The Comets (14-4) continue to move up in the Class 1A state rankings released on Tuesday by The Illinois Best Weekly.

The Comets are ranked 14th, an improvement of three positions from the previous state poll.

Oakwood returns to action tonight at Westville in a meet that also includes Danville.

The post Comet wrestling ranked 14 by The Illinois Best Weekly first appeared on SJO Daily.

St. Joseph-Ogden’s A.J. Wagner won all three of his matches on Saturday to win the 113-pound weight class in the Rex Avery Porta Invitational in Petersburg.

Wagner is 7-1 for the season and had one pin. He was top-seeded in his weight class.

Wagner was among eight Spartans who participated in the tournament.

Brodie Sullivan placed fourth at 195 pounds. He had one pin for the day.

Securing fifth-place finishes for SJ-O were Isaiah Moore (126 pounds) and Trevon Carr (170 pounds). Moore was 2-1 for the day with two pins. Carr was 3-1 and posted one pin.

Joe Gherna (285 pounds) won the consolation bracket.

Overall, SJ-O wrestlers were 12-11 for the tournament.

The team’s other competitors were Matthew Falls (138 pounds), Conrad Miller (145 pounds) and Max Shonkwiler  (220 pounds).

As a team, SJ-O scored 60 points at Porta and placed 18th in the 25-school event.

Wagner, Chase Chapman and Shonkwiler each have two pins for the Spartans through the first five dual meets.

Austin Kofoot, Moore and A.J. Wells all have one pin apiece in the dual meets.

Wagner’s fastest fall was in 48 seconds and accounted for the only SJ-O points in a 61-6 loss to LeRoy/Tri-Valley.

Shonkwiler’s quickest pin was in 16 seconds and was one of six matches the Spartans won in a 47-33 loss to Clifton Central.

Chapman’s 11-second pin, also against Clifton Central, was the team’s fastest in the first five meets.

Wells produced a 19-second pin in a 48-12 loss to Danville.

Kofoot registered a 16-second fall against Clifton Central. Moore’s pin came in 2 minutes, 11 seconds, also against Clifton.

Wagner and Shonkwiler each earned wins by decision in a 51-6 loss to Oakwood/Salt Fork.

Carr scored a technical fall win in a 35-5 SJ-O win over Urbana.

SJ-O returns to action on Tuesday at Gibson City in a meet that also includes Heyworth.

The post Wagner wins three at Rex Avery Porta Invitational first appeared on SJO Daily.

Saturday, January 11, 2020 

Varsity (SJO HS Main Gym)
Varsity:  8 Minute Quarters – 10 Minute Halftimes & 12-15 Minute Warm-Ups

11:00 AM: SE (Locker Room) Crete-Monee vs. Mahomet-Seymour NW (Locker Room)
12:30 PM: SW (Locker Room) Kankakee vs. Danville NE (Locker Room)
2:00 PM:  SE (Locker Room) Rich Central vs. Champaign Central NW (Locker Room)
3:30 PM: SW (Locker Room) Cissna Park vs. Monticello NE (Locker Room)
5:00 PM: SE (Locker Room) Pleasant Plains vs. Notre Dame La Salette NW (Locker Room)
6:30 PM: SW (Locker Room) Maine South vs. Normal Community NE (Locker Room)
8:00 PM: SE (Locker Room) Farmington vs. St. Joseph-Ogden NW (Locker Room)

Junior Varsity (SJO PRACTICE GYM)
JV (8 Minute Quarters – 8 Minute Halftimes & 10-12 Minute Warm-Ups) Games MAY Start Up to 15 Minutes Early
9:00 AM: (Locker Room-TBA) Crete-Monee vs. Mahomet-Seymour (Locker Room-TBA)
10:30 AM: (Locker Room-TBA) Kankakee vs. Danville (Locker Room-TBA)
12:00 PM: (Locker Room-TBA) Rich Central vs. Champaign Central (Locker Room-TBA)
1:30 PM: (Locker Room-TBA) Cissna Park vs. Monticello (Locker Room-TBA)
3:00 PM: (Locker Room-TBA) Pleasant Plains vs. Notre Dame La Salette (Locker Room-TBA)
4:30 PM: (Locker Room-TBA) Maine South vs. Normal Community (Locker Room-TBA)
6:00 PM: (Locker Room-TBA) Farmington vs. St. Joseph-Ogden (Locker Room-TBA)

*****Home team is listed on the right for all games

The post 2020 Christie Clinic Shootout at St. Joseph-Ogden first appeared on SJO Daily.

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Jack B. Van Zandt, 22, of Danville, Ill., killed during World War II, will be laid to rest in his hometown on Dec. 17, 2019.

After 76 years, Van Zandt’s remains were identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on Sept. 23, 2019.

Raised just west of Danville, Van Zandt was born on Oct. 8, 1922 as the third child of George and Blanche Van Zandt.

