Kaneland 12U baseball team takes KCBL division title

The 12U Kaneland Knights travel baseball team recently finished its Kane County Bronco League season with a first-place finish in the Silver Central division.

The team is comprised of players from Elburn, Maple Park and Sugar Grove.

Players on the team are Dylan Conklin, Marcus Cramer, Adam Gerlach, Breck Kirkwood, Logan Kottmeyer, Brandon Mandele, Connor May, Cole Pugh, Matt Slou, Corbin Vines and Jack Wolff. The team is coached by Tom Gerlach, Charles Kirkwood, Nick Kottmeyer and John Wolff.

Martines receives nomination
for NCAA Woman of the Year

ST. CHARLES – Annie Martines, a St. Charles East graduate who ran track and field at Augustana College, has been nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year honor.

A total of 517 student-athletes were nominated for the 2016 Woman of the Year award across all NCAA divisions.

Martines, who recently graduated from Augustana, enjoyed a career as a sprinter/hurdler for the Vikings. She was a two-time team captain who was voted the team’s Most Valuable Performer after both her junior and senior seasons.

Martines was a place-winner in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships eight times during her career indoors and 11 times outdoors, including second-place showings in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles as a junior and senior. She was a two-time NCAA Division III national meet qualifier in the 400 hurdles and she has the second-fastest time in Augustana history in the event (1:01.84).

Martines was CCIW academic all-conference this year and carried a 3.66 grade-point average as a communication sciences and disorders major at Augustana.

The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

Corn Boil 5K Run/Walk
nears in Sugar Grove

SUGAR GROVE – The Sugar Grove Corn Boil’s 5K Run/Walk will kick off at 7:30 a.m. July 30.

Participants will run along residential streets of Sugar Grove on the flat two-lap course. The 3.1-mile USATF-certified course is electronically timed and features traffic control, 1- and 2-mile splits, first aid and water stations.

Awards will be presented to the first male and female finishers as well as first through third place in each age division. The ceremony follows immediately after tabulation of results.

Participants must register and check in by 7 a.m., and the event is open to all ages. Because the event is near, participants must register on race day, and the fee is $25.

The Sugar Grove Corn Boil will be July 28 through 31. Details are at sugargrovecornboil.org.

St. Charles Chamber's golf
outing to salute Olympics

ST. CHARLES – The St. Charles Chamber of Commerce’s 41st annual Golf Outing will be Aug. 8 at Royal Fox Country Club in St. Charles. The theme is “The Olympics,” and the event is open to the public.

The deadline to register is July 29. Register by visiting stcharleschamber.com or calling the chamber at 630-584-8384.

The outing will open with registration at 8:30 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 10 a.m., and dinner and awards at 3:30 p.m. The cost is $185 per player or $740 for a foursome. To attend just the dinner and awards ceremony is $50.

Cougars owners donate new sculptures to Music Garden

GENEVA – Fans visiting the recently unveiled Music Garden, presented by the Acres Group, at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark may notice a new addition to the grounds. Two sculptures were generously donated by Kane County Cougars owners Dr. Bob and Cheryl Froehlich to enhance the beauty and ambiance of the area.

The sculptures are a quintet of sunflowers and a dual flower spinner. The sunflowers add a welcoming pop of color for fans as they make their way into the Music Garden, while the flower spinner’s natural copper tones and cupped petal design displays a lovely spinning effect when it catches the summer breeze, the news release stated.

The Cougars are in the process of looking for local artists and organizations that would like to partner with the team to have their work highlighted throughout the grounds of Fifth Third Bank Ballpark, specifically in the Music Garden.

Kane County Cougars add
trees to landscape of ballpark

GENEVA – The Kane County Cougars organization, with the help of the Acres Group, has maintained a high standard for the landscaping and tree-lined backdrop that greets fans as they enter the Fifth Third Bank Ballpark grounds.

This past fall and spring, a number of new maple and oak trees were planted on the property, specifically in the new Music Garden, presented by the Acres Group, as well as the KidZone area behind the right-field deck. Another species of tree that can be found at the ballpark is the ginkgo, a living fossil and the oldest tree on Earth.

Planted as part of a restoration project, the trees were transplanted from a parcel of land off Hughes Road, just west of the Mill Creek subdivision in Geneva.

The Music Garden and other areas of the ballpark grounds also received new park benches, provided by Wannemaker’s Home and Garden.

Cystic Fibrosis cycling event
set in Maple Park

MAPLE PARK – Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park will host the Actavis Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life fundraiser Aug. 20. People can join the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for a fully supported 30- or 65-mile bike ride along quiet, scenic roads in the western suburbs.

Along the route of the annual Cycle for Life event, you’ll find themed rest stops every 10 to 15 miles with snacks and drinks, support and gear vehicles, and bike mechanics.

After the ride, people will meet back at Kuipers at 1N318 Watson Road for a post-ride party complete with a catered lunch and beer garden.

You can join Team Kuipers or start your own team. Use the code “farm” to receive 10 percent off the registration fee.