Matt Schuckman, Sports Editor
QUINCY — Alex McCulla knew his record-setting round needed to be signed for and verified. So after his foursome that included former Quincy Notre Dame golf teammates Jack Leffers, David Hutson and Luke Siebers completed their round Thursday afternoon, they went to the clubhouse so there’d be witnesses. McCulla, the reigning Quincy men’s city champion…
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QUINCY — Engage Ben Kasparie in a conversation about baseball if you get the chance. What you will discover is a player whose appreciation for the craft is as strong as his spirit to compete. “A swing is like painting a picture,” said Kasparie, a graduate of Quincy Notre Dame and John Wood Community College…
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QUINCY — Sweet or salty? Creamy or crunchy? King size or nibbles? How do you like your snacks? Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman and Daily Dirt scribe and Muddy River Sports racing writer Steve Eighinger break down their favorite snack foods for the latest episode of The List. If you have an idea for…
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QUINCY — The windshield time Wyatt Mueller and his parents logged criss-crossing the Midwest as the Quincy Notre Dame senior football player was courted by college recruiters grew increasingly tiresome. “The worst part was driving everywhere,” Mueller said. “ And sitting in the car.” The miles driven and time away from home are going to…
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QUINCY — Vegas, baby! The Club Four 17U Boost volleyball team is heading to the Mojave Desert and what is quickly becoming one of the nation’s epicenters for major sporting events — Las Vegas — to play in the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships. The team leaves Monday and will participate in pool play…
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SAINT LEO, Fla. — Josh Keim is climbing the coaching ladder. After four highly successful seasons at Black Hawk College in Moline, Ill., the former Quincy University assistant baseball coach was named the head coach at NCAA Division II Saint Leo University on Friday, replacing Rick O’Dette, who resigned June 13. Keim played for O’Dette…
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QUINCY — Count ‘em one, two, three. That’s how many individual tumblers from Gem City Gymnastics and Tumbling captured national championships during the United States Tumbling Association National Championships, held last week in Louisville, Ky. Palmyra’s Ruby Akerson won the championship in the advanced girls 14-15 division, while Payson’s Kaylin Vazquez-Epperson took the title in…
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QUINCY — The map shows Santa Clara, Calif., is nearly 2,000 miles away, but Bradley Longcor III doesn’t see it as being nearly that far. “We realized the plane flight is four hours,” the Quincy High School basketball standout said. “The other schools recruiting me are four hours away, too, except that’s a car ride…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — If the best is yet to come, Wesley Robertson will rewrite the Illini West baseball program’s entire record book. What he did during his sophomore campaign was pretty impressive as a starting point. The third baseman set the Chargers’ single-season record for RBIs, driving in 50 runs as Illini West went 28-5…
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PLEASANT HILL, Ill. — McKinley Lowe and the Pleasant Hill softball team made history this spring. Not only did the Wolves win 26 games, but they became the first team in school history to play for a sectional championship. A 1-0 loss to Illini Bluffs ended the incredible run, but Lowe set aside the pain…
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QUINCY — This wasn’t on Jonny Dahl’s birthday wish list, but it will go down as one of the most memorable gifts he’s ever received. “Unbelievable,” he called it. Nine days shy of his birthday — Dahl turns 28 years old on July 3 — he was officially introduced Monday as the new John Wood…
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QUINCY — The tributes to Willie Mays since the Hall of Fame baseball player passed away have been captivating and enlightening. If you watched FOX’s pregame show prior to the St. Louis Cardinals facing the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., you were treated to some of the most well-produced and engaging…
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QUINCY — Zach Richardson first became a household name in this region as a three-sport standout athlete at Louisiana, Mo., and later as a member of the Truman State University football team. He made his way back close to home when he joined KHQA as a sports and news reporter. Three years later, Richardson is…
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QUINCY — Had the week been solely about football and showcasing his talents for a state-wide audience, Chris Flachs would have walked away satisfied. The heart-felt moments that accompanied playing the game he loves sent him home humbled. The recent Quincy High School graduate and soon-to-be Quincy University freshman offensive lineman took part in the…
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QUINCY — Lauren Bogle decision to resign as the John Wood Community College women’s basketball coach in early May was partially based on a desire to join a staff where she could learn more from a seasoned head coach. “It’s time to go learn under someone new now, and that means finding another spot,” Bogle…
