Neuqua Valley grad Gronowski reaping honors at South Dakota State
South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski (Neuqua Valley) has assembled a junior season to remember.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound mechanical engineering major, a two-time team captain and first-team scholar-athlete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), was named the Phil Steele Football College Subdivision (FCS) offensive player of the year.
The Steele selection came on top of the Associated Press naming Gronowski a first-team FCS All-American. Gronowski also shares MVFC offensive player of the year honors with fellow Jackrabbit Isaiah Davis, a running back.
Gronowski, the Football Central FCS offensive player of the year, has South Dakota State (14-0) playing for the FCS championship Jan. 7 against Montana.
Attempting to lead his team to a second straight title -- in 2022 Gronowski threw 3 touchdown passes and ran 51 yards for another score in a 45-21 win over North Dakota State -- he has completed 69% of his passes for 2,883 yards, 28 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions. He’s added 349 yards rushing with 7 touchdowns.
Gronowski leads all FCS players in passing efficiency and yards per pass attempt, and is top-10 in four other statistical categories.
Phil Steele FCS freshman of the year, Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award runner-up, and MVFC offensive player of the year all in 2020-21, Gronowski ranks second at South Dakota State in career touchdown passes (69) and third in both career passing yards (7,415) and total offense (8,749 yards).
Gronowski is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award signifying the top player in the Football College Subdivision.
Joining Gronowski as a first-team all-MVFC pick was North Dakota senior running back Luke Skokna (Hinsdale Central). The kinesiology major ran for 261 yards, but he was named all-conference as a return specialist. Skokna averaged 37.9 yards on kickoff returns, with a 100-yard return for touchdown in a win over North Dakota State.
At the NCAA Division III men’s cross country championships Nov. 18 in Carlisle, Pa., North Central College senior Max Svienty (Hersey) placed third individually, leading the Cardinals to a third-place team finish. North Central scorers included senior Connor Riss (Grayslake North) and B.J. Sorg (Plainfield South), the first freshman to finish and the College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin first-year athlete of the year.
In Division II, Colorado School of Mines coach Chris Siemers (Fenton) led his men’s team to a second-place finish and the women’s team to third place. In 12 seasons as Orediggers head coach, Siemers has produced three men’s team titles and another with the women.
A familiar name due to past coaching duties, Illinois State women’s basketball coach Kristen Gillespie was among 20 coaches listed Nov. 1 for the inaugural Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award Watch List. The reigning Missouri Valley Conference coach of the year after leading the Redbirds to their first MVC title in 13 years, Gillespie came to Illinois State after two seasons at Lewis University in Romeoville and four seasons at Benedictine University in Lisle. She was the Great Lakes Valley Conference 2016 coach of the year while at Lewis.
On Dec. 10, the Illinois Institute of Technology hosted the Milwaukee School of Engineering in men’s basketball at the Keating Sports Center in Chicago. That meant a matchup between the Carter brothers of Wauconda -- MSOE senior Donovan Carter and Illinois Tech sophomore Garrison Carter. Scoring 19 points, Donovan’s Raiders had the upper hand in an 85-77 victory. Garrison Carter scored 13 points.