie Central won the individual championship with a time of 14:57; Kevin Bailey of Westmont was second at 15:11.
Marlen Garcia.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Rebecca Mitchell’s formula for success is simple. “The point of running is improving,” the Geneva sophomore said throughout the ’97 season. At the state meet in Peoria’s Detweiller Park, she won her second straight Class AA championship in 11:19, just 3 seconds off the state record set by Wheeling’s Dana Miroballi in 1987. Mitchell finished ahead of runner-up Tera Moody of St. Charles by 8 seconds and improved on her 1996 time by 11 seconds.
Moody’s finish, however, carried St. Charles to its first team championship. The Saints, who were also sparked by Carrie De Piazza’s 24th-place finish, totaled 75 points to Sandburg’s 157 and York’s 165. Palatine, which had won the last two Class AA titles, finished fourth.
In Class A, Sandwich finished second to Petersburg Porta 72-123. Herscher was third at 149. Rushville’s Alana Crisman (12:14) beat Marian Central Catholic’s Catie LaBracke by 3 seconds for the individual title.
Marlen Garcia.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
It’s not usually a surprise when Mother McAuley wins a state volleyball championship, but it was last fall.
At one point in the season, the Mighty Macs were just 11-6 and there were whispers they might be the worst team in the school’s storied history. McAuley more than turned things around.
The Mighty Macs defeated defending champion Downers Grove South 15-13, 7-15, 15-10 for the Class AA title, finishing the season with a 35-8 record and a 24-match winning streak of Downers South (37-7).
In Class A, St. Francis (39-4) won the title with a 15-7, 15-4 victory over Kansas. Seniors Shannon Melka and Erica Greer, along with junior Erin Byrd, made the all-tournament team for the Spartans.
Reid Hanley.
GIRLS SWIMMING
St. Charles’ girls swim team had four event champions and piled up 164 points on the way to its fourth straight team title last November.
Sophomore Kristen Brennan won or shared four championship medals in becoming the first Saints swimmer to win two individual events in one year. She captured the 50-yard freestyle in 23.52 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 51.23.
Brennan then swam in the winning 200-yard freestyle relay (1:36.90) along with freshmen Kristina and Laura Lipskis and sophomore Christine Anderson.
St. Charles’ quartet of Erika Vohnout, Brennan, Anderson and senior Erin Lundy finished the 400-yard freestyle relay finale in 3:30.29, more than a second faster than the old mark.
Neuqua Valley sophomore Jessica Wagner successfully defended her 100-yard backstroke title (1:02.65) and broke her own state mark in the process.
Hinsdale Central’s Jessica Roberts repeated as 100-yard backstroke champ but had to share the spotlight with Lyons Township junior Susie Sample. Both tied for first in a record 56.18.
Driscoll senior Amy Migawa also was a two-event champ. She won the 200-freestyle in 1:50.41 and repeated as 500-yard freestyle champion in 4:54.25. Barrington’s Liz Olsen celebrated her 17th birthday with a state diving championship, and Lake Forest’s Florence Mauro won the 100-yard butterfly in 57.48.
John K. McCarthy.
FOOTBALL
This will be remembered as the year of the streak and the catch. Providence’s 50-game winning streak was snapped by Bishop McNamara at the end of the regular season, but thanks to David Popp’s triple-bobble touchdown catch, the Celtics won their fourth straight state championship. That reception sparked Providence (13-1) to a 26-12 victory over Metamora in Class 4A at Illinois State.
Less than 24 hours later, Woodstock’s Craig Kastning and Rock Island’s Alonzo Wise came up with a heart-stopping finish in unbeaten Woodstock’s 35-28 victory for the 5A title. Wise recovered a fumble in the final 4 minutes to set up the tying touchdown. Kastning carried four times for 67 yards and Roy Fritz finished the game-winning drive with his third TD run. Wise almost went all the way with the ensuing kickoff. With 9 seconds left and Rock Island just 13 yards from a touchdown, Kastning made a clutch interception.
