Quincy
QUINCY — Avery Scott may have been the biggest winner at the Grand Prix of Karting. And it had nothing to do with winning a race. The 20-year-old Quincyan survived a tumultuous crash early Sunday at South Park, an accident that red-flagged the event for a considerable period of time. Scott returned to race later…
Read Full Article QUINCY, Ill. — The Quincy Gems solved their offensive woes for one night, but the pitching problems persist. The Gems’ pitching staff gave up double-digit runs for the fifth time in 12 games in a 14-10 loss to the Normal Cornbelters on Sunday night in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium. The Gems (5-7),…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Gems’ pitching staff gave up double-digit runs for the fourth time in 11 games in a 12-1 loss to the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes on Saturday night in a Prospect League game at Robin Roberts Field. The Gems (5-6), whose 7.50 team earned run average is second-worst in the 16-team league,…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — The Quincy Gems missed a chance to move into first place in the Prospect League’s Great River Division — or even simply remain tied for first. Instead, the Gems lost a doubleheader on Friday to the Cornbelters by scores of 6-3 and 4-1 at the Corn Crib to fall two games out…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Gems had a one-run lead entering the top of the ninth inning, and catcher Jonathan Latham did his best to maintain that lead. Latham threw out would-be base stealers for the final two outs of the game as the Gems held on for a 6-5 victory over the Alton River Dragons…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The front-to-back, middle-of-the-field trio that carried the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team to a state championship earned some worthy postseason honors. So did Quincy High School’s dangerous sophomore connection. Raiders forward Lia Quintero, midfielder Avery Keck and sweeper Eva Dickerman — they are all juniors — received all-sectional plaudits from the Illinois…
Read Full Article CLINTON, Iowa — The Clinton LumberKings scored six runs in the first inning, then added two more in the third inning and five in the fourth as they easily rolled to a 14-4 victory over the Quincy Gems in a Prospect League game on Tuesday night at NelsonCorp Field. The Gems (4-3) are one game…
Read Full Article CLINTON, Iowa — Three pitchers combined on a four-hitter for the second consecutive night for the Quincy Gems, who scored three runs in the sixth inning and held on to defeat the Clinton LumberKings 3-2 on Monday night in a Prospect League game at NelsonCorp Field. The Gems (4-2) moved within a half-game of first-place…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Three Quincy pitchers combined to give up one unearned run and just four hits in nine innings as the Gems took command early in a 9-1 victory over the Burlington Bees on Sunday night in a Prospect League game at QU-Stadium. The Gems (3-2) are one game behind first-place Normal (4-1) in the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Gems led 7-5 after seven innings and were on the doorstep of a three-game winning streak. However, the Clinton LumberKings scored twice in the top of the eighth to tie the score, then added seven runs in the top of the ninth to complete a 14-7 victory over the Gems on…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The second time through the order made all the difference for the Quincy Gems. Only one batter reached safely in the first three innings of Friday night’s home opener against the Clinton LumberKings, but the Gems found their offensive groove during a three-run fourth inning and parlayed it into a 9-1 Prospect League…
Read Full Article BURLINGTON, Iowa — A five-run eighth inning propelled the Quincy Gems to their first Prospect League victory of the season, an 8-7 victory over the Burlington Bees. Trailing 7-3, Gems right fielder Greg Swansen led off the eighth with a home run to left field. Logan Voth doubled, Andrew Fay walked and Tye Wood walked…
Read Full Article BURLINGTON, Iowa — A.J. Henkle hit for the cycle and drove in six runs as the Burlington Bees defeated the Quincy Gems 15-5 in the Prospect League opener for both teams on Wednesday night. Henkle had an RBI double in the first inning, a single in the fourth, a run-scoring triple in the fifth and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Brad Gyorkos sensed something missing during the Quincy Gems’ first full-team workout Tuesday. “There wasn’t a lot of energy,” the first-year Gems manager said. He understood why. “People don’t know each other,” Gyorkos said. “They’re trying to get used to playing next to each other.” He doesn’t think it will take long to…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton wanted to play for a college basketball coach he could build a relationship with beyond the court and a program that would help his game mature. He didn’t have to leave town to find the right combination. The Quincy High School all-state swingman signed his national letter of intent with John…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The lure of an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship led Jeremiah Talton to make a hasty decision. He vows not to make the same mistake twice. The Quincy High School all-state swingman and Muddy River Sports Player of the Year received a release from his national letter of intent with the University of…
