Harper Bats Lead Team to First Win

DES PLAINES, Ill. – The Harper College softball team had an unbelievable day at the plate in a doubleheader at Oakton Community College on Sunday afternoon. After a heartbreaking 11-10 loss in game one to the Owls, the Hawks rebounded for a 14-9 victory, their first win of 2016.

The Hawks (1-9) had 35 hits in 77 at bats in the two games (.455 team average) and did not strike out at all in either game. 

In game one, Harper scored six runs in the third inning to take a 7-2 lead. Jordan Dallmann (Roselle, Ill. /Lake Park) hit her first homer, a solo shot, and Danielle Reptowski (Hanover Park, Ill./Schaumburg) had an RBI triple in that frame. The Hawks added to the lead in the fourth inning with RBI singles by Isabelle McGuinnis (Arlington Heights, Ill. /Hersey) and Kristen Serviss (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) to make it 9-2. 

The Owls' big inning came in the fifth inning. They sent 10 batters to the plate and scored seven runs, capped off by a two-out grand slam by pitcher Atorena Michael. They took a 10-9 lead on a sixth inning homer from Emily Bernath. 

The Hawks did not give up when they trailed by one in the seventh inning. Shortstop Sandra Portogallo (Elk Grove Village, Ill. /Conant) smacked a two-out RBI triple to tie the game at 10-10. However, in the bottom half of the inning, Bernath had a walkoff RBI single to give the Owls the victory. 

Harper got two hits apiece from McGuinnis, Serviss, Jill Hoffman (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey), and Courtney Russ (Lake Zurich, Ill. /Lake Zurich). Emily Butler (Prospect Heights, Ill./Hersey) was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Dallmans was 4-for-5 with three runs scored and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

The Hawks had 35 hits in two games at Oakton CC on Sunday afternoon. (Jim Cummins)

The Hawks came out swinging again in game two. Dallmans's RBI triple in the first inning put the Hawks up 1-0. Oakton tied the game with a homer in the bottom half of the inning, but Harper kept scoring with one in the second, two in the third, and three in the fourth. The Hawks led 7-5 after four innings. 

In the fifth inning, Harper sent 10 to the plate and scored five runs, highlighted by Dallmann's two-run double. The Hawks led 12-5 into the sixth inning, but Oakton got back in the game with four runs. But in the top of the seventh, Dallmann continued her monster game by socking a two-run homer to push the Harper lead to 14-9. The sophomore was an incredible 4-for-4 with a double, two triples, a homer, six RBIs, four runs scored, and six RBIs. The catcher also recorded 10 putouts. 

McGuinnis (1-8) shut down the Owl attack in the bottom half of the seventh to preserve the Hawks' first victory. She struck out eight batters and only walked one in seven innings of work. 

Portogallo also had an impressive game two, going 4-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and five runs scored. Butler and McGuinnis each had two hits and two RBIs, and Hoffman had another two-hit performance. 

Next up Harper is a trip to Madison College on Tuesday afternoon. The Hawks and WolfPack (17-12, 5-2 N4C) play a doubleheader at the Madison College Softball Complex starting at 3 PM. 

Unpredictable Weather Causes Baseball Cancellations

Updated Schedule

PALATINE, Ill. – Due to the unpredictable Chicago weather, the Harper College baseball team was unable to get in any games over the weekend and also had its games scheduled for today postponed. 

The weather forced the cancellation of all Harper baseball games over a four-day stretch. (Dion Martorano, Journal & Topics Sports)

The Hawks were scheduled to play Triton College at home on Friday afternoon, but those games were moved back to Saturday due to weather. The weather on Saturday once again caused a postponement of the games against Triton to Monday. However, due to unplayable field conditions and the frigid temperatures today, the games were once again cancelled. The makeup date for those games will be Monday, April 25. 

On Sunday, the Hawks were also unable to play Moraine Valley Community College. No makeup date has been announced yet.

