SVM SportShorts for Friday, June 2, 2023

Western Big 6 releases all-conference lists

Several Sterling athletes across six sports earned Western Big 6 all-conference honors for the spring season.

In softball, junior pitcher Sienna Stingley and sophomore shortstop Katie Taylor were first-team selections. Senior center fielder Lauren Jacobs, freshman infielder Mya Lira, senior pitcher/first baseman Ellie Leigh, and junior utility player Olivia Melcher were all named to the second team, and senior outfielder Katie Dittmar was an honorable mention selection. Geneseo senior outfielder Jaelyn Lambin was the league MVP.

In baseball, junior outfielder Dylan Ottens and sophomore utility player Drew Nettleton earned honorable mention honors. Rock Island junior catcher Owen Michaels was named MVP.

In girls track, senior Alice Sotelo (triple jump), senior Kylie Nicklaus (1,600, 4x800), junior Rhylee Wade (800, 4x800), sophomore Connie Ibarra (4x800), and freshman Delia Block (4x800) were all named to the first team. Seniors Sotelo (4x100, 4x200, 4x400) and Kaydence Weeks (4x100, 4x400), juniors Anna Aulwes (4x100, 4x200) and Wade (4x400), sophomores Taah Liberty (4x100, 4x200), Alivia Gibson (4x200) and Addison Robbins (long jump), and freshman Block (4x400) were all second-team picks. Galesburg junior Syriah Boyd (100, 200, 400) was the MVP.

In boys track, seniors Dylan Doss (4x100), Kael Ryan (4x100) and Thomas Holcomb (4x800), juniors Dale Johnson (1,600, 3,200, 4x400), Cale Ledergerber (4x100), Jordan Britt (4x400, 4x800), Owen Anderson (4x800) and Parker Janssen (4x800), sophomore Joseph Holcomb (4x100), and freshman Maurice Delacruz (4x400) were all first-team selections. Seniors Doss (100, 200) and Tavian Kelly (high jump) and junior Ledergerber (long jump) were second-teamers. United Township senior Alassane Ba (100, 200, high jump) was named MVP.

In boys tennis, junior Brecken Peterson was a first-teamer, and seniors Connor Pham and Elias Jensen were named to the second team. Alleman sophomore Nicholas Patrick, the two-time Class 1A state champ, was the MVP.

In girls soccer, senior forward Olivia Turner was a second-team selection, and junior forward Lainey Block was an honorable mention pick. Geneseo senior forward Danielle Beach was named league MVP.

Big Northern names softball all-conference team

Three Rock Falls players and an Oregon slugger were named to the first team on the all-Big Northern Conference softball team for 2023.

Rockets senior pitcher/center fielder Katie Thatcher, senior center fielder Brooke Howard and senior shortstop Rylee Johnson were all first-team picks, as was Oregon senior shortstop Reilee Suter.

Rock Falls senior third baseman Zoe Morgan and junior catcher Olivia Osborne were named to the second team, as were Dixon senior catcher Ava Valk and sophomore center fielder Bailey Tegeler, and Oregon senior pitcher/first baseman Ava Hackman and sophomore third baseman Ella Dannhorn.

Local honorable mention selections were Rock Falls senior first baseman Abby Whiles and senior left fielder Savanna Fritz, Dixon sophomore pitcher Allie Abell and sophomore outfielder Delaney Bruce, and Oregon junior second baseman Gracen Pitts and sophomore center fielder Abree Barker.

NUIC South names all-conference softball squad

Forreston senior Rylee Broshous was named league MVP as the NUIC South released its all-conference softball team.

Joining Broshous on the first team were Amboy senior Jersey Thomas and sophomore Tyrah Vaessen; Eastland senior Jocelyn Green and junior Gracie Steidinger; Forreston seniors Brooke Boettner, Alaina Miller and Hailey Greenfield; Milledgeville senior Emma Foster and freshmen Addison Janssen and Kendra Kingsby; and Polo sophomore Cheyenna Wilkins.

Second-team selections were AFC junior Alexis Schwarz and freshman Claire Freeman; Amboy freshmen Kiera Karlson and Ellie McLaughlin; Eastland sophomore Olivia Klinefelter; Forreston juniors Jenna Greenfield, Nevaeh Houston and Aubrey Sanders; Milledgeville senior Marissa Sturrup and junior Maliah Grenoble; and Polo senior Lindee Poper and juniors Karlea Frey and Sydnei Rahn.

