To put the past year of local high school sports in perspective and to get a preview of the new year, Pioneer Press interviewed Niles North athletic director Brett Bildstein. He is in his first academic year with the Vikings.
Q: What was the highlight for Niles North’s athletic programs in 2016?
A: The girls softball team winning (the second of) back-to-back (Central Suburban North) championships, which hadn’t happened in awhile. That’s a credit to coach Karin Wick and to the kids for their hard work.
Q: What was one team that stood out in 2016?
A: The coed varsity cheer team finished third in the IHSA state competitive cheer series. Having that level of state success is pretty incredible. It’s the first time (they’ve had a top-three finish) and we have a big banner in the gym (commemorating it).
Q: Who was one athlete who surpassed expectations on the field or in the classroom, and why?
A: (Football running back) Bruno Prosper-Kanam. He was replacing (current Iowa Hawkeye) Barrington Wade, who had such a storied career. Prosper-Kanam is about 100 percent work ethic, is a weight-room rat and does anything and everything to get better. This season (2016) was his junior year, and next year we hope to see him have another great season.
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Q: Who was one coach who went above and beyond in 2016?
A: Boys soccer coach Filip Cejovic. He’s a player-centric coach and they have great team chemistry. The soccer team went and supported just about every other fall sport and (took part) in booster club fundraisers. They are the most engaged team in the school. Aside from that, (Cejovic) is a great motivator and Xs and Os soccer coach. He does all the little things you would want in a coach, and it shows in what his team does for the school.
Q: Looking back on 2016, is there anything that you wish would have gone differently within the program?
A: I think the big thing for our coaches has just been an abundance of change. You can’t prevent change, but sometimes it’s easier when changes are smaller. We got a new principal (James Edwards), new superintendent (Steven Isoye) and new AD (Bildstein arrived late in the summer). Not that those are bad things by any measure, but it’s a lot for people to process.
Q: When you look ahead to 2017, what is your athletic program’s New Year’s resolution?
A: Embrace adversity. We’re now in the CSL South, which goes back to transition and big changes. We just have to kind of embrace the challenges that we face together (as an athletic department).
Q: What are you most looking forward to about Niles North athletics in 2017?
A: We have a couple of individuals: (junior) Michelle Bacalla, who finished fourth in the state in (Class AA) tennis and boys diver Max Royzen, who has a chance to do some damage at state (in February). (Royzen) has improved every year as state, going from 10th (as a freshman) to fifth (sophomore) and third (junior). Team-wise, I would say boys basketball. The team is fairly young, but if we’re talking timeline, where will they be by this time next year? It will be fun watching that growth.
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press