ETHS Athletic Teams Strong in Class, Strong in Sports

All brawn and no brains? Not at ETHS. Students who participate in ETHS athletics are doing very well in the classroom while building team and individual skills and earning kudos on the field. A survey of this year's winter sports teams (boys basketball, wrestling, and swimming, and girls basketball and gymnastics) shows that each team earned over a 3.0 grade-point-average during its season.

Girls topped the boys in average GPAs, but the boys certainly held their own. In particular, the girls gymnastics team, which is in a rebuilding mode, had the highest GPA (3.69), followed closely by the girls basketball team (3.67 GPA), which made it through regional competition only to lose in the sectional semifinals, two All-Conference and All-Tournament winners.

Both the boys varsity basketball and boys swimming teams earned 3.4 GPAs this winter. In a long, grueling season, the hoopsters placed third in state competition and finished with a 30-4 record. The Wildkit swimmers finished third in both conference and sectionals, and one swimmer placed eighth at state.
   
 The varsity wrestling team earned a 3.09 GPA while posting a 28-5 season record, and claimed five All-Conference winners, one state qualifier, and one state alternate.

ETHS Girls Varsity Track members Khadija Quarles, Danyale Griffin, Brittany Tolar, Amanda Caines, Leah Schenicier and Amber Jackson (not in order) shown before a workout last week.
   
Research consistently shows that students who participate in extracurricular activities academically outperform their non-participating classmates, have better class attendance and are more likely to aspire to attending college. Students who join an extracurricular team or group generally feel more attached to their school and are less likely to fail or drop out of school. They can learn discipline, leadership, teamwork, respect for rules, and healthy living habits.

ETHS, however, does not take all this for granted. While the Illinois High School Association requires students to have passed four subjects the previous semester to participate in extracurricular activities, ETHS has set a higher bar, one of the highest in the state. ETHS requires students to maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA from the previous semester to be eligible. Students who do not meet both the IHSA and ETHS requirements may not participate in their chosen activity until the next semester.

To help students stay on track, the school does a weekly check of in-season participants' grades to be sure they are passing four required classes and maintaining the 2.0 minimum. If they are not, they may not participate in contests, meets or performances for the next week. Students whose weekly grade-check reflects two C-minuses or lower in any class must attend academic support sessions to remain eligible.

ETHS also has a "Second Chance" provision for students whose GPA drops to between 1.7 and 1.999. This one-time-only opportunity allows these students to participate in their activity if they draw up a contract with the extracurricular academic adviser that spells out how they will improve their grades. The student, parent, coach or adviser, academic adviser, and the athletic director, fine arts chair, or other appropriate administrator must sign the contract. Approximately 25 students each semester participate in the Second-Chance Program. Now in its fourth year, this support program has an 86-percent success rate for helping students to get their academic life back on track.

ETHS Girls Lacrosse

ETHS Girls Lacrosse team, pictured to the right and bottom left, beat Deerfield on April 16, 18-6. Head coach Dale Leibforth said, "From start to finish we really played well on both sides of the field." He added, "We've had a really good season so far. We're facing eight state champions this year including a team ranked second in the nation. We have a really tough schedule." The team has an overall record of 9-9-1, but because of its tough schedule is ranked number 5 in the state. Next week, the ETHS Girls Lacrosse team is hosting state champs from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. (See PDF with photos)

ETHS Girls Softball

ETHS Pitcher Alie Ehrensaft, above, and ETHS batter Helena Kruger, right, shown in a softball game against Niles West on April 16, which they lost 6-0. "We had difficulty hitting the Niles West pitcher, and all in all, it was a rough game for us," Coach Amanda Carlson said. "We didn't play up to our potential. However, since that game we have worked hard at hitting in the clutch and tightening up our defensive game. We now have a .500 record since we returned from Florida, at 6 and 6. This week we face Maine East on April 30 and New Trier on May 1."

NU Wrestler Qualifies For Olympic Trials

Jake Herbert, a student at Northwestern University, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by winning the 185-pound division at the University National Freestyle Championships last weekend. Herbert was named Most Outstanding Wrestler and was one of four Wildcats to place in the tournament.

Summer Basketball Registration May 17

Registration for youth Midget, Pint-Size and Middle School basketball leagues will be open for one day only. Register from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on  May 17, at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Center, 1655 Foster St. You must register in person. The cost is $50/player, with practices starting the week of June 16. For more details, call 847-448-8254.

Martial Arts Classes Begin May 21

Hapkido classes for self-defense skills begin at 7:30 p.m. on May 21 at the Levy Center. Designed for anyone aged 16 and older, these classes use kicking and throwing techniques as well as traditional weapons. For more details, call 847-448-8250.

‘Oscars on Ice'

Hundreds of local ice skaters of all ages will perform to music from popular movies. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on May 16-18 and 2:30 p.m. on May 19 at the Robert Crown Center, 1701 Main St. Reserved seats are $9.50 and general admission seating is $8.50. For details, call 847-448-8258.

