Softball: Wolanski breaks Rolling Meadows wins record
Twenty years ago, Tony Wolanski was busy coaching baseball and football at Rolling Meadows.
At the time, Greg Benes announced he was leaving as the Mustangs' head softball coach after 25 seasons with 245 wins.
So athletic director Ron Freeman was looking for a new head coach and offered it to Wolanski.
"I turned it down twice," Wolanski said. "The biggest thing is that I hadn't really coached girls before and I had only coached baseball. I knew softball but to be honest, not everything about it. What I did was call a couple of buddies and I sat down with Ken Grams (Elk Grove Hall of Famer with 1,011 wins) for a couple of weeks, I talked with him and basically took a lot of his lead. And I talked to Greg Benes and then it became easy for me.
"So when he (Freeman) said, 'We need you to take the job', and I said "I'll take it."
Not only did the longtime football coach (31 seasons as an assistant at seven different schools) take it, you might say Wolanski took it for a touchdown and became the program's all-time leader in wins for a coach on Tuesday at Wheeling.
He won his 246th game with a 22-6 triumph (four-inning rule) in the Mid-Suburban East opener.
"It just probably means I've coached for a long time," the modest Wolanski said. "Our program has had its ups and downs but I think it means a lot to all the kids in the past and the current ones.
"Greg Benes and I are such good friends. We have good kids at Rolling Meadows and we try to play the right way, Sometimes we do, and sometimes we just have to move onto the next game."
Benes ended up being Wolanski's assistant coach for 16 years and 230 wins. He showed up in the dugout on Tuesday.
Tuesday was a day that the Mustangs played well, getting a 5-hitter with 5 strikeouts from senior pitcher Sam McQueen. She said one day she would '100 percent' like to be coaching and plans on studying secondary education/mathematics in college.
"I'm just lucky to be here with him (Wolanski) when he got this big accomplishment and to have had him leading us all these years," McQueen said. "I've been here on varsity since freshman year so it's just cool to see this. We've had some tough times but we play a really good schedule and he (Wolanski) is always positive, always right there for us and cheering us on. I really appreciate him."
McQueen also appreciated her offense erasing a 6-3 deficit by scoring 19 runs in the top of the fourth. The Mustangs (3-6, 1-2) sent 24 batters to the plate to put the game away.
"I'm so proud of my teammates' hitting," said McQueen, who reached base three times herself while going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI as the leadoff hitter.
Others with multiple hits in the Mustangs' 19-hit attack were Mia Pilipauskus (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Ashlyn Ferguson (2-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI), Alena Sabella (2-for-3, RBI), Addison Hammond (2-for-3, RBI) and Lia Graziani (3-for-3, 3 RBI). Gabby Ward and Kelly McQueen each had doubles while Sophia Cobos and Ella Dister also had hits.
Leading the way for the Wildcats' offense was senior No. 2 hitter Amanda Ban, who went 3-for-3 with a double and 3 RBI.
Freshman Alaina Costello had a 2-run single for the hosts (0-7, 0-3) while junior Kaitlyn Fielding had an RBI infield hit. Sophomore Taylor Ashe drew 3 walks and pitcher Tereesa Petzold walked twice in her first at-bats of the season.
"Amanda (Ban) had a good game," said Wildcats coach Mike Caringella. "She plays hard. She has been driving in runs and getting hits. She is our leader and our best hitter."