DOWNTOWN — Shanon Lersch is a former Miss Illinois, ex-captain of the Chicago Luvabulls and current model, but she thinks she's found her calling as an in-game broadcaster for the Chicago Wolves.
Lersch, who grew up in Sauganash and now lives in Edgewater, serves as the host for the Wolves' Saturday broadcasts on Channel 50. Her duties include interviews with players and in-game discussion with play-by-play man Jason Shaver and color commentator Billy Gardner, a former Chicago Blackhawk.
"It's been a really good fit for me," said Lersch, who started her hosting role this season. "Being from Chicago, being a sports fanatic and having a little broadcast background was a great mesh. I'm excited to see where this goes."
Lersch, a Saint Ignatius College Prep and DePaul University graduate, is also coach of the Blue Demons' Spirit Squad dance team. She has served as an arena host for Chicago Rush football and Blue Demons basketball games, which, like the Wolves games, are played at Allstate Arena in suburban Rosemont.
Her previous arena hosting duties had only been broadcast inside the stadium, not to the masses. But Wolves executive producer Ron Storto said he "loves" how Lersch has fit into the Wolves' TV broadcast.
“It’s been very seamless — and she’s going to do more and more for us," Storto said. "Her presence changes the telecast and makes ’Saturday Night with the Wolves' on CW 50 so comfortable to watch.”
#Chicago up 2-0 at the end of the 1st frame. I'm excited for the strong start! The #hansonbrothers I'm still working on! #ahl #slapshot pic.twitter.com/SCk6uhN4FX
— Shanon Lersch (@ShanonLersch) November 13, 2016
Lersch was Miss Illinois in 2008 and a dancer with the Luvabulls from 2004-2010. She has a bachelor's and master's from DePaul, and she was working on a doctorate there before deciding to move to China to model, dance and broadcast sports like rugby and cricket.
Lersch went to several Wolves games as a fan when she lived in nearby Sauganash and said it's nice to be "a part of their family now."
"I'm learning so much," she said. "I love sideline reporting, and I'm hoping to use this as a learning experience and develop it into something more."
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