Former Barrington star Logue to play for Illini

Just a little over three months ago in her final weeks as a Barrington softball player, Nora Logue made some big news.

Now she has a made a big team.

Logue has secured the only walk-on position on the University of Illinois softball team.

In late May, she hit a pair of 2-run homers that lifted the Fillies past Stevenson 5-3 for the Class 4A Highland Park regional championship. A few weeks later, she was named the Nancy Frisk Most Valuable Player in the Mid-Suburban League Senior All-Star Game at the Fields of Dreams in Barrington.

"Early on in my high school experience, I definitely was not planning on playing college softball," said Logue, who led the 32-6 Fillies with 6 home runs last spring. "As time went on, something clicked in my head that I could do this. I just love to play. Tryouts went well and things worked out."

Logue becomes the 19th Barrington High School softball player to participate in Division I collegiate athletics since head coach Perry Peterson took over the program in 1993 and the first since first baseman Lindsay Randall headed to Miami (Ohio) University in 2006.

She is only the third Barrington softball player to play in the Big Ten, a feat matched by 1997 first baseman Courtney Murdock (Michigan) and 1998 catcher Christine Lindberg (Minnesota).

"While playing for coach Peterson, he wanted us to work our hardest and give it our all each and every day," Logue said. "It has made the transition to college all that much easier for myself. Coach (Terri) Sullivan (Illinois head coach) gave us these bracelets with the word 'Excellence' on them as a reminder of what we need to accomplish every day. For me, it was just another reminder of the Barrington experience."

Illinois finished the 2010 softball season in NCAA regional play, bowing out to Missouri 4-2 in the championship game to end the season with a record of 45-8. The mark is the second-best in Illinois history - the 2004 team which also won 45 games.

Logue, a graphic design major in the School of Art and Design, plays her first collegiate games Sept. 19 when the Illini take on DePaul and UIC in the Stone City College Fall Fling in Minooka.

High school softball

Lena Brottman (Fremd) the Daily Herald all-area pitcher who led the Vikings to second place in the Class 4A state finals last spring, was named to the ESPN Rise All-America third team this summer.

Brottman, a freshman, will pitch for Emory University in Atlanta this spring.

Men's soccer

Saint Xavier freshman goalkeeper Kyle Held (Palatine) was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference defensive player of the week for his impressive display in goal against Cornerstone University (Mich.).

Held finished the game with 5 saves and notched his first collegiate shutout to help SXU improve to 2-2.

Held has started all four of Saint Xavier's games, posting 15 saves and allowing 4 goals.

When Held was a Palatine senior, the Pirates were 19-2-1 and he had 13 saves.

Football

In Carthage's 30-27 season-opening win over Franklin College (Ind.), junior linebacker Kelly Jauch (Rolling Meadows) led the Redmen with 9 tackles. He was credited with 8 solos, 1 assist and 2 tackles for losses.

He was also awarded the coveted A.C.E. (Attitude, Character, Enthusiasm) designation. The award is handed out to one player each game on offense, defense and special teams - and those players serve as team captain for the next game.

Girls golf

Anna Neri, a senior at Conant High School, scored a hole-in-one at Walnut Greens during a practice round Sept. 2. She used a pitching wedge for the ace, which came on the eighth hole (90 yards).

Men's cross country

North Central senior Michael Spain (Schaumburg) was named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Men's Cross Country runner of the week.

Spain won the Elmhurst Invitational, finishing with a meet-record time of 18:56.9 in the 6K run. He is a two-time All-American.

• Arthur Baptist (Prospect), a senior at the University of Chicago, placed second in the 13-team Aurora University Invitational at the Oakhurst Forest Preserve.

Baptist, who was recently elected team captain, covered the eight-kilometer course in a time of 25.50, as the University of Chicago placed first.

Women's soccer

Rachael Houp (Palatine) scored a pair of goals in her collegiate debut, helping North Central to a 6-0 rout of visiting Lakeland College (Wis.) in the season opener at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

Houp scored the game's third goal in the 24th minute before striking again 12 minutes later, collecting a rebounded shot by Jennifer Guy and driving it home for her second score of the night.

Volley for the Cure

"Dig Pink."

That's what St. Viator is calling its girls volleyball match next Monday when Vernon Hills visits for a "Volley for the Cure" event.

The purpose is to increase awareness of breast cancer among high school students, staff and community - along with raising funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

There will be raffle prizes, silent auctions and giveaways. Admission is $4. The varsity match is set for approximately 6 p.m.

St. Viator coach Charlie Curtin and Vernon Hills coach Abbie Willenborg were classmates and friends as students at Hersey High School.

Women's volleyball

Stephanie Rountree (St. Viator) has walked on to the DePaul team this fall, listed on Blue Demons' roster as a 5-foot-4 freshman defensive specialist-libero.

Rountree was key back-row performer for the Lions last fall when they won a school-record 29 matches and advanced to the sectional finals for the first time in school history.

• Please e-mail Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com or FAX to (847) 427-1173.