FF_081519

38 | August 15, 2019 | the frankfort station sports
frankfortstation.com
LW East grad Storako makes immediate impact at Michigan
JOSH KROCKEY
Freelance Reporter
It didn’t take Alex Storako
long to establish herself
as a key contributor for the
Michigan softball team.
The right-handed pitcher
out of Lincoln-Way East
was named to the Big Ten
All-Freshman Team as the
Wolverines won the conference
regular season and
postseason tournament
titles in advancing to the
NCAA Tournament this
spring.
“I know a lot of people
growing up have had their
doubts in me and I wanted
to make a name for myself
and show others that
I belonged here,” Storako
said. “And I wanted to
show myself that I belonged
here on the Division
I level.”
Storako had no problem
on that front, posting
a 14-6 record with a
2.02 ERA in 38 games,
25 of them starts. She also
struck out 190 in 142.1
innings, posted four shutouts,
threw four complete
games and notched two
saves.
“I think mentally [it]
was a huge change [from
high school] but also
physically, too,” Storako
said. “Like, I got so much
stronger, finally being able
to put on the muscle that I
needed and all of that.
“But I would definitely
say, bottom line, mentally,
just being in a different
role and being able to play
my role in any kind of
situation, being ready to
come in at any time and
really taking some big
steps as a young kid on a
big stage, was really exciting.”
Storako provided more
than her share of thrills in
high school, compiling a
70-19 record. As a junior,
she went 22-3 with a 0.86
ERA and 289 strikeouts in
leading the Griffins to second
place in Class 4A. In
her final season, Storako
was just as impressive, going
21-2 with a 0.76 ERA
and 255 strikeouts.
Storako was named an
Underclass All-American
by MaxPreps in 2017
and made MaxPreps’ All-
American team in 2018.
“Alex has a very athletic
mindset; she’s very
determined,” Lincoln-
Way East coach Elizabeth
Hyland said. “And I think
that postseason run we
had [in 2017] is a tribute
to who she is as an athlete,
as a leader and role
“But I would definitely say,
bottom line, mentally, just being
in a different role and being able
to play my role in any kind of
situation, being ready to come
in at any time and really taking
some big steps as a young kid on
a big stage, was really exciting.”
Alex Storako — LW East graduate, on having
success as a freshman pitcher at Michigan
model, as well as the other
girls we had on the team
that year.
“I think it was the perfect
mixture to what you
need to be successful. You
know, there was a codependency
between her as
the pitcher and the defense
behind her. They all had to
work together and rely on
one another and they did.”
The transition to Michigan
was not entirely
smooth for the freshman.
Storako had a rough start
to her collegiate career,
going 5-6 in the first month
of the season.
She rebounded, though,
to win her last nine decisions.
The streak included
a seven-inning complete
game against Michigan
State on April 16, when
Storako allowed four hits
and struck out a careerhigh
15.
She earned back-to-back
Big Ten Freshman of the
Week honors to close out
the regular season as the
Wolverines - under the direction
of Carol Hutchins,
the winningest softball
coach in NCAA history -
swept the conference regular
season and postseason
tournament championships
for the seventh time
in school history.
“The Big Ten is an
LW East graduate Alex Storako went 14-6 with a 2.02
ERA as a freshman pitcher at Michigan this spring.
Roger Hart/Michigan Photography
amazing league,” Storako
said. “It’s really some of
the best of the best. The
power five (conference)
schools are really great
and you are held to a higher
standard for sure.
“Playing for the University
of Michigan is a higher
standard, and I think
Please see SOFTBALL, 37
Sports Briefs
Allegretti, Boykin make
NFL debuts
Lincoln-Way East and
Illinois graduate Nick Allegretti
saw his first preseason
action with the
Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday,
Aug. 10. Allegretti
was part of the second
team offensive line and got
plenty of playing time in
the Chiefs’ 38-17 win over
the Cincinnati Bengals.
Providence and Notre
Dame graduate Miles
Boykin, meanwhile, debuted
with the Baltimore
Ravens on Aug. 8. Boykin
led the Ravens in catches
with four for 39 yards in a
29-0 win over the Jacksonville
Jaguars.
Oilmen fall in MCL
championship series
The Northwest Indiana
Oilmen, featuring
Frankfort native Brandon
Petkoff, Mokena native
Nate DeLoian and New
Lenox native Jackson
Dvorak, advanced to
the Midwest Collegiate
League championship
series, but were defeated
in two games by the
Bloomington Bobcats.
LW East’s Stanwich
commits to Tennessee
(hed)
Alex Stanwich is only
entering his sophomore
year at Lincoln-Way East
and had a brief stint on the
varsity baseball team as a
freshman, but he’s already
committed to an SEC
school.
Stanwich, who had an
impressive summer as a
pitcher and hitter and has
continued to turn heads in
travel ball, announced his
commitment to Tennessee
via Twitter on Aug. 8.
United Gymnastics
Academy holds lessons
United Gymnastics
Academy, 722 Center
Road, will host lessons for
ages 2 to 18 from Aug. 19
to Oct. 14. Students will be
grouped according to age.
Both morning and evening
classes are offered for
kids ages 2 to 5 on various
weekdays. Boys ages 6
and up will meet Mondays
from 4 to 5 p.m. and girls
ages 6 and up will meet
Mondays from 5 to 6 p.m.
Fees: $120 resident, $125
nonresident for ages 2 to 5;
$130 resident, $135 nonresident
for ages 6 and up.
Contact the Frankfort Park
District at (815) 469-9400
or visit frankfortparks.org.
Sports Briefs are compiled by
Sports Editor Steve Millar,
s.millar@22ndcm.com.