Photo furnished
Defensive Player
Defensive Player of the Year for the Moultrie-Douglas Junior American Legion baseball team is Ian Hill. Ian is the son of Chad and Jennifer Sutton of Sullivan and great-grandson of Sharon and Jim Daniels of Sullivan.
•August 8, 2018•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports
The Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team kicked off the 2018 season with its first official practice at the high school Monday.
But for SOV head coach Jeff Myers the first day was just a continuation of the two-straight camps the Redskins had before last week’s IHSA dead week.
Overall, the first day was a good one.
Myers was also pleased to see athletes whom he had not seen during the summer because of summer jobs and other responsibilities.
“We slowed the pace slightly just to get some kids brought up to speed somewhat,” said Myers. “Tuesday, which is another day in just helmets, will be more of the same.” Read More
Photo furnished
Knights Volleyball
The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond volleyball team competed in the St. Thomas More League for the last three weeks of July. The Knights’ first match of the year is scheduled for Aug. 23 in Tuscola.
•August 1, 2018•
Sullivan High School is scheduled to host a mandatory player and parent meeting for football, golf, cheer, cross country, volleyball and swimming members at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6 in the high school gym. Read More
Photo by Kim Drury
Johnathan Iacobazzi celebrates win with his parents Sam and Nikki Iacobazzi.
•August 1, 2018•
By J.D. Graham
for the Blue Dolphins
The Sullivan Blue Dolphins finished out the summer season with championship meets.
For the 14th year in a row the Dolphins have continued to compete at the higher levels. Eleven swimmers competed in the Regional Championship meet in Peoria July 20-22.
Swimmers representing SBD are Natalie Drury, Anna Wooters, McKenna Kull, Brodie Goss, Calista Clark, Gabrielle Spain, Mackenzie Erixon, Ethan Schmohe, Emily Crosier, Johnathan Iacobazzi and Isaac Chambers.
Johnathan Iacobazzi went on the represent the Dolphins at the 10 and under age group championship meet in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Iacobazzi competed for the first time at a state level meet in the 100 backstroke and 50 backstroke. There were more than 200 swimmers entered in the meet for the weekend in 10 and under, 11-12 and 13-14 age divisions.
The Dolphins are now gearing up for the 2018-2019 season with tryouts set for Saturday, August 25.[/s2If]
Photo by Mike Brothers
Camerons
Track and Field is a family affair for the Cameron family Jacob, Laine, Kurt and Jud. This was Laine’s last year to participate at Sullivan High School.
•July 25, 2018•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor
For five decades, one staple of Sullivan track and field meets has been Jud Cameron.
Jud has been a high school track and field official for 36 years and had been a volunteer at Sullivan home meets for almost 15 years before that.
When Jud started teaching at Sullivan, he was asked to help out at the track meets as a volunteer.
“I enjoy doing it,” said Jud. “So it just grew and grew from there.”
Jud, who retired from teaching social studies at SHS in 1994, did not stop officiating track and field meets.
“Back then I just did Sullivan’s track,” Jud said. “Now, I do a lot of other schools.”
He has been a starter who shoots the gun, a referee who helps with logistics and an official at the State Track and Field meet at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field in Charleston.
For this season and previous seasons, Jud has not been the only Cameron at the meet. Read More
Photo by Jamie Crosier
•July 18, 2018•
By J.D. Graham
SBD Publicity Director
For over a decade the Sullivan Blue Dolphin Swim Team has been doing an annual food drive collecting cans for the Moultrie County Food Bank. The challenge is called “ I CAN SWIM”.
This year head coach Jason Drury challenged each swimmer to get sponsors to pledge cans of food for the number of laps swam in 20 minutes. There are 70 swimmers on the team ranging in age from 5 to 17. A lap is 50 meters or as the younger swimmers say, down and back. Read More
Photo furnished
Coach Craig Black is pictured with fiancée Erika Tomczewski.
•July 18, 2018•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports
Sometimes, life is about timing.
That was the case for Craig Black.
Black, who has been the head coach for Oakwood for the last four seasons, was not looking for a new coaching job.
But when Black had heard that the Sullivan coaching position became available after former coach Chester Reeder had taken the head coaching position at Teutopolis, he had to apply.
Black, like Reeder, is a Sullivan alumnus and has continued his ties to the area.
Black, a 2007 graduate, was hired at a special Sullivan board meeting June 29 and will teach physical education.
“I wasn’t really looking or applying for any other jobs, but when this came open, I had to apply,” said Black. “And where I am at in my personal life with getting engaged, being from Sullivan, and having family here, it made the most since for my fiancée and me.”
He was surprised that the job became open.
“I was really surprised to be honest,” said Black. “I know Chet has done a really good job the last five years and built the program up, and with him being from Sullivan too, I didn’t think it would be open.”
But it was an opportunity he could not pass. Read More
•July 18, 2018•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports
As part of the rotating of area coaches, Chester Reeder resigned as Sullivan boys’ basketball coach and took the head coaching position for the Teutopolis boys’ basketball team.
Reeder coached Sullivan for five years and had been at Sullivan for 10 years.
Reeder, a 2000 Sullivan graduate, compiled a 62-70 record as Sullivan’ s head coach.
He started with three winning seasons and had a record of 50-30 to start his tenure at Sullivan. Read More
Photo furnished
Pitches No-hitter
Jackson Matheson of Sullivan threw a no-hitter for the Cincinnati Riverbats 11U-Sexton against the Little Rocks Blues 17-0. An eight run third inning in the Little League World Series game was led by Matheson along with Will J., Henry M, Ian P and Chase L. who all drove in runs. Matheson started and went three innings, allowing no runs and no hits while striking out eight batters. Jackson is pictured with pitching coach Jeff Naylor from Cincinati. Matheson competed in the USSSA World Series in Gulf Shores Alabama with his team the Cincinati Riverbats. Mathesons team went 7-1 in the Series and made it to the Championship game on Friday July 6th.