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Chicago Tribune
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chasing greatness, NIU recruit Jamie Saran becomes more complete player for Naperville Central
Naperville Central senior first baseman Jamie Saran is a fearsome slugger in the eyes of opposing pitchers. There's a legitimate reason for that. The Northern Illinois recruit's 35 home runs and 204 RBIs are the program's career records. But Saran has other, often overlooked qualities, which she demonstrated when she scored from second base on a single to right field by senior Avery Hayward on Friday. 'Jamie's a really smart base runner,' Naperville Central junior Natalie Lau said. 'I know she can get the job done when we need her to.' Saran slid into home plate in a cloud of dust to give the Redhawks a 3-1 lead over DeKalb in the third inning of a DuPage Valley Conference game at Aurora University. Three innings later, Saran tried to score from first base on Lau's double to center field but was tagged out at the plate. Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said after the game he shouldn't have sent her that time. The Redhawks still won 15-5 in six innings. 'I knew there were two outs on both,' Saran said. ''Nuss' was telling me to go, and I was cutting those corners and I was just going as fast as I can to try to score.' Saran, a four-year starter who is hitting .413 with eight doubles, five home runs, 36 RBIs and 25 runs scored for conference co-leader Naperville Central (18-12, 10-3), has been emphasizing movement as she expands her repertoire of skills. 'I got more fast over the summer because I did a lot of agility training and I worked on turning fast,' she said. 'I love running drills. I do them quite often, and I'm definitely going to be doing them a lot more getting ready for college. I'm still working on it.' Those agility drills came in handy against the Barbs. In the first inning, Saran snagged a line drive and stepped on first base to double off a runner. It was the first of five putouts for Saran, who also successfully navigated a fierce wind to make a lunging catch of a pop-up in the fourth inning. Saran made another nifty play in the sixth. DeKalb's Izzy Aranda was on first after a leadoff single when she got caught off the base by Naperville Central senior catcher Meredith Cann. Saran caught Cann's pickoff throw and chased Aranda nearly all the way to second base before flipping the ball to Lau, who tagged out Aranda. 'I love making great plays and helping out my teammates,' Saran said. 'They made a lot of great plays as well today.' Saran went 1-for-3 with a walk but had two hard-hit balls turned into outs, one of which got to the right fielder so quickly that Naperville Central senior Shea Meech was forced out at second. Saran's presence in the lineup and her ability to make adjustments boosts all of the Redhawks. 'What's difficult for Jamie is not the really good pitches, it's the variance in speed,' Nussbaum said. 'You'll get somebody like (Neuqua Valley ace Ava) Drehs, who is as fast as we see, and then you'll get some people that aren't as fast, depend more on junk and get the ball over the plate. 'It's hard for high school hitters to adjust to that, and I think she's done a good job of that. She hits with power, hits the ball the other way and knows the game.' Saran also knows how to encourage her teammates. 'Jamie is one of the best teammates you could ask for,' Lau said. 'She brings a lot of positivity into the dugout. 'You know whenever you're upset about making an error or messing up, you can always go talk to Jamie, and Jamie will make you feel better about it. I aspire to be like her. So I'm definitely going to miss having Jamie in the dugout and on the field with me next year.'
Chicago Tribune
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Often knocked down, Naperville North's Kennedy Bertsch always gets back up. ‘You have to be resilient.'
