Waubonsie Valley
| Waubonsie Valley Warriors | |
| |
|---|---|
| Location: Aurora, Illinois | |
| Coaches | Jennifer Golminas |
| State Championships | none |
| National Championships | none |
| National Appearances | HSNCT: 2015, PACE: 2017, NHBB: 2024 |
| Program Status | Active |
| School Size | 2571 |
| NAQT Page | link |
Waubonsie Valley High School is a public high school in Aurora, Illinois located in the west suburbs of Chicago. It competes in Class AA, the "large school" division, of the Illinois High School Association's (IHSA) State Championship Series. The Warriors also compete in the DuPage Valley Conference and are former members of the Upstate Eight Conference.
History
As a mercurial team in the early 2000s, Waubonsie Valley played for the Cary Grove sectional and participated in various tournaments. Over the years the Warriors' competitive success has been hindered by its proximity to Illinois powerhouses Wheaton North & IMSA. In the early 2010s, Waubonsie Valley joined the Upstate Eight and eventually won its conference in 2014. The team joined the DuPage Valley Conference and the IHSSBCA QB circuit in the 2014-2015 season. Under captain Brian Kalathiveetil, Waubonsie Valley made significant progress as one of the many rising teams in Illinois. The team has participated in a multitude of tournaments starting in 2016 with significant finishes including winning IHSSBCA Kickoff, finishing 4th at the NIU Huskie Bowl, & winning its first IHSA Regional title the following year.
Although the team stagnated after Kalathiveetil's graduation, under new coach Jennifer Golminas and captain Teigue Kelly, the team eventually rebounded. Notable performances since then for the Warriors have included challenging Naperville North to win Conference titles in 2022, 2023, and 2024, winning 4 consecutive IHSA Regional Championships, placing 2nd at IHSSBCA Kickoff sites in 2021 and 2022, and placing 2nd at IHSA State in 2024.
Beginning in the 2022-23 Season, Waubonsie has also competed in NHBB tournaments, placing 1st or 2nd at every Illinois tournament they've attended. During the team's first foray into a National Tournament in 7 years, the WV History Bowl team placed 4th in the 2024 National History Bowl.
Notable Team Accomplishments
- IHSA State Tournament: 2nd Place (2A) - 2024
- IHSA Sectional titles: 2024-2A
- IHSA Regional titles: 2024-2A, 2023-2A, 2022-2A, 2021-2A, 2017-2A
- DuPage Valley Conference Champions: 2024, 2023, 2022
- Upstate Eight Conference Champions: 2015
- IHSSBCA Kickoff Champions: 2015
- IHSSBCA Kickoff Runner-ups: 2021, 2022
- IHSSBCA NAQT Illinois State Championship: 2017 - 13th, 2016 - 21st
- PACE NSC: 2017 - 38th
- NAQT High School National Championship Tournament: 2015 - 160th
- NHBB National History Bowl: 2024 - 4th
Individual Awards
IHSSBCA All-Sectional
- Tim Harrington-Taber (2001-02)
- Daniel Brinkman (2004-05)
- Sarah Mann (2004-05, 2005-06)
- Muhammed Alikhan (2012-13)
- Calvin Chu (2013–14, 2014-15)
- Brian Kalathiveetil (2015-16, 2016-17)
- Teigue Kelly (2022-23)
- Vikram Narasimhan (2023-24)
IHSSBCA All-State
- Brian Kalathiveetil (2016-17) (1st Team)
- Teigue Kelly (2022-23) (1st Team)
- Vikram Narasimhan (2023-24) (2nd Team)
Scobol Solo
- Teigue Kelly: 2022 - 4th place
IPNCT
- Vikram Narasimhan: 2024 - 10th place