Published June 13, 2023
William Baysingar and Meghan Mrowicki are the 2023 recipients of High School District 214’s Howard Lester Awards. The awards are presented annually to one male and one female senior athlete in recognition of superior athletic achievements, academics and character, including truthfulness, heart and effort.
Will Baysingar’s career at Prospect High School included virtually every award, honor and championship available for a high school wrestler. He was a four-year varsity wrestler and three-year captain of the Prospect team. Will was MSL conference champion in 2020, 2022 and 2023; and IHSA regional and sectional champion in 2020 and 2022. He took second place in the IHSA state individual wrestling finals in 2022, and third place in 2020. He is currently ranked 6th nationally, earning him a Division I scholarship to wrestle at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. But in addition to his athletic achievements, Will earned a 4.5 GPA, was a member of the National Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar, and in 2022 earned his Eagle Scout award from the Boy Scouts of America. “Will has a work ethic unlike any other and is one of the strongest student leaders in our building. His presence always brings joy, positivity, and his energy is captivating,” said Prospect athletic director Omar Alebiosu.
Meghan Mrowicki was an all-state player in both soccer and basketball at John Hersey High School. “Meg is one of the greatest athletes to ever walk the halls of Hersey,” said Hersey athletic director Julia Barthel, who also coached Meg in basketball—where she was a starting guard on the 2023 IHSA Final Four team. She also was named to the Class 4A First Team at the 2023 state tournament, after earning All-Conference, All-Area and All-State recognition. But Meg’s first sport is soccer, where she earned All-Conference, All-Area and All-State honors as a forward for Hersey, and set the school’s single-season record for most goals in a season. “Meg’s ‘team-first’ attitude, fearless competitiveness and resiliency are what make her one-of-a-kind,” Barthel said. She overcame surgery for a torn ACL in early 2022 and returned to both of her sports for her senior year at Hersey. Meg will continue her soccer career at Notre Dame University.
The awards honor the legacy of Howard Lester, who worked 42 years in education and served as the District 214 coordinator of health, physical education, athletics and driver education. Buffalo Grove High School's gymnasium is named after Lester, recognizing his lifetime dedication to young people.