Harper will be back on the diamond on Tuesday afternoon at College of DuPage (19-4, 5-1 N4C). First pitch of game one is set for 2 PM.

McCabe Swinging Confidently in Second Year

McCabe Bio
McCabe Stats

PALATINE, Ill. – Harper College softball player Jessica McCabe (Itasca, Ill. /Prospect ) is one two returning players from last year's team. As a sophomore, McCabe has elevated her play and leads the team in several offensive categories, including batting average. For this reason, she is the eighth Harper College Athlete of the Week for the 2015-16 school year.

McCabe's improvement from last year to now has been impressive. As a freshman in 2015, she recorded 11 hits, 16 runs, three doubles, one triple, one stolen base, 12 walks and 12 RBIs. In just eight games so far this season, McCabe already has 10 hits in just 22 at bats for a team-high .455 average.

She also is tied for the team lead in runs (4), doubles (1), stolen bases (1) and is second in both triples (1) and RBIs (4) while holding a .591 slugging percentage. The Hawks opened the season with six games at the Dome at the Ballpark in Rosemont, and the outfielder had at least a hit in five of those games.

She was 3-for-4 with an RBI and stolen base against College of DuPage March 5 and 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs against Prairie State College later that day.  In the two games the Hawks have played outside to date, McCabe recorded hits in each contest and scored a run.

McCabe is the eighth Harper College Athlete of the Week for the 2015-16 school year. (Kevin Tiongson)

For McCabe, the biggest factor to her success this season has been confidence.

"I'm confident at the plate and not worried about missing," she said. "I'm focusing on making every swing a 100% good swing."

Defensively, she has not been tested too much in the outfield yet this season, but she does have two assists to her credit already.

McCabe is majoring in marketing and will finish up her Associate of Arts degree over the summer. She plans on transferring to Western Michigan University in the fall.

"This will probably be my last year, so I want to go out with a bang and make my last year a good year. I have that responsibility to be a team leader and help lead the team," McCabe said. "We need to focus on being positive and never giving up. We need to have that energy and drive throughout the whole game."

Baseball Drops Doubleheader at Rock Valley

ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Harper College baseball team lost two games to conference opponent Rock Valley College on Tuesday afternoon.

The Hawks (0-8, 0-6 N4C) lost 13-2 in five innings in game one. The Golden Eagles (9-11, 3-3 N4C) led 8-0 after two innings before Harper scored twice in the third inning to cut into the lead. Paul Kramolisch (/Bolingbrook) doubled home B.J. Wingerter (Prospect Heights, Ill. /Hersey), and he later scored on an RBI groundout from Justin Reaves (Chicago, Ill. /De La Salle).

Rock Valley responded with five runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a commanding 11-run lead. Starter Jason Fidder pitched scoreless fourth and fifth innings to close out the game. He gave up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts in five innings. Harper starter Christian Poulsen(Schaumburg, Ill. /Schaumburg) (0-3) lasted just two innings, giving up eight runs (two earned) on six hits.

The Hawks lost two games at Rock Valley College on Tuesday afternoon. (Jim Cummins)

In game two, the Hawks had a season-high eight hits, but it wasn't enough as they lost 6-3. Trailing 5-0 through five innings, Harper mounted a comeback and cut the deficit to three runs. The Hawks loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh inning but could not convert.

Poulsen had a standout day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a run scored. Wingerter, Paul Kramolisch (/Bolingbrook), David Dugger (Matteson, Ill. /Rich Central), Nick Kouzios (Crystal Lake, Ill. /Prairie Ridge), and Jeremiah Mack (/Westinghouse) all recorded a hit. Kouzios drove in two runs with a single in the sixth inning, and Reaves had the other RBI. Adam Kowalski (Arlington Heights, Ill. /Buffalo Grove) (0-1) threw six innings for the Hawks. He gave up four earned runs on eleven hits and struck out three.

The Hawks will play at Oakton Community College (10-6) on Wednesday. Originally scheduled to be a doubleheader, the two teams will now play a single nine-inning game beginning at 2 PM in Des Plaines.

