– Stevenson is 24-8 record heading into its regional. Juniors Kevin Versino (8-2) and Rex Eaman (7-1) have given the Patriots some solid pitching. Catcher D. J. McCullough, shortstop Pete Newmann and center-fielder Monte Dillow, all seniors, have also come through.
”It was hard to gauge early how good we would be,” said coach Bob Mackey. ”With the nucleus of the three seniors, we knew we had something to build on.”
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Stevenson won the North Suburban Conference title with an 11-1 record, its only loss coming to Libertyville.
SOCCER
At 13-8-1, Marillac is one of the up-and-coming teams in the state. The North Stars are led by halfback Katie Dusik, a member of the North Shore gold medal Prairie State Games team the past two seasons, freshman goalkeeper J. C. Miller, and sophomore halfbacks Elizabeth Kennesey and Laura Narowski.
”The girls have played very well together,” said Marillac coach Garry Falcone. ”I knew they were naturally talented, but I didn`t know they`d jell as a team as well as they did.”
Dusik leads the team with 15 goals and 25 assists.
– At 10-6-2, Mother McAuley is having a fine season for so young a program. The Mighty Macs are led by goalkeeper Sharon McManus, right wing Laura Repka, striker Maribeth Banik, center-midfielder Candie Pochie and forward Carolyn Ross, the team captain.
”Many of these girls haven`t played much soccer before,” said McAuley coach Dan Coombs. ”It`s good to have a good season like this in only our second year.”
– Marty Woerter, a longtime assistant boys` soccer coach at Maine East, has officiated girls games the past four seasons. Woerter says the game has progressed immeasurably.
”The quality and skill level have improved greatly,” he said. ”The interest of coaches is also up a lot; they`re taking it more seriously. Maybe that`s because the sport is now sanctioned by the IHSA (Illinois High School Association), but maybe these coaches realized girls can be very good soccer players.
”More and more younger girls are playing in coed leagues and park districts. They`re really coming on to the game. Coaching is getting better. Lots of guys who have been in soccer many years started to coach girls three years ago when the season was switched to spring for everyone. Some coaches don`t want to coach girls soccer but, with what`s going on in the sport, they`re making a big mistake.”
SOFTBALL
Who`s hot heading into the start of Class AA regionals this week: Morton (26-4) has won 22 straight; Thornwood (31-4) has won 17 of its last 18 since splitting a double-header with defending Class A state champion Casey on April 22; Mundelein (22-5) has won 21 in a row after a 1-5 start; Maine South (25-2) would be undefeated but for two losses to New Trier ace Carrie Ramenofsky; Providence had won 27 straight before Saturday`s 12-2 loss to Joliet St. Francis in the second game of a double-header; Rich East (23-4) had won 17 straight until Thursday`s 8-6 loss to Bradley-Bourbonnais in eight innings; West Aurora is 25-5 after a 3-4 start; and Lake Zurich (19-1) has won 18 straight. Who`s not: Stagg (26-6)-the Chargers lost five of their last seven regular season games; Prospect-the Knights (19-5) lost two of their last three including the Mid-Suburban League championship game, 5-0 to Hersey.
– No one is more confident heading into regional week than Morton coach Art Kasak. After a 4-4 start that included two shutout losses to Oak Park, the Mustangs have won 22 straight. And on the horizon: a possible third meeting with Oak Park a week from Tuesday in the Morton regional final. ”I never believed this was the kind of team that could put 22 in a row together,” said Kasak. ”In the past, we`ve always had the big thumpers. But this year, collectively, we hit 10 home runs and (catcher) Mary (Borem) had six of those. Our pitching (Sue Birmingham 12-2) was spectacular. We allowed only 29 runs in those 22 games and we had 12 shutouts.”
– Riverside-Brookfield senior outfielder Kathy Jurgens has made it official: She`ll attend Stanford next year and try to walk on as a volleyball player. Jurgens, R-B`s valedictorian, based her college choice on academic reasons and as good as she was in volleyball-All-State, a state record for match kills-it wasn`t good enough to earn a full-ride with the Cardinal.
