Warriors hope arrow is pointing up
The 2008-09 Waubonsie Valley Warriors finished with a loss to Plainfield North in a regional semifinal, which dropped their overall record to 14-14. That was after wrapping up the Upstate Eight Conference season with a 5-5 mark.

Title in sight for Rosary
At the start of the girls swimming and diving season, Rosary coach Bill Schalz simply said of his Beads, "This is a good group." That may have been an understatement, considering Rosary is again the favorite at this year's state meet, which takes place today and Saturday at New Trier High School in Winnetka.

Vikings' dominance started with Wicinski on the outside
The kid may have been a thorn in her side the last four years, but Lori Trippi-Payne appreciates talent, even if it's on the other side of the net. "Good choice," was the first reaction of the veteran Batavia volleyball coach upon learning that Geneva standout Lauren Wicinski was named The Beacon-News' Player of the Year.

Area roundup
A roundup of area results.

Waubonsie girls optimistic about season
Waubonsie Valley sophomore Keiera Ray and her new coach Kim Connell agree that Ray is at about “75 percent back” from the torn ACL that sidelined Ray late last season. Both Ray and Connell are optimistic about this year’s Warriors team, which is young, but experienced, athletic and skilled.

Beads capture 10 of 12 sectional events
If its performance at the Neuqua Valley Sectional was any indication, Rosary's girls swimming and diving team goes in to next week's state meet as a favorite to win its fourth straight state championship.

You can bank on Harris
Even though an opposing Southwest Prairie Conference coach calls him "the best player" in the league, senior Jay Harris won't be a one-man band for Oswego East.

Neuqua Sectional swimmers braving the rapids
Right on down the line, area girls swimming and diving coaches agree that today's Neuqua Valley Sectional is a gauntlet. Might as well call it a mini-version of the state meet. "Every year it's tough," Oswego co-op coach Deryl Leubner said. "(The) Naperville (schools are) a hotbed for swimming, plus throw in Neuqua Valley and Rosary."

Area athletes make their college choices official
Yorkville senior Jed Lightfoot saw his dream fulfilled Wednesday when he signed a national letter of intent to wrestle for the University of Illinois. "It's where I've always wanted to go," said Lightfoot, a Class 2A state runner-up at 125 pounds last season. Lightfoot will likely move up to 130 or 135 pounds this season.

Three run to All-State honors
The state cross country meet is all about survival of the fittest. The first mile is typically run at a breakneck pace. For example, in Saturday's Class 3A meet, eventual winner Lukas Verzbicas of Sandburg, who was attempting to break Craig Virgin's 37-year-old course record of 13:50, took the field out in a blistering 4:28 before tiring and finishing in 14:07.

Foxes surprise with 2nd in 2A
The Yorkville girls' cross country meet headed to the IHSA state Class 2A meet at Detweiller Park Saturday hoping for a top-5 finish. The Foxes got it, and then some. Led by All-State performances from Ali Hester and Esther Bell, Yorkville scored 124 points to pick up a team trophy with a second-place performance. The Foxes, who placed 12th a year ago, finished just six points behind team champion Springfield.

Panthers' upset bid turned away
For four quarters, the Oswego defense dictated the tone of Friday night's game against Providence Catholic in a second round Class 6A playoff game. Unfortunately, overtime between the Panthers and Celtics gave Providence the opportunity to run tailback Timothy Hanrahan from the 10-yard line.

'D' Bulls top LeBron
Would you believe the Bulls won for a second straight game because of their -- ahem -- defense? Believe it.

Kaneland's Dudzinski commits to Holy Cross
Kaneland High School senior David Dudzinski said Tuesday he has chosen Holy Cross over Loyola of Chicago in announcing his verbal commitment to the Patriot League school.

Quiet leader: Former Oswego standout Teah Gant
In a large ballroom at a Chicago airport hotel, there are faces in the crowd most basketball fans would recognize. Tom Izzo. Bruce Weber. Gene Keady. Coaching stars, present and past. Sitting at one large round table in the middle of the room is the face of an athlete not nearly as famous as those coaches mentioned above. Yet her impact on the program she represents is just as irreplaceable.

Narrow miss for Waubonsie in loss to DGS
Downers Grove South found a way to grind out 10 needed points in the second half and stood breathless as it saw a 40-yard field goal by Waubonsie Valley with 28 seconds remaining sail wide left. That allowed the Mustangs to squeak out a 22-21 win in a Class 8A first-round playoff game at Benedictine University.

