Addison Trail coach Mike Kincanon knows why his Blazers got off to an 0-5 start this season–31 errors. ”The talent is there, but we`re having trouble shaking the errors,” Kincannon said. ”We have good practices, but when we get in a game it`s a different story. We were 19-6 in the Summer League and didn`t show any signs of having trouble picking the ball up or throwing it. They`re playing scared, I guess, and I`m just worried about it snowballing.” . . . St. Rita won the 16-team, single-elimination Kentucky Classic tournament Friday in Louisville with four victories, running its record to 8-0. Coach Mike Moysis` Mustangs are ranked fourth (tied with Naperville Central) in The Tribune`s poll. . . . Update on New Trier`s Chris Beacom, who set a school record with 51 RBIs last season. The 5-foot-11-inch, 175-pound shortstop has 6 home runs and 20 RBIs and a booming .580 batting average. . . . West Aurora senior right-hander Tony Jones is 3-0 and has 5 home runs with 13 RBIs and a .400 batting average in six games for the unbeaten Blackhawks. Jones plays third base when he`s not on the mound.
TENNIS
The first two rounds of this year`s state tournament (May 23-25 at Hersey) will feature a new twist–no ad points. Tournament officials thought this would be one way of speeding up the event. Hersey coach and tournament head Tom Pitchford wants to be able to conduct two feed-in matches on the first day. ”Hopefully, then we won`t run into the problem of the feed-in matches being continued long after the finals,” Pitchford said. The only drawback, Pitchford said, is that a quarterfinal loser will have to come back and play a fourth match Friday. . . . New Trier tennis coach John Schneiter says he has the best 35th player in the state. That`s probably because Schneiter has 35 players out for the varsity, more than any other team in the state. The Trevians looked impressive Saturday, winning a quadrangular meet with defending state champion Deerfield, Naperville Central, and Wisconsin power Nicolet. . . . Naperville Central senior Jeff Holtz decided not to play tennis this year. Holtz and partner Bruce Racine advanced to the state quarterfinals in doubles last year.
TRACK
Lane Tech`s Michelle Giampapa was looking forward to an early-season showdown against Downers Grove North`s Tracy Laughlin Saturday in the Riverside-Brookfield Relays, but Giampapa`s easy victory in the 1,600
(5:11.27) was lacking luster because Laughlin sat out the meet with a slight hamstring injury. Laughlin, second in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600 at last year`s Class AA state meet, may be back on the track this weekend in the Glenbard West Invitational. Giampapa finished sixth in both the 1,600 and 3,200 at last year`s state meet. . . . Downers Grove North won the meet, 44 points to 40 for runner-up Lane Tech. ”But we did well in all the relays, never finishing lower than third,” said Lane Tech coach Jesse Seibert. Giampapa anchored the winning distance medley relay, running her 800-meter split in 2 minutes 22 seconds. . . . Schaumburg won the girls` Saxon Invitational Saturday, nipping York 60 1/2 points to 56 thanks, in part, to Janeth Salazar`s victories in the 1,600 and 3,200. She was timed in 5:10.5 and 11:08.1. York`s Debbie Kreibich won the 100 meters (12.2), the 200 (26.5) and ran on the winning 800 relay team. . . . Romeoville`s girls` team looked sharp in taking the Glenbrook South Invitational Saturday, finishing with 136 points, 50 more than second-place Maine West. Romeoville`s Theresa Lyles, a freshman, set a meet record of 12.3 in winning the 100 meters. She also won the 200 (26.4) and anchored the record-setting 400 relay (50.9) and the victorious 800 relay (1:48.8). Those efforts took some of the gloss off Maine West`s Tricia Kiraly. She took the 1,600 in 5:26.1, the 3,200 in 11:48.3 and ran the last leg of the winning 3,200 relay (10:24.5). . . . Hinsdale South`s Ed Slowikowski won the 1,600 in 4:26.7 at Saturday`s Hinsdale South Invitational. He also took the 3,200 in 9:20.0. Slowikowski was fourth in the 3,200 at last year`s Class AA state meet.
SOFTBALL
Riverside-Brookfield pitcher Michelle Gordey had quite a week. She won four games, tossing a no-hitter, two 1-hitters and a 3-hitter in R-B`s tournament. The 3-hitter was in R-B`s 4-2 victory over York in the
championship game Saturday. Gordey had 57 strikeouts in the four games. . . . Speaking of pitchers, watch out for Hersey sophomore Jill Popovich. She tossed a no-hitter Friday against Fremd. Hersey won 12-1. Hersey coach Nancy Holmgren said Popovich has been the ”biggest surprise, just fantastic.”
. . . Benet Academy pitcher Heather Meyer has an interesting hobby–hogs. Two of her hogs, according to Benet coach Tim White, have placed first at competitions in Sandwich.
