News Progress

•June 28, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond softball team handed out individual awards this past week.

Sophomore Reagan Miller received the offensive player award, and junior Macy Hollingsworth received the defensive player award.

Senior Mycaela Miller won the most valuable player award, and sophomore Marissa Herschberger won the most improved award.

Mycaela Miller was a unanimous first team Little Okaw Valley All-Conference player and was chosen for the first team all-area team in the News Gazette. Read More

Grace Harlin

•June 21, 2017•

The Illinois Coaches Association announced its 2017 Class 1A All-State Teams.

Two Okaw Valley players earned all-state honors.

Natalie Jeffers earned second team honors, and Grace Harlin earned third team honors.

Jeffers and Harlin were both third team all-state players as sophomores.

Jeffers specialized in driving in runs.

She drove in 42 in 27 games and had a career high eight home runs.

She sported a .448 batting average and a .538 on base percentage, and she scored 32 runs and tallied 11 doubles. Read More

Photo submitted
Professional golfer Mick Yelovich (left) presents Josh Wilson with a trip to Pebble Beach after winning the long drive challenge at the 28th annual Sarah Bush Lincoln Golf Benefit.

•June 21, 2017•

The 28th annual Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Foundation golf benefit experienced a record-setting year, reaching net proceeds of nearly $60,000 and attracting 262 golfers.

Funds raised at the June 9 event at Meadowview Golf Course will support the Foundation’s current initiative: “Life . . . Nothing Beats It,” a capital campaign to raise funds for the cardiology expansion project at Sarah Bush Lincoln that will include a new Heart Center and 21 new private patient rooms.

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of our sponsors and the enthusiasm of our golfers,” said Kim Lockart, special events officer for the Foundation. “Each year we have tremendous support for our events at Sarah Bush Lincoln. This year, we introduced new challenges for our golfers and it was certainly exciting to set a record on funds raised for this outing.” Title sponsors include BSA Life Structures, Cerner, Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative and Co-Bank; First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust, Hinshaw & Culbertson, and McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

New this year was a long drive challenge in which Josh Wilson won a trip to Pebble Beach including airfare, three rounds of golf and a two-night stay valued at $5,000. During the challenge, players could make a donation to the Heart Center to have Mick Yelovich, eight-time long drive world championship qualifier, hit their tee shot. Wilson won the trip by chipping the ball in the cup on the second shot of the par-5 hole. Yelovich, who represents Charity Golf International, generated an additional $3,500 in donations for the Heart Center during the event.

For more information, contact Lockart at 217/258-2511.

Photo by Mike Brothers

•June 14, 2017•

Former fast pitch teammates, village officials, family and friends of Hall of Fame fast pitch softball player Joe Phillips gathered June 9 in Wyman Park to dedicate the south softball field in his honor. Sullivan Mayor Ann Short presented the dedication plaque to Phillips’ son Terry who thanked the many teammates and friends who attended the 5:30 p.m. ceremony and invited them to an informal reunion at the Red Apple Restaurant afterwards.