First class, second hall

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association honors its 2008 Hall of Fame induction class Saturday at Illinois State University in Normal.

The local contingent is led by officials Fred Allman of Addison and Dave Lanning of Glen Ellyn, and Naperville North coach Mark Lindo.

This is Lindo's second hall of fame. On Feb. 4, 2006, he was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association hall.

Veteran coaches typically respond similarly when asked what it means to reach a hall of fame.

"It's just a matter of perseverance, a matter of being around good people and enjoying what I've been able to do," Lindo said.

A first-rate role model, Lindo credited his family for the support that's allowed him to coach two sports first at Aurora Central Catholic, where he won a 1983 state baseball title, and at Naperville North.

He led ACC to a 1991 basketball sectional title and did the same in 1994 and '98 with the Huskies.

"You talk about 28 years of coaching basketball and baseball, now that's 56 seasons of coaching athletics," he said. "I would not like to do anything else for a livelihood other than the profession I've been able to do."

Nowadays, he's unsure young coaches will stick around 30 years. He suspects exhausting time demands and a heightened focus on winning will take a toll.

"It used to be you'd work with young people, mold them and get them to be the best they can be, get them to work as hard as they can work," Lindo said.

As long as this hall of famer chooses to "get into the trenches," as he said, they will be still.

Keeping up with the Joneses

You could call it sibling telepathy … or plain old soccer skills.

In a Best of Iowa Tournament game April 19 in Des Moines, Wheaton Warrenville South graduate Kalyn Jones scored a goal for Northern Iowa in a 3-3 tie against Iowa State.

Two hundred ninety-nine miles away, in a Best of the West Tournament game at Lincoln-Way East, WW South junior midfielder Kelli Jones, Kalyn's sister, scored a goal for the Tigers in a 2-2 tie with Fremd.

It's official

A month ago we'd heard St. Francis tennis coach Marcia Bussey was on the brink of her 200th career win. That notice turned out to be premature.

On Monday, however, the Spartans boys got it done for Bussey in a 5-2 win over IMSA.

"That was a good win," the ninth-year coach said. "We don't always beat them."

After St. Francis won its fourth game the cat was out of the bag. Soon enough Bussey fielded widespread congratulation.

"Two hundred more!" co-captain John Clifford proclaimed. The next day the Spartans earned Bussey win No. 201, and Thursday she had the privilege of hitting the first ball under St. Francis' new lights prior to a match against Marmion.

A dream on ice

Chicago over Detroit for the hockey championship!

Such a tantalizing fantasy. The Chicago Mission Girls Midget 19-Under ice hockey team made it a reality April 6 with a 2-1 overtime victory over Little Caesars of Detroit at USA Hockey's 2008 Girls Youth Nationals in West Chester, Penn.

Standing on her head in net was Corinne Boyles of Wheaton Warrenville South, who finished the six-game tournament with a save percentage of .944.

Tigers classmate Brianna Wolf was on the ice six months to the day after surgery to repair a broken collarbone. Also hefting the cup were Naperville girls Maggie Hunt and Erika Greenen.

Gaining Traction

Former Neuqua Valley and Elmhurst College cross country and track standout Marisa Mele gained sponsorship from North American Specialty Flooring/Traction, a national supplier of track surfaces and other multi-sport surfaces.

On April 6 Mele ran the Go! St. Louis Half-Marathon. In a field of 8,131, and 4,933 women, Mele's time of 1:26.26 ranked 88th and was the seventh female overall, fourth in her age division.

Hair apparent

Wheaton Warrenville South seniors Phil and Will Traynor are identical twins.

Big parts of the Tigers track team, those in the know tell a difference based on events. Will's a hurdler and Phil's more a straight sprinter.

At the John Bell Invitational at West Aurora, not even WW South classmate Alicia Zimmerman could tell them apart from a distance.

Fortunately, here's Will with a tip on how to tell them apart.

"He spikes his hair," he said of his brother as he swept his hairline. "I tell people to remember because his name's Phillip -- Phil-up."

Word to the wiseacre

Hitting guru Jack Perconte, the former major leaguer who now teaches baseball and softball fundamentals to local players, is the author of "60,000 Hitting Lessons."

He's rapped out a few tongue-in-cheek comments for players ages 5-17.

Here are his quips for ages high school-age kids.

"Even though you think your coach is bad, do what he tells you."

"The balls don't pick themselves up after batting practice."

"You are hitting .230. He didn't hit you on purpose."

"Only big leaguers don't run out each ground ball out. The rules state that high school players have to."

For more put-downs and tips, reach Perconte at www.baseballhittinglessons.com.

What's up…

…Dan Mader

When he was 6, the captain of the Daily Herald 2007 All-Area boys volleyball team moved to Lombard from California with his parents, Don and Lee, brother, John, and older sisters, Beth and Jennifer. Glenbard East's two-time team captain, he was its 2007 most valuable player, and has committed to play at Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne.

How did you react to being named captain of the All-Area team?

"I thought it was kind of cool. It didn't really change anything. I just kept playing. I play on a club team (Sports Performance) too, so I probably play nine, 10 months out of the year. So I just keep on playing."

What's a normal day like away from the volleyball court?

"If I'm not playing volleyball and there's no school, uh, sleeping in."

You're 6-foot-4. What's the advantage of having a tall setter?

"You're able to run a faster offense, because you can contact the ball at a higher point. If you're tall, you can set it before it goes over. And it's easier for the passers because it doesn't have to be a perfect pass every time."

Do you play other sports? "When I was a lot younger I played park district soccer. I tried out for basketball in middle school and I was one of the tallest kids there, but I didn't make it. I was pretty clumsy. I think that was a good thing -- I got on the volleyball team."

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

"Chocolate. Definitely."

Ever get hurt on the court?

"About a month and a half ago I was playing a tournament with my club team and I ran into a kid's elbow and he knocked my tooth out. It was hanging by a tendon. It was pretty gross."

Did you like California?

"I've always liked California. I always wear sandals. I don't think I own a pair of gym shoes -- besides volleyball shoes. I wear dress shoes and sandals and volleyball shoes. That's about it."

You mentioned going to New Orleans on a church-led mission trip. How was that?

"It was a really neat experience. You get to help people, and it makes you think about others more. It was a learning experience, because there's more things than me in the world."