Tyler Luchinski and Savanna Franzen earn All-State Mention from IHSA

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Savanna Franzen runs around the track O'Brien Field at the IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals in May 2024. The Spartan senior was named an All-State Academic by the IHSA on March 4.

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BLOOMINGTON — The Illinois High School Association announced the 26 members who were selected for the 2025 IHSA All-State Academic Team. Two area student athletes, one Charger and one Spartan, made this year's list released today.

St. Joseph-Ogden's Savanna Franzen and Centennial's Tyler Luchinski earned Honorable Mention recogition and will be recognized at a banquet held in Bloomington on April 13.

Each year, IHSA member schools can nominate one female student and one male student to be a part of this prestigious team. Nominees needed to possess a minimum 3.50 grade point average on a 4.0 scale after their seventh semester, have participated in at least two IHSA sponsored sports or activities during each of the last two years of high school, and demonstrated outstanding citizenship.

"The IHSA All-State Academic Team truly represents the best that Illinois has to offer," IHSA Assistant Executive Director Stacy Lambert said in a press release. "When you look the credentials of these team members, you are not only going to see outstanding grades and incredible test scores, but participation in multiple sports and activities, as well as significant contributions to their school and community. The ability to not only balance but also simultaneously excel in all these endeavors is inspiring. We are proud to have these future leaders represent the IHSA and Illinois."

The nominations were evaluated by a committee up of IHSA principals, athletic directors, and activities directors. One male winner and one female winner from each of the seven IHSA Board of Directors Divisions were selected initially, while the final 12 spots on the team were then rounded out with at-large candidates from anywhere in the state.

A complete list of all award winners is below.

