Category Archives: Sports

Okaw Valley Player Signs

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Okaw Valley Player Signs
Cameron Sharp (gray shirt) signs to play basketball at Quincy University June 10.
Two Okaw Valley alumni committed to playing collegiate sports these past weeks.
Cameron Sharp signed to continue his basketball and academic career at Quincy University.
Camden Coleman, whose senior year of baseball was lost to the pandemic, signed to play baseball at Fontbonne University in St. Louis.
Coleman signed on as a pitcher.
In his junior year, Coleman eight games as a pitching and with a 5-1 record, pitching 34 2/3 innings.
He totaled 43 strikeouts and 11 walks with a 1.01 ERA.

Student Athletes’ Conditioning Regiment Adjusted for COVID 19 Safety Concerns

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•June 17, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors announced guidelines that provide the first step in IHSA student-athletes returning to participation.
Monday, June 15th, Sullivan coaches implemented those guidelines into a new conditioning regiment for Sullivan athletes.
The football, boys basketball, volleyball and girls basketball began conducting voluntary in-person strength and conditioning workouts for the high school students that are interested in participating in those sports.
The football and boys basketball groups will workout on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 7-8 a.m.
The volleyball and girls basketball groups will work out from 10-11 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.
“Groups of no more than nine students and a coach have been set primarily by sport, and those coaches have communicated that with their athletes,” said Sullivan athletic director Ryan Aiken. “The workouts that these groups do will be general in nature and will be conducted outside at various spots throughout our complex such as the football practice field, the high school track, and the grass lot east of the football field so that we can ensure that social distancing guidelines are being maintained.” Read More

Students-Athletes Returning to Participation Outdoors

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•June 10, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

For weeks, area coaches and athletic directors have been waiting for the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors to announce guidelines that provide the first step in IHSA student-athletes returning to participation.
Their biggest complication: the difficulty of planning for the unknown.
“Events associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have constantly been changing so it has been extremely difficult to plan for what seems to be at times a bunch of different scenarios,” Sullivan athletic director Ryan Aiken said last Sunday.
After delaying the announcement for new guidelines for nearly a week, late Friday afternoon, the IHSA posted its “COVID-19 Update.”
The IHSA has approved “Return to Play Guidelines” developed within the current structure of Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan that provide the first step in IHSA student-athletes returning.
In a very short turnaround, the IHSA’s “Stage 1 of Return to Play” began one day after the announcement, June 6, but with stipulations. Read More

What Can Local Athletes Look Forward To?

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•June 3, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

As stay at home restrictions are relaxed and summer activities begin, what are local athletes looking forward to?
Below we asked Sullivan Athletic Director Ryan Aikman three questions in a short interview about sports, summer camps, and preparing for the unknown during a crisis.
News Progress: With the new guidelines of working out but not more than ten people at a time, is SHS going to open its weight room, etc.? Read More

Did You Know? at Okaw Valley HS

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•May 20, 2020•
Okaw Valley High School has been offering a “Did you know?” social media project over the last school year.
These items were included recently:
The 2020 Senior Okaw Valley High School baseball players were 69-19 in their high school career entering the 2020 season?
Did you know OVHS has a brand new athletic complex which consists of a brand new baseball field?
Did you know that since the beginning of the 14-15 season, which ended in a 4th place finish at state, the baseball team has a record of 120-31... a .741 winning percentage?[/s2If]

Virtual Signing for SHS Runner

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Virtual Signing for SHS Runner
A Team Zoom on Friday was held to celebrate Sullivan High School runner Katherine Kite’s college signing to Elmhurst College. She will be running cross country and track and field for the Blue Jays next fall.
Coach Kali Taylor commented on Kite’s high school career. “It has been such a joy to have the honor of coaching and learning from Katherine for the past four years. She is one of the hardest working, dedicated and selfless student-athletes that I have had the privilege of coaching. She has grown into such an outstanding role model for her teammates, on and off the track. While balancing several extra-curricular activities, taking AP classes and being an active member in several student organizations, Katherine still found the time to hone her running craft. She participated in the Viper Track Club last summer, to help supplement her off- season training and took on a leadership role for our winter conditioning, serving as a mentor for all her teammates. In cross country she was a 3 time All Conference runner and qualified for Sectionals on three occasions. I have seen tremendous growth in Katherine throughout her high school career, largely in part to her mental toughness and fortitude. She came in as freshman running a 7:00 mile and finished with a PR of 5:45. She had her sights set on breaking the school record of 5:35, but I am excited for her to take this next step in her journey and have no doubt that she will surpass that at the college level. She hasn’t truly realized what she is capable of achieving and I can’t wait to see the contributions that she makes to the Blue Jays program! She has definitely left her mark on the SHS Track Program and has set the bar high for future distance runners to strive for.”

COVID-19 Won’t Stop Blue Dolphins

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Grant Martin with his $25 Swim Outlet Gift Card Participation Award.

•April 15, 2020•
By Kevin Cremeens
SBD Publicity Director

The Sullivan Blue Dolphins Swim Team has not been allowed to gather and practice in the pool since March 16th, but they are not letting that stop them.
Don’t be alarmed, they are not still meeting and working out together, but are doing so “virtually”. Read More

Lady Reds defeat Lady Rams, in 2005

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Korey Hostetter bends for a rebound.

•April 1, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Sullivan Lady Redskins defeated the Lady Rams of Shelbyville to take eighth in the Okaw Valley Tournament in 2005, but dropped four other games this week.
Sullivan took a six-point lead into the half and tacked on one more in the third quarter.
In the fourth, the Lady Redskins spread

the lead open for the 48-37 victory. Sullivan outscored the Lady Rams in every quarter with help from Kasey Hamilton who led Sullivan with 20 points.
Carrie Kuhns followed with eight.
Micah Heddins, Kelly Malloy and Megan Buxton each scored four points, and Lacey Florey and Shaylee Walker had three each.
Lara Seelhoefer rounded out Sullivan’s scoring with a bucket. Read More

Area Players Earn Honors

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•March 18, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

Several area girl basketball players earned all-conference honors this past week.
Central Illinois Conference
From Sullivan, three Redskins earned all-Central Illinois Conference honors.
Emily White was one of four unanimous choices for the six-member all-conference team.
The junior was the Redskins leading scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game. Read More

LPC Conference Announces Honored Players

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Jamison Rocke defends Eli Hagerman during the Lincoln Prairie Conference regular-season championship game Feb. 1 at Arthur. Both players earned all-LPC honors.

•March 18, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Lincoln Prairie Conference announced its boys’ basketball all-conference team Thursday.
In its inaugural year, several area players earned honors.
For Okaw Valley, senior Cameron Sharp earned unanimous first-team selection.
Sharp averaged a team-high 18.7 points and 2.9 steals per game to go with 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest.
He shot 46 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range. Read More