NUIC South releases baseball all-conference list

Forreston senior Owen Greenfield was the MVP of the NUIC South all-conference baseball team, the league announced.

Greenfield was joined on the first team by Amboy seniors Jackson Rogers and Tucker Lindenmeyer; AFC seniors Jordan Harris, Griffin Bushman and Carson Rueff; Eastland senior Allyn Geerts and sophomore Hunter Miller; Forreston sophomores Alec Schoonhoven and Brendan Greenfield and freshman Kendall Erdmann; and Milledgeville freshman Karter Livengood.

Second-teamers were Amboy juniors Landon Montavon and Landon Whelchel and sophomores Brody Christofferson and Quinn Leffelman; AFC sophomore Brock Lehman; Eastland senior Max McCullough; Forreston freshman Carson Akins; Milledgeville senior Cayden Akers, junior Connor Nye and freshman Bryson Wiersema; and Polo junior Nolan Hahn.

The honorable mention picks were AFC senior Michael Cochrane and sophomore Aaron Lester; Eastland junior Cole Huber and freshman Camron Huber; Forreston senior Alex Milnes and junior Alex Ryia; Milledgeville junior Colton Hendrick; and Polo senior Brady Wolber and junior Carter Merdian.

NUIC names all-conference picks for boys and girls track & field

The Northwest Upstate Illini Conference released its boys and girls all-conference performers in track & field for this spring.

Amboy’s boys honorees were Kyler McNinch, Ian Sundberg, Zane Murphy, Caleb Yonos and Joel Billhorn, while the Clipper girls were Lexi Ketchum, Jillian Anderson, Stephanie Nave, Bella Yanos and Elly Jones.

For Forreston-Polo, the boys were McKeon Crase, Noah Dewey, Michael Taylor, Delo Fernandez, Micah Nelson, Carson Jones, Ben Plachno, Payton Encheff and Brock Soltow, while the girls were Letrese Buisker, Sydni Badertscher, Autum Pritchard, Ennen Ferris and Elsa Monaco.

Fulton’s boys picks were Daken Pessman, Braiden Damhoff and Landen Leu, while the girls were Jessa Read, Jordin Rathburn, Brooklyn Brennan, Jasmine Moreland, Paige Cramer, Brooklyn Thoms, Haley Smither, Miraya Pessman, Annaka Hackett, Grace Dykstra and Olivia Knott.

Milledgeville-Eastland’s boys honorees were Kolton Wilk, Draven Zier, Parker Krogman, Konner Johnson, Kacen Johnson and Bryce Aude, while the girls were Quinc Haverland, Paige Joiner, Abi Sturrup, Lynn Stringini, Trixie Carroll, Shelby Groezinger, Kennedy Burkholder, Leslie Mayne, Marissa Sturrup and Skyler Hartman.

West Carroll had a quartet of girls selections: Emma Randecker, Drusiana McIntyre, Olivia Shelly and Sienna Young.

Ladies league his the links in Sterling

The Emerald Hill Ladies Association has teed it up the last three Tuesday mornings in Sterling.

On May 16, play of the day was “Most of Any Number.” Jackie Foster was the 9-hole winner and Sandi Ivey was the 18-hole winner, while Julie Pratt, Linda Giesen and Meta Rastede tied for second for 9 holes, and Mimi Boysen and Vicki Carlson tied for second over 18 holes.

Janet Freil had low gross and low putts for 9 holes, while Boysen had low gross for 18 holes, and tied Ivey and Carlson for low putts over 18. Freil also had a chip-in, and Barb Harney won closest to the pin.

On May 23, play of the day was “Most One-Putts & Chip-Ins.” Norma Lauts and Pratt tied for the 9-hole win, while Sue Nestor won for 18 holes; Sonja Nicklaus was runner-up and Becky Dieterle took third for 9 holes, and Boysen placed second and Cheryl Allen was third over 18 holes.

Nicklaus had a chip-in and was low gross for 9 holes, and Lauts and Sherry Wells tied for low putts over 9 holes. Boysen had low gross for 18 holes, and Nestor finished with low putts. Dieterle won closest to the pin.

On May 30, play of the day was “Whack & Hack,” a team game. Foster and Giesen won for 9 holes, and Boysen, Freil and Connie Wolber won over 18 holes. Allen, Ivey and Pratt took second for 18 holes.

Foster was low gross and low putts for 9 holes, while Boysen was low gross and Nestor had low putts for 18. Boysen also had the longest putt and was closest to the pin, while Dieterle, Ivey, Pratt, Wells and Jane Minard all had chip-ins.