2024-25 All-State Academic Team

Reid Bodine
Williamsville High School

Joseph Bregenzer
Barrington High School

Cole Buchanan
Benton High School

Zoe Carter
University High School | Normal

Emily Cheng
Walter Payton | Chicago

Taylor Davidson
Stillman Valley High School

Hadley Ferrero
Crystal Lake Central

Payton Frey
Highland High School

Gracie Furlong
Galena High School

Hannah Gibson
Carlinville High School

Travis Hoffman
Mahomet-Seymour High School

Liam Kendrick
Lane Tech High School | Chicago

Krish Khanna
University High School | Chicago

Alyssa Koerkenmeier
Mater Dei Catholic | Breese

Elena Krause
Pontiac High School

Andrew Kurien
Rockford Christian High School

TJ Larson
Central Catholic High School | Bloomington

Gavin O’Connor
Brother Rice High School | Chicago

Liam O’Connor
Oak Park & River Forest High School

Ava Peterson
Manteno High School

Elena Rybak
Father McGivney | Glen Carbon

Kurtis Smith
Hononegah High School | Rockton

Ethan Stewart
Triad High School | Troy

Lucia “Lulu” Ton-That
Northside College Prep | Chicago

Ben Wuggazer
Lyons High School | LaGrange

Veronica Znajda
Prospect High School | Mt. Prospect

2024-25 All-State Academic Team Honorable Mention

Sydney Buchelt
Lisle Senior High School

Aubrey Campbell
Central Catholic High School | Bloomington

Seth Cooper
Ottawa Township High School

Benjamin Crane
New Trier High School | Winnetka

Ryan Thomas Detering
Salem High School

Ricky Eriksen
Marist High School | Chicago

Nora Ezike
Lyons High School | LaGrange

Syndey Fraley
Maine South High School | Park Ridge

Savanna Franzen
St. Joseph-Ogden

Paige Froess
Columbia High School

Rory Gaan
Fremd High School | Palatine

Elijah Genenbacher
Central High School | Camp Point

Mason Gilpin
Carlinville High School

Waylon Hall
Herrin High School

Jacob Hartwig
Heyworth High School

Annabelle Hiel
Washington Community High School

Julia Hosu
Yorkville High School

Abigail Johnes
Brussels High School

Jack Jokisch
Shelbyville High School

Devin Karda
Sycamore High School

Clayton Kessler
Auburn High School

Reese Kohnle
Boylan Catholic High School | Rockford

Joseph Kyes
Richmond-Burton High School

Josie Larson
Lakes High School | Lake Villa

Tyler Luchinski
Centennial High School | Champaign

Bruno Massel
York High School | Elmhurst

Nolan McClay
Knoxville High School

Elizabeth McConkie
Sycamore High School

Lauren Miller
Central High School | Camp Point

Lizeth Montes
St. Ignatius College Prep | Chicago

Eislee Moore
Carbondale High School

Kaleb Navarro
De La Salle Institute | Chicago

Sam Ottwell
Alton Senior High School

Derke Patton
Walter Payton College Prep | Chicago

Miraya Pessman
Fulton High School

Aubrey Phillips
El Paso-Gridley

Ryan Pieper
Lena-Winslow High School

Maya Rounds
Sesser-Valier High School

Austin Rowswell
Lincoln-Way West High School | New Lenox

Karson Shrum
Annawan High School

Paige Sierens
Annawan High School

Amelia Strebel
Jersey High School | Jerseyville

Max Strong
Riverside-Brookfield High School

Olivia Tran
Vernon Hills High School

Juliana Walker
University High School | Chicago

Cynthia Waller
Lane Tech High School | Chicago

Connor Watson
East Peoria High School

Reese Watson
Scared Heart-Griffin High School | Springfield

Michael Wilson
Greenville High School

Lily Woolery
Shelbyville High School

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Franzen leads Spartan girls at regional cross country meet, next stop sectionals for SJO

TUSCOLA - St. Joseph-Ogden’s girls’ cross-country team secured a second-place finish at the Tuscola Regional on Saturday at Wimple Park, earning a spot in the upcoming sectional meet at Lakeland College. Senior standout Savanna Franzen led the Spartans, placing fourth overall with a time of 18:11.90. Her strong performance continued a season that saw her receive an offer to run at Eastern Illinois University.

Franzen was supported by two standout freshmen, Grace Bressner and Tessa Walker, who both ran career-best times. Bressner finished sixth with a time of 18:29.91, while Walker placed eighth, clocking in at 19:09.89. Their impressive performances highlight the team's youthful depth, which has bolstered St. Joseph-Ogden’s success this season.

Sophomore Abigail Bello also set a personal record, finishing 19th with a time of 20:19.70, further helping the Spartans secure their second-place team finish. Senior Sydney Steinbach rounded out the team’s scoring, placing 42nd with a time of 22:22.94.

Unity High School claimed the team title with 40 points, led by individual champion Kate Foltz, who dominated the race with a time of 16:02.82. Unity’s Emily Decker and Mackenzie Pound finished second and third, respectively, helping secure the top spot. St. Joseph-Ogden followed in second with 70 points, while Paxton-Buckley-Loda came in third with 94 points.

Franzen’s leadership, combined with the rapid development of Bressner and Walker, has provided St. Joseph-Ogden with a strong mix of experience and youth. Heading into the Cumberland Sectional next weekend, the Spartans will rely on this balance to compete for a state meet berth.

The competition at Lakeland College will be fierce, with Unity once again looking like the team to beat. However, if Franzen continues her strong season and the team’s younger runners build on their regional performances, St. Joseph-Ogden is well-positioned for success.

St. Joseph-Ogden will aim to extend their season at the sectional meet, with a potential return to Detweiller Park for the state championships.

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Dominant Performance, Unity girls' claim IPC cross country title, SJO second

RANTOUL - The Unity Rockets lived up to their reputation at the Illini Prairie Conference Cross Country meet, capturing the team title with a commanding score of 31 points on Tuesday at Brookhill Golf Course. Unity placed five runners in the top ten, showcasing their depth and consistency on the 3-mile course.

Emily Decker led the charge for Unity, winning the individual title in 17 minutes, 24.8 seconds. Running a tenacious race up front, the remaining Rockets packed in behind her for a strong team finish. Decker, who has posted faster times this season, including a 16:55.2 at the Spartan Classic, comfortably outpaced the competition, setting the tone for the Rockets’ conference title.

