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Basketball: Scarpino celebrates 44 years of coaching heaven

The basketball court has been heaven for Bob Scarpino.

"I have a poster hanging in my office 'Return to Heaven,' which is the Hickory basketball court of the Indiana state champions from the movie 'Hoosiers'," he said. "Once I enter onto the basketball court I leave all worldly problems behind as if I were in heaven."

On June 10, Scarpino is leaving his basketball heaven.

He is retiring after coaching high school basketball for 44 years.

Scarpino's first coaching assignment was in 1972 at St. Edward High School in Elgin. In 1977 he assumed coaching responsibilities at Westmont High School until 1985, when he became a coach at Wheeling High School.

Scarpino has worked on the freshmen girls basketball level at Hersey with Molly Freeman the last nine years.

"He taught me everything I know about basketball." said Freeman, who is also the school's varsity softball coach. "I'm sad, I know I'm going to miss working with him. He's a wonderful person. I love him."

Scarpino, a counselor at Wheeling, was selected into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in the Career Coach category.

"I have had the pleasure of working with outstanding professional coaches, sports writers, referees and athletes," said Scarpino, a counselor at Wheeling High School who owns a career record of 595-486 combined at all his coaching jobs.

He was inducted into the IBCA hall of fame on April 28, 2012.

"When I look back, that was my most humbling experience," Scarpino said. "I was reminded of that night a few weeks ago at the IBCA Hall of Fame Banquet as they inducted the class of 2016.

"I sat with the other Hall of Famers looking out at the 1,250 people in attendance and told myself how lucky I was to have been selected in 2012."

Scarpino will miss working the athletes.

"I will miss the practices, games and the excitement of the state tournament," he said. "I have always told my players that each player represents their team, school, family and their community."

He is most proud of the fact that he has never received a technical foul in his 1,081 games as a coach and his players only received two.

Women's lacrosse

Illinois Wesleyan freshman Dani Engelbreit (Conant) was one of two freshmen named to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin all-conference team. The Titans finished second in the CCIW and their coach, Lindsey Rosecrans, was named CCIW 'coach of the year.'

Women's softball

Georgia Southern junior Michelle Mazur, who is Fremd's No. 2 home run hitter of all time with 17, returned to her to her old slugging form lately for the Eagles.

And she gives a tip of the cap to her former Fremd coach Jim Weaver.

Weaver had a recent chat with his former standout about the Fremd hitting philosophy.

"It was a great reminder how to stay in control of my at-bats, and he gave me added focus and improved my approach", Mazur said in the school's website during her recent hot spell.

Mazur started 42 games last year as a sophomore at third base.

This season, she had only seen occasional appearances until April in which she received six starts and made the most of them. Mazur batted 7-for-19 (. 368) in those starts with 2 homers, a double, 4 singles, 4 RBI and 3 runs in games against Appalachian State, South Alabama, Kennesaw State and South Carolina.

Georgia Southern also claimed significant program victories over South Alabama and South Carolina, which was ranked No. 23 at the time."

"I'm so happy to be part of this team and contribute in any way possible while working hard to be ready for any situation," Mazur said. "So when coach Annie (Smith) calls my number, I'm ready to execute the small things as well as the big things and expect to deliver.

"We have a great opportunity to do something special this season in the Sunbelt tourney. We have lots of potential and when we play our best, we're tough to beat. We all just keep focused on working to get better and grow as a team."

Baseball

Illinois State closer Jack Landwehr (Prospect) has a 4-2 record with 2.87 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 31 innings.

Allie Bauch honored

As the Big Ten continues its celebration for the 102nd class of the Big Ten Medal of Honor, Illinois announced that Allie Bauch from the softball team was one of two student athletes named the Fighting Illini's 2015-16 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients.

Bauch was presented her award at the Fighting Illini All-Sports celebration two weeks ago.

The Big Ten Medal of Honor is the conference's most exclusive award and was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. It was first awarded in 1915 to one student from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work."

