Senior Mia DiBraccio had special motivation for the Lyons Township High School girls swimming and diving team’s Senior Night dual against York on Sept. 29.
“There’s definitely a different energy for me, especially on Senior Night,” DiBraccio said “The community of the team, everyone just supporting all of the seniors, really made me wanting to try hard and do my best.”
DiBraccio delivered season-best times in winning the 200-yard freestyle (2 minutes, 0.31 seconds) and 100 butterfly (1:00.96) in the Lions’ 134-52 victory.
LTHS honored 13 seniors – swimmers Maggie Adler, Avery Berg, Theo Calafeteanu, DiBraccio, Grace Higgins, Gabby Luburic, Becky Phillips, Evie Reinisch, Allison Schroeder, Abbey Silic, Leah Wilson and Ava Wright and diver Helen Lloyd.
“Especially this year, it was very special because all of the seniors are really close, closer than seniors have been in previous years,” DiBraccio said. “It was sentimental realizing it’s our last year and it’s pretty much coming to the end. We’re definitely connected in a very special way.”
Against many of the state’s top teams on Oct. 1, the Lions (339.5 points) were third at the St. Charles North Invite behind New Trier (406) and St. Charles North (340) and just ahead of Hinsdale Central (319).
Adler (200 free in 1:55.55) and Phillips (200 individual medley in 2:12.21) placed second. Lindsey Forebaugh (100 fly in 58.87) and the 200 free relay of Adler, Audrey Cavaliere, Ella Jean Kelly and Phillips (1:38.91) were third.
Girls tennis
The No. 2 doubles team of senior Molly Burke and junior Maddie Rowen had a rough start at the Naperville North Invitational on Oct. 1.
Opening against Hinsdale Central, the Lions lost the first set 6-0. But, they rallied to win the next two sets 6-4 and 10-6 in a tiebreaker and went on to finish second in the eight-team bracket.
“After that first game, kind of being aggressive and scaring them a bit [helped],” Rowen said. “We got in their heads a little bit and were able to flip it around.”
The Lions hope to flip some regular-season results at this weekend’s West Suburban Conference Silver Meet in Glen Ellyn after going 3-3 in duals.
Sofija Grujic (No. 1 singles) and Scarlette Rahman (No. 2 singles) and Mia Graziano and Ginny Gibbs (No. 1 doubles) were fourth and Ashley Culin and Rhia Nagale (No. 3 doubles) were fifth at Naperville North.
Burke and Rowen are among those feeling improvements throughout the season. They played one match together in 2021 in an exhibition No. 5 doubles match after previously knowing each other, such as the same softball team.
“I talked to [LTHS coach Dave Robare]. I was like, ‘Why don’t we try me and Maddie?’” Burke said. “We have similar characteristics. We’re both really aggressive, so that connection, I feel, has made a really scrappy doubles team, beat those more consistent players.”
Boys soccer
The Lions collected two more shutouts in beating Reavis 1-0 on Oct. 1 and Proviso West 3-0 on Sept. 27.
Joe Mazurowski scored for the Lions (12-2-3, 3-0 in WSC Silver) against Reavis with Brian Salvino assisting.
Liam Carolan had the first goal versus Proviso West and Owen Suda the next two. Assists were from Will Swicionis, Ben Swicionis and Ashton Hutchins.
