Latest news with #Lockport
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Marie Baranowski keeps coming up with big hits as Lockport takes fourth in Class 4A. ‘A really cool experience.'
PEORIA — Before the weekend, senior second baseman Marie Baranowski had played many games during summer tournaments on the fields at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. But she never played here in a Lockport uniform. And she never played on the main stadium field. Check that one off her wish list. 'It was a really cool experience walking in there on Friday,' Baranowski said. 'Seeing all of the people there to support you was very exciting. The energy was awesome.' The Wisconsin-Parkside commit came up big Saturday afternoon for the Porters in a 6-5 loss to Oak Park-River Forest in the Class 4A third-place game. Taylor Lane and Sophia Hutera each had two hits apiece for Lockport (31-11), which brought home the program's first trophy since winning the Class AA state title in 2004. Baranowski reached base twice and drove in two runs and Addison Way reached twice as well. Colgate recruit Kelcie McGraw struck out seven, while Bridget Faut struck out five in relief. Baranowski's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning put the Porters in front 5-2. But then Oak Park-River Forest (30-9) rallied for four runs in the top of the sixth. The Huskies denied Lockport a win, but it was a small blemish on a great season. 'This season has meant so much to me, especially the girls,' Baranowski said. 'I've never been on a team with this much energy, with this much bond. We all love each other. And the most important part to me was that it has been fun. Every game was fun. 'I'm proud of each and every one of us. We were the underdogs this season and we worked so hard to get here. We battled through some really hard games.' Among them was a marathon sectional championship game against Lincoln-Way Central and Florida State recruit Lisabella Dimitrijevic. The Porters scored twice in the 10th to win 2-0. Baranowski started the winning rally with a single. Talk about a good feeling. 'I've always wanted to beat Central,' Baranowski said, laughing. 'And we did it. And then we got here. I was so happy to have had this opportunity. 'I've worked hard for all of this, and I'm really grateful for all the opportunities that coach (Marissa) Chovanec has given me.' Baranowski has finished her second full season on the varsity. She started her first one as a reserve. 'I wasn't disappointed,' Baranowski said. 'I knew I had to work for a spot. But every day at practice, I worked as hard as I possibly could.' The situation changed early and dramatically when an injury resulted in classmate Mikayla Cvitanovich being moved to shortstop. Chovanec put Baranowski in at second base. She responded by hitting .309. Over the past two seasons, Baranowski made just four errors. 'Marie has really handled that side of the field for us last season and all of this one,' Chovanec said. 'She just is a great, bubbly kid. Her energy is infectious.' And the jokes … 'She has a really funny personality,' Way said. 'Her jokes make everybody on our team laugh. She's probably the most upbeat person on our team in general. And her laugh is contagious.' But it wasn't just fun and laughs that impressed Way. 'When I was on JV my freshman year with Marie, she was always super nice to me,' Way said. 'And you could tell last year she really wanted to work really hard to get that time to play. 'The difference between her sophomore year to now is crazy. I give her a lot of credit. She deserves every bit of it.'
Chicago Tribune
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Western Michigan-bound Liliana Janeczko leads Lockport as field general in state semifinals. ‘Unbelievably proud.'
PEORIA — She could have pouted. But she supported her teammates instead. She could have folded, especially after an injury. But she healed, watched and learned, and eagerly embraced a glorious opportunity. Lockport catcher Liliana Janeczko is having a remarkable senior season. She will be remembered as the field general on the first team for the Porters to bring home a state trophy since 2004. The Western Michigan commit is pretty proud of that. 'Unbelievably proud,' Janeczko said. 'After the things I went through, I'm just so happy with myself for getting through them and not giving up during the hard times that I've had.' Janeczko smiled as she and her teammates found solace in hugs following Friday's tough 1-0 loss in 10 innings to Barrington in a Class 4A semifinal game at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. Colgate recruit Kelcie McGraw had two hits and struck out nine for the Porters (31-10), who will play Oak Park-River Forest at 2 p.m. Saturday in the third-place game. Alexis Vander Tuuk added a pair of hits. Janeczko gave Lockport a chance to walk it off against Barrington (35-3-1) in the bottom of the ninth when she doubled with one out. Junior right-hander Katie Taraschewsky was able to wriggle out of it, though, by getting a fly out and a lineout. They were oh-so close. 'I was so excited about that hit,' Janeczko said. 'I have been in a little bit of a slump, and I know I'm better than that. I have high expectations.' Janeczko's journey during her high school career has been a tough one. Before her sophomore season, she underwent shoulder surgery. 'I was at a camp at Wisconsin,' Janeczko said. 'I dove and tore my labrum and dislocated my right shoulder.' Janeczko came back strong as a junior, but Northern Kentucky recruit Brooke Keltner was in her senior season as a standout behind the plate. Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec used Janeczko primarily as a designated hitter and runner. But Janeczko never stopped believing. And when she graduated, Keltner offered some encouraging words. 'At the end of last year, she told me, 'You've got this — it's nothing new for you,'' Janezcko said. 'We've been been catching since we were little. She told me to do what I do and it'll turn out great.' Those words came true. Janeczko entered the weekend hitting .328. She has 10 doubles and 27 RBIs. 'Liliana has done a great job for us behind the plate,' Chovanec said. 'She is a fighter and she loves the game. She has caught every inning of every game for us this season. 'We've had some really great catchers the last few years, and Liliana has done a fantastic job. I'm a catcher at heart, so any time I get one like Liliana, I relish it.' The battery of Janeczko and McGraw have taken Lockport on an incredible playoff run. Even with Friday's setback, opponents have yet to score an earned run. It seemed like they jelled quickly in Janeczko's lone varsity season, but their ties go way back. 'I'm so grateful I got to be here with her,' Janeczko said of McGraw. 'We've known each other since we were 5 years old and played on the same travel team for a while. 'It's crazy that we got to grow up together and be here together.' Janeczko is also the catcher for McGraw during her pitching lessons. 'Liliana is a great leader on the field,' McGraw said. 'She is always there picking people up. And she is always there to keep me on my game. 'We have such a good bond that it helps pitching and catching. It's great to have.'
