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Sports
Baseball
Erie-Prophetstown 9, Rockridge 3: The Panthers answered the Rockets’ threerun second inning with three runs in both the fourth and sixth innings in a Three Rivers East road win.
Kolby Franks went 3 for 4 with a double, five RBIs and two runs scored for Erie-Prophetstown, and Mikey Biba drove in a pair of runs. Connor Sibley doubled and scored four times, Mason Misfeldt had a pair of hits and scored a run, and Reece Duncan doubled, drove in a run and scored one for the Panthers.
Austin Cole allowed three earned runs and five hits in 6⅔ innings, striking out seven and walking three. Franks threw one pitch to get the final out.
Fulton 7, Sterling 5: The Steamers built a 6-3 lead through five innings and held off a Golden Warriors rally for a nonconference win at Lumberkings Stadium in Clinton, Iowa.
Ethan Price went 2 for 4 to lead Fulton at the plate. Ian Wiebenga, Davis Ludin and Brock Mason drove in one run apiece for the Steamers. Jacob Jones pitched five innings, striking out six and surrendering five hits and three runs.
Erie-Prophetstown 6, Rockridge 4: The Panthers built a 5-1 lead through four innings and held off a late Rockets rally to win the Three Rivers West matchup.
Kolby Franks went 2 for 2 with two RBIs, including a home run, to lead E-P at the plate.
C o n n e r M e ad ow s p i t c h e d s ix innings for the win, allowing six hits, four runs (three earned) and five walks, while striking out two. Franks threw one inning in relief, allowing no hits, runs or walks.
Fulton 2, River Ridge-Scales Mound 0:
D r e w D y k s t r a s t r u c k o u t 1 3 i n a one-hitter, and the Steamers scored in the second and third innings to win an NUIC West contest on the road.
Ryan Eads went 3 for 3, and Ethan Price was 2 for 4 with a run for Fulton. Kannon Wynkoop had the Steamers’ lone RBI, and Davis Ludin also scored a run.
Softball
Rockridge 4, Erie-Prophetstown 0: The Panthe rs matched zeroes for five innings with the top-ranked team in Class 2A, but the host Rockets scored four runs in the sixth in a Three Rivers East game.
Aylah Jones, Jaylynn Hamilton and Jaiden Oleson had the only hits for Erie-Prophetstown. Jones allowed four unearned runs and eight hits in a complete game, striking out 11 without a walk.
Kori Needham’s two-run homer h i g h li gh t ed R o c k r i d g e ’ s f o u r - r un sixth.
Kendra Lewis struck out 15 without a walk in a three-hit shutout.
Fulton 8, River Ridge-Scales Mound 5:
The Steamers scored seven runs over the first four innings, then held on to win an NUIC West road game after turning a home-to-first double play with the bases loaded to end a threat in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Leading 8-4 with one out in the sixth, Fulton reliever Brooklyn Brennan induced a groundout right back to the circle. She threw home for the forceout, then catcher Emily Kane threw to first baseman Kelsey Crimmins to retire the batter and end the inning.
Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Erie-Prophetstown’s Mikey Biba wipes sweat from his brow as he takes a breather on first base as Rockridge changes pitchers. Temperatures reached 90 degrees May 12.
Steve Siefken/Shaw Media Kaylee Pruis is ready to hit the ball during a game against Newman on Saturday, May 14.
Steve Siefken/Shaw Media Morrison’s Troy Baker slides into the base to beat a tag by a Newman opponent May 14.
See ROUNDUP, page 22
COLLEGE SPORTS
Rockford sof tball player Emily Cox named Second Team A ll-NACC
The Rockford University softball team had two players recognized May 9 when the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference released its 2022 postseason awards.
Senior designated player Emily Cox and junior catcher Candace Kipp were both voted Second Team All-NACC by the conference’s 13 coaches.
Cox, of Erie, earned the third postseason honor of her career from the conference. She also was named Second Team All-NACC in 2019 and NACC Honorable Mention in 2021.
Cox had an outstanding senior season to conclude an amazing career in a Regents uniform. She hit .403 with a .507 on-base percentage and a .723 slugging percentage to become one of just four players in the NACC to reach .400/.500/.700 at the plate this year.
Cox finished in the top 20 in the conference in 10 categories, including five top-10 rankings. She was second in the NACC in doubles (16) and walks (21), fourth in on-base percentage (.507), fifth in slugging percentage (.723), seventh in home runs (6), 13th in batting average (.403), 14th in hits (48), 17th in runs batted in (30) and triples (2) and 18th in runs scored (28). She ranks 22nd in the country in doubles and 45th in doubles per game.
C o x b r o k e o r t i e d f o u r s c h o ol records this year. She became Rockford’s all-time leader in home runs (18), tied the career doubles record (37), broke the school’s single-season walks record (21) and tied the single-game doubles record (3).
