On Nov. 1, New Trier enjoyed a run of success seemingly impossible in high school athletics, either winning or exceeding expectations in five different sports. Some students call it the greatest day in the history of the New Trier athletic program, others call it meeting expectations. Here’s a timeline of the historic day.
Oct. 30
9:50 PM… on Facebook
Senior Charlie Schoder makes an effective post in Green Team group to pump up students, which draws a record 155 likes, foreshadowing the energy of the day to follow.
Nov. 1
1:00 PM… Girls cross country begins the IHSA Sectional at Niles West
After winning the regional title Oct. 25 behind senior standout Mimi Smith (the individual champion), the girls cross country team looks to build on its success at sectionals.
1:03 PM… Boys soccer vs. Evanston for the sectional championship
Kicking off a few minutes after the scheduled starting time is the sectional championship at Niles North between archrivals New Trier and Evanston. This game means much more than the championship, as a spot in the Elite Eight in the state tournament is on the line, as well as “the Hydrant,” the unofficial trophy of the oldest rivalry in the IHSA. As if the stakes weren’t high enough already, it serves as a rematch for the Trevians, who lost 2-1 to the Wildkits in Northfield on Sept. 21.
1:48 PM…
The first half of the soccer match comes to a close with the score locked 0-0.
2 PM… Boys cross country at IHSA Sectional at Niles West
With five of the top ten runners in the Central Suburban League (CSL), the boys cross country team easily captured the regional title on Oct. 25, led by second-place finisher Josh Rosenkranz. They will aim for a repeat of this performance.
2 PM… Field hockey vs. Lake Forest for the state championship
A rematch of the 2013 state championship, NTFH looks to avenge a 3-0 loss, taking on two-time defending state champion Lake Forest.
2:09 PM…
Senior forward Colin Egerter strikes a beautiful volley to give boys soccer a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute.
“[Duncan] Gill took the ball down the right sideline and crossed the ball on the ground towards [Jamey] Minturn,” said Egerter. “An Evanston defender tried to clear the ball and it hit off someone and popped up in the air at the top of the box, luckily I was in the right place at the right time.”
2:43 PM…
The Trevians reclaim “the Hydrant” and beat Evanston 1-0 to win the sectional final. They advance to the Elite Eight of the Class 3A state soccer tournament.
3:58 PM…
Senior attacker Kitty Kenyon scores the game winning goal with 15.7 seconds left in overtime. New Trier wins the field hockey state championship, ending LFHS’s two year championship run.
“It was a one-timer that I just swept in,” said Kenyon. “I had to take a step back and look up at the clock.”
Head coach Stephanie Nyakaza almost missed the goal that clinched her 9th state championship.
“I was starting to go over my lineup for the shoot-out and I looked up and saw Kitty’s shot,” Nykaza said in an interview with High School Cube. “It felt great.”
4:07 PM…
“The Hydrant,” is restored to its preferred color of green and blue after Evanston had possession for four years.
4:09 PM…
Girls cross country takes runner-up honors to Glenbard West at the Niles West Sectional and secures a spot at State. Smith places third with a time of 17:17.
“Our sectional is one of the hardest in the state for cross country because of the high number of quality individuals and teams that we compete against,” said Smith. “We knew it would be challenging going in so we made it a plan to stay together and push each other during the race.”
4:19 PM…
Boys cross country wins the Class 3A Niles West Sectional championship, boosted by a strong performance from Rosenkranz, who finished 8th individually. Seniors Luke Duros, Austin Santacruz, Tarek Afifi, and junior Jack Litowitz all finish in the top 25.
“Our lineup had been shuffled up in the week previous to the meet, so it was really encouraging that everyone had a good day at the same race,” said Rosenkranz. “We had a pretty tight pack, and we ran well enough to pull ahead.”
6 PM… New Trier Football begins its playoff run
Football starts their playoff run at home against Glenbrook South. The Trevians won 49-24 in the two teams’ first meeting of the season. Head coach Brian Doll has called for a white-out in the student section to utilize home-field advantage.
6:52 PM…
Junior kicker Nick Endre buries a 35-yard field goal to put New Trier up 3-0 late in the second quarter. The Trevians take the three point lead into the half.
7:33 PM…
The Trevians stretch their lead to 10-0 with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter thanks to a 31-yard touchdown run from senior running back Kevin Mulhern.
7:58 PM…
After Glenbrook South pulls within three points, senior tight end Andrew Hauser snags a 4-yard touchdown to put the Trevians up 17-7.
“We usually run near the goal line and GBS was definitely expecting that,” said Hauser. “Coach Doll drew up the ‘pop pass’ and I just snuck into the end zone and was wide open. Clay [Czyzynski] found me, easy pitch and catch.”
8:19 PM…
Mulhern finds room along the sideline and scampers into the end zone for another score. His 22-yard run puts the game away, as the Trevians go up 24-7 with just over three minutes remaining.
8:32 PM…
New Trier defeats Glenbrook South 24-14 in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs, and move on to face Curie in the next round. The win seals a seemingly unprecedented day of success among NT Athletics.