By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
Oakwood/Salt Fork senior Mason Ajster was one of the standouts Saturday at Carterville’s Class 1A wrestling sectional tournament.
Ajster competed four times in the two-day event.
He pinned all four opponents, including one in 55 seconds.
Most significant is who Ajster pinned.
He pinned opponents who wound up placing second, third and fourth at the sectional.
All of the top four finishers in each weight class advance to state, which starts on Thursday at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center.
Ajster also reached the 30-win mark for the season with his performance. He will carry a 30-6 mark to state.
He was one four Oakwood/Salt Fork wrestlers to secure berths at state.
He will be joined by sophomore Gage Reed (the runner-up at 113 pounds), junior Caide Borden (the third-place finisher at 285 pounds) and sophomore Connor Hutson (the fourth-place finisher at 132 pounds).
Overall, eight Comets competed at sectionals. Each claimed at least one victory. Cumulatively, the group had a 20-12 record with nine pins.
Borden and Caleb Lashuay (145 pounds) each registered two pins. Joe Lashuay (126 pounds) had one pin.
Other Comets who participated at sectionals were Brian Reagan (120 pounds) and Tate Johnson (152 pounds).
One of the day’s most intense matches came at 132 pounds in the bout to determine whether Hutson or St. Joseph-Ogden’s Isaiah Immke would qualify for state.
Hutson prevailed 5-4 in double overtime.
St. Joseph-Ogden
Two Spartans advanced to state after placing fourth on Saturday in their respective weight classes at the Carterville Class 1A sectional.
Sophomore A.J. Wagner (106 pounds) and senior Jake Wendling (120 pounds) continued their seasons.
Wagner is the team’s winningest wrestler with a 43-7 season mark. He won three of five bouts at Carterville.
SJ-O had six sectional qualifiers and each won at least one match. Overall, the group was 12-12 with five pins. Earning two pins apiece were Isaiah Moore (113 pounds) and Isaiah Immke (132 pounds). Teammate Brodie Sullivan (170 pounds) posted one pin.
The Spartans’ other sectional competitor was Peyton Holt (138 pounds).
Girls’ basketball
St. Joseph-Ogden
The fourth-ranked Spartans (25-4) won their 12th game in a row on Thursday, capturing a Class 2A regional championship after upending Salt Fork 61-37 at Unity High School.
SJ-O put up 21 first-quarter points and didn’t lead by less than 12 points after any of the quarter breaks.
Bree Trimble led the way with 16 points. Hannah Dukeman hit a season-high four three-point shots and added 12 points.
Payton Jacob scored a season-high 11 points.
SJ-O returns to action tonight in a semifinal game of the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Sectional, facing the host Falcons (24-5) in the 7:30 p.m. game.
When the schools played in the regular season, the Spartans prevailed, 66-39.
Oakwood
Junior Katelyn Young surpassed the 1,700-point mark for her prep career, but the Comets dropped a 52-33 decision to Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin in a Class 2A Regional title game played at Bismarck on Thursday.
Young led Oakwood with 11 points. Kylie Neuman added nine points.
Oakwood finishes the season with a 24-7 record.
Young stands fifth on the school’s career scoring chart.
The all-time leaders in the Oakwood girls’ program are:
1) Stacie Calhoun (1985 graduate) 2,314 points;
2) Peggy Witsman (1982 graduate) 2,176 points;
3) Amy Martin (2010 graduate) 2,010 points;
4) Stephanie Denius (2008 graduate) 1,906 points;
5) Katelyn Young, (2020 graduate) 1,703 points.
Villa Grove/Heritage
Aliya Holloman hit the 30-point mark for the third time in her final 10 games, but the Blue Devils (22-8) lost to Sullivan, 59-46, in the championship game of the Warrensburg-Latham Class 2A Regional on Thursday.
VG/Heritage ends the season with a 22-8 record. Sullivan, ranked sixth in Class 2A, is 25-3.
Boys’ basketball
St. Joseph-Ogden
The Spartans (18-8) split their final two games of the week, topping IVC 58-31 on Friday in Chillicothe and losing to Peoria Quest 49-46 on Saturday at the Riverton Shootout.
Jack Cook led the way at IVC with 20 points and completed his double-double with 11 rebounds.
Chance Izard scored 11 points. Joel Orcutt grabbed eight rebounds.
SJ-O led 21-14 at halftime and then went on a 19-6 third-quarter spree to double the score (40-20) after three quarters.
On Saturday, Orcutt was the top SJ-O scorer with a game-high 14 points.
Cook scored 12 points. Payton Cain had nine points and Keanen Swanson added eight points.
The teams were tied, 22-22, at halftime.
The loss to Quest ended SJ-O’s winning streak at nine games.
The Spartans return to action on Tuesday at Paxton-Buckley-Loda.
Oakwood
Three players scored in double figures on Friday as the Comets (17-9) upended visiting Westville (5-20) 55-31.
Trevan Garrett was the leader with 16 points.
Scoring 10 points apiece were Andy Hohn and Isaiah Ruch. Bryce Jones chipped in with eight points.
The Comets expanded a lead that was five points (17-12) after one quarter to 18 points (39-21) at halftime.
Oakwood returns to action on Tuesday at Georgetown-Ridge Farm.
Villa Grove/Heritage
The Hawks (20-7) reached the 20-win mark for the first time in the six years of the co-op with a 62-58 triumph at home on Friday over Hutsonville/Palestine.
VG/Heritage’s balanced scoring attack featured four players finishing with at least nine points.
Will Wilson totaled a team-high 19 points, Jared Stevens tallied 15 points, Kane Davison contributed nine points and Jake Eversole also finished with nine points.
VG/Heritage led, 10-9, after one period and 28-23 at halftime.
The last time either Heritage or Villa Grove had a 20-win season in boys’ basketball was 2009-10 when Heritage ended with a 26-5 record.
The Hawks return to action on Tuesday at Cumberland.
