Providence girls volleyball coach Nan Airola earned…

Providence girls volleyball coach Nan Airola earned her 700th career victory with a pair of wins in the Wheaton North Invitational on Aug. 29. The Celtics defeated Glenbard West 15-5, 15-4 and Crystal Lake Central 15-3, 15-0 behind 29 assists from Renata Dargan.

– Marshall football coach Ben Ward earned his 200th career victory Aug. 31 when the Commandos defeated Carver 27-12. The next day, Mt. Carmel’s 35-21 decision over Joliet Catholic gave Caravan coach Frank Lenti his 200th career victory. Mt. Carmel’s season culminated in a 50-0 romp over Morgan Park in the Prep Bowl at Solder Field.

– J.R. Zwierzynski rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns to lead Joliet Catholic to the program’s 500th win–a 42-7 victory over Marian Catholic on Sept. 14. The Hilltoppers went on to win their third straight state championship, beating Morris 27-20 in the 5A title game, and became the first school to win 10 state football titles.

– Naperville Central beat Wheaton North 35-14 on Sept. 21 to give football coach Joe Bunge his 200th career victory. The Redhawks advanced to the first Class 8A state-title game before falling to Downers Grove South 34-31.

– Kelly’s Andre Evans rushed for 404 yards–the ninth-best rushing performance in IHSA history–and scored five touchdowns to lead the Trojans over Calumet 54-34 on Sept. 22.

– King football coach Lonnie Williams won his 200th game in King’s 70-12 eight-man victory over Dyett on Sept. 28. All but six of Williams’ career wins came in 11-man football.

– Schaumburg football coach Tom Cerasani posted his 100th career victory, a 34-6 rout of Palatine on Oct. 20 that put the Saxons in the state playoffs.

– John Thorne stepped down as head football coach at Wheaton Warrenville South after 22 seasons. Under his leadership, the Tigers went 183-64, qualified for the state playoffs 14 straight seasons and won four state championships.

– Deerfield’s Erika Odlaug set a state-meet record with a time of 13 minutes 25 seconds in the Class AA state cross-country final Nov. 3 in Peoria. Odlaug’s time on the 2.5-mile course shattered the previous mark, set the season before by York’s Maria Cicero, by 24 seconds.

– Tim Brasic of Riverside-Brookfield set a state single-game playoff record when he threw for 589 yards in a 56-50 loss to Joliet Catholic in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs on Nov. 9. Brasic also set state records for passing yards (4,644), completions (313) and attempts (488) in a season and career records for yardage (7, 911), completions (564), attempts (956) and touchdowns (94).

– Brasic’s favorite target, wide receiver Shatone Powers, set the state single-season record for receptions with 117.

– Phil Acton retired after 24 seasons as football coach at Bolingbrook with a career record of 223-117-2. His last game was a 47-22 loss to Prospect in the Class 7A state semifinals.

– Hinsdale South girls basketball coach Brenda Whitesell earned her 400th career victory when the Hornets downed Glenbard West 72-36 on Nov. 13.

– Rosary swimmer Mary DeScenza set state records in both the 100-yard butterfly (53.11 seconds) and 200 freestyle (1:48.44) at the state meet on Nov. 17. It was DeScenza’s fourth state title in the butterfly and second in the 200.

– Downers Grove North’s Pete Ventrelli resigned after 16 years as the Trojans’ head football coach. He led Downers North to four state semifinal appearances and the 1990 6A title game, where the Trojans lost to Thornton. That season, Downers beat East St. Louis, then ranked No. 1 in the nation, in the state semis. Ventrelli’s career record, including stints at Heyworth, East Leyden, East Aurora and Morton West, was 171-89-1.

– Dameon Mason had 19 points to lead West Aurora to a 56-48 win over Elgin on Dec. 1, giving Blackhawks coach Gordie Kerkman his 500th career victory.

– Behind 24 points from Mark Morrison, Deerfield beat Maine South 65-55 on Dec. 14 as Warriors coach Steve Pappas earned his 300th victory. That same night, Richards coach Ken Styler notched his 300th in a 71-62 decision over Oak Lawn behind 21 points and 10 rebounds from Donte Ellis.