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QUINCY — At its most fundamental level, the goal of golf is the same for a 5-year-old, a 75-year-old and everyone in between. Put the ball in the hole. The reaction to accomplishing that can be decidedly different however. Sometimes, it’s a fist pump and a Hallelujah. Other times, it’s an exasperated sigh or a…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Service Club’s initial adventure in being the host of the Pepsi Little People’s Golf Championships got off to a rousing beginning Tuesday morning at Westview Golf Course with the littlest of the Little People providing highlights galore. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the morning darting around the course watching…
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QUINCY — Dion Doyle decided this was the perfect opportunity to run it back. The Macomb basketball standout was part of a team that included Quincy High School’s Ralph Wires that won back-to-back Gus Macker 3-on-3 championships when the event was a Memorial Day weekend staple in downtown Quincy. Saturday, the duo reunited in the…
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QUINCY — The Illinois all-stars used their size and strength to control the lane and pace of play in Saturday’s third annual Muddy River Showcase, letting Quincy High School forward Taylor Fohey’s 25-point, 19-rebound effort guide them to a 78-43 victory Saturday at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…
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QUINCY — Despite their struggles offensively in the first 16 minutes of Saturday’s third annual Muddy River Showcase, the Illinois boys all-stars got rolling behind an aggressive defense and parlayed it into a 92-70 victory over Missouri at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the day on…
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QUINCY — Before the Lil’ Devils program brought them together, before they spent 10 consecutive winters running side-by-side, there were games in the YMCA basketball league where Ralph Wires, Tyler Sprick and Cam Brown were on opposite sides. “I tore them apart per usual,” Wires said with a mischievous, sarcastic grin. His ability to dart…
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QUINCY — Neither Nick Moore nor Zack Evans is showing outward concern over the uncertainty surrounding John Wood Community College’s search for a men’s basketball coach, which has moved past the eight-week mark. And neither has wavered on their decision to sign with the Trail Blazers. The opportunity to play together is just too enticing.…
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QUINCY — Here are the rosters for Saturday’s third annual Muddy River Showcase pitting the top seniors from Illinois and Missouri in a basketball all-star setting. The girls game begins at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center.
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QUINCY — With a limited window between John Wood Community College calling a press conference and Ali Schwagmeyer-Belger being introduced as the new women’s basketball coach — less than 24 hours in fact — she didn’t expect much of a crowd to gather Friday afternoon. Seeing family, friends and her high school coach in attendance…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — A record-setting season earned Wesley Robertson an all-state accolade. The Illini West sophomore third baseman/pitcher was one of 24 players named to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A all-state team and one of just two sophomores to make the list. The IHSBCA names only one all-state team per class.…
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QUINCY — Brad Hoyt believed there was one vital element necessary when constructing his coaching staff. Familiarity. The first-year Quincy University men’s basketball coach needed at least one coach familiar with the community, one familiar with the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the NCAA Division II level, and one familiar with himself and his coaching…
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QUINCY — Aside from the genuine interest the West Virginia University coaching staff showed in him, Griffin Kirn found another reason to believe he could succeed pitching for the Mountaineers. He saw what Derek Clark had done. A left-hander who transferred to West Virginia from NCAA Division II Northwood with one year of eligibility remaining,…
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AUGUSTA, Ill. — An anatomy and physiology class helped give Brilyn Lantz direction. Thoroughly invested in her science classes at Southeastern High School and wanting a profession that enabled her to give back to the community, Lantz discovered a career in radiology would achieve that. “I love science,” Lantz said. “It was a big motivator…
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SAN DIEGO — Kristen Gengenbacher’s collegiate coaching career is about to take off. The Quincy Notre Dame graduate recently was named an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the San Diego State University women’s volleyball program. “I am incredibly thankful and excited to be back in San Diego as a part of the Aztec volleyball…
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QUINCY — The collection of all-stars comprising the Missouri girls roster for the Muddy River Showcase don’t have to worry about a need for speed. They have it in abundance. Four members of the Show Me State squad competed in the state track and field championships, two others plan to play softball in college and…
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