Sports Spotlight
QUINCY — Quincy High School girls tennis coach Mike Terry knew he could pencil Amelia Willing and twins Lily and Phoebe Hayes in his lineup the last four seasons. That comfort level is gone now that the trio has graduated. “We have a lot of work to do,” Terry said. “We’re playing challenge matches to…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Before answering the obvious question, Hannibal cross country coach Jim Coniglio paused. Then he took a deep breath. Then he smiled. “Yes, I’m optimistic,” he said. “I’m 100 percent optimistic.” Coniglio’s enthusiasm is easy to understand. The Hannibal girls return all but one of their top seven runners from a team that…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Brown County football program is brought to you by: MT. STERLING, Ill. — For a Brown County football program that has won 65 percent of its games over the past two decades with 16 playoff appearances and a handful of conference titles, the way the 2023 season played out can be described…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Brown County football program is brought to you by: MT. STERLING, Ill. — Dylan Reische gives the Brown County football team’s offensive line an experienced anchor at center and some personality. Anyone nicknamed “Chili” is bound to have character, right? Reische joined Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman on the tailgate of…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The grind is nearing an end, and Jacob Rexing can finally see a track championship awaiting him at next week’s finish line. Rexing took an important step Sunday night toward his first Adams County Speedway stock car title when he emerged victorious following an 18-lap, slam-bang, back-and-forth battle with co-protagonist Robert Cottom. Rexing…
Read Full Article EWING, Mo. — The memory still lingers. Sure, the Highland softball team achieved quite a bit last fall, earning a No. 1 state ranking among Class 2 schools, winning 20 games in a row at one point and fashioning a 27-3 overall record. But how it all concluded still leaves a sour taste and ……
Read Full Article Chargers win Pittsfield Invitational PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Illini West boys golf team won the Pittsfield Invitational on Saturday by shooting a 325 at Old Orchard Country Club. Pittsfield took second with a 327. Rushville-Industry was third at 332. Chargers senior Nick Bruns finished second individually with a 76, while freshman Bryson Grotts took sixth…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Unity-Payson football team is brought to you by: MENDON, Ill. — An early-season gauntlet once again awaits the Unity-Payson football team. The Mustangs are scheduled to face three playoff teams from a year ago — Winchester West Central, Greenfield-Northwestern and Camp Point Central — during the first four weeks of the season.…
Read Full Article MENDON, Ill. — It has become a tradition for the Unity-Payson football team to practice at the stroke of midnight the first allowable day Illinois High School Association schools can begin working out in full pads. So Friday night, just before midnight, the Mustangs pulled up at their home field to see the lights shining…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jason Killday used one term to describe the second week of the Quincy University football program’s fall camp. Growth. The first-year head coach has watched the Hawks develop some consistency and maturity in their first two weeks of practice. After a lackluster end to the first week, the Hawks made certain the second…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The calendar does not lie. The dirt-track racing season is rapidly winding down. So before we’re knee deep in high school football and/or the MLB playoffs, let’s go over what I feel are 10 worthy storylines and/or points of discussion regarding Adams County Speedway. 1. Sale of the track: No question, when Jeff…
Read Full Article Coverage of the West Hancock football program is brought to you by: HAMILTON, Ill. — A change in scheme yielded substantial offensive improvements for the West Hancock football team in 2023. If the Titans take a similar leap forward in 2024, it will be with a new quarterback who set a school record at wide…
Read Full Article Coverage of the West Hancock football program is brought to you by: HAMILTON, Ill. — Nolan Gooding truly believes better days are ahead for the West Hancock football program. His enthusiasm and confidence are born from having learned second-year head coach Coy Dorothy’s system and a lifelong connection with a senior class ready to make…
Read Full Article QUINCY — If the scores from Thursday’s season-opening D.A. Weibring Invitational are any indication, the area boys golf scene is going to be highly competitive for years to come. Three sophomores and a freshman claimed four of the top five individual spots and a pair of freshmen posted scores that helped Illini West capture the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The flag officially dropped Thursday on the start of the high school sports season. The traditional boys golf lidlifter — the D.A. Weibring Invitational — took place at Westview Golf Course with Illini West winning the team title with a 322 total and Pittsfield sophomore Isaac McGlauchlen taking individual medalist honors with an…
Read Full Article HAMILTON, Ill. — The depth of the Quincy Notre Dame girls golf team’s lineup showed in the Raiders’ season-opening event. Senior Meredith Eversman earned individual medalist honors by shooting an 84 as QND rolled to a 357 team score and a 93-stroke victory in the Lady Titan Invitational at Deer Run Golf Course. QND junior…