The Spartans finished second with 63 points, led by senior standout Savanna Franzen. Franzen finished just 10 seconds behind Decker, clocking in at 17:34.2, which was a personal best. Franzen’s performance was a significant improvement over her previous 17:54 showing at the Spartan Classic, where she finished eighth.

Freshman Grace Bressner continued her rapid rise with a third-place finish, shaving nearly a minute off her previous best time to cross the line in 18:10.9. Tessa Walker, another freshman, rounded out St. Joseph-Ogden's top-three with a ninth-place finish in 19:50.8. Having two freshmen in the top 10 is indicator of great things to come for the Spartan running program.

In the end, despite strong individual showing from SJO's top three, Unity’s team depth proved too much to overcome.

Junior Mackenzie Pound finished fourth in 18:36.1, and seniors Josie Cler and Camryn Reedy finished fifth and tenth, respectively, to help secure the Rockets’ conference title. Unity’s fifth scorer, sophomore Grace Wherley, finished just outside the top ten in 11th with a time of 20:25.1, further cementing their dominance.

Behind Unity and St. Joseph-Ogden, Paxton-Buckley-Loda placed third with 81 points, followed by Monticello (108) and St. Thomas More (134).

Top 10 Individual Finishers:
1. Emily Decker, Unity – 17:24.8
2. Savanna Franzen, St. Joseph-Ogden – 17:34.2
3. Grace Bressner, St. Joseph-Ogden – 18:10.9
4. Mackenzie Pound, Unity – 18:36.1
5. Josie Cler, Unity – 19:08.4
6. Taylor Mabry, Monticello – 19:17.3
7. Audrey McCoy, Paxton-Buckley-Loda – 19:31.3
8. Kyla Franckey, Paxton-Buckley-Loda – 19:46.7
9. Tessa Walker, St. Joseph-Ogden – 19:50.8
10. Camryn Reedy, Unity – 19:51.6

The final team standings for the meet were:
1. Tolono Unity - 31
2. St. Joseph-Ogden - 63
3. Paxton-Buckley-Loda - 81
4. Monticello - 108
5. St. Thomas More - 134
6. Illinois Valley Central - 151
7. Central Catholic - 160
8. Pontiac - 171
9. Rantoul - 206

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Ahmari wins Spartan Classic girls' title, Rockets take home team honors

St. Joseph - University High Kate Ahmari turned in the top time in the women's race at the 2021 Spartan Classic on Saturday. The junior's time of 17:25.70 helped the Illinek cross country team finish 5th in the overall team standings. The sub-18 minute time was a new PR for Ahmari and ranks as the 19th fastest time in the state this season.

Unity's Malia Fairbanks runs her first lap around the course during the 2019 IHSA Cross Country State Finals. Fairbanks finished 13th overall at Saturday's Spartan Classic in St. Joseph.

It was an Illini Prairie Conference sweep of the top three places in the team standings. Unity, who had six runners finish in the top 20, won the girls' title with a score of 56 points off the efforts of the first five. Monticello finished second with 66 points and host St. Joseph-Ogden rounded out the top three places with 87 points.

It was a day of outstanding running performances for Unity on the three-mile course. Erica Woodard led the Unity squad finishing in 5th place. She was followed by Olivia Shike (18:38.04), Malia Fairbanks (18:41.58), and senior Harper Hancock (18:44.42) who finished 14th overall. Caelyn Kleparski's 17th place finish at 19:02.25 cemented the Rockets' dominant performance on Saturday.

Shike, Harper, and Kleparski turned in career-best times. Meanwhile, Woodard's time of 18:03.62, along with Fairbanks, and Reagan Stringer who clocked in at 18th place (19:02.27), gave season-best performances.

St. Joseph-Ogden enjoyed notable performances from freshman Savanna Franzen and senior Ava Knap. Franzen finished in third place with a time of 17:57.82 and Knap, who followed her over the finish line five seconds later, stopped the clock at 18:02.03 in fourth-place. Both times were personal records for each runner.

Spartan Kailyn Ingram, who PR'd at 19:48.7 last week at the Richard Spring Invitational in Peoria, shaved off another 48 seconds off her three-mile time to 19:00.26.

