WSS Falls to Hardin Calhoun in Super-Sectional Action

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Photo by Morgan Brown
Megan Schlechte (No. 1) steals second base.

•May 29, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

After winning the Class 1A Macon (Meridian) Sectional championship Friday, the Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg fell in a pitchers’ duel against Hardin Calhoun in the Springfield (UIS) Super-Sectional Monday.
Monday, in a game that was moved from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. because of field conditions, the Hatchets had several opportunities but could not find the one timely hit needed to tie the game.
Hardin Calhoun scored in the first inning when Lucy Kallal’s soft infield hit put her on first base, and two wild pitches allowed her to advance to third.
Kallal scored on a groundout to take the early 1-0 lead.
WSS coach Craig Moffett was sure the team would overcome the deficit. After all, the fewest runs the Hatchets scored in a game this season were two against Goreville ,April 6.
And WSS fell behind in the same situation against Hardin Calhoun last season but battled back from a 2-0 deficit to win.
WSS pitching kept the Warriors from extending the lead.
But despite having a runner in scoring position in each of the last four innings, WSS just could not plate the one run needed to tie the game.
In the top of the seventh inning, Ava Bennett singled up the middle with two outs for the Hatchet’s lone hit. She advanced to third but did not make it home in the 1-0 loss. Read More

Nuzzo Fourth at State, Knight’s Hall is Seventh

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•May 29, 2019•

Two local athletes placed in the top 10 in their events at the IHSA Class 1A State Track and Field Meet in Charleston Saturday.
Redskin Jadon Nuzzo placed fourth in pole vault at 14 feet 6 inches, and Knight Layton Hall ran 3,200-meter in 9:47.03 for a seventh place finish.

Salt Fork Rallies Over Okaw Valley in Sectionals

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•May 29, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley baseball team was eliminated from the Class 1A Danville Schlarman sectional semifinal last Wednesday at Danville Stadium.
After scoring a run in the first inning, the Timberwolves were unable to plate another run while Salt Fork rallied with five runs combined in the first three innings for a 5-1 lead. Read More

Signs to Attend Aurora

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Signs to Attend Aurora
Leighton Burcham signed his Letter of Intent to compete in Track and Field at Aurora University on Tuesday, May 21 at 2:45 p.m. in the Sullivan High School gym. Pictured during the signing are Leighton with parents Cheri and Brad Burcham of Sullivan.

Comeback Rally Reels in Regional Championship for OVHS Baseball

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Photo by R.R. Best
Okaw Valley pitcher Camden Coleman got the win over Central A&M last Wednesday to set up OV baseball’s sixth straight regional title appearance.

•May 22, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The chances of the Okaw Valley baseball team winning its second straight regional title did not look good in the Class 1A Moweaqua (Central A&M) Regional against Little Okaw Valley Conference Northwest Division foe Decatur LSA Saturday.
The Timberwolves had already lost to LSA twice this season (2-1 and 10-4) and fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning.
OV was able to cut the lead to 3-2 with a run in the bottom of the first inning and another run in the third inning.
Decatur LSA extended its lead 4-2 with a run in the fifth inning.
Heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, a second consecutive regional title and fourth OV regional title in six years looked out of reach.
But a 3-run comeback rally, capped off with Hank Yowell doubling in two runs, gave OV a 6-5 lead heading into the seventh inning.
Tyson Montgomery came in and closed out the game in a one-two-three scoreless seventh inning for another Timberwolves’ regional championship win.
Eli Hagerman got the win by relieving starting pitcher Dalton McGill in the first inning. Read More

SMS State Bound

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SMS State Bound
Sullivan Middle School Track and Field team members Cassidy Short and Brent Bushue competed in the IESA state meet in East Peoria last weekend. Short competed in the long jump and Bushue in the pole vault. Pictured with the state qualifiers are coaches Jim Palmer, Cindy Yoder, Angie Westjohn and head coach Don Typer. Short finished 17th and Bushue 19th.

Miller Breaks School Record at State

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•May 22, 2019•
Sullivan senior Esther Miller competed in the IHSA Class 1A State Track and Field Meet at Eastern Illinois University last Thursday.
Miller placed 10th in the 400-meter dash with a personal best of 1:01.12 in the prelims Thursday.
She missed qualifying for finals by .08 seconds.
Miller also finished 16th in the triple with a jump of 35 feet 4.75 inches. Read More

ALAH Softball Wins Regional Title

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•May 22, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond softball team took home the Class 2A Newton Regional after defeating host Newton 7-3 Friday.
The Knights scored a run in each of the first, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, and scored two runs in the third inning.
Newton scored three runs in the sixth inning when Knight pitcher Makenzie Brown walked batters before a double down the line.
The only other hit Brown allowed was a bunt single. Read More

Gold Medals for Nettles

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•May 22, 2019•

Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond junior track and field sensation Kenli Nettles took home three gold medals before the Class 1A state track and field meet ended last weekend.
She placed first in the 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles and high jump for the medallion hat trick
Nettles ran the 100-meter hurdles in 14.29 and the 300-meter hurdles in a personal best time of 43.68.
She high jumped a season-best height of 5 feet 7 inches.
She also placed fifth in the 200-meter dash with a personal best time of 25.39.

Nuzzo’s First at Sullivan Hosted Sectionals Earns State Ranking

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Photo by R.R. Best
Up and away with Jadon Nuzzo at the state track meet held at Eastern Illinois University. Nuzzo ranked second in pole vault, Class 1A in the state.

•May 22, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan boys’ track and field team hosted the Class 1A Sectional last Thursday.
The Redskins placed 10th out of 14 teams with 26 points, while Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond placed eighth with 40 points.
Pana won the meet with 87 points.
For Sullivan, Jadon Nuzzo pole vaulted 15 feet for first place to qualify for the state track and field meet at Eastern Illinois University.
Nuzzo’s best height ranks him second in Class 1A.
Brodie Goss broke Sullivan’s school record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.79, and Leighton Burcham long jumped 20 feet 5.5 inches for fourth place.
“Overall our young team ended the season on a very positive note, with 12 more personal records set that night,” said coach John Bertetto.
For the Knights, Austin Romine qualified for state in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:03.20. Read More