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This year’s Polar Plunge was forced to take place virtually, with Sunday marking the final day of the weeklong event.

Every year for the last two decades, thousands of people ascend to North Avenue to dive into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan to raise money for Special Olympics Chicago and Special Children’s Charities.

In 2020, nearly 5,000 people charged into the lake, raising a record-setting $2.2 million during what turned out to be one of the last major events in the city to take place before the pandemic uprooted life as we knew it.

But that wasn’t the case this year. Like so many other traditions, this year’s Polar Plunge was forced to take place virtually, with Sunday marking the final day of the weeklong event.

Like so many other traditions, this year’s Polar Plunge was forced to take place virtually, with Sunday marking the final day of the weeklong event.

Many participants got creative with the reimagined Polar Plunge.

Some still made the trip to the lakefront to take a dip in Lake Michigan, while another group constructed a homemade dunk tank that they set up in an alleyway. On Saturday, students and teachers at St. Patrick High School hosted a fun-filled event outside on the school’s football field and raised about $10,700.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s Green Team, which has been participating for the last 21 years, met up at a lake outside of town Saturday to jump into the painfully cold water.

Beth Dudzinski, a member of Taylor’s Green Team, said this year was especially special for her family. Last October, their brother, Kevin Stapleton, who participated in the first Special Olympics games at Soldier Field in 1968, died due to complications with the coronavirus.

Special Olympics “meant the world to Kevin. 1968 and 2020 was so different in terms of just how people with disabilities were viewed. So it opened so many things up for him, and it gave him friends. It gave him a sense of community… He was more busy than the rest of his family,” Stapleton said.

Stapleton’s friend, Mary Anne Fallon, who’s also a member of Taylor’s Green Team, has also seen first-hand how Special Olympics changes the lives of its athletes. Fallon’s 25-year-old son, Connor, has autism and participates in nearly every sport offered through Norwood Park, including swimming, weight lifting and gymnastics.

Fallon said the beginning of lockdown was hard for Connor because he missed playing sports and being with his friends. But after a few weeks off, Special Olympic Chicago found a way to maintain its community amid the pandemic as the organization hosted various programs for its athletes through Zoom.

“With COVID, they can’t have the same type of competition,” Fallon said. “But they’re so creative and they’re still bringing the camaraderie [and] the friendships. It’s still there, it’s just different.”

Next year, Stapleton and Fallon hope the event will return to North Avenue Beach.

“It’s just great fun,” Stapleton said. “It’s a huge party atmosphere, honestly… And I just think it’s super, super important for people to donate to Special Olympics Chicago. And I would hope that people realize all it does for so many people and how important the Special Olympics Chicago is to so many people.”

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The tournament was seeded by coaches Sunday night, though the Central Suburban League still needs to determine its representative. 

When the Chipotle Clash of Champions end-of-the-season tournament was announced a few weeks back, it was something high school basketball fans and at least a few teams could look forward to and be excited about in this abbreviated high school basketball season.

The tournament will unfold next weekend with eight ranked teams, including the three highest ranked teams in the most recent Sun-Times Super 25: Young, Simeon and Mundelein.

The tournament was seeded by coaches Sunday night, though the Central Suburban League still needs to determine its representative.

While Evanston was initially invited, the program made the decision that the conference champion would be the team to play in the tournament. If Glenbrook South beats New Trier Monday night, the Titans are in the tournament. If Glenbrook South loses and Evanston beats Maine South Tuesday night, the Wildkits are in.

Here are the matchups for Friday’s quarterfinals at St. Patrick. The semifinals and championship game will be played at Notre Dame on Saturday at 11 am and 1 pm.

Friday’s Quarterfinals at St. Patrick

(1) Simeon vs. (8) St. Patrick, 1

(4) Notre Dame vs. (5) Evanston/Glenbrook South, 3

(2) Young vs. (7) DePaul, 5

(3) Mundelein vs. (6) Fenwick, 7

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The Redwings held the Lions, who upset Notre Dame on Friday, to just one basket for an 11-minute stretch of the first half.