Top 20 Spartan Classic Times

1. Kate Ahmari 17:25.70 Urbana University
2. Mabry Bruhn 17:29.41 Monticello
3. Savanna Franzen 17:57.82 SJO
4. Ava Knap 18:02.03 SJO
5. Erica Woodard 18:03.62 Unity
6. Hadessah Austin 18:18.98 Seeger
7. Estella Miller 18:26.80 Monticello
8. Sylvia Miller 18:32.69 Monticello
9. Aleigha Garrison 18:34.61 Champaign (Judah Christian)
10. Trixie Johnson 18:37.24 Paxton-Buckley-Loda
11. Olivia Shike 18:38.04 Unity
12. Jennifer Romero 18:40.84 Seeger
13. Malia Fairbanks 18:41.58 Unity
14. Harper Hancock 18:44.42 Unity
15. Nellie Melick 18:49.39 El Paso-Gridley
16. Kailyn Ingram 19:00.26 SJO
17. Caelyn Kleparski 19:02.25 Unity
18. Reagen Stringer 19:02.27 Unity
19. Macie Russell 19:02.37 Oakwood
20. Rachel Koon 19:05.64 Monticello

Keller dominates at Spartan Classic, Unity girls win team title

St. Anthony's Isabella Keller runs to the finish line and her first state cross country title in the Class 1A race in 2023. Keller, who currently holds the top time in the state across all three classes, won the Spartan Classic on September 28. The sophomore is favored to earn a second state title in November.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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ST. JOSEPH - St. Anthony sophomore sensation Isabella Keller continued her dominant cross country season, winning the Spartan Classic on Sept. 28 with a time of 15:59.6, just shy of her personal record from last year's meet. Keller's performance, highlighted by a nearly 30-second lead over the rest of the field, secured her top standing in Class 1A this season.

Keller, known for her dominance in Class 1A, not only secured her victory but also solidified her status as the top runner in Illinois across all three IHSA classes. She has won every varsity 3-mile race she has entered during her high school career, including last year's Class 1A state championship at Detweiller Park. Her impressive string of victories positions her as the favorite for a repeat state title in November. Her closest competitor, Tuscola's junior Kate Foltz, finished second with a time of 16:28.3, followed by Unity senior Emily Decker in third at 16:55.1.

The race, held under overcast skies with temperatures in the high 60s, saw 148 girls from 20 teams competing. The three-mile course began on Main Street and wound through the streets of St. Joseph, offering ideal conditions for fast times.

Unity's girls team capitalized on their depth, placing three runners in the top 15 and securing the overall team title with 55 points. Decker led the Rockets with her third-place finish, followed by junior Mackenzie Pound (10th, 18:18.3) and senior Ashlyn Denney (11th, 18:19.4). Unity's consistency helped them outpace Shelbyville, which placed second with 91 points, and Monticello, which came in third with 171 points.

St. Joseph-Ogden's senior Savanna Franzen was the top finisher for the host team, placing eighth with a time of 17:54.00, while Uni-High’s top runner, junior Shriya Nagaraj, placed 28th with a time of 19:31.79.

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Finishing at 17:36.87, Mackenzie Pound helped the Rockets win last year's team title at the state meet in 2023. Now a junior, she was crucial in Unity winning the Spartan Classic team title at the end of September. Coincidentally, she finished 10th in both races.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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Urbana U-High finished fifth in the team standings with a score of 192 points, demonstrating their depth with several strong individual performances.

The team was led by Shriya Nagaraj, who finished 28th overall with a time of 19:31.79, showcasing her potential among the top competitors in the state. Other notable finishes for U-High included Clara Knutson in 33rd place (19:54.71) and Ella Ylagan in 41st (20:17.59). Their efforts contributed significantly to the team's overall performance, as they fought against strong competition from schools like Unity.

U-High’s depth was evident at the early season race, as they had multiple runners who consistently challenged for top placements, indicating a promising future for the program. The team's ability to compete at a high level in such a competitive environment bodes well for the remainder of the season.

In addition to Keller and Decker, several elite Class 1A runners competed at the Spartan Classic, with notable finishes from Kate Foltz of Tuscola, who placed second (16:28.31), and Molly Farrell of Marshall, who finished fourth (16:57.03).

