The Spartans had the individual runner-up in three of the seven flighted races on Saturday (Sept. 4) at the Chrisman Cowchip cross-country invitational.

The 26-school event was a flighted race where the No. 1 runners from each school ran only against each other, with other races held for the second through seventh runners from each school.

The second-place finishers for SJ-O were Savanna Franzen (19 minutes, 50.3 seconds in the No. 2 race), Kailyn Ingram (20:31.4 in the No. 3 race) and Chloe Burkhalter (21:49.9 in the No. 5 race).

Franzen’s 3-mile time was the school’s best for the day.

Other Spartan participants were: Ava Knap (third in the No. 1 race at 19:55.8), Maddison Clampitt (fourth in the No. 4 race at 22:29.9), Addie Allen (fourth in the No. 6 race at 22:09.9) and Taryn Sexton (fourth in the No. 7 race at 22:24.6).

In the team chase, Tolono Unity was the meet champion with 96 points. Runner-up Monticello had 116 points and third-place SJ-O finished with 145 points.

In the preseason state rankings compiled by milesplit.com, Monticello was rated second in Class 1A, Tolono Unity was rated third and SJ-O was rated seventh.

The Spartans return to action on Tuesday (Sept. 7) at Oakwood.

The post SJO Running places third at Cowchip Classic first appeared on SJO Daily.

St. Joseph-Ogden was the runaway winner on Saturday (Sept. 4) in the Chrisman Cowchip Classic cross-country invitational.

The 26-school event was a flighted race where the No. 1 runners from each school ran only against each other, with other races held for the second through seventh runners from each school.

SJ-O athletes won six of the seven flighted races.

Luke Stegall placed fourth in the race for No. 1 runners, but recorded the Spartans’ top 3-mile time of the day, 17 minutes, 0.1 seconds.

Teammates who dominated their races were Charlie Mabry (17:11.7 in No. 2 race), Elijah Mock (17:36.4 in No. 3 race), Carson Maroon (18:04.2 in No. 4 race), Peyton Wendell (18:15.1 in No. 5 race), Ethan Blackburn (18:07.0 in No. 6 race) and Aden Armstrong (18:18.8 in No. 7 race).

SJ-O had a final score of 68 points. Runner-up Monticello totaled 133 points and third-place Tuscola had 195 points.

In the preseason state rankings compiled by milesplit.com, SJ-O was rated third in Class 2A.

The Spartans return to action on Tuesday (Sept. 7) at Oakwood.

The post SJO boys’ cross country moves to 3rd in Class 2A milesplit.com poll first appeared on SJO Daily.

Three seniors led the way as St. Joseph-Ogden outstepped the field on Saturday (Aug. 28) to capture team honors in the 10-school Doc Acklin Memorial boys’ cross-country invitational in Paris.

The senior leaders entered the finish chute within 6.3 seconds of one another.

Luke Stegall was fourth overall, finishing the 3-mile course in 17 minutes, 18.5 seconds.  He was trailed by Charlie Mabry (fifth in 17:24.4) and Elijah Mock (sixth in 17:24.8) in a field of 71 runners.

They were followed by Carson Maroon (ninth in 17:42.7), Payton Wendell (11^th in 18:25.0), Ethan Blackburn (18^th in 19:03.9), Isaiah Mock (22^nd in 19:41.2) and Aden Armstrong (27^th in 20:15.7).

Other SJ-O participants were Holden Jones (35^th in 20:47.6), Mason Guido (37^th in 20:59.0), Jack Fisher (41^st in 21:35.6), Joe Griebat (52^nd in 23:27.9) and E.J. Beckett (71^st in 33:42.2).

Guido, Fisher, Griebat and Beckett are all freshmen who were competing in their first high school event.

The Spartans finished with a winning score of 30 points, far outdistancing Newton and Tuscola, which tied for second with 62 points.

SJ-O returns to action on Saturday (Sept. 4) at the Chrisman Cowchip Classic.

The post SJO Running wins Doc Acklin Memorial Invitational first appeared on SJO Daily.

A St. Joseph-Ogden senior and a freshman from the school were the top two runners on Saturday (Aug. 28), helping the Spartans to the team title in the girls’ division of the Doc Acklin Memorial cross-country invitational in Paris.

The meet is named in honor of the father of Jim Acklin, a former SJ-O head coach who is now an assistant coach in cross-country.

Senior Ava Knap was the leader in the 59-runner field. Her winning 3-mile time was 20 minutes, 0.8 seconds.

