Baseball: Groot gets last regular-season game at Schaumburg
One of the most successful Mid-Suburban League baseball coaches is retiring from coaching.
Paul Groot, who completed his career as Schaumburg's varsity baseball coach four years ago with a record of 611-303, is retiring after 38 years in the business.
He coached baseball two years at the collegiate level and then 32 years at Schaumburg, including 20 as the head coach.
The last four years he has served as pitching coach for the Lake Park High School varsity squad.
Coincidentally, Groot's last regular-season game will be at Schaumburg this Saturday when the Lancers visit for an 11 a.m. first pitch.
"I'm going to miss it," said Groot, who worked at Schaumburg High School since 1980 and retired in 2012 as the head of the health department. "I love being around the kids and around the game."
Groot has worked under Dan Colucci at Lake Park.
"He said I could stay around as long as I wanted," Groot said. "He's been tremendous to me."
Groot had a tremendous tenure as the Schaumburg coach, winning the state title with the Saxons in 1997, finishing second in 1989 and earning another Elite Eight trip in 2005.
Men's track
• Carthage senior Dan Hoffman (Prospect) earned all-conference status in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin meet by being part of the 4x100 relay that took second place and the 4x400 relay that was third.
• Carthage junior Kendric Cornelius (Palatine) turned in the top two championship performances for the Red Men at the CCIW outdoor conference meet, taking first in the 100 meter dash (11.03 seconds) and 200 meter dash (22.06].
He was named the CCIW track athlete of the meet for his two first-place finishes.
Carthage senior Mark Balmes (Hersey) took second in the discus as the Red Men placed third in the team standings.
Berigan to Carthage
Hersey all-area center Maggie Berigan has committed to Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis.
As a 6-foot center, Berigan was a key figure for the Huskies coach Mary Fendley last winter.
"Maggie was a difference-maker, on and off the court, this year," Fendley said after the season. "She created a climate of camaraderie and trust that carried on throughout the season."
Berigan averaged 9.2 points, 6.2 rebounds along with 50 assists.
"Our team had great chemistry, and that is because of Maggie's leadership," Fendley added. "Her points and rebounds will be missed next year."
The beneficiary will be Carthage, a school Berigan chose for many reasons. But a big part was its elementary and special education programs.
"I've always liked working with young kids and this year I have had the opportunity to work as a teacher aide in a career life skills class at Hersey," Berigan said. "Working in that class has helped reinforce an earlier belief that this is something I would like to do in the future and is also a fun way to end my day because all of the students I work with are amazing people."
On the basketball court, Berigan averaged 9 points and 6.2 rebounds while handing out 50 assists for coach Mary Fendley's Huskies this winter.
"Basketball also played a large part in my decision," Berigan added. "Talking with coach (Tim) Bernero and meeting the team really sold me that Carthage was for me," she said. "The team has such a good dynamic and are all very close which was something I was really looking for. Coach Bernero also has a style of coaching that I enjoy and I know he will be able to help me grow as a player."
Berigan will join former Hersey standout Morgan Harris, who will be a junior for Carthage. She suffered a season-ending knee injury late last season but was still a unanimous All-CCIW first team selection and an All-Central Region second-team selection.
"I'm very excited to start at Carthage in the fall," Berigan added. "I'm lucky to call it home for the next four years."
LaTulip to Wright State
Prospect's all-time leading scorer Mike LaTulip is transferring from Illinois to Wright State, according to the Champaign News-Gazette.
LaTulip scored 1,484 points at Prospect, averaging 22 points, 4 assist and 2.7 rebounds as a senior for coach John Carmadella.
In the News-Gazette, LaTulip said one of Wright State's selling points was the need for a player with experience.
The Raiders graduated five seniors from their 2015-16 team and, including LaTulip, currently have just six scholarship upperclassmen for 2016-17.
LaTulip feels he can bring that experience and contribute at Wright State, which went 22-13 last season.
Latulip, a 6-foot-1 shooting guard. spent part of his four-year Illinois career on scholarship, appearing in 44 games, shooting 37 percent from three-point range and averaging 1.3 points.
The story said summer classes at Wright State and the next stage of LaTulip's college career, which begins June 20.
"It's crazy to think about, honestly," he told the News-Gazette. "I feel like I've spent 10 years at Illinois, but at the same time it feels like it's gone by fast. I wouldn't have this opportunity if it wasn't for my experience at Illinois and everything being at that place has taught me and how much I've grown as a person.
"I can't thank the Illini basketball program and the Illini family enough for all the support they've given me. I know deep down, no matter where I'm at, I'll always have those Illini roots."
Women's track
Illinois State's Morgan Keller (Rolling Meadows) finished second in the women's shot put with a personal-best mark of 15.56m (51-00.75) to earn Missouri Valley all-conference honors.
Softball
Carthage freshman first baseman Hailey Rothstein (Conant) and junior catcher Kristen Herdegen (Fremd) were named to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin all-conference first team.
Rothstein was named newcomer of the year in the CCIW.