After graduating from Oakwood High School in 1939, Van Zandt joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in May 1942, prior to the Dec. 7 bombing of Pearl Harbor.

As a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, Van Zandt and his brothers landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands in an attempt to secure the island.

Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Van Zandt was killed on the third day of the battle, Nov. 22, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in East Division Cemetery on Betio Island.

In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never found. No recovered remains could be associated with Van Zandt, and in October 1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”

George and Blanche Van Zandt received the Purple Heart for their son’s sacrifice and service. Although his body was not recovered in their lifetime, his siblings, including Lois, who lived until she was 93, never gave up hope that he may one day return home.

In 2014, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization, located a site correlated with Cemetery 33. Excavations of the site uncovered multiple sets of remains, which were turned over to DPAA in 2015, where they were subsequently accessioned to the laboratory.

To identify Van Zandt’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence.

Lois and her daughter, Nancy Linde, traveled to Jacksonville, Fla., to give DNA samples in hopes that Jack’s remains would be identified.

The Van Zandt family received word that Jack’s remains had been identified just days prior to Lois’ death on Oct. 4, 2019.

Nancy Linde said, “We kept telling her over and over that his remains are coming home in the hope that she would hear even though she could not respond.”

Van Zandt will be honored at the Sunset Funeral Home in Danville on Dec. 17 from 1 to 2 p.m.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently, there are 72,641 service members still unaccounted for from World War II with approximately 30,000 assessed as possibly recoverable.

Van Zandt’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others killed or lost in WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

The post WWII Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Jack Van Zandt to be laid in final resting place Dec. 17 first appeared on SJO Daily.

The Spartans (7-1) continue to flourish in close games.

SJ-O followed up on a seven-point Thursday win at Danville (52-45) with a one-point triumph (41-40) on Saturday at Oakwood.

For the season, five of the team’s seven wins have been by margins of seven points, or less.

Against Danville, Payton Jacob and Payton Vallee each notched 10 points to lead SJ-O.

Ella Armstrong scored seven points.

The Spartans led at halftime, 29-13, but the Vikings closed within four points (36-32) entering the fourth quarter.

Against Oakwood, SJ-O needed a late free throw from Vallee to register the non-conference win. Her decisive point came with four seconds remaining.

Armstrong drained three three-point shots en route to a team-high 13 points. She hit five of her points in the fourth stanza.

Abby Behrens added seven points and Taylor Barnes contributed six.

Vallee scored both of her points from the free throw line.

The Spartans trailed Oakwood 13-6 after one quarter, but surged into a 24-23 advantage by halftime.

SJ-O will play its third road game in five days tonight when it travels to Mahomet-Seymour.

The post St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball off to 7-1 start first appeared on SJO Daily.

St. Joseph-Ogden’s boys’ basketball team opened its season with a win on Tuesday, despite missing 9 of 17 free throws in the opening round of the 31st Spartan Classic.

SJ-O upended Georgetown-Ridge Farm, 65-37.

Chance Izard scored 19 points and Jordan Kelly added 12 points for the Spartans, who turned a 7-4 lead after one quarter into a 21-11 advantage at halftime.

Izard and Kelly were two of five SJ-O players who connected on a three-pointer.

Coach Keil Duval started four seniors – Payton Cain, Drew Coursey, Conner Hodge and Izard – along with freshman Ty Pence.

Cain scored eight points, Pence had seven and Luke Renfrew chipped in with six points.

SJ-O continued its winning ways on Wednesday, knocking off Notre Dame de La Salette, 48-37.

Cain registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 steals.

Pence ended with eight points, including 4-of-4 from the free throw line in a game where the Spartans were 6-of-12 overall from the line.

Izard and Andrew Beyers each scored seven points.

Cain collected a team-high seven rebounds. Pence and Hodge each gathered four rebounds.

The Spartans scored nine of the game’s first 10 points and held a 41-20 fourth-quarter lead.

The Spartans (2-0) return to action at 8 p.m. on Friday against Cissna Park.

All six teams will play twice in the round-robin event on Saturday. The final-day SJ-O games will be at 11:30 a.m. against Schlarman Academy and at 7 p.m. against Watseka.

St. Joseph-Ogden Girls’ basketball

The Spartans trailed after each of the first two quarters on Monday against Tuscola, but rallied to register a 50-46 overtime win.

Katie Cramer scored 14 points to lead SJ-O. Both Cramer and Payton Jacob nailed three-pointers in OT to help the Spartans pull away.

Taylor Barnes scored nine points and Abby Behrens added eight for SJ-O.

SJ-O (5-1) returns to action tonight at Danville. The Spartans received votes in the first Class 2A state poll, which was released on Wednesday.

The post Spartans off to great start in Toyota Classic, girls basketball beats Tuscola first appeared on SJO Daily.

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.

The post SJ-O Girls’ Basketball drops home opener, Wagner, Immke, Moore recognized by The Illinois Best Weekly first appeared on SJO Daily.