Glen Ellyn golf outing will benefit Smith foundation; 3 HOF classes named

The second annual John M. Smith Youth Sports Foundation outing will be held Sept. 27 at Village Links of Glen Ellyn.

Smith coached youth sports in Glen Ellyn since 1986. He passed away in 2019, and his sons decided to recruit people to play golf on what would have been his 73rd birthday.

What started as a few people turned into the idea of holding a golf outing. That turned into a fundraiser and then eventually the creation of the John M. Smith Youth Sports Foundation to raise money for young athletes.

Last year's golf outing, along with private donations, led to $40,000 raised in the past 12 months. The mission of the foundation is to empower young athletes to reach their potential in the sports they love.

Shortly after Smith's death his family was made aware that he would donate money to help athletes at Glenbard South who couldn't afford equipment. The purpose of the foundation is to continue his legacy and reach even more athletes that need financial assistance for sports fees, equipment or college scholarships in the Chicagoland area and beyond.

Anyone is welcome to play in the golf outing, to apply for funding or to donate to the foundation. More information can be found at the foundation's website at jmsyouthsportsfoundation.org.

Hall of Fame inductees:

Lake County: Eight new members will be inducted into the Lake County High School Athletic Hall of Fame during the 2020-2021 school year. With the exception of the Northern Illinois Official Association, the induction ceremony will occur at the inductee's home school at a date and time to be determined by the school.

This year's inductees are:

•Paul DeJong, Antioch: DeJong was an all-conference baseball player for the Sequoits. He went on to play at Illinois State where he was a two-time Academic Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference. After being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014, he was selected in the fourth round in 2015 by the St. Louis Cardinals. In July of 2017 we was selected the National League Rookie of the Month and was runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year. In 2019 he was selected to the MLB All-Star Game.

•Sean Wimer, Stevenson: Wimer was an IHSA swimming medalist and All-American water polo athlete for the Patriots. He went on to earn four letters at Loyola Marymount University in water polo. Wimer has been the head boys water polo coach at Stevenson since 2006. He has coached four teams to top four finishes in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2017 he led Stevenson to the state championship.

•TJ Edwards, Lakes: Edwards becomes the first athlete from Lakes to be inducted into the Lake County High School Hall of Fame. He was a three-sport athlete at Lakes who earned IHSFCA honorable mention all-state honors as a senior. Edwards went on to play linebacker at Wisconsin where he was selected all Big Ten, All-American and the MVP of the Cotton Bowl. Edwards currently is playing with the Philadelphia Eagles.

•Frank Giannamore, Mundelein: Giannamore was a teacher, guidance counselor, adviser and coach at Mundelein for 47 years. His tenure as a head football coach led him to be selected to the IHSFCA Hall of Fame in 2005. He also was selected to the IWCOA Hall of Fame in 2015 after serving 38 years as an assistant wrestling coach for the Mustangs.

•Shannon King, Waukegan: King ran track at Waukegan where he earned state championships in the long jump, high jump and triple jump. He went on to run at the University of Arkansas where he earned All-American honors for the Razorbacks.

•Sharah Dutcher, Waukegan: Dutcher was an all-state selection in volleyball for the Bulldogs. She went on to earn All-American honors at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

•Teri Rogers, Libertyville: Rogers participated in volleyball, basketball, and soccer at Libertyville. In 1985 she was named all-state. She went on to play basketball at Duke. After she graduated, she taught and coached freshman basketball at Niles North. She then moved to New Trier, where she has won 14 regionals, 8 sectionals, and 4 supersectionals. Her 2001 and 2015 teams took third in the state and her 2004 team was the state runner-up.

•Jerry Eiserman of McHenry will be the Northern Illinois Official Association selection to the Lake County Hall of Fame for his many years officiating high school sports and his contributions to the NOA. He will be recognized at the group's spring banquet.

Dundee-Crown: Dundee-Crown High School also announced its Hall of Fame class.

Bob Allen (1952) averaged 21.7 points per game for the 1952 basketball team. Amanda Lutzow (2008) was a four-year starter in volleyball who holds the Dundee-Crown record for kills, and serve and dig percentages. She played college volleyball at Eastern Carolina.

Christina Thornton (Kociszewski), a 2006 graduate, made the Fox Valley all-conference team for soccer three straight years. She went on to become Judson University's Female Athlete of the Year in 2009 and 2010, and also recently was selected to Judson's Hall of Fame. Mary Ziethen (Dix) graduated in 1981 and earned 11 varsity letters. When she graduated as Valedictorian she held school records for most points and rebounds. The 1985 wrestling team also was selected, a squad that won the FVC and finished fourth at the state tournament. Two members, Larry Kaifesh and Bob Carrigan, already are in the Hall of Fame.

Elgin: The Elgin Sports Hall of Fame recently announced its 2020 class. Marcus Howard and Marcus Smallwood, both 2000 Elgin graduates, were selected for basketball. John Lohbauer, an Elgin 1953 graduate, was selected for football, and 1969 Larkin graduate Rick You made it for baseball.