Barrington's Barreiro to take her place in IBCA Hall of Fame
Get ready to add another Mid-Suburban League girls basketball coach to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
This May, the IBCA will induct Barrington's Babbi Barreiro, one year after Hersey's Mary Fendley earned the same honor.
Coincidentally, they are the deans of the MSL West and East and have ties all the way back to middle school when they faced each other as opposing guards.
Barriers played for Lively Junior High in Elk Grove while Fendley was at Holmes Junior High in Mt. Prospect.
They then went on to face each other in the MSL - Barrerio graduating from Elk Grove in 1985 and Fendley the same year from Rolling Meadows.
"I am thrilled for Babbi," said Fendley, a 21-year veteran. "To be honest I was surprised to find out she wasn't already in (the hall of fame)."
Fendley, now in her 21st year, got her 400th win in 2017 and Barreiro got hers last year in dramatic fashion defeating Fremd 44-40 to end the Vikings' 46-game winning streak in the MSL West.
After that game, Barreiro was quick to point out that her focus is not on wins and losses.
"The faces, names, the kids are the most memorable, not the wins and losses," said the Indiana University graduate who is in her 26th season. "I hear from many of the kids often and it just makes me so proud."
Now she will be a proud member of the hall of fame along with Fendley, Carol Plodzien (Fremd) and Tom Dineen (Buffalo Grove) from the MSL.
Dineen's 2000 Bison won the Class AA state title. Coincidentally that same year was Barreiro's most memorable at Barrington. Her Fillies won a Class AA sectional title and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the only time in program history.
"My family and friends have been so supportive of my career, from baby-sitting my children (Jaydyn and Greyson) to always being there in the stands," Barreiro said after her 400th win last year. "I couldn't have done it alone."
Women's volleyball
Trinity International senior setter Katelyn Sommers (Buffalo Grove) closed out her career by finishing 12th in the country in assists with 1,344. That placed her fourth all-time at Trinity in single-season assists.
Trinity went 24-17 (most wins since 2007) and qualified for the conference postseason tournament and the NCCAA tournament (only eight teams selected) for the first time in 10 years.
In the conference tournament, Trinity upset Cardinal Stritch in five sets where Sommers established a postseason program record 53 assists in the match while also chipping in 9 digs.
Sommers finished her career with all-conference and all-region honors and was a 2018 scholar athlete.
Men's soccer
Wheeling graduate Nick Janulis wrapped up a stellar junior season for the Knox College men's soccer team by earning first team Midwest Conference honors.
Janulis, who led the Mid-Suburban League in goals his senior year at Wheeling, was Knox's top scorer this fall with 8 goals and 1 assist.
He helped lead the Prairie Fire to a 16-5-1 record and the Midwest Conference tournament championship,
It was Knox's first NCAA tournament berth, where it fell 1-0 in overtime to No. 8 ranked Luther College.
Janulis' 8 goals tied him for sixth most in the conference. Three of his goals came against the three other MWC tournament teams.
Girls soccer
Barrington girls soccer coach Ryan Stengren has been selected the United Soccer Coaches Region Coach of the Year.
The award will be presented at the annual high school coaches breakfast at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. It will be held at the Marriott Marquis Great Lakes Ballroom in Chicago in conjunction with the 72nd United Soccer Coaches Association.
Girls basketball
Two former Buffalo Grove athletes - Kristen Sommers and Heather Nisbet - were coaches for Thomas Middle School's girls basketball team that won a sectional championship and finished in the top eight in the state with an 18-1 record.
Men's basketball
Hersey senior Matt Hanushewsky has announced he will attend Augustana College to play for coach Grey Giovanine. The 5-foot-10 point guard is a two-time starter for the Huskies and was named to the all-tournament team at the Ed Molitor Thanksgiving Classic at Palatine three weeks ago.
In a release from Augustana, first-year Hersey coach Austin Scott calls Hanushewsky "a talented young man who I've been privileged to coach and work with. His enthusiasm for improvement and tireless work ethic are traits that will fit into Augustana's winning culture nicely."
Last year as a junior, Hanushewsky was chosen as the Huskies' captain and named the team MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 8 points, 5.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2 steals per game, earning MSL all-conference honors.
"Matt is a terrific play maker and fierce competitor," Giovanine said. "He comes from a great family, is an outstanding student and plays in a well-coached program. That is a formula for success and we are excited to add him to the Viking family."
Hanushewsky is an honor roll student at Hersey, where he also serves as a Special Olympics Counselor and SOS (Service Over Self) leader. He is planning on a business or education-related major at Augustana.
Women's track
Augustana senior Ashley Talken (Wheeling) placed sixth with a height of 9-6ΒΌ at the St. Ambrose Holiday Invite at Roell Indoor Track. It was the Vikings' opening meet before the first of the year for the first time in program history. Augustana placed third among five teams.
Wheeling Athletic Hall of Fame
Wheeling High School has announced its Class of 2019 for the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. The inductees are Beth Anderson, Marc Burns and Jim Golden.
The ceremony to honor them will be held at halftime of the Jan. 11 girls basketball game against Elk Grove. A reception will be held in the cafeteria after the game.
Happy holidays
Sport Notes will take a holiday break and return Tuesday, Jan. 8.
Please send updates on former Cook County athletes from the Daily Herald circulation area to jleusch@dailyherald.com