All about that trophy life
Tyler Walenga follows in family’s successful footsteps at Lincoln-Way East but wants more
If a member of his family is involved with a team, LincolnWay East’s Tyler Walenga knows that a big-time trophy could be in store.
His oldest brother, Matt, was on the football roster when the Griffins won their first state championship in 2005. Older brother Ryan was a team manager for the boys volleyball team in 2007 that finished fourth in the state.
Another older brother, Jake, had quite the haul with a secondplace state finish for Lincoln-Way North, a national championship and runner-up finish for Ultimate in club volleyball, and a second place and fourth place in the country at Lewis.
Tyler?
“I only have three,” he said. As a freshman Tyler was brought up to varsity late in the season for the 2019 state championship football team. He helped the Griffins to a fourth-place state finish in 2021 and a second-place finish in 2022, both for volleyball.
There’s definitely some ribbing when the family gets together for trophy talk.
“We use it toward each other as banter,” Tyler said. “We make fun of each other and say, ‘Oh, you got second place, that’s trash.’ Stuff like that.”
Tyler Walenga’s collection can still grow, however.
The 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter has committed to Lewis but has another season with the Griffins, a team with three top-four finishes in the past eight years.
One trophy that would make him happy is a state championship. The Griffins graduated a lot of firepower, including Jared Byas, the Daily Southtown’s player of the year in 2022, but Walenga thinks this team should be a contender.
“I know going into this year we were going to be great,” he said. “We have a lot of talent because we had a lot of talent on our bench last year, and it showed.
“We took second. You don’t do that with only a good starting lineup.”
Illinois — and the Southland in particular — figures to be loaded.
The USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason national poll has Marist ranked No. 4 in the nation, Lincoln-Way East at No. 18 and Brother Rice at No. 23.
Six of the top 25 are from Illinois.
“We all know each other on the
top teams and we’re all friends since we see each other in club,” Walenga said.
“It’s always great fun playing against them. I love going up against the best.”
To hear Lincoln-Way East coach Kris Fiore tell it, Walenga is one of the best.
“He’s learned from some pretty talented guys on how to play the
game,” Fiore said of Walenga’s older brothers. “You can throw him in there and he could be a pretty darn good setter if you want. He could play middle if you need it.
“He’s a great server. He’s a great passer. He can do it all.”
Walenga was destined to make