Schaumburg's Mueller to join IHSBCA Hall of Fame
Attention and recognition are usually limited for assistant coaches.
Schaumburg's Tom Mueller is an exception since he will receive one of the highest honors from the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association.
Mueller, who has assisted Paul Groot for all of his record 544 wins for a head baseball coach at a Mid-Suburban League school, will be inducted into the IHSBCA Hall of Fame on January 31 in Lisle.
Only a handful of assistant coaches have received such an honor.
"It caught me short for words, which is unusual for me," laughed Mueller, who was nominated by Groot. "You immediately think of all the reasons you don't deserve it and look at all the people in the Hall of Fame. Jack Kaiser (Oak Park), Kirby Smith (Barrington), Al Otto (Rolling Meadows) and Larry Pohlman (Prospect), people I have a tremendous amount of respect for.
"My gosh, this thing really is spectacular. That makes it even more rewarding and humbling."
Mueller spent two years at St. Viator before moving on with boys basketball coach Ron Cregier to Schaumburg in 1978. During Mueller's tenure as a baseball assistant, the Saxons won the Class AA state title in 1997, took second in 1989 and made the Elite Eight in 2005. He was also an assistant to Bob Williams when the basketball team won the 2001 AA title and finished fourth in 1999.
And working for former baseball coaches Dick Stephens at Schaumburg and Pat Mahoney at St. Viator - along with so many athletes - made Mueller feel blessed to have opted for a change in plans from becoming a priest when he attended the old Quigley North High School in downtown Chicago and Niles College.
"I'm happy with what I'm doing and I've learned a lot from some pretty good people," Mueller said. "As time went on I really enjoyed working as an assistant coach and working with the coaches I did in two different sports."
Basketball
Senior Melissa Gorski (Buffalo Grove) made Monmouth College history as she became only the seventh player in the history of the women's basketball program to score 1,000 career points. Gorski, a 5-foot-9 guard, is averaging a team-high 15.1 points this season.
"She is probably one of the best all-around players our program has ever seen," said Monmouth coach Melissa Bittner, who is third on the school's career scoring list.
•Junior Chris Childs (Barrington) is averaging 5.4 points in 17 minutes a game for Elmhurst College, which was ranked seventh by D3hoops.com before suffering its first loss in seven games to No. 6 Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Sophomore guard Anna Randazzo (Maine West) has started all eight games for the Elmhurst women's team and is averaging 5.1 points and a team-high 3 assists.
• Andy Merklein (Prospect/Harper College) is averaging 8.3 points and 5 rebounds and shooting 52 percent from the field in his first season at Wisconsin-LaCrosse. Junior guard Austin Scott (Lake Zurich) is averaging 6.3 points and hitting 48 percent from 3-point range in the team's 4-3 start.
Freshmen Al Chery (Wheeling) and Jeff Heiden (Prospect) have also seen some playing time.
• Freshman Mike Ricciardi (Buffalo Grove) has been starting for the Illinois Institute of Technology. Ricciardi scored 8 points in a win over Purdue-North Central and had 13 points and 7 rebounds in a loss to Judson.
• Fastbreak Girls Basketball by former Buffalo Grove girls coach Tom Dineen will host a girls 3-on-3 tournament for grades 5 through 8 on Monday, Dec. 29 at the Lake Barrington Field House. For questions, details and registration contact fastbreak-basketball.com, coachtdineen@yahoo.com or call (224) 856-8600.
Swimming and diving
Tonya Walter (Prospect) and Rob Emerson (Libertyville) each won the 1- and 3-meter diving events for the Augustana women's and men's teams in a dual meet with Loras. Sara Hlavin (St. Viator) won the women's 200 individual medley.
Baseball
Will Osmanski (Elk Grove), a junior at Wisconsin-Platteville, was the runner-up for College Pitcher of the Year in the semipro Chicago Suburban Baseball League. Osmanski made the 2008 CSBL All-College team after going 7-0 with a 1.42 ERA for the Melrose Indians.
Volleyball
Buffalo Grove will hold a winter volleyball clinic for boys and girls in grades 6 through 8 from noon-3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 26. Cost is $10 and payable at the door with no preregistration. For information call Marianne Mendoza at BG at (847) 718-4198 or by e-mail at m.mendoza@d214.org.Happy holidaysHere's hoping everyone has a great holiday season. Sports Notes will also be taking a holiday until Tuesday, Jan. 13.bull; Items for Sports Notes can be e-mailed to prepsports@dailyherald.com or sent via FAX to (847) 427-1173. Please, no phone calls.