Timberwolves Look to Take a Bite Out of the Competition

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•August 31, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports

Small but mighty. Fun to watch.

Those three phrases could definitely define the Okaw Valley golf team for both boys and girls.

New OV head coach Steve Nickerson comes to the group after six campaigns at Mt. Zion and inherits a team of nine players: seven junior boys, one junior girl with possible state implications in Grace Harlin and one freshman boy.

“Watch out for all of them!” Nickerson exclaimed. “We have had four different boys lead our team in scoring, Cameron Nickerson, Tanner Coleman, Austin Harshman and Case Crawford, and Grace Harlin has shot in the 40’s three out of four matches and should have a really good shot at making it to state.” Read More

Sullivan Golf Scores Win

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•August 24, 2016•

Sullivan varsity men’s golf team scored 176 topping Windsor’s 226 in a Thursday August 18 match in Windsor.

Caden Ellis led the Sullivan varsity effort shooting a 37; Tom Schibur, 41; Leighton Burcham, 44; Tim Lawyer, 54; Luke Delong, 58; and Bretton Crouse, 55. Read More

OV Golf Team Tops Villa Grove

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•August 24, 2016•

Okaw Valley High School golf team’s 181  was enough to best Villa Grove’s 187 at Eagle Creek August 18.

Medalists were Okaw Valley’s  Austin Harshman with a 43  and Jackson Vandeventer’s 43  for Villa Grove. Read More

Fall Sports Preview Night

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Photo courtesy Lisa Dickens/Bliss Photography Fall Sports Preview Night On Friday, August 19 Sullivan school district sports enthusiasts got a chance to see their favorite teams in action. Fans were invited to watch football practice which concluded on the game field. Athletic introductions of all the Sullivan schools’ fall sport participants were held at 6 p.m. including football, cheerleading, band and color guard, cross country, golf, swimming, middle school baseball, middle school softball with volleyball introductions in the elementary school gymnasium. Volleyball team members (pictured) then held a scrimmage to conclude the event.

Photo courtesy Lisa Dickens/Bliss Photography
Fall Sports Preview Night
On Friday, August 19 Sullivan school district sports enthusiasts got a chance to see their favorite teams in action. Fans were invited to watch football practice which concluded on the game field. Athletic introductions of all the Sullivan schools’ fall sport participants were held at 6 p.m. including football, cheerleading, band and color guard, cross country, golf, swimming, middle school baseball, middle school softball with volleyball introductions in the elementary school gymnasium. Volleyball team members (pictured) then held a scrimmage to conclude the event.

Reflecting on Years as a Blue Dolphin

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•August 24, 2016•

By Brynna Sentel
NP Columnist

I wasn’t even supposed to medal in this event. In prelims I finished 11th. Only the top nine were supposed to medal. But some stroke of luck occurred, and two people scratched; suddenly I was in the ready room with eight other swimmers who I thought were better than me.

I almost let my nerves get the best of me. Almost every swimmer will probably agree that the first time in the ready room is terrifying, especially when you are a small town girl such as myself.

I thought back to the time another team member and I made it to Zones. Zones is where swimmers represent their state rather than their club team. I was representing the state of Illinois against other swimmers representing their own states. So, Zones is a step higher than the State meet.  Read More

Cubs Reel off 11 Straight, USA Women’s Rowing Does the Same

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•August 17, 2016•

By Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports Columnist

For the 2020 Games in Tokyo the two will be coupled together for the first time—along with softball and three other sports—but for this go-around they are separate, but still the source of high-quality entertainment for young and old.

To highlight the diamond happenings, the Cubs tore off 11 straight games before succumbing to the Saturday and Sunday to the Cards—in spite of Kyle Hendricks’ 12 strikeouts—and as of print date hold a 12 game lead in the NL Central.

Only a truly catastrophic Cub-like collapse could save the Cards now.

In those weekend losses, the Cubs bullpen blew substantial leads, so stay tuned, folks.

Now to Rio. Read More

Sentel Leads Sullivan Blue Dolphins to Championship Meet

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Photo furnished Brynna Sentel at Senior Championship with her 5th place medal.

Photo furnished
Brynna Sentel at Senior Championship with her 5th place medal.

•August 17, 2016•

Brynna Sentel lead the Sullivan Blue Dolphins to the Senior Championship meet the weekend of August 4.

She qualified and competed in seven individual events and swam on two relays for SBD.  She is ranked fifth in the state in the 200 individual medley and 10th in the 100 backstroke.

Coach Jason Drury said, “for Sentel all the years of hard work and the experience at this level of competition is all coming together.“

Tyler Homann competed for the Dolphins in the 100 breaststroke.

The 400 medley relay team of Anna Wooters,   Brynna Sentel, Natalie Drury and McKenna Kull placed 30th.

The 400 freestyle relay of McKenna Kull, Allison Oligschlaeger, Anna Wooters and Sentel placed 15th.    Read More

Sullivan Golfers Place in Junior Open

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Photo furnished Sullivan Golfers Place in Junior Open Two Sullivan Golfers Placed in the Decatur Junior Open. Drew Rogers shot a two day total of 184 to win the 12-13 year old division and Logan Westjohn shot a 206 to finish fourth in that division. Both will be in eighth grade in Sullivan this year. They played at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur July 25 and 26.

Photo furnished
Sullivan Golfers Place in Junior Open
Two Sullivan Golfers Placed in the Decatur Junior Open.
Drew Rogers shot a two day total of 184 to win the 12-13 year old division and Logan Westjohn shot a 206 to finish fourth in that division. Both will be in eighth grade in Sullivan this year.
They played at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur July 25 and 26.

Sullivan MVP

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Photo furnished Sullivan MVP Jackson Matheson of Sullivan played in the Cal Ripken State and Ohio Valley Tournament with the Mattoon 9u All-stars team. Matheson was awarded MVP during the championship game in Galesburg. After winning the state tournament, the All-stars advanced to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. The five-state tournament included teams from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky,  Michigan and Wisconsin.   During a skills competition, Matheson won the fastest pitch with a speed of 57 mph. He also received another MVP for hitting a two run out-of-the-park home run over right field.  

Photo furnished
Sullivan MVP
Jackson Matheson of Sullivan played in the Cal Ripken State and Ohio Valley Tournament with the Mattoon 9u All-stars team. Matheson was awarded MVP during the championship game in Galesburg. After winning the state tournament, the All-stars advanced to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. The five-state tournament included teams from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky,  Michigan and Wisconsin.  
During a skills competition, Matheson won the fastest pitch with a speed of 57 mph. He also received another MVP for hitting a two run out-of-the-park home run over right field.

Bowman Exceeding Expectations at McKendree

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Bowman w Kirk 8•August 10, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports Reporter

After a brief hiatus of the check-in on the area athletes at the collegiate level, we return to the recap with this week’s edition on Sullivan’s own Mollie Bowman.

The 2014 Redskin grad is currently a jumper and a sprinter at Division II McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill.

Bowman performs the long jump (personal records will follow each event 17’5”), triple jump (35’11”), 200 meter sprint (25.84 seconds) and the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays (48.44 seconds, and 3:54.04 respectively).

Also, Bowman and the Bearcat coaches further plan on showcasing her versatility in the 400 meter hurdles.

Bowman has come, “extremely close”, in her own words, at bringing home conference hardware but has her sights set on achieving national honors her final two campaigns in Lebanon but not without working for them first.  Read More