Hawks Shut Down by Madison

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MADISON, Wis. – The Harper College baseball team struggled at the plate and in the field on Saturday afternoon against N4C foe Madison College. The Hawks failed to score a run in either game, committed nine total errors, and lost by the scores of 7-0 and 14-0.

David Dugger (Matteson, Ill. /Rich Central) provided a spark offensively in the first game, as he was 2-for-3 with a triple. Christian Poulsen(Schaumburg, Ill. /Schaumburg) and Nick Leone (Elmhurst, Ill. /York) had the other hits for the Hawks (0-6, 0-4 N4C). Harper had a hard time solving Madison starter Brandon Parr, who threw a complete game and struck out five batters.

The WolfPack (7-8-1, 2-0 N4C) scored three runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to take command. Bryce Plate was 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs in the game.

The Hawks struggled at the plate in game two as well, going a combined 3-for-16 as a team. B.J. Wingerter (Prospect Heights, Ill. /Hersey), Paul Kramolisch (/Bolingbrook), and Branden Davis (/Rich East) each had singles. The WolfPack's Alec Haluzak (3-0) pitched four scoreless innings to earn the win.

Madison capitalized on eight Harper errors and a big day at the plate from right fielder Chris Lund (3-for-4, six RBIs). Seven of the 14 runs surrendered by Harper pitchers Clint O'Neal (Farmer City, Ill./Blue Ridge) and Eddy Valenzuela (Melose Park, Ill. /West Leyden) were unearned. O'Neal (0-1) last just 2 2/3 innings, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on five hits and five walks while striking out two.

The Hawks return to conference play on Tuesday with an N4C doubleheader at Rock Valley College (7-11, 1-3 N4C). First pitch of game one is set for 2 PM in Rockford.

Harper Bats Quiet in Losses at Joliet

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

JOLIET, Ill. – The Harper College baseball team failed to generate much offense on Friday afternoon in their conference opener at Joliet Junior College. The Hawks managed just six hits total in two games and dropped both, 10-0 and 9-1.

Harper managed just six total hits in two losses at Joliet on Friday. (Jim Cummins)

In game one, the Hawks (0-4, 0-2 N4C) managed just two hits off Wolves (9-12, 2-0 N4C) starter Matthew Taller. Taller pitched five innings and struck out six batters. Sophomores B.J. Wingerter (Prospect Heights, Ill. /Hersey) and Matty Donovan (Chicago, Ill./Saint Patrick) had the only hits for Harper.

Harper starting pitcher Christian Poulsen (Schaumburg, Ill. /Schaumburg) (0-2) lasted four innings, surrendering three earned runs on seven hits while striking out four.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Harper totaled four hits in the 9-1 loss. Poulsen was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored, and Paul Kramolisch (/Bolingbrook) had the lone RBI for Harper. The Wolves outhit the Hawks 12-4. Harper starter Travis Lindquist (Madison, Wis. /James Madison Memorial ) (0-2) surrendered nine runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work, but only three runs were earned.

Joliet starting pitcher Patrick Kenny pitched six innings of two-hit ball and struck out eight Hawks batters. Shortstop Thomas Smith was 3-for-3 with three RBIs.

The Hawks have a quick turnaround, as they will travel to Madison College (5-8-1, 0-0 N4C) on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at noon. The games were originally scheduled to be played at Harper College.

My Journey to the 2015 Chicago Marathon

When I first signed up for the 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, I was beyond excited. In 2014, I had an opportunity to witness the race in person for the first time. For years growing up, I’d always roll out of bed, groggy-eyed on a Sunday morning on the second weekend of October and see my dad watching the Chicago Marathon. This was well before I started running, which was less than three years ago.

Something about the event captivated me even before I ran or really knew the magnitude of what it was. Watching some of the best distance runners and 40,000 other people run 26.2 miles through the streets of Chicago with 1.7 million spectators cheering them on seemed so cool. Seeing these runners cruise by major landmarks as well as the neighborhoods such as Chinatown was a sight to behold.

