Despite having to adapt to the seasons being shortened in addition to the temporary pause on sports from November 17 to January 27 by IHSA, girls bowling, girls basketball, boys basketball, hockey, gymnastics, poms, and cheer finished their seasons by persevering. 

Girls Bowling: 

Although the team only had seven players this year and had their season cut short, the girls bowling team ended with a strong finish to their season. The team versed their opponents virtually instead of meeting up with teams in person. 

They had a successful season with 10 wins and 2 losses during the season, and took 2nd place in the North Suburban Conference. Amanda Kourous, junior, shot a personal best, scoring a perfect 300, the first in LZ’s history during a match against Warren. 

“Everyone was shocked and we were all happy that she got a 300. It was her first too,” Leslie Duran, freshman, said. “We were all cheering each other on, and we never gave up. We just persevered.” 

Girls Basketball: 

The team had a strong season despite having to wear masks during their games and practices. However, like many sports, the season was cut short and they did not have regionals or state championships. 

The girls ended their season with a record of 8-6 in the NSC and finished 3rd overall. Baylie Parks, sophomore, and Alayna Soukup, junior, were selected for the NSC all-conference team with Soukup being chosen for two consecutive years. 

“I was very proud of our team, we had to adjust to all the rules that we had to follow with COVID restrictions and we jumped right into the season with little notice. I thought we prepared very quickly, and I’m very proud of how everyone did. Winning our last game was a great way to end the season, we had a lot of fun that day,” Soukup said.  

Boys Basketball: 

Similar to the girls’ team, the boys had the same restrictions and persevered despite having some struggles.  The team ended with a win against Waukegan 51-29 in their final game and ended with a 2-8 conference record. Although it was not a season that everyone had hoped for, the boys tried their best against some tough competition. 

“The hardest part about this season was just getting together as a team at the beginning of the season with COVID and everything that was going on, but we quickly began to start playing better basketball but in the beginning, it was hard for us to play as a team,” Noah Kyrychenko, sophomore, said. 

Hockey: 

The hockey team’s season was dramatically reduced compared to other sports this year. According to Danny Weinstein, sophomore, they were unable to play any games until the end of January when the season usually starts in early August, but they also had many positive outcomes and changes. 

The team received a new coach this year that taught them new systems and brought a new culture to the hockey team, says Weinstein. In addition, the team beat the 2019 state champions. 

“Many people thought that the 2019 state champions would destroy us. It was their senior night so they had a big ceremony before the game and we were able to go out and beat them. It was a big accomplishment for the hockey team,” said Weinstein. 

Although the team did not have an official season this year and had very limited practices, they were able to hit new milestones. 

Gymnastics: 

The gymnastics team had an excellent season according to Angela Burk, sophomore, despite “running out of breath” because of the mask mandate. 

The team went undefeated this year and were the NSC champions with the highest score of the season of 147.05. 

“I think we did really well this year. Maybe even better than we did last year, not score-wise but I think as a team we bonded more and had more memories this year than last year,” Burk said. 

Poms:

This year, the team had to record their routines and sent videos to their opponents. 

Although the team did not advance to state this year, they did their best while having to deal with practices being rescheduled and canceled constantly. 

“We were really patient because we went back and forth between not being at school and then going back. I think we did really great because we didn’t have a lot to work with because of the limited and practices that we got, but we did really well with what we had. Everyone had a positive attitude,” Alyssa McHugh, sophomore, said. 

Cheer: 

The team had a very different routine this year, having to be six feet apart. This forced the team to exclude any stunts in their routine. 

However, the team had a great finish, making it to the state tournament and placing 14th. Additionally, Gia Price, senior, received the NSC Sportsmanship award. 

“I think the hardest part was wearing masks and trying to tumble [while] maintaining 6 feet. I think the team did amazing because we all bonded together,” Sierra Austin, sophomore, said.