The 6A title game had none of the above drama. Lincoln-Way’s All-State QB Cory Paus led the Knights to a 38-2 halftime lead and, eventually, a 52-22 triumph over Addison Trail. Lincoln-Way (14-0) put this one away with four touchdowns in the second quarter, three on Paus’ TD passes. The teams set a 6A title-game record for total points.
In 3A, Kaneland (14-0) ran over Harrisburg 31-7 as junior quarterback Eric Delaney completed 13 of 23 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
Behind All-State running back Rausell Harvey, Dunbar edged Marian Catholic 28-21 for the Public League’s first Prep Bowl victory since 1992. Harvey gained 166 yards against Marian to finish the season with 2,789 yards and 38 TDs. He became the state’s all-time leading rusher with 7,411 yards and also scored 108 touchdowns in his three-year career.
Bob Sakamoto.
BOWLING
Oswego captured its first state bowling championship in memorable fashion in February. The Panthers rolled a state-record 11,666 pinfall for the two-day tournament at Rockford’s Cherry Lanes, 83 pins better than Streamwood’s 1996 mark.
Junior Becky Carey led the Panthers with a two-day 205 average, and sophomore Jessica Schmitz was second at 199. Junior Kari Schwager averaged 197, followed by seniors Christy Constantine (187) and Katie Breedlove (184).
Oswego wasn’t the only record-setter. Second-place Prospect rolled 11,264 pins and set marks for best three-game series (3,114) and highest single game (1,084).
Rockford East had the individual champ in Liz Berg, who claimed top honors with the highest four-round pin total in state history (2,629).
John K. McCarthy.
BOYS SWIMMING
Behind the prowess of Tim Barry and its relay teams, Oak Park claimed its first state swimming championship.
The Huskies established a state record in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:06.19 after narrowly missing the record in the preliminaries. Barry, the anchor of that relay, also won the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle.
Oak Park scored 174 points to outdistance Marmion (139.5) and defending champion St. Charles (126) for the state title.
Naperville North’s Tim Carlson topped his own state record in the 200 individual medley. Carlson finished in 1:50.56 in the prelims.
In diving, Naperville Central’s Giovanni Rizzo won the championship with a score of 406.40 on three dives. Rizzo was an at-large qualifier to the state meet by virtue of his high score and second-place finish at the Naperville Central sectional.
Mike Pankow.
GIRLS GYMNASTICS
Fremd and senior all-arounder MaryAnne Kelley raised the standard of excellence in the state to a historic and possibly untouchable level.
The Vikings won their fifth straight state championship, becoming the first team to do that in the state meet’s 22-year history. Fremd set a state-meet record score of 152.550, shattering the 151.75 mark it established in 1996. In their first state-meet appearances, St. Charles finished second and Oswego took third.
Kelley won her third straight all-around championship in record fashion. She earned a personal best 39.175 score, breaking the state record of 38.9 she set in 1996.
Kelley also had record scores on vault and uneven bars (both 9.85) and won the floor exercise. Her teammate, junior Ashley Ekstrom, won the balance beam.
Ken O’Brien.
WRESTLING (INDIVIDUAL)
West Aurora brothers Nathan and Israel Martinez won Class AA state wrestling titles, becoming the first brother combination to win championships since Joe and T.J. Williams in 1993.
Israel, a freshman, was a 10-6 winner over Maine West’s Dean Martinez (no relation) at 112 pounds while Nathan, a junior, was a 24-12 winner over Oswego’s Jeff Charlebois at 125. Israel was 42-1 while Nathan finished 40-1.
Naperville North’s Charles Martelli won his second straight title with a 1:13 pin over Tinley Park’s Cary Gecas at 160. It was Martelli’s 91st straight victory.
Woodstock senior Matt Huebner and Stagg senior Jon Lovrich finished with state titles and unbeaten seasons. Huebner, who also played on Woodstock’s state 5A championship football team, finished 33-0 at 189 with a 6-4 overtime victory over Sandburg’s Brian Corcoran. Lovrich, who previously won medals for fifth and third place, won the 215-pound class with an 8-0 victory over Metamora’s Scott Cardin. He finished at 43-0.
