Alumni: April 2009 Archives

Here's the latest Will Johnson sighting.

Johnson's from Woodridge and attended Naperville North. Per a Chicago Fire press release, he's featured in cosmogirl.com's "Eye Candy" section.

Johnson currently plays for Real Salt Lake of MLS. In four games this year, he has one assist.

Naperville resident Becky Karls Eloe named to UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame.

Eloe was the NCAA National Champion in the long jump.

Philly.com has done an excellent job covering the life and death of Harry Kalas, the legendary Phillies broadcaster. Jim Salisbury of the Inquirer explains Monday's events here. In 2002 Frank Fitzpatrick traveled to Naperville to better understand the world in which Kalas grew up. The result is a must-read feature.

What are your memories of the 1954 Naperville High School graduate?

On Thursday, the Los Angeles Sparks drafted Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton 13th overall out of Purdue.

The Neuqua Valley graduate has graced the pages of The Naperville Sun for the past 10 years and will continue to do so as part of the WNBA.

On behalf of The Sun, please join me in congratulating Naperville's newest pro!

Neuqua Valley graduate Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton will be reunited with her friend Candace Parker, just like a WNBA mock draft indicated yesterday.

Wisdom-Hylton, a Purdue senior, was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the 13th overall pick in today's WNBA Draft. Parker was the overall No. 1 pick by the Sparks last year.

Wisdom-Hylton was the final pick in the first round. When her name was announced she stood up and shared hugs with her stepfather Tony Hylton, her Purdue coach, Sharon Versyp and the Purdue director of basketball operations, Terry Kix.

Today marks the 13th WNBA draft and for the second year in a row it should involve a local player. Last year it was all-world Candace Parker's turn. Parker was chosen first overall by the Los Angeles Sparks.

This year it's time for Neuqua Valley graduate Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton to head to the pros. Wisdom-Hylton is one of 15 seniors invited to attend the draft Thursday in Secaucus, N.J.

Wisdom-Hylton is expected to be picked in the later stages of the first round or early in the second round of the 13-team draft. Her coach at Purdue, Sharon Versyp, believes Wisdom-Hylton will make an impact on the league with her versatility and her growing confidence.

"In February and March she was, 'Give me the ball, I'm going to score, I'm going to stop this, we're going to win,'" Versyp said. "It was totally different. She spoke it -- she walked the walk; she talked the talk. It was a big, huge lift for everybody."

Versyp said one of the biggest challenges facing Wisdom-Hylton is how she'll adjust to the professional lifestyle.

"It's totally different than college athletics," Versyp said. "You've got to really wrap your head around that. It's a business. You don't always have the overall team camaraderie. It's just a totally different mentality that she has to be confident every single day she steps foot on the floor."

It hasn't happened since their middle-school AAU days, but Candace Parker and Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton may become teammates once again. At least according to this WNBA mock draft analysis.

Brian Martin of WNBA.com speculates Wisdom-Hylton will be selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the final pick of the first round. Parker was the overall No. 1 pick last season by the Sparks, and went on to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors.

Wisdom-Hylton is among the 15 players invited to attend the WNBA Draft on Thursday in New Jersey. Several observers believe she could be picked in the middle of the first round. But should she slip to the second round, Wisdom-Hylton could end up with the hometown Sky, which has the 16th overall pick.

This year's first round begins at 2 p.m. and is televised on ESPN2. Coverage switches to ESPNU at 3 p.m. for the remaining two rounds.

Here's one way to stretch your entertainment dollar in the middle of a recession. Even if you're priced out of big-league games, U.S. Cellular Field will open its doors on April 15 for Notre Dame and Northwestern.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at whitesox.com or the stadium's box office. Proceeds from the game will benefit Chicago White Sox Charities. The club hosted a similar event last year when Notre Dame took on Northern Illinois to support a scholarship fund at the DeKalb university.

There will still be several local connections. Scott Lawler, a Naperville Central graduate, is the Fighting Irish associate head coach. Sophomore Mick Doyle, the infielder out of Benet, has started 17 games this season for Notre Dame and is hitting .271.

Geoff Rowan, less than a year removed from his senior season at Neuqua Valley, is trying to find his role at Northwestern. Rowan has made three appearances out of the bullpen and seen time at catcher, his listed position on the team's roster.