Downers Grove 1-2-19

JAN UARY 2 , 2 0 1 9 VO L . 1 1 ISSUE 3

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EVENTS

Calendar Events Upcoming events in your area SEE PAGE 4

SPORTS

Part 2 A look at the second six months of 2018 SEE PAGE 7

BUSINESS Dave Says Think about retirement after paying off debts

SEE PAGE 6

BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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NEWS

2018 in DuPage County saw many changes and improvements, such as a local teen winning the International Geography Bee and a local resident honored by American Cancer Society.

Here is a breakdown of some of the events shaped our community this past year.

After daughter’s murder, local woman starts nonprofit group Some people say that having a bad day at your job, fighting with your significant other, or even getting out of bed at an inconvenient time is a nuisance.

But what do all of those things have in common? We have the opportunity to actually live and participate in those struggles.

For Woodridge resident Kasia Szyszka, the opportunity to watch her daughter grow up and prosper is no longer a reality.

In 2014, Szyszka’s then-husband of eight years, Robert Bzdek, brutally murdered their daughter Zuzanna by stabbing her in the heart, and then later took his own life by hanging himself.

Szyszka figured that the meeting for the divorce was going to go smoothly, however, the call from her other daughter Gabriela at approximately 4 p.m. on April 4, 2014 forever changed her life.

“I was in the middle of coloring one of my customer’s hair and [Gabriela] called me telling me that the door to the bedroom is blocked with blood under the door,” Szyszka said. “My first response was telling my daughter to call 911, and then I immediately walked away from my customer and started punching walls.”

The frantic and dejected mother wanted to rush over to the scene, but after talks with the family they came to an agreement that she should not get behind a motor vehicle. “[Gabriela] called me again and told me that the [medics] took Zuzanna out of the house and put her in the paramedic’s truck,” Szyszka said. “The first question that I asked my daughter was if she was alive, and she said yes.”

Szyszka and her family were in a hurry to get to Edwards Hospital where the three-year-old was transported, and Szyszka knew she had to see Zuzanna right away.

“They walked me into this white room and when I asked where my daughter was, the doctor told me to sit down,” Szyszka said. “After telling him I wasn’t going to sit down, he finally told me that [Zuzanna] was dead.”

The immediate rage and disgust seeped into every pour of

Szyszka’s body, only to realize that every feeling of bitterness would not bring her fun loving, vivacious, perky daughter back to life.

Through many difficult and unimaginable sorrowful times, Szyszka has used the gift of giving back to help her cope.

She started tearsinheaven.org, a non-profit organization that helps others who have had similar family tragedies.

“If a parent takes the life of a child, I want to step in and first make a GoFundMe account,” Szyszka said. “They raise money for the funeral, contact psychologists and psychiatrists so people can go into counseling right away and then we help them put themselves together because it’s such a tragic situation.”

The charity is based in Woodridge, IL., and can be contacted at (630)-696-0851 or through e-mail, contact@tearsinheaven. org.

Local teen wins International Geography Bee

Seth Buikema is not your typical teenage boy.

Why you ask?

For starters, winning the varsity division of the International Geography Bee that was held in Germany is not on most high school boy’s lists of goals.

An incoming senior at Timothy Christian High School, Seth has taken interest in the particular field of Geography, has been involved since he was little according to his mother, Angela.

Leading up to Seth’s international competition, he took third place out of 150 participants at the national level in Washington D.C.,while finishing with a 90 percent on the qualifying test.

The competition that took place in Berlin, Germany from July 11-17 consisted of tests with a written 400-question exam, a global crisis simulator and a showdown head-tohead knowledge competition.

Seth said that in most situations he remains calm and doesn’t get too caught up in emotions, but he was dazzled by the moment in Berlin.

“They had a big medal ceremony at the end which they saved for last, and I thought that was pretty cool and impressive,” Seth said. “I was surprised because I usually don’t get that excited about things, but it was really neat.”

Seth is not sure if he will take on any more competitions in the near future, but he plans on being involved with Geography when the time comes for him to attend college by majoring in Geography or possibly International Relations

Resident honored by American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network recently honored Woodridge resident Judy Rospenda with its

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Capitol Dome Volunteer of the Year award at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. ACS CAN is the award that is presented to a volunteer who has effectively strengthened ACS CAN’s mission by leading legislative and community action, assisting with media outreach, fundraising and training and motivating others.