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — Being involved in lopsided playoff football games was nothing new for Monroe City. Being on the losing end was. Bowling Green scored four touchdowns on eight offensive plays in the first quarter of last season’s Class 2 District 7 semifinal game, led 44-0 at halftime to prompt a running clock for…
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Monroe City football program has a tradition and a history rooted in success. Valle Catholic has a tradition and a history rooted in championships. Those forces collide in Week 1 at Lankford Field in one of the best small-school matchups in the state. The Panthers’ Trey Smyser and Jayden Holland…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jason Knuffman’s confidence in the Quincy Notre Dame girls golf team is at an all-time high. “This is probably the most talented team I’ve coached since I started in 2017,” Knuffman said. “In the last 20 years, this could be as high as we’ve finished.” Those are lofty expectations considering the Raiders have…
Read Full Article QUINCY — While the Quincy High School girls golf team may not be the favorites to sit atop the Western Big 6 Conference throne, second-year coach Tommy Hosteng wants to at least give the other schools a scare. “I want to challenge everyone else, give them hell,” Hosteng said. Being the underdog is unfamiliar territory…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — There’s a renewed sense of optimism brewing within the Mark Twain football team. Two years after winning 10 games and reaching the district championship game, the Tigers managed only one victory last season to finish in a three-way tie with Louisiana and North Callaway for last place in the Eastern Missouri Conference.…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — Brayden Moss has been a fixture along the Mark Twain football team’s line since he joined the varsity program as a freshman. Now a senior, Moss expects the leadership and maturity that comes with being a four-year starter to pay off as the Tigers look to turn things around and chase a…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — Three women’s sports programs at Western Illinois University were recognized by the Ohio Valley Conference with Team Academic Achievement awards. The awards are presented annually in each OVC-sponsored sport to the member institution’s team with the greatest percentage of its eligible student-athletes who achieved a 3.25 grade point average or higher. In…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Pittsfield football program is brought to you by: PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Pittsfield football program’s playoff drought is long enough that senior linebacker Draven Puterbaugh doesn’t remember seeing one. “It hasn’t happened in quite some time,” he said. Fifteen years in fact. Yet, there’s a distinct hope and strong belief this could…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Pittsfield football program is brought to you by: PITTSFIELD, Ill. — With nine starters returning on defense and the biggest offensive line its enjoyed in quite some time, the Pittsfield football program has the makings of what could be a run at ending a 15-year playoff drought. Senior lineman Jaron White joined…
Read Full Article QUINCY — All of the windshield time her parents amassed this summer allowed 14-year-old Khloe Nicholson to catch up on two important necessities. “Sleep and watch TV,” she said. Specifically, that meant watching Netflix. “I was a little of everything,” she said. “I liked ‘Cobra Kai.’” But unlike Daniel LaRusso in “The Karate Kid” —…
Read Full Article NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Andrew Rupcich’s focus and determination have never changed, even as the circumstances around him have evolved. That’s why the former Culver-Stockton College All-American offensive lineman is in a position to challenge for a starting spot at right guard for the Tennessee Titans. Last week, the Titans released their first unofficial depth chart…
Read Full Article Mississippi driver hits blackjack at Adams County Speedway with 21st career victory on 21st birthday
QUINCY — Chase Holland had ample reason to celebrate Sunday night. First, there was the matter of his 21st birthday. And then came his 21st career feature victory when he dominated the modified main event in flag-to-flag fashion at Adams County Speedway. Not a bad evening for the resident of Success, Miss., who has made…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — Ladies first. The motto and message of Western Illinois University’s Women’s Football Night came across loud and clear. “Ladies first. We mean it when we say it,” WIU cornerbacks coach Elven Walker said. Walker was one of several WIU coaches and players who helped run drills at Hanson Field on Friday night…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — The first Women’s Football Night hosted by the Western Illinois University football program provided everything from a locker room visit to “Chalk Talk” to drills on Hanson Field as women 21 years and older were introduced to the game Friday night. