Self defense has an impact at Rhode Island
It hasn't taken former Lake Zurich volleyball standout Layne Self long to make an impact on the collegiate level.
Now a Rhode Island freshman, Self was named the Atlantic 10s Defensive Player of the Week.
The Native of Hawthorn Woods recorded 15 blocks and 3 digs to go along with 32 kills and 3 aces for the week.
Self, a middle blocker who averaged 1.07 blocks per set, had 6 blocks in a win over Brown and against Duquesne.
She added 3 more blocks against George Washington, including 2 solos. She also had a .455 hitting percentage.
Self currently leads the team with 71 blocks and is the conference's top-ranking freshman in the category.
Women's cross country
For the third time this season and sixth time during her career, University of St. Francis senior Hilary Halford (Carmel) has claimed Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week accolades.
Halford garnered the recognition after covering the 5K course at this past Saturday's Greater Louisville Classic in 18:11. That time placed her 49th in a field of 288 runners representing all three NCAA divisions, Canada and the NAIA.
Ranked fourth in the most recent NAIA poll, USF returns to action on Oct. 26 at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge in Grand Rapids, Mich.
National softball tournament
The ‘Libertyville Fall Classic', a USSA national qualifier softball tournament, will be held in Libertyville on Oct. 19 and 20.
Teams from all areas of the state and some from Wisconsin will compete.
For more information, see these websites
Libertyville Girls Softball Association: www.libertyvillesoftball.org/
USSSA National Fastpitch website: www.usssa.com/sports/home.asp? and Sport=16
and USSA IL Fastpitch website: ilusssa.com/fast-pitch.
Palatine Hall of Fame
Erik Dieckman, Brian McKay and the 1985 badminton team are the 2013 Palatine High School Hall of Fame inductees.
Ÿ Dieckman, a 1994 graduate, captained the cross country team to second place in the 1993 state meet. In track and field, he was third in the mile run as a junior and won the state title as a senior in 1994. Dieckman ran at North Central College on national championship teams in cross country and track and was a national champion in Division 3 cross country and three-time all-American in track.
McKay, a 1984 graduate, was a conference champion six times in swimming. He was a four-time sectional champ, state qualifier all four years and state finalist six times.
McKay was all-state two years, winning the state title in 1984 in the 100-meter freestyle and being named Illinois Senior Swimmer of the Year.
He went on to star at Texas and Ohio State and was 12-time national qualifier and two-time Olympic Trials qualifier and national champion in the 400-meter freestyle.
McKay actually has ties to Daily Herald high school sports editor Aaron Gabriel, a former Wisconsin Big Ten champion swimmer (1,650 and 500-yard freestyles).
In the 1983 IHSA state swim meet, Gabriel (St. Charles High School) and McKay were rivals in the 200-yard free, swimming in the championship heat. They finished third and fourth, respectively, in the event.
Ÿ The 1985 state badminton championship team was first team championship in any sport at Palatine. The team was coached by Kathy Crandall, a four-time IHSA Coach of the Year and member of the IHSA Hall of Fame and Palatine Athletic Hall of Fame.
Froelich retirement party
Longtime Rolling Meadows wrestling coach Dave Froelich, a former East Leyden and Northwestern all-American wrestling standout, will be honored with a retirement party on Saturday, Dec. 28 following the home wrestling meet which begins 5:30 p.m.
The event will be held at Westwood Tavern (1385 N Meacham Road) in Schaumburg,
Froehlich has served as the head wrestling coach for 36 years, 18 years as a track and cross country coach and 14 years as the boy's athletic director.
Tickets for the party are $32. per person or $52 if you bring a guest, which will cover the facility, food and a gift for the coach's retirement.
For more information contact: Jim Suchecki at coachsuch@aol.com or Pete Froehlich at Pfroehlich@Wintrustmortgage.com.
St. Viator Hall of Fame
On Saturday, Oct. 19, six individuals and one Artman Award winner will be inducted into the 2013 Saint Viator/Sacred Heart of Mary Hall of Fame.
The 2013 individual inductees are Steve Benz (1981), Dave Efken (1978), Lauren Weber Gaeger (2003), Bill Griffin (1969), Michael Howland (1998) and Thomas Nolan (1998).
The Robert C. Artman Award winner is Joe Rooney.
The Hall of Fame Dinner will on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m.