SPORTS
Page C4 • Saturday, January 25, 2014
Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com
8SPORTS SHORTS
Huntley grad Kalsow helps Toledo rise as top assistant coach A mere three winters ago, winning basketball was a hope for the University of Toledo men’s program. “I was talking to one of our radio guys the other night and he was bringing up some names of former players,” said Huntley graduate Jason Kalsow, an assistant coach Jason Kalsow for the Rockets. “I said, ‘Doesn’t that seem like five or 10 years ago?’ ” The team’s 4-28 season in the first year of coach Tod Kowalczyk’s tenure seems so distant now that the team has enjoyed an impressive turnaround. After posting 19- and 15-win seasons over the past two years, Toledo is making noise this season. The Rockets are off to a 16-2 start and lead the Mid-American Conference’s West Division with a 4-1 record. One of their two losses came against No. 8 Kansas. “We definitely have a lot more athletes,” Kalsow said of the team’s steady improvement. “We have really good depth, too. We play 10 guys, and they’re all capable. When we play our six through 10 guys, we don’t have any dropoff.” The Rockets boast a starting five that all average double figures in scoring. The group includes junior guard Rian Pearson (14.7 points a game), a second-team AllMAC selection last season, and sophomore guard Julius Brown (14.2), an all-conference third-team choice a year ago. Last season, the team shared the MAC West title but was ineligible for postseason play because of NCAA penalties related to poor Academic Progress Rate performance under previous coaching regimes. “This is a very hungry, humble group,” Kalsow said. “They’re very focused on one game at a time.” After a standout career at Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point and three seasons on the bench at his alma mater, Kalsow spent two seasons with Kowalczyk at Wisconsin-Green Bay before joining the head coach’s staff at Toledo. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity he gave me,” said Kalsow, who is now the senior assistant on Kowalczyk’s staff. Along with learning the ropes in recruiting and day-today operations of a program, Kalsow said he is more heavily involved in in-game decision making than ever before in his career. “[Coach] has been great,” he said. “He has almost 25 years of college coaching experience, so I’ve learned a lot of different ways to work with personnel.” As for his future, Kalsow said being a head coach is a goal. “Obviously, that’s something that all assistant coaches are in the business for, to lead
Spieth takes Farmers lead after 63; Woods 9 back SAN DIEGO – Jordan Spieth turned out to be the star attraction Friday playing with Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines. Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under-par 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. Cink drilled a 3-wood from 280 yards onto the green at the par-5 ninth on the tougher South Course for a twoputt birdie and a 71. Woods rarely gets upstaged at Torrey Pines, where his eight professional wins include the 2008 U.S. Open. But in his first competition in six weeks, Woods hardly looked the part as the defending champion. He did not make birdie on any of the par 5s for the second straight day, and a three-putt bogey on the par-5 ninth hole on the North gave him a 71. He was nine shots behind. Phil Mickelson’s ailing back wasn’t much better, although Lefty plodded along and shot 73 on the South to finish eight shots out of the lead.
ON CAMPUS Barry Bottino their own program,” he said. “But we have a really good thing going here.” Last summer, Kalsow married former Toledo women’s basketball player Allie Clifton. Basketball season makes for a unique time in their relationship. While Kalsow is coaching the Rockets, Clifton is working for Fox Sports Ohio as the sideline reporter for Cleveland Cavaliers’ TV broadcasts. “We live apart for about five months because she works all 82 (NBA) games,” Kalsow said. “When we’re playing, I’ll DVR those games.” Superb start: Auburn senior track and field athlete Marcus Popenfoose (Huntley) opened the season last weekend by placing third in the shot put at the Auburn Indoor Invitational in Birmingham. Popenfoose’s throw of 56 feet, 8½ inches was less than 5 inches from his season-best toss last season. Last spring during the outdoor season, Popenfoose placed 16th at the NCAA national meet in the shot put and won the Southeastern Conference title in the event. Preseason recognition: Jacobs grad Ben Albano, a senior outfielder for D-II Lewis University’s baseball team, has been named to the national Player to Watch list by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Albano is a two-time AllGreat Lakes Valley Conference first-team selection. Last season, he finished second on the team in hits (54) and home runs (seven) while posting 14 multihit games and batting .305 for the Flyers (33-18). He also posted a .469 slugging percentage. Albano has started 111 games in his career for Lewis.
New conference address: Dubuque University’s women’s lacrosse team will have new conference addresses for the next two seasons. The Spartans and sophomore attack Carlie Gabrys (Harvard) played their inaugural season as an independent last year. The team will play in the Midwest Women’s Lacrosse Conference this season, which begins Feb. 22 in Minneapolis against Augsburg College. In 2015, Dubuque has been invited to become part of the five-member College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin women’s lacrosse lineup in the spring of 2015. In Dubuque’s inaugural season last spring, Gabrys started all 12 of the team’s games. • Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@ hotmail.com, check out his On Campus blog at McHenryCountySports.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryOnCampus.
Korda leads Bahamas LPGA Classic; Wie in hunt
AP file photo
Quarterback Derek Carr of Fresno State passes during Senior Bowl practice Monday at Fairhope Municipal Stadium in Fairhope, Ala.
