Grads were very, very good in 2007
Halfway 'round the turn of the high school sports calendar, heading into Christmas break, we found a number of local graduates who earned their way onto Santa's good list.
Coming up Roses
As reported in the Daily Herald Wednesday by Lindsey Willhite, Downers Grove South graduate Martin O'Donnell earned first-team All-America honors by the Associated Press.
The Illini's four-year starting left guard heads several other local boys into the Rose Bowl against Southern California on New Year's Day: Derek Walker (Glenbard East), Mike Ware (Waubonsie Valley), Doug Pilcher (Hinsdale Central), Sam Carson (Downers South), Conor Gillen (Glenbard West) and Mike Mucha (Montini).
Record-setters
On Nov. 24 in a second-round NCAA women's soccer tournament game against North Carolina, Notre Dame's Brittany Bock and Michele Weissenhofer -- both Neuqua Valley alums -- scored goals 14 seconds apart to give the Irish a 2-0 lead in a game they won 3-2.
Bock's header on a Weissenhofer assist, and Weissenhofer's goal from a Bock throw-in, were the fastest goals ever scored by the same team in the 26-year history of the NCAA women's soccer tournament and 11th fastest all-time.
On Saturday another Neuqua Valley graduate, Jessica Salinas, a sophomore forward at Dominican University, went 14 of 14 from the floor to tie the NCAA record for field-goal percentage in a loss to Wisconsin Lutheran. She became the 11th women's player since 1982 to have a perfect night on at least 14 shots.
On Dec. 1, with Southern Illinois' football team backed up to its own 17-yard line, punter Scott Ravanesi (Glenbard North) took the snap at the 2-yard line and boomed the ball in the air to the Massachusetts' 20-yard line. Nearly downed at the 1, it rolled into the end zone for an 83-yard punt that tied a record dating back to 1915. His 7 punts that day averaged 52.9 yards.
Ravanesi, who led the Gateway Conference at 45.2 yards per punt, was named all-conference and, with former Glenbard North teammate Travis Cherry of Western Illinois, also earned academic all-conference.
A world away
For the second time former Glenbard South students Angeline and Patrice Impelido played with the Philippines women's soccer team for the South East Asian Games in Thailand. The Impelido sisters also played in the 2005 SEA Games.
Lucky number 24
Nine days apart, two former prep stars had their biggest scoring days on college basketball courts.
On Dec. 2, Illinois State senior guard Tiffany Hudson, out of Naperville Central, scored 24 points in a 79-61 win over Eastern Michigan.
On Tuesday, Downers Grove South grad Bryan Mullins put in 24 points for his Southern Illinois squad in the Salukis' 71-56 win over St. Mary's.
The big leagues
From the Chicago Bears' practice squad, former Neuqua Valley all-state lineman Babatunde (we knew him as "O.J.") Oshinowo has been recalled for Monday's game in Minnesota. The Stanford alumnus is listed as the Bears' No. 2 nose tackle.
Owen Daniels (tight end, Houston Texans/Naperville Central): 54 receptions, 666 yards, 1 touchdown.
Matt Roth (defensive end, Miami Dolphins/ Willowbrook): 37 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble.
Justin McCareins (receiver, New York Jets/Naperville North): 12 catches, 183 yards.
Chris Brown (running back, Tennessee Titans/Naperville North): 84 carries, 404 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Roll call
Winfield native Emily Moore, a senior setter for Trinity College (Conn.) women's volleyball team, set school records for assists per game (9.67) and service aces per game (0.51). She was chosen to play in the New England Volleyball Association All-Star Game.
Wheaton Warrenville South graduate Michelle Matusiak, an outside hitter for Lincoln College, was first-team MidWest Athletic Conference and second-team all-region. She led the Lynx in kills (505) and was second in digs (486), helping Lincoln to the region finals for the first time in more than 20 years.
Jackie Simpson, a senior at Wisconsin and former Daily Herald all-area volleyball captain out of Downers South, was named Big Ten women's volleyball player of the week Nov. 26, the third such honor of her collegiate career.
Alex Mangan, a sophomore soccer player at DePaul out of WW South, finished second in the Big East Conference with 5 game-winning goals.
Three's a charm
Illinois Wesleyan men's soccer just announced its awards recipients.
Neuqua Valley contributed the Titans' most valuable offensive and defensive players -- junior midfielder Jason Lopez and junior Greg Yao -- while junior midfielder Chris Sleezar, out of Benet, was named "most improved."
Hope for the future
George Klupchak, a 2004 graduate of Naperville Central who scored 2 touchdowns playing fullback at Hope College, was a co-winner of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's Pete Schmidt award for scholar-athletes.
A triple-major -- political science, religion and history, Klupchak has earned six school honors or scholarships. He has a grade-point average of 3.93 out of 4.0.