Chicago Tribune
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After running long distances and sprints, Lockport's Nolan Lamoureux rolls to state title in 800. ‘A big jumble.'
A stress fracture in grade school has been a blessing in disguise for Lockport's Nolan Lamoureux. The Lewis-bound senior track star enjoyed cross country and distance running as a youngster, but as he approached the high school stage of his life, that aspect started to take a toll on him. Lamoureux suffered that stress fracture in seventh grade, but that's not all. 'COVID hit right after,' he said. 'It was just a big jumble.' When all was said and done, Lamoureux ended up loving the sprints. He spent three years concentrating on those events for the Porters, finishing third in the state as a junior in the 400. Veteran Lockport coach Tom Razo sat down with Lamoureux before this spring, and they came up with the idea of Lamoureux running races in the middle distances, in particular the 800. That plan worked out pretty well. So well, in fact, that Lamoureux went out and won the Class 3A state championship in that event at Eastern Illinois' O'Brien Field in Charleston. 'He came into our school as a sprinter and I knew him as a distance runner,' Razo said of Lamoureux. 'He made his mark as a freshman sprinter, but I thought he would be at a whole different level if he moves up. 'It took us a while to talk him into it. His junior year, he dabbled in it. This year, after the indoor season was over, he said 'OK, I think the best shot for me winning a title is moving up.''' Lamoureux won the state title in a time of 1:51.92, edging out Yorkville's Owen Horeni at 1:52.22. Then, in the 1,600 relay, Lamoureux joined Fope Omisore, Xavier Adeniyi and Michael Nicholson to finish second for the Porters with a 3:18.01, losing out to Evanston's 3:17.73. Still, Lamoureux became Lockport's first state champion since John Meyer won the shot put in 2018 and the first runner for the Porters to take gold since 2008 when Kyle Engnell won the 1,600. Homewood-Flossmoor's 400 relay of Joaquin Jordan, Charles Dees, Myles Ellis and Zion Morrison won the Class 3A state title with a 41.00. In Class 2A, Southland Prep's Amauree Williams became the first boys track athlete in program history to win a state championship, prevailing in the 300 hurdles with a 37.77. Lamoureux's win, however, wasn't easy. It was a come-from-behind victory. 'No one challenged him all year long,' Razo said of Lamoureux. 'He controlled all of the races he was in. The young man from Yorkville took off at 400 meters, gapped him and gapped him good. 'I was kind of worried there for a second. I'm thinking 'OK, you've got to respond to this.' Prior to the race, we talked about going out at a certain pace, which he did. During the last 200 meters, I wanted him to kick like a mad fiend and he did. With 50 meters left, he took control.' Razo may have been a little worried, but Lamoureux was unfazed. 'Throughout the race, I knew that he was a fast mile guy,' Lamoureux said of Horeni. 'But I knew I had a stronger kick. I let him get out a little bit ahead of me, but it's all about tactical racing. 'I was staying not too far behind, and I was at a good point where I was still in the race. I knew that as long as I kicked, I would still have the race.' In grade school, Lamoureux started running because when he played basketball he was faster than everyone else. Track, though, is something that he has grown to love. 'It's a sport where I can challenge myself,' he said. 'And it keeps me motivated.'
Chicago Tribune
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Addie Way sings and sways to ‘Sweet Caroline' as Lockport reaches state for first time in 20 years. ‘Always up.'
