St. Joseph-Ogden swept the three doubles matches on Tuesday (Oct. 5) at Danville and handed Schlarman Academy a 7-2 dual-meet loss in girls’ tennis.

The win assures the Spartans (7-4) of no worse than a .500 season with three dual meets remaining.

In doubles, SJ-O’s teams lost a combined five games.

At No. 1 doubles, Hope Rajlich and Kelsey Martlage, topped Maya Jenny and Anna Lehmann, 8-4.

At No. 2 doubles, Spartans Allison Kearney and Angie Chahine teamed up to beat Lilli Perez and Madi Watson, 8-1.

At No. 3 doubles, Abby Behrens and Jacey Lewis swept past Karlee Belton and Evy Kelsey, 8-0.

SJ-O’s singles winners were Claire Huffman (No.2), Ashlyn Lannert (No. 4), Emma Rydell (No. 5) and Katie McDermott (No. 6).

Lannert and Rydell registered 8-0 wins over Lehmann and Belton, respectively. Huffman topped Watson, 8-3, and McDermott defeated Kelsey, 8-5.

SJ-O returns to action on Monday (Oct. 11) for its Senior Night match against Maroa-Forsyth at the UI Atkins Tennis Center. The Spartans have 12 seniors on the roster.

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The Spartans won seven of nine matches on Tuesday (Sept. 7) to capture a dual-meet victory over Schlarman Academy in Danville.

In singles, Angie Chahine didn’t lose a game against  Anjoelina Anderson, posting an 8-0 win at No. 6.

Other SJ-O singles winners were: Claire Huffman at No. 2, decisioning Caroline Bogen, 8-3; Grace Schmitz, at No. 3, topping Madi Watson, 8-3; Ashlyn Lannert, at No. 4 beating Lilli Perez, 8-6 and Allison Kearney, at No. 5, overpowering Anna Lehmann, 8-2.

Two of the Spartans’ doubles teams also posted wins.

At No. 2, Jacey Lewis and Abby Behrens handled Perez and Watson, 8-2.

At No. 3, Katie McDermott and Emma Rydell beat Lehmann and Evy Kelsey, 8-2.

At No. 1 doubles, SJ-O’s Hope Rajlich and Kelsey Martlage fell just short in a tough match against Maya Jenny and Bogen, 8-5.

On Wednesday (Sept. 8), the Spartans faced their toughest test to date and dropped a 9-0 decision to Centennial in Champaign.

The SJ-O doubles’ team all have at least .500 season records after losing to the Chargers.

Rajlich and Martlage are 3-2 overall at No. 1 after an 8-4 setback.

At No. 2, Behrens and Lewis are 2-2 after an 8-2 loss. At No. 3, Rydell and McDermott have a 2-1 record after an 8-5 loss.

Dropping narrow decisions in singles were Kearney at No. 5, 8-4, and Ella Armstrong at No. 6, 8-6.

SJ-O (4-3) returns to action on Thursday (Sept. 23) at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.

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Unbeaten and top-ranked Paris ended the girls’ basketball season for St. Joseph-Ogden on Monday with a 62-35 win in a Class 2A sectional semifinal game at Paris.

The Tigers scored all 62 of their points in the first three quarters. Paris led 18-13 after one quarter and 39-21 at halftime and had doubled the score (62-31) after three quarters.

Katie Cramer drained three three-point shots and made a team-high 11 points for SJ-O. Payton Jacob contributed 10 points.

Cramer netted a team-high 46 three-pointers for the season.

SJ-O ended the season with a 21-11 overall record.

Ten different squad members led the Spartans in scoring in at least one game this season.

Cramer was the leader in 11 games. She was followed by Ashlyn Lannert (six games), Payton Jacob (five games), Ella Armstrong (four games), Taylor Barnes (three games), Payton Vallee (three games), Atleigh Hamilton (two games), Taylor Wells (two games), Abby Behrens (one game) and Alyssa Hamilton (one game).

The team’s top individual scoring performances were by Jacob (19 points), Barnes (18 points) and Armstrong (17 points).

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fred@mahometnews.com

The offensively balanced St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball team received a season-high 12 points from Taylor Wells on Monday and remained unbeaten in Illini Prairie Conference games.

Wells became the 10th different squad member to lead – or share the team-lead – in scoring for a game this season.

In the 42-25 triumph over visiting St. Thomas More, Ashlyn Lannert chipped in with eight points and Payton Jacob contributed six points.

