Lake Zurich High School Student Media

Bear Facts
Lake Zurich High School Student Media

Bear Facts
Lake Zurich High School Student Media

Bear Facts
Alex Ketcham

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor

As a senior, this is Alex's third year on staff and fourth year in the journalism program. He is very excited to work as the Sports Editor again. When not pursuing his love of writing and media, Alex will probably be seen in the theatre, as he is serving as the Drama Club President this year. If he is not there, then he will probably be singing or watching sports. If not there, he will probably be catching up on his messed-up sleep schedule.

All content by Alex Ketcham
Logan Griglione, junior, was given 1 day of off time between football and baseball seasons this Spring. This is a massive change from the typical 3-4 months of off-time in a normal year between the two sports due to IHSA schedules for the 2020/21 school year

Too much to do, too little time

Alex Ketcham and Sophia Babcock
May 21, 2021
Jack Dwyer, senior, breaks for the edge against Mundelein. The team was able to finish their spring season with a 3-3 record and 3 shutout victories.

Spring Sports Recap 2021

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
May 2, 2021
Sam Holtz, senior, has recently gone viral on TikTok for discussing his March Madness bracket. Holtz won ESPNs 2015 Tournament Challenge beating out 11.57 million entires

Bracketologist turned TikTok Famous

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
March 18, 2021
The D95 Foundations main fundraiser for the school year is coming up March 13-27. This event is a virtual 5k that honors heroes of all types and benefitting the foundation.

D95 foundation to host virtual 5k

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
February 23, 2021
Student-Athletes have faced much uncertainty this school year with whether their seasons will commence. Following a January 27 meeting, IHSA announced the resumption of sports and activities through the remainder of the school year.

IHSA holdup lifted

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
February 1, 2021
For early graduates, the end of high school has arrived much earlier than summer. As they spend the next months gaining experience out in the real world, they are also planning for their future outside of the LZ halls.

[Photo] An early adieu

Caroline Sun, Digital Editor-in-Chief
February 2, 2021
LZHS Theatre presents Its a Wonderful Life as a radio play this weekend. This timeless holiday classic will be free for all audiences to stream.

Drama Club earns their wings with It’s a Wonderful Life

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
December 18, 2020
The stadium lights have been dim this fall, turning what would have been Friday Night Lights into Friday Night No-Lights. There were many events throughout 2020 that led to this point in High School Sports, and Bear Facts takes a look back at those events.

Reflecting on Sports in 2020

Alex Ketcham and Sophia Babcock
December 14, 2020
Complaining can be a small statement once in while or a long term habit. However, when reflecting on complaints you typically make, you realize how many times you complain and how unnecessary complaining can be

A Complaining Detox… Attempted

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
December 2, 2020
Hallways such as the S-Hallway shown here have been sanctioned off as a one-way hallway for hybrid learners. Other hallways have been divided into two sides in order to promote social distancing.

LZ begins hybrid learning

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
October 5, 2020
A Girls Cross Country team member gets set to start her race at a meet in the backfield of the school. Each runner starts the race individually this year as a result of COVID-19 and then the teams compare times at the end to determine the winner.

Fall Sports Preview 2020

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
September 9, 2020
The construction of the new May Whitney Elementary building continued this summer and stands on track to be completed for Fall 2021. May Whitney, Seth Paine, and Sarah Adams were the major construction projects in the district this summer and all persevered through Covid-19.

Constructing the future

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
September 2, 2020
Sports are on hiatus for the moment, but that does not mean you cannot get your sports fix! Many sports movies are available on the most popular streaming platforms and ready to watch.

Filling your sports void

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
May 11, 2020
Sports Recap: February 3-16

Sports Recap: February 3-16

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
February 18, 2020
Christopher Bennett, girls basketball coach and economics teacher, gives a high five to one of his players after a practice. Bennett has been on the coaching staff for 22 years and has over 200 career wins.

Accomplishing uncommon things

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
December 13, 2019
Sema Hasanof, junior lacrosse player, committed to Grand Valley State University in October for lacrosse. Hasanof will now finish high school knowing where she will be attending after graduation, and not worrying about applying to various schools.

