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Jones off and running again at Augustana

For a cross country runner, you can call this starting off on the right foot.

In her first race of the 2012 season, Augustana senior Sarahbeth Jones set a school record for 5,000 meters.

The Warren graduate finished in 17:41 at the Illinois Intercollegiate Championships at D.A. Weibring Golf Course in Normal.

That clocking erasing the previous record of 17:47 set by Kim Lehman back in 1982.

Jones was the first NCAA Division III runner to finish in the 30-team field that included six NCAA Division I teams.

She was selected as the “Runner of the Week” in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

The race was won by Gina Valgoi of Loyola, who turned in a time of 17:02.

The next non-scholarship finisher was Julia Sizek of the University of Chicago. She placed 15th with a time of 18:02.

Jones had a tremendous junior season. She was the team MVP in three sports (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track ) during the 2011-12 school year. She won CCIW titles in both the indoor (3000 & distance medley) and outdoor (5000) conference meets and was fifth in the conference cross country meet in 2011.

Augustana placed ninth in the Illinois Intercollegiate meet as a team and the Vikings were the third NCAA Division III school in the field.

Last year. Jones won the Jack Swartz Award in the CCIW after each of her three seasons (cross country, indoor & outdoor track). The Swartz Award is given to one male and one female student-athlete at each conference school who combines athletic prowess and academic success.

Men’s golf

Northern Illinois sophomore Nick Schiavi (Barrington) recorded a top-20 finish to lead the Huskies to an 11th-place team finish at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate, hosted by Indiana University.

NIU turned in a final-round 306 (+22), matching its first-round total at Wolf Run Golf Club.

Schiavi once again led NIU with a two-over 73.

He finished with a 5-over 215 to place himself in a tie for 15th with Kentucky’s Stephen Powers.

The finish is Schiavi’s second top-20 of his young career.

The Barrington product also equaled his best performance as a Huskie, matching his 15th-place showing at last year’s Cardinal Intercollegiate.

“Nick really led us,” said NIU coach Tom Porten on the school’s website. “He was two-under with five holes to go and he caught a tough break on No. 5. His ball rolled into a hole near the green and he ended up with a double-bogey.

“But Nick had a great tournament. He hit the ball well, putted the ball well and he really managed his game. He is learning very quickly and is the one player we have playing to his ability right now.”

Women’s volleyball

Augustana sophomore outside hitter Emily Leazer (St. Viator) was named a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Volleyball “Player of the Week”

Leazer, a Mt Propect native, had 58 kills and a .281 hitting percentage.

She also had 28 aces and 42 digs in leading the Vikes to a 5-0 record.

The Vikings beat North Park 3-1 as Leazer led the way with 19 kills, 4 aces and 14 digs.

Leazer tied an Augustana school record with 9 aces against Alverno and she had the third highest single-match total with 8 against Knox. She ended the tournament with 24 aces while earning MVP honors.

Hall of Fame

It’s not only homecoming for all alumni of Palatine High School Friday night but also for some of the biggest names in the school’s sporting arena.

The reception for the 2012 Palatine Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be in north end zone starting at 5 p.m.

The induction ceremony will be between sophomore and varsity football game.

Here’s a brief look at the four newest members:

Chris Andriano: A three-sport athlete, he was named all-area in football in 1969 and all-conference in baseball in 1970. After setting several receiving records at Palatine, he became an honorable mention all-American wide receiver at Millikan. For the past 32 years, he has been the varsity football coach at Montini High School with a record of 244-117. His teams have won nine conference championships and three state titles. Andriano was inducted into the Millikin Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001.

Ed Richardson: In the pool or on the volleyball court, Richardson impacted the lives of hundreds of student-athletes throughout his 32-year coaching career. He was the girls’ swimming coach for 32 years and boys for nine years. He also assisted with boys and girls water polo and was a boys’ volleyball assistant coach for 15 years. Richardson coached five teams that finished in the top three in the IHSA state meet, had at least one state qualifier in all 32 years, 80 all-American athletes and multiple state champions and record holders. He also coached two national champions and five Olympic trial qualifiers. He is known as a master at developing an athlete’s skill as well as his or her psyche. He used the athletic arena as an extension of his science classroom, never passing up a chance to instill a life-lesson or capitalize on a teachable moment.

Sandy Oldham: When looking at the success and tradition of Palatine High School girls’ gymnastics, it is hard to ignore the impact left by Sandy Oldham. She was the coach of the state championship teams in 1988 and 1989 and led her teams to second-place finishes four other times. She coached two individual IHSA state champions and numerous other state qualifiers. Oldham was also a co-founder of the Palatine Park District’s gymnastics programs. Many of her campers benefitted from positive experiences and carried that success over into Oldham’s high school program. Since 1979, Oldham has been the meet manager for the IHSA state finals. She is a member of the IHSA girls gymnastics Coaches Association Hall of Fame and continues to be active in the sport, serving as an IHSA, NCAA, and international judge.

Andrew Merutka: A standout three-sport athlete, Meruktka was named the school’s first All-State football player in 1961. He attended Northwestern and lettered in football. He still holds the school’s frosh-soph shot put record, set in 1960, with a throw of 50 feet, 10 inches. He also owns the school’s varsity record with a throw of 62-9.75 in 1962. That throw is still the 18th best shot put in IHSA history. He became a chemistry teacher and football coach at Glenbrook South High School, a position he held until his passing in 1995.

Ÿ Please email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com or FAX to (847) 427-1173.

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