By TR HARLAN
When you’re the smallest school in a conference as good as the Duneland
Athletic Conference, sometimes it’s hard to compete.
Don’t tell the Chesterton Trojans.
For the second time in three years, the CHS girls have won the DAC
All-Sports Trophy and this time by an impressive 4.5 points over Valparaiso.
The All-Sports Trophy is based on a school’s finish in the DACin every
sport. Points are awarded based on your finishing position (1 for 1st, 2 for
2nd, etc...).
“Obviously it was a great year for the girls at Chesterton High School,” CHS
Athletic Director Garry Nallenweg said. “Many of our programs set some high
goals and worked very hard to achieve them.”
The Trojans not only found themselves at the top of the conference charts,
but brought home state championships as well.
Chesterton got individual state championships in girls’ swimming from Talor
Whitaker and Christy Grcevich, along with two relay titles. The girls, track
team picked up the 3,200 Relay state title as well.
In team sports, CHS sent its gymnastics, cross country and softball teams to
the state finals.
“This was an awfully good group of senior leaders and hopefully the young
kids will take the baton and run with it,” Nallenweg said. “We’ve been first
or second in the All-Sports standings for the six years and in the top three
for a long time. Our goal is always to finish in the top half.”
Nallenweg gave credit not only to the athletes that perform on the field,
but the coaches and community as well.
“It’s a compliment to our coaches, our athletes and the community at large,”
Nallenweg said. “We’ve been able to establish some good feeder programs and
that continues to help. Our middle school teams were very good.
“And we’ve been able to retain some coaches at the lower levels and they buy
into the programs that our head coaches have established.”
The other aspect that has to help the Trojans is the facilities that were
created when the new high school opened in 2000.
“It certainly doesn’t hurt to have the facilities we do,” Nallenweg said.
“But cross country and track run more off the facilities than they do on.
But, don’t get me wrong, our facilities don’t hurt us.”
Posted 7/6/2006
