Patrick McGavin – Page 31

A Graham slam: Naperville North’s Patrick Graham didn’t get sidetracked during the pandemic. ‘I just worked on my swing every day.’

March 22, 2022 at 1:11 p.m.

Naperville North's Patrick Graham has a cherished childhood memory of the first baseball gift from his parents. It was a bat with a specialized tee and red ball. Just clutching...

St. Charles North's Bella Najera (17) battles Neuqua Valley's Brooke Miller for control of the ball during a game in St. Charles on Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Bella of the ball: Michigan State-bound Bella Najera, a ball girl when her sister played at St. Charles North, turns into star in own right. ‘I like to be aggressive.’

March 21, 2022 at 2:07 p.m.

Junior forward/midfielder Bella Najera had the perfect inspiration for learning the speed of high school soccer. As a kid, she was a ball girl for St. Charles North. Her older...

Naperville Central's Jonah Hinton (4) loses control of the ball in the second quarter against Naperville North during the Class 4A Naperville North Regional semifinals on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022.

Naperville Central’s Jonah Hinton is the 2021-22 Naperville Sun Boys Basketball Player of the Year: ‘My confidence took off.’

March 18, 2022 at 12:34 p.m.

From the first tipoff of the season against Maine East, Naperville Central point guard Jonah Hinton showed exactly how he wanted his senior year to play out. In the opener,...

Introducing the 2021-22 Naperville Sun Boys Basketball All-Area Team

March 18, 2022 at 12:31 p.m.

FIRST TEAM Jayden Dean, Neuqua Valley, senior, guard: Averaged 13.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 steals for sectional qualifier. Unanimous all-conference. Jonah Hinton, Naperville Central, senior, guard: Averaged 20.1...

In Little League, Logan Gregario needed to pick a position. ‘Nobody wanted to play catcher,’ he said. Now, he’s a star for Waubonsie Valley.

March 15, 2022 at 1:14 p.m.

In Little League, Logan Gregorio was a 9-year-old player eager to find an identity. Gregorio was the final link in an impressive baseball family. His two older brothers blazed the...

Scouting the Naperville Sun’s baseball teams for the 2022 season

March 15, 2022 at 11:52 a.m.

BENET Redwings return six position players and seven pitchers from a sectional qualifier. Senior outfielders Ryan Snell and Peter Messina earned all-conference honors. Junior pitcher Sam Zagorac had 31 strikeouts...

Defender. Forward. Midfielder. Even goalkeeper. Lizzy Kuhn truly does it all for West Aurora. ‘I have a team-first mindset before my own.’

March 14, 2022 at 1:14 p.m.

West Aurora senior Lizzy Kuhn represents the avatar of a new generation. Just call her a quick-change artist, a multiple-hyphenated player who can be utilized everywhere on the field. "I...

Waubonsie Valley's Brooke Nelson, left, gives chase to Naperville North's Taylor Korosec during a game in Naperville on Tuesday, May 25, 2021.

Patrick Z. McGavin’s top 10 girls soccer teams and 25 players to watch in the Aurora and Elgin areas for the 2022 season

March 14, 2022 at 12:38 p.m.

TOP 10 TEAMS 1. St. Charles North: North Stars return 15 rotation players and seven starters from a Class 3A sectional finalist. Junior midfielder Bella Najera, a Michigan State recruit,...

Marmion's Jameson Garcia, left, and Mount Carmel's Damian Resendez battle in the Class 3A 113-pound championship match at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.

Marmion’s Jameson Garcia is the 2021-22 Beacon-News/Courier-News/Naperville Sun Wrestler of the Year: ‘I was just hungry to compete again.’

March 10, 2022 at 1:59 p.m.

Marmion junior Jameson Garcia had a rough start to what was supposed to be a majestic encore. Just as his sport seemed to be moving closer to some semblance of...

Aurora Christian's Braden Stauffenberg gets tangled up with Sycamore's Brayden Peet in the Class 2A 152-pound state championship match at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.

Introducing the 2021-22 Beacon-News/Courier-News/Naperville Sun Wrestling All-Area Team

March 10, 2022 at 12:52 p.m.

FIRST TEAM Ben Alvarez, Yorkville, sophomore, 220 pounds: Alvarez finished 46-7 and reached quarterfinals of Class 3A state meet. Also won conference and regional titles. Ben Davino, St. Charles East,...

All Stories