Read Full Article CHARLESTON, Ill. — Jettason Rose fulfilled the promise of his name. The Quincy High School sprinter became the ninth individual state track and field champion in school history Saturday, jetting past the field to win the 200-meter dash at the Class 3A state championships at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium. Rose finished in 22.04 seconds,…
Read Full Article NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team won the sixth state championship in program history Saturday night, beating Richmond-Burton 1-0 on Avery Keck’s goal with 2 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in regulation of the Class 1A state title game at North Central College’s Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Photographer Randy Dickerman captured the action and…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — With his Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s season on the line Saturday afternoon, Raiders coach Ryan Oden knew all hope wasn’t lost. The Raiders trailed Maroa-Forsyth by five runs going into the bottom of the seventh inning of a Class 2A sectional championship game at Reiser Field. “I knew we had…
Read Full Article ALTON, Ill. — Powered by the top three hitters in its lineup, the Edwardsville baseball team outmuscled Quincy High School in Saturday’s Class 4A Alton Regional championship. Grant Huebner, Spencer Stearns and Riley Iffrig went a combined 8 for 11 with two home runs, three doubles and six RBIs to send the top-seeded Tigers to…
Read Full Article CHARLESTON, Ill. — Jettason Rose is in prime position to finish his prep track career on top of the podium. The Quincy High School senior sprinter posted the fastest time in the preliminaries of the 200-meter dash during the Class 3A boys state track and field championships Friday at O’Brien Stadium on the Eastern Illinois…
Read Full Article NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Sophie Gramke never figured out why. So she concentrated on the how. How does she get better? How does she regain her knack for scoring? How does she find the spark that seemed to be missing? The rest of the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer players showed her how Friday night. “Coming…
Read Full Article NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team advanced to the Class 1A state championship game with a 1-0 victory over Normal U-High in Friday’s semifinals at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium on the North Central College campus. Photographer Randy Dickerman captured images throughout the contest. Check out his work in this photo gallery:
Read Full Article QUINCY — Lying on the turf with athletic trainer Kyle Leapley tending to her right knee, Anna Keck could have had the “oh, no, not again” scenario running through her head. Instead, she focused on “get me back out there” thoughts. “I didn’t want to let my team down,” said Keck, a junior defensive midfielder…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The newness of the state tournament experience wore off when the youthful Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team didn’t get the opportunity to play in the title game a year ago. “Disappointing,” junior forward Lia Quintero said. “I’d say it was disappointing.” So this time, it’s all business. The Raiders head back to…
Read Full Article ALTON, Mo. — Walk-off Joe didn’t get the opportunity to end the Quincy High School baseball team’s regional victory in heroic fashion So junior second baseman Joe Schroeder settled for a game-winning hit an inning earlier. Following Noah Harbin’s two-out triple in the sixth inning of Thursday’s Class 4A Alton Regional semifinal at Lloyd Hopkins…
Read Full Article QUINCY — To the winner go the spoils. So it’s only fitting the Quincy High School girls soccer team landed the most players of any program on the All-Western Big 6 Conference teams. The Blue Devils placed three on the first team, two on the second team and five on honorable mention after they went…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team ran its winning streak to 23 consecutive games and improved to 32-2 — the second-most single-season victories in program history — with Wednesday’s 2-1 victory over Shelbyville in the Class 2A sectional semifinals at Reiser Field. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the Raiders’…
Read Full Article ATHENS, Ill. — Only 13 pitches into the game, Quincy Notre Dame freshman hurler Caitlin Bunte found herself in a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam. Buffalo Tri-City capitalized on it. The Tornadoes erupted for six runs on five hits in the first inning, propelling them to a 13-4 victory in the Class 2A sectional softball semifinals at…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team kept the good times rolling, winning its 22nd consecutive game with a 6-2 victory over Beardstown in the Class 2A regional championship at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Took a look at how Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action through his camera lens:
