The spring sports season is around the corner, but there is enough time for the head coaches of the winter sports teams to share their team’s top moment.
BOYS BOWLING: The boys bowling team scored a 1,180 to break the school’s single game scoring record. Junior Corey Kahen scored a 300, and senior Brett Pomeroy scored a 290 at the Lake Zurich Invite.
GIRLS BOWLING: On Dec. 7, the girls bowling team placed third in the Libertyville Invitational. The team’s season-high scores were by senior Madison Latona with a 176 and juniors Emily Schwandner and Patricia Doolan with a 204 and 181 respectively.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Junior Jan Siegien made a layup with 1.7 seconds left on the clock to beat Niles North High School 51-49 on Feb. 7.
“The players all ran up on and jumped on top of [Siegien],” said Head Coach David Weber. “That was by far the best moment. That was one of the best moments we’ve had in a couple of years.”
Siegien is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15 points per game as of Feb. 24.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: According to Danielle Fluegge, assistant girls basketball coach, the No. 1 highlight of the year was when the team beat Leyden High School in the St. Viator Snowflake Tournament 45-41 on Dec. 28.
“My favorite memory was winning the tournament and having my brother as my assistant coach,” said Fluegge, “I have always wanted to coach with him, and it fulfilled a major dream.” Fluegge’s brother, Mike Nabolotny, coached with Fluegge until Head Coach Renee Brosnan returned from maternity leave.
GIRLS GYMNASTICS: The varsity girls gymnastic team qualified for sectionals for the first time since 2006-2007.
“I was actually worried going in [to the meet] of the [team’s] mentality and how the girls would perform…especially [with senior Madison Cummings] getting hurt at the end of our practice,” said Head Coach Julie Holmbeck. “A lot of the girls were just like ‘ugh’ and devastated, [but after their performance at the meet] I was really proud of them.”
The team won the conference title with a score of 132.15. At sectionals, junior Carli Betman qualified for state in vault and floor. On Feb. 22, she finished ninth in state on the vault.
WRESTLING: Though wrestling went 0-23, Head Coach Jason Erwinski said the team showed improvement and a great work ethic throughout the year. Erwinski said he wished he had a time capsule to compare the first practice to the final practices.
“[Junior Peter Hinsa] was the first guy at the beginning of the year to start off a match losing, come back, and win,” said Erwinski. “His work ethic is phenomenal, and he is currently our leader. His record may not reflect that, but I just think the way he approaches his day to day, and the man that he is outside of wrestling is unreal.”
BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING: The boys swimming team has gone 5-0 in its conference, and, according to Head Coach Josh Runkle, the team’s highlight has been its improvement from the beginning of their season to now.
“I don’t think there’s been one specific [highlight],” said Runkle. “Just looking back at where we started on Nov. 25 and where we are right now…there have been so many good things it’s hard to pinpoint just one…Just how we’ve figured out ‘we’ and how [swimming is] a team sport…that’s been the best part of this year.”
Runkle said the top swimmer is senior Victor Qiao, who holds the school’s 200-yard freestyle record at 1:44.36 minutes. Qiao qualified for state as a sophomore, junior and senior.
The team qualified for state, which is scheduled to start on Feb. 28, at Evanston Township High School. Seniors Jack Brierton and Victor Qiao qualified individually for the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle, while senior Patrick Gosciminski, sophomore Mark Schneider, Brierton and Qiao qualified for the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relay. The 200-yard relay team broke the school record with a 1:26.79, and Qiao beat his own school record for the 200-yard freestyle with a 1:42.89.