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Chicago Tribune
04-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Northern Kentucky-bound Devlin Biggs makes huge plays as Marist rolls past Mount Carmel. ‘Variety and versatility.'
Not only can Devlin Biggs be a menace to opponents, he can be pretty troublesome for his Marist teammates, too. The senior outside hitter takes practices as seriously as he does matches. He doesn't ease up on anyone, according to teammate Nathen Toth. 'He's a very physical player,' Toth said of Biggs. 'It's great to have him on our side. 'If you go up against him in practice, he'll make your forearms hurt a little bit.' Biggs, Toth and the rest of the defending state champion RedHawks have been putting a big hurt on all of their opponents during the postseason. That includes Tuesday's 25-9, 25-13 win over Mount Carmel in the De La Salle Sectional final in Chicago. It's the seventh sectional title for Marist, which is seeking its fifth state championship. The MIT-bound Toth tallied 10 kills, three aces and five dig for Marist (36-2). Biggs added seven kills, while Griffin McElroy chipped in with five kills and two blocks. Rorey Donnelly made eight digs and Jacob Finley totaled 15 assists against the Caravan (17-11). Biggs, for one, has been a bright spot all season long for the RedHawks. 'He was really excited to step into a bigger role this year,' Marist coach Jordan Vidovic said. 'All things considered, he's just another perfect example of the senior class, how they go about it every day during the season and how they try to get better even when things are going well. 'And he's added a lot. He has more than just a power game. He's added variety and versatility, and that's big for us.' Marist takes on Lake Park (28-11) at 1 p.m. Friday in the state quarterfinals at Hoffman Estates. The Lancers beat Hersey 23-25, 25-17, 25-13 to win the Schaumburg Sectional. Biggs, a Northern Kentucky recruit, never imagined he would be a 6-foot-3 force for Marist, ranked second in the nation by the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association. He was a 5-3 libero in seventh grade and wasn't really living up to his last name. But by the time he was a freshman, he grew to 6-1 and added two more inches after that. The progress is all recorded in pencil on a kitchen wall at his house. 'I had a massive growth spurt and after that, I started taking volleyball seriously,' Biggs said. 'I put in hours and hours of practice. I knew I was going to grow, but I didn't think I would be this tall.' While Biggs was getting some playing time here and there the last two seasons, he's really making his mark this spring as a senior. 'This is his first taste of being a high-impact option,' Vidovic said. 'He's really excited about the game aspect.' Biggs will have an interesting challenge ahead in college. Northern Kentucky will play its first season in 2026 under coach Jim Palilonis, who played on Marist's first team in 1992 and coached at St. Rita. Palilonis took an interest in Biggs early on. 'I've known him since seventh or eighth grade,' Briggs said of Palilonis. 'He coached at Purdue Fort Wayne and he recruited me for there. 'Then he ended up switching to Northern Kentucky and he recruited me there. It's brand-new team and he's bringing in five guys from Illinois.' That list includes Lincoln-Way West's Drew Kregul. No matter what happens this weekend, however, Briggs' high school career will be coming to an end. He said he will miss his teammates. 'The 10 seniors are 10 of my best friends,' Biggs said. 'Outside of volleyball, we're hanging out all of the time. They make practices so fun. 'This season is so sick. Playing with this team is so much fun, and we've been able to have fun and still be serious.'
Chicago Tribune
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Alex Toth puts ‘discouraging times,' including demotion, behind him. Then he helps put Lake Zurich in front.
