Hunting Down Sports and Academics
York’s Stepanich helps three teams make history while earning all-state in academics
Let’s get this straight.
During his sophomore year, Hunter Stepanich helped lead York to second place in the state boys volleyball tournament.
It was the best finish in history for that team.
During his junior season, he helped the Dukes finish second in the Class 8A football championships.
That was the best finish in history for that team as well.
Hunter Stepanich
His senior year?
It’s not quite over yet, but in March, he helped York finish fourth in the Class 4A boys basketball tournament.
And, you guessed it, it was the best finish in history for that team.
To help get there, the hoops team used Stepanich’s three-point play with 5.4 seconds left to beat Glenbard East, 37-36, in a pressure-filled nailbiter to win its first sectional championship since 1982.
So, he’s a pretty darn good athlete, right?
But that’s not all.
In late February, Stepanich was one of just 26 athletes across the state to be named to the Illinois High School Association All-State Academic Team. Roughly more than 300,000 students play in IHSA sports, and he is just one of 26 to earn that honor.
It’s difficult to balance three sports and maintain great grades, but it hasn’t stopped Stepanich from thriving.
York’s Stepanich makes a catch on
the football field for the Dukes.
“I’ve been playing sports my whole life and balancing school with it,” he said. “It’s been repetition, trial and error, and that kind of thing. What works for me and what doesn’t.
“I have a great support system with my family, and our school is also doing a great job emphasizing the importance of academics. Being a student-athlete, they are always putting being a student first.”
The 6-foot-7 Stepanich’s next stop will be Princeton, where he will try to play two sports – football and volleyball, while trying to
earn a degree in chemical and biological engineering at the Ivy League school.
He had a chance to see the medical world shadowing at Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital during the first semester of his senior year at York, and learned a thing or two about the medical profession outside of what is taught in the books and classroom.
“It’s been interesting,” he said. “Depending on the rotation, you shadow a nurse doing bedside manner, or you can see some procedures. It’s a pretty cool experience overall.”
He made his decision to commit to Princeton as a rare two-sport athlete.
While the recent basketball finish was fresh on his mind, he had some fond memories of the runner-up finishes by the volleyball and football teams.
York’s Stepanich (50) plays strong defense on the basketball court.
“Both teams were amazing,” Stepanich said. “We had great bonds and performed really well. The environment for both championship games was exciting. We had a great showing. We were able to show the fans how exciting volleyball could be, and when our football team played at Illinois State University, we had a big fan base travel to see us, and that was a great environment, too.”
He might not be through helping the Dukes to postseason glory.
Stepanich and the Dukes appear to be dangerous in volleyball again. Just a few weekends after coming off the state basketball tournament, he was named MVP at the Belleville East Invitational as the Dukes made the long trip to the St. Louis area and won the title.
Stepanich has a hard time picking a favorite of the three sports he plays.
“I have a great support system with my family, and our school is also doing a great job emphasizing the importance of academics.”
– Hunter Stepanich
“All three are special in their own unique way,” he said. “They have each taught me something different about myself and I enjoy all of them.”
Stepanich will be leaving the Elmhurst school and leaving a mark on athletics. But his impact goes beyond that.
York football coach Don Gelsomino took to the X app to tell the world how much he appreciates Stepanich.
“Incredible athlete but a better human,” Gelsomino wrote of Stepanich.
