Sure, Hersey’s 32-team tennis invitational is a big deal. It serves as a steppingstone toward good seeds for next month’s state meet. Many coaches even call it the mini-state tournament.
But New Trier has a different reason to think big.
“We haven’t lost a weekend tournament in 2 1/2 years, including state,” New Trier coach John Schneiter said. “I think the kids think about it. They know there’s a streak going and they want to keep it going.”
So far the streak is still in good hands. The Trevians won only one flight title but advanced to the quarterfinals in all four flights and had two players in championship matches in posting 32 points for the title. Glenbrook North finished second with 23 points, followed by Hinsdale Central at 20 1/2.
Junior Pete Rose was the sole champion for New Trier, defeating Ottawa’s Chris Ford 6-3, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.
Stevenson’s Karl Sloss, who won at No. 1 singles last year on his way to third in state, defended his title with an impressive 6-1, 6-0 victory over Peoria Richwoods’ Dane Schmidgall. And he did it in dramatic fashion.
On his way to the title, he nearly lost a semifinal match to New Trier junior Russell Bennett. After dropping the first set 6-4, Bennett forced a third with a 6-3 victory in the second. Sloss actually trailed 4-0 in the third and was facing game-point before rallying. He won the next two games and, after Bennett went ahead 5-2, Sloss did not lose another game, going on to win 6-5.
Naperville North had an impressive showing, advancing its doubles team of seniors Nathan Deist and Zach Jones to the championship round where, after dropping a first set 6-4 to New Trier’s Paget Neave and Mike Bahrmasel, they rallied to win 6-2, 6-4.
Phil English.
Girls soccer
Evanston Invitational: Evanston coach Marx Succes said sophomore forward Annette Kent wasn’t 100 percent all weekend. That’s news to the other teams in this tournament, won by Evanston Saturday with a 6-1 victory over No. 8 Homewood-Flossmoor.
Kent scored two goals and assisted on another against H-F, which suffered its first loss of the season and fell to 10-1-1. Earlier in the day, her two goals pushed the Wildkits (8-2-3) by St. Viator 2-1.
Evanston received two goals from Morgan Russell-Dempsey and one each from Erica Myers and Julie Ward. Karyn Detrick, a senior playing in her first season, scored her 10th goal for H-F.
Naperville North 3, Hinsdale Central 0: Aileen Guiney scored two goals and Courtney Strzala another for No. 9 Naperville North (10-1).
Benet 2, Downers Grove North 1: Katie Holmes scored a goal and Mary Ellen Schaefer scored off a penalty kick for Benet (9-3-1).
Francis Parker 9, St. Benedict 2: Jenny Hall had three goals and four assists and Liz Kaplan added two goals and two assists for Francis Parker (3-1).
Loyola 2, Mother McAuley 0: Megan Elliot and Kara Mileski each scored and Lesley Davie earned her 11th shutout with four saves for Loyola (12-1).
Larkin tournament: Lanisa Tricoci had a hat trick and three assists as Lake Park (3-6-2) defeated Aurora Christian 6-2. Tricoci than had two goals and an assist and Angela Fay added two goals as Lake Park (4-6-2) downed Machesney Park Harlem 4-1.
Wheaton-Warrenville South 7, Illinois Math & Science 0: Rachel Radcliffe and Colleen Dahl scored two goals apiece and Ali Klaas added a goal and an assist for the Tigers (9-2).
Gymnastics
Glenbard West claimed the West Suburban Conference’s Silver Division championship for the second time in three years. The Hilltoppers scored 158.2 points for the title, which Hinsdale Central had won for 10 of the previous 12 years. York took second with 156.85. Glenbard was led by Eddie Ross, who won pommel horse, still rings and all-around.
When the Hilltoppers won the league title in 1996, they went on to win the state title.
Glenbard West goes into sectionals, which begin Wednesday, as one of the favorites to win the state championship May 15 in Schaumburg.
Girls track and field
Megan Wadas’ first three track seasons were filled with as much pain as accomplishment. Although she was part of relays that ran in the state meet, each season was marred by injuries. Her freshman year she had a hip injury, and as a sophomore and junior she was bothered by hamstring injuries.
But this year the Prospect senior is healthy. Wadas won the 100- and 400-meter dashes and anchored the winning 400 and 800 relays to lead Prospect to the team title at the Palatine Relays. The Knights scored 119.5 points to eaily beat Schaumburg’s 77 and Fremd’s 76.
Wadas ran a personal-best 57.7 seconds in the 400 and one of 12.0 in the 100. She was named the meet’s outstanding female athlete.
“This is the first year that I have run all of my meets,” Wadas said. “It’s been an unbelievable season.”
Her teammate, Carrie Fleming, was also deserving of an award. The senior won the 300 low hurdles for the fourth straight year in 45.6.
