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IZZY BRUCE
SCHOOL West Chicago
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS The shortstop was arguably one of the best defensive players in the area with a fielding percentage of .963. Bruce closed out her career with a 20-game hitting streak. She batted .366 overall and .543 with runners in scoring position. The senior also swatted eight doubles.
MARY CONNOLLY
SCHOOL West Chicago
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS The All-Area MVP was terrific both on the mound and at the plate. She batted .394 with 43 hits, 38 RBIs, 12 doubles, six home runs and two triples. As a pitcher, Connolly threw 33 complete games in 200 innings. She had a 1.23 ERA with 227 strikeouts, 25 walks and a 24-7 record.
ANNETTE EICHENBERGER
SCHOOL West Chicago
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS The Air Force Academy-bound senior was crowned champion of the 800-meter run at the Class 3A state meet. She finished in 2:12.26 and edged Palatine’s Ruth Allen, who turned in a time of 2:12.57. Eichenberger is West Chicago’s first-ever state champion in girls track and field.
KIM IACOBAZZI
SCHOOL Glenbard South
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS A member of the 4 x 400 relay that won a Class 2A state title a year ago, Iacobazzi again helped that quartet to a major accomplishment at state. Running the anchor leg, she teamed with Val Wass, Sarah Engelhardt and Talia Benware to finish fourth with a time of 4:00.35. The senior also advanced individually to state in the 400 and participated in the prelims.
JULIANNA LAFLEUR
SCHOOL Wheaton Warrenville South
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS This senior was a workhorse for the Tigers within the pitching circle as she appeared in 31 games and threw 204 innings. LaFleur finished with a record of 16-14 with a very respectable 2.23 ERA while facing strong competition in the DuPage Valley Conference. She struck out 124 and allowed 190 hits. At the plate, she batted .260 with 12 RBIs in 77 at-bats.
ANDI MATICHAK
SCHOOL St. Francis
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS The speedy combination of Matichak and Sydney Fox sparked the Spartans’ offense, providing much of the scoring for a St. Francis squad which won seven of its last nine games (15-9-1 overall) to reach the Class 2A sectional finals.
BRIANA MEATH
SCHOOL Glenbard South
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS The table-setter at the top of the Raiders’ line-up was a tough out this spring. Meath batted .417 (48-for-115) with 10 doubles, three triples and 26 RBIs. The junior infielder struck out just 10 times while stealing 19 bases and helped Glenbard South to a 30-plus win season.
KAHLA NOLAN
SCHOOL Wheaton North
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS Nolan had an ERA below 2.00 for most of the season and led the Falcons in wins. The third-year varsity starter aided the group to an appearance in a Class 4A regional championship game and should provide a quality 1-2 pitching punch next season with teammate Katie Thornton.
IZZY BRUCE
SCHOOL West Chicago
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS The shortstop was arguably one of the best defensive players in the area with a fielding percentage of .963. Bruce closed out her career with a 20-game hitting streak. She batted .366 overall and .543 with runners in scoring position. The senior also swatted eight doubles.
MARY CONNOLLY
SCHOOL West Chicago
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS The All-Area MVP was terrific both on the mound and at the plate. She batted .394 with 43 hits, 38 RBIs, 12 doubles, six home runs and two triples. As a pitcher, Connolly threw 33 complete games in 200 innings. She had a 1.23 ERA with 227 strikeouts, 25 walks and a 24-7 record.
ANNETTE EICHENBERGER
SCHOOL West Chicago
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS The Air Force Academy-bound senior was crowned champion of the 800-meter run at the Class 3A state meet. She finished in 2:12.26 and edged Palatine’s Ruth Allen, who turned in a time of 2:12.57. Eichenberger is West Chicago’s first-ever state champion in girls track and field.
KIM IACOBAZZI
SCHOOL Glenbard South
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS A member of the 4 x 400 relay that won a Class 2A state title a year ago, Iacobazzi again helped that quartet to a major accomplishment at state. Running the anchor leg, she teamed with Val Wass, Sarah Engelhardt and Talia Benware to finish fourth with a time of 4:00.35. The senior also advanced individually to state in the 400 and participated in the prelims.
JULIANNA LAFLEUR
SCHOOL Wheaton Warrenville South
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS This senior was a workhorse for the Tigers within the pitching circle as she appeared in 31 games and threw 204 innings. LaFleur finished with a record of 16-14 with a very respectable 2.23 ERA while facing strong competition in the DuPage Valley Conference. She struck out 124 and allowed 190 hits. At the plate, she batted .260 with 12 RBIs in 77 at-bats.
