Baseball and Softball Wrap | Benet tops Richards in extras to punch ticket to state
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Richards came close to setting up an all-South Suburban Conference matchup in the IHSA Class 3A state semifinals. But the Bulldogs could not take advantage of an early two-run lead and dropped a 5-2 decision in eight innings to Benet at the Benedictine Supersectional, played June 5 in Lisle. Had…
Baseball | Nazareth rides no-hitter to state with chance for back-to-back titles
By Steve Millar Correspondent When Cooper Malamazian induced a pop-out to end the Class 3A Crestwood Supersectional, the junior hurler knew he had just sent Nazareth back to state with a chance to win back-to-back titles. What he wasn’t aware of was the fact he had just finished off a combined no-hitter for the Roadrunners.…
Baseball | Randall Nauden walk-off lifts Brother Rice over Lincoln-Way East
By Steve Millar Correspondent With a trip to state hanging in the balance, Lincoln-Way East chose to intentionally walk Brother Rice’s Amir Gray and take their chances with junior catcher Randall Nauden. Nauden responded by ripping a walk-off single down the right-field line with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to send…
Baseball | St. Laurence gets 30th win, but falls to Nazareth in sectional final
By Steve Millar Correspondent St. Laurence got a big boost early from a reliable source in its sectional semifinal against Oak Forest. Senior outfielder Luke Stulga ripped his eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot that sailed over the left-field wall in the first inning. The Vikings never looked back from there, cruising…
Softball | Marist returns to state with 3-0 win over Lockport
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Isabel Cunnea has ties to Lockport. Her mom, Jeanine Ondrus Cunnea, is a 1988 Porters graduate. After homering against her mom’s alma mater in the IHSA Class 4A Marist Sepersectional, Cunnea also has ties to the RedHawks record book. Cunnea creamed her 22nd home run of the season, one of a…
Area Sports Roundup | Lyons boys volleyball takes second; D230 United finishes fourth in girls lacrosse
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer There is no argument which conference is Illinois’ most dominant when it comes to boys volleyball. The West Suburban Conference took the top three spots in the IHSA state tournament in Hoffman Estates, with Lyons smack dab in the middle with a second-place finish. Glenbard West won it all with…
Pro Sports Report | Louisville blanks Red Stars
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer It worked once. But not a second time. The tightrope can only stretch so far. The offensively struggling Chicago Red Stars may have been able to buck the odds when they were severely outshot in an NWSL game win over Orlando on May 27, but that approach was not fruitful…
College Notebook | Worth’s Walinski finishes strong for Huskies
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Kelly Walinski concluded her college years in perfect fashion. On the softball diamond, the Northern Illinois senior shortstop was named to the 2023 All-Mid-American Conference First Team. In the classroom, she was chosen to the Academic All-MAC Team for the third time in her stint in DeKalb. The Worth resident and…
Area Sports Roundup | State volleyball and lacrosse tournaments will have local flavor
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer When it comes to the postseason, there are rarely guarantees. There are, however, two guarantees this season when it comes to having teams in the IHSA state finals this weekend. Boys volleyball and girls lacrosse will each have an area representative at their respective state tournaments. In volleyball, Marist and…
Baseball and Softball Wrap | Brother Rice and Lyons win thrillers; Marist softball sets state HR record
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Exciting to the last pitch. Two area baseball regional championships were determined in nail biting fashion on May 27. At the Class 4A Whitney Young Regional, Brother Rice, which finished third the state in Class 4A in 2022, got a bases-loaded to squeak by Mount Carmel, 6-5, and continue its…
Pro Sports Report | Orlando outshoots Chicago 19-2, loses 1-0
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Orlando outshot the Chicago Red Stars 19-2, including a 6-2 disadvantage with shots on goal, during a May 27 visit to SeatGeek Stadium. That would normally be a recipe for disaster for the home team. But the Stars defense and goalie Alyssa Naeher withstood the barrage, and the team took…
Girls Soccer | McAuley starts playoffs with rout, but falls to LW East in regional title game
By Steve Millar Correspondent Hosting a playoff game on its new turf field for the first time, Mother McAuley made it a memorable occasion. Four players scored two goals each and the eighth-seeded Mighty Macs rolled to an 8-1 win over 10th-seeded T.F. United in a Class 4A Mother McAuley Regional semifinal on May 17.…
