Basketball bounces into spotlight; CCIW honors Podulka

That sound you hear is a bouncing basketball.

Do you have your pencils and calendars ready?

• The offensive skills camp run by Kent Payne, longtime coach and an all-area basketball standout at Schaumburg High School in the 1970s, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Schaumburg Sportscenter, 1141 W. Irving Park Road.

The one-day Be The Best Skills Basketball Camp costs $25 and is open to boys and girls in the 6th-8th grades.

Sessions on Nov. 17 will be held from 12-2:30 p.m. for boys and 4-6:30 p.m. for girls.

Topics covered will be getting to the rim and finishing, creating your own shot, breaking pressure, creating space, building explosiveness with the ball, creating shots for others, basketball IQ building/instincts and attacking pressure.

Camp director Payne averaged 25 points per game in the Mid-Suburban League as a Schaumburg senior with high of 46 against Fremd. His son Cully Payne at Schaumburg is one of the top age-group players in the United States.

For more information and a registration form, call Payne at (630) 235-3362 or e-mail bethebestskills@yahoo.com.

Register at the door or pay in advance and attend as an individual or team.

• Prospect High School boys basketball will host Fandemonium 2007 for all ages on Saturday, Nov. 17.

The day will begin at 2 p.m. in Jean Walker Field House and will give the varsity players a chance to interact with younger players in the area as they compete in the 3-point contest, free throw contest, hot shot contest and dribble obstacle course.

Following the events, the varsity Knights will play in the annual Blue/White Scrimmage at 3:45 p.m.

The varsity players will be available for an autograph session at 4:30 p.m., and a parents meeting for all levels is set for 5 p.m.

There will be a concessions stand and fan T-shirts.

Admission is free and parents are welcome to attend.

For questions, contact Prospect varsity basketball coach John Camardella at (847) 718-5452.

• The Rolling Meadows Junior Mustangs will conduct tryouts for boys and girls 6th-, 7th- and 8th-grade feeder basketball teams on Sunday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, Dec. 9 at Rolling Meadows High School.

Boys and girls in the Rolling Meadows attendance area are encouraged to attend.

The 6th-grade tryouts will be 10:30-11:45 a.m. both days. Fifth-graders are welcome, but preference will be given to 6th-graders.

The 7th-grade tryouts will be from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both days.

The 8th-grade tryouts are scheduled for 12:45-2 p.m. on both days.

For details, contact Tom Conlin at (847) 670-8933 or Mike Grady at 630-971-2294.

• The Elk Grove Boys Feeder Basketball League will hold tryouts on Sunday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, Dec. 9 from 6-8 p.m. in the Elk Grove High School gymnasium. The league is for 6th-, 7th- and 8th-grade boys who will be attending Elk Grove.

Anyone interested should contact Bob Kraus at r_kraus@sbcglobal.net or visit the Web site at wws.leaguelineup.com/boysfeederbasketball.

• The Des Plaines Junior Warriors will hold tryouts on three dates for boys in the 4th to 8th grades who live in the Maine West High School boundaries. All tryouts will be held in the Spec Gym, and registration will open 30 minutes before each session.

Fourth- and 5th-graders are eligible to try out for the 6th-grade team.

The tryout dates are Sunday, Dec. 2; Sunday, Dec. 9; and Sunday, Dec. 16.

Tryout times are 6th grade, 1-2:30 p.m.; 7th grade, 2:30-4 p.m.; 8th grade, 4-5:30 p.m.

School will not be open until 12:30 p.m. Boys are encouraged to attend all three tryout dates.

For questions, contact Walt Stancy at (847) 635-0599.

• Melissa Gorski (Buffalo Grove) will serve as co-captain at Monmouth College. She spent 10 days this summer in Europe (Croatia and Italy) playing basketball for the USA Women's International Team.

Football

Tim Podulka (Elk Grove) of Augustana College was named offensive player of the week in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). He rushed for 117 yards in 12 attempts, scoring 1 touchdown, and passed for 110 and 1 score on 9-of-9 passing in a win over Millikin. He also had 26 yards on 2 punt returns.

Soccer

Lewis University midfielder Courtney Kettel (Schaumburg) was named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference third team. She had a team-high 9 goals that ranked fourth in the GLVC. She has been selected to the District 5 College Division All-Academic third team.

• Goalkeeper Heidi Owen (Rolling Meadows) of the University of Northern Colorado, which lost in the title game of the conference tourney, was named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week. She is ranked in the NCAA in saves per game and save percentage.

• Goalkeeper Brian Byrne (Buffalo Grove) of Loyola University Chicago was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. Also at Loyola, midfielder Keum Sung Kim (Hersey) was named to the all-league second team.

• Peter Tomicic (Buffalo Grove) and Scott Marlega (Conant) of Augustana were second-team selections in the CCIW.

• Jackie Peterson (Schaumburg) of Carthage College scored the game-winning goal against Concordia Moorhead (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Carthage lost in the second round 2-1 in overtime to Wartburg College.

• Shawna Becker (Wheeling) finished her goalie career by leading Cornell College to third place in the Iowa Intercollegiate Conference. As a four-year starter, she played in 62 games and finished second in career wins (1 shy) and shutouts.

Volleyball

Northern Illinois University junior Irene Johnson (Schaumburg) received her second honor when she was selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V second team. She also was selected as the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week this season.

• Lauren Weidner (Barrington), a freshman at Denison in Granville, Ohio, has played in all 25 games and is first in serve aces and second in total digs, digs per game (3.33) and receptions.

• Amy Reynolds (Schaumburg) is a defensive specialist on the No. 14 McHenry County College team (39-7) that qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. Nov. 15-17.

Cross country

Elizabeth Ambrus (Rolling Meadows) of the University of Alabama at Birmingham bounced back from a battle with mono and ran 20:58 for ninth overall (fourth individual qualifier) in the South Region in advancing to the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The senior lost last year's cross-country season with a stress fracture.

Swimming, diving

Liz Stetson (Barrington) contributed to Villanova University's first win in 11 years over Rutgers. She handled the butterfly leg on the winning 200 medley relay and also won the 200 fly with a personal-best time of 2:06.1. She was third in the 100 fly with a season-best 58.4.

• Danielle Filipp (Hersey) of Northern Arizona posted the following marks as the team opened with two double-dual meets: 200 individual medley, 2:13.10; 100 breast, 1:08.82; 200 breast, 2:29.83; 100 free, 55.27.

• Illinois State senior Katie Janonis (Hersey) was named Missouri Valley Conference Diver of the Week for the third straight week. She currently leads the Valley on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards.