York Community High School
Encyclopedia
York Community High School is a public secondary school in Elmhurst
, Illinois
, United States
. Most of the students reside in Elmhurst, however the district also draws a small number of students from Addison
, Bensenville
, and Oak Brook
. York is the only high school in the district, which as a unit school district, also includes an early childhood center, eight elementary schools, and three middle schools.
York was established in 1918. The building saw many additions from 1950 through 1990, including a third floor, swimming pool, and additional facilities. After 2001, the city of Elmhurst passed a referendum to rebuild the school. Construction started soon after and the new building—opened in 2002—has separate academic, service, student commons and athletics areas (including a new fieldhouse).
score of 22.8 and graduated 94.4% of its senior class. York has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT, are used as the assessment tools to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act
. One of York's three student subgroups failed to meet expectations in reading. In 2011, Newsweek
ranked York Community High School 257 out of 500 in its annual list of America's Best High Schools.
. The school is also a member of the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in Illinois.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball
, cross country
, golf
, gymnastics
, soccer, swimming
& diving
, tennis
, track & field, volleyball
, and water polo
. Young men may compete in baseball
, football
, and wrestling
, while young women may compete in badminton
, bowling
, cheerleading
, and softball
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for young men and women in lacrosse
, and a poms
team for young women. Also while not sponsored by the IHSA, York has a men's hockey team.
York Community High School's athletic program was ranked 17th overall in the nation by ESPN RISE's FAB 50 list.
Since 1959, the program has been led by coach Joe Newton
. The program has collected 27 Illinois state cross country titles and 20 National Titles under his leadership. Members of the York team competed at the inaugural Nike Team Nationals
(NTN) national high school championship cross country meet in Portland, Oregon, where they finished 1st in 2004 (with the club name "Kroy") and 2nd in 2005 and 2008 (as "Elmhurst XC").
A documentary film has been created about the school's running program and coach Joe Newton. The movie is named "The Long Green Line" after the team's nickname, coined by fans and opponents referring to the "long green line" of runners in their meets. (The color of the uniforms is green.)
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Most of the students reside in Elmhurst, however the district also draws a small number of students from Addison
Addison, Illinois
Addison is a village located west of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 35,914 at the 2000 census. The estimated population was 36,378 as of 2002.The Village of Addison lies on Salt Creek...
, Bensenville
Bensenville, Illinois
Bensenville is a village located primarily in DuPage County, Illinois, with a small section near O'Hare International Airport in Cook County, Illinois, overlapping into the city of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 20,703. Bensenville is home to the Edge Ice Arena, home of...
, and Oak Brook
Oak Brook, Illinois
Oak Brook is a village in DuPage and Cook Counties, in Illinois. The population was 8,702 at the 2000 census. A suburb of Chicago, it is the headquarters of McDonald's and Lions Clubs International.-History:...
. York is the only high school in the district, which as a unit school district, also includes an early childhood center, eight elementary schools, and three middle schools.
History
Prior to 1918, Elmhurst operated a combined high school and grammar school, which was destroyed by fire in December 1917.York was established in 1918. The building saw many additions from 1950 through 1990, including a third floor, swimming pool, and additional facilities. After 2001, the city of Elmhurst passed a referendum to rebuild the school. Construction started soon after and the new building—opened in 2002—has separate academic, service, student commons and athletics areas (including a new fieldhouse).
Academics
In 2008, York had an average composite ACTACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score of 22.8 and graduated 94.4% of its senior class. York has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
(AYP) on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT, are used as the assessment tools to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
. One of York's three student subgroups failed to meet expectations in reading. In 2011, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
ranked York Community High School 257 out of 500 in its annual list of America's Best High Schools.
Athletics
York High School competes in the West Suburban ConferenceWest Suburban Conference
The West Suburban Conference is an athletic conference in DuPage County and Cook County in the state of Illinois.The conference was founded in 1924.-Member schools:All of the schools are also members of the Illinois High School Association...