Baseball | Evergreen Park tops Shepard, clinches first conference crown since 1986
By Steve Millar Correspondent Evergreen Park’s players believed they had a special team this season. That was validated when they accomplished something the program had not done in 37 years. With their 4-2 win over Shepard on May 16, the Mustangs sealed the outright South Suburban Red championship for their first conference title since 1986.…
Baseball and Softball Wrap | Trinity softball finishes national runner-up
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The Trinity Christian softball team finished second in the nation in the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series. The Trolls lost to Concordia (Michigan), 8-1, in the title game May 18 at the Urban Youth Academy in Kansas City. They finished 25-20 and won the second most games in…
Postseason Roundup | McAuley water polo takes second in state
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The Mother McAuley water polo team won a squeaker and a blowout at the IHSA state tournament before falling in the championship game. It was McAuley’s (21-6-1) highest finish at state since a second-place showing in 2008. The Mighty Macs nipped Naperville North, 7-6, on May 18 in the quarterfinals…
Area Sports Roundup | Brother Rice and Lyons boys volleyball top Illinois’ top-ranked teams
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The boys volleyball postseason opened this week, but what happened during the last week of the regular season was perhaps as unexpected as any playoff upset. It started May 15, when host Brother Rice knocked off Marist, 27-25, 16-25, 25-20. The RedHawks entered the match ranked sixth in the nation…
Do It Stevie’s Way | Lyons falls to Providence in champ game; Troy Stukenberg earns tourney award
By Steve Millar Correspondent Lyons’ quest for a Do It Stevie’s Way Tournament championship came up just short, but it was still a memorable day for senior Troy Stukenberg. Stukenberg was chosen the Lions’ Do It Stevie’s Way Award winner at the tournament, which honors former Mount Carmel baseball player Steven Bajenski, who died at…
College Notebook | Augustana’s Ranieri named CCIW Pitcher of Year
By Mike Walsh Correspondent This has been quite the spring for Augustana College’s Nadia Ranieri. The Riverside-Brookfield graduate has been chosen Pitcher of the Year in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The junior lefty finished 15-4 with a 1.53 ERA in 23 appearances (21 starts) while helping the Vikings to an overall record of…
Postseason Roundup | Lyons boys gymnasts add to state trophy collection
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer Another year, another trophy. The Lyons boys gymnastics team finished second at the IHSA state meet, held May 13 at Palatine High School. This is the Lions seventh state trophy in program history. They placed first in 2021, took second in 2017, and finished third in 2002, 2014, 2018 and…
Pro Sports Report | Another Klopas era begins in Bridgeview
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The third Frank Klopas era opened with a bang in Bridgeview. Klopas was promoted May 8 after the Chicago Fire axed Ezra Hendrickson and the next night the team beat St. Louis, 2-1, in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in front of an announced…
Baseball and Softball Wrap | Saint Xavier baseball and softball headed to national tourneys
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Saint Xavier baseball team began the season in early February by losing its first five games. The Cougars, however, finished the regular season 5-0 and are heading to the national tournament. Saint Xavier roller-coastered through the regular season and dug themselves a hole in the double-elimination Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic…
College Notebook | Benedictine infielder Doubek earns Player of Week
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Ryan Doubek of Benedictine University has been named the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference’s Baseball Position Player of the Week for the week ending April 30. Doubek, a senior infielder, hit .522 (12-of-23) while batting leadoff as Benedictine went 4-1 during the timeframe. The Marist graduate scored six runs, doubled twice, stole…
Baseball | Evergreen Park runs through Red foes, eyes conference crown
By Steve Millar Correspondent While he’s put up huge numbers throughout this time at Evergreen Park, senior shortstop Alejandro Munoz thinks he’s still a bit underrated and off the radar. Munoz is hoping to change that with a big end to the regular season and an even greater postseason. “I’m just trying to prove myself,…
Girls Soccer | Oak Lawn building toward success with marked improvement in 2023
