Olivet Nazarene men’s volleyball player Jake Ostema won weekly conference awards for attacker and defender in consecutive weeks during March. Photo courtesy of Olivet Nazarene University Athletics
College Notebook | Sandburg grad Jake Ostema earns back-to-back awards
By Mike Walsh
Correspondent
The month of March has been very good to Olivet Nazarene men’s volleyball player Jake Ostema. The 6-foot-8 senior middle hitter earned consecutive Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference player of the week honors.
For the time period ending March 5, Ostema was named the CCAC Defender of the Week. The Sandburg graduate from Orland Park recorded 13 blocks over 10 sets (1.3 avg.) with no less than three blocks in any one match. He averaged 1.8 kills per set and had a .344 attack percentage.
His biggest match came in a four-set win over St. Ambrose, in which he recorded six blocks. He had another four blocks in a three-set win against Cardinal Stritch University.
One week later, Ostema was honored as the CCAC Attacker of the Week afer he tallied 39 kills and registered a .561 attack percentage for the seven-day timeframe ending March 12. He resident averaged three kills per set and also totaled four blocks.
His biggest performance of the week came in a four-set win over league rival Judson University, in which he delivered 15 kills on a .500 attack percentage to go with four digs.
Two days later, he produced 11 kills against only one error in 16 chances (.625) in a sweep of Park University Gilbert (Arizona.). He also notched nine kills on a .538 hitting clip in a match against NCAA Division I Grand Canyon.
Ostema has helped the Tigers to an overall record of 18-7 and 11-2 in the CCAC. Olivet Nazarene placed second in the conference during the regular season.
National Runner-up
Marist graduate Sydney Affolter had a sophomore season to remember as a member of the Iowa women’s basketball team, which lost the NCAA women’s national championship game to LSU on April 2.
Affolter played 31 minutes during the Hawkeyes’ six-game run to a runner-up finish. She grabbed three rebounds, dished out four assists and had one steal during a first-round win over Southeast Louisiana, and scored four points to go with one board in an Elite Eight victory over Louisville.
For the season she played in 36 games, averaging 10.5 minutes, 2.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and one assist. Among the highlights of her second season in Iowa City were a 14-point, eight-rebound and two steal performance in a win over Maryland on Feb. 21, and scoring 11 point to go with three rebounds in the Big 10 championship game victory over Ohio State.
A Take about Jake
Cardinal Stritch University Jake Evanish was honored as the CCAC Setter of the Week in men’s volleyball for March 12 as he delivered an average of 9.5 assists per set over his four matches. Evanish, a Brother Rice product, totaled a season-high 54 assists in a four-set victory against Roosevelt University. The senior also had 35 assists against Campbellsville University (Kentucky.).
Evanish’s other statistics included five blocks and a 1.000 digs-per-set average.
On the season for the Wolves, Evanish was first in assists with 510, second in digs with 77 and fifth in service aces with 11 as Cardinal Stritch finished 6-12 overall and 3-10 in conference.
Kudos for Kaylen
Nazareth graduate Kaylen Evans was one of two Morton College women’s basketball players chosen to the 12-player All-Tournament Team at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament held in Port Huron, Mich.
Evans, a 5-6 sophomore guard, averaged 18.3 points and made 16 3-pointers during the Panthers’ four games in the tournament. She had 23 points in a 78-47 opening-round victory over United Tribes and a 69-61 win over Bryant & Stratton in the national fifth-place game.
On the season, Evans started and appeared in 33 games. She averaged a team-best 18.2 points per game and totaled a team-leading 600 points. She placed second in 3-pointers made (108) and sixth in assists (65) and steals (53).
The Panthers finished the season 34-1 overall and 14-0 in the Skyway Conference.
