Schurtz, Skoug make coaches' all-state team
Rolling Meadows' Erik Schurtz and Libertyville's Evan Skoug have received final accolades for their 2014 prep baseball seasons.
The Daily Herald all-area selections were named to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 4A all-state team.
They will be honored at the Chicago White Sox game on July 21.
Schurtz batted .475 this spring with 47 hits. He had an OBP of .522 and a slugging percentage of .686 while driving in 30 runs. Also, as the Mustangs' No. 1 pitcher, he had an ERA of 2.28 while going 6-3 with 28 strikeouts. He will attend Millikin next year.
"Erik had an outstanding season for us this year," Rolling Meadows coach Jim Lindeman said after the season. "He led us offensively and on the mound. He hit the ball hard all season long and had one of the best offensive seasons in school history. He is a natural leader on and off the field."
Skoug, who will plat at Texas Christian next year, was one of the best hitters in Lake County.
Many teams chose to intentionally walk Skoug to avoid the damage he could do with a bat.
Despite being walked about 40 times, he still finished as one of Libertyville's top hitters. The four-year starter hit nearly .400.
"There aren't many people who can hit a baseball the way he can," said Libertyville coach Jim Schurr said. "He's got the power of a major league hitter as an 18-year-old. He's been blessed with the tools to do that, but he's also worked so hard to get the maximum out of those tools."
Lacrosse: It was quite a collegiate debut for Illinois freshman midfielder Michael Julius (St. Viator).
Julius, who led the Titans in goals and points scored, was chosen as the "Most Valuable Player" for the school's first men's lacrosse team.
The Titans won their first six games and finished with an 8-6 overall record.
Julius, an Arlington Heights native, paced the Titans with 39 goals and 55 points and was tied for second with 16 assists.
He had a team-high 154 shots and a .253 shot percentage. He also was responsible for corralling 22 ground balls, tied for sixth most on the team.
• Illinois Wesleyan freshman attacker Jacob Perry (Warren) won the 2014 "Titan Award," which is given for team spirit, dedication and competitive attitude.
The native of Grayslake scored 7 goals and added 14 assists for 21 total points and he was 10th on the team with 17 ground balls.
Women's cross country: University of St. Francis senior Hilary Halford (Carmel) has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America College Division Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Team.
With her selection to the second team, Halford became the first USF women's cross country/track & field athlete to repeat as an Academic all-American. She was a third-team pick a year ago.
Halford, a native of Antioch, earned her second straight All-America award in cross country as she finished 20th overall to help lead St. Francis to a 12th-place team finish at the 2013 NAIA championships.
Two weeks earlier, she topped a 107-runner field at the CCAC Championships.
During the track & field campaign, she qualified to participate in the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the distance medley relay and 5,000-mile run, respectively.
A two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and three-time CCAC All-Academic Team honoree, Halford carries a 3.54 cumulative grade-point average as a nursing major.