Signed, Sealed, Delivered: 28 Stevenson Athletes Sign
On NCAA’s Spring Signing Day
It was a banner day for the Athletic Department, which showcased 28 senior athletes on Thursday in the Wood Commons as they signed their NCAA National Letters Of Intent on Spring Signing Day.
The athletes were introduced and then gave short speeches about their careers at Stevenson, and then announced the colleges and universities at which they will continue their athletic careers next year.
The list of Stevenson signees on Thursday include:
Kate Arne, basketball, Emory; Anna Trush, tennis, Western Illinois, Ashley Adkisson, tennis, Wisconsin Whitewater; Kate Herlihy, tennis, North Central, Thomas Schoolman, wrestling, North Central; Lorenzo Frezza, wrestling, Columbia; Sammi Goldstein, wrestling, Carthage; RJ Dent, football, Miami (Ohio); Colin Schultz, football, Miami (Ohio); GK Kim, football, MIT; Kunal Rajadhyax, water polo, MIT; Katie Delaney, water polo, Michigan; Lili Sandor, swimming, Washington University in St. Louis; Izzie Gattone, swimming, Washington University in St. Louis; Jack Curtin, swimming, Denison; Julia Martin, lacrosse, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Natalie Martin, lacrosse, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Lili Sorenson, lacrosse, Central Michigan; Michaela Duffy, softball, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota; Joe Richardson, baseball, Eastern Illinois; Michael Belbot, baseball, University of Illinois Chicago; JR Nelson, baseball, Ohio; Colin Schmitke, baseball, Southeastern Community College; Chris Iannuzzi, baseball, Southeastern Community College; Luca Morelli, baseball, Illinois Wesleyan; Brett Gaynor, baseball, Wisconsin Oshkosh; Bobby Seltzer, baseball, Coe College; Katelyn Robinson, soccer, University of Illinois Chicago.
A few of the many neat stories to come out of Spring Signing Day:
FAMILIAR FACES: Seniors Kunal Rajadhyax and GK Kim (pictured left) are suddenly much more comfortable with the idea of going across the country to college. And they have each other to thank.
They know each other here a school, and have occasionally played pick-up basketball together. Best friends, though? Not really…but they’re about to gain a very sincere and newfound appreciation for each other. Both signed with Massachusetts Institute Of Technology ~ Kim for football and Rajadhyax for water polo ~ but on top of that, and perhaps the cherry on top, they eagerly agreed to be roommates, which will certainly take the edge off of all those nerves and uncertainties that typically come with being a college freshman far away from home.
“That familiarity of knowing who he is, knowing he’s a really good guy, I reached out to GK about being roommates and when he said yes, I was really excited,” Rajadhyax said. “It gives you a lot of comfort. I know who he is, he knows who I am and that way, there’s not that icebreaker stage and that will be so nice.”
Bypassing the awkwardness is one thing, but both Kim and Rajadhyax have even higher expectations for their experience as roommates.
“Both MIT, both Stevenson, both athletes,” Kim said. “We might not be the best of friends right now, but I think we’ll end up being really close friends.”
POWER 5 PATRIOT: Likewise, relationships are what drew senior Katie Delaney (pictured right) to Michigan, the only Power 5 school (Big 10, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) on the list of colleges that inked Patriots on Spring Signing Day.
Delaney is the goalie of the girls water polo team, which is coming off back-to-back state runner-up finishes over the last two seasons. She will move on to compete at a university that is very much known for its water sports. (Olympian Michael Phelps trained at Michigan for four years but did not formally compete in NCAA events because he lost his amateur status by signing endorsement deals in college.)
“Swimming is really good at Michigan and the water polo program is looking pretty good, too, and I’m really excited to be on the team next year,” Delaney said. “It’s a really good school, I love the campus and the coach was just really nice and welcoming. The first time I went there, she gave me a hug and I was like, ‘This is such a nice environment!’ I loved that.”
EIGHT IS GREAT: Baseball coach Nick Skala loves the fact that he has eight college commits (pictured left, front row) to lean on this year, more than any other team represented during Spring Signing Day. The group of future college players has proven to be a big part of the Patriots’ hot 10-5 start.
“This class of athletes from 2023 has been absolutely unbelievable within our program,” Skala said. “These guys have taken steps as sophomores, juniors and now seniors to lead our young athletes, and to basically take our program to an elite level.”
SEEING DOUBLE: Twins Julia Martin and Natalie Martin, both standouts on the girls lacrosse team, announced that they are a package deal at the next level. They both signed letters of intent to play college lacrosse at Milwaukee School of Engineering.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Lili Sorenson is the last of six Sorenson children to go through Stevenson and all five of her siblings were active in extra-curriculars and four of them played sports in college. Lili bumps that number to a total of five Sorenson college athletes, having signed with Central Michigan for lacrosse.
