Round Lake athletic director reports steady participation; baseball, soccer and track post milestones

The Round Lake Area Board of Education received a spring athletics report on July 21 from athletic director Mr. Karolczak, who said participation across spring sports has held largely steady since 2021 and highlighted team and individual achievements. Karolczak and coaches spotlighted several items: Javier (Javi) Rolon was recognized as May male athlete of the month after a season in which coaches said he batted near .400 and hit four home runs in May. Mike Mostolsky, the head boys baseball coach, said: "Javi was a phenomenal player this year, not just the month of May, but for the whole season." Mostolsky called Rolon a leader and noted Rolon's contribution on the mound and at the plate. The director noted baseball recorded its most wins in a season in several years and that the program's summer league and fund-raising will allow the team to purchase additional gear. Girls soccer, under new head coach Hugo Toles, played a tougher schedule and produced all-conference performers including Annalee Deanda and Alexa Vega. Softball reported its most wins since 2017 and a team effort to keep all roster members academically eligible for every week of the season. Track and field coaches emphasized new training tools and accountability, including laser timing chips and published practice results; several sprinters recorded personal records and both middle-school and high-school track programs hosted county and sectional meets. Boys volleyball continued to grow: the program fielded its largest roster in program history with a strong freshman class and earned its first varsity conference win. Board members asked about participation trends: the largest year-over-year drop was in boys track and field, and Karolczak said anecdotal reasons included raised training expectations and a more demanding program. He added retention was high once the season began. No board action was required; the report was informational.