July 16, 2025
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Sauk Valley

Another Hammelman on board

By Brian Weidman

Carolyn Hammelmann is following the footsteps of older sisters Julia, Ashley and Aleena as members of the Sauk Valley women's basketball team. (Philip Marruffo)

It’s a sight Sauk Valley women’s basketball fans have gotten used to – a Hammelman diving after a loose ball.

It happened again Tuesday night, when the Skyhawks were taking on Lincoln in their season opener. Sauk Valley was ahead 64-33 with 2 minutes to go in the third quarter, but Carolynn Hammelman, a freshman guard from Sterling, was getting after it like the score was tied.

She laid out on the floor to tap the ball away from a Lincoln player and into the hands of teammate Bailey Schrader, who took it in for a layup.

Carolynn is the fourth Hammelman sister to suit up for SVCC, joining Julia, Ashley and Aleena.

“I’m very excited,” Carolynn Hammelman said. “All of my life, I’ve followed in all of my sisters’ footsteps. At Sterling, I played after all of my sisters, and I’d always get the question, ‘How do you feel about playing after Aleena?’ Those are big shoes to fill, but I’m excited about the opportunity to fill them.”

Aleena Hammelman wrapped up a memorable 2-year run for the Skyhawks this past winter. As a freshman, she averaged 10.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.1 steals to lead the squad to a 23-win season.

Last season, she stuffed the stat sheet with 12.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.8 steals a game as Sauk Valley won 26 games. It’s unlikely Carolynn will approach those statistics during her time as a Skyhawk, but she aspires to be the same well-rounded player.

“Aleena has taught me a lot,” Hammelman said. “I’ve been complimented that I play a lot like her – not as good, but a lot like her – and I think after watching her play all those years, I developed her mannerisms and how she does everything.”

Carolynn honed her game on the family driveway hoop, where pickup games with sisters Aleena, Ashley, Julia and Amanda, and brothers Lucas, Silas and Samuel, provided a little bit of everything.

“There were a lot of scratches and bruises, but it was a lot of fun,” Hammelman said. “All of my sisters and brothers love to play, and they didn’t take it easy on me at all. It taught me to protect the ball and not let them take it from me. It taught me to be strong.”

Being a distributor on offense and a pesky defender on defense will be Hammelman’s ticket to earning minutes in a deep rotation of guards for the Skyhawks. She contributed six rebounds and four points in her first college game, and SVCC coach Jed Johnson is glad to have another Hammelman on board.

“It was great having Aleena out there,” Johnson said. “Obviously she was a special player, and probably one of my favorite players of all time, honestly. Carolynn, she’s a different player than Aleena. She’s still got the hard nose, hustles all the time, and gets after it.

“I see a lot of potential there. I see her within the next 2 years, if she sticks with it, to be up there and really contribute to our program.”