
Gene McNulty
College Report: Area grads earn All-American honors, then win national title
By Jeff Vorva
Staff writer
National champions and All-Americans.
Chicago Christian grad Zach Bulthuis, Marist alum Gene McNulty and former Lyons’ star Matt Slivinski were last week named All-American first-teamers by the National Volleyball Association/American Volleyball Coaches Association.
Then they proved they were deserving of the honor, helping Carthage College win an NCAA Division III men’s volleyball national championship. The Firebirds beat the Wentworth Institute of Technology, 25-22, 25-19, 25-11 in the semifinals on April 22 and Springfield College 25-21, 25-22, 18-25, 25-22 on April 23 to win the national championship in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
It’s the Firebirds’ second straight national title.
In the title game, Slivinksi had 18 kills and two aces, Bulthuis had nine kills and two block assists, and McNulty racked up 43 assists.
In the semis, Slivinksi had 13 kills. Bultheis had 11 kills while McNulty registered 33 assists.
Slivinski said he was dealing with an ankle injury before the match.
“The adrenalin kicked in and I was just able to excel,” he said. “It was an amazing and surreal experience to play in front of thousands of our fans.”
Ready for some football
The Saint Xavier football team held its annual intrasquad scrimmage on April 23 at Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field on the school’s Chicago campus. The Cougars also announced their 2022 schedule.
Some notable games include the season-opener at NCAA Division II Indianapolis on Sept. 3. Their first home game is against St. Thomas (Fla.) on Sept. 10. The Homecoming game versus Roosevelt will kick off Mid-States Football Association Midwest League play on Oct. 1.
“We’re obviously going to be challenged right off the bat playing a really good Division II U-Indy team on the road in Week 1,” Cougars coach Mike Feminis said. “But I’m also excited to have six home games because it’s been quite a while since it has happened. Finding non-conference games has always been difficult for us but I’m looking forward to playing a new opponent like St. Thomas.
“I don’t know much about them except they went 9-2 last year and just missed the NAIA playoffs, but I’ve heard from coaches in that Florida league [Sun Conference] that they are really talented.”
Smyth times two
SXU baseball player Declan Smith won the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week honor on April 19.
The prior week, the Evergreen Park High School graduate hit .556 in 18 at-bats with 10 RBI.
It was the second week in a row a member of the Smyth family won the honor. The previous week his cousin, Jimmy, earned it.
Heading to Germany
Orland Park’s Julia Ruzevich, who played soccer at Sandburg and Marist and recently concluded her college career at Division II Lindenwood, has signed to play for Eigner Angela Noerdlingen in the German Bundesliga First Division league.
Local News

Girls Bowling | Richards wins regional; Shepard’s Kahlen Ranson rolls to individual title
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent Screaming and cheering parents and friends expressing their staunch support for their bowlers. Teammates fervently hoping for an opportunity to advance to sectional competition next weekend. For good measure, not one but two gender-reveal parties getting ready to begin a few lanes away. Quite a vibrant atmosphere for a…

Cheerleading State Finals: Sandburg takes fourth behind conference rivals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer BLOOMINGTON — Sandburg’s competitive cheerleaders finished fourth in a state finals competition that looked a lot like a SouthWest Suburban Conference meet. At least it did for the Large Team division competition, in which the top five finishers hail from the SWSC. The 2023 state finals were held…

Girls Bowling | Reavis wins second straight regional crown; Argo’s Sara Flynn take indie title
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent Two years, two consecutive regional championships for Reavis’ girls bowling team. The Rams made it back-to-back titles in an impressive manner, topping the 13-team field at the Reavis Regional with a pinfall total of 4847, topping second-place Argo (4684) by 163 pins at Palos Lanes in Palos Hills Reavis…

Countryside plans summer concert series, bluegrass festival
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch It might be winter, but it’s never too soon to talk about summertime music. Such was the case Jan. 11 when the Countryside City Council’s Special Events Committee heard from promoter Katie Goggin regarding the city’s annual Summer Concert Series. The committee also heard about the second annual Bluegrass and Brews Festival…

Porfirio resigns township post to take Senate seat
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Mike Porfirio is now a state senator and the Township of Lyons Board of Trustees has a vacancy. Porfirio submitted his resignation as a trustee, which was accepted by the board at its Jan. 10 meeting. Porfirio was elected to the Illinois Senate in November, and was sworn in as…