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent the evening on the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Each Quincy University football practice Bradyn Little attended last spring allowed the Quincy High School quarterback to foster a stronger relationship with first-year Hawks coach Jason Killday. “I know who he is,” Little said. With that comes a level of comfortability that can’t be matched. “I trust him,” Little said. “That’s big for…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The progression is designed to be natural. First, set the foundation. Then, add the layers. “We’re trying to build a structure here,” Brock Inman said. That’s why no one fretted when the Quincy University football team’s first fall practice wasn’t as crisp as anyone would have liked. The Hawks needed to lay the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Each day, the repititions get a little quicker, the reactions get a little better and the intensity gets a little stronger. By the time the Quincy University football players go to full pads, they should be ready to rumble at full speed. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time with the Hawks…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jackson Stratton did exactly what a big brother is expected to do. He looked out for his little sister. As Sage Stratton navigated the recruiting circuit throughout the past year — the Quincy Notre Dame senior received interest from a variety of NCAA Division II women’s basketball programs — she leaned heavily on…
Read Full Article QUINCY — There are two ways to examine Austen Becerra’s overall dominance in the modified series at Adams County Speedway. Since the track reopened for the 2022 season, Becerra has won 20 features. The rest of the modified drivers have won a combined 27 in that same span. Those two numbers, more than anything else,…
Read Full Article ST. LOUIS — As a new school year kicks into gear, the Better Business Bureau wants to remind consumers to be on the lookout for scam streaming links when planning to watch a high school sports event online. Live streams allow family, friends and fans to catch their local high school’s games without attending in…
Read Full Article FLOSSMOOR, Ill. — Luke Guthrie mounted a charge only one golfer withstood, and it proved the 34-year-old Quincy native still has the game to compete. Guthrie played the back nine of the Flossmoor Golf Club in 3-under 33 Wednesday afternoon, closing with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to post a 6-under 210 total…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Dom Clay’s junior season with the Quincy High School boys basketball team ended with a lot of people curious where his natural gifts and improving consistency might take him. They now know. It’s carrying him to the NCAA Division I level. The 6-foot-3 Clay recently committed to Austin Peay State University, making him…
Read Full Article CARTHAGE, Ill. — Like millions of other football fans, Roan Jackson anxiously awaited a new college football video game. “I had a PlayStation 3 and I played NCAA Football 14 for the last five years,” Jackson said. “One of my friends had NCAA 14, and that’s how I started playing. I got it for my…
Read Full Article PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Sometimes when it feels like all hope is lost, the stars align perfectly. The Pittsfield and Jacksonville football teams can thank their lucky stars having found a Week One game after both schools’ originally scheduled opponents announced they weren’t going to play. “I wasn’t too sure we’d find a game,” Pittsfield coach…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Soon enough, Alex Stratman will return home and begin preparing for the fall hunting season, where he will serve as a guide for those chasing whitetail deer and turkey. After that, he’ll focus on guiding hunters during the spring turkey season. Before that happens, he’s going to savor every minute he has in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — As the recruiting process began to evolve, Caitlin Bunte realized there was more to think about than softball alone. “I looked past that at the beginning,” the Quincy Notre Dame softball standout said. “I was like, ‘I want to play softball. I want to find somewhere where I can step in and play.’…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A moment Brody Jones referred to as “the coolest thing in soccer I have ever done in my life” still remains a blur in some regards more than a week after it happened. That’s especially true of the celebration. The St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club Missouri U17 squad, with Jones starting at…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The most celebrated player in the history of the Hannibal High School football program begins his first collegiate football season in three days as the University of Notre Dame kicks off fall camp with Aneyas Williams in the backfield. So what does that mean for the Pirates? Opportunities abound. There’s an opportunity…
Read Full Article CANTON, Ohio — After more than a decade as consistently one of the best centers in the Women’s Football Alliance and multi-time All-American honoree, Caitlin Erickson finally earned the most coveted title in the game. She can call herself a national champion. The head coach of Culver-Stockton College women’s lacrosse team was one of two…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — The chatter and commotion steadily increased as a group of jiu-jitsu students and their parents gathered Saturday morning, just a few feet from the mats where a self-defense class was being taught and Royce Gracie happened to be sizing it up. The kids waiting to take the mat themselves were sizing him…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — Royce Gracie, a member of the United Fighting Championship’s inaugural class of Hall of Famers, spent Saturday conducting a two-part clinic for jiu-jitsu students at the Royce Gracie Jiu-jitsu Academy of Missouri. Gracie spent an hour showcasing tips and techniques for a group of 18 kids, then spent two hours with a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Sleep can wait when the Olympics are on, right? That’s how I found myself thinking Thursday night despite the fact the opening ceremonies for the Paris Summer Games have yet to take place. As with any Olympics, a few of the events get started before the ceremonial kickoff, which is why the U.S.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s volleyball team is finally going to find itself on a more level playing field. Thursday, the Great Lakes Valley Conference announced it is adding men’s volleyball as a championship sport beginning with the 2025-26 season. The GLVC will have seven teams participate in men’s volleyball with the addition of…