Ahead of the game

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
December 10, 2019
The girls cross country team competed at Sectionals in Hoffman Estates and placed 8th. brooke Johnston advanced out of sectionals and will compete at State this weekend

Sports Recap: October 21-November 3

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
November 4, 2019
Like any test, the ACT and SAT gets easier as you prepare more. However, preparation for these tests vary from student to student, so it all comes down to which method is most effective for the student

Prepping for your future… literally

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
October 9, 2019
To kick off the start of the game, the football players lift their helmets ready to win against Marist.

[Photo] Bears come ready to win at homecoming game

Alexandra Rauchfuss, Staff Writer
October 4, 2019
The Actual Cost

The Actual Cost

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
September 27, 2019
The football team lines up for a play against Marist on 9/6. The game ended in a 24-17 loss for the Bears

Sports Recap: August 12-September 8

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
September 9, 2019

[Video] Football team eyes high expectations for 2019 season

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
August 27, 2019
Maura Ginn, sophomore, stares down towards the plate and prepares to pitch during a May 13 game against Mundelein. Sad the teams season ended this past week, but the team will now look ahead to next year.

Weekly Roundup: May 20-26

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
May 29, 2019
Andrew Stange, senior, and Sophia de los Reyes, senior, sign their paperwork on signing day for their college athletics. Stange will be playing football at Illinois Wesleyan University, and de los Reyes will be playing tennis at Grinnell College

The Next Level

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
May 24, 2019
Emilia Mangiardi, sophomore, passes the pall down field in a game earlier this year against Glenbrook North. The team will be heading into Sectionals this week

Weekly Roundup: May 13-19

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
May 20, 2019
Griffin Koppel, sophomore cuts left in the Allied Soccer teams 8-7 win over Warren on Saturday. The next game will be on Tuesday against Mundelein during the Bears Barbecue

Weekly Roundup: May 6-12

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
May 13, 2019
The girls track and field team poses with their NSC Championship trophy on Thursday at home. This is the teams second consecutive conference title.

Weekly Roundup: April 29-May 5

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
May 9, 2019
Kelsey Rothas, junior, clears the bar in pole vault at the Lake County Invite on Thursday. Rothas ended up winning the event.

Weekly Roundup: April 22-28

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
May 1, 2019
Marek Enters, senior, dashes over the hurdle in the 300 meter hurdles at the Bear Invite on Thursday. Enters came in third in the event.

Weekly Roundup: April 15-21

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
April 23, 2019
The girls soccer team poses with the trophy after winning the Prospect Tournament on Sunday. The team went 4-0 in the tournament to capture the title.

Weekly Roundup: April 8-14

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
April 16, 2019
Nikki Skoby, senior, competes in the long jump at the Buffalo Grove Invitational. Skoby took fourth in the event, and the team took second place overall at the invite.

Weekly Roundup April 1-7

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
April 8, 2019
Elizabeth Chialdikas, junior, makes contact with a pitch during a game in Tennessee last week. The team went 1-4 during the trip

Weekly Roundup: March 18-31

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
April 1, 2019

Weekly Roundup March 11-17

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
April 1, 2019
Tyler Snep, senior, gears up to practice throwing the ball down to second from home plate. Sneps pop time, or the time from when the pitch hits his glove to when it is thrown down to second base, is 1.96-2.01 seconds

Swinging for the fences

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
March 20, 2019
Ian McGee, senior, was forced to sit out his junior football season due to his meniscus tear. The injury eventually forced him to end his football career, but not wrestling. Through Wrestling, McGee has become a two-time regional champion.

Down, but not out

Marissa Drake and Alex Ketcham
March 18, 2019
Rayna Kauffman, freshman, passes the baton to Cate Cillessen, freshman, in the Buffalo Grove Dual meet on Friday. The meet ended in a disappointing loss, but it was an improvement upon last years score in the same meet

Weekly Roundup: March 4-10

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
March 11, 2019
The hockey team attempts to deflect the puck away from their own net in a March 3 game against Wheaton. The game ended in a 5-0 loss, ending their season.

