Suburban Sprawl helps set the table for Big Dance
More tickets were punched this week and some area players took on important roles during championship week.
Naperville Central grad Chris Conway is headed to the Big Dance. He scored 11 points in Oakland’s victory over Milwaukee in the Horizon League title game. Conway is No. 2 and can be seen in the video below …
Conway, a 6-foot-9 senior, started every game for Oakland this season, averaging 10.1 points.
Yale at the buzzer
The leading scorer for Yale in Sunday’s epic Ivy League championship game was Neuqua Valley’s John Poulakidas with 18 points. He hit a clutch 3 with 14.3 seconds left to bring the Bulldogs within 1 and set up the game-winner.
Upset Owls
Rice was the No. 10 seed in the American Athletic’s women’s tournament, but won four in a row to punch their ticket to the NCAA. Fremd grad Emily Klaczek hit a season-high 4 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the championship game, a 61-41 win over East Carolina.
This is Klaczek’s first season at Rice after spending three years at UAB. She averaged 6.7 points for the Owls and shot 41.1% from 3-point range. Here’s an important 3 in the semis against Temple …
Spider strength
Richmond was the top seed in the Atlantic-10 tournament and brought home the title with help from Highland Park’s Addie Budnik, who scored 14 points in the title game victory over Rhode Island. The Spiders are in the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2005.
Top of the Ivy
Glenbard West’s Caden Pierce was named Ivy League player of the year, averaging 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds for Princeton. The Tigers lost to Brown in the semis of the conference tourney.
Top of the heap
An area player was guaranteed to win a Division 3 national championship. Turns out, that player was Hersey grad Mary Kate Fahey, because her NYU squad defeated Smith 51-41 in the title game. Smith’s roster included Downers Grove North’s Maggie Fleming.
The men’s D3 title game set an attendance record in Fort Wayne as Trice beat Hampden-Sydney
Roosevelt rises
Roosevelt was bounced in the first round of the NAIA tournament, but St. Charles East’s Cody Mitchell (pictured) scored a season-high 25 points against Shawnee.
Hockey champs
It’s a slower time for high school sports, but Barrington won the state title in girls hockey at the United Center this week
Smart move for Bison
Here’s a championship worth celebrating: Buffalo Grove won the scholastic bowl state title Saturday. Waubonsie Valley was runner-up.
Throwing it down
Warren’s Alex Daniels won the dunk contest at the Lake County All-Star Shootout
Sanborn family values
The Bears news wasn’t all about free agents and trades. Lake Zurich native Jack Sanborn was presented the Ed Block Courage Award.
Unfortunately, Sanborn’s younger brother Bryan announced his retirement from football. Like Jack, he was playing at Wisconsin
Hand fake
Here’s the local NBA highlight of the week delivered by the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson (Stevenson), who scored 42 points on Saturday night in Sacramento
Basketball award season
Loras’ Ali Sabet (Maine East) was chosen for the Division 3 all-star game
St. Charles North’s Annie Tate was named all-region third team for Wheaton College
Stevenson’s John Ittounas was all-region for Elmhurst
Glenbard East’s Lauren Huber averaged 15.8 points for Illinois Wesleyan and earned honorable mention All-American
West Aurora’s Cam Donatlan was named all-region for Division 2 West Georgia
Two University of Chicago players — Ellie Gross (Downers Grove North) and Bryce Hopkins (Fremd) — earned all-region honors
Spring standouts
Wauconda’s Camden Janik is off to a hot start for Illinois baseball. The junior catcher leads the team in batting average .328, and is second in slugging (. 547).
Abby Ryniec from Downers Grove North is one of the top hitters for Illini softball, hitting .375 with 15 RBI through Saturday
Here’s a home run by Benet’s Connor Hincks for Notre Dame at Florida State. The Seminoles were 17-0 through Saturday
Wheaton North grad Joe Klein had a huge day at the plate for Wheaton College
Benet’s Lauren Beaudreau finished second at the Tulane Classic last weekend for Notre Dame …
College commits
Geneva’s Leah Palmer committed to Lewis University
Schaumburg’s Jada Branch is headed to Triton College
St. Francis’ Kelton McEwen committed to Wisconsin-Whitewater
Barrington DT Ian Marderosian is headed to Wisconsin-Whitewater for football
Saxon to Hampton
Ivan Thomas was named men’s basketball head coach at Hampton University. He got his start in coaching as an assistant to Bob Williams when Schaumburg won the state title in 2001.
Getting Windy
Exciting times at Now Arena this week as Jalen Harris not only knocked down a long 3-pointer to tie the score, he also hit the game-winner in overtime for the Windy City Bulls against Grand Rapids
Destruction continues
The Ryan Field demolition got real this week when the towers began to fall. They lived to be nearly 100.
Flatter right field
We posted some historic gym photos around the state this month. Here’s a spring sports version — Pekin High School removed a hill that used to torture right fielders.
Biles flips for Bears
Finally, it was a pleasure to watch in real time as Olympic champion Simone Biles became a Bears fan when they signed her husband Jonathan Owens away from the Packers.