Warren softball seniors plan to stay in the game

The softball careers of Warren seniors Jessica Demski (pitcher) and Kelli Layton (outfielder) won’t be over after high school.

Demski will move on to play at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. while Layton is headed to Millikin University in Decatur.

Both are playing their second seasons for Carrie McGahan’s varsity team at Warren.

“I’m glad the two of these girls are able to take their softball abilities to the next level and continue their softball career,” McGahan said. “They both have the time management skills to be able to juggle being a successful college student and committing to playing softball year-round.”

Demski is also batting .273 with a .364 slugging percentage and .391 on-base percentage. She has played in 20 of the Blue Devils’ 25 games and has 12 hits, including a home run and 12 RBI.

Demski is 11-2 on the mound with a 3.27 ERA. She has struck out 48 and walked only seven while holding her opponents to a .268 batting average.

Layton has primarily been a courtesy runner, playing 22 of 25 games. She has 2 hits and has scored 6 runs.

Women’s track and field

St. Francis sophomore Hilary Halford (Carmel) placed set a conference record and school record in the 1500-meter run (4:43.96) at the CCAC Championships at Olivet Nazarene University. She was also the conference champion in the 800-meter (2:18.83).

Hockey

Mundelein High school senior Johnny Malusa plans to play hockey this fall for Bowdoin College, an elite liberal arts school located in Brunswick, Maine.

Malusa began his career with the Falcons in Highland Park when he was 4 years old.

He also played four years of AAA hockey with the Chicago Young Americans and Team Illinois, both of which are founding members of the High Performance Hockey League, a premier tier one amateur hockey league in the United States.

Malusa finished his high school hockey career playing for Lake Forest Academy.

He participated in several camps and tournaments the past two summers, including the Chowder Cup in Boston, where he played on a team consisting of elite players primarily from the east coast.

His excellent academic record, as well as his hockey background, gained him acceptance to Bowdoin, which was his top choice when applying to colleges.

Football

Stevenson senior Matt Micucci has been accepted into Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and has also accepted an invitation to kick for coach Pat Fitzgerald as a preferred walk-on this fall.

As a junior in 2010, Micucci established a Stevenson record by converting 50-of-50 PATS along with 6 field goals.

He kicked the game-winning PAT with three seconds left to beat state 7A runner-up Lake Zurich 24-23 and the game-winning field goal in a 10-7 second-round playoff victory over South Elgin when the Patriots advanced to the Class 8A quarterfinals. As a senior Micucci earned the roles of Stevenson’s starting quarterback, kicker and punter. Selected as a Huddle Group Leader and team captain, he led the Pats to a 9-3 record, including 8-0 at home.

The Patriots advanced to the IHSA Class 8A quarterfinals for the second straight season.

Miccuci threw for 12 touchdowns and 1,600 yards to rank among the leaders in Lake County. He also ran for 2 touchdowns, converted 25 PATS, kicked 8 field goals and 90 percent of his kickoffs were not returnable.

A National Honor Society member, he had a 4.2 GPA and ACT score of 30. An AP Scholar and Illinois State Scholar, he also co-organized two “Kicks Against Cancer” while in middle school which raised over $10,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Through his church, Miccuci volunteered on a 10-day Mission Trip to Los Angeles working in soup kitchens on skid row and on Habitat for Humanity building projects. He volunteers on various service projects through the National Honor Society at Stevenson including the annual Give-a-thon as a student leader for the past two years and he is a Silver Service Member, having volunteered 20 or more hours per semester. He currently is a tutor for younger students at Kumon Learning Centers and works as an Honor Caddie at Long Grove’s Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

Lacrosse

Rensselear junior attack Audrey Stapleton (Barrington) has appeared in nine games, recording 3 goals for 3 points. She has also scooped up five ground balls, caused one turnover and won three draw controls. Rensselaer (13-1) has secured a playoff berth for the third straight season.

National Leadership Grant

Stevenson sophomore Zach Novoselsky, who plays baseball and football, was awarded a National Leadership Grant by NCSA Athletic Recruiting, in conjunction with the National Football League Players Association.

Grants are awarded to eligible student-athletes based on leadership in the community, academic achievement, athletics and a required essay.

“We are very pleased to be involved with NCSA in assisting in the recognition and the selection of qualified student-athletes to receive scholarship opportunities,” said NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. Any time you can identify, help and reward future leaders to further their education — and athletic pursuits — it’s a win-win. So we’re pleased to contribute to this worthy effort with NCSA.”

Novoselsky, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound offensive and defensive lineman, helped Stevenson finish 9-3 overall in 2011, including a 2-1 mark in the IHSA Class 8A playoffs.

Once Novoselsky receives the Leadership Grant, the NCSA will work with him and his family throughout his high school career and assist him to find a collegiate institution that best matches his academic and athletic achievements.

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