District 230’s girls wrestling team won a state championship in 2025 and is defending that title this season.
However, starting with the 2026-27 season, state championships for the team in its current makeup will come to an end. The co-op team, consisting of Sandburg, Stagg and Andrew, is one of the victims of a new IHSA rule.
In mid-December IHSA school members voted to disallow co-op teams with 3,500 or more combined students from competing for state series team awards, which includes state championships.
That means District 230 could either split into its three respective schools and reap the benefits of team state competition or stay together as a single unit and forgo team honors.
“I don’t know if we’re going to stay together and just not go for the team state title or not,” District 230 coach Liz Short said. “I still think a team co-op is a better product.”
She said that having 60-plus wrestlers competing at practice is better for the wrestlers rather than having three programs with approximately 20 each.
District 230 is based at Andrew. Short hopes that if there is a decision to divide, the other schools will be able to support the sport and provide coaches.
“If we do split, I hope we are in a healthy place,” she said. “We want to get girls wrestling better and get the product better and we get Illinois better and get the country better.
“We need to beat Japan, which we haven’t been able to do.”
Short is also hoping that the sport develops to the point where there are freshman and sophomore teams competing to give the wrestlers more opportunities to develop.
The team wrapped up the 2025 portion of its season by finishing fifth in the 23-team Sally Berman Girls Tournament on Dec. 23 at Palatine.
Jade Hardee won at 115 pounds, Piper Booe won at 120 and Tatum De La Vega was third at 110.
Red and Blue invitees
Five area football players were invited to play in the 52nd Illinois High School Shrine Game, which will be held June 20 at Illinois Wesleyan’s Tucci Stadium in Bloomington.
St. Rita quarterback Steven Armbruster and Richards quarterback Noah Escobedo were invited to play for the Red team.
Chicago Christian running back Josh Crawford, Reavis kicker Blake Stefanek and Reavis defensive end Parker Zasada are on the Blue squad.
Chicago Christian’s CJ Cesario is the head coach of the Blue squad while Sandburg’s Sheamus Murphy is an assistant.
Macs are champs at Libertyville
Mother McAuley girls basketball won the Libertyville Winter Classic, beating Libertyville 49-32 for the title on Dec. 23.
The Mighty Macs (10-3) had three all-tourney picks: Taji Alexa, Delia Sullivan and Quinn Arundel.
Argonauts keep rolling
Argo girls basketball heads into the new year at 13-4 after beating the hosts 75-37 on Dec. 28 to win the Collins Holiday Tournament.
Zanarhia Lawrence scored 18 points and Morgan Murphy added 15 for the Argonauts, who also finished second in the Perspectives-Leadership Tournament.