Read Full Article KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ismael Alcantara stole the spotlight, but Dayson Croes was the headliner throughout the American Association All-Star Game on Tuesday night. The former Quincy University All-American infielder led the West Division all-stars to a 4-3 victory as he went 4 for 4 and drove in the game-tying run in the seventh inning…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A boys basketball coach whose team’s state championship season began with a trip to Blue Devil Gym last winter may not be returning to the sideline. Chicago Wendell Phillips coach Paris Martin appears to have been fired. The Chicago Sun-Times reported Martin received an email Tuesday afternoon from Phillips principal Rashad Talley requesting…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Caren Kemner is feeling Olympic. A majority of those who have represented the United States during the Summer Olympics at some point in their career likely are as well these days. The Paris Olympics get underway this week with the opening ceremonies happening Friday and competitive action taking place over a 20-day span.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Day by day, football season draws near. This week, gridiron fans get their first taste of the upcoming season as NFL training camps get underway. Rookies and veterans for both the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs have reported, and every team will have its camp in full swing by Wednesday. A handful…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Dennis Erb Jr. surveyed the situation and came to an immediate conclusion. “We knew we had to get out fast,” said Erb, when looking at the starting lineup for Sunday night’s Midwest Auto Racing Series feature event at Adams County Speedway. Most of the premier power plants were scheduled to start at or…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Random thoughts with the opening night of high school football season just 40 days away: • Illinois has had just four winning football seasons since the 10-2 Sugar Bowl team under Ron Turner in 2001. The program has been mired in mediocrity, managing just 15 campaigns of eight or more wins in 134…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The absence of reigning Quincy Tennis Association city doubles champions Zach Willing and Ethan Arns opened the door for new champions. Willing’s father, Todd, paired with Tavi Popaluca and took advantage of the opportunity Saturday to step back into the winner’s circle, besting Anthony Becker and Curtis Fauble in the final round-robin match…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Flinn Stadium’s turf field is getting a facelift. Work has been ongoing throughout the summer to lay down a new artificial turf surface at Quincy High School’s venerable outdoor facility, and this week, crews began putting strips of turf in place. It replaces a surface that was installed in 2011 and had exceeded…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Tennis Association held the city doubles championships this weekend at the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park with Todd Willing and Tavi Popaluca capturing the men’s open division title and Lia and Theresa Quintero winning the women’s open division. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent time at Reservoir Park on…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jim Lieurance does not have to look far down the road when talking about the future of Adams County Speedway. “I think in another month no one will recognize the place,” Lieurance said. Lieurance says he’s ecstatic to be working with new track owners Jeff and Renee DeLonjay. Although the final paperwork involving…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The future of the Quincy golf scene took center stage Thursday at Westview Golf Course with the Quincy Junior City Tournament. Quincy High School junior Hunter St. Clair won the boys 16-17 division by shooting a 1-over 72. Quincy Notre Dame’s Aiden Tangy was second with a 78. In the boys 14-15 division,…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — There’s a phrase first-year Western Illinois University football coach Joe Davis dropped during his time talking to media members during Wednesday’s Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Virtual Media Day that the Leathernecks better be prepared to hear often. Never them, always us. WIU is venturing into new territory this fall, having left the…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — In the seven months since Joe Davis became the Western Illinois University football coach, one thing above all else has become abundantly clear to him and everyone around him. Loyalty matters. To his players. To the football alumni. To WIU fans in general. Davis and his staff have embraced that and used…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jacob Kroeger’s day began job hunting and ended with flight plans. That’s quite a way to start the week. Monday morning, the former Palmyra multi-sport athlete and recent All-American left-handed pitcher at Maryville University had a meeting about a potential graduate assistant position with a regional college athletic program. Monday night, he signed…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jonny Bottorff is gearing up for what should arguably be the best season of his collegiate football career. The Quincy Notre Dame graduate heads into the 2024 season as the projected starter at center for Northern Arizona. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Bottorff earned second-team All-Big Sky Conference honors last season after transferring from Missouri…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — The most prolific strikeout pitcher in the history of the Maryville University baseball program is going to get the chance to prove he can bury hitters in the pros. He’s making history for the Palmyra baseball program as well. Jacob Kroeger, a left-handed hurler who recently completed his playing career as a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — One book is out, another is on the way. Former Quincy University baseball coach Jim Pransky has published a memoir based largely on the 25 years he spent as a scout for five Major League Baseball organizations. In “Baseball’s Test of Spirit: A Man’s Unlikely Odyssey into the Scouting World,” Pransky writes about…
Read Full Article QUINCY — So much for that rather abbreviated retirement, eh? Adam Birck, a three-time track champion in the sport mod division, emerged from retirement Sunday night at Adams County Speedway. And Birck did so with an exclamation point, winning his first sport mod feature since August 2023. Birck led the final two circuits of the…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Jansen Lawson couldn’t possibly do it, too, could he? Yes, he could. And he did. After Quincy High School graduate Brady Lowe hit an inside-the-park grand slam in the top of the first inning of Saturday’s Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game at the Veterans Sports Complex, Lawson, also a former Blue Devil,…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — It felt different for Jacob Rich this time around. But at the same time, it all felt familiar. The South Shelby baseball coach took the reins of the Missouri team for Saturday’s 10th annual Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game at the Veterans Sports Complex. By doing so, he became the first person…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — A number of the top prep baseball players from this region were able to represent their high school and their community one final time Saturday night during the 10th annual Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game at the Veterans Sports Complex in Hannibal, Mo. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was there and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A group of Quincy tennis players is headed to the postseason. Playing at the U.S. Tennis Association men’s NTRP 3.5 level, the Quincy team won the Western Division of the Illinois Mid-South District by splitting a doubleheader Saturday in Springfield and finishing with a 5-1 overall record. Quincy advances to the district championships,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The afternoon sun hung high in a cloudless sky above an empty parking lot, making it impossible to escape just how luminous it can be. Ethan Rose didn’t shy away from it, even when brightness is his nemesis. “There’s nothing like having your eyesight,” he said. “It’s something you take for granted. Like…
Read Full Article QUINCY — It’s that time of year. The local racing season is heading full steam into the second half of the dirt-track calendar. From now until the end of points racing at sites like Adams County Speedway this weekend begins The Grind. The meek may one day inherit the earth, but they’ll never win a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Billiards has taken Kelly Fisher all over the world. This week, it has brought her here. Fisher, the No. 1-ranked player by the Women’s Professional Billiards Association, is playing in the America’s Heyball Championships at the Oakley-Lindsay Center, the first tournament of its kind in Quincy. Fisher’s resume is impressive and dynamic —…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Greater Midwest PoolPlayers Association’s LOLLA-POOLOOZA is taking place this week at the Oakley-Lindsay Center with accomplished players from around the world participating in singles and team events. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent time watching the competition Wednesday and put together this photo gallery: To purchase copies of Muddy River Sports…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Make it two for two for Dayson Croes. An All-American infielder while playing for the Quincy University baseball team, Croes recently earned his second all-star honor in his second season playing professional baseball. He was named a starter for the West Division for the American Association of Professional Baseball All-Star Game. Croes, who…
Read Full Article Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman and Muddy River News Publisher Bob Gough discuss launching “Muddy Night Lights,” a two-hour prep football show that will air 10 p.m. to midnight on Friday nights during the regular season. Muddy Night Lights debuts August 30 on Muddy River Sports and Facebook Live.
