July 2009 Archives

Von Steuben coach Sha Hopson called me at 9:30 Wednesday night with a Christina Waters update. Hopson visited Waters at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn Wednesday and said that Waters' eyes were open and she was crying. Hopson said Waters also had a visit from Secretary of Education (and former Chicago Schools chief) Arne Duncan. It is very encouraging news for Waters and her family.
Also, there will be a blood drive Friday at the crisis intervention at Northside College Prep.

Former Von Steuben basketball players Christina Waters and Kris Owens are improving at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn after being shot Saturday afternoon on the South Side. Waters was shot in the head and Owens in the buttocks.
Von Steuben girls basketball coach Sha Hopson said she saw Waters Tuesday and said Waters was able to stretch, yawn and move her eyes. "She is making some progress but it is too early to tell," Hopson said.
Owens, who played on the boys team and graduated with his best friend Waters in June, is still hospitalized at Christ but is also improving.
Hopson also wants it known that a crisis intervention will take place at 1 p.m., Friday at Northside Prep High School. Grief counselors will be available to help students deal with the shootings. The intervention is being held at Northside because of construction at Von Steuben.
"This is important," Hopson said. "They even had friends at other schools."

Got a call from Stevenson coach Tom Dineen recently, a friendly voice I haven't heard in a while. Dineen, who retired from Buffalo Grove in 2008 and came out of retirement to take the job at Stevenson in April, called to report that his 6-2 center Kelsey Simon has verbally committed to Miami of Ohio.
"She wasn't even all-conference last year, and her freshman year she didn't play basketball because she was on the dance team," Dineen said. "Her brother plays basketball professionally in Europe. She is very talented."

Hinsdale Central senior point guard Toni Kokenis gave an oral commitment to Stanford Thursday, after Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer called Kokenis to offer Thursday morning.
"It felt like it was unreal, in a way," Kokenis said. "I've wanted to go ther a long time and I'm really happy and excited. I had also looked at Vanderbilt and DePaul, so I had good choices if I didn't [get Stanford]."
Kokenis is considered the best point guard in the state and one of the best in the country. She is also a standout soccer player who led the Red Devils to the Class 3A state title over Fremd.
But Kokenis said she isn't sure if she will play soccer in her last prep season.
"I'm not sure," she said. "I'll decide at the end of basketball season. I've been playing soccer since I was really little, and it was a nice break and fun to get away from the intensity of basketball."

Whitney Young coach Corry Carter reports that junior guard Chanise Jenkins has a partial tear in her anterior cruciate ligament. Jenkins will be out for an indefinite period of time, but as of now no surgery is required. Carter said Jenkins is going to get a second opinion and will be out for the summer and the fall.