Addison Trail student-athletes represent Blazer Pride during winter sports season

It has been another tremendous season at Addison Trail, and our student-athletes certainly continued the Blazer Pride that is Addison Trail Athletics!

On March 6, we hosted our annual Winter Sports Awards night to recognize their accomplishments. During that event, we honored 17 student-athletes who have been named to the All-Conference Team and 22 who have been named to the All-Academic Team in the West Suburban Conference (WSC) Gold Division for the winter season of the 2016-17 school year.

Below are more highlights from the winter season.

BOYS BASKETBALL
The Varsity Boys Basketball Team completed its best season in recent years, finishing 18-12 and competing in the Regional Championship of the IHSA playoffs. The team won the Elmwood Park Thanksgiving Tournament and finished in 2nd place in the Lake Zurich Tournament. Senior Michael Williams was named to the Daily Herald All-Area Team and the WSC All-Conference Team. Williams and seniors Eric Lynch, Bobby Daniels and Colton Noel were named to the WSC All-Academic Team as well.

GIRLS BASKETBALL
The Girls Basketball Team finished 11-17 overall. The team captured 2nd place in the Addison Trail/Fenton Thanksgiving Tournament and took 6th place out of 16 teams in the Lisle Holiday Tournament. Senior Diamond Pikulyk was named as an All-Conference and a Daily Herald All-Area player. She is our first Girls Basketball All-Area player in more than 20 years.

GIRLS BOWLING
Senior Molly Schmelter was named to the WSC All-Academic Team and the All-Conference Team. She is a two-time All-Conference honoree, a three-time Sectional qualifier and a four-year Varsity starter. Seniors Kaitlin Martinez, Jacklyn Erker and Yovana Martinez also were named to the WSC All-Academic Team and All-Conference Team.

CHEERLEADING
Varsity Cheer had a great season cheering for our Football Team and our Basketball Team. It was a rebuilding year for the program, and the team members did an amazing job. They were very strong in the first competition of the season, winning 1st place. They also qualified for the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) competition in Springfield and were one of the top teams in the Coed Division.

GIRLS GYMNASTICS
The 2016-17 team improved at all levels from beginning to end. The girls were among the top finishers at the Hersey and Neuqua Valley invites and also at Conference. Varsity and Junior Varsity placed 2nd in the Conference Championship. After establishing a goal of earning a team score of 130, the Varsity team was able to finish the season with an average score of 131.20 (the year began at 118). Seniors Kennedy O’Neill and Terra Garcia also were named to the WSC All-Conference Team.

ADDISON TRAIL-WILLOWBROOK BOYS SWIM TEAM
Members of the Addison Trail-Willowbrook Boys Swim Team made school history this season by becoming the schools’ first Boys Swim Team to win a West Suburban Conference Gold Division Championship. The boys went 6-0 in dual meets (5-0 in Conference dual meets). They took 2nd place out of 12 teams at the Shepard Invite and the Little Village Invite. At the Conference meet, they had an All-Conference swimmer in every swimming event. For Addison Trail, junior Jacob Grygo was All-Conference in the 200-Yard Medley Relay and the 50-Yard Freestyle and was Conference champion in the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay and the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay. Junior Michael Strycharz was All-Conference in the 500-Yard Freestyle and was Conference champion in the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay and the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay. Junior Lucas Walsh was All-Conference in the 200-Yard Medley Relay and the 100-Yard Breaststroke. Sophomore Evan Zimmerman was All-Conference in the 200-Yard Medley Relay and the 200-Yard Individual Medley and was Conference champion in the 100-Yard Backstroke and the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay.

WRESTLING
The 2016-17 team was comprised of young student-athletes, and the team had a successful season. The boys finished with a 14-9 record and were 3rd in Conference. The team had five All-Conference athletes: Sophomore Christian Arellano, senior David Hernandez, sophomore Guillermo Juarez, junior Adal Sanabria and freshman Nicholas Skamra. Arellano, Hernandez and Skamra also qualified for Sectionals. The future is very bright for this team, as all members but two (who will graduate this spring) plan to return next year.

We look forward to more athletic successes during the spring season. Go, Blazers!