High School Sports Notes
October 7, 2012 8:26PM
Updated: November 9, 2012 6:10AM
Boys Soccer
After Thursday’s landmark win over Sandburg, Lincoln-Way East needs to avoid letting down this week with games against struggling Lockport and Bolingbrook teams standing between the Griffins and their first SouthWest Suburban Blue title.
“We know it’s not over yet,” East’s Michael Roth said. “The boys have just got to keep their spirits up and focus on these next two.”
East (11-2-5) is the No. 3 seed in the Class 3A Lincoln-Way Central Sectional. The Griffins could meet sixth-seeded Bloom (16-3) for the regional title.
Sandburg is the top seed in the sectional.
Plainfield East, at No. 11, is the highest-seeded local team in the loaded West Chicago Sectional, where Plainfield Central is seeded 12th.
Several locals are part of the O’Fallon Sectional, where Plainfield South, host Joliet Central and Romeoville are the top three seeds in one regional. Minooka is seeded third in the Normal Community Regional.
The Class 2A Lincoln-Way West Sectional is highlighted by a potential regional final showdown at Lemont between the host Indians and Bremen, teams that met in sectional finals the last four seasons.
Lincoln-Way West is also a regional No. 1 seed.
Steve Millar
Girls Golf
Although the four Plainfield schools failed to advance out of the West Aurora Regional, each program will be represented by an individual at Monday’s Burlington Central Sectional.
Alex Catalano, a junior at South, led the charge as the top individual qualifier. Catalano continued her consistent play with an 83 at Phillips Park despite the rainy conditions.
“The past two weeks she has been playing her best golf of the season,” South coach Nicole Larson said. “(It’s) a great time to be peaking. She really seems unphased by anything right now.
“I hope she brings her relaxed, composed demeanor to sectionals and we’ll see what happens.”
Joining Catalano at Randall Oaks in West Dundee will be East’s Anna Gahafer (85), Central’s Natalya Wagner (90) and North sophomore Carly Staser (93).
Joliet Catholic, a 2011 state finalist in Class A, couldn’t manage to advance out of the Joliet Central Regional after its bump up to Class 2A, but the program did qualify two individuals. Joliet Catholic will be represented by seniors Maddy Troha and Claire O’Connor at Coyote Run in Monday’s Marian Catholic Sectional.
Logan Malloy
Girls Cross Country
If the Loyola Lakefront Invitational was any indication, Minooka is headed in the right direction with important meets coming up.
Minooka won the 34-team invitational on Sept. 29, outscoring a competitive field that included many squads with state meet experience. That included third-place Montini, which was third in the 2011 Class 2A state final.
“The girls really responded to the level of competition,’’ Minooka coach Kevin Gummerson said. “These girls have been putting together impressive workouts. It was great to see that carry over.’’
Morgan Crouch (6th), Caleigh Beverly (14th), Haley McNamara (18th), Kaitlyn Chetney (19th) and Moira McAsey (21st) were the Minooka scorers.
Crouch (12th) led the Indians to second place Saturday at the 23-team Sterling Invitational.
Next for Minooka is the Southwest Prairie Conference meet on Saturday at Plainfield Central, followed by the Class 3A regional on Oct. 20 at Channahon Community Park.
“We have to keep working and improving,’’ Gummerson said. “We have tough tests coming up.’’
The SouthWest Suburban Blue meet starts at 9 a.m. Saturday at Channahon Community Park. Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East and Sandburg are among the teams pursuing defending champion Lockport.
(bullet) Joliet Catholic and Providence will chase defending champ Benet and Marist Saturday in the East Suburban Catholic Conference meet at Midlothian Meadows.
Tim Tierney
Girls Tennis
No. 5 seeded Alexis Bauer and Harley Hutchison of Joliet Catholic won the No. 1 doubles title at the East Suburban Catholic Conference meet Saturday at Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights.
The senior duo stunned the top-seeded senior tandem of Mary Beth King and Daniella Reyes of Benet 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 in the semifinals before upsetting Fenwick’s Mia Sullivan and Laura Gutierrez 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 in the final match.
It’s the first conference doubles championship in Joliet Catholic school history and the first league tennis title of any kind since 1994.
Shortly after conference meets ended last week, coaches turned their attention to state sectional tournaments.
Locally, Joliet Township and Lincoln-Way East will host sectional tournaments, with the top four finishers in the singles and doubles brackets advancing to the state meet.
The most competitive bracket could be the singles flight at Joliet.
Joliet Catholic freshman Nina Bertino, Providence freshman Hannah Davis and Joliet West senior Caitlyn Shea could be the top three seeds.
“It’s going to be a very competitive bracket,” Plainfield Central coach Josh Bloodgood said.
Dennis Nelson
