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[MARCH 26, 2002]   NORMAL — Illinois State head football coach Denver Johnson didn’t have to look far to fill the coaching void on his staff. In fact, he just had to walk down the hall at the Kaufman Football Building to Chris Patton’s office.

After serving one season as a restricted earnings coach, Patton was promoted by Johnson on Wednesday to fill the vacancy left by Mac McDaniel, who resigned in December. He will continue working with the defensive line for the Redbirds.

"I’m thrilled to have this opportunity," Patton said. "This is the payoff on the gamble, so to speak. I set out to be a college football coach 10 years ago, and it took me awhile to even get into the high school ranks. I put myself in the position to do this, and coach Johnson was gracious enough to give me this opportunity. It was a risk and I left a great job, but I accepted a restricted earnings position at a place I love and it paid off."

For Patton it’s a happy ending, but for Johnson it’s even happier. He gets a good football coach.

"Chris Patton is a fantastic football coach," Johnson said. "We were extremely fortunate to have him on the staff this past year. He did a great job of coaching, handling his players and recruiting for us. He also adds great chemistry to this coaching staff. He’s honest and loyal, which are qualities that I very much appreciate. I’m delighted to be able to keep him on the staff and to move forward."

The Chickasha, Okla., native joined the Illinois State staff after completing six years in the highly regarded Texas high school ranks. He was in the Dallas Lake Highlands High School system from 1995-00. During the 1990s, Lake Highlands was the fourth-most successful playoff program in 5A football, with three appearances in the semifinals and one in the quarterfinals.

[to top of second column in this article]

Patton was a blue chip high school player who was also named one of the top 10 players in Oklahoma in his senior season. He accepted a scholarship to Oklahoma State, where he played from 1980-84 as a two-year letter-winner. He was a defensive lineman in his first two seasons and an offensive lineman in his last two campaigns.

His position coach on the defensive line at OSU was current Miami Dolphins head coach Dave Wannstedt. While Patton was at OSU, the Cowboys made appearances in the 1981 Independence Bowl, the 1983 Bluebonnet Bowl and the 1984 Gator Bowl.

Following his college career, Patton worked in the private sector but maintained his coaching career, including a stint with a club team in Gavle, Sweden.

Patton graduated from OSU in 1989 with a degree in organizational administration. He and his wife, Laura, have two daughters, Rachel, 13, and Katie, 3.

[Todd Kober,
Illinois State University director of media relations]

[MARCH 25, 2002]   The Railer varsity baseball team had a cool reception in Bradley-Bourbonnais last Saturday. With temperatures in the mid-40s and the wind often in the 20s, it was a difficult day to play baseball. Nonetheless, the conditions were the same for both teams. At least one win against the defending state champions from up north would have been a nice early-season boost. Unfortunately, the Railers saw a two-run seventh-inning lead slip away and lost the first game 7-6, and they couldn’t put a run on the board in the second game, losing 5-0.

In the first game, LCHS got it going early, leading 4-0 going into the bottom of the fourth. Three runs crossed in the first inning when Danny Schick whacked a triple over the center-fielder’s head, scoring Derek Schrader and Andy Knopp, who had reached on a fielder’s choice and a walk. Schick scored himself when the right fielder dropped a fly ball off the bat of Matt Boyer. The Railers scored a fourth unanswered run in the fourth, thanks to a leadoff double by Jeremy Ohmart. Schrader moved Ohmart to third on a ground out. Knopp then hit a grounder to the right of the shortstop, and the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, scoring Ohmart on the play.

Bradley-Bourbonnais made the score 4-2 in the fourth on a leadoff walk, an error and a double. They scored two more in the fifth, tying the score at 4-4 in a strange turn of events. The fourth inning saw three Lincoln pitchers. Blake Schoonover, who had pitched four innings (striking out five, walking three and allowing two hits up to that point), gave up two opening singles. Knopp came in to relieve Schoonover to face senior Dan Haley. During Haley’s at-bat, Lincoln’s catcher, John Peters, threw out one of the runners trying to steal. However, Haley smacked a line drive that skipped past Lincoln’s center fielder, scoring one run. And the hit also scored the tying run when Haley himself was awarded home because one of the Railers threw a glove at the ball on the play. With a 1-1 count on the next batter, Matt Boyer got the call to the mound and pitched the rest of the game.

