Oak Leaves

Malnati transitions to Fenwick, hires Ronnie Fields

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:06:00 -0500

There was plenty of familiarity for coach Rick Malnati earlier this week as his Fenwick basketball team participated in a team camp at Loyola University. Malnati, a former assistant to coach Porter Moser at Loyola, was around the people and back on the campus where he had spent the last two years working. The other familiar part for Malnati was being a head coach once again, the man in charge of a basketball program as he watched his team compete against the likes of Simeon, St. Viator and Stevenson; Malnati was the head coach at New Trier, stepping down in …

Trinity point guard Lauren Prochaska commits to DePaul

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:50:01 -0500

DePaul is becoming a popular destination for the Class of 2014. Lauren Prochaska, a 2012-2013 Sun-Times all-area honorable mention selection from Trinity, has verbally committed to DePaul University. Prochaska is the fourth Sun-Times all-area selection to commit to DePaul, joining Wheaton Warrenville South’s Megan Waldron, Ashton Millender of Class 4A state champion Marian Catholic and Alexis Glasgow of Class 4A state runner-up Rolling Meadows. “Going to DePaul and playing for Coach (Doug) Bruno has been one of my dreams for a long time,” Prochaska said. “It’s such a great opportunity. I’m so excited. I wanted to stay close to home. …

Hendricks earns academic All-America honor

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:54:35 -0500

Carmel alumnus Kevin Hendricks, a senior outfielder for the Benedictine men’s baseball team, was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-America Division III Second Team. The Mundelein native is a management and organizational behavior major. Early in the season, Hendricks was named to the Academic All-District team. After missing all of last season because of injury, Hendricks bounced back to hit .356 with .428 on-base percentage. He scored 37 runs and knocked in 38. He also tied for the team lead in stolen bases with 18 and started all 44 of his team’s games. Kevin Hendricks’ brother, Tim Hendricks, …

Trinity joins the lacrosse craze

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:34:51 -0500

Laura Gill doesn’t have to look very far to find a pioneer. Gill’s father, Ted Gill, began the girls lacrosse program at Fenwick in 2004. Now Laura Gill has blazed her own trail by introducing the sport at Trinity, the River Forest school announced last month. Gill has been an administrative assistant and a substitute history teacher for the past three years at Trinity. She made a presentation to the administration, including Superintendent Sr. Michelle Germanson, to add lacrosse to the all-girls school. The move was approved and Gill, a former standout player at Fenwick, was named the Blazers’ first …

7-on-7 tournaments provide needed competition

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:32:11 -0500

There is no doubt that football 7-on-7s are growing in popularity, but Oak Park-River Forest coach John Hoerster cautions that they’re no prediction of success. Defending Class 8A state champion Mount Carmel will compete in its only 7-on-7 scrimmage of the summer at 9 a.m. Saturday at Richards, where Hinsdale Central will also participate. But Mount Carmel is a run-first, play-action team, and 7-on-7s showcase passing attacks. Fenwick is another run-dominated Catholic League team that rarely competes during the summer. Hoerster was a former Mount Carmel assistant coach before coming to OPRF and does not schedule many competitions during the …

Huskies will work on putting offense in place

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:48:00 -0500

Matt Maloney isn’t afraid of borrowing basketball philosophies from other coaches. The veteran Oak Park-River Forest coach recently shared some basketball knowledge with Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose, who led the Patriots to a runner-up finish in Class 4A in March. Ambrose explained to Maloney that during the summer he works 75 percent of the time on offense, but reverses that to 75 percent on defense once the high school season rolls around. It’s a suggestion Maloney is willing to try for the upcoming summer tournament season. OPRF will compete in four weekend shootouts this month and attend a team camp …

All-area girls soccer first team

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:40:13 -0500

Pioneer Press Player of the Year Corey Burns, a senior defender from Loyola, tops our girls soccer first team.

All-area boys volleyball first team

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:05:25 -0500

Pioneer Press Player of the Year Brad Tiller of Stevenson heads our boys volleyball first team.

