All over DuPage County, leaders on and off the court
The Illinois High School Association recently filled out its inaugural Student Advisory Committee, paring down statewide nominees from each of the IHSA's 21 districts.
Our rep from District 7 is Downers Grove North's Alex Vogler, a sophomore basketball and soccer player and Spanish National Honor Society member who also will cast his lot in the IHSA's first bass fishing tournament in May.
"It's a pretty big honor because there's one (committee member) per region," said Vogler, who follows brothers Nathan and Andrew at Downers North. "I'm just really happy to be part of it. I think it's pretty cool, especially being one of the first people to be doing it."
The Student Advisory Committee already has had two meetings in Bloomington, where the IHSA is based. Sportsmanship is the current topic of choice, Vogler said. The committee will make a presentation at a leadership conference in Bloomington in July.
Vogler believes sportsmanship levels between players is acceptable, but not so between players and officials and fans and officials.
"The overall statewide level of sportsmanship needs to be improved, and that's what we're trying to do," he said.
Vogler said some Downers North teachers have noticed he is on the committee, but most classmates are unaware.
"I'm not going to go around and gloat or anything," he said.
Leave that up to us, Alex.
With honors
Several area student-athletes have been named to the 2008-09 Illinois High School Association All-State Academic Team or garnered honorable-mention spots. Thirteen males and 13 females from more than 500 statewide were chosen for the first team.
The 2008-09 All-State Academic Team includes (drum roll, please) Sarah Daly of Wheaton Academy, Henry Yan of Lisle, Cassandra Thomson of Neuqua Valley and all-area basketball player Samantha Rubright of Fenton.
Honorable-mention picks include: Rosemary "They call me Roey" Hines (Hinsdale Central), Mark Phillips (Wheaton Academy), David Dreiser (Downers Grove North) and Nick Addante (Addison Trail).
Smart decision making
Each year sophomore student-athletes, boys and girls, are nominated by their high school classmates, administrators and faculty to participate in the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation.
Over the next two years incoming "JKB kids" join in leadership training they can share with fellow teens in making wise choices when facing challenges and problems.
This year Wheaton Warrenville South and St. Francis joined the ranks of local JKB schools. Following are this year's incoming J. Kyle Braid scholars:
WWS: Spartak Chino, Collin Fedor, Zoe Smith, Nattali Shelton;
St. Francis: Lauren Gorski, Lauren Duncan, Steve Alcantara, Nick Pfeiffer;
Naperville Central: Harrison Daniels, Hannah Wood, Nate Laskowski, Emma Ondik, Tyler McSweeney, Sara Kinney, Russell Tansillo, Krissy Many;
Naperville North: Sarah Frank, Ryan Curia, Olivia Landiak, Nick Buege, Adrienne Schertz, Matt Sagen;
York: Monica Scinto, Paul Arcaro, Gavin Wegner, Tony Ravenna;
Downers Grove North: Zach Schneeweis, Bryan Jagielo, Ben Ruffolo, Haley Sims, Jenna Butler, Stephanie Bollow;
Downers Grove South: Amy Nagle, Chelsea Lavin, Meredith Richard, John Junk, Mike Monaghan;
Hinsdale Central: Jack Kelly, Andrew Worthington, Billy Fayette, Tomi Adeyemi, Shannon Ruge, Christine Rush;
Hinsdale South: Mary Kiolbasa, Deidre Rudolph, Amy Narotsky, Jackson Panice, Liam Miller; and
Glenbard West: Paul Luczak, Nick Burrello, Alexandra Moore, Dayle Comerford.
Former Hinsdale Central athlete Ken Braid and his wife, Colleen Malany Braid, lost their son, a talented football player, to suicide in 1994 after he took the bad advice of using steroids to increase his size and strength.
The Braids figured if that could happen within their well-adjusted family it could happen to anyone. They quickly established the foundation, based in Colorado, to help others navigate the rocky teenage years.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com