Mt. Carmel’s Jason Erwinski finished with a 35-0 record and the 145-pound title. Glenbard North’s Dana Holland was the 140-pound champion. Juniors Joe Herron of Joliet (130) and Jason Potter of St. Charles (171) also won titles.
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Sandwich standouts Ben Hay (140) and Nick White (145) were among the Class A individual state champions. Montini’s Jesse Izzo was the Class A 160-pound champion.
Reid Hanley.
WRESTLING (TEAM)
Defending champion Providence (29-2) won its second straight Class AA team dual championship with a 31-27 victory over Mt. Carmel in East Peoria.
Freshman Matt Kucala turned the match around when he pinned Mt. Carmel’s Frank McNaughton in 3:32 at 103 pounds. Kucala was trailing 6-2 in the second period when he reversed McNaughton and pinned him.
In Class A, Oregon took the title with a 35-26 victory over Coal City. Montini took third with a 36-33 victory over Vandalia.
Reid Hanley.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
There is no better way to express Loyola’s repeat performance as Class AA girls basketball champions than to look at the numbers.
Well, there might be one better way. That would be to look at Olga Gvozdenovic.
The 6-foot-2-inch junior tied the record for points (28) in a title game when Loyola knocked off East St. Louis Lincoln 62-48. The victory gave the Ramblers a 36-1 mark and set a state record for girls victories in a season.
Gvozdenovic must find the court in Illinois State’s Redbird Arena to her liking. She averaged 26.3 points a game in the finals as a sophomore, 25.3 as a junior. She has yet to score fewer than 21 points in the her six state tournament games at Redbird Arena.
Most important may have been the 25 she scored against No. 1 Marshall in Loyola’s 62-60 semifinal victory–a game many had designated the de facto championship contest.
Gvozdenovic was joined by Marshall’s Kourtney Walton, Taylorville’s Allison Curtin, Maine West’s Dawn Vana and Quincy’s Ruth Kipping on the Tribune’s All-State team.
In Class A, junior Molly McDowell scored 35 points–a girls title-game record–to lift Nokomis over Carthage 70-60 for its first state championship.
Alan Sutton.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Young came through like a champion despite the pressure of being ranked No. 2 in the nation by USA Today. The Dolphins finished a spectacular 30-1 season with an exhausting 61-56 victory over Galesburg for the Class AA title.
On that night, 6-6 All-American Quentin Richardson lost his shooting touch but compensated by pulling down a Class AA tournament-record 20 rebounds. Dennis Gates picked up the scoring slack and led Young with 20 points as Young’s players gave retiring coach George Stanton the ultimate farewell present.
Richardson’s rebounding rampage included 10 offensive rebounds that led to Young’s 20-3 advantage on the offensive glass.
Maine West finished with a rush, beating highly touted Zion-Benton in the supersectionals and then upsetting Fenwick and 6-6 All-American Corey Maggette in the quarterfinals. To prove it wasn’t a fluke, the Warriors–led by 6-7 Kevin Frey and 6-8 Lucas Johnson–came close to a second upset before falling to Galesburg 73-70.
Peoria Manual’s 6-4 All-American Frank Williams won the Mr. Basketball of Illinois in a vote of coaches and media, with Maggette finishing second and Richardson third. The most unstoppable player in the state was Farragut’s 6-8 Michael Wright, who averaged 29 points and 16 rebounds and signed with Arizona.
Bob Sakamoto.
BADMINTON
Despite just one final-day individual victory–by Lynette Steinhauser–Willowbrook held off challenges from Downers Grove South and Shepard to win the state championship. Willowbrook has finished in the top five in each of the last five seasons. Willowbrook coach Al Loew claimed his first state title in 18 years.
A loss in the fifth-place doubles match cost Downers Grove South a share of the crown. Downers South and Shepard finished just a half-point behind the champions.
Freshman Erin Hois of Downers South showed the grace of an upper-class veteran as she breezed to the state singles championship. She capped off an undefeated season by dispatching Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Christina Ladd 11-1, 11-4.
Hersey’s Amy Ma and Flynn Wethall won the state’s doubles championship.
Mike Pankow.
BOYS GYMNASTICS
Mundelein went from dark horse at the beginning of the season to state champion at the end.
