Lythberg's legend grows at Winona State

Mid-Suburban League softball fans will remember some dominant pitching performances from Hanna Lythberg while she was a student-athlete at Prospect High School.

Now a senior at Winona State, she hasn't lost her touch.

The hard-throwing right-hander was recently named pitcher of the week in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for the second time this season.

Lythberg's big week was highlighted by her second no-hitter of the season in a 2-0, eight-inning win over Southwest Minnesota State.

It was the first no-hitter in Winona State history to be accomplished in extra innings, and the 19th overall.

Lythberg, just the third Warrior to toss multiple no-hitters in a career, nearly had a perfect game.

Only a hit batter with two outs in the seventh inning stood between her and perfection.

Lythberg finished the no-hitter with a season-high 10 strikeouts to improve her record to 17-9.

She was also impressive in her two other starts. One was a five-inning complete game win in an 11-1 victory over Augustana where she allowed just 4 hits with no earned runs. She also gave up just 1 run on 4 hits in a 1-0 loss at Sioux Falls.

Tennis

Former Schaumburg and Judson University tennis standout Irsiz Balase is tennis professional for Peter Burwash International, an international tennis management company.

For 41 years, the company has excelled in using easy to grasp teaching concepts, service, and professionalism for tennis enthusiasts of all levels at 50 resorts and clubs all over the world.

Walker power

Last year, Schaumburg catcher Elaine Walker tied the single-season state record for home runs with 24 as the Saxons went 31-2.

She is still hitting homers at Aurora University where she has seven for the 30-10 Spartans.

Batting cleanup, the freshman catcher is hitting a team-high .492 with a team-high 64 hits.

The 2015 Daily Herald all-area honorary captain also has 36 RBI, 11 doubles and 2 triples for the Spartans, who have clinched a berth in the NCAA tourney.

Krzysko power

Arkansas redshirt sophomore Loren Krzysko (Barrington) hit her first career home run (a 3-run blast to left center field) on Saturday in a 5-4 loss to nationally-ranked LSU.

The Southeastern Conferecne game was televised on ESPNU and played in front of 1,262 fans at Bogle Park, the second-largest home crowd in Razorbacks' history

Loren wears No. 12, the same number her sister Rachel, a junior, sports for Barrington this spring.

Baseball

Concordia-Chicago University sophomore outfielder Joe Silva (Hersey) was named athlete of the week for the second consecutive week.

He batted .579 (11-19) and is hitting .383 for the season, leading the team in runs, stolen bases, walks and on-base percentage. Concordia is currently ranked No. 14 nationally, with a 26-8 overall record.

Silva, a secondary education major, scored 7 runs in CUC's 5 games, and his home run in Game 1 against Rockford University opened the scoring as the Cougars earned an important 8-2 victory.

He is batting .383 over 33 games with 5 runs scored, and he leads the team in stolen bases with 21 in 26 attempts.

Women's golf

• Illinois State sophomore Kiley Walsh was voted a first team All-Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete.

Walsh, who was also an All-MVC performer on the links, currently sports a 3.91 grade-point average in the classroom as a Spanish major. She is also a member of the honor roll at Illinois State.

During the year, Walsh averaged a 75.0 over 27 rounds, shot even par or below par six times and never shot above 80 while capturing four top-15 finishes, including a pair in the top-four.

• Bradley senior Allison Walsh (Prospect) and Illinois State sophomore Ally Scaccia (Prospect) earned honorable mention on the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete team.

Scaccia ranked second on her team and 12th in the MVC with a 76.74 stroke average in 2015-16.

She missed earning All-Valley honors by one stroke at the MVC Championship, where she placed sixth to earn one of her three top-10 finishes of 2015-16.

One of four players in school history with 19 or more sub-80 rounds in two different seasons, Scaccia finished second at the season-opening Redbird Invitational.

An international business major with a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average, Scaccia had a 76.50 stroke average during the fall and her season average of 76.74 is 11th among Bradley season marks.

She matched a career-best with a two-under 70 in the second round of the MVC Championship and her career average of 77.32 ranks third in Bradley history.

Allison Walsh earned honorable mention MVC Scholar-Athlete honors for the third consecutive year.

She was fifth on the squad with a 79.91 stroke average and placed in the top 10 in two events. Walsh wrapped up her Bradley career with a 76 in the final round of the MVC Championship, tying for 36th in the field.

Among Bradley's career top 10 in rounds played, Walsh is eighth all-time with 103 rounds in her career and finished her career tied for eighth with 46 career sub-80 rounds. In addition she is 18th all-time on The Hilltop with an 80.64 career stroke average. A studio art major, Walsh owns a 3.97 cumulative grade-point average.

