GL_020719

44 | February 7, 2019 | The glenview lantern sports
glenviewlantern.com
Glenview skaters travel to Italy
Submitted content
As they prepare to represent
Team USA in Milan,
Italy, Northbrook Park
District’s Teams Elite Junior
skaters are filled with
gratitude for their community,
families and coaches
who have supported them
along the way.
“We’re so excited about
this opportunity,” said
Sofia Gisiner, a sophomore
at Glenbrook North.
“Through every competition,
our coaches have
told us ‘Just keep moving
forward. You can do it.’”
Twenty skaters will
compete at the Spring
Cup on Feb. 15-17 where
30 international synchronized
skating teams will
be performing. Two of the
skaters will be Glenbrook
South sophomore Emilee
Gruszeczki and freshman
Meghan Blomberg. A
Teams Elite Junior Send-
Off Rally is planned for
Thursday, Feb. 7, at Northbrook
Sports Center, 1730
Pfingsten Road. The rally
will feature the team’s
short and long programs
and a brief ceremony.
“Going to Italy is a
dream come true,” said
Ellie Lim, 15, a sophomore
at Glenbrook North.
“We set this goal from the
beginning and we made
it. To be competing with
Team USA is such a huge
honor.”
wrestling
From Page 46
winning both by fall to
place third at 138.
“It’s tough when you
have your eyes on a regional
title and it doesn’t
work out,” Castillo said.
“Kids can put their heads
down. But (Collins) came
back. He has his goals set
and he did what he had to
In addition to the thrill
of skating in such a prestigious
international event,
the athletes hope the Team
USA notoriety will bring
more attention to the sport.
With complicated movements
and maneuvers done
in unison, synchronized
skating requires a unique
type of skillset.
“Synchronized skating
is all about coordination,”
Gisiner said. “With more
than a dozen other skaters,
it can be hard to be so
precise.”
Synchro skating also
provides something that
can’t be found in freestyle
or figure skating — a
team experience. For the
Teams Elite skaters, the
words sewn on their jackets
“More than a team …
family” mean just that.
Many of the skaters on the
Junior Team have grown
up together, starting out
in elementary school taking
lessons at Northbrook
Sports Center.
“Having my teammates
out there skating with me
is so nice,” said Caroline
Clesen, 17, a senior
at Glenbrook North. “We
encourage each other and
cheer one another on.”
Friendships and team
comradery are part of what
drew Lizzie Mar, 17, a junior
at Christian Heritage
Academy in Northfield, to
Teams Elite.
“I’ve made so many
do with those two pins.
He didn’t leave anything
in the ref’s hands.”
The Titans’ KP Santos
(106), Ryan Brown (126)
and Norbert Crecan (170)
all saw their seasons end
with losses on the thirdplace
mat.
The Titans only graduate
one senior from this
year’s regional lineup
and Castillo is happy with
friends through Teams
Elite,” Mar said. “Synchronized
skating is unlike
any other type of
skating. You get to know
so many different people
and there’s so much
collaboration.”
Founded in 1999, the
Teams Elite Program includes
seven teams, starting
with Synchro Skills I
and Preliminary up to the
newly added Junior-level
traveling to Italy. The
Teams Elite Junior Team
was formed in February
after Teams Elite Novice
skaters were ready to
move to the next level.
“We’re going to give it
our all,” said Erica Lee,
15, who competes in track
and field for Glenbrook
North during the synchro
skating off season in the
spring. “This is going to
be a really great experience
for us and bring more
attention to the program.”
Although several skaters
are from Northbrook and
neighboring communities,
Teams Elite’s success
has drawn skaters from
as far as Downers Grove
and even Wisconsin for a
chance to compete.
“It was really exciting to
find out with the rest of the
team that we were going
to Italy,” said Nikki Nemerson,
15, a sophomore
at Glenbrook North. “Our
goal from the beginning
was to make history.”
progress his young team
made this season.
“Overall it was a good
year and a good group
of kids,” Castillo said.
“They worked hard and
didn’t complain. Last
year we didn’t have any
(sectional) qualifiers and
this year we got two, and
could have had a few
more. So we’re headed in
the right direction.”
Glenview residents help lead
soccer team to 2nd-place finish
Submitted content
Glenview residents
helped their soccer team
finish second at a national
tournament.
Ryan Prado, Brady
Tuma and Emmett Kessler
and their U10 boys
soccer 3v3 soccer team
finished with a 7-1 record
at the Disney 3v3 World
Soccer Championships
at ESPN Wide World of
Sports Complex in Orlando
from Jan. 19 to Jan.
21. The Foxes competed
The Varsity: North Shore Podcast
in a tournament that hosts
teams from over 20 different
countries.
The Foxes won each of
their games before they
lost in the championship
game to a team from North
Carolina.
Foxes U10 3v3 boys soccer players (from left to right) Gordon Evans and Sam Weinstein
of Wilmette and Ryan Prado , Brady Tuma and Emmett Kessler of Glenview.
pose at the Disney 3v3 World Soccer Championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports
Complex in Orlando on Jan. 21. Photo submitted
Guys recap wrestling, hear from new coach
Staff Report
In this week’s episode of
The Varsity: North Shore,
the only podcast focused
on North Shore sports,
hosts Michal Dwojak and
Michael Wojtychiw recap
the start of the wrestling
postseason, hear from new
Glenbrook North football
coach Matt Purdy, play
Way/No Way with girls
basketball, preview the
start of the boys swimming
and diving postseason and
go to overtime to wrap
some things up in the week.
First Quarter
Dwojak and Wojtychiw
recap the start of the wrestling
postseason for area
teams.
Second Quarter
The guys hear from new
Spartan football coach Purdy
and hear what it means
for him to take over at the
position.
Third Quarter
With the seeds now out,
Wojtychiw tries to predict
how the area girls
basketball teams will do.
Fourth Quarter
The hosts preview the
start of the boys swimming
Find the varsity
Twitter: @varsitypodcast
Facebook: @
thevarsitypodcast
Website:
GlenviewLantern.com/
sports
Download: Soundcloud,
iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn,
PlayerFM, more
and diving playoffs.
Overtime
To finish things off, the
guys recap state cheerleading
and talk about the company’s
Athlete of the Year
competition.