Area roundup: Sterling crowns conference champions in two events in Rock Island

Sauk Valley sports roundup

The Sterling girls track & field team had athletes crowned conference champs in a pair of events at the Western Big 6 Meet on Friday night in Rock Island.

Alice Sotelo won the triple jump with a leap of 11.07 meters, just .02 off her own school record she set at the Sterling Night Relays last week. She also finished fourth in the 200 (27.36 seconds).

The Golden Warriors’ other champs were Kylie Nicklaus, Rhylee Wade, Connie Ibarra and Lillian Peavy, who teamed up to win the 4x800 in a PR of 10:30.88. Peavy, Nicklaus, Kaydence Weeks and Wade later ran to fifth place in the 4x400 (4:27.80).

Kirra Gibson took third in the long jump (4.70 meters) for Sterling, and Madison Austin finished fourth in the high jump (1.42 meters). Kate Rowzee was fourth in the shot put (9.91 meters) and sixth in the discus (24.70 meters), and the Warriors also placed fourth in a pair of relays: the 4x100 (51.95 seconds with Sotelo, Weeks, Anna Aulwes and Finley Ryan) and the 4x200 (1:52.76 with Aulwes, Weeks, Alyssa Gaffey and Ryan).

Peavy took fifth in the 300 hurdles (53.39 seconds), Ryan finished fifth in the pole vault (2.28 meters), and Nicklaus added a sixth in the 400 (1:06.00).

Sterling finished fifth as a team with 75 points, behind Geneseo (158), United Township (123.5), Quincy (92) and Galesburg (91.5).

Boys track & field

Dukes 5th in Geneseo: Dixon scored 141.5 points over the three flights to finish fifth at the McCormick ABC Invite in Geneseo, behind Galesburg (234), Geneseo (211.5), United Township (210.5) and Metamora (157).

Other local teams in attendance were Forreston-Polo (89 points), Rock Falls (87), Erie-Prophetstown (84) and Fulton (27).

The Dukes had four athletes win five events, led by Alec Fulton taking the B long jump (5.75 meters) and B triple jump (12.39 meters); he also took third in the A high jump (1.82 meters). Michael Ross won the A 200 (22.95 seconds), Aaron Conderman won the A 3200 (10:36.10), and Gavin McAlister was tops in the B discus (35.61 meters); he also took third in the B shot put (13.07 meters).

Dre Jackson was second in the A shot put (15.15 meters) and fourth in the A discus (40.38 meters), while Jacksen Ortgiesen was runner-up in the A 800 (2:14.30), and Tyson Dambman placed second in the A long jump (5.38 meters) and fourth in the C triple jump (10.61 meters). Hayden Fulton took third in both the B 1600 (5:10.13) and B 3200 (11:28.20), while Jacob Gusse (A 400, 51.26 seconds), Jack Johnson (B 400, 54.63) and Peyton Dingley (C discus,34.27 meters) also finished third for Dixon. Cullen Shaner added a fourth in the B 110 hurdles (18.09 seconds), and the Dukes finished fourth in the B 4x800 (10:29.92 with Joey Apple, Gabe Rowley, Cooper Fox and Garrett Hartman.

Rock Falls got wins from Matthew Marcum in the A 400 (50.33 seconds) and Booker Cross in the B 400 (53.65 seconds). Marcum was runner-up in the A 110 hurdles (16.16 seconds), and the duo teamed with Ayden Goff and Payhton Smith to finish fourth in the A 4x400 (3:42.38), and joined Smith and Baraka Boards to take fifth in the A 4x100 (46.48 seconds).

Ryan McCord took third in the C pole vault (2.74 meters) and Devin Tanton was third in the C triple jump (10.71 meters), and the quartet of Darien Huggins, Josue DeLaTorre, Gunnar Damhoff and Daegun Keesee placed third in the B 4x800 (10:21.47) for the Rockets. Damhoff added a fourth in the C 1600 (5:22.10).

Forreston-Polo got wins from Thomas Falk in the C 800 (2:18.17) and Matthew Beltran in the A 110 hurdles (15.24 seconds). Beltran also placed second in the A high jump (1.87 meters), and Carson Jones was runner-up in the A 1600 (4:50.16). The foursome of Wyatt Queckoboerner, Payton Encheff, Falk and Jones placed second in the A 4x800 (9:02.98).

Encheff added a third in the B 800 (2:14.00), and Michael Taylor took third in the B 200 (24.62 seconds) for the Cardinals. Dane Setterstrom (B shot put, 11.23 meters) and Devonte King-Black (B high jump, 1.68 meters) both finished fourth.

