Wanland making a splash at Wisconsin
Ashley Wanland has been making some big waves the last two months.
The former standout Stevenson swimmer earned her first career Big Ten Conference Swimmer of the Week honor in October after helping the Wisconsin women cruise to a 208-92 win over Iowa.
Last month, Wanland was named to the USA 2010-2011 National Team for the second consecutive year and will be participating in the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China, next August.
The junior from Long Grove opened the meet against Iowa as the second leg of the 200-yard medley relay team, which won the event with a time of 1:40.76. That time placed Wisconsin as the third fastest relay in the nation so far this season.
Wanland went on to sweep the breaststroke events, winning the 100 (1:01.77), also the current third fastest time in the nation, and the 200 (2:14.49).
Both earned NCAA provisional times.
Women's volleyball
Southern Illinois' Jennifer Berwanger (Lake Zurich) has been selected as a Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
Berwanger was honored for her performance during the period of October 18-24.
On a weekly basis, the conference honors its student-athletes for their athletic performance for a one-week period and academic success in the classroom.
An outside hitter, Berwanger recorded 29 kills in the Salukis' five-set victory over Evansville.
The MVC “Offensive Player of the Week”, Berwanger, who has a 3.89 cumulative grade-point average in therapeutic recreation, added 18 digs to post her 52nd career kill-dig double-double. Berwanger, who averages 4.03 kills per set in 2010, has moved fourth on the all-time kills list at SIU with 1,267.
Feeder tryouts
The Vernon Hills Junior Cougars have announced tryouts for the 2010-2011 boys feeder basketball season. Tryouts are being held for sixth, seventh and eighth grade levels.
They are Sunday, Nov. 14 at 12:45 p.m. for registration (tryouts from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.) and Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 6:15 p.m. for registration (tryouts from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the main gym at Vernon Hills High School.
Tryout fee is $15 and includes a tryout t-shirt.
League rules require players to live in an area eligible to attend Vernon Hills or Libertyville High School. Players are expected to attend both tryouts.
The season runs until spring break and teams will play between 25-35 games.
Contact Marc Epner at (847) 362-1281 for more information.
Softball
When Dani Goranson was just six years old, she was in the car with her older sister Nikki, who was being driven for a tryout with the 10-under Elk Grove Heat softball team.
“I was dragged along so I just decided to try out for the fun of it,” Dani said.
The little sister showed she had some talent, too.
Dani ended up beginning her softball career that day.
And it's far from over today.
Goranson still has one year left to play in coach Ken Gram's state-recognized program at Elk Grove High School.
And after that, it's off to the Big Ten for Goranson.
The senior pitcher-third baseman has made a verbal commitment to Michigan State University.
“My sister and I played together for 9 years,” said Dani, whose sister Nikki was the Daily Herald all-area honorary captain in 2009 and now plays for Kankakee Community College. “There is no better way to play a sport you both love.”
Jim and Wendy Goranson always brought their youngest daughter Dani to their son's baseball games, too.
“And I fell in love with the game,” Dani said. “My dad had a big effect on me becoming a softball player. I always wished I could be a college player and he was pretty confident in my abilities to become one.”
Women's volleyball
Altrese Hawkins (Hoffman Estates) of Memphis hammered a match and career-high 29 kills in a 3-2 loss to visiting Southern Mississippi. Memphis is 13-10 overall and 4-7 in C-USA play.
Men's Soccer
Oakton Community College defender Juan Angel Herrera (Maine West) was named to the NJCAA Region IV Second Team and the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference second team.
Feeder tryouts
The Rolling Meadows Junior Mustangs Tryouts are Sunday, Nov. 7 for fifth and sixth grade girls (noon to 2 p.m.), seventh grade girls and boys (2 p.m. and 4 p.m.) and eight grade girls and boys (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.).
All tryouts are at Rolling Meadows High School.
For more information, contact Greg King at 847-590-9285, Tom Conlin at 847-670-8933, or Mike Grady at 630-971-2294.
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