Rothstein finished second on the team with 7 home runs. She led the team with 41 RBI and a .603 slugging percentage. Her 41 RBI on the season tied for the Carthage College single-season record with Alyssa Schrader, who accomplished that feat in 2012.
Rothstein's RBI total also led all CCIW softball players. She tied for the team lead with 14 walks.
Herdegen finished second on the team, and eighth in the CCIW with a .364 batting average (47-for-129). She added 4 home runs, 11 doubles and 23 RBI.
Her 47 hits on the season ranked third in the CCIW. Her 231 putouts from the catcher position was good enough for fourth in the conference.
• Illinois Wesleyan freshman second baseman Julie Josten (Fremd) leads the Titans in home runs (8), doubles (13) and slugging percentage (.615) and was a second team CCIW all-conference selection. The Titans won the CCIW regular season championship with an 11-3 record.
No. 18th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan (33-10) won its own regional and Josten belted 2 homers, including one in the 3-0 championship game over DePauw University.
Josten was selected to the all-regional team.
• North Central senior pitcher Andrea Starr (Elk Grove) was named to the CCIW all-conference second team. She appeared in 30 games and started 24, finishing with a 13-13 recor and 2.68 ERA (fifth in the CCIW).
Her 167.1 innings pitched are second most in the CCIW). She has thrown 20 complete games and leads the CCIW with 3 saves.
She finished with a .276 batting average in 116 at-bats, recording 32 hits and 7 doubles.
Starr shared the team lead in home runs (6) and collected 21 RBI.
Women's lacrosse
Illinois Wesleyan's Dani Englebreit (Conant) has 20 goals, 7 assists, 50 ground balls and 35 draw controls for the 15-4 Titans. She was named second team all-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin.
• Carthage freshman Griegh Hoeft (Conant) has 7 goals for the 10-6 Lady Reds.
Baseball
Concordia-Chicago sophomore outfielder Joe Silva (Hersey) was named position player of the year in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
Silva was the league leader in on-base percentage (.506), slugging percentage (.580), stolen bases (22) and was walked 27 times, also tops in the NACC. The sophomore outfielder's .399 batting average and 40 runs scored were second in the conference.
He ranked in the top 10 in hits (55), doubles (12), triples (2) and home runs (3). It is his first appearance on the All-NACC first team after a second-team selection his rookie year.
Academic award
Former Barrington softball standout Raegan Fingerman was awarded the 2015-2016 Athletics award certificate of academic achievement by Wisconsin-Parkside with a grade-point average of 3.5. Fingerman also made the dean's list.
Women's soccer
Prospect graduate Rosie Pettenuzzo, a sophomore in college, is transferring from Central Michigan to Illinois Wesleyan. Pettenuzzo led the Sockers FC Chicago ENCL Team to a Midwest Regional League Championship in 2010 and a US Club Regional Championships in 2010 and 2011.
A former all-area player, she was a two-time MVP at Prospect and awarded the Illinois Coaches Association first team all-sectional in 2013 and 2014.
Women's volleyball
Leyden senior Emily Steininger has committed to play volleyball at Illinois Wesleyan.
Men's soccer
St. Viator senior Patrick Hickey (Des Plaines) and Barrington senior Hans Pallan have committed to Illinois Wesleyan.
Football
Maine West senior defensive lineman Juan Bahena, Lakes offensive lineman Colin Orchard, Wheeling senior offensive lineman Wulfgang Rankenburg, Lake Zurich senior offensive lineman Samuel Soto, Hersey senior linebacker Grant Warner, Lake Zurich senior defensive lineman Nic Zanichelli and Wheeling senior defensive back Charlie Zettek have committed to Illinois Wesleyan. Hersey graduate Mike Messer (a tight end) is transferring from Hope College to Illinois Wesleyan.
Boys lacrosse
Schaumburg's boys lacrosse team is 16-2 and ranked 12th in the state.
Seniors Tyler Klima and William Murphy along with juniors Matt Eaker and Michael Anzelmo were named Mid-Suburban League first team all-conference. Senior Sean Yakes, junior Austin Anzelmo and junior Kevin Kubinski were named to the second team while senior Anthony Haaland was honorable mention.
Rugby
The Stallions Rugby Club completed its 2016 season with a 4-2 record and qualified for the state championship playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
In Saturday's final regular-season game, the Stallions defeated the Waubonsie Chiefs 35-14 in Naperville.
The outside backs dominated play with six tries from Willis Goodwin (Rolling Meadows HS), Rory Hayes (Maine South HS) and Matt Conley (Buffalo Grove HS).
Despite the scoring from mostly underclassmen, coach Paul Bergman said the leadership of the club's seniors, Jon Toriumi (Buffalo Grove HS) and Spencer Krueger (Hersey), has propelled the club into the playoffs,
"Jon and Spencer have been absolute rocks for us all season," Bergman said. "They never miss a tackle, are always in the middle of our attack and have handled the pressure of a difficult schedule very professionally."
The Stallions travel to Mt. Carmel (Chicago) on Thursday for their first-round playoff game.
• Please email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com.