Warrior student-athletes represent the Pride, Tradition and Excellence of Willowbrook during fall sports season

It has been another tremendous season at Willowbrook, and the Warriors certainly continued the Pride, Tradition and Excellence that is Willowbrook Athletics! Below are highlights from the fall season.

AT-WB Girls Swimming and Diving: The AT-WB Girls Swimming and Diving Team finished in 3rd place in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division. The team was led by captains senior Hannah Hippensteel (Willowbrook), senior Annalise Morrone (Addison Trail) and sophomore Elissa Haake (Willowbrook). All-Academic swimmers were Morrone, Hippensteel, senior Klea Gjonaj (Addison Trail), senior Savannah Catalano (Willowbrook) and senior Isabelle Hernandez (Addison Trail). All-Conference swimmers were Gjonaj, Morrone, sophomore Anna Christiansen (Willowbrook), junior Grace Roucka (Willowbrook) and junior Michelle Ramirez (Addison Trail). Haake was the West Suburban Conference Gold Division Champion in the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle, and she qualified to compete in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Swimming and Diving State Meet in those events as well.

Girls Cross-Country: The Girls Cross-Country Team was led by captains senior Grace Guthrie, junior Lydia Bauernfreund and junior Briana Jones. The girls finished in 4th place at the West Suburban Conference Gold Division meet and in 6th place at the Regional competition to qualify as a team for Sectionals. Sophomore Victoria Palma earned All-Conference honors, and Guthrie and senior Gabriela Rios earned All-Academic honors.

Boys Cross-Country: The Boys Cross-Country Team was led by captains senior Casey King and junior Michael Isaacson. The boys finished in 5th place at the West Suburban Conference Gold Division meet, and the team also qualified for the Sectional competition. King earned All-Conference honors, as well as All-Academic honors.

Girls Golf: The Girls Golf Team was led by captains senior Margaret Karcz, senior Olivia Hartshorn, senior Jocelyn Trausch and junior Sophia Parrillo. The improvement from day one was clear, and the team is excited about the future. Karcz, Hartshorn and Trausch earned All-Academic honors.

Boys Golf: The Boys Golf Team was a very young team this year. Without one senior, this young group had to grow quickly on the course. The team finished with a 3-7 dual-meet record, and the Warriors were not without great moments. Freshman Logan Rattana shot an 86 at the Regional competition, and sophomore Joseph Guthrie Jr. had a hole-in-one during the Addison Trail Ryder Cup Quad. There are high expectations for this group going into next year. To see photos from the season by Willowbrook parent Tracy Morser, go to http://tinyurl.com/zlv8xrz.

Girls Tennis: The Girls Tennis Team finished in 5th place in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division. The team had an exciting 5-2 win against Morton that highlighted the Conference season. The team’s overall dual-meet record was 7-6. The team was led by captains seniors Emily Schmitt and Renee Parzgnat. Schmitt, Parzgnat, senior Khalilah Brooks, senior Leah Gillono, senior Kellie Lanigan and senior Betzaida Reyes earned All-Academic honors.

Girls Volleyball: The Girls Volleyball Team was led by captains senior Jamie Chiappetta, senior Emily Ligocki and senior Olivia Pennebaker. The team finished the season with a 15-22 overall record and was 3-3 in Conference for a 3rd-place finish. The team’s season also was highlighted by a 2nd-place finish at the Leyden Invite. All-Conference honors were earned by senior Milena Sogura and freshman Payton Ceh. All-Academic honors were earned by Ligocki, Pennebaker, Sogura, senior Brianna Hoffmann and senior Grace Chantos. Sogura also earned a spot on the Daily Herald’s Honorable Mention All-Area Team.

Boys Soccer: The Boys Soccer Team was led by captains seniors Benigno Heredia and Ali Saleh and finished the season with an overall record of 8-9. The team played a very tough schedule, which included the No. 1 team in the nation at the time, the Morton Mustangs. The boys lost a tough 4-2 game, but played extremely well. The boys had some big victories, with wins over Glenbard South, Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central. Junior Miguel Correa earned All-Sectional Honorable Mention honors. All-Conference honors went to Correa, Heredia and Saleh.

Football: The Football Team finished a historic season, with a final record of 8-4. The team finished in 2nd place in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division, with a record of 6-3. The team qualified for the 7A Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Football Playoffs and opened up play with a 34-13 win over the No. 10-ranked Quincy Blue Devils at Quincy. That win marked the first playoff win for the Warriors since 1990. Next up for the Warriors was No. 7-ranked Glenbrook North at home. The Warriors won 49-21 and advanced to the Quarterfinals for the first time since 1990. The Warriors then faced No. 2-ranked East St. Louis Senior High School at home. Despite a great effort, the boys fell short of a trip to the 7A Semifinals. This was truly a season to remember for Willowbrook football. Post-season awards will be announced during the football banquet later this month. To see photos from the season by Willowbrook parent Tracy Morser, go to http://tinyurl.com/j7kh6wm.

We look forward to more athletic successes during the winter season. Go, Warriors!