ATHLETES COMMIT TO COLLEGE TEAMS
Several Hinsdale Central students and Hinsdale students who attend private schools signed letters of intent to continue their high school athletic careers on Nov. 8, National Letter of Intent Signing Day.
Hinsdale Central
• Aden Bandukwala, cross country/track, Duke University
• Nate Harris, swimming, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
• Aidan Hernandez, tennis, Davidson College
• Jeffrey Hou, swimming, University of Pennsylvania
• Elizabeth Lahmann, swimming, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
• Brody Marcet, swimming, Ohio State University
• Maisie McDaniel, softball, Davis & Elkins College
• Martin Montoya, soccer, Northern Illinois University
• Jack Mulligan, golf, Northern Illinois University
• Caroline Owens, golf, University of Notre Dame
• Alex Rasmussen, golf, Loyola University
• Elizabeth Sessa, volleyball, Brown University
• Luella Sheehan, basketball, Benedictine University
Private schools
• Fiona Allen (St. Ignatius), lacrosse, University of Virginia
• Shannon Early (Benet Academy), lacrosse, University of Notre Dame
• John Hughes (Nazareth Academy), baseball, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
RED DEVIL BREAKS SCORING RECORD
Luca Davies scored 26 goals this season, breaking a 20-year-old scoring mark for the Hinsdale Central boys soccer program.
Davies, a senior, said he spent most of the season trying only to improve on the 19 goals he scored last year. Then he scored three goals in the last regular-season game against Addison Trail Oct. 12 (which Central won 4-3) for a total of 22.
“I think it was at that time I thought, ‘I’m close now — let’s go for it,’ ” he said.
The three goals he scored in Central’s 8-0 win against Hubbard in the regional semifinals Oct. 17 pushed him past the record of 24.
“I was very happy of course,” he said. “Winning that (game) was great. Obviously the team was incredible as well to perform well in the first playoff round. It was a big win for us.”
Davies, who started playing at 4 or 5 years old when he lived in Amsterdam, said he wants to continue competing in college. He credited his team for his success.
“It would have been impossible without them,” he said. “It was really just more fun overall.”
Varsity head coach Mike Wiggins said Davies played at a high level both his junior and senior years.
“There’s ability and then there’s goal scoring ability, he has both,” Wiggins said. “His 26 goals set the new standard as the all-time leader in goals scored in a season, breaking Jack Smithson’s mark of 24 back in 2003. “Luca impacted the game every time he stepped on the field and did it with class.”
QUAST EARNS SPOT ON TEAM
Jake Quast from Hinsdale, who is studying business at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has earned a roster spot on the Warhawk men’s basketball team for the 2023-24 season.
“I’m just really excited about the guys we have in our program,” first year interim head coach Jarod Wichser said. “They understand what it takes to play high-level basketball.
“The buy-in from our players to meet our expectations has been exciting,” he added. “There are some really good guys and some really talented players in our locker room and I’m excited about our culture moving forward.”
The Warhawks reached the NCAA Division III national semifinals last season, finishing with a 25-8 record. UW-Whitewater, which is ranked No. 2 in the 2023-24 D3hoops.com Preseason Poll, returns 98 percent of its scoring and eight players who averaged 10 or more minutes played per game last season.
The team began its season Nov. 10, against Gustavus Adolphus. For a complete season schedule, visit: http://www.uwwsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule.
KRAMER NOW A CARDINAL
Hinsdale’s Doug Kramer, formerly of the Chicago Bears, was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals Monday, according to report from the Cardinals. The 25-year-old center, who starred at Hinsdale Central and the University of Illinois before being drafted by the Bears in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft, spent all of last year and most of the current season on injured reserve. Kramer was waived to create a roster spot when the Bears activated starting left tackle Braxton Jones from the IR.
MCCLEAR BAGS ANOTHER HONOR
Hinsdale’s Mac McClear last month was named the 2023 Chicago District Golf Association co-player of the year. The fifth-year senior at the University of Iowa won the award after he finished fourth in player of the year points in 2022 and second in 2021. The award is determined by an accumulation of points based on performances in various local and national events. McClear’s second straight victory in the Illinois State Amateur Championship this summer was key to the honor, which he shares with TJ Barger.
GIRL RACES AT NATIONALS
Hinsdale’s Morgan Jimenez competed at the AAU Junior Olympic Games 2023 this summer at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Jimenez, a third-grader at Madison School and a member of the Chicago Flyers Track Club, competed in preliminary heats for the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash. She posted times of 15.79, 34.11 and 1:21.95, respectively.
