AURORA – This fall, four new members will be inducted into the Waubonsie Valley Athletics Hall of Fame. Two athletes from girls soccer, one athlete from boys swimming and water polo, and a coach from baseball.
Girls soccer star Vanessa DiBernardo helped the Warriors to the first of three IHSA State titles (’07, ’08, ’10) and two undefeated seasons. The 2010 graduate was All-Sectional and All-State for four years. In 2010, she was voted the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. DiBernardo holds the IHSA Class AA record for most goals in a championship game with 3. She graduated from the University of Illinois and went on to play professional soccer for the Chicago Red Stars.
Bri Rodriguez was part of the teams that won back-to-back IHSA Championships in 2007 and 2008. The 2009 graduate was voted the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year in 2008. Rodriguez was also All-Sectional and All-State for four years. She is 18th in IHSA history in career assists with 71. She graduated from West Virginia University and also went on to play soccer for the Chicago Red Stars.
In 1992, Jim Schmid was dean of students and assistant principal and then principal of Waubonsie Valley High School, until 2004 when he was promoted to principal until 2008. He coached the Warrior baseball team for eight seasons, winning 171 games for the Warriors. In 1996, the team finished second in IHSA State, after having only finished in fifth in the Upstate Eight Conference. Schmid was inducted into the Illinois Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997.
Jim Zuponeck graduated in 2009 and holds the all-time school record for the 100 breaststroke with a :57.28. He is also second all-time in the 200 individual medley with a 1:54.43. In 2008, Zuponeck finished seventh in IHSA State in the 100 breaststroke, and in 2009, he had two top ten finishes in the 200 individual medley (6th) and 100 breaststroke (5th). In water polo, Zuponeck was all-sectional in 2006, 2007 and 2009.