Emily Cox of Erie, who plays for Rockford University, was voted Second Team All-NACC.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
E-P, Fulton both sending contingent of athletes to state
By TY REYNOLDS treynolds@shawmedia.com
MANLIUS – The Erie-Prophetstown Panthers placed second (83.75 points) and the Fulton Steamers took third (79) b e h i n d s e c t i o n a l c h a m p i o n Annawan-Wethersfield (125), while Indian Creek (60) and Amboy-LaMoille (57.75) rounded out the top five in the team standings at the Class 1A Bureau Valley Sectional on Wednesday, May 11.
Erie-Prophetstown will send eight athletes to compete at state in seven individual events and a relay. Kennedy Buck led the charge with second-place finishes in the shot put (10.70 meters) and 200 (26.93 seconds) and she matched the state qualifying time in the 400 (1:02.04) with her third-place finish.
“It’s going to be good and busy next week,” she said. “The goal would be definitely medaling, but a PR would be good, too, knowing that I have a lot more competition and I didn’t see a lot of that this season.
“I feel like we all performed really well, even though it was super hot. Last week, we were covering up under umbrellas for rain and cold and now it’s for the blazing hot sun.”
Brianna Neumiller won the discus with a toss of 34.92 meters. Dylan Chandler, Jade Nickerson, Jillian Norman and Riley Packer teamed up to take the 4x800 title (10:59.05), living up to their top seed in the event and winning by 32.75 seconds.
“We knew we were ranked first and we had really high expectations for that team, but we just wanted to all focus on our own race and run well,” Packer said. “Once I got the baton, I knew that we had a big enough lead. I didn’t want to look behind me and see, but I could kind of tell from where we were at that we were in good shape. My coach was even telling me to slow down by the second lap because I still had my open 800 to worry about and she didn’t want me to kill myself for that one.”
Packer left plenty in the tank for the 800, taking second in 2:27.22 to advance to Charleston in that event.
“I was super nervous and super anxious, but the race itself went really well,” Packer said. “I knew my biggest competition was probably Kennady Anderson [from Annawan-Wethersfield]. She’s really good. But the race went really well and I was super happy with myself and I feel like I ran hard and just focused on running my own race the way I’m supposed to run it and didn’t let the competition get to me too much, so I was really happy with that.”
Scott Anderson - sanderson@shawmedia.com Erie-Prophetstown’s Kennedy Buck throws the shot put in the Class 1A girls track sectional May 11 at Bureau Valley High School in Manlius.
See GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD, page 21
C oming S oon
In Remembrance
David O’Neal Bruce O’Neal
Shirley and Paul want to thank all of our family and friends who kept us in their thoughts and prayers, in our hour of bereavement. Thanks to all who gave a monetary memorial, food, plants, cards, and flowers for our funerals. These tragedies will forever be in our hearts. Also, a big thank you to Pastor Jay and Pastor Dalmus for their words of inspiration. And to the Who-Else Club, who planted a memorial tree for Bruce. Hopefully we didn’t forget anyone, as this has been a very trying time within a small space of time. May peace be with you. Shirley and Paul O’Neal
Hayley Wuebben and Olivia Purvis rounded out the state qualifiers for the Panthers, finishing 2-3 in the pole vault. Wuebben cleared 2.90 meters. Purvis matched the state qualifying mark at 2.74 meters.
The two have been placing first and second at meets all year long and Purvis believes that’s what pushed them to fare so well at the sectional.
“I think that using each other to challenge ourselves was a big part of that,” she said. “We were neck-and-neck in a lot of meets this year and I think that really helped just pushing us.”
The Panthers vaulters are looking forward to soaking in the experience at the state meet together.
“It’s super exciting, especially since last year it was a shortened meet, so this year she’ll get the full experience and I’ll get the full experience for my last year,” Wuebben said. “Having another person down there with you kind of cools your nerves a little bit.”
“It’s really nice,” Purvis said. “There are so many people down there, and waiting around for everything, it releases a lot of the anxiety having someone there with you.”
Wuebben, a senior, isn’t putting any extra pressure on herself by thinking about a particular finish in Charleston.
“I definitely want to PR down at state. Today, I almost got a PR, but the standards were in the wrong positioning,” she said. “But I’m hoping to clear 10 feet at least down at state, and honestly just have a good time, one last hurrah before I’m done.”
Fulton’s Lauren Mahoney won the 100 in 12.74 seconds and was on three of the four relays that the Steamers will send to O’Brien Field. Mahoney teamed with Abbigail Thyne, Annaka Hackett and Mikayla Gazo to win the 4x200 (1:49.58) and then joined Brooklyn Brennan, Miraya Pessman and Gazo to close out the meet with a come-from-behind win in the 4x400 (4:16.79).
