The 2024-25 Herald Cup: No. 1 Benet Academy
Editor’s note: Now that the 2024-25 high school sports year is over, it’s time to announce the top schools in the Herald Cup standings. We devised a points system based on team state finishes to measure which of the 80-plus high schools from the Daily Herald circulation area had the best athletic year. We’ve been announcing the top five small schools this week, one per day, with No. 5 on Monday through No. 1 now. The top five large schools will be revealed next week.
When a state title was on the line, Benet Academy usually found itself competing for the trophy.
The Redwings made championship appearances in four sports. Although they went 2-2, just reaching the mountaintop that many times was impressive.
The two state titles, two runner-up finishes, sectional title and more earned Benet 140 points — calculated by weighing team finishes throughout the fall, winter and spring — and the top spot in the 2024-25 Herald Cup standings for small schools.
How they got there
Benet’s girls tennis team set the bar high in the fall with a Class 1A state title, its first since 2016. The Redwings won their second consecutive sectional title as two Benet doubles teams squared off in the finals. At the state meet, Benet captured 37 points, highlighted by a first-place and fourth-place finish in doubles.
The boys basketball team added another trophy with a 4A title, the first for longtime coach Gene Heidkamp. The 33-5 Redwings topped Downers Grove North for the sectional crown, then defeated Quincy Senior and Evanston Township before a one-point victory over Warren in the title game.
While the Redwings baseball team fell 8-5 to St. Laurence in the 3A state title game, their first state tournament appearance since 1989 was the most successful in program history. Benet averaged eight runs per game in the previous three rounds, including a 7-0 shutout of St. Francis for its first section crown since 2017.
The girls volleyball team collected more hardware, earning straight-set victories over St. Charles North, New Trier, and Huntley to reach its third straight title match. Benet took the first set against Marist, but dropped the next two for its third consecutive runner-up finish.
Boys soccer captured a 2A sectional title with a 4-1 win over Wheaton Academy.
In football, Benet went 6-3 in the regular season to qualify for the postseason for the first time in five years. The Redwings earned a 48-0 victory in the first round before falling to Rochelle.
Who made it happen
Senior tennis players Shane Delaney and Clare Lopatka successfully defended their state titles. Teammates and fellow seniors Natalie Grover and Katie Jendra took fourth in doubles while senior Meredith Converse and sophomore Lily Lopatka each went 4-2 in singles.
Illinois commit Blake Fagbemi led the Redwings’ boys basketball team in assists and notched 14 points and six assists against Warren. Southern Illinois recruit Daniel Pauliukonis scored a team-high 17 points and shot 42.2% from deep. Seven-foot center Colin Stack grabbed over 300 boards and shot 64.5% from the floor.
Senior pitcher Gino Zagorac tossed a one-hit shutout in the sectional final. In the state semifinals, junior Nathan Cerocke and senior Ethan Mendez combined for five hits and three RBI.
Purdue commit Aniya Warren, who tallied 18 digs in the state title volleyball match, earned all-state honors.
Key stats
The boys basketball team saw four players average double-digit scoring.
In the six sets played from the sectional finals to the state semifinals, the girls volleyball team conceded more than 20 points just once.
Key facts
The Delaney and Lopatka duo lost only one set over their two state title runs, a 6-4 loss in the second set of this year’s title match against Chicago University.
The Redwings took second place three times since 2014 before winning the boys basketball title this year.
They said it
“It was a good thing, the final being so challenging this time. It felt more like we deserved it.” — Lopatka after winning the doubles title.
“We wanted this really bad, we wanted this for our coach. He’s the greatest coach ever and a great guy. We wanted to do this for him.” — junior basketball player Jayden Wright.