MISCELLANY
Lake Forest, Evanston and New Trier will be the leading contenders when the Chicago Lacrosse League state invitational begins Monday.
Lake Forest, 10-1 with an 11-goals-per-game average, is led by attacker Brian Williams (42 goals in 12 games), and New Trier (8-3), on a roll after a 2-3 start, features high-scoring Mike Mills. Evanston (8-4) had an 8-0 start, but lost the last four regular-season games mostly because of injuries. Oak Park (5-6) had five losses by a combined total of only eight goals.
Glenbrook North (5-7) is led by midfielder Paul Beban, a 6-foot-2-inch, 185-pounder who runs 40 yards in 4.87, is a 4.0 student and the first lacrosse player from the Midwest to be recruited by an Eastern school (Yale). Beban also is the son of Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban.
Monday`s games: Hinsdale Central at Evanston; Loyola Academy at New Trier and Glenbrook North at Oak Park. Top-seeded Lake Forest drew the bye. The semifinals are Tuesday and the title game will be held Thursday at the site of the highest seeded team.
– East Chicago (Ind.) Central is seeking teams to complete the field for its Christmas tournament Dec. 28-29. If interested, contact East Chicago Central Athletic Director Frank Kollintzas at 219-391-4032 as soon as possible.
– St. Laurence High School will conduct summer basketball camps for boys and girls in five specialized sessions for two hours daily Monday through Friday. Sessions I (for third through sixth-grade boys) and II (seventh and eighth grade boys) will be June 12-16.
Sessions III (freshman and sophomore boys) and IV (6th through 12th grade girls) will be June 19-23. Session V, designated as ”Games Week”, will be June 26-30 from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. for any participants of earlier sessions and other interested students.
Fee for each one-week session is $40 per student and the cost will include insurance coverage, incentive awards and a camp T-shirt. Family discounts are available and a detailed camp brochure that will answer specific questions can be obtained by calling St. Laurence head coach Barry Shaw at 458-6900, ext. 56.
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– The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) will stage its annual All-Star Week in Peoria June 21-24, culminating with the annual Class A and Class AA North versus South all-star games June 24 at the Peoria Civic Arena.
Other features will include a player-parent banquet June 21, All-Star scrimmages at Bradley University June 22 and 23, MVP and Leadership Awards presentations, a slam-dunk contest and special presentations by Proviso West coach Lowell Lucas (AA North coach) and Pinckneyville coach Dick Corn (A South coach).
Registration will be at the Continental Regency Hotel, tournament headquarters. Checks may be made payable to the IBCA and mailed to Ron Ferguson, Athletic Director, Bradley University, 1612 W. Main, Peoria, 61625. – The Illinois Athletic Directors` Association (IADA) has named John G. Cruser of Mt. Vernon High School and Michael C. Melton of Mahomet-Seymour High School as Class AA and Class A Athletic Directors of the Year for 1988-89. The IADA also cited Ron Helberg (Glenbrook South), Murney Lazier (Lyons Township), Gene Strode (Hinsdale Central) and Ross Truemper (Wheaton Central) as Class AA Outstanding Athletic Directors of the Year and Gary Glenzy (Pinckneyville), Paul Judson (Hampshire), Larry Kerr (Dunlap) and Craig Miller (Marseilles) as Class A Outstanding Athletic Directors of the Year.
The IADA also honored 11 athletic directors who will be leaving athletic administration this year: Bernard Brady (Maine South), Al Freyman (Thornton Fractional South), Pete George (Fenton), Carol Hubbard (Lyons Township), Frank Ibbotson (Downers Grove South), Francis Noyes (Genoa-Kingston), Daniel O`Brien (Fenwick), Kay Pierce (Maine South), Gary Scholz (Schaumburg), James Smarjesse (Peoria District High Schools) and Peggy Tambling (Lincoln-Way).
– Chicago-area youth ages 7 to 17 will have an opportunity to improve their basketball skills this summer at the Flames Basketball Camp for boys, which will be conducted in two two-week sessions (June 26-July 7 and July 31- Aug. 11) at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Registration fee is $70. Registration forms and additional information may be obtained by calling the UIC athletic department at 996-2772.