Even with Bradley-Bourbonnais’ comeback, the Railers regained control, scoring a run in the sixth and another in the seventh inning. In the sixth, Ryan Williams walked and was forwarded to second on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Martin. With two out, Schoonover drove a grounder up the middle to score Williams. In the seventh, Schrader led off with a single, moved to second on a ground out by Michael Aper and went to third on a wild pitch. Schick plated Schrader by hitting a grounder that careened off the pitcher’s foot toward the shortstop.

[to top of second column in this article]

With a two-run lead going to the last at-bat for the home team, the Railers were primed for their first victory. (Metamora scored three in their last at-bat to defeat the Railers 5-4 less than a week ago.) But the rowdy defending state champs were not going down easily. Bradley’s last chance began with a walk and was followed by a single and a double that tied the score at 6-6. An intentional walk, a sacrifice bunt and another intentional walk loaded the bases with no outs. Bradley-Bourbonnais took the game prize on a final single over the second baseman’s head.

Boyer took the loss, going two innings, striking out one, and granting three walks (two intentional) and four hits. Schrader, Schick and Ohmart had two hits each in the losing cause. Junior Kyle Arthur went the distance for Bradley-Bourbonnais, giving up eight hits and striking out just one.

In the second game, the Railers tallied not one hit and left four runners stranded on base. Ryne Komnick took the loss in the game, throwing 3 2/3 innings. Komnick allowed three runs, yielding six walks, five hits, and striking out four. Ryan Williams finished the game on the mound for the Railers. Two unearned runs were scored on Williams, who allowed no hits, struck out one and walked one.

The next Railer game, at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, will be their first home game. While now 0-3, the Railers are still a solid team that will undoubtedly chalk up a number of wins this season.

[Rich Knopp]

[MARCH 25, 2002]   Lincoln High School opened its sophomore baseball season with a pair of losses to highly regarded Bradley in Kankakee on Saturday. The Railers dropped the first game 9-8 in eight innings and lost the second contest 7-4.

Lincoln played well defensively, making just one error in each game. The Railers pounded out eight hits in the first game, with Trent Kavelman and Miles Musick collecting a pair of hits each. Musick scored a run, drove in a pair and connected for a double. Mitch Sheley, Jason Williams, Brandon Babbs and Chris Matson each had one hit, Williams’ hit being a double. Sheley had a pair of RBIs and scored a run. Williams and Matson also scored for the Railers, while Jason Melton scored two runs.

Pitchers for Coach Gary Stoltzenburg were Brandon Babbs, Trent Kavelman and Chance Berger. Berger suffered the loss.

Lincoln had just four hits in the second game, with Musick again coming up with a pair of safeties. Neil Rohrer and Kyle Atteberry had the other Lincoln hits. Sheley and Atteberry had RBIs for Lincoln. Bobby Masestas was the starting and losing pitcher for the Railers. He was followed on the mound by Matson and Paul Phillips.

Lincoln is scheduled to play its home opener Tuesday against Decatur Eisenhower at 4:15 p.m.

[Bill Martinie]

[MARCH 25, 2002]   

Lincoln vs. Mount Zion

Game 1

Lincoln              010 102 0 — 4-3-1

Mount Zion       003 410 x — 8-11-2

Game 2

Lincoln              002 000 0 — 2-8-1

Mount Zion       122 100 x — 6-9-0

Mount Pulaski vs. Pawnee

Game 1

Mount Pulaski     013 000 0 — 4-8-3

Pawnee              100 000 0 — 1-3-1

Game 2

Mount Pulaski    300 213 1 — 10-11-4

Pawnee              005 450 x — 14-6-4

[MARCH 25, 2002]   Lincoln College split a pair of games with Lewis & Clark on Saturday at Lincoln, winning the first game 6-0 behind Anthony Hoffert, and losing the nightcap 8-1.

