RM grad Kirk jumps into thick of things at New Mexico
Ty Kirk was a man for all seasons at Rolling Meadows.
And last year's Daily Herald male athlete of the year for Cook County is at it again in his freshman year at New Mexico.
After a redshirt season in the fall in football, Kirk jumped right into things for the New Mexico. Last weekend he finished third in the triple jump at 48 feet, 83/4 inches in the Mountain West Conference track and field championships.
Kirk also took seventh in the long jump at 21-9 to help New Mexico to third place - it's highest conference finish in 18 years.
Not bad considering just a few weeks earlier, Kirk made his college debut and went a personal-best 50-11 in the triple jump. He qualified for the NCAA regionals with the longest jump since 1984 at New Mexico.
But it's also not surprising considering Kirk was one the state's top triple jumpers during his high school career. Kirk also was an all-area football player and a basketball standout.
• Aurora University junior Adian Kibiersza (Maine West) qualified for this weekend's NCAA Division III national championships for the third straight year.
Kibiersza, who was a Division III indoor All-American this season, will compete in the shot put and discus. He set the school discus record of 166-9 at North Central College on Thursday and set the Northern Athletics Conference shot put record of 52-91/2 at the beginning of May.
Kibiersza also took fourth in the shot put with a school-record 54-0 at the NCAA Division III indoor national meet.
• Toni Graham (Conant) is having a strong freshman season as one of Alabama's top sprinters. Graham was on the 400-meter relay that finished fifth in the SEC championships with a time of 45.51 and she will compete in the NCAA regionals.
Baseball
Senior catcher Mark Kelly (Hoffman Estates) of Southern Illinois received Missouri Valley honorable mention honors.
Kelly leads the Salukis in hits (68), doubles (15), RBI (37) and total bases (95). He is second on the team with a .330 batting average and leads the club with 20 multiple-hit games. Defensively, Kelly has gunned down 50 percent (21 of 42) of would-be base stealers this season.
• Illinois State senior shortstop Collin Salzenstein (Barrington) was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference second team.
Salenstein had 56 hits and was hitting a team-best .320. But it was his defense up the middle that helped the Redbirds qualify for the State Farm MVC tournament since 2001.
• Vince Saisi (Prospect) started in the third game of the NCAA Midwest regional tournament in Chillicothe, Ohio. Saisi pitched 4 no-hit innings but had to leave in the fifth because of a blister on his pitching hand.
•The Sports Academy-Northwest will hold a baseball showcase for high school juniors and seniors from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at Lake Park's varsity field in Roselle.
Cost is $100 per player and half is tax deductible since half the proceeds of the showcase go to The Student Athlete Foundation dedicated to improving the condition of youth sports
The TSA baseball and showcase director is Pete Caliendo, who has coached Team USA and the Belgian National Team. The showcase is limited to 60 players.
For information go to Info@TSANorthwest.com or call (847) 279-3935.
Softball
Senior Nora Militz (Rolling Meadows) helped Boston University reach an NCAA regional title game for the first time in 13 years, where it lost 7-2 to Georgia Tech and finished 43-18.
Militz is part of a senior group that is the winningest in school history. She hit .250 with 7 homers and 25 RBI and she was named to the America East tournament team.
• Kiley Lythberg (Prospect) received the Most Improved Player Award from the Central College softball team.
Lythberg, a sophomore pitcher, was a second-team all-Iowa Conference pick. She was 16-5 with a 1.57 ERA starts and had 23 walks and 104 strikeouts in 112 innings with Detroit.
Volleyball
Amy (Ward) Boos, a 1993 graduate of Palatine High School, was recently inducted into the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame. Amy played volleyball for the Titans from 1993-96, where she distinguished herself as the NCAA Division III Player of the Year and a three-time All American. During her career at Oshkosh, she helped the team to a 153-31 record that resulted in two final four appearances. She also held the NCAA all-time season assist record (1,878) from 1994 through 1997 and ranks fourth in career assists (5,478).
Tennis
The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference named Oakton Community College's Nick Adamovic (Prospect) men's tennis player of the year. Adamovic, Oakton's No. 1 singles player, was undefeated in conference play this season. He and the rest of the Oakton men's team qualified for the NJCAA National tennis tournament in Texas.
• Sports Notes items can be sent via e-mail to mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com or FAX at (847) 427-1173.