The Top 10 High School Sports Moments of 2011

Athletes from and continued to provide local sports fans with plenty to cheer about in 2011. The following is a chronological list of the 10 biggest sports accomplishments of the year.

1. 

Downers South Junior Willie Anaya beat Machesney Park Harlem’s Josh Anthony 6-2 to capture third place at 160 pounds at the state finals Feb. 19 at Assembly Hall in Champaign. Anaya (47-4) became the first Mustang to medal at that weight class. Only five wrestlers in school history have finished higher.

2.  Reed and Errichiello make a big splash at state swimming meet

Downers Grove North Senior Mike Reed and Downers Grove South Senior Vince Errichiello win two medals each at the state swimming finals Feb. 26 in Winnetka. Reed, who now swims for the University of Wisconsin, finished second in the 100-yard freestyle in a school-record 46.07 and was fifth in the 50 free. Errichiello placed eighth in the 100 butterfly and ninth in the 200 individual medley to become the first Mustang in 20 years to earn multiple medals in consecutive years.

3. 

The Trojans capture the first trophy in school history by finishing third at the state finals May 16 in Frankfurt. North, which had placed fifth in 2009 and fourth in 2010, scored 156.65 points to beat fourth-place Naperville North by four points. Senior Luke Schubert (53.45 points) and Junior Luke Wychocki (51.95) led the way for the Trojans.

4. 

North’s 3,200-meter relay team sets a school record while winning the state championship at the girls track and field state finals May 17 at O’Brien Stadium in Charleston. The quartet of Sophomore Gabrielle Hesslau, Freshman Stephanie Urbancik, Senior Gaby Effrein and Sophomore Jillian Kothanek are the first relay team in school history to win a state title. Their time of 9:09.61 was the fifth-fastest in state history.

5.  Downers North Softball team completes best regular season in school history

Led by sisters Kendall and Dale Ryndak, who starred on the mound and at the plate, the Trojans beat Bolingbrook 5-1 in a Class 4A regional semifinal May 24 to improve to 32-4. Though North was upset by Naperville North in the regional final, it still posted the best record in school history, setting the school record for victories for the second straight year.

6.  Downers South Softball advances to sectional championship game

The Mustangs rout Naperville Central 10-0 June 2 to advance to the Class 4A Oswego East Sectional championship game. Winning pitcher Jenny Nichols drove in four runs and Senior Marissa Mersch collected the 250th, and final, hit of her illustrious career. Mersch, now playing for the University of Wisconsin, fell two hits shy of tying the state record for career hits.

7. Downers South Girls Cross Country team wins sectional title

The Mustangs advanced to the state finals for the first time since 2001 by winning the Class 3A Lockport Sectional on Oct. 29. Freshman Amanda Thate, who earlier in the season broke the school record, led the way for South, finishing third in 18:31. Katie Strelau, Jacquelyn Thate, Jordyn Baylark-Rasul and Amy Rotunno were the other counting scores for the Mustangs.

8.

Downers Grove South Senior Nicholas Kirk finishes 14th to earn all-state honors at the boys cross country state finals Nov. 5 at Detweiller Park in Peoria. It is the highest individual finish in school history. In the girls race, Amanda Thate placed28th to lead Downers South to 12th place, the school's best showing since 1991. The Downers North girls finished 21st. Junior Gabrielle Hesslau was the top North runner, taking 63rd.

9.

Josh Williams scored three touchdowns and the defense recovered two fumbles as the Mustangs throttled Brother Rice 41-14 in a Class 8A second-round playoff game Nov. 4 in Downers Grove. The victory advanced South to the state quarterfinals for the second time in three years. The Mustangs were eliminated by eventual state champion Bolingbrook 47-19 the following week but finished with 10 wins for the first time since 2002.

10.

Downers North Sophomore Gabby Sims wins the 100-yard backstroke at the state swimming finals Nov. 19 in Winnetka, becoming the fourth state champion in her family. Her father, Dave, won the 500 freestyle in 1980 for Joliet Catholic, while her brother, Burke, won the same event for North in 2009 and sister, Haley, took the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley in 2010.