In 2014, I stayed at my friend Keith’s place in the South Loop the Saturday night before the marathon. I woke up early on marathon morning to head out to the race and watch it. At the time, I had one marathon under my belt and was planning on doing at least one in 2015.

Keith and I made our way to the corner of State and LaSalle, and it was already packed by the time we got there.  Before we knew it, the top elite runners came by and were gone before we knew it. After that, the semi-elite runners came through, followed by a herd of 40,000 runners came stampeding by. I had never seen anything like this in person.

Watching 40,000 runners, all on a mission to cover the 26.2 miles, storm through the streets of Chicago was an amazing experience. Factor in being cheered on by 1.7 million spectators, and I knew this was something I wanted to do again. Keith and I moved to the 13-mile mark to catch the elites and a good chunk of the runners come through again and head west. Runners still looked good at this point, but their journey was only about half done.

Finally, we went over to right around the 26-mile mark. Seeing runners nearing the finish line of an exhausting journey was pretty cool, too.  From that point on, I knew I had to do the 2015 Chicago Marathon.

Fast forward to this year, 2015. I submitted my application back in late winter and was accepted into the Chicago Marathon. I was excited to get all registered and get ready for it in the summer months, but I was also in the middle of training for my second marathon, the Wisconsin Marathon, in early May.

Around the same time, I was offered a position to be the Social Media Manager for Chicago Athlete Magazine. It has been such a blessing to work for the magazine these last several months. I love doing social media for the magazine and being out at races on weekends to take pictures. I particularly enjoy the thrill of covering a triathlon and just seeing people go after their goals. It’s really inspiring.

I ran the Wisconsin Marathon, and I struggled through it to say the least. Once I got around mile 16 or so, I knew my body wasn’t exactly cooperating. By mile 18, I had a cramp in my hamstring that forced me to stop and stretch it. I knew then that my dreams of hitting my goal were over as the cramps spread to the rest of my body.

I was blessed to have two Dick Pond Fast Track teammates by my side that day. First, Joe Vukits got my started off on the right foot for the first 10K. We went out nice and easy, then he unleashed me and let me run. The support and encouragement Joe provided leading up to the marathon was huge, too.

Mark Przybyla is an incredible teammate, and he was standing out on a desolate gravel road around mile 15.5, waiting for me to come so he could run me in the rest of the way. While the cramps from an unusually warm day did me in, Mark was there to support me through it all. We had great conversation throughout, and in the last mile, him and Paul Harris ran me in. Also, Fast Trackers greeted me at the finish line with a medal.

I also have to mention my three friends from Harvest, Sarah, Liz, and Kristi, who came up there to cheer me on. I saw them for the first time at Mile 9, and they drove around in their car for the entire second half of the race even though I was in a lot of discomfort and struggling. Their support was incredible.

I cannot tell you enough how much it meant to have my Fast Track teammates as well as my family and friends there with me. None of them had to get up at insanely early time to come run with me or support me, but they did.

Then began my journey to the Chicago Marathon. It started off with a little bit of rest (not as much as I truly needed) followed by running an 8K 13 days after my marathon and the Soldier Field 10 Mile three weeks after Wisconsin. I probably shouldn’t have ran these races, but running the 8K in my neighborhood and a race that finished on the 50-yard line of Soldier Field were both pretty neat experiences.

In the early parts of the summer, I entered a drawing to win a free, customized training plan from Full Potential Running and coach Eric Wallor. I consider Eric a friend and have bounced ideas off him in the past, but when my name was pulled as one of two winners of the training plan, I was thrilled.

Eric is an extremely kind guy and also extremely knowledgeable (not to mention talented) when it comes to running. I battled some hip pain/knee issues in mid-June, but we slowly began to get after the training plan he had for me.

