MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

Q, loved those tightly wound up Titans in that Hope video! 

And, the Wheaton President has a very good looking jump shot.

I see in the IWU version of the Espy's, the "Tommies," the 108-101 OT win over then #1 Hope won the "Game of the Year Award."  See the IWU sports website now for all the other winners.  Olivia Lett, as expected, cleaned up pretty well.   Zimmer, Lett and Britt Hasselbring to "Order of Titans" for life.  Congrats to all the "Tommies" winners.  I especially liked the "Breakthrough Athlete of the Year" to Michelle Bilek of the national championship women's basketball team.   

IWU softball tearing through their Springtime schedule now -- going to 27-4 today after another DH, set of wins.  They are just pounding on people.  Great fun to watch, with speed, good hitting, excellent base running, smart softball, and some pitching that could get them to a national title, IMHO.  Molly McCready is the real deal.

Lovely Springtime weather on the Quad now.  Sad news here, of course, is the death of long-time, longest serving former IWU President Robert S. Eckley, passing away at the age of 90.  His on campus Memorial Service is Thursday, 11 a.m. at Evelyn Chapel.  RIP Dr. Eckley.

IWU70

[izzy stradlin]

IWU Titans in the locker room @ Wooster before facing the Scots, March 9...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA7yBixILCc&feature=relmfu


It's a shame the Titans were wound so tight before big games.

That's awesome.

[Gregory Sager]

NPU has the feel-good story of the week.

[toooldtohoop]

That's good stuff for sure.  A life lesson that when you bless others, God will return the favor.  Way to go NPU!

[Gregory Sager]

Former Carthage head basketball coach Jon Swift has just died. His obit is interesting, as it demonstrates what an incredibly versatile coach he was -- not to mention the fact that he was also Carthage's first certified athletic trainer. His passing is a reminder of a long-gone era in which athletic department personnel at small colleges all across the country coached several different sports as a matter of routine. Every school in the CCIW can point to one or more coaches who (usually prior to about 20-25 years ago) wore a lot of different hats at one time or another  -- Armin Pipho at Augustana, Lee Pfund at Wheaton, Jack Horenberger at Wesleyan, and Jon Hawthorne at Elmhurst are a few that come to mind who are relevant here because, among other things, they were head basketball coaches.

North Park's best example is Ted Hedstrand, for whom the football/soccer field at Holmgren Athletic Complex is named. He was North Park's first varsity men's basketball coach, back when the school transitioned from a junior college to a four-year college in the late 1950s, and he ended his career with a long stint as NPC's men's and women's cross-country coach. In between, I'll bet that he led or assisted just about every varsity sport on campus (Dennis knows the full list). Prior to that, when North Park still had a high school attached to it on campus, Ted Hedstrand was simultaneously North Park Academy's head football and head basketball coach. He's in the Illinois Coaching Hall of Fame for that, as he is the only coach in Illinois high school history to helm both an undefeated football team and an undefeated basketball team in the same school year.

But, as I said, every CCIW school has had at least one Ted Hedstrand or Jon Swift, and some CCIW schools had several of them.

[NCF]

NPU has the feel-good story of the week.

That is a great idea!! Looks like everyone involved had a good time.

[iwu70]

Greg, you are right, some amazing, versatile folks, coaches back in the day.  I think at IWU it was surely Horenberger, but also Bob Keck, who did almost everything, in a variety of sports, including teaching classes, and mentoring, advising many students and atheletes.  Sadly, Bob Keck passed away recently too.  Of that IWU quadra . . . of Horenberger, Swede Larsen, Keck and Bridges, -- only Bridges remains.  Different approach with many more coaches and specialists now.

Looks like a great event at NPU.  Congrats to all involved.

Ames Library buzzing with serious purpose tonight . . . final exams start tomorrow.

IWU70 

[iwu70]

The current Miss America, the Carthage College coed, sang the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium for tonight's Yanks-Twins game.  The really big stage.

IWU70

[Dennis_Prikkel]

NPU has the feel-good story of the week.

When my son was at North Park, 2007-2011 the concert band, under Dr. Joe Lill, hosted a concert for special needs youngsters.  It was a special afternoon the day I attended.

[Pat Coleman]

The famed John Gagliardi, still coaching football at St. John's, also coached track and hockey.

[iwu70]

Kean got hit pretty hard for their violations.  Seems NCAA took a pretty long time to do the investigation, report and announce the outcomes, penalties.  Must be tough on all the other athletes, participants at Kean who were not involved in the violations. 

IWU70

[Mr. Ypsi]

Finally back home after 12 days helping mom adjust and tie up all the loose ends.  Dad was 93, so it wasn't a total shock, but he seemed to be doing so well right up to the end.  Turns out, he really wasn't (some of the time) but no one had really noticed - found some unpaid overdue bills (totally not him!), he thought he had taken the tax stuff to the preparer (I found it under a box in his back seat), he had never cancelled the insurance on mom's car which was sold last month, the license tabs on his car had expired last month, etc.  I was astounded how co-operative people turned out to be - I got all late fees waived (and a transaction fee on a cash advance on his credit card at a bank where he had $43,000 in his checking account! - they retroactively called it a withdrawal from checking); even the DMV gave my daughter-in-law (who bought his car) new tabs in about 5 minutes at 4:45 in the afternoon!

Belated thanks for the condolences - it means a lot.

[iwu70]

Chuck, welcome back.  Hope you are OK.  Life's big passages never go quite like we expect.  Sounds like alot of people were helpful and understanding.  Hope your Mom adjusts to the new situation and transitions of life without your Dad.  Not easy at all.  93 . . . an amazing long life.

Just down at Horenberger Field watching Titans baseball.  Sadly, NPU is pretty good this year and they were pounding on the Titans pretty seriously.  NP won the first game 8-3, ahead in the second 5-0 when I left.  IWU softball, on the other hand, is dominating, already 27-4, with about 8 games to play before tournament time. 

Enjoy the Springtime.

IWU70

P.S.  Perhaps you saw the news that former President Robert S. Eckley has passed away at 90 . . .and news just the day after that former IWU English Professor, Justice Pierson, has also died.  Perhaps you had him for a course or two.  The Eckley funeral on campus was big, about 200+ in the Chapel.  With Big Bob passing, that really a passing of an era in terms of IWU governance, leadership and development.  ms

[Mr. Ypsi]

Mark, you left too early!  The Titans got 5 in the bottom of the 8th, won it in the bottom of the 9th.

As soon as an apartment opens up, mom will be moving to where they had already decided they would move when the time came - just, alas, alone.  I've toured it, and it seems a great place - anywhere from 'independent' (still check 3 times a day to see if OK) to full-scale nursing home without ever leaving the same apartment.  I have high hopes that she will be quite happy there.

And no financial worries.  Right up until his (unnoticed) decline, dad was absolutely great at investing - they are one of the fortunate few who in retirement are seeing their 'nest-egg' GROW, rather than get spent down.  Mom is so danged frugal she planned on a 'studio' apartment until we pointed out that the furniture (which dad built; another of his amazing talents - he built their house, and his furniture is museum quality) she wanted to take wouldn't fit there.  I pointed out to her that the money coming in from dad's investments was more than she even knew how to spend!

[NCF]

Good to see you back