Growing up, Leah Roche was a soccer player. The Wilmette native played all the way through her junior year at New Trier and was ready to play club while at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. But that plan changed in the winter of her freshman year. Continue reading
Being a member of any team, whether athletic or business, teaches you how to communicate and, in some cases, how to be a leader. Sometimes when an athlete’s career is over, it is time to look for another path in life, to find another passion.
Tim Grovenburg, a 2006 New Trier graduate, knew that his football career wouldn’t go on forever. So while playing football at Bentley University in Massachusetts, he found his passion: helping small companies grow. Continue reading
Christian Heritage Academy’s Academy senior Josey Dunne’s had hockey in her blood since she was a young child. With three older siblings gone on to play NCAA Division I college hockey, the dream of playing at the next level has been at the top of mind for Dunne, who is one of six hockey-playing kids and hails from O’Fallon, Missouri.
“I started on the ice as a figure skater, but then I went to one of my brothers hockey games and thought that ‘they get to hit, they get to shoot? That’s a lot more fun than picking up teddy bears,’” she said. “When I saw my older sister play at Ohio State I thought ‘wow she can do that.’ And I think we have a competitive family so that pushed me to a mindset that that’s what I want to do and what I can do.” Continue reading
New Trier graduate Matt Kaskey, a Dartmouth College offensive lineman, had his NFL dream come true April 29, 2019.
Kaskey, a Wilmette native, signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams, giving him a chance to attend minicamp and hopefully earn a spot on the Rams’ 53-man roster. Continue reading
The last name Mangan is one that is well known to the Loyola Academy community. With four brothers having walked through the Wilmette school’s halls, all having played multiple sports, it’d be fair to say they’ve left a mark on the school.
The fourth — and final — Mangan, Matthew, will leave Loyola as a two-sport athlete, having played both football and basketball his last two years at the school. His play on the football field helped him gain some collegiate looks, especially as his senior season went on.
On Thursday, Jan. 30, Mangan made his official decision on where he’ll be playing football for the next four years of his life: the University of Dayton. Continue reading
Kick-It, an Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) program, is a national volunteer-driven effort focused solely on raising money for childhood cancer research. For many athletes around the country, it’s a chance to help be part of a good cause, one that could help others of all ages.
Loyola Academy football junior kicker Nate Van Zelst decided to be one of those helped. He became a member of the The Kick-It Champion for Kids Program — a part of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation — a National Organization registered 501(c)3 charity whose mission is to “change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to cure childhood cancer.” Continue reading
For many high school and middle school students, their teenage years are full of sporting events, plays, musicals or cheerleading competitions. For the Lougin siblings, Daniel and Sofiy, their teenage years have led them on a different path: the dance floor.
The brother-and-sister team from Glencoe is the No. 10 ballroom dancing team in the country in their age group.
While many ballroom dancers may start with professional training from a young age, the Lougins’ start was a little more fun. Continue reading
Mia Krone started out her childhood as a hockey player, playing all over the North Shore. But by the time she hit 11, hockey wasn’t fun for her anymore — she was looking for a new challenge.
“My dad took me to the Evanston club and had me watch [speedskating] practice,” Krone said. “Because I knew how to skate, they gave me some speed skates and put me on the ice. At the time, Shani Davis was coaching on the ice so he was my first coach and got me hooked on the sport.”
Davis, a Chicago native, won the gold medal in the 1000-meter at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics and the silver medal in the 1500-meter in those same two Olympics. Continue reading
Winnetka couple Sid and Laura Glenn never expected to be rivals.
That is until their alma maters faced off in an NCAA Final Four game April 6 in Minneapolis.
“I think the instant reaction when we realized they were going to play each other was, ‘This is never going to happen again, we’ve got to get tickets and we have to go,’” said Laura, who graduated from Michigan State University. Continue reading
Wilmette’s Johnny Wrenn, a graduate of New Trier High School, had never been out of the country before.
So imagine his reaction to traveling all the way to Abu Dhabi and Dubai to participate in the 2019 Special Olympics World Games last March.
“I wish it never ended,” Wrenn said. Continue reading
Michael Wojtychiw 