Aurora Central Catholic

Coach: LeVada Smith, eighth season.

Last season’s record: 27-5 overall, 6-0 in the GCAC White (first place).

Top returners: Ashley Watter, sr., F; Sofia Orozco, jr., G/F; Gina Dutkanych, sr., G; Annalyse McCarty, jr., G; Nora Schwartz, jr., G/F.

Key newcomers: Reese Schramka, fr., G; Haylee Schramka, jr., G; Maddie Berry, jr., G; Angelina Prado, jr., G/F.

Worth noting: It was a season of winning streaks for the Chargers a year ago, as they opened with six consecutive victories and later compiled an 11-game victory streak on the way to a 27-win campaign. ACC will be a short-handed this season, however. “Unfortunately, losing two players that were heading into their fourth years on varsity – Grace Grunloh and Ella Oester – to season-ending knee injuries this past summer has hampered our overall depth,” said Smith. Grunloh will play at UW-Stevens Point next season. “I believe we still have the pieces in place to have a solid season,” said the coach. “We should see players like Sofia (Orozco) and Ashley (Watter) take big steps forward.” Watter, a 5-foot-10 forward, will play at Cornell College next season.

Aurora Christian

Coach: Matt Ulrich, first season.

Last season’s record: 9-16 overall, 0-7 in the Chicagoland Christian (eighth place).

Top returners: Makenzie Jensen, sr., G; Payton Jewell, sr., G; Grace Kendall, sr., F; Grace Knight, sr., G; Anna Beaumont, jr., F; Evelyn Klimek, soph., G; Jada Vizcaya, soph., G.

Key newcomers: Andrea Bustamante, jr., C; Kia Jewell, jr., F; Mary Kendall, jr., G.

Worth noting: Beaumont, a junior forward, returns to lead the Eagles after earning all-Chicagoland Christian Conference honors as a sophomore. Klimek and Vizcaya both started many games last season as freshmen. Jensen is drawing college interest at the NCAA Division III, NAIA, and junior college levels, according to Ulrich. “The team is expected to be significantly improved from last year after returning the core of last year’s team, while adding strong freshmen and sophomore classes,” Ulrich said.

Batavia

Coach: Kevin Jensen, 15th season

Record in 2024: 24-10, 11-3 DuKane (second place)

Top returners: Ali Thomas, sr., forward; Payton Haslett, sr., guard; Eva Holzl, sr., guard; Harper Haren, jr., guard

Key newcomers: Marin Schwab, jr., guard; Sidnee Justice, fr., guard; Sammie Donahue, so., forward; Ingrid Wit, so., forward

Worth noting: The Bulldogs won their fourth consecutive regional title and made their third straight appearance in a sectional title game last season, and are hoping to extend both of those streaks this season. Thomas, who became a starter midway through last season, is the lone starter returning to the roster, and will look to be a more prominent scorer this season, especially after the Bulldogs lost their top six scorers from last season either to graduation or just not returning to the team. Haslett and Holzl also return after playing key roles off of the bench. Jensen said he also expects big things from Justice early in the season. “This year Batavia will look for development from returning reserve players as well as first-year underclassmen to move into much larger roles this season,” he said.

Burlington Central

Coach: Michael Carani, third season

Record in 2024: 12-20, 9-9 Fox Valley (sixth place)

Top returners: Audrey LaFleur, jr., guard; Ashley Waslo, sr., guard; Julia Scheur, jr., forward; Jordyn Charles, sr., forward; Kelsey Covey, jr., guard; Ali Kowal, sr., forward

Key newcomers: Scarlet LaFleur, fr., forward; Kendell Zierk, fr., guard

Worth noting: Burlington Central graduated only one senior off its roster last season and will look to build off of consecutive regional final appearances. Audrey LaFleur was the leading scorer last season, averaging 11.9 points while earning All Fox Valley Conference honors last year. “We have a core group with a few years of varsity experience and an overall athletic group that likes to compete,” Carani said. “I am looking forward to seeing this group learn how to work as a team and play off each other’s strengths.”

Geneva

Coach: Sarah Meadows, 15th season

Record in 2024: 8-21, 4-10 DuKane (seventh place)

Top returners: Keira McCann, sr., guard; Linnea Popp, jr., guard; Emma Peterson, so., forward; Ella Wilkison, sr., guard/forward

Key newcomers: Nora Hatton, so., guard

Worth noting: The Vikings are coming off of their first true down season in a while, finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2004, while also not winning a regional title for the first time since 2007. Peterson is the only starter returning this season, while girls like McCann, Popp and Wilkison all came off of the bench regularly last year. “We are athletic, we will play fast and be physical,” Meadows said. “I am excited to see the development of this group from Day 1 to the end. They will be a fun group to work with and be a part of.”

Kaneland

Coach: Brian Claesson, fourth season

Record in 2024: 24-10, 9-1 Interstate 8 (first place)

Top returners: Amani Meeks, jr., guard; Kyra Lilly, sr., guard; Grace Brunscheen, so., forward; Kalie Brown, jr. forward; Sophia Rosati, jr., guard; Dani Ridolfi, jr. guard

Key newcomers: Ansley Ruh, jr., guard/forward; Lillyana Crawford, so., guard

Worth noting: The Knights are coming off of winning back-to-back regional championships, as well as winning their first-ever Interstate 8 title a season ago. Kaneland lost its two top scorers from a season ago in Kendra Brown and Sam Kerry. While the Knights do have plenty of returners, led by starters Meeks and Lilly, Claesson expects for some switch-ups in terms of roles to play. “ It helps to have so many returning players from last year,” Claesson said. “A lot of girls are battling for playing time, which has made practice extremely competitive. Probably the most competitive practices in the four years I’ve been coaching.”

