Chicago Public League Sports Blog

Whitney Young Girls to Run at Nike Cross Country Nationals - (Midwest Region)

Devyn Thompson (sr) of Whitney Young

For most teams, their cross country season ended either at regionals, sectionals, or state. But a few have elected to compete beyond the IHSA season and goto what I call post-season meets. At these meets, the state of IHSA does not allow high school teams to go under their team name, so schools have to go under a club name. Whitney Young, fresh off a 14th place state finish will be running at the Cross Country Nationals (NXN) - Midwest meet this Sunday at Terre Haute, IN.

A lot of eyes will be on Illinois state champion Lavinia Jurkiewica from Whitney Young. She and her Whitney Young teammates will be competing against other Illinois teams like Sounds Big XC (Geneva HS), Prospect RC (Prospect HS), and Kroy (York HS) - as well as other top teams from Indiana, Ohio, MIchigan, and Missiouri.

On the boys side no CPS teams will be participating but an increased number of Illinois teams will be there including Oak Park, York, Nequa Valley, Lyons, and Loyola Academy.

Senior Season

 

Cuit Pineda of Northside Prep ends the season as the number one ranked CPS cross country runner.

Neilski's Rankings of CPS Boys Cross Country Class of 2010 Performers from 2009 Cross Country Season

1. Cuit Pineda - Northside Prep
2. Kulayfi Haji - Lane Tech
3. Cooper Eben - Northside Prep
4. Jose Mora - Payton
5. Victor Terrazas - Lane Tech
6. Andrew Rodriguez - Gage Park
7. James Wiatr - Lane Tech
8. Nathan Wade-Scott - Lane Tech
9. Sergio Martinez - Mather
10. Jiasong Yang- Northside Prep
11. Matt Otero - Whitney Young
12. Eduardo Nava - Kelly
13. Forrest Cortes - Northside Prep
14. Charlie Obermeyer - Jones College Prep
15. Christopher Moss - Hyde Park
16. Carlos Solis - Curie
17. Wilson Tan - Kenwood
18. Daniel Gonzalez - Kelly
19. Brandon Schnake - Lincoln Park
20. Justin Speller - Payton
21. Jimmy Brown - Payton

juniors (class of 2011)
sophomores (class of 2012)
freshman (class of 2013)
CPSrunnerfan page

Public League Boys Basketball College Signees

BOYS BASKETBALL

Dayton--Signed G Brandon Spearman of Simeon.

Eastern Illinois--Signed G Tommy Woolridge of Foreman.

Northern Colorado--Signed G Fabyon Harris of Hyde Park.

Oregon State--Signed G Ahmad Starks of Young.

Purdue--Signed G Anthony Johnson of Young.

Rice--Signed F JR Reynolds of Young.

St. Louis--F Mike McCall of Foreman.

South Florida--Signed G Lavonte Dority of Foreman.

UIC--Signed C Eddie Denard of Foreman 

Hubbard Shows Who is King

Hubbard 48 King 0

Deandre Branch (6-3, 180lb, sr. LB/TE) and King were stifled by Hubbard.

King is the CPS upstart looking to make a name for themselves. Hubbard is the CPS football power, that has ravaged CPS opponents for years. Upstart King could not run with the big boy as Hubbard clobbered King 48-0 in the CPS football playoffs. As I get more information on this game, I will put it on the comments section.

I do know that I was very surprised at this result. I though King would give them a much closer game. Meanwhile, Hubbard fresh off a heartbreaking 2nd round loss to Belvidere North in the 2nd round of the state playoffs last Saturday, advances to the CPS semi-finals. which will be played Monday at Gately Stadium.

Here is the schedule Monday:

MONDAY'S SEMIFINALS

At Gately

Robeson vs. Simeon, 3:30

Hubbard vs. Morgan Park, 7

Bring on the computers

Now a computer may help determine what CPS selective enrollment school you get into.

 

This is getting more bizarre all the time. As part of the CPS admissions process overhaul, CPS CEO Ron Huberman said a computer will help assign applicants to the highest ranked school they qualify for on their list.