The runner-up was SJ-O freshman Savanna Franzen. She was timed in 20:11.6.

The Spartans had one other top-10 placer.

Kailyn Ingram was ninth in 22:00.7.

Maddison Clampitt and Chloe Burkhalter finished within seconds of each other. Clampitt was 12^th in 22:24.9. Burkhalter was 13^th in 22:37.6.

Other SJ-O participants were: Malorie Sarnecki (15^th in 23:17.6), Addie Allen (20^th in 23:32.0) and Kaytlyn Baker (39^th in 27:24.1).

SJ-O had a team score of 31 points. Runner-up Marshall finished with 44 points. Third-place Newton had 80 points and was followed by Effingham (90 points).

SJ-O will return to action on Saturday (Sept. 4) in the Chrisman Cowchip Classic.

The post Knap, Franzen lead SJO Running at Doc Acklin Memorial Invitational first appeared on SJO Daily.

The tradition continues with the St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ cross-country program.

By placing third in Saturday’s Effingham St. Anthony Class 1A Sectional, SJ-O advanced its entire girls’ team to state for the 13th consecutive year and for the 25th time in school history.

They did it by sticking together. The split between the team’s top five runners was 41 seconds. The gap between the second and fifth runners was seven seconds.

“They draw strength from one another on a daily basis,” SJ-O coach Jason Retz said.

In a field of 136 competitors, all seven of the Spartans’ sectional entries finished in the top one-third.  The five scoring runners were all among the top 27.

It didn’t start out that way.

“We got cut off early (starting from an outside position) and after 400 meters, it may have looked like we were out of it,” Retz said.

The schedule prepared the team for that type of challenge.

“No one panicked,” Retz said. “Some of the races we were in this year were big fields, with more than 60 schools.”

The Spartans worked their way back towards the front.

“We kept picking people off,” Retz said.

Senior Jillian Plotner was the team leader, placing 11th overall after completing the 3-mile course in 19 minutes, 33.75 seconds.

The next group of Spartans were closely bunched.

Sophomore Ashlyn Lannert was 23rd in 19:57.69, senior Hannah Rajlich was 24th in 19:58.97, sophomore Ava Knap was 25th in 19:59.21 and sophomore Malorie Sarnecki was 27th in 20:04.79.

“They kept their composure,” Retz said. “That’s one reason we try to race as many big meets as we can. If you get to the back of the field, you work your way back up.”

The other SJ-O sectional runners were sophomore Addie Allen (36th in 20:23.21) and senior Ally Monk (40th in 20:38.27).

In the final runnerspace.com Class 1A state poll, SJ-O’s girls were ranked sixth.

Two of the teams ranked ahead of them were also in front of them at the sectional. Meet champion Monticello (53 points) is ranked first in 1A and sectional runner-up Unity (66 points) is ranked fourth.

SJ-O finished third with 110 points, just in front of St. Thomas More (116 points). Fifth-place Urbana Uni High (132 points) also qualified its team for state, which will be Saturday, Nov. 9, at Detweiler Park, in Peoria.

The girls’ Class 1A race will start at 9 a.m.

Retz believes his team could be part of history while seeking its fifth state trophy in the past five seasons.

“We are on track to have five (runners) under 19 minutes,” he said. “No team has ever lost state with five under 19 minutes.

“This is the fastest team year (state-wide) that I have been a part of in seven years at St.  Joe. It’s a very competitive year.

‘We may do that (five under 19 minutes) and be sixth, seventh or eighth.”

The potential is there for more, however.

“If we move the pack forward, we could be top five and, on a great day, we could be top three,” Retz said. “Anything in the top eight would be a huge accomplishment.”

St. Joseph-Ogden Boys’ cross-country

After a year’s absence, SJ-O’s boys’ cross-country team is headed back to the state meet.

The Spartans, ranked 25th in the final runnerspace.com state poll, took third place in Saturday’s Effingham St. Anthony Class 1A Sectional.

The top five teams secured automatic advancement to state.

“One of the big keys was our preparation,” Spartan coach Jason Retz said. “We were ready for the course and the (wet) conditions.”

Junior Brandon Mattsey was the team-leader, clocking a 3-mile time of 16 minutes, 56.79 seconds. He finished 13th individually.

Senior Eric Poe came in 22nd in 17:16.29.

“Our third through sixth ran as a group and finished within a few seconds of each other,” Retz added.

The split between those four runners was 12 seconds.

