Softball Standouts Reunite on Route 47

Four graduates from Yorkville's Class of 2011 will begin their collegiate careers at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove.

Recent Yorkville graduates Allison Haskins, Nicole Hersam, Megan Kuhn and Devin Turner helped the Lady Foxes win a regional softball title this spring. It was the second straight regional title for the Lady Foxes and just the third title in school history. The four haven’t completely gone their separate ways this summer. While only Haskins and Hersam played on the same travel team, they all remain close and will soon resume being teammates by simply heading north on Route 47, where they’re enrolled at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove. “I played last summer (2010) with the Northern Illinois Thunder and Perry Clark (Waubonsee’s head coach) was my head coach,” Haskins said. “He convinced me. Money is tight, and it’s a great idea to …

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YHS Sports Roundup: All-Conference Accolades Highlight End of Spring Season

Three Foxes named Northern Illinois Big 12 All-Conference in baseball.

Josh M. Cooper, Luke Lucchetti and Jacob Mathre were named to the Northern Illinois Big 12 All-Conference baseball team. The three had a lot to do with the Foxes having their first winning season since 2002 before losing in the Class 3A Tinley Park regional title game to finish 19-16. “I’ll remember this group as the seniors that got us over the hump and laid the foundation for the future of this program,” said Yorkville coach Scott Luken. The Foxes almost doubled their win total from last year (10-24). They were competitive in almost every game, with eight games decided by a single run. “Our pitching staff was the team’s main strength,” Luken said. “They kept us in the game with a team ERA of 3.60. Through the course of the season we …

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YHS Softball Season Ends in Rochelle

Lady Foxes drop 5-1 decision to Belvidere North in Class 3A sectional semifinal, finish season 22-11.

The Yorkville softball team first handed Belvidere North a few runs in the second inning. Then the wind aided the Blue Thunder in the third inning. By the time the Lady Foxes batted in the bottom of the third, they were on the wrong side of a 5-0 ballgame. Yorkville remained within striking distance the rest of the way, but never threaten enough to rattle Belvidere North in Wednesday's Class 3A Rochelle Sectional semifinal, ending their season with a 5-1 loss. "For whatever reason, I don't think it was meant to be," Yorkville coach Kathi Dockstader said. "It was one of those games, I guess. It wasn't a bad game; it just wasn't good for us." Yorkville starting pitcher Rachael Owens (10-7) ran into trouble in the second inning. Holly Hilden …

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YHS Sports Roundup: Sectional Time for Lady Foxes

Yorkville softball makes it back-to-back regional titles.

Mistakes won't hurt a softball team too much if the opponent doesn't take advantage. Yorkville took advantage of Sandwich's mistakes and misfortune, and also hit the ball well in Saturday's Class 3A Yorkville regional title game. The Lady Foxes needed only six innings to dispose of Sandwich, 10-0, hammering out 15 hits and winning their second consecutive regional title. Yorkville advances to Wednesday's Rochelle sectional semifinal against Belvidere North at 4 p.m. Last season the Lady Foxes were overwhelmed 15-4 by Geneseo in sectional play. They are the only Yorkville spring sports team that will still be playing as June rolls around. In Saturday's game, Sandwich shortstop Hannah Prucha dislocated a finger in pregame warm-ups and was …

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Yorkville Sports Recap

YHS Sports Roundup: Wild Finish Highlights Successful Week for Lady Foxes Softball

Yorkville wins three straight in Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference.

The week ended a whole lot better than it started for the Yorkville softball team. After dropping a non-conference game, 7-5, to Plainfield North on Monday, the Lady Foxes won three straight conference games to get back into the thick of the Northern Illinois Big 12 race. Yorkville received a great day at the plate from Nicole Hersam on Tuesday. Hersam was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. The winning ways continued Thursday with an 11-3 win against Morris. Tara Young had a pair of hits and drove in three runs, Cacey Maciejewski had three hits and scored three runs and Sonja Gilbertson heated up with a three hits, including a home run and drove in two runs. The big moment of the week, however, occurred Friday where the Lady …

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Yorkville Sports Recap

YHS Sports Roundup: Take 2 for Eric Miller, No. 52

Yorkville will honor former baseball coach Eric Miller on Tuesday.

Yorkville will try again to retire longtime coach Eric Miller’s number Tuesday at approximately 4:15 p.m. Poor weather caused the April 25 ceremony to be postponed. The Foxes will play DeKalb immediately following the ceremony. Boys track and field: Foxes stay focused The Yorkville boys track and field team took fourth place in the seven-team Plainfield Central Invite on Friday. The Foxes won the 4 x 800-meter relay and Matt Anzelc won the shot put with a throw of 47 feet 2 1/2 inches. During Tuesday’s Senior Night co-ed meet against Sycamore, the Foxes breezed to a 112-18 victory. “I think our distance team has done really well and our younger relays are coming together. At this point in the season that’s exciting to see,” said Yorkville …

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Yorkville Sports Recap

Girls Break 17-Year Relay Record

Lady Foxes shatter 4 x 800 mark that had stood since 1994.

Yorkville’s Bri Stuepfert, Leena Palmer, Ali Hester and Esther Bell broke a record last Thursday that was established when Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction and Dumb and Dumber were dominating the box office. The aforementioned foursome won the 4 x 800-meter relay at the Oswego ABC Invite with a time of 9 minutes 43.19 seconds, breaking a record that had stood since Naperville Central set it in 1994. Hester, who had been battling an injury, also impressed coach Ben Draper with her 5:17.9 effort in the 1,600.  “We were nervous because she’d been out with an injury but she had a great practice,” Draper said. In the B flight of the 1600, Casey Kramer ran a 5:34.0. Success from the distance runners is nothing new at Yorkville, and Thursday was simply…

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Softball: Yorkville Aiming for Another Regional Title

Sonja Gilbertson's bat and Allison Haskins' glove are two of the big reasons why Foxes are excited about 2011.

There have been few very unforgettable seasons in Yorkville softball history. There was an under .500 season, but a regional championship in 2002. There was the huge upset of No. 3 seed Hinsdale South as a No. 15 seed in 2007. And there was last year's 19-19 campaign and a regional title. It was the first time the team finished .500 since at least 2000. Yorkville coach Kathi Dockstader isn't sure when it last occurred, but the records listed at www.ihsa.org only go back to 2001 and the Foxes haven't finished above .500 since that time. After a wonderful season last spring, and with several key players returning for their senior season, the Foxes are aiming high, hoping to finish above .500, win another regional title and to redeem …

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