Chris Macahon fundraiser

Palatine High School will be hosting a fundraiser on Wednesday for 2015 graduate Chris Macahon.

A three-year varsity starter in basketball and baseball and Senior 'Male Athlete of the Year' for 2015, Chris was recently diagnosed with colon cancer.

The fundraiser will take place at the Palatine High School varsity baseball field when the Pirates host Fremd.

The benefit will begin at 4:30 p.m. and run for the duration of the baseball game. For a $10 donation, supporters will receive a T-shirt, hamburger, chips, drink, and one small-prize raffle ticket. Contact Eric Millstone at emillstone@d211.org with any questions.

Zettek commits

Wheeling senior Charlie Zettek has committed to Illinois Wesleyan University to play football.

Zettek, a three-year starter, was the captain last fall for coach Brent Pearlman's Wildcats, earning all-conference and all-area honorable mention.

He helped lead the Wildcats to their first conference title (co-champs with Rolling Meadows) since 2008.

Zettek also played basketball and football all four years at Wheeling. He earned academic all-conference in both sports his senior year and was on the honor roll.

Ross to Millikin

Schaumburg senior Lexi Ross will play volleyball at Millikin University for the Big Blue head coach Debbie Kiick. Ross plans to major in athletic training at Millikin.

"Lexi is a tremendous athlete who competes with heart and determination," said Kiick in the school's news release. "She is quick, explosive, and powerful. I'm looking forward to watching her blossom as a collegiate athlete."

Ross earned three varsity letters in volleyball at Schaumburg where she was an all-area middle blocker for coach Jeanette Pancratz.

Despite standing 5-foot-6, she led the Mid Suburban League with 100 blocks as a senior. She moved into the state record book at fourth for blocks in a season and fifth for career blocks.

Ross led her team in attack efficiency and recorded 87 digs during her senior season.

Kiick just completed her 15th season coaching the Big Blue volleyball team. The Big Blue has won 20 or more matches in 13 of Kiick's 15 years.

Ambrose signs

Wheeling shortstop Christie Ambrose has singed a letter of intent to play softball at the University of Chicago. Ambrose is hitting nearly .400 for coach Mike Caringella's Wildcats.

Jarosz to Augustana

Prospect senior Bobby Jarosz, a multisport standout, will continuing his football career at Augustana.

Jarosz earned four varsity letters for coach Mike Sebestyen at Prospect.

This fall, the 5-foot-8 all-area running back rushed for 1,228 yards and 15 touchdowns on 210 carries.

On June 18, Jarosz will represent the West in the Illinois Shrine All-Star Game in Bloomington.

In addition to football, Jarosz was a four-year letter winner, a regional champion and a state qualifier in wrestling for coach Tom Whalen and has won two letters for coach Frank Mirandola in track and field.

Jarosz plans on majors in pre-law and political science. The Vikings have four NCAA Division III national championships and 21 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin titles.

Bacon to Hersey

Hoffman Estates High School head athletic trainer Enrique Bacon will become the head athletic trainer at Hersey on July 1.

Bacon is replacing Hal Hilmer, who is retiring from that position after 36 years of dedicated service to the school.

Hilmer was inducted into the Illinois Athletic Trainer Association Hall of Fame in 1997 and he is the former IATA president from 1994 to 1996.

Baseball

Augustana junior Nick Refka (Palatine) came out of the pen and set North Park down in order in the ninth to earn his fourth save in an 8-5 win for the Vikings.

Men's tennis

Augustana sophomore Eric Pohl (Fremd) and sophomore Samuel Trotten are 17-9 at No. 1 singles for the Vikings (13-10, 4-2), who have won five of their last six dual meets.

Augustana begins play in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament on Thursday in Wheaton.

Rugby

After suffering two consecutive lopsided defeats to state powerhouse programs Mt. Carmel and Neuqua Valley, the Arlington Stallions erupted with an 11-try victory over the visiting Canadian side Sarnia Collegiate Blue Bombers, 61-12, Sunday at the Busse Woods Forest Preserve. Eight of the tries were scored by three players.

Matt Conley (Buffalo Grove HS) and Alex Gountanis (Prospect) each had three while forward James Joyce (Hersey) added two.

Coach Paul Bergman said the result bodes well for his club as Rugby Illinois league play enters its final weeks leading into the playoffs.

"A few players getting healthy again and an uptick in our conditioning regimen allowed us to play at a pace more to our liking," Bergman said. "We will need that in a very important match at St. Rita Wednesday."

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