At 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, Kyle Fiedorowicz has little problem getting noticed.
“My height alone makes me stick out,” said Fiedorowicz, a Johnsburg graduate who has starred for the past four seasons as a tight end at NCAA Division III North Central College in Naperville.
Earlier this month, Fiedorowicz stood out for NFL scouts while competing at pro days at Northwestern and Northern Illinois.
Fiedorowicz ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds, posted a broad jump of 9-5 and a vertical leap of 28 inches.
He also did multiple position drills at each pro day, drawing interest from approximately 10 teams.
“My route running was pretty good, too,” he said. “My routes were crisp.”
Fiedorowicz said the most interested team seemed to be the Miami Dolphins. During the season, he also drew strong interest from a Buffalo Bills scout who visited North Central.
“I hope I did enough to get noticed,” Fiedorowicz said of his pro day performances. “I had a few teams ask about my season and ask for some more tape.”
Fiedorowicz had plenty of highlights in his impressive career at North Central.
Of his 66 career receptions, 22 went for touchdowns, which ranks second in school history.
In the fall, Fiedorowicz led the Cardinals with a career-best 25 catches for 381 yards and eight TDs.
He was the only tight end chosen for the American Football Coaches Association D-III All-America team. Fiedorowicz also has earned All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin first-team honors for the past three seasons.
He will get a chance to showcase his skills for the Bears on April 13 when he takes part in the team’s annual showcase for local NFL draft prospects.
“I’m definitely going to bust my butt,” said Fiedorowicz, who has been working out at fellow Johnsburg grad Chris Leathers’ Your World Fitness facility in Spring Grove. “I’m just trying to stay in the best shape possible until my name is called.”
Fiedorowicz said his prospects for the NFL Draft, which is scheduled for April 26-28, are varied.
“I’ve heard sixth or seventh round and I’ve heard (undrafted) free agent,” Fiedorowicz said.
Gathering information, particularly from scouts, can be a confusing part of the draft process, though.
“If (scouts) are interested, they don’t want to show it,” Fiedorowicz said. “If they’re not interested, they don’t want to show that either. They’re pretty even.”
Hot hitter at Carthage: Vicki Pyan leads all regulars with a .450 batting average this season for D-III Carthage College’s softball team, which recently had its 10-game winning streak snapped.
Pyan, a Crystal Lake South grad, is a sophomore who plays third base and catcher for Carthage (10-2). She leads the team in eight offensive categories, including runs (16), RBIs (12), home runs (three), doubles (six) and slugging percentage (.825) and has started every game this season.
Running Ranger: Crystal Lake Central grad Taylor Miller was D-II Wisconsin-Parkside’s top finisher in the 5,000-meter run at the Great Lakes Valley Conference indoor track championships. Miller placed eighth in the event in 18 minutes, 21.11 seconds. Her top time of the indoor season in the event was 18:04.
Miller was named in the fall to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s All-Academic Team while earning all-GLVC honors in cross country and finishing 39th individually in a D-II regional race with a season-best time of 22:42 in the 6-kilometer race.
Elmhurst ace: Senior track athlete Mark D’Angelo posted the second-time 400-meter time in Elmhurst College history at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin meet.
D’Angelo, a McHenry grad, covered the distance in 50.39, good for sixth place and all-conference honors.
D’Angelo also ran a leg on Elmhurst’s 4x400 relay team, which earned All-CCIW recognition by placing fourth in 3:26.19. The time ranks No. 2 in school history for the event.
SIUE standout: Crystal Lake South grad James Vazquez is the leading hitter this season for D-I SIU-Edwardsville’s baseball team with a .302 average.
A junior infielder for the Cougars (13-11), Vazquez leads the team in hits (29) and runs (21) while ranking second in doubles (six). He has driven in nine runs for the Cougars, who are in their first season in the Ohio Valley Conference.
• Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus blog at McHenryCountySports.com.
