By Daniel L. Chamness
Coal City graduate Pat Ryan wasn't a force for the Western Illinois University football team when he first started.
But, every year, the former Coal City Coaler improved his performance.
This season he finished the way most seniors would like to finish -- with his best year ever.
Ryan, who started at defensive lineman this year, finished with 25 solo tackles and 17 assists, including nine tackles for losses totaling 28 yards. One of those was an 8-yard sack. He was selected as an honorable mention pick in the Gateway Football Conference.
Ryan finished his career with 73 tackles which included 52 solos. He played in 41 games during his career. Western Illinois finished the season with a record of 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the Gateway Football Conference.
ÊRyan was not the only area grad involved in Western Illinois football. Western Illinois sophomore Erik Johnson, a Bishop McNamara grad, finished his sophomore season with 16 solos and 11 assists. He had five tackles for eight yards of loss and one fumble recovery. ...
Herscher grad Evan Patchett struck four times from 3-point range to help the Elmhurst College basketball team blast Blackburn College 71-56. Patchett, who hit 6 of 9 shots from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line, finished the evening with 20 points. He also had five rebounds in his 23 minutes of play. The Elmhurst Bluejays have raced to a 5-0 mark. ...
ÊWatseka grad Travis Paro finished his football season at Aurora University with 711 yards on 149 carries. He also had five catches for 103 yards. Paro scored 13 touchdowns to finish with 78 points, which was the second-highest total on the team. Aurora was 6-5 overall and won the Illini-Badger Football Conference with a 6-1 league record. The team qualified for the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. ...
ÊMillikin University football player Kyle Hemenover, a graduate of Central, had 31 solo tackles this year. Hemenover, who played in 10 games, also had 13 assisted tackles and 13 tackles for 40 yards of loss. He also had an interception return of 36 yards. ...
ÊReed-Custer grad Jared Giuffre placed in two events for the Millikin University swimming team at the DePauw Invitational. The former Reed-Custer athlete helped the Big Blue finish fourth in the 800-yard freestyle relay (7 minutes, 33.40 seconds). His top individual performance was a fifth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (6:01.18). ...
Augustana College basketball player Erin Daniels, a Dwight grad, had six points and three rebounds in Augustana's 68-57 loss to Wartburg College. Daniels also had three steals in the contest. Augustana is 1-5 overall. ...
ÊThe Illinois College Blueboys won in the first round of the Bill Merris Classic, beating Principia College 78-58. Former CPCI player Mitchell Hurliman had five points, two rebounds and two assists for IC. The Blueboys are 3-1. ...
ÊMacMurray College basketball player Seth Whalum, a graduate of Kankakee, scored three points in MacMurray's 100-69 loss to Knox College. Whalum also had two assists in 14 minutes of play. MacMurray is 2-5 overall. ...
ÊThe Greenville College women's basketball team split a pair of games at the Eureka College Classic, beating Alverno College (60-42) but losing to Eureka (68-56). Peotone grad Laura Alo had three points against Eureka and two against Alverno. Greenville is 3-3 overall. ...
Bradley-Bourbonnais grad T.J. Rietveld placed 12th in the one-meter and three-meter dives at a quad swim meet with the University of Indianapolis, Indiana University, the University of Iowa and Purdue University. Rietveld posted respective scores of 220.85 and 217.2. ...
ÊIllinois State University's Jena Allie (Bradley-Bourbonnais) and Emily Lavoie (Kankakee) both competed in the Giant Eagle Zips Invitational swim meet held at the University of Akron. Allie competed in the 200-yard freestyle relay (16th, 1:41.35) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (17th, 3:40.60). Lavoie took 13th in the three-meter dive (320.3) and 16th in the one-meter dive (180.65). Both were scored in the prelims. ...