Its a busy day for sports

Bureau Valley's Elijah House (left) and Riverdale's Landis Musser run the 800 at the class 1A Erie track sectionals on Thursday, May 19, 2022.

From state track and tennis to baseball and softball, it’s a busy day for area sports teams and athletes.

Princeton sophomore Tyson Phillips makes his debut in the IHSA State Boys Tennis Tournament. He was scheduled to play Zach Bobofchak of Lisle Benet Academy this morning with all matches moved indoors due to the weather.

The IHSA 1A Boys State Track & Field Meet is underway in Charleston with meet officials running a rolling schedule to try to stay ahead of the rain. Local athletes competing are Bureau Valley’s Elijah House, Amboy co-op’s Brock Loftus of Ohio, Hall’s Caleb Savitch and Zack Bosi and St. Bede’s Duncan Lawler and Tyreke Fortney.

The Princeton contingent will run in the 2A state portion on Friday.

Yesterday’s 1A baseball semifinal between Putnam County (26-6) and host Elgin Harvest Christian Academy (13-7) at Elgin was postponed by rain until 2 p.m. today. Ottawa Marquette and Chicago Hope Academy beat the rain in the opener Wednesday with the Crusaders prevailing 4-3 awaiting the winner of today’s semifinals un Saturday’s finals at 1 p.m.

Yesterday’s rain delayed the start of the Class 2A Knoxville baseball sectional, pushing Wednesday’s semifinals between No. 7 Sherrard (13-10) and No. 2 Chillicothe IVC (22-9) to today and the semifinal between No. 1 Brimfield (25-2) and No. 8 Erie-Prophetstown (11-13), the surprising Princeton Regional champ, to Friday.

The St. Bede softball team is on deck to play under the Friday Night Lights in the Class 1A Willamsfield Sectional finals, now at 6 p.m. Friday. The Bruins (20-3) survived 4-3 in nine innings over Woodhull AlWood on Tuesday.