Winning defensively isn’t pretty and it isn’t easy or particularly fun. And based on pretty much every big school state champion since maybe 1972 Thornridge, it also puts a limit on success.

But most high school basketball teams have to find a way to win with what walks through the door, so sometimes that makes it a necessity.

“We’re not necessarily going to outscore people,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “So we have to find a way to slow down the other team.”

That’s what the Redwings did on Sunday in Lisle. Led by defensive whiz Sam Hennessy, Benet clamped down on a young, confident St. Viator team and earned a 49-36 victory.

The Redwings (8-3, 6-2 East Suburban Catholic) held the Lions, who upset Notre Dame on Friday, to just one basket for an 11-minute stretch of the first half.

“The biggest thing is that it is five against one on defense,” Benet senior Tyler Van Eekeren said. “Whoever has the ball, our defense is oriented towards them. We found our identity playing defense and have been doing a great job.”

St. Viator (5-3, 4-3) pulled within four points of Benet early in the fourth quarter. But the Redwings ended the threat with a 6-0 run in which Luke Nolan scored five points.

“We had a monster win at home against Notre Dame on Friday,” St. Viator coach Michael O’Keeffe said. “We talked to the kids about it, that we can’t be satisfied with one huge win. We were hungry for more, we wanted more. But Benet played the game at their pace, they defended at a high level, took care of the ball and executed their offense.”

Senior Carson Diehl led Benet with 19 points and eight rebounds. Nolan finished with 10 points and Hennessy added eight points and five rebounds.

“Normally these guys are getting all the buckets for me,” Diehl said. “Luckily they found me when I need it. All my points were assisted so I owe that to my teammates.”

Aidan Harrington led St. Viator with 15 points and nine rebounds. Connor Benson scored eight points and promising sophomore guard Eli Aldana added seven.

“Sam Hennessy is one of the better defensive players in the conference,” Heidkamp said. “He’s guarded all the best players in our league. I think that can get lost in the shuffle. His ability to slow Aldana down and keep him from getting in our lane was a huge factor.”

Watch the final minute of St. Viator at Benet:

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The biggest shakeup of the season so far, including a new team on top.

Super 25 new additions

New Trier: The Trevians split with Evanston this weekend, but might wind up helping their rival out on Monday if they beat Glenbrook South.

Lemont: Freshman Nojus Indrusaitis is drawing raves and it’s possible I’ve been sleeping on the Indians for a little too long.

Lake Forest: The Scouts are very talented and have put together an excellent season, only losing to Mundelein and at St. Patrick.

Waubonsie Valley: Loyola recruit Ben Schwieger and the Warriors knocked off Bolingbrook and Metea Valley last week.

Dropping out

Bolingbrook (8-4): Coach Rob Brost’s youngish group lost to Lockport and Waubonsie Valley last week.

Barrington (9-2): It’s been a really solid season for Barrington, but the Broncos fall out after losing to Palatine in overtime.

North Lawndale (1-1): This one is a little tricky. The Phoenix actually went 1-0 this week, beating a good Lincoln Park team. But the team didn’t play its next two games and the season appears to be on hold or canceled.

Richards (8-2): The Bulldogs drop out after losses to Oak Forest and Lemont.

With record and last week’s ranking

1. Young (11-0) 2

Earned the top spot

2. Simeon (4-0) 1

Just not enough wins yet

3. Mundelein (13-1) 3

Unbeaten at full strength

4. Curie (3-1) 7

Nick Owens is back

5. Glenbrook South (14-1) 9

Huge game at New Trier Monday

6. Hillcrest (10-0) 8

Could finish undefeated

7. Glenbard West (13-0) 10

Will be missed this weekend

8. Rolling Meadows (12-0) 11

Showdown with Hersey Tuesday

9. Brother Rice (11-0) 13

The season’s biggest surprise

10. DeKalb (16-0) 12

At Neuqua Valley Monday

11. Evanston (13-2) 6

Lost to New Trier

12. Notre Dame (13-2) 4

Lost to St. Viator

13. Fenwick (11-2) 16

Knocked off DePaul Prep

14. Kankakee (9-0) 15

Hosts Thornton Tuesday

15. Kenwood (6-2) 17

Gave Simeon a battle

16. Hersey (12-2) 19

Can Huskies beat Meadows?

