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The fans cheering on their favorite team. The sound of the athletes spiking the ball. Heavy panting as the runners turn the corner of the track. The chlorinated aroma surrounds you. Athletes grunt throughout each swing. The screams from the coach encouraging the players. The airy whoosh of the 9 iron.

These are some of the sights and sounds from the 2018 Niles North fall sports season.

Let’s take a closer at what has made this season unforgettable for coaches and athletes.

Boys Varsity Football

This year the Boys Varsity Football team has switched up their head coach to Patrik Pistorio. He started his first coaching season with a record of 2-8.

When asked about his most memorable moment coach Pistorio said, “Our victory vs. Al Raby was a great way to start the season.  Our players rallied together to defeat a pre-season state ranked team and that was very exciting. Also, our victory against Niles West was really important for our seniors and our program’s vision moving forward.”

Girls Varsity Volleyball

Girls Varsity Volleyball has had an exciting season especially with the team well represented by the senior class. They put up a hard fight during their games and were always ready for a good competition.

Varsity volleyball member, Ruth Pasca said her most memorable moment of the season was at her senior night. “Although it wasn’t a win… I wanted that night to be memorable and special and that’s exactly what I did. Not letting the ball drop was the highlight of my night. I want to look back 10 years from now and be happy with my performance.”

Girls and Boys Varsity Cross Country

Girls and Boys Cross Country had a great season with many of the seniors advancing to regionals or sectional levels.

The annual DQ run is the girls most memorable event of their season along with the coaches. Head Coach Andrew Swedberg said, “It was a beautiful….hot as a matter of fact…. fall day.  We all ran to the DQ and had a well-deserved treat.”

Along with the girls team, the Boys Cross Country has had a lot of fun this season. Many of the athletes will be moving on to run at the college-level. Head coach Jonathon Roberts described his favorite memory of the team as, “There are many moments to choose from this year, but I’d say the most memorable moment was taking our senior group down to compete with the state’s best runners in Peoria. This group of seniors proved to be some of the best runners, leaders, and human-beings I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching. This trip was both the perfect send off and “homecoming” for a group that is ready to go do some great things in their future.”

Girls Varsity Swimming

The Girls Swim team has endured a rebuilding season with many of the seniors leaving last year. Grace Lee, senior and varsity swim team member, recalled that her favorite memory of the season was from the meet at Elk Grove.

“This meet is always really fun because they have a synchronized swimming routine contest for all of the teams to participate in… It really brings all the schools together even if we’re competing. This year we didn’t win but we did our routine to Kiss You by One Direction and all of the other teams sang while we did our routine and it’s always just a great experience,” Lee said.

Girls Varsity Tennis

The Girls Varsity Tennis season is a very tight team with a strong bond between both coaches and athletes. Head coach Andrew Klamm said, “Our most memorable moment of the season was collectively filling nearly every court at the tennis complex in Springfield with our players in the championship and 3rd place matches. They learned a lot about how much they could push themselves and how strong they were as people.”

Boys Varsity Soccer

This season the Boys Soccer team had a very good season with a historic total of 16 wins and three losses. Head Coach Filip Cejovic said, “My favorite moment of the fall season was our fantastic performance versus Vernon Hills. We won 4-1 and played an almost perfect game. All the hard work every member of the squad put in paid off and then some on that evening.”

Boys Varsity Golf

The Boys Varsity Golf team have had an enjoyable season with a small team. The team has made accomplishments especially with their underclassmen coming into to the school. Sophomore Thomas Henry said his most memorable moment was at the team’s district tournament.

“I made a 20 foot putt [and] even though I didn’t play my best game, I definitely surprised the opponents from the other teams,” Henry said.

With all the fall sports coming to an end the teams enjoyed their season whether it was just the beginning for some athletes or the end. If you want to see more of Niles North athletics, check out the school athletic website for more details. Stay tuned for exciting coverage on competitive cheer and dance and our upcoming winter sports coverage and in our online edition, northstarnews.org.