The Mustangs put it together at the state meet as sophomore Ronny Tazioli and freshman Matt Michalek combined for 109.85 of Mundelein’s 162.95 winning team score. The title was Mundelein’s fourth since 1989. Glenbard West finished second and Libertyville third.
Homewood-Flossmoor senior Derek Hartmann repeated as the all-around champion. Tazioli finished second in the all-around and Glenbard West senior Eddie Ross was third.
In the event finals, Hartmann tied for first on pommel horse and still rings. Trying to defend his high bar championship, he received a 9.7 score but fell short when York senior Kevin Scorza earned a record-setting 9.8.
Ken O’Brien.
BOYS TENNIS
New Trier scored 45 points to claim its third consecutive team championship, outscoring Glenbrook North (37) and Moline (31). With the Trevians’ victory, coach John Schnieter captured the eighth state tennis title of his career. It was the Trevians’ 27th consecutive tournament triumph.
Stevenson senior Karl Sloss, third in 1997, overcame fatigue and cramps to defeat Jon Stott of Aurora Christian 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 for the state singles title.
Hinsdale Central’s Sumant Bhat and Mark Schaeffe won the doubles title, downing New Trier’s Mike Bahrmasel and Paget Neave 6-4, 6-3.
Mike Pankow.
GIRLS SOCCER
Location, location, location may matter in real estate.
St. Charles, St. Charles, St. Charles is the sure thing in Illinois high school girls soccer.
A third consecutive state title, a state-record 29 victories, an 83-game unbeaten streak and the classy way the No. 1-rated team handled its quarterfinals mismatch with Amundsen of the Public League all amounted to yet another season of dominance in girls soccer.
Junior Becky Myers and sophomore Anne Poulin were selected to the Tribune’s All-State team and proved themselves worthy in the 4-0 state-final victory over No. 3 Naperville North for the Saints’ sixth title in the 11 seasons the IHSA has sanctioned the sport. Myers and Poulin each had a goal and an assist in that game.
Prolific goal-scoring also put its mark on the 1998 season. For the first time, two girls had 50 goals in the same season–Johnsburg’s Colleen Joyce (53) and New Trier’s Emily Brown (50). Brown was one of seven Chicago-area players to surpass the 100-goal mark for a career. Sandburg’s Katie Hertz became the first girl in the state to reach the career 100-assist mark (110).
On the flip side of that coin, Maine South goalkeeper Alice Gleason set a state career record for shutouts with 65. And St. Charles, with goalkeeper Lynley Hilligoss, led the state in stinginess by giving up only four goals in 30 games.
Alan Sutton.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Oak Park spent the entire season atop the Tribune’s boys volleyball rankings, but Naperville Central captured the postseason glory by stunning the Huskies 15-13, 17-15 in the state championship game.
The Redhawks (31-5) won the crown in their first trip to state. Senior Nathan Mayer led the way to the upset with a championship-match record 20 kills, while setter Tim Weil tied the title-match record with 41 assists against Oak Park.
Naperville Central became the second straight champion from the DuPage Valley Conference, following Naperville North. Glenbrook North (28-6) beat Buffalo Grove 15-0, 15-10 for third. The Bison notched a string of upsets to reach volleyball’s final four.
Oak Park’s Tom Trantow set the standard for all-time kills, closing his four-year varsity career with 1,197. Prospect setter Kevin Hallen, meanwhile, ended with a record 1,789 career assists.
Also, Oak Park setter Nate Werner established a new mark for tournament-match assists with 56 in the Huskies’ semifinal victory over Buffalo Grove. And Glenbrook North outside hitter Chris Mengarelli set three records: most aces in a state-tournament game (six against Stagg), most in the state tournament (11) and most aces in a season (76).
John K. McCarthy.
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
Crete-Monee’s Wanikka Vance did her best Shakedia Jones impersonation to highlight the Class AA girls state track meet.
The senior sprinter succeeded Jones, Waukegan’s legendary sprinter, as the fastest girl in Illinois. Vance dominated the 100-meter field in 11.76 and then came back to top Homewood-Flossmoor’s Adia McKinnon in the 200 with a 24.34.