Sophomore Tim May got the Lynx on the board in the first inning with a three-run homer, and Hoffert made the runs stand up. Hoffert worked five innings, giving up five hits while striking out five and walking three. Charlie Deakin and Dan Dunn each worked one inning in relief. The Lynx plated three more runs in the third on five singles, one each from Dunn, Jake VanDyke, May, Scott Gold and Kenny VanHouten.

Lewis & Clark broke open a close game in the fourth inning of the second game with four runs and then added three more in the fifth. Lincoln failed to score until the seventh, when they pushed across one run. Kyle Eastman was the starting and losing pitcher, going 3 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and five runs. Jeff Harris, VanDyke and Dunn all had a pair of hits for Lincoln.

The Lynx are scheduled to play at Kaskaskia Sunday afternoon.

Lewis & Clark     000 000 0 — 0-5-1

Lincoln College    303 000 x — 6-6-2

Second game

Lewis & Clark     001 430 0 — 8-11-0

Lincoln College    000 000 1 — 1-11-2

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College
sports information director]

[MARCH 23, 2002]  

See Illini website for full game report

View pictures of the game

[MARCH 23, 2002]  NORMAL — Sophomore Taren O’Brien and junior Steph Reichle both are recovering as expected from arthroscopic knee surgery performed Wednesday by Dr. Robert Seidl. Both Illinois State starting guards played despite knee problems at the end of the 2001-02 season and should be ready for action for the 2002-03 season.

According to Redbird athletics trainer Yvonne Logan, O’Brien’s procedure repaired the outside lining of her knee, and Reichle had a piece of damaged meniscus taken from her knee. Both had arthroscopic procedures in 2001. Reichle had major knee surgery in 2000.

O’Brien led the Redbirds in scoring, assists and free throw percentage in 2001-02. Reichle led the squad in steals and was No. 2 in rebounds and assists.

Redbird coach Jenny Yopp believes both will be ready for next season.

"Taren and Steph both play extremely hard and work hard to prepare themselves every day," said Yopp. "That can create the kinds of knee problems they have, but that same great attitude and work ethic will guide their recovery. Both are committed to staying (on campus) through the summer to work hard and get stronger."

O’Brien and Reichle will be part of 11 returning letter-winners and four returning starters for the Redbirds in 2002-03.

[ISU news release]

[MARCH 22, 2002]   Ronni Beebe has been selected to the Region 24 all-region team as announced by Lorene Ramsey, coach of the Illinois Central College squad.

Beebe was the lone selection from Lincoln College. The sophomore guard averaged 12.3 points per game for coach Carol Wilson. Beebe shot 42 percent from the floor and 62 percent from the foul line. She also had a team-leading 133 assists on the season.

Others selected to the all-region team were Jen Carroll and Beth Burke, Parkland; Kelly Quigle, John Wood; Emily Krueger, Lincoln Land; Courtney Hackler and Kelly Allen, Lake Land; Kacey Culver, Spoon River; and Andrea Swiler, Lewis & Clark. Tim Wulf was named coach of the year, and Beth Burke earned player of the year honors.

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College
sports information director]

[MARCH 21, 2002]  Lincoln’s varsity baseball team opened its season with a solid game that nonetheless produced a frustrating 5-4 loss. Lincoln traveled to Metamora on a cold Wednesday to begin its highly anticipated season. Everything seemed under control — at least until Metamora’s final at-bat.

Preseason assessment indicated that one of the strengths of this year’s Railers would be the pitching staff, even though the "ace" from last year’s squad, Chris Phillips, is now pitching for Lincoln College. Seniors Andy Knopp and Blake Schoonover have worked hard in the off-season, with 83-85 mph fastballs and good off-speed stuff. Junior Ryne Komnick saw more mound duty last year than any returning pitcher and will once again be a significant part of the pitching rotation. Seniors Matt Boyer, Michael Martin and Ryan Williams also have some effective pitching experience and will definitely add to the depth and versatility of Lincoln’s hurlers.

