Quincy
QUINCY — Faith Kientzle’s smile never fades. Why should it? Volleyball season is officially here. “It’s supposed to be fun,” said the Quincy Notre Dame senior libero, who has already verbally committed to Lincoln Land Community College. “And that’s what Coach told us. Just go out there and have fun and the other stuff will…
Read Full Article QUINCY — One night after being shut out in the season opener by Peoria Notre Dame, the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team found its offensive rhythm. Tanner Anderson scored a hat trick in the first half and the Raiders rumbled to a 6-0 victory over Beardstown at Advance Physical Therapy Field on Tuesday night.…
Read Full Article ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The pursuit of another Western Big 6 Conference championship got started on the right foot for the Quincy High School boys soccer team. The Blue Devils opened their season Tuesday night with a 5-1 victory over Rock Island Alleman. Senior midfielder Carter Venvertloh, the Blue Devils’ top returning scorer, picked up…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Gems placed one player on the Prospect League’s Western Conference all-stars following their first playoff appearance since 2016. First baseman Zack Stewart, who is a freshman at Missouri State University, represented the Gems on the 15-player team. Stewart played in 36 games, hitting .319 with six home runs and 35 RBIs.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — It’s not where or how you start. It’s about where and how you end. So the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team will take Monday’s 3-0 loss to Peoria Notre Dame in the season opener at Advance Physical Therapy Field as a lesson learned and figure out how to make the ending better…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Blake Arnold has figured out how to eliminate the chaos, keep things simple and avoid the kind of mistakes that can derail a solid round of golf. Only one player was better at it Saturday. Springfield’s Peyton Woods shot 1-under on both nines at Westview Golf Course to post a 2-under 69 and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — After a few days of practice, Quincy High School girls tennis coach Mike Terry likes what he sees. “We have a bunch of options,” he said. “So, we’ve got a lot of flexibility in both singles and doubles.” It starts with the four returning letterwinners. Senior Audra Cain, juniors Lily and Phoebe Hayes…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Long before the sound of tennis balls bouncing off the hard courts or banging off the fences began echoing through South Park, Quincy Notre Dame girls tennis coach Theresa Quintero knew this would be a unique season. That hasn’t changed now that matches are underway. Raiders senior Lia Quintero, the No. 1 singles…
Read Full Article METAMORA, Ill. — The Quincy High School girls golf team appears ready to make another run at a state tournament berth. The Blue Devils posted two of the top three individual scores and took first place Wednesday in the ninth annual Redbird Classic at Metamora Fields. QHS posted a 320 team score to distance itself…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Depth is a luxury the Quincy Notre Dame girls volleyball players appreciate. It also creates a challenge they embrace. “If you’re working hard, it makes another person work hard,” senior outside hitter Avery Keck said. “You’re pushing each other all the way. You’re competing for a spot, but you’re also supporting your team…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Blustery conditions beneath a bright sun turned Spring Lake Country Club’s 18-hole golf course into a challenging track Saturday afternoon. Quincy Notre Dame’s Konnor Craven posted his second straight solid round, shooting a 2-over 74 to earn medalist honors in a quadrangular in which only three golfers broke 80. The Raiders won the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — There’s an anxiousness shared by the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer players. “I wish we could play tomorrow,” senior midfielder Colin Kurk said. Knowing the season opener against Peoria Notre Dame isn’t until August 22, the Raiders have to temper their enthusiasm. “We have to get through the two weeks of practice first,”…
Read Full Article QUINCY — If Blake Arnold can replicate the back nine of his first event of the prep golf season, it could turn out to be a banner senior season. The Liberty golfer posted a 2-under 33 on the back nine Thursday at Westview Golf Course, allowing him to card an even-par 71 and earn individual…
Read Full Article HAMILTON, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame’s Hana Knuffman shot a 40 on the back nine Thursday at Deer Run Golf Course and posted an 83 to take medalist honors in the Lady Titan Invitational hosted by West Hancock. The QND girls golf team won the season-opening event with a 363. Macomb was second at 389…
Read Full Article QUINCY — While watching his older brothers enjoy stellar high school soccer careers, Carter Venvertloh dreamed of the moment he’d be front and center in Quincy High School’s attack. That time is now. A four-year varsity player who was an Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association all-sectional selection as a junior, Venvertloh has watched the…
