Area roundup: Sauk Valley competes at nationals in men’s tennis, men’s and women’s track & field

Three Sauk Valley Community College athletes competed at the NJCAA National Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Hutchinson, Kansas, and two of them notched top-eight finishes to earn All-American honors.

Cameron Abell competed in the pole vault, plaxing sixth with a clearance of  14 feet, 11 1/2 inches. He overcame a tough start when his pole snapped in two places as he was airborne in his second vault at opening height, and he took a severe impact to the chest. But he battled through to finish just a half-inch of his PR of 15-0.

Kiley Sanders and Katelynn Trobaugh competed in the heptathlon, with Sanders placing eighth and Trobaugh talking 12th. The heptathlon consists of seven events over two days – the 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200 on Day 1, then the long jump, javelin throw and 800 on Day 2.

Sanders scored 4106 points, and Trobaugh had 3744. Sanders set school records in the overall heptathlon, as well as the javelin, the high jump and the 800.

Men’s college tennis

Skyhawks compete at nationals: The Sauk Valley Community College men’s tennis team competed at the NJCAA National Championships this past weekend in Tyler, Texas.

Sauk Valley scored 1.5 points, as Jared Mitchell and Jonathan Rhodes made it to the consolation finals at No. 3 doubles before falling 8-2 to Eastern Florida State College. The duo lost their first-round match 6-0, 6-1, then won 8-3 in the consolation quarterfinals and 8-4 in the consolation semifinals to advance to the final.

Preston Engel lost 6-0, 7-5 in his first-round match at No. 1 singles, then fell 9-7 in a hard-fought consolation opener. Abbot Haner lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, then dropped his first consolation match 8-2.

Rhodes lost 6-0, 6-0 in his first-round match at No. 3 singles, then dropped his consolation opener 8-1. Zach Wallace fell 6-1, 6-2 in the first round at No. 4 singles, then lost 8-1 in his first consolation match.

Corey Engel lost 6-4, 6-4 in the first round at No. 5 singles, then fell 8-5 in his first consolation match. Mitchell dropped a 6-4, 6-1 decision in the first round at No. 6 singles, then lost 8-3 in his consolation opener.

Preston and Corey Engel lost 6-3, 6-1 in their first-round match at No. 1 doubles, then fell 8-0 in their consolation opener. Haner and Wallace opened with a 6-4, 6-1 loss at No. 2 doubles, then dropped an 8-3 decision in the consolation first round.