ANDI MATICHAK
SCHOOL St. Francis
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS The speedy combination of Matichak and Sydney Fox sparked the Spartans’ offense, providing much of the scoring for a St. Francis squad which won seven of its last nine games (15-9-1 overall) to reach the Class 2A sectional finals.
BRIANA MEATH
SCHOOL Glenbard South
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS The table-setter at the top of the Raiders’ line-up was a tough out this spring. Meath batted .417 (48-for-115) with 10 doubles, three triples and 26 RBIs. The junior infielder struck out just 10 times while stealing 19 bases and helped Glenbard South to a 30-plus win season.
KAHLA NOLAN
SCHOOL Wheaton North
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS Nolan had an ERA below 2.00 for most of the season and led the Falcons in wins. The third-year varsity starter aided the group to an appearance in a Class 4A regional championship game and should provide a quality 1-2 pitching punch next season with teammate Katie Thornton.
BRIE PASQUALE
SCHOOL St. Francis
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS On a team packed with talented sophomores and juniors, Pasquale was the most dangerous of all at the plate with a .558 batting average, five home runs, 44 RBIs and 51 runs scored. She also had 14 doubles and four triples.
LEXI PETERSON
SCHOOL Wheaton Warrenville South
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS Bursting onto the soccer scene as a freshman, Peterson backed up her initial campaign as a Tiger with a standout sophomore season. She topped WWS with nine goals and eight assists. The forward was also named to the all-sectional team.
KATHRYN PICKETT
SCHOOL Glenbard West
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS A standout in multiple events all season for the Hilltoppers, this junior helped her team to a 20th-place finish at state. One year after finishing fourth in the long jump, Pickett placed 11th in that event with a mark of 17 feet, 1.5 inches. She later was sixth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.03 seconds and eighth in the 300 hurdles with a clocking of 45.66.
KATHRYN REGALADO
SCHOOL Wheaton Warrenville South
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS This senior was one of three Tiger individuals to advance to the finals (along with Lauren Mordini and Emily Schwartz), and she posted the best finish with a seventh-place showing in the discus. Regalado, who qualified for the state meet in the shot put as a junior, posted a mark of 124 feet, 4 inches after being the runner-up at the sectional with a 113-6.
OLIVIA SCHWARTZ
BADMINTON
SCHOOL Glenbard West
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS Schwartz advanced out of the sectional for the second time with partner Abbey White, and the duo ended up placing sixth at state in the doubles bracket. Schwartz and White compiled a record of 7-2 at state with three wins coming in three games. Schwartz and White were 3-2 a year ago at state while Schwartz also qualified in doubles as a sophomore.
ALEXA SHARKEY
SOCCER
SCHOOL Wheaton Academy
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS After starting at forward last year, Sharkey was shifted to a more defensive-oriented midfield spot and made major contributions all over the field for the Warriors. Despite the position change, Sharkey still scored 12 goals after striking for 16 last spring.
BRIDGET SHRIGLEY
SOCCER
SCHOOL Wheaton Warrenville South
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS This senior wrapped up her career for the Tigers with her typical outstanding play this spring. Named all-state and all-DuPage Valley Conference, the defender finished with three goals and five assists this season. Her skills on the back line as well as her leadership played a big role in WWS reaching a sectional final.
CRYSTAL THOMAS
SOCCER
SCHOOL Wheaton Academy
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS There was no sophomore jinx for Thomas, who followed a high impact freshman year (18 goals, 22 assists) for the 2009 Class 2A state champions with another huge season (17 goals, 11 assists) as the Warriors earned third place at state.
KATIE THORNTON
SOFTBALL
SCHOOL Wheaton North
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS Just a sophomore, Thornton possessed an ERA under 1.00 during the year and had a record of 9-1 midway through the month of May. Her and teammate Kahla Nolan will make up Wheaton North’s pitching rotation next season. She should be instrumental in the Falcons’ run at a DuPage Valley Conference crown.
SARAH UDELHOFEN
TRACK
SCHOOL Glenbard West
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS This senior has had a lot of athletic success at Glenbard West and this spring was no different. After helping the Hilltoppers to a fifth-place finish in gymnastics, Udelhofen added a second-place high jump medal to her trophy case after clearing 5 feet, 7 inches. She had won the sectional title with a mark of 5-5 and will continue her track career at Cornell University in New York.
ABBEY WHITE
BADMINTON
SCHOOL Glenbard West
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS Headed to play basketball at Illinois Wesleyan University, White concluded her athletic career as a Hilltopper with an outstanding badminton campaign. White and teammate Olivia Schwartz placed sixth in the state doubles competition. White and Schwartz were also conference and sectional champs.
