Another Kay to play collegiate baseball

When Gunnar Kay was a freshman, St. Viator baseball coach Mike Manno believed the young pitcher might end up at the Division I level of college baseball.

“Because of his great mechanics we thought he had a chance,” Manno said. “And he comes from a family of D-1 players.

Sure enough, Gunnar will become the third sibling from the Kay house to play at the top collegiate level. He has accepted a scholarship to Dallas Baptist University in Texas.

He becomes the seventh Lion to commit to a D-I school in seven years and eight other players from the school’s baseball program have gone on to D-II, III or junior college.

Gunnar follows in the footsteps of his brother Brett (senior starting shortstop at Illinois State) and Cory, who played at the University of Houston last spring as a freshman.

Kay appeared in 13 games as a junior with a record of 7-1. He threw 61 innings, giving up 21 runs, 15 earned runs and had a 1.70 ERA with 56 strikeouts.

“Gunnar has seen what kind of work ethic it took to get himself to that level after watching his brothers do it over the years,” Manno said. ”He has a tireless work ethic and he is one of the best pitchers in terms of pounding the zone.”

Jedd to Hall

Former Conant all-area standout Sheryl Jedd will be inducted into the Judson University Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 1.

Jedd has played in more games (132) than any Judson women’s basketball player and is the school’s all-time leader in field goal percentage (50.2 percent).

She is fifth in all-time rebounding (776), seventh in free throws made (205), seventh in free throws attempted (340), seventh in rebounding average (5.9), eighth in scoring (1,107 points) and tenth in field goals made (451).

She led the NAIA-Division II, CCAC and NCCAA in field goal percentage (67.5) her senior year when she was an NCCAA all-regional selection. Jedd was first team All-CCAC three straight years (sophomore through senior year) and was honorable mention as a freshman.

She made three trips (seven games) to the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa as a freshman, junior and senior.

Sheryl’s father, Jeff Jedd, was the Sacred Heart girls basketball co-coach along with Pete Sauter in the early 1980s.

Men’s basketball

Junior guard Alan Aboona scored 15 points to help lead No. 10 ranked Washington University (St. Louis) to the title of the 29th annual Lopata Classic with a 67-57 win over No. 7 Illinois Wesleyan in St. Louis.

Aboona averaged 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in the tournament and broke the record for free throws made with 18. He earned the Robert L. Burnes Most Valuable Player Award.

“I thought our rebounding really picked up in the second half,” Aboona said after the championship game win. “The first half they really outrebounded us, that’s why the hung around in the game. Once we shored up all those offensive tip-ins they had, we really turned it around and ran our offense.”

In the opening round of the tourney, Aboona scored a career-high 26 points and connected on a tourney record 14-of-14 free-throws to lead Washington to a 73-62 win over Wilmington.

Aboona tied his career-high with 10 rebounds and added 5 assists, recording the second double-double of his career.

Aboona leads NCAA Division III connecting on 23-of-23 free-throws in 2012-13, and broke the single-game tournament record of free-throws made (13) set by Scott Fiedler in 1990 vs. Rhodes College.

Ÿ Illinois Wesleyan senior Kevin Reed (Prospect) was named to all-tournament team at Lopata Classic. He pulled down 11 rebounds against No. 10 Washington.

The 6-foot-6 forward-center is the Titans’ top rebounder this season, averaging 8.4 and he is the team’s second-leading scorer at 9.6 points per game.

Women’s basketball

DePaul sophomore guard Megan Rogowski led the Blue Demons with a career-high 22 points in an 89-61 victory over Northwestern on Sunday at the McGrath-Phillips Arena.

Doug Bruno was coaching in his 800th game heading up the Blue Demon program.

Rogowski had some extra motivation as her former teammates from Hersey High School were in the stands cheering her on, along with coach Mary Fendley.

“I was happy they came to see me play,” Rogowski said on the school’s website. “I was hoping to play well for them, and getting a career high was just luck.”

Bruno thought otherwise.