Sophomore Charlie Mabry was 36th in 17:40.73, sophomore Elijah Mock was 42nd in 17:50.26, junior Logan Wolfersberger was 48th in 17:52.28 and sophomore Luke Stegall was 50th in 17:53.66.

In all, there were 148 participants at the sectional.

SJ-O’s other entry was junior Lukas Hutcherson (80th in 18:49.14).

With just one senior in the top seven, the program’s future is bright. Part of that future could arrive this week in the state finals at Detweiler Park, in Peoria.

The Class 1A boys’ race will be on Saturday, Nov. 2, starting at 10 a.m.

“At the beginning of the year, I thought we could be in the top 15,” Retz said. “After the last several weeks, I think they could be top 10.

“They put in a good summer and have continued to work hard.”

Last year’s near-miss served as motivation. SJ-O was within five points of advancing its team to state in 2018.

“Last year, four of our seven had never run a high school regional or sectional before,” Retz said.

There were no close calls when the points were tabulated on Saturday.

Meet champion Monticello had 42 points. Runner-up Urbana Uni High had 96. SJ-O came in third with 158 points. The other teams that moved on to state were fourth-place Unity (162 points) and fifth-place Robinson (173 points).

SJ-O teams have qualified for the boys’ state cross-country meet six of the last seven years and 22 times overall.

St. Joseph-Ogden Football

The Spartans gave up four first-quarter touchdowns on Saturday at top-ranked and unbeaten Williamsville and dropped a 54-26 Class 3A first-round decision.

Williamsville (10-0) accumulated 446 total yards, including 280 on the ground.

Crayton Burnett passed for 111 yards and two touchdowns to Ty Pence. The TD strikes were on plays of 3 and 44 yards. Burnett finished the year with 971 passing yards. Pence hauled in a team-best 19 passes and turned four into TDs.

In the season-finale, Pence totaled 86 yards on four catches. Coby Miller hauled in two receptions.

Keaton Nolan (91 yards rushing) and Jarrett Stevenson (51 yards rushing) each scored one touchdown against Williamsville. Stevenson also added a two-point conversion to raise his team-high point total to 70.

Stevenson led the team in rushing for the season with 601 yards. Nolan finished second with 364 yards on the ground.

Against Williamsville, SJ-O managed 141 rushing yards on 42 attempts.

Payton Cain intercepted a Williamsville pass, his team-leading third of the season.

For the second straight year and the third time in the past four years, the Spartans close with a 5-5 season record and a first-round playoff loss.

“Really enjoyed this group of kids and our senior class,” SJ-O coach Shawn Skinner said. “What you want is to watch kids mature into good young men.

“This group gets it. They were a great group to coach all four years and they were just enjoyable to be with. Will miss them, but can’t wait to see how successful they are as they move on.”

SJ-O has a strong underclassmen nucleus returning, including quarterback Burnett, running back Nolan, receiving leaders Pence and Brady Buss as well as members of a junior varsity squad which compiled a 6-2 season record.

“We had a very successful JV campaign, but those athletes are going to need to spend a lot of time in the weight room if we want to get our program past 5-4 and first round of the playoffs that we are currently at,” Skinner added.

The post Tough schedule helps Spartans place at IHSA Sectionals, Skinner appreciative of senior class first appeared on SJO Daily.

St. Joseph-Ogden Volleyball

SJ-O is heading into the postseason with a 16-match winning streak and a school-record-tying 31 victories this season.

The Spartans won all five matches on Saturday to emerge triumphant in the Mount Pulaski Tournament.

SJ-O lost its opening game to Mount Zion, then reeled off wins in 10 consecutive games to claim first place.

For the day, Emily Bigger delivered 97 assists and added 31 digs.

Kennedi Burnett pounded 31 kills, Payton Vallee had 28 kills, Katelyn Berry had 24 kills, Lacey Kaiser had 22 kills and Stephanie Trame added 11 kills.

Rylee Stahl led with five service aces. Burnett, Kaiser and Kenly Taylor chipped in with four aces apiece. Lindsey Aden had three aces.

Other defensive leaders were Stahl with 46 digs, Burnett with 27 digs, Aden with 21 digs and Taylor with 19 digs.

The Spartans’ pool play wins were 20-25, 25-23, 15-12 over Mount Zion, 25-5, 25-17 over Illini Central and 25-18, 25-12 over Olympia.

In the semifinals, SJ-O handled Shelbyville 25-9, 25-14. The championship match brought back a rematch with Mount Zion and SJ-O prevailed, 25-19, 25-15.

On Thursday, Bigger dealt out 29 assists as the Spartans posted a sweep,  25-17, 25-19 at Monticello.

