By Bobby Narang
Aurora Central Catholic High School senior Patrick Hilby closed out his season with a flourish.
After capturing the Class 2A State championship in the 400 and 800 meters in Charleston, Hilby was named the 2023-24 Gatorade Illinois Boys Track & Field Player of the Year.
Hilby becomes the first boys track athlete at Aurora Central Catholic to earn the honor. The Universityof Wisconsin recruit won a national title and set a State record with a 1:47.55 in the 800 in the New Balance Nationals Outdoor, the sixth fastest clocking in U.S. high school history.
Hilby signed an NIL deal with New Balance.
Summer basketball update
The Oswego boys basketball team has had a busy Summer so far, by hiring a new head coach and playing 20 games in June. Former Elk Grove coach, Nick Oraham, took over the job in late Spring.
Oraham said his players had a good June session, including a 3-0 record on the last day of the Morris Shootout with wins over Morris, Oak Forest, and Galesburg.
“We had a good June,” Oraham said. “The kids really bought into the new climate and culture we’re trying to instill. I think the biggest thing is the kids started practicing harder than what they did earlier on and bought in.
“Offensively, in terms of moving the basketball and spacing and eliminating the mid-range jump shot, the kids took to all of that. Overall, the kids improved every day in the game and in every game. We had fun.”
They ended the June period with a fun victory.
Junior Dasean Patton drilled a game-winning three-pointer to defeat Galesburg at the buzzer in the final game of the team’s month together.
“After we won our last game, it was great to see the guys celebrating together,” Oraham said. “That was really cool to see them come together.
“Our bench was engaged for the whole game. I wished we had another week or 10 days left together, so we could see more progress.”
Senior Tyrell Mays said it was a good way to cap the team season.
“The positives that I saw were we played more together as a team,” Mays said. “We never gave up on each other. We played for each other. The most important things is that we all had fun while doing it.”