– Jackie Duvick of Morris bowled games of 274, 258 and 221 for a 753 series, the second-highest series in IHSA history, at the Lockport Invitational on Dec. 15.

– In a 65-35 victory over Cristo Rey in December, Ida Crown’s Dana Fine hit 10 three-pointers–the second-highest single-game total in state history–and ended with 35 points.

– St. Ignatius girls basketball coach Tom McKenna’s 300th career win was a 61-46 decision over Queen of Peace in the St. Ignatius Tournament Dec. 29.

– Ryan Paradise scored 38 points, including a 16-for-16 night at the free-throw line, to lead Naperville Central to a 78-67 win over Glenbard North on Jan. 5 and help present Redhawks coach Bob Sterr with his 500th career victory.

– Downers Grove South bowler Julie Todd set a state record by rolling an 801 three-game series to win the Prospect Invitational on Jan. 5. On Jan. 24, in a dual meet against Morton, Todd became only the third person in IHSA history to bowl a 300 game.

– Simeon boys basketball coach Bob Hambric tallied career victory No. 500 in the Wolverines’ 72-54 triumph over Washington on Jan. 8.

– Ashley Sandstead’s 23 points led Buffalo Grove to a 53-48 win over Hersey on Jan. 25 as Bison coach Tom Dineen notched his 500th career vistory.

– Notre Dame basketball coach Dennis Zelasko earned his 200th career victory on Jan. 26 when the Dons beat Glenbrook North 53-33.

– Morgan Park senior Jawann Franks bowled a perfect 300 game to lead the Mustangs to the city championship on Feb. 4. Franks finished with a high three-game series of 781. On Feb. 21, Morgan Park won the final boys state tourmament before it becomes an IHSA-sponsored event.

– Chris Jones had 20 points as St. Charles East beat Geneva 71-47 Feb. 9 to help coach Jerry Krieg to his 400th career victory.

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– Washington girls basketball coach Willie Byrd retired after 14 seasons, during which he compiled a 230-73 record. Byrd’s teams won city championships in 1991 and 2000, and his 1999-2000 team finished second in the state Class AA tournament, falling in the title game to Buffalo Grove 60-51 in overtime.

– Lee Turek stepped down after 21 years as head girls basketball coach at Elgin, where he won 359 career games and led the Maroons to the 1996 Class AA state final against Stevenson.

– Doug Sutor won his 300th game as Sandburg baseball coach on April 4 in a 5-2 victory over Shepard. Dan Atkenson tossed a five-hitter for the Eagles.

– Downers Grove South’s 8-0 rout of Willowbrook on April 16 gave Mustangs girls soccer coach Barry Jacobson his 300th career win. Lindsey Schemenaur scored three goals to lead the Mustangs, who went on to finish fourth at state.

– Al Lodl retired as baseball coach at St. Francis de Sales after winning more than 600 games.

– At the state boys gymnastics meet May 10, Stevenson set a state-meet scoring record with a 167.1 to win its first state title.

– Maine South defeated Palatine 4-2 in girls soccer on May 11 as Hawks coach Tim Kerth posted his 200th career victory.

– Sandwich wrestling coach Lon Gedrrish resigned after a 20-year career that included a 459-62-1 dual-meet record, 17 conference championships and 14 regional titles. Gedrrish coached 15 individual state champions.

– Glenbard North’s Lindsey Veselsky set a single-season state softball record with 499 strikeouts and also established a career Class AA mark of 1,374.

– Loyola defeated New Trier 7-0 to win its fourth boys lacrosse state championship and notch the 200th victory in the history of the program on May 31.

In memorium

– Jim Misiora, head coach of St. Rita’s hockey club for 25 years and a former president of the Chicago Catholic Hockey League, passed away on Dec. 27.

– Jawan Jackson, 19, a former Eisenhower football and track captain, collapsed and died Feb. 1 during the second day of off-season conditioning drills at Northern Illinois University. Jackson was one of 15 walk-ons trying out for the Huskies football team.

– Gerald Richard, 71, who led the Harlan track and field team to a state championship in 1967 and to numerous city titles over the years, died of complications from emphysema March 23.

– Dave Ryan, 18, a Wheaton North football player, died on May 13 after a 13-month bout with brain cancer.