May 12, 2025
Sports - Grundy County
Sports

Saratoga's Eber, Terrell make school golf history

Eber wins sectional title, Terrell finishes fifth

By STAFF REPORTS

Saratoga golfers Tyler Terrell (left) and Liam Eber (right) made school history Thursday at the IESA Pontiac Sectional. Eber finished first with an 18-hole score of 90 and Terrell was fifth with 100. Eber was the school's first sectional champion and it was the first time two Hawks had finished in the top 5. (Submitted photo)

PONTIAC — Saratoga's Liam Eber and Tyler Terrell made school history Wednesday. In a normal year, the two golfers would have had a chance to make more history, but due to COVID-19, their season ended despite their success.

The pair of eighth-graders competed in the IESA Boys Golf Sectional at Pontiac Elks Golf Course. Eber finished in first place at the sectional with an 18-hole score of 90, while Terrell finished fifth, shooting 100. Eber's score beat runner-up Seth Cooper of Ottawa Shepherd by four strokes. It was the first time in school history that Saratoga had two golfers finish in the top five at an IESA sectional, and Eber was the first Hawk to win a sectional title.

In normal years, both golfers would have qualified for the IESA State Golf Tournament in Peoria. Unfortunately, there will not be a IESA State Golf Tournament this year.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Morris 74, Riverside-Brookfield 67: The Lady Redskins got first-place finishes from Taylin Lemke (200 freestyle, 2:34.81; 400 freestyle, 5:29.03), Drew Smith (50 freestyle, 29.88; 100 freestyle, 1:07.59), Trinity Schock (100 butterfly, 1:24.13; 100 breaststroke, 1:34.87), and Ava Adams (diving, 210.65). Second-place finishes included Kylie Claypool (diving, 185.00), Katie Graebner (400 freestyle, 6:03.80), and Nia Yost (100 breaststroke, 1:38.51). Graebner also finished third in the 200 freestyle (2:49.15) and Claypool took third in the 200 individual medley (3:11.32). Mackenzie Zweeres placed third in diving (113.20).

CROSS COUNTRY

Seneca girls, boys win quad: At the Putnam County Conservation District, both the Seneca girls and boys cross country teams won a four-team event in muddy conditions.

In the girls race, the Lady Irish took five of the top six spots to finish with a score of 17, beating out Henry (48) and Ottawa Marquette (75). Putnam County did not have a complete team. Amber Vroman took first for Seneca with a time of 20:44.33, followed by Ashley Alsvig (2nd, 20:52.39), Audrey Jenkins (3rd, 23:35.90), Delany Welsh (5th, 23:35.72), and Marie Cheshareck (6th, 24:04.24).

In the boys race, Seneca took first with 20 points, followed by Marquette (65) and Henry (77). Putnam County did not have a complete team. Billy Glasscock led the Irish with a second-place finish in 17:18.24. He was followed by Austin Aldrich (3rd, 18:22.73), Brady Danek (4th, 19:45.55), Chris Poyner (5th, 20:01.77), and Levi Maierhofer (6th, 20:13.87).

"Due to the rain, the course was very muddy and slippery in the wooded section of the race, which was approximately 1.25 miles of the 3 mile course," Seneca coach Kim Foster said. "I felt my team ran well given the course conditions. I told them to take it easy in the woods and start racing as soon as they got back on grass. It was a fun race to watch and the runners enjoyed themselves."