10 AND COUNTING: Kunal Rajadhyax added to a long-standing tradition for the boys water polo team. This is the 10th straight year that a boys water polo player from Stevenson is going on to play in college.
SPECIAL CONNECTION: Softball standout Michaela Duffy, who signed with Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, received a touching tribute from her head coach India Steward. Duffy is Steward’s first-ever college signee.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: RJ Dent has football in his blood. He is the son of Chicago Bears great Richard Dent, the MVP of Super Bowl XX in 1986. The younger Dent signed on to play football at Miami (Ohio).
Politicians Visit Stevenson To Discuss Importance Of Bipartisanship
Civility in politics is sometimes hard to come by these days, but two local politicians did their best last week to talk with Stevenson students about how government officials from both sides of the aisle can work together better to help the United States move forward in a more positive direction.
Former Senator Mark Kirk and Congressman Brad Schneider hosted their “Building Bridges” event at Stevenson in which more than 160 students from law, civics, and government classes attended.
According to a story about the April 5 event in the Chicago Tribune, Kirk and Schneider first began discussing the importance of demonstrating bipartisan cooperation to young people last year when Schneider relaunched a program started by Kirk when he held the 10th Congressional District seat that Schneider now occupies.
“We want to show our young leaders the importance of working together and what can be done,” Schneider told the Tribune before the event.
“They’re the leaders of the future,” Kirk added. “They might be inspired to become political leaders.”
The event was moderated by social studies teacher Andrew Conneen. Students were given the chance to ask questions of the politicians. Stevenson senior Yash Vijay told the Tribune that he is seriously considering volunteering for a political campaign.
“This was pretty good,” Vijay said of the Building Bridges event. “Because most of my interests are in STEM, I had not thought about doing something political before. Now, I might volunteer for a campaign.”
The Daily Herald also covered the event and published a story with photos last week.
Get Jazzy, Stevenson! Jazz Concert TONIGHT!
Students in the co-curricular vocal groups and jazz ensembles will perform a variety of music TONIGHT in the Evening Of Jazz Concert, which is slated for a 7 p.m. start in the West Auditorium.
The show features Jazz Ensemble, Concert Jazz Band and Jazz Lab Band as well as A Cappella groups Low~Frequency, Polyphonics and Nothing But Treble. For the official program, please click here.
The show can also be viewed via Vimeo.
Show Your Support:
“Day Of Silence” Is TODAY
Want to get more involved in the
“Day Of Silence” TODAY?
Stevenson’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) members are asking their fellow students to join them in taking a vow of silence to recognize the LGBTQIA+ students who are often left unheard and in the shadows as they feel forced to stay silent about their true identities.
Break The Silence: At the end of the school day TODAY, students are invited to “Break the Silence” in the Little Theater from 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. This event will have food, games and guest speaker State Representative and ally Dan Didech to celebrate acceptance and individual identity while sharing information about what positive changes are going on in Springfield for the LGBTQIA+ community.
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Sneak Peak At Next Week: “Earth Week” Is Coming!
Spring seems to be the perfect time to focus on nature, the weather and the environment, and Stevenson will be celebrating all things Mother Earth next week with “Earth Week 2023!”
Earth Week is an opportunity to celebrate our planet and help students become aware of what they can do individually and collectively to care for it. Throughout next week, there will be daily lunchtime activities in the Wood Commons as well as various service and educational opportunities that align with the Earth Day 2023 organization’s sustainability campaigns.
Events will be hosted by the Green Team as well as Horticulture Club, Chemistry Club, the Fashion Program, Art from the Heart, local conservation organizations and more. Use the hashtags “#shsearthweek” or “#investinourplanet” or tag “@shs.greenteam” to show how you are taking action this Earth Week!
Questions? Please e-mail Mrs. P. Sunny Suntharanund (psuntharanund@d125.org).
FIELD TRIP NOTE: There is an “Earth Week” field trip on WEDNESDAY of next week as part of the Habitat Restoration Project at the Westfork Savanna to help clear invasive species. There is room for 50 students to attend from 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Permission slips must be completed and turned in by TUESDAY.
CLC Hosting Open Houses On All Campuses TOMORROW
Juniors and Seniors are invited to visit the College of Lake County Campuses
at their OPEN HOUSE TOMORROW anytime from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All FOUR campuses (Grayslake, Southlake-Vernon Hills, Waukegan-Lakeshore and the new Gurnee Advanced Technology Center) will be available to visit.
Visitors can:
Experience interactive labs and live demonstrations
Meet CLC’s expert faculty
Learn about CLC’s 170-plus degree programs
Discover what student life is about
Learn about financial aid
Stop by Maker Faire at the Grayslake gym (Building F).
Computer Science Club
Update On Final Meeting
There will be NO Computer Science Club meeting on MONDAY.
