irk Rozich, a 1999 West Branch alum, returned to his alma mater to collaborate on a new mural at the high school which celebrates the district’s three state championship winning athletic teams – the 1994 football team, 2004 girls basketball team and the 2024 baseball team. Rozich will also be collaborating with the district on a unique design for the new windscreen at the baseball stadium. Photo by Morgan Ahart).

BELOIT — The West Branch School District is honoring its three state champion athletic teams with a new mural.

The 47-foot wide mural in the West Branch High School gymnasium celebrates the 1994 football team, 2004 girls basketball team and the 2024 baseball team – three teams that achieved the monumental feat of becoming state champions in their sport.

“Winning a state championship really is a difficult thing to achieve and it really showcases all the work our athletes give in our programs,” said Athletic Director Ryan Wolf.

Artist Dirk Rozich, a 1999 West Branch alum, said that he and superintendent Micki Egli had been discussing possible projects at the time the baseball team won the state championship, which prompted him to suggest a mural commemorating their achievement at the baseball stadium.

“I graduated from here in 1999 and have since made a career doing murals around the country and always wanted to come back and do one here; so, when the team won state, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity,” said Rozich.

After it was decided to incorporate the state champion football and girls basketball teams and celebrate all of the district’s state champions rather than just the baseball team, Rozich, Egli and Wolf agreed it would be best to move the mural to the gymnasium where the largest number of people would be able to enjoy the celebration of athletic excellence.

“Something that incredible really needs to be something that can be seen by everyone,” said Egli.

However, the baseball stadium will not go without its own celebratory mural as Rozich will also be designing a custom 400-foot wide windscreen for the stadium that will highlight the program.

“It’s something we’ve needed for a while, but with Dirk’s help we can honor not just the championship team, but our whole program,” said Wolf.

Rozich said that once the project was greenlit and he received the measurement for the space, he began laying out the mural which features group photos of all three teams, as well as detailed shots of the teams within the letters of the word “champions.” The vinyl wrap for the mural was produced by ALD Decal & Graphics and installed above the north stands in the field house on Sept. 18.

“My goal was something that was athletic themed, but I wanted to have a timeless nature, and since we’re showcasing excellence, I wanted it to be bold and be something that would have a quick read,” said Rozich.

The mural also features the name “GLORIA” in the upper left which Rozich said was requested by the baseball team’s head coach Rick Mulinix and is a reference to a pre-game tradition in which the team would listen to Laura Branigan’s 1982 cover of Umberto Tozzi’s song “Gloria” before the game and during field entrances. Wolf explained that most of the championship team members had been playing together since they were 8 years old, and after the team secured a come from behind victory after listening to the song between innings as children it “took on a life of its own,” with the team listening to it before every game together from then on.

“That song was very special to them, and it’s the kind of special connection most people wouldn’t know of,” said Wolf.

The spirit of the project was perhaps best captured in Wolf’s praise for Rozich’s design.

“I think it pays tribute really nicely to all of our champions. The action in the design really draws your eye and the photos with them all together really showcase the sense of

connection and friendships that are formed and what athletics mean to us and our community,” said Wolf.

mahart@mojonews.com