Area roundup: Junis recalled, starts vs. Indians; Heflin makes Packers’ roster

The Kansas City Royals recalled Rock Falls native Jake Junis from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, and he started against the Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium.

Junis (2-4) took the loss, allowing three runs – all earned – and four hits in 4 2/3 innings, with six strikeouts and one walk. He threw 52 of his 78 pitches for strikes as the Royals lost 7-2.

NFL

Heflin makes Packers roster: With NFL teams making their final cuts prior to the 2021 season, Prophetstown native Jack Heflin has made it onto the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster.

Heflin, a defensive lineman who played college football at Northern Illinois for three years before transferring to Iowa for his final year last fall, signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent right after the 2021 NFL Draft.

Heflin played in all three preseason games for Green Bay, finishing with nine tackles (six solo), one tackle for loss, and three quarterback pressures.

Volleyball

Newman def. Kewanee 25-13, 25-17: The Comets hit the road and won a Three Rivers East match in straight sets.

Ally Clevenger had 11 kills, seven digs and two aces, and Kennedy Rowzee added six kills and 4.5 blocks for the COmets (4-0, 1-0). Jessalin Johnson chipped in 11 digs, four kills and three aves, Paige Grennan had nine digs, Shae McNeill dished nine assists, and Katie Grennan added eight assists.

Rock Falls def. IVC 25-9, 24-26, 25-20: Maya Sands had 14 kills and 14 digs as the Rockets won a nonconference road match.

Mallory Pinske added nine kills and three blocks, and Claire Bickett spiked seven kills for Rock Falls. Cara Goff led the defense with 20 digs, while Denali Stonitsch dished 16 assists and Cadence Stonitsch added 12 assists.

Rockford Lutheran def. Sterling 25-10, 25-12: The Golden Warriors struggled to get anything going in a nonconference loss in Rockford.

Grace Egan had eight kills, seven digs, a block and an ace for Sterling, while Katie Dittmar spiked three kills. Addy Sullivan added five digs, Carly Sullivan had six assists and two blocks, and Delali Amankwa dished five assists.

Milledgeville def. Durand 25-19, 25-20: The Missiles improved to 3-0 on the season with an NUIC road win.

Indian Creek def. AFC 25-10, 25-22: The Raiders lost an NUIC match in Ashton.

Brianna Gonnerman had seven kills and an ace, while Ellah Dorn added five kills, three digs and an ace. Lyla Fike spiked two kills, and Taylor Jahn chipped in three digs, a kill and an ace.

Girls golf

Rock Falls 187, Winnebago 209: The Rockets won a Big Northern triangular at Timber Creek, with Megan Fiorini tying Dixon’s Katie Drew for medalist at 2-over-par 38.

[ See more of Alex Paschal's photos from Tuesday's golf meet at Timber Creek ]

Ellie Wasson fired a 46, Brooke Danreiter shot a 49, and Lauren Tupper had a 54 for Rock Falls, which also got a 55 from Taylor Brown and a 63 from Kelsi Chavira.

Shea Lahey (63) was the only other golfer for Dixon.

Galesburg 211, Sterling 221: The Golden Warriors dropped a Western Big 6 dual at Emerald Hill, despite Maddie Pink claiming medalist honors with a 42.

Also playing for Sterling was Libbi Kendrick (51), Jozlyn Johnson (52) and Makayla Wolfe (76).

Oregon 180, Genoa-Kingston 202: Ava Hackman and Mia Trampel tied for medalist honors with matching 44s to lead the Hawks in a Big Northern dual at Swan Hills.

Lexy Davis fired a 45 for Oregon, and Cassie Nyderek added a 47.

Eastland hosts Lena-Winslow/Pearl City: The Cougars did not field a full team in an NUIC dual at Lake Carroll.

Belle Lego led Eastland with a 56, Cheyenne Schmitt shot a 63, and Allison Weese had a 77.

Le-Win/Pearl City shot a 218 as a team, led by medalist Sara Edler (44).

Boys golf

Dixon 175, Winnebago 180, Rock Falls 215: The Dukes had the medalist in Alex Harrison (40) en route to a Big Northern triangular win at Timber Creek.

Mason Weigle fired a 44, Grant Jacobs had a 45, and Steven Kitzman shot a 46 for Dixon.

Nicholas Vickers led Rock Falls with a 51.

Geneseo 164, Sterling 181: The Golden Warriors dropped a Western Big 6 dual at Emerald Hill.

Cam O’Brien led Sterling with a 42, Dale Guerrieri fired a 45, and Cale Cushman and Carter Morris both added 47s.

Genoa-Kingston 182, Oregon 197: The Hawks fell to the Cogs in a Big Northern dual at Swan Hills, as G-K’s Landon Ritchie was medalist with a 40.

Oregon’s Ryan Fox tied for runner-up with a 46, Isaac Kaltenbrun fired a 47, Brady Davis shot a 50, and Jared Glendenning added a 54.

