Meadows’ Montanez makes college commitment

Ashley Montanez, an instrumental inside player for Rolling Meadows Class 4A state runner-up girls basketball team this past winter, has made a verbal committment to play at the University of Indianapolis.

Montanez has her senior year to play at Meadows before she heads to the Division II program directed by Constantin Popa.

Meadows coach Ryan Kirkorsky watched the 6-foot-1 forward-center average 6.8 points and 5 rebounds as a junior.

Popa enters his third season in 2013-14. In his first two years as a collegiate head coach, the Romanian import guided the Greyhounds to 38 wins and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

Popa’s teams have broken the single-season program record for blocks in each of the past two seasons.

Believed to be the tallest coach in NCAA history, the 7-foot-3 Popa spent four seasons as the top assistant on the Greyhound bench before being promoted to the program’s top job.

In his time as an assistant, the Hounds won 89 games and tied a program record by garnering three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, including a “Sweet 16” appearance in 2009.

Ÿ Augustana’s Ed Gerdes (Prospect) recently received Academic All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors for the spring season. He caught four games and batted .333 with 1 hit.

Ÿ Augustana’s Brad Gerdes (Prospect) also received Academic All-CCIW honors. He played in 14 games in the infield, starting nine. Had 13 hits and 3 RBI.