The final club meeting of the year will be the following Monday (April 24) in the Recital Hall. This meeting will be for electing next year’s leadership team.
Thinking About A Career In Art?
Find Out How To Make It Happen MONDAY!
Are you an aspiring artist, maker or creative entrepreneur who dreams of turning your passion into a career? Are you tired of adults telling you to have a back-up plan, and worrying about becoming a “starving artist?”
Join Melissa Peck, the founder of arts advocacy organization Smartistry, on MONDAY during fourth-, fifth- or sixth-period lunch in Room 2104 (near the Patriot Lobby) as she will give a presentation about careers in art!
During this time she will share seven proven strategies to help you plan, articulate and live the creative life of your dreams. You’ll discover the real challenges and opportunities facing young artists and entrepreneurs, and learn how to break free from limiting beliefs that hold you back. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to take your skills to the next level, this session is your chance to gain the insights and tools you need to succeed.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t make a living doing what you love. Unleash your creativity and start building the life you want NOW!
Sign up for the presentation HERE!
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| ACADEMICS NOW THROUGH APRIL 28: Apply for these post-secondary scholarships with deadlines ranging from now through May 1. MAY 15 ~ Odyssey App/Rec Forms Due: The Fine Arts Division is accepting applications and recommendations for Odyssey 2024 artists and workshop ideas. Students, faculty and staff may use the Odyssey Form to suggest artists and submit workshop ideas for Odyssey, which will run Feb. 13-14, 2024. CLUBS NOW THROUGH APRIL ~ Project Cutlery: Green Team is concerned about plastic utensil use at Stevenson. The club has organized a raffle running now through April for students who submit a photo of the reusable utensil they use at Stevenson through this form. Those submissions are entered for a chance to WIN a solar-powered portable charger! There will be THREE randomly selected winners who will be notified in April. Submitted photos MUST show use AT STEVENSON in order to be considered. NOW THROUGH END OF SCHOOL YEAR ~ Shoe Donations: The Green Team and SWALCO (Solid Waste Agency of Lake County) have partnered to keep unwanted footwear out of landfills. The Green Team will take shoes in ANY condition, whether they are for athletics, formalwear, etc. Collection continues NOW through the END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR in the donation box at the Point, across from the Security Desk. Please e-mail the Green Team sponsor (psuntharanund@d125.org) with any questions. EVENTS NOW ~ Tickets Available NOW For TEDx: Mark your calendars, and buy your tickets…the power of TED is coming to Stevenson next month in the form of a student-led and student-run grassroots event called TEDxStevensonHighSchool. TEDxStevensonHighSchool will follow the theme “Passions and Perspectives” in the upcoming event, slated for 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on APRIL 25 in the West Auditorium. There are a total of 100 spots available. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here. APRIL 19 ~ T-Shirt Design Contest Voting Deadline: There are two finalists remaining in the 2023 T-Shirt Contest. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite by NEXT WEEK at 8 a.m. on WEDNESDAY (April 19)! The winning T-Shirt will be sold at the Patriot School Store! OPPORTUNITIES ONGOING ~ Apply To Work At Camp Patriot: Camp Patriot is looking for staff for the summer! Camp Patriot is open to kids who are entering kindergarten through eighth grade in the fall. Daily activities are led by Role Models and professional staff. These may include art, cooking, dance, drama, music, sports, STEM and so much more! If you are a current sophomore and older, please stop by Student Activities or visit the PREP Page for more information. ONGOING ~ Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: Stevenson has a vast array of job postings that is continuously updated with new listings. From job shadows to internships and summer jobs, there is plenty to explore. Check out the Student Career Connection page on the Stevenson website to learn more. |
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| Seniors: Get out your calendars…you’re probably going to want to “save these dates” as these are the top “Senior Send-Off” events at Stevenson…and you won’t want to miss them! Also included are deadlines for permission slips, early-bird ticketing, etc. We will provide more detailed information here as it becomes available. Stay tuned! Note: The “Seniors: Class Of 2023” page on the Stevenson website will also be updated with all of this information as it becomes available. Save-The-Dates! SATURDAY ~ PROM!! ** Please note that Prom is for Seniors AND Juniors! APRIL 28 ~ Senior Sunrise MAY 25 ~ Senior Class Party MAY 26 ~ Graduation Deadlines! NOW THROUGH MAY 24 ~ Party Time, Seniors…Buy Cruise Tickets: Tickets for “The Senior Class Party,” which is a two-hour boat cruise on Lake Michigan May 25, are available. Tickets are now $45 apiece. To complete the transaction, put your Student ID in the Promo Code. More information: check out the Feb. 7 Daily Digest. |
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Sports Results
It’s 750 Wins For Coach Wimer!
Girls Water Polo: The Athletic Department would like to congratulate Coach Jeff Wimer who earned his 750th career win as the undefeated girls water polo team (16-0, 3-0) cruised past Mundelein, 17-6. The Patriots jumped out to an 11-1 lead in the first quarter, and extended their lead throughout the remaining quarters. Goalie Katie Delaney had 6 blocked shots and 6 assists while Em Barron had 4 blocked shots and Jazelle Clemons had 3 blocked shots. Jillian Carlson earned 5 steals, followed by Sophia Brown and Becca Stone with 3 steals each. Victoria Duncan led the way in goals for Stevenson with 4 goals, followed by Sophia Berger with 3 goals and Camila Maya and Caroline Rutcosky with 2 goals each. Next up is the Illinois Vs. Michigan Tournament at Stevenson, beginning today at 4:30 p.m.
Boys Water Polo: Stevenson ran its record to 18-0 (3-0) with a 16-3 victory over hosted conference opponent Mundelein. Max LaPointe led the way for the Patriots scoring 5 goals and earning 3 assists. Andrew Mossman with his quick offensive game added 4 goals, while Kunal Rajadhyax added 2 goals. Jack Osmond, Jason Zhao, Filip Wal, Olin Kusevskis and Dylan Kreimer each added 1 more goal apiece. The Patriots will take on St. Charles in their next match up at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
Boys Track and Field: Stevenson (4-1, 1-0) hosted the 51st Annual Patriot Relays and performed well overall. Dylan Zimmerman placed third in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:31.30. The consistent relay team of Alex Wilson, Marcus Caselberry, Alex Moser and Alex Xie finished third in both the 4×100 and 4×200 relays with times of 44.08 and 1:32.22 respectively. In the weight man 4×100 relay (Ethan Aghakhan, Larry Han, Anthony Adams, and Remy Herrejon), the Patriots finished first with a time of 49.28. In addition to the weight man relay, Aghakhan also finished first in the discus with a distance of 45.82 meters. Next up for Stevenson is a conference meet against Warren and Zion-Benton on Monday, starting at 4:45 p.m.
Badminton: The Patriots (11-0, 5-0) traveled to Warren and won their match convincingly, 18-0. Next up for the Patriots is a Quad, including the three top teams in the state ~ Stevenson, Fremd and Neuqua Valley. The action starts at 4:45 p.m. today in the Fieldhouse.
Girls Soccer: The Patriots (5-4) lost in a tough semifinal round of the Lou Malnati’s Classic to Evanston, 4-0. Goalkeeper Mandy Meliker had 10 saves. The Patriots begin conference play Tuesday at Lake Zurich at 6:45 p.m.
| Sports Reminders NEXT THURSDAY (Apr. 20) ~ Student-Athlete Meeting: DON’T FORGET ~ If you have not attended the mandatory student-athlete meeting, the LAST one of the year is coming up next THURSDAY (Apr. 20) from 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. in the West Auditorium. ONGOING: Register for Summer Sports Camp: For freshmen through seniors. Summer Sports Camp brochure, which is also located on the athletics webpage. Register here for Summer Sports Camp. Register early to make sure you are cleared to participate on the first day of camp. ONGOING ~ Sports Boosters Signs: The Sports Boosters are running their annual lawn sign sale. Customize your sign for graduation, school activities and special events. Check out all the fun options! NEW! ~ Sports Boosters Bricks: Purchase a commemorative brick for the Hall of Fame Garden. Price is $150 for a 4” x 8” brick. ONGOING THROUGH APRIL 26 ~ Important Cheer Dates: Want to be a cheerleader next school year? The cheerleading program has a series of important dates coming up. April 17 ~ Parent/Athlete Meeting: 5:30 p.m., Room 5132. April 19 ~ Tryout Clinic: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wood Commons. Register HERE. April 24, 25, 26 ~ Tryouts: 4 p.m., each day. Wood Commons. |
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| Mark your calendars for these events and see the Stevenson Calendar for details on these and future programs. Apr. 14: SAGA/Patriot Pride: “Day Of Silence” Apr. 14: Day Of Dance Apr. 14: Evening Of Jazz Concert Apr. 15: PROM 2023 Apr. 17-21: EARTH WEEK Apr. 17: Family Engagement: Helping Your Teen Develop Self Management Skills Apr. 17: District 125 Board Of Education Meeting Apr. 17: FAN ~ It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs Apr. 18: Percussion Ensemble Spring Concert Apr. 19: PPA Bake Sale Apr. 19: 2023 Senior Awards Apr. 19: FAN ~ The Power of Connection: Building Joy and Life Satisfaction Apr. 20: Late Arrival Apr. 20: FAN ~ I’m Still Here: Loving Myself In A World Not Made For Me Apr. 21: Baroque Concert |
Stevenson Daily Digest 