Thursday Roundup: Newark duo leads locals into 1A State Track and Field Finals

CHARLESTON — The Newark duo of Megan Williams and Kiara Wesseh each took a top seed in Thursday’s prelims to lead a passel of Times area girls into the finals of the IHSA State Track and Field Meet in Charleston with their performances.

Wesseh has the best height in the high jump with an effort of 1.55 meters, while also advancing in the 100-meter dash with a third-best time of 12.39 seconds.

“I haven’t missed yet,” Wesseh said, “so I’m hoping to just carry what I knew to do through to Saturday and just do my best. ... Since we’re actually here, I really feel the adrenaline and feel like at this track, you progress and do your best.”

Williams advanced as the top-seed in the triple jump with an 11.28 besting the prelim field, and in the long jump with her leap of 5.15 meters being fifth best.

Both Williams and Wesseh made finals in the 100 hurdles, the former placing third in 15.12 and the latter seventh in 15.39, while both were part of the 4x200 relay, along with Addison Ness and Brooklyn Hatteberg, that was fourth in the prelims.

Also making the Saturday 1A field were a trio of relays from Seneca. The 4x100 team of Caitlyn O’Boyle, Emma Smith, Taylor Draves and Faith Deering ran a 50.35 time to earn fifth.

“I felt really good about the 4x1,” Draves said. “We came in hot, and our handoffs were looking very good, very clean We came out with a PR and we got our school record.”

The foursome of Evelyn O’Connor, Ashley Alsvig, Grace Steffes and Clara Bruno was 8th with a 10:03.25 clocking in the 4x800 relay. Also, the 4x400 relay of Clara Bruno, Anna Bruno, O’Connor and Smith moved on with a 4:10.77 posting.

“It was really hard,” Bruno said of her anchor leg of the 4x800. “I was tired by the first 400, so I told myself, ‘I know this is going to be hard, but just try to catch them at the end.’ My coach told me to try to get second, or at least a good time so we can make it to finals.”

Those participating but missing out for the Irish were Teegan Johnson in the long jump (T-15th, 4.90m) and in the pole vault (T-17th, 2.90m), Bruno in the 400 (19th, 1:01.89) and the long jump (14th, 4.94m). Also, O’Boyle in the 100 hurdles (10th, 16.10) and the triple jump (15th, 9.90m), Kelli Pumphrey in the 300 hurdles (19th, 50.89), Deering in the discus (14th, 34.46), O’Connor in the 1600 (19th, 5:36.42), Draves in the 200 (29th, 28.70) and the 4x200 relay (12th, 1:48.6).

Newark athletes not advancing include KJ Friestad in the shot put (21st, 10.05m) and the discus (23rd, 30.47m), Hatteberg in the long jump (26th, 4.73m), Tess Carlson in the pole vault (T-17th, 2.90m) and the 4x100 relay (26th, 53.0).

Softball

Seneca 4, Peotone 0: At the 2A Manteno Regional semifinals, Alyssa Zeller hurled the five-hit shutout, striking out 10 and walking just one to send the No. 3 seeded Irish (22-10) into Friday’s 4:30 p.m. championship game against host and No. 1 seed Manteno.

Audry McNabb went 1 for 2 with an RBI at the plate, while Taya Roe added an RBI to the win. Zellers, Allie Arwood, Madi Mino and Maddy Klicker had the other Irish hits.

“I’m happy for the girls and how they found a way to win,” Seneca coach Brian Holman said. “We did a good job executing. … Zellers had her best stuff when we needed it most.”

Marquette 10, Gardner-S. Wilmington 0 (5 inn.): In Thursday’s semifinal of the 1A Newark Regional, Marquette relied on the junior left-handed pitching combo of starter Kaylee Killelea and reliever Lindsey Kaufmann.

Killelea tossed three innings, striking out all but two batters she faced while allowing only one walk. Kaufmann finished up the final two frames, yielding just one hit along with a punchout.

Avery Durdan (two hits) cleared the paths with a three-run double to the fence in right-center that gave the Cru a 3-0 lead after one inning. The Cru closed the game out with five runs in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a two-run double down the line in left from Taylor Cuchra, a two-run double from McCallum and a walk-off single from Makayla Backos that sent Marquette into Friday’s title game.

— Read Bill Lidinsky’s full report on this game at mywebtimes.com.

Normal Community 6, Ottawa 5: At King Field on Thursday, the Pirates jumped out to a three-run lead in the opening two innings, but the Ironmen pushed across four runs in the fifth before each squad tallied once in the sixth on OHS’s senior day.

Ottawa, which fell to 20-8 on the season, opens at the Class 3A Morris Regional on Tuesday against Plano.

“I really think this was one of the better games we’ve played this season …” Ottawa coach Adam Lewis said. “Overall, though, I think we came out of today with more positives than negatives, and that’s what we were wanting to see today heading into next week’s regional.”

Ottawa seniors Makenna Chiaventone, Zoe Harris and Molly Buscher were honored prior to the contest. Hailey Larsen tripled, Ryleigh Stehl provided two hits, and Brynne Sember singled, doubled and drove in a run for the Pirates in support of pitchers McKenzie Oslanzi (6 IP, 4 ER, 9 K) and Maura Condon (1 IP, 0 R, 2 K).

— Read Brian Hoxsey’s full report from this game at mywebtimes.com.

Baseball

Metamora 7, Streator 3: At Metamora, the Bulldogs dropped to 17-9 on the season with the loss to the Redbirds.

Nolan Barr (RBI) and Adam Williamson each doubled for Streator, with Jack Starkey also collecting an RBI. Williamson (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER. 1 BB, 8 K) suffered the loss on the mound.

Yorkville Christian 3, Somonauk 0: At the 1A Somonauk Regional semifinals, the No. 4-seeded Bobcats saw their season came to a close with a loss to the No. 5 Mustangs.

Broc Slais (Loss, 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K) and Brendan Roberts (2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) combined efforts on the hill for Somonauk (16-8). Roberts doubled and Noah Brandt singled for the Bobcats’ only hits in the contest.