Local News
Capacity crowd speaks out against Evergreen Park dispensary
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Additional chairs had to be brought out to seat an overflow crowd of Evergreen Park residents who attended a meeting April 15 regarding a proposed cannabis dispensary for the village. And many who were in attendance voiced their opposition to having a dispensary in Evergreen Park. Most of the people cited…
Countryside puts dog park on hold, will require leashes in two parks
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The city of Countryside has put on hold building a dog park, but canines and their owners are still in store for a treat. The city council has unanimously approved a plan to permit dogs in City Park and Countryside Park this year. Previously, they were not allowed in the…
Bridgeview approves auto repair shop
Spread the loveMoves up time for May 1 village board meeting By Steve Metsch Bridgeview is getting a new automotive repair shop. The village board at its April 17 matinee meeting approved a special use permit that will allow a repair shop at 9010 S. Beloit Ave. There was no discussion among trustees. The board…
Summit Fire Department blood drive draws a crowd
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Summit Fire Department, along with the Village of Summit, and the Argo Summit Lions Club held a blood drive this past Saturday, and it drew a crowd that even impressed the American Red Cross. It took place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. with non-stop donors walking through the…
Hodgkins toasts village businesses
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Hodgkins Mayor Ernest Millsap and the Board of Trustees celebrated the village’s businesses at its annual Business Appreciation Breakfast on April 10. Over 100 people gathered at the Hodgkins Administration Center for a hearty breakfast hosted by the village. Representatives from many businesses that are located in or that work…
Pickleball courts coming to Palos Park
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva There will finally be outdoor pickleball in Palos Park. In a process that went longer than anticipated, the Palos Park Village Council was able give the green light to get a pickleball project started on the Village Green. The council voted April 8 to award the contract to U.S. Tennis…
First Secure Bank to host American Eagle gold coin sale
Spread the loveFrom staff reports First Secure Bank & Trust of Palos Hills announced its annual May sale of 1-ounce and ¼-ounce American Eagle Gold Coins, produced by the U.S. Mint, will take place from 10 a.m.to noon on Saturdays, May 4, May 11, May 18 and May 25. The sale will take place at…
Obituaries April 25, 2024
Spread the loveJOSEPH C. BURDA Joseph C. Burda, age 81, passed away March 28. Loving father of Amy Burda and Joseph Burda; dearest grandfather of Ryan Wenk and Lillianah Burda; cherished son of the late Mary (nee Breyer) and the late Joseph M. Burda; dear brother of Joan (Dan) Gale and Anna Hovey. Also survived…
Donate teddy bears to our local police
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . Have you ever seen the 1955 movie The Night of the Hunter? The children in this movie show such bravery and acceptance in what life has thrown at them. They have to deal with unimaginable events and sadness. …
Boy Scouts collecting tattered flags for disposal
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . Goodbye April, hello May. Our American Flag, the symbol of our country, should always be treated with respect. But after bearing Chicago’s brutal winters and hot blazing summers along with being in the…
Neighbors
Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans
By PETER HANCOCK and JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge
By DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront on Wednesday afternoon, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers. The Bears…
Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Natural gas is fueling a fight between consumer advocates, a powerful utility company and the state. Amid competing advertising campaigns, accusations of mismanagement and state decarbonization efforts, the Illinois Commerce Commission is starting a process that will shape how the state regulates the increasingly controversial industry. …
Komatsu mining truck named 2024 ‘coolest thing made in Illinois’
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A mining truck manufactured by Komatsu was crowned the winner of the 2024 “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of “the coolest thing made in Illinois” at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday. The truck was one of more than 200 entries in the 5th annual contest hosted…
Giannoulias calls for disclosure of lobbyist contracts
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For decades, lobbyists in the Illinois Statehouse have been required to report how much they spend wining, dining and entertaining lawmakers. Currently, though, there is no law requiring lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by corporations, industry groups or other special interest organizations. That…
Illinois Senate advances changes to state’s biometric privacy law after business groups split
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – It’s been more than a year since the Illinois Supreme Court “respectfully suggest(ed)” state lawmakers clarify a law that’s led to several multi-million-dollar settlements with tech companies over the collection of Illinoisans’ biometric data. On Thursday, a bipartisan majority in the Illinois Senate did just that,…
Illinoisans can now get documents notarized online
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinoisans who need a notary public can now access those services online through a new “E-Notary” portal launched by the secretary of state’s office. This process is one of the latest initiatives of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ ongoing effort to modernize the office and its services. Notaries…