Trojans Basketball Makes History

This past season the Boys Basketball Team had the best season Chesterton has ever seen! They were undefeated through the regular season and went into the final game with an astonishing record of 29-0. This was also the first time in school history that the boys basketball team had won the regional championship! Going into the state championship the Trojans were ranked number one in the state and would be competing against the Fighting Irish from Cathedral. Cathedral was 8th in the state at the end of the regular season and went into the state championship with a record of 26-6. 

The town of Chesterton rallied around the Trojans every step of the way, and came out to support every single game. Chesterton had a huge crowd down at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and despite the 65-31 loss, Chesterton could not be more proud of the historic performance. 

Cross Country Runs to Ninth Place Finish

The Chesterton Boys Cross Country team competed for the title of State Champions this past season. Seniors Josh and Jackson Tuck and Bobby Berger, and Juniors Evan O’Connor, Tyler Herzog, Oliver Wilgocki, and Trevor Arlington ran their way to a Ninth place finish! The boys had an average time of 16:44, with Jackson Tuck leading the way placing 46th overall and Evan O’Connor  placing 49th. Chesterton Cross Country has excelled over the past few years and this year they showed that they can compete with just about anybody.

Pinning down the 2022 Season

After a successful 2021-22 season, Chesterton sent three phenomenal athletes to the state championship. Senior, Gage Demarco, sophomore, Hayden Demarco, and Junior Aidan Torres advanced to the state finals as individuals, all placing in the top 7 in the state. 

Gage Demarco finished his third consecutive state championship with a 4th place finish. Demarco had a senior year record of 44-8,  impacting the Trojans in many ways throughout his career. 

Hayden Demarco vied for his second state title in his short Chesterton High School wrestling career. He placed 7th in the 120 weight class, with an overall record of 44-3 in his sophomore season. He has a bright future ahead of him and has already started his junior season off strong. 

The future Hoosier, Aidan Torres went to his third straight state championship and placed third in the state. Aidan had a 43-2 record in his 145 weight class. The future for this Division One athlete is going to be one to watch, starting with his final Trojan season.

Attitude Matters

Chris Mullen was a 3-sport athlete through his four years at Chesterton, playing football, basketball, and baseball. Even though he was a star quarterback, starting power forward, and shortstop, there was one thing that could be seen above all of that; his attitude. Mullen always found a way to stay positive, even in tough situations. He made sure to build his teammates’ confidence and lift them up when things got low. After Chesterton’s heartbreaking defeat in the basketball state championship. Mullen was presented with the Arthur L. Trester Award for Mental Attitude. This is given to the senior who shows outstanding leadership, sportsmanship, and overall mental attitude in the state finals. Mullen is now playing football for the University of Indianapolis, and is no doubt continuing to express great mental attitude.

The Perfect Ending for Grayson

Travis Grayson is, without a doubt, one of the most talented basketball players to come through Chesterton. Despite his size, he still found countless ways to score. Grayson led the boys basketball team to the first basketball state runner up in school history and also reached his 1000th point in his high school career. These incredible accomplishments were topped off with Grayson being recognized as an Indiana All Star. Grayson is one of only four players to come through Chesterton to get his name on the wall as an Indiana All Star. Only 14 players in the whole state of Indiana were given the honor of being an Indiana All Star, and after the season he had, Grayson definitely deserved it.

Grayson couldn’t have done it all by himself, however. He had the help of his teammates and especially coach Marc Urban. Urban was able to transform a team that had fallen in sectionals the year prior to the number one team in the state. He analyzed his players’ strengths and designed a style of play that would set Chesterton up for success. 

