Five (more) fascinating IHSA records
Last month we brought you a list of five fascinating IHSA records featuring York High School’s boys cross country, Benet boys basketball and Hoffman Estates boys soccer.
The reception was pretty positive, so this week’s High Five looks at five more fascinating IHSA records.
5. Oh no-vertime
My legs hurt just writing this but, in 1979, the girls soccer teams at Hinckley-Big Rock and Leland played 16 overtimes before Hinckley-Big Rock finally pulled out a 1-0 victory.
It’s a record that’ll never be broken because of the advent of penalty-kick shootouts at the high school level. Beyond that, it just seems ridiculous to play that long.
What’s even more fascinating, though, is the game broke the previous record set the year before by fellow Little Ten Conference schools Serena and Paw Paw, who played a 10-overtime game.
4. Run, Mustangs, run
Downers Grove South’s girls cross country team enjoyed a remarkable run at the start of this century.
The Mustangs shattered a state record for consecutive dual meet wins, notching 102 straight between 1999 and 2015. They broke the previous record of 69 set by their cross-town rivals at Downers North between 1976 and 1985.
3. McStreak
From the end of the 1979 season to the start of the 1983 campaign, Mother McAuley’s girls volleyball team was unbeatable.
The Mighty Macs — who claimed three straight Class AA state titles during that time — won 135 consecutive matches. It’s a mark no team before or since has come close to reaching.
Marist, second on the list, won 57 straight matches in 2017 and 2018.
2. Swish
For nearly an entire calendar year, Glenbrook South’s Brad Niemann didn’t miss a free throw. In 1986 and 1987, Niemann knocked down 76 straight to break and extend the previous record of 71 by Rolling Meadows’ Mike Lipnisky in 1989 and 1990.
They’re the only two boys basketball players in IHSA history to make at least 70 straight free throws, and no one in the last 20 years has come close.
Former Glenbrook North superstar and current Duke coach Jon Scheyer made the most consecutive free throws this century, hitting 47 straight in 2003 and 45 straight in the 2004-05 season.
1. It’s good
Here’s a recent football record that has a chance to endure for a long time.
In 2018, Wheaton Warrenville South kicker Jack Olsen booted eight field goals against Metea Valley, connecting from 48, 38, 24, 44, 25, 44, 45 and 20 yards (we’ll forgive him for the 52-yarder he missed).
Olsen, also a pretty good receiver that season, broke the previous record of five field goals in a game set in 1991. The eight put him well on his way to setting the season mark for field goals with 22.