Budka commits to Black Hawk
Mike Budka, recently graduated from St. Charles North, has committed to play baseball at Black Hawk College in Moline. The first baseman helped the North Stars to a program-record 34 wins against 5 losses, and the Class 4A Elk Grove regional title.
Budka joins a Black Hawk Braves squad that compiled a 2010 record of 32-21. Black Hawk also fields former St. Charles North player K.C. Wright, St. Charles East's Chris Burgess and Batavia's Adam Karger, who in 10 appearances for the Braves went 8-1 with an earned run average of 1.69.
Another Batavia product, soccer player Libby Cooper, has transferred from Wisconsin-Milwaukee to Lewis University in Romeoville.
Cooper played in 8 games as a forward at UW-Milwaukee as a freshman in 2009. She did not play for Batavia's team, instead competing with club squad Eclipse Select. With Select, Cooper played on a national champion in 2006, and a national finalist in 2008, helping Eclipse win state cups in 2007 and 2008.
She also was in Illinois' Olympic Development Program from 2004-08, a big plus in the eyes of Lewis University coach Chris Koenig.
"Libby is an extremely technical player and will be fun to watch," Koenig said in an e-mail to the Daily Herald. "She has creativity a lot of players don't possess. ... I think she will link up well with our front runners and help us create more chances in the attacking third."
Beads spikers: Rosary in Aurora is hosting a high school volleyball camp from July 26-30, 6-9 p.m. nightly. Cost is $125. That same week there also are camps for seventh-graders (9-11 a.m.) and eighth-graders (noon-2 p.m.) each at a cost of $65. Registration forms are available at www.rosaryhs.com or by calling the school athletic department at (630) 896-0831.
Golfing Viking: Geneva 2009 graduate Jeff Paustian earned the "Newcomer of the Year" trophy from Augustana University's men's golf program. In 17 rounds Paustian's average score was 81.9, with a season-best of 74 in the opening round of the Augustana Invitational. He tied for 16th out of 74 players in that tourney, and finished in a tie for 33rd out of 124 players at the Illinois Wesleyan Spring Invitational.