Roller coaster season is just beginning, but Lake Zurich's Alex Toth has already experienced an up-and-down ride this spring. The sophomore third baseman knew he had to stay the course after starting the season 0-for-30 and being demoted to the junior varsity team. 'It wasn't the best feeling,' Toth said. 'There were for sure some discouraging times, but I really never told myself that I wasn't good. I always kept it positive and tried to battle my way through. 'Now look where we're at. I'm out here doing my job, and it feels good.' Since Toth was brought back to the varsity team this month, his job has revolved mostly around playing good defense and supplying a little offense at the bottom of the order. But he provided more than a little during the eighth-seeded Bears' 9-4 win against ninth-seeded Warren in the Class 4A Fremd Regional semifinals in Palatine on Thursday. Batting ninth, Toth drove in three runs, including two on a single up the middle to spark a game-changing six-run fourth inning for Lake Zurich (24-11), which will play top-seeded Fremd (27-4-1) in the regional championship game at 11 a.m. Saturday. His clutch hit wiped away the Blue Devils' 2-0 lead and gave his teammates a jolt of momentum. 'That was a huge at-bat,' Lake Zurich senior outfielder Cash Kaczmarek said. 'It got us right back in the game. It's not normal for a sophomore to come up this big in a playoff game.' Toth doubled his RBI total for the season with that hit off Warren junior starter Braylan McCarthy. 'I wanted to focus on the game not being too big — just do my job, get on base,' he said. 'I was thinking just to have a good at-bat and get to the next batter — provide what I can for the seniors. 'Rounding first after that hit, I was almost a little relieved, but it felt great.' Toth tacked on another run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center field off Warren sophomore reliever Mason Palmer, driving in senior shortstop Dylan Fogelsong, who led off the inning with a single. 'I had faced him (Palmer) before in a conference game, so I knew what he had, and I again just had to do a job,' Toth said. Kaczmarek, a Wisconsin-Oshkosh commit who went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and three RBIs against the Blue Devils (20-15), understands what Toth has gone through this season. 'It's definitely been a mental battle for him, and I've been there and done that,' Kaczmarek said. 'It's tough being younger on varsity seeing great pitching. But every day, his at-bats get better, and it showed here.' The Bears' six-run inning was all that senior right-hander Josh Marzec needed. He allowed one earned run on three hits and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 7-2 as Lake Zurich won for the 11th time in 13 games. Toth's contributions haven't been overlooked. 'He's gotten mentally tougher and matured over the year,' Lake Zurich coach Mike Manno said. 'Anybody who starts 0-for-30, that can really weigh on you. He's just gone with the process of working hard. I always say the kids that work hard, good things happen for them. I think that's where he's at at this point. He didn't look like a sophomore today.' Toth, who gives some of the credit to his travel coach, Anthony Drago, has often been a middle-of-the-order hitter in the past. He has noticed pitchers are approaching him differently at the bottom of the order. 'You're not going to see much off-speed there, so it's being ready for the fastball,' Toth said. 'I've honestly liked hitting in the nine spot. It's motivation for me, too, because they'll say I'm an easy out. I'm making sure I'm a tough out.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackburn Rovers trio earn international recognition after recalls
Yuki Ohashi has joined Balazs Toth and Kirsti Montgomery in earning a call-up for his national team's June fixtures. Rovers had no first-team players away with their countries in the March international break. However, that has changed this time around with Ohashi and Toth recalled by Japan and Hungary, respectively. Both were central to Rovers' late flurry of wins at the end of the season. Ohashi finished as the club's top-scorer, netting on the final day at Sheffield United whilst Toth started the last six league matches in which Valerien Ismael's side were unbeaten. Japan travel to face Australia on June 5 before hosting Indonesia five days later on June 10. Both games are World Cup qualifying matches, with Japan already qualified in first place with 20 points from eight games. READ MORE: Ohashi has been called up twice previously but is still looking to add to his solitary cap and score his maiden goal. Rovers will be keen for the forward to rest this summer having played a season and a half of football without a break. Toth will be hoping his form for Rovers can earn him a second cap for Hungary. First up, it's a clash against former head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson with Sweden on Friday, June 6. That is followed by a trip to Mardakan, for their second and final friendly of the camp against Azerbaijan, with the test to be played at the Dalga Arena. Montgomery has been rewarded for his breakthrough end to the season with Rovers by earning his first Scotland Under-20 call-up. Scot Gemmill's side face Slovakia on Friday, May 23, in a match that will serve as preparation for the Under-21 European qualifiers which begin in September. Having previously represented Scotland at Under-16 level, this latest call-up is Montgomery's first involvement at Under-20 level.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
