[quote]By Drew Danko
Online Editor[/quote]

2015 was a turning point for Metea athletics, as the younger athletic department shifted from the Upstate 8 conference to the DuPage Valley conference. The year was highlighted with postseason titles, triumphant wins against long-time rivals, and nail-biting games from all sports. It is time to reminisce on some of these unbelievable moments from 2015

1.  FOOTBALL: Girls’ soccer is not the only program that defeated long-time rival Waubonsie Valley for the first time this past year. In its first appearance at North Central College, football proved that it deserved its time to play at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, where the team defeated the Warriors 19-7 in the “Eola Bowl”. Senior Amiri Finner scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, one in which he returned a kick-off 92 yards. Also, senior Reggie Hill prevented a WV score with an impressive one-handed interception in the WV end zone.

   [quote]Video courtesy of The Mane (Joey Marasco).[/quote]

   Read our full recap of the WV game here.

2. BOYS’ SWIMMING: Class of 2015 alumni Jordan O’Brien (University of Missouri men’s swimming) and Matt Salerno (University of Arizona men’s swimming) capped off their senior seasons by leading the boys’ swimming team to a sixth place finish at the state meet. O’Brien repeated as breaststroke state champion with a time of 55.39 seconds, and Salerno touched second with a time of 56.04 seconds. Senior Robert Wang, senior Alex Dillmann, Salerno, and O’Brien also finished first in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:32.95.
3. GIRLS’ SOCCER: Girls’ soccer has become a dynastic program in athletics, but despite all its titles and successes, the team had not managed to defeat the Waubonsie Valley Warriors. However, after losing to the Warriors 1-5 in the regular season, the Mustangs beat the Warriors 2-1 after goals from current junior Jade Eriksen-Russo and current senior Madie Sandberg to win the regional title. The team went to the sectional championship, but lost to Neuqua Valley 0-2. Read our full game recap here. 
4. BOYS’ BASKETBALL: After an up-and-down season, boys’ basketball rallied to go on a 10-win streak that pushed them to the IHSA sectional semifinals. The team defeated #1 seeded Lyons Township 60-57 in the regional final to win the title for the first time since 2012.  

Read our full game recap here.

5. GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY: For the first time in program history, the girls’ cross country team tied for fifth place at the sectional meet, sending the entire team to run at the state meet in Peoria Nov. 7. Nicki Cast, Terri Scarlett, Leana Goldman, Keely Weber, Kyla Ohst, Brittney Sidwell, and Talia Saleh made up the state team, which finished in 14th place with a team time of 1:30:11. Nicki Cast led the Mustangs at the state meet, with a 17:32 time that put her in 36th place individually. Read our story on the team’s sectional here. 

6. GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD: Holly Julifs (University of Alabama women’s track and field), current junior Courtney Morgan, and current junior Nicki Cast helped the team to finish in fourth place at the state meet May 23, 2015. Julifs finished in first in the discus throw, and she finished in eighth place in the shot put. Morgan finished in third for the discus throw, and she finished in fourth place for the shot put. Cast finished in sixth place in the 800-meter run.

7. GIRLS’ SWIMMING: In a team of younger athletes, the girls’ swim team proved itself by finishing in 10th place at the state meet at New Trier Nov. 21, 2015, its highest finish in program history. Seniors Amanda Burson, Jacquelyn Kurkjian, and Madie Sandberg, along with sophomore Anna Scovill, placed eighth in state for the 400-yard freestyle relay event with a time of 3:29.26. Seniors Burson and Sandberg, along with sophomores Sadie Gregory and Scovill finished fourth in state in the 200-yard freestyle relay event with a time 1:35.18, and earned the All-American honor. Individually, Burson finished fourth in state in the 50-yard freestyle event with a time of 23.25, and 10th in state in the 100-yard freestyle event with a time of 51.91. Sandberg followed closely, finishing 11th in state in the 100-yard freestyle relay event with a time of 51.92.

8. FOOTBALL: The football team won its first DuPage Valley conference game in a 29-28 thriller over Naperville North Sept. 4, 2015 at Mustang Stadium. The Mustangs took the lead with 51.3 seconds left after senior quarterback Conner Lovely completed a pass to senior receiver Brad Fekety. After a last-second field goal attempt from Naperville North, students stormed the field to celebrate the team’s first win of the season. Read our full recap of the game here.

2015 was a big year in athletics and there are many more exciting moments in athletics from the year. We cannot wait to see what 2016 has in store for Metea Athletics.

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