SJ-O finishes in second place in the Illini Prairie Conference season with a 9-1 record. St. Thomas More was 10-0 in league play.

Burnett powered her way for 11 kills and contributed nine digs at Monticello. Stahl added seven digs.

The Spartans are 31-4 overall and return to action on Tuesday in the semifinals of the Oakwood Class 2A regional against an opponent to be determined.

The 30-win season is the school’s third in the past four years. The 31 wins ties a school record set by the 2016 team.

St. Joseph-Ogden Girls’ cross-country

Five St. Joseph-Ogden girls entered the finish chute within 45 seconds of one another on Saturday, helping the Spartans place third at the Tuscola Class 1A regional, securing them a team bid to the sectional.

SJ-O qualified for the Effingham St. Anthony Sectional on Saturday, Nov 2. The girls’ race will start at 10 a.m.

Senior Jillian Plotner was the team leader, clocking a 3-mile time of 19 minutes, 10.71 seconds. She placed ninth.

Four other teammates ended among the top 21 in a field of 74 participants.

Sophomore Ashlyn Lannert was 16th in 19:43.12, sophomore Ava Knap was 19th in 19:48.98, sophomore Malorie Sarnecki was 20th in 19:54.86 and senior Ally Monk was 21st in 19:55.22.

The rest of the Spartans’ regional lineup consisted of sophomore Addie Allen (27th in 20:16.84) and sophomore Kailyn Ingram (30th in 20:43.43).

In the regional team chase, Monticello was first with 37 points, followed by Unity (47 points), SJ-O (85 points) and St. Thomas More (87 points).

At sectional, SJ-O will be seeking its 25th team state berth in the past 31 years. For each of the past 12 years, SJ-O has sent its entire girls’ team to state.

St. Joseph-Ogden Boys’ cross-country

SJ-O’s top five runners registered times within 55 seconds of each other on Saturday in the Tuscola Class 1A Regional, helping the entire team continue its season.

The Spartans took fifth in the regional and will move on to the Effingham St. Anthony Sectional. The boys’ race will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.

The team’s veterans set the pace at the regional for a youthful group of sophomores who followed.

Junior Brandon Mattsey covered the 3-mile course in 16 minutes, 44.04 seconds and ended in 10th place in a field of 92 runners. Senior Eric Poe was 14th in 17:03.31.

They were followed in succession by four sophomores: Charlie Mabry was 20th in 17:15.06, Elijah Mock was 24th in 17:26.59, Luke Stegall was 29th in 17:39.24 and Braden Clampitt was 35th in 18:02.21.

The team’s other regional competitor was freshman Ethan Blackburn, who was 44th in 18:39.79.

At sectional, SJ-O will be chasing its 22nd team state berth and the sixth in the past seven seasons.

Monticello was the regional champion, totaling 28 points. They Sages were followed in the team race by Urbana Uni High (83), Paxton-Buckley-Loda (95), Unity (95) and SJ-O (97).

St. Joseph-Ogden Football

The Spartans were held scoreless for three quarters on Friday at Monticello and dropped a 35-6 decision to the Sages. Monticello carried a 28-0 lead into the final period.

Despite the loss, the 5-4 Spartans were chosen for the playoffs and a 1 p.m. Saturday first-round Class 3A game at 9-0 Williamsville.

In last week’s Associated Press state poll, Williamsville was ranked as the No. 1 team in Class 3A.

SJ-O coach Shawn Skinner anticipated a matchup like the team drew.

“When you’re 5-4, you understand you’ll get one of the top dogs in the state,” Skinner said. “That’s the bed we made and we’ll lay in it.”

The team’s regular-season finale marked the first entire game without versatile senior standout Brayden Weaver. The 190-pound running back/linebacker suffered a torn ACL, a torn MCL and a torn meniscus in the second quarter of the Week 8 game against Stanford Olympia.

“It’s unfortunate,” Skinner said. “He’s a leader in three sports and he’s a leader in school. He’s a good kid.”

Through eight games, Weaver was the team’s top tackler. His 76 stops were 19 more than any other Spartan. In that same span, he ranked second on the team in rushing, second in scoring and was one of five squad members with at least five pass receptions. Weaver also had one of the team’s four interceptions.

Sophomore Coby Miller filled in at middle linebacker against the Sages and, Skinner said, “had a great second half.”

Miller’s play complemented that of outside linebacker Drew Coursey, whom Skinner said “continues to shine.”

