Prairie Ridge's Valerie Tarazi, Huntley's Eric Mooney take top honors at MVAs

CRYSTAL LAKE – Prairie Ridge senior Valerie Tarazi gained notoriety for her talent in the swimming pool, where she earned eight state medals in her illustrious career.

But Tarazi grew to like track and field’s throwing events, particularly the discus, as she became more proficient at it each year. This year, she made the Class 3A discus finals at the IHSA state meet, missing a medal by one place.

That, along with Tarazi’s two top-three state swimming medals, propelled her to Northwest Herald Female Athlete of the Year, which was named Thursday at the third Most Valuable Athletes Night at McHenry County College’s Luecht Conference Center.

Huntley’s Eric Mooney, a dynamic football quarterback and one of the area’s best sprinters, was announced as the Northwest Herald Male Athlete of the Year. Mooney was third in area passing yardage and fourth in rushing. He also won two medals – seventh in the 4x100-meter relay and eighth in the 200 – at the state meet.

The MVA Night is held to honor Northwest Herald athletes of the year in their respective sports. All winners through the 2017-18 school year were invited, as well as the three finalists in spring sports, for Female and Male Athlete of the Year and other categories. Those winners were revealed Thursday.

Dr. Steven Rochell, an orthopedic surgeon with OrthoIllinois in Crystal Lake, will donate $2,500 each to the schools of the Female and Male Athlete of the Year winners through the Rochell Foundation. He has been doing that since 1993.

Tarazi, who swims for Crystal Lake co-op, was second in the 100-yard breaststroke and third in the 200 individual medley in swimming, then placed 10th in state discus. She also won McHenry County Meet and Fox Valley Conference Meet titles in the discus. She will swim at Auburn University.

Marengo’s Hannah Ritter and McHenry’s Liz Alsot were the other two finalists for Female Athlete of the Year.

Mooney was unable to attend the MVA Night because he already is in summer school at Northern Iowa, where he will play football. He was a four-year varsity football player and is the only track and field athlete in area history to medal three consecutive years in a sprint relay in the state meet.

McHenry’s Maki Mohr and Prairie Ridge’s Samson Evans were the other finalists for the Male Athlete of the Year.

Huntley also won the Northwest Herald All-Sports Champion trophy for a third consecutive year. That traveling trophy is awarded to the FVC school with the best overall boys and girls sports. The Red Raiders finished with 1041/2 points (determined by place finish in each sport), just edging Jacobs at 1011/2.

The winners for Athlete of the Year for each spring sport were Ryan Ignoffo, Cary-Grove, baseball; Tiffany Giese, Huntley, softball; Finn Schirmer, Marengo, boys track and field; Jenna Pauly, McHenry, girls track and field; Daniel Lamar and Patrick Nasta, Prairie Ridge, boys tennis; and Kelly Stayart, Cary-Grove, girls soccer.

Retiring Crystal Lake South tennis coach Don Nead was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Nead has coached high school tennis for 50 years.

Prairie Ridge’s football team, which won its second consecutive Class 6A state championship, was named Team of the Year. Prairie Ridge football coach Chris Schremp was selected as Coach of the Year.

Marian Central freshman wrestler Dylan Connell was named the Underclassman of the Year.