17. Clark (4-1) 22

Hosts Farragut Wednesday

18. Corliss (8-1) 18

Four more games this week

19. DePaul Prep (8-2) 5

Lost at Fenwick

20. New Trier (9-2) NR

Could play spoiler Monday

21. St. Patrick (8-2) 23

Could be dangerous at home

22. Homewood-Flossmoor (8-2) 14

Hosts Simeon on Tuesday

23. Lemont (9-1) NR

Young squad earning raves

24. Lake Forest (11-2) NR

Scouts are back already

25. Waubonsie Valley (10-3) NR

Hosts Neuqua Tuesday

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Members of the boys’ soccer team at George Washington High School on the Far South Side were excited to finally return to the pitch last week, more than six months after high school athletes learned that fall sports were being pushed to the spring.

But after just two days of tryouts, that excitement turned to frustration when they were led to believe they were being booted from their home field in Calumet Park with little explanation. As the team pressed for answers, they were forced to cancel last Friday’s tryout.

Then on Sunday, a group of students held a news conference at the field in an attempt to bring attention to the issue.

“This is where we love to play,” said Gabriel Fuentes, a sophomore on the soccer team. “For us to not have our own field is kind of ridiculous.”

But later Sunday, Michel Lemons, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Park District, said the field would be ready Monday “as previously indicated to the team.”

However, coach Al Perez said he only learned that his team could keep playing at Calumet Park through Lemon’s statement. And in a text message shared with the Sun-Times, Washington’s athletic director, Matt Jandura, previously said the park district was “still awaiting directives” about how the state’s reopening plan affects public parks.

“This weekend, the adults behind the scenes have been trying to say, ‘What’s going on?'” Joe Trost, an advocate for student athletes, told reporters during the news conference. “And there’s been no answers.”

Lemons didn’t immediately respond to questions about the reason for the confusion or Jandura’s previous statement. Meanwhile, Perez said he remains “in the dark” about what exactly happened.

“This is just another day in CPS,” he said.

Also on Sunday, another youth soccer program announced plans to start using the same field Washington has called home since 1995. The Futbol Club Rayados de Monterrey, located in Chicago and northwest Indiana, noted on Facebook that teams from its soccer academy would begin practicing there Monday.

Amid the confusion, the boys’ soccer team at Washington believed they were under the gun to find a new home field. After coming to a hasty agreement to practice at Pullman Park, which is about six miles from Calumet Park, Perez said he feels he need to “save face” and use both fields.

Now, Washington’s Friday home opener against Walter Payton College Prep will likely be rescheduled after the team missed out on last Friday’s tryout. As Trost noted, state rules require teams to practice seven straight days before playing any games — and CPS schools were already “behind the ball last week.”

“Whereas suburban schools actually started practicing on Monday, CPS didn’t start practicing until Wednesday,” Trost said.

Trost was among those on Sunday who said the recent uncertainty exemplifies the inequities faced by students at schools like Washington, which doesn’t have on-campus soccer facilities like other Chicago Public Schools and those in the suburbs.

“For schools like us — like neighborhood high schools [in] working-class communities, like Black and brown communities — we have to keep facing these injustices brought on by COVID-19,” said Trinity Colon, a junior who plays on the girls’ soccer team.

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Here’s the latest news on how COVID-19 is impacting Chicago and Illinois.

Latest

Officials announces changes to who’s eligible for vaccines at United Center in an attempt to make distribution more equitable

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

With Illinois’ historic vaccine rollout expected to kick into overdrive this week thanks to the United Center being used as the city’s largest mass vaccination site, officials on Sunday announced major changes to who’s eligible to receive shots at the Near West Side arena in an attempt to ensure doses are equitably available to the communities most impacted by the pandemic.

Starting Sunday at 4 p.m., anyone who lives in Chicago and is eligible to receive the vaccine under Phase 1B+ of the state’s distribution plan will be able to register for appointments at the United Center. This includes anyone 18 and over with underlying health conditions, as well as people 65 and older.