ACS CAN is the nonprofit advocacy affiliate of the American Society Society.

The award ceremony was part of The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s annual Leadership Summit and Lobby Day, which brought together nearly 700 volunteers and staff from every state and almost every congressional district.

Rospenda joined advocates in asking Congress to take specific steps to make cancer a national priority and help end a disease that still kills 1,670 people a day in this country.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network was also part of the tobacco 21 rule, where you would have to be 21 or older to legally purchase any kind off tobacco, which was later vetoed in congress.

Rospenda met with the offices of Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to discuss the need to support an increase in federal funding for cancer research.

She also asked them to co-sponsor legislation that enhances patients’ quality of life and to support legislation that would close a loophole in Medicare that often results in surprise costs for older Americans when a polyp is found during a routine colonoscopy.

With one in three Americans being told that they have cancer sometime within their life, Rospenda said that we need all the help we can get from congress in order to help prevent and treat this disease.

Rospenda said that from her previous experience with cancer, it resonates more with her and she feels like she has a duty to help those in need of medical attention.

She also said that people need to be aware of their situations, and if something feels off, don’t hesitate to go to a physician.

“I lost my mom to cancer and my brother is a 21 year survivor,” Rospenda said. “People need to be their own best advocate when it comes to cancer, with me they caught it so early that I was back to work in 10 days but not everyone is like that, so you have to understand your body and get help if you need it.”

Charity helps local family through time of need

Most parents when their children are born are ecstatic to just hold their baby, rejoice in the birthing experience and celebrate with family members.

However, this was not the experience with Tom and Amanda Kero’s son Duncan, who had a life-threatening complex

MORE STORIES ON PAGE 5

FORUM

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YEAR IN REVIEW - ONLINE

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Most clicked news stories of 2018 on our website During 2018, there were a lot of memorable stories that happened in the Voyager Media coverage area – and we thank you for reading them in the paper and online.

As the year comes to a close, we have put together a list of some of the most read online stories of the year.

Here are a few of the most clicked stories — for the rest, visit www. buglenewspapers.com — we know you been there before.

CUSTOMERS STOP MORE BLOODSHED AT IZZY’S

The shooting early Friday morning at Izzy’s Bar that left one person dead and another seriously injured could have been a lot worse if not for the fast reaction of two patrons. Mike Cullick and Artis Henderson III, stopped at the Joliet bar after a pool league because Henderson wanted popcorn and ended up potentially saving multiple lives after Patrick K. Gleason of Crest Hill came into the bar armed.

Gleason shot and killed 52-yearold bartender Danny Rios, but the two friends made sure there were no more casualties.

BOLINGBROOK MOM RALLIES PARENTS

CALENDAR

In reaction to the Florida school shooting, Bolingbrook mother of two Debi Gillette launched a Facebook action project that covered Bolingbrook High School with sticky notes bearing positive notes for teachers and students. The idea came to Gillette while in the car with her high school freshman daughter.

On May 14, the village board held a special meeting to approve Rocktoberfest Beerfest, a special event to be held on Sept. 21-23 on a portion of the Villageowned PACE Park-n-Ride on Van Dyke Road. Organizers said the event will be a festival of music, food, beer, and fun, and the main goal was to raise some cash for a good cause.

POLICE MAKE ARRESTS FOR STREET RACING

TEACHER HONORED BY BEARS

The Plainfield Police, in conjunction with the Will County States Attorney’s Office, began an extensive investigation in mid-August after possible criminal activity related to the dangerous operation of motor vehicles was discovered on social media. n addition to the arrest of Paul R. Powell, 35, of the 24000 block of Prairie Grove Drive, Plainfield, IL and Timothy J. Hagan, 47, of the 7600 block of Linden Avenue, Darien, IL, arrest warrants were issued for five more individuals.

PARK AND RIDE FACILITY COMES TO PLAINFIELD

While the new PACE park-n-ride facility is still under construction, village leaders were already working out additional ways to utilize the space once it’s complete.