ALLY WITT
SOCCER
SCHOOL Wheaton Academy
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS After making an immediate impact as a freshman last spring with 19 goals and 14 assists, Witt nearly matched those numbers by leading the Warriors with 18 goals and also dishing out seven assists.
JESS WILKES
SOFTBALL
SCHOOL Glenbard South
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS A dual threat at the plate and within the pitching circle, Wilkes was a major factor in the team’s undefeated run through the Western Sun Conference. The junior compiled a 22-3 record and an ERA of 1.48 with 170 strikeouts in 174.67 innings. She also knocked out five homers and five doubles at-bat to go along with a .333 average and 25 RBIs.
PAIGE WILSON
SOFTBALL
SCHOOL Wheaton North
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS Wilson was an example of consistency at the plate throughout the season by hitting in the mid-.400 range. She was the Falcons’ No. 1 run producer and was a valuable asset in qualifying for a Class 4A regional championship. She is verbally committed to Georgia and has a chance to swing one of the hottest bat in the DuPage Valley Conference in 2011.
JENNY WITTENBERG
SOFTBALL
SCHOOL Glenbard South
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS Wittenberg provided punch in the middle of the order for the Raiders, knocking out 46 hits in 120 at-bats for a .383 average. She added nine doubles, two triples and three home runs and a team-high 30 RBIs while stealing 17 bases. Most impressively, the all-Western Sun Conference player fanned just four times on the spring.
BRI WYATT
SOFTBALL
SCHOOL Glenbard West
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS Wyatt had a monstrous season for the Hilltoppers, batting an even .500 with 63 hits in 126 at-bats. Wyatt tallied 12 doubles and one triple while scoring a team-high 36 runs. The all-West Suburban Silver pick struck out just 11 times on the spring and added a whopping 37 stolen bases while being thrown out twice.
HONORABLE MENTION
GLENBARD SOUTH
Talia Benware, track; Paige Brave, badminton; Kristen Detrick, badminton; Ashley Ellis, track; Sarah Engelhardt, track; Amanda Fazzari, softball; Jenny Giagnorio, badminton; Samantha Howard, track; Jenny Klitch, softball; Karen Lipa, track; Melissa Nelson, track; Lauren Rice, badminton; Val Wass, track; Amanda Yam, soccer; Janice Yoshimura, badminton
GLENBARD WEST
Kinnari Badger, track; Sarah Dau, track; Bridget Flanagan, track; Hannah Flood, track; Hannah Foth, badminton; Caroline Maloney, track; Maddie Nagle, track; Samantha Reedy, badminton; Maggie Schwartz, badminton; Taylor Steinhilber, softball; Michele Waggoner, softball
ST. FRANCIS
Taylor Bucaro, soccer; Meagan Gitchell, soccer; Sydney Fox, soccer; Sarah Rahman, soccer; Laura Behnke, softball; Paige Davis, softball; Emily Karpinski, softball; Sarah Torres, track; Katy Garcia, track; Kelly McShea, track
WEST CHICAGO
Tanya Starkey, track; Kelsey Sayner, track; Lucy Fuentes, track; Meghan Nichol, track; Kaity Olson, softball; Anna Mercaldo, soccer; Stephanie Salinas, soccer
WHEATON ACADEMY
Meghan Grant, soccer; Christi Dithrich, soccer; Sydney Sharkey, soccer; Emily Mulder, soccer; Olivia Tilly, softball; Paige Huizenga, softball
WHEATON NORTH
Rachel Staky, badminton; Katie Thorton, softball; Rachel Holaway, softball; Kelsey Ullrich, softball; Shenelle Burnett, track; Samantha Ruggiero, track; Meggie Exner, track; Laura Gann, track; Alexa Reinecke, track
WHEATON WARRENVILLE SOUTH
Rachel Anderson, badminton; Colleen Gibbons, track; Kirstie Krauth, badminton; Jill Langlas, soccer; Nicole LaPetina, soccer; Lauren Mordini, track; Alexa Nelson, badminton; Tolulope Rosanwo, track; Kristy Santora, softball; Emily Schwartz, track
How we choose
Of course, statistics play a major role in picking an all-area team. But the selection process begins with the season’s first goal, pitch and starting gun. Our staff is constantly keeping tabs on the impact different players have in different games and meets. Throughout the campaign, we cover games and witness the players’ abilities for ourselves. We also talk to coaches and players to get a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes. Then, at the end of the season, the staff writers and editors discuss the nominees, and the all-area team is born.