Read Full Article ALTON, Ill. — The beauty and cruelty of baseball can happen simultaneously, much the way they did Tuesday night. Although a once six-run lead had been chiseled to three heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, the Quincy Gems were two outs away from advancing to the Prospect League’s best-of-3 championship series. One swing…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Brad Gyorkos called it. With the Quincy Gems’ Logan Voth on third base and Hayden Moore on second with one out in the sixth inning Sunday night, the Normal CornBelters summoned left-hander Ryan Weaver from the bullpen before Andrew Fay came to the plate. While Weaver warmed up, Voth turned to Gyorkos, the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Noah Harbin didn’t bother with a rebuttal. He just shook his head. Sitting across the table from his older brother, Alex, while listening to him talk about their relationship in baseball terms, Noah rocked back in his chair and nodded in agreement as Alex explained the advice he was imparting in order to…
Read Full Article BURLINGTON, Iowa — The Quincy Gems willingly took what the Burlington Bees kept giving Friday night. It resulted in a bounty of runs. The Gems scored four times in the second inning by capitalizing on three walks, a hit batter, a stolen base and two wild pitches and then tallied nine runs in the two…
Read Full Article DETROIT — Chasing the cutline as headed to the second nine Friday in the second round of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, Luke Guthrie seemed poised to make a run. He stuck his approach on the par-4 second hole within two feet of the cup and made the birdie putt. He followed by hitting…
Read Full Article DETROIT — The end of Luke Guthrie’s opening round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic didn’t mirror his stellar start. That leaves the Quincy native with some work to do Friday in order to play the weekend in his second PGA Tour event of the season. Guthrie opened his round with three birdies in the first…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Although it’s a birthday generally celebrated without much hullabaloo — Nos. 18 and 21 bear more significance — Lucas Loos made certain No. 20 would be unforgettable. There’s a memento to serve as his reminder of it, too. After the Quincy Gems third baseman watched a series of birthday wishes from family and…
Read Full Article WASHINGTON, Mich. — A birdie-filled 18 holes earned Quincy native Luke Guthrie the opportunity to tee it up on the PGA Tour this week. Guthrie rolled in seven birdies during his round of 6-under 66 at The Orchards Golf Club in the Monday qualifier for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, tying for first place and earning…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Those who survived Saturday’s sweltering temperatures and conditions in order to reach the finals of the doubles portion of the Quincy Open City Championships were rewarded with near perfect weather on championship Sunday. The threat of rain contributed to that. Cloudy conditions looming over the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park dropped temperatures…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the action from Sunday’s finals in the doubles portion of the Quincy Open Tennis Championships at the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park through the lens of Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman’s camera.
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Cape Catfish blew open a tight game with a nine-run sixth inning and defeated the Quincy Gems 9-2 on Wednesday night in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium. The loss drops the Gems (5-7 second half, 24-20 overall) into third place in the Great River Division, two games behind first place…
Read Full Article ALTON, Ill. — Despite falling behind by four runs and three pitchers giving up 11 walks, the Quincy Gems rallied to score six runs in the final two innings and defeat the Alton River Dragons 8-6 on Monday night in a Prospect League game at Lloyd Hopkins Field. The Gems (5-6 second half, 24-19 overall)…
Read Full Article PERU, Ill. — The Quincy Gems gave up four runs in the first inning and never recovered in suffering their third consecutive loss, an 8-4 decision to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp on Saturday night in a Prospect League game at Veterans Memorial Park. The Gems (4-6 second half, 23-19 overall) are tied with Normal…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Gems wasted a sterling start in the first game of Friday’s Prospect League doubleheader against Springfield. They couldn’t overcome a rocky start in the nightcap. After scratching out a 2-1 victory in the opener despite collecting just three hits off Gems right-hander Brayden Haug, the Lucky Horseshoes tagged Gems starter Jax…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The scoreboard will show the Quincy Gems appeared to have won comfortably on Thursday night, but they took advantage in the late innings of an error, a big break, a home run and good relief pitching to pull off the victory. Zach Stewart drove in five runs with a double and a three-run…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Bennett Stice pitched five shutout innings after giving up two runs in the first inning, and Daniel Hargrave retired the last nine batters he faced to earn the save as the Quincy Gems defeated the O’Fallon Hoots 5-3 on Wednesday night at QU Stadium in a Prospect League game. The Gems (3-3, 22-16…
