Illinois
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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QUINCY — The wait is almost over. The 39th edition of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals late model “Hell Tour,” coupled with its partner, the 14th DIRTcar Modified Nationals, opens June 12 in Peoria. That’s one week before both series make their annual tour stop at Adams County Speedway on June 19. “We have a great…
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QUINCY — A pair of local prep football standouts and a couple of Quincy University recruits have been invited to play in the 50th Illinois High School Shrine Game, an all-star event taking place June 15 in Bloomington. Camp Point Central running back/defensive back Drew Paben and Quincy High School lineman Chris Flachs will represent…
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QUINCY — Tough. It is the first word that comes to mind scanning the roster of the Illinois girls team for the upcoming Muddy River Showcase. From Brilyn Lantz’s scrappiness that propelled Central-Southeastern to a Class 2A super-sectional berth last winter to Taylor Fohey’s willingness to battle on the block in guiding Quincy High to…
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QUINCY — Trevor Neville has officially adopted Quincy as his home away from home. Who can blame him? Neville won his second modified feature of the season at Adams County Speedway, surviving a late-race duel Sunday night with Chance Holland. Neville, who resides in Mackinaw, Ill., used back-to-back slide jobs coming out of turns two…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — The Illinois/Missouri Senior All-Star Track Meet provided the top track and field athletes from West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri one final opportunity to compete head-to-head and in some cases for the first time together. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent Friday evening at Palmyra High School for the event and put…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Illini West’s Ian Bentzinger and Liberty’s Keegan Sunde spent all season as rivals. On Friday, they were teammates, and they made sure to have some fun. During the Illinois/Missouri Senior All-Star Track Meet at Palmyra High School, the state-qualifying sprinters made up the first two legs of the Illinois boys 4×100 meter…
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QUINCY — With a little cooperation from the weatherman, Sunday evening will be a record-setting night at Adams County Speedway. For the first time in track history, which dates to 1975, there will be six regular series in action at the track. The Crown Vics’ much-anticipated debut as a member of the weekly lineup will…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — The Illinois/Missouri Senior All-Star Track Meet serves a two-fold purpose. “We want to give local kids one last chance to compete,” organizer Nick Koetters said. “We also do it as a way to raise money for Special Olympics.” The meet, which annually includes some of the top track and field talent from…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Dan Sparrow first had to address the situation as an athletic director before he could look at it as an interested party. Greg Altmix resigned as the Liberty boys basketball coach in mid-May, forcing the Liberty administration to act with a certain degree of haste in finding his replacement in order to…
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QUINCY — A pair of area standouts and a state champion who has signed with John Wood Community College highlight the rosters for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-star games, being held June 8 in Pontiac. Camp Point Central all-state guard Nick Moore will represent the south squad in the boys Class 1A-2A game, while…
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GLASFORD, Ill. — Ryan Lowe’s sunglasses hid his tears, but anyone listening could hear the angst in his voice. The Pleasant Hill softball coach couldn’t hold back the emotion as he addressed his team following the Wolves’ 1-0 loss to Illini Bluffs in the Class 1A Glasford Sectional title game on Saturday. “You’ve built something…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The fourth annual Chad McCoy Memorial Race at Adams County Speedway have been rescheduled for July 3. Track operators Jim and Tammy Lieurance first were forced to postpone Sunday night’s scheduled running following overnight and early morning rains. Later in the day, a hoped-for Monday rescheduling was also erased due to the overall…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — The schedule for Saturday’s finals of the Class 1A boys state track and field championships didn’t afford Jack Thompson the time to take stock in all he was accomplishing. It wasn’t until hours after he and the rest of the Camp Point Central athletes racked up a handful of medals that he…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — Ian Bentzinger’s legacy will be a spot among the top sprinters in Illini West history. That’s a storied list. The senior captured two state medals Saturday at the Class 1A boys state track and field championships at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium, finishing fourth in the 100-meter dash and fifth in the…