Officials are also setting aside appointments for Chicago residents who live in areas hardest hit by the virus and have experienced the highest rates of severe illness and death; appointments are also being set aside for community-based organizations targeting their outreach to special populations in Chicago, including people with disabilities.

Meanwhile, residents outside of Cook County will no longer be eligible for appointments at the United Center site. These decisions were made under FEMA guidance to ensure more equitable distribution of the vaccine.

Officials targeted the United Center to be a mass vaccination center for its proximity to the most vulnerable communities in the city, but more than half of the appointments snatched up over the last three days were made by people outside Chicago.

Early data indicated that only 40% of the more than 40,000 seniors who had signed up for appointments at the United Center since Thursday morning were Chicago residents.

“Equity is central to our COVID-19 strategy, and as we strive to vaccinate the entire city, our commitment to equity is more important than ever,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement..

Read the full story from Madeline Kenney here.

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News

4:56 p.m. Senate passes Biden’s $1.9T coronavirus relief bill

AP Photos

WASHINGTON — An exhausted Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Saturday as President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies notched a victory they called crucial for hoisting the country out of the pandemic and economic doldrums.

After laboring all night on a mountain of amendments — nearly all from Republicans and rejected — bleary-eyed senators approved the sprawling package on a 50-49 party-line vote. That sets up final congressional approval by the House next week so lawmakers can whisk it to Biden for his signature.

The huge measure — its total spending is nearly one-tenth the size of the entire U.S. economy — is Biden’s biggest early priority. It stands as his formula for addressing the deadly virus and a limping economy, twin crises that have afflicted the country for a year.

“This nation has suffered too much for much too long,” Biden told reporters at the White House after the vote. “And everything in this package is designed to relieve the suffering and to meet the most urgent needs of the nation, and put us in a better position to prevail.”

Saturday’s vote was also a crucial political moment for Biden and Democrats, who need nothing short of party unanimity in a 50-50 Senate they run with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote. They have a slim 10-vote House edge.

Not a single Republican backed the bill in the Senate or when it initially passed the House, underscoring the barbed partisan environment that’s so far characterizing the early days of Biden’s presidency.

A small but pivotal band of moderate Democrats leveraged changes in the legislation that incensed progressives, not making it any easier for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to guide the measure through the House. But rejection of their first, signature bill was not an option for Democrats, who face two years of trying to run Congress with virtually no room for error.

“They feel like we do, we have to get this done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the House. He said he’d spoken to Pelosi about the Senate’s changes and added, “It’s not going to be everything everyone wants. No bill is.”

Read the full story here.

12:15 p.m. Source: Pedro Strop away from Cubs after violating COVID-19 protocols

Right-hander Pedro Strop is away from the Cubs after violating COVID-19 protocols, according to a source. Strop will now have to isolate from the team before he is allowed to resume baseball activities at the team’s complex.

Strop was tagged in a post with Cleveland outfielder Franmil Reyes, who is also away from the team due to violating protocols, without masks in a public place. The post has since been deleted.

The Cubs didn’t have a COVID-19 protocol violation last season and were one of just eight teams who didn’t have a single player test positive for the virus during the season. Left-hander Kyle Ryan was placed on the COVID-19 list earlier this spring.

Read the full story from Russell Dorsey here.

9:19 a.m. Pritzker on losing streak with party leadership and tax battles, but COVID-19 likely to be game changer — or ender

Chalk up another loss on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s political scoreboard.

The latest defeat — backing the losing candidate in the race to succeed Mike Madigan as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois — has some on the sidelines questioning whether the billionaire governor is headed for a game-ending loss next year.

“It’s nice to have money, but you’ve got to make that money work for you, and you have to get some wins,” said one Illinois Democrat, who asked to remain anonymous. “He needed that win [Wednesday] night. … That never would have happened on Madigan’s watch.”

Pritzker hasn’t officially said whether he’s seeking reelection, but some Democrats see the losses, namely the thwarted move to a graduated income tax and the Wednesday night defeat, as troubling signs as he potentially gears up for a bid for a second term.

