Akinosun goes to head of Waubonsie Hall class

In August Morolake Akinosun won Olympic gold, receiving the medal for her work with the United States' women's 400-meter relay in Rio de Janeiro.

On Friday she'll be inducted into the Waubonsie Valley Athletic Hall of Fame along with Brett Einbecker, Durrell Williams and Raphael Wilson, another nice haul.

Einbecker's duels with Lake Park's Dan Block in discus and shot put were legendary. According to the Illinois Throws Association, Einbecker owns Illinois' ninth-best discus throw in history, 197 feet, 6½ inches. He threw the shot put 59-8 at the 2008 Class AA West Aurora sectional. At state in 2007, Einbecker finished second in discus to Block; in 2008 the two switched positions, Einbecker winning at 184-0.

After competing at the University of Illinois and coaching Metea Valley's female throwers, he's now Missouri Valley College's track coach and assistant cross country coach.

Williams was the 2004 Class AA champion in the 800-meter run in 1 minute, 53.31 seconds and finished second in 2005 in a school-record 1:53.09. Fourth on Waubonsie's all-time 1,600 list at 4:23.4, also in 2005 Williams anchored Waubonsie's second-place 1,600 relay to help the Warriors place fourth as a team, their best finish ever. At Oklahoma Baptist University Williams was a multiple NAIA Scholar Athlete who won 2007 indoor titles in the 1,000 meters and 3,200 relay.

Wilson won Upstate Eight Conference wrestling championships in 1989 and 1991 and was a three-time state qualifier who helped the Warriors to 1990 and 1991 UEC and regional titles. He was the 1991 Class AA champion at 135 pounds. Wilson recorded 109 victories at Waubonsie Valley and went on to win three national titles at Augustana.

Proceeded by a "tailgate" dinner and social starting at 4:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria, Waubonsie's induction ceremony will shift to Dick Kerner Stadium during halftime of the homecoming football game against Naperville North.

Akinosun ran on the track encircling that field. Even on top of Olympic gold she considers the Waubonsie Hall a huge honor.

"I think it's one of those things where it's not actually real to me yet and won't be real until that moment. I've never been inducted into a hall of fame before, but hopefully it's not my last," said the 2012 high school graduate.

She was speaking from the site of what should be her next - her home in Austin, Texas. Transferring from Illinois after her freshman year along with fellow U.S. medalist Ashley Spencer, Akinosun earned 15 of her 17 first-team All-America honors at the University of Texas. Along with Jackie Joyner-Kersey, the Aurora sprinter is the only female to score in four events at the NCAA Outdoor meet in consecutive years.

Still studying toward her Dec. 3 graduation with a degree in biomechanics - she hopes to work with Paralympians - Akinosun signed a professional agreement with Nike. Resuming training Oct. 17, she'll run the 100 and 200 in worldwide Diamond League events in preparation for the 2017 United States championships and the worlds in London.

At Rio de Janeiro she was an alternate on the U.S. women's 400-meter relay. In preliminaries she anchored that unit, which needed to qualify for the finals by itself after interference caused a muffed handoff in an initial heat.

In the final Akinosun was replaced by Torie Bowie, but joined Bowie, Tianna Bartoletta and English Gardner on the medal stand.

"It's one of those moments where you get a gold medal placed around your neck, and very few individuals in the world have a gold medal," she said. "It was very surreal, and one of those moments where you realize all your hard work over the last 10, 15 years really paid off."

In 2012 at Waubonsie Valley, where Akinosun ran with her sister, Moriyike, she tied the girls state 100-meter record of 11.41 seconds to win the Class 3A title, one of 10 all-state finishes spanning relays and open sprints. Akinosun also holds the school record in the 200 at 23.91 and helped set program records in the 400, 800 and 1,600 relays.

On Oct. 7 - known henceforth as "Morolake Akinosun Day" in Aurora - she was welcomed back to her hometown where she received a key to the city and a road on the Waubonsie campus named in her honor. The honors continue Friday.

"I consider Waubonsie Valley to be my home," Akinosun said. "I grew up there, literally and figuratively."

Making Addison Trail great again

Ryan Dini graduated from Addison Trail in 2001, a three-year varsity soccer player on the Blazers' last regional champion in 2000.

Now in his fifth season as coach, Dini's Blazers are riding a 13-game winning streak and are 18-1 overall entering Thursday's home game against Hinsdale Central.

"It's been important to me to get us back to that winning culture. We're getting there," he said.

The key has been experience and a chip on the shoulder after feeling ignored following an unbeaten summer league campaign.

Midfielder Tom Kania and defender Uriel Martinez are four-year varsity players. Forwards Jonathan Hernandez and Enrique Luna, midfielder Christian Santiago and defender Brian Ramos are three-year players. The Blazers coaxed 6-foot-4 junior goalkeeper Jacob Grygo to play for the first time since eighth grade.

Addison Trail's high-water marks remain a 1989 fourth-place state finish and the 1992 squad, which was 25-0 until losing to Batavia in the state quarterfinals. The Blazers' sole loss this season came Sept. 6 against Morton.

Neither of those seasons motivate this year's group, which has secured second place in the West Suburban Gold and simply looks forward to the playoffs.

"Their motto has been, prove it every day," Dini said. "They've bought into it and it's been fun."

The Konrad dynasty

Addison Trail is No. 2 in the Daily Herald's most recent boys soccer Top 20 ratings. No. 1 is Naperville North, 13-2-3 entering Thursday's match at Waubonsie Valley.

On the team are two nephews of Huskies coach Jim Konrad - Mitch, a junior, and Ty, a freshman.

Jim is a 1989 Naperville North graduate, his brother Jay out of the Class of '91. Both are Naperville North Hall of Fame members due to their soccer exploits.

In the pipeline is Jim Konrad's son, Ryan, a sixth-grader.

"There will be a Konrad in the program through the fall of 2022," Jim said. "Pretty cool."

In the running

Entering conference meets, Naperville North's girls sit atop the Class 3A Illinois Cross Country Coaches Class Poll for the first time this season.

The defending state runner-up came off its win at the Naperville Twilight Invitational to leapfrog last week's leader, Glenbard West, now ranked third behind defending state champion Minooka.

Other DuPage County entries include No. 5 Wheaton Warrenville South, No. 6 Downers Grove South, No. 9 Hinsdale Central, No. 10 Metea Valley and No. 11 Neuqua Valley - technically Will County but, hey, they're one of us.

The boys winner of the Naperville Twilight Invitational, Neuqua Valley, continues in the No. 1 position it's held since the first 3A poll on Aug. 30.

Downers Grove North is biting at its heels in the No. 2 spot. Hinsdale Central checks in at No. 6, joined in the top 15 by No. 9 York and No. 10 WW South.

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

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