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GLASFORD, Ill. — An unbelievable performance in an unbelievable game with an unbelievable ending. And an imperfect ending in the Pleasant Hill softball team’s case. Wolves senior pitcher McKinley Lowe took a perfect game into the seventh inning of Saturday’s Class 1A Glasford Sectional championship game against Illini Bluffs, the top-seeded team in the sectional…
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CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — Jack Livengood did what no one else could. The Peoria Notre Dame junior right-hander quieted the Illini West baseball team’s attack. Livengood retired the Chargers in order the first time through the lineup, didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and authored a three-hit shutout in Saturday’s Class 2A Chillicothe IVC…
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QUINCY — Those rumors about Jim Lieurance looking for a four-leaf clover, rabbit’s foot or some other good-luck charm have not been exaggerated. The fate of Sunday night’s fourth annual Chad McCoy Memorial modified race at Adams County Speedway will likely depend on not only whether it rains, which is in the forecast, but how…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Memorial Medical Clinics have multiple dates during this summer for students to receive a sports physical. These sports physicals will be offered at Memorial Medical Clinics in Bowen, Carthage, Colchester, Hamilton (Broadway), LaHarpe and Nauvoo. Walk-in sports physicals are scheduled for: Appointments are not needed. Students will be seen in order of…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — The title pursuits are in full chase. Three area athletes — Illini West’s Ian Bentzinger, Camp Point Central’s Jack Thompson and Liberty’s Tanner Gimm — positioned themselves to be in the mix for Class 1A state track and field championships when Saturday’s finals roll around at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium. Bentzinger…
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GLASFORD, Ill. — As the runner came down the third-base line and the throw sailed in from right field with both destined to meet at home plate, Pleasant Hill softball coach Ryan Lowe momentarily held his breath. Most everyone else did, too. “Oh, my goodness,” Lowe said. “It was that way the whole game.” Kaitlyn…
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CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — Sometimes putting the ball in play is enough to get the job done. The Illini West baseball players took that approach to heart. The Chargers continually applied pressure to Rockridge’s defense during Wednesday’s Class 2A Chillicothe IVC Sectional semifinal, using a mix of hard ground balls, solid liners and strategically timed bunts…
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GLASFORD, Ill. — When Payson Seymour coach Joe Fessler addressed his team after their 6-1 loss to Illini Bluffs in the Class 1A Glasford Sectional semifinal on Tuesday, there were some understandably disappointed faces. “Some of them had some tears in their eyes,” Fessler said. “I don’t think it was necessarily tears that we lost.…
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MT. STERLING, Ill. — Retirement is coming at the perfect time for both Jeff Bottorff and the Brown County boys basketball program. The vice president of quality and training at DOT Foods since 2006, Bottorff will step away as a full-time employee at the end of May. Although he intends to continue serving as a…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — The 45th Strawberry Strut, which offers a race for everyone, will be held June 1. The Strawberry Strut includes the classic 5-mile run along Carthage Lake along with a 5K run, a 5K walk and a 1 mile fun run/walk. To register, go to runsignup.com/Race/IL/Carthage/StrawberryStrut or use the link on the Strawberry…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Spencer Havermale is a quick learner. “There are no slouches in this division,” Havermale said following his first two weeks in the crate late model series at Adams County Speedway. And even though Havermale is only in his first season in a crate late, the Quincy driver has already earned the right to…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — The carryover from the preliminary round of the Class 1A long jump put Mendon Unity sophomore Saylor Barry at the top of the leaderboard with three jumps to be made in Saturday’s finals. She didn’t jump any farther, but no one else did either. In fact, she outjumped the field Saturday at…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Pleasant Hill softball team received a special delivery on the way to Saturday morning’s Class 1A Camp Point Regional championship game. “The Fourth of July committee in Pleasant Hill was selling donuts at the four-way stop, and I guess they saw the bus getting ready and they said, ‘Stop by…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Ethan Carlisle is only a sophomore, but he had the composure of a veteran on Saturday. Carlisle tossed six shutout innings as the Illini West baseball team defeated Macomb 5-0 to capture the Class 2A Illini West Regional title at Jake Burling Field. Carlisle’s