How Will Geneva's Fall Athletes Fare in Upstate Eight?

This year the Geneva Vikings will be leaving the crumbling Western Sun Conference and joining the Upstate Eight. How will they do in the powerhouse UEC? That depends on who you ask.

Geneva Community High School Principal Tom Rogers was the Vikings' quarterback in the 1984 season. He was a starting guard on the basketball team and a pitcher for the baseball team. So Rogers knows a little bit about high school sports and the Upstate Eight Conference, which played against Geneva teams often in those days.

Geneva will be going from the biggest-enrollment school in the Western Sun Conference to the second-smallest in the UEC, just ahead of Batavia.

"It's going to be a great challenge," Rogers said. "It'll be week after week of great rivalries—Batavia, St. Charles East, St. Charles North. And I know there will be a lot of parents looking forward to it because of the easier travel distance."

The new conference includes Lake Park, Bartlett, East Aurora, Elgin, South Elgin, Larkin, St. Charles North, St. Charles East, Streamwood, Waubonsie Valley, Batavia, Geneva, and Matea Valley High School.

Although the conference will be modified to include 14 teams, it will still be named the Upstate Eight. The conference will be split into two divisions with seven teams in each. Most games will be against River Division opponents, although there will be some cross-over games against the bigger UEC schools in the Valley Division.

Geneva Athletic Director Jim Kafer says Geneva will be competitive in every fall sport.

"There shouldn't be a huge difference for us," he said. "The Western Sun Conference had smaller teams and weaker lower-level teams because of lower enrollment, but they were always strong in varsity competition. We expect to do just fine."

Here's a sport-by-sport look at how Geneva should fare in the UEC:

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL—In 2009, the Vikings won 34 games and were ranked 15th in the state. The 2010 team should be at or near the top of the UEC but will face a challenge from St. Charles East, which had a record of 25-16 last season. Geneva will have 10 seniors returning, including Brooke Binette, Sarah Duever and Brooke Morhpis.

Patch pre-season prediction: 2nd place in UEC River Division

BOYS SOCCER—Geneva's soccer season ended in a conference and regional championship. "The boys soccer team should be really, really strong this year," Kafer said. The team to watch out for in the Upstate Eight will be Larkin High School, a team with a record of  7-15-3 in the 2009 regular season but finished strongly enough to win its regional championship.

Head coach Ryan Estabrook is looking forward to seeing what his team can do.

"We return six starters from last year's team, so we feel pretty confident going into the season. The conference will be challenging, but we hope to contend for a conference championship," he said.

Patch pre-season prediction: 1st place in UEC River Division

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY—Boys cross country is a successful program that has produced regional titles and advanced far into the playoffs in recent years. The 2010 season should be no exception for the Vikings even though they will be losing Kevin Sparks to graduation. Sparks placed 23rd in state last season. Senior Kevin McDowell will be an important factor in the success of the Vikings 2010 season.

Patch pre-season prediction: 2nd place in UEC River Division

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY—The girls cross country team has been red hot for the last three seasons, as they placed first in the 3A state championship in both 2007 and 2008 and fifth in the state championship in 2009. Senior Kelly Whitley has been a large part of the Vikings' success over the past few seasons. Whitley just placed third in a triathlon in the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and is returning home to begin her last season with the Vikings.

Patch pre-season prediction: 1st place in UEC River Division

BOYS GOLF—The Vikings' biggest challenge likely will come from Waubonsie Valley and St. Charles East, who both placed in the top 10 in the state last season. Senior Andrew Cisco will be a key player in 2010. The Vikings won their home tournament at Mill Creek Golf Club on Aug, 19 and hope to continue that success throughout the season.

Patch pre-season prediction: 4th place in UEC River Division

GIRLS GOLF—The girls golf team will have to watch out for St. Charles East, which placed in the top 10 in the state in 2009. Top returners for Geneva include Tara Richter and Jessie Matthieson.

Patch pre-season prediction: 5th place in UEC River Division

GIRLS TENNIS—Lake Park should be the team to beat in the upcoming 2010 girls tennis season. The Vikings will be losing state-qualifying singles player Kayla Fujimoto, which may hurt their 2010 chances.

Patch pre-season prediction: 3rd place in UEC River Division

A Closer Look at the UEC

Valley Divison:

Aurora (East): 2,925 enrollment

Bartlett: 2,785

Nequa Valley: 4,432

Lake Park: 2,839

Matea Valley: 2,500

South Elgin: 2,447

Waubonsie Valley: 3,276

River Division:

Batavia: 1,877

Elgin High School: 2,294

Elgin (Larkin): 2,295

Geneva: 1,978

St. Charles East: 2,165

St. Charles North: 2,155

Streamwood: 2,386