SouthtownStar Athletes on Campus: Finucane makes splash at University of San Diego

University of San Diego junior swimmer Francesca Finucane was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Athlete of the Week for the period ending Jan. 25 for her efforts in the Toreros’ meet victory. The Palos Park resident won three individual events and was part of …

Girls basketball: Rich Central forfeits bulk of its wins over ineligible player

Rich Central’s girls basketball team has forfeited the majority of its regular-season games after letting a transfer suit up before receiving clearance to do so. The ruling was announced Friday by IHSA executive director Marty Hickman. “We’re requiring them to forfeit all the games she …

Fleck, Uremovich sure to impact NIU’s recruiting

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren announced Thursday that P.J. Fleck is returning to be the Huskies’ offensive coordinator and Mike Uremovich is coming from St. Francis University in Joliet to tutor running backs and coordinate special teams.

Baranek: Elliott pins it down on the mat and court

Love came into Makeba Elliott’s life when she was a 7-year-old tyke and her father, Michael, signed her up with the Harvey Twisters wrestling club. Turned out she was good at it. No, great. By the time she was 10, Elliott was a three-time state …

Girls Basketball: Richards outlasts Shepard

Richards moved another step closer to its third straight South Suburban Red title Thursday night, but it didn’t happen without breaking a sweat.

Shepard, two starters short, ferociously battled for the better part of two quarters. Richards put the hammer down, however, in the third …

Girls Basketball: Morgan Park beats Bogan in Public League semifinal

Kendyl Nunn kept her cool when the game was at its craziest. The Morgan Park senior took over the game down the stretch to lead the No. 6 Mustangs to a 54-51 victory over Bogan in the Public League semifinals Thursday night at Chicago State. …

High School Sports Roundup for Feb. 3, 2012

Girls Basketball No. 2 Hillcrest 65, Oak Forest 44: Shannise Heady scored 18 points and Samirah Ali added 14 points and six assists for host Hillcrest (21-3, 11-1) in the South Suburban Blue. Katie Swanson scored 13 points for Oak Forest (14-10, 8-3). No. 3 …

Signing Day: St. Rita’s class has shining day

St. Rita football coach Todd Kuska has helped develop dozens of players for various levels of college football. Never during his 14 years, however, has he had three members of a senior class commit to Ivy League schools. That was the case early Wednesday morning …

Disabato: Despite loss, Andrew has arrived

There was no way Thornton’s Joshua Russell was giving up the ball. Despite the pleas of a few teammates near him, Russell, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, remained focused on the task at hand Tuesday, which was to somehow convert a game-winning shot that would hand …

Girls Basketbal: Loyola beats Mother McAuley in GCAC semifinals

Loyola’s Maggie Nick did not have to wait long for a second chance Wednesday to put her team in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference final.

The 5-foot-7 sophomore, who missed a short jumper in the lane with two seconds remaining in the first overtime that …

Girls Gymnastics Regional: Shepard’s Pilcher opens vault to gold

Shepard senior Arielle Pilcher’s first high school gymnastics event Jan. 7 at the Lincoln-Way Invitational, in her words, “didn’t go so well.”

In her first event, the vault, she twisted a knee the wrong way and aggravated an injured ankle as well. The day pretty …

High School/Local College Roundup for Feb. 2, 2012

Girls Basketball Providence 55, Bishop McNamara 42: Cassidy Glenn totaled 21 points and nine rebounds for host Providence (14-14, 4-4) in the East Suburban Catholic. Sam Rohrer added 15 points for the Celtics and Anna Novak had nine. Men’s Basketball St. Xavier 90, St. Francis …

Q-and-A with Taylor Dignan, Sandburg hockey

Taylor Dignan, a junior goalie with Sandburg hockey, played youth hockey for the Orland Vikings. He recently was named to the All-State team.

Andrew students thriving in U.S. Hockey League

Two Andrew students are thriving as members of the Chicago Steel, a Tier I Junior A member of the U.S. Hockey League. Jeff Kubiak, a forward, scored the game-deciding goal for Team East during a 5-3 victory Jan. 24 over Team West in the League’s …

Boys Basketball: St. Rita lays down the Law against Mount Carmel

A sophomore starting on the varsity, St. Rita’s Victor Law has taken the coaching staff’s message to heart, especially in Tuesday’s game at Mount Carmel. “Coach (Gary) DeCesare says ‘We’re not sophomores, just varsity players,’ ” Law said. “You can’t think of yourself as a …