How do the Herald Cup standings look after the winter season?

It’s time to check in again on the Herald Cup standings.

Debuted two school years ago, the Herald Cup honors athletic excellence among the dozens of high schools in our coverage area.

For those who remember the Paddock Cup, which years ago celebrated the top overall sports programs in the Mid-Suburban League, the Herald Cup is similar except it looks at state tournament performance for all our schools.

We developed a points system that awards schools for top-10 team finishes in individual sports. There’s a separate points system for “team” sports like basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc.

When the final points are tabulated in June, we’ll rank the schools and separate them into divisions of large schools and small schools based on enrollment. The dividing line roughly groups the large schools in football’s Class 7A and 8A, and the small schools from 6A down. We do not place an enrollment multiplier on the private schools.

With the fall and winter sports seasons in the books, here’s where the rankings stand.

Large schools

Hersey (89 points)

Stevenson (80)

Hinsdale Central (73)

Downers Grove North (70)

York (61)

Small schools

St. Francis (75 points)

Montini (60)

St. Viator (52)

Benet (51)

IC Catholic Prep (45)

Snow Huskies

Well, hello Hersey!

After tallying points in five of the 10 fall sports, the Huskies kept up the pace in the winter by adding points with a sectional title in boys basketball and a regional title in girls basketball. A third-place finish in girls bowling also added points.

Hersey didn’t finish in the top five in the first two years of the Herald Cup, but the Huskies are in excellent position heading into the spring.

Stevenson, first in the fall, dropped to second after the winter season. But the Patriots traditionally do well in the spring, especially in water polo and boys tennis.

York, another strong spring competitor, jumped into the top five after the winter thanks in much part to the boys basketball team’s surprise fourth-place finish in Class 4A.

Spring flowers

As was the case in the first two years of the Herald Cup, the spring will have a giant say in the final standings. With 12 qualifying sports — compared to 10 in the fall and eight in the winter — there’s opportunity for movement.

Barrington and St. Charles North dropped out of the top five after the winter season, but a strong spring puts them right back in the mix. And watch for a surge from Hinsdale Central.

Small schools

Thanks to the boys basketball team’s sectional championship, St. Francis maintains the top spot in the small school standings for a second straight season.

St. Viator is another school that’s finished outside the top five in the first two years of the Herald Cup. But with girls and boys basketball putting up points, the Lions just need a solid spring to stay there.

Lurking

We’ve mentioned Barrington and St. Charles North looming for the large schools. It’ll take quite an effort for any others to jump in the fray.

Several small schools, though, remain in the mix. A total of 10 small schools — including Carmel, Wheaton Academy and Marmion just outside the top five — enter the spring with at least 25 points.