This is no lateral move for Warriors' Fortune
Wheaton Academy senior Leah Fortune is back in South America, delaying her contributions to Warriors girls basketball coach Beth Mitchell until she finishes playing soccer for Brazil in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup, Nov. 19-Dec. 7.
Fortune left for Brazil's training center on Oct. 27. Her father, Hudson, filled us in and pointed out that his 17-year-old daughter, the youngest on Brazil's squad, could be seen in YouTube videos of Brazil's 3-0 win over Chile in a World Cup warmup last Sunday.
"She's a little, short blonde in the midst of all these giant Brazilians," Hudson Fortune said of Leah, No. 6, playing midfield - a position known in Brazil as a lateral.
Leah thrilled the 20,000 fans at the inaugural match at Chile's Estadia Francisco Sanchez Rumoroso with her flip-throw, a move more common here than abroad.
"In Brazil they call it the mortal flip," Hudson said.
One might ask why a little, short blonde is playing soccer in the midst of all those giant Brazilians. Leah Fortune is a dual citizen, having been born in Brazil to Karen and Hudson Fortune, who was originally from Brazil. The couple met at Indiana University while Hudson played soccer for the NCAA power.
During a 2007 training mission in Brazil as part of a U.S. Junior Olympic regional team, Leah Fortune impressed Brazil U-20 coach Kleiton Lima, and he invited her to compete for a spot with the World Cup team. She made the squad, and Brazil was one of South America's three qualifiers for the Women's World Cup out of 10 countries.
Brazil plays Nigeria on Friday in another warmup game, and Hudson and Karen Fortune will fly in on Nov. 18 followed shortly by their two other daughters, Calah and Ariel, who also played soccer at Wheaton Academy.
After the game against Chile played in a packed house, Hudson Fortune said Leah was "on Cloud 9."
"She just had the most incredible day of her life."
Emerging sports?
A healthy 214 schools statewide intend to compete in the Illinois High School Association's inaugural state Bass Fishing Tournament, including 13 DuPage County schools. It's time to consider other fresh ideas.
• Zebra mussel fishing
• Square dance
• Caber toss (as part of track and field)
• Smashing pumpkins
• Dodgeball
• Mime
• Flugtag
And, of course:
• Basket weaving
Falcon flies north
Wheaton North graduate A.J. Harris, the former state champion hurdler who went on to play football at Northern Illinois, just concluded his first season of football for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League.
Harris, a running back, got cut at the end of training camp but was brought back three games into the season.
In 11 games, all starts, he led the Eskimos with 99 carries for 557 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns. He added 37 receptions for 422 yards.
Harris was named the CFL offensive player of the week when on Aug. 21 he ran 21 times for 189 yards with a 36-yard touchdown run, plus 4 catches for 40 yards. His 189 yards were the best in the CFL this season.
A.J.'s younger brother is Adam Harris, who represented Guyana in the 200-meter sprint at the Beijing Olympics. Adam, the only Illinoisan to win the 100- and 200-meter dashes and 110 hurdles in the same state meet - he did it both his junior and senior seasons - was named 2008 Big Ten athlete of the year in track as a junior at Michigan.
Their sister, Alicia, a former track star herself at Eastern Illinois University, is into competitive fitness. She won her International Federation of Body Building and Fitness professional card at the NPC Team Universe Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure National Championships in Sept. 5-6 in New York.
The IC pipeline
On DePauw University's 6-2 football squad, three Immaculate Conception graduates are seeing quality time.
A pair of 2006 IC graduates, Bryan Mulligan and Brad Paus, are receivers for the Tigers. Paus entered Greencastle, Ind., as a quarterback but in 7 games this season he's caught 10 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Mulligan, an all-state pick his senior season at IC, has 48 catches for 471 yards and 4 touchdowns.
This season they were joined by 2008 graduate Jonathan Ellis. An all-area running back as a junior at IC, the college freshman leads DePauw with 430 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns.
The Tigers also offer Steve Wojanis of St. Francis, Pat Kelly of WW South, Anthony Arena of Driscoll and Alex Chivas of Naperville Central.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com