Category Archives: Sports Section

Beacon Athletes Win Medals In Special Olympics

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Beacon Athletes Win Medals In Special Olympics
Coach, Debbie Hunter, and a group of athletes from the Moultrie County Beason competed in the statewide Special Olympics in Bloomington June 15-17.
Hunter said, “Thousands of athletes from all over the state came to compete. We are so proud of our young people who came home with medals.”
The Beacon medal winners are:
Chance Shuman – gold medal in softball throw and 4th in 50- meter run.
Laura Walter – silver in 100- meter walk
Elisa Whitehead – silver in standing long jump
Kim Fair – bronze in standing long jump
Richard McCabe – bronze in 800-meter walk race
John Whitehead – bronze in shot put
Becky Ellis ( Whitrock) – 4th in 100-meter walk
Kim Yeakel – 4th in standing long jump
Kailee French – participation ribbon in 100-meter walk
Jennifer Kenny - 7th in 100-meter walk

Mustang Tournament Action

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Photo by Grant Wade
Mustang Tournament Action
Tanner Seelow from Sullivan Youth Baseball #2 (Kevin Cremeens, coach) batting against the Atwood- Hammond team in Monday’s Mustang League Tournament in Villa Grove. Seelow hit a two run double to help win against the AH team. They proceeded to the next round on Tuesday and were defeated by the Sullivan #3 team (Brad Saul, coach).

National Tumbler

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Photo furnished. National Tumbler Six year old Sylvia Dawkins of Sullivan recently competed in the National Tumbling competition held in Florida earlier this month. Sylvia will be in the first grade at Sullivan Elementary School in the fall.

OV Athletes Robinson and Fritz Win Espy Award

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Robinson at state tournament in Normal.

•June 27, 2018•

by Jason Brown
NP Sports

The 2017-18 sports year is over, but Okaw Valley athletes are still accumulating awards.
Recent graduates Paige Robinson and Garrett Fritz won the 10th annual ESPN Decatur Espy Award during the ceremony at Richland College, Sunday.

Paige Robinson
Robinson took home the prize for Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year for the second straight year.
Fritz took home the prize for Baseball Player of the Year.
Robinson set several school records and collected even more accolades.
Robinson was named to the 15-member Illinois Girls’ Basketball Coaches All-State Class 1A/2A first team.
The 5 feet 10 inch guard was one of five players named to the second team Associated Press All-State girls’ basketball team.
“I said Paige is the best player in the area and best player around to anyone who would listen in the last two years,” said OV coach Brad Ackers. “Paige just continued to prove it.” Read More

Area Athletes Earn All Area Honors

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•June 27, 2018•

The News-Gazette announced its All-Area track and field teams last week.
Several area athletes earned honors.
For Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond boys’ team, senior distance runner Logan Hall earned all-area first team honors.
Senior high jumper Kobe Wells earned all-area second team honors.
Freshman distance runner Layton Hall and junior middle-distance runner Austin Romine were named to the honorable mention team.
For the ALAH girls’ team, sophomore hurdler and jumper Kenli Nettles earned first-team honors. Read More

Summer of Preparation Ahead for New SOV Football Coach

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•June 20, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

Jeff Myers has some catching up to do.
Myers, who was hired as the Sullivan-Okaw Valley football coach a few weeks ago, has a short window to become familiar with his players, hold camps and start practice before the first game on Aug. 24.
“Right now we are primarily working in the weight room on strength and agility,” said Myers. “When we do get outside and use some of our contact days, we are concentrating on fundamentals. Once we come back after the Fourth of July, we will ramp up the football portion of our summer.”
This may sound like an overwhelming task for a first-time coach in his first year, but Myers has been around for more than two decades.
He served as an assistant coach at Central A&M (1992, 1998-2003), South Walton High School (2004-2015; 2017), and St. Teresa High School (2016).
He has been an offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, running backs coach, defensive line coach, defensive backs coach, and strength and conditioning coach. Read More

Softball Conference Players Announced

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•June 20, 2018•

The Little Okaw Valley Conference Northwest Division announced its softball all-conference teams last week.
Several area players earned honors.
For Okaw Valley seniors Grace Harlin and Natalie Jeffers were unanimously first team selections as position players. Read More

Local Golfer Competes in Optimist Golf Championship

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Midwest Qualifiers from left are: Second place - Zach Williams, Caden Ellis of Sullivan winner and third place Kolten Bauer.

•June 20, 2018•

Caden Ellis, Sullivan High School golfer, won the Midwest Qualifier for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship to be held July 29 through August 1 at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The Midwest Qualifier has been held in Decatur for more than 30 years, This year’s tournament was two days at Red Tail Golf Course, and Ellis shot a record - 3 (68, 73 - 141 total).
The Optimist International Junior Golf Championships continues to be one of the most recognizable junior tournaments in the world with more than 6,000 golfers attempting to qualify.
Annually more than 660 of the best junior golfers, representing more than 30 nations, 45 states and six Canadian provinces, converge for a week of unsurpassed competition and fellowship.
Since 1978, Optimist-sponsored golf tournaments have served as a springboard for many of golf’s greatest players.[/s2If]