STM held a 19-16 halftime lead, but Wells scored six of her points in the third quarter as SJ-O pulled away. The Spartans yielded only one second-half basket and held a 35-21 lead after three quarters.

Jacob and Lannert also tallied four points apiece in the third quarter, a period where SJ-O scored 19 of the 21 points.

SJ-O is 15-4 overall and 2-0 in conference action. The Spartans, who have a four-game winning streak, return to action tonight at Stanford Olympia.

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The St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball team put up 58 points in successive home games to start the week while snapping a two-game losing streak.

On Monday, SJ-O overpowered Paxton-Buckley-Loda 58-47. On Tuesday, the Spartans topped Urbana 58-40.

Four players scored in double figures against PBL. Abby Behrens and Atleigh Hamilton each ended with 12 points. Teammates Ella Armstrong and Ashlyn Lannert both added 11 points.

SJ-O held a narrow 23-19 halftime lead, but Hamilton hit six of her points in the third quarter and the team’s lead was 43-33 entering the final eight minutes.

Against Urbana, both Payton Jacob (19 points) and Armstrong (14 points) registered season-high point totals. They each drilled three three-point shots.

The Spartans carried a 23-18 lead into halftime, but Jacob tallied eight of her points in the third quarter as the team extended its lead to double digits, 41-31.

SJ-O (10-3) is idle until the State Farm Classic, which is played at various Bloomington-Normal locations. That event begins on Dec. 26.

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The Spartans (4-1) dropped their home-opener on Tuesday, 65-44, to Paris.

Taylor Barnes scored a team-high nine points. Finishing with six points apiece were Alyssa Hamilton, Payton Jacob and Ashlyn Lannert.

Paris jumped into a 14-6 lead after one quarter.

Lannert and Katie Cramer were picked for the all-tournament team the previous week at the Lady Bunny/Lady Falcon Classic.

SJ-O returns to action tonight at home against Tuscola.

St. Joseph-Ogden Wrestling

Three Spartan underclassmen were mentioned in the honorable mention category by The Illinois Best Weekly in its preseason Class 1A individual state rankings.

Junior A.J.  Wagner received notice at 113 pounds as did teammates Isaiah Moore, a sophomore, at 120 pounds and Isaiah Immke, a junior, at 138 pounds.

The Spartans open the season on Saturday at Danville with a series of dual meets that will also include Urbana, LeRoy and Olympia.

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St. Joseph-Ogden’s girls’ basketball team opened the season with two wins in two nights this week and had different scoring leaders in each game.

On Monday, the Spartans handed Fisher a 39-22 setback in the first round of the Lady Falcon/Lady Bunny Tournament at Fisher.

Alyssa Hamilton drilled two three-point shots and led SJ-O with nine points. Teammate Payton Jacob added eight points, including one basket from three-point range.

The Spartans’ Payton Vallee scored seven points on Monday, two days after playing in the third-place state tournament volleyball match in Normal.

Fisher led 6-5 after one quarter, but SJ-O captured the lead at halftime, 19-14 and built its margin to 15 points after three quarters.

Taylor Barnes and Ashlyn Lannert each added six points for the Spartans.

On Tuesday, SJ-O overpowered Iroquois West 49-16.

Lannert knocked down a game-high 15 points.

Hamilton drained nine points. Barnes and Katie Cramer each hit six points.

All three of Cramer’s baskets after two games have been from beyond the three-point arc. Barnes also has three three-pointers.

SJ-O’s defense limited Iroquois West to one first-half basket while building a 26-5 lead at intermission.

SJ-O (2-0) returns to action tonight at Fisher in the 5:30 p.m. game against Villa Grove/Heritage (2-0).

The winner will advance into Saturday’s championship game. The loser will play in Saturday’s third-place game.

The post Diverse scoring leads St. Joseph-Ogden Girls’ Basketball to two wins first appeared on SJO Daily.

2 Ashlyn Lannert G 5’4″ 2022
4 Nora Walden F 5’6″ 2021
5 Taylor Campbell G/F 5’4″ 2021
10 Payton Jacob G/F 5’9″ 2022
11 Taylor Wells F/C 6’1″ 2022
12 Atleigh Hamilton G 5’5″ 2021
13 Kathryn Cramer G 5’5″ 2020
14 Abby Behrens G 5’4″ 2022
15 Taylor Barnes G/F 5’9″ 2020
21 Alyssa Hamilton G/F 5’8″ 2022
22 Payton Vallee F 5’10” 2021
23 Ella Armstrong G/F 5’9″ 2022
33 Anna Wentzloff F 5’7″ 2020

The post 2019-2020 St. Joseph Ogden Girls Basketball Roster first appeared on SJO Daily.