Riverdale 150, Mendota 177, Erie-Prophetstown 200: The Panthers couldn’t keep up with the Rams and Trojans in a Three Rivers triangular in Mendota.

Ethan Palmer led E-P with a 42, and Bryce VanDeWostine had a 49. Blake Geuns fired a 52, and Parker Rangel rounded out the team score with a 57.

Riverdale’s James Moorhusen was medalist with a 33, one of five Rams scores of 42 or better.

Eastland 190, Lena-Winslow/Pearl City 212: Andy Anderson was medalist with a 43 to lead the Cougars to an NUIC victory at Lake Carroll.

Gabe York fired a 45, Peyton Urish shot a 50, and Carson Heckman added a 52 for Eastland.

Durand-Pecatonica 209, Forreston 226: The Cardinals fell in an NUIC dual at Sunset in Mt. Morris, as Du-Pec’s Evan Folk was medalist with a 46.

Kaden Ganz led Forreston with a 49, Heath Schubert fired a 56, Colton McGlynn had a 59, and Kaedon Motszko added a 62.

Girls cross country

Dixon fourth in Sycamore: Behind a third-place finish from Emma Smith, the Duchesses finished fourth at the Sycamore Invite.

Smith finished in 19:10.0, with Aurora Rosary’s Lianna Surtz (17:59.3) winning the race. Rosary also won the team title with 40 points.

[ See more of Mark Busch's photos from Tuesday's Sycamore Invitational ]

Dixon was fourth with 89, Sterling took seventh with 188, Rock Falls was eighth (207), and Oregon was 11th (291).

Dixon also got a ninth-place finish from Emily Conderman (19:39.2) and a 20th from Kait Knipple (20:28.2). Keeley Mick was 28th (29:59.2), and Emily Smith was 29th (20:59.8).

Rock Falls’ top finishers were Hana Ford in 13th (19:53.8) and Tayli Hultin in 19th (20:25.5). Oregon’s Ella Dannhorn finished 15th in 20:06.8.

Megan Gingrich led Sterling in 34th place (21:16.1), with Rhylee Wade right behind in 35th (21:18.8). Ellie Mahar was 38th (21:29.0), and Kylee Nicklaus was 39th (21:30.2).

Newman’s top finishers were Claire Crisham in 53rd (22:14.4) and Gianna Widolff in 57th (22:27.7).

Bureau Valley 25, Lowpoint-Washburn 30: The Storm won a four-team meet, but only two of the schools fielded full teams.

Darla Kepner was seventh for BV 24:13.12, and Amalie Graversgaard placed eighth in 24:23.69.

Boys cross country

Sterling, Newman, Rock falls run in Sycamore: The Golden Warriors placed 10th with 257 points, the Comets were 11th with 287, and the Rockets placed 13th with 330 at the Sycamore Invite.

Belvidere North won with 52 points, while DeKalb’s Riley Newport won in 15:14.8.

Sterling’s Dale Johnson was third in 15:28.8, while Newman’s Tom Powers (43rd, 17:13.6) and Lucas Schaab (50th, 17:24.3) also finished in the top 50. Rock Falls’ top finisher was Jose Gomez in 52nd (17:30.2). Dixon did not field a full team, but its top finishes came from Jacksen Ortgiesen (64th, 17:42.6) and Jack Johnson (66th, 17:47.5).

Storm 3rd in Chillicothe: Bureau Valley scored 59 points to finish behind IVC (39) and Lowpoint-Washburn (49), and ahead of Henry-Senachwine (63) in a quadrangular.

Elijah House was second in 18:28.9, and Ben Roth finished fourth in 18:35.06 to lead the Storm.

Boys soccer

Dixon 1, Rockford Christian 0: Luis Xique knocked in a free kick with 12 seconds left to send the Dukes to a Big Northern win at home.

United Township 2, Sterling 1: The Panthers’ Nelson Franco scored with 3:31 to play to send the Golden Warriors to a Western Big 6 road loss.

Beckham Marquez scored for Sterling, tying the score in the 69th minute.

Genoa-Kingston 8, Oregon 0: The Hawks lost a Big Northern road game, despite 12 saves in goal from Miley Smith.

Girls swimming

Sterling 114, DeKalb-Sycamore 50: The Golden Warriors won 10 events, including all three relays, in a dual meet win at the Duis Center.

Madison Austin won the 200 freestyle (2:03.32) and the 100 free (55.53 seconds), and Kate Austin won the 500 free (6:02.57) and the 100 backstroke (1:10.52) for Sterling. Sammie Knox won the 200 IM (2:32.23), Emily Lofgren won the 100 breaststroke (1:22.51), and Kaya Strohmayer won the 1-meter diving competition (103.60 points).

Kate Austin, Lofgren, Knox and Sydney Graves won the 200 medley relay (2:06.28); Payton Purdy, Lofgren, Paige Geil and Madison Austin won the 200 freestyle relay (1:45.75); and Knox, Rebecca Riley, Kate Austin and Madison Austin won the 400 free relay (4:08.10).