Now that pleasant Spring air and manageable temperatures have arrived for outdoor Spring sports, after extended Winter-like weather of snow in April more than once, high schools are preparing for Spring tournament countdown time.
First will be competition this week for the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in boys gymnastic sectionals through Saturday, girls badminton sectionals through Saturday, and girls Class 1A soccer regional quarterfinals Friday and Saturday in the three-class system. Girls regional quarterfinals in soccer in Class 2A and Class 3A will start Friday, May 11. Progression will be made from regional tournament play to sectional tournament play.
The merry month of May will be the busiest for the high school tournaments with June 1-2 State tournaments to be held in boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, Class 1A and 2A in boys baseball, Class 1A and 2A in girls softball, Class 2A and 3A in girls soccer, and boys volleyball. State tournaments will culminate June 8-9 in Class 3A and 4A in boys baseball and in Class 3A and Class 4A in girls softball.
Perhaps the first boys and girls lacrosse tournament will be welcome to observe and understand. In a sport which combines the play of basketball, field hockey, and soccer. The Native Americans played the sport and taught the European settlers the art of playing the game. It has been played in colleges for many decades and spilled into the high schools in the last 15 years. Perhaps, with the expansion to 14 sports in the Spring, if you include bass fishing those wonderful extra-curricular activities have created problems of scheduling for school athletic offices and conference assignment chairmen. Sectional tournament play in lacrosse will begin, for both boys and girls, Friday, May 18.
Here is a rundown of tournament play in high school Spring sports:
• Girls badminton: Sectional tournaments, May 3-5; State tournament, May 11-12 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston;
• Boys gymnastics: Sectional tournaments, May 2-5; State tournament, May 11-2 at Hoffman Estates High School;
• Bass fishing: Sectional tournaments, May 3, 7, State meet at Lake Carlyle in southwestern Illinois, May 18-19, subject to water levels. The State tournament was not held until June last year.
• Girls track: Sectional tournaments, May 9-11, including West Aurora High School and Wheaton Warrenville High School; State tournament, May 17-19, at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston;
• Girls water polo: Sectional tournaments May 11-12, including Metea Valley and York; State tournament, May 17-19, Stevenson High School;
• Boys water polo: Sectional tournaments May 11-12, including Metea Valley and York; State tournament, May 17-19, Stevenson High School;
• Girls soccer Class 1A: Regional tournaments, May 4-5, 8-12; sectional tournaments, 15-16, 8-19; super-sectionals, May 22, State tournament, May 25-26, at North Central College in Naperville.
• Boys track and field: Sectional tournaments, May 16-18, including Glenbard North, Downers Grove North, Huntley, Plainfield South, St. Charles North, Glenbard South, and Seneca; State meet, May 24-26, in Charleston at Eastern Illinois University;
• Boys tennis: Sectional tournaments, May 19, including, Naperville North, Lake Park, St. Charles North, Fenton, Hinsdale South; State tournaments central at Hersey High School, May 24-26.
• Girls soccer Classes 2A, 3A: Regional tournaments, May 11-12, 15-16, 18-19, sectional tournaments, May 22-23, 26, including Plainfield North, Geneva, York, State tournament, June 1-2, at North Central College in Naperville.
• Boys lacrosse: Sectional tournaments, May 18-19, 21, 23, 25, including, Batavia, Huntley, super-sectionals, May 29, State meet, May 31, June 2 at Hinsdale Central High School.
• Girls lacrosse: Sectional tournaments, May 18-19, 1, 23, 25, including Metea Valley, super-sectionals May 29, State meet June 1-2, at Hinsdale Central.
• Boys volleyball: Regionals May 21, 23, sectionals, May 25, 29, including Addison Trail, IMSA, and Minooka, State meet, at Hoffman Estates, June 1-2.
• Look for boys baseball and girls softball dates next week in this space.
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) inducted Hall of Fame class for 2018 Saturday in Bloomingon. Some of the names are familiar to us, including players Mike Gyovai (pronounced Goyvey), Marmion Academy, Army; Aaron McGhee, East Aurora, Vincennes J.C., Oklahoma; Sherik Simpson, Larkin; friends of basketball, Rick Clausel and Mark Proctor, Aurora. All are well deserved and in each case with many years of service and quality performances. There were many inductees, many familiar names to high school basketball fans.