There are no I’s in team, but there are several in Wicinski.
Yet for all her athletic talent and the important role she plays for Geneva’s basketball team, Lauren Wicinski always tries to place the team’s best interests above her own.
“I want to win so bad, but I want to win for the team,” Wicinski said.
It’s that kind of attitude that led the Geneva senior to being named as the 2010 Winter Girls All-Area MVP.
Of course, her ability to score around the basket, pass out of the pressure of double- and triple-team defenses and knack for rebounding the basketball don’t hurt either. It was the combination of her team-first mentality and her physical tools that wreaked havoc in a win over Rockford Boylan in the sectional championship game Feb. 25. In that game, Wicinski had 19 points and 17 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds that led to four second-chance baskets.
“She’s a really good player,” Boylan coach Paul Perrone said. “She’s very quick and physical, and she has some nice moves in the paint.”
But at 6-foot-1 and with jumping skills honed during years of playing volleyball, it should come as no surprise that Wicinski can jump higher or move quicker than many of the girls that she plays against. She posts impressive stats, but for her the most important part of the game is having fun with her teammates, and that is something that can’t be faked or taught or derived from impressive physical attributes.
“We have really good team chemistry off the court and on the court,” Wicinski said. “We know how to communicate with each other.”
It’s the team chemistry that has led to the Vikings’ recent success, which included regional, sectional and supersectional trophies on the way to a trip to the state finals and a fourth-place finish last season, as well as two postseason trophies this winter. Team chemistry comes from long bus rides and group meals and team sleepovers.
“We get along,” Wicinski said, “And that’s not something many teams have.”
The team chemistry seems to have spread from the bench to bleachers as a raucous student section leads a loyal fan following that has walked side-by-side with the Vikings all season. It was as true for the first game of the season as it has been throughout the playoff run.
“It’s great because we have such great fan support and school support,” Wicinski said. “The community is backing us up. We’re with them and they’re with us.”
The season came to an end Monday in a supersectional loss to Hersey, and so to did Wicinski’s competitive basketball career. She will head to Northern Illinois University in the fall to play volleyball, but she leaves behind an example of team play and leadership for her younger teammates to follow.
“She’s a great team player and probably the best rebounder we’ve ever had come through here,” Geneva coach Gina Nolan said. “She’s been a huge part of our success the last three years.”
What legacy does Wicinski hope to leave on Geneva basketball?
“Go out there and have fun playing,” Wicinski said. “This is the time of your life, your high school career, so have fun with it.”
Meet the 2009-10 Winter Girls All-Area Team:
Janessa Baker
SCHOOL Bartlett
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS Watching her play, it was difficult to tell Baker was just a sophomore. She averaged 5.5 points, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game, but her value to the Hawks’ success wasn’t based on stats alone. As the point guard she deftly handled the Hawks’ offense and developed as a leader as the season progressed. Her athleticism helped her finish around the rim, and her speed helped her defensive tenacity, which spread to the rest of the team. “As her coach I know Janessa will always give her all, and her energy and enthusiasm is contagious,” Bartlett coach Denise Sarna said. “I never have to worry if she is ready to play and as a point guard it is important that she leads our team in that mentality.”
Lexi Baltes
SCHOOL St. Charles East
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS Strong with the ball. Smart without it. Confident weaving to the rim. Able to spot up and nail the much-needed long-range shot. Stalwart defender. Baltes was seemingly able to do it all. She led the team in every major statistical category (13 points per game, 44 percent from the field, 86 assists, 68 steals) and made more free throws (95) than any teammate attempted. She finished with 1,079 career points and wound up scoring more than a quarter of the Saints points this season. The Upstate Eight all-conference selection is looking to play in college but has not yet decided on a destination. She will don the Saints uniform for the final time at this weekend’s state finals in the 3-point shootout.
Jenna Bell
SCHOOL St. Charles North
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS It’s shocking to think that a player with Bell’s blend of athleticism, fearlessness and competitiveness won’t continue her athletic career at the collegiate level. But if Bell really is hanging up the sneakers for good, she leaves behind a stellar career at North. This season she averaged 10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. She had a penchant for finishing in traffic at the rim, and when she went to the free throw line (which she did 159 times, nearly 40 more than her closest teammate) she hit at a solid 68.6 percent. “Jenna was pushed this year, and I think that she amazed herself at times with what she could do,” North coach Colleen Brennan said. “Her natural athletic ability is unbelievable; I think she could be successful in any sport. She was such a coachable kid, and she truly pushed the team to compete.”
