St. Charles Kick-A-Thon sets record
There’s no denying the numbers on the scoreboard Wednesday were deeply significant to the boys basketball teams of St. Charles North and St. Charles East. Both teams are vying for the Upstate Eight Conference River Division title.
In the long run, the score — North Stars 54, Saints 48 — ranked second in importance to the numbers displayed by members of the schools’ drill teams before the game began.
Between sophomore and varsity games the girls presented the amount of donations reaped by last year’s 18th annual Kick-A-Thon, held prior to the Cross Town Classic football game Sept. 21 at St. Charles East’s Norris Stadium.
The event, which that night drew a record 144 community kickers, generated a record $80,202.32, which will be split evenly between two service providers. The LivingWell Cancer Resource Center in Geneva and the Fox Valley Chapter of the American Cancer Society will each receive more than $40,000 from the 2011 Kick-A-Thon.
“I receive such great care myself and I am so happy to be able to give back to support other cancer patients,” said Ann Byington, a metastasized breast cancer patient now in remission. With Gretchen Murphy, she co-chaired St. Charles East’s effort. Shirley Wehking served as St. Charles North’s chairwoman.
This year’s donation improved on last year’s take of $67,747.86 by more than $12,000. Since former St. Charles High School Drill Team coach Kari Batka began Kick-A-Thon initially as a fundraiser for the school’s dance squad, nearly $600,000 has been provided to LivingWell and American Cancer Society.
Plans already are under way for the 2012 Kick-A-Thon on Sept. 7 at St. Charles North, said Byington, whose daughter, Nora, is a St. Charles East senior concluding her Drill Team career. Wehking will remain as St. Charles North’s chairwoman; St. Charles East’s 2012 co-chairs are Molly Craney and Rosanne Grenfell.
Ahead of the pack
Geneva graduate Kevin Sparks, a sophomore at North Central College, on Wednesday was named one of 141 Division III Academic all-American cross country runners nationwide by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
To make the cut a runner must carry at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average and finish among the top 35 at his school’s regional meet. Sparks, a sophomore history major, placed sixth at the Midwest Regional. He placed 31st at the national championship, helping the Cardinals earn their second DIII title in three years.
Also on Wednesday, the National Christian College Athletic Association announced its fall scholar teams. Eligible teams needed to have a GPA of 3.40 on a 4-point scale for all combined athletes on the team. The Judson University women’s cross country team, which includes junior Murphy Kurth out of Batavia, pulled in a combined 3.54. Unbelievable.
And before you ask, yes, Illinois College’s Josiah Norville of Batavia won the Midwest Conference men’s track performer of the week, again — as did Monmouth junior Allison Devor of St. Charles East, a repeat pick for women’s field performer of the week.
Pomp and circumstance
West Aurora rolled out the red carpet for noted national anthem singer Jim Cornelison, who did his thing prior to last Friday’s boys basketball win over Glenbard North on senior night.
Cornelison typically belts out his rousing rendition for the Blackhawks of Chicago, not West Aurora. The high school rated such an audience due to Cornelison’s friendship with West Aurora associate principal Rudy Keller, said athletic director Andy Lutzenkirchen. Cornelison was scheduled to sing at West Aurora’s Veterans Day assembly, but a conflict arose.
On Friday the singer indeed pointed out that “the flag was still there” when he came to that point in the song, and the fans cheered as he got toward the end, United Center-style.
There are worse ways to get fired up.
“I would think it helped jack you up to play a game,” Lutzenkirchen said.
Here’s the pitch
There’s nothing better this time of year than shuffling along the sand beaches of Florida’s Gulf Coast
But T.C. Hull had no time for that.
The St. Charles East sophomore was down there playing soccer, one of 18 players on this region’s Olympic Development Team competing at the U.S. Youth Soccer Winter Interregional from Jan. 26-29.
“It was really cool,” said Hull, given name Thomas Clinton, who played forward for the Saints last fall. “A lot of good competition, good weather down there, the facility’s really nice.”
Hull, one of 90 players nationwide to be invited to compete at the IMG Complex in Bradenton — for a second straight year, actually — had been selected last summer. Playing on the Illinois Olympic Development Team against teams from 12 other Midwest states, he was chosen from among that lot, as well as at a training camp at Northern Illinois University in July.
He was notified in December, one of four Illinois players along with Metea Valley defender Nathan Donovan.
Down in Florida, the Region II team played three other regional teams.
“We actually had two wins and a tie, so we did really good,” Hull said.
Along with playing for the Saints, Hull has been with the Campton United club program since he was 8. His current under-16 squad includes Saints Dan DiLeonardi, Jake Sterling, Christian Deany and Kevin Heinrich; Geneva’s Beck Nebergall and Brian Pacilio; St. Charles North’s Phil LeGare and Billy Larsen; and Wheaton Academy’s Grant Stoneman.
Back to the Interregional: “It’s really cool being named to the team and to be able to represent your region and play at some really cool places, trying to get batter,” Hull said.
Not much downtime, though.
“We were hoping we could go to the beach or something,” he said, “but we were all really tired after the game.”
doberhelman@dailyherald.com
Mascot vs. Mascot
Marmion Academy Cadet
Though a Benedictine prep school, nickname reflects the academy’s military curriculum
The “Flannigan Rifles” have won 39 of 46 regional competitions the last 10 years
The Rifles once performed for 5,000 people at the Chicago Armory
Kaneland Knight
A mounted warrior well-versed in jousting
Historically associated with chivalry and service
Nowadays, knighthood bestowed upon meritorious civilians
Outcome
A Cadet, by definition, is training for military service. The Knight already has gained that experience. Unless the Cadet were to tangle with Sir Elton John, the armored horseman likely would prevail.
Winner: Kaneland Knight.