Area Sports Roundup: Lyons eyes back-to-back state gymnastics titles

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

Time will tell if the Lyons boys gymnastics team can win its second straight IHSA state championship.

But the Lions have taken a good first step in achieving that goal.

Lyons won its own sectional May 5 with 149.3, nearly 10 points better than runner-up Naperville North.

Senior Randy Yonan won the all-around with a 52.9 and the parallel bars with a 9.05. Other top-five finishers were Lyons sophomores Will Taylor and Roman Hanyuk.

Palatine will be the team with the target on its back after racking up a sectional score of 163.4. Earlier this season, Lyons scored 163.6 in a meet at Hinsdale Central.

The state meet is scheduled to be held Friday and Saturday at Hoffman Estates High School.

Sandburg junior Dylan Childs, who participates on the District 230 co-op team at Andrew, qualified in three events at the Downers Grove North Sectional. Childs won the still rings with an 8.3, took second in the all-around with a 48.55, tied for fourth in the vault with an 8.6, and placed fifth in both the floor exercise with an 8.7 and in the pommel horse with a 7.55.

Jim Adduci poses after his number was retired at Evergreen Park Community High School. Photo courtesy of Evergreen Park Community High School

Rain doesn’t dampen Adduci honor

Jim Adduci Jr.’s ceremony may have been washed out, but Evergreen Park still honored him and retired his number 1.

The ceremony was supposed to be held May 5, but was canceled because of rain. The Evergreen Park graduate and former major league player still had a chance to meet and give a speech to the current crop of Mustangs.

Adduci played with Texas, Detroit and the Chicago Cubs, as well as in Japan. He left the game in 2019 and was the production coordinator with the Cubs. He is now an instructor at the White Sox Academy.

Fishing Eagles

Sandburg’s bass fishing team is heading to the IHSA state meet after winning the Des Plaines River-Big Basin Marina Sectional on May 5.

The finals are scheduled to be held May 20-21 at Carlyle Lake in Carlyle.

The Eagles had a haul of 11 pounds, 9 ounces. Members of the team are Szymon Piton, Leo Glynn and Greg Kotsiviras, with Jeff Kwilose serving as the driver.

It is the Eagles’ third sectional title and sixth trip to state.

Badminton’s Best

Area schools will send a small contingent to the IHSA badminton state meet, scheduled to be held Thursday at Hinsdale South.

Lyons senior Aamini Qureshi finished second in singles at the Lincoln-Way Central Sectional, while the doubles team of Marris Carli-Elle Ownby claimed second and Greta Baumgartner-Courtney Godbout took fourth. University High Urbana sophomore singles player Andrea Li stormed through the sectional, winning three matches by a combined score of 126-13. She was a state runner-up as a freshman.

Stagg senior Heba Rashid claimed third at Hinsdale South.

Sandburg senior Cindy Lim placed second at the Hinsdale Central Sectional, while sophomore Alexa Petcu took fourth.

Motley’s crew

The Shepard girls track team won its eighth South Suburban Red title in 10 years, piling up 148 points, well ahead of Argo’s 94 on May 4 at Eisenhower.

Freshman Kyla Motley won three championships and finished second in another event. Motley won the 100 hurdles in 15.77 and the 300 hurdles in 50.48. She won the triple jump with a leap of 36-feet, 3.76-inches and claimed second in the long jump with a 15-6.75.

Shepard senior Chloe Dunigan won the 200 in 26.59. Senior Brianna Sweas win the discus with a throw of 115 feet, 5.75 inches.

Evergreen Park’s 800 relay team of Carmela Woods, Gabriela Flores, Morgan Wright and Akirah Fort took the title with a time of 1:49.71. The Mustangs’ 1600 relay team of Kristen Smith, Gabriela Flores, Madison Morgan and Carmela Woods earned a conference title with a time of 4:20.87. Fort, a senior, also won the high jump with a jump of 4 feet, 9.75 inches.

Argo senior Alysia Arias claimed the 400 with a time of 1:04.12. Teammate Valeria Marquez Enriquez won the 800 in 2:34.57 and 1600 in 5:50.32. The Argonauts’ 3200 relay team of Enriquez, Abigail Gutierrez, Victoria Dorula and Arias won in 10:37.56. Senior Olivia Washington won the long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 8 inches.

Reavis junior Claudia Connor won the shot put with a heave of 36 feet, 10.25 inches.

Oak Lawn senior Madison Ryan took the pole vault, clearing 8 feet, 6 inches.