### Top 10 Team Scores
1. Unity - 55
2. Shelbyville - 91
3. Monticello - 171
4. Seeger - 191
5. Uni-High - 192
6. St. Anthony - 192
7. Paxton-Buckley-Loda - 199
8. St. Joseph-Ogden - 210
9. Clinton - 236
10. Tri-Valley - 281

### Top 15 Individual Finishers
1. Isabella Keller, 10, St. Anthony – 15:59.6
2. Kate Foltz, 11, Tuscola – 16:28.3
3. Emily Decker, 12, Unity – 16:55.1
4. Molly Farrell, 11, Marshall – 16:57.0
5. Tessa Bowers, 11, Shelbyville – 17:03.8
6. Aubrey Denning, 10, St. Anthony – 17:03.9
7. Klaire Eighner, 11, Maroa-Forsyth – 17:51.5
8. Savanna Franzen, 12, St. Joseph-Ogden – 17:54.0
9. Adelin Bruce, 11, Tri-Valley – 18:13.4
10. Mackenzie Pound, 11, Unity – 18:18.3
11. Ashlyn Denney, 12, Unity – 18:19.4
12. Lily Woolery, 12, Shelbyville – 18:23.0
13. Ellie Emberson, 9, Fisher – 18:32.3
14. Madeleine Fox, 10, Marshall – 18:34.1
15. Aubrey Peterson, 9, Clinton – 18:40.0

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Jack Fisher wins SJO 5K by a stride

ST. JOSEPH - Jack Fisher won this year's installment of the SJO 5K by a second and a half, besting Andrew Pilat Saturday morning for the top spot out of a field of 135 runners with a time of 13:32.6. St. Joseph-Ogden High School junior Lance Retz, a rising star in the school's well-respected running program, finished third to round out the top 3 male and overall runners.

The top three female finishers were Hazel Atkins in first place, Sam Mabry in second, and Savanna Franzen finishing third out of 64 women from ages eight and 63 years of age. Atkins, from Shelbyville, turned in a 19:47.3 for the women's division top time.

Starting in 2008, the proceeds from the annual race help support the high school and middle school cross country and track teams in St. Joseph with travel expenses and the purchase of new equipment.

