Big Weekend for SJ-O Sports: Track and Field Sectional Champs, Dowling ties State record, Burnett wins fifth consecutive game
By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
St. Joseph-Ogden cruised to team honors on Friday in its own 17-school Class 1A girls’ sectional track and field meet.
The Spartans qualified individuals for state in seven events, along with all four relays. The state meet, for Class 1A, starts on Thursday at Eastern Illinois University, in Charleston.
SJ-O amassed 129 ½ points. Runner-up Urbana University High had 79 ½ points.
In all, 13 different SJ-O squad members secured berths at state, including Maclayne Taylor, who has qualified in the maximum four events.
“We had a great meet,” SJ-O coach Kelly Steffen said. “The girls were focused on the goal: qualify for state. The great news is, there is still room for ‘fine tuning’ in a lot of the events we qualified.
“We took care of business at the sectional and are now ready to freshen up our bodies and minds for some fast times and big distances.”
Taylor advanced as the runner-up in both the 100-meter (12.94 seconds) and 200-meter (26.49 seconds) dashes.
She also ran legs on the sectional championship 400- and 800-meter relays.
In both relays, Taylor teamed up with Danie Kelso, Hailey Birt and Atleigh Hamilton to reach state. The 400 foursome was timed in 50.52 seconds. The 800 relay stopped the clock in 1:46.91.
The Spartans’ other sectional title came from its 1,600-meter relay unit of Ashlyn Lannert, Rylee Sjuts, Jillian Plotner and Kelso in 4:15.17.
SJ-O’s other individual running qualifiers were Cassidy Bagby (second in the 3200 meters in 12:17.24) and Hannah Rajlich (second in the 1,600 in 5:42.37).
The runner-up 3,200-meter relay took second in 11:43.00 to advance. Rajlich and Sjuts were joined by Kailyn Ingram and Addie Allen.
The Spartans’ field events state qualifiers were Grace Schmitz (second in the pole vault, 9 feet); Hamilton (second in the long jump, 17-4) and Jenna Albrecht (third in the triple jump, 34-1).
In addition to the state-qualifiers, SJ-O had individuals 12 other events who registered top 10 performances at sectional.
Payton Vallee was third in the discus (108-5) and ninth in the shot put (30-0 ½). Angie Chahine was seventh in the 100-meter hurdles (19.08 seconds) and 10th in the high jump (4-4).
Plotner and Lannert ran third and fourth, respectively, in the 800 meters. Plotner was timed in 2:29.46. Lannert finished in 2:30.63.
Ally Monk ran fourth in the 1,600 meters (5:55.40), Ava Knap ended fourth in the 3,200 meters (12:47.67), Abby Behrens tied for fourth in the high jump (4-10), Sjuts was sixth in the 300 hurdles (52.59), Lindsey Aden was eighth in the shot put (30-4 ½) and Hope Rajlich was ninth in the long jump (14-5).
Softball
From this day forward, every home run that Bailey Dowling hits for St. Joseph-Ogden during the next year will break a state record.
Dowling belted the 17th home run of her junior season on Thursday, in a 16-1 win at home over Champaign Central, raising her career total to 60.
The 60 home runs tie the all-time IHSA state record set in 2015 by Lisle Benet’s Stephanie Abello.
Dowling’s historic homer came in her second at-bat of the game. It took some time for the magnitude of her accomplishment to hit her.
“During the game, I go out and play. After the game, I let it sink in,” the Alabama recruit said.
After back-to-back 20-home run seasons to start her high school career, Dowling is accustomed to not getting great pitches to hit.
“It was a low, outside pitch,” Dowling said. “I took all my power to the ball.”
It was a no-doubt home run. The ball sailed far over the left-center field fence and bounced on the street before coming to rest.
Dowling speculated that if he hadn’t swung, the pitch might not have been called a strike.
“It was pretty low,” she said. “If it’s close to the zone, I hit with the same amount of power.”
Dowling wasn’t charting her progress as the season continued. She was unaware of the impending milestone until a day before the game when an area sportswriter contacted her.
“It’s amazing to know I made it into the record book,” she said. “It’s pretty awesome.”
Her power surge is not a new phenomenon since entering high school. Dowling can trace her long-ball prowess back to playing for her 10-and-under team.
“Just natural strength,” she said.
Dowling’s offensive exploits, plus two hits and three runs batted in by Kaylee Ward helped support the four-hit pitching of Ashtyn Cromwell, who worked all five innings against Central.
On Saturday, SJ-O won two of three games at the Alexis Fieldhouse and reached the 20-win mark for the 32nd consecutive season.
SJ-O handled Monmouth United 10-1 as Zoey Witruk fired a complete-game one-hitter and struck out 12. Witruk and Lauren Trankina each had two hits. Trankina knocked in four runs and Witruk, who swatted two triples, drove in two runs.
In their second tournament game, the Spartans were beaten by Moline, 9-5, despite a 3-for-4 performance by Dowling. Savannah Smith had two RBI for the Spartans.
The final game was win No. 20 for SJ-O for the spring, an 8-5 decision over Biggsville West Central.
Witruk relieved Hannah Lewis and earned the victory.
Hannah Dukeman bashed three hits and Dowling landed two hits against Biggsville. Dukeman drove in three runs.
SJ-O (20-8) returns to action tonight at home against Charleston.
Baseball
Crayton Burnett won his fifth consecutive decision – and fourth by shutout – on Saturday as the Spartans swept a non-conference doubleheader from visiting Salt Fork’s 20-win team.
Burnett allowed one hit in five innings of the opening game 2-0 triumph. He walked one and struck out five.
Zach Martinie yielded one more single during the final two innings and registered a save. He also walked one and fanned five.
Nicholas Boggs and Martinie drove in the SJ-O runs. Burnett and Kaden Jacobs scored the runs.
SJ-O completed the sweep with a 5-1 verdict in the nightcap.
Martinie opened with three hitless innings and gave way to Joseph Acton who allowed one hit during the final four innings.
Acton registered the win after walking no one and striking out two.
Adam Rose had three of the Spartans’ 10 hits and knocked in three runs. Teammates with RBI were Drew Coursey and Blake Primmer.
Sam Wesley had two hits in the second game.
Rose and Jacobs were the only Spartans with hits in both games.
SJ-O (23-8-2) returns to action today at home against Tri-Valley. SJ-O’s Illini Prairie Conference champions carry a six-game winning streak into the non-conference contest.