Typically, if a high school team uses five pitchers in a game, it’s not a good sign. However, the opening game saw five Lincoln pitchers and things were looking good until the seventh inning. Head coach Pat Hake decided that it was important to distribute the pitch count and break in the arms slowly. Undoubtedly, part of the understandable rationale was looking ahead to the weekend’s upcoming doubleheader with the defending state champions, Bradley-Bourbonnais.

Knopp and Schoonover pitched the first two innings without a score, with neither giving up a hit and Schoonover striking out two and Knopp one. Komnick pitched the third and allowed an unearned run on one hit and two errors in the inning — the only Railer errors on the day. Matt Boyer followed with two more scoreless innings, granting only one more hit.

  [to top of second column in this article]

With a 4-1 lead, Michael Martin found his first mound assignment not so kind. A bunt and a double in the sixth tightened the score to 4-2. In the bottom of the seventh, a leadoff double, a walk and a wild pitch put runners at second and third. Even then, the Railers still smelled victory. But with one out, Andy Dubois, who entered the game in the sixth inning, batting in the ninth position, smacked a shocking three-run homer over the right field fence. With one swing, the good guys went from two runs up to a one run loss — game over.

As usual, the game was not lost with a single swing. The Railers had their chances and made earlier mistakes. The fourth inning ended with a Railer unsuccessfully trying to steal third; a lead-off double in the fifth was transformed into the first out when the runner tried to stretch it to a triple; and two back-to-back strikeouts with a runner in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings yielded no more Lincoln runs.

Lincoln tallied five hits on the day (to Metamora’s six) from Martin (2B), Schrader, Knopp, Boyer (2B) and Williams. Pinch-running Danny Schick scored the game’s first run in the second, capitalizing on a leadoff walk to Knopp, a stolen base and a passed ball. The only other Railer runs came in the fourth. Schrader started with a single and was driven home on a double to the gap in left center by Boyer, who later scored on a wild pitch. Komnick walked and was eventually plated on a sacrifice fly by catcher John Peters.

Sure, it was a tough loss. But this is a talented bunch of hungry Railers who will learn some lessons and come back stronger. They will need to. Their next two games are against the defending state champions. Without question, this year’s Railers will see the toughest Lincoln schedule in many years. It’s going to be interesting, and hopefully fun, to see them rise to the challenge.

[Rich Knopp]

[MARCH 21, 2002]  Ninth-year coach Tony Thomas begins the baseball season with high hopes and a strong possibility of winning 20 or more games for the second straight year. Lincoln College finished with a 21-30 record last season, the first 20-win season since 1990.

Coach Thomas has 12 returning sophomores and arguably the best group of freshman since he has been at Lincoln.

He said, "Our infield could be made up of all freshman, and if we hadn’t lost Nathan Olden, we could have been even stronger. Nathan was killed in an auto accident while returning to his home in Mount Zion. Our kids have had to go through some tough times since the accident. They have had to deal with the death; at the same time, they have had to learn that life goes on. It has made them grow up a lot quicker. We are going to do some things to remember him. Our uniforms will all have the number nine on them, and we have arranged for his parents to throw out the first pitch at our opening home game."

Pitching is probably as strong as it has been since Thomas began coaching at Lincoln College nine years ago. "Anthony Hoffert has a stronghold on the number one starting spot," said Thomas. "He has gained a lot of confidence and has gotten himself in the right frame of mind. If Hoffert has the type of year I feel he is capable of, I believe he can play at the next level for someone next season."

Other probable starters for the Lynx will be Kyle Eastman, Jonathon Cave and Chris Phillips. Charlie Deakin will probably be the fifth starter and will also work out of the bullpen. "We have seven other pitchers who will probably see action from the pen," said Thomas. "'Matt Whetstone, Jeff King and Matt Carnahan will probably see the most action out of the pen."