Kennedy Bertsch was not a typical freshman when she joined the Naperville North girls soccer team last season. That was evident even before tryouts started. 'I first saw Kennedy at our summer camp when she was a freshman, and I knew right away that she was going to be something special here at North,' Naperville North junior goalkeeper Olivia Ochsner said. 'It was just her personality in particular. She cares so much about the program, and you can see that every time she steps foot on the field.' The old saying about being seen and not heard didn't apply to Bertsch. The Huskies wanted to hear from the midfielder. 'She's an incredible kid,' Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. 'She's got such a good personality, such good balance of competitiveness but also just very easy to talk to as a teammate. She makes everybody feel welcome. 'There isn't anybody on our team that wouldn't respect and listen to the things that come out of Kennedy's mouth during a game because they know she has the best interest of the team in mind. She's got that charisma that people want to follow.' Bertsch isn't a captain, but the sophomore defensive midfielder has emerged as a physical and vocal linchpin for the Huskies by displaying a maturity beyond her years. That she has done so at such a tradition-rich program as Naperville North is impressive. 'She is super thoughtful in how she plays the game, not only tactically, but is always aware of where her teammates should be,' Goletz said. 'She's constantly asking questions to continue to get better in regards to her leadership. 'She has the respect of all of her teammates. There's a lot of great kids on our team, so for a sophomore to do that is a pretty incredible thing.' Ochsner, a three-year starter, is a veteran teammate who appreciates Bertsch's leadership. 'Her drive is what makes her such a good leader and also her relationships with everyone else on the team,' Ochsner said. 'She's such a sociable person that she clicks with everyone right away. 'That definitely helped her grow into this role, and she's just gotten better every single game.' Bertsch returns the praise, saying the Huskies welcomed her with open arms. 'It was such a supportive environment that I felt so connected with everyone, so I was comfortable as soon as I came into the program,' Bertsch said. 'I just try my best to communicate on the field, just little things to help my team out. 'But everyone is so supportive of each other. We're always picking each other up, and if we don't do our best, we just try to connect with each other because that's what ultimately helps makes us successful.' Bertsch has scored two career goals. One was the game-tying strike in a come-from-behind 2-1 win against Metea Valley that helped the Huskies secure the DuPage Valley Conference title last year. But her role as defensive midfielder is geared toward doing the little things that often go unnoticed, like winning challenges in the air. 'I would say I'm pretty good at winning the ball in the air,' she said. 'It's one of my favorite things to do on the field. It's a little thing, but it makes a big difference.' Bertsch made a big difference as host Naperville North edged Oswego 1-0 on penalty kicks in the Naperville Invitational on Thursday. She helped the Huskies (7-2-2) hold off the physical Panthers (13-2-1) in regulation before Ochsner stopped a penalty kick as North won the shootout 4-1. Bertsch had to leave the game twice, once when a ball hit her in the face and once after she took an elbow to the gut, for which an Oswego player received a yellow card. Both times she returned within minutes. 'She gets beat up all the time in the middle, but that doesn't stop her,' Ochsner said. 'She never goes down easy, so when she got down, she got right back up.' It's all in a day's work for Bertsch. 'I just try to be resilient,' she said. 'You have to be resilient. Just get up if you happen to get knocked down because you're doing it for your team, not just for yourself.' That attitude endears Bertsch to her teammates. 'It's amazing to have Kennedy on the team,' Ochsner said. 'We're so lucky to have her. Every time she steps onto the field, she makes an impact, so there's nothing more that I could ask.'
Chicago Tribune
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Grace Riggs, a sophomore who doesn't play travel or club, gets job done for Waubonsie Valley. ‘Working so hard.'
In an era of nearly universal specialization for high school athletes, Waubonsie Valley's Grace Riggs is definitely old school, but the sophomore second baseman is getting the job done. Riggs, who's very good defensively, is batting ninth for a second straight year on varsity. She doesn't, however, play summer travel or fill winter weekends working out in the batting cage. 'I like having my free time and not having all that traveling,' said Riggs, who seems to realize it could come at a cost. 'I started off bad this season, I think, because I don't play outside of this. 'I hadn't hit in a while before coming back.' By Thursday, yet another bone-chilling, windy spring day in Aurora for the Warriors' DuPage Valley Conference matchup at neighboring rival Metea Valley, that was hard to tell. Riggs looked to be in midseason form, emerging as the star of the game at the plate and in the field during a remarkable 8-7 come-from-behind victory for Waubonsie Valley. Ssenior pitcher Charlie Benesh was cruising with a 7-0 lead on a one-hitter through four innings for Metea Valley (2-8, 0-1), but Riggs produced singles in a three-run fifth and one-run sixth. She then came up with the game-winning hit for the Warriors (4-2, 1-0) with a two-run, two-out single in the top of the seventh that capped off a four-run rally. 'I just knew I had to hit it,' Riggs said. 'I like to open my shoulders, so I had to make sure to keep my shoulder in and hit it. I was just trying to get it in play. 'I guess I just got used to her pitching. I had been looking for change-ups, but she didn't throw as many as last year, so I was just going up looking for strikes.' It made a winner of senior right-hander Samantha Wiertelak, who pitched the final three innings and gave up no runs and no hits in relief of freshman starter Molly Quinn. Sophomore outfielder Dezirae Kelly added a two-run double for Waubonsie. Benesh notched an RBI triple and senior catcher Sydney Eakin had a two-run double and three RBIs for Metea. 'She's been working so hard with her hitting,' Waubonsie coach Valerie Wood said of Riggs. 'I know that's been a point of contention with her. She's been working on her confidence, and (Thursday) kind of solidified that. 'I told her it was gonna come because at that point we had played only two games and everyone was struggling. We've worked a lot with the whole team on mentally just getting over things and stepping back. It showed — she had a heckuva game.' Only three of Waubonsie's runs were earned and just two of Metea's runs were earned, although Riggs handled nine total chances without an error. She did bobble one of two seventh-inning grounders but scooped it up in time to sophomore shortstop Aislee Morgan for a force-out. She also snared a line drive and stepped on second for an unassisted double play in the second inning. 'We talk a lot about finishing the play and that's always our focus,' Wood said. 'It transferred over (Thursday), and Grace didn't give up on the bobbled ball and could have easily enough. 'She stuck with it and got the out. Grace and Aislee are best friends and work well together.' The 5-foot-7 Riggs also plays volleyball and was an outside hitter last season for the school's sophomore team. She doesn't play club in volleyball, either. Whether that continues for both sports remains to be seen. 'My mom's always saying, 'Other people play outside and you don't and don't get as much practice, so it's good you've been doing as well as you are,' Riggs said.
