Tinley Softball Standout Gunther to Attend Illinois Next Year

Tinley Park High School senior Alyssa Gunther signed her letter of intent Wednesday to attend the University of Illinois on a softball scholarship.

Senior Alyssa Gunther hasn't even started her final season on the Tinley Park High School softball team, but she knows where she'll be playing for her freshman year in college. Gunther announced Wednesday, Nov. 14, that she was signing a letter of intent with the University of Illinois during a ceremony at the high school with her parents, Rhonda and Gary. READ: Gunther Chosen Patch MVP in May National letters of intent are part of a voluntary program in which student-athletes agree to attend a school and play in a specific sport, and the schools agree to provide a scholarship. Signing days are held three times a year; the next days are in February and May. Here's a look at some of Gunther's stats: Positions: Second base, outfield 2011 …

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Glory Days

Former Marian Catholic Standout Marable Happy to See Dave Mattio Reach Football Coaching Milestone

What's he doing now? Marian's all-time leading rusher, Terence Marable, played at Illinois before joining the working world.

Marian Catholic football coach Dave Mattio earned his 250th career victory Friday when the Spartans defeated Bloom 21-13. One person certainly not surprised by the impressive accomplishment is 1994 Marian graduate Terence Marable, who helped the Spartans win a state championship in 1993. “I love Dave Mattio,” Marable said. “Being a young man, I very much enjoyed playing for him and having him mentor us. He was a great leader for the team, and I can’t say enough about him. I enjoyed the time I got to play under his tutelage.” Mattio, who has coached Marian since 1976, has a career record of 250-133 in 36 seasons. He played a role in Marable earning a scholarship to the University of Illinois. Marable was highly recruited out of high school …

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Glory Days

Former H-F Gymnastics Standout Derek Hartmann Relishes Being Doctor in Hometown

What is he doing now? Homewood-Flossmoor gymnastics career led Derek Hartmann to become a chiropractor and to open The Hart Wellness Center.

During his gymnastics career, Derek Hartmann occasionally would visit the local chiropractor in Flossmoor. Those visits sparked an interest in the 1998 Homewood-Flossmoor graduate. “I went to my first chiropractor when I was 14,” Hartmann said. “I went to Dr. David Parish in Flossmoor and would get adjusted before gymnastic practice from time-to-time. I would just hang out there and chat with him sometimes. I would walk out of his office feeling good and he really helped me in gymnastics. He was basically a mentor to me growing up.” Hartmann, who captured two all-around state titles and led the Vikings to a state championship in 1997, walked on to the gymnastics team at the University of Illinois, but only competed during his freshman …

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Glory Days

H-F Great Okorafor Transforms From Promising Athlete to Award-Winning Author

Where is she now? Paralysis forces former Homewood-Flossmoor tennis standout Okorafor to give up competitive sports and change gears.

Nnedi Okorafor has a difficult time watching tennis. Once a nationally ranked player herself with aspirations of a professional career, the 1992 Homewood-Flossmoor graduate is now an award-winning author of fantasy and speculative fiction books. While flourishing in her current career, the journey to that path remains a fresh and painful memory. Okorafor was a standout tennis and track and field athlete at H-F, despite dealing with scoliosis. Then, while a freshman tennis player at the University of Illinois, doctors informed her that she needed a spinal fusion and there was just a one percent chance of paralysis stemming from the surgery. Despite the favorable odds, she came out of the surgery paralyzed from the waist down, crushing her …

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