Suburban Life girls basketball notes: Makenna Yeager, youngest of 5 siblings, keys Glenbard West’s fast start

Makenna Yeager has a competitive streak, and it’s not hard to discover its origin.

It starts at home.

Yeager, a Glenbard West senior, is the youngest of five siblings. They’ve all played sports. The Yeagers have a hoop in their driveway and another court down the street for family games.

“It’s definitely competitive,” Yeager said. “Being the youngest I feel like you’re always just wanting to be like your older siblings and wanting to beat them in little games. It’s definitely pushed me to become really competitive.”

Yeager’s drive, talent and experience are big reasons why Glenbard West is again one of the area’s best teams.

The Hilltoppers have seven seniors back from last season’s 26-7 team. Two of them, Julia Benjamin and Hannah Roberts, are four-year varsity players. Yeager and Lauren Escalante are in their third year and are key to Glenbard West’s 9-2 start.

“We feel good about where we are at,” Glenbard West coach Kristi Faulkner said. “We have a great group of seniors, a lot of strong leadership. We have had a group of girls that have known each other for a long time. We have seen them grow up. They play hard and they play for each other.”

Yeager has grown up around Faulkner’s Glenbard West program.

Faulkner remembers when Yeager’s older sister, Addison, played for Glenbard West that Makenna and Benjamin would be the ones always shooting at halftime of varsity games as young kids.

“That’s one of the cool things about communities like this is these girls grew up in third or fourth grade playing together. The fun they have, the chemistry and the camaraderie, it’s very fulfilling to get to know the families,” Faulkner said. “Addison was tough as nails and Makenna won’t back down from competition. She plays to win, that’s for sure.”

Yeager actually comes from a family of runners, and she’s run cross country all four years. She also plays soccer.

“Running and doing cross country throughout the fall, come straight into basketball, that helps for the start of the season,” Yeager said. “Maybe not be in basketball shape, different conditioning, but it helps. Soccer, too, that helps.”

A great athlete listed at 6-foot tall, Yeager runs the floor, has length and can finish at the rim, midrange or hit the 3. She’s averaging 13.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals while shooting 53% from the field and 76% from the free-throw line.

“She just has great versatility and her competitiveness shows,” Faulkner said. “In bigger moments, she wants the ball.”

Glenbard West, already owning good West Suburban Silver wins over Hinsdale Central and York, has big moments ahead.

The Hilltoppers still have home-and-homes left with defending league champ Downers Grove North and Lyons, currently ranked No. 1 in Class 4A.

“It’s been really exciting so far, especially because we have waited to have this team for years,” Yeager said. “We have been together for so long. It’s exciting to see it finally come together.”

Tough schedule tests Wheaton North

Wheaton North’s early-season schedule has done the Falcons no favors in a 1-7 start.

The Falcons have played two ranked teams in Lyons and St. Charles North, unbeaten Lockport and other quality clubs in Batavia, St. Charles East and Lane Tech.

“Our record says one thing and my eye says other,” Wheaton North coach Tyler Bantz said. “I would argue that our schedule has been one of the toughest, if not the toughest in the state of Illinois.”

Bantz noted that the Falcons led Batavia, were up on St. Charles East for the majority of the game and were in a one-possession game with St. Charles North in the third quarter. Wheaton North was without one of its best players against Lockport and Lane Tech.

The Falcons play Wheaton Warrenville South Friday ahead of their Bill Neibch Falcon Holiday Classic next week.

“Our record is not great, but I definitely think we are better than our record shows,” Bantz said. “Our conference is tough. Hopefully we can get one Friday and get a little momentum.”

A tough draw awaits in the tournament opener on Monday against state-ranked Waubonsie Valley.

The tournament is in its 40th year. Bantz said his kids look forward to it.

“It’s nice to get the extra few home games, nice to get on familiar turf, so to speak,” Bantz said. “It’s special to be home around the holidays, cool to see all these different teams throughout the week, and our administration always does a great job running it.”