Willowbrook winter sports wrap-up

The Willowbrook winter 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 Pride, Tradition and Excellence of Warrior athletics.

Girls Bowling: During Head Coach Bill Eufrasio’s final season, we have seen the program grow in interest by leaps and bounds. Along with Assistant Coach Kevin Allen, Eufrasio has taken a young program and watched it grow throughout the year. The team finished with a dual-meet record of 3-6, but scores for all bowlers improved throughout the year. The team was led by Sectional qualifiers sophomore Dana Sasenick and freshman Katherine Pettinger. Sasenick also earned All-Conference honors at the West Suburban Conference Gold Division Tournament.

Addison Trail/Willowbrook Boys Swimming: This young team made great strides this year. The team finished with a Conference dual-meet record of 2-3 and came in 3rd place at the West Suburban Conference Gold Division Meet. The boys were led by All-Conference swimmers senior Ethan Wallace, freshman John Burns, sophomore Michael Strycharz, sophomore Jacob Grygo and freshman Evan Zimmerman. Academic All-Conference members are Wallace, senior Calvin Milas and senior Eugene Ciesla.

Cheerleading: For the first time in Willowbrook history, the Willowbrook Cheerleaders competed in Illinois High School Association (IHSA) competitions. The team competed in the IHSA Sectional Meet and finished in 9th place, just three spots out of qualifying for the State meet. The varsity team was led by seniors Jodie Bush and Courtney Cager. Junior Jessica Taylor was named the MVP for the competition season.

Poms: The Poms Team also faced a new challenge of competing in IHSA competition. The girls finished in 7th place in the Andrew Sectional. The team was led by senior Amanda Barrie, senior Veronica Catanese, senior Claire Creighton, senior Marissa Fast, senior Christen Huette, senior Emily Isaacson, senior Bianca LoCascio and senior Madeline Schulte.

Girls Basketball: The Varsity Girls Basketball Team finished with a record of 7-21. The team was led by All-Conference selection senior Josie Zabran. The team also had several Academic All-Conference players: Zabran, senior Danielle Velasquez, senior Alyssa Spada, senior Kalyn Konrath and senior Bridget Garner.

Girls Gymnastics: This year’s gymnastics team was full of youth. Many of the girls competing at the varsity level were doing so for the first time. The girls posted a 1-4 dual-meet record, but scores improved throughout the season. The team was led by seniors Katherine Gibson and Jacqueline Bliss, who earned Academic All-Conference honors. Gibson also earned the team’s MVP award for the season.

Boys Basketball: The Boys Varsity Basketball Team is currently 11-19. The boys began Regional play with a win over Addison Trail, but lost a close game in the semifinals to top-ranked Benet Academy. The boys began the year finishing in 2nd place at the Stagg Thanksgiving Invitational. The team was led in that tournament by All-Tournament selections senior Kevin Miller and sophomore Ethan Schuemer. Junior Freddie Clay was named Daily Herald Player of the Week for his exceptional play during a four-game winning streak in January.

Wrestling: The Wrestling Team had a great season. The team finished with a 23-7 dual-meet record. All-Conference athletes are senior Matt Rowland, sophomore Jack Jessen, senior Trevor Bell, senior Noah Nagle and sophomore Andrew Cuellar. Five wrestlers earned Academic All-Conference awards: Bell, Rowland, Nagle, senior James Moore and senior Elijah Rochel. Jessen won the Regional Championship and finished in 3rd place at the IHSA State Tournament in the 182-pound division, earning All-State honors. Jessen also became the fastest wrestler to reach 100 wins in the school and state history. Rowland won the Regional and Sectional Championships at 170 pounds. He became Willowbrook’s sixth State Champion in wrestling. He also set several school and state records. To read more about Rowland’s success, go to https://dupage88.net/site/page/4780. 

Go, Warriors!