[to top of second column in this article]

Thomas continued, "I think this will be the strongest team I have had both offensively and defensively. In the past we have had some good offensive teams or some good defensive teams; however, we have not been able to get both on the field at the same time. I really feel we are going to be able to score some runs, and one through nine should be very competitive.

"Andrew Bartman and John Decker have both improved behind the plate, and we have some kids who can hit the ball out of the park Tim May has been one of the most impressive power hitters thus far. Ahmad Ritchie, Jake VanDyke Scott Gold and Kenny VanHouten all had outstanding fall seasons."

Lincoln began its season in Alabama with a twin bill against Southern Alabama. "We will find out very quickly how we stack up," said Thomas. " Southern Alabama has already played 16 games and Faulkner State has played 12. Then we get to play the No. 23- ranked team in the nation followed by the top-ranked Jefferson Davis." [Click here for a wrap-up on those games.]

Lincoln will play at home March 23 against Lewis & Clark.

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College
sports information director]

[Click here for Lincoln College baseball roster.]

[Click here for Lincoln College baseball schedule.]

[MARCH 21, 2002]  After suffering through a 9-28 campaign last season, coach Jen Ciaccio is looking for a huge improvement from the Lincoln College softball squad this season.

The Lady Lynx played five games on their spring trip before opening regular season play at Lake Land on March 16 and at Danville March 17. The first home date for the Lady Lynx will be March 23 against Lincoln Land.

Ciaccio has three players returning from last year who should have standout seasons. Heather Dobey hit .414 last season while Ronni Beebe hit at a .384 clip. Crystal Wilkey had an average of .390 last season. Also returning for a second season are Erica Sharko and Amy Johnson.

"Pitching should be one of our strong points this season," said Ciaccio. "If we get the type of pitching I anticipate, we should be able to compete with everyone in our conference. Our girls have a total different attitude this year over last season. Our defense, which was a real problem last season, looks to be much improved.

[to top of second column in this article]

"Last season, we had trouble stopping anyone from scoring, due to a lack of consistent pitching and poor defense. The way things looked in the fall (we were 6-4) and the way it has gone in the early practices, I think we will be able to hold our own this year.

"Candi Forsythe has been one of the most impressive newcomers along with Jen Polhemus, Audra May and Monica Perone. We also have a new assistant coach, Sheron Howard, who played for Lincoln College several years ago.

"We should learn a lot about our squad on the southern trip and in the two games against Lake Land and Danville as we return home. This team has the ability to score runs and also the ability to stop other teams. The girls are excited about the upcoming season."

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College
sports information director]

[Click here for Lincoln College softball roster.]

[Click here for Lincoln College softball schedule.]

Head coach: Jennifer B. Ciaccio

Assistant coach: Sheron Howard

Statistician: Adam Braeback

Managers: Steve Brown, Janine Buettner, Amy Cox

[MARCH 21, 2002]   CHAMPAIGN — The March 18 issue of U.S. News and World Report recognizes the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as one of the 20 best overall athletic departments in the nation.

The U.S. News College Sports Honor Roll in alphabetical order lists Boston College, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Lehigh, Penn State, Princeton, Stanford, Connecticut, Hawaii-Manoa, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts-Amherst, Michigan, New Hampshire, Utah and Villanova.

U.S. News and World Report took a broad view of intercollegiate varsity sports programs. All 321 colleges in the NCAA’s Division I were surveyed for the 2000-2001 academic year. Data on gender equity, number of varsity sports offered, and wins and losses were collected from the schools’ athletic departments. Data on graduation rates and sanctions for NCAA rule-breaking were collected from the NCAA’s website.

The honor roll recognizes schools that did well across several categories. Schools that had major NCAA infractions during the past 10 years were excluded from the list. The entire story can be read  on the U.S. News and World Report website. (See www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/eduhome.htm.)

[Kent Brown, assistant athletics director,
sports information director, University of Illinois]

[MARCH 20, 2002]   CHAMPAIGN — The University of Illinois announced Tuesday that 250 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional tickets will go on sale to the general public at 9 a.m., Wednesday, March 20. All tickets are $110 and good for both sessions of the regional.

