DeKALB | Before training camp had even started, one former Huskie athlete had shown what they could do.

The Chicago Sky’s season started on Sunday May 20th. Since then, the team has played 11 games. Former Huskie guard Stephanie Raymond has been on the floor in nine of those games.

For the season Raymond is averaging 8.9 minutes on the floor, 2.8 points, 1.7 assists, and .67 rebounds.

NCAA shot

The season wasn’t over for Ashley Morrow, even if school was.

The senior earned herself a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. to compete in the shot put.

On May 12, Morrow threw a distance of 15.47 meters. The effort came at the Mideast Regional Championship and earned her fourth-place and a trip to the NCAA Championship.

Her career ended at the Championship though with a 14.45 meter throw. She finished at 26th place.

“She has overcome tremendous obstacles to reach this point and it could not have happened to a better person,” NIU head coach Connie Teaberry said. “We are very fortunate to have had her as a member of our team. I am proud of her as is NIU for being the first to make the NCAA Championship since the program has been back.”

Intent to play

Men’s basketball coach, Ricardo Patton has signed his first two players to National Letters of Intent.

Forwards Najul Ervin and Sean Smith will plan to be part of the Huskie squad in the 2007-08 season.

Both players are coming out of community college. Ervin played one season at Kankakee Community College. In that year, the freshman averaged 4.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The 6-7, 211-pounder also hails from Tennessee, Patton’s home state.

“Najul is a guy who is very skilled and very athletic,” Patton said. “He puts the ball on the floor and gets to the basket. Once he gets around the basket, he knows how to finish.”

In his sophomore season, Smith, a Gary, Ind. native, averaged 13 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-6, 215 pound forward had five double-doubles last season.

“Sean is a guy who has a knack for scoring,” Patton said. “He has about a 15-16 foot range, but is capable of knocking down the three, but I think the strength of his game is that 15 foot range.”

Familiar Face

You may recognize the face on the bench at the Convocation Center next winter, but you may not recognize him with that team.

Carl Armato will remain at NIU. However, Armato, will add two letters in his title, as he will now be the NIU women’s assistant coach.

For the past six years Armato has served as an assistant coach to the NIU men’s basketball team. Armato also played basketball at NIU in the early 1980’s and was a three-year letterwinner.

Academic Team

They’re not mathletes – they’re athletes. However, these athletes have proven that they can do it on and off the court during.

Jody Yednock graduated from NIU with a degree in mathematical sciences, probability and statistics. The gymnast also graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

ESPN the Magazine recognized the feat naming Yednock to the 15-member First Team Academic All-American, an NIU first.

The senior was also awarded the Bob James Memorial Scholarship from the MAC. The $1,000 scholarship is given to one male and one female student-athlete at a MAC school each year.

Yednock is only the second NIU athlete to win the award. Marie Zidek was the first in 2006.

“It says a lot for the program and for the university to have a student of her caliber choose to come and compete and graduate from NIU,” NIU head coach Mark Sontag said. “She is a great example of a true student-athlete and I know that she will go on to great success in the future.”

Four NIU athletes also made it onto the All-Mac Academic team for their respective sports. Abbie Many of women’s golf, Diego Zegarra-Ballon of men’s tennis, Kelly Park of softball, and Chrissy Nagel of women’s tennis all made the cut.

Faculty athletic representatives from the league vote to form each team. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that sport.