The North Suburban YMCA Gymnastics Team carried home first place trophies from the first annual Island Adventure Meet held at the College of Lake County on Jan. 15. The YMCA’s Level 4 and 5 teams both earned first place team honors, with a number of gymnasts shining in individual competition.
In the 7-9 year old Level 4 division, Shea McCarthy placed first on beam, floor and all-around with a score of 36.650. Tess Benson finished first on vault and bars and had second place finishes on beam, floor and all-around. Katie Kempff placed third on vault, floor and all-around, and Christine Jablonsky placed fourth on vault. Molly Fraser had a third place finish on beam.
In the 10-years-and-up Level 4 division, Carly Anderson placed first on bars, floor and all-around with a score of 36.3. Brianne Barbakoff placed first on vault and beam, and had second place finishes on floor and all-around. In her first meet appearance, Emily MacDonald earned a second place finish on bars, and third place on floor and all-around.
The YMCA team’s Level 5 gymnasts continued the trophies winning trend with Riley McCarthy placing first on bars, floor and all-around with a score of 34.8. Liat Berkowitz added a first place award with a 9.1 on beam, and second place finishes on bars, floor and all-around. Bridget Billig helped the Level 5 team with third place on floor and in the all-around.
The North Suburban YMCA Gymnastics Team is coached by Rachel Elfant, Jenna Norman and Carol Sassorossi.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Nikki Huber On the Road to Success
Nikki Huber admits she's always had a little bit of "a hyper personality." Let's see if the resume of this 2004 Schaumburg High School graduate supports that claim:
. She makes TV and Web commercials.
. She acts in network TV shows. (She has appeared in "CSI: New York" and the Chicago-based series "The Playboy Club.")
. She models.
. She hosts the half-time shows for the Chicago Slaughter indoor football games at the Sears Centre.
. She runs marathons for charities.
. She reigns as the current Miss Earth Illinois. (Yes, there is a Miss Earth Illinois.)
. She presents award show trophies (such as the recent Chicago Film Critics Awards where she gave trophies to James Earl Jones, Dennis Farina and Jason Segel).
Yep, we'd have to agree. Schaumburg native Nikki Huber has a bit of a hyper personality.
"It takes a lot to keep me amused," she said. "I think that performing, singing, dancing and acting gave me an outlet to really focus my energies and enabled me to become who I am."
The best way to describe Nikki Huber might well be a work in progress. That work began when Huber, 11, signed up to be in the musical "Annie," the first production mounted by the Schaumburg on Stage theater group under the auspices of Dorothy's Dancing Unlimited. "That experience made me realize that I had a funny bone," Huber said.
Her bone was funny enough to motivate Huber, at 14, to enroll at the Arlington Heights campus of The Second City to learn comedy. She was one of only two 19-year-olds to be accepted into the Second City's conservatory program. Huber identified comic timing as her strong suit, "but I never even knew I had that until I went to Second City."
But how did a Columbia College graduate with a B.A. in acting wind up in the world of beauty pageants? Huber said that in her senior year of high school, she received a letter asking her to compete for Miss Teen USA.
. She makes TV and Web commercials.
. She acts in network TV shows. (She has appeared in "CSI: New York" and the Chicago-based series "The Playboy Club.")
. She models.
. She hosts the half-time shows for the Chicago Slaughter indoor football games at the Sears Centre.
. She runs marathons for charities.
. She reigns as the current Miss Earth Illinois. (Yes, there is a Miss Earth Illinois.)
. She presents award show trophies (such as the recent Chicago Film Critics Awards where she gave trophies to James Earl Jones, Dennis Farina and Jason Segel).
Yep, we'd have to agree. Schaumburg native Nikki Huber has a bit of a hyper personality.
"It takes a lot to keep me amused," she said. "I think that performing, singing, dancing and acting gave me an outlet to really focus my energies and enabled me to become who I am."
The best way to describe Nikki Huber might well be a work in progress. That work began when Huber, 11, signed up to be in the musical "Annie," the first production mounted by the Schaumburg on Stage theater group under the auspices of Dorothy's Dancing Unlimited. "That experience made me realize that I had a funny bone," Huber said.
Her bone was funny enough to motivate Huber, at 14, to enroll at the Arlington Heights campus of The Second City to learn comedy. She was one of only two 19-year-olds to be accepted into the Second City's conservatory program. Huber identified comic timing as her strong suit, "but I never even knew I had that until I went to Second City."
