Bear Facts asked all varsity coaches of sports in season to nominate an “athlete of the month” for their sport. Their nominees are listed below for sports in season as of press time.

girls’ basketball: rachel dawson, senior

“Rachel is a three-year member of our varsity basketball team and one of our returning starters. She is our captain and is often tasked with guarding the other team’s best player, whether they are a guard or post player. This is a very difficult role to take on, but one Rachel always performs to the best of her ability.”- Chris Bennett

girls’ bowling: brittney pettinger, senior

“Brittney has dedicated herself to bowling and improving each year. She bowls year-round, as well as participating in other sports. She is a great team leader for our team.”- Mel Fox

boys’ basketball: will mcclaughry, senior

“Will is a 6’6” senior forward who was a varsity starter as a sophomore and junior and is being recruited by dozens of college basketball programs. He has worked very hard in the off-season at camp, open gyms, fall league games, playing AAU, and coming in for morning workouts. As a senior, Will is showing great leadership and dedication for our program. The coaches are very proud of Will’s effort and leadership.”- Billy Pitcher

poms: natalia panico, sophomore

“Natalia has a very positive attitude and an exemplary work ethic. She regularly stays after practice to work on the routines, and she is always willing to help others. Natalia is wonderful to coach, and she is a valuable team member.”- Teri Johlie

boys’ bowling: ben madura, senior

“Ben has worked hard in the off-season to improve his performance, and he continues that hard work every day in practice. To start the season off, his first game was a 254 and led us to victory over Libertyville.”- Peter Kupfer

cheerleading: taylor kuhn, junior

“Taylor is a third year member of the varsity team. She is a hardworking and driven young woman. After playing the same position for the past two years, we asked her to step up and learn a new position for us this year. This is a huge challenge, and can be extremely stressful, as it requires an entirely different skill set. She is doing a great job, putting in lots of extra time outside of practice to make the changes that are necessary. She is a great asset to our team, and we are super proud of her!”- Pam Bonnevier