Two coaches honored; catching up with Tim Noverini

Chuck Rolinski, executive director and treasurer of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and a past president, has released the Class of 2011 inductees into the IBCA Hall of Fame.

Batavia coach Jim Roberts is on the list to receive his just desserts. He'll enter the basketball hall the same year as retiring Batavia head varsity football coach and athletic director Mike Gaspari will be inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Geneva's Allen Mead, an original Little Seven Conference scorer, will be inducted as a media representative.

The Elgin area was a big winner this year. The Maroons program will see the induction of former University of Illinois star Sean Harrington as well as Nicholas “Dr. Nick” Bumbales, going in as a “Friend of Basketball.” Elgin-based St. Edward will get former girls star Maureen Mueller-Kremer.

Interesting or noteworthy selections include King's Imari Sawyer, Simeon's Bryant Notree, ex-Chicago Bulls star Mickey Johnson of Lindbloom and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, a player at Weber and Army.

Also, Virden resident Arthur Ehrat, recognized as the true inventor of the breakaway basketball rim.

Catching up with... Tim Noverini

A junior at St. Charles North and a Class 3A state qualifier last year at 130 pounds, Tim Noverini has been well-schooled in the sport — in and out of school. His grandfather helped form the Raiders (now Wolfpack) in the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation, and every male family member Tim mentioned — from his father, also Tim, to his brother Conrad to Uncle Conrad, a North Stars coach — is or was involved in the sport. Young Tim Noverini went 37-9 as a sophomore, and last summer qualified for the USA Wrestling Cadet Freestyle Nationals in Fargo, N.D. In October he placed third at 140 pounds in Junior Folkstyle at the Preseason Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. This season he's gotten off to a 22-2 start and is currently ranked third among Class 3A 145-pounders by Illinois Matmen, losing narrow decisions to highly regarded Brian Murphy of Glenbard North and Sandburg's Nick Fishback. As Noverini said, he's still “not happy” he lost to either of them.

Q: What do you like about wrestling?

A: I like the toughness of the sport. It's a good stress reliever. It gets me away from some of the stuff you deal with, day-to-day kind of stuff. And it means a lot to me and my family.

Q: You said you began wrestling in fourth grade. One uncle was a national champion and another a state champion. Your father, an assistant principal at Lake Park High School, wrestled as did his father. Was there a point when you didn't want to wrestle?

A: I would say when I was in sixth- or seventh-grade I wasn't exactly a very good wrestler. I was pretty terrible at it. The thing that changed me was when I went to the state tournament, and I'd never seen anything like it. I wanted to be there so badly. I like the feel of it, and I wanted to be in that Grand March someday.

Q: Last year you were. How did that feel?

A: It was pretty terrifying. But I finally got to be part of it and I'm hoping the next two years I get to be a bigger part of it.

Q: What's your favorite move on the mat?

A: I would have to say pretty much any form of a tilt, any sort of tilt.

Q: Like what happens to my pinball machine when I wiggle it sideways?

A: It's more like an exposure move where you're not going to pin the guy, but you get points for it. It doesn't take up much energy, and you don't really have to muscle anyone, you just kind of flow into it. It aggravates guys. It's kind of shocking for a lot of people. It's kind of like a very underrated move and I feel like I've done pretty good not to master it, but to get very good at it.

Q: What was your favorite Christmas present?

A: I like clothes. I think clothes are a pretty cool thing to get. I got a bike once.

Q: Once?

A: How many bikes can you go through?

Q: True. Do you watch wrestling on television?

A: I like to watch wrestling, but it's hard to find on TV. I love to watch “ultimate fighting,” that's a great thing to watch. There's not much else beside football, that's a cool sport.

Q: Did you ever play football?

A: As a freshman and sophomore I played football. I was a wide receiver as a freshman and a running back as a sophomore.

Q: Why did you stop?

A: Because I wanted to be the best wrestler I could be, and I didn't feel I could accomplish that being in more than one sport.

Q: At this point could you imagine not wrestling?

A: I think I'd be a totally different person if I did not wrestle. I could not imagine myself doing anything else. I don't think I'd be who I am today without the sport. ... I'm real proud of my coaches and very thankful for them because they've done a lot for me. (He recites a list of about ten men, including his uncles, his father and St. Charles North coach Ken Moromi.)Q: Did you make a New Year's resolution?

A: To just work as hard as I possibly can, because if I do that then I know I've left nothing. I've had moments where I've slacked off. Mainly, I've got to put more of my work in wrestling into my school work.

On point

St. Charles East junior Annie Martines is not only the point guard on the Saints' basketball team, she's also a percussionist in the band.

The best of both worlds unite this Saturday in an effort to collect supplies for United States troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Her brother, Marine LCpl. Alec Martines, is stationed in Iraq, part of a helicopter unit. Girls in the St. Charles East basketball program, along with Fox Valley Troop Support, have shipped more than 100 care packages during the past two years, according to their father, booster Bob Martines.

The Saints basketball teams and bands will join with those of Geneva on Saturday to collect another batch of stuff to ship overseas on #8220;Support Our Troops Night.#8221; The game starts at 6 p.m. All attendees are invited to bring provisions.

The St. Charles East girls basketball website, stcharleshoops.com, has a complete list of possible donations (check the tab for #8220;Operation: Fast Break#8221;), but a few are disposable cameras, chapstick and disposable razors.

Come to think of it, the troops might enjoy reading a newspaper, too.

doberhelman@dailyherald.com