The UI Athletics Ticket Office obtained the tickets from another institution playing in the Midwest Regional. All priority allocation of tickets has been completed.

There is a limit of two tickets per order. Placement of an order does not guarantee tickets will be available. 

Ticket orders will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis in person at the UI Athletics Ticket Office at the Assembly Hall North Box Office or by phone at 866-ILLINI 1 and (217) 333-3470.

[Kent Brown, assistant athletics director,
sports information director, University of Illinois]

[MARCH 22, 2002]   If you picked the upsets and had Kent State, Indiana and Missouri still alive on your brackets into the Elite Eight, would you please stand up???

•  Is Jermaine Dearman one of the best players you’ve never heard of?

•  According to Dick Vitale, Billy Packer and all the other college basketball experts, the Big Ten was REALLY down this season. I could REALLY tell that by the way Duke handled IU... Give me a stinkin’ break!!!

•  Don’t think Gonzaga let you down if you had them going a round or two or more.

•  The NCAA selection committee should be ashamed of themselves for giving the Zags a No. 6 seed. That was a travesty, and they made sure that the guys from "The Kennel" would have a difficult time advancing. I think that this whole process should be investigated! Especially when you also consider that Butler and Ball State were left completely out of the tournament. What’s the matter? Don’t they travel well? Don’t their alums spend the money that Wake Forest and UCLA grads do? The whole system is beginning to stink almost as much as the BCS!!!

•  Did you see the Westinghouse-Lanphier game? That was one of the best IHSA championship games that I’ve seen since I moved here back in 1975. Pure high school hoops drama. Congratulations to former Lincoln coach Craig Patton for guiding the Lions to such a wonderful year!

•  Speaking of Lanphier... Will Iguadola now end up with the Illini? And will McBride follow him there?

•  I had a bad feeling about the Creighton game. I felt that they might be a team of destiny. I also have a bad feeling about the Kansas game. They seem to get bounced around this time of year a lot, and the law of averages has to be in their favor. I would love to continue being wrong right up through Tuesday morning, April 2!!! ... in a parade somewhere on a street in Chambana, Ill.!!!

[to top of second column in this section]

•  Lincoln Railer softball and baseball, track and soccer, as well as other sports are now under way. Did anyone consult the weatherman to let him know that these are SPRING sports? Why am I so cold that I feel like I’m STILL trapped in WINTER sports?

•  While the Cubs, White Sox and Cardinals have had a few bright spots during spring training, they all may have created more questions than they’ve supplied answers. Pitching decisions and final lineups will dictate how these teams come out of the box. Over the last several years I’ve felt that the playoff teams had many things in common. Usually one of those aspects was that they started the seasons well. I felt that the Cubs really maximized their chances with a fairly good start last season. Let’s see who comes outta the gates quickly this year.

•  It won’t be long before we are teeing them up! I can’t wait. The world just seems to be a better place when you can play golf every once in a while.

•  I’ve seen a lot of athletes, cheerleaders and band members the past few days as I’ve participated in Lincoln Christian College’s Week of E program. I’m glad to see that for most of them, academics is STILL the highest priority. Character and sportsmanship probably still have the best chance of being taught or caught on the elementary and junior high levels.

I’ve appreciated you students making positive comments about our newspaper and radio show. Please participate in both whenever you can. We exist at the Lincoln Daily News and at FIX 96.3 to serve YOU!!! Have a GREAT spring break, and I’ll catch you all on the REBOUND!!!

[Jeff Mayfield]

Announcements

[MARCH 14, 2002]  YMCA soccer will be starting soon. This program is designed for children pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Y soccer program stresses fundamentals, fair play and, above all, fun. The coaches and volunteers stress cooperation over competition. Everyone plays, regardless of ability. Everybody plays, therefore everybody wins.

If your family would like to take part in this program, feel free to contact the YMCA office at 735-3915. Come be a part of building stronger kids, stronger families and a stronger community, at the Y.

[YMCA news release]

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