By Steve Millar Correspondent After helping Oak Lawn improve from three regular-season wins in 2022 to 10 wins this year, Sinead Conroy is excited to see where things go from here. “I think our team chemistry and our team building really helps,” said Conroy, a sophomore midfielder. “We’re still a young team. We’ve got good…
Baseball | Nick Bestrick fires one-hitter as Sandburg tops Mount Carmel
By Steve Millar Correspondent Some extra sleep did Nick Bestrick quite well. With Sandburg’s game against Mount Carmel postponed on May 12 because of rain, the Eagles had an unconventional two-site, two-opponent doubleheader — going to Plainfield East for a regularly scheduled game the morning of May 13 before coming home to host the Caravan…
CPS Unveils Single-Track School Year for 2013-14
Chicago Public Schools last Friday released its proposed single, unified calendar for school year 2013-14 that does away with the District’s two-track schedule and gives all students the same start and end dates and days off. Developed in collaboration with the Chicago Teachers Union, the new, single calendar provides a balance of uninterrupted student learning…
Wrightwood May Get Senior Medical Center
Wrightwood residents could have a new medical center for seniors who move into their neighborhood if all goes as planned. JenCare, a medical center that provides health care to seniors, is looking to locate at 87th and California where there used to be a Walgreens. The property has been vacant for at least nine years,…
Call for Railroad Separations
Sandoval Aide Visits Garfield Ridge Civic League Meeting The need for railroad grade separations to alleviate local traffic congestion was among the topics discussed when Joe Garcia, chief of staff for state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-11th), spoke at the Garfield Ridge Civic League meeting on Monday about the senator’s agenda for the next four years.…
Police Seize $1 Million In Gage Park Drug Bust
Gang Enforcement Officers working in the Deering (9th) District of Chicago arrested two offenders for marijuana offenses on Jan. 15. Further investigation by the officers led to the discovery and subsequent seizure of more than $1 million in cash. Officers were working a Gang Suppression Mission in the area of 53rd and Rockwell in Chicago…
Osama Kill Film Twists Patriotism
I think some Americans feel that if they watch a movie about the death of Osama bin Laden, it’s a way to express their patriotism for America. The movie, ÒZero Dark Thirty,” tells the story of a female CIA agent who commits her time to tracking down the al-Qaeda terrorist leader who masterminded the murder…
Alcohol Served To Underage Customers?
A public hearing was held prior to the Bridgeview Village Board meeting on Jan. 18. The hearing was the result of allegations of liquor being served to underage customers at the Tiger Lounge, 8500 S. Harlem Ave., for the second time in the past 12 months. {{more}} According to statements given at the hearing, the…
Sore Hip Saves Area Man From An Aneurysm
John Dorgan, of Oak Lawn, went to his doctor last year complaining of a sore hip and learned he had a bigger problem Ñ a potentially fatal aortic aneurysm Ñ and is grateful to the surgeon at Christ Hospital who operated and likely saved his life. Dorgan said he first noticed a problem in 2011…
Will Quinn Face Bill Daley or Lisa Madigan?
Bill Daley called the other day. We estimated that it had been about three or four years since we had last spoken to each other, which is par for the course. Going back to at least 2001, Daley, the brother and son of former Chicago mayors, has mulled a bid for governor. The last time…
Good Journalists Few And Far Between
Two names were in the news this week, Lance Armstrong and Jim Edwards. They were so far apart. One of the characters I came to know well as a City Hall reporter was a guy named Jim Edwards. You may have known him better as ÒJake Hartford” the rambunctious on-air radio host. I met Jim…
Alvarez Backs Law To Curb Gun Violence
Cook County State’s Attorney’s Anita Alvarez is urging Illinois legislators to pass a bill targeting the illegal flow of handguns that are stolen and end up in the hands of criminals on the streets. Alvarez said she will push a measure in Springfield that would require handgun owners to report their lost or stolen handguns…
Governor Says It’s Not Too Late for Flu Shots
With Illinois and the nation facing a severe flu season and hospitals treating a surge of patients, Gov. Pat Quinn and public health officials on Monday urged the public to obtain a vaccination shot, the best protection against the seasonal flu. ÒWe are facing a very serious flu season both in Illinois and across the…
Quinn Attends Opening Of Ingredion Plant
Gov. Pat Quinn attended the official opening last Friday of Ingredion Incorporated, formerly Argo Corn Products International, at 6400 S. Archer Ave., in Bedford Park. Quinn was on hand with other local leaders to mark the official opening of the new dry-starch facility. ÒIngredion has been an integral part of our state’s economy for more…