poise was put to the test in the…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — A school record to go along with a state medal isn’t too shabby of a way to end the season. The Camp Point Central girls 4×100-meter relay team accomplished that feat Saturday at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium, finishing in fifth place at the Class 1A state track and field championships. The…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — A freshman pitcher’s poise and presence is going to allow the seniors on the Winchester West Central baseball team to thoroughly enjoy the road trip that lies ahead. It should enable Grant DeWitt to have a more casual drive, too. Right-hander Anthony Hance wriggled out of a sixth-inning with a five-run lead…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The start was nearly perfect. The ending proved imperfect. After Pittsfield senior first baseman Brennan Tomhave launched a one-out home run to center field in the top of the first inning Saturday, Saukees right-hander Konner Allen retired Sacred Heart-Griffin without trouble in the bottom of the frame. However, the lead didn’t last.…
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TREMONT, Ill. — The Illini West softball team’s start against Tremont on Saturday was everything the Chargers could have asked for, but a seven-run fourth inning led to a 9-7 victory for the Turks in the Class 2A Tremont Regional championship game. The Chargers scored five runs in the top of the second. Payton Downs…
Read Full Article QUINCY — We are only two weeks into the Adams County Speedway dirt-track season, yet there are some specific trends already emerging. Let’s see if we can get a glimpse of the horizon by examining the here-and-now, class by class: Stock cars This just might be the most balanced of the current five classes. Don’t…
Read Full Article BARRY, Ill. — As the ball came off Ava Heming’s bat, Payson Seymour softball coach Joe Fessler figured the tying run was headed for home. “I thought for sure it was hit into the outfield,” he said. Olivia Mock didn’t let that happen. The Indians second baseman and a leaping catch of Heming’s liner between…
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MACOMB, Ill. — The Macomb Fraternal Order of Police will hold the 45th annual Scott Jennings Fishing Contest on Saturday, May 25, at Spring Lake. This free contest is open to children ages 1-15. Younger children can have helpers/parents to assist with bait, hooks, etc. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Fishing will be from…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — The Mendon Unity girls track and field program hasn’t had an individual or relay state champion in more than 40 years. Saylor Barry has given herself three chances to make history. The Unity sophomore qualified for the finals in three individual events during Thursday’s preliminaries in the Class 1A state championships at…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Illini West baseball coach Zack Burling told left-handed starter Nick Bruns he was only going to face Eureka’s leadoff hitter in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday before the Chargers went to the bullpen. “I just begged him to let me try to finish this game,” Bruns said. “And he did.…
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QUINCY — Here is a look at the schedule for regional play in Illinois in baseball, softball and girls soccer, as well as the Missouri district baseball tournaments: Illinois baseball Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional Wednesday, May 22 Game 1 — Winner North Mac Regional vs. Winner Pittsfield Regional, 4:30 p.m. Game 2 — Winner…
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RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Jack Thompson shared the results of the events he participated in Wednesday during the Class 1A Rushville-Industry Sectional and the closing line summed it up his effort quite nicely. “Huge Day!!!” he wrote. The Camp Point Central senior jumper and sprinter set a personal record in one event, helped the Panthers break…
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FARMINGTON, Ill. — Ian Bentzinger is sprinting his way toward a shot at a state championship, and the Illini West senior will have four chances at that. Bentzinger qualified for the Class 1A state track and field championships in four events during Wednesday’s Farmington Sectional, winning both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and running a…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Karly Peters knew exactly what was on the line and exactly what to do. In the bottom of the seventh inning of Wednesday’s Class 1A regional semifinal, Peters stood on second base as Lauren Miller stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, two outs and the Camp Point Central softball…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — It was deja vu for the Pleasant Hill softball team ahead of their Class 1A Camp Point Regional semifinal game against Mendon Unity on Wednesday. The Wolves’ 2022 season ended in a 13-inning loss to Unity in the regional semifinals in Camp Point when Pleasant Hill was the No. 1 seed…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Camp Point Central softball team walked off with a 5-4 victory over Southeastern in Wednesday’s semifinals of the Class 1A Camp Point Regional, while top-seeded Pleasant Hill rolled to a 12-2 victory over Mendon Unity. The Panthers and Wolves will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday for the regional championship. Muddy…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Patience, persistence and pitching have put the Mendon Unity baseball team on the verge of both a 20-win season and the program’s first regional title in more than 30 years. The second-seeded Mustangs took advantage of 10 free bases, broke through to take the lead in the third inning and finished off…
