At the end of each calendar year, some of the area’s athletes and coaches who provided us sports highlights are asked to provide their favorite personal sports memories of that year.
This is their Prep Zone …
A.J. GOLEMBIEWSKI
Marian Central (football, basketball, baseball)
“My favorite moment of the year was the last-second touchdown pass against Niles Notre Dame. With the season on the line, with significant injuries, guys playing out of position, and everyone counting us out of the playoffs, I connected with Charlie Kramer on a post route to put us up, 14-7. They were a physical 8A school, and taking them down jump-started our playoff run to the Class 5A quarterfinals.”
DARYN DAVIS
Huntley (girls track and field)
“My favorite sports memory was breaking 38 feet in triple jump at the Class 3A state meet. It’s my favorite because it was a huge personal record, and it helped me break the school record, as well as earn me a sixth-place medal. My first few jumps weren’t getting me anywhere as far as placement, so I put all of my energy that I had into that last jump because I really didn’t want to leave that meet without a medal. Hearing my measurement was really exciting since I hadn’t really gotten that close to 38 at all the whole season.”
NICO LoDOLCE
Johnsburg (football, baseball)
“It was when coach Dan DeBoeuf told the seniors we were the winningest class in Johnsburg football history. I remember this so well because this wasn’t something accomplished by one man. It was accomplished by a group of men that began their journey four or five years ago, that made a commitment to the weight room and to bettering themselves, and working on their craft. It felt amazing to be a part of a group that was so special.”
SYDNEY RUGGLES
Dundee-Crown (softball)
“It was when I committed to play NCAA Division I softball for Loyola in Chicago. After looking at so many different schools I was so excited when I finally found the perfect fit for me. That, and when we beat Hampshire during regionals. It was a very close game, and we worked hard to win to get us to the championship game.”
LISA BRUNSTRUM
Crystal Lake Central volleyball coach
“It was having the opportunity to coach our volleyball team downstate. There were many memories made this season, and during that weekend in particular, my favorite moment was in the press room after our third-place match. I was the last one in the room, and when I walked in there the first view I had was our whole team standing at the head table with their arms around each other, smiling. It will be a scene I'll never forget as it just reiterated the concept of a team and reminded me how much this group of girls got along and played for each other all season long. I will never forget that moment. That will be one of my all-time favorite memories.”
JACOB OMMEN
Prairie Ridge (football)
“Probably the pregame meeting before the Class 6A second-round playoff game against Cary-Grove. The whole team was in the room, and all of a sudden one of the coaches rolled in a Trojan horse. After a minute, another coach bursted out and ripped the horse into pieces. Everyone was yelling and getting pumped up. Even the coaches were getting fired up. That was the moment that I realized how much I was going to miss my team and coaches after it was all said and done.”
A.J. CAPPELLO
Jacobs boys soccer coach
“Our Class 3A sectional final game went into penalty kicks. After both teams made all five of their shots, we went into sudden-death penalty kicks. After converting our shot, we put Dan Buirge, a field player, in goal. He came up with the sectional-winning save in sudden-death penalty kicks, something the players and coaches will never forget.”
ANNA WALSWEER
Marengo (volleyball and softball)
“It was the softball season and winning the Class 3A state championship. I can remember this game so well because it was my team’s goal at the beginning of the season, and to actually achieve it showed us that our endless hours of practice, knowing the fundamentals and always keeping our heads in the game paid off. It was so special to me because my hit caused an error on the other team and allowed us to score the first run of the game. This was so important because it gave us momentum, and it felt great to come through in a clutch situation. Overall, what makes this such a good memory to me is because it showed how important it was to persevere and to keep believing in ourselves.”
KYLE LANG
Crystal Lake South (baseball)
“When we won our first baseball state championship in school history. I remember it so well because it was an exciting moment for everyone – parents, players, coaches. Winning the state championship was a goal we had made as a team in the beginning of the season, and accomplishing that goal made us very happy. It also made us extremely happy to know that after our unforgettable season we were the best team in Illinois.”
ALLISON DRAGE
Cary-Grove (cross country and track and field)
“It was probably the post-Fox Valley Conference Meet cool-down after winning the team (cross country) title. After the race, the team was so excited that spirit and pride were spilling out of every girl, even our calmest members like Morgan Dieschbourg, who was jumping around and hugging girls. One of our team captains, Libby Hansen, said how proud she was of the team and how happy she was to be having her senior season with this team.
"Then we decided to run along our course and cheer on the boys race. We came across a bridge around the halfway point of the race and lined both sides, staying out of the runners’ way, of course. We all screamed our heads off as they ran by, it was so exhilarating to see all the teams reacting to the cheering, some picking up speed, others passing people, and our own boys team doing great. It really was a great bonding moment with the girls and helped give us that extra drive we carried into our postseason state series.”
• Joe Stevenson is a senior sports writer for the Northwest Herald. He can be reached by email at joestevenson@shawmedia.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @nwh_JoePrepZone.