Baseball showcase finds new suburban home

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 03:38:59 -0500

After 15 years, the Stevenson Showcase has moved. The brainchild of high school baseball promoter and former Hersey coach Harvey Foster has found a new home. His two-day showcase is officially known as the Northwest Suburban Baseball Tournament, the premier exhibition for Chicago-area high school baseball talent each June. The previous site of the event, Stevenson became so associated as the host that players, college recruiters and major-league scouts simply called it the Stevenson Showcase. But after last year’s event, Stevenson officials were no longer interested in providing the site. With an assist from St. Charles North coach Todd Genke, …

Oak Park Eagles 12U A comes in second

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:34:51 -0500

The Oak Park Eagles 12U A placed second among 21 teams from around the Midwest at the Longshots Memorial Day tournament in Downers Grove. The Eagles won their first four games before falling to the Troy Titans. Fence-clearing home runs by Michael Cerceo, Griffin Holderfield, Lucas Kolovitz and Nathan Diamond helped carry the Eagles into the title game. ~. …

Elmwood Park Rush opens registration for football and cheerleading

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:26:01 -0500

Elmwood Park Rush Youth Football & Cheerleading is holding registration for grade-school students. Football players and cheerleaders will be assigned to rosters on a first-come basis. Once rosters are full, players and cheerleaders will be placed on a waiting list. Applicants do not have to live in Elmwood Park. Elmwood Park High School also will host a free three-day football camp for first- through eighth-grade students on July 22, 24 and 26. Registrations for the camps and teams will take place 6:30-9 p.m. June 13, and 9 a.m.-noon June 15 at the Elmwood Park Recreation Center, 2 West Conti Parkway. …

Windmills 10U takes 2nd in Mokena

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:34:51 -0500

The Oak Park Windmills 10U team went 4-1 and placed runner-up May 26 in the Mokena Blast Into Summer Memorial. Among the standouts, Julia Youman collected nine hits and batted .692. Catherine Traylor delivered a key two-run base hit in the semifinal victory over Top Tier, setting the stage for Youman’s game-winning single. Gigi Lopez and Emily Noel played stellar defense throughout the weekend. Abby Giardina contributed seven RBI in pool play. Jacky Neuman led the team with 10 stolen bases and Emily Noel scored a team-best nine runs. Youman and Neuman combined to strike out 34 batters over 26 …

14U Red Windmills climb back to get World Series bid

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:34:51 -0500

The Oak Park Windmills 14U Red staved off elimination four times on June 9 to reach the championship game of the USSSA Romeoville 14U State Qualifier. While rain forced a premature end to the tournament, the Windmills had already secured a berth in the USSSA World Series. Coached by former Windmills player Emily Hajduk, the Red had to battle out of the losers’ bracket on the final day. Their comeback began by downing the OBSA Outlaws 4-2 behind seven solid innings from Cat Klostermann. The 14-year-old Oak Brook resident went the distance, allowing two hits and a pair of unearned …

Stars get chance to showcase talent

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:12:06 -0500

Of the nearly two dozen players on the roster for this weekend’s baseball showcase at St. Charles North, few are like Hinsdale Central senior Jacob White. White is not playing travel baseball this summer and has not seriously considered baseball in college. That’s not the case for the rest of his West Suburban Conference teammates at the 16th annual Northwest Suburban Baseball Tournament. They are hoping to attract plenty of interest from college recruiters or major-league scouts Friday and Saturday. White is the only baseball player from Hinsdale Central to get an invitation, but football is his primary sport. The …

Lambert’s star shines bright

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 06:40:40 -0500

After another successful year, Fenwick attackman Alex Lambert won’t be content sitting back and taking a breather. He’s already preparing and looking forward to what’s ahead of him a year from now. After being named first team all-Catholic League, the Burr Ridge native is gearing up for another busy summer full of lacrosse. With another prep season remaining, the incoming senior is unsure of where he wants to play after high school. But he knows he has to be fully prepared and at the top of his game heading into his senior year if he is to attract college coaches’ …

Lehman’s lean toward tennis pays off at state

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 06:39:00 -0500

Graham Lehman always knew he would have to decide one day between playing baseball or tennis. A slump heading into his freshman year at Oak Park-River Forest helped make his decision a little bit easier. “It was really tough,” said Lehman, who graduated on Sunday. “I decided to stick with tennis kind of because I didn’t enjoy baseball as much at the moment. Baseball in Oak Park is so competitive ... not that tennis isn’t, but I’m happy with my decision.” Lehman’s devotion to tennis paid off this season when he teamed with Jeremy Dixon to place fourth at state …