There are many girls’ sports programs at Evanston Township High School, including soccer, lacrosse, swimming and badminton. This article will recap just a few: volleyball, basketball and track and field.
Head Coach Pam Macpherson’s volleyball squad started their season at Loyola where they decisively beat the Ramblers in straight sets, 25-9, 25-13. After defeating Deerfield in straight sets, they went to Park Ridge for their first conference game against Maine South, which they won impressively, 25-20, 25-23.
The Kits then went home to Beardsley Gym to take on their rival, New Trier, on Sept. 17. Evanston kept up the hot start to their season by handily beating the Trevians in straight sets, 25-16, 25-21. After adding three straight strong wins against Niles West, Waukegan and Warren, the Kits faced off against Glenbrook South in their first real challenge of the season. The Titans were too quick and too strong for a previously untested Wildkit team, and Evanston lost their first conference game, 21-25, 18-25.
Evanston came back strong the next week, taking down New Trier for the second time in straight sets, 27-25, 25-15. Evanston was led by senior star and Western Michigan University bound, Ali Gossen, who had 11 kills; fellow senior Megan McCareins, and junior Delaney Clesen, who had 31 assists and 4 aces.
The Kits ended the season on a strong note by beating Niles West and Waukegan again. They grabbed the number 2 seed in the regionals, hosted by Evanston. They faced off against Lane Tech in their first match and won easily, 25-14, 25-17. The Lady Kits then took on Niles North for the regional title in the Vikings’ own gym, but the home-court advantage proved to be a non-factor as Evanston won the regional title in straight sets, 25-19, 25-14.
Evanston came home for their first sectionals game against Loyola, and the home-court advantage helped the Kits win, 25-18, 27-25. For the sectional title, Evanston then had to face Glenbrook South, which held the number 1 seed, and was seemingly the only team standing in the way of Evanston going back to the final four state tournament for the second straight year. Ali Gossen’s 11 kills, Maddie Fitzpatrick’s 5 kills, and some stout defense by Evanston’s back line was not enough to stop the Titans, who prevailed for the fourth time over the Kits in the season. Coach MacPherson’s team won a school record 32 games in the season, and although they fell short of their downstate goals, they had a fantastic season nonetheless.
Girls basketball took over Beardsley gym for the winter season. Coach Steve Wool’s team got off to a decent start by beating Deerfield, 46-34, in early December which gave them a 3-3, record. After wins over Waukegan and Maine South, Evanston traveled to Welsh-Ryan Arena to take on New Trier. The number 10-ranked Trevians beat the Kits, 60-37. The girls went back and forth on the season before going into regionals.
In the regionals, Evanston faced off against Lane Tech in a game that went down to the wire. With only seconds left and the Kits down by a point, senior Jackie Schultz drained a 3-pointer to give Evanston an exciting 42-40 win.
The Kits next played against Niles West. The Wolves beat the Kits in a tight 41-40 game and sent Evanston fans home disappointed.
Springtime meant it was time to take it to the track for the girls track and field team. In the past decade, Evanston’s girls track team has been one of the best in state, at one point winning four straight track titles between 2002 and 2006, and Evanston’s teams have had some big shoes to fill ever since. Unfortunately this past season, the Kits could not match their past success as they placed fourth in the Niles West Sectionals. Senior Amanda Caines placed fourth in the triple jump at the State finals, the highest of any of the Kits.