But the real game changer, of course, could be COVID-19 — and whether the governor’s response is seen as a grand slam or the final out.

The latest political hit for the governor came Wednesday, when U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly was narrowly elected Illinois Democratic chair by the 36 men and women who make up the state party’s central committee, beating Ald. Michelle Harris, 51.7% to 48.3%.

Pritzker backed the South Side alderman, and committee members said he personally lobbied on her behalf.

“I’m not going to pull any punches, and say it felt good — it’s disappointing,” said Quentin Fulks, the head of Pritzker’s political operation. “We had a preferred candidate, and they didn’t win, but at the end of the day, we are all Democrats, and the party did end up with a Black woman as chair and we are looking forward to a successful 2022 and electing Democrats up and down the ballot all across the state.”

Read the full story from Rachel Hinton here.

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New Cases

• Officials reported 2,565 new cases were diagnosed among 79,248 tests, to raise Illinois’ average positivity rate slightly to 2.4%.
• The state also logged another 50 COVID-19 deaths, including that of a Cook County man in his 30s.

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Analysis & Commentary

10:54 a.m. COVID grief: ‘Did he know I loved him?’

He liked cats and bullfights, served in the Illinois National Guard during the Vietnam War and once ran a goat farm in Arizona. He taught computer programming and worked in the reptile house of the Lincoln Park Zoo.

He was varied and contradictory, as people often are, the good ones anyway, and after he died in January of COVID-19, his wife of 40 years grasped at the air where he had been. Part of that process was to write to me. There was guilt. For nearly a year, the couple lived like monks in a cell, going out only for doctor’s visits. She thinks that’s what killed him.

“I am sure I was exposed in the waiting room of a medical office, and I brought it home,” she wrote.

Yes, he was high risk: Type A blood, overweight, diabetes, high blood pressure. Lots of people fit that description. It doesn’t mean you deserve to die.

He went to the hospital, stayed two days, but was sent home over her objection.

“I wanted him to stay,” she wrote. “Just over 24 hours later, I found him on the floor, nearly unconscious, and he was transported to the hospital by ambulance again. This time he had a pulmonary embolism and hypoxia. Three days later he was on a ventilator, and one system after another began to fail. He was removed from machines, and he died.”

Read the full column from Neil Steinberg here.

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Cameron Krutwig and Braden Norris each scored 20 points to lead the Ramblers

ST. LOUIS — Cameron Krutwig and Braden Norris scored 20 points apiece to lead No. 20 Loyola to a 75-65 win over Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game Sunday for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The Ramblers (24-4, 16-2) will be making their seventh NCAAs appearance and first since the 2018 team reached the Final Four as a No. 11 seed.

Keith Clemons added 13 points for Loyola, which has won six in a row and 17 of its past 18.

Tremell Murphy and D.J. Wilkins scored 20 points each for Drake (25-4, 15-3), a bubble team. The Bulldogs were appearing in the MVC title game for the first time since they won the tournament in 2008. Joseph Yesufu added 12 points.

Krutwig, the MVC Player of the Year, had eight rebounds. He sent Loyola on a 7-0 run with a hook shot from the lane that broke a 24-all tie.

“We wanted to be physical without fouling,” Krutwig said. “We were all over the court.”

Krutwig was a member of that 2018 team that gained nationwide attention with its improbable run to the Final Four.

He feels as if it could happen again.

“It makes you hungry and want to get back there,” Krutwig said. “We’ll enjoy this win for one or two days then it’s right back to business. Once we find out who we’re playing, we’ll get right to it. You’ve got to fall in love with the grind — especially in March.”

Loyola coach Porter Moser says his team is ready for the challenge.

“I welcome similarities,” Moser said. “I’ve been shying away from comparing them. These guys — they’re their own team. But I love the sustained success.”

Loyola used a lock-down defensive effort in the second half to seal the win.

“It’s a culture here,” said Norris, who hit five 3-pointers. ”You have to play defense to play in this program.”

Loyola had held its opponents to 58 points or fewer in its previous 17 games before Sunday.

“They’re terrific defensively, they make everything hard,” Drake coach Darian DeVries. ”They have great hand activity, they have toughness on the ball. They’re really connected as a group.”

