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52 | March 8, 2018 | The tinley junction Sports
tinleyjunction.com
Area stars hoping to get OSU back to the White House
JEFF VORVA, Sports Editor
Sandburg graduate Jake
Hanes sat in Franklin Delano
Roosevelt’s chair.
Andrew graduate Sanil
Thomas stood on a spot
Barack Obama made a historic
announcement.
And both got to watch
Donald Trump toss a volleyball
around.
Both athletes are members
of the two-time defending
champion Ohio State
University men’s volleyball
team and joined their teammates
as they were honored
at the White House on Nov.
17 for the Buckeyes’ NCAA
Division 1-II national championship.
They had a chance to
shake Trump’s hand and
Hanes said that when Trump
looked up to the 6-foot-10
Hanes and some of the other
monster-sized Buckeyes, the
President had a comment.
“He walked by us and said
something like ‘big, strong
athletes,’ ’’ Hanes said. “He’s
a big man himself. I thought
he would be shorter.’’
Meeting one of the most
recognizable men in the
world was just one of the
highlights for Hanes and
Thomas.
The biggest highlight for
Hanes was playing historical
musical chairs.
“I was in the room where
FDR did his Fireside Chats
(radio addresses from 1933
through 1944) and I sat in the
same chair he did,’’ Hanes
said. “I was sitting in that
chair thinking about life and
stuff. I sat in all the chairs.
There were probably diplomats
and famous people who
sat in those chairs, so I was
taking advantage of it.’’
Thomas was most impressed
with a spot he stood
on.
“There was a room and
there was a specific area
where Barack Obama stood
where he announced that
we got Osama Bin Laden.
When someone told me that,
I was like ‘dang, a lot of stuff
has happened in this room.’
Where we were walking ...
there were so many great
people who walked there before
me. It was crazy.
“It definitely puts things in
perspective - it’s unreal.’’
Both would like to go back
to the White House and win
another national championship.
Hanes is redshirt freshman
opposite hitter while
Thomas is a junior setter and
both have been key players
in the Buckeyes’ season, in
which they won 11 of their
first 15 matches.
The Buckeyes were playing
championship-caliber
volleyball during an eightmatch
winning streak in
which they outscored opponents
24-2 in set play before
coming to the Chicago area.
They were swept in three
sets by Lewis University
Feb. 22 in Romeoville and
two days later lost in five
sets at Loyola in Chicago.
Both players are getting
their first significant collegiate
playing time and are
among the top players in the
nation.
After action through February,
Thomas was third in
the nation 10.80 assists per
set while Hanes was fifth in
the nation with a 4.04 killsper-set
average.
This District 230 tag-team
works together well. They
were on opposite ends of the
court when Sandburg played
Andrew in high school play
and although both were stars
for the Ultimate Volleyball
club, Thomas was a year
older so they didn’t play together
there.
“I didn’t know him superwell
but I heard a lot about
Jake,” Thomas said. “I knew
the potential that he had
even as a young kid. When
he was thinking about coming
here, I really wanted him
here. He is definitely easy to
set to. I just have to put it up
there and he will do something
with it.’’
“He was always a year
above me, so it’s cool we’re
able to play on the same
team,” Hanes said. “It’s weird
to me because he used to hit
a lot and now when he hits
a ball in practice, everybody
is like ‘woah.’ But he’s been
doing that for years. He’s
more athletic than most setters
that I’ve had, He’s very
fast and gets to the ball quick.
It’s really impressive.’’
Hanes helped lead Sandburg
to a pair of top-four
finishes in the Illinois High
School Association state
tournament his junior and
senior seasons but sat out the
2017 season in Columbus as
a redshirt.
“I saw it coming because
there were two seniors at my
position,” he said. “I wasn’t
going to play so I took the
year to get stronger. Then I
came back at it this year. I
was always right there in the
stands watching the National
Championship so I felt the
energy of that. It was a good
team dynamic so it wasn’t
weird or anything like that.
We celebrated as a team
even though I wasn’t wearing
a jersey.’’
Hanes was known for his
powerful hits as well as being
an emotional powder keg
in high school.
During the stunning loss
in Romeoville, he didn’t display
any histrionics.
“I’m working on it, it’s
getting better,” Hanes said.
“There is definitely a lot of
progress. I am representing
Ohio State and I am trying
to keep my emotions under
control.’’
“He has matured a lot,’’
Thomas added.
Sanil Thomas (right) and Jake Hanes are two leaders on Ohio State University’s men’s
volleyball team. PHOTOS BY JEFF VORVA/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
Andrew graduate Sanil Thomas gives off a set to a teammate against Lewis University recently.
Thomas’s look has matured,
too.
The beard he grew makes
him look quite a bit older
than his classmates remember
him when he was at the
Tinley Park school.
“I lost my razor,” he joked.
“Actually, I just wanted
to look older. When I got
into college, I decided I just
couldn’t have a baby face.
I grew it and I thought it
looked pretty good.’’