Weekly Roundup: February 25-March 3

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
March 4, 2019
Players on the hockey team celebrate after a goal during a 4-3 shootout loss to Evanston on February 21. The team now is in the State Tournament and will play Wheaton on Sunday in the Sweet Sixteen

Weekly Roundup: February 18-24

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
February 25, 2019
A couple members of the girls track team prepare to start their race at the Lyons Invite on February 9. The team this week will prepare to compete in the Wheeling Invite on February 23.

Weekly Roundup: February 11-17

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
February 18, 2019
Ian McGee, senior, attempts to take down an opponent at Regionals on February 9. McGee placed third in the 113 weight class and will be advancing to State next weekend.

Weekly Roundup: February 4-10

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
February 11, 2019
The gymnastics team poses with their Regional Championship hardware at Fremd High School on January 31. This victory ended Fremds 26 year Regional Championship streak

Weekly Roundup: January 28-February 3

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
February 4, 2019
The team poses with the state championship trophy at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on January 26. This championship is the second consecutive state title for the team, and the second one in school history.

Weekly Roundup: January 21-27

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
January 28, 2019
Students sit in Studio C studying for their classes. If final exams were this week, they wouldnt have to continue their studying over winter break

Winter break woes

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
December 22, 2018
Claudia Kieda, senior volleyball player and track runner, prepares to spike the ball during a volleyball match. Kieda says she enjoys being a multi-sport athlete because “it’s just fun to be involved in something constantly because each sport has a different season.”

The Right Move?

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
December 14, 2018
A technician looks on to the stage during a November 8 performance of Seussical. Technicians have been working since September and have been staying late after school in order to make the show a success.

Staying late doesn’t have to be a drag

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
November 9, 2018
Door seven, otherwise known as the senior door, stands unused in the morning when students are entering the building. Students used to be able to enter through the senior door , but no longer are able to because the school is taking extra safety measures to try and be proactive about safety. This is only one of the safety measures put in place in the past few years, in response to incidents across the country that occured within the last few years.

Senior door: Security change follows major national trends

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
October 30, 2018
Amanda Rodriguez, PE teacher, has played softball all of her life. Now, she is coaching the game using what she has learned from her own coaches to enhance her coaching techniques.

Athletes through it all

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
October 5, 2018
Bryan Sanborn awaits the ball during a September 21 win at Stevenson. Bryan wears the same number that his brother Jack did, who now is on the football team at the University of Wisconsin.

Same number, same family, same football field

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editors
September 28, 2018
The second formation is of BEARS. Around 600 students showed up to support the school on television.

Lake Zurich featured on ABC 7 Chicago’s “Friday Flyover”

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
September 12, 2018
The student section puts the light in Friday Night Lights during the August 24 football game against Fremd. The Bear Den cheered the team onto a 20-7 victory.

Bear Den makes changes in order to energize events

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
August 31, 2018
Students in the integrated Foods I class look inside the oven at their culinary creation. This is the first time the life skills students have gotten to cook in a class at school.

New year calls for new opportunity for Life Skills students to cook up a storm

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
August 28, 2018
Construction began for the new marquee the week of July 23. The project will be completed by the time classes start on August 22.

School landscape adds a new electronic marquee as a replacement to old one

Alex Ketcham, Sports Editor
August 20, 2018
Painting a world through costumes

Painting a world through costumes

Alex Ketcham, Bear Facts Contributor
May 26, 2018
McKenna works at her computer in photoshop. She loads the pictures she takes into photoshop and then edits them to create her pieces.

Nursing a love of science through art

Alex Ketcham, Bear Facts Contributor
May 20, 2018

Journalism, yearbook students attend JEA conference in San Francisco

Alex Ketcham and Max Feldman
April 18, 2018
National Honors Society will undergo a change allowing juniors and seniors to join. the change will take effect before the 2018-2019 school year

National Honor Society to undergo change regarding participation, time commitment

Alex Ketcham, Bear Facts Contributor
March 11, 2018
Josh Thompson directs Jazz Band in preparation for Jazz by the Lake. This is the Jazz Band that will be traveling to New Orleans this spring.

Jazz Band holds event preparing and fundraising for upcoming New Orleans trip

Alex Ketcham, Bear Facts contributor
February 9, 2018
School, community recognize State champion Poms team

School, community recognize State champion Poms team

Alex Ketcham, Bear Facts Contributor
January 30, 2018
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