Sports
Wheaton High School Sports: 10 Difference-Makers Coming at You This Spring, Part 2
Our two-part look at who we think will be difference-makers on the Wheaton high school sports scene this spring concludes with these five picks.
Last week, Wheaton Patch introduced five athletes from area high schools who we believe will make some noise throughout the next 2 1/2 months of what is always a hectic spring sports season.
They were (in alphabetical order), Darren Fill, Wheaton Co-op boys gymnastics; Tate Fritz, Wheaton Academy baseball; Eric Luhrsen, Wheaton Warrenville South boys volleyball; Kelly McShea, St. Francis girls track; and Brie Pasquale, St. Francis softball. Click to view last week's story.
We finish our two-part series with these five athletes. Well, actually eight: Four are part of a boys track relay team from Wheaton South.
Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Timmie Rappe, Wheaton Warrenville South softball — The Ohio University signee is one of three Tigers who’ll go on to play softball in college after their senior years. (Teammates Hannah Granger and Bekah Munday will suit up for the University of Minnesota and Central Methodist University, respectively). Rappe, a four-year starter, was a first-team all-DVC pick as a junior. Last summer, she led the Chicago White Sox Training Academy team 18U team to a 75-12 record while hitting .444.
Jeff Schalk, Wheaton North baseball — Prep scouting services rave about Schalk, and consider the Falcon senior to be one of the top left-handed power hitters in the state. The senior first baseman batted .344 for the Falcons with eight homers and a team-leading 41 RBIs which helped propel the team to the Class 4A supersectionals. In November, Schalk signed with the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He is listed among Perfect Game USA’s National Showcase players. Perfect Game USA is billed as baseball’s largest and most comprehensive scouting service.
Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Crystal Thomas, Wheaton Academy girls soccer — Thomas returns for her junior season after helping to lead the Warriors to the Class 2A state championship in 2009 and a third-place state finish last year. An Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association Section 8 pick for 2010, Thomas followed up an 18-goal season as a freshman with 17 goals last spring. She also has collected 33 assists over a two-year period.
Wheaton Warrenville South’s 4x800 relay team — Sophomore Carl Anderson joined juniors Christian Adams, Collin Fedor and Kyle O’Malley to roar to a third-place finish last May at the Class 3A meet in a time of 7:47.58 — just a little over three-tenths of a second behind the state champion Glenbard East squad. With everyone back this season, look for this quartet to make a run at the 2011 state crown. Glenbard East, meanwhile, lost three-quarters of its title team to graduation while second-place Mt. Prospect has to replace two graduated seniors.
Paige Wilson, Wheaton North softball — Wilson verbally committed to play at the — a 2010 College Softball World Series participant — the summer after her sophomore year and made that commitment official by signing with the Bulldogs in November. A four-year starter at shortstop for the Falcons, she batted .447 last year with 25 RBIs while leading the team in both runs scored and stolen bases. Wilson and standout first baseman Kelsey Ullrich, who has signed with Lewis University, give the Falcons (26-11 in 2010) an outstanding one-two punch this spring.
