Articles filed under McGraw, Patricia Babcock

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Sky’s Young steps up on Girls in Sports Day Feb 8, 2013 12:00 AM
It's all about the shoes! Women's Watch checks in on a neat Sky charitable event on National Women and Girls in Sports Day.
Junior Knights getting their day in the sun Feb 7, 2013 12:00 AM
Earlier this week, the Jr. Knights were born, giving aspiring youth football players in the Grayslake North district, another alternative, one they will be able to more closely identify with in the future.
For Michigan’s Zurales, hard work the right prescription Feb 1, 2013 12:00 AM
Wheaton Warrenville South graduate Katie Zurales is a three-time all-American gymnast at No. 3 Michigan who also keeps busy outside the gym. She is preparing for medical school and volunteering at a local hospital as she prepares for a career after athletics.
After standing still 6 months, time starts to move for Mundelein's KnarJan 31, 2013 12:00 AM
Four seconds. That was Robert Knar's latest victory. His life, for the last six months, has been measured in similarly small increments. "It's the small victories that keep you going," Knar said. "Those are what I've been living for lately." Weeks ago, when Knar bent his knee again for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, it was a victory. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless for the Mundelein senior guard.
Lake Zurich’s cousin guard combo is a package deal Jan 28, 2013 12:00 AM
Ryan Roach and John Repplinger are both guards for Lake Zurich this year. They work well together on the court and are more than just cousins, they are also best friends who play other sports together as well and plan to be roommates in college.
600 wins later, Iowa’s Bluder keeps on going Jan 25, 2013 12:00 AM
Women's Watch talks with Iowa basketball coach Lisa Bluder on getting her 600th career win in her 29th season of coaching college basketball.
DePaul’s Lenti a two-sport athlete again Jan 20, 2013 12:00 AM
DePaul freshman Gena Lenti, a softball player, is a former high school basketball player who was missing basketball until she also joined the DePaul basketball team last week to help its depleted roster hit hard by injuries this season.
Brunson’s brush with fame? It’s just getting started Jan 17, 2013 12:00 AM
Stevenson point guard Jalen Brunson has NBA bloodlines and still regrets a missed opportunity to have a Michael Jordan jersey autographed by MJ. But it's looking like Brunson has plenty to look forward to in his basketball life.
New women’s soccer league plans to get it right Jan 11, 2013 12:00 AM
Women's Watch explores the relaunch of a women's professional soccer league in the United States, and talks with Chicago Red Stars head coach Rory Dames about the business model behind the new National Women's Soccer League.
Running down the top women’s stories of 2012 Dec 28, 2012 12:00 AM
Women's Watch takes a look back at the top national and local women's sports stories of 2012.
Equestrian skills earn Batavia's Schmidt scholarship to SMUDec 21, 2012 12:00 AM
Who knew there were college scholarships for theatre? I didn't until about 10 years ago when my neighbor told me that her son, an actor in the high school plays, was in line for one. It was déjà vu for me this week when I got an education about equestrian. Who knew there were college scholarships for that, too? Taylor Schmidt, 17, has been riding horses since she was 8 years old, and competing in national competitions since she was 13. Yet, even she didn't know that going to college for free was a possibility through riding.
Fresh-faced Einloth fitting in just fine at Grayslake North Dec 20, 2012 12:00 AM
Not many high school athletes have their own cheering section. But Grayslake North forward Aidan Einloth has a dedicated group of friends who come to most of his games. They probably figure he could really use the support. Einloth is a freshman. Just last year, he was navigating through the awkward middle school years and playing 8th grade feeder basketball with his fellow tweens. Now, he’s starting on varsity for a 5-3 team that is veteran-heavy, but better because he’s in the lineup. He got his first start in the third game of the season, after being one of the first players off the bench before that.
Big Ten reaps volleyball riches Dec 14, 2012 12:00 AM
Women's Watch on the Big Ten's amazing run through the season and the NCAA volleyball tournament. It almost seems unfair that the conference won't be represented in tonight's national title game.
Varsity vigor, engineering excellence the norm for Wauconda’s Swenson Dec 13, 2012 12:00 AM
Wauconda's Austin Swenson is nearly finished with a four-year high school varsity sports career, but his collegiate future, hopefully balancing football and engineering, is only starting to take shape.
Berggren’s role in turnaround proved to be ‘priceless’ Dec 7, 2012 12:00 AM
Ashley Berggren, now a 36-year-old teacher and coach at Schaumburg High School, found out recently that she will be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame later this season. Berggren was the face of one of the greatest turnarounds in women's college basketball. But neither her rise from a passed-over recruit to a college all-American, nor the transformation of the University of Illinois from Big Ten doormat to national powerhouse could have been predicted.
Mundelein’s Big Four focus on bright collegiate futures Dec 6, 2012 12:00 AM
Grade school boys tend live in the moment. They'll talk about their favorite video games, or what they're going to trade for at lunch. Robert Knar, Sean O'Brien, Chino Ebube and Cliff Dunigan were a little bit different at that age. They liked to envision the future, and think more "big picture." "We'd go to the varsity basketball games right after our feeder games and we'd talk about getting taller and how we'd all be studs in high school," Knar laughed. "We talked about how we were all going to play in college someday." Now seniors at Mundelein, Knar, O'Brien, Ebube and Dunigan have made their hoops dreams a reality. They're a perfect 4-for-4. Last month, the longtime friends put pen to paper and signed their official NCAA letters of intent to play college basketball. Knar and O'Brien will be playing at Division I mid-major powers Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois, respectively. Ebube and Dunigan are going the Division II route. They both signed on at Missouri S&T. All four also got full scholarships, which makes their story all the more unique.
NU-DePaul battle features plenty of area stars Dec 1, 2012 12:00 AM
The top two women's college basketball teams in Illinois will be facing off on Sunday in Lincoln Park. And both Northwestern and DePaul feature plenty of local talent.
Maryland, Rutgers a boost for Big 10 women’s basketballNov 23, 2012 12:00 AM
In her weekly Women's Watch column, Patricia Babcock McGraw explores what the Big Ten's addition of Rutgers and Maryland to the conference means for Big Ten women's basketball.
St. Charles North grad’s long road to playing at DePaulNov 17, 2012 12:00 AM
DePaul forward and former St. Charles North standout Kelsey Smith will have plenty to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day when she finally gets to start playing basketball again.
Sweet farewell to hoops for Lakes’ Clark Nov 15, 2012 12:00 AM
Direll Clark's first love is basketball, but he reluctantly accepts that this season will be his last go-around in the sport. That's why quitting basketball to concentrate on football this winter never crossed his mind. He also didn't want to miss out. Lakes is coming off its best season in school history. The Eagles went 20-11 last year and advanced to their first-ever sectional championship game.