Palatine announces Hall of Fame class

Former Palatine boys basketball coach Ed Molitor will be on the other side of the microphone Friday night.

In the past, he has served as master of ceremonies each year and introduced the newest members for the Palatine High School Sports Hall of Fame.

This time, Molitor will be introduced as one of the members.

Molitor, Annie Hernandez, Fred Miller and Nicole Pauly will be honored prior to the start of Friday’s varsity football game against visiting Barrington. A pregame reception will be held at 6 p.m. in the north end of the stadium.

Here is a closer look the the newest inductees.

Ed Molitor: Throughout his 42-year coaching career, Molitor influenced his staff, the city of Palatine, the Mid-Suburban League and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. With an emphasis on discipline and defense, Molitor amassed over 500 wins and led his teams to two MSL division championships, one MSL conference championship, five regional championships and back-to-back sectional championships. He was a two-time MSL North coach of the year, two-time IBCA District 6 coach of the year, and head coach of the IBCA North All-Stars in 1993. He also had his hand in a number of programs that still exist today, such as the youth basketball program at the Palatine Park District, the Palatine Feeder Program and Booking with the Pirates, a reading incentive program for grade school students.

Annie Hernandez: Hernandez began her career at Palatine in 1977 as a student supervisor. In 1986 she was appointed athletic director Chic Anderson’s secretary, a position she held for the next 25 years.

She worked under four different ADs and each one would tell you that she was the one who ran that office. She played the role of mother, disciplinarian, confidant and even coach. She poured her heart and soul into Palatine athletics and she made sure all those who stepped foot in that office did the same.

She routinely served as a mentor for student workers in the athletic office, teaching them both administrative skills as well as life skills. While at Palatine, Annie was the quintessential Superfan, a role she will undoubtedly continue embracing long after her retirement.

Fred Miller: Miller has left his footprint in cross country and track and field at Palatine. At one time he held the school records in the 800 meters and 880-yard run.

An all-conference runner in track and cross country, Miller helped his teams to MSL championships in 1971 and 1972. After a successful running career at the University of Illinois and Eastern Illinois University, he returned to PHS as a coach and physical education teacher. He led his teams to three second-place state trophies, one fifth place finish, three MSL division championships and two MSL conference championships.

Miller used cross country and track as a platform to educate his athletes about the importance of respect and effort, which was his recipe for success in athletics and life.

Nicole Pauly: Pauly graduated in 2006 as one of the most accomplished two-sport athletes in school history. In basketball, she helped establish the school record for wins in 2005 and 2006. She was a three-time all-conference and two-time all-area selection and was nominated as a McDonald’s All-American in 2006.

In softball, a knee injury cut her senior year short, but it did not stop her from setting five different season records and four different career records.

At Northwestern, she started all 215 games of her career and led the Wildcats to a third-place finish at the 2008 College World Series. She finished her career with 53 home runs and 168 RBI, placing her in the top three in both categories. She then became the fourth Palatine athlete to compete professionally, playing for the Chicago Bandits in 2010 and the Akron Racers this summer.

Football

Five former Prospect offensive linemen were starters in Division I football two weekends ago.

They are Marcus Zusevics, a second-year starter/fifth-year senior at right tackle for Iowa; Nick Carlson, a three-year Wyoming starter at center who is a redshirt junior; Matt Kennedy, a fourth-year junior at Miami (Ohio) playing left tackle; Zach Lewis, a freshman right tackle at Miami (Ohio) and Peyton Eckert, a freshman at Indiana.

Matt Huene, a freshman at Purdue who went to the Air Force prep school last year, is also a D-I lineman. Former Prospect player Eric Hedstrom was also a lineman for Purdue.

All seven played for former offensive line coach Steve Polley and former head coach Brent Pearlman.

Ÿ Millikin quarterback Matt Holmes (Wheeling) had a 15-yard TD run and passed for 187 yards in a 27-15 win at Hope College. He also rushed for 41 yards.

Ÿ MIT freshman Justin Wallace rushed for 120 yards in 32 carries and had a TD in a 27-13 loss to Curry College.

Women’s volleyball

Carthage senior setter Drewann Pancratz (Schaumburg) was named a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Volleyball Player of the Week.

Pancratz was named to the all-tournament team as Carthage went 4-0 at the Trinity (Tex.) National Invitational.

The Lady Reds picked up wins against Trinity, St. Thomas (Minn.), Southwestern (Tex.) and Texas Lutheran (3-0). Pancratz averaged 10.31 assists, 3.08 digs and 1.62 kills per game in four victories.

Women’s cross country

North Central senior Kayla Bingham (Barrington) finished 23rd at the Illinois Intercollegiate Meet at Illinois State, helping the team to a seventh place finish.

North Central senior Amy Schwent (Hoffman Estates) finished 71st in the meet.

Men’s cross country

North Central junior Matt Perez (Hoffman Estates) won the Illinois Intercollegiate Meet at Illinois State University as an individual.

Men’s soccer

Jake Muszynski (Rolling Meadows) had an assist in North Central’s 5-0 rout of Grinnell College in Naperville.

Men’s golf

Northern Illinois freshman Nick Schiavi (Barrington) shot 75, 76, and 75 to place second on his team and 33rd overall in the 15-team, 83-player field of the St. Mary’s Invitational in Seaside, Calif.

Elk Grove Feeder Basketball

The Elk Grove Girls Feeder Basketball tryouts will be held Monday, Oct. 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Elk Grove main gym. The tryouts are for girls in grades fifth through eighth. For further questions, contact Ryan Kirkorsky at ryan.kirkorsky@d214.org.

Please e-mail Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com or FAX to (847) 427-1173.