Neighbor Sports
Basketball
Holiday tourney: The Art Jones Basketball Academy Sports, Inc. will hold its 18th Annual Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament at the Mount Prospect Lions Center, 411 S. Maple, Mount Prospect. The fifth- and sixth-grade boys' brackets will run from Nov. 16 to 18, and the seventh- and eighth-grade boys' brackets run from Nov. 23 to 25.
Park districts, YMCAs, traveling basketball clubs, AAU teams, recreational agencies, boys clubs and school teams are welcome. For more information, contact Art Jones at (847) 494-1166.
Softball
One-day clinic: Fastball USA will host a one-day softball clinic Nov. 17 for coaches and players at 137 Diversey, Elmhurst. The UIC Flames coaching staff, Tom Grey, Sarah O'Malley and Allison Aguilar, along with UIC Flames players will be on hand. The division I softball program will hold a coaches clinic from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and a players clinic from noon to 3 p.m. The clinic will cover the fundamentals of softball.
You can register by calling (630) 532-5107 or at fastballusa@hotmail.com. For more information visit fastballusa.com.
Kankakee tourney: The Schaumburg Athletic Association Sluggers Red finished in second place with a 6-1 record in the 33-team Kankakee Tournament.
"The tournament is an NSA national qualifier and had some really tough competition. I'm very excited for the girls as they have worked hard to improve their game," said coach Frank Hill. The Sluggers had solid pitching, great hitting and outscored their opponents 53-12.
In the first game, Andrea Starr pitched a one-hitter, the first shutout for the Sluggers, in defeating the Orland A's 7-0. In the first inning, after walks to Murielle Vansach and Bri Lingl, Nikki Wagner drove in the first run on a groundout. Kim Jacobson finished the early scoring with her first double as a Slugger. Jacobson's 10 hits in 15 at bats paced the Sluggers. Jessica Cook, also a hot hitter, drove in 2 runs in the third with a single.
In the second game, Cook and Brit Bucholz combined for a no-hitter to defeat the Joliet Dirt Devils 6-0. Kati Herberg set the tone in the first inning with a single after a walk to Vansach. Again, Wagner drove in a run with a single, and Jacobson hit a grounder to score a run. Also noteworthy were Megan Keegan's defensive efforts.
In the third game, and the first in elimination, the Sluggers scored again in the first. Herberg placed a perfect drag bunt single to second base. Lingl then blasted an RBI triple that was all the Sluggers needed. Starr pitched her second shutout and struck out 12 batters in 5 innings.
The Sluggers faced the Indy Explosion next, a team they lost to in a tournament last February. The Sluggers avenged the loss, quickly scoring 4 runs in the first inning. "The team really had a hitting mentality all weekend and were very aggressive on the bases," said Coach Jeff Jacobson. After the first two Sluggers struck out, Lingl hit a wind-blown single. Next, Rebecca Thompson scored Lingl with a line-drive double to left center. Jacobson and Cook finished the scoring in the first with singles. In the second, Lingl launched her second triple of the year, and the Sluggers scored 4 more runs. In the third, the Sluggers reached slaughter. Jacobson and Cook hit back-to-back doubles. Grace Cortina had one of several hard hits to score a run. Next, Vansach scored a run on a squeeze play. Allie Bauch scored her first run and Alyssa Lancaster closed out the scoring with a double. Starr earned the 12-1 victory.
The Sluggers' next faced Team Aurileo's, a hard-hitting team. Cook pitched another masterpiece and held the team scoreless. The Sluggers didn't score until the third inning when Linden Fick led off with a single. Shannon Giovannone singled and scored on Bauch's grounder. Lancaster then scored a run on her grounder on a missed play at the plate. Wagner and Jacobson again each batted in a run. The Sluggers put the game away in the fourth inning. After another triple by Lingl, Thompson singled her home. Wagner, Jacobson and Cook hit consecutive run-scoring singles to put the game out of reach. After this win, there were only four teams of the 33 remaining.