Read Full Article PAYSON, Ill. — The top of the Payson Seymour baseball team’s lineup set the tone for a 10-5 victory over Southeastern in Monday’s opening round matchup in the Class 1A Liberty Regional. It made history possible, too. Indians leadoff hitter Nolan Sparks went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while No.…
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PAYSON, Ill. — Ashton Ertz and Josh Cook share more than just a record. Ertz, a senior center fielder for the Payson Seymour baseball team, has 86 career hits. This mark puts him in a tie with Cook, a 1993 Payson Seymour graduate who spent time in the Houston Astros and New York Mets farm…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Tanner Klingele has come oh-so-close to that elusive first sport mod title, but has yet to raise a championship trophy. Four times in the last nine years he has finished runner-up in the points standings at Adams County Speedway. He has knocked on the door virtually every season since the inception of the…
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GENESEO, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys tennis team made its lead last at the Western Big 6 Conference championships despite the continued dominance of Rock Island Alleman junior Nick Patrick. The Blue Devils placed two singles players in top four and the doubles tandem of Anderson Knapp and Jason Derian finished third, giving…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Call it Opening Night II. Dirt-track race fans will get their first opportunity to see the regular lineup of classes Sunday night at Adams County Speedway when the crate late models, modifieds, sport mods, stock cars and 4-Cylinders are all on the same card. A week ago, the Lucas Oil MLRA series, featuring…
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GENESEO, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys tennis team positioned itself to claim the Western Big 6 Conference championship with a strong showing Friday. The Blue Devils lead the field with 12 team points, advancing two singles players and their No. 1 doubles team to Saturday’s semifinals. In singles play, third-seeded Trevor Nelson lost…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team completed its pursuit of the West Central Conference championship on Friday, beating Camp Point Central 4-0 at The Backyard as Caitlin Bunte tossed a one-hitter with nine strikeouts. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time behind home plate and put together this photo gallery:
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Carter Reeves did exactly what Mendon Unity baseball coach Tyler McAllister has wanted him to do with an outside pitch. Simply punch it into right-center field. With two outs in the top of the fifth inning Thursday, Reeves smacked the first pitch he saw from Camp Point Central reliever Garrett Neisen…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Saylor Barry is sprinting toward a shot at state-level success. The Mendon Unity sophomore track and field athlete qualified for the Class 1A state championships in three events during Thursday’s Pleasant Plains Sectional. The state meet takes place May 16-18 at O’Brien Stadium on the Eastern Illinois University campus in Charleston.…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The final week of the regular season is mirroring the rest of the spring — windy, rainy and unpredictable. Thursday’s game between the Mendon Unity and Camp Point Central baseball teams saw sunny skies turn to dark clouds, wind kick up and a steady rain that halted play in the top…
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MT. STERLING, Ill. — Beating a Class 4A program gave the Brown County baseball team a major boost heading into next week’s Class 1A regional. Vlad Rebarcak scored in the bottom of the sixth inning when Quincy High School was unable to turn an inning-ending double play, and Hornets pitcher Eli Staton finished a complete…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Braizley Allison came through in the clutch. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday and the Camp Point Central and Payson Seymour softball teams knotted at 8, Allison singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Anna Peters with what turned out to be…
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QUINCY — Winners. That’s the best way to describe the Illinois boys roster for the third annual Muddy River Showcase. The 10 players selected to represent the Land of Lincoln helped their teams to a combined .727 winning percentage last winter. One was the leading scorer on a state championship squad. One quarterbacked his football…
