Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan high school senior and softball standout Taylor Gottfriedt signs with Lincoln College last Friday as Lincoln softball coach
Crystal Wurth watches.

Sullivan catcher to enjoy immediate role next fall

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Taylor Gottfriedt is a leader.

Her summer softball coaches will tell you that.

Her high school softball coach will tell you that.

Even her forthcoming college coach will tell you that, and she’s only watched her play.

And it’s this clear leadership value that Gottfriedt brought to the table in her decade of softball that now has her seated at Lincoln College on a partial scholarship beginning next fall.

“I’m excited to get Taylor over to Lincoln,” said head coach Crystal Wurth. “She is a very, very smart ball player. She knows the game and does a very good job of communicating with her teammates so she will follow with the leadership from high school and carry that on into college.” Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan’s boys’ basketball team reacts after earning the Okaw Valley Conference tournament championship trophy Saturday night.

Redskins battle through OV Tourney, defeating host in Championship Saturday

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

“Why not us.”

What had been a rhetorical question and even mantra became a simple statement Saturday night when Sullivan, the no. 5 seed, upended no. 7 seed and host Meridian in the Okaw Valley tournament championship.

After 12 long years, the trophy came back to Sullivan in what is the final year of the Okaw’s existence. Sullivan last won the conference tourney in 2002 when they defeated Monticello 51-43. But it was 14 years ago that a young Chester Reeder, then a junior on the basketball team, was a part of the ‘99 Sullivan group to win the trophy. Read More

Photo by Jeni Yantis
Okaw Valley’s girls’ basketball team recognized its seniors Saturday afternoon during their game against Shiloh. Pictured left to right are: Shelby Dash, Mollee Decesaro, Abigail Weybright, and Brooke Whitrock.

Still wrap up best regular season record in nine years

by Emily Scott
Bethany Reporter

Though they fought hard the whole game, the Lady Timberwolves were not able to get a win on their senior night Saturday, instead falling 60-32 to the no. 4 state ranked Shiloh.

The Raiders’ big advantage was starting out with a full court press and scoring 21 points in the first quarter while OV scored only six. Most of their points came from Bethany McGinness and the 6’1” center Lauren Moses, who was the obstacle to get past the entire game and eventually went 13 for 16 at the free throw line. Read More

Taking on Tolono-Unity in their last regular season game, which also doubled as their last conference game, the Sullivan Lady Redskins came away with a 48-26 win and a third of the Okaw Valley Conference Championship, tying both Clinton and Central A&M. Read More

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

The recent snow has caused one reverse humdinger of a situation for the Sullivan Singers.

For the Singers, that effect has been seen in out-of-class rehearsal time taken by the snow days.

“All of our out-of-school practices seem to keep falling on snow days,” Singers director Connie Mulligan said. “We have done some good things to this point in our competition season, but we really needed the repetition and class time we have missed.” Read More