“It’s isn’t luck,” he said. “Megan is a great shooter, and the last two games we’ve started to see what I saw the first weeks of preseason practice. This is what I expected to see every night from Megan. She has the ability to average 12-to-16 points a game.”

Women’s soccer

Rockhurst sophomore forward Taylor Skala (St. Viator) was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America NCAA Division II women’s soccer team which is selected by College Sports Information Directors of America.

Skala earned a spot on the third team. She led the Hawks to a 14-4-3 record while finishing with 12 goals and 24 points. Skala currently carries a 3.97 cumulative grade-point average while pursuing a degree in biology (pre-optometry).

The Long Grove native ranked third in goals and tied for fourth in points scored in the GLVC. She was named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference first team for the second year in a row.

Skala also earned first team all-region honors from the NSCAA and Daktronics for the second time. The 2011 GLVC Freshman of the Year has 54 career points (25 goals and 4 assists).

Football

Elmhurst senior Christopher Kirkpatrick (Elk Grove) completed his playing career after the Blue Jays lost in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs to St. Thomas University of St. Paul Minnesota 24-17.

Kirkpatrick was a three-time letter winner playing center. He started the last 31 games anchoring a line that has set almost every major offense passing, receiving, rushing and scoring record.

With 10 wins, the 2012 team is the winningest team in Elmhurst history. The Blue Jays captured a share of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title, their first since 1980.

The Blue Jays also were ranked 17th nationally, reached the NCAA Division III playoffs, winning their first round game against Coe College; all firsts for the school.

Kirkpatrick has been recognized during his career for his work on and off the field. He is a history major with a 3.75 GPA.

This season he was named to the CCIW all-conference team for the third time. In 2011, he was named to the Capital One Academic All District Squad and in 2010 he was named to the “ESPN, The Magazine” Academic All-District team.

Kirkpatrick is the recipient of the Brennan Award for Academics and Leadership from Elmhurst College and the Merle Chapman Leadership Award from the CCIW.

He has served on the leadership councils at Elmhurst College and the CCIW and he is a supporter of Relay For Life.

Men’s soccer

Loras College junior Kevin Cavers (St. Viator) is set to face Messiah College on Friday, Nov. 30, in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championships semifinal in San Antonio, Texas. Cavers, the 2012 Iowa Conference Most Valuable Player, scored 2 goals to lift the Duhawks past the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Nov. 19 to reach the Elite Eight.

Cross country

Brooke Wolfe (Prospect) was the fifth scorer for Illinois in the Foot Locker Midwest region Cross Country Championships in Kenosha, Wis.

She placed 24th in 18:14 over the hilly 5k course on the campus of UW-Parkside.

Illinois was also represented by Jessica Lincoln (Palatine) in 18:53, Liz Cox (Palatine) in 19:01, Meghan Carroll (St. Viator) in 20:10, and Kelly Kompanowski (St. Viator) in 25:14.

St. Viator’s Nick Brey (16:41) represented Illinois in the boys’ race.

Team Illinois captured first place in both the girl’s and boys’ races in the prestigious 12-state meet. The Illinois girls scored 76 points to defeat Colorado (80), Ohio (115) and Indiana (116). The Illinois boys tallied 56 points to best Michigan (63), Wisconsin (97) and Ohio (127).

Baseball

The annual baseball Barrington Boosters Club event fundraiser will take place on Saturday, March 2 at 6 p.m. at the Concorde Banquet Hall in Kildeer.

The inaugural Coach Kirby Smith Barrington High School Baseball Award of Excellence will be presented to coach Kirby Smithfor his extraordinary lifetime contributions to the Broncos program.

The Barrington High School Baseball Distinguished Service Awards will also be presented to retired coaches Jim Hawrysko, Dave Engle and Jim Larson. Retired professional baseball player Dan Wilson (class of 1987) has been invited as the keynote speaker.

For more information, contact John Sciaccotta at jsci@shefskylaw.com or (847) 347-9686.

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