Stephanie de la Torriente
SCHOOL St. Charles North
SPORT Gymnastics
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS de la Torriente was without doubt the top all-around performer for St. Charles’ Co-op gymnastics team, and it took more than 10 years of hard work and dedication to achieve that. But it all paid off big-time at the Naperville North regional meet this season, where de la Torriente took home titles on floor exercise (9.5), beam (9.425) and all-around (36.825). “Stephanie is a role model to the younger girls on the team and provides a strong sense of leadership as one of the team captains,” Co-op coach Amy Lill said. “She is an extremely hard worker in the gym.”
Amber Fox
SCHOOL Glenbard North
SPORT Gymnastics
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS This four-time state qualifier might not of had her best performance at the state meet, but she’ll certainly take it. Fox, who hopes to continue gymnastics at Northern Illinois next school year, posted an 11th-place finish in the all-around (36.875). She was also 12th on the uneven parallel bars (9.200) and 14th on the floor exercise (9.150).
Sara Fruendt
SCHOOL Batavia
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS A mainstay on the varsity team the last three seasons, Fruendt was the only returning starter from the 2008-09 team and was undoubtedly the team leader despite switching positions from point guard to forward. She was able to battle down low like a forward, but nimble with the ball and quick in and out of cuts like a guard. She finished around the hoop like a forward, but had the range of a guard, which made her difficult to defend while she was able to defend all five positions herself. She finished the season averaging 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game while hitting at a 74 percent clip at the free throw line.
Danae Fuqua
SCHOOL Batavia
SPORT Gymnastics
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS Fuqua ended her high school gymnastics career on a high note — with a trip to the state meet and a pair of solid finishes. She placed 17th on vault with a score of 9.450, a score that was a full one-tenth of a point better than her score at the Glenbard West sectional. Fuqua also had a solid score of 8.850 on floor exercise at the state meet.
Jacki Gulczynski
SCHOOL Bartlett
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS College coaches have flocked to Bartlett games to catch a glimpse of this stellar junior, and it’s little wonder — Gulczynski is the total package. She has the size of a forward or center (6-foot-1) but the agility, athleticism and range of a guard (18 3-pointers this season). She averaged a team-best 17.4 points (on 48 percent shooting) and grabbed 9.5 rebounds per contest this winter while going over 1,200 points for her career. She was the Upstate Eight Conference player of the year, shared Walter Payton Roundhouse player of the year honors and was a UEC all-academic team member. “She is a coaches dream. Jacki blends athleticism, intelligence and a dedication to her team and its success,” Bartlett coach Denise Sarna said. “Jacki is an extremely talented player who will do whatever is asked of her.”
Kiley Hackbarth
SCHOOL St. Charles North
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS Hackbath’s stature may not be big, but her presence on the floor was huge. The Rhode Island-bound point guard was the team leader offensively (11 points and 4.2 assists per game, 74 percent from the free throw line), but she also made a name for herself by shutting down some of the areas best players with her tenacious defense (two steals per game). She finished her career with 1,009 career points and as Walter Payton Roundhouse co-player of the year. “Kiley is a very strong leader on and off the court,” North coach Colleen Brennan said. “A great basketball player makes the players around them better, and I truly believe that Kiley’s performance this year, both in practice and in games, increased the level of play for the entire team.”
Alyssa Krause
SCHOOL South Elgin
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS She was listed on the roster as a 6-foot forward, but Krause played the position more like a hybrid of a forward and a sure-handed shooting guard. There’s no doubt that Krause’s size allowed her to establish herself down low on offense and battle for rebounds at both ends of the floor, traits reminiscent of a forward. But she also was adept and handling the ball, creating her own shot off the dribble, running off screens to get open for midrange jumpers or pulling up for a long-range shot. Her leadership on a team with four sophomores and three juniors may be missed more than her skills on the floor.
Mariah Matesi
SCHOOL Glenbard North
SPORT Gymnastics
YEAR Freshman
ACHIEVEMENTS During her first season on the varsity, Matesi may have surprised many in the area by qualifying for the state meet as a freshman. She came in 20th in the all-around with a 36.400, posted a 24th-place finish on the floor exercise with an 8.975 and collected a 26th-place finish on the vault (9.375). Keep an eye on her development over the next three years.
Emily Ott
SCHOOL Geneva
SPORT Gymnastics
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS Ott quietly had one of the better seasons in the state, capped by a pair of strong performances at the state meet two weeks ago. Competing against some of the state’s best from programs like Carmel, Lincoln-Way, Hinsdale Central, Glenbard North and Glenbard West, Ott earned two 11th-place finishes at state, one on beam (9.2) and one on floor exercise (9.225).
Amoni Reynolds
SCHOOL Glenbard North
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS This two-time unanimous all-DuPage Valley Conference selection averaged 17 points and six rebounds for the Panthers. She also shot 84 percent from the foul line on 198 attempts. The senior is receiving interest from Drexel, Samford and various Division II and Division III programs. “If you’re going to stop us, the first thing you want to do is take away No. 41,” said Glenbard North coach John Chamberlain of Reynolds. “Now that she’s graduating, we’re going to have to make up for her absence with depth and a collective effort.”
