February 07, 2025
Sports - McHenry County


Sports

On Campus: McHenry West grad Becca Dabrowski sets school scoring record at Monmouth

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In her first collegiate water polo tournament, Becca Dabrowski’s style of play stood out.

“I was a little more aggressive because I played on a (high school) boys team,” she said. “Coach definitely pulled me back a little. And the refs did also.”

The McHenry West graduate spent her high school career honing a physical style of play.

“That first tournament was a little bit of a learning experience,” said Peter Ollis, her head coach at Monmouth College in western Illinois. “But it’s a lot more fun to have to tell people to calm down than to get more (excited).”

Dabrowski, a senior, has brought plenty of excitement to the Scots’ play.

During the team’s season-opening tournament last weekend, her six-goal game against Virginia Military Institute helped her become the school’s all-time leader in goals. The previous record stood at 156. Dabrowski finished the weekend with 174.

“It was definitely something I knew I wanted to achieve by the end of the weekend,” said Dabrowski, who tried not to keep track of her scoring pace. “In years past, I’ve just been playing my game and having fun with it. Then I was like, ‘Oh look, we’re here. We made it.’”

At 5-foot-11, Dabrowski benefits from a bigger wingspan than most players, and her production has made her a well-known talent among opposing teams.

“A hundred-and-seventy-some goals is a huge impact,” Ollis said. “That’s changed our style of play. A lot of times, she requires a double team so that’s opened up a lot for our outside shooters.”

Despite the constant attention from opponents, Dabrowski has thrived at the team’s center position thanks to relentless effort.

“If it’s a shooting drill, a passing drill or a scrimmage, she has an obsession to win,” Ollis said. “It’s that competitiveness and that drive (that set her apart).”

Dabrowski entered this season as the school’s career leader in steals and assists, and she has three of top five goal-scoring seasons as well.

“It’s a lot of work,” Dabrowski said of scoring goals. “There are a lot of different aspects to it. It’s hard work in the pool and the weight room and eating healthy.”

Dabrowski, who has the opportunity to become a three-time all-conference water polo player, also spent her first three seasons on campus as a member of the volleyball team.

“That’s a pretty special career,” Ollis said.

Dabrowski’s experience in the pool has allowed her to have a voice in helping the team improve, something Ollis welcomes.

“It’s good to have someone challenge your thoughts,” he said. “It’s good to have a strong female voice. It’s a good process. At the end of the day, we both have the same obsession with growth and winning.”

Redbirds on a roll: Illinois State's men's and women's track and field teams swept the Missouri Valley Conference indoor titles last weekend thanks to Woodstock grad Grace Beattie and Crystal Lake South grad Sam Penschke.

Beattie, a junior, helped the ISU women to the MVC title by placing second in the 5,000-meter run (17 minutes, 3.29 seconds) and third in the 3,000 (9:53.29).

A sophomore pole vaulter, Penschke was part of an ISU sweep of the top for spots in the event. He placed fourth with a vault of 15-7.

First-team-phenom: Allison Michalski (Dundee-Crown) was named All-Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference first team in women's basketball this week.

A sophomore forward at Benedictine University, Michalski averaged a team-leading 14.2 points a game for the Eagles (21-4) to go along with 4.5 rebounds. She also contributed 26 steals and 23 blocked shots this season.

Benedictine set a single-season record for wins this season and became the first team in school history to earn a regional ranking. The Eagles ended the season ranked ninth in the D-III Central Region.

Mahoney, UIC shine: In an emotional final home meet, UIC's women's gymnastics team posted a season-best score of 195.500 to beat Northern Illinois in a dual meet.

Senior Riley Mahoney (Cary-Grove) posted a team-best score of 9.775 on the beam to tie for season. She also finished second in the vault with a 9.825.

UIC is competing in its final season of gymnastics. The university decided last year to end the men’s and women’s programs.

Pencak leads relay win: Crystal Lake South grad Kathleen Pencak ran the opening leg last weekend for D-I Oakland University's victorious 4x400-meter relay victory at the Horizon League Indoor Championships in Youngstown, Ohio.

Pencak, a senior, helped Oakland post a season-best time of 3:55.62 and a second-place finish in the team standings.

Augie's bat man: Augustana College senior catcher Ryan Granneman (McHenry West) was honored this week as the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Hitter of the Week in baseball.

Granneman led the Vikings to a 6-0 record on their spring trip to Florida by batting .591 with seven runs scored, nine RBIs and an .818 slugging percentage. He also had a pair of doubles. In a Feb. 20 victory against Bates, Granneman was 5-for-5 at the plate with a double, a home run and three RBIs..

Hanley starts with save: Prairie Ridge grad Joey Hanley earned a save last week in his first career appearance as a junior pitcher at California's Whittier College. Hanley did not allow a baserunner in two-thirds of an inning in the D-II Poets' 2-0 victory against Redlands.

• Barry Bottino writes a weekly column about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at barryoncampus@hotmail.com and follow @BarryOnCampus on Twitter.