Amazing the accomplishments of these college kids this season
We continue where we left off May 28 - DuPage athletes who achieved on college athletic fields this spring.
Let's start with something unique. Naperville North graduate Maggie Collins, a former captain of the Huskies' girls lacrosse team at low defense her senior season in 2009, played at Illinois then after graduating moved to Dublin, Ireland to continue studies. She recently finished the second of four years studying veterinary medicine at University College in Dublin.
A converted goaltender who started playing in eighth-grade, at midfield for the university's club team last fall Collins helped her side win the Newtownward's Cup, and place second this spring. At the end of the season she was voted Dublin's most valuable player. Selected for Ireland's National Women's Lacrosse Team in the World Home Internationals (Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales) in March in Edinburgh, Scotland, she was named player of the game against England.
The Irish national team will play in the European Championships this summer, but Collins is shadowing veterinarians stateside and abroad to gain credits for graduation. "This fall I will officially gain eligibility to try out, and will hopefully be joining them in the World Championships in Guildford, England, in 2017," she said.
Speaking (sort of) of Naperville North girls lacrosse, on Monday Danielle Fiala was named North Central College's head women's lacrosse coach. Coming over from Wartburg College, where she started that program, Fiala played four seasons at North Central, where she's the program's career scoring leader.
Three times over the course of her season Michigan junior Julia Campbell (Naperville Central) earned Collegiate Water Polo Association Women's Varsity Division I/II defensive player of the week. Taking over as the Wolverines' starting goalkeeper, Campbell went 15-2 in 22 games played with 15 starts. She recorded a 6.50 goals-against average and .545 save percentage. She concluded her year as an Academic All-Big Ten selection along with her teammate at Michigan and Naperville Central, Emily Sejna.
A second-team selection to the Heartland Division women's water polo squad, senior Madeline Troy (Naperville North) was on the Knox College team that reached the division championship. Knox lost to Washington University but Troy went out in style with the last goal of the game.
Augustana sophomore golfer Tanner Obal (York) led the men's squad with four top-10 finishes this spring. He was one of three Vikings to play in all 12 events and 22 rounds.
Augustana media guru Dave Wrath must never sleep, effusive with news. Like softball player Laura Behnke (St. Francis) earning her school's Jack Swartz Award this spring by the College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin. The four-year starting left fielder got the scholar-athlete award combining a 3.63 grade-point average in accounting and finance with softball achievements including Augie career marks in triples, walks and top-10 mention in six other offensive categories.
Behnke was co-MVP with Chelsea Lavin (Downers Grove South). The senior center fielder hit .330 with a .928 fielding percentage.
Dartmouth freshman pitcher Patrick Peterson (Benet) earned first-team All-Ivy League honors as a closer. He posted a win or a save in 10 of his 13 appearances, going 4-0 with 6 saves and 24 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. On Wednesday it was announced that the 6-foot right-hander was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Baseball Team."
North Central College junior pitcher Bryan Polowy (Glenbard North) was the Cardinals' first CCIW pitcher of the year since the award debuted in 1996. The Central Region pitcher of the year by D3baseball.com and Rawlings with All-America mention by both, the 6-foot right-hander went 5-0 in league play and 8-1 overall, with 5 complete games and 2 shutouts. Polowy's 1.09 earned run average broke a program record that stood 41 years.
Joining Polowy on the CCIW first team were: North Central teammates Joe Paparone (York) and Jake Rone (Downers South); Wheaton College sophomores Johnny Peltz (Wheaton North) and John Schmitz (Wheaton Academy); and Illinois Wesleyan sophomore catcher Pat Mollo.
No fooling, on April 1 Western Illinois' shortstop Sammy Marshall (Naperville North) was selected by the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch, with the third pick of the fourth round of the 2015 Senior Draft. It was part of a marvelous senior campaign. Western Illinois' female athlete of the year and first-team all-Summit League, this season Marshall set Leathernecks records for hits and runs scored and set school and league career records with a .456 batting average. She hit safely in 23 straight games and hit her fourth career inside-the-park home run.
Haverford (Pennsylvania) senior infielder Dayle Comerford (Glenbard West) earned first-team Centennial Conference honors with team highs of a .417 batting average and 29 runs batted in. Racking up a 3.71 grade-point average in psychology, she earned Academic All-District and, on May 12, won Haverford's Stephen G. Cary Award for on- and off-field impact.
Other Academic All-District softball players included: Purdue junior pitcher Lily Fecho (Glenbard North), who set program records with 19 strikeouts in a game and 295 in a season while notching a 3.75 GPA in math; DePaul senior Mary Connolly (West Chicago), who led the Big East in pitching victories at 15 while finishing her career in the Blue Demons' top five in home runs, RBI, slugging, walks and total bases plus a season record with an .870 slugging percentage.
