Gators’ Aubert takes running shoes south

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Crystal Lake South senior Kristina Aubert had visited Memphis and Southeast Missouri State and liked both schools, but felt something different when she reached Jonesboro, Ark., for another visit.

There, at Arkansas State, the Gators’ running standout experienced a different feeling.

“It was like being home, but nine hours south,” Aubert said.

Aubert visited the NCAA Division I university last weekend and gave coach Lon Badeaux her commitment, accepting a full scholarship to run cross country and track before returning home.

Cross country and track and field athletes sign their NCAA letters of intent in the first week of February.

“For starters, it’s far enough south that the average low temperature in January is 30 degrees,” said Aubert, who plans to major in nursing. “They have a new $14 million nursing building, and their women’s team was in the top teams in the Sun Belt Conference.”

The Red Wolves were sixth, their top finish in the past 10 years.

Aubert has five state medals in her high school career, three in track and two in cross country. As a freshman, she won the Class AA 3,200-meter run in the 2007 IHSA Girls State Track and Field Meet, and was eighth in the 1,600. She was seventh in the 3,200 as a sophomore.

In cross country, she was eighth in the IHSA Class 3A State Meet as a sophomore and 10th as a junior. She was selected as the Northwest Herald Girls Track Athlete of the Year in 2007, and as the Northwest Herald Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2007 and 2008.

Aubert will be the third sibling in her family to run at the D-I level. Her sister, Jacqui, ran at Mississippi State and Illinois, and her brother, Nic, runs at Illinois-Chicago.

“This has been my dream for a while,” Aubert said.

Aubert visited SIU-Edwardsville and SIU-Carbondale, along with Memphis, Southeast Missouri and Arkansas State. She filled out an online questionnaire in September with Arkansas State and said Badeaux showed interest right away.

Hode to Parkland: Crystal Lake South pitcher Mark Hode committed to Parkland College, in Champaign, to play baseball next year. Parkland won the NJCAA Division II World Series last season.

Gators coach Brian Bogda announced Hode’s commitment this week. Hode did not pitch much for South’s varsity team as a junior, but Bogda plans for big contributions from Hode, who is 6-foot-4, this season.

“I am very excited and happy for Mark and his family,” Bogda said. “Mark has really shown well in the fall for some showcases and for the visits he has taken. He is still continuing to grow into his body, he is working very hard in the weight room this offseason. I look forward to positive outings from Mark this spring.”

• Joe Stevenson covers high school sports for the Northwest Herald. He can be reached at 815-526-4513. He also can be reached by fax at 815-459-5640 or by e-mail at jstevenson@nwherald.com.