St. T wins 10-4 Sat.
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
In a game where OV pitcher Devon Still had an uncharacteristically high number of walks, seven in four innings, St. Teresa capitalized and came out on top Saturday with a 10-4 regional title win. Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond senior Karly Goodman earned fifth place in the shot put in Saturday’s finals.
After two years of 8th, senior earns 5th
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
“That number eight, it gets me.”
What Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond senior Karly Goodman is referring to is not only her last two years of finishing eighth at state in the shot put, but even the fact that after Thursday’s preliminaries, the senior was seeded none other than eighth coming into Saturday’s finals.
But Goodman wouldn’t have it a third year. Instead, the senior hurled a throw of 39 feet 3/4 inches for a fifth place finish, just 1 1/2 inches out from fourth. Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Kayla Wheeler watches as a wild throw goes past her during Friday’s regional championship game against Central A&M in Ramsey.
Can’t defeat A&M a third time
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
Despite defeating Central A&M two previous times this year, the Okaw Valley softball team couldn’t make it a third in the regional championship Friday, instead falling 3-9.
While the offense didn’t have its strongest outing, tallying seven hits total, it was the defense, or at times, lack thereof, that made Friday’s battle all the more difficult.
After Amanda McClain led her team from the mound for the first two innings of stalemate play, Abigail Weybright took over in the third, with McClain trying to avoid any potential injury with her state track bid on Saturday. Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Kailyn Boyer chases down a ball during Tuesday's sectional semifinal against Fairfield.
Two-run homer in sixth inning deals lasting blow
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
The first three-run homer that Fairfield hit, Sullivan weathered. But the second two run blast in the sixth inning dealt a demoralizing blow from which the Lady Red never recovered, instead falling 7-2 in the sectional semifinal Tuesday. Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Peyton Hagerman goes to make the throwout at first Thursday.
Will play St. T in championship Saturday
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
It wasn’t pretty, but Okaw Valley’s baseball team pulled out an 8-6 regional semifinal win over Decatur LSA Thursday evening to advance to the championship Saturday morning against host St. Teresa.
“it was an ugly win, but anytime you have an ugly win to go play for a regional championship, you’ll take it,” said OV head coach Andrew Hagerman.
The wolves struggled on offense early and only when LSA errors crept up, did OV manage their first few runs. In fact, OV led LSA 2-0 after three innings, but had no hits.
It wasn’t until the fourth inning did OV get its first hits of the game, which in turn also led to their biggest inning with five runs, though still aided by LSA errors. Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Tyler Schuring goes to make the tag out at home Monday on St. Thomas More’s Sean Sullivan. The ball would come loose, however, with Sullivan scoring, just one of five unearned runs on the day.
St. Thomas More scores five unearned runs in 7-0 win
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond had just two hits Monday evening, one in the first inning on Shandon Herschberger’s single to right field and the last in the top of the seventh off of Noah Yantis’ hard shot to pitcher Storm Joop in at closer.
But that was about all the no. 6 seed Knights’ offense could muster as the no. 3 host St. Thomas More remained relentless from the mound while taking advantage of several wild pitches and passed balls to score five unearned runs in their 7-0 win, which also marked the Sabers’ head coach Steve Rear’s 200th career win.
“It was a special occasion for me and the team, but throughout the years we’ve been very fortunate here to have good baseball teams,” said Rear. “It’s the players that win the games.” Read More
Submitted
Pictured are those SOV athletes that competed at the Pana sectional last Thursday. Front row, Emily Neuhauser; second row, from left to right, Cadisen Nuzzo, Alyssa Marshall, Carlin Nuzzo, Amanda McClain, Mollie Bowman, Karley Hamm, and Jasmine Miller; third row: Rachel Stutzman, Ashlynd Risley, Mackenzie Mosier, coach Kali Taylor, Caity Ohm, Megan Dash, and Brooke Mitchell.
Charleston the destination Thursday and hopefully Saturday
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
No one should be guilty of disbelief here. Many if not most felt from the beginning of this year’s girls’ track season that Sullivan-Okay Valley would be sending, once again, a solid share to Charleston this coming weekend for the state track meet.
They didn’t disappoint.
Competing at the Pana sectional last Thursday, SOV took third place behind Decatur St. Teresa and Central A&M, marking it the third straight year of the top three finish.
And with it is the stamped ticket for five girls in seven events to Eastern Illinois University later this week. Read More
Sullivan unable to make key hits
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
Slow and steady wins the race, and Cerro Gordo was Monday’s victor as they defeated Sullivan 10-3 in the quarterfinals of the Monticello regional.
True, the Broncos did get out to a 3-0 lead in the first, but the game never got put away until the bottom of the sixth when up 6-2, Cerro Gordo scored four runs. Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
The Sullivan softball team celebrated their seniors Saturday morning before their game against Okaw Valley. Pictured, from left to right, are seniors: Elizabeth Inman, Christina Brown, Taylor Gottfriedt, and Maggie Plank.
OV takes third with win over A&M
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
After breaking a stalemate with Okaw Valley in the sixth inning of game one to win 8-2, Sullivan’s lackluster performance in the championship of Saturday’s tournament at Wyman led to an 0-13 loss at the hands of Mt. Zion. OV meanwhile rebounded with an 11-7 win over Central A&M to take third. Read More
Photo by RR Best
Pictured are Sullivan’s three seniors who were recognized at Tuesday’s game against Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond. From left to right: Shane Atchison, Griffin Sullivan, and Travis Hanson.
Senior night not upset with 12-2 victory
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond’s Tyler Schuring blistered the ball over the fence early in the game Tuesday evening, scoring the Knights’ only two runs. Sullivan not only responded in their half of the first with four runs, but went on to add at least one run in the next five to win 12-2 on senior night.
After two walks began the bottom of the first, Nick Frerichs flew out to center field scoring Alec Ballinger. Dakota Clayton’s single to left field then sent Shane Atchison home to tie the game. Read More