Morton Grove Champion

Connecting comes naturally for hard-hitting Reichert

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:59:21 -0500

CHICAGO — Kristin Reichert rarely has days like the one she endured last week in a loss to St. Ignatius at Illinois-Chicago. The Niles North senior struck out twice, chasing bad pitches both times, grounded out on a slow roller up the middle and lined out to shortstop to finish 0-for-4. But part of what makes Reichert a special player, according to Vikings coach Karin Wick, is her ability to shake off subpar games. “She’s a rock,” Wick said. “Every at-bat is a new at-bat, a new opportunity. She doesn’t let things bother her. “She has an amazing presence out …

College roundup: Epifanio named to all-region team

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:12:02 -0500

Maine South alumna Emily Epifanio, a senior catcher on the Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team, was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region first team. Epifanio started 37 of the team’s 39 games and hit .382 with a .488 on-base percentage and a .588 slugging percentage. She finished her career with 27 home runs, the third most in program history. She also received Whitewater’s Position Player of the Week honor on April 29 after an impressive six-game stretch: The Park Ridge native hit .467 (7-for-15) and helped the Warhawks to a 5-1 record. Trinity alumnae Mimi Ramirez and Laura …

New Trier captures state title in 4x800 relay, Schmidt wins pole vault

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:24:09 -0500

CHARLESTON — Saturday’s Class 3A girls track and field state final was full of firsts for New Trier’s 4x800-meter relay. It was the first time this season that senior all-state runners Courtney Ackerman and Jessica Ackerman had run on the same 4x800 relay. Courtney Ackerman decided she felt healthy enough after Friday’s state preliminaries to run in two races on Saturday. She joined her twin sister, sophomore Mimi Smith and senior Kathleen Keene on the relay. The Trevians reaped the benefits of that decision en route to winning a state title. Jessica Ackerman, running the relay’s third leg, rocketed from …

English starts out strong at state meet

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:50:08 -0500

Evanston junior Parker English qualified for the Class 3A girls track and field state finals in all four of her events and shined in her two races Friday, posting the fastest time in the 400-meter run and the second-fastest time in the 200. She also advanced to the finals in the long jump and the 4x100 relay. Parker won her heat of the 400 in 54.80 seconds at O’Brien Stadium in Charleston. Payton senior Cameron Pettigrew had the second fastest time, finishing in 55.14. In the 200, English won her heat in 24.51. Lincoln-Way East senior Aaliyah Brown (24.28) was …

May 17 high school sports scoreboard

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:32:21 -0500

Sports scores from around the area Friday.

Evanston-Glenbrook South finish one-two at sectional

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:12:01 -0500

SKOKIE — A strong meet ended on a bit of a sour note for Glenbrook South at Thursday’s Class 3A Niles West boys track and field sectional. The Titans had expected to qualify in the 4x400-meter relay, the meet’s final event, and thought they had with a second-place finish. However, a judge ruled a Glenbrook South runner had run out of bounds. The group, three of whom were members of last year’s relay that finished seventh in the state, was disqualified. “That’s a downer because we had a great meet,” Glenbrook South coach Kurt Hasenstein said. “That’s a relay that …

May 16 high school sports scoreboard

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:26:06 -0500

Sports scores from around the area Thursday.

Girls track & field state preview: Simon sisters both advance

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:34:39 -0500

WILMETTE — One of the indelible images from the Class 3A Loyola girls track and field sectional was the embrace between twins Sunshine and Sunbright Simon on the infield after the 300-meter hurdles. The seniors had just finished first and second in the race on May 9, qualifying for this weekend’s state meet in Charleston. Sunshine Simon, who qualified in three other events, will be competing at her second straight state meet. However, her sister was injured last year, and will be making her first trip, which was one of the reasons for the emotional celebration. “I’m so proud of …

Boys gymnastics state notebook: Jamiyankhuu proves quick learner

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:24:00 -0500

FRANKFORT — Many boys gymnasts enter the state meet armed with routines they’ve done throughout the season. Dalai Jamiyankhuu didn’t have that luxury on pommel horse. The Niles West freshman said he has had four different pommel horse routines this year because he was searching for one which both satisfied all of the IHSA’s element groups and was a proper length. “I didn’t have to change a lot, but I had to do some extra skills to make up some requirements,” Jamiyankhuu said. “But (I also had to) take out some stuff that I wasn’t required to do. ... Some …

Demons feature strong midfield core

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:46:29 -0500

Although it was a struggle this season on the soccer pitch for the Maine East girls, optimism abounds amongst players and coaches when looking to the future. Only four of the 19 players on this year’s roster are slated to graduate so a bevy of experienced players are scheduled to return. “It’s exciting. It shows that the program continues to build and grow,” Maine East coach Julie Dickinson said. “The girls have definitely improved during the year.” Maine East (3-12-1) received the No. 15 seed in the Class 3A New Trier Sectional and was to play the second-seeded Trevians on …

St. Ignatius does just enough to drop Niles North

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:28:41 -0500

CHICAGO — Allison Heraty has come to expect games like the one St. Ignatius won Wednesday at Illinois-Chicago. The Wolfpack coach saw her team fail to drive in a run with a hit in its 4-1 victory over Niles North. Two were scored on errors, one on a walk and another on a fielder’s choice. That was enough for junior Maura Lynch, who pitched five innings for the win at home. “We put the ball in play on offense, and we don’t strike out that much,” Heraty said. “We are able to move people around that way and get our …

May 15 high school sports scoreboard

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:25:22 -0500

Sports scores from around the area Wednesday.

Elfant ties for second on vault

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:08:16 -0500

FRANKFORT — Glenbrook North gymnast Nate Elfant had never reached the state finals in any event before this year. But Elfant, a senior, added a second-place medal on vault Saturday to the fifth-place finish in the all-around he earned the evening before. Elfant secured the No. 1 seed on vault at Saturday afternoon’s preliminaries, and was finally able to relax after finishing in a tie for second on vault. Mundelein junior Cameron Mueller and Hersey junior Matt Swanson both matched Elfant’s 9.3 on vault. “Yeah, I’m happy with that,” said Elfant, of his performance on vault. “I did my best. …

Lyons sophomore Lin storms to state singles championship

Sat, 11 May 2013 22:12:01 -0500

The badminton state finals in Charleston saw plenty of surprises on Saturday and many of the biggest were sprung by Stephanie Lin. Lin, a Lyons sophomore, pulled off three consecutive upsets en route to winning the singles championship at Eastern Illinois in Charleston. Lin’s 16-21, 21-16, 21-17 victory over fellow 5-8 seed Emma Adcock of Hinsdale South capped a historic day that saw her become the first singles medalist in Lyons history and the first sophomore to win the singles title since Hinsdale Central’s Karishma Kollipara in 2006. “I really wasn’t expecting that at all but I think I just …

May 11 high school sports scoreboard

Sat, 11 May 2013 22:17:58 -0500

Sports scores from around the area Saturday.