‘That piece of paper opened up a door to the future’: Suburban students win Evans Scholarships
Elena Lavrov read the letter before her son did.
Its contents, Lake Zurich High School senior Allan Lavrov said, had her “jumping for joy, crying, laughing.”
Such is the power of an Evans Scholarship.
In his fourth year caddying at Twin Orchard Country Club in Long Grove and headed to Marquette University, Lavrov is among 130 Illinois high school seniors awarded a 2025 Evans Scholarship, valued at $125,000 over four years.
A 95-year-old program of Glenview-based Western Golf Association, in 2024-25 a record 1,190 caddies were enrolled at 24 universities as Evans Scholars. Historically, about 40% are first-generation college students.
A high honor roll student at Lake Zurich and on the Bears’ track and wrestling teams, Lavrov started playing golf after he began caddying at Twin Orchard. Many Evans Scholars just carry the bags and guide the golfers.
“I picked it up in order to help my caddy skills improve. It helped me fall in love with the game even more,” he said.
Fellow Evans Scholar Sophie Morawski, a Dundee-Crown senior, has that love — despite falling just short of the state finals last fall to cap her four years as a Chargers golfer.
Going to the Evans Scholar House at the University of Illinois, Morawski is in her third year caddying at Biltmore Country Club in North Barrington.
“It helps me work harder in life, definitely, just waking up earlier in the morning on those weekends, it makes me more dedicated. And talking with the members during their rounds definitely helps to make great conversation,” she said.
The Western Golf Association has increasingly awarded female caddies in addition to students in need.
Morawski is an example, raised in a single-parent family. Her brother, Mason, also applied for and earned the scholarship, and he is wrapping up his sophomore year at the University of Iowa.
“It’s so great,” Sophie Morawski said. “I’m so happy I got it.”
For those selected, that letter from the Evans Scholars program can make a world of difference.
“To me at first it just looked like a piece of paper,” Lavrov said. “And then the realization set in — that piece of paper opened up a door to the future.”
Year 2
In the second year under Illinois High School Gymnastics Coaches Association leadership, the boys state championships will be held at noon Saturday at Hoffman Estates High School.
Ten teams, including defending champion Wheaton Co-op, will vie for the team title. Fifty boys who scored the highest at three sectionals, plus a couple more where scores tied, will compete in each of the six disciplines, 30 for the all-around title.
“It’s going to be a battle, it’s going to be a great meet. Both Wheaton and Glenbard West scored above 160 points (at sectional), which is rare for one team to do, let alone two,” said Alex Pajor, IHSGCA president and a 2008 Glenbard West graduate.
Wheaton’s Jack Ongstad brings the highest qualifying score in all-around, followed by Glenbard West’s Louie Diab, Naperville North’s Stas Kalabayda, the Downers Grove Co-op’s Jake Mateja and Glenbard West’s John Mammoser.
Great support by the IHSGCA, school athletic directors and the gymnastics community has maintained the prep sport after the Illinois High School Association board withdrew the state series in June 2023 due to low participation numbers.
Pajor said that where schools have boys gymnastics, it’s “still very strong.”
There were 27 schools competing at sectionals, from 43 involved during the final IHSA season.
“It’s going well, better than we could have hoped,” Pajor said. “I think the only thing we would have wished is a couple more districts would have kept their gymnastics programs shortly after the IHSA made their announcements.”
Athlete safety is supported, and their camaraderie is off the charts, Pajor said. Officials may be even more vetted and qualified.
The question always is numbers of programs and coaches. Positives this season were the participation of Carbondale gymnasts and a few from a Geneva club. All it takes is three boys to form a team.
“Self motivation and discipline and dedication are not things you are born with, you’ve got to learn how to do those things. And gymnastics does that. So if even 50 more kids get to experience that, then it’s worth it,” Pajor said.