Sunday Slam: Induction to Athletic Director's Hall of Fame a Big Day for May
Macnider Adds Another Title with Harper Women's Track; Barrington's Gitelis Receives Niles North Alumni Honor
May days often have high school athletic directors ready to shout “Mayday, Mayday,” as they try to stay afloat with all the spring sports weather postponements, reschedules and cancellations.
Steve May has not had to deal with all the bad weather days the spring brings since 2020 when he retired as Wheeling’s assistant principal for student activities. May did get a beautiful day on April 29 when he was inducted into the Illinois Athletic Directors Association (IADA) Hall of Fame Class of 2023 with Libertyville’s Briant Kelly and Stan Lewis (Normal West and Champaign Centennial).
“It was fun and it was a good time,” May said. “I had a lot of family come down and it was nice to see people again and be there to enjoy it. Years ago (2015) I was the AD of the year and my kids were young … so this time they came down and they were like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool.’”
May’s extensive contributions to high school athletics and the IADA led to his induction. He was a member of the IADA from 2001-20 and the many capacities he served included president of the executive board. He twice presented mini-sessions for the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and National Federation of State High Schools (NFHS).
In addition to the Class 3A/4A Athletic Director of the Year award, May received NIAAA Award of Merit for the State of Illinois in 2013 and the Bruce Whitehead Distinguished Service Award in 2014. May enjoyed many successes by Wheeling student-athletes and started the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2007.
The Palatine High School graduate also taught and coached soccer for a year at Crystal Lake Central and South high schools, taught English and coached boys and girls basketball and wrestling for eight years at Winston Park Junior High in Palatine and was a dean of students and basketball coach for five years at Prospect. Working with the IHSA leadership and colleagues in the Mid-Suburban League and the state were among the highlights of his athletic administration career at Wheeling.
One of those colleagues was Mike Obsuszt, who retired a year ago as Barrington’s athletic director, and shared his thoughts for May’s IADA Hall of Fame biography.
“I worked closely with Steve during our time together in the Mid-Suburban League,” Obsuszt said. “He is a true professional. Over the course of his career, he has constantly worked to grow as an athletic administrator and at the same time serve the NIAAA, IADA, the MSL. He brings all of this knowledge and experiences back to Wheeling High School where he has been a true servant-leader to the students there for many years.”
Macnider Adds Another Title with Harper Women’s Track
Jim Macnider knows a little bit about getting cross country and track and field teams to the finish line ahead of everyone else. Macnider’s Schaumburg boys cross country teams won three Class AA state titles in a four-year span (1985, 1987-88) and his Harper College men’s and women’s cross country teams have won 12 NJCAA Division III (non-scholarship school) national titles since 2011.
Macnider added a women’s track and field title to the honor roll of accomplishments earlier this month as Harper rolled to the NJCAA D-III title with 138.5 points and finished 42.5 points ahead of runnerup College of DuPage. The school won its other women’s D-III title in 2011 under legendary head coach Renee Zellner. Macnider was also honored as the NJCAA National Women’s Coach of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
A big local contingent led the way to Harper’s title with individual championships from freshman Lilly Alberts (Richmond-Burton), who set a meet record in the 800 meters (2:16.84), sophomore Fiona Metzo (Palatine) in the 1,500, sophomore Samira Rosenfeld (Schaumburg) in the high jump and freshman Lily Wintergerst (Buffalo Grove) in the pole vault. Alberts, Metzo and Rosenfeld were part of a crew with Araxi Boghossian (Prospect), Svetlozara Uvakova (Prospect), Brianna Ruiz (Wheeling) and Melanie Kehr (Wheeling) that won the 400, 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
Rosenfeld also took second in the 400 hurdles and fourth in the 100 hurdles and long jump. Wintergerst was sixth in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump and her sister Chloe was the pole vault runnerup and sixth in the 100 hurdles. Arianna Teichman (Lake Zurich) was second in the hammer throw and sixth in the discus.
