Goranson welcomes spring power surge
Sophomore Nikki Goranson has found some new power in her softball bat, and she has a new teammate at Kankakee Community College.
Actually, the “new” teammate isn't exactly all that new for Goranson.
Kankakee freshman shortstop Olivia Roback and Goranson have played on the same teams since they were 12 years old in travel softball. They also played together for three winning seasons for Elk Grove Hall of Fame softball coach Ken Grams.
Goranson, who hit 1 homer as a freshman at Kankakee, has belted six over the fences this season for the 20-6 Cavaliers. She is 34-for-77 at the plate.
“I honestly don't know why,” Goranson said about her power outburst that has also produced 34 RBI, 5 doubles and a triple. “I've been focusing on watching the ball more than just guessing with my swing. I think that is helping a lot and I got to work with my dad (Jim, who is the Illinois Bash director and Regina head coach) all summer, which is always good.”
Goranson says it's really been good with the addition of Roback in the infield.
“It's so nice having her back,” Goranson said. “It's a little bit of my Elk Grove days back.”
At Elk Grove, Goranson was the 2009 Daily Herald all-area team captain as a senior when she batted .417 with 35 RBI and 4 home runs.
Roback was a four-year starting shortstop for Elk Grove (school record 148 games with 128 being wins) and the 2010 Daily Herald Athlete of the Year. She is batting a team-high .463 for Kankakee with 13 RBI.
“Olivia has definitely been like a leader for us as a freshman,” said Goranson, about one of her three college roommates. “Our players really respect her.”
The Cavaliers have earned a lot of respect, too.
Last season, they were 61-7 (most wins in school history) and finished second in the NJCAA Division II national tourney.
Goranson has made a verbal commitment to continue her softball career at Robert Morris University in Orland Park.
Two pitchers she has caught at Kankakee will be on the Robert Morris team next season.
“I'm looking forward to that, too,” said Goranson, who will switch back to No. 34 (at Robert Morris), the number she wore her senior year at Elk Grove.
“It's my favorite number,” she said. “My brother (Jimmy) wore it when he played baseball.”
Another former Mid-Suburban League player wearing a Kankakee jersey is Cyndi Becker. The former Hersey and Prospect catcher is batting .292 for the Cavaliers.
Women's tennis
Augustana senior Tricia Sapio (Barrington) owns a 16-11 record for the Vikings, who are 12-7.
Sapio and partner Sheri Hendriks posted a recent 8-0 win over St. Ambrose at No. 3 doubles.
Softball
Barrington senior softball player Kiersten Tinkoff was named the North region “High School Player of the Week” by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for games played through March 21.
Tinkoff is the first player to win top regional honors this season. The Fillies first baseman led her team to a perfect 3-0 start, going 6-for-9 on the week with 2 doubles, 3 runs, 3 RBI, a .727 on-base percentage and .889 slugging percentage. Defensively, Tinkoff turned an unassisted double play.
Men's track and field
Mick Viken (Rolling Meadows) pole vaulted 17-4.5 at the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic, setting both the Maynard O'Brien Stadium record as well as a Panthers school record.
Vicken's jump is tied for second on the early NCAA Division I outdoor list.
Women's rowing
As a senior at Libertyville High School four years ago, Ali Haws was one of the top volleyball, basketball and softball players in the area.
She had interest from colleges in all three sports.
But Haws always dreamed of going to the University of Minnesota where her dad is an alumnus.
When she was accepted to Minnesota's highly-competitive Carlson School of Management, she decided to concentrate on academics her freshman year. But she missed team sports.
Turns out, she found a new one at Minnesota.
And sure enough, she is once enjoying success in a sport.
Haws is a member of the Gophers' rowing team.
Her “Seven Varsity Eight” team recently received “Boat of the Week” honors in the Big Ten.
The Golden Gophers were the first team to earn the honor this season after competing against Tennessee at Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Haws and her eight other crew partners earned the win with a first-place time of 6:15.10, beating out the nationally-ranked Lady Vols' time of 6:17.40.
Haws decided to go out for the rowing team as a sophomore. Although she had never rowed, she had a successful rookie season and was voted most valuable novice rower and novice captain.
Anyone who watched Haws compete at Libertyville should not be surprised that she was able to thrive in new sport.
When the team went to Oak Ridge last week, the Minnesota rowers had not been in the water for months, except for a week in San Diego in January.
The Gophers practice in the Boathouse that is on the Mississippi River when the river is frozen.
“Winning ‘Boat of the week' felt amazing,” said Haws, who was on the dean's list in the Carlson School of Management in the spring semester. “I'm proud of all my teammates and it made all of our indoor workouts over the winter worth it.”
Lunch with a legend
Morton's The Steakhouse at Wacker Place in Chicago is hosting the latest “Lunch with a Legend” event on Tuesday, April 19, beginning at 11 a.m. with special guest, Mike Quade (Prospect), manager of the Chicago Cubs.
Lunch guests have the honor of meeting Quade in the intimate setting of Morton's private boardroom.
ESPN 1000s Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman will broadcast live from Morton's private boardroom beginning at 9 a.m. with Quade joining them at 11:30 a.m. to discuss the upcoming baseball season.
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