Anderson pitches in and hits the books
In less than three weeks, Missy Anderson will begin her junior season pitching for Wisconsin-Platteville in a softball tournament in Orlando, Fla.
But don’t be surprised if the former Schaumburg all-area hurler doesn’t bring along a few more things than just her softball glove. She’s likely to have a few school books along for the ride.
Last fall, Anderson was honored for her student-athlete academic achievements with a 2011 Gabe Miller Award from her school.
Anderson received dean’s list letters by maintaining a GPA of over 3.75 for both the spring and fall semesters of 2011 and she was named to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Scholastic Honor Roll.
“I was really excited to have received the Gabe Miller Award,” she said this week. “We all work hard and push each other in the classroom and on the field. We are expected to give 100 percent toward our studies. You’ll find most of the softball team in the library after practice.”
Anderson is pursuing a degree in criminal justice and also keeps busy working on campus at the activity center.
“It really is a balancing act between academics, athletics, work and a social life,” she said. “Since our studies come first, you make adjustments to your schedule to get everything completed on time.
“Sometimes you get up really early, stay up late or give up a Sunday to study for a test or get all your homework done. The bus rides are usually quiet as everyone is reading or studying for a test.”
Anderson also credits Schaumburg High School for giving her all the academic tools needed to succeed in college. “You just can’t hope for good grades,” she says. “You need to have a goal to focus on and work toward it every day.”
At Schaumburg, Anderson had a terrific senior year for coach Erin Malinowski, finishing with 205 strikeouts (more than 400 for her career) and an ERA of 1.45. Malinowski called her a leader on and off the field.
Last season for Platteville, Anderson doubled her wins from her freshman season and cut her losses nearly in half by compiling a 10-8 record.
“Playing in a conference as tough as the Mid-Suburban League really prepared me for the WIAC conference,” Anderson said. “Last season four of the nine teams in our conference made it to the NCAA Division III tournament. We are hoping to be there this spring.”
Men’s track and field
DePaul sophomore Matt Babicz (Prospect) wrapped up second place in the men’s shot put of the Big East Conference Indoor Championships. Babicz’s best throw of the event was measured at 58 feet, 4¾ inches.
The national indoor championships are March 9 and 10 before DePaul begins the outdoor season.
Ÿ Ohio State’s Nick Batcha (Prospect) won the 200 meters at last week’s Ohio State invite with a time of 21.63 and will be competing in the Big Ten indoor track and field championships at Nebraska.
Ÿ Oakton Community College freshmen Haider Sheikh and Kenny Alferes — graduates of Maine West — qualified for the NJCAA Indoor track and field national championship with their performances at the Margaret Bradley Invitational hosted by the University of Chicago.
Sheik qualified for the 1,000 meters with his time of 2:39.76, while Alferes qualified for the 3,000 with his time of 9:44.28. The national championship is this weekend at Eastern Illinois.
Ÿ North Central’s John Wood (Fremd) won the pole vault competition at the Cardinal Classic in Naperville with a height of 17-2¾ and North Central won the meet.
Ÿ North Central’s Dionte Hackler (Schaumburg) won the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.18 and combined with teammates Dan Benton, Bai Kabba, and Marlen Hamilton (Hoffman Estates) to win the 1,6000-meter relay with a time of 3:18.88 at the Cardinal Classic.
Baseball
Oakton sophomore Ryan Tuntland (Maine West) leads the NJCAA Division II in hitting with a .667 batting average (8-for-12).
Men’s basketball
Ÿ Lewis senior point guard Chris McClellan (Wheeling) led Lewis with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, in a 73-64 Great Lakes Valley Conference loss to No. 25 Indianapolis.
He also had a game-high 17 points and 4 assists in a 67-42 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over Saint Joseph on senior night. He was honored as one of the week’s top performers in the GLVC.
McClellan led five Flyers in double-figures with a game-high 20 points in a 90-83 Great Lakes Valley Conference win over Wisconsin-Parkside in the regular-season finale. McClellan hit 4 three-pointers and finished with a team-high 6 assists.
Finally, McClellan had a game-high 19 points as the Flyers (17-10) led start to finish in the 75-68 GLVC first-round victory over Illinois-Springfield.
Figure skating
Tomoki Hiwatashi, a Thomas Jefferson Elementary sixth-grader who trains at the DuPage Figure Skating Club near Chicago, made it into Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” in the Feb. 20 issue.
Hiwatashi won the intermediate men’s gold at the U.S. junior championships in East Lansing, Mich., for his second straight national title. He was first in the short program and the free skate, where he scored 66.56 points in a routine that included two triple Salchows (102.34 points overall). A two-time Upper Great Lakes regional champion, Tomoki won the juvenile boys gold last year.
Volleyball clinic
The Zebras of Northern Illinois (ZONI) volleyball officials’ organization will be holding the 11th Whistle for a Cause Clinic from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at Niles West High School in Skokie. Proceeds will be used to purchase volleyball equipment for area high schools that lack even the most basic equipment, such as balls and nets, for their volleyball programs.
Since the initial event in 1997, the Clinic has raised over $22,000 for a variety of causes related to high school athletics.
The cost of the clinic is $20 for those who register before March 2. After that date, the cost is $30. Additional donations are welcome.
For more information and to register, please visit the ZONI website, www.zoni.org, or contact Ed Vesely (eveselyvb@gmail.com) or Nancy Nester (njn51@hotmail.com).
Ÿ Please email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com or FAX to (847) 427-1173.