Sports
No. 4 of 2010 Sports: Conference Sweep for Viking Football Team
After an 0-2 start, the Vikings run the table in their first-ever Upstate Eight season.
Editor's note: It would be interesting to know where this season ranks in Coach Rob Wicinski's all-time list. It was supposed to be a "rebuilding year," and 2010 turned out to be a memorable season indeed.
On the list of Top 10 Sports Moments of 2010, Craig Brueske's No. 4 is ...
Football team rebounds from 0-2 start
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After suffering season-opening losses to and , people started wondering what was wrong with Geneva's football team. Well, the answer was … . Senior two-way standout and junior quarterback helped propel coach s Vikings to eight straight victories, including the team's seventh straight —this time as first-time members of the Upstate Eight Conference River Division. Scoreboard operators were kept busy late in the season when the Vikings piled up 69 points in back-to-back weeks ( on Oct 22; 69-28 first-round 6A playoff win over on Oct. 30).
5. Senior-led cross country team caps amazing run
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What started with back-to-back state championships came to an emotional end for Geneva's , which placed fourth at the meet last month at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Seniors Kelly Whitley, Tess Ehrhardt, Liza Tauscher, Rachel Hammond and Megan Brady were part of a group that led the Vikings to back-to-back state titles in 2007 and 2008. Whitley (2nd in 2007 and 2008; 18th in 2009) earned all-state honors for the fourth straight year (top-25 finish).
6. Hip hip hooray for Hipchen!
Junior outfielder Chris Hipchen set a new Viking team record with 13 home runs this past season, eclipsing the previous mark (12) set by Nick Herrera (2004, 2006) and Cory Hofstetter (2008). The right-handed hitting slugger belted three home runs in one game against Kaneland on April 6.
7. Riley Perry sets new career-win standard
Senior right-handed pitcher Riley Perry established a new career win record when he notched his 20thvictory during the Vikings' 1-0 regional semifinal whitewash of West Chicago—the last of his four shutouts this past season.
8. A softball surprise!
Led by Stacey Cladis, Melissa Barber, Anna McCaffrey, Elana Wright, Bridget Weitzel and Kirsten Searcy, 12th-seeded upset fifth-seeded Glenbard North in the regional semifinals before rallying to a 4-2 regional championship win over fourth-seeded Lake Park. It was the Vikings' first regional title since 2005.
9. Kat Yelle reaches personal milestone
Senior point guard scored the of her four-year varsity career during's 82-18 Upstate Eight Conference River Division win over Elgin on Dec. 10.
Yelle has signed with Ohio University on a .
10. Boenzi pockets pair of top-10 state finishes
Senior capped his high school athletic career in style by placing fourth in the shot put (59-2 ¾) and sixth in the discus (167-11) at the Class 3A boys state track and field meet held this past May in Charleston.
