The Herald Cup 2023-2024: No. 2 Benet Academy

Editor’s Note: Now that the high school sports year is over, we’ve come up with a points system based on team statuses to measure which of the 85 high schools in the Daily Herald’s distribution area had the best athletics year in 2023-2024. We’re announcing the top five small schools this week, one per day, starting with No. 5 on Monday through No. 1 on Friday. The top five major schools will be announced next week.

Benet Academy earned points in five sports in the 2023-2024 school year. The Redwings flew into the fall with deep state runs in girls tennis, girls volleyball, boys cross country and girls golf, then closed out the year with girls lacrosse.

The Redwings finished second in the 2023-24 Herald Cup Small Schools standings with 69 points calculated by weighing team results across the fall, winter and spring.

How they did it

Benet captured second-place trophies in both Class 1A girls tennis, just one point behind winner Chicago University High, and in Class 4A girls volleyball, where the Redwings (39-3) extended Mother McAuley to three sets in coach Brad Baker’s eighth trip to the title match.

Benet loved the outdoors. It added a sixth-place finish in Class 2A girls golf and was seventh in 2A boys cross country, one point out of sixth.

Heading into the spring, the Benet lacrosse team (23-3) advanced to another state championship, losing 14-5 to Loyola Academy.

Who made it happen

Junior libero Aniya Warren is on the USA Volleyball under-19 national team. Last fall, she earned her second straight all-state honor from the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association. Sophomore middle blocker Lynney Tarnow, 6-foot-1, earned her first.

Juniors Shane Delaney and Clare Lopatka won six straight doubles matches to capture the Class 1A title. Juniors Natalie Grover and Katie Jendra placed fifth in doubles and another junior, Meredith Converse, added 7 singles points. Freshman singles Lily Lopatka also scored.

Junior Finn Richards’ fifth-place finish of 14 minutes, 44.75 seconds at the 2023 State Cross Country is the best returning Class 2A time among last year’s runners at Detweiller Park.

East Suburban Catholic Conference medalist and incoming University of Michigan freshman Jenna Shilts placed second in 2A girls golf. Junior Audrey Wake was playing in her third state tournament.

Benet earned four first-team all-state selections from the Illinois Girls Lacrosse Coaches Association: seniors Shannon Earley, Madeline Jensen and Dagny Tombaugh, junior Gianna Kurelko.

Key statistics

Committed to Indiana University, Warren recorded 447 digs for the Redwings volleyball team last season. Sophomore setter Ellie Stiernagle had 887 assists.

In ESCC tournament, sectional and state play, Delaney and Lopatka won every match in straight sets and allowed opponents a fourth point in a set only twice, during the Class 1A tournament.

At the ESCC boys cross country championships, Richards, Aiden Hulett, Jacob Molloy and Charlie Phelan took the top four, while fifth scorer Daniel Shannon placed 10th, giving the Redwings 19 points. Second-place Notre Dame scored 77.

The ESCC girls lacrosse player of the year and with goalie Jensen a three-time all-conference pick, Earley’s 104 goals ranked fourth in Illinois according to MaxPreps.

Important fact

Warren was named most valuable player at the Wheaton Classic, the Scholastic Cup and Autumnfest, the three top girls volleyball tournaments in the suburbs.

They said it

“I think every aspect of my game can improve. I don’t just want to be average. I want to be great. I always want more for myself. I don’t want to collapse.” – Warren, in the story of the late John Radtke’s DuPage County All-Area girls volleyball captain.