Thornwood Thunderbirds

Current athletes carrying on Thornwood’s winning tradition include (front row, from left) Paula Magee, Daniel Garcia and Neshia Robertson; (back row, from left) Johnathan Majors, Ian Riley, Tyler Dunn, Asia Campbell and Jozua Powers.
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)

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Thornwood is the Sun-Times' Spotlight School of the Week. The Thunderbirds have won eight state titles, including four in boys track and three in softball. Notable alumni include Mark Mulder (pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals), Cliff Floyd (outfielder, Tampa Bay Rays), Eddy Curry (center, New York Knicks) and actor Matt Doherty, who starred in the "Mighty Ducks."

TOP SPORTS MOMENTS

Great times in '91

1 Thornwood's baseball and softball teams won state titles within minutes of each other in 1991. The baseball team --led by state-tournament MVP Cliff Floyd and Jon Dunlop -- posted a 10-3 victory over Edwardsville, USA Today's No. 1-ranked team. The softball team defeated East Moline 1-0 behind a one-hitter from ace Tina Zuccolo, the 1990 Player of the Year.

Other peaks in softball

2 Thornwood won its first softball title in 1990. Led by Zuccolo and Michelle Venturella, Thornwood topped Lockport 1-0 in the 1990 Class AA title game. Coach Gary Lagesse added a third title in 1998 when the T-birds and pitcher Nadira Saafir blanked Herrin 3-0. ''We had a good run with a bunch of talented girls,'' said Lagesse, the state's winningest softball coach.

Running away with titles

3 The recent success in track and field is unparalleled. With standouts Leslie Majors, Keith Hopkins, Jeremy Johnson, Ron Mitchell, Dion Ballentine and Stephen Taylor, the T-birds won four consecutive track titles from 2001-2004. ''You work a long time and hope to win just one title -- to win four in a row was a big thrill,'' former coach Gary Haupert said.

Tough on the hardcourt

4 Thornwood won its way Downstate in four out of six boys basketball seasons from 2000-01 to 2005-06, and the results included two second-place finishes and a fourth. The Eddy Curry-led T-birds were stunned in the '01 final by Schaumburg. In '03, Thornwood, led by Eric Gray and Andre Muse, fell to Shaun Livingston and Peoria Central in the title game.

Wrestling with success

5 In 1977, Carl Pierce won the Class AA wrestling title at 105 pounds. Charles Gary captured the 1990 title at 125 pounds, also in Class AA. As a team, the Thunderbirds finished fifth in 1982-83. Thornwood also has produced two Olympic wrestlers in Michial Foy and T.C. Dantzler. Dantzler was a bronze medalist in the 2007 Pan American Games.

WHAT THORNWOOD MEANS TO ME

By Mark Mulder: The current St. Louis Cardinal was a standout on the Thunderbirds’ team that finished third in the 1994 Class AA state tournament.

When I look back at Thornwood, I think about all the tradition. I remember watching players such as Cliff Floyd, Jon Dunlop and all the other guys that were there before I was and who were part of the 1991 state-championship baseball team. With coach John Dunlop, there was a winning tradition there, and just being part of that was something special.

My favorite memories are all the funny moments I had with my friends. There isn't any one moment in particular, but a lot of my baseball experiences I consider to be my favorite memories ... I am still close with some of the guys on my team. Some of them I consider my best friends.

I remember playing for Coach Dunlop and waking up early for batting practice. Just the experience itself was memorable. He was a tough coach, but he made us go after it, and we won a lot of games. I still speak to him a couple times a year. I consider him a good friend. He really wanted the best from everybody. I look back now, and I can appreciate how he pushed us. He pushed us to be not only better players, but better kids and people. I learned certain things that you can use throughout your life. They were life lessons.

My junior year was one of my most memorable years. We were ranked nationally throughout the whole year, and we made a good run in the state tournament. When I go back home or my friends come out to visit me, we talk about those days and all the fun we had. We had a good run at Thornwood. We had a lot of talented players.

Going to Thornwood was four of the best years of my life. It may have only been high school, but my friends and I took advantage of what we had there. It was truly a great time.

NOTABLE ALUMNI

• Michael Blair: Former NFL, XFL, AFL running back.

• Darrell Campbell: Lineman, Orlando Predators (AFL).

• Eddy Curry: New York Knicks center.

• T.C. Dantzler: Olympic wrestler.

• Matt Doherty: Actor (‘‘Mighty Ducks’’).

• Floyd Field: Former San Diego Charger.

• Cliff Floyd: T.B. Rays OF.

• Michial Foy: Olympic wrestler.

• Kathleen Logelin: Actress.

• Mark Mulder: Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals.

• Bill Roe: Former Dallas Cowboy.

• Reggie Torian: World-class hurdler.

• Steve Trout: Former Cub and White Sox.

• Michelle Venturella: Softball coach and Olympian.

• Jason Weaver: Voice of young Simba in ‘‘Lion King.’’

• Justin Williams: Forward, Sacramento Kings.

• Bill Zehme: Author.

ajahns@chicagosuntimes.com