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Marko Cucuk didn’t shift into cruise control just because his spot in the Illinois boys tennis state tournament field was secure. A sectional championship, a better state seed and the momentum from a string of victories mattered just as much as qualifying for the championships. The Quincy Notre Dame junior took care…
Read Full Article PETERSBURG, Ill. — Heading into her first regional championship, Quincy Notre Dame freshman pitcher Caitlin Bunte admittedly was jittery. “I was really nervous,” Bunte said. “I felt pretty confident, but there were some nerves.” After recording the first two outs of the top of the first inning — the first on an amazing catch by…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Longo readily admitted Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin controlled the bulk of play Friday. “It was probably 60/40 in their favor,” he said. “It may have been 62/38 or something like that.” Even so, Longo never fully fretted. His stout defense is why. Raiders sophomore goalkeeper Aly Young…
Read Full Article CHARLESTON, Ill. — Anna Schuering’s celebrated cross country and track career will end with two races on the final day of the season. The Quincy High School senior deserves that last hurrah. Schuering qualified for the 800-meter finals at the Class 3A state track and field championships Friday at O’Brien Stadium on the Eastern Illinois…
Read Full Article O’FALLON, Ill. — First came the lightning. Then came the thunder. Two Quincy High School athletes earned their spot in the field for the Class 3A boys state track and field championships by sprinting faster than nearly everyone before thunderstorms and tornado warnings forced the O’Fallon Sectional to be suspended. The final four events will…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Dead red is all Ryan Oden said. It’s all Alex Connoyer needed to hear. After Athens right-hander Davis Ishmael loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday by sandwiching a hit batter between two walks, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball coach told his junior shortstop to look for nothing but…
Read Full Article QUINCY — That boy’s just a walk-off Joe. For the second time in Western Big 6 Conference play, Quincy High School junior Joe Schroeder delivered a walk-off hit, this one coming in the ninth inning of the QHS baseball team’s 6-5 victory over Galesburg in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday at the QHS…
Read Full Article PETERSBURG, Ill. — Uncharacteristic lapses defensively didn’t cost the Quincy Notre Dame softball team a spot in the regional championship game, but it gives the Raiders a focal point to address in the coming days. Top-seeded QND committed seven errors, although none of them resulted in runs, and scratched across enough runs Tuesday to beat…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — As the scoring chances continued to pile up despite no change in the scoreboard, Edwardsville freshman Mea Hook said the team wasn’t panicking. “It wasn’t frustrating. We weren’t mad about it. It was more aggravating,” Hook said. The aggravation turned to celebration when Hook scored the game’s lone goal in the 53rd…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Fifteen hours didn’t change much. Friday night at the Backyard, the Pearl City softball team jumped on Quincy Notre Dame by scoring twice in the top of the first inning in what became a 7-2 victory. Saturday morning, the Wolves struck for two runs in the top of the first again. “There’s a…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Just in case anyone in the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional showed up Saturday at Jacksonville Routt to get a peek at what the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team is capable of doing, the Raiders provided plenty of food for thought. Namely, the Raiders made them ask: How do you stop this…
Read Full Article STERLING, Ill. — Jett Rose made it a clean sweep yet again. Reid Savage nearly followed his teammate’s lead. They shared in a championship moment, too. Rose, a senior sprinter on the Quincy High School boys track and field team, repeated as the Western Big 6 Conference champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes during…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The first comeback showcased the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s resiliency. The second rally never materialized. Facing Pearl City on Friday night at the Backyard, the Raiders answered the Wolves’ two-run top of the first inning with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. They couldn’t do the same when…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A pitchers’ duel with the West Central Conference softball championship on the line tilted in Quincy Notre Dame’s favor in the fifth inning Wednesday. The first five batters in the bottom of the frame reached base safely, leading to a three-run outburst that carried the Raiders to a 4-0 victory over Central at…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Patience is a piece of the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s arsenal that often gets overlooked. The ability to not get jumpy at the plate paid major dividends Wednesday. The Raiders capitalized on four walks from Gateway Legacy Christian Academy starter Isaac Rosario in the first inning to score three times and set…
