During a recent seven-game stretch, Hersey (10-5) battered opposing pitchers for 78 runs. . . . Rolling Meadows coach Al Otto is eagerly awaiting the major league free-agent draft in June. Otto`s son, Dave, who pitched Elk Grove to the state quarterfinals in 1982, is expected to be a high draft choice. The younger Otto attends Missouri. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round in `82 and will be eligible again. His father is optimistic because many scouts are watching Dave`s bat and his pitching arm. Otto has hit a school-record 14 home runs for Tigers.
GIRLS` TRACK
Naperville North assistant coach Jim Effinger had plenty to cheer about Friday. Effinger, who is retiring from coaching, was the Huskies` honorary coach in the Du Page Valley Conference meet at Wheaton Central. The team dedicated the meet to him and got the title. . . . Naperville North coach Mark Guthrie likes to pass around the credit for his team`s success, and there are plenty of people to thank. Guthrie, who is also the boys` head coach, has seven assistants. . . . Naperville Central high jumper Cathy Cunningham is carrying on a family tradition. Her brother Mike now jumps at Iowa. . . . Lane Tech senior Michelle Giampapa, who ran in the 1,600 and 3,200 in the state finals last year, said she doesn`t want to double this time out. ”I know which race I`m going to run, but I`m not going to tell anyone right now,” she said.
BOYS` TRACK
Hinsdale South might have the newcomer of the year in senior Jason Parker. He ran a 49-second leg of the second-place 1,600-meter relay Saturday at the Hinsdale Central Relays. . . . Oak Park`s Charles Parker injured his heal in the triple jump at Hinsdale Central and had to drop out. He might miss next week`s West Suburban Conference meet. . . . Thornwood high jumper Paul Wiechern finally broke his 6-foot-8-inch rut and set a meet and personal record at 6-9 1/2. Wiechern, the defending state champion, was pushed by Oak Park`s Mike Sloger, who went 6-8. ”The pressure was on,” Wiechern said.
”Sloger had no misses and I had a bunch of them, so I just went out and popped one. It really helped having him there. When I tried 6-11, I knew he was gone and there wasn`t the pressure.” . . . Conant`s Sean Corrigan won the 800 meters in 1:56.5 and the 1,600 meters in 4:14.88 Friday night in the Conant Invitational. Downers Grove North`s Lanny Dillavou won the high jump at 6-9 1/4. . . . St. Ignatius` Mike Sawyer ran a wind-aided 10.1 in the 100 meters and 20.9 in the 200 at the Hoffman Estates Invitational. ”He had a good wind behind him. He`s a good runner, but he`s not as good as Carl Lewis, yet,” said St. Ignatius coach Jim Connolly. . . . The wind was also blowing at the Titan Invitational at Glenbrook South. Kenwood`s Ken Bellamy ran a 10.24 with a 25 mile-an-hour wind. Bellamy`s teammate Mike Taylor won the 400 in 49.0, running against the wind down the straightaway.
GYMNASTICS
The state finals series begins with regionals Monday at Prospect, Mundelein and Niles North. Tuesday regionals include Glenbard East, York and Conant, while Hinsdale South, Homewood-Flossmoor and Naperville Central play host to regionals Wednesday. . . . The debate continues. Jeff Levin, who coached 12 years at Glenbard West, has continued his affiliation with the sport by judging. Levin, who coached such standouts as all-arounder Kevin Grieve, says the level of competition is down this year, at least from his viwepoint. ”Talent is way down,” he said. ”The level of competition has fallen down from what it was. I think from 1972-76, when Hinsdale Central was winning the state title with consistency (each year except 1974, when Hersey won), the key to success was discipline and team unity. Coaches were charged- up. They saw they could make a difference. From 1979, clubs began to usurp high schools` power. The blue bloods came out. The Joey Ray`s (Maine East), Ron Nasti`s (York), Robby Brown`s (Addison Trail), Mike McCabe`s (Maine West) and Kurt Waller`s (Hersey). Somewhere between 1978-82, high school coaches began to get an indirect message that it wasn`t their program that was making the difference anymore. Many of them decided to get out, others relaxed their coaching. We just didn`t have the high school kids to back up the club kids.” Levin stopped coaching to spend more time with his growing family. . . . Among other things, Levin will join sportscaster Mike Adamle and Olympic champion Bart Conner–the 1974-75 Illinois all-around champion from Niles West–for Channel 7`s telecasts of the state finals.
BADMINTON
Kristy Swain was the state runner-up as a sophomore, and finished fourth as a junior. Now the Conant senior has only one goal for the state meet, which begins Friday at New Trier–a first-place finish. ”That`s all she`s thinking about,” said Conant coach Jo Ann Rakoczy. Swain was impressive Saturday in beating Prospect`s Sue Drury 11-0, 11-1 to take the singles title at the Conant sectional. Swain bounced back after suffering her only defeat of the season the previous week to Palatine`s Kathy Furtak in the finals of the Mid- Suburban League meet. ”She did a nice job in coming back,” Rakoczy said.
”She played super. I don`t think anything is going to stop her at state.”
Prospect also looks strong heading into the state tournament. The Knights won the sectional with doubles strength. The all-Prospect doubles final featured the team of Kari Grouwinkel and Kristin Ryden defeating Lara Meinheit and Mary McEnerey 15-6, 13-15, 15-12. . . . Furtak and Swain should get the top two seedings in singles. Furtak took a straight-set victory over Buffalo Grove`s June Ratanasuan Friday in the Palatine sectional. But Palatine suffered a setback in only qualifying at one singles position. The Pirates did qualify both doubles teams. . . . Defending state champion New Trier should be a threat. The Trevians got past tough Maine West 12-8, to take the Glenbrook South sectional Friday. New Trier qualified at two singles and two doubles. Maine West`s Stephana Phillips won the singles final, defeating New Trier`s Kieran Kinney 11-12, 11-7, 11-6.
BASKETBALL
More news from the recruiting front: James Farr, the 5-9 guard who helped lead Mt. Carmel to the Class AA state championship, is about to choose Evansville, Valparaiso or Western Illinois. . . . Mike Paul, the 6-8 center from Crete-Monee, is thinking about Evansville, Bowling Green, Indiana State- Evansville or perhaps a junior college.
SOFTBALL
Hillcrest is on the move. The South Inter-Conference Association Central Division power swept a nonconference double-header from eighth-ranked Rich Central Saturday, 3-0 and 3-1. Rich Central had ended Hillcrest`s season last year in the Hawks` regional. ”It was a little sweet revenge,” said Hillcrest coach Paul LoParco. It was also the Hawks` 11th and 12th straight victories, including a 4-1 decision over sixth-ranked Lockport last week. Senior pitcher Kim Treco (11-2) got the win in the first game Saturday and junior Gwen Fuja
(3-0) won the second game. The top hitters for the Hawks (14-2, 6-0) have been catcher Lisa Wunar, center-fielder Lisa Coffman and shortstop Jane Finley.