Jen Riskus, language arts teacher at Thomas Jefferson Junior High School in Woodridge School District 68, was presented with the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom award. She has been selected by the Chicago Bears from hundreds of other nominations to receive this award.

Only 16 teachers from the Chicago-area per football season are selected.

AFTER HOF INDUCTION, JACKSON DIES OF CANCER

Former Plainfield Central football coach John Jackson died July 13 after a long battle with cancer. Jackson coached high school football for more than three decades. On April 7, Jackson was enshrined into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

U P CO M I N G E V E N TS I N YO U R A R E A

Downers Grove Public Library January 4 Preschool Movie. Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room. Friday, January 04: 9:30am - 10:00am. AGE GROUP: PRESCHOOLERS. EVENT TYPE: FOR KIDS. Join us for a fun video geared towards preschoolers. You never know who will be on the big screen: Doc McStuffins, Curious George, or The Lion Guard. Closed captioning will be provided.

Family Movie - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (PG-13).

Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room. Friday, January 04: 6:00pm - 8:00pm. AGE GROUP: FAMILIES. EVENT TYPE: FOR KIDS. Bring a blanket and pillow to enjoy a movie on our giant screen! Closed Captioning is provided..

Window Display Registration. Downers Grove Public Library

January 5 Saturday Morning Storytime. Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room. Saturday, January 05: 9:30am

- 10:00am. AGE GROUP: SCHOOL AGE, PRESCHOOLERS. EVENT TYPE: STORYTIMES FOR KIDS. Stories, songs, and fingerplays. Parent involvement is key to developing early literacy skills..

Teen Escape Room: Escape the Upside Down.

Downers Grove Public Library - Meeting Room Both (Max Capacity 100). Saturday, January 05: 10:00am - 11:00am.

AGE GROUP: TEENS GRADES 9-12, TEENS GRADES 7-8.

EVENT TYPE: FOR TEENS. Work together to solve puzzles and clues to escape from the Upside Down in this Stranger Things themed room.. Register.

Star Wars Family Trivia. Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room. Saturday, January 05: 11:00am 11:45am. AGE GROUP: FAMILIES. EVENT TYPE: FOR KIDS. Come and test your Star Wars knowledge as a family! Please bring a personal device that can connect to wireless internet.

Teen Escape Room: Escape the Upside Down.

Downers Grove Public Library - Meeting Room Both (Max Capacity 100). Saturday, January 05: 11:00am - 12:00pm.

AGE GROUP: TEENS GRADES 9-12, TEENS GRADES 7-8.

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NEWS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Congenital Heart Defect during Amanda’s pregnancy.

The suburban couple from Lisle was completely shocked and taken by surprise when the panic and fear struck their bodies after finding out their second son’s condition.

During Amanda’s pregnancy, the Kero’s needed immediate help, so they went to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

With a lot of care, monitoring and attention Tom and Amanda welcomed Duncan into the world in October of 2015, however their difficult situation did not stop there.

After Duncan was born, his situation escalated and was quickly transferred to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago from the Loyola Medical Center.

“When you’re born you can either be a pink [tetralogy] or blue [tetralogy] and Duncan was a pink [tetralogy],” Amanda said.

According to Radiopaedia.org Duncan’s condition is related to a tetralogy of Fallot in which the degree of the right ventricular outflow obstruction is minimal, which in layman’s terms means it’s extremely difficult to breath.

Within the period of staying up all night ruminating, multiple surgery visits and constant heartbreak, the Kero’s found a bright spot, the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The (RMHC) is an organization that provides help and assistance to families in need by providing shelter, healthcare and safety to families with ill children.

Though the two-year-old Duncan has progressed and is doing better, he will require another valve replacement which will be his third open-heart surgery in a few years, but is expected to rise to the occasion, overcome it and keep being a true inspiration to everyone.

Sophia’s heart

Sophia Sanchez had two wishes during her birthday week.

One came true when she was surprised by Drake, the 31-year-old Canadian superstar, who stopped in to surprise the 11-year-old at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

Just a week after meeting the entertainer, Sophia learned her other wish had come true — she is getting a new heart.

Sophia was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a condition that often leads to heart failure and a need for heart transplantation in order to survive.

She received Drakes attention after she engaged in the “Kiki Challenge” which is a choreographed dance to Drakes song, “In My Feelings.”

