The Top 5 Sports Stories in Kane County for 2023

Here are the top five sports stories of the 2023 athletics calendar chosen by sports reporter Jacob Bartelson. The stories are in no particular order.

St. Charles North’s Bella Najera celebrates her game-winning goal during a Class 3A West Chicago Sectional semifinal against Geneva on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (Sandy Bressner)

St. Charles North and St. Charles East soccer

In the spring, St. Charles North, led by Kane County Chronicle Girls Soccer Player of the Year Bella Najera, fought to a supersectional appearance. The program won its 20th consecutive regional final, stunned Geneva in the sectional semifinal and defeated crosstown rival St. Charles East in the sectional final in penalty kicks.

St. Charles North went 17-4-2 on the season.

Najera, a two-time DuKane Conference Player of the Year and 2023 Golden Boot Winner, scored 20 goals and had nine assists for the sectional champion North Stars. Najera was named a United Soccer Coaches All-American.

In the fall, the St. Charles East boys team fought to a supersectional berth. The Saints stunned No. 1-seeded York in the sectional final and finished with a 19-8 record.

St. Charles East’s Ben Davino celebrates his win over Marmion’s Jameson Garcia in the 126-pound Class 3A championship match on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 at State Farm Center in Champaign. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)

St. Charles East wrestling and Batavia’s Sydney Perry

It’s difficult to find a more dominant wrestling program right now than St. Charles East in the DuKane Conference and throughout the state.

Ben Davino (126 pounds) and Dom Munaretto (106) turned in undefeated 50-0 individual seasons to close the state finals in February. Davino won his third consecutive state title and was the Kane County Chronicle Wrestler of the Year. Jayden Colon won his second state title. The Saints had 11 competitors at state.

The next week, they won the program’s first team dual state title over Marmion.

Batavia’s Sydney Perry, one of the nation’s top female wrestlers, also dominated her opponents. Perry capped her IHSA season as a repeat champion. It was her second consecutive unbeaten season.

Perry defeated Team USA No. 1-ranked 138-pounder Valerie Hamilton in the final.

Lincoln-Way East's Jashawn Echols (5) upends Batavia’s Ryan Boe (21) during a football game at Batavia High School on Friday, Sep 1, 2023. (Sean King for Shaw Local News Network)

Batavia and St. Francis football teams

Batavia had only one regular-season loss to Class 8A runner-up Lincoln-Way East. The Bulldogs finished the DuKane Conference schedule with a 7-0 record and made it to the state semifinals against eventual Class 7A champion Mt. Carmel, playing in a highly-anticipated matchup for a third time.

Northwestern commit Ryan Boe dazzled at quarterback for Batavia, completing 186-of-284 passes (65%) for 2,963 yards and 33 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He had 502 rushing yards. Boe was named DuKane Conference offensive MVP, all-conference and an IHSFCA Class 7A first-team selection.

St. Francis was led by Michigan State commit Alessio Milivojevic to the Class 5A state semifinals and put up spectacular numbers along the way. The Spartans had two regular-season losses and fell to eventual Class 5A state champion Nazareth.

Milivojevic, the Kane County Chronicle Football Player of the Year, completed 251-of-345 passes (73%) for 3,408 yards with 40 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He had 331 rushing yards. Milivojevic was named the Chicago Catholic League Orange Division Player of the Year, first-team all-CCL and an IHSFCA Class 5A first-team selection.

Members of the Geneva girls basketball team hoist the Class 4A thrid place trophy after defeating Geneva during the third place game on Friday, March 3, 2023 at CEFCU Arena in Normal. (Sanderson@shawmedia.com)

Geneva girls and boys basketball

In the winter, the Geneva girls basketball team made another deep postseason run to a third-place finish at the Class 4A state tournament. The Vikings finished 31-4 overall and were 14-0 in the DuKane Conference.

Geneva defeated conference rival Batavia in the sectional final and Barrington in the supersectional before a close loss to Benet in the state semifinal. Geneva rebounded to earn the third-place state trophy with a win over Hersey.

The Geneva boys basketball team knocked out conference rival Wheaton Warrenville South in the sectional semifinal and took No. 1-seeded Benet to the brink before losing in the sectional final. The Vikings finished the season with a 25-10 record.

St. Francis’ Emma Delaney and Addy Horner celebrate with teammates after defeating Lincoln in the Class 3A girls volleyball state championship match at Illinois State University in Normal on Saturday, October 11, 2023. (John Starks jstarks@dailyherald.)

St. Francis girls volleyball

Led by Kane County Chronicle Girls Volleyball Player of the Year Addy Horner, St. Francis won an impressive second consecutive state title.

The Spartans went 34-8 on the season and finished with a 13-match winning streak.

Horner, a Wisconsin commit, led St. Francis in kills (267), kills per set (3.2) and hitting percentage (34). Horner also had 50 aces, 258 assists and 75 blocks.

Rosary swimmers celebrate their first place state trophy in the IHSA Girls State Swimming and Diving Championships at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. (Sandy Bressner)

Honorable mention: Rosary swimming

Rosary won the program’s eighth state title in November.

Junior Becky Rentz won both the 200 free (1:47.47) and 100 fly (53.47). Elizabeth Nawrocki won the 100 breaststroke (1:00.98). The 200 free team of Rentz, Olivia Moore, Bella Wojtowicz and Ariyana Nieckula took first and set a state record with a time of 1:32.45.

In the 400 relay, Nieckula, Rentz, Wojtowicz and Annabelle Nawrocki were first with a time of 3:24.21.

St. Charles North junior Isabelle Beu won the 200 individual medley (1:58.37.)