Miller should feel right at home at NIU
Geneva senior Erica Miller, who has accepted a scholarship to run track at Northern Illinois University, already knows she'll be rooming in the Stevenson Towers on campus in DeKalb.
She should feel right at home.
First off, chances are good future NIU athletes from Geneva - like Frank Boenzi (football), Lauren Wicinski (volleyball) and Sammi Hill (soccer) - will be staying at the same dormitory, a central location for Huskies student-athletes.
"I talked to Sammi and Frank, and they said normally athletes stay in that hall," Miller said. "Actually, it's one of the nicest dorms."
"Nice" doesn't quite describe Stevenson Hall - the one way down in Charleston that hosts guests for the girls and boys state meets - at least after the Eastern Illinois students leave for the summer. More like "rudimentary."
Simply the name Stevenson should recall positive feelings for Miller, however; qualify for the state track meet, you generally stay in the tall Stevenson building or at a satellite dorm. Miller has qualified downstate either as an individual or as part of a relay team each of her three outdoor seasons at Geneva.
She also runs with the Aurora Flyers track club, led by well-known coach Tom Boatright. That led to contact with Northern Illinois women's track coach Connie Teaberry.
"She knew about our AAU team and our relays," said Miller, who also had offers from DePaul and Loyola and made official visits to Dayton and Illinois State. Miller was swayed by NIU.
"There's a few reasons," said Miller, whose father, Tim, graduated from St. Charles High School. "One of the main reasons is I loved Coach Teaberry from the moment I met her."
The Huskies sixth-year coach was a 1992 NCAA athlete of the year as a Kansas State high jumper, and tied for 15th placed at the 1996 Olympic Games. Teaberry also graduated with a degree in life science and pre-nursing, and that's right up Miller's tree. She said she's been preaccepted into NIU's nursing program.
There was no need for gently nursing Miller into Geneva's track program. As a freshman she qualified to go downstate in the 100- and 200-meter sprints, though she didn't make the finals.
As a sophomore she helped the 800- and 1,600-meter relays reach Charleston but again did not get to Saturday's heats.
Last spring Miller led off Geneva's 3A sixth-place 3,200 relay and also ran lead on the Vikings' fourth-place 1,600 relay. She was .20 seconds off the last preliminary time to reach the finals in the open 400 dash.
She's got personal-best times of 25.53 seconds in the 200 run at AAU Nationals last summer at Drake; and 57.59 in the 400, in that 2009 state preliminary heat. Those are the distances she favors, and Miller also hopes she can help another Vikings relay or two make it downstate.
Where she just may stay in the renovated Stevenson Hall in Charleston before moving into the Stevenson Towers in DeKalb.
"I like the MAC (Mid-American) conference because it's somewhere I can compete," she said. "I wanted to go somewhere where I could be part of a team right away."
No sweat
At last Saturday's High School Hoops Shootout at Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Marmion coach Rashon Burno credited athletic director Joe Chivari with an assist in the Cadets' 54-47 come-from-behind win over Aurora Central Catholic.
Marmion had no game scheduled for the Friday preceding the Showdown, its last action being a 21-point win over Immaculate Conception on Wednesday. ACC had a hard-fought game at St. Francis the night before the Shootout.
"I'm probably the first coach to say it's a testament to the athletic director," Burno said in his postgame address.
Reminders
Geneva's Athletic Hall of Fame welcomes its 10th induction class during halftime of the boys basketball game Saturday night, tipoff 6 p.m.
Going in: Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Ron Johnson; state pole vault record-holder Sarah Landau; and football star Todd Searcy.
The 13th annual Opportunity Through Baseball, a banquet and silent auction presented by Neuqua Valley baseball coach Robin Renner, is this Sunday, Jan. 31, at the Roundhouse in Aurora. The Aurora Neighborhood Baseball League and Aurora Neighborhood Kids Club are a couple beneficiaries, and this year's event features former big league pitcher Dave Dravecky and legendary coach Gordie Gillespie as the inspiring speakers. Call Renner at (630) 428-6000, ext. 4864, for details.