2 drug combination lowers cholesterol better than just a statin, researchers say
Statins are very cheap and highly effective cholesterol-lowering drugs -- but high-risk heart patients may have an even better option, a new evidence review says. Combining statins with another drug, ezetimibe, significantly reduces the risk of death in patients with clogged arteries, according to findings published Sunday in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Using a high-dose statin with ezetimibe significantly reduces levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, increasing a person's chances of reaching healthy levels by 85%, researchers found. The combo also brought about a 19% reduction in risk of death from any cause; a 16% reduction in heart-related deaths; an 18% decrease in the risk of a major cardiovascular health problem; and a 17% decline in stroke risk. This combination therapy would prevent more than 330,000 deaths a year worldwide among patients who have already suffered a heart attack, including almost 50,000 deaths in the U.S. alone, researchers said. "This study confirms that combined cholesterol lowering therapy should be considered immediately and should be the gold standard for treatment of very high-risk patients after an acute cardiovascular event," senior researcher Dr. Peter Toth, a professor of clinical family and community medicine at the University of Illinois, said in a news release. Up to now, studies have been inconsistent regarding whether to provide combo cholesterol-lowering therapy immediately for high-risk patients, even before they suffer a heart attack or stroke. Typically, doctors wait at least two months before adding any medication to a statin, to see how well statins alone will lower cholesterol, Toth said. "This approach does not require additional funding or reimbursement of new expensive drugs," he said. "In fact, it may translate into lower rates of first and subsequent heart attacks and stroke, and their complications like heart failure, which are extremely costly for all healthcare systems." For the new evidence review, researchers pooled data from 14 studies involving more than 108,000 heart patients at very high risk for a heart attack, stroke or other heart-related health problem. Results were even more pronounced in an additional analysis that enabled a direct comparison of different therapies, researchers said. "This showed a 49% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 39% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events, when compared to high dose statin therapy alone," said lead researcher Dr. Maciej Banach, a professor of cardiology at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin in Poland. Ezetimibe works by reducing the amount of cholesterol the intestines can absorb from food. Statins have a different mechanism - they work by interfering with the liver's ability to make cholesterol. Both drugs are available as inexpensive generics. "Our findings underline the importance of the adages 'the lower for better for longer' but also the equally important 'the earlier the better' for treating patients at high risk of cardiovascular conditions and to avoid further medical complications and deaths," Toth said. More information The Cleveland Clinic has more on cholesterol levels. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Two Columbus police officers injured during arrest at Hollywood Casino
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Two Columbus Division of Police officers working special duty were hurt early Saturday morning while removing an allegedly intoxicated man from Hollywood Casino. Brian Toth, executive vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9, said the officers were trying to get the man a safe ride home. He said it could have been worse and he is thankful they are OK. Some Ohioans may soon get their driver's license suspensions lifted 'They went from a very well from a situation of helping to almost a survival,' Toth said. Records from the Columbus Division of Police show officers responded to a radio call for 'officers in trouble' at Hollywood Casino just after 4 a.m. Saturday. 'Two of our officers were working special duty at the casino, trying to get someone who was really intoxicated to try to give them a ride home safely, as are walking them outside,' Toth said. 'Everything just turned for the worse.' The arrest report said those two officers were trying to help Hollywood Casino security get Corey Newman, 26, to leave the property. The records say Newman refused. It describes Newman as intoxicated and reads, 'As officers detained Mr. Newman, Mr. Newman resisted and pulled away from them, wrestling with officers.' It goes on to say the officers had to place Newman on the ground and said he tensed up and held his arms under his body to avoid handcuffs. Cocaine in Doritos box found near child at west Columbus apartment, deputies say 'Fighting with the police is absolutely no way to go,' Toth said. The report alleges both officers were hurt when Newman resisted arrest. One had to be taken to the hospital but is OK. Newman is charged with two felony counts for obstructing official business. He was issued a $4,000 bond during an arraignment hearing on Monday. Toth said the FOP believes this number is too low. 'It's very frustrating, you know,' Toth said. 'We're asked to enforce the laws, we're asked to help people but then we ask in return to be supported.' Columbus police are working to fulfill a request for body camera footage of the incident. Hollywood Casino said it has no comment on the incident. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