Read Full Article QUINCY — The best summer collegiate baseball is played on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and Quincy High School graduate Kenny Taylor has a front row seat to see it all. The former Blue Devils outfielder is spending his summer as an intern with the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod League, which means he is…
Read Full Article PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Sangamo Conference football coaches are scrambling, and it could result in Pittsfield being without a season-opening game. Monday, Riverton officials announced publicly it will not field a varsity football team for the upcoming season due to low participation numbers. The statement released by the school said it will field a junior…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Random musings after digging into the archives on a random July night … • Lucas Loos finds his name on Baseball America’s list of the top 100 college senior sign targets for the upcoming Major League Baseball amateur draft. Because the Payson Seymour and John Wood Community College graduate has exhausted his NCAA…
Read Full Article URSA, Ill. — The sun had already started its dive toward the horizon as Armando and Cindy Gonzalez settled in to their chairs, but the fading daylight didn’t bother them. “Fresh batteries and all,” Armando said as he held up the lantern he planned to use after dusk. His wife of 30 years reached into…
Read Full Article QUINCY — David Hutson and Luke Siebers were met with a challenge when they joined a pair of their former Quincy Notre Dame golf teammates for the final nine holes of what turned out to be a record-setting round Thursday. Just don’t kill the vibe. Truth be told, they probably enhanced it. When they arrived…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — For a chance to win some big cash, Austen Becerra felt he had to take a chance on a big crash. The Carthage modified driver pulled off a successful kamikaze-like maneuver coming out of turn four on the 45th and final lap of Friday night’s fourth annual Chad McCoy Memorial Race at Adams…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — A Quincy High School Hall of Fame basketball player’s name is being added to the pantheon of Western Illinois University’s greatest athletes. Monzel Jackson, a 1949 QHS graduate, will be inducted posthumously into the WIU Hall of Fame this fall. Jackson is one of four individuals and one team to comprise the…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Through all of the chaos playing professional basketball overseas can create, former Quincy University standout Tanner Stuckman has held tight to one mantra. “Nothing is impossible,” said Stuckman, who walked on at QU following his prep career at Quincy Notre Dame and developed into a first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection by his…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Adams County Speedway officials acknowledged the track has added additional safety measures — with more to come — following a weekend tragedy at nearby Jacksonville Speedway. Track operators Jim and Tammy Lieurance informed drivers, workers and fans alike Sunday night about immediate and upcoming changes following the death of longtime Jacksonville track employee…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Austen Becerra was able to withstand a number of charges from rival Dave Wietholder during the latter stages of the modified feature en route to collecting his third checkered flag of the season Sunday night at Adams County Speedway. Wietholder, who led all 20 laps, crossed the finish line 0.655 of a second…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University assistant men’s basketball coaches — one of whom is a former Hawks player — have landed new coaching gigs. Jestin Anderson, who spent the past four seasons at Maryville and was elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2022-23 season, has joined the staff at NCAA…
Read Full Article ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A sizzling start to Saturday’s round didn’t result in a stellar finish for Palmyra’s Ryan Schuenke at the 117th Missouri Amateur Championship at St. Joseph Country Club. Despite winning three of the first five holes in his match against Mt. Vernon’s Presten Richardson in the morning quarterfinals, Schuenke lost five holes…
Read Full Article ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Ryan Schuenke didn’t allow a long day of golf to go any longer than needed. The Palmyra golfer ended a pair of matches Friday in the 117th Missouri Amateur Championship short of 18 holes, winning twice to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals at St. Joseph Country Club. Schuenke, a former Quincy men’s…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The prospects of bringing summer college baseball back to Quincy in 2025 are growing stronger. Quincy Mayor Mike Troup said since the fall of 2023, he and representatives of Quincy University have been in conversations with an ownership group with ties to the Prospect League’s Springfield Lucky Horseshoes about bringing a team to…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — On paper, this appears to be a marriage made in dirt-track heaven. The union of new Adams County Speedway owner Jeff DeLonjay and track operators Jim and Tammy Lieurance should be an alliance that will benefit local fans and drivers alike for years to come. First of all, hats off to Jim and…
Read Full Article ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Quincy’s Adam Pfeiffer and Palmyra’s Ryan Schuenke powered their way into the round of 32 at the Missouri Amateur Championship with stellar play down the stretch. Hannibal’s Quinn Thomas fell just short of doing the same thing. Pfeiffer and Schuenke closed out their match-play victories by winning their final holes and…
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