There were some hard weeks, but I was committed to the plan. I do not run well in the summer, and training for a marathon in the summer was just further proof to me. In addition to that, something just didn’t feel right with my body. My legs ached consistently.

Despite a few brutal long runs where I pretty much got sick, I longed for the marathon and the second Sunday in October where everything, Lord-willing, would fall into place. The thought of 45,000 runners and 1.7 million spectators excites me.

The leg pain continued. At that point, I went into a major physical and mental funk. I was no longer motivated to pound the pavement for any reason. I dreaded runs rather than looked forward to them. I didn’t see how I was getting better. I wasn’t motivated at all.

I wanted to know what was wrong with my body, in particular my lower left leg/shin area. While the heat and humidity were definitely a cause for slower splits and rougher runs, I knew there was something else that was wrong.

Over Labor Day weekend, I went up to Camp Harvest for a 20s Ministry Retreat. The Lord really spoke to me about running and that it shouldn’t be an idol in my life. It’s not wrong to enjoy and love to run, but I had been putting way too much stock in it and became even more frustrated when I didn’t feel fully healthy. I knew that the Lord wanted me to be living for Him first rather than just worrying about this upcoming marathon.

The last 3-4 weeks, I’ve experienced some victories and some more frustrations. In terms of victories, Eric invited me out the Illinois Prairie Path in Elmhurst, a hidden gem of a path/trail, for a Sunday morning run. Not only did I enjoy the views, but I also had a good run with little pain for a change. I was able to run fast and simply enjoy running again.

I recently got a massage and two days later completed my final long run of 18 miles.

While I do not know how my body will hold up in ten days, I know some things for certain. I plan to enjoy this first Chicago Marathon experience to the fullest, regardless of how my body performs. I am extremely grateful for my family, friends, and teammates who will be cheering me on downtown on Sunday, October 11. Finally, I plan to run this race to honor my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is to him that I owe the ability to run and be able to do this.

This brings me to the final reason I am running this race. My first marathon, the Wisconsin Marathon in 2014, I was able to raise funds to help support the rebuilding effort of Washington, Illinois, a town devastated by a huge tornado in November of 2013.

While I know I am way behind in the fundraising game and most charities for the marathon have already finished their fundraising campaigns, I still have the desire to bless people in any way I can. This is why I will now begin raising money for Breakthrough Urban Ministries in Chicago.

Breakthrough partners with those affected by poverty to build connections, develop skills and open doors of opportunity.  The ministry is located is Chicago’s East Garfield Park, a rough area of the city with very high poverty and very low opportunity. The ministry is about “restoring the broken networks of youth and families and empowering adults in the community to achieve self-sufficiency and break the cycle of poverty.”

The great part about this ministry is that God is at the core of it. I personally have had an opportunity to work with Breakthrough. Late in 2014 and early in 2015, I had the chance to lead groups of high school students from my church, Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, down to the men’s and women’s homeless shelters on Sundays. We bought groceries/fixings for a meal before we left for the city, got there and prepared a meal, and served the meal to the men and women.

It was an amazing opportunity to serve a meal to these men and women and sit down and have conversations with them. I was blessed to be able to serve in this capacity and hope to get back to Breakthrough in the near future.

With your financial support, we can bless those who need it immensely at Breakthrough. Please consider donating to this cause and praying for the lives it will touch.  I will keep this initiative going for as long as needed in order to get the funding where it needs to go.

If you are interested in donating to this cause, please call, text, or Facebook message me about how you can do so.

I am really excited for the Chicago Marathon! It’s the month of October already, and the race is nearly here. The race weekend festivities are going to be incredible. I cannot wait to run through the streets of Chicago to 1.7 million cheering spectators and have the support of my family, friends, and Fast Track teammates. 

Everybody has a story and journey of how they make it to the starting line of the Chicago Marathon. Mine's little messy and has been difficult, but I am going to do it. Not for my own glory. For the glory of God. For Breakthrough. For family, friends, and teammates.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

God Bless,

Billy