Fremd, Barrington to hold hall of fame ceremonies

There have been many great names who have contributed to Fremd's success in athletics over the years.

And two more will be engraved in the Vikings' Athletic Hall of Honor.

In between Friday's boys and girls basketball games featuring the Vikings and Barrington, a ceremony will be held to officially induct Roy Hascup and Jim Wyman as hall of fame members.

Here is a look at their achievements:

Jim Wyman: Wyman taught in the English department at Fremd from 1981 through 2007 and was the public address announcer for the boys home basketball games for all those years. He announced the Vikings' home football games for 10 years.

He was also the public address announcer at various times for boys and girls soccer, girls gymnastics, boys lacrosse and boys and girls track.

Wyman served as the adviser for the Viking Logue, Fremd's student newspaper, from 1986-1992 and from 1994-2002.

During his time as newspaper adviser, the Logue won the Northern Illinois School Press Association's Golden Eagle Award for overall newspaper excellence 12 times. He also served as assistant coach for the Fremd speech team from 1981-1986 and from 2002-2007.

Roy Hascup: Hascup loved sports. In high school, he competed in soccer, basketball, baseball, and track. At Carthage College, he was the catcher for the baseball team.

However, as much as he loved sports, he loved people more and became a coach and teacher. After joining District 211 for a brief time at Schaumburg High School, Hascup arrived at Fremd in 1973.

He was an assistant basketball coach and assistant cross country coach as well as a physical education teacher.

Hascup took over the boys cross country program at Fremd in 1976 and was named IHSA Coach of the Year for the 77-78 school year.

In 1979, he became the girls track coach and in 1984 he took over the girls cross program.

His cross country teams had three top 6 finishes at the state meet - sixth in 1976, third in 1977 and fourth in 1978.

In his final season coaching, Fremd qualified athletes for the 1994 state meet in the long jump, 800-meter relay, shot put, 400-meter run and the 1,600-meter relay.

Hascup bravely fought cancer not once but twice. He lost the final battle on May 30, 1994 but his legacy continues to this day in the hearts of his students, his athletes and his family.

Induction II

Barrington will hold its eighth induction of its Coaches' Hall of Fame on Jan. 26 during halftime of the boys varsity basketball game against Marian Central (7:30 p.m. Tip-Off).

The 2019 class includes Jim Bart (swimming), Dave Engle (baseball), Paul Gillette (basketball, school administrator), Tom Mooney (basketball, baseball, and announcer for both sports), Kermit Smiddy (field maintenance) and Carol Swanson (field hockey).

Each inductee will be honored with a short ceremony and receive a duplicate of the plaque that will be permanently displayed in the trophy case area.

Baseball

The Chicago Scouts Association announced Brenden Spillane (Wheeling) as the 2018 recipient of the Charlie Donovan Memorial "Passion for the Game" Award.

The award, which is sponsored by the Chicago Scouts Association, is given to an individual who has exhibited passion for his or her craft within the game or business of baseball.

Spillane is one of the most decorated players in Wheeling baseball history. He hit .420 despite being pitched around all season as a senior.

A three-year starter, Spillane had .614 slugging percentage.

"He is an offensive powerhouse with physical size and athleticism that is unmatched in the area," said Wheeling coach Jason Wieder after his final prep season. "But more importantly, Bren is a quality person who is fun to be around and get to know."

Bren was drafted in the third round (82nd overall) this past June out of the University of Illinois by the Cincinnati Reds.

He completed his first professional season this summer with the Billings Mustangs.

"Bren Spillane represents the love and passion for the game as Charlie did," said Tom Barnard, Athletic Barn founder and longtime mentor to Bren. "I have known Bren a long time. He carries Charlie's soul with him every day he plays".

A significant personal loss surrounded by unfortunate injuries, Bren experienced a difficult amateur baseball career.

His father, Patrick Spillane, passed away from a long battle with cancer during Bren's high school junior year, when Bren also ruptured the UCL in his right elbow that required Tommy John surgery.

A string of injuries continued during his first two years of college but he exploded in his third year, hitting .407 with 22 home runs and 57 RBI.

Those numbers alone were enough to earn him Big Ten Player of the Year.

He was also the midseason Player of the Year for divison1baseball.com and Perfect Game/Rawlings. He was the first player in conference history to win Big Ten Player of the Week three straight weeks.

It was that perseverance through adversity that made Bren an outstanding recipient of the Passion of the Game award.

Women's basketball

Elmhurst sophomore guard Kelly Weyhrich (Hersey) hit a 3-pointer to give the Bluejays a 5-point lead in the third quarter and they never trailed again in a 77-70 road win over Carroll.

Weyhrich finished 13 points while hitting 5-of-8 shots, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

• Saint Xavier junior guard 5-9 Maddie Welter (Buffalo Grove) netted 14 points in 19 minutes of a 101-55 win over Trinity Christian. It was the Cougars' most lopsided win of the season.

• Olivet Nazarene junior guard Sammy Stejskal (Buffalo Grove) had 12 points and 4 assists in a 92-78 loss to Holy Cross College (IN.).

• Oakton Community College sophomore Liz Stangel (Willows Academy in Des Plaines) was the Owls' female student-athlete of the month for December.

"Being recognized by the college is a great feeling," Stangel said in a school news release. "Sports is an outlet for me to channel my energy but I also love studying. I always work hard and give it my all athletically and academically."

Stangel, a co-captain, is one of Oakton's tallest players at 5-10. She excels at rebounding, averaging 14.4 rebounds per contest, which ranks seventh nationally. In a win over Olive-Harvey College Dec. 4, she pulled down a season-high 27 boards. On the season, she is also averaging 14.1 points and 1.5 assists per game.

"Liz has an outstanding work ethic on the court and in the classroom," said Oakton coach Melissa Pearson. "Also, she is so motivating with her words and actions. Liz is supportive of her teammates and gives 100 percent at all times. She is enthusiastic about playing sports and for her future in nursing."