Area Sports Roundup: Shepard, Sandburg and Marist win cheerleading sectional titles

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

The area collected three sectional cheerleading championships and head into the state competition with a head of steam.

Sandburg, Marist and Shepard came out of sectional competition with trophies and will compete in the IHSA state finals, to be held Friday and Saturday at Grossinger Arena at Illinois State University in Bloomington.

Shepard scored a 92.43 to win the coed division of the Bradley-Bourbonnais Sectional on Jan. 28.

It was the Astros’ second sectional title in team history. They also won one during the virtual tournament in 2021 when the traditional state meet was canceled, but teams competed via video performances.

The coed division at Bradley was packed with area talent as Reavis took fourth with an 87.22 and Lyons came in fifth with an 85.05. Both qualified for state.

At Hoffman Estates, Sandburg won its 10^th sectional, scoring a 95.73 to win the large-school division.

At Buffalo Grove, Marist took first in the large-team division with a 96.23 for its sixth sectional title.

At Hoffman Estates, Evergreen Park claimed third place with an 89.53 to advance in the medium team division and will also head to state.

Tough go for bowlers
Four area teams competed at the boys state bowling meet Jan. 27 at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights, but none of them advanced to the second day.

Sandburg was the highest area placer at 14^th with a six-game total of 5,837. Junior Woodley Dangerfield led the Eagles with a 1,311.

Lyons placed 18 with a 5,690 and was led by senior Drew Escamilla’s 1,254, which included a 710 in the morning session.

Reavis took 20^th as senior Ethan DeLuna led with a 1,208.

Stagg finished 24^th with senior Robert Janski leading the way with a 1,261.

Individually, Sandburg’s Adam Durkin placed 11^th with a 2,558 over 12 games.

Dylan still thrillin’
Sandburg alum Dylan Jacobs, who is taking a graduate year at Tennessee after transferring from Notre Dame, is already on fire for the Volunteers.

Jacobs set an American collegiate indoor record in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 13:11.01 Jan. 28 at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center.

Red Stars make moves
The Chicago Red Stars have signed Brazilian national player Julia Bianchi to a two-year contract.

Bianchi spent the last two seasons with Brazilian side Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, where she played 77 matches and won three championships (Paulista Cup, Libertadores and Paulista Championship).

In 2022, she helped the team finish at the top of the table with a 12-1-2 record, reaching the semifinals in the 2022 Série A1 season.

“Julia is a talented player. She can play a number of different positions and be effective in each one,” said Red Stars coach Chris Petrucelli. “She’s proven to be a top player in Brazil, and we expect the same kind of success in the NWSL. She’s still a young player so we’re very excited about her future in Chicago.”

The Red Stars also acquired midfielder Cari Roccaro from Angel City FC in exchange for $65,000 in allocation money.

Last season with Angel City, Roccaro played in 21 matches (20 starts), recording four goals with one assist while completing 81 percent of her passes. Roccaro’s four goals made her the second highest goal scorer for Angel City last season.

“Cari is a fantastic addition for us. She’s a proven winner in this league,” Petrucelli said. “She’ll bring championship experience to our young group. She’s a force physically while being talented technically. We’re looking forward to working with her.”