College achievers: Hanold nears another record
In the movie, "It Happens Every Spring," Ray Milland is a scientist who invents a substance that repels wood. Naturally, he becomes a baseball pitcher.
Does Claire Hanold possess a serum that wards off soccer balls?
The former all-state goalkeeper from Waubonsie Valley set an all-time Illinois High School Association record in 2009 with 73 shutouts, including both the Warriors' state championship victories in 2007 and 2008.
As a freshman keeper at DePaul, Hanold continues to throw around zeroes like our national debt.
Entering Friday's Big East match at Seton Hall, Hanold is on the verge of the DePaul season shutout record. Her 7 shutouts for the 7-5-2 Blue Demons share the school record with Lindsey Deason's 2003 mark.
Turns out Hanold doesn't naturally repel polyurethane. It's just good, clean, team play.
"Our defense is definitely a huge help to everything," Hanold said, crediting Chelsea Grant, Beth Perry and the Locascio sisters, Dominique and Janina.
"I'm just doing what I can to not get scored on, and our whole team is helping out with that," Hanold said.
So far she is the only Blue Demons keeper to see the field. In 14 matches Hanold has allowed 16 goals and made 51 saves, for a 1.10 goals-against average and a .761 save percentage.
That's against NCAA competition that, she said, is "definitely, a whole lot harder" than preps.
"The speed of play is so much faster, the girls shoot the ball so much harder," she said. "Just like the whole style, it's just completely different."
The freshman didn't target any shutout record this season, but as it neared she became excited about the possibility.
For a DePaul squad that won nine total games over the 2007 and 2008 seasons, she'll take what comes.
"As long as we're playing well and winning," Hanold said, "that's the most important thing for me."
Lots of numbers for No. 16
Scoring both goals in Wheaton College's 2-0 victory over Hope on Oct. 3, Taryne Lee became the Thunder's first women's soccer player to score 90 in a career.
A Wheaton Academy graduate, Lee is just the 22nd woman in Division III history to reach the 90-goal mark. Lee also stands No. 20 all-time in points with 224.
Her 3 goals Sept. 18 in a 3-1 win against Loras gave Lee 85 goals, passing the prior Wheaton College record of 82 scored by another Wheaton Academy graduate, Rebecca Mouw.
Give it up for 'Wierdo'
Jessica Wiehrdt, a 1994 graduate of Naperville Central, will be inducted into the Lake Forest College Athletic Hall of Fame at the Foresters' homecoming celebration Saturday.
Affectionately nicknamed "Wierdo" by her Forester chums, in 1998 Wiehrdt received Lake Forest's Nicholas J. Wasylik Senior Athletic Award for her play in soccer and basketball.
In soccer Wiehrdt helped Lake Forest to consecutive 10-0 seasons, and she graduated second in team history with 91 points and third with 35 goals and 21 assists. She set a school record with 5 goals in one game. She was the women's basketball team's most valuable player as a senior.
Wiehrdt was Naperville Central's female athlete of the year in 1994, helping the soccer squad to a state runner-up position in 1993.
Getting his reps
Colin Madison, a former three-sport athlete at Willowbrook who won the 2006 Class AA shot put title as a junior, is starting at right guard for the Temple Owls' football team.
A 6-foot-4, 315-pound junior, Madison was listed as a preseason second-team all-Mid-American Conference selection by Phil Steele's College Football.
A two-time letterman in football entering this season, Madison also finished second at the 2008 Atlantic 10 Conference indoor meet, and fourth at the 2008 outdoor meet.
His business is booming
Southern Illinois University punter Scott Ravanesi, the rare special-teams player to land a spot on the Daily Herald All-Area Football Team while at Glenbard North in 2005, has twice so far this season been named Missouri Valley Conference special teams player of the week.
Ravanesi sent 3 punts over 50 yards against North Dakota State on Sept. 26 and averaged 45.5 yards a punt against Marshall on Sept. 5.
A two-time first-team all-MVC punter, Ravanesi is Southern Illinois' all-time career leader in punting average and this season is averaging 44 yards with a long of 67.
Another local Saluki, senior Danielle Mutters, a soccer player out of Hinsdale South, was named the MVC's defensive player of the week Sept. 28. In 2008 Mutters was named the MVC defensive player of the year.
Flight of the Cardinals
After beating Olivet College 69-18 last week, North Central College somehow slipped to No. 14 after two weeks at No. 12 in the top 25 poll of D3football.com.
Otherwise, signs are all pointing up for John Thorne's Cardinals.
Naperville North graduate Aaron Fanthorpe was named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin's offensive player of the week Oct. 5, after a 58-0 win over Millikin. Fanthorpe established a program record by throwing 6 touchdown passes, and his 87.5 completion percentage improved his own school record. Fanthorpe was named co-offensive player of the week after the Cardinals' prior 55-0 win over Benedictine.
On Sept. 29, North Central receivers coach Brad Spencer, a Naperville Central and North Central grad, was named one of eight Division III coaches who will participate in the 2009 Bowl of the Stars in Monterrey, Mexico.
After falling 28-19 to Ohio Northern in their opener, the Cardinals have outscored their next three opponents 182-18, the greatest three-game margin in program history.
They entered the season at No. 4 on the D3football poll - which is where CCIW rival Wheaton College sits, led by former Wheaton North quarterback Sean Norris.
North Central hosts the Thunder in the battle for the Little Brass Bell at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com