‘We’ve been waiting for this for a long time’

Fans in Welsh-Ryan Arena await the announcement that the Northwestern men's basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament

By Elan Kane Lynn Hull made sure to get to Welsh-Ryan Arena early Sunday to get good seats. She wanted to enjoy the hoopla surrounding the announcement that the Northwestern men’s basketball team had made its first NCAA basketball tournament in school history. When she went to find a seat, though, she was directed towards the […]

For some local athletes, road to D1 goes right through junior college

Loyola guard Tyson Smith, middle, waits for a free throw in a game against Bradley on Jan. 25.

By Elan Kane Loyola guard Tyson Smith had been playing basketball for years, but nothing prepared him for that practice. It was his first at the College of Southern Idaho, one of the top junior college teams in the country, and it was, according to Smith, one of the hardest practices of his life. But […]

For February golfers, Chicago weather ‘on par’ with San Diego

From left: Trish Organ, Leslie Rachlin and Nancy Liljedahl get ready to tee off

By Elan Kane When Chris Novak moved to Chicago from San Diego last June, the last thing he expected was to be playing golf here in February. But there he was Wednesday, getting ready to tee it up at Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course. “I didn’t think I was going to make it out at least […]

Becoming a professional athlete (sort of)

Trying to show them by best stuff

By Elan Kane It’s 1:15 a.m. and I’m at an indoor turf facility somewhere in southwest Chicago. I’m in a huddle surrounded by 35 other ultimate Frisbee players, vying for a spot on Chicago’s professional ultimate Frisbee team. The head coach holds up his clipboard, showing a blank sheet of paper. “This is the current […]

White Sox fans “so over” Cubs’ success

Fans line up for autographs at SoxFest

By Elan Kane It is not easy being a White Sox fan these days. Susan Padove is a self-described White Sox “lifer.” She has been attending SoxFest, the annual White Sox fan convention, for decades. Surrounded by fellow fans waiting for the opening ceremony of this year’s SoxFest last weekend, she did not hold back […]

Junior college transfer finding success at Loyola

Aundre Jackson warms up before a game against Bradley

By Elan Kane Shawn Trochim, the McLennan (Tex.) Community College athletic director, called men’s basketball coach Kevin Gill one day to talk about the actions of forward Aundre Jackson. But Jackson was not in trouble. Far from it. Trochim had just received a call about how Jackson and a few of his teammates had helped […]

Doyle, Jackson lead Loyola past Missouri State

Loyola sophomore guard Clayton Custer plays defense against a Missouri State player

By Elan Kane Loyola coach Porter Moser did not even realize it had happened until he was asked about it after the game. “That was a six-point play?” Moser said during his postgame press conference. “Yeah, let’s just call that a big segment right there.”