But how did a Columbia College graduate with a B.A. in acting wind up in the world of beauty pageants? Huber said that in her senior year of high school, she received a letter asking her to compete for Miss Teen USA.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Bowler Brian Waliczek Looking for Repeat in Open City Championships
Adorning the walls of Kingpin Pro Shop are the many accolades and awards Brian Waliczek has bowled his way to throughout his career. Waliczek, the owner of the shop, often uses them as positive reinforcement. “They boost my ego, when I’m having a bad day,” Waliczek said of the trophies. “I put the trophies that I’ve been fortunate enough to win on my wall in my shop. I’m proud of those trophies.”
Some of the trophies that deck the wall of his shop were earned in the Saginaw USBC Open City Championships. Waliczek has performed well in the past, a part of a Kingpin team that captured several accolades during the Third Open City Championship in 2010. That year, Waliczek earned all-events, singles, doubles and team titles. “That year, we had it at Candlelite. That obviously helped,” Waliczek said. “It was fun. It’s only nine games, so a lot of good can happen quickly and a lot of bad can happen quickly as well.”
He and his Kingpin team of Dan Weigandt, Greg Kuehnl and Garrett Shovan are searching for more of the same this year. The Fifth Men’s and Women’s Open City Championships begin Saturday and Sunday at State Lanes. While Waliczek and Weigandt were winners of the doubles title in the Third Open City Championship in 2010, Kuehnl and Shovan were the winners last year in 2011. All of the team members are in a sport league at Candlelite, which helps prepare them for the tournament-type conditions.
“All of the guys on my team bowl in the league and it definitely helped with tournaments,” Waliczek said. “With the tough (lane) conditions, you can look silly in that league, but you still get used to making adjustments, wrong ones and right ones. It just gets you comfortable moving around. You have to make adjustments or else the wheels can come off. “Making adjustments is so key in today’s game.”
Waliczek alone bowls in numerous tournaments throughout the year, filling up his weekends with tournaments around the Midwest. “Last weekend I was in Kentucky and I did really well in the tournament until I went up against a small, angry fellow named Tom Smallwood, who beat me,” Waliczek said. “The Saginaw guys did really strongly. I led most of the way, until it cut to the top eight. I lost to Smallwood and he went to the finals. J.R. Raymond, who is also from Saginaw, lost to Tommy in the finals. Saginaw dominated that weekend.”
In league play, Waliczek is also having a robust season, sporting scores of 248 at Stardust and 240 at Candlelite for his two leagues.Waliczek doesn’t always get a chance to bowl with the guys in his shop, but when they do, it’s usually fun and successful. He hopes for more of that in the Open City Championship. “If I give them a little push in the right direction, they can put up good numbers,” he joked. “When we are together, they get that little push. Then I ride their coattails.”
Some of the trophies that deck the wall of his shop were earned in the Saginaw USBC Open City Championships. Waliczek has performed well in the past, a part of a Kingpin team that captured several accolades during the Third Open City Championship in 2010. That year, Waliczek earned all-events, singles, doubles and team titles. “That year, we had it at Candlelite. That obviously helped,” Waliczek said. “It was fun. It’s only nine games, so a lot of good can happen quickly and a lot of bad can happen quickly as well.”
He and his Kingpin team of Dan Weigandt, Greg Kuehnl and Garrett Shovan are searching for more of the same this year. The Fifth Men’s and Women’s Open City Championships begin Saturday and Sunday at State Lanes. While Waliczek and Weigandt were winners of the doubles title in the Third Open City Championship in 2010, Kuehnl and Shovan were the winners last year in 2011. All of the team members are in a sport league at Candlelite, which helps prepare them for the tournament-type conditions.
“All of the guys on my team bowl in the league and it definitely helped with tournaments,” Waliczek said. “With the tough (lane) conditions, you can look silly in that league, but you still get used to making adjustments, wrong ones and right ones. It just gets you comfortable moving around. You have to make adjustments or else the wheels can come off. “Making adjustments is so key in today’s game.”
Waliczek alone bowls in numerous tournaments throughout the year, filling up his weekends with tournaments around the Midwest. “Last weekend I was in Kentucky and I did really well in the tournament until I went up against a small, angry fellow named Tom Smallwood, who beat me,” Waliczek said. “The Saginaw guys did really strongly. I led most of the way, until it cut to the top eight. I lost to Smallwood and he went to the finals. J.R. Raymond, who is also from Saginaw, lost to Tommy in the finals. Saginaw dominated that weekend.”
In league play, Waliczek is also having a robust season, sporting scores of 248 at Stardust and 240 at Candlelite for his two leagues.Waliczek doesn’t always get a chance to bowl with the guys in his shop, but when they do, it’s usually fun and successful. He hopes for more of that in the Open City Championship. “If I give them a little push in the right direction, they can put up good numbers,” he joked. “When we are together, they get that little push. Then I ride their coattails.”
