Northwest Herald Top 10 sports stories of 2022

Each year, the Northwest Herald sports staff reflects on the stories that made the most news and ranks its top 10 over the previous 12 months.

This fall generated one of the top stories in the history of local sports as Prairie Ridge quarterback Tyler Vasey ran for more yards than any other player in state history while helping the Wolves reach the Class 6A state championship game.

Some of the other big stories were Norge Ski Club sending three of its men jumpers to the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, Huntley’s Alex Johnson and Prairie Ridge’s Rylee Lydon winning track and field state titles, Richmond-Burton’s collective spring season, its best in school history, and the wonderful story of a Huntley boy battling cancer who got to meet his favorite Detroit Lions receiver and became an Internet sensation.

Members of the sports staff ranked their top 10, with firsts receiving 10 points, seconds getting nine and so on.

Here are the Northwest Herald’s top 10 local sports stories of 2022 (with voting points in parentheses):

1: Tyler Vasey’s record-shattering campaign (46)

Prairie Ridge quarterback Tyler Vasey was forging a Player of the Year-type season through the first seven weeks when he led the area in rushing and helped the Wolves to a 6-1 record.

But what Vasey did the rest of the season was amazing, stupefying and incredible.

Vasey finished the season with 3,887 rushing yards, an IHSA record by more than 500 yards over what Lexington’s T.J. Stinde ran for in 2009 (3,325). Coincidentally, Peoria Central’s Malachi Washington ran for 3,360 this season and would have broken Stinde’s record. Both Vasey (Class 6A) and Washington (Class 5A) led their teams to state runners-up finishes.

[ Friday Night Drive’s 2022 Offensive Player of the Year: Tyler Vasey ]

Vasey’s speed and elusiveness while running the Wolves’ triple-option offense were devastating. He set the state record in a quarterfinal playoff game at Harlem, a 69-28 victory in which he ran for 481 yards and eight touchdowns. That yardage total was the most in a playoff game in any class outside of a state title game. Joliet Catholic’s Ty Isaac ran for 515 in the 2011 Class 5A state championship game.

Vasey’s season total ranks tops in the nation this season and tied for the 13th-best season ever, according to MaxPreps.

2 (tie): Shining stars at state track (37)

Huntley’s Alex Johnson and Prairie Ridge’s Rylee Lydon will be regarded as two of the greatest girls track and field athletes ever in McHenry County. They have done extraordinary things the past two years and own five state championships between them.

Last season, Johnson repeated as Class 3A long jump champion at the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet and also added a triple jump title. Lydon won the high jump and was third in the long jump. Johnson started the triple jump and Lydon began long jumping last year.

They will be back for more in the upcoming season, as both are seniors. Johnson will compete next year at Arizona State; Lydon is headed for Texas A&M. Both received full scholarships through their athletics and academics, which is rare for their sport.

2 (tie). Repping for Norge (37)

Wauconda’s Kevin Bickner, Barrington’s Casey Larson and Chicago’s Patrick Gasienica, who all grew up training at Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, represented Team USA in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Bickner and Larson made it to the 2018 Olympics in PyeonChang, South Korea. Bickner finished 39th in the long hill and 43rd on normal hill, Larson was 43rd in long and 39th in normal, and Gasienica was 53rd in long and 49th in normal.

4: Thundering Heard (34)

Huntley’s Jori Heard was sensational as the Red Raiders’ pitching ace as she went 26-7 with a 0.67 ERA, a WHIP of 0.42 and 416 strikeouts in 199 2/3 innings. She walked only 18 hitters and threw several no-hitters and perfect games.

Heard, who now pitches at South Carolina, also was the Raiders’ best hitter. Huntley lost a heartbreaker to Barrington in the Class 4A Barrington Sectional championship 9-7 after leading 7-2 heading into the seventh inning.

Heard was selected as the Northwest Herald Female Athlete of the Year.

5: Rockets’ spring was a blast (27)

Richmond-Burton’s spring sports teams seemed to be engaged in competition with each other on who could perform the best.

The Rockets lost 1-0 to Quincy Notre Dame for the Class 1A girls soccer state championship. R-B fell to Joliet Catholic 12-3 in the Class 2A baseball title game.

The Rockets’ softball team lost to Rockridge 1-0 in the Class 2A Peoria Supersectional. Rockridge went on to win the state title.

The state track and field meets almost produced the program’s first state champion in that sport. In the Class 2A boys 4x400-meter relay, Tristan Rockwell, Joe Miller, Sean Rockwell and Jack Verdoni took second by two-hundredths of a second. Lilly Albert was fourth in the Class 2A 400 and eighth in the 200 in the girls meet.

6 (tie): Maggie Bendell dives in (22)

Cary-Grove junior Maggie Bendell made school history when she won the diving title at the IHSA Girls Swimming and Diving State Championships. It was the first state championship at C-G in swimming and diving.

Bendell, whose father, Curt, won a state diving title at Fremd in 1984, scored 462.5 points to win it. Glenbrook South senior Jacki Stadler was second with 450.8.

6 (tie): Shane Moran takes state (22)

Crystal Lake South senior Shane Moran finished his season at 36-4 and won the Class 2A 182-pound title at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Tournament.

Moran had to do it the hard way in the title match as he trailed Grayslake Central’s Matty Jens 3-0 late in the second period.

Moran now is wrestling at Northern Illinois University.

8: Gidelski meets his hero (16)

Huntley freshman Lucas Gidelski was dealing with the toughest month of his life after being diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphona in late October.

Less than a month later, weakened by the aggressive cancer treatments, Gidelski and his father, David, attended the Detroit Lions at Bears game. Lions receiver Anthony Pittman set them up with field passes and Lucas, in a wheelchair, got to meet Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, his favorite player, before the game.

The video of St. Brown talking to Gidelski and offering his support went viral, and Lucas became a bit of a celebrity.

9: FVC baseball does it again (15)

The Fox Valley Conference often sends a team to the Class 3A or 4A state tournament each season. Last year, it sent one to both.

McHenry made its first trip in school history to the Class 4A state tournament and took fourth place. The Warriors outlasted York 2-1 in 11 innings on Ricky Powell’s two-RBI double to win the supersectional and reach state. McHenry was down to its last strike.

Crystal Lake South started the postseason one game above .500 and finished 19-15 but played its best baseball to reach Joliet. The Gators used strong defense and outstanding pitching to make it to state for the third time in school history. South finished fourth.

10: FVC girls cross country dominates (13)

Prairie Ridge’s Rachel Soukup had a standout season that culminated with a Class 2A state runner-up finish. Soukup was the best of many strong runners as the FVC had arguably its best season in history.

Seven of the FVC girls teams (four in Class 2A; three in 4A) made it to state. Crystal Lake South led the Class 2A group, which included Crystal Lake Central, Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove, by winning its third consecutive sectional title. South’s Bella Gonzalez and C-G’s Jocelyn Onstot made IHSA All-State along with Soukup.

Huntley, Jacobs and McHenry all made it in Class 3A, with Huntley twins Breanna and Brittney Burak making All-State (top 25 finishes). McHenry’s Danielle Jensen and Lynda Rotundo also made All-State.