High School Sports Notes
January 13, 2013 6:20PM
Updated: February 15, 2013 6:10AM
Boys Bowling
Before the season started, Plainfield North coach Brian Dunn touted his team’s depth, saying the Tigers had “more depth and varsity experience than ever before.”
The Tigers have backed up that, getting strong performances from a variety of bowlers throughout the season.
Saturday, it was Aaron Dunn who shined. The senior took the Southwest Prairie individual championship — becoming the first Plainfield North bowler to do so — with a six-game series of 1,356.
North’s Eddie Pacetti also earned All-Southwest Prairie honors.
For the first time, the Tigers defeated all of their crosstown rivals – Plainfield Central, East and South – in the same season.
Seniors Zack Berndl and Jeremiah Taylor, junior Ben Roth and sophomore Eric Maybach also have contributed for North.
The Tigers will host one of the state’s toughest sectionals Saturday at AMF Bolingbrook Lanes. Sectional favorites include Southwest Prairie champion Minooka and tournament champion Romeoville as well as SouthWest Suburban Blue winner Lockport.
Steve Millar
Boys Swimming
With a month to go before the state sectionals, Lockport and Lincoln-Way East have a good idea what it will take to measure up this season.
Both squads started the new year by competing against the best Jan. 5 at the Evanston Invitational, won by defending state champion New Trier.
The 18-team field also included 2012 state runner-up Naperville North and five more schools from the top 15.
Lockport’s Jake Knowles proved he ranks among the best by taking second in the 100-yard breaststroke (59.91 seconds). Knowles also finished eighth in the 200 individual medley and swam on two relays.
The Porters’ 400 freestyle relay (Dan Oldendorf, Jacob Gillis, Eric Johnson and Knowles) was ninth (3:24.85). Lockport finished 14th in the team standings and Lincoln-Way East 17th.
Lincoln-Way East’s Andy Gramont was sixth in the breaststroke (1:02.60) and teammate Spencer Smith took sixth in the 100 freestyle (50.23).
Lockport will host its own invitational starting at
9 a.m. Saturday. The field will include defending SouthWest Suburban Red champion Stagg, which finished a strong seventh at the Evanston Invitational.
Tim Tierney
Wrestling
Lincoln-Way West continues to impress under coach Brian Glynn.
The Warriors, among the top teams in Class 2A, placed first at the Fenton Invitational, fifth at the esteemed Granite City Tournament and fourth at the 16-team Lincoln-Way East Illini Classic on Saturday.
“I was happy to come out against some pretty top competition in 3A, and I thought we did really well,” Glynn, a two-time All-American at Illinois, said of West’s effort on Saturday. “For the most part, our team really stepped up and won some tough matches.”
Glynn pointed to the efforts of Matt Ryan (126 pounds), Kyle Rodriguez (132) and Jake Bohne (170).
“Kyle Rodriguez has been the most consistent wrestler we have, him and Matt Ryan, and both of them keep getting better each week, which is great,” Glynn said.
Rodriguez took first, Ryan was second and Bohne took third on Saturday.
For the season, pleasant surprises for Glynn have been the performances of Javier Montalvo (182) and Kyle Ruettiger (113).
“Javier Montalvo has really stepped up. He’s giving away 10 pounds in every match,” Glynn said. “Kyle Ruettiger as a freshman, I knew he would be good, but he’s really had a great year.”
Logan Malloy
Cheerleading
Plainfield Central and Romeoville qualified for the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association State championships with strong performances in the Andrew Invitational on Saturday in Tinley Park.
The Wildcats were a late entrant into the meet and took second in the large varsity division with 85.63 points. Andrew won with 87.80.
Central finished ninth in the Illinois High School Association state meet last year, which was the best finish in school history.
Debbie Janssen and Tatiana Dortch are co-coaches for Central this season.
“There is some pressure this year after last year’s finish,” Jannsen said. “But we’ve had top-10 finishes in major competitions this year. I’m OK with that but we have to finish in the top five in the sectional to get to state in the IHSA.’’
Romeoville took fifth at Andrew with an 80.90. The Spartans had postseason success in the past as a coed team but not enough boys came out and they are back to competing as an all-girls squad.
“We have just 13 athletes on the floor and other schools have 20,” Romeoville coach Lyndsey Banser said. “But I have 13 of the most dedicated, strongest girls.”
The ICCA state meet is Feb. 9 and 10 in Springfield.
Jeff Vorva