Monday, January 16, 2012
Experienced Badminton Duo Lift Trophy
Experienced pairing Unni and Salesh claimed victory in the top Flight I category of the latest Syed Modi monthly badminton tournament at Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS).
The duo saw off the challenge of Jain and Simin, 21-16, in the showpiece final, having earlier been put through their paces in a grueling semi-final against Nahas and Subash.
Flight II trophies went to Anoop and Shanto following their 21-19, 21-17 win over Priyan and Thulasi, while Ajay and Shibu took the spoils in Flight III with a 21-18, 21-10 victory over Mujeeb and Vinod.
Elsewhere, Rajasekhar and Shyji enjoyed a convincing 21-8, 21-12 win over Biju and Wincent in the Flight IV final, with the Flight V final going the way of Vineeth and Vishnu after their 21-18, 21-17 victory against Ben and Nithin.
Category winners were presented with their trophies by BKS acting general secretary, Santosh Babu and other officials.
The duo saw off the challenge of Jain and Simin, 21-16, in the showpiece final, having earlier been put through their paces in a grueling semi-final against Nahas and Subash.
Flight II trophies went to Anoop and Shanto following their 21-19, 21-17 win over Priyan and Thulasi, while Ajay and Shibu took the spoils in Flight III with a 21-18, 21-10 victory over Mujeeb and Vinod.
Elsewhere, Rajasekhar and Shyji enjoyed a convincing 21-8, 21-12 win over Biju and Wincent in the Flight IV final, with the Flight V final going the way of Vineeth and Vishnu after their 21-18, 21-17 victory against Ben and Nithin.
Category winners were presented with their trophies by BKS acting general secretary, Santosh Babu and other officials.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Aging Competitively for Wilmington ‘Strongman’
In 1969, Larry Readman held the Will County record in discus throwing. Today, the 60-year-old Readman still works out two hours a day and runs an hour on Sundays. And, Readman is still earning trophies.
In November, he competed in the 2011 North American Strongman Master’s Championship and Texas Strongest Man competition in Houston, pulling a six-and-a-half ton Army truck from a dead stop. With no idea of how the pull would go, he said, his goal was just to get the truck to move. Before the start of the truck’s roll he had the tow line “just as tight and low as possible.” With the tire pressure reduced to 20 pounds there “was also a lot of drag,” he said. But, when he felt the truck take its initial move, “It was the greatest feeling.” While the event would allow 60 seconds for the pull of 50 feet, Readman’s time was just 25 seconds. “It surprised me,” he said.
Readman has competed for trophies in strongman events for the past five years, and Houston was his third national competition. He and his wife, Joyce, enjoy the traveling that the competitions require. “We’ve been to every state and to quite a few countries,” Readman said.
Age is a factor, he said. Readman was one of two competing in his age category: “There are only three in the United States that compete. “I’m very proud that I’m one of three that can do it — the training is hard,” he said.
When training, it’s hard for him to gain weight. He normally weighs around 195 pounds and competes at the 175-200 pound level. He builds endurance by flipping a 500-pound tire as far as he can for as long as he can. “At this age and weight, it’s more challenging,” he said.
Readman is retired from his job at a chemical plant, and is a fourth-generation farmer still living on the farm four miles outside of Wilmington along the Kankakee River where he was raised. For the past 17 years, he has also coached the Wilmington High School powerlifting team. “It’s a very big part of the football program,” Readman said.
He tries to have the Wilmington High School students challenge themselves “to set a goal and work towards it.”
The student’s initial interest in some of the strongman events sparked his own interest in competing in the sport. During the time right before competitions, he said he feels his endurance and powerlifting skills are at their height. “It gives me a feeling of accomplishment,” he said.
In November, he competed in the 2011 North American Strongman Master’s Championship and Texas Strongest Man competition in Houston, pulling a six-and-a-half ton Army truck from a dead stop. With no idea of how the pull would go, he said, his goal was just to get the truck to move. Before the start of the truck’s roll he had the tow line “just as tight and low as possible.” With the tire pressure reduced to 20 pounds there “was also a lot of drag,” he said. But, when he felt the truck take its initial move, “It was the greatest feeling.” While the event would allow 60 seconds for the pull of 50 feet, Readman’s time was just 25 seconds. “It surprised me,” he said.
Readman has competed for trophies in strongman events for the past five years, and Houston was his third national competition. He and his wife, Joyce, enjoy the traveling that the competitions require. “We’ve been to every state and to quite a few countries,” Readman said.
