Local trio made great impact

Among the criteria John Tawa uses for choosing the girls players who earn mention on his PrepVolleyball.com High School All-America list are those who, simply, "made the greatest impact."

Illinois had nine such players, tied with Texas and Ohio behind California's 13 selections.

Heading the DuPage County cast was two-time Tawa pick Colleen Ward, the senior outside hitter from Naperville North who was captain of the 2007 Daily Herald All-Area volleyball team.

Paige Stevens, the senior outside hitter from Neuqua Valley, earned All-America accolades. So too did Naperville Central senior outside hitter Rebecca Heath.

Tawa also lists honorable-mention picks. Locally, Jessica Jendryk of Benet, Michelle Kocher (St. Francis), Annie Luhrsen (Wheaton Warrenville South) and Emily McGee and Megan McMahon (Naperville Central) made that group.

Luhrsen, a consistent all-state academic pick with a 5.3 grade-point average, made one of Tawa's academic All-America teams.

Undefeated Class 3A champ Crystal Lake Central finished No. 6 in Tawa's Top 100 teams for 2007, with 4A champ Naperville Central No. 10.

Benet (36), Naperville North (37) and St. Francis (38), WW South (59), Downers Grove South (68) also made the cut.

The ship comes in

At the voting booth on Feb. 5, voters approved a referendum for a $43 million tax increase that will benefit Naperville Community Unit School District 203.

When added to past referendum money, existing TIF dough and cash from land sales, the $43 million will help fund $114.9 million in improvements to Naperville North, Naperville Central and other D203 schools.

According to the Daily Herald's Melissa Jenco, Naperville Central will get $87.7 million of the haul. Athletic improvements will include construction of a new synthetic turf football field and repairs and upgrades to the Redhawks' field house and other indoor athletic facilities.

Naperville North's $5.2 million portion will reap its own turf football field, a deepening of its swimming pool in order to host state events, and pool locker room rehab.

The turf football fields at both schools, necessary due to lack of field space for physical education classes and extracurricular practices, are scheduled for construction in the summer of 2009 for use that fall.

Devils in the news

Star Hinsdale Central soccer player John Shakon, the all-area senior goalkeeper who set a Red Devils record with 24 career shutouts, has been named the Gatorade boys soccer player of the year for Illinois.

Hinsdale Central graduate Rebecca Lederhausen, a freshman at Northwestern, sank a hole-in-one Tuesday at the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla.

Lederhausen, who earned second- and third-place state finishes in high school, carded the third hole-in-one in Northwestern women's golf history. She used a 5-iron to ace a 164-yard Par-3, going into the wind.

What's up…

…Chris Murray

This Neuqua Valley senior is pictured in his element -- jumping into something. A daredevil from way back, Murray's media change from skateboards to dirt bikes to diving boards to the trampoline. This weekend, making his fourth trip to the IHSA state swimming and diving championships, the six-time All-American (with the DuPage Diving Academy) will attack the swimming pool at Evanston High School in an attempt to improve upon his sixth-place finish in 2007.

Your mother, Rita, said that in the past you enjoyed trampoline biking. What exactly is that?

"Basically, I just took the wheels off my bike and put cloth around the frame. I did it for practice for dirt-biking."

Ever gotten a concussion?

"Yeah, plenty of times. I'll try something and I'll just fly right off the trampoline."

What's the greatest stunt you've ever pulled off?

"Back-flipping off my friend's roof would probably be one of the bigger ones I've done."

Who's your hero, Greg Louganis or Tony Hawk?

"Probably both."

After starting out on the 1-meter board at Centennial Beach, you've competed nationally since you were a freshman and last summer you trained in China. What did you learn about China away from the pool?

"They're really proper with everything. They just carry themselves, like, higher above most people. They have a lot of pride, I guess. And they take things really seriously. Like the divers, I know that's pretty much their life. And all the food is uncooked, like most of it is raw. It's really not tasteful."

You enjoy music, from jazz to blues to hard-core metal. Yet you're in an acoustic duo. What's it called?

"In Autumn Sky."

Making any money?

"We're trying."

It sounds like if you don't attend Indiana University for its diving, you'll go to Southern Illinois for its fire-fighting program. Don't you know you can get burned?

"That's exactly what I like about it. It's a thrill, I guess, running into a fire when everyone else is running out. I like a good challenge, I guess."

Speaking of challenges, what's your favorite dive?

"Probably my double-twister."

After placing 26th, seventh and sixth at state, are you looking forward to this weekend?

"I am looking forward to winning it. I really have my focus down to really try to win this."

How is this year any different?

"This year I know more about technique and my dives are real polished-up. And I think I'm more confident this year than I was last year, and I know how to prepare myself."