Read Full Article O’FALLON, Mo. — Luc Fladda shut down the O’Fallon Hoots in the second game of Sunday’s Prospect League doubleheader and allowed the Quincy Gems to come away with a split at CarShield Field. After dropping the opening game 4-3, the Gems scored a 2-0 victory in the nightcap as Fladda allowed three hits over six…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Scott Gilliland’s consistency led to another championship. The 52-year-old Gilliland won the Quincy Senior Men’s City Championship on Sunday, shooting a 1-over 72 at Westview Golf Course to finish the 36-hole event at even-par 142. He beat Mark Scarbrough and Tim Eaton by four strokes as they both finished at 4-over 146. Eaton…
Read Full Article ALTON, Ill. — Zach Willing took down his dad, then he slayed a champion. He wasn’t finished collecting crowns either. The Quincy native and Quincy University junior tennis player defeated his father, Todd, in the semifinals of the Alton Open on Saturday and followed it up by outlasting multi-time champion Devan Faulkenberg of Troy, Ill.,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — After doing plenty of damage with his bat on Saturday night, Maurice La Fon used his patience to help secure a victory for the Quincy Gems. La Fon, an outfielder from Albuquerque, N.M., drew a walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to drive in the game-winning run…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Three former Quincy men’s city golf champions are in position to add a senior city championship to their title haul. Scott Gilliland leads the field in the 50-and-over event at Westview Golf Course after shooting a 1-under 70 in Saturday’s first round. Gilliland won city championships in 1991 and 2021 along with the…
Read Full Article CLINTON, Iowa — Offensive struggles continue for the Quincy Gems, who were limited to five hits in a 4-1 loss to the Clinton LumberKings on Friday night at NelsonCorp Field in a Prospect League game. The Gems (0-2 second half, 19-15 overall) have lost three straight games and are 1 1/2 games behind Clinton, which…
Read Full Article The Prospect League announced on Wednesday that Quincy’s Zack Stewart was the Week 5 Slugger of the Week. Stewart, a native of Lebanon, Mo., will be attending Missouri State University in the fall. He had 27 at-bats in last week, hitting .519, collecting 14 hits and driving in 12 runs. He had a .740 slugging…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Gems closed the first half of the Prospect League season with a loss by 10 runs, and they opened the second half with another loss by 10 runs. The Gems were limited to four hits in an 11-1 loss Wednesday night to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp at QU Stadium. Hayden…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Gems closed the first half of the season with a 13-3 loss at home Sunday night to the O’Fallon Hoots in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium. The Gems ended the first half of the season with a 19-13 record, good enough for first place in the Great River Division.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Gems’ magic number is one. The Gems only need to win one of their next three games, or the Normal Cornbelters need to lose on of their next two games, for the Gems to clinch the first half championship in the Prospect League’s Great River Division. Quincy (17-12) moved 2 1/2…
Read Full Article O’FALLON, Mo. — The Quincy Gems rallied from a 7-1 deficit to win the second game of a Prospect League doubleheader against the O’Fallon Hoots 9-7, completing a sweep on Wednesday night at Car Shield Field. The Gems won the first game 3-2. The Gems (16-12) now lead Normal by two games in the Great…
Read Full Article ST. LOUIS — Cole Hayes isn’t harboring any grand illusions. A summer spent playing in a semi-professional developmental soccer league won’t change that. “I’m not pigeon-holing myself into it’s do or die,” Hayes said of the possibility of a professional playing career. “If that opportunity does present itself, it’s something I can pursue after the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Bennett Stice turned in his best start of the summer for the Quincy Gems in a 9-3 victory over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in a Prospect League game Tuesday night at QU Stadium. Stice, a Palmyra, Mo., native, allowed seven hits and three runs — two unearned — in 7 1/3 innings…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Ryan Reyerson showed again Sunday afternoon why he’s been one of the top pitchers in the Prospect League during the first half of the season. Reyerson, who completed his freshman season at Iowa Western Community College in the spring, allowed just one run and four hits in six innings in the Quincy Gems’…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Zach Willing finally got to finish what he started. A year ago, in the championship match of the men’s open division of the Quincy City Tennis Tournament, Willing took the first set from Ryan Schnack and led 1-0 in the second set when Schnack, a three-time city champ, was forced to retire with…
Read Full Article ALTON, Ill. — The Alton River Dragons overcame a four-run deficit by scoring two runs in the fifth inning and six runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Quincy Gems 10-6 in a Prospect League game on Saturday night at Lloyd Hopkins Field. The game was called in the top of the eighth inning…
Read Full Article ST. LOUIS — Three former Quincy men’s city golf champions reached the match play portion of the 115th Missouri Amateur Championship. The last one in was the last one standing. Alex McCulla, the Illinois State University sophomore and 2019 city champion, turned his victory in the last-chance qualifier into a spot in the third round…
Read Full Article The winners and all scores of the Pepsi Little People’s tournament are listed below.