Race results by time -
1. Jack Fisher 16:32.6 ; 2. Andrew Pilat 16:34.2 ; 3. Lance Retz 16:42.3 ; 4. Jordan Harpst 17:56.7 ; 5. Patrick Ford 17:57.9 ; 6. Nate Farney 18:05.8 ; 7. Joe Griebat 18:17.3 ; 8. Eli Franklin 18:18.4 ; 9. Elijah Mock 18:34.4 ; 10. Aiden Hundley 18:45.0 ; 11. Colin Burnett 18:47.5 ; 12. Ej Beckett 18:48.9 ; 13. Adam Bello 19:34.0 ; 14. Camden Fisher 19:35.1 ; 15. Hazel Atkins 19:47.3 ; 16. Sam Mabry 19:58.7 ; 17. Colby Duitsman 20:07.7 ; 18. Savanna Franzen 20:17.1 ; 19. Greyson Guevara 20:23.4 ; 20. Tessa Walker 20:29.7 ; 21. Nathan Hinkel 20:36.0 ; 22. Jack Flesner 20:58.6 ; 23. Ryan Anderson 20:59.9 ; 24. Hunter Dilley 21:07.5 ; 25. Grace Bressner 21:15.4 ; 26. Brad Ludwig 21:24.8 ; 27. Bentley Morse 21:27.6 ; 28. Kyle Hammel 21:33.7 ; 29. Matthew Mabry 21:37.7 ; 30. Henry McCannon 21:44.0 ; 31. Andrew Schaefer 21:48.9 ; 32. Michael Tankersley 22:09.4 ; 33. Joshua Ward 22:14.0 ; 34. Elisha Guhl 22:17.8 ; 35. Jason Overman 22:32.2 ; 36. Ryan Fisher 22:33.8 ; 37. Maxwell Collins 22:42.9 ; 38. Rebekah Maxwell 23:11.5 ; 39. Patrick McClure 23:20.6 ; 40. Keegan Combest 23:22.5 ; 41. Brady Johnson 23:52.0 ; 42. Keegan Combest Jr. 23:56.6 ; 43. Mark Harbourt 24:06.8 ; 44. Tabby Brown 24:13.8 ; 45. Michael Healea 24:32.6 ; 46. Carson Coffey 24:36.2 ; 47. Taylor Vaughn 24:49.4 ; 48. Klaire Combest 24:49.6 ; 49. Drew Duden 24:52.7 ; 50. Scott Silverman 24:53.4 ; 51. Addyson Tholl 25:11.6 ; 52. David Ammermann 25:13.4 ; 53. Stephen Johnson 25:18.3 ; 54. Nikita Borisov 25:20.8 ; 55. Abigail Bello 25:37.4 ; 56. Luke Dunn 25:44.3 ; 57. Mark Wertz 26:10.6 ; 58. Maverick Wertz 26:10.7 ; 59. Spencer Krisman 26:27.7 ; 60. Madison Lubinski 26:30.7 ; 61. Whitney Patel 26:32.3 ; 62. Thea Hinkel 26:36.0 ; 63. Hannah Dignan 26:43.0 ; 64. Kendall Lubinski 27:03.0 ; 65. Paula Tankersley 27:04.9 ; 66. Gregory Poe 27:05.3 ; 67. John Lubinski 27:15.8 ; 68. Iris Davis 27:33.9 ; 69. Ethan Burnett 27:45.3 ; 70. Sara Myers 27:46.2 ; 71. Lynn Hardimon 27:48.2 ; 72. Ramsay Arnold 28:07.7 ; 73. Taryn Sexton 28:11.1 ; 74. Griffin Emery-Carlson 28:12.5 ; 75. Matt Layden 29:01.1 ; 76. Vicki Maxwell 29:13.6 ; 77. Alayna Nekolny 29:27.5 ; 78. Susan Osterbur 30:17.3 ; 79. Sara Coffey 30:40.2 ; 80. Xander Hundley 30:42.7 ; 81. Laura Owen 30:43.5 ; 82. Josie Walker 30:48.9 ; 83. Chad Walker 30:49.2 ; 84. Daniel Urban 31:10.5 ; 85. Angela Urban 31:10.8 ; 86. Jill Runck 31:11.5 ; 87. Henry Cluver 31:32.4 ; 88. Tora Borisova 31:33.9 ; 89. Amber Cluver 31:37.6 ; 90. Amy Bailey 31:39.5 ; 91. Theresa Heater 31:59.3 ; 92. Kiah Riesel 32:04.1 ; 93. Cali Argo 33:15.5 ; 94. Elizabeth Farmer 33:25.6 ; 95. Nick Farmer 33:27.9 ; 96. Kasper Zadeh 34:31.2 ; 97. Blake Franklin 34:32.0 ; 98. Amber Tomaska 34:35.2 ; 99. Ally Schmitz 34:40.6 ; 100. Jon Crawford 34:45.3 ; 101. Josie Buchanan 34:49.8 ; 102. Addi Ross 34:55.7 ; 103. Lyla Frerichs 34:56.7 ; 104. Tavi Borisova 35:21.2 ; 105. Demitrius Urban 35:25.3 ; 106. Sofie Urberg-Carlson 35:25.5 ; 107. Melinda Ward 35:42.5 ; 108. Greg Ward 35:44.0 ; 109. Candice Dixon 36:04.3 ; 110. Ellen Vore 36:31.0 ; 111. Roxy Campbell 36:37.1 ; 112. Elsa Cluver 36:37.3 ; 113. Nikki Campbell 37:59.4 ; 114. Michael Weidenburner 38:26.6 ; 115. Caleb Taylor 38:42.4 ; 116. Anne Finfrock 39:02.9 ; 117. Leah Hundley 39:03.0 ; 118. Stu Trumbo 40:13.0 ; 119. Rebecca Reck 40:46.9 ; 120. Kelly Barbour-Conerty 41:01.4 ; 121. John Mcdannald 42:50.4 ; 122. Norma Mcdannