Montini girls basketball honored for state three-peat
Athletes from several winter sports teams at Lombard's Montini Catholic High School basked in the spotlight Friday at a pep rally to celebrate their accomplishments.
Among the stars of the show were members of the school's girls basketball team, which earlier this month captured its record-tying third straight state championship.
“Our football team three years ago started our trifecta of three-peats,” said Mike Bukovsky, who pumped up the crowd of students at the pep assembly. “This winter our girls basketball team did their part.”
When it comes to sports, Montini had a lot to celebrate, Principal Maryann O'Neill said.
Ÿ The wrestling team placed first in the Class 2A state championships.
Ÿ The boys hockey team was recognized on the eve of its first appearance in the second round of the state playoffs.
Ÿ The boys basketball team advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
Ÿ Montini cheerleaders made state for the first time after placing third in the Suburban Christian Conference.
Ÿ The Broncettes placed second in state in poms dance and fourth in open dance at the TEAMDance Illinois competition.
But the girls basketball team's Class 3A three-peat, mirroring the football team's Class 5A three-peat in the fall, got the most attention.
“It was a little unexpected with a lot of our graduates last year,” girls basketball coach Jason Nichols said. “A little unexpected, but yet gratifying.”
The girls basketball and boys wrestling teams competed in a relay race to be crowned the school's “grand champion.”
The wrestlers took an early lead, being the first to find and begin blowing up a balloon hidden inside a whipped cream pie. But the basketball players got their balloon tied faster and took a lead in the first leg of the relay — two people running back-to-back with the balloon between them.
It was neck-and-neck by the three-legged run, but the basketball players crossed the finish line first and celebrated again.
Winning state for the third time in a row her senior year took “hard practices” and “the right chemistry,” said Tianna Brown. But it was all worth it to continue the school's winning ways.
“It's amazing,” Brown said about her team's win following the football team's three-peat. “I feel like they started it off and we finished it.”