The Sluggers advanced to the championship game with an 8-7 win over the Legends. "Our pitchers were a little tired after three games in a row, but they worked hard for the win," said Pitching Coach Ken Long. In the first, Bauch singled, stole second, went to third on a grounder, and scored on Lingl's sacrifice fly. By the third, the Sluggers had a comfortable lead, highlighted by Wagner's triple with the bases loaded. The Legends never gave up. In the last inning, down 8-3 and facing a tired Starr, the Legends made a game of it. With the score 8-7 and the bases loaded with 2 out, relief pitcher Cook struck out the final batter, putting the Sluggers into the championship game. In the final game, the Sluggers lost 4-3 to the Crown Point Bulldogs.
"We had the tying run on third in the last inning, but the Bulldogs made the play to win the tournament. We made them play their best," Hill said. Lancaster and Starr combined to keep the Bulldogs down to 4 runs. Jacobson, against a strong wind, hit a liner that almost cleared the 200-foot fence. "We had the most aggressive base running of any team in this tournament. If this team works hard in the off season, they will be a fine team next year," Jacobson said.
Swimming, diving
Tryouts:ŒCASH Aquatics swimming and diving teams holds tryouts for the High School District 211 fall/winter teams at 7 p.m. every Monday night at Conant High School, 700 E. Cougar Trail, Hoffman Estates. Enter through Door 5. Swimmers should bring a suit, towel and goggles.
Training groups include 8 and Under Girls and Boys; 9 and 10 Girls and Boys, 11 and 12 Girls and Boys, Advanced group of 13 and up plus selected 12 and Under. The high school program for boys and girls is available outside of their high school season.
There is a minimum swimming requirement based on age. All who try out must reside within High School District 211 boundaries. Athletes ages 5 to 18 are welcome.
The teams participate in dual meet competition in the Northern Illinois Winter Swim Conference, United States Swimming meets and the AAU National Junior Olympic Games.
CASH Diving tryouts are at the same time and place. Swimmers must register with the AAU prior to getting onto the diving boards. This program is open to girls and boys who at least are in fifth grade. There is a minimum swimming requirement to join the diving team. High school girls and boys can participate outside their high school season.
For more information, send e-mail to CASHAquatics@comcast.net.
Volleyball
Tryouts: Sky High Girls Volleyball tryouts will be held at the following times and locations.
• 15's -- final tryout, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Sky High Athletic Center, Crystal Lake
• 16's -- final tryout, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Sky High Athletic Center, Crystal Lake.
• 16-/15's -- final tryout, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Prairie Stone Sports & Wellness Center, Hoffman Estates.
• 18/17's -- final tryout, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday at Prairie Stone Sports & Wellness Center, Hoffman Estates.
Sky High recommends you register online at skyhighvolleyball.org.
Parent meetings will be held in Crystal Lake and Hoffman Estates during all tryouts. For more information, call (815) 356-0006.
Wrestling
Registration, practice: MadDog Wrestling Academy, a non-profit organization run by volunteer coaches and parents, is accepting registration for its 2007-08 boys and girls wrestling program. Practices are held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the Schaumburg High School wrestling room.
The program is open to athletes of all levels and abilities. It teaches, develops, conditions and trains wrestlers ages 4 to 14. It includes Bartlett, Elgin, Roselle, Hanover Park, Streamwood, Hoffman Estates, Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg residents.
The program enhances and supports the junior high and high school programs and provides younger wrestlers with an opportunity to gain additional experience. The club participates within USA Wrestling and its Illinois affiliate the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation.
When registering, bring a copy of the child's birth certificate. Registration includes a USA Wrestling card, insurance, team uniform, T-shirt, sweatshirt, skull cap and facility fee. Discounts are available for multiple children in a family. The USA card entitles the wrestler to enter any sanctioned tournament and provides accident insurance. This includes the state and national tournament series.
For more information, contact Denise Lovill at (847) 301-1334 or e-mail maddogwrestling@comcast.net. For exact practice times and more information, visit MadDogWrestling.org.