Erie-Prophetstown’s best finishes were seconds by Kolby Franks in the B high jump (1.78 meters), Parker Holdorf in the A pole vault (4.26 meters), and Aiden Jepson in the B pole vault (3.20 meters). Ben Lantz took third in the A 300 hurdles (43.68 seconds), and Lucas Dreisbach finished fourth in the C pole vault (2.74 meters). The Panthers also placed fourth in the A 4x100 (45.91) with the team of Michael Carlson, Lantz, Trevor Cobo and Braxton Froeliger.

Fulton’s top finishes were seconds in the triple jump by Daken Pessman in the A flight (12.10 meters) and Joel Ford in the C flight (10.89 meters).

Warriors compete in Beloit: Sterling won three events and took second in four more at the Northern Illinois Invite at Beloit College.

Jordan Britt won the 400 (52.19 seconds) and Dale Johnson took the 1600 (4:28.06) for the Golden Warriors, and Britt teamed with David Tessman, Dylan Doss and Cale Ledergerber to win the 4x200 (1:33.03).

John Cid took second in the 800 (2:03.57), Ayden Schoon was runner-up in the triple jump (12.43 meters), and Sterling finished second in two more relays: the 4x100 (45.93 seconds) with Schoon, Doss, Ledergerber and Antonio Tablante; and the 4x400 (3:33.92) with Doss, Britt, Johnson and Cid.

Andrew Bland finished fourth in the high jump (1.72), while Carter Chance won the fresh-soph 200 (24.44 seconds) and took third in the fresh-soph triple jump (11.25 meters). Parker Blakeslee added a third in the fresh-soph 400 (56.54 seconds) for the Warriors.

Final team scores were not available.

Baseball

AFC 4, River Ridge-Scales Mound 1: The Raiders broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fifth, then scored three insurance runs in the seventh in an NUIC crossover win in Hanover.

Jordan Harris’ sacrifice fly gave AFC (6-9) a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Dylan Gonnerman, who scored on the sac fly, then singled and scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, before Carson Rueff singled home Austin June for a 3-0 lead. Rueff and Harris then executed a double-steal to allow Harris to score the final run.

Auden Polk had two hits for the Raiders. Mason Munroe went the distance on the mound, allowing an unearned run and six hits with five strikeouts, two walks and a hit batsman.

Warren-Stockton 6, Fulton 4: The Steamers fell behind 6-0 through four innings and couldn’t catch up in an NUIC West loss at Lumberkings Stadium in Clinton, Iowa.

Ian Wiebenga doubled and drove in two runs for Fulton, and Brock Mason scored a run and added an RBI. Jacob Jones also drove in a run, Kannon Wynkoop and Gavyn Mendoza also had hits, and Mendoza, Davis Ludin and Payton Curley scored runs.

Mason allowed six runs (five earned) and four hits in four innings, with four strikeouts and four walks. Jones allowed just one hit in three innings of shutout relief, striking out five and walking two.

Softball

Warren-Stockton 8, Fulton 3: The Steamers led 3-0 through four innings, but the Warhawks scored five runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh in an NUIC West game at Drives Park.

Madyson Luskey was 2 for 3 with a solo home run, and Kelsey Crimmins had a single, scored a run and added an RBI for Fulton. Annaka Hackett doubled, and Addison Hartman singled and scored. Bri Cramer had the Steamers’ other hit.

Hartman allowed eight runs (six earned) and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine and walking two. Brooklyn Brennan got the final two outs for Fulton.

Boys tennis

Sterling 5, Rochelle 0: The Golden Warriors swept the Hubs in a nonconference dual at Westwood Sports Complex, in a clash between former NCIC and NIB-12 rivals.

Brecken Peterson won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, and Ethan Melcher won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2.

Connor Pham and Luke Valentino won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles, Kayden Loos and Benjamin Boze were 6-1, 6-4 winners at No. 2, and Hunter Lofgren and Carter Morris won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3 for Sterling.

Thursday’s results

Bass fishing

Polo 4th at sectional: The Marcos hauled in a total weight of 14 pounds, 5 ounces to finish fourth at the bass fishing sectional at Pool 13 of the Mississippi River on Thursday.

Riverdale won with a total weight of 18 points, 10 ounces, while Moline was second (18 pounds, 6 ounces) and Riverdale took third (17 pounds). Those three qualified for the state meet, with Polo earning the spot as the alternate. Team members were Logan Nelson, Jeffrey Donaldson, Kale Grobe and Kameron Grobe.

Fulton finished sixth (11 pounds, 7 ounces), Newman took 10th (7 pounds, 5 ounces), and Erie-Prophetstown placed 11th (5 pounds, 8 ounces).

Ty Reynolds

Ty Reynolds

Ty is the Sports Editor at Sauk Valley Media, and has covered sports in the Sauk Valley for more than two decades.