Girls competitive athletics have come a long way in recent decades. With one weekend remaining in the Illinois High School Association girls softball and boys baseball, success can be savored with more on the horizon. St. Charles East will play Joliet West at 3 p.m. Friday in a Class 4A softball State tournament semifinal in East Peoria and Huntley will play Marist in the other semifinal at 5:30 p.m..
St. Charles East, combined with St. Charles North, took fourth place last weekend in the girls lacrosse State tournament. New Trier won both boys and girls lacrosse State championships. St. Francis of Wheaton will play McNamara at 10 a.m. Friday in a Class 3A softball semifinal.
Naperville North and Benet Academy girls teams captured State soccer tournament championships Saturday at North Central College in Naperville.
“This group of girls was so resilient and went through ups and downs this season, including injuries to key members of the starting lineup,” North head coach Steven Goletz said earlier this week. “Multiple players stepped in to carry the group throughout the State tournament.” The Lady Huskies matched the boys soccer team which won the State championship in November, its third in succession.
Benet Academy head coach Oconer Gerard: “Our explosive offense, combined with our air-tight defense that only conceded 17 goals in 28 games and had 16 shutouts. We had five players with double-digit goals and five players with double-digit assists.”