By Stephen Nelson
At the April 3 Bourbonnais Village Board meeting, trustees honored the Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School Unified Basketball Team for winning the 2023 state championship. By passing a proclamation, the team and their coaches were recognized for their achievement.
The proclamation reads: The Corporate Authorities of the Village of Bourbonnais are pleased to recognize and congratulate the Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School Unified Basketball team who earned first place in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Unified Basketball Division I State Championship. The competition took place on Friday, March 10, and Saturday, March 11, at the University of Illinois Activities and Recreation Center in Champaign; and WHEREAS, Unified basketball is a Special Olympics sport that pairs Special Olympics athletes with their Unified partners from school.
This is BBCHS’s second year with a Unified basketball team, and the first time for a basketball state championship of any kind in the school’s history; and WHEREAS, the Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School Unified Basketball team exhibited great determination and a commitment to teamwork to achieve excellence. The village authority wishes to recognize the following players: Tariq Maiden Joe Menard, Anthony Boyce, Brandon Campbell, Levi Lawson, Crystal Griffin, Markeese Jeffry, Nathan Corder, Tyler Wilson, Kiersten Martin, Josh Clifton, Calan Darling, Calvin Kohl, Max Mallendine, Lilly Yuska, Liberty Rivard, Rylie Swinford, and Maya Proctor; WHEREAS, the 2023 basketball players’ lives have been positively impacted by their experience in learning that hard work, dedication, and teamwork result in great success.
The team went into the state competition with a goal and came back with a first place trophy; and WHEREAS, the village recognizes that strong, passionate, and committed leadership is essential for a successful program and improving the lives of students. The village hereby congratulates Managers Katrina Zettergren and Carly Cox, and Coaches Paul Drake, Paige Schultz, and Sam Soosh, for their leadership and inspiration.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that, we, the corporate authorities of the Village of Bourbonnais, and on behalf of the citizens of the village, hereby recognize and congratulate the 2023 Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School Unified Basketball players for their achievement on this third day of April 2023.