Libertyville's Kuceyeski earns spot in football coaches' hall of fame

Randy Kuceyeski, who coached and taught at Libertyville for 34 years, was honored at a luncheon last Saturday in Champaign for his selection into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

From 1994-2012, Kuceyeski served as the Wildcats football head coach and finished with a 133-58 record. In 2003, the Wildcats finished second in the state and won the state crown in 2004.

Brainerd history

For many years, the Jackson Gym at Brainerd School served as the home site for the Libertyville High School varsity volleyball matches.

Located a few blocks north of the current high school, the gym was built in 1929 and was used by Libertyville High School for physical education and athletics over the years until 2003.

Today, in concert with the Wildcats' boys volleyball match against Maine South, a piece of the historic gym will be unveiled at Libertyville High School.

The "piece" of history will be displayed at the Libertyville High School West Gym to commemorate the history of the Brainerd-Jackson Gym.

Men's track

Libertyville's Ethan Fowkes has made a commitment to Olivet Nazarene University.

• North Central junior Nick Foley (Vernon Hills) was named to the Academic All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) list for the 2015-16 indoor track and field season.

Foley is a three-time Academic All-CCIW honoree and finished the indoor season with a season best of 14 feet, 7.50 inches in pole vault and a fifth-place finish at the CCIW Indoor Championships.

Men's tennis

Carthage senior Ryan Jump (Mundelein) was named men's tennis player of the week in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Jump went 10-0 during the Red Men's spring trip to Orlando, Fla.

He was 5-0 (all two-set wins) at No. 2 singles and 5-0 at No. 2 doubles with Alex Boomgarden as his partner.

Women's softball

Drake junior outfielder Megan Sowa was named softball player of the week for the Missouri Valley Conference. College Sports Madness also named her as its national field player of the week.

Sowa capped the week with an outstanding three-game stretch against Indiana State as the team went 4-1. For the week, Sowa batted .556 (10-of-18) with 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 10 runs scored, 14 RBI along with 1.333 slugging and .579 on-base percentages.

She went 3-for-3 in the first game against Indiana State with 2 doubles, 5 RBI and 2 runs.

Sowa followed that with a career-game belting with 3 home runs, including a grand slam, along with 4 runs and a career-high 7 RBI.

In the final game, she went 2-for-3 with another home run and 2 RBI.

All three wins over Indiana State lasted just five innings.

For the season, Sowa is batting .322 with 5 home runs and a team-leading 26 RBI.

Men's tennis

Carthage sophomore Max Mella (Warren) was named women's tennis player of the week in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin. Mella went 4-1 at No. 1 singles and 3-2 at No. 1 doubles as the Lady Reds went 4-1 during their spring trip to Orlando, Fla.

Baseball

Trinity International junior shortstop Jeff Lindberg (Wauconda) was named the Chicago Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week.

Over four games, Lindberg hit for a .643 average, as the Trojans went 2-2 in a pair of doubleheaders against Indiana-South Bend and Judson.

He had two or more base hits in three games, including a career-high four hits in Trinity's 15-7 win over the Titans.

The Player of the Week honor is the first career award for Lindberg, and the second for the Trojans as a team this season.

Cole Berg recognized

Grant linebacker Cole Berg has been selected as a member of Team Stars & Stripes, a squad of high school football players who are traveling to the Czech Republic and Germany where they will play against a local team, the GHS (German High School) hawks in the city of Hanau on April 9.

The Global Ambassador Bowl is an annual event for graduating high school seniors, which has been played previously in Japan and Europe.

Women's lacrosse

Augustana senior Emily Handrahan (Lake Zurich) leads the team with Vikings (9-1) with 28 assists to go along with 23 goals for a team-high 51 points.

Teammate and junior Olivia Mayer (Libertyville), who has scored 4 goals in each of the last three games, is second on the team with 24 goals despite missing the first two matches while wrapping up the basketball season.

Men's golf

Augustana junior Eric Swanson (Vernon Hills) is averaging a score of 78.2 through ten events this spring. He has recorded one top-five finish and he shares the team's lowest single round with a 72.

Baseball

Former Barrington baseball standout John Trautwein, who graduated from Northwestern in 1984, will be at the Wildcats' baseball game against Michigan on Sunday, April 3 in Evanston.

Trautwein will celebrate his 'Will to Live' Foundation Day to raise awareness of teenage suicide and its prevention.

"As part of our giving back program, the senior players have chosen the Will To Live Foundation as this year's charity," said Northwestern baseball coach Spencer Allen. "We are very excited to be hosting "Will To Live Day" at our beautiful new park."

The game begins at 1 p.m.

Trautwein is the founder of the program. He was a co-captain of Northwestern's 1984 team that finished second in the Big Ten to Michigan. He will be on hand to address the teams and spread the Life Teammates message at his alma mater.

Trautwein, who has kept extremely close ties to his teammates at Northwestern, is excited to be a part of this fun event.

"Northwestern baseball has been a huge source of inspiration for the Will To Live's 'Life Teammates' message," he said. "So many of my great friends from my Northwestern Days will be on hand for a fun weekend of baseball, friendship and hope.

"These 'life teammates' of mine were instrumental in helping shape the foundation's vision of getting the teens and young adults of today to recognize the true love they already have in their friends and teammates.

"Thus, having a 'Will To Live Day' at Northwestern is quite special for me, my family and all the kids of 'Will To Live.' "

• Please email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com.