Addison Trail athletes represent Blazer Pride during fall sports season

The Addison Trail fall athletic season is quickly coming to an end. Our student-athletes did a tremendous job representing us in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division and beyond and continued the Blazer Pride Addison Trail athletics embodies.

Below is a recap of the season.

BOYS CROSS-COUNTRY
The team had a great end of the season for individual accomplishments. At the Conference meet, all runners at all levels had a personal record. The team shows a lot of promise, with a solid core group of runners who have improved throughout the season. Junior Demetrio Cervantes Jr. qualified for Sectionals for two straight years.

GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY
The team had an increase in numbers this year, with 30 girls on the roster. The freshmen/sophomore team had a very strong showing, with a 6th-place finish at the Leyden Invite and a 4th-place finish at the Conference meet. One standout was newcomer Mercedes Lopez (a freshman), who earned West Suburban Conference Gold Division All-Conference status at the sophomore level. Other standouts were sophomore Karina Martinez and freshman Nileensa Mahesh. Junior Suhei Valbuena is the fastest upperclassman and also is a first-year runner.

FOOTBALL
The Blazer Football Team finished at 4-5 on the season and 3-3 in Conference. Dramatic endings in victories over district rival Willowbrook (28-26) and Leyden (14-13) highlighted the season. Nine seniors were named to the West Suburban Conference Gold Division All-Academic team. Six players earned All-Conference honors.

BOYS GOLF
The team finished strong, beating Leyden, Morton and Proviso East in the Conference tournament. Freshman Blaise Morris and senior Charlie O’Connell were named to the West Suburban Conference Gold Division All-Conference Team. Four golfers qualified to the Sectional tournament.

GIRLS GOLF
The team steadily improved as the season progressed. At Regionals, the girls had their best team scores of the year. Sophomore Sara Gagliano qualified to Sectionals with a score of 93.

BOYS SOCCER
The varsity Boys Soccer Team ended the season with an overall record of 12-7-2 and made it to the Regional final soccer game in the State playoffs. The team finished with a 3-3 record in Conference and took 2nd place out of eight teams in the Joe Novy Tournament. The Blazers played against some of the top teams in the state this year, and they look to improve next season and take the next step in the State playoffs. Junior Uriel Martinez was named to the Daily Herald All-Sectional and All-Area teams. Junior Enrique Luna-Casillas was named as an Honorable Mention to the All-Sectional Team. Look for the Blazers in the PepsiCo Showdown College Showcase next year, as they will enter one of the toughest mid-season tournaments in the state.

GIRLS SWIMMING
The team has had a fantastic season. Despite the facility and travel challenges, the team placed 2nd in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division Invitational and the West Suburban Conference Gold Division Conference dual meet. The team had a 6-3 record. Seven swimmers qualified to the West Suburban Conference Gold Division All-Conference Team, and all three seniors qualified to the All-Academic Team.

GIRLS TENNIS
The team had a successful season. The girls placed 2nd at the Addison Trail Quad, 4th at the Willowbrook Invite and 2nd at the Riverside Brookfield Invite. At the Conference tournament, the 1st doubles team and the 3rd doubles team received West Suburban Conference Gold Division All-Conference honors by placing 3rd in the tournament.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
The team had a stellar season. The Blazers won their first Conference championship since 2006. The team also embraced a worst-to-first mission at the Lake Park Tournament. In 2014, the team finished in last place. This year, the team won the tournament – beating John Hersey, one of the top-ranked teams in the area. The team finished the season with a 22-14 record and advanced to the Regional championship.

Go, Blazers!