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…
Boys Volleyball | Reavis on cusp of 1st conference crown since 2018
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Reavis is having such a good season it’s scary. “It’s terrifying trying to win the conference,” Reavis sophomore outside hitter Joey Walus said. “Every team wants to beat us but we’re not going to allow it.” Walus walloped the match-winning kill as Reavis held off visiting Richards 25-19, 25-23 to move…
Pro Sports Report | Red Stars finish rough week with Gotham loss
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The first week of May was a bad week for the Chicago Red Stars, on and off the field. It started May 3 with a 3-0 loss at Houston in the first round of the Challenge Cup. The next day, the team fired general manager Michelle Lomnicki for a “lapse…
College Notebook | Concordia Chicago goalie McGee named to lacrosse all-conference team
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Ryan McGee is one of four Concordia University Chicago women’s lacrosse athletes to be chosen to the 2023 All-Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Team. McGee, a goalie who prepped at Nazareth, was one of two Cougars named to the All-NACC First Team. For McGee, this marks her third consecutive All-NACC First Team…
Baseball and Softball Wrap | St. Rita coach Nee honored with HOF nod
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer John Nee looks back with fondness at his early baseball days, when he was a big-time slugger playing with his friends for West Lawn’s baseball team. “Neighborhood baseball was all it could be,” Nee said. “Everybody played for their neighborhood team, and we have some really good teams at West…
Area Sports Roundup | St. Rita hoops coach resigns for job at St. Laurence
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The spinning carousal continues for the St. Rita basketball program. By the time the 2023-24 campaign rolls around, the talented team that picked up national attention last season will look a whole lot different — and it’s not just about players transferring. Roshawn Russell, who coached the Mustangs the past…
Baseball | St. Laurence senior Luke Geary embraces role in ‘pen
By Steve Millar Correspondent Many pitchers would prefer the certainty and routine of knowing when they were going to take the mound. St. Laurence’s Luke Geary, though, enjoys always being on-call. The senior is thriving in a bullpen role. “I really like it,” Geary said. “The starters have one day a week where they have…
Distance runner Dylan Jacobs has set records at every level, and he has his eyes on the Olympics
By Mike Walsh Correspondent If there is anything that Dylan Jacobs has learned over the years, it’s that Mom is always right. As youth growing up in Orland Park, Jacobs — now a standout runner at the University of Tennessee — played soccer, baseball and basketball. One day, he decided he was done with soccer.…
Baseball and Softball Wrap | Lizzie Sedakis is a hitting machine for Chicago Christian
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer When Lizzie Sedakis was playing t-ball at age 5, her father gave her some advice. Dave Sedakis was not a baseball player in his high school days, but his hitting suggestions resonate with her today. “My dad taught me how to hit,” Lizzie said. “He taught me three points of…
Oak Lawn Author Writes Book On Haunted Spirits
A local man may add being a published author to his resume. Elkossei Ashraf, an Oak Lawn resident, has written a book titled, Haunted Estate Sale: 2 Angry Spirits. Ashraf said that he came to the United States from Egypt approximately 20 years ago.{{more}} A former resident of Chicago Ridge, he has resided in Oak…
Warn of ‘Scams’ in Oak Lawn
Village Board Also Approves New 1st District Trustee Several senior scams have been reported in the Village of Oak Lawn, and they were among the topics of discussion at the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on Tuesday.{{more}} Trustee Alex Olejniczak (2nd) stated that offenders are calling seniors, pretending to be the police. One senior couple…
Unemployed Look For Possibilities at Job Fair
Long lines and expectant faces awaited prospective employers at Cong. Dan Lipinski’s (D-3rd) first-ever job fair last Friday. On Oct. 7, Lipinski hosted a job fair at the Bridgeview Community Center, 7900 S. Oketo Ave., to help residents who are unemployed or underemployed network with potential employers.{{more}} Participating businesses included Cintas Corp., Metra, Pace, and…
Future of Holy Cross, Nativity Are Unknown
Maria High School, 6727 S. California Ave, apparently will become a charter school in 2013. For 100 years, Maria has served the Southwest Side of Chicago as an all-girl Catholic school. But the announcement came last week that Maria will no longer continue to operate as a Catholic institution because it is no longer financially…
Kupczyk Tells Chamber Crime Dips in 8th District
Residents of Chicago’s Garfield Ridge and Clearing neighborhoods can sleep a bit more soundly because crime is reportedly down in those areas. Chicago Lawn (8th) District Cmdr. John Kupczyk gave an update on crime in the area at the Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce meeting on Tuesday.{{more}} Ò(In) the city as a whole, crime is…
St. Nick’s Teacher Wins ‘Day Made Better’ Award
St. Nicholas of Tolentine School teacher Barbara Gliech was the surprise award recipient of $1,000 worth of school supplies in a contest organized through the Archdiocese of Chicago and co-sponsored by OfficeMax and the Adopt-A-Classroom program.{{more}} The contest was designed as a means to highlight the challenges of teachers and gain community support to adopt…
Gang Activity Is Mentioned In Burbank
The city council addressed a complaint concerning increased gang activity on the streets of Burbank at the Sept. 28 board meeting.{{more}} Laura Sandoval, of Burbank, wanted the city council to be aware of the gang activity she has witnessed, particularly on the 7800 block of New England Avenue. ÒMy neighbors and I have seen a…
Moraine President To Retire
Crawley Informs Faculty, Staff That He Will Bow Out on June 30 Dr. Vernon Crawley, president of Moraine Valley and the longest-serving college/university chief executive officer in Illinois, announced to faculty and staff Sept. 26 that he will retire on June 30.{{more}} ÒMoraine Valley is an excellent institution, which is well respected on the local,…
Police Chief Adresses UBAM
McCarthy States Local Businesses Can Help in Crime Fight Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy was at the United Business Association of Midway meeting on Wednesday morning, discussing his plans to fight crime and improve the Chicago Police Department.{{more}} The meeting was held at the Airport Maintenance Complex at Midway Airport. McCarthy compared crime rates to…
Peraica Arrives Late for Court, Tossed in Jail
Former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica arrived late for a court appearance Tuesday morning at the Bridgeview Courthouse. And his tardiness resulted in his being placed briefly in lockup.{{more}} Peraica’s appearance in court Tuesday was a result of a misdemeanor case in which he was accused of tearing down the political signs of his opponent…
State Pay Hikes Make For Typical Headlines
Earlier this year, when it was disclosed that Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget director had handed out two pay raises to top staffers on the same day that the governor signed the income tax increase into law, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said the move was evidence of a Òvoid in leadership.”{{more}} I tend to…
Praise New Football Turf At Oak Lawn
Praises for the newly installed football field were tossed around the room at the Oak Lawn Community High School 229 Board of Education meeting on Sept. 21. Several members stated how Òimpressed” they were by the new football field and the facility improvements.{{more}} Student representatives Thomas Plutz, Kathleen Plutz, Katelyn Mendez and James Pattara then…
