Friendly area trio excel in three different sports
Just call them "stately" cousins.
Hersey's Julie Fredian, St. Viator's Trevor Wheeler and Prospect's Annette White have all participated in the IHSA state finals of their respective sports this school year.
The three seniors were born two months apart. Fredian's and Wheeler's birthdays are just three days apart in March.
Fredian, a point guard, helped coach Mary Fendley's girls basketball team take fourth place in the Class 4A state final at Illinois State in March.
Wheeler scored 13 goals last fall for St. Viator's soccer team that won the Class 2A state tourney at North Central College in Naperville.
This weekend, four-year state qualifier White was 11th in the 1,600-meter run and 15th in the 3,200-meter run at the IHSA Class 3A girls track and field state finals at Eastern Illinois in Charleston.
Wheeler earned a soccer scholarship to Wisconsin, while White did the same for track and field at Illinois State.
Fredian, also a record-setting goalkeeper for Hersey's soccer team with 54 career shutouts, plans to attend Iowa and study engineering. She owns a 5.3 GPA on a 5.0 scale.
"When we were younger I never thought any of us would be this successful in sports," Fredian said. "We grew up together playing sports at family parties. We'd really battle each other because we were so competitive. Competitiveness runs in the family."
Fredian attended Thomas Middle School and White went to South Middle School in Arlington Heights.
"I hated having to guard her in junior high basketball games," said Fredian. "It was too hard not to laugh."
Fredian said she and White have already started calculating how long it takes to get from Iowa to Illinois State for visits. Last fall, Fredian traveled to Naperville to watch Wheeler in the state finals.
"It's kind of cool," Fredian said. "We're at three different schools, playing three different sports and now we'll be at three different colleges."
VolleyballKelly Sommers (Buffalo Grove) will be attending Concordia University in River Forest and playing volleyball. Kelly has been BG's starting setter the last two years.Women's soccerSarah Christy (Schaumburg) plans to attend Millikin and play women's soccer. Christy earned four varsity soccer letters as a forward for regional champion Schaumburg. As a junior, Christy had 10 goals and 5 assists, earning all-conference honors and all-area special mention. Christy plays club soccer for FCX Soccer Club in Barrington.Hall of fame Jim Chengary of Mount Prospect, who played for Bowen High School, was inducted into the Chicago Public League Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on May 8.Women's track and fieldThe University of California's Theresa Raub (Prospect) placed sixth in the Pac-10 championships in the pole vault, clearing 13 feet, 1/4-inch.She qualified for the NCAA West regional championship May 27 in Austin, Texas. Raub recently won the Neufeld scholar-athlete award, given to the school's senior athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average.Women's swimmingIllinois State senior diver Katelyn Prorok (Hersey) was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine academic at-large all-district V second team.Prorok earned her third All-Missouri Valley first-team honor this season, finishing second on the three-meter board and third on the one-meter board at the conference championship meet. She competed in the NCAA regional for the second-straight year, placing 44th. Athlete of the yearA standout in volleyball and basketball, Kristen Paczosa (Buffalo Grove) was named senior female athlete of the year at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. She also received the best defender award at the school's basketball banquet.Paczosa, a four-year starter in volleyball, finished second on the program's all-time list in kills (1,339), third in service aces (162) and fifth in digs (1,110). In basketball, she led the league in rebounding her final two seasons and ranks fourth in career rebounds (642), sixth in steals (123) and ninth in assists (134).Basketball campKessel's Training is Northern Illinois' most advanced basketball, volleyball and plyometric training organization. It offers a variety of camps, clinics, private instruction and more for basketball, volleyball and athletic needs. Founded by Dennis Kessel, who has 25 years of coaching expertise, Kessel's Training is unique because, regardless of sport, every individual step is broken down over and over until the player's muscles are trained, the mind is focused and the skill perfected.Kessel Heat is now forming its summer travel teams. The season starts with practices June 8 and concludes Aug. 9. All information is on www.kesselstraining.com.Baseball campThe USBA College Showcase Camp for high school pitchers and catchers at the Redmond Athletic Complex in Bensenville is expected to have 30-50 college and major-league scouts in attendance. Registration available www.usba-showcase.com, or call 630-781-6372 for further information.Women's basketballMegan O'Neill (Maine West) will continue her career at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines. An all-area player, O'Neil averaged 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds a game.