Wheeling basketball standouts find success
In 2009, the Wheeling girls basketball team made history when it earned its first trip to the IHSA state finals.
The Wildcats had never even won a sectional final before that season and ended up bringing home the third-place trophy under former coach Shelly Wiegel.
Three players from that standout team and three others from the Wildcats' three straight Mid-Suburban League championship teams are now playing in the collegiate ranks.
Purdue sophomore Ashley Wilson made her season debut after two surgeries on her leg in the spring and summer. She is averaging 12.5 minutes and 3.5 points per game for the 4-2 Boilermakers.
Truman State freshman Bianca Szafarowicz has started all 5 games for the 3-2 Bulldogs and is averaging 5.6 points and 20 minutes per game.
Stephanie Kuzmanic has played in all six games for Carthage's undefeated team. The freshman is averaging 14.2 minutes and 3 points a game.
Senior center Lana Rukavina has started in all nine games for 4-5 Illinois. She is averaging 6.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game.
Nikki Preston, is a senior leader and starter for Illinois Wesleyan (3-2). The Titans have won three conference championships in a row and have been consistently ranked in the Division III top 10 the past three years.
Preston, who started four years at Wheeling, started all five games and is averaging 16.2 points. She had a career-high 28 in a victory over defending national champion Washington (Mo.) University.
Natasha Robinson has played in one game for 3-4 Eastern Kentucky.
300 milestone
Barrington girls basketball coach Babbi Barreiro, who was honored as the District 6 co-coach of the 2009-10 season, won the 300th game of her 18-year career last week against Huntley.
“Three hundred wins is a reflection of both success and longevity as a coach,” said Barrington athletic director Mike Obsuszt, who presented Barreiro the game ball after the 53-30 victory. “What it doesn't reflect though is the fact that Babbi has had such a positive impact on the lives of the hundreds of players she has coached over the years. That is what makes her such a special coach.”
Barreiro, an Elk Grove High and Indiana University graduate, has won nine regional titles, five MSL division crowns, two MSL titles and one sectional.
She has the most wins in Barrington school history for boys or girls basketball.
Football
Co-captains of the 2010 North Park team Sam Lialios (Buffalo Grove) and Nick Pantaleo (Hoffman Estates) played in the Division III Senior Classic in Salem, Va. on Dec. 3.
The classic brought together an All-Star selection of Division III players from 238 schools in a North vs. South format. Lialios and Pantaleo helped lead the North to a 26-18 victory.
Pantaleo had 1 knocked down pass, 4 tackles, a 25-yard kick return and a 50-yard interception return. He ranked third in the CCIW for total tackles (86) and sixth in passes defended (9) and earned his second straight all-CCIW. Pantaleo is also an academic all-conference pick.
Lialios played tight end and fullback in the Senior Classic and had 1 catch for 10 yards and 3 carries for 2 yards. Lialios led North Park in receptions the last three years and is an academic all-conference pick.
• North Dakota State junior defensive end Scott Stoczynski (Hoffman Estates) had 2 tackles, including one for a loss, and a fumble recovery in a 38-31 overtime loss to No. 1 ranked Eastern Washington State in the FCS quarterfinals.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Stoczynski started all 14 games. He finished with 47 tackles, including 6 for losses, and had 3 quarterback hurries, 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery.
•Tony Baratti (Prospect), a senior linebacker for Beloit, has been named to the D3Football.com All-West Region Team.
Baratti, a three-time first team All-Midwest Conference selection, was the league's co-Defensive Player of the Year this season.
He led the MWC in tackles with 110, the third season he topped the century mark, and was second in tackles for loss with 15.5. He finished his career at Beloit as the program's all-time leader in tackles with 434. He was also named Beloit's MVP for the third straight season.
Women's volleyball
Judson University's Kiley Helgerson (Inverness) is an NAIA repeat scholar-athlete award winner.
To be awarded this status an athlete must be a junior or a senior, academically, and have a 3.5 grade point average or higher.
Ÿ University of St. Francis senior Kyrsten Becker (Rolling Meadows) received three awards to complete her collegiate career.
Becker was named to the ESPN CoSida First Team Academic All District Team. She was also an NAIA Scholar Athlete and a St. Francis Academic All American.
Becker was one of eight to receive the AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship. This scholarship in part pays for a trip to the final four in Kansas City.
Ÿ Memphis sophomore Altrese Hawkins (Hoffman Estates) has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Midwest Region Team.
The AVCA honor is Hawkins' fourth of the postseason.
She was tabbed an All-Southeast Region performer by COBRA Volleyball Magazine and earned first team all-Conference USA and all-academic accolades.
Hawkins, who put together one of the strongest rookie seasons in Memphis history, posted an even better season as a sophomore.
She led the Tigers and ranked in the top-10 in C-USA with 483 kills and 525 points. She ranked 41st nationally by averaging 3.96 kills per set and 66th nationally with 4.30 points per set.
Hawkins ranked 12th in the league with a team-best .305 attack percentage and was a 2010 preseason All-C-USA pick.
As a member of the All-Midwest Regional squad, Hawkins will now advance to the All-America ballot.
Rugby
Arlington Stallions Rugby Club's scrumhalf Kevin Lydon, a junior at Conant High School, has been invited to the annual High School All-American Camp at the University of California Santa Barbara, sponsored by USA Rugby, from Dec. 26-31.
Successful participation in this camp could result in Kevin representing the United States on the High School All-American side in international competition in 2011.
Kevin got his start in rugby playing on the Stallions' middle school side in 2008. He became the club's starting scrumhalf (rugby's version of quarterback or point guard) on its high school varsity side as a freshman in 2009.
He has earned Illinois All-State under-17 honors in 2009 and 2010. In July and August, he toured England and Wales with the Illinois squad, also known as the Tornados.
Ÿ Sign-Up Day for the Arlington Stallions Rugby Club's 2011 Spring season is Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Northwest Community Hospital's Wellness Center. The club currently has boys middle school, frosh/soph and high school varsity sides.
The team/parents meeting will take place on Monday, Jan. 24, 2011 at 7 p.m. and the first indoor training session will be at the Harper College gymnasium on Friday, Jan. 28 at 5 p.m.
For more information, consult the club website at www.arlingtonstallionsrugby.com or call (847) 845-4982.
Women's soccer
Wisconsin-Whitewater sophomore forward Christina Tooren (Hoffman Estates) has been selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association Division III All-North Region team as a third-team pick.
Tooren led the team with 16 goals (4 game-winners) and 39 points. She was second on the team with 7 assists.
Tooren was named a first-team All-WIAC pick for 2010 and helped lead Whitewater to its first WIAC title.
• Millikin senior Tanya Romano (Fremd) was recently selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Performance Subaru Division III Women's All-Central Region third team.
Romano led the Millikin defense and scored 5 goals and 1 assist while earning second-team all-CCIW honors.
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