— Niles North outfielder Tony Tichy hit .412 last season, drove in 41 runs and struck out only three times in 102 at-bats. Coach Jim Sakas thinks Tichy, who also pitches and plays first base, is the best hitter along the North Shore. Yet Sakas believes the senior isn`t getting nearly the attention and publicity he deserves. ”He`s really getting overlooked, and he`s really a good kid,” said Sakas. Tichy is, however, drawing attention from college scouts. Illinois State and Southern Illinois are interested in his skills, as are Western Illinois and Bradley.
— Familiar names such as Barrington, Oak Park and Oak Forest dot the top 10 lists, but some not-so-familiar baseball names could rise up to challenge the perennial contenders. Downers Grove South, champion of the Des Plaines Valley League`s final season, is favored to win the first West Suburban Conference Gold championship behind senior left-hander Dave Kalal (10-1). He`ll team with right-hander Chris Little (7-1 in Summer League play) to form one of the area`s toughest pitching combinations. Others who narrowly missed the top 10 include Stevenson, a two-time state finalist in Summer League play; Schaumburg, which won 40 games in spring and summer play last year under first-year coach Paul Groot; Rolling Meadows, which boasts outstanding pitching, and Lyons Township, which is expected to challenge Oak Park for the West Suburban Silver title after reaching the sectional finals last year.
— The race for the Upstate Eight title should be a beauty. Defending champion West Aurora returns an all-conference battery in senior pitcher Tim Weber (6-3, 2.92), who cracked a team-leading 7 home runs last year, and junior catcher-first baseman Brett Saxon, who hit .356 as a sophomore and stole 20 bases. Then there`s senior Tim Fisher, who hit .321 last year. St. Charles, a regional finalist last year, banks on three-year starters catcher Eric Groth and second baseman Steve Weron, both returning all-conference picks. Groth has recovered from a knee injury suffered during the football season. Weron, a .300 hitter last year, holds St. Charles season records for home runs (6), RBIs (36) and triples (4). Also expected to challenge are Larkin, where speedy outfielder Chuy Gonzalez is one of the league`s most respected players, and Elgin, led by pitcher Steve Hinton.
— Montini coach Bill Leeburg thinks his club is in good shape for a run at its third straight West Suburban Catholic Conference championship. The Broncos have three seniors Leeburg thinks are Division I material. They are returning all-conference second baseman Joe Senese, a four-year varsity player who hit .330 with 5 home runs and 35 RBIs last year; center-fielder Kevin Taylor (.398), who has already earned all-conference recognition in both football and basketball; and pitcher-outfielder Glenn Frankiewicz (9-2, 2.98). BASKETBALL
— Maine West`s Kim Fiedler scored on an offensive rebound at the buzzer to give the suburban team an 87-85 victory over the city girls in the City-Suburban All-Star Game Sunday at York. South Shore`s Bebo Valentine, who had 18 points and 4 assists, was named the game`s MVP. The three-point stripe –at 19 feet 9 inches–was used for the first time in Illinois high school play, and the teams combined to go 4-for-6 from that distance. Danielle Grill of Immaculate Heart of Mary and Sarah Sharp of Robeson both were 2-for-2.
— Marcus Liberty of King, this year`s Mr. Basketball of Illinois, leads the Class AA North squad selected to play in the annual double-header sponsored by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association June 27 in Peoria. Liberty`s Chicago-area teammates include Mark Baugh of Elgin, Walter Bond of Collins, Rodell Davis of Thornton, Larry Gorman of Oak Forest, Alan Hampton of Argo, Bill Heppner of Crystal Lake Central, Bobby Smith of Rich Central and Brian Molis and Clifford Scales of St. Joseph. The North squad will be coached by Rock Island`s Duncan Reid. . . . The Class A North team includes Albert Jones and Illya McGee of Providence-St. Mel and Pete Eschenbach and Ron Russell of St. Edward. Its coach is Jack Murphy of Pontiac. . . . In addition to the double-header, the teams will engage in two days of scrimmages in the Bradley University fieldhouse.
— Cindy Kaufmann of Seneca, winner of the Ms. Basketball award, is on the Class A North girls` squad. The girls` all-star games will be played June 20. Kaufmann`s Chicago-area teammates include Robin Haseman of Luther North, Beth Hasenmiller of St. Edward and Carla Reider of Lemont. . . . The Class AA North team: Sharp, Valentine, Natalie Perrino of York, Amy Cole of Naperville North, Mary Jo Firnach of Woodstock, Sandy O`Shaughnessy of Mother McAuley, Teri Rodgers of Libertyville, Jaymie Andrews of Kankakee, Stacy Franklin of Bremen, Cindy Born of Regina Dominican, Beth Carroll of Maine South, Jennifer Casey of Deerfield and Jackie Helding of Conant. Coach is York`s Don Hudgens. — Liberty and Kaufmann will be honored as Mr. and Ms. Basketball at the annual IBCA Hall of Fame dinner April 25 at Illinois State University in Normal.
— Liberty, Davis, Curtis Stuckey of Peoria Manual and Joe Cook of Lincoln will be part of an eight-player Illinois team that will compete in a four-state tournament June 19-20 in Iowa City. Teams from Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin will also take part.
— Some of the top high school stars in the country will compete in the McDonald`s Derby Festival Classic April 18 at Freedom Hall in Louisville. They include these top-30 players: Liberty, 6-4 Jerome Harmon of Gary Wallace; 6-4 LaBradford Smith of Bay City, Tex., who`s headed for Louisville; 6-10 LeRon Ellis of Santa Ana, Calif., who`ll play college ball at Kentucky; 6-7 Rick Fox of Warsaw, Ind. (North Carolina); 6-7 Livingston Chatman of Lakeland, Fla.