Age is a factor, he said. Readman was one of two competing in his age category: “There are only three in the United States that compete. “I’m very proud that I’m one of three that can do it — the training is hard,” he said.
When training, it’s hard for him to gain weight. He normally weighs around 195 pounds and competes at the 175-200 pound level. He builds endurance by flipping a 500-pound tire as far as he can for as long as he can. “At this age and weight, it’s more challenging,” he said.
Readman is retired from his job at a chemical plant, and is a fourth-generation farmer still living on the farm four miles outside of Wilmington along the Kankakee River where he was raised. For the past 17 years, he has also coached the Wilmington High School powerlifting team. “It’s a very big part of the football program,” Readman said.
He tries to have the Wilmington High School students challenge themselves “to set a goal and work towards it.”
The student’s initial interest in some of the strongman events sparked his own interest in competing in the sport. During the time right before competitions, he said he feels his endurance and powerlifting skills are at their height. “It gives me a feeling of accomplishment,” he said.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Stolen Trophies Set to be Returned to Idle Cricket Club
A cricket club is hoping to retrieve some of the irreplaceable trophies that burglars stole from its prize cabinet. Police have told Idle Cricket Club that at least seven of the stolen trophies have been recovered and are ready to be reclaimed.
On Thursday, promising teenage rugby league player Dean O’Toole admitted breaking into the club in Cavendish Road, Idle, stealing trophies and £1,500 in cash. The 18-year-old was one of a group of burglars who forced their way into the club and smashed their way into the trophy cabinet.
O’Toole, of Leafield Crescent, Eccleshill, was warned by magistrates he could now face a custodial sentence and his case was adjourned until January 19 for a probation report. The burglars had forced a double padlocked safe and rifled the trophy cabinet and O’Toole, who played scrum-half for Huddersfield Giants under-18s team, was arrested and interviewed on Christmas Eve after a police sergeant recognised him from CCTV stills of the break-in.
Speaking about the burglary, club steward David English said news that some of the trophies had been found was a relief after fears they could have been sold for scrap metal. He said: “Some of those trophies were very old, the club’s been here since 1906. They would have been irreplaceable.”
The burglary was the third in 12 months, which has cost the club a fortune in putting bars up at the windows and fitting CCTV. “It’s money we don’t really have but we’ve had no choice but to spend it. We are struggling anyway, the insurance has gone up. It’ll get to the stage when they won’t insure us and then we’ll have to shut,” said Mr English.
On Thursday, promising teenage rugby league player Dean O’Toole admitted breaking into the club in Cavendish Road, Idle, stealing trophies and £1,500 in cash. The 18-year-old was one of a group of burglars who forced their way into the club and smashed their way into the trophy cabinet.
O’Toole, of Leafield Crescent, Eccleshill, was warned by magistrates he could now face a custodial sentence and his case was adjourned until January 19 for a probation report. The burglars had forced a double padlocked safe and rifled the trophy cabinet and O’Toole, who played scrum-half for Huddersfield Giants under-18s team, was arrested and interviewed on Christmas Eve after a police sergeant recognised him from CCTV stills of the break-in.
Speaking about the burglary, club steward David English said news that some of the trophies had been found was a relief after fears they could have been sold for scrap metal. He said: “Some of those trophies were very old, the club’s been here since 1906. They would have been irreplaceable.”
The burglary was the third in 12 months, which has cost the club a fortune in putting bars up at the windows and fitting CCTV. “It’s money we don’t really have but we’ve had no choice but to spend it. We are struggling anyway, the insurance has gone up. It’ll get to the stage when they won’t insure us and then we’ll have to shut,” said Mr English.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race Trophy Presentation
The 2011 Optus Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race prize giving will take place at the Derwent Sailing Squadron, Marieville Esplanade, Sandy Bay at 5:00pm today. All media are invited to attend when major winners will receive their trophies.
In addition to line honor winner Helsal3 and overall winner Masquerade, trophies will go to Allusive (PHS) and Archie (AMS and IRC). Archie was skippered by Sally Rattle, a member of the DSS and now Tasmania’s most successful yachtswoman with previous wins in the Melbourne to Hobart, Maria Island and Bruny Island races.
In addition to line honor winner Helsal3 and overall winner Masquerade, trophies will go to Allusive (PHS) and Archie (AMS and IRC). Archie was skippered by Sally Rattle, a member of the DSS and now Tasmania’s most successful yachtswoman with previous wins in the Melbourne to Hobart, Maria Island and Bruny Island races.
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