At Willowbrook, the winter season is here

Willowbrook athletic teams continued their run of success in fall 2013!

The Girls Tennis Team finished 3rd in Conference, the Boys Cross Country Team Finished 3rd in Conference, the Girls Volleyball Team finished 3rd in Conference, the Boys Golf Team finished 3rd in Conference, the Girls Cross Country Team finished 2nd in Conference, the Football Team Finished 2nd in Conference and made a return trip to the State Playoffs, and the AT-WB Girls Swim Team members were Conference Champions at all three levels and again sent five athletes to the State competition. Junior Kelly McNamara highlighted the fall season with her 2nd-place State finish in the 100-yard butterfly.

We’re now looking forward to a great winter season, and below is a preview of the Warrior teams.

Boys Swimming: The big guns have graduated, but Coach Kirk Ziemke will lead a new team of AT-WB Swimmers into the pool this winter. Returning State qualifiers Randall Aldridge, a senior, and Ethan Wallace, a sophomore, will look to fill some of the large footprints left by former Warriors.

Wrestling: Bryan Murphy returns to lead the Warriors for his final season as Head Coach! The team is young and eager to maintain the level of excellence that has long been the staple of the Warrior Wrestling Program. The Warriors will be led by senior Jake Kroeger, sophomore Matt Rowland and sophomore Andrew Verr – the only three veterans on this young squad!

Girls Bowling: New Head Coach Bill Eufrasio will lead the Girls Bowling Program. Seniors Becky Anton and Tina Nowak are back to help guide the team. With great numbers in the program this year, will another strong bowler emerge?

Girls Gymnastics: The girls are back and ready to challenge in the West Suburban Conference. Sectional qualifiers Riley McFarlane, a sophomore, and Cassidy McFarlane, a senior, are back to lead the young Warrior squad. Like the Bowling Team, the Girls Gymnastics Program has a large team, and the development of the young gymnasts will go a long way in determining the Warriors’ success.

Boys Basketball: With the graduation of nine seniors last year, experience will be the challenge for this young team – but effort will not! Team leaders AJ Nolen, a senior, and Chris Poole, a senior, will help push the young Warriors down the right path. Junior Kyle Rushing will be counted on to have a big year for the Warriors in his second year on the varsity team.

Girls Basketball: In any other program, when you lose as much talent as the Lady Warriors did to graduation, most people would think it’s time to rebuild. Not in this case. With a sophomore group that finished undefeated last year, Coach Terry Harrell’s Lady Warriors are back and off to a great start. The girls are 6-0 and recently won the 20th Annual Lady Warriors Thanksgiving Tournament. The team is led by seniors Molly Krawczykowski, Olivia Domin, Melissa Rader and Lauren Carroll. Depth is a key to this team, and they are looking to “make it count” this year.

It has been an exciting athletic season so far at Willowbrook, and we look forward to the successes still to come.