NewsTribune top 10 sports stories in 2023

In 2023, area teams and individuals won state titles, made deep postseason runs and set records, while some area individuals made an impact at the college and national levels.

Here’s a look at the top 10 sports stories in the NewsTribune area in 2023:

1. St. Bede softball wins state title

With a strong core of players back from a team that lost by a run in a sectional final in 2022, the Bruins had their sights set on state entering the 2023 season.

St. Bede delivered, rallying from a three-run deficit to beat defending state champion Illini Bluffs 7-6 in the Class 1A state championship game.

“It feels amazing. It’s everything I ever imagined. The fans and the team, it just feels so good to do this with everyone,” junior first baseman Maddy Dalton said.

The title was the first for a female team in state history and just the second for a female team in the NewsTribune area, joining the 1990 Princeton volleyball team.

The Bruins rolled through the Class 1A Wethersfield Regional by beating Midland 16-0 in four innings and Annawan-Wethersfield 12-0 in five innings.

In the St. Bede Sectional, the Bruins beat Ridgewood 6-1 in the semifinal before defeating West Central 3-1 in the title game to avenge the sectional loss from a year earlier.

St. Bede beat Orangeville 6-1 in the Sterling Super-sectional to advance to state where the Bruins topped Goreville 4-1 in the semifinals.

2. Mendota’s Bridget McGann qualifies for Olympic Trials

Mendota senior Bridget McGann is one of top breaststrokers in the country in the Class of 2024 who has signed to swim at the University of Wisconsin.

Before she heads to Madison, McGann will compete in the 2024 USA Swimming Olympic Trials, which are June 15-23 in Indianapolis.

McGann earned her spot in the 100-meter breaststroke by swimming a 1:09.81 at the National Club Swimming Association Summer Championships as a member of the Academy Bullets Swim Club in Indianapolis in July.

“I’m going to be 100% honest, it has not hit me yet,” McGann said. “I definitely know I had the time and I’m going to the Trials in June, but it has not hit me. It’s probably going to hit me at the meet in June. It’s just going to take time for me to actually process that I did qualify.

“But I was definitely very happy since it’s such a big deal. It was so crazy afterward with all the support I got.”

3. Henry-Senachwine baseball places second in state

The Mallards used strong pitching and defense to make a run all the way to the Class 1A state championship game.

Under first-year coach Max Kirbach, a Henry alumnus and former assistant coach, the Mallards beat Stark County 4-0 and Peoria Christian 2-1 to win the Stark County Regional.

In the Illinois Wesleyan Sectional, Henry defeated Delavan 3-0 and Heyworth 6-1 before punching its ticket to state with a 3-2 victory over Milford in the Illinois Wesleyan Super-sectional.

In the state semifinals, freshman Jacob Miller hit a single to score classmate Carson Rowe in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Mallards to a 3-2 win over Newman.

Henry lost 8-0 to Gibault Catholic in the title game. The second-place finish is the best in Henry history for any sport.

“This is the furthest any team in Henry-Senachwine history has gotten, so I told them heads up, be proud,” Kirbach said. “(I told them) every other team in the state but one, you got higher than place wise, so be proud of it. We’ll celebrate and enjoy our second-place finish.”

4. Mac Resetich signs with Illinois, contributes in freshman season

After a record-setting senior season at Hall in which he ran for 2,227 yards and 30 touchdowns, Mac Resetich drew the interest of the University of Illinois.

Resetich, who had committed to play baseball at Black Hawk, went on a visit to Illinois after his senior senior and signed with the Fighting Illini in February.

“You never know what can happen. Anything can happen at any given moment. I had no idea. I’m just shocked as everybody else, I guess,” Resetich said about making the switch from baseball to football. “I’m definitely excited. I couldn’t wait. I couldn’t sleep the other night. It’s a big deal. Makes me super happy.”

As a freshman, Resetich played in 11 games, making seven tackles and intercepting a pass.

5. Fieldcrest girls basketball repeats as sectional champs, Mitch Neally resigns

A year after placing fourth in Class 2A, the Knights came within one win of returning to the state tournament.

Fieldcrest went 32-4, winning the Seneca Regional and the Coal City Sectional - edging Peotone 68-44 in triple overtime in the final - to reach the Peotone Supersectional.

In a rematch of a 2022 supersectional, the Knights came up short in 2023, losing 59-55 to Chicago Noble/Butler.

Shortly after the season, Mitch Neally resigned as the Fieldcrest coach. He went 183-55, won four consecutive regional titles from 2018-19 to 2022-23 and back-to-back sectional titles while earning the first state trophy in program history.

6. Princeton boys basketball has record-setting season

Princeton put on a shot during the 2022-23 season with highlight reel plays and plenty of dunks as the Tigers went 32-3 to break the program record for wins in a season. Grady Thompson broke the school’s career scoring record set by former NBA player Joe Ruklick in the 1950s.

Princeton, which spent large parts of the season ranked No. 1 in Class 2A by the Associated Press, won the Bureau Valley Regional before losing to Rockridge in the Orion Sectional final.

7. Area wrestlers have success, make history in postseason

Area wrestlers shined in the postseason last year.

La Salle-Peru senior Connor Lorden went 38-3 and became the first Cavalier wrestler since 1998-99 to wrestle in a state championship match. Lorden finished second in Class 2A at 220 pounds.

Princeton senior Augie Christiansen set a school record for wins in a season as he went 50-6 and placed third in Class 1A at 145.

L-P’s Kiely Domyancich and Putnam County-Hall’s Bailey Herr became the first two girls in area history to qualify for the IHSA girls wrestling state tournament in its second year.

Herr finished one win shy of earning a state medal.

8. Laney Lester wins discus state title

Senior Laney Lester gave the Henry-Midland girls track and field team a state champion for the second year in a row.

She went undefeated on the season in the discus and won the event at the IHSA Class 1A State Meet. H-M’s Nakeita Kessling won a state title the year prior in the 400-meter dash.

Lester also placed second at the state meet in the shot put.

9. L-P girls bowling, Mendota’s Landon Bauer have success at state bowling

For the second year in a row, the La Salle-Peru girls bowling team placed sixth in the state tournament.

The Cavaliers won the Dixon Regional behind individual champion Olivia Weber and placed third at the Decatur Eisenhower Sectional to earn a return trip to state.

At state, Christine Ricci placed 13th individually to help the Cavs finish top 10 again.

In boys bowling, Mendota junior Landon Bauer made school history as he became the first Mendota bowler to advance to the second day of the state tournament.

He placed sixth at the Dixon Regional and ninth at the Rockford Guilford Sectional to qualify for state. He finished 50th at state.

10. Spring Valley Minor League softball wins state title

The Spring Valley Minor League softball team dominated the state tournament, outscoring its five opponents 31-1.

Spring Valley defeated Evergreen Park 5-1 in the title game at St. Mary’s Park in La Salle.