Clemons hit a 3-pointer midway through the second half to push the lead to a 53-37.

Both teams had 10-0 runs in the first half.

Loyola, which hit 10 of 24 shots (63%) in the opening half, won its three tournament games by a total of 50 points.

Drake won its first 18 games of the season. It was playing without regulars Roman Penn and ShanQuan Hemphill, who suffered leg injuries in February.

The Bulldogs must now wait until Selection Sunday to find out their fate.

“We did everything we could,” Wilkins. “Whatever happens, happens.”

Added Moser, (Drake) definitely belongs.”

FATHER OF ARCH MADNESS

Doug Elgin, MVC commissioner for the past 33 years, will step down in June. Elgin moved the tournament to St. Louis in 1991 and is given credit for coining the term Arch Madness. He is the longest-tenured commissioner in the 114-year history of the league.

“March Madness is what it is because of our commissioner,” Moser said.

ALL IN

The MVC is the only league in the nation that was able to complete every regular-season conference game. All 10 teams played 18 games each.

BIG PICTURE

Loyola: Heading to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time and first since the 2018 team reached the Final Four.

Drake: Hoping for an NCAA at-large berth. The Ramblers have won 69 games over the past three seasons, tying for the most in a three-game stretch in program history.

UP NEXT

Loyola: Will be making its second NCAA Tournament appearance in the past 31 years.

Drake: Awaits a postseason invitation.

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Sox’ ace says getting accustomed to group of catchers is key.

ROCKIES 1, SOX 0 (7)

Giolito sharp again

Likely Opening Day starter Lucas Giolito pitched three hitless innings, walking one and striking out two in his second consecutive crisp outing. Relievers Evan Marshall and Jimmy Cordero each worked a scoreless inning.

‘‘Lot of pitching backward today,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘Trying to get as many sliders in as I can, within reason. I was pretty happy with it.’’

Getting to know you

Giolito said getting accustomed to all his catchers is important.

‘‘A huge [thing] for me is establishing my relationship with all the catchers,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘I’ll obviously be throwing to [Yasmani Grandal, out with a sore knee] once he gets healthy again, but being prepared, having a game plan with every single catcher. Because we don’t know who’s going to win the backup role.’’

Giolito praised Yermin Mercedes’ energy and was fired up after Mercedes threw out Ryan Vilade trying to steal to end his outing.

‘‘I was putting that hand cannon, putting that pistol, back in there after he gunned that guy down,’’ Giolito said.

Blanked

Rockies right-hander German Marquez (three innings) held a Sox lineup featuring four regulars to four hits, including a double by Yoan Moncada. The Sox are 1-4-3.

Chips on shoulders

Reliever Aaron Bummer looked sharp in a perfect inning in a ‘‘B’’ game against the Dodgers. He said the entire bullpen is motivated by the Sox’ Game 3 loss in the wild-card series last season against the Athletics. It was a bullpen game and a bullpen loss.

‘‘It’s something that showed we have a lot of room to grow,’’ Bummer said. ‘‘There is a lot of talk about what this bullpen can be, but . . . it’s about what the bullpen is.’’

On deck

Sox at Dodgers, 2:05 p.m. Monday, Glendale, MLB.com, 1000-AM, Mike Wright vs. Julio Urias.

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A white Honda was driving south from the exit of Mt. Prospect Plaza, when a gold Ford entered the intersection and struck the Honda.

Three people were killed in a crash Sunday morning in suburban Mount Prospect.

About 7:45 a.m., officers responded to calls of a rollover crash with passengers trapped in the intersection of Rand Road and Mount Prospect Road, Mount Prospect police said.

An investigation found that a white Honda was driving south from the exit of Mt. Prospect Plaza, when a gold Ford entered the intersection and struck the Honda, police said. The impact of the crash caused the Honda to roll over and come to rest on its roof.

The driver of the Ford was extricated from the vehicle by Mount Prospect fire officials and rushed to the hospital, police said.

Three occupants of the Honda were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The crash remains under investigation by the Mount Prospect Police Department Major Crash Investigation Team.

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