Jarrett Stevenson scored the lone SJ-O touchdown in Week 9, on a 14-yard burst in the game’s last 3 minutes. Stevenson led the team with 67 rushing yards. Miller rushed for 25 yards and Keaton Nolan gained 12 on the ground.

Quarterback Crayton Burnett completed 8 of 21 passes for 51 yards and has thrown for 860 yards during the regular season.  Brady Buss hauled in three pass receptions. Miller caught two passes. Finishing with one catch apiece were Payton Cain, Jaden Miller and Ty Pence.

A freshman, Pence has a team-high 15 receptions for the year.

“There were moments that we did good things, but not moments that were sustainable,” Skinner said. “We were not able to convert on third down.”

Skinner hopes his squad members appreciate what they have achieved.

“This is our 30th time in the playoffs in the last 33 years,” he said. “That means we have a high level of standards.

“In football, you have to earn your way into the postseason and this speaks volumes to what the kids have done. I hope the kids understand this is not something to take lightly.”

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fred@mahometnews.com

The St. Joseph Junior High boys’ cross-country team hit its stride for Saturday’s 237-runner Class 2A IESA state meet at Normal’s Maxwell Park.

In a competition that featured the state’s top 27 teams, St. Joseph earned  a third-place finish with 166 points. Meet champion Tolono Unity had 135 points.

The showing was the school’s best in 16 years (since the 2003 team placed second) and the second-best state finish ever by a junior high boys’ cross-country team at St. Joseph.

The Panthers’ top six runners completed the 2-mile course within 57 seconds of one another and were all in the upper half of the individual finishers.

Carson Maroon was the team leader, covering the course in 11 minutes, 9.2 seconds and placing 18th. He was timed at 5:33 for his first mile.

He was followed in quick succession by teammates Kendrick Johnson (32nd in 11:25.1), Spencer Wilson (54th in 11:38.5), Holden Brazelton (69th in 11:47.5), Rowan Musselman (85th in 11:55.1), Drew Thompson (112th in 12:07.7) and Zach Harper (134th in 12:15.3).

This year was the 18th time in the past 30 years that St. Joseph has qualified a full team for the IESA finals and the 12th time in securing a top 10 finish.

The group of state runners included four eighth-graders – Maroon, Wilson, Musselman and Thurman – along with seventh-graders Johnson and Brazelton and sixth-grader Harper.

St. Joseph Middle School Girls’ cross-country

The first four St. Joseph state finishers were timed within 29 seconds of one another on Saturday at Maxwell Park, in Normal, helping the Panthers to a seventh-place finish in the elite Class 2A meet with 27 schools.

Team state champion Tolono Unity had 50 points. St. Joseph ended with 237.

The state performance was the school’s best in more than a decade, since the 2007 team took sixth at state.

Overall, this was the 19th time in the past 31 years that the St. Joseph girls’ program has secured a top 10 team state finish.

Leading the way were seventh-grader Savanna Franzen (27th in 12 minutes, 22.1 seconds), eighth-grader Helene Jones (32nd in 12:28.9), seventh-grader Madison Clampitt (46th in 12:44.6) and eighth-grader Chloe Burkhalter (54th in 12:51.1).

The Panthers’ other state-meet competitors were fifth-grader Jaci Kellenberger (128th in 13:32.1), eighth-grader Maya Chahine (157th in 13:49.0) and eighth-grader Chloe Allen (182nd in 14:13.0).

Among fifth-graders who ran at state, Kellenberger was fifth.

St. Joseph girls’ teams have advanced to state 21 times in the past 31 years.

Homer Heritage boys’ cross-country

Zach Ruwe improved his finish 29 positions from last fall and placed fourth in Saturday’s IESA Class 1A state meet at Normal’s Maxwell Park.

The Heritage eighth-grader clocked a 2-mile time of 10 minutes, 51.4 seconds. After running a 5:27 opening mile, Ruwe dropped three seconds off that time during the final mile.

Heritage placed 13th in the 24-school state field with 319 points. Team champion Chicago Old St. Mary’s totaled 82 points.

Other Heritage state-participants were eighth-grader Ethan Meneely (75th in 11:58.4), eighth-grader Aidan Ashbrook (82nd in 12:03.3), eighth-grader Lukas Carey (87th in 12:04.9), seventh-grader Hunter Montgomery (201st in 13:11.9), eighth-grader Cohen Sands (204th in 13:17.4) and sixth-grader Anthony Happ (213th in 13:24.5).

Homer Heritage girls’ cross-country

Eighth-grader Lillian Montgomery placed 61st in the IESA Class 1A state finals on Saturday at Maxwell Park, in Normal.