Big Ten schools currently feature more than 9,500 students competing in intercollegiate athletics but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. In more than 100 years of the Big Ten Medal of Honor, almost 1,400 students have earned this distinction.

Bauch has started all 47 games this season at second base. She is hitting .327 while leading the Illini with 38 runs scored. She ranks among the team's top three in hits, RBI, doubles, triples, home runs, slugging percentage and stolen bases.

She was impressive as a junior, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors along with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Midwest Region accolades. She led the Illini in 10 offensive statistical categories, including batting average, slugging percentage, hits, and home runs. Bauch also was an All-Midwest Region pick as a sophomore.

Off the field, Bauch made history last season by becoming the first Illini softball player to earn Capital One First-Team Academic All-America honors. A mathematics major, Bauch's accomplishments also include NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten.

"Allie is a great representative of the Fighting Illini softball program, the University of Illinois and the Big Ten Conference," Illinois coach Tyra Perry said on the school's website. "She is a leader for our team both on and off the field and has been a catalyst for the success we have achieved this season. Allie fully encompasses what it means to be a student-athlete through her actions, her character, her work ethic and her focus. She has not only set high standards for herself in both athletics and academics, but also in serving the community and understanding the importance of giving back. I am extremely proud of Allie and believe she is very deserving of receiving the Big Ten Medal of Honor."

Bauch went 3-for-4 with 5 RBI and 3 runs when Illinois topped host Penn State 9-0 on Sunday in its final regular season game. It was the fourth-straight Big Ten Conference series win for the Illini (34-20).

• Wisconsin-Whitewater freshman pitcher Julia Camardo (Buffalo Grove) allowed just 1 hit in a 2-0 victory over UW-La Crosse to propel the Warhawks (27-12) to the title game of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship.

Camardo's no-hitter was broken up in the sixth on a close call at first but that would be the only hit the Eagles would get. It was Camardo's 16th win of the season and 1-hitter is the first since April 15 last season.

Warhawks freshman Nikki Mikosz (Wheeling) hit a one-out double in the top of the seventh. Freshman center fielder Caitlin Catino (Buffalo Grove) hit a two-out, 2-run double in the bottom of the 13th inning the next day to give Whitewater a 2-1 victory over UW-Eau Claire in the title game in Eau Claire.

The win gave the Warhawks (28-12) their fourth straight conference tournament championship and eighth overall.

Whitewater also punched a ticket to its fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 19th berth overall.

• Carthage freshman Hailey Rothstein (Conant) and junior Kristine Herdegen (Fremd) helped lead the Lady Reds (19-21, 7-7) to a seven-win improvement over last season.

Rothstein was the team's No. 2 leading hitter with a .370 average while Herdegen was No. 3 at .364. Rothstein's 7 homers tied for the team lead and she had a club-high 40 RBI. Herdegen was second in RBI with 22 and third in homers with 4.

• Charleston Southern junior Amanda Matsumoto (Fremd) leads the Big South Conference with 29 stolen bases. She also leads the Bucs with 55 hits, 26 walks and owns the third-best batting average on the team at .333.

Martin inducted

Ten days ago was a special moment for former Hoffman Estates athletic director John Martin.

He was inducted into The Illinois Athletic Directors Association in an awards ceremony held at the IADA state conference in Peoria on April 30.

Martin, also a longtime Stevenson athletic director, was inducted into the Lake County High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

He has been a member of the Illinois Athletic Directors Association for the past 26 years

Since 1988, he has served the IADA in a number of capacities including two terms as the IADA state conference chair, state conference program chair, state conference registration co -chair and IADA/IHSA new AD's workshop presenter.

Previous to his years in athletic administration, Martin taught English and coached football and basketball at Hoffman Estates High School.

From 1988-1990, he was the athletic director for Hoffman Estates High School and from 1990 to 2010 he was the athletic director for Stevenson High School.

In 1996 and 2010, Martin was named the IADA 'Outstanding Athletic Director' of the Year.

• Please email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com.

Fremd grad Amanda Matsumoto is thriving at Georgia Southern this spring. Submitted photo
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