The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) recently named the Dick Durrant Academic Athlete of the Year award winners for 2019-2020. Waubonsee Community College had four of the five co-winners of this prestigious award, given annually to the male and female student-athletes in the ISCC who attain the highest grade point average (GPA) after completing four semesters of college work. Baseball players Tyler Venditti and Carter Wardell, along with two-sport student-athlete player Riane Tomsa and women's tennis player Hailey Wilcox all earned this distinction. The quartet brings the Chiefs' total up to 32 student-athletes who have earned this honor since the inception of the award in 1979. In addition, 39 sophomores and 43 freshmen Waubonsee student-athletes achieved ISCC All-Academic status for the 2019-2020 school year.
The award is named after Mr. Dick Durrant, who was an outstanding teacher, coach and athletic director at Elgin Community College from 1961 through 1985. Durrant championed the philosophy of academic as well as athletic excellence while at Elgin. Coach Durrant was known for his concern for students, his sense of fair play and his attitude of education before athletics.
Venditti, a pitcher from Geneva High School, finished the school year with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Although the Chiefs' season was cut short after just two games due to the coronavirus pandemic, in their opening game the right-handed hurler tossed a five-inning one-hit shutout in a 14-0 win at Sauk Valley Community College. As a freshman Venditti posted a 3-3 record in 14 appearances, striking out 47 batters over 38 and a third innings.
Wardell, a middle infielder from Metea Valley High School in Aurora, also compiled a 4.0 GPA. The freshman went 3 for 7 (.429) with four runs scored and a run batted in, and also reached base in five of his nine plate appearances in the Chiefs' two games for a .556 on-base percentage.
Tomsa, a Newark High School graduate, also maintained a 4.0 GPA while serving as a defensive specialist on the volleyball squad and as a point guard on the basketball team. The sophomore was second on the team with 574 digs, and registered 36 serving aces and 43 assists in helping the Chiefs' volleyball team reach the 2019 NJCAA Division II National Tournament. On the basketball court Tomsa started nearly half the Chiefs' games, and averaged six points, seven rebounds and three assists in conference contests.
Wilcox, a freshman from Geneva, also finished with a 4.0 GPA while helping the Chiefs win seven out of their final nine matches of the 2019 season. She played primarily as coach Douglas Passett's number one singles player, and teamed up with Elizabeth Egerman to form the Chiefs' number one doubles duo.
Tyler Venditti Carter Wardell Riane Tomsa Hailey Wilcox
Waubonsee Community College's 2019-20 ISCC All-Academic honorees
Sophomores
|
NAME |
SPORT |
HOMETOWN (H.S.) |
|
Barrett Bell |
Baseball |
Galena, IL (Galena) |
|
Garrett Bragg |
Baseball |
Geneva, IL (Geneva) |
|
Frank Dixon |
Baseball |
Bolingbrook, IL (Bolingbrook) |
|
Kenneth Hiltenbrand |
Baseball |
Montgomery, IL (Aurora Central) |
|
Hayden Isham |
Baseball |
Sandwich, IL (Sandwich) |
|
Kyle Ives |
Baseball |
Fox River Grove, IL (Cary-Grove) |
|
Brendan O'Connor |
Baseball |
Homer Glen, IL (Lockport) |
|
Jacob Pavey |
Baseball |
Aurora, IL (Aurora West) |
|
Mitchell Stempowski |
Baseball |
Batavia, IL (Geneva) |
|
Austen Valazquez |
Golf |
Aurora, IL (Marmion Academy) |
|
Aaron Collmann |
Men's Basketball/Golf |
Oswego, IL (Oswego East) |
|
DJ Ellis |
Men's Basketball |
North Aurora, IL (homeschooled) |
|
Krystoph Simmons |
Men's Basketball |
Schaumburg, IL (Wheaton Academy) |
|
Simeon Strauss |
Men's Basketball |
Brookfield, IL (homeschooled) |
|
Joshlyn Jefferson |
Wm's Basketball/Volleyball |
Kankakee, IL (Kankakee) |
|
Katie Shawke |
Women's Basketball/Softball |
Geneva, IL (Geneva) |