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CARTHAGE, Ill — Wesley Robertson’s walk-off single was the exclamation point on the Illini West baseball team’s 6-5 victory over Lewistown-Valley-Cuba on Monday. With the game tied at 5 and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Carter Chapin reached on an error, and Colby Robertson singled to move the winning run to…
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QUINCY — There’s no denying Tyler Erb is one of the premier late model dirt-track drivers in the nation. As far as travel plans go, however, the 27-year-old native of New Waverly, Texas, still needs some work to get to the front of the pack. Erb led flag-to-flag Sunday night to win the Lucas Oil…
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QUINCY — Maddie Sidwell won the deciding battle, and the Pleasant Hill softball team won the war. Sidwell’s bases-clearing double with two outs in the top of the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and propelled the Wolves to a 5-2 win over Quincy Notre Dame in the QND Softball Slam at The Backyard on…
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QUINCY — Admittedly, Jim Lieurance had his fingers crossed. That’s about all he could do as he monitored the weather in anticipation of the Adams County Speedway season opener, scheduled for Sunday evening at the venerable Broadway Bullring dirt track. The Lucas Oil MLRA Super Late Models tour will headline the opening night schedule. “The…
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QUINCY — The rain stayed away Saturday, which led to a competitive day of softball at The Backyard as four area teams took part in the Quincy Notre Dame softball slam. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent time at The Backyard and put together this photo gallery:
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Maverick Henry couldn’t stop smiling as he rounded the bases following his three-run home run in the second inning of the Brown County baseball team’s 15-0 five-inning victory over Liberty on Friday. As Henry approached third base, Hornets coach Jared Hoots — with a smile on his face as well — told…
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QUINCY — Avary Hlubek could not and would not be denied. The sophomore center fielder hit home runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings of the Quincy High School softball team’s 12-4 victory over Illini West on Friday. Her second inning home run came just three batters after Carlee Gilker hit a two-run home…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Ian Bentzinger sees his motivation staring back at him every day. The Illini West senior sprinter currently holds the fifth fastest time in the 100-meter dash in Class 1A across the state with his school-record 10.82 seconds, which he ran at the Lee Calhoun Invitational on April 5 in Macomb. At the…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Waiting a couple of extra days to be able to run, jump and throw under sunny skies brought out the best in many of the area’s top track and field athletes. The Mark Twain/Becky Thatcher Relays were moved to Tuesday at Porter Stadium after last Friday’s deluge made it impossible to compete.…
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MT. STERLING, Ill. — A catcher’s interference call on a bunt attempt in the top of the ninth allowed the go-ahead run to score and the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team tacked on another to pull out a 7-5 victory over Brown County on Monday. After each team scored a run in the eighth inning,…
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FULTON, Mo. — Alaina Power and Maggie Routh each scored their first career goal as the Hannibal girls soccer team defeated Fulton 8-0 in a North Central Missouri Conference game. This is the Pirates’ sixth straight win and fourth consecutive shutout. Goalkeeper Ava Turner has notched 12 shutouts this season. Ashley Davis netted a hat…
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PLEASANT HILL, Ill. — McKinley Lowe, Ava Wombles and the Pleasant Hill softball team are on quite a roll. The Wolves are 14-2 and are outscoring opponents by nearly six runs per game. The pitching staff, which consists of Lowe and Wombles, has recorded six shutouts and given up one run on four other occasions,…
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VINCENNES, Ind. — Tyler Dance found his footing. The John Wood Community College freshman right-hander threw six scoreless innings Saturday, striking out eight and walking one as the Trail Blazers opened a four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference series with an 8-0 victory over Vincennes University. JWCC also won the nightcap of the doubleheader 14-4. Dance, a…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — It takes a certain toughness to play catcher. As Camp Point Central freshman infielder Caleb Petersen put it, “There’s no such thing as a good sissy catcher.” His older brother is as tough as they come and has an iron man streak to prove it. Cole Petersen, a senior, has caught…