Her 2-mile time was 13 minutes, 12.6 seconds, including a 6:29 split in her opening mile.

There were 228 runners in Montgomery’s race.

Villa Grove Boys’ cross-country

Seventh-grader Lukas Shadwick finished among the top 100 in a field of 230 runners in Saturday’s IESA Class 1A state meet at Maxwell Park, in Normal.

Shadwick’s 2-mile time of 12 minutes, 10 seconds enabled him to finish in 98th place.

The school’s other state-qualifier, seventh-grader Kurt Zimmerman, was timed in 12:25.2 and ended in 134th place.

Villa Grove Girls’ cross-country

Sixth-grader Hayden Thomas and fifth-grader Evalice Callison completed their 2-mile runs in Saturday’s IESA Class 1A state meet at Normal’s Maxwell Park within six seconds of one another.

Callison finished in 139th place with a clocking of 14 minutes, 3.8 seconds.

Thomas ran 14:09.0 and was 154th.

Heritage Girls’ basketball

The Hawks’ eighth-grade team has a 3-7 record after a recent series of games, which includes a forfeit win from Schlarman Academy.

Leah Black scored seven points in a 30-11 loss to Georgetown. In a 29-6 loss to Arcola, Riley Miller hit a team-high four points.

Black scored 12 points in a 24-22 setback against Hoopeston and then hooped six points in a 14-8 win over Chrisman.

Lillian Montgomery was the leader in a 45-12 loss to Shiloh with seven points.

The post Strong St. Joseph Cross Country teams place at IESA State, Ruwe finishes fourth in Class 1A first appeared on SJO Daily.

St. Joseph-Ogden Football

St. Joseph-Ogden moved a step closer to the playoffs on Friday with a 41-21 victory over visiting Olympia.

SJ-O is playoff-eligible after reaching the five-win mark. Olympia (3-5) was officially eliminated from playoff consideration.

Head coach Shawn Skinner considers the Week 8 performance as the Spartans’ best thus far this season.

“Our kids played as complete of a game as we have all year,” Skinner said. “All three phases were instrumental in the victory.”

The special teams unit played a pivotal role.

“The kick-off team did a great job of pinning them deep most of the night and we were able to capitalize on an on-side kick,” Skinner said. “Payton Cain and Jaden Miller were really great as our kickers.”

Jarrett Stevenson scored three touchdowns and Chance Izard turned two Crayton Burnett completions into TD passes as the Spartans scored points in every quarter.

The game’s first points came on a 47-yard pass from Burnett to Izard.

Burnett completed 5 of 7 passes for 135 yards. Stevenson reached the end zone on runs of 13, 6 and 15 yards. He rushed for a team-high 139 yards on 20 attempts.

The last SJ-O touchdown came on a 27-yard run by Keaton Nolan, who gained 69 yards on 11 carries.

Besides Izard’s two receptions, other pass-catchers for the Spartans were Ty Pence, Brayden Weaver and Coby Miller.

“Offensively, we really took advantage of our passing opportunities,” Skinner said, “but they were set up by the fact we established the running game so early.

“The offensive line did a nice job firing out and getting a surge. Chance Izard was really special in his catching and running with the ball in his hands.”

The defense forced Olympia into four turnovers.

“Defensive-wise, I was really impressed with how that unit responded to our challenge to them to get us the football this week,” Skinner said.

SJ-O (5-3) returns to action on Friday at Monticello (5-3) in the Sages’ Senior Night game. The winner will automatically assure themselves of a postseason berth.

“They give you so many looks on offense and they have athletes all over the field,” Skinner said. “With both teams fighting for that sixth win, it should be a really good game.”

One key to victory will be the same as it is most weeks.

“Football is consistent from this standpoint,” Skinner said. “The team that wins the turnover battle and plays clean from a penalty standpoint will be the team that finds victory Friday night.”

St. Joseph-Ogden Girls’ cross-country

The Spartans placed all seven of their varsity runners among the top 33 in Saturday’s 253-runner Peoria Heights Patroit Invitational.

The team’s top five scoring runners all finished the 3-mile course within 46 seconds of one another, helping SJ-O to third place in the 31-team event.

Meet champion Monticello had 31 points. Runner-up Unity had 52 points. SJ-O ended with 70 points.

Jillian Plotner led the Spartans with a ninth-place performance. Her time was 18 minutes, 50.8 seconds.

