Rich Central Seniors Helped Forge 'Incredible' Baseball Turnaround

Though Rich Central’s baseball season came to an end with there’s no doubt that the Olympians had a hugely successful season.

The Olympians won their first conference title in 22 years and won their first regional title since the mid-1980s.

"To see how far this program has come in the last three years is incredible," Olympians coach Corey Stallings said.  "Three years ago we had nobody watching us play, but the guys kept believing. Jayme (Taylor), Nick (Collins) and the rest of the guys put this program in the direction we want to head."

Several players will be heading off to the college ranks, including Collins (Northern Illinois) and Tyler House (Missouri).

The emotions that were seen after Wednesday’s game were heartfelt, and there’s no doubt the graduating players are leaving a lasting impression on the school for years to come.

Marian Softball Team's Quest Stopped Short

Marian Catholic’s softball team had a tough draw in the regional semifinals, as the Spartans faced Lockport last Saturday. Despite falling 7-0 to the Porters at the Class 4A Providence Catholic Regional, the Spartans can look back on a very successful season. They finished with a 29-6 record and won  the East Suburban Catholic Conference.

Marian players named to the East Suburban Catholic all-conference team were: Briana Clark, Rachel Glenn, Becca Gray, Alex Nickel, EraShawna Sadler and Becca Stanton.

Childers Takes 12^th in State Tennis

Marian’s boys tennis team finished its season tied for 12th at last weekend's state meet. 

Singles player Julian Childers won his first three matches before falling to Deerfield’s Jason Brown. Childers moved to the consolation bracket with the loss and won three more matches before falling in the consolation semifinals to Sam Bloom from Hinsdale Central to finish tied for 11^th place in state. Childers will look to improve upon his already impressive state showing during his senior season next year.

Marian’s doubles team of Mitch Zavesky and Kyle Scheffers also won their first three matches before dropping two straight matches to put them out of contention.

Marian's Lilek Draws Attention

Keep an eye on Marian Catholic baseball player Brett Lilek. The junior is one of the top recruits in the country for the 2012 class. According to coach Phil Wail, Lilek is getting looks from lot of top college programs.

"Most of the SEC schools have expressed interest," Wail said.

If Lilek continues to improve, he may very well be on his way to getting drafted at this time next year.