College achievers: School's out of session

For the last time this academic year, let's highlight some big men and women on campus...

Tops in their field

Adam Harris (Wheaton North), a senior at Michigan, won the 100- and 200-meter sprints at the Big Ten Championships in Columbus, Ohio, May 15-17. Harris ran the 100 in an NCAA regional record 10.29 seconds, the 200 in 20.78. Wisconsin junior Nate Larkin (Glenbard West) was second in the 110 hurdles; Purdue junior Adetayo Adesanya was third in high jump and fourth in long jump.

North Central College's Rachel Secrest (Wheaton North) was named the Midwest region's Field Athlete of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The junior pole vaulter won a Division III national indoor title and defended her outdoor title with a D-III championship-record height. On May 15 at North Central, Secrest's vault of 13 feet, 51/4 inches set a national outdoor record - improving on her own record set a week earlier.

Wheaton Warrenville South graduate Jordan Hook ended her tennis career at Wheaton College with a singles record of 112-8, winning 93.3 percent of her matches. She became the first Wheaton College woman to reach 100 victories, and ranks fifth all-time in Division III.

Another WW South grad, Kyle Brady earned his third All-America honor this school year at North Central College. Already an indoor 5,000-meter honoree, Brady took sixth in the outdoor 5K and fifth in the 10K at the D-III nationals at Marietta College in Ohio.

Lux of the Irish

Glenbard West product Christine Lux powered Notre Dame to a No. 25 ranking, a 43-17 record, and the Big East Conference title. A first baseman who committed 1 error in 461 chances for a Fighting Irish-record .998 field percentage, Lux also set Notre Dame's single-season record for slugging percentage, .695, while matching her own school record of 15 home runs. One of her dingers traveled 344 feet. She'll enter her senior season with 33 home runs, 3 off Notre Dame's career mark. Lux was a First-Team All-Big East selection and an all-tournament pick, Academic All-District, a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region Team and, finally, a third-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America. Christine's younger sister, Glenbard West senior Kathryn, will join her on the Irish softball team next season.

All-Library

North Central College senior Joe Rubin (Lake Park) made the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society Class of 2009... Jessica Belmonte (Hinsdale South), a St. Xavier sophomore soccer player, received a gold student-athlete medallion for earning at least a 3.75 grade-point average... Aurora University junior Kirk Williamson (Neuqua Valley) was named to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-America College Division Baseball Second Team, and First Team All-District.

Third wind

After winning individual state titles in 2004 and 2005, former Montini wrestler Brian Martin signed with Fresno State. The university subsequently dropped the wrestling program before his freshman year, so he took a year off to bone up on baseball. Martin transferred to College of DuPage and in 2008 he earned all-Region honors. This season he led all Division III junior colleges with 81 hits, 63 runs batted-in, 55 stolen bases and 13 triples, tying for the record. On May 22 Martin signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Bradley. Another ex-Montini ballplayer, Pete Cappetta, earned second-team all-Big Ten status as an Illinois right fielder.

Welcome wagon

Judson pitcher Virgina McAndrews (WW South) was named Chicago Collegiate Athletic Conference freshman of the year, following the footsteps of teammate and fellow CCAC first-teamer Nicole Dimicelli (Lake Park)... Augustana's Brittany Reece (Neuqua Valley) was named the women's tennis team's "newcomer of the year" while on the men's side, junior Chris Mullin (Downers Grove South was "most inspirational."

Dawson's creed

Jeff Dawson, 2005 state singles winner while at St. Francis, wrapped up his Yale tennis career in style. Second-team all-Ivy League and team captain on the court, off it Dawson was the male recipient of the Yale Athletics Department's Thomas W. Ford Student-Athlete Community Outreach Award. Dawson helped found the New Haven (Conn.) Tennis Outreach, was a leading organizer in the Thomas W. Ford Community Outreach Committee, and helped raise funds for various charities.

Leagues of their own

Steve Salazar (Glenbard North), who threw a no-hitter on April 12 for Aurora University, was the Northern Athletics Conference pitcher of the year. He led the league with a 2.12 ERA ... Lake Park alum Tracey Rainey, a Lake Forest College shortstop, was the Midwest Conference South Division player of the year. She hit a school-record 18 doubles, tied the hits record at 54, and was in Lake Forest's single-season top three in five other categories.

DVC! DVC!

Taylor University's Paul Passiales (WW South) earned a third straight all-conference honors in the Mid-Central College Conference. The catcher also was named to the MCCC Gold Glove team. Meanwhile, Naperville North produced: an Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association third-year first-teamer in Kyle Gramit at George Mason; a fourth-year Northern Athletic Conference first-team baseball pick in shortstop Jack Walker of Concordia; and a first-team all-Patriot League tennis player in Lehigh's Julie Arthofer, Naperville North's all-time wins leader.

Coaches corner

Jim Bowers, College of DuPage women's tennis coach, has been named the Wilson/ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) national coach of the year for 2009. At the NJCAA women's national championship on May 2-7 the lady Chaps finished third. Elizabeth Micheletti (Glenbard West) was national runner-up at No. 1 singles, and the team of Micheletti and Jennifer Green (West Chicago) were runner-up at No. 1 doubles.

After the North Central College men's track team won the CCIW for the 24th time in 25 seasons, Cardinals coach Al Carius was named the Midwest region coach of the year. It completes a sweep of sorts for Carius and his staff. He earned the same award for cross country in fall of 2008 and for 2009 indoor track. His braintrust was named CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year after North Central's men's outdoor title on May 2.

doberhelman@dailyherald.com