Drake was in Chicago performing at the United Center on tour, when the little girl sparked his attention so much so that he stopped by for a visit.

At first, doctors could not figure out what was wrong with Sophia, but Natalie knew they could not give up and needed to find a prognosis.

History Teacher of the Year

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Jacob Little, a social studies teacher at Lakeview Junior High School in Center Cass School District 66 in Downers Grove was named the 2018 James F. Harris History Teacher of the Year for the junior division.

This prestigious teaching award is presented to one middle school and one high school teacher with each receiving $5,000.

The award is sponsored by Dr. James F. Harris, past president of the Board of Trustees of National History Day. Each of the 57 National History Day affiliates could nominate one middle and one high school teacher for this award.

Little was the nominee from Illinois for the junior division.

His students have participated in the National History Day contest for the past seven years. During those seven years Little has worked to increase his students’ appreciation for history by organizing field trips into the city to visit the Chicago Public Library, Chicago History Museum, and the University of Illinois at Chicago Library. He also mentored several other teachers on using the National History Day Contest in their classrooms.

Little was presented with the award at the National History Day Contest awards ceremony at the University of Maryland.

New Sheriff

Republican James Mendrick was elected to become the next sheriff of DuPage County, replacing longtime Sheriff John Zaruba, who is retiring after spending more than two decades serving the county In a closely contested race Mendrick, a Woodridge resident, defeated Democratic challenger Gregory H. Whalen by 8,750 votes, earning a 51 percent margin.

Mendrick is a 22-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and is currently a patrol commander with the department, where he was “determined to continue to remain committed on improving our community through active participation and partnerships across the state agencies and community organizations.”

A graduate of Downers Grove South High School, Mendrick had more than 50 endorsements as a candidate.

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BUSINESS + REAL ESTATE TA K E 5 M I N U T E S FOR YOURSELF!

NEWS ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESSES IN YOUR COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

DAVE SAYS

Think about retirement after paying off debts DEAR DAVE, I’m on Baby Step 1 of your plan, and I work at a community college that takes a mandatory 20 percent from our pay for retirement. I know you say retirement contributions should be put on hold until all debt except for your home is paid off, so do you have any thoughts on this kind of system? It feels like it’s hard to get traction with getting control of my money when so much is being taken out of every paycheck.

KRISTI DEAR KRISTI, That is a lot to take out. I’ve heard of a few places that have a mandatory 12 percent contribution, but 20 percent? That’s very unusual.

And it’s unusually high.

I’m not sure what to tell you. I mean, you took the job. It’s what you signed up for. But if it becomes enough of an issue with your finances, you may have to decide at some point if you still want to work there. My recommendation is to begin setting aside 15 percent of your income for retirement after you’ve paid off all debt except your home, and you have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses in the bank.

At least you’re not losing the money, so it’s not the end of the world. It’s your money that’s going in there for your use some day.

I don’t know the exact structure of the retirement account, but it is going toward retirement savings of some kind—and that’s important!

—DAVE Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 14 million listeners each week on 600 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @ DaveRamsey.

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YEAR IN REVIEW - PART 2

SECOND

HALF

A look back at the second half of 2018 in Voyager Media sports

YOU’RE AN ALL STAR The road Mike Foltynewicz traveled to get where he is in Major League Baseball has not been the easiest, as he has had several set backs in his eight years.

The Minooka High School graduate, who had all the scouts buzzing as a senior, did not have a smooth ride once he was drafted in 2010, but while he has faced adversity, Foltynewicz has always kept progressing and that hard work has paid off this season as he was named to the National League All Star team.

He entered the game with a 7-5 record for the Atlanta Braves with a 2.66 ERA and 120 strikeouts. His 10.623 strikeouts per nine innings is 10th among all MLB pitchers.

“As a program, we are super proud of Mike and personally, I just couldn’t be happier for Mike,” said Minooka head baseball coach Jeff Petrovic. “He has worked really hard, he is a great talent and a great person and it is nice to see great things happen to great people and someone I care about so much.”

Foltynewicz, 26, had planned to pitch for the University of Texas after Minooka, but chose to forego college after he was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round, 19th overall selection, of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.

