By Seth Winkle

1. Football: Everyone knows the Batavia has a great tradition of football. Head coach Dennis Piron has not lost a conference game since he took over in 2011. Piron only lost one regular season game this season in a nail-biter against Oswego. Many of the Bulldogs are going on to play in college, such as Mitch Krusz (Butler), Jack Breshears (FAU) and Jake Hlava (NIU).
2. Track (Boys and Girls): This indoor track season the boys and girls track team both set school records at certain events. To cap off a record-setting indoor year, the boys captured a conference title. They are still going strong in the outdoor season after winning a girls’ and boys’ conference championship and qualifying 10 events for the state tournament. Track star Peyton Piron is still deciding where he will run in college.
3. Wrestling: Head Coach Scott Bayer led the bulldogs to a UEC River Division title, capping it off with a win over rival Geneva. They also placed in the top five all five of the tournaments they entered this year. Junior Dylan Uzemecki led the Dogs with a trip to the state tournament in Champaign this year.
4. Boy’s soccer: The boy’s soccer team made their mark on the 2014 season when they beat a highly-renowned Saint Charles East squad. Perhaps the Bulldog’s biggest feat of the season was capturing a regional title and ending the season ranked 22nd in the state. Returning junior Matt Allen will be a player to watch come next season.
5. Cross Country: The boys cross-country team has had some record-setting seasons in the past few years. In 2013 they qualified for state for the first time, and they punched their ticket to Peoria this year, as well. Senior Ryan Wheaties was the team’s number one runner and will be attending West Point Military Academy next year.