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KAHOKA, Mo. — Cody Shaffer refused to give in, much like the rest of his Mendon Unity baseball teammates. Shaffer fouled off four consecutive pitches with two outs in the sixth inning before hitting a game-tying three-run home run. The Mustangs completed their comeback from a six-run deficit in the seventh when pinch-runner Johnathan Lucie…
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State Farm Center will continue to host boys basketball state tourney, format still under discussion
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The site won’t change. Will the format? Thursday, the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors announced a five-year contract extension to keep the boys basketball state tournament at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana. The contract runs through the 2028-29 season. The success of the tournament…
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LANCASTER, Mo. — One day after playing in a hail storm, Trevor Biggerstaff and the Canton boys golf team enjoyed teeing it up under a sun-splashed sky. The Tigers’ play mirrored the weather. Biggerstaff earned individual medalist honors by shooting a 1-under 71 and Canton won the team title with a 328 total Wednesday in…
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QUINCY — Off the field, Quincy Notre Dame junior Abram Wiewel is a light-hearted jokester. On the field, he turns into a junkyard dog. “When I’m pitching, I get into a completely different mindset,” Wiewel said. “I want to hunt you down and destroy you.” Monday, Wiewel annihilated the Mendon Unity baseball team’s offense, throwing…
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PLEASANT HILL, Ill. — Dominant. Unhittable. Perfect. All of these adjectives describe McKinley Lowe’s performance for the Pleasant Hill softball team on Monday. Lowe tossed a perfect game and struck out 19 hitters in the Wolves’ 9-0 victory over Winchester West Central. This is Lowe’s second perfect game in the last two weeks. She also…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The numbers never lie. That’s why Jimmy Lieurance is anxious for the Adams County Speedway racing season to get underway. “We’re pretty sure we’ll have more than 100 cars in the pits most Sunday nights this season,” said Lieurance, who with his wife, Tammy, are close to beginning their third year as co-promoters…
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QUINCY — A roller coaster. That was the only way Camp Point Central softball coach Brey Genenbacher could describe the Panthers’ 19-9 victory over Jacksonville on Saturday at The Backyard. “Moments of greatness followed by some troubles,” Genenbacher said. The moments of greatness included 23 hits, six extra-base hits, runs in five consecutive innings to…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Mired in a midseason slump, the Pittsfield baseball team needed a turn-things-around moment. Ending Mendon Unity’s 13-game win streak may be it. Two Saukees combined to limit the Mustangs to two hits, and a five-run fifth inning helped propel Pittsfield to a 9-0 victory Saturday. The Saukees had lost three of their…
Read Full Article EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys tennis team continues to pile up dual victories. Friday night’s effort against a traditional Western Big 6 Conference powerhouse is a sign of good things to come. The Blue Devils beat Moline 7-2 in a neutral-site dual, winning a pair of tiebreakers and getting solid play from…
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PAYSON, Ill. — Relief. That was Hunter Miller’s overwhelming emotion as he rounded the bases for the first home run of his baseball career Wednesday. “It’s taken way too long,” Miller said. The sophomore’s two-run fourth-inning home run helped Payson Seymour secure a 9-6 West Central Conference victory over Camp Point Central. “I’ve been waiting…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Emma Wombles has been virtually unhittable of late. The Pittsfield softball team’s freshman right-hander tossed a one-hit shutout of Beardstown in Wednesday night’s 13-0 victory, giving her back-to-back one-hitters as part of the Saukees’ three-game win streak. Wombles has allowed only seven hits in her last 20 innings pitched. Against the Tigers,…
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BUSHNELL, Ill. — With two runners on base and two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Bushnell-Prairie City baseball team was one run away from a 10-run rule victory. The Spartans didn’t get it, and that gave Mendon Unity new life. The Mustangs scored five times in the top of the sixth,…
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SHELBINA, Mo — Jaaron Durbin and Noah Wilt took advantage of their home course knowledge and shared medalist honors Wednesday as the South Shelby boys golf team won its own invitational at Lakeside Golf Course. The Cardinals shot a 310, while Palmyra was second at 333 and Canton third at 344. Durbin and Wilt each…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Sara Reichert sees it as clearly as anyone. Her brother and her cousin share a common trait passed down through generations of the Fessler family. That’s their even-keel disposition. “Our grandparents were sports-loving fans,” said Reichert, the junior varsity softball coach at Liberty, where her first cousin B.J. Fessler is the varsity…