Christina Rini
SCHOOL Glenbard North
SPORT Gymnastics
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS The junior made her return to the state tournament in quality fashion. She was 16th on the balance beam (8.975), 18th in the all-around (36.450) and 19th on the uneven parallel bars (9.050). Look for the senior-to-be to lead Glenbard North next season. The Panthers posted a seventh-place finish at the state meet.
Ashley Santos
SCHOOL Geneva
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS After spending her freshman season at Bartlett, Santos moved to a new school and a new system but excelled nonetheless. With her range she was able to stretch the floor for the opposing defense, and her confident ball-handling ability provided Geneva with a solid 1-2 punch along with point guard Kat Yelle. She also showed a fearlessness in the paint and was able create her own opportunities in the lane off the dribble. She averaged 9.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from the field, and was a solid defensive presence with 1.5 steals per game.
Sammy Scofield
SCHOOL Geneva
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS In her first year as a starter the Geneva junior came on in a big way down the stretch and sparked the Vikings in a pair of wins in the sectional round of the playoffs. Against Cary-Grove she scored eight of her team-high 16 points in the first quarter as the Vikings raced out to a 14-2 lead. Later in the game with C-G on the comeback trail she hit a 3-pointer and both ends of a one-and-one to keep Geneva ahead. Against Rockford-Boylan, Scofield scored six of her 14 points in the first quarter as the Vikings took an early lead they would never relinquish. For the season she averaged 7.7 points and 2.5 assist per game while hitting on 60 percent of her field goals.
Becca Smith
SCHOOL South Elgin
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Sophomore
ACHIEVEMENTS Smith may only be a sophomore, but her game is nearing next-level greatness. Already one of the best players in the area, Smith averaged 20 points per game this season and did so in a variety of ways — by using her nifty ball-handling skills to get to the rim, by running off screens or by leading the break and finding open space to shoot. Her sometimes acrobatic maneuvers near the basket defied gravity and sometimes the laws of nature.
Kelsey Stone
SCHOOL Batavia
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS Moving into an expanded role as a first-year starter, Stone made the move to the first five look easy. She anchored the paint on defense, intimidating opponents with her size (6-foot-1) and agility. On the offensive end she provided a solid low-post threat and sucked in defenders to open the outside shooting for the Bulldogs’ guards. The Western Sun all-conference selection averaged 7.1 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game this season while sinking her free throws at a 79-percent rate. She also averaged 1.8 steals per game, a high number for someone playing the post.
Lauren Wicinski
SCHOOL Geneva
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Senior
ACHIEVEMENTS The 2010 Winter Girls All-Area MVP was an opposing coach’s worst nightmare because she was a triple whammy. First, she had size (6-foot-1) few teams could match and maximized her advantage with jumping ability she learned from playing volleyball. Second, she was a rebound machine who could convert second-chance opportunities. Third, she could finish around the rim, and when fouled she made teams pay (60 percent from the free throw line). Wicinski averaged 12.5 points per game and a team-best 9.8 rebounds per contest and converted on 58 percent of her shots this season.
Kat Yelle
SCHOOL Geneva
SPORT Basketball
YEAR Junior
ACHIEVEMENTS On a team stocked with talented players, the Vikings’ point guard was the heart and soul of the bunch. Geneva’s brand of basketball is predicated on tenacious defense, and the Ohio University-bound Yelle was nothing if not tenacious. She led the team with 89 steals (2.9 per game), which was nearly double that of any other team member. Her defensive talents mirrored her effectiveness on offense, where she led the team in points (14) and assists per game (3.6) as well as free throws made (82).
HONORABLE MENTION:
Bartlett
Kristin Conniff, basketball; Haley Videckis, basketball
Batavia
Emma Gear, gymnastics; Liz Barnes, basketball
Geneva
Kelsey Augustine, basketball; Kaitlyn Kanarowski, gymnastics
Glenbard North
Melissa Calao, gymnastics; Karli Gaines, gymnastics; Brianna Harn, basketball; Carson Jones, basketball
St. Charles East
Kaylee Arnold, gymnastics; Allison Heuer, bowling; Shelby LeDuc, gymnastics; Steph Roan, basketball; Jaime Rust, basketball; Kara Schnier, basketball; Kala Sigona, basketball; Katherine Sulaitis, bowling
St. Charles North
Meredith Beird, gymnastics; Sydney Russell, basketball; Dana Sibley, basketball
South Elgin
Megan Edgern, bowling; Sarah Havemann, basketball; Emily Potts, gymnastics; Dijon Smith, basketball
