Wanland excels at Pan-Am Games

Former Stevenson three-time state swimming champion Ashley Wanland placed second in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Wanland’s USA teammate, Annie Chandler, earned the gold by touching the wall in 1:07.90.

Wanland, a Long Grove resident and senior at Wisconsin, finished in 1:08.55 to give the USA a 1-2 finish in the event.

Canada’s Ashley McGregor earned the bronze with a time of 1:08.96.

Held every four years, the Pan American Games are the second-largest multi-sport event behind the summer Olympics.

This summer, Wanland was one of 48 swimmers selected to represent the United States at the event based on her performance at the 2011 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships at Stanford University in August.

Wanland’s silver medal at the Pan American Games was her first top-three finish and second top-eight finish in international competition this year. She swam at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China in August, where she took seventh place in the 200-meter breaststroke.

Women’s soccer

Kelley Moran (Stevenson) plays her last regular-season game for Carroll University (Wis.) at Lake Forest College on Sunday at noon.

Moran, who played on an elite Buffalo Grove soccer team “The Raptors” and for four years on the Stevenson varsity, is the captain for Carroll.

Kessel Heat

The Kessel Heat basketball club will be holding evaluations for winter travel on Nov. 14 at the Lake Barrington Fieldhouse and Nov. 15 and 17 at the Libertyville Sports Complex. Each team will participate in 7 tournaments. Please visit website for practice times and days: www.kesselstraining.com

Women’s cross country

Saint Francis’ Hilary Halford (Carmel) placed ninth out of 340 runners at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge. The meet included the No. 1 and 5 ranked teams in the nation.

Football

Wisconsin-Whitewater senior quarterback Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich) was named a Player of the Week for his perfomance in the Warhawks’ 20-17 win at UW-Oshkosh.

Blanchard went 17-25 for 209 yards and 1 touchdown. He also rushed 14 times for a career-high 91 yards and 1 touchdown.

O’Shea retiring

Buffalo Grove’s girls volleyball team begins the Class 4A state tournament today.

And it marks the final state tournament for its coach Marianne O’Shea.

She is retiring after serving 12 years as the school’s girls athletic director and six as its head girls volleyball coach.

This season’s second-place finish in the Mid-Suburban East equaled the Bison’s finest season.

Mark Schaetzlein, BG’s assistant principal for student activities, acknowledged O’Shea’s contributions at her final MSL home match two weeks ago with dedication night for the coach.

“There is no one, I mean no one, who champions the needs and extols the virtues of female athletics more than Marianne,” he told the crowd that included nearly 30 family members, one being her son Tom, who traveled from Omaha where he is an assistant coach for the Creighton women’s volleyball team. “Often times, we hear about statistics and accomplishments, but Marianne’s greatest accomplishment is in the form of people, friends, family and players who she has cared for over the years.

“Marianne stood as an example of perseverance from her time as our athletic assistant to her move into girls AD and all the other professions in between. She showed her commitment toward serving others for their good, not her own.”

O’Shea’s team ended the regular season by winning the Buffalo Grove Invite on Saturday with a 4-0 record.

“As a coach, she really knows what she is doing,” said Bison senior setter Kathy Hampton. “She knows how to read other teams and tells us where to hit our advantage. She always comes prepared to our matches with information on the other team.

“And even if we are having a bad day, she can still make things fun for us.”

“In a world that far too often appears unreasonable, Marianne is the voice of reason,” Schaetzlein added.

Women’s volleyball

Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman Kayla Price (Fremd) is tied for first at the top of the Horizon League setting statistics with 10.8 assists per set.

Milwaukee is currently 10-0 in the Horizon (17-4 overall) and Price has been the primary setter for every match.

Ÿ USC freshman outside hitter Emily Young had 5 kills (no errors for a .556 performance) with 2 blocks in a 25-12, 25-14, 25-15 victory over Oregon State at the Galen Center.

USC (15-3, 10-1) won its season-high 10th straight conference match, the most by the Trojans since the 2003 national championship season when the Women of Troy were a perfect 18-0 to win the conference title.

Football

Illinois Wesleyan’s Scott Wenzel (Rolling Meadows) was named the College Conference of Illinois abd Wisconsin Football “Defensive Player of the Week”.

The senior defensive back totaled 11 tackles, including six solo, and one forced fumble during the Titans’ 24-12 win over Elmhurst. Wenzel was part of an Illinois Wesleyan defense that limited the Bluejays to a season-low 249 yards.

Junior Golf

Doug Ghim of Arlington Heights was named a second-team Rolex Junior All-American.

Ghim, 15, is a sophomore at Buffalo Grove High School and is the No. 24 player in the Polo Golf Rankings. He posted four top-two finishes in 2011, including victories at the McArthur Towel & Sports Future Legends and the Coca-Cola Junior Championship at Boyne Highlands.

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