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MACOMB, Ill. — A crisp morning turned into a sun-splashed afternoon and the breeze that came with it made fishing at Spring Lake Park enjoyable. So did catching some big lunkers. The Macomb High School bass fishing team played host to its first tournament Saturday, welcoming 30 two-angler teams to the 244-acre lake. Rushville-Industry topped…
Read Full Article CONCORD, Ill. — The streak keeps building. A pair of victories Saturday in the Triopia Slam enabled the Mendon Unity baseball team to extend its winning streak to double digits following a 6-1 victory over Payson Seymour and a 12-0 victory over Triopia. The Mustangs have won 11 games in a row and are 12-2…
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PAYSON, Ill. — It was windy Thursday afternoon. Really windy. Gusts blew as strong as 25 miles per hour with steady wind around 15 mph, forcing Liberty softball coach BJ Fessler to make sure his team was prepared for the conditions. “During our in-and-out (before the game), I hit some big flies so they could…
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QUINCY — Just gotta shake it. Sophomore pitcher Bradi Lahr uttered those words — quite loudly — dozens of times during the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s game against Pittsfield on Wednesday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. What exactly does this phrase mean? “Whatever you want to take it as,” Lahr said. Whatever it…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Spend any amount of time chatting with Keegan Sunde about his track career and you come away with one overriding realization. His passion for the sport is all encompassing. The Liberty senior sprinter enjoyed a solid indoor season, running the 60-meter dash in 7.25 seconds at the Illinois Top Times Meet at…
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MENDON, Ill. — The manner in which the Palmyra baseball team rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning Monday to tie the game could have put Mendon Unity on its heels. Instead, the Mustangs proved they refuse to buckle. Cody Shaffer’s single through the left side of the infield with one…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Pittsfield baseball team wasted no time taking control. Run-scoring doubles by Brennan Tomhave, Konner Allen and Hayden Gratton in the bottom of the first inning Monday led to a three-run frame and catapulted the Saukees to a 5-3 victory over Quincy High School. The Saukees’ Luke Archer led off the fourth…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — The line drive hit Cody Shaffer’s upper right arm with enough force that the ricochet led to an out at first base and had people scrambling to check on the Mendon Unity right-hander. Immediately, the umpires called time and Mustangs coach Tyler McAllister popped out of the dugout to assess Schaffer’s injury…
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LIBERTY, Mo. — A pair of right-handed hurlers engaged in a pitchers’ duel Thursday as neither Mendon Unity’s Cody Shaffer nor Liberty’s Jackson Sims allowed a run over the first six innings. The relievers were just a stingy in the seventh inning. It wasn’t until the eighth inning when a pair of errors enabled Unity…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Dakota Lafferty’s investment in her players, her program and her sport is nearly impossible to match. Finding someone who can is the challenge the Illini West administration faces. Illini West athletic director Grant Surprenant confirmed Lafferty submitted her resignation Tuesday night and the players were informed of the decision Wednesday afternoon. Lafferty…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Justin Pennock wasn’t overly confident he have unhittable control as he warmed up Saturday morning. “Honestly, not really,” said Pennock, a senior right-hander on the Pittsfield baseball team. “I was still a little bit sore. I thought if I hit spots I’d be all right.” He hardly missed one. Pennock faced just…
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Lowe's one-hitter features 17 strikeouts, Winchell doubles twice as Wolves pick up pair of victories
PIASA, Ill. — The Jerseyville softball players may have thought they’d have a chance to catch up to Pleasant Hill right-hander McKinley Lowe after Anna Kribs fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches before getting a single to left field with one out in the first inning. No one else made contact. Lowe orchestrated a…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — Friday began and ended with late-inning heroics. First, Garrett Neisen stranded the tying run in scoring position as the Camp Point Central baseball team rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Liberty 5-4. Then, the Central softball team allowed Liberty to score five times in the top of the sixth inning…
Read Full Article MENDON, Ill. — Trailing by two runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday, the Mendon Unity baseball team needed baserunners to even think about a rally. Six consecutive batters safely reaching did the trick. Ben McClelland and Sawyer Allen started the rally with back-to-back singles before the Mustangs’ patience kicked in. Three…
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