Krzysko quickly a hit in Arkansas' lineup
It was less than two years ago when high school softball fans were watching one of the all-time best displays of home run hitting.
Loren Krzysko became Barrington's leading home run hitter in the spring of 2013 when the Daily Herald all-area honorary softball captain belted a school-record 18 and finished her career with 42.
Both numbers rank No. 9 on the all-time IHSA list.
Krzysko is now a redshirt freshman for Arkansas, which opened its fall softball season 10 days ago.
Guess who hit the first homer of the season for the Razorbacks?
In the second game of a doubleheader with Oklahoma State, Krzysko had 4 hits including a homer as the Razorbacks won 14-5 to gain a split with Oklahoma State.
“We are really excited and proud of Loren and her accomplishments,” said Barrington softball coach Perry Peterson. “She wanted to play at the highest Division I level and now she is turning that into a reality.”
Men's soccer
Liberty senior goalkeeper Scott Sutarik (Fremd) made 4 saves and recorded his third shutout this fall in the Flames' 1-0 victory over visiting Gardner-Webb in the Big South Conference match.
With the shutout, Sutarik tied Dean Short for third place on the program's career list with 19 shutouts.
Liberty snapped a two-game losing streak, moving to 6-3-1 and 1-2.
Despite being outshot in the first half 8-3, the Flames went to the intermission with a 1-0 edge. Sutarik made 3 saves in the half. He squelched the best scoring opportunity of the opening period for Gardner-Webb during the 27th minute. Ali Al-Gashamy ran behind a long pass lofted from midfield and lifted a shot which Sutarik smothered to prevent a score.
Women's soccer
Northern Illinois University freshman forward Lauren Gierman (Hersey) scored 2 goals to propel the Huskies to a 2-1 overtime victory over Central Michigan in their Mid-American Conference opener.
“Lauren scored the type of goals we know she can, and it was huge to get three points on the road.” NIU head coach John Ross said on the school's website.
NIU won in the state of Michigan for the first time since Nov. 1, 2007 (1-0 victory at Western Michigan).
It also snapped a 15-match winless streak on the road for NIU stretching back to a 2-1 win at Toledo on Oct. 25, 2012.
Gierman gave the Huskies (3-6-0, 1-0-0 MAC) a perfect start, scoring in the 12th minute with a stunning strike into the top left corner from 25 yards out.
Just one minute into the first extra time period, Gierman stole the ball off the Central Michigan defense and was pulled down on the edge of the box, producing a second yellow card and subsequent red card.
Gierman then stepped up to the ensuing free kick and smashed the ball into the bottom left corner, sending the NIU sideline into pandemonium as the Huskies stole a conference victory on the road.
“It felt awesome to put those goals away and help us win,” Gierman said. “It was a total team effort, and picking up this win is a big boost for us going forward.”
• Illinois State's Kelli Zickert (Buffalo Grove) picked a great time to score her first career Missouri Valley Conference goal.
With ISU and Evansville scoreless, and the Aces boasting a scoreless streak of 600-plus minutes, Zickert broke the tie in the second half to win the match.
It was the only goal of the match in a game that featured the two best teams in the conference. Zickert now has 2 goals on the season.
Women's cross country
Augustana traveled to Canada for the Western Ontario Open and finished second among eight teams at Gibbons Park.
Vikings senior Becca Sund (Palatine) earned a seventh-place finish as the Vikings scored 41 points behind the host Mustangs (27).
• Judson University senior Jordan Wagner (Schaumburg) finished 11th in the 5000 meters in a personal best time of 18:55 at the 25-team College of Dupage Invitational Sept. 26, leading her team to fourth-place finish.
Men's cross country
Butler junior Eric Peterson (Barrington) finished second at the prestigious 24-team Notre Dame Invitational with a time of 23:25. The race had 10 nationally-ranked teams with some of the best runners in the nation present.
Junior Golf
Barrington senior Julia Calbi has been named an HP Scholastic Junior all-American by the American Junior Golf Association.
Calbi scored a 32 on the ACT and holds a 4.24 GPA. She volunteers at The Players Service, coaching young, underprivileged golfers ages six through nine at free clinics held during the spring and summer.
She also ran the Illinois State Junior Amateur Championship hospitality area and helped to post live scores.
Calbi earned her first AJGA victory at the AJGA Annapolis Junior this year. She is ranked No. 73 in the Polo Golf Rankings and has verbally committed to Dartmouth.
• Please email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com.