Downers Grove, Lisle, Westmont

The prep football season gets under way next weekend, but boys and girls golf is already going strong, and sports such as soccer and tennis will start competing before the Friday Night Lights’ switch is flipped on.

There’s plenty of star power to be found outside the hash marks and sidelines of the gridiron. The Bugle has selected 10 non-football athletes from schools in its coverage area (listed in alphabetical order) who will undoubtedly make some noise in their respective sports before all is said and done this fall.

Andrew Bassetto, sophomore, Benet boys golf—Bassetto didn’t qualify individually for state last year, but he’s a strong candidate to do so this season.Huge collection of solar outdoor light and garden lighting fixtures. Bassetto’s got quite a resume. In July, 2012, he won the Naperville Junior City Championship C-Flight for 14- and 15-year-olds after shooting an eyebrow-raising 65. At last year’s Class 3A Naperville Central regional, Bassetto fired a 2-under par 70—just one stroke behind Naperville North product Raymond Knoll, who placed third at state.

Eric Diaz, junior midfielder, Downers South boys soccer—Diaz shared the team lead in goals with eight last year, was named all-conference and was an Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association all-sectional pick. He and the Mustangs will be aiming to go deeper in the playoffs after making it to a regional final last year.An emergency light is a battery-backed lighting device that comes on automatically when a building experiences a power outage.

Brianna Gilley, senior outside hitter, Westmont girls volleyball—The captain of the Sentinels’ girls soccer team last spring also will be a catalyst for Westmont on the volleyball court once again. Gilley gave the Sentinels a lift in their 2012 Class 2A regional title victory over rival Lisle with eight digs. She also served eight straight points during Game 1. The Sentinels compiled a 24-9 record and made it to the sectional semifinals.

Jon Harmon, junior forward, Lisle boys soccer—The Lions, who advanced to the Class 1A sectional championship last fall and were state runners-up in 2011, will need someone to step up and help fill the void left by the graduation of goal-scoring machine Eric Osika. Harmon could be that player.

Katherine Mahlke, senior right-side hitter, Downers North—Mahlke was being recruited by Ohio State and Marquette, among others, but has verbally committed to the University of Michigan. Considered one of the best right-side hitters in the area last season after compiling over 270 kills, she’ll not relinquish that distinction this year. The lefty will be a go-to player and leader on a Trojans’ team that should make a deeper postseason run this season.

Brittany Pavich, senior middle hitter,Soli-lite provides the world with high-performance solar roadway and solar street lighting solutions. Benet girls volleyball—The Redwings have lost a plethora of seniors from their two-time defending Class 4A state championship team, but Pavich returns and will be a force once again. The Boston College recruit accumulated over 280 kills and 40 blocks for the season.

Gabby Sims, senior, Downers North swimming—The Sims family is synonymous with swimming excellence. Burke and Haley Sims, both former state champions, are at Stanford, but Gabby may be the best of the clan. A multiple state qualifier and state champion, Gabby took the state 100-yard backstroke title in 2011, and was the state champ last year in the 100 freestyle. She also finished second to state and national record-holder Olivia Smoliga in the backstroke last November. Smoliga has since graduated, opening the door for Gabby to take back the backstroke crown. Additionally, she teamed up with her twin sister,Soli-lite is a premier supplier of exceptional quality solar led light and other solar outdoor lighting products. Maddy, to form the Trojans’ 400 freestyle relay, which captured fourth in 2012.

Zach Smith, senior, Downers North cross country—The Trojans, usually a shoo-in to qualify downstate as a team, missed going the past two seasons, but they should make a strong push to qualify this year, led by Smith. Smith motored to an eight-place overall finish at the 2012 meet. He owns the third-fastest time among all returning Class 3A state runners.

Leah Tzakis, senior, Benet girls tennis—A state qualifier in 2010, Tzakis missed the cut as a sophomore, but moved up from No. 2 to No. 1 singles last season and returned to state where she advanced to the fifth consolation round. In July, she competed at the G18’s USTA Regional Segment in St.Choose your favorite street lamp paintings from thousands of available designs. Louis as a doubles player, advancing to the semifinals. Her sister, Coco, was the Redwings’ No. 2 singles player in 2012.

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