St. Joseph-Ogden completed a unique three-match homestand in three nights on Wednesday with its third two-game sweep in as many days.

The Spartans (13-3) turned back Danville 25-13, 25-13 on Wednesday.

Katelyn Berry had 10 digs, Kennedi Burnett had eight digs and Rylee Stahl had six digs.

Burnett and Lacey Kaiser each swatted six kills. Bigger handed out 16 assists to go with two service aces.

On Tuesday, the Spartans secured a 2-0 sweep over visiting Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

Bigger handed out 26 assists and SJ-O displayed a potent and balanced offensive attack.

Kaiser landed nine kills while Berry and Burnett each delivered seven kills.

Burnett sparked a defense that produced 42 digs. She had nine.

Other team leaders were Berry (seven digs), Lindsey Aden (six digs), Kaiser (six digs), Berry (five digs) and Stahl (five digs).

Bigger had 16 assists and eight digs on Monday as the Spartans blitzed visiting Hoopeston Area, 25-5, 25-5.

Kaiser (six kills), Jenna Albrecht (five kills) and Burnett (five kills) were the offensive sparks.

Berry contributed a team-high 11 digs.

SJ-O (12-3) returns to action on Monday at Urbana.

SJ-O Boys’ cross-country

SJ-O runners were dominant on Tuesday in a non-scored dual meet against Monticello at Kickapoo State Park.

The Spartans swept the second through 10th positions.

SJ-O’s Brandon Mattsey was the meet’s runner-up, running the 3-mile course in 18 minutes, 7 seconds.

The next six Spartan runners finished consecutively and were within 29 seconds of one another.

Eric Poe was third in 19:01, followed by Lukas Hutcherson (fourth in 19:04), Luke Stegall (fifth in 19:07), Logan Wolfersberger (sixth in 19:09), Braden Clampitt (seventh in 19:11) and Elijah Mock (eighth in 19:30).

Completing the top 10 were SJ-O’s Ethan Blackburn (ninth in 20:37) and Charlie Mabry (10th in 20:51).

SJ-O returns to action on Saturday at the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational.

SJ-O Girls’ cross-country

In a non-scored dual meet on Tuesday against Monticello at Kickapoo State Park, SJ-O runners swept all of the first five positions.

Jillian Plotner was the individual winner in 21 minutes, 15 seconds for the 3-mile course.

She was followed by Hannah Rajlich (second in 21:20), Ava Knap (third in 21:27), Ashlyn Lannert (fourth in 21:53) and Ally Monk (fifth in 22:07).

SJ-O returns to action on Saturday at the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational.

SJ-O Soccer

It was a different day, but the outcome was the same for the St. Joseph-Ogden soccer program.

Three days after losing to Monticello 5-0 in a tournament match at Hoopeston, the Spartans lost a 5-0 decision to Monticello on Tuesday at home.

Monticello is 10-0-1 for the season, SJ-O is 2-8-1 entering a match today at St. Thomas More (9-1-3).

The post Spartan Volleyball handles Danville and PBL, SJ-O CC sweeps Monticello first appeared on SJO Daily.

The Spartans had two players eclipse the 100-yard mark in rushing on Friday and continued their unbeaten start to the season with an 18-7 conquest of visiting Bloomington Central Catholic.

One highlight for SJ-O was the play of the defense, which head coach Shawn Skinner said was “outstanding.”

He continued: “I thought our DBs were solid all night. Drew Coursey was a factor at outside linebacker getting pressure on their quarterback and setting an edge to stop their outside runs.”

The SJ-O defense limited the Saints to 48 yards rushing on 22 attempts.

Keaton Nolan ran for a game-high 107 yards and Brayden Weaver gained 104 to lead SJ-O, which registered 339 yards of total offense.

Weaver’s first-quarter touchdown accounted for the only scoring until Nolan reached the end zone in the final 90 seconds of the first half.

Crayon Burnett, who completed 6 of 16 passes for 131 yards, added the final TD in the fourth quarter.

Brady Buss caught two passes from Burnett and turned them into gains of 83 yards. Other teammates with receptions were Ty Pence (two), Payton Cain (one) and Coby Miller (one).

“The offense took some strides in throwing the ball,” Skinner said, “but we left some plays on the field.