Read Full Article The 37th annual UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour landed in Quincy on Wednesday night. Photographer Lisa Wigoda caught the action at Adams County Speedway.
Read Full Article QUINCY — Ryan Reyerson contributed six shutout innings, but the Quincy Gems needed a stellar defensive play from Zach Stewart to hold on to the lead in a 5-3 victory over the Cape Catfish on Sunday night in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium. The Gems (9-9) have won three straight games and are…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The spirited battles Jeremiah and Joshua Talton have engaged in either on the family basketball court or during open gyms at John Wood Community College moved to a much more public and brighter stage Saturday. That didn’t mitigate Jeremiah’s height advantage. “Let me get to be about 6-foot-7 and then it would be…
Read Full Article QUINCY — By the time she finally had a chance to sit and relax for a moment, Caydee Kirkham felt the aftereffects of spending 39 of the 40 minutes in the inaugural Muddy River Showcase girls basketball game on the floor. “My legs are cramping a lot,” she said. “But it was fun, so that’s…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Gage Yost pitched six innings of shutout baseball, and the Quincy Gems turned a close game into a shortened game with six runs in the final two innings in a 10-0 victory over the Burlington Bees on Saturday night in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium. The Gems (8-9) are 1 1/2…
Read Full Article BURLINGTON, Iowa — The Quincy Gems took advantage of 14 walks from Burlington Bees pitchers, and seven of them scored Friday night in an 11-4 victory in a Prospect League game on Friday night at Community Field. The Gems (7-9) are 2 1/2 games behind first-place Normal in the Great River Division. Winning pitcher Brayden…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Too many walks and too many errors made it too difficult for the Quincy Gems to win a Prospect League game Thursday night at QU Stadium. The Clinton LumberKings scored five runs in the first three innings and went on to post a 7-2 victory. Clinton (7-9) moved ahead of Quincy (6-9) in…
Read Full Article The inaugural Muddy River Showcase is taking place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Illinois vs. Missouri format for senior prep basketball players will feature a girls game at 3 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and all seating is general…
Read Full Article QUINCY — It’s only fitting the final two area baseball teams left standing in the Land of Lincoln were honored with spots on the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams. Brown County senior center fielder/pitcher Gabe Blakeley and Quincy Notre Dame junior first baseman/pitcher Dalton Miller were named to the Class 1A and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Despite a shoulder injury that now has her prepping for surgery, Eryn Cornwell remained a force in the middle of the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s lineup. Her production resulted in receiving Class 2A first-team all-state honors from the Illinois Coaches Association. QND freshman Caitlin Bunte was a second-team selection, while five area…
Read Full Article CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Nolan Wosman entered Tuesday night’s Prospect League doubleheader with a .180 batting average. The infielder from Quincy University and Palmyra, Mo., left Capaha Park with a .310 average after collecting five hits against the Cape Catfish, which split a doubleheader with the Quincy Gems. The visitors won the first game 5-3,…
Read Full Article ROLLA, Mo. — The lure of Bellerive proved far too tempting for Alex McCulla to ignore. So he withdrew from a qualifier for the Illinois State Amateur, paid to join the Missouri Golf Association and an extra origination fee for a spot in Monday’s Missouri State Amateur Last Chance Qualifier and trekked to Oak Meadow…
Read Full Article 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