Neuqua beats WW South in sectional final
Wheaton Warrenville South and Neuqua Valley played to a draw after 80 minutes of regulation and four 10-minute overtimes sessions before Neuqua took matters into its own hands and scored a 4-2 victory in penalty kicks to earn a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon to claim the Class 3A Naperville North Sectional championship.

Marmion soccer wins first sectional title
For the first time in the history of the Marmion soccer program, the Cadets earned a sectional title. They topped conference rival Wheaton Academy 2-1 to win the Class 2A Hampshire Sectional.

Vikings survive muddy road to state
Blustery conditions and a muddy, nasty track greeted the field at the Class 3A St. Charles East sectionals Saturday, but Geneva advanced both its boys and girls squads to next week's state meet in Peoria.

N. North's power too much for Waubonsie
As the underdog No. 6 sectional seed facing No. 3 Naperville North, Waubonsie Valley shot out to an early lead in the first game of the Class 4A Joliet Township Regional final Saturday. Behind the early strength of Martha Stewart (eight kills), Alexandra Simmons (three blocks), and Nicole Salmon, the Warriors jumped to leads of 6-1 and 13-7.

Panthers stand their ground in the mud
It almost slipped away in the mud at Fred Carlton Field, but the Oswego defense wouldn't let it go. They held off Bloomington 28-26 on Friday in a first-round Class 6A playoff game and move on to next week's second-round matchup with Providence.

Aurora Christian falls to Winnebago
Aurora Christian's season may not have ended on a deflected pass that wound up in the hands of Winnebago linebacker Michael Sojka, but the turnover late in the first half of the Indians' 28-14 Class 3A first-round victory over the Eagles proved the catalyst for that end.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Cadets, Vikings ready for matches
Marmion's soccer team is preparing for Wednesday's Class 2A Hampshire Sectional semifinal match against Lakes, and is relieved it advanced to this point.

Bring it on: Area teams ready for playoffs
Saturday's IHSA playoff pairings selection was more interesting than in years past and created drama up and down the eight-class system. First, the IHSA (at the request of the Chicago Public League) allowed the top two teams in each of the Chicago conferences into the playoffs instead of the usual one, creating more teams.

Wildcats complete hat trick vs. Warriors
Neuqua dominated its District 204 rival for a third time and scored an impressive 3-0 victory over Waubonsie Valley to claim a Class 3A regional championship on Saturday afternoon at Metea Valley.

Vikings muster sweep
Geneva runners Kevin McDowell and Kevin Sparks spend a lot of time running shoulder to shoulder -- they are good friends and training partners. So it was no surprise they were doing so Saturday with about a half-mile to go at the Class 3A West Aurora Regional.

Waubonsie breezes past East Aurora
The Waubonsie Valley football team is used to two things by now: winning and playing in cold and rainy conditions. The Warriors made it four straight wins by beating East Aurora 42-6 on Friday.

Oswego grabs share of title
"Last week wasn't our night," said Oswego coach Dave Keely, referring to his team's loss to Minooka that dropped them into a tie for first place in the Southwest Prairie Conference. It was the Panthers' night Friday in their 27-0 win over a Romeoville team desperate to lock up a playoff spot.

Maroons dominated in loss to Wildcats
Joe Ippolito and the Neuqua Valley Wildcats were left to ponder how differently the 2009 campaign could have gone if they had turned in results like the one they had in the season finale against Elgin.

Adams shines for PFS in win over Oswego E.
It's becoming all too familiar for the Plainfield South football team. For the second straight year, the Cougars finished 5-4 and will likely miss the playoffs after a 40-15 win over Oswego East.

Oswego graduate signs with Red Stars
Julianne Sitch is coming home. The Chicago Red Stars announced Friday that the 2002 Oswego graduate has signed as a free agent with the Women's Professional Soccer franchise.

'Mini-state meet' on tap at Oakhurst

Saturday's Class 2A Aurora Central Catholic Regional at Oakhurst Forest Preserve could be called a mini-state meet, with four highly ranked teams battling for a trip to the loaded Belvidere Sectional the following week.

Vikings begin title defense Saturday

Two-time defending state champion Geneva on Saturday begins its quest for a third state title when it headlines the Class 3A West Aurora Regional at Waubonsee Community College.

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