BLOOMINGTON — After four intense scoreless innings with a trip to state on the line, Lockport broke the ice in the fifth inning Monday. And it was time for Addie Way to have some fun. And, boy, did she ever have fun. The junior third baseman laughed it up with her fellow infielders before the start of the sixth. Then before the seventh, while senior pitcher Kelcie McGraw warmed up, Way and junior first baseman Alexis Vander Tuuk were singing and swaying to Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline.' Yes, good times never seemed so good. 'We felt the pressure going into the game,' Way said. 'But as the night went on, we trusted our teammates and we trusted each other. It's just fun all of the time. 'We're always up. We're always cheering.' There was plenty to cheer about at Inspiration Field at Carol Willis Park after Way scored the second run in a two-run fifth inning, helping the Porters beat Bradley-Bourbonnais 2-0 in the Class 4A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional. Way and Rheanna Slavicek scored the runs for Lockport (31-9), while Taylor Lane hit a sacrifice fly and the Colgate-bound McGraw singled home a run and struck out 10 in a two-hit shutout. Loyola recruit Lydia Hammond allowed four hits for Bradley (22-12), but back-to-back walks to Slavicek and Way in the fifth helped start the Porters' rally and send them to the state semifinals. Lockport will play at 3 p.m. Friday in the final four at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria against Barrington (34-3-1), a 4-1 supersectional winner Monday over St. Charles East (23-16). And for the close-knit Porters, that means everything. 'I really feel like we are a family,' Way said. 'We are a family on the softball field and off the softball field. We really trust each other.' The trustworthy Way, meanwhile, has been dangerous this spring with her bat. She's hitting .344 with 33 runs and 18 walks, but she also helps the Porters in other ways. 'She brings so much energy to the field,' McGraw said of Way. 'She's a great person and a great teammate. Everybody loves her. We wouldn't be the team we are without her. 'She makes great plays on defense. She hits. We wouldn't be here without her.' Lockport's Marissa Chovanec, who in her second year as coach won the Class AA state championship in 2004 but last reached state in 2005, appreciates what Way brings to the table. 'Addie brings energy and is one of our leaders,' Chovanec said. 'She stepped in at third base when we had an injury earlier in the season. She's done a great job hitting in the No. 2 spot, just keeping the spark in the lineup going. 'She helps not only with her body language but with her performances.' To even get to the supersectional wasn't easy for the Porters. After a 17-0 win over Thornwood to open the playoffs, Lockport topped Shepard 2-0, defeated Lincoln-Way East 3-0 and slipped past Lincoln-Way Central and Florida State-bound pitcher Lisabella Dimitrijevic 2-0 in 10 innings. Way is generally positive, but there was a time in the season that she wasn't so sure the Porters would get this far. They were 3-6 during a stretch in late March and early April, but things turned around and now Lockport has won 17 straight. 'They way we started, we were down on ourselves,' Way said. 'We knew we had to pick it up. We talked to our coach. We talked to our players. 'We all came together in our locker one day and said, 'We really gotta pick it up. We were good last season and shouldn't be playing like this.' Ever since then, it's been great.'
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cookie Butcher takes a bite out of cancer with Ride for Roswell raffle
To see the satisfaction Cookie Butcher feels when handing over the proceeds of her raffle to Ride for Roswell, you would think she had the winning ticket. On Friday, Butcher presented $26,416 to Andrea Gregory, director of special events for the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, just ahead of its 30th anniversary event on June 28. As an account manager at Summit MSP in the Town of Lockport, a marketing business, Butcher joked that they made the giant presentation check in-house. This was the seventh year that Butcher organized a raffle featuring donated items from local businesses. She will also ride the 20-mile river route in this year's bicycle event. Butcher waved off any notion that organizing the raffle was a time-consuming process, giving the credit to her network of businesses and an enthusiastic community that comes through time and again. 'They're all community-oriented people,' Butcher said. 'They're eager to serve.' Gregory said it was Butcher who was community-oriented. 'Cookie's pretty special,' she said. 'We're pretty fortunate that we have riders that go above and beyond, and rally the community to raise really significant funds.' Butcher passes off her accomplishment as an act of common sense. 'For me, it's all about the cause. If I can do something to help, why not do it?' she said. 'We've all been touched by it. I'm just grateful that Roswell is in our backyard.' In her presentation, Butcher thanked the nearly 1,300 ticket buyers in and out of the state, the cycling team from Mantelli Trailer Sales, and the South Lockport Fire Company for putting a raffle message on its electronic marquee. Most years, Butcher rides with Kim Watson-Mantelli and their teammates. Their team fundraising goal was $25,000, but 'I think with what I raised this year, I put them over the $30,000 mark,' she said. Gregory said the Ride for Roswell was expecting 7,500 riders this year, with a fundraising goal of $6 million. Monies raised go toward the most pressing cancer needs, Gregory said, which can be clinical trials, seed funding for research, and patient quality of life needs that are not covered by insurance. It took a village to come up with the substantial prizes that ticket buyers could win. Butcher lined up 15 packages, featuring everything from a four-person fishing charter to hundreds of dollars in gift certificates, to a wheelbarrow containing more than 20 bottles of wine and spirits. People can still donate, and Butcher still has change donation buckets available in the community.