Flying Fish Place Fourth at National YWCA Championships

The YWCA Evanston/North Shore Flying Fish placed fourth in the annual YWCA national championships, their best showing in the nine years they have attended the annual competition, held this year in Charlotte, N.C., April 3-6. The Flying Fish were represented by 40 swimmers, competing in both junior (13 and under) and senior (14 and over) divisions.
"In the first couple of years we came here, we only had six swimmers who qualified, all in the junior division," said Head Coach Peter Caragher.

"We now have 40 swimmers qualifying, and it's evenly spread across boys and girls, junior and senior divisions. It shows the maturity of our team, and coming off a month of championship meets, the kids swam beyond my expectations. It was our first time scoring over 1,000 points at this meet, and those points were really evenly split between boys and girls."

Two Flying Fish swimmers raced to first-place finishes in multiple events. In the junior division, Blake Morgan was first in the 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 free and 500 free. His 200 breast also set a meet record. In the senior division, Kristina Walsh placed first in both the 100 breast and 200 breast.

In addition, 17 swimmers from the YWCA Flying Fish qualified to compete in finals (Top 16), scoring points for the team in both divisions:

Senior Division
Max Behles - 200 free (8th), 500 free (5th)
AJ Chen-Young - 100 breast (8th), 200 breast (5th), 100 fly (6th), 400 IM (7th), 200 fly (5th)
Nick Killeen - 1000 free (3rd), 200 free (5th), 500 free (4th), 400 IM (6th)
Ben McBratney - 100 breast (6th), 200 breast (7th)
Jane Munro - 200 free (5th), 50 free (3rd), 200 back (4th), 100 back (2nd), 100 free (7th)
William Myers - 200 breast (8th)
CJ Smith - 1000 free (5th), 500 free (7th)
Kristina Walsh - 200 IM (3rd), 50 free (6th), 400 IM (2nd)

In addition, the senior girls (Walsh, Julianne Locher, Maddy Norris, Munro) placed fourth in the 200 medley relay; third in the 400 medley relay; sixth in the 200 free relay; and seventh in the 400 free relay.

The senior boys medley relays (Behles, McBratney, Chen-Young, Killeen) placed fifth in the 200, and fourth in the 400. Their freestyle relays (Chen-Young, Behles, Killeen, McBratney) placed sixth in the 200 and 5th in the 400.

Junior Division
Matteo Brucato - 200 breast (8th)
John McBratney - 500 free (6th), 200 free (7th)
Blake Morgan - 100 IM (4th), 200 IM (3rd)
Madeline Savage - 500 free (3rd), 200 free (7th), 200 back (3rd), 50 free (8th), 100 back (7th)
Amanda Weidner - 500 free (6th), 200 back (2nd), 200 free (3rd), 50 free (6th), 100 back (8th), 100 free (4th)

The junior girls medley relay (Savage, Caroline Duke, Weidner, Rita Behles) placed fifth in the 200 and sixth in the 400. Their 200 free relay placed seventh (Savage, Duke, Weidner, Behles) and the 400 free relay sixth. The junior boys relay (McBratney, Illan Ireland, Morgan, Brucato) placed eighth in the 400 medley sixth in the 200 free and third in the 400 free.

Team records were set by Jane Munro (girls open 50 free), Kristina Walsh (open 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM), Nick Killeen (13 & 14 boys 200 free, 500 free, 100 fly) and A.J. Chen-Young (boys open 200 fly and 400 IM). All the senior girls relays and the senior boys freestyle relays set new team records as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hooked on Fishing

Shoreline Hotspots

Last time I said I would write about some current "hotspots" where the fish are biting really well. These are the spots that are accessible from shore, so fisherman can take the kids and try their luck.

The "hottest" spot is the Skokie Lagoons. We have been getting reports of really great action from largemouth bass and crappie. The bass are hitting a variety of baits, so try everything and vary the retrieve. Fisherman will be stretching lines with some nice fish (reports of bass over 4 pounds being caught).

The crappie are holding to downed trees, branches and weed piles. Try a small jig and twister tail, or small crank bait: Both should be effective on these aggressive fighters.

Busse Woods also has some really active largemouth bass. The reports are that they are located in some of the backwaters and in current areas. They are hitting on topwater baits in the shallow water, 2 - 3 feet. The other active bait is a Senko worm.

A little further north, at Independence Park in Libertyville, the word is lots of bass on jigs and jerkbaits. They are everywhere in shallow water. This is the place to rent a boat and enjoy some fishing away from shore and other fisherman.

Let's not forget our own Lovelace Park here in Evanston. I've had several e-mails about the good bite going on here. The size may not be there, but the kids are more interested in just catching something. Speaking of Lovelace Park, the free kids' fishing program on Saturday mornings begins May 3, and on May 31 there is a big fundraiser at Lovelace Park. I hope a lot of my readers will come out. The funds raised will go toward keeping the kids' program going this summer and in summers to come. I will provide more information in the next column. Until then, keep a tight line …

Dick at ...hookedonfishing@comcast.net