Category Archives: Sports

ALAH Boys Show Strength in Third Quarter

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Photo by RR Best
Colton Romine tries to deflect the ball against Okaw Valley at Arthur Feb 3.

•February 8, 2017•

Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond boys’ basketball team dropped two Little Okaw Valley Conference games this past week.

The Knights fell to Okaw Valley Friday and Lutheran School Association of Decatur, Jan 31.

Against LSA, ALAH fell behind 19-6 in the first quarter and trailed by 16 at half.

The Knights outscored LSA in the third quarter 22-15 but could not get closer than that.

ALAH lost 61-45.

Shandon Herschberger led the Knights with 18 points. He also had two rebounds and a steal.

Austin Romine followed with eight points, and Will Cohan added six points and three rebounds.

Marcus Vanausdoll and Kobe Wells each scored four points.

Vanausdoll added a game-high seven rebounds, and Wells followed with six.
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ALAH Girls Are Conference Season Champions

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•February 8, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond girls’ basketball team defeated Cerro Gordo-Bement to earn the Little Okaw Valley Conference regular season championship in Cerro Gordo Feb. 2.

“The girls came ready to play versus the Broncos,” said coach Craig Moffett. “It was an important game that we had to win to be conference regular season champions.”

Last year the Knights won the LOVC tournament and were regular season co-champs.

This season, ALAH won both championships outright. Read More

Take Down Heart Disease Features Ben Booker

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•February 8, 2017•

Fitness Guru Ben Booker of Sullivan is the featured speaker at Sarah Bush Lincoln’s men’s only free event, “Take Down Heart Disease,” set for 5-7 pm, Thursday, Feb. 23, in the Brick House Bar and Grill in Charleston.

Take Down Heart Disease will give attendees the opportunity to learn about the importance of physical fitness and staying active to help prevent heart disease. Also speaking will be Prairie Heart Cardiologist Michael LaMonto, DO, who will talk about risk factors of heart health. A variety of Sarah Bush Lincoln health professionals will be on hand to answer questions about fitness, tobacco cessation, Heart to Heart screening program, weight management, sleep disorders and diabetes.

Booker transformed his body from ordinary to chiseled and graced the covers for multiple fitness magazines becoming a fitness model and spokesperson. He lives a “second chance” lifestyle and talks about how bodybuilding saved his physique, his marriage and his life.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, which means that one in four people will have heart disease. The best way to cure heart disease is to prevent it by addressing risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and changing behaviors including tobacco and alcohol use, diet, and physical inactivity/obesity.  Read More

Timberwolves Take Off After First Quarter

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Photo by RR Best
Okaw Valley’s Garrett Fritz saves ball from going out of bounds during action over the weekend that saw the Timberwolves win a conference match.

•February 8, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

Okaw Valley boys’ basketball split a pair of Little Okaw Valley Conference games this past week.

The Timberwolves defeated Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond Feb. 3 to spoil the Knights’ senior night but lost to Argenta-Oreana Jan. 31.

Against ALAH, Okaw Valley defeated the Knights for the second time in less than two weeks.

ALAH jumped ahead to a 10-3 lead with 3:06 left in the first quarter, but the Timberwolves took over the game from there.

Trey Yarnell hit a 3-pointer, Austin Hill hit a jumper and Taylor Coleman hit two shots to tie the game at 12 to end the first quarter.

From there, the Timberwolves started a 17-4 run that bled into the fourth quarter to take a 29-16 lead.

Okaw Valley increased its lead incrementally throughout the rest of the game for the eventual 62-42 win. Read More

SHS Senior Swimmers

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Photo by RR Best
SHS Senior Swimmers
Left to Right: Sullivan swimmers Luke DeLong, Charlie Goss, Bryce King, Allison Miller and Brynna Sentel are honored before the varsity girls’ basketball game against Clinton during senior night Feb. 2.

Swimmers Supporting Soldiers Goal Exceeded by Blue Dolphins

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•February 8, 2017•

Photo by JD Graham
American Legion members posing with head coach Jason Drury (Navy veteran) and some of the Blue Dolphins, Bob Sims Post Commander, Mike Keown Legion board member, Craig Hendry Air Force veteran, Ann Shaw auxiliary secretary, Ilena Godwin auxiliary president and Melanie Byers auxiliary treasurer.

By J.D. Graham
for the Blue Dolphins

When head coach Jason Drury of the Blue Dolphins set the challenge of 400 items to be collected for the Danville VA Hospital, the swimmers stepped up. Not only did they hit the goal of 400 items, they exceeded it with 767 total items being collected to donate to the hospital.

It is easy to get Drury to talk about the swimmers and the hard work they put into swimming and the pride he has in the team reaching the goal and helping veterans.    Read More

Sullivan Redskins Lose Close One to Meridian

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•February 8, 2017•

The Sullivan boys’ basketball team dropped the seventh-place game to Meridian 55-53 in the Central Illinois Conference tournament Feb 1 in Sullivan.

Sullivan led for most of the first half, and the game went back and forth in the third quarter.

The Redskins took the lead 34-32 with 55 seconds left in the third quarter when Brett Tuttle hit a jumper. Read More

OV Girls Take Two Conference Wins

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•February 1, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley girls’ basketball team picked up two Little Okaw Valley Conference wins this past week.

The Timberwolves defeated Decatur LSA Monday and Arcola Thursday.

Against LSA, Okaw Valley held the Lions under 10 points in the first three quarters.

The Timberwolves jumped out to a 16-5 first-quarter lead and held on for a 49-30 win. Read More

OV Girls’ Basketball Senior Night

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Photo by Madison Uhlrich
OV Girls’ Basketball Senior Night
The seniors of the OVHS girls’ basketball team gather for a commemorative photo before their last ever home game on January 26. Pictured are team manager Madison Uhlrich, Brianna Creviston, Jessica Robinson, and Kayla Wheeler.