Rosary

Coach: John Rutter, seventh season.

Last season’s record: 6-25 overall, 0-7 in the GCAC White (seventh place).

Top returners: Kayla Garcia, jr., G; Clara Bello, jr., F; Zoe Mesner, soph., G; Kaelyn Rudow, soph., G.

Key newcomers: Aleah Luna, fr., G; Grace Bergeron, fr., F.

Worth noting: Last season, the youthful Royals won six games while gaining valuable varsity experience. Expect more of the same this time around, according to Rutter. “We are still very young – no seniors – but hope to be more competitive this season,” said the coach. “Our schedule will challenge that expectation.” Garcia, a 5-foot-1 guard, and 5-5 Bello are the most experienced players as juniors. Mesner (5-4) and Rudow (5-1) are sophomore backcourt players, while 5-foot guard Luna and 5-9 forward Bergeron begin their high school careers.

St. Charles East

Coach: Katie Claussner, third season

Record in 2024: 26-7, 14-0 DuKane (first place)

Top returners: Addie Schilb, sr., guard; Brooklyn Schilb, so., guard; Kathryn Bainbridge, so., guard

Key newcomers: Ari Bigda, jr., forward; Stella Trask, junior, forward

Worth noting: The Saints are coming off of one of their best seasons in program history, tying the record for most wins in a season while also clinching their first DuKane Conference title with a clean sweep of league play while making it to their second consecutive sectional final. The Saints lost three of their starting five to graduation, including Corinne Reed, who now plays at the University of Akron, and Sofia O’Sullivan, who’s at DePauw. The sister duo of Addie Schilb and Brooklyn Schilb will be expected to lead the way after finishing in the top three of the team across multiple stat categories a season ago, while Bainbridge, their cousin, will step into a starting role after being the first off the bench last season. “The Saints still remain poised for a strong campaign,” Claussner said. “St. Charles East will look to returning standouts Addie Schilb, Brooklyn Schilb, and Kathryn Bainbridge to lead the way as they aim to defend their conference crown and make another deep postseason run.”

St. Charles North

Coach: Grant Oler, first season

Record in 2024: 23-9, 8-6 DuKane (third place)

Top returners: Sydney Johnson, sr., forward; Riley Barber, sr., forward; Bronwyn How, jr., forward; Lelanie Posada, jr., guard; Brianna Buono, sr., guard; Elle Fuhr, sr., forward

Key newcomers: Keira Connolly, jr., guard; Kaelie Tomalak, jr., guard; Aubrey Evanoff, sr., guard; Mia Nowak, sr., guard; Addie Shook, jr., guard

Worth noting: The North Stars only graduated one senior after falling in the regional final last season and come into this year boasting tons of experience and playing time. The North Stars return six girls who played meaningful minutes from last season, including Johnson and Posada, who led the team in scoring last season. North will be under new management this season, with Oler taking over after spending 12 seasons as an assistant. “Bringing the entirety of the roster back with the exception of one graduated senior, we’re looking to capitalize on our returning experience,” Oler said. “We believe we have all the pieces we need to make this a memorable season.”

St. Francis

Coach: Jeff Gerdeman, 12th season.

Last season’s record: 9-23 overall, 4-6 CCL White (fifth place).

Top returners: Courtny Bridgeforth, sr., guard; Ashley Powell, sr., guard; Hannah Grivetti, jr., forward; Alyssa Freeman, so., guard; Talia Engesser, so., forward

Key newcomers: Maicie Schweiner, sr., forward; Tenley Glock, so., guard; Pyper Schweiner, soph., forward

Worth noting: Losing two of the top scorers in program history – Riley Austin and Tea Rubino – to graduation, leaves some questions to be answered this season. “I honestly have no idea what to expect from this team,” said Gerdeman. “However, we are cautiously optimistic. We have a great group of five seniors, led by Bridgeforth and Powell. We also have three returning underclass players who got significant minutes last year in Grivetti, Freeman, and Engesser. Now, throw in the addition of Glock and the Schweiner sisters. We’re looking forward to seeing how this team comes together.” Gerdeman expects Bridgeforth, who played on the JV level last year due to her transfer from Bartlett, to play college basketball. Maicie Schweiner enters her first year in the program after sitting out freshman year due to an ACL injury, while focusing on soccer her sophomore and junior years.

West Aurora

Coach: Teresa Waldinger, eighth season

Record in 2024: 21-5, 14-1 Upstate 8 (first place)

Top returners: Maya Rabadan, sr., forward; Aniyah Stewart, jr., forward

Key newcomers: Eva Acevedo, fr., guard; Dynasty Logan, jr., guard

Worth noting: The Blackhawks made an instant impact in their first season back in the Upstate 8 conference, only losing to Larkin in league play for their first conference title since winning the Southwest Prairie in 2019. It’ll be a bit different this season for West Aurora, which lost three of last year’s starters to graduation and point guard Syncere Williams, who transferred to Waubonsie Valley. Despite the lack of experience, Waldinger is confident that the Blackhawks can still make an impact. “This year is about proving that our program’s strength runs deeper than one season or one lineup,” Waldinger said. “We have hungry, hard-working athletes ready to step into new roles and embrace challenges. I’m excited to see our leadership emerge and to build on the culture of effort, unity and resilience that defines our team.”