Chicago Tribune
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Neuqua Valley's Krista Waldusky ‘isn't the quietest one out of the bunch.' They wouldn't have it any other way.
Krista Waldusky learned years ago that she wasn't born to pitch. But the Neuqua Valley senior can look back at that discovery and smile. 'I started off, and I just wasn't that good at pitching,' Waldusky said. 'I walked three girls, and I was like, 'Oh god, I cannot do this. I'm done. I quit.' I just didn't have the mentality for it.' For Waldusky, catching is a much different story. She said she moved behind the plate as an 8-year-old, and she enrolled in catching lessons a year later. 'My dad had played baseball, and he was a catcher,' Waldusky said. 'He was like, 'I know it seems boring, but trust me, you're gonna love it,' and then it just kind of took off from there. 'It's not like the most flashy position, but you're involved in every play. You're the captain of the field. You have a different viewpoint that nobody else has, and I think that's something that's really valuable.' Waldusky has proved to be invaluable for Neuqua Valley (3-5, 1-0), which won its DuPage Valley Conference opener against Naperville Central on Thursday. Offensively, she was hitting .391 with seven RBIs through eight games after batting .308 with 23 RBIs last season. But she showed signs of being a leader early in her three-year varsity career. 'We all knew right away,' Neuqua Valley coach Danielle Asquini said. 'Krista isn't the quietest one out of the bunch. She's very enthusiastic and energetic. 'The position that she plays requires her to be vocal and, for lack of a better word, bossing around her defense. But she does that with such ease. No one feels it as an order. It's more of a helpful and supportive way for her to lead our team.' Waldusky will use a soft touch if that's needed. 'She's been my rock through it all,' Neuqua Valley senior pitcher Ava Drehs said. 'If I pitch a mispitch, she'll be like, 'Hey, it's OK, you got it.' And if I pitch a great pitch, she'll be like, 'Great pitch, Ava.' 'She's very vocal and reassuring, which is helpful to know someone is going through it with me.' Outside the chalk, Waldusky can walk the tightrope too. She's a standout student, and her playful side shines through at events like the team's Meet the Wildcats night, when Waldusky commanded the spotlight by doing the worm — executed beautifully, according to her. Waldusky, the youngest of four children, comes from an athletic family and said she has received unending support from her parents, Tim and Michelle. Her older sister is a former cheerleader, and her two older brothers swam and played ice hockey, respectively, at Neuqua Valley and in college. Their success actually steered Waldusky away from those sports. 'I played every sport imaginable,' she said. 'I tried swimming, dance, hockey, volleyball, soccer, everything. But I wanted something that was different from my siblings. So I didn't want to swim, I didn't want to play hockey and I didn't want to be a cheerleader. Those were the three things off my list immediately.' Waldusky did learn some things from her brothers, though. 'Watching both of my brothers sacrifice so much to achieve their dreams put in that expectation for me,' she said. 'If I wanted to play college softball, then I had to sacrifice a lot. They were skipping out on parties, football games and stuff like that. But it all wound up working out. 'So I know that when I'm sacrificing those things, it will eventually pay off.' Playing in college will fulfill a longtime dream for Waldusky. 'I knew I wanted to play softball and take it very seriously,' she said. 'For the past four years, it's been that constant grind of wake up, go to school, go to practice, come home, work out, sleep. All of that is paying off.'
