Big money, big smarts and a summer's worth of success

We've got some catching up to do.

Here's an effort at due diligence on some things that went down during the summer.

The big money

A song lyric stats: Big money got no soul. In the following instance this is not the case.

Early in the summer we received notice that Naperville Central was ranked No. 1 in the country in 2013 for the girls volleyball program's Dig Pink fundraising effort. The Side-Out Foundation raises money for breast cancer research through this program.

Naperville Central was far and away the leader. According to Side-Out Foundation special projects coordinator Julie Matthews the Redhawks' Dig Pink fundraising totaled $36,400. An effort held in conjunction with Wheaton Warrenville South as Side-Out noted, that cache of cash exceeded the total of the next three programs combined. This year's Dig Pink Rally starts in October.

Brainiac spikers

In August, IC Catholic Prep girls volleyball coach Nancy D'Amore alerted us that the American Volleyball Coaches Association cited the Class 2A state champion Knights among 228 girls programs nationwide to receive the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2013-14 season. It is the 21st time IC has earned this honor in the 22 years the AVCA has awarded it.

The Knights were not alone. Glenbard South's girls also claimed the honor, as did the boys teams from Glenbard West and York. All had to have compiled a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4-point scale or 4.1 on a 5-point scale.

All-star Spartans

It was a big summer of impressive national and international performances for St. Francis volleyball players past and present.

Junior outside hitter Molly Haggerty made the United States Junior Women's National Team, for which St. Francis 2001 graduate Erin Virtue served as an assistant coach. At the NORCECA Under-20 Continental Championship in Guatemala the Americans took gold to qualify them into the 2015 World Championship in Turkey.

Jeff Jendryk, a 2014 St. Francis grad now playing for defending Division I champion Loyola, made the U.S. Men's Junior National Team. From July 28-Aug. 5 they competed at the NORCECA U-21 Continental Championship in El Salvador and took home the bronze after defeating Puerto Rico. Jendryk, a middle blocker on the U.S. squad, hasn't been playing the sport for much longer than three years.

Usual suspect Kelsay Robinson, a 2010 St. Francis graduate, started at outside hitter for the U.S. Women's National Team at the FIVB World Grand Prix, held in three locations: Turkey, Brazil and Thailand. The Americans finished 5-4 and in fifth in the conclusion of the preliminary round, but enter the FIVB World Championship ranked second behind Brazil. Robinson is on the 22-player preliminary roster for that event, aiming to be among the 14 women chosen.

Though he didn't attend St. Francis, Wheaton Warrenville South graduate and two-time Olympian Sean Rooney captained the Men's National Team that beat Brazil for gold at the FIVB World League finals in July.

Welcome aboard

At the risk of missing other locals hired to leadership positions, here are few ...

Former Naperville Central assistant football coach Chris VanDyke, who also was coach at IC Catholic in 2011, was named coach at Sandwich. He began his tenure with a 39-17 loss to Interstate Eight power Wilmington, no shame there.

Oswego athletic director Darren Howard, the former athletic director at IC Catholic, promoted Downers Grove South graduate Travis Carlisle to boys varsity soccer coach at Oswego. Carlisle had been a coach within Oswego's boys and girls programs for eight years.

Waubonsie Valley graduate Justin Walker was named Southern Illinois University men's basketball graduate assistant on Aug. 15. He was part of Waubonsie boys coach Chaz Taft's staff just this last season.

Big man, different campus

On Aug. 3-4, 6-foot-8 junior Barret Benson, Hinsdale South basketball star, attended the annual retreat of the Illinois High School Association Student Advisory Committee in Bloomington. He was among 15 student-athletes who addressed leadership, communication and sportsmanship and started preparations toward the third Student Leadership Conference in Peoria in September 2015. The last conference in 2013 drew nearly 700 students.

Cool in the pool

More recently a missive came in from Evanston High School, where Wildkits swim and water polo coach Kevin Auger compiled his girls swimming preseason rankings for teams and individuals.

Auger has 2013 state runner-up Downers Grove North, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley, the Addison Trail-Willowbrook co-op, Hinsdale Central, Metea Valley and Naperville North all in his top 20 teams. It's a group headed by Loyola, Rosary and Lake Forest with Downers North fourth and Naperville Central No. 7.

This list jibes with Daily Herald correspondent Neil Shalin's selections of Naperville Central, Neuqua, Downers North and Addison Trail-Willowbrook as his top teams in DuPage County.

Swimmers mentioned by both Shalin and Auger include Metea junior Amanda Burson, Neuqua Valley senior Natalie McGovern, Naperville Central junior Sydney Weeks, Addison Trail-Willowbrook senior Kelly McNamara and Downers North senior Gabrielle Serniute and sophomore Lindsay Mathys.

Both like their divers. Noted were Naperville Central senior Sophia Heiser and defending state champion Sydney Dusel, a junior; Hinsdale Central senior Margaret McCarthy; and Downers North sophomore twins Liz and Emily Aument.

Neil's full preview runs tomorrow.

Glove love

This last item doesn't necessarily pertain to high school athletes, but it could.

The Bulls/Sox Academy, headquartered in Lisle with other outlets in Glen Ellyn and LaGrange, is operating its fifth annual "Gift of Glove" campaign through Sept. 21. New and used baseball gloves will be donated to the Inner City Youth Baseball League in Chicago.

Each participant who donates a glove gets a voucher for 15 minutes of free hitting at one of the Bulls/Sox Academy locations. The individual who donates the most gloves, at each of the three locations, will win four tickets to the final White Sox regular season game on Sept. 28. Those lucky souls will also get to meet Sox center fielder Adam Eaton, provided he didn't just crash into an outfield wall, and receive an autographed bat.

Glove donors can check BullsSoxAcademy.com for glove drop-off hours and directions to each training facility .

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

Follow Dave on Twitter @doberhelman1