Following her into the finish chute were teammates Hannah Rajlich (14th in 19:15.1), Ava Knap (18th in 19:23.6), Ashlyn Lannert (19th in 19:25.5), Ally Monk (25th in 19:36.8), Malorie Sarnecki (31st in 19:57.4) and Kailyn Ingram (33rd in 20:04.3).

In the open race, SJ-O also placed third. Unity was the open division winner with 50 points. Elmwood had 53 points and the Spartans’ score was 63 points.

SJ-O had two top-10 runners. Addie Allen was second in 19:40.4 and teammate Hanna Eastin was eighth in 20:31.9.

The school’s other placers were: Kendra Riddle (13th in 20:52.3), Hope Rajlich (19th in 21:20.2), Sidney Davis (31st in 22:55.2), Taryn Sexton (36th in 23:49.0), Teagan Miller (40th in 24:14.9), Mary Hinrichs (43rd in 24:50.3), Kaytlyn Baker (46th in 25:26.9), Izzy Sexton (47th in 25:42.5) and Lili Wentzloff (57th in 30:57.9).

SJ-O returns to action in Saturday’s  Class 1A regional at 10 a.m. at Tuscola.

St. Joseph-Ogden Boys’ cross-country

The Spartans ran fourth as a team in Saturday’s 41-school Peoria Heights Patroit Invitational.

Meet champion Monticello had 55 points. SJ-O accumulated 213 points.

The SJ-O leader was Brandon Mattsey, who placed 15th in 16 minutes, 15.8 seconds.

Teammates in the varsity race were Eric Poe (28th in 16:31.3), Charlie Mabry (61st in 17:11.5), Elijah Mock (62nd in 17:12.7), Luke  Stegall (84th in 17:29.6), Braden Clampitt (115th in 17:50.1) and Logan Wolfersberger (217th in 19:37.2).

In all, there were 326 competitors in the varsity race.

SJ-O didn’t have enough runner to be scored in the open race.

The team’s finisher were Ethan Blackburn (ninth in 18:04.0), Lukas Hutcherson (10th in 18:05.0), Taddy Pettit (49th in 19:28.0) and Joshua Sexton (80th in 21:04.5).

The Spartans return to action in Saturday’s Class 1A Tuscola Regional at 10:45 a.m.

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What are your goals and where can they take you?

Although they may not realize it yet, runners on the St. Joseph Middle School cross-country team are realizing the answer to this question as they prepare to compete at the IESA State level on Saturday.

For the first time in school history, St. Joseph Middle School captured the IESA Class 2A Sectional title.

Eighth-grader Helene Jones said, “after all seven of our runners finished, Coach P (Corey Plotner) pulled us to the side saying we just made St. Joe history! There has never been a St. Joe 2A cross-country team win a sectional before.”

After the St. Joseph Middle School boys’ cross-country team finished with five runners in the top 10 spots at the sectional, the Panthers were on their way to sending both teams to the 2A IESA state meet at Maxwell Park in Normal.

The catalyst for the teams’ accomplishments has been goal-setting.

Many of the participants began running in fifth grade, looking to beat an older sibling, to have something in common with a parent or to hang out with friends, but it didn’t take long for each runner to find some intrinsic value to their time spent on the course.

“I’ve kept with it because I enjoyed the coaches, people, and I realized I did enjoy running,” Jones said. “After the first season, I knew I had to do next year.”

Coming into her third year on the Panther team, Jones decided that if she puts her mind to it, she might be able to finish the 2-mile course in under 13 minutes. With that time, Jones believed that she would be included on the Sectional roster, and it would be another step to her whole team making it to the State finals.

“All of the goals I had set were crushed,” she said.

With the same mindset, Jones wanted to finish a race to get onto the Panthers’ “board.”

“The board contains the top 20 boy and girl runners of St. Joe Middle School history,” she said.

Currently, Jones sits at No. 12.

But that wasn’t enough for the athlete who knows that time in junior high is short.

Coming into the IESA Sectional on Oct. 12, Jones wanted to finish in the top five of the 86 competitors.

Coming in at 13 minutes, 13.74 seconds, she finished in second place.

Finishing right in front of her at 13:06.69 was teammate Savanna Franzen.

In her seventh-grade year, Franzen had her teammates on her mind as she crossed the finish line.

“I felt a rush of joy because I knew my teammates were not far behind,” Franzen said.

The Panther runners are encouraged to give 100-percent throughout the season.

“My coaches have supported me by telling me when I need to push it, giving me advice for my legs, and being with me every step of the way,” she said.

