Wanland comes up big at Big Tens
Ashley Wanland, a Stevenson High School 2008 graduate, was awarded the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award at the Big Ten Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., last Saturday night.
Wanland, a freshman at Wisconsin, dominated the 200-yard breaststroke on the final day of the championships at Canham Natatorium. She shattered the Big Ten record by clocking a 2:08.14 in Saturday's finals.
"Ashley's performance speaks volumes about who she is and what she's capable of," Wisconsin head coach Eric Hansen said. "She's proven herself to be one of the top breaststrokers in the nation."
On Friday, Wanland became the first Wisconsin athlete in history to go under the 1-minute mark in the 100-yard breaststroke when she swam it in a Big Ten Conference record time of 59.61 in prelims and lowered her mark that evening finishing as runner-up with a time of 59.29. Wanland was also part of the Badgers' Conference Title and Big Ten Record setting 200-yard medley relay and third place 400-yard Medley Relay.
"It's surprising to see a freshman go that fast already, but it's not all that surprising if you've been around Ashley this season," Hansen said. "She has improved every time she has raced this year, and she just keeps getting better and better."
Both breaststroke performances earned her NCAA automatic qualifying times for the Division I National Championships to be held at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas next month. Her performance last weekend improved her ranking in Division I of the NCAA's to No. 2 in the 200-yard breaststroke and No. 3 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
While in high school at Stevenson, Wanland was a three-time state champion and is the current state record holder in the 100-yard breaststroke set in November 2007.
Football
Boston College sophomore offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo (Hawthorn Woods, Lake Zurich) was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Football Team for the second year in a row.
Castonzo is a biochemistry major.
Softball
Senior first baseman Carissa Castonzo (Hawthorn Woods, Lake Zurich) went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored, as Lewis University defeated St. Cloud State 12-2 in the first game of a doubleheader at the Husky Dome Classic in Minnesota.
Lewis won two of three games on the day. Castonzo had 5 RBI.