Wheaton's Lee feels lucky to enjoy new career

As far as life goals go, Kevin Lee is 2-for-2.

A Pittsburgh Pirates draft pick the year he graduated from Wheaton North in 2000, Lee pitched four years for Pittsburgh minor-league affiliates before heading to Colorado State University. He added three summers of pro ball with independent clubs.

On May 17 Lee graduated not only with a degree in history but with a Distinguished Military Graduate honor, 11th in the nation among Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets.

He's 2nd Lt. Lee now, an active-duty aviation lieutenant and military science instructor within CSU's ROTC program in Fort Collins, Colo.

He'll advance to several training sessions, including flight school and Ranger training, until two years from now Lee will be ready for active duty. He hopes to pilot the Army attack helicopter, the Apache.

Baseball career-ending injuries to his knees, back and leg -- he suffered a shattered femur in a car accident with a drunk driver the day he was promoted to Double-A -- does not create negativity.

"You name it, I think I've had it," said Lee, 26. "But I've been lucky. People go, 'Oh, my gosh, what bad luck.' But I've done the only two things I've wanted to, so I consider myself extremely lucky."

Married Dec. 30, 2006, to the former Hallie Schreiber of Geneva, Lee's drive to military service was sparked by Wheaton resident Gen. David Grange, CEO of the McCormick Foundation (and father of former Marmion distance runner David Grange), and Lee's grandfather, John Gleason.

Lee said Gleason, an orphan, was in the Navy at age 15 after stealing a birth certificate from a church and enlisting. A frogman in World War II, Gleason was among the first to arrive at Okinowo and Iwo Jima.

"He took so much pride to be a part of that generation and what they accomplished that it rubbed off on you," Lee said.

His parents made sure their son had a backup plan should baseball not pan out.

Dolores Lee stressed the pride she and her husband has for Kevin, though the prospect of combat is worrisome.

"Obviously, as a mother that scares me to death. But it is his dream," she said.

It's a dream that, for Lee, boasts the perks of being a leader, maintaining a high level of physical fitness, using highly technical machines worth billions of dollars.

Starting this summer, with a leadership and assessment camp in Fort Lewis, Wash., he relishes the chance to work with a variety of people in a variety of places.

And the biggest thing: "Getting to do something that's bigger than myself."

On Tuesday, heading out to walk his dogs in beautiful Colorado with his universe in alignment, only one thing nagged at Kevin Lee.

"What I would give right now for a Giordano's stuffed pizza."

Nicely done

On Wednesday at Wheaton Warrenville South's spring sports awards banquet, girls cross country and track and field coach Rob Harvey received a Distinguished Teacher of the Year award from the N.E.W. 200 Foundation for Wheaton Warrenville District 200.

'A beautiful light'

Janice Kiefer uses those words to describe her daughter, Lauren.

"She was a kind, compassionate and giving person," Janice Kiefer said of the 2000 Willowbrook graduate who was murdered in her home on Christmas Day 2006.

"Through the Lauren Kiefer Memorial Foundation, Inc.," said Janice, Willowbrook's athletic department administrative assistant, "we are able to pick up the pieces of a horrific situation and move toward a positive purpose, to help others in need."

Through donations and proceeds from the inaugural "Remembering Lauren 5K Run/Walk" last June, the foundation has raised more than $50,000, donated in Lauren's name to agencies such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Parents of Murdered Children.

As well, the foundation is awarding $5,000 scholarships to two Willowbrook seniors.

The second annual Remembering Lauren 5K will be held at Willowbrook High School on June 21.

For information visit: www.rememberlaur.com.

The talent pool

Wheaton Warrenville South graduate Will Shaffer, a junior at Princeton; and WW South senior Taylor Zafir have qualified to swim at the U.S. Olympic Trials, June 29-July 6 in Omaha, Neb.

Shaffer will go for the Olympics in the 200 individual medley, the event he took second in at the 2005 state finals. (He won the 500 freestyle.)

Zafir, who won a handful of medals downstate, will be full-boat busy. She'll swim the 400 individual medley and both the 100 and 200 breaststroke.

Also, recently the BR Ryall National Swim Team competed at the Short Course YMCA Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, placing 10th out of 221 teams.

Kevin Mihic (Glenbard East), Sean Brown (WW South), Thomas Delves (Marmion) and Brian Sivak (WW South) set a new team record in the 800 freestyle relay.

On the girls side Sarah Galvin (Benet), Katie Johnson (Glenbard West), Kelsey Mallon (WW South) and Emily Gniatczyk (Glenbard South) set a new team record in the 200 medley relay.

On June 12 Galvin, Kelly Dvorak (ex-Addison Trail) and three relays will vie for Olympic Trials qualification at the Omaha Grand Prix.

One of a kind

Adam Harris, the University of Michigan junior out of Wheaton North, was named Big Ten track athlete of the year and athlete of the championships.

Harris scored 26 points by himself to lead the Wolverines to their first Big Ten outdoor title since 1983.

He had wins in the 200-meter dash and as part of the 400 relay. Harris ran third in the 100 and took second in long jump.

At the 2004 state meet, Harris became the first to win the 100 dash, the 200 dash and the 110 high hurdles.

In 2005 he did it again.

Keeping the faith

Neuqua Valley graduate Marisa Mele has dealt with stress fractures, kidney stones, allergies, asthma, mid-race heat exhaustion, etcetera, etcetera.

But on April 18, running with sponsorship of Traction Sports Flooring, the former Elmhurst College runner competed in the Green Bay Marathon.

She did the distance in 3 hours, 5 minutes, 37 seconds, ranking her as the 11th female -- second in the 20-24 age bracket -- and 68th overall.

That time qualifies her for the Boston Marathon, but she'll probably stick closer to home and run the Chicago Marathon in the fall.

Duelin'Dillon

In the fall of 2006, we reported on then-Benet senior Dillon O'Neill playing both soccer and football for the Redwings. In one day, even.

O'Neill continued a double life as a Harvard freshman.

Recruited to play baseball for the Crimson, last fall O'Neill realized he missed soccer. After playing in a junior varsity game, he was invited to practice with Harvard's varsity soccer team.

Listed as a midfielder and defender, he eventually got into 5 games, starting 2.

Come spring, O'Neill put his outfielder's glove back on.

After starting and leading off in Harvard's first game, he went on to hit .304. He started 22 of the 32 games in which he played, and according to the Harvard Crimson, went 5-for-5 in a 12-2 win over Yale.

"They are two very different sports and I love them both," O'Neill told the Crimson.