York set the 3,200-meter relay record with a 9:14.03 effort from Laura Fitzgerald, Kelly Wycoff, Eva Zellman and Anne Machalinski. The Dukes won by more than 7 seconds over second-place Wheaton-Warrenville South and ran alone for much of the race.
Rosary’s Dore DeBartolo was not able to break her state record of 155-5, but she capped a comeback from knee surgery with her second state discus title. DeBartolo, who will attend Notre Dame, won the Class AA title with a 142-8 effort. Proviso West’s Jasmin Jackson (18-11 1/2 in the long jump) and Kankakee’s Bianca Rockett (41-0 1/2 in the triple jump) successfully defended their Class AA state titles.
Evanston repeated as the Class AA team champion. The Wildkits, led by Natasha Foreman’s title in the 300-meter hurdles, fourth in the 100 and 200 meters and leadoff leg in the winning 800-meter relay team, scored 60 points to 44 for runner-up Morgan Park.
Reid Hanley.
BOYS TRACK & FIELD
He jumped up, he jumped out. He hopped, stepped and jumped. Quiande Moore of Zion-Benton became the most prolific jumper in 104 years of track and field in Illinois at the state meet.
The senior became the first athlete to win the high jump, long jump and triple jump in the boys’ state meet. Not only did he win, he cleared 7-0 in the high jump, 24-3 3/4 in the long jump and 50-9 1/2 in the triple jump. While Moore didn’t break any event records, he set a standard that should last for years.
Lake Park set a Class AA record in the 400-meter relay with a 41.7 clocking from Nathan Rydak, Pat Condon, Anthony Moorman and John Reeves. It was the only Class AA record set on the track.
Naperville North’s Mark Pilja repeated as the 3,200-meter champion but wasn’t able to defend in the 1,600, won by Marist’s Jon Berning.
York, led by hurdler Kyle Erickson, finished second in the team race behind East St. Louis. Erickson, a junior, won the 110-meter hurdles and was second in the 300-meter hurdles.
In Class A, Leo tied Nashville for the team title. The Lions, who won the Class AA title in 1995, got a state championship from 800-meter runner David Thomas.
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Reid Hanley.
SOFTBALL
Talk about an unlikely champion. Thornwood opened the season losing four of its first five games and then delved into what many coaches described as the toughest schedule in the state. The Thunderbirds had 10 losses entering the postseason but ran the table to finish 32-10 and claim the Class AA title. It was Thornwood’s third title of the 1990s, the Thunderbirds having previuously won in ’90 and ’91.
Leading the way was an unlikely heroine, sophomore pitcher Nadira Saafir. Having never pitched a no-hitter, she fired a perfect game at Richards in the sectional finals. She finished an amazing postseason run with consecutive one-hit shutouts within an 8-hour span as Thornwood beat Fenwick 3-0 in the semifinals and Herrin 3-0 in the title game.
“I could never dream of something like this,” said Saafir, the state tournament MVP. “This is not reality.”
Joliet, Lane Tech, Fenwick and Stevenson all qualified for the Class AA quarterfinals for the first time, with Fenwick finishing fourth. Morris also qualified behind ace Stefanie Steele, who set a state record with 34 victories. In Class A, Illiana and Evergreen Park made it Downstate but lost in their state-tournament openers.
Bob Sakamoto.
BASEBALL
For the first two-thirds of the season, Lockport, Sandburg and Andrew from the powerful SICA West took turns holding the top spot in the Tribune’s rankings.
Then Oak Park, led by slugging shortstop Blake Whealy, took over No. 1 and carried a 36-4 record and a 19-game winning streak into the state quarterfinals.
Oak Park led Edwardsville 4-1 in the fifth inning in its Class AA opener at Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva. Matt Evers then hit a grand slam and Edwardsville went on to win 14-4. The Tigers (40-0), making what coach Tom Pile called “a statement for Downstate baseball,” won the tournament, beating Andrew 10-2 in the state final.
Simeon beat Clemente to win the Public League title and finished fourth in the state.
Kirby Smith, Barrington’s veteran coach, retired after directing the Broncos to a third-place finish in the state tournament.
Bill Jauss.