Baseball | Nick Cauley
Cauley, a standout senior right-handed pitcher for the Alton Redbirds, got a major decision out of the way prior to his final prep campaign on Nov. 17 — picking where to pitch in college.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound hurler chose Northwestern University to further his education and his athletic career. The Wildcats were 18-36 last season and 8-16 in the Big Ten, finishing 10th in the 13-team league.
Cauley’s junior season with the Redbirds was cut a short by an injury late in the season, but not before posting a 5-2 record to accompany a 4.71 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched. Cauley also had 39 strikeouts to 18 walks as a starter for the Birds.
The hard-throwing righty, who eclipses 90 mph on the radar gun, will be leaned upon as an anchor for the Alton pitching staff during the 2016 season.
Track & Field | LaJarvia Brown
The sensational Brown, a senior for the Alton Redbirds, announced where she would attend college and continue her track career on Nov. 16 in the AHS Auditorium.
With hats from Clemson, Kansas, Texas A&M and North Carolina strewn across a table on the auditorium stage, Brown playfully picked up the Clemson hat before placing the A&M hat on her head to reveal her selection.
“I’m super excited about it,” the 5-foot-3, 120-pound Brown said. “I feel that it’s a big weight off my shoulders.”
Brown is a two-time IHSA Class 3A state champion in the triple jump and owns the all-time benchmark in the triple in IHSA history. She will be looking to become the first Alton track and field athlete, male or female, to collect a third consecutive individual state title in the spring.
Currently she’s enjoying her senior campaign in girls’ basketball for the Birds.