Photo furnished
Historic Journey to State
The Sullivan High School boy’s golf team fought frigid weather to place fifth in the Class 1A state golf tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington. Pictured: Coach Ben Richter, Leyton Ellis, Leighton Burcham, Tim Lawyer, Caden Ellis, Aiden Short, Logan Westjohn and Drew Rogers.

•October 17, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

It is not often a team sets several goals for the season and accomplishes every one of them.
But that was what the Sullivan boys’ golf team did this season.
Saturday the Redskins completed their last goal of the year: competing in the state golf meet.
“We started the season at the practice green at the country club,” said Sullivan coach Ben Richter, “and we said what were our goals: ‘We need to go undefeated.’ It was, ‘We need to win the conference.’ And then it was, ‘Win the regional, win sectional and go to state.’ They achieved all of their goals so I am really proud of them.”
Sullivan placed fifth with a score of 337 in the Class 1A state golf meet at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington Saturday. Senior Caden Ellis earned all-state honors with a tie for third place with a score of 76. Read More

•October 3, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

R. R. Best photo
Okaw Valley cross country runners Parker Perine (first) and Preston Ozier (second) start the Little Okaw Valley Conference meet Saturday in Bethany.

Area cross country runners placed well in the Little Okaw Valley Conference meet in Bethany Saturday, including Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond boys’ medalist Layton Hall.
Hall ran a meet best time of 16:15.40.
Other Knights’ times include Austin Romine’s 18:16.80, Quentin Morgan’s 18:48.30, Justin Miller’s 19:21.80, Jace Green’s 19:26.10 and Jack Rollyson’s 22:07.20.

Submitted Photo OV Freshman Karlie Stauder finished second with a time of 21:10 to earn all-Little Okaw Valley Conference honors.

For the Okaw Valley girls’ cross country team, freshman Karlie Stauder’s personal-best run of 21:10 earned her all-Little Okaw Valley Conference honors for her second place finish.
Other OV girls’ runners include Kylie Stauder and Mia Harris, who ran personal best times of 22:30 and 22:38, respectively.

All four OV girl runners and all three OV boy runners finished with personal best times.

Submitted Photo
Layton Hall earned medalist in the Little Okaw Valley boys’ cross country meet Saturday in Bethany.

For the boys’ team, Parker Perrine beat his best by seven seconds with a time of 18:43.
Preston Ozier ran a personal-best time of 18:45.60, beating his old time of 19:02, and Canaan Christenson ran a best 19:41.
Damien Coney ran 28 seconds faster than his best time at 21:42.
Cumberland won the meet with a low score of 30, and ALAH placed second with 51 points.
The OV and ALAH cross country teams are scheduled to enter the Cumberland Invitational at Lake Land College at 9 a.m. Saturday.[/s2If]

Photo furnished
Caden Ellis earned medalist honors with a score of 68 at the Windsor Invitational Saturday.

•September 19, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan boys’ golf team is on the road to its final destination this year.
The state playoffs.
The Redskins have won two regionals out of the last three years and three Central Illinois Conference championships in the last four years.
This year, the boys’ team has dominated the season to a 15-0 start.
“Our school has an enrollment of 328,” head coach Ben Richter said last Thursday. “Our golf team has 18 boys which is enough for three teams. Our varsity team is 15-0 with our sights on the state playoff.”
The top six Sullivan golfers are averaging scores less than 90.
Caden Ellis is averaging an area leading 71.57 and has won medalist in nearly every meet this season. Read More

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 furnished
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