SENIOR BOWL
Carr, other QBs try to open eyes Top quarterbacks not at all-star game By JOHN ZENOR The Associated Press MOBILE, Ala. – Derek Carr isn’t in nearly the same situation as his older brother going into the Senior Bowl, and that’s not entirely a bad thing. David Carr wound up being the No. 1 overall draft pick by the expansion Houston Texans after playing in the 2002 game, leading to a career that never took off. The younger Carr has been trying to enhance his chances of being a first-round pick leading up to Saturday’s showcase game for senior NFL prospects. No rookie team building from scratch awaits either. “There’s not an expansion team anymore,” Fresno State’s Derek Carr said. “A team isn’t starting fresh. These teams are all great. They’re just one step away. Our situations are completely different. “Our situations are different, but there’s so much to learn from it.” None of the Senior Bowl quarterbacks are regarded as first-round locks, much less top overall picks. The first quarterbacks taken figure to be juniors Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles, in some order. The Senior Bowl passers are hoping to wow an NFL team and move up the ladder. Florida State’s E.J. Manuel wound up being the No. 16 pick by Buffalo after earning MVP honors in last year’s game. From the NFL’s perspective, the week’s first few practices are what really matters in
evaluating players on the field. The game is of less importance, but South coach Gus Bradley also is looking to gauge leadership skills from his rotating group of QBs. “I want to see our quarterbacks lead. They need to lead a team,” said Bradley, coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. “If we can become a team quickly, now there’s another evaluation that takes place: Can these quarterbacks lead our team that we developed in four days? We’ll compete any way we can to find out about these guys.” The first step was the measurable, height and weight. Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas won that category at a shade under 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds. Then there’s a week of competition, meetings, drills – and endless streams of questions from NFL teams. And finally the game. The Senior Bowl pits Carr and the South’s small-school quarterbacks against the products of big-name programs leading the North. Carr is joined by San Jose State’s David Fales and Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo, a late addition after Alabama’s AJ McCarron opted not to play. Georgia’s Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger were invited to the game but are recovering from knee surgeries. The North is led by Thomas, Clemson’s Tajh Boyd and Miami’s Stephen Morris. “Obviously with games like this you’ve got to compete with some big-name guys and those big-school guys,” Fales said. “And these guys are the best, too, so to get a chance to all be out there on the field and compete and showcase our abilities is huge.”
Cold inspires Norge crew to work quickly • MUSICK Continued from page C1 to smash down the snow after it had been placed on the jump. Single-digit temperatures prompted a record finish, Glasder said. “I think it was extra incentive,” Glasder said with a laugh. “I think it used to take us between 4½ and five hours. This time, we did it in 3 hours and 45 minutes. That’s like an all-time best.” Simplicity is one of the beauties of ski jumping. Yes, equipment has come a long way. Yes, results can be measured with more precision
than ever. But ultimately, all you really need are a pair of skis, a hill and a bunch of snow. Well, that plus a few dozen manual laborers to prepare the jump in perfect shape. “It’s a lot of work,” Glasder said. “But it does work.” And the crew’s muscles still work, despite nearly four hours of filling and emptying thousands of bags of snow. “After you get done,” Glasder said, “it’s actually a pretty good feeling.” • Northwest Herald sports columnist Tom Musick can be reached at tmusick@shawKyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com media.com and on Twitter @ Volunteers work to pack snow onto the ramp Wednesday at Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove. tcmusick.
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Jessica Korda took the second-round lead in the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic, birdieing four of her last seven holes in high wind Friday for a 7-under-par 66. The 20-year-old Korda had an 11-under 135 total on Atlantis Resort’s Ocean Club course. Paula Creamer, playing alongside Korda, was a stroke back after a 65. Michelle Wie and Monday qualifier Jenny Suh were tied for third at 9 under. Wie had a 65, and Suh shot 66. Lydia Ko, the 16-year-old New Zealander who shared the firstround lead with Meena Lee, was three strokes behind at 8 under after a 70.
Seattle’s Sherman fined $7,875 for taunting NEW YORK – Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman was fined $7,875 for unsportsmanlike conduct/taunting in the final minute of the NFC Championship game Sunday against San Francisco. Sherman’s fine was confirmed by the league Friday. Sherman was flagged after he made a choking gesture toward the San Francisco bench that he said was directed at quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Sherman had just deflected a pass intended for Michael Crabtree in the end zone that was intercepted by linebacker Malcolm Smith and clinched Seattle’s 23-17 victory. Sherman ran over and after tapping Crabtree on the backside and extended his hand for a handshake. Crabtree then shoved Sherman in the face. The All-Pro cornerback then made the choking gesture. Sherman was the only player fined in the game.
Ruth’s 1923 Series watch coming to N.Y. auction NEW YORK – Babe Ruth’s 1923 World Series championship pocket watch, for decades thought to be lost to history, is coming to a New York City auction, where it’s expected to fetch at least $750,000. Ruth batted .368 and hit three homers in the 1923 World Series as the Yankees won the championship by beating the New York Giants in six games. It was a pivotal year for the franchise, as it moved into Yankee Stadium and won its first of 27 World Series championships. The pentagonal gold timepiece is being sold at Heritage Auction’s Feb. 22 sale. “It was the beginning of what’s become the most dominant dynasty in American sports,” said Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at the Dallas-based auction house. “It changed the culture and Babe Ruth’s the ultimate leader of that team.” – Wire reports