Tometich brothers are big shots at Kishwaukee
Shooting the basketball is one skill that stands out with Mark and Paul Tometich.
"They came here as catch-and-shoot guys," said Rob Buss, who coaches the brothers at Kishwaukee College in Malta.
This season, the Cary-Grove graduates are still dangerous shooters, as evidenced by their combined 76 three-pointers.
Yet their games have blossomed on the court along with Kishwaukee's win total.
While helping the Kougars to a 20-4 record, the Tometich brothers have expanded their skills and become key contributors.
"We definitely came in as catch-and-shoot players," Mark Tometich said. "But we realized that after you hit a couple of shots, everybody's going to be up in your face. You have to have something else to go to."
The Tometich brothers have helped Kishwaukee -- which got off to a 19-1 start and a top-five national junior college ranking - by driving to the basket more.
Over the summer, Mark and Paul honed their games by playing twice a week during open gyms at Kishwaukee that drew college players from around the region.
"When we first started playing, every guy was 10 times quicker and 10 times stronger (than us)," Paul Tometich said.
As the summer went on, the brothers said they got more comfortable going to the basket and adjusted to the more physical college game.
The results have shown up on the court this season for Kishwaukee, where Mark and Paul are among eight sophomores on a tight-knit team.
"Everybody has a feel for each other's game," said Paul Tometich, who is averaging 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds and has connected on 31 threes.
Mark Tometich has a team-high 45 threes and is averaging 9.2 points.
Tuesday's 76-62 win at Black Hawk East gave the Kougars 20 wins and helped the team rebound from a three-game losing streak.
"It was a wakeup call," Mark Tometich said. "We were slacking a little bit on our defense. But we've got our defense back together."
The Kougars have six regular-season games left before the Region IV playoffs and perhaps a trip to Danville in March for the NJCAA tournament.
"We really want to get to the national tournament," Paul Tometich said.
Pitcher makes choice: Kankakee Community College softball pitcher Heather Gradishar has signed a national letter of intent to play for NCAA Division II University of Illinois at Springfield next season.
Gradishar, a Marian Central grad, helped KCC to fourth place last spring in the NJCAA Division II nationals while earning all-tournament honors.
As a freshman last season, the left-handed Gradishar compiled a 16-6 record and a 1.29 ERA for the Cavaliers (46-11). She struck out 106 batters in 124 1/3 innings.
CCIW honor: Crystal Lake Central grad Gabe Youel earned College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Co-Wrestler of the Week honors Tuesday after making history at last weekend's Pete Wilson Invitational at Elmhurst College.
Youel, a senior 184-pounder at D-III North Central College, won his weight class at the meet to become the tournament's first four-time winner in its 60-year history.
Youel is 26-3 on the season and is third in the National Wrestling Coaches Association individual rankings.
Speedy Illini: Cary-Grove grad Madeline Aufmann, a freshman track and cross county athlete at Illinois, won the 800-meter run last weekend at the Illinois Intercollegiate meet in Charleston, Ill.
Aufmann won the event in 2 minutes, 14.92 seconds in the three-team meet.
Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.
