Wagner joins U.S. football stars south of the border
Lake Zurich graduate Wes Wagner is a senior business management major at Elmhurst College.
This Saturday, he has some business to take care of south of the border.
Wagner has been named to the 41-man Team Stars & Stripes roster that will head to Mexico for the sixth annual Tazon De Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars).
He will be the team's long snapper.
Wagner will play for Team Stars & Stripes, an NCAA Division III all-star squad which will take on the CONADEIP All-Stars in the Tazon de Estrellas in Mexico.
Wagner and 40 other Division 3 athletes are scheduled to be in Mexico for seven days, with two-a-day practices and an opportunity to explore the local region and experience a different culture.
The visit will also focus on community service projects.
Previous initiatives include clearing an area of land to benefit an impoverished neighborhood, creating a play area for children, and holding a football clinic for local youngsters.
Wagner's head coach at Elmhurst, Ron Planz, will serve as one of the assistant coaches for the squad.
Wagner graduated for Lake Zurich in 2012. He has been the Jayhawks' long snapper the past four years.
Men's track
Lewis senior Isaac Jean-Paul (Warren) was selected as an athlete of the week in Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field.
The No. 15-ranked Flyers took third place overall at the Grand Valley State Holiday Open, finishing behind Division I Eastern Michigan and Loyola.
It's the second straight year Jean-Paul has won the first weekly GLVC honor.
The 2015 NCAA Division II Indoor high jump champion picked up where he left off. He won the high jump at the GVSU Holiday Open with a mark of 7 feet, 1/4 inche (2.14m).
That jump is currently the best in the country for Division II.
"I felt like Isaac had more heights in him but he was the last jumper in," said Lewis coach Dana Schwarting in a school release. "So he had to take all of his jumps too quickly with no rest.
"Overall it was a great start and now we can train right into the national meet."
Men's basketball
Augustana's Brandon Motzel (Carmel) and Griffin Pils (Libertyville) had consecutive baskets to give the Vikings (4-0) a double-digit lead when they posted an 81-58 triumph over seventh-ranked and defending national champion Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Pils has a team-high 8 blocked shots and shares the team lead in steals.
Women's basketball
Augustana junior Olivia Mayer (Libertyville) has recorded 84 steals (an average of 12 per game) this season.
She has a team-high 32 assists and is tied on the team for free throw percentage (.813).
Men's soccer
Freshman Ryan Pacholski (Libertyville) was a member of No. 11-ranked Loras College, which lost in the NCAA Division III championship game as Amherst won its first title.
Illinois hockey website
For those who like to follow Illinois hockey players, a new website called Illinois College Hockey is available.
It is dedicated to spreading the word about the college men and women ice hockey players who call Illinois their home and are now playing NCAA Division 1 and III hockey.
There are currently 76 men and 37 women playing at the Division I level. There are 81 men playing at the D-III level and 60 women.
If you know something that needs to be published, please contact erickilby@gmail.com. and it will be reviewed it for inclusion on the site.
• Please submit Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com