– Bloom shot putter Mike LaDere will sign a letter of intent on Friday but won`t say where. LaDere, who has a state best of 61 feet 3 1/2 inches and has a 169-10 effort in the discus, is said to be leaning towards Illinois State.
– Proviso East`s Byron Moss could be an 800-meter man next month. The senior, considered a 400-meter runner, won the 800 at the Hilltopper Invitational in 1:54.5. Moss defeated Downers Grove South`s Greg Novak in the 800, running him down on the final turn and holding him off in the straightaway. Novak ran a season-best 1:55.3. ”This gave me a lot of confidence,” said Moss, who finished second in the 400 to Thornwood`s Bruscha Williams and was a pooped eighth in the 200. ”I`m glad to be back. I worked hard all last week and was really looking forward to the 800. I don`t know what I`ll do. Next week (Rockford Relays) I`ll run a quarter fresh. I think I will run the 400 Downstate, but I`d like to run the 800, too. I know it would be hard.”
– Thornwood`s Williams was second in the 400, third in the 100 and ran on the winning 1,600-meter relay last year for Jackson Provine High School in Mississippi. He moved to live with his father last fall and is enjoying his new environment on and off the track. He wishes he would have come north sooner. ”The coaches have taught me a lot more,” he said. ”But the thing is, you can`t get everything in in two months. That`s the problem. I wish I had moved my freshman year.”
SOFTBALL
– Andrew has played some of the toughest teams in the south and southwest suburbs this year and lost to all of them, which gives coach Larry Hedger a unique, though somewhat depressing, perspective on the area`s balance of power. The Thunderbolts swept Oak Forest Saturday for their fifth and sixth victories in a row-a streak that has been led by the hitting of third baseman Donna DiBiase (.600 on-base percentage) and the pitching of Stacy Zarembski-but their 13-7 record is deceptive. It includes two losses each to Stagg, Lockport and No. 1 Thornwood and a split with Sandburg. Hedger`s vote for the best team he has seen? Thornwood. ”They`ve really got some outstanding speed,” he says. And Stagg (22-1)? ”They`re not as good as their record by any stretch of the imagination. We had no business losing to them twice. To go anywhere your pitching has to be tough. You`ve got to have somebody who can just shut the other team down. They don`t have the pitching.” . . . Stagg coach Darrell Walery might disagree. Saturday, he got a 2-hitter from Heidi Neal (5-0) to beat Richards 9-1 in a rescheduled rainout, a 4-hitter from Cindy Woods (8-1) to beat Romeoville 4-3 and a 7-hitter from Michele Meier
(9-0) to beat Romeoville 7-1.
– After losing heartbreakers to Thornwood and Thornton Fractional South and getting clubbed 8-2 by Reavis early in the season, Rich East has won 10 in a row to improve to 16-3. ”We`re in a good position and a bad position,”
says Rich East coach Mike Leverence. ”We`re in a good position because the toughest part of our schedule is behind us-but don`t tell the girls. We`re in a bad position cause I have to find a way to keep them intense.” Leverence gives a lot of credit for the streak to shortstop Carrie Buckner, who made 38 errors last season. ”We were committed to cutting down her errors,” said Leverence. The commitment has paid off. Buckner has made only seven errors this season in 76 chances. Kerri Tanksley (.492) and sophomore catcher Jenny Murphy (.457) are contributing on offense and pitcher Jenny Clifft`s (12-1)
only loss was 6-4 to Thornwood. ”We`re hoping to see Thornwood again,” said Leverence.
BASEBALL
– With all the injuries Providence has sustained, it`s a wonder the team has a 15-4-1 record. Just ask Celtics` coach Jaime Garcia, whose team split a double-header Saturday with Benet Academy.
”Every time I woke up, I thought somebody was playing a joke on me because of all the injuries,” said Garcia. ”It`s a credit to the kids that they didn`t let it get to them. They never let any of the injuries distract them.”
Pitcher Bryant Dunne missed 2 1/2 weeks after suffering an elbow injury in his second start. He should be ready for action this week. Additionally, outfielder Dominic Delrose, pitcher Don Hokanson and infielders Jason Montgomery, Joel Moran, Brian Fonseca and Jeff Baranowski have sustained ankle injures. All are back, as is pitcher Randy Radatz, who just rejoined the team after off-season knee surgery.
Junior Bryan Rekar leads the Celtic pitchers with a 6-0 mark, while junior left-fielder Brad Cogswell is the top hitter with a .391 average.
BADMINTON
– Mid-Suburban League champion Palatine, South Inter-Conference Association South-West champion Andrew, West Suburban Conference champion Hinsdale Central and Central Suburban League champion Evanston will be the teams to watch next Friday and Saturday as the season moves to sectional competition. Andrew, with SICA South-West doubles champs Teresa Bahaveolos and Debbie Pruim, is the choice at the Lockport sectional.
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TENNIS
– Hersey`s two-day, 32-team invitational was postponed until next weekend due to bad weather. Considered the biggest invitational behind the state tournament, nearly every top team from the state, and one from Wisconsin, was scheduled to appear. Teams that for sure will not be back include Bloomington, Lyons Township and Homewood-Flossmoor. Bloomington is hosting an invite which includes those schools, something that Hersey coach Lothar Peistrup doesn`t understand. ”When this tournament grew to 32 teams five or six years ago, every school agreed to keep the next weekend open in case of a postponement,” he said. ”This is the first time it`s ever been postponed and it appears everyone forgot about that.” Peistrup is expecting about 16 teams to come back, including Wisconsin`s top team, Nicolet. ”We are going to have something for sure,” said Peistrup, who is awaiting word from Hinsdale Central and New Trier.
BASKETBALL
– Purdue University Calumet in Hammond will conduct its second annual
”High Potential/Sleeper” basketball tryout camp for senior boys Saturday. The camp is intended for players who want to play college basketball but aren`t yet committed to a school. Recruiters from NAIA schools and junior colleges are expected to attend. Registration is at 8 a.m., with scrimmages scheduled until 2 p.m. The camp will include an information session about eligibility requirements. Fee for each player is $25. For information, call 862-5690, Ext. 2540.
MISCELLANY
– Northern Illinois assistant coach Pete Peltzer will be one of the featured speakers at the Connersville High School football clinic Friday and Saturday. Other speakers will include Indiana University`s Bob Morris and Steve Stripling, Arkansas State`s Phil Davis, Ball State`s Rick Minter and Army`s Jay Roberston. The event will be $20 for pre-registration (for two days), $15 for one-day registration or $25 at the door for two days. Checks can be mailed to clinic coordinator Dennis Metzger, Connersville High School, 1100 Spartan Dr, Connersville, Ind., 47331.
– Glenbard South Athletic Director Marv Carlson has announced that coaching vacancies are open at the school for assistant football, certified athletic trainer, assistant boys gymnastics, assistant girls track, assistant wrestling and assistant girls` volleyball. Interested candidates should contact Carlson at 469-6500 or send resumes to Carlson at Glenbard South High School, Park Boulevard and Butterfield Road, Glen Ellyn, 60137.