See in the past an 8th grader could apply to several selective schools at the same time. As part of the process, the 8th grader would rank their school choice in order. So if her choices were Payton, Northside, Lane Tech, and then Jones. She would have to rank the schools in order of her preference. Then admissions would be determined basked on her rank. Now, if I am interpreting Huberman's statement correctly, a computer will help assign an applicant to the highest ranked school they qualify for. So if you don't qualify for Payton you may get into Lane Tech. I haven't thought about this completely, but all of this complication makes things more confusing.

To me it just seems the CPS is going in the direction of adding more layers of complication, government and costs. Those are things we don't need more of.

Related

Admissions Overhaul
Principal Pick
What message are we sending?
Race Based Selective Enrollment on The Way Out

Pre-Thanksgiving Sale

15% all items in our CPSFan.com school store. See promotion below:

Videos Now - video interview with Lawrence Briggs (Whitney Young class of 2013)

Talent is being evaluated at younger age. In this interview, Lawrence Briggs one of the state of Illinois top freshman point guards is featured. Briggs is a 5'4 point guard who will play for Whitney Young. Briggs can pass for a 7th grader - but he has skills.

What message are we sending?

In the recent weeks the Chicago Public Schools has dramatically changed some factors for children and teens to get into the prized Chicago Public selective and Magnet Schools. There are pros and cons to each of the changes and I will try to address each side of the equation. The reasons for these controversies is that the CPS cannot please everyone. In recent years too much weight has been placed on race to a point where white teens had to almost score a perfect on the selective enrollment entrance exam to qualify for a spot at Northside, Whitney, or Payton. On the other hand, with a federal judge getting rid of the racial mandate in the Selective enrollment process, diversity needs to be maintained at these schools to give disadvantage kids an equal opportunity. Although some might say that the best score should get the spot, if the CPS worked this way its top schools would soon look like New Trier or Stevenson.

    New factors that Magnet and Selective Enrollment Schools will use in making their acceptance decisions besides the raw score will include socioeconomics, siblings already present at the school, and the neighborhood the student hails from. I believe the neighborhood issue will be an influence more in magnet schools than the selective enrollment. However, to make up for the racial mandate socioeconomic diversity will take its place. These rules need to be used with discretion. There cannot be a huge disparity between an average white's score or black's in order to get into a supreme school. What message is this sending to our generation? Does being a smart, disadvantaged or a minority teen automatically qualify you for a spot when there are others above you who may not be disadvantaged? As long as these factors exist controversies will always surround the CPS Selective Enrollment process.

- written by Jonathon Kamel,(Payton, class of 2012)

More info on being a CPSfan volunteer blogger

- written by Jonathon Kamel,(Payton, class of 2012)

More info on being a CPSfan volunteer blogger

King College Prep School Store

I added a King College Prep School Store to the CPSfan.com school store page.

Principal Pick

As a follow up to my blog post yesterday Admissions Overhaul, I've received some additional information regarding the admissions process. Under the new process there will be additional oversight to what is called a "Principal Pick". A principal pick allows principals from selective enrollment and magnet schools to admit a student who does not fit the normal admissions criteria that everyone else goes through. In order to get a student in through this principal pick a principal must sign an affidavit saying that the selection was not based on any "undue influence". Plus the CPS may add an independent group to make a final approval of the principal pick.

Obviously, the Principal Picks are where all the controversy lies. There will always be a subjective and fairness element to the decision making process, even if an independent board makes the final selection.

I see why they have Principal Picks. This allows a school to accept someone with exceptional ability. It could be athletic , artistic, or whatever. This allows the 6'6" exceptional basketball player to get into a school they normally would not have made it. But then again, the Principal Pick can also allow someone with Political connections get their undeserving daughter to get in. So, with the addition of Principal picks and even things like deciding who get's in based on socio-economic factors, you are still treading over very dangerous waters. Anything less than a 100% meritocracy model, will always have people crying : RAAACISM, FAVORITISM, or UNFAIRISM!

To be honest with you, I'm sick of all the ISM"S in the world. The best thing to do is create a fair system where the best get in and rise to the top. Get rid of any kind of preferential treatment based on factors that one can cannot control like  race, religion, gender, family income or anything else that an 8th grade kid cannot control. In the end we are all Americans and individuals and should be treated on an individual basis. Not as part of a disenfranchised group.

You'll see much more backlash by Chicagoans, just watch.

related

Sun Times - College Preps to be admitted by income

Admissions Overhaul