“Obviously, when you get two backs who run for over 100 yards, it’s a credit to your offensive line and the ability to get those backs free.”

The Spartans (3-0) return to action on Friday at Unity (2-1).

“We need to keep getting better,” Skinner said. “It’s really that simple.

“If we continue to play with effort and come to practice focused, and continue to play better, that’s all we can ask as coaches.”

SJ-O Boys’ cross-country

Brandon Mattsey placed 56th for SJ-O on Saturday in the 505-runner Class 2A division of the First to Finish race at Detweiler Park in Peoria.

Mattsey’s 3-mile time was 16 minutes, 30.2 seconds.

SJ-O had a team score of 702 and ended in 24th place. There was a total of 59 full teams. Meet champion Kaneland had a score of 71 points.

Other leaders for the Spartans were Eric Poe (120th in 17:05.5), Elijah Mock (146th in 17:22), Luke Stegall (182nd in 17:34.3), Charlie Mabry (220th in 17:54.1), Logan Wolfersberger (293rd in 18:27.5), Lukas Hutcherson (298th in 18:28.6), Braden Clampitt (327th in 18:43.8) and Ethan Blackburn (353rd in 18:59.9).

In a separate open race, SJ-O’s Tad Pettit was 363th in 19:56.5.

SJ-O returns to action on Tuesday against Monticello at Kickapoo State Park.

SJ-O Girls’ cross-country

SJ-O placed ninth in the 47-school First to Finish Class 2A race on Saturday at Detweiler Park, in Peoria.

The first five Spartans placed among the top 100 in a field of 412 competitors.

Hannah Rajlich was the team-leader, completing the 3-mile course in 19 minutes, 48.5 seconds. She was 45th.

Teammates following her were Ava Knap (59th in 20:00.9), Ashlyn Lannert (80th in 20:18.6), Ally Monk (83rd in 20:20.9) and Kailyn Ingram (97th in 20:32.2).

SJ-O compiled a team score of 364 points. Meet champion Vernon Hills had a score of 87.

Other Spartan times were Hope Rajlich (141st in 21:21.4), Hanna Eastin (149th in 21:29.6), Addie Allen (160th in 21:37.6), Kendra Riddle (170th in 21:43.6) and Malorie Sarnecki (220th in 22:17.5).

There was a separate girls’ 3-mile open race for runners who did not participate in any other race.

A total of 817 runners finished the open race.

SJ-O’s leaders were Sidney Davis (404th in 24:47.8), Kaytlyn Baker (477th in 25:45.2), Taryn Sexton (490th in 25:53.4), Mary Hinrichs (634th in 28:07.4), Izzy Sexton (691st in 28:35.0), Teagan Miller (707th in 29:09.2) and Lili Wentzloff (804th in 35:45.3).

Of the 52 full teams that competed in the open race, SJ-O was 41st with 1,232 points.

The Spartans will return to action Tuesday against Monticello at Kickapoo State Park.

SJ-O Soccer

In a match which was officially scoreless, the SJ-O soccer squad earned a victory on Friday over Oakwood/Salt Fork in the Hoopeston Area Cornjerker Classic.

The teams were tied 0-0 after regulation before the Spartans prevailed on penalty kicks 3-2.

When the schools played to open the season, that match also ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

SJ-O (2-7-1) lost its other two matches in the tournament, falling to eventual third-place finisher Iroquois West 6-1 and to eventual champion Monticello 5-0.

The Spartans return to action at home on Tuesday against Monticello, which is 8-0-1 for the season.

SJ-O Volleyball

All-tournament pick Kennedi Burnett paced SJ-O to four two-set sweeps before the Spartans lost in Saturday’s championship match of the Bulldog Invitational to the host Mahomet-Seymour squad.

The Spartans (10-3) opened with pool play victories over the St. Teresa JV team 25-10, 25-5, Springfield Southeast 25-10, 25-6 and Peotone 25-11, 25-12.

In the semifinals, SJ-O upended Manteno 25-15, 25-18.

In the finals, against an M-S team the Spartans had beaten earlier in the season, the Bulldogs prevailed 25-9, 25-22.

For the five tournament matches, Burnett swatted 31 kills and contributed 35 digs. Emily Bigger had 99 assists as well as 28 digs and seven service aces.

Other Spartan leaders were Katelyn Berry with 30 kills and 33 digs, Rylee Stahl with 28 digs and Payton Vallee with 18 kills.

SJ-O returns to action tonight at home against Hoopeston Area.

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