|
Marissa Van Whye |
Women's Basketball/Soccer |
Waterman, IL (Indian Creek) |
|
Ezbeydy Rivera |
Women's Cross Country |
Sandwich, IL (Sandwich) |
|
Rebecca Sweeney |
Women's Cross Country |
Newark, IL (Newark) |
|
Katelyn Biard |
Women's Tennis |
Elburn, IL (Kaneland) |
|
Valerie Schallmo |
Women's Tennis |
Oswego, IL (Oswego) |
|
Pauline Schallmo |
Women's Tennis |
Oswego, IL (Oswego) |
|
Alexis Coronilla |
Women's Soccer |
Big Rock, IL (Hinckley-Big Rock) |
|
Karen Lopez |
Women's Soccer |
Aurora, IL (Aurora West) |
|
Olivia Muetze |
Women's Soccer |
Hinckley, IL (Indian Creek) |
|
Samantha Noble |
Women's Soccer |
Somonauk, IL (Somonauk) |
|
Jenny Nunez |
Women's Soccer |
Montgomery, IL (Yorkville) |
|
Marlene Sanchez |
Women's Soccer |
Aurora, IL (Aurora West) |
|
Sydni Coultrip |
Volleyball |
Somonauk, IL (Somonauk) |
|
Gabrielle Dlabal |
Volleyball |
DeKalb, IL (DeKalb) |
|
Anna Friedlund |
Volleyball |
DeKalb, IL (DeKalb) |
|
Emma Boland |
Softball |
North Aurora, IL (Aurora West) |
|
Alyssa Eby |
Softball |
Geneva, IL (St. Charles North) |
|
Megan White |
Softball |
Geneva, IL (Geneva) |
|
Adrian Bravo |
Men's Soccer |
Carpentersville, IL (GED) |
|
Porter Wesson |
Men's Soccer |
Leland, IL (Leland) |
|
Leonardo Barzi |
Men's Tennis |
|
|
Briggs Kremski |
Men's Tennis |
Freshmen
|
NAME |
SPORT |
HOMETOWN (H.S.) |
|
Mason Barnick |
Baseball |
Lombard, IL (Glenbard South) |
|
Logan Barnick |
Baseball |
Lombard, IL (Glenbard South |
|
Ryan Beer |
Baseball |
Chicago, IL (St. Patrick) |
|
Van Harrington |
Baseball |
Aurora, IL (Metea Valley) |
|
Brendan Lawry |
Baseball |
Indian Head Park, IL (Lyons) |
|
Alec Losselyoung |
Baseball |
North Aurora, IL (Aurora West) |
|
Mitchell Niewglowski |
Baseball |
Aurora, IL (Marmion) |
|
Luca Paolucci |
Baseball |
Chicago, IL (St. Patrick) |
|
Francis Quinn |
Baseball |
Mt. Greenwood, IL (Marist) |
|
Bobby Rosengarten |
Baseball |
St. Charles, IL (St. Charles North) |
|
Andrew Stefaniak |
Baseball |
Lexington, KY (Lexington Catholic) |
|
Ryan Teuscher |
Baseball |
North Aurora, IL (Aurora West) |
|
Sam Tickel |
Baseball |
Yorkville, IL (Aurora Christian) |
|
Hunter Venditti |
Baseball |
Geneva, IL (Geneva) |
|
Cameron Davis |
Men's Basketball/Soccer |
Somonauk, IL (Somonauk) |
|
Courtney Fields |
Men's Basketball |
Chicago, IL (Bogan) |
|
Dejon Talbert |
Men's Basketball |
|
|
Asa Williams |
Men's Basketball |
Solon, OH (Laramie) |
|
Alyssa Gittons |
Wm's Basketball/Volleyball |
Newark, IL (Newark) |
|
Allison Ryan |
Women's Basketball /Softball |
Hinckley, IL (Hinckley-Big Rock) |
|
Dalton Klingensmith |
Men's Cross Country |
Aurora, IL (Kaneland) |
|
Elizabeth Hess |
Women's Cross Country |
Aurora, IL (Seneca) |
|
Skyla Baldwin |
Softball |
Yorkville, IL (Yorkville) |
|
Megan Delli |
Softball |
Oswego, IL (Oswego East) |
|
Gracee Ellis |
Softball |
Montgomery, IL (St. Charles North) |
|
Graycn Gabriel |
Softball |
Geneva, IL (Sycamore) |
|
Lexi McCauley |
Softball |
Aurora, IL (Oswego East) |
|
Jori Peters |
Softball |
Oswego, IL (Oswego East) |
|
Abby Sanders |
Softball |
Montgomery, IL (Burlington Central) |
|
Micah Simmons |
Softball |
Montgomery, IL (homeschooled) |
|
Sydney Fedderly |
Volleyball |
Sugar Grove, IL (Kaneland) |
|
Jessica Havernick |
Volleyball |
Yorkville, IL (Yorkville) |
|
Maddie Mueller |
Volleyball |
Elburn, IL (Kaneland) |
|
Larkin O'Donnell |
Volleyball |
Mendota, IL (Mendota) |
|
Lydia Sabanish |
Volleyball |
DeKalb, IL (DeKalb) |
|
Becca Robinson |
Volleyball |
Batavia, IL (Batavia) |
|
Anaka Carlson |
Women's Soccer |
Montgomery, IL (Oswego) |
|
Skyler Kaelin |
Women's Soccer |
Malta, IL (Indian Creek) |
|
Halima Osman |
Women's Soccer |
Aurora, IL (Aurora West) |
|
Rachel Polignone |
Women's Soccer |
Batavia, IL (Batavia) |
|
Eliana Zagoren |
Women's Soccer |
Batavia, IL (Batavia) |
|
Elizabeth Egerman |
Women's Tennis |
Maple Park, IL (Sycamore) |
|
Lauren Weber |
Women's Tennis |
Oswego, IL (Oswego East) |