Keeping her individual goals in sight, Franzen has also encouraged her teammates throughout the year to do the same as the Panthers had their eyes set on a team state-bid from the very beginning.

Jones and Franzen will work to place in the Top 25 runners at State while the entire team looks to place among the top 10.

The St. Joseph Middle School boys’ team also believes it has what it takes to finish in the top 10 on Saturday.

In fact, they’ve set the goal of finishing in the top four teams at State.

Leading the seven-member Panther pack consistently throughout the season has been Carson Maroon.

Maroon finished the two-mile IESA Sectional course in 11:38.23.

“I felt great!” he said. “I knew then that I couldn’t have accomplished anything more.”

Finishing in first place, at sectional ticked of a goal box for Maroon — now he hopes to accomplish his other two goals, finishing in the top 25 at State and finishing a race under 11 minutes.

Being part of a fun team that challenges each other day-after-day is not only what keeps Maroon coming back year-after-year, but he also believes it’s the recipe to finding success.

“The better we do individually the better we are as a team,” eighth-grader Spencer Wilson said.

Wilson finished third at the IESA Sectional meet with a time of 11:57.10.

Finding out he is “pretty decent at running” came on the back of working with great coaches.

“Coach P and Coach G (Michele Guido) are great coaches! I’m glad I got to run with them the last four years “

For Wilson, though, the reason he started cross-country in fifth grade is the same reason he still loves to come to cross-country every day.

“The best part about being on the team are game days and being with my friends,” he said.

The girls’ Class 2A state race is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, followed by the boys’ race at 11:45 a.m.

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Both the St. Joseph boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams recorded dominant performances on Saturday to capture IESA Class 2A regional individual and team championships at Paxton.

The girls’ program had the top two runners in a field of 86 competitors and also outdistanced the field in the team race.

St.  Joseph’s girls totaled 22 points.  Runner-up Beecher had 76 points and Paxton-Buckley-Loda was third with 97 points. All three teams advanced to state.

There were 10 schools at the regional.

The St.  Joseph boys’ program ended with three of the top four finishers and also cruised to a team title.

St. Joseph had 24 points, followed by Pontiac with 72 and Herscher with 84. Thirteen schools had entries in the boys’ division. The top three schools qualified for state.

St. Joseph boys’ cross-country

Eighth-grader Carson Maroon, who is one of seven squad members who competed at state a year ago when the school placed 11th, was the individual regional titlist.

He ran the 2-mile course in 11 minutes, 38.23 seconds.

Teammates Spencer Wilson and Kendrick Johnson – also state-meet veterans – were third and fourth, respectively. Wilson, an eighth-grader, crossed the finish line in 11:57.10 and Johnson, a seventh-grader, was timed in 11:57.71.

In a field of 89 competitors, the Panthers’ other scoring runners were seventh-grader Holden Brazelton (sixth in 12:09.47) and eighth-grader Rowan Musselman (10th in 12:34.25).

The school’s other regional participants were seventh-grader Jack Fisher (16th in 12:52.73) and sixth-grader Zach Harper (21st in 12:59.56).

Other runners on the Panthers’ state roster are eighth-graders Brock Kellenberger and Drew Thurman and sixth-grader Lance Retz.

The boys’ Class 2A state race will be on Saturday at Maxwell Park, in Normal, starting at 11:45 a.m.

There is no charge for spectator admission, but there is a $5 parking fee.

St. Joseph girls’ cross-country

Seventh-grader Savanna Franzen and eighth-grader Helene Jones set the regional pace, ending first and second, respectively, in their 2-mile races.

Franzen was clocked in 13 minutes, 6.69 seconds. Jones came in at 13:13.74.

The Panthers had four other runners place among the top 12.

Eighth-grader Chloe Burkhalter was fourth in 13:26.42, seventh-grader Madison Clampitt was sixth in 13:43.63, fifth-grader Jaci Kellenberger was ninth in 14:11.53 and eighth-grader Chloe Allen was 12th in 14:23.31.

Rounding out the school’s regional lineup was eighth-grader Maya Chahine. She was 18th in 14:29.94.

Other Panthers on the state roster are eighth-grader Macy Reed and sixth-graders Sophie Kasper and Hannah Mock.

In all, St. Joseph’s girls’ team has six squad members who participated at state a year ago – including their top four regional placers – when the school took 15th place in the IESA finals.

The girls’ Class 2A state race will be on Saturday at Maxwell Park, in Normal, starting at 11 a.m.

There is no charge for spectator admission, but there is a $5 fee for parking.

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