No sophomore jinx was present at the state meet last weekend, at least not for two competitors. Deerfield`s Becky Bruch and Homewood-Flossmoor`s Cathy Dietrich each took home two gold medals. Dietrich won the 200- (1 minute 53.05 seconds) and 500-yard (4:47.64) freestyles, and Bruch was first in the 200 individual medley (2:06.60) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.93).
Last year, Dietrich won the 200 freestyle and was second in the 500. Bruch was second in the breaststroke and third in the individual medley.
Although the two have similar attitudes about winning, their theories about pressure differ. Dietrich believes that pressure is something reserved for upperclassmen; Bruch sees no distinction.
”I think it`s less pressure to be a sophomore,” Dietrich said. ”To me, the greatest pressure is on a senior. You know, the last chance and all that. If you`re a sophomore and you lose, regardless of what you did as a freshman, it`s, `Oh, well. At least you have two more years.`
”I know some people may have expected me to do well. I heard them say,
`There`s Dietrich.` I guess doing well last year gave me some notoriety. Pressure, no; notoriety, yes.”
Said Bruch: ”For me, at least, it doesn`t matter that I`m only a sophomore. I think you`re expected to do well anytime you get to the finals. When I was a freshman, being my first time, I didn`t know what was going on. But, there was pressure. As a sophomore, I have the year of experience. I`m kind of a veteran already, and there`s still pressure.”
There was plenty of pressure on Wheeling`s Kristin Stoudt, who successfully defended her 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle titles. A senior, Stoudt again accomplished the feat in back-to-back events. She had little rest and stayed at the pool after the butterfly to swim with Oak Park`s Rachel Coats, another of the meet`s ”supersophs.” Among those sitting in the packed Evanston pool balcony was four-time state cross country champion Dana Miroballi, a classmate and friend of Stoudt`s. ”When Dana won her titles, they (Wheeling fans) all swarmed around her,” said Stoudt. ”They wanted to do that with me, but they`re up top. It was nice to hear people yelling, `Guess who`s back” after I won. ”It`s kind of hard to comprehend, some girls having their families and one or two friends come out, and I hear about 30-35 up there yelling for me. You actually learn to expect more from yourself when you know that people like Dana and my other friends are there. You feel that you`re not alone.” As she did last year, Stoudt dutifully answered all inquiries about her amazing feat. But, she admitted, last year the arduous double was easier. ”It was a lot tougher this time,” Stoudt said. ”There were a lot of people who didn`t believe it could be done the first time, but even more who thought it couldn`t be done again. They thought it was a fluke the first time.”
The meet`s best T-shirt award goes to New Trier, which captured its seventh straight team title. The front of the green shirt read: ”State Champs 79, 81, 82, 83, 84 . . . A Tradition.”
That tradition could be broken by runner-up Oak Park next year. Huskies coach Sam Manola depended a lot on sophomores this season. ”Two years ago, I told them my two-year plan,” he said. ”Last year, we set our goal to win sectionals and qualify more girls for state than ever before, which we did. This year, it was to go undefeated in duals and triangulars, win conference and sectionals, which we did. We`ll be hard to stop next year.” Before each season, Manola has his swimmers and divers sign a varsity ”contract.” The document proves, at least to Manola and the Huskies, that there is a commitment. ”It`s things like maintaining a C-plus grade-point average, not missing practice, being available for all meets and staying away from alcohol and drugs,” Manola said. ”They must be dedicated. Swimming has to be No. 1.”
Saturday`s finals will be aired on SportsVision at noon this Sunday. Mike Leiderman does the play-by-play, with Maine South swimming coach Dawn Butler providing analysis. The SportsVision camera crew even stuck around long enough to film New Trier coach Bruce Woodbury, his staff and team take their accustomed post-meet victory swim. Woodbury and assistants were fully clothed. Football
Joliet Catholic and Peoria Richwoods, opponents in this Saturday`s Class 5A state championship game in Normal, have met in some memorable playoff clashes. In 1983, Joliet won 28-21 in the quarterfinals, and in `84 Peoria avenged the loss with a 27-15 semifinal victory en route to a state title. Both games were in Peoria. ”I`m excited about playing them,” said Joliet Catholic coach Jim Boyter. ”Coach (Rod) Butler has done a great job down there. They don`t throw much, but they don`t have to.” Joliet Catholic has won five state championships, the last one coming in 1981.
In its four 5A playoff games this season, unbeaten Peoria Richwoods has outscored its opponents 136-14. Quarterback Ian Brown has thrown three touchdown passes on only three attempts in those games. Joe Sickle`s 138 yards and 3 touchdowns in Saturday`s 35-7 semifinal victory over Rich South give the 5-foot-7-inch, 130-pound fullback 1,662 yards and 25 TDs for the season.
”Old-fashioned football” is what Sickles says it is, but . . . ”If we need to pass, we pass,” he said. ”It seems like every time we do, we score a touchdown.”
Rich South coach Nick Misch saw his vaunted running attack stuffed by Richwoods` defense but praised his team for going as far as it did this year. After starting off 3-3, the Stars won their last three regular-season games to make the playoffs. It was the last team awarded a spot under a tiebreaker system. And if the Chicago teachers had not gone on strike and ultimately sent only one school (Lane Tech) to the playoffs, the Stars wouldn`t have been invited to the party. Still, Rich South won three playoff games to gain the semifinals. ”We had a great year, and I told the kids that this one loss shouldn`t diminish it,” said Misch. ”Coming back after the 3-3 start and finishing 9-4 is something they can`t take away from us.”
Basketball
The boys` season gets off to a running start Monday with the Niles West tournament. Highly regarded Evanston meets Loyola Academy in a 5:30 p.m. game. Defending champion Crane opens the action at 4 p.m. against Notre Dame. Niles West plays Rolling Meadows at 7 p.m., and New Trier takes on Niles North at 8:30 p.m. The championship game is at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Simeon, Robeson and South Shore, three of the top teams in the Public League, are in the tournament at Kennedy-King College. It was formerly held at IIT. The tourney will run all week, with the title game scheduled for Sunday night. Monday, Robeson plays Austin at 9 p.m. South Shore tangles with Englewood, and Simeon battles Manley in back-to-back games Tuesday.
The best match in the holiday competition is the St. Joseph-King clash, which will open play in the Lyons Township round-robin Wednesday night.
David Biedron of St. Benedict opened eyes in summmer-league play when he made 54 percent of his three-point attempts in the Adidas League. Biedron, a 6-foot junior, ”is shooting the eyes out” in practice, according to coach Tom Stiglic.
Peoria Manual, considered the top team in the state again this year, will be part of the five-team Lockport-Naperville Central Tournament, played this year at Lockport. Manual opens play Tuesday against Thornridge.
Lockport coach Rollie Bolattino, named to replace veteran coach Bob Basarich last spring in a controversial decision by the local school board, lists
”size-size-size” as his team`s biggest weakness. But the Porters may have the smartest backcourt duo in the state. Mike Allen has a 4.0 grade-point average, and Bill Mondrella has a 3.75 GPA.
With four starters back, including 6-4 Matt Krapf and 6-foot Greg Green, who both averaged in double figures scoring last year, Zion-Benton figures to be the class of the North Suburban Conference.
At last count, there are 67 Thanksgiving tournaments this year involving Chicago-area schools.
