November 23, 2024
Sports

High school sports: Softball postseason streak among 5 York spring highlights

By SUBURBAN LIFE
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York freshman second baseman Katherine Karnatz throws to first for the out on June 2 in a sectional semifinal game against Trinity. Karnatz was one of several young players that contributed to the Dukes fifth straight regional title. (Bill Ackerman)

All the state trophies and medals for the spring sports seasons have been handed out, which makes now the perfect time to look back at some of the memorable moments from York’s spring season. Here are the highlights:

Dukes enjoy all-state relay finish

For the second year in a row, Max Denning and Charlie Kern helped York’s boys 4x800-meter relay earn all-state honors at the Class 3A track meet. Denning, a senior, and Kern, a sophomore, were joined by senior Robert Tomaska and junior Liam Hill on the relay, which placed fifth with a time of 7:52.27. Kern nearly picked up a solo state medal in the 1,600 run, where he placed 10th in 4:25.22, just 1.21 seconds from ninth place and a state medal.

Quotable: “It’s good to be able to help that become all-state again,” Denning said. “The two-mile relay always has been one of my favorite events. It’s such a fun race to get to run with a lot of your friends. You really have to depend on each other.”

York lacrosse teams make deep

postseason runs

After winning the West Suburban Conference with a 5-0 record, York’s boys lacrosse team topped Wheaton Warrenville South 13-7 and Glenbrook North 12-9 to reach the state quarterfinals of the Illinois High School Lacrosse Association Class A playoffs. Seniors Tommy Angelos (goalie), Jack Buckley (attack), Cam Debrotka (defense), Quinn Gaughan (midfield) and Matteo Grujic (long stick midfield) were named first-team West Suburban all-conference. Seniors Sam Rasnic (defense) and Grant Zielke (attack) were second-team all-conference.

York’s girls lacrosse team also enjoyed success this season, winning an Illinois High School Womens Lacrosse Association sectional title with an 11-9 victory against Glenbrook North. Seniors Lauren Anderson, Emma Baubly and Hannah Fleckenstein, junior Zoe Lawless and sophomore Emily Siegenthaler were named all-conference players while senior Katie Toohey was an at-large all-conference selection.

Softball keeps playoff streak going

While there were several seniors such as Amanda Karnatz, Gabrielle Magnifico, Sarah Maciejewski, Annie Mundle and Abby Solem leading the way, York softball relied heavily on underclassmen this season, including sophomores Andrea Meagher and Lauren Wojcik and freshman Julia Derkowksi in the pitching circle. All that youth didn’t hinder the Dukes, who won a regional title for the fifth consecutive season, finished with a winning record (16-11) and showed a lot of heart to battle back from a seven-run deficit in a 13-5 loss against Trinity in a sectional semifinal.

Quotable: “I’d say to have a winning season with everyone being fairly new – these girls haven’t all played together a lot – [means it] was very successful,” head coach Jenna Nolan said. “I think our younger girls learned a whole lot. We have two sophomore pitchers and a freshman pitcher. They [now] have that experience against these older girls.”

Season ends at state for boys water polo

York’s boys water polo team knocked off Fenwick 10-9 in the sectional championship at York on May 14, earning the program’s third state berth and first since 2008.

Twenty-one athletes move on

to college careers

April 13 was a memorable day for 21 York student-athletes. That was the day they officially committed to continue their careers in college in sports as diverse as swimming, football, lacrosse and cheerleading.

The full list of athletes includes Tommy Angelos (lacrosse, Augustana), Nick Brown (football, Illinois Wesleyan), Jack Buckley (lacrosse, Sienna), Garrett Campbell (football, Carroll College), Lauren Cushing (tennis, Carthage), Matthew DeJesus (cheerleading, McKendree College), Johnny DiCanio (football, Illinois Wesleyan), Hannah Fleckenstein (lacrosse, Butler), Quinn Gaughan (football, Carnegie Mellon), Elizabeth Hagstrom (track/cross country, Washington University St. Louis), Robert Hanrahan (football, Wabash), Jon May (track/cross country, Bradley), Cole Miller (baseball, Samford), Ian Moles (lacrosse, Monmouth), Paula Nolte (swimming, Hope College), Cassidy Privett (soccer, UIC), Frank Romano (baseball, Trinity Christian), Jenny Rudenga (lacrosse, Concordia Wisconsin), Norman Stapleton (football, Dubuque), Halle Truett (volleyball, Notre Dame) and Matt Wozny (football, Wisconsin-Stevens Point).