College achievers: Roll call
Here's just a smattering of what some local athletes achieved at various institutions of higher learning.
Gunning for a title
Led by 2005 Wheaton Academy graduate Caleb Stewart, in early February Olivet Nazarene University was the runner-up at a national ROTC basketball tournament at Notre Dame.
Stewart, a shooting and point guard, won most valuable player honors out of more than 400 players in the 40-team tournament.
"This is the first year we've ever participated," he said. "We're the smallest school by far. We're a decent-size (ROTC) program, but Texas A&M, they've got a couple thousand -- we've got 70, we're a private school. This is a big step for our program."
Over two days Olivet beat squads from Marquette, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Purdue, Iowa State and Virginia to reach the title game. Olivet fell to three-time defending champs Texas A & M.
"It was a shock for them," said Stewart, a junior double-majoring in Spanish and international business. "They knew nothing about us. They were a little nervous about keeping their title. Hopefully, we'll get it next year."
Fore heaven's sake
Hinsdale Central graduate Rebecca Lederhausen, a freshman at Northwestern, sank a hole-in-one Feb. 19 at the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla.
Lederhausen, who earned second- and third-place state finishes in high school, carded the third hole-in-one in Northwestern women's golf history. She used a 5-iron to ace a 164-yard Par-3, going into the wind.
Landmarks
In a 74-73 victory over Purdue-Calumet, Cardinal Stritch sophomore forward Trey Triplett, a former all-area boys basketball player at Lisle, scored his 1,000th career point. The all-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference first-team pick previously scored a career-high 38 points in a double-overtime win over Judson.
Naperville North graduate Tyler Hill, a linebacker at Knox College, finished his football career as the Prairie Fire's all-time leading tackler with 345. He was named the team's most valuable senior and top defensive player.
The Illinois State women's distance medley team, including freshman Jenny Kraakevik, out of Wheaton North, ran a school-record 11 minutes, 45.27 seconds at the Iowa State Classic indoor track meet on Feb. 15.
Out of District 99
Drew Carstens, captain of the Daily Herald DuPage 1999-2000 All-Area Boys Basketball Team as a Downers Grove North senior, was named to D3hoops.com's All-Decade Fourth Team for his work at Augustana from 2000-04.
Better still, Neuqua Valley's Keelan Amelianovich was a third-team selection as an all-American at Illinois Wesleyan.
Another quality ex-Downers North player, Lewis University senior Stephan Bolt, has been selected to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-District V men's basketball third team.
Southern Illinois junior guard Bryan Mullins, the 2005 boys basketball captain while at Downers South, was named to the ESPN Academic All-America second team. The finance major carries a 4.0 grade-point average.
What a week!
Naperville North graduate Kyle Gramit, a junior outside hitter for the George Mason men's volleyball team, earned the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tait Division's player of the week award Jan. 30 after averaging 5.42 kills and 6.42 points in three matches.
Carthage College senior Erika Buchholz, out of Lisle, was a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin player of the week earlier this season and followed that up by being named MVP at a tournament at Trinity. She drew third-team all-CCIW honors, while teammate Carlie Janowiak, out of Waubonsie Valley, got first-team mention.
What a year!
Jim O'Brien, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Wheaton Warrenville South's 2006 Class 8A title win over Mt. Carmel, was a first-team All-University Athletic Association honoree on offense and special teams, and the UAA rookie of the year, as a freshman at Washington University (Mo.)
Naperville North graduate Taylor Reineke, a senior middle blocker at the University of Wisconsin, was named third-team All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten and three-time overall all-conference pick, Reineke led the Badgers in blocks and kills. Her 671 blocks ranks fourth all-time in the Big Ten.
Inspirations
Anthony Gebhart, a running back for Driscoll's 2001 and 2002 state champions, was a nominee for the inaugural Rudy Award, which recognized commitment, courage and character among Division I footballers.
A two-way starter at Lake Forest College after high school, the 5-foot-8, 190-pound Gebhart walked on at Western Michigan in 2005 and was redshirted, a member of the defensive scout team.
After a solid junior year the walk-on became the Broncos' starting strong safety and a team captain. He was second in tackles with 84 and had a team-high 2 interceptions.
Gebhart has earned multiple academic honors, including Division I scholar-athlete of the year from the Michigan Chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Naperville Central's Jessica Pratapas, a junior setter at Illinois State, was voted by teammates as the Redbirds' Kelly Meisner Courage Award recipient despite not playing a match.
Pratapas tore her right ACL in a scrimmage on campus in July, underwent surgery in August and had to sit out the season. She's scheduled to make a full recovery to rejoin the team in 2008.
Sis Boom Bah
Twice a year we check up on the United States Sports Academy Director's Cup standings.
Since 1993-94 in Division I and since 1995-96 for Division II, Division III and NAIA colleges, the Cup has been awarded to the schools that have had the most successful overall -- men's and women's combined -- athletic programs.
For the first half of the school year, the University of Illinois was the highest ranked Division I school in the state, No. 24 in the country.
In Division II the top state school was Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 17th. Wheaton College was No. 19 in Division III, and in NAIA, St. Xavier ranked fourth in the country.