Also: senior Hannah Granger (Wheaton Warrenville South), who led Minnesota with 8 game-winning RBI while compiling a 3.60 GPA in elementary education; and Elmhurst College senior outfielder Meg Griffin (Naperville Central), with a 3.95 GPA in nursing. She owns the Bluejays' records for all-time hits and at-bats.
Griffin had two Elmhurst teammates make the CCIW all-conference softball team: senior second baseman Bella Masini (Naperville North) and sophomore third baseman Alyssa Jasinski (Glenbard North).
A pair of Illinois Wesleyan track athletes and former Glenbard East Rams earned All-America honors at the Division III women's track championships. Junior Nia Joiner placed fifth in the 100-meter dash and ran anchor on a fifth-place 1,600 relay. Sophomore Jamie Gradishar placed third in pole vault at 12 feet, 7½ inches.
Also at that meet, Washington University's Rebecca Ridderhoff (Downers Grove North) ran the third leg of a third-place 1,600 relay. Earlier, at the University Athletic Association meet, the sophomore led off a school-record 400 relay and a conference-record 1,600 relay.
Continuing her string of similar honors, Illinois State redshirt junior distance runner Kelly McShea (St. Francis) was among 10 athletes to earn the Missouri Valley Conference's Leadership and Service award for this spring semester. Holding a 3.73 grade-point average in elementary education, the six-time honor roll selection participates in an array of community service activities while also serving as president of ISU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Saturday at the Division I Outdoor West Preliminary in Austin, Texas, Illinois State sophomore Jalen Lewis (Downers Grove South) ran the third leg of a 1,600-meter relay that set a school record of 3 minutes, 6.51 seconds.
At the Missouri Valley Conference men's outdoor track championship, Drake senior Jeff Foreman (West Chicago) placed sixth in decathlon. A prep high jumper and hurdler, Foreman won the former event and finished third in the latter - and also won the 1,500 run.
At that same meet Northern Iowa sophomore Shawn Koch (Lake Park) skipped 52 feet, 1¾ inches to place second and earn his second all-conference honor in triple jump. The day before Koch went 25 feet in long jump, second in the MVC and second all-time at UNI.
Augustana senior Antonio Owens (Naperville North) ran on a 400-meter relay at the Division III meet that set a school record of 40.87 seconds. At the CCIW meet, North Central freshman Daniel Spaccapaniccia (Naperville Central) helped win the 1,600 relay title.
This just in (actually, May 20): Kasey Reaber (Montini) earned MVP honors for Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball. The senior was second on the team at 13.3 points a game and led the Titans in rebounds at 5.8 and assists at 4.0. She finished 17th in school history in career assists.
In another winter sport with spring awards, Augustana wrestler Connor Cummings (Downers North), a four-year letterman, improved on his two-time "Hardest Worker" honors to reap the 2014-15 season's Sacrifice Award. He finished third in the CCIW at 165 pounds.
Helping Augustana's women's lacrosse team to the CCIW regular-season and tournament titles, defender Bridget Conniff (Benet) earned first-team honors in the CCIW and the Great Lakes Region. A senior co-captain and inaugural program member, she caused 14 turnovers, had 24 groundballs and keyed a defense that allowed only 6.78 goals a game for 19-2 Augie. Senior teammate and defender Nattali Shelton (Wheaton Warrenville South) also made the CCIW first team.
Nazareth College (New York) junior outside hitter Tim Zyburt (WW South) was named first-team Division III All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. A second-team pick in 2013, the 6-6, 195-pounder drilled 395 kills with 155 digs. He finished the season 10th among Nazareth's all-time digs leaders and fifth in kills at 1,015 - destined for the kills record in 2016, needing 291.
Two former Neuqua Valley volleyball players who are now teammates at Carthage College - senior outside hitter Jon Storm and sophomore right-side Griffin Shields - each were first-team All-Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League picks. A third former Wildcat was as well, Dominican setter Alex Coyne, plus Milwaukee School of Engineering setter Quin Krisic (Lake Park), who was named the league's freshman of the year. Shields, Coyne and Krisic each were second-team picks to the AVCA Division III second-team All-America squad.
At Millikin's first Big Blue Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony on May 3 in Decatur, junior volleyball player Geena Mancuso (Waubonsie Valley) won the female athletes' Big Blue Award for effort and going "above and beyond" supporting teammates. The male Newcomer of the Year Award went to soccer and track freshman Paul Selman (Glenbard West) - who, like Millikin's Jasharra Clark (Glenbard West) on the women's side, won the 100 and 200 dashes at the CCIW meet.
Perhaps too great an achievement for this space: Recent Washington University graduate Kendall Gretsch (Downers North), a member of the Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club Elite Team, won her division title in Monterrey, Mexico, on April 31, and again at the Paratriathlon Natonal Championship in Austin, Texas, on May 25. The 2014 National and World champion in her field, Gretsch is the 2015 USA Triathlon paratriathlete of the year.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com
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