. The school is also a member of the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in Illinois.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, soccer, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
& diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track & field, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. Young men may compete in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
, while young women may compete in badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for young men and women in lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, and a poms
Pom-pon
A pom-pon is a fluffy, decorative ball or tuft. Pom-pons may come in many colors, sizes, and varieties and are made from a wide array of materials, including wool, cotton, paper, plastic, and occasionally feathers....
team for young women. Also while not sponsored by the IHSA, York has a men's hockey team.
York Community High School's athletic program was ranked 17th overall in the nation by ESPN RISE's FAB 50 list.
Boys cross country program
The York Boys Cross Country Program is a state and national power in the sport. In Illinois, the program holds the state records for state titles, top four finishes, top 10 finishes, and Sectional titles. As of the end of the 2008—09 school year, each of these records is held by a greater than 2—1 advantage over the schools which would be next on the list.Since 1959, the program has been led by coach Joe Newton
Joe Newton (coach)
Joe Newton is a legendary high school cross country and track coach at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. In over fifty years of coaching, he has won 27 Illinois state cross country titles and one track state title...
. The program has collected 27 Illinois state cross country titles and 20 National Titles under his leadership. Members of the York team competed at the inaugural Nike Team Nationals
Nike Team Nationals
Nike Cross Nationals is an invitational cross country meet that serves as the unofficial team national championship of United States high school cross country. It was designed to heighten competition between high school cross country teams nationwide...
(NTN) national high school championship cross country meet in Portland, Oregon, where they finished 1st in 2004 (with the club name "Kroy") and 2nd in 2005 and 2008 (as "Elmhurst XC").
A documentary film has been created about the school's running program and coach Joe Newton. The movie is named "The Long Green Line" after the team's nickname, coined by fans and opponents referring to the "long green line" of runners in their meets. (The color of the uniforms is green.)
Notable alumni
- Ken Hudson CampbellKen Hudson CampbellKen Hudson Campbell is an American television and voice actor.Campbell played "Animal" on the experimental Fox TV series Herman's Head, as well as Buckman in the movie Down Periscope. He appeared in the Seinfeld episode "The Seven", where he played Ken, the husband of Susan's first cousin, Carrie...
is an actor (Armageddon, Herman's HeadHerman's HeadHerman's Head is an American sitcom that aired on the Fox network from 1991 to 1994. The series stars William Ragsdale as the titular character, Herman Brooks.-Synopsis:...
). - Lee A. DanielsLee A. DanielsLee A. Daniels served as Illinois State Representative for the 46th district, from 1975 to 2006.Daniels served as Speaker of the House from 1995-1997. Speaker Daniels also served as House Republican Leader from 1983–1995 and again from 1997-2003.He currently serves as an adjunct professor in...
was an Illinois State Representative (1975–2006), who served as Speaker of the State House (1995–97). - George J. EadeGeorge J. EadeGeneral George James Eade is a retired United States Air Force four star general who served as Deputy Commander in Chief, United States European Command from 1973 to 1975....
was a United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
four-star general. - Bob Eckert is the chief executive officer and chairman of the board for MattelMattelMattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
and also serves as director of McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
Corp. - Mike Farina was an Olympic wrestler, competing at the 1976 Montréal OlympicsWrestling at the 1976 Summer OlympicsAt the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, 20 wrestling events were contested, all for men only. There were 10 weight classes in each of the freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling disciplines.-Freestyle:-Greco-Roman:-Medal table:...
. - Robert GoldsboroughRobert Goldsborough (author)Robert Gerald Goldsborough is an American author of mystery novels.Goldborough grew up in the Chicago area. Although he worked for 45 years for the Chicago Tribune and Advertising Age, he first came to prominence in the 1980s with the publication, with the approval of the estate of Rex Stout, of...
(1955), murder mystery novelist. - Ron GuentherRon GuentherRon Guenther is the former Director of Athletics for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is best known for the hiring of Fighting Illini athletics coaches, the development of the men's tennis team into a national power , and the development of many athletics facilities...
is a former athletic director for the University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. - Dan Konopka of the band OK GoOK GoOK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
went to York in the 1990s. - Garth LagerweyGarth LagerweyGarth Lagerwey is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played five seasons in Major League Soccer. He is currently the vice president and general manager of Real Salt Lake....
