When she was only a 14-year-old freshman, Amber Stack did something other high school girls have only dreamed about: She won a state championship.
In the Class AA finals in 2004, Wheeling’s Stack stunned a field of notable runners that included Palatine’s Amy Laskowske, Naperville North’s Shannon Phelan and Peoria Notre Dame’s Caitlin Comfort (the 2006 AA state champ) at Detweiller Park’s 3-mile course in Peoria.
“That was a long time ago,” said Stack, now a 17-year-old senior who hopes to regain some of that championship magic during this cross-country season.
“When I was a freshman, I didn’t expect to do as well as I did,” she said this week while preparing for Saturday’s Lake Park Invitational, an event she won last season. “It was all new and exciting.”
Stack hasn’t exactly fallen off the map since 2004. She finished fourth as a sophomore and 25th last season — both all-state performances. Already this season she has taken second in a dual meet against always-tough Palatine and seventh in the Crystal Lake Invitational.
“My expectations? To improve on last year,” said Stack, who hopes to run in college. “I didn’t do as well as I wanted. I want to try and get a top-10 or top-five finish.”
*Sandburg’s Kristin Sutherland, who took second in last season’s Class AA state meet, ran virtually all by herself in Saturday’s Lyons Invitational, winning by 35 seconds and setting a course record of 17 minutes 11.44 seconds. The senior, who played soccer in past springs, says she’ll run track.
— Alan Sutton
He has the shutout bug
Mundelein goalkeeper Eric Sorby likes action. Now he has another reason to enjoy it: It takes his mind off Chicagoland’s recent plague of mosquitoes.
The swarm hasn’t stopped the junior from driving opposing offenses buggy. The three-year varsity starter stopped 34 shots in his first three games this season — 17 in a 1-0 loss to 10th-ranked Deerfield — and 38 total for the 1-1-2 Mustangs.
Mundelein went to a three-man defense after trailing McHenry 2-0 in the season opener.
When the added Mustang attackers tied the game 2-2, the 3-4-3 formation was adopted. Sorby applauds the new setup.
“We work as one pretty much,” said Sorby, who recorded his second shutout of 2007 and 19th of his career Wednesday against Grayslake North. “I trust all the people that play in back. They’re excellent.”
— Dave Surico
Go west, young man
Washington’s chances of returning to basketball’s Public League title game took a serious hit with the news that 6-foot-6-inch All-Stater DeAndre Liggins has transferred to Findlay prep school in Henderson, Nev. Liggins, who was rated the top prospect in the state along with 6-10 Michael Dunigan of Farragut, has made an oral commitment to Kentucky.
— Bob Sakamoto
Showdown
The premier basketball event in the Chicago area has unveiled its lineup for the City-Suburban Showdown in February at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Game one pits Oak Park and nationally rated 6-4 guard Iman Shumpert against Waukegan and 6-6 Jereme Richmond, rated among the top 10 sophomores in the country and committed to Illinois.
The doubleheader finale has New Trier with 6-6 Peter Boehm, 6-5 sophomore Alex Rossi and 6-10 Fred Heldring taking on Indiana power East Chicago Central.
— Bob Sakamoto
