Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was the featured special guest at the Rockford Register Star’s 2018 Best of Rock River Valley Preps Banquet this past week. And for many Rochelle Township High School student-athletes who journeyed to the BMO Harris Bank Center, meeting and listening to the second-year quarterback was the highlight of an evening dedicated to honoring standout high-schoolers around the area.

The Rockford Register Star invited several Rochelle athletes to attend this year’s All-Star Preps Banquet including sophomore golfer Megan Thiravong and sophomore swimmer Alli Cole. Thiravong enjoyed a strong freshman season with the RTHS golf program, recording a top-5 finish in the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference and qualifying for the IHSA Class 1A State Championships.

“It was an honor to have earned my spot and be part of the many recognized athletes in the Rock River Valley area,” Thiravong said.  “I had great pride representing Rochelle Township High School's golf program… One of the most memorable moments at the event was enjoying the meal and sharing many laughs with coach [Glen] Mehrings.”

“I feel proud and excited about being a part of that group,” Cole added. “I enjoyed getting recognized, and I liked the interview with Mitchell even though I was nervous being on stage.”

Senior basketball player Abby Lundquist and Lady Hub bowling standout Katie Dummer were also in attendance at last week’s banquet. Lundquist has earned All-Conference First Team recognition over each of the last two seasons, while Dummer finished her high school career with a trip to the IHSA State Championships.

“I’m very grateful that I was nominated alongside many other extremely talented athletes in the area,” Lundquist said. “My favorite thing about the banquet was getting the chance to listen to Mitch Trubisky speak. It was very motivating to be able to hear and take advice from a professional who has encountered many obstacles in his athletic career.”

“I enjoyed the feeling that I was important,” Dummer followed. “When you walked into the room, it was almost like walking into the Grammys or a celebrity awards ceremony. The red carpet, stage and the look of the arena was awesome. It was an awesome experience all in all.”

Senior baseball player Johnny Beck, senior wrestler Eddie Villalobos and Hub tennis standout Noah Griffith rounded out the Rochelle athletes in attendance this past week. Beck was an All-Conference First Team selection this season, while Villalobos won 47 matches en route to helping Rochelle finish fourth in the IHSA Class 2A Dual Championships. Griffith earned his third straight trip to the IHSA State Championships this past season.

Rochelle students who were invited but were unable to attend the banquet include football and wrestling standout Alex Harvey, All-Conference football player James Kerfin and senior Paralympic athlete Aubrey Headon.

“I’m very grateful to be named as one of the best athletes even with all of the talent and good competition around me,” Beck said. “I enjoyed listening to Trubisky walk and I learned a lot from him speaking. I also enjoyed spending the event with my whole family.”

“It was pretty cool to be honored and I just thank God a lot,” Villalobos added. “I hope to be there next year for football and wrestling. I thought the setup was really nice. The food was good and so was being recognized on stage in front of everyone.”

“It’s awesome to be recognized and invited for a third year in a row,” Griffith followed. “I’m glad I got to spend time with other local standout athletes… The advice and guidance from Mitch to the younger athletes was encouraging and really neat.”