Running with Passion

Chesterton Girls Track and Field sent individuals to compete at the ISHAA state meet at IU Bloomington this past June. The DAC was not mistaken when they chose their All-Conference of Ciara Bonner, Camryn Dunn, Alyssa Dunlap, Bree Gentry, and Bailey Ranta. These put on a show at state finals. A Miami of Ohio commit, Dunn placed third in the 100 Meter Dash and third in the 400 Meter Dash. Toledo commit Ranta individually placed 7th in the 3200 Meter Dash. Bonner, Dunlap, Gentry, and Ranta placed 8th in the 4×800 Meter Relay. Dunn, Gentry, Bridgit Raffin, and Bella Smith placed 10th in the 4×400 Meter Relay. With their leadership and coaching staff, the girls track has a great future ahead.

Campbell Crushes 800 Wins

Coach Jack Campbell reached his 800th win this past baseball season! He reached this incredible marking point just six years after he achieved his 700th win. Campbell has been coaching at Chesterton for the past 52 years and has achieved a record of 805-675. It’s not everyday that a coach crosses the 800-win threshold. This accomplishment is proof of Campbell’s impact in the Chesterton community.

Dance Makes Leaps in their Second Year as a Program

During their second season, the Chesterton Dance team made large strides in their appearance. At the 2022 Solo and Ensemble State Finals, a small ensemble consisting of Ellery Brunt, Olyvia Clark, Adele Megaro, and Teagan Wheeling placed third. Senior Soloist, Brunt placed first in state, and Senior Soloist Clark placed 9th. Junior Soloist Megaro placed third. After becoming Regional Champions, the Chesterton Dance team advanced to Nationals in Orlando, Florida. At Nationals the team placed second, becoming National Runners-up in Kick. They placed 13th in the Nation for Small Varsity Jazz as well, leaving them in the top 20 of the country. After Natonions they competed at team State Finals, leading them to place second in the state. Brunt received Senior All-State and Senior Academic All-State team members! Already kicking off their 2022-23 season, we are ready to see their successes to come!

Girls Swimming Flutters through 22 Consecutive Sectional Titles

The Chesterton Girls Swim and Dive team broke three records and scored their 22nd consecutive IHSAA Sectional title. Maisyn Klimczak broke her previous record in the 500 freestyle in 4: 53.88, she was not done yet when she broke her sister’s previous record in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:49.61. Rachel Dildine, Alana Jardenil, Klimczak and Veronika Ozimek broke another record in 400 freestyle 3:27.13. Overall wins were Dildine in the 200 IM and the 100 Fly, Mady Elliott in the 100 Back, Jardenil in the 100 Breast, and Ozimek, Sierra Jones, Sophia Gill, and Klimczak. The ladies brought back the sectional title by 84 points, topping rival Valparaiso Vikings. The 2022-23 season is off to a great start and ready to vie for their 23rd title.

There’s a First for Everything

The Chesterton Girls Lacrosse team is making strides in their third varsity season. Chesterton took home their first sectional title after losing by four only the year before. Chesterton defeated Munster in their fight for a sectional title, 12-10. The Trojans were ready for their Semi-State debut against Evansville Central. They met in the middle at Grand Park Sportsplex, there was visible tension during the warmups between the two teams, ready to start the game, the Trojans set and were ready to go. The game was full of twists and turns, but both teams wanted to get to that state field. With the top referees in the state, the game was evenly called, and kept a good pace. After being down two at halftime, the Trojans stepped it up tying the game. Defense led by Courtney Papka and Hannah Hall, kept the top scorers out of the eight, however some balls got let in. The Bears led the game and began holding the ball, leaving nearly twenty seconds for the ball to get down the field. Losing by one point the Trojans season came to an end. The Trojans sent four players to the state tournament to play in the state showcase game. Freshman, Gabriella Earth, sophomore, Sophia Gudino, junior Caroline Dardeau, and senior Hannah Hall played and represented Chesterton well. Chesterton had multiple All-State Academic, 5 All- Sectional team members, Sylvia Coslov, Dardeau, Emma Ekblaw, Hall, and Makenna Hyska, 2 North Region Honorable Mentions, Ekblaw and hall, 1 All- Region and 1 All-State, Dardeau. The Chesterton Trojans want that State Title and we wish them luck!