Nazareth Softball Makes School History

LA GRANGE PARK, IL — The Nazareth Academy softball team has made school history with its June 5 Class 3A super-sectional win against Montini High School. This win has qualified the team for the IHSA State Finals.

According to a release, this is the first super-sectional championship in the program's history. Nazareth will now face Marengo on June 9 in East Peoria. Depending on the result of that game, they will either play at 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. on June 10.

The school said earlier this season, softball captured the ESCC Conference Championship, another program first. The ESCC named Coach Emily Hajduk Matthews ‘03 as Coach of the Year and named Gloria Corona, Taylor Gipson, Krystal Levitske, Ciara Mardirosian and Devyn Zuro as ESCC All-Conference Players.

"We have no superstars on this team so their collective belief in themselves and each other to accomplish anything makes this incredibly special,” Matthews said in a release. “Our success stems from the girls’ unwavering belief in the five core team values they chose early in the year -efficiency, perseverance, heart, motivation and versatility. These five values have allowed us to overcome failures and shortcomings throughout the season, propelling us to be in a spot mentally to achieve such amazing things.”

The team consists of: Jordan Barnes of La Grange, Taylor Barnes of La Grange, Leah Cavanaugh of Westchester, Gloria Corona of Brookfield, Julia Dallmann of Lemont, Jessica Delgado of Chicago, Taylor Gipson of Stickney, Alexis Horodecki of Cicero, Krystal Levitske of Willow Springs, Jeanine Mantooth of Westmont, Ciara Mardirosian of Chicago, Nicole Salata of Downers Grove, Gabriella Urso of La Grange, Emily Zalewski of Chicago and Devyn Zuro of Darien.

Photo provided by Nazareth Academy.