In 2012, Foltynewicz was the Astros Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going 14–4 with a

3.14 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 152 innings pitched.

He made his MLB debut for the Astros on August 2, 2014 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

HOT DOG For 20 years, Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville has hosted its patriotic themed Stars & Stripes golf tournament on the 4th of July.

The event features patriotic costumed golfers, fireworks and entertainment on most holes all in the spirit of celebration for America’s birthday.

This year, however, Mistwood wanted more.

So the staff of Mistwood got together to brainstorm and outside of red, white and blue clad golfers and bombs bursting in air, there are few things that rival that in terms of celebrating Independence Day more than hot dogs.

“In celebration of the 20year anniversary of Mistwood, we wanted to do something a little crazy,” said Jimmy Koklas, Food and Beverage Director at Mistwood Golf Club. “And we thought, July is national hot dog month, so why not go after a record that includes hot dogs. We Googled the Guinness Book of World Records hot dog records and decided that we wanted to go after the longest line of cooked hot dogs, because logistically, we had the space on the golf course to do this.”

SEE 2018 | PAGE 8

FILE PHOTO

Downers Grove North placed second in the Class 4A Volleyball finals.

TWITTER: For up -to-the-minute coverage of upcoming local sport events going on in your area, follow @VoyagerSport

8 SPORTS 2018 FROM PAGE 7

More than 250 staff, volunteers and spectators showed up at the public golf course to help set the world record by lining up - and subsequently eating - 2,496 hot dogs from tee to the green on the 3rd hole, a 556-yard par 5. The nearly 1,800 uneaten hot dogs were donated to MoringStar Mission in Joliet.

The new record of 1,162-feet, 11-inches clipped the old record of 1,157 feet, held by Nakakyushu Kubota of Japan.

A GAME To look at Allie Quigley’s career over the last two years, it is hard to believe the former Joliet Catholic Academy and DePaul University standout almost walked away from the WNBA. But she did.

After being drafted by Seattle with the 22nd pick in the 2008 draft, Quigley bounced around, playing in only 34 games total and was out of the league in 2012.

She got the call to play for the Chicago Sky, which was a call that had it come with a different area code may not have gone the same way.

“Chicago is my fifth team and when I got the call to come to Chicago, I only came because it is my hometown and it was one more shot,” Quigley said. “I was tired of doing the journey thing and I did lose confidence in myself. I had thought about giving it up, but those days are behind me.”

Far behind.

In her first season with the Sky, Quigley matched the number of games played in her entire career to that point, and all she has done from there is go from winning the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award in 2014 and 2015 to becoming an All-Star the past two seasons.

This year, Quigley was the Sky’s scoring leader, averaging 15.9 points per game. Quigley leads the WNBA in three-point percentage with all players averaging more than 3.5 attempts per game with a 43% clip and is second in the league with 2.3 triples made per game.

She again showed off her shooting ability at halftime of the WNBA All-Star game in Minnesota where she won her second consecutive 3-point contest, this time setting the nets on fire with a final round score of 29 points – the highest total by a competitor in the WNBA or NBA in the history of the contest.

With the win, she also earned

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

a $10,000 donation to the Patrick Quigley Memorial Scholarship Fund, a fund honoring her late father that provides assistance each year to a student at JCA. MORE FOR MOORE In May, Plainfield North sophomore Marcellus Moore became the first Tiger to win an individual state track and field state title.

In fact, he won two.

Moore won the 100-meter dash with a state-record time of 10.31 seconds and claimed the title in the 200 with a time of 21.30.

He also anchored the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams that claimed state titles, giving Moore four gold medals in the event.

For his accomplishments, he was tabbed as the 2017-18 Gatorade Illinois Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track, distinguishes Moore as Illinois’s best high school boys track and field athlete.

“Honestly, I had no idea I was even in the running,” Moore said.

“It was really all a big surprise when I found out I was a finalist. I woke up like seven in the morning and saw on Twitter that I was Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, I jumped out of bed and went and showed my dad. I was thrilled.”

Moore also paced Plainfield North to a third-place finish in Class 3A. As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Moore was able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a $1,000 grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program.

Moore selected the Aurora Flyers Track Club as his beneficiary.