Drone takes McCook crime fighting to new level
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The McCook Police Department has a new weapon to fight crime. A new drone equipped with an infrared camera and the ability to zoom in 200 times was at the village’s latest board meeting on Jan. 17. The village used part of a $50,000 grant from the Secretary of State’s…

Super Hero fun at Our Lady of the Snows
Spread the love Catholic Schools Week was plenty of fun this year at Our Lady of the Snows School, as students were encouraged to dress as a super hero. Parents interested in checking out the school, 4810 S. Leamington, for 2023-24 are encouraged to call (773) 735-4810. – Supplied photo

System is rigged against regular folks
Spread the love. By Ray Hanania Consumers are reeling over massive increases in Nicor Gas costs, and they can’t get answers because the system is rigged against them. Nicor Gas is owned by a massive conglomerate called Southern Gas, which has four gas subsidiaries serving 4.2 million customers. Nicor is the largest serving 2.2 million…

Tri-State lane closures start Monday as area ramps prepare to reopen
Spread the loveOvernight lane closures are scheduled next week to shift traffic on Interstate 55 and on the northbound Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294) between Willow Springs Road and Plainfield Road and reopen the ramp connecting northbound I-294 to southbound I-55 and Wolf Road. On Monday, February 6, beginning at 9 p.m. and continuing until 5…
Neighbors

CAPITOL RECAP: Supreme Court ruling strengthens internet privacy law
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD — People who’ve been subject to fingerprinting, face or retinal scans as either employees or customers of Illinois companies have five years to file lawsuits if they believe the business violated a stringent state privacy law, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled this week. It’s the latest in a handful of…

Pritzker announces $40 million grant program to promote development-ready ‘megasites’
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced the creation of a $40 million grant program to incentivize the creation of large development-ready areas known as “megasites” across the state. Megasites are large swaths of land, developed to attract businesses such as manufacturing plants, warehouses and distribution centers.…

Illinois’ biometric privacy law strengthened by latest high court ruling
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – People who’ve been subject to fingerprinting, face or retinal scans as either employees or customers of Illinois companies have five years to file lawsuits if they believe the business violated a stringent state privacy law, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled this week. It’s the latest in…

Pritzker seeks more info on AP African American Studies course
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker this week asked the College Board for more information about its reasoning for changing the final framework of a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies after it had been criticized by Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Although we are pleased to…

Report pushes for greater focus on teacher recruitment and retention amid shortages
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois schools are still grappling with a teacher shortage that seems to only be getting worse, a recent survey by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools shows. This mirrors the state’s own data, which shows Illinois’ teacher shortage is at the highest level in…

Illinois’ COVID-19 disaster proclamation to end in May
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol news Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Exactly 38 months after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, Illinois will no longer be under a disaster proclamation as of May 11, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday. That’s the same day President Joe Biden will end the national public health emergency, which…

CAPITOL RECAP: Gun lawsuit restraining order remains in place
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD — A temporary restraining order that partially blocks Illinois’ new assault weapons ban from being enforced will remain in place after a divided state appellate court panel’s ruling Tuesday. The restraining order was issued Jan. 20 by Effingham County Circuit Judge Joshua Morrison, but it applies only to the 800…

Appellate court upholds restraining order on assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A temporary restraining order that partially blocks Illinois’ new assault weapons ban from being enforced will remain in place after a divided state appellate court panel’s ruling Tuesday. The restraining order was issued Jan. 20 by Effingham County Circuit Judge Joshua Morrison, but it applies only…

Tony Sanders to become state superintendent of education
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education announced Tuesday that Elgin-based School District U-46 Superintendent Tony Sanders will become the next state superintendent of education. Sanders, 53, will succeed Carmen Ayala, who announced in November that she would retire effective Jan. 31. ISBE said Sanders will take…

Amid ‘unprecedented’ prolonged revenue boom, state finds budget breathing room
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Sustained higher-than-predicted state tax revenues have in recent months given lawmakers a level of budgeting flexibility that is, at least in modern times, without precedent in a state with a reputation for perilous finances. For the current fiscal year and the one before it, that’s led…