“Qualifying in four events, it’s really weird to think about that,” Mahoney said. “Going into this, I had a lot of confidence because of the weather being so much nicer. This is my senior year, and I was hurt freshman and junior year and sophomore year we didn’t have track because of COVID. So it was a lot of pressure, especially my individual race. That was my main goal, to qualify in that, because I had a lot of confidence in the relays.”
Gazo said the 4x400 had a bit more pressure than usual for the Steamers. After the team qualified in the first three relay races of the meet, she and her teammates wanted the 4-for-4 performance. Gazo took advantage of the lead her teammates had forged through t h e f i r s t t h r e e l e g s a n d h e l d o f f Annawan-Wethersfield in the anchor leg as Fulton won by 0.67 seconds.
“I was so nervous for that last race,” Gazo said. “This will be the first time in a while that all four relays will go to state and it’s kind of exciting to know we’re the first team in a while to do this. Being part of it is just amazing. It’s nerve-wracking watching it all happen. You see your teammate pass someone, then they get passed and you have to move back from the front of the line while you’re waiting for the baton. It’s that moment when you’re inching forward and thinking, ‘Oh, my goodness, I’m getting closer to running this.’ And I just went out and ran as fast and hard as I could for that final lap.”
Gazo and Mahoney also took part in the runner-up 4x100 (50.98 seconds), teaming with Pessman and Thyne. The quartet of Kali Brewer, Aliya Bueno, Olivia Knott and Jasmine Moreland added a second in the 4x800 (11:31.80).
Scott Anderson - sanderson@shawmedia.com Fulton’s Lauren Mahoney wins the 4x200 relay as Kewanee Wethersfield’s Madison Rusk takes second May 11 in the Class 1A Bureau County Sectional in Manlius.
Now Availab le
2 0 2 2 GOLFING N o r t h w e s t e r n I l l i n o i a n d E a s t e r n I o w a s
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April 7, 2021 “One of Prophetstown’s Best”
Already gone 1 year Sure miss ya pal! Sure miss ya pal!
M a d y s o n L u s k e y d o u b l e d a n d drove in two runs for the Steamers, and Annaka Hackett doubled and scored twice. Brennan also scored a pair of runs, and allowed an earned run and three hits in 1⅔ innings of relief, striking out three without a walk. Addison Hartman started and allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in 5⅓ innings, with nine strikeouts and three walks.
Rockridge 4, Erie-Prophetstown 1: The Panthers fell to the Rockets in a Three Rivers West game in Prophetstown.
Fulton 5, Eastland 3: The Steamers built a 5-0 lead through five innings and held off a late Cougar charge to earn an NUIC crossover win.
Annaka Hackett went 3 for 3 with one RBI, and Madyson Luskey went 2 for 4 with two RBIs to lead Fulton hitters. Teegan Germann pitched a complete game for the win, striking out seven, walking four, and allowing seven hits and three runs.
Boys track and field
Locals fare well in Orion: Morrison led all local teams with three event wins Thursday, May 12, at the Three Rivers Conference Meet in Orion, while Erie-Prophetstown was the highest finishing local team in fourth place.
The Panthers scored 69 points to finish behind Riverdale (114), Princeton (102) and Monmouth-Roseville (78). Sherrard took fifth (58.5), Newman was sixth (57). Morrison placed eighth (47) and Bureau Valley took 11th (21.5).
Alex Anderson won the 400 (51.74 seconds) and Brady Wolf took the 300 hurdles (43.00 seconds). They were the only two individual local champions. The two also teamed with Justice Brainerd and Thomas Dauphin to win the 4x400 (3:32.01) and take second in the 4x100 (44.66 seconds). Brainerd added a fourth in the 400 (52.90 seconds).
Erie-Prophetstown’s top finishes were second places by Ben Lantz in the 300 hurdles (43.49 seconds), Parker Holdorf in the pole vault (3.96 meters) and Braxton Froeliger in the long jump (6.22 meters). Lantz also was part of the runner-up 4x200 relay (1:33.70) with Michael Carlson, Jack Minssen and Trevor Cobo.
Carlson, Lantz, Cobo and Froeliger took third in the 4x100 (44.68 seconds), Cobo added a third in the high jump (1.83 meters), and the Panthers were third in the 4x800 (9:09.25) with the foursome of Andrew Bomleny, Wyatt Beck, Lucas Dreisbach and Charlie Link.
Caleb Eads finished fourth in the triple jump (11.87 meters), and Froeliger added a fifth in the 200 (23.64 seconds) for Erie-Prophetstown.
Photos by Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media ABOVE: Erie-Prophetstown’s Jaiden Olsen looks to tag a Rockridge runner as she dives back to first on Thursday, May 12. LEFT: Erie-Prophetstown’s Jaylynn Hamilton gears up to throw to first for an out during action against Rockridge in Prophetstown on Thursday, May 12.
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