Boghossian was third in the 400, Kehr sixth in the 800 and Ruiz seventh in the 5K. Pola Kubrak (Buffalo Grove) tied for third in the high jump and Kalli Decker (Fremd) was fourth in the 5K and seventh in the 1,500.
The Harper men’s team jumped to sixth place (65.6 points) from 11th a year ago and was just 14.5 points from finishing in the top three. Freshman Albert Szewczyk (Buffalo Grove) was second in the 10K and third in the 5K. The 1,600 relay of Marc Alday (Elgin), Mark Bavaro (Elgin), Marcos Jaimes (Schaumburg) and Brenton Long (Barrington also took second.
Barrington’s Gitelis Receives Niles North Alumni Award
Retiring Barrington girls track and field coach Jody (Cassman) Gitelis was honored last week with the Niles North Distinguished Alumni Award for 2023. The honor goes to one alum of the Skokie school each year.
Gitelis, who graduated from Niles North in 1969, just finished a 47-year career of coaching girls high school track. The last 36 were at Barrington and her 2007 team is the only one from the Mid-Suburban League to win a state title in boys or girls track. She also coached state runner-up teams in 2008 and 2015.
Gitelis is a member of the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was the IHSA Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2008. At Niles North, she served on the student senate, was a PE leader, cheerleader and homecoming queen and her work on the dress code committee gave the girls the option to wear pants to school. She graduated from Northern Illinois in 1973 and coached at Glenbrook South before coming to Barrington.
The announcement from Niles North included this about Gitelis:
“Jody’s guidance and positive coaching style continues to produce teams that come together to achieve so much more than they ever could have without her at the helm. Her tireless work ethic and commitment to student growth and development have helped countless students meet their potential and face challenges they were experiencing outside of school. She has been shaping the lives of young women, helping them achieve their dreams and be successful in life, empowering them to be strong and to believe in themselves.
“It is important to remember that Jody’s role as a female head coach was not common 45 years ago. She has been a forerunner and her name continues to be legendary in Illinois when it comes to coaching girls’ track and field and her impact on her athletes has led some of them to become successful coaches in the state as well. Those women always make it a point to come and see Jody and reiterate what a great role model they had and their own hope to impact the lives of young women just like she did for them.”
Fremd’s Spurck Enters Select MSL Tennis Company
Fremd junior Andrew Spurck became just the third boys tennis singles champion from the Mid-Suburban League when he beat Hinsdale Central’s Alex Kotarski 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) for the Class 2A crown Saturday afternoon. Spurck joined Brad Rosenbaum of Hersey (1988) and Tom Hanus of Palatine (1999 and 2001).
One of the two MSL girls tennis singles champions is Hersey’s Jennifer Nasser (1990), who is also Spurck’s mother, as Bill McLean eloquently chronicled in his story for the Daily Herald. The other is Spurck’s aunt Katherine Nasser for Hersey in 1994.
McLean wasn’t bad with a racket in his hand, either, at Barrington. McLean and teammate Bob Raidt finished second in doubles in the 1982 state tournament.
More Throwing Success at Carroll for Hersey’s Gudaitis
Carroll University senior Cate Gudaitis, who graduated from Hersey, earned a second consecutive NCAA Division III All-American honor in the discus from the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Gudaitis finished eighth at this year’s Division III national meet with a throw of 44.34 meters (145 feet, 5 inches) and she took sixth last year at 44.4 meters (145-8).
Gudaitis was a state qualifier at Hersey and a two-time sectional and four-time MSL medalist.
Wire Milestone Latest in Long Barrington Baseball Tradition
The best parts of milestone victory No. 250 for Barrington baseball coach Pat Wire are it also came with a regional championship plaque Saturday afternoon and a chance to add to the total in the sectional. Wire’s 10 years in charge are a continuation of the stability and success of a program with only four coaches in the last 55 seasons - Joe Plaskas (180 wins in 9 years), Kirby Smith (543 in 22) and Jim Hawrysko (284 in 14).
Thanks for the coverage, Marty! You continue to be the best!
Steve May and Briant Kelly...two guys who could teach many how to do it the right way! TOTAL CLASS!!!!