He also completed a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support in order to attempt to win an extra $10,000 spotlight grant for the Flyers. “I chose the Aurora Flyer Track Club because the organization has done so much for me and has played a huge role in getting me where I am today,” Moore said. “I wanted to give back.”

SLAMMERS The Joliet Slammers are Frontier League Champions after taking game five from Washington by a score of 4-2. Washington jumped on the scoreboard early with a run in the first, but the Slammers quickly scored two in the top of the second on a triple

by Trenton Hill and single by Chaz Meadows.

FILE PHOTO

The Lisle football team had a great year, including handing Wilmington its first conference loss in 10 years.

London Lindley and Danny Zardon would score 2 more runs for the Slammers in the top of the third.

Cody Clark, who came on in relief in the 4th inning pitched 5 1/3 innings, retiring all 16 batters he faced, including eight strikeouts. Clark was named the Frontier League Championship Series MVP. TROPHY TIME State trophies are hard to win, so when you do it for the first time in your school’s sports history it is really special.

Downers Grove South’s girls cross country team placed third in the Class 3A State Championships last Saturday at Detweiller Park to win that elusive trophy.

The Mustangs scored 127 points to easily secure the third position,

as Naperville North won the team title with 80 points and were followed by Yorkville with 87 points.

This was the third consecutive year the Mustangs placed in the top five as last year they placed fifth and in 2016 they finished fourth in the team race.

South was lead by the All-State performance of Brenna Cohoon, as she placed eighth, covering the three-mile course in 16:40. It was the second medal for Cohoon, a junior, as she placed 19th as a sophomore. It was also the second best individual finish in school history, dating back to 1988, when Mindy Sick placed seventh.

The key to securing that first trophy was the pack running of the Mustangs second through fifth runners as only :20 seconds separated the foursome.

Senior Melissa Weidner was 29th in 17:15, with juniors Erin Reidy 39th (17:26) and Kennedy Warden 43rd (17:33) with sophomore Rebecca Diddia rounding out the scoring with a 46th place finish (17:35). Senior Becky Versaskas was 60th (17:47) and freshman Alex Spang finished 99th (18:10).

Running as individuals in the 1A race, Westmont senior Matt Gedraitis placed 24th to secure a state medal in 15:32. It had been since 2010 that a Sentinels runner achieved All-State honors. Also running for Westmont was freshman Matt Torres as he placed 110th.

PRIDE OF LISLE For a decade, there has been

SEE 2018 | PAGE 9

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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2018 FROM PAGE 8 only one team that has won the Interstate-8 Small school division – and it has done it in impressive fashion.

Since the 2008-09 season, Wilmington has cruised through the I-8 Small with a perfect 5-0 record. In fact, heading into Friday night’s game with Lisle at Benedictine University, the Wildcats had racked up 52 consecutive conference wins, with the last one coming in a 13-8 loss to Plano in the third conference game of the 2007-08 campaign.

Well, until 2018.

Lisle snapped the Wilmington streak with a 27-6 win. The last time the Lions had defeated their rival was in 1995.

“Wilmington is a big game because it is Wilmington. I have a lot of respect for them because they are class. Coach (Jeff) Reents is class,” said Lisle coach Paul Parpet. “I thought this year we had the players that we could do it. This has been in the making for the last three years. It was a 14-point game, then a seven-point game and a three-point game.”

THREE FOR ALL When Downers Grove North took the floor at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University for the IHSA Class 4A state finals – an outsider may not have known the Trojans were about to face the No. 1 team in the state in the final match of the season.

The swagger and confidence North had early carried over into the first game, when North hung with Marist, but could not take the set.

Finding themselves in unknown territory, the Trojans fell quick in the second set, losing 25-21, 25-11 and taking second in the state.

The Trojans (29-2) become the third girls program in school history, following badminton, cross country and swimming, to place in the top two in the state. They are the first girls team ever to compete in a head-to-head state championship and are the best team in program history in terms of advancement. The 29 wins is the second most in program history, following the 1084 team that went 35-3. This year’s group, however, has the least losses in a season of any North volleyball team.

Benet and Joliet Catholic Academy also competed in the state finals, placing third in their respective classes.