, a former professional soccer player who is currently an executive with Real Salt LakeReal Salt LakeReal Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
. - Betty OkinoBetty OkinoElizabeth Anne Okino is an American actress, and former gymnast and Olympic medalist.Born in Africa, Okino moved to the United States with her family and began gymnastics at the relatively late age of 9. By 1988, only four years later, she had progressed to the elite level, placing 17th at that...
is an actress and former gymnast. She was a member of the bronze medal-winning gymnastics team at the 1992 Summer OlympicsGymnastics at the 1992 Summer OlympicsAt the 1992 Summer Olympics, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. The artistic gymnastics events were held at the Palau Sant Jordi from July 26 through August 2...
. - Ken PaulsonKen PaulsonKen Paulson is the former editor in chief of USA Today. His alma mater is the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.He is the creator and writer of Freedom Sings, a musical presentation celebrating the First Amendment.-External Links:*...
is the president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum, Newseum and Diversity Institute; he is the former editor and senior vice president/news of USA Today and USATODAY.com. - Gary RydstromGary RydstromGary Roger Rydstrom is an American sound designer and director. He has won seven Academy Awards for his work in sound for movies.-Career:...
is a multi-Academy Award winning sound mixer, sound effects editor, and director. His work in sound includes films such as BackdraftBackdraft (film)Backdraft is a 1991 action thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Gregory Widen. The film stars Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland, and Robert De Niro. Jason Gedrick and J. T. Walsh co-star in the film...
, Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
, and Jurassic ParkJurassic Park (film)Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
. - Donald SageDonald SageDonald Sage is an American track athlete and the winner of the 2002 NCAA Outdoor 1500m championship.- Background :...
was an All-American cross country and track runner for Stanford UniversityStanford CardinalThe Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
. - Tim StrattonTim StrattonTimothy William Stratton is a former American football tight end. He played his college football at Purdue University and won the inaugural John Mackey Award in 2000....
was a tight end at Purdue UniversityPurdue UniversityPurdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
and was the inaugural winner of the John Mackey Award (2000), presented annually to Division 1A's best tight end. - Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
is a famous American actor who is best known for the films "Flubber" and "Aladdin IV: Jafar May Need GlassesIdiotAn idiot, dolt, or dullard is a mentally deficient person, or someone who acts in a self-defeating or significantly counterproductive way. Archaically the word mome has also been used. The similar terms moron, imbecile, and cretin have all gained specialized meanings in modern times. An idiot is...
".
Notable staff
- Tom KleinschmidtTom KleinschmidtTom Kleinschmidt is a retired American basketball player and current head basketball coach at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois...
, current boy's basketball coach and a former college basketball star at DePaul UniversityDePaul UniversityDePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
. - Joe NewtonJoe Newton (coach)Joe Newton is a legendary high school cross country and track coach at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. In over fifty years of coaching, he has won 27 Illinois state cross country titles and one track state title...
has been the boys cross country coach since 1959. He was also the boys track & field coach, having coached state championship teams in both sports. He is a member of the National Federation of State High School AssociationsNational Federation of State High School AssociationsThe National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. Most high schools, whether public or private, belong to their state's high school association; in turn, each state association...
(NFSHS) Hall of Fame. He was also an assistant marathon coach at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, being the only high school coach to be invited a spot on the Olympic coaching staff. - Mark SibleyMark SibleyFor U.S. Representative from New York, see Mark H. Sibley.Donald Mark Sibley, known as Mark Sibley is a retired American basketball player. He was a 6'2" 175 lb guard and attended Northwestern University. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1973 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls but was waived...
, an NBA guard (1973–74) with the Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail BlazersThe Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. taught English for 30 years at York before his retirement in 2008.
External links
- York Community High School - Official Site
- Long Green Line - Documentary film about York High School's boys cross country program