(Florida), Kathleen; 6-7 Richard Dumas of Tulsa Booker T. Washington; 6-7 Deron Feldhaus of Maysville, Ky., Mason County; 6-7 John Pelphrey of Paintsville, Ky.; 7-foot Mike Masucci of Grandview, Mo.; 6-2 Sean Sutton of Lexington, Ky., Henry Clay; 6-9 Thomas Jordan of Baltimore Lake Clifton; and 6-foot Tim Singleton of New Orleans Carver.
GYMNASTICS
— Niles West surprised many observers by reaching last year`s state finals. Veteran coach John Burkel`s crew wants a return engagement in 1987. So does he. ”We`re looking strong,” said Burkel, whose Indians scored 138.5 against Glenbrook South Wednesday. ”It`s kind of difficult right now. We had a meeting last week, and I told these guys that with the 145.7 we hit against Niles North recently, we already beat our best of last year (145.55), which was at state. The thing is, we can score high one meet, but come back in the 130s the next. I asked the kids, `Where`s your pattern?` They responded to the effect that their pattern was to do it when they have to. I guess they find it hard to fire up against teams with lower scoring potential. Those who can score high bring out the best in them. I think it`s good that they`re sensitive to what`s going on. They`re developing an attitude that they can turn on when they have to.” The keys to Niles West`s early-season success are senior all-arounder Tom Joseph, who`s averaging in the low 8s, and junior Darrin Baim, who works all events except pommel horse. ”I`m pleased with what`s going on in the gym,” Burkel said. ”Our goal is to make it back to the top eight again. I think we`re thinking a top-five finish this year. I don`t know if we can physically outscore some teams, but we`ll certainly try.”
— At Willowbrook, coach Joe Scahill has two promising all-arounders in junior Randy Darlin and sophomore Sean Henderson. Both qualified for last year`s state finals in floor exercise. ”Last year was good experience for them,” said Scahill, whose team-high score this season was 143.70 during a recent meet in which Addison Trail hit 150. ”They competed all-around on occasions last season when we had Todd Tijernia qualify for state as a senior. This year, the two of them know what to expect. They had some all-around experience, and they`ve been to state. And, we can expect more from them. Randy should be able to average 8.3, while Shaun 8.0. Both are just below that now and have time to get there.”
WRESTLING
— The wrestling rules committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations has decided to increase the number of weight classes in high school wrestling from 12 to 13 beginning with the 1988-89 season. The new weight classes, which will be optional for state adoption in the 1987-88 season, are 103 pounds, 112, 119, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 152, 160, 171, 189 and 275. It is the first change in high school weight classifications since the 1970-71 season. The committee also decided at its annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo., to delete a rule that allowed a 2-pound growth allowance Dec. 25, another pound allowance Feb. 1 and an additional pound March 1. This change will be implemented with the new weight classes in 1988-89. ”These changes were made after a great deal of research on the actual weights of high school wrestlers,” said Fritz McGinness, editor of the National Federation wrestling rules and assistant director of the National Federation. ”People were interested in having more weights in the middle and dropping the lowest (98 pounds) class, and that`s exactly what our survey revealed.” The rules committee also deleted the option that states previously had to add or drop weight classes. Beginning with the 1988-89 season, all wrestling competition will be conducted in 13 weight classes.
BADMINTON
— If Palatine`s two-year reign as state champion is supposed to end this year, somebody had better inform coach Kathy Crandall and her feisty Pirates. Their showing in Saturday`s prestigious Prospect Invitational indicates the Pirates aren`t ready to abdicate. Palatine took first in six of seven events and totaled 46 points to 40 for runner-up Hersey. The only prize to elude Palatine was first singles, where Hersey`s Cheryl Pisczcak posted a 7-1 mark. Palatine`s Tracy McCormick finished 6-1 and Colleen McKeown was 7-0 to win the titles at second and third singles. Other Pirate champs were Marla Hunsaker and Debbie Barry (7-0 in first doubles), Sue Mikel and Andrea Golic (7-0 in second doubles), Kathy Frolick and Jenny Henson (7-0 in third doubles), and Stacy Sanders and Shelly Whitehall (7-0 in fourth doubles).
— Oak Park, led by Val Mulhall (first in No. 3 singles) and Monica Jeffries and Kristen Peterson (first in No. 1 doubles), scored 32 points to win the Willowbrook Invitational. West Aurora and Rolling Meadows tied for second with 22 points apiece.
— Conant, Morton and Downers Grove North finished in a tie for first in the Conant Invitational with 10 points apiece. Downers North`s Virginia Grunwald, the 18-and-under champion in the Midwest Junior Open, beat Morton`s Joan Mazat 11-4, 11-3 in the singles title match. Conant`s Ami Shah beat teammate Kris Warnstedt in a grueling three-setter, 7-11, 11-6, 14-11 (3-0 tiebreaker), for third.
— In the south suburbs, Thornton Fractional North scored 13.5 points to 12 for runner-up Thornton Fractional South to win the Bloom Invitational despite victories by South`s Joanne Giannini and Jill Lewandowski in first and second singles. Nicole Guglielmo (third singles) and Patti Bolen and Sandy Marshall (second doubles) were North`s winners.
— Chicago-area coaches believe that badminton has an image problem because many people regard it as a recreational sport. But they think the image will change when badminton becomes an exhibition sport in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. In the 1992 Olympics, they`ll be going for the gold (medals). Although badminton is a minor sport in the United States, it is a major event in other countries.
— Downstate schools in Illinois for the most part don`t field badminton squads. The Illinois High School Association no doubt takes that fact into consideration when picking a site for the annual state tournament. Evanston will be the host for the 1987 state meet May 15-16.