Benet, after falling to eventual Class 4A state champion Marist in the state semifinal, 25-18, 25-15,

FILE PHOTO

Hattie Monson was the 2018 Voyager Media Volleyball Player of the Year. defeated Prairie Ridge 25-20, 2523 to take third in the state.

Joliet Catholic Academy senior Emily Holbrook paced her team with nine kills in a 25-13, 25-18 win over Chicago Latin to take third-place at the IHSA Class 3A state finals at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena.

It was Holbrook’s second time at state, as she was part of the second-place team her freshman season – but this time, she said, was different.

The fact that Holbrook paced the team in kills in her final match, as well as on the season with 274 meant a lot to the 5-foot, 8-inch Arizona State University recruit, where she will move to defensive specialist.

DIG THIS Benet Academy junior libero Hattie Monson made the all-tournament team this season at the Wheaton Classic and Autumnfest this season, but did not receive tournament accolades at the Wheaton North Tournament.

It wasn’t that Monson had a poor showing at the event – it was that on the final day, she was simply a no-show.

Instead of playing with Benet, she was 1,800 miles away playing libero for the USA Youth National Team as it won gold at the NORCECA U18 Girls’ Continental Championship. Monson posted

37 digs and 19 serve receives overseas and was named both tournament’s best digger and best receiver.

When she was playing for Benet this season, the junior Notre Dame commit had 383 digs, 47 assists and 29 service aces and helped the Redwings to a thirdplace finish in IHSA Class 3A. For her efforts, Monson is named 2018 Voyager Media Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

CITY OF CHAMPIONS The last time Joliet Catholic and Montini met in the Illinois High School state championship game, it was the Hilltoppers’ No. 32 that ran all over the Broncos.

Saturday it was the same story, only with a different ending.

In 2011, the runner inside the jersey was Ty Isaac, who pounded out a state title game record 515 yards in JCA’s 70-45 loss to the Broncos on Zuppke Field at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois.

This year, No. 32 in Hillmen brown and white was Nick Iannantone, who tallied 318 yards and three touchdowns on a Class 5A championship game record 40 carries that dominated Montini.

This time, however, JCA won the game 35-27, as the Hilltoppers increased their state-record state titles to 14.

Iannantone was only the third

player in IHSA history to carry the football 40 or more times in a state championship game, joining El Paso’s Derek Hunsinger (Class 1A, 42 carries, 2002) and Althoff Catholic’s Hickey Thompson (Class 3A, 41 carries, 1990).

RECORD YEAR Maine South is not known as a swimming school, but that will change if Annika Wagner has anything to say about it.

Wagner’s performance Saturday at the state finals at Evanston spoke volumes about how good she is.

The junior staked her claim to being one of the top swimmers in the state, if not the best, by winning the 200-yard individual medley in a state-record 2:00.13 and taking second in the 500 freestyle in 4:48.53.

Wagner is the fifth female swimmer in Maine South history to win a state championship but the first to do so since Courtney Madsen won the 50 and 100 free in 1984.

In other results, Maine South’s 400 free relay team of senior Amna Sorbun, Wagner, junior Natalie Waida and senior Margaret Edsey finished 22nd in Friday’s prelims in 3:36.22. Junior divers Riley Bond and Bronwyn Bond placed 29th and 30th with 172.90 points and 172.65 points, respectively.

WELL DECORATED Jessica Davis is the most decorated individual in the history of the Plainfield co-op girls swimming program after winning her fifth and sixth career medals Saturday at the state meet in Evanston.

Kali Franckowiak is tied for second on the program’s career list with three medals.

And they are only juniors.

Davis and Franckowiak extended Plainfield’s recent streak of success with career-best showings at state. Davis finished third in the 200-yard freestyle and eighth in the 100 free, while Franckowiak was seventh in the 200 free.

Davis and Franckowiak were separated by just .01 during Friday’s prelims. Davis timed 1:51.09, good enough for sixth place and the final spot in Saturday’s championship heat.

Franckowiak’s 1:51.10 relegated her to seventh place and the consolation heat.

Had Franckowiak made the top-6, it would have been the first time in program history that two swimmers reached the championship heat at state. Even so, Davis became just the second Plainfield girl to earn a shot at the state title, joining Carly Kramer, who was fifth in the 100 butterfly in 2015 and won that event in 2016.

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