The new IBCA Hall of Fame class is out of this world
Edwin Hubble’s inclusion among the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2025 is fascinating.
A 1906 graduate of Wheaton High School, he won high jump that spring at the state track meet. Hubble also was center on a strong basketball team, then played for the University of Chicago.
The 6-foot-2 forward helped the Maroons share the 1906-07 Big Ten title with Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to Sports Reference. The next season he played on Chicago’s mythical national championship team, 24-2 overall.
In 1913-14 Hubble coached an undefeated high school team in New Albany, Indiana. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
A Rhodes scholar, his calling was astronomy, an early proponent of the Big Bang Theory. The Orbital Hubble Space Telescope is named after him.
A 2009 article on the University of Chicago website said Chicago graduate and astronaut John Grunsfeld planned to bring along a basketball Hubble used in 1909 on a mission to upgrade the telescope.
Here on Earth, Hubble joins new IBCA hall of fame players including Antioch’s Dale Barnstable, Warren’s Sarah Boothe, Montini’s Jasmine Lumpkin, Maine West’s Dawn Vana and Wheeling’s Ashley Wilson.
“This honor has been such a gift, allowing me to reflect on my high school career, and all that I was able to accomplish, and the incredible journey that has brought me to this moment,” said Booth, averaging 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists for Montana 2003 in Bulgaria. Illinois’ Ms. Basketball in 2008, Boothe is in her 12th year playing professionally in Australia, Europe and Russia.
“It’s a humbling reminder of how far I have come and how much the game has given me in return,” she said.
Wheaton College’s Beth Baker, Benet’s Gene Heidkamp, and Wheaton Warrenville South’s Rob Kroehnke are going in as coaches. South Elgin official Bill Oostdyk also will be inducted May 3 at Illinois State University in Normal.
“I am honored to be recognized and very appreciative of being able to work with so many great players and outstanding assistant coaches,” Heidkamp said.
Eight hours away in Bulgaria, Boothe agreed.
“Basketball has been such an important part of my life, and this recognition is not just about my journey, it is also a reflection of the unwavering support I have had from my family, teammates, coaches, and mentors along the way,” she said.
One of a kind
Montini social media trumpeted it, and the Illinois High School Association believes it’s true — the Broncos’ 49-8 win over Monticello in the Class 3A football championship made Mike Bukovsky the only prep head coach in Illinois to have won titles in three sports.
“It’s great to be recognized for something like that, but in reality it speaks to the quality of our Montini student-athletes and their families over my 40 years of coaching here,” said Bukovsky, a 1983 Montini graduate.
Bukovsky was head coach for Montini’s 2018 5A loss to Joliet Catholic and coach Chris Andriano’s defensive coordinator for six championship wins. This was his first title as Broncos head football coach.
Bukovsky won eight wrestling titles between 2000-10, and he led Montini softball to the 2016 and 2018 Class 3A titles.
“You don’t set out to try and reach those kind of goals, they just kind of happen,” Bukovsky said. “I just know that I’ve been blessed to be at Montini, doing something that I love.”
It’s been a good run
Downers Grove North junior Philip Cupial is running at the 45th Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Final, Saturday in San Diego.
Cupial, as well as New Trier’s Ben Crane, advanced out of the Midwest Regional Nov. 30 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Last week, Cupial and Trojans teammates Grant Schroder, Will Surratt, Brady Travers, Jack Loftus, John Courtney and Owen Kelly placed sixth among boys teams at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon.
Barrington sophomore Mia Sirois, the girls Class 3A cross country winner, took sixth individually at Nike. Crane finished 14th for the boys while as a team the Downers North boys placed sixth and the Trojans girls took 11th.
Downers North boys, winners of the last two 3A cross country meets, placed seventh at Nike last year. They’ve been there five times, placing fourth in 2017.
“We’ve had a lot of awesome outcomes this season, and to finish one place better than we did last year says a lot about what this group has accomplished over the last year,” said 14th-year head coach John Sipple.
Cupial is the first Trojans boy to qualify for the Foot Locker Nationals.
“I’m just excited for Philip to go out there and compete against the best. He belongs out there,” Sipple said.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com