Lyons Township’s stellar season came to an end on Monday night with a 60-40 loss to fifth-ranked Fenwick in the LaGrange Sectional semifinals.
The Lions, seeded fifth in the sectional, got off to a favorable start against the Friars (31-2), who were ranked fourth in the nation at one point this season and who were awarded the No. 1 seed in the sectional. Lyons led 19-15 after the first period, but the lead quickly evaporated.
Fenwick’s Brittanny Johnson and Devereaux Peters helped ignite a 12-0 run to start the second period and the Friars never looked back from there.
Johnson scored 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting and Peters added 19 points to go along with her 14 rebounds, four steals and four blocks.
Mallory Heydorn, who advanced in the IHSA 3-point competition, led Lyons with 15 points, while Colleen Caplice chipped in 13.
LT shook off a sluggish start and upended Proviso East 54-39 to win the Morton Regional title on Thursday.
The Lions, who finished first in the West Suburban (Silver) Conference, were forced to climb back into the game after an 8-0 deficit in the first quarter. Caplice, who eventually led all scorers with 17 points, hit LT’s first basket of the night with a little over four minutes remaining in the first period. The shot sparked a 16-4 LT run.
Heydorn scored eight points in the second quarter to put her team up 14-10, and the Lions carried an eight-point lead into halftime. Heydorn finished with 16 points.
Kazmierczak (13 points) made three 3-pointers in the third quarter to seal the win for LT.
Lyons closes out the season with a 24-8 overall record.
McGrath qualifies in 2 events
Pat McGrath’s strong swimming in two events led Lyons Township to second place at the Downers Grove North Swimming Sectional on Saturday. The Lions scored 239 points, runner-up to Hinsdale Central’s 259, and qualified five swimmers and all three relays for State to be held in Winnetka at New Trier High School on Friday and Saturday.
Along with McGrath who qualified in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:43.30 and the 100-yard freestyle in :47.29, other swimmers in individual events making a splash at State will be Kevin Brosnan, Paul Wierdak and freshmen Pat Donovan and Ross Ford.
Brosnan, a senior, qualified by finishing the 200-yard IM in 2:02.30. Wierdak finished the 50-yard freestyle in :22.39. Donovan’s time of 2:01.94 in the 200-yard IM was good enough to qualify for State, as was Ford’s :54.22 in the 100-yard butterfly.
LT also advanced its 200 (1:27.92) and 400-yard (3:13.83) freestyle relay teams, as well as the 200-yard medley relay team (1:40.12).
Rough waters for RB
The Riverside-Brookfield swim team had some steep competition at the Oak Park Sectional on Saturday where the host, Fenwick, took top honors with 328 points, and OPRF rounded out second (271).
The Bulldogs failed to qualify a swimmer for State, but finished fourth at the sectional with 150.5 points, behind Lane Tech (131).
St. Patrick took third place with 200 points.
