Kelley wins Big Ten all-around, helps Michigan tie for title

Michigan gymnast Thomas Kelley had the night of his life in the all-around competition at the Big Ten Championships.

The sophomore from Libertyville scored 89.35 to edge teammate Chris Cameron (89.1) for the all-around title as fifth-ranked Michigan shared the Big Ten title with Illinois. The bonuses for Kelley were earning Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and first team all-conference honors.

"I was not expecting it at all," Kelley said on the Michigan Web site of winning the all-around title. "My goal was to get in the top six and I had the meet of my life tonight. I have just never been more on in my life."

Kelley also placed second on high bar and third on parallel bars in the individual event finals to help the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title in nine years.

"We were all pretty excited because we saw our teammates up there holding up the No. 1," Kelley said. "How often do teams get to experience co-champions? It was pretty awesome."

In two weeks, Kelley and the Wolverines will travel to Minneapolis for the NCAA Championships.

• Senior Maureen Moss (Warren) became the first Eastern Michigan women's gymnast to qualify for the NCAA regionals as a balance beam specialist.

In her final collegiate meet, Moss scored a 9.775 in Saturday's NCAA Central Regional at Ohio State. She achieved her career-best this season with a 9.825.

Softball

Kiley Lythberg (Prospect) and Claire Voris (Barrington) had their share of pitcher's duels in the Mid-Suburban League.

They were at it again Friday when Lythberg and Washington University in St. Louis, ranked fourth in Division III, took on Voris and 14th-ranked Central College (Iowa).

Lythberg improved to 9-0 as Washington rallied to score 4 unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 4-3 victory. Lythberg allowed only 1 earned run, 4 hits and 1 walk with 3 strikeouts.

Voris is now 10-3 after the tough-luck loss. She allowed 7 hits and 1 walk and had 8 strikeouts in 62/3 innings.

• Sophomore Michelle Ciric (Elk Grove) batted .667 (10-for-15) with 4 runs and 4 RBI as the softball player of the week for Concordia in River Forest.

The Concordia leadoff hitter and catcher-outfielder had 3 doubles and her first collegiate homer and is hitting .288 through 18 games.

•Wisconsin-Whitewater senior outfielder Suzanne Gersich (Warren) was named player of the week by the school and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Gersich hit .600, slugged 1.267 and reached base in five of six games. She went 3-for-3 twice and hit a 3-run homer in a win over East Connecticut State.

• Junior pitcher-third baseman Kathleen Duffy (Barrington) was 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA and hit .345 with 5 doubles and 10 RBI as the University of Chicago went 7-3 on its spring trip.

• Freshman pitcher Sheri Weidner (Prospect) improved to 5-4 with an ERA of 1.96 as Concordia (Wis.) beat Edgewood College 7-0. Weidner also went 2-for-3 with a 3-run homer.

•Junior catcher Ashley Hartz (Lake Zurich) homered in North Park's doubleheader sweep of Concordia and went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles in a doubleheader split with the University of Chicago.

Track and field

Illinois State track and field junior Morgan Schaefer (Rolling Meadows) tallied her highest point total (4,604) in the multi-events to win the heptathlon at the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic.

Schaefer had personal bests in the first day of competition in the 100-meter hurdles (15.74), high jump (5-73/4) and 200 (27.07).

•Senior Keli Coleman (Carmel) was named co-MVP for the Augustana women's indoor season. Coleman placed 11th in the 55 meters in the NCAA Division III indoor meet and is the school record holder in the 55 and 200.

Coleman's teammate Paula Neiweem (Warren) was one of four to receive Most Improved Athlete honors. Neiweem is the school record holder in the 20-pound weight throw and she qualified for the NCAA meet.

• Freshman Ashley Chervinko (Hoffman Estates) took second in the shot put (41-93/4) and fourth in the discus (128-7) for Western Kentucky at the Austin Peay Invitational.

Volleyball

Dominic Spadavecchio (Fremd) has made a quick ascent from walk-on to record-setter for 14th-ranked Ball State. The redshirt freshman set the school record for aces in a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association match with eight against Quincy.

All of Spadavecchio's aces came in the first game. He had no problem coming out of the match midway through the second game even though the Ball State record for aces in any match (11) was within reach.

"I don't mind," he told the Ball State Daily News. "(When) we are winning like that, to get more guys in and get more playing time is fine with me."

• Southern Illinois' Jennifer Berwanger (Lake Zurich) was a first-team selection on the Missouri Valley Conference all-conference and scholar athlete teams. Berwanger was also the Salukis' MVP as they went 17-12 for their best record in six years.

Wrestling

Jon Henslee (Libertyville) of Grand View University (Iowa) earned All-America status by placing fourth at 141 pounds at the NAIA National Wrestling Tournament. Henslee helped the first-year Grand View program place eighth out of more than 30 schools.

Swimming

Casey Herman (Libertyville) earned All-America honors for Calvin College in the NCAA Division III women's swimming and diving meet. Herman placed eighth in one-meter diving as Calvin finished seventh as a team.

• Hope College freshman Sarah Sohn (Prospect) earned All-America honorable mention status at the NCAA Division III nationals as she was on the 14th-place 800 freestyle relay (7:42.97) and took 16th in the 400 individual medley (4:37.76).

Sohn also took 20th in the 1,650 free and 200 fly. She finished the season with team-best efforts in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle, the 400 IM and 200 butterfly.

Baseball

Senior Bryan Porter (Rolling Meadows) is closing out his Bradley career in style as its closer. Porter had a win and a save this weekend as the Braves won 3 of 4 games against North Dakota.

Porter is healthy again after having surgery after his sophomore season to remove bone spurs and fix a partial rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder. This year he's appeared in a team-high 9 games and is 2-1 with a save, 13 strikeouts and a 3.95 ERA in 132/3 innings.

Sports Notes items should be sent via e-mail to mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com or FAX to (847) 427-1173.