Read Full Article QUINCY — After Brady Kindhart led off the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday with a double to deep center field, Jack Linenfelser stepped to the plate with one thing in mind. “Put the ball in play,” he said. The Quincy Notre Dame middle infielder did a little more than that. Linenfelser traded places with…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Mike Terry reminded the bottom four players in the Quincy High School boys tennis team’s singles lineup just how valuable their efforts could be. “I called them in and said, ‘We need these four matches,’” the veteran coach said. “I knew we’d have a rough time at Nos. 1 and 2, not because…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A barrage of hits and runs in the first two innings of Monday night’s crossdown showdown between the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame baseball teams ended, and the game became a battle of zeroes until the lights went out with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Sports Editor…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Eric Orne’s knowledge of sports films came in handy Monday evening. The veteran Quincy Notre Dame softball coach matter-of-factly referenced Raiders left fielder Laela Hernandez-Jones to the fictional Willie Mays Hayes in the classic 1989 baseball movie “Major League.” “Laela is our fastest player, just like Willie Mays Hayes,” Orne said. “She got…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Joe Schroeder played the hero in the first game of Saturday’s Western Big 6 Conference doubleheader. The Quincy High School baseball team needed another one in the nightcap. The Blue Devils took the opener against Geneseo 2-1 as Schroeder delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning. In the nightcap,…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Jett Rose showed he’s ready to run with the best. The Quincy High School senior sprinter got a glimpse of what the Class 3A O’Fallon Sectional field will be like during Saturday’s Collinsville Invitational, and he put himself in prime position to be chased. Rose won the 100-meter dash in 10.89 seconds,…
Read Full Article ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Anna Schuering’s reign over the distance races in the Western Big 6 Conference is complete. The Quincy High School senior was named the league’s co-MVP after winning the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs Friday at the WB6 girls track and field championships at Rock Island Stadium. Schuering also won the WB6…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team is primed for the postseason. The Raiders picked up their third straight victory in their regular-season finale Friday at Advance Physical Therapy, using two early goals from Lia Quintero to kickstart a 6-0 victory over Burlington Notre Dame. QND (16-3-3) opens the postseason at 4 p.m.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — If rain cannot slow the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s offense, what can? Opposing pitchers are asking the same thing. Thursday at the Ferd, the Raiders scored in double digits for the fourth straight game and the 13th time this season while beating West Hancock 11-0. QND has outscored its opponents 49-3 in…
Read Full Article MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — The ability to produce in every spot in the order is what has made the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team a 20-win season. A never-say-die attitude has done the same for Brown County. Monday, glimpses of both were evident. The Raiders sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning,…
Read Full Article ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The momentum a game-tying, seventh-inning run should have produced could have been lost when Rock Island Alleman walked off in the bottom of the inning with a 5-4 victory in the first game on Monday’s Western Big 6 Conference doubleheader. The Quincy High School baseball team refused to let that be…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The comeback track has another fan. Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, a St. Louis native who these days keeps himself busy driving a dirt-track modified, showed up unannounced Sunday night at Adams County Speedway. Wallace knew of the track’s recent troubled past — it had been shuttered since late 2019 — and felt…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Dan Meers, the KC Wolf mascot for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Bruce Douglas, Quincy High School Hall of Famer and University of Illinois basketball great, were the featured speakers Sunday at the Western Illinois Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet at Quincy University’s Pepsi Arena. Below are images from the event courtesy of…
Read Full Article QUINCY — All the distractions that come with the calendar rolling over from April to May — things like prom, graduation and college commitments — are being magnified by the fact the weather is making it difficult for prep baseball and softball teams to find their rhythm. The opportunity to build postseason momentum is dwindling,…
Read Full Article STERLING, Ill. — A pair of shutdown pitching performances kept the Quincy High School baseball team in the thick of the Western Big 6 Conference race. Noah Harbin authored a one-hit shutout as the Blue Devils opened Friday’s WB6 doubleheader with an 11-0 victory over Sterling. Grayson Cook followed with a three-hitter as the Blue…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Mathew Kirby captured images of many of the pivotal moments and remarkable performances that took place Friday at the Mark Twain/Becky Thatcher Relays at Porter Stadium. Check out this collection of his photos:
Read Full Article QUINCY — Emma Hoing and her club volleyball team saved the best for last. Playing in their fourth and final national qualifier, the Rockwood Thunder Volleyball Club, based in St. Louis, finished second in the Big South Qualifier in Atlanta two weeks ago to earn a spot in the Girls Junior National Championship. Hoing, a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jimmy Lieurance is the first to admit there were some hiccups. But not many. “I was totally blown away by the community’s response,” said Lieurance, who with his wife, Tammy, are one week into their first year of operating Adams County Speedway, the .29-mile dirt track that had been shut down for two…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A walk-off and a milestone. Not a bad way for Eryn Cornwell to end her day. The Quincy Notre Dame senior softball standout followed Caitlin Bunte’s leadoff single in the fifth inning Wednesday with a two-run home run to left field at the Backyard, finishing off a 12-1 victory over West Hancock and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Riley Martin’s effort out of the bullpen for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans is getting noticed. It has fans of the Chicago Cubs organization wondering loudly on social media when the former Quincy University All-American left-hander will get called up to either High-A South Bend or Class AA Tennessee. Martin was named the Carolina…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Western Big 6 Conference championship was within reach. The Quincy HIgh School girls soccer team simply had to grab it. A more spirited effort in the second half of Tuesday night’s game against Rock Island Alleman allowed the Blue Devils to do that. A ball that ricocheted into the goal off a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Less than a month exists until Marko Cucuk discovers if his dreams of returning to the Illinois boys state tennis tournament become reality. So now is not the time to relax. “There’s no stopping,” Cucuk said. “You just have to work every single day.” Monday, that meant dealing with conditions that have become…
Read Full Article RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Ezra Thompson’s leaping ability, Jettason Rose’s speed and LaMarrio Rodgers’ strength were the highlights of the 19th Rob Garcia Invitational, which featured 17 prep track and field teams. Central’s Thompson shattered his personal best in the triple jump, winning the event with a leap of 12.45 meters. He also set a new…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Because of scheduling conflicts with their scheduled opponents, the Quincy Notre Dame and Quincy High School baseball teams both were searching for an opponent for Saturday. So they played each other at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action and here’s a gallery of his images:
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jimmy Lieurance has his fingers crossed. And so do about 100 racers and a few thousand dirt-track fans. “If we don’t get any more rain, we’ll be able to race Sunday,” said Lieurance, the 62-year-old first-year promoter at Adams County Speedway. Realistically, that might be a big “if.” “There’s a 38-percent chance of…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football program brought 151 elementary and junior high students to Advance Physical Therapy Field on Friday night for the Rising Raiders Friday Night Lights camp. Here are some of the images Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured after the sun went down and the lights went on:
Read Full Article QUINCY — Shellshocked, but resilient. Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Longo appreciates the second part of that statement. Not so much the first. The Raiders moseyed through the start of Thursday’s matchup with Decatur St. Teresa at Advance Physical Therapy Field, falling behind 2-0 in the first 14 minutes as the Bulldogs scored…
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