Clubhouse Chatter: What's the greatest feat you've seen at an athletic venue?
What our Sports staff has to say while waiting for the games to resume.
I'm giving a shout out to Batavia's Liza Fruendt on the night in 2014 she scored 51 points in a 75-68 win over an excellent Geneva team that eventually made it to the Class 4A state tournament. Fruendt put her team on her back against its archrival, hitting six 3-pointers, many from WNBA range, made 15 of 18 free throws, and scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to hold off Geneva's comeback.
- John Lemon
As far as something I witnessed in person, one that stands out was Stevenson running back Joel Dant churning up 335 yards on 20 carries against Wheeling in 1991. I think he had 200 yards by halftime. Wheeling won the game, though.
- Mike McGraw
I never covered more girls track than I did from 2012 to 2015, and I did so for one reason: Warren sprinter Brittny Ellis, who was long and graceful and whose stride was effortless. Her "Triple" in the 2015 Class 3A state meet at EIU was a perfect ending to a marvelous four-year varsity career. She closed with wins in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes, then headed to the University of Miami. Her classroom run was impressive, too. She scored a 33 on her ACT.
- Joe Aguilar
I saw Waubonsie Valley pitcher Mike Bowden, who graduated in 2005, throw a perfect game with 19 strikeouts against Lake Park. And, keep in mind, high school games are seven innings. He went on to be a first-round draft pick and pitched for the Red Sox and Cubs.
- Kevin Schmit
I've seen some amazing stuff. Geneva's Nate Navigato at the 2015 boys basketball Class 4A DeKalb sectional final. The awesome Lake Park shot put and discus throwers Dan Block and twins Jeremy and Jermaine Kline. East Aurora's Ryan Boatright. Dusty Bensko's 2 home runs to lead Pleasant Plains over Driscoll in the 2000 Class A baseball final. On and on. But it always comes back to Montini's Jordan Westerkamp catching 12 passes for 353 yards, 5 touchdowns, and Joliet Catholic's Ty Isaac rushing for 515 yards, 6 touchdowns in Montini's 70-45 victory at the 2011 Class 5A football championship.
- Dave Oberhelman
An unorthodox choice here, but I'm going with our son's unlikely comeback victory in a Little League championship game nine years ago. Down 14-9 in the bottom of the sixth - and final - inning, this group of third- and fourth-graders scored 6 runs despite the best hitter popping up to begin the frame. The last batter in the lineup - a kid who had 3 hits all season - grounded in a run that made it 14-13. Then our leadoff hitter singled to left to end it. Every kid contributed, which was a really neat way for a season to come to an end.
- John Dietz