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Sports

Non-football Athletes Making Big Impact at Local 4-year Colleges

Wheaton North product Jamie Orewiler (Wheaton College), Downers North's Ryan Lally and WWS' Alicia Zimmerman (both at North Central) and Hinsdale South's Jess Belmonte (Elmhurst) top the list.

This fall, a number of non-football student-athletes are competing in their respective sports at four-year colleges in central DuPage County, only a few miles (in some cases, a few minutes) from where they played in high school.

These fall sports athletes now wear Benedictine University, Elmhurst College, North Central College and Wheaton College uniforms, and are residents of either Burr Ridge, Darien, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Hinsdale, Lisle, Oak Brook, Warrenville or Wheaton.

Benedictine University

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Men’s golf—Connor Langen (Wheaton/Wheaton North) is a senior who’s starting his second season with the Eagles. He transferred to BU after two years at College of DuPage.

Women’s golf—Kathryn Ghanayem (Wheaton/Wheaton Warrenville South), a sophomore, is one of the team’s top golfers. Ghanayem registered an 11th-place finish at the recent two-day women’s golf invite held at Aurora University.

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Women’s tennis—The co-captain of Hinsdale Central’s state-qualifying girls tennis team last fall, Neha Shukla is now part of the Eagles’ No. 2 doubles team, which has enjoyed early-season success.

Women’s volleyball—Glenbard South product Amanda Straka, a defensive specialist, is in her junior year. She’s playing her first season at Benedictine after transferring from Illinois Central College.

Elmhurst College

(Note: No athletes from the aforementioned communities are competing on any of Elmhurst College’s non-football men’s fall sports teams this fall.)

Women’s cross country—Carolyn Peters (Downers Grove/Downers Grove South) just began her freshman year running for the Bluejays.

Women’s golf—York High School product Trisha Goss, a junior, finished 37th overall at the recent Knox College Invitational, an 11-team event.

Women’s soccer—Darien resident and Hinsdale South grad Jess Belmonte, a senior, transferred from St. Xavier University and started all 16 games as a defender for the Bluejays in 2010. Amy and Katie Baschen (Downers Grove/Downers South) play forward and midfield, respectively. Tthe twin sisters are juniors. Maddie Fitzpatrick of Downers North is one of three freshman goalkeepers on Elmhurst’s roster.

Women’s tennis—Senior Virginia Dallman (Glen Ellyn/Glenbard West) and partner Nicole Darga form the Bluejays’ No. 1 doubles team. Dallman is a two-time all-CCIW team member. Meanwhile, Elmhurst resident Stephanie Ruff (Nazareth Academy) is part of the school’s No. 2 doubles team.

Women’s volleyball—Junior Laura Moran, a right side hitter for the Bluejays, lives in Glen Ellyn and graduated from Glenbard South.

North Central College

Men’s cross country—Legendary coach Al Carius, now in his 46th season at NCC, has another formidable squad in 2011. The Cardinals are ranked No. 1 by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association in the Midwest Region. Danny Headley (Elmhurst/Immaculate Conception), Robert Niska (Wheaton/Wheaton Warrenville South) and Mark Pfeiffer (Downers Grove/Downers Grove North) are all freshmen on this year’s squad.

Women’s cross country—The Cardinals are ranked eighth in the Midwest Region by the USTFCCCA, and are led by Wheaton Warrenville South grad Alicia Zimmerman, one of three seniors on the team. Zimmerman was an all-CCIW performer in 2010. Wheaton North’s Alexa Reinecke joins the squad as a freshman this year.

Women’s golf—Sophomore Mary Kate Rohn (Elmhurst/York) recorded three top-10 finishes in tournaments last season for the Cardinals.

Men’s soccer—Wheaton North product Mike Tworek, a junior, is one of the Cardinals’ leading defenders. Sophomore Charlie Stanke (Downers South) plays midfield, while Stanke’s classmate, Michael Lenzi (Wheaton/Wheaton North), is at forward.

Women’s soccer—Dominique Collins, a Wheaton resident who prepped at Glenbard South, started 15 games for the Cardinals last fall and helped the team register five shutouts. She is a senior.

Women’s volleyball—Downers Grove North product has been named to the all-CCIW second team as a setter each of the past two years. She was No. 2 in the league in assists during 2010. Laura Drabant, from Wheaton North, is a freshman outside hitter.

Wheaton College

Men’s cross country—Former Wheaton North standouts Jake and James Waterman, a Falcon all-stater, return for their sophomore years. Dave McHale (Wheaton/Wheaton Warrenville South) is in his senior year, while junior Mark Phillips (Wheaton/Wheaton Academy) and freshman Derek Minkus (Glen Ellyn/Glenbard West) round out a large contingent of runners representing the area on this year’s team.

Women’s cross country—Freshman Alyssa Robinson, a product of St. Francis and a Wheaton resident, made an impressive college debut at the recently held Aurora University Spartan Classic. She placed 18th individually, which lifted the Thunder to second overall in the 11-team event. Juniors Jodi Orewiler and Erika Oslund—both Wheaton North grads—along with Anna Curato (Wheaton/Wheaton Academy) are on the club.

Men’s golf—Ben Souders (Warrenville/Wheaton Academy), in his junior year, was part of Wheaton College’s fourth-place team at the recently held Carthage College Fall Invitational. He finished with a two-round 168. This year’s roster includes Wheaton resident Steve Kois (senior) and Glen Ellyn resident Spencer Anderson (junior).

Women’s golf—Wheaton resident and Wheaton Academy product Michelle Morency plays golf for the Thunder, who tied for fourth place at the Monmouth College Fighting Scots Invitational.

Men’s soccer—Wheaton North grads dot the 2011 Thunder roster with midfielders Kristian Rosenberger (senior), Jason Lollar (junior) and Jacques Ntahoturi (freshman). Sophomore Goalkeeper Derek Babb prepped at Wheaton Warrenville South, and freshman defender Trevor Adams, a Wheaton resident, graduated from Wheaton Academy.

Women’s soccer—The Thunder, ranked seventh nationally in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III preseason poll, is led by two-sport star and forward Jamie Orewiler. The reigning CCIW Player of the Year and an NSCAA first team all-American, Orewiler led the Thunder with 17 goals in 2010. The senior also runs track in the spring. Orewiler is joined on the team by Wheaton North products Erin Strom (defense), a junior, and sophomore Annie Torppey (midfielder). Wheaton Warrenville South grads on the Thunder include junior defender Jonelle Maida and freshman goalkeeper Kelsey Graham.

Women’s tennis—Sophomore Melanie Milling, a three-year, all-stater at Wheaton Warrenville South, competes at No. 2 doubles with partner Marissa Shults.

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