Northwestern wrestler Yahya Thomas, a Mount Carmel alum, won the Midlands title at 149 pounds. Photo courtesy of Northwestern University Athletics
College Notebook | Northwestern’s Yahya Thomas wins Midlands title
By Mike Walsh
Correspondent
Mount Carmel graduate and Northwestern wrestler Yahya Thomas was chosen the Big Ten’s Wrestler of the Week for January 3.
At the 58th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships held at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Thomas defeated a pair of top-10 opponents, including a 4-3 victory over Kyle Parco of Arizona State in the 149-pound final. That triumph also earned Thomas the Art Kraft Champion of Champions Award.
In addition, Thomas bested Penn’s Doug Zapf 3-2 in the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, Thomas was a 12-5 winner over Pittsburgh’s Tyler Badgett.
Earlier in the tournament, Thomas garnered major decisions over Bloomsburg’s Cade Balestrini (17-4) and Princeton’s Marshall Keller (10-2).
Northwestern finished atop the 10-team field with 122 points.
Thomas, a graduate student who is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, earned the Big Ten’s Wrestler of the Week for the initial time in his career. He is the first Wildcat to receive the accolade since November 2021.
As of February 8, Thomas was 17-2 individually on the season.
Pioneering Spirit
The Pioneer Football League has named 725 student-athletes from its 11 member institutions to its 2022 PFL Academic Honor Roll. Ten of the honorees have local connections.
The PFL Academic Honor Roll consists of student-athletes who participated in football at member institutions during the semester of competition, and posted a 3.0 grade-point average or higher during the fall semester while enrolled full-time in accordance with NCAA rules.
Three Drake students led the way among students from area schools. Senior wide receiver Michael Markett (Marist), junior linebacker Riley Theobald (Nazareth) and junior tight end Sam Rodriguez (Lyons) were recognized.
Dayton was represented by senior safety Matt Lenti (Mount Carmel) and senior linebacker Alex Hirschfeld (Sandburg), while Butler’s honorees were redshirt freshman and Evergreen Park resident Jack Molloy (St. Ignatius) and freshman kicker Ryan Short (Nazareth).
Valparaiso had a pair of area honorees in junior defensive back Keyon Turner (Marist) and freshman defensive back Owen Cherry (Lyons). Rounding out the list was St. Thomas University senior defensive lineman Joey Fitzgerald (Brother Rice).
Mentioning Morton
Morton College’s women’s basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the country on January 18 by the National Junior College Athletic Association in Division II, marking the first time in program history it had received that honor.
The Panthers have maintained their lofty ranking with an overall record of 23-0 and a mark of 9-0 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference.
Four members of Morton’s roster have area ties. Sophomore guard Kaylen Evans (Nazareth) is the Panthers’ second-leading scorer, averaging 18.5 points per game. Evans also is second on the team in 3-pointers made with 74. She has added 2.5 rebounds and two assists per game.
Sophomore forward Frannie Metz (Nazareth) also has appeared in every game this season, averaging 8.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
Sophomore guard Jovanna Martinucci (Nazareth) comes off the bench for the Panthers. Martinucci, who has appeared in every game with one start, averages 3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
Freshman forward Jacquellin Magallanes (Morton West) has participated in one game.
Local News
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Dec. 4-5
Dec. 5 Boys TF North 67, Argo 52: Kassam Saleh scored 15 for the Argonauts (2-3, 0-1 South Suburban Red). Girls Reavis 49, Tinley Park 25: Emily Grochola scored 13 points to lead the Rams (4-2, 1-0 South Suburban Red) past the Titans. Shepard 52, TF South 49: Jessica Manley’s 21 points helped the Astros…
Richards’ Myles Mitchell signs with North Dakota State
Myles Mitchell is one of the state’s premier running backs, with a bright future with one of the nation’s best FCS programs. But the path hasn’t always been easy for the Richards senior, who made his college commitment to North Dakota State official during a signing ceremony on Dec. 4. “Eighth grade was kind of…
Brad Johnson Jr. finds range, leads Curie past Lane
Facing what was literally a tall task against Lane on Dec. 5, Curie was in serious need of a spark. Brad Johnson Jr. provided it. Led by 6-foot-10 Penn recruit Dalton Scantlebury, Lane is one of the area’s biggest teams. Curie was undersized by comparison in the Public League Red Shield opener and trailed by…
Orland Park Christmas parade lights up the season
“Even in the cold, this parade warms your heart,” said Cathy Garner, an Orland Park resident who joined her twin daughters in Sunday’s Christmas Parade. With temperatures hovering at 25 degrees but feeling like 15 due to the wind chill, residents bundled up in blankets, winter coats, and hats for the beloved tradition. The parade…
Chicago poll a ‘North Star’ amid 2025 budget disputes, local aldermen say
Change Research conducted an online survey of 801 general election voters from Nov. 18-21, focusing on Chicago’s budget negotiations. The city-wide poll was conducted to discover residents’ opinions about various topics such as politician and group favorability, property taxes, city spending, Chicago’s sanctuary city status and more. The majority of poll respondents identified as Democrats;…
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Dec. 2-3
Dec. 3 Boys Andrew 72, Argo 50: Darron Greer Jr. led the Argonauts (2-2) with 14 points. Evergreen Park 70, U-High 58: Keshaun Vaval had 25 points to lead the Mustangs (3-1). Lonnie Mosley added 17 points and Camryn Dandridge grabbed 14 rebounds. Lemont 65, Stagg 35: Omar Barakat scored 17 for the Chargers (0-4).…
Football signing day: Local recruits
Here is a list of football players in the Southwest Regional Publishing coverage area committed to Division I schools. Please email additions or corrections to mikeclarkpreps@gmail.com. Brother Rice Tyler Lofton, RB, Illinois State Jimmie Maxson, WR, North Dakota Charlie Stec, Edge, Western Illinois Lyons Tyler Chambers, OL, Northern Illinois Travis Stamm, WR, Illinois State Marist…
Michael Oliver Jr. offers veteran presence for new-look Curie
There are a lot of new faces at Curie this winter. Gone are the five senior starters from a 31-3 team that won the Public League title and lost by two points to eventual Class 4A champion Homewood-Flossmoor in the Elite Eight. But veteran coach Mike Oliver is back and so is his son, junior…
Boys basketball notebook: Kassam Saleh, Argo aiming high this season
Kassam Saleh is ready to set the tone for Argo. “As time goes on you gain the most experience on the team and become that leader for everyone else,” said Saleh, a senior guard. “They follow you.” The Argonauts finished runner-up in the John McBride Classic at Stagg, falling 50-44 to Plainfield South on Nov.…
Neighbors
‘There’s something fishy here, don’t you think?’: Wiretapped calls detail Madigan confidant’s confoundment over complicated land deal
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – It was the last day of the General Assembly’s spring legislative session in 2018 when veteran Statehouse lobbyist Mike McClain realized his bill wasn’t going anywhere. McClain was officially retired but still took on “assignments” from his longtime friend Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. But one particular project he took…
Illinois American Water will increase water rates
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — The state’s largest private water utility, Illinois American Water, will increase customer bills in the new year. The move comes after state regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the requested increase on Thursday. The five-member board approved a $110 million increase for the company, a 30% reduction from the…
Jurors see list of Madigan’s job recommendations given to newly elected Gov. Pritzker
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – In the weeks following now-Gov. JB Pritzker’s November 2018 victory over one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan busied himself preparing for a brand new administration after years of conflict with governors of both parties. One of his first priorities was finding jobs for his political…
How RFK Jr.’s health proposals could affect Illinois
Capitol News Illinois Every new presidential administration comes with policy changes, but the incoming second administration of President-elect Donald Trump and his proposed secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., could dramatically reshape the public health landscape. Kennedy, a former political rival of Trump, became a close ally of Trump over the…
‘You won’t spend a day in jail’: Madigan attorney hammers Solis’ agreement with feds
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – The day after Christmas 2018, then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis signed an agreement with federal prosecutors, with whom he’d spent the last 2 ½ years working as a secret cooperating witness in a sprawling corruption investigation. Solis’ undercover work helped bring down two of Illinois’ biggest and longest-serving Democratic powerbrokers. Former…
Pritkzer education policy advisor named to head new Department of Early Childhood
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday appointed Teresa Ramos to be the first permanent secretary of the newly-formed Illinois Department of Early Childhood. “I’m eager to get started working with an incredible team of state employees, parents and families, advocates, and early childhood providers to create something exceptional that will give…
Semi driver involved in fatal crash of deputy had previous unreported DUI conviction, prompting call for federal audit
Capitol News Illinois Four years before police said he caused a crash that killed a DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy, Nathan Sweeney pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and having 44 grams of heroin in his car – an offense that, if properly reported to the secretary of state, should have led to the revocation…
Madigan attorney accuses Solis of not telling feds ‘all the crimes you committed’
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – Former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis spent more than 2 ½ years living a double life as an FBI cooperating witness after agents approached him in 2016, asking him to wear a wire on his colleagues or risk being charged for multiple bribes he’d taken while in office. Solis’ extraordinary cooperation…
State Board of Elections certifies election results showing decline in turnout
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Vice President Kamala Harris won Illinois by nearly 11 points as turnout dipped in 2024, according to official election results certified by the State Board of Elections. The board met Monday to certify the results of the 2024 election and released final vote totals for races around the state, including…
Appellate Court finds former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson should be released until trial
Capitol News Illinois Prosecutors will ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review an appellate court ruling that found former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson should be released from jail pending trial on charges related to the July 6 shooting death of Sonya Massey. On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the 4th District Court of Appeals ordered…
