Harper's Bailey lost for season with knee injury
The Harper College women's basketball team will be without the services of freshman forward Betsy Bailey (Palatine) the rest of the season.
Bailey recently suffered a torn ACL in her left knee against Triton College.
"I landed on both feet and I felt it pop," Bailey said.
Bailey, the defending NJCAA national champion in the shot put for Hawks coach Renee Zellner's track and field team, will redshirt this spring.
Victoria Mikszta (Hoffman Estates) filled in for Bailey and grabbed 3 rebounds in a 46-41 victory for the Hawks (15-8, 6-3) over College of DuPage.
"We are trying to rally the troops," said Hawks coach Mark Smith. "Other teams are hesitant to drive the lane because we have an active physical post (Bailey)."
Sophomore forward Nina Montero (Schaumburg), who grabbed 10 rebounds in a recent 62-41 win over Joliet, will start in Bailey's place the rest of the season.
"Nina is going to step in and do the best she can," Smith said.
Bailey's injury puts more pressure on preseason All-American Peggy Parhas (Lake Zurich). In the win over Joliet, Parhas led the Hawks with 27 points.
Guard Anna Kirchoff (Barrington) added 16 points, Noreen Davis (Conant) chipped in 11 points and added 7 rebounds and Siobhan Cerney hit 8 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Wrestling
"It's finally starting to click," said Harper coach Dan Laprino, who saw the Hawks go 3-0 in dual meets last weekend at Triton College. "The team that I envisioned is starting to come together."
In the latest NJCAA poll, the Hawks are the top-ranked team in the non-scholarship division.
Laprino praised the efforts of 125-pound Eduardo Dominguez (Mundelein), who has performed well in almost all of the Hawks' major tournaments this season.
Men's basketball
On Saturday, the men's basketball team defeated rival College of DuPage 58-56.
"We played well on defense," said coach Tony Amarino, whose Hawks had lost seven of their last eight.
On Tuesday, the Hawks hosted No. 6-ranked Joliet Junior College at the Sports and Wellness Center in Palatine. When the teams had met Jan. 9, the Wolves handed the Hawks a 100-62 defeat. Harper stayed much closer in the rematch before falling 81-68.
Football
On national signing day Wednesday, Harper freshman right tackle Mathew Battaglia signed with Northern Illinois University.
Battaglia, who has a 3.31 GPA, is a 6-foot-3, 263 pounder from Marist.
"Matt is a great kid and an example to the rest of our kids about what it takes to get a scholarship offer," said Hawks coach Eric Waldstein.
• The Midwest Football Conference lost a member when Rock Valley College in Rockford dropped its football program. The Golden Eagles were 1-8 last season, including a 14-8 home loss to Harper.
Women's volleyballHarper setter Libby Bedwell won the Student-Athlete Award on Feb. 4. The Gibson City, Ill., native, who led NJCAA Division III with 1,236 assists last season, completed over 200 hours of community service in the Gibson City area."Libby will be a success at whatever she endeavors to do in life," Hawks coach Bob Vilsoet told NJCAA.org. "She has superior leadership qualities and does not let barriers get in the way. She's reliable, dedicated and always gives her best."Baseball / softballA pair of North Central Community College baseball teams made the NJCAA Division III preseason baseball poll - Joliet at No. 2 and College of DuPage No. 10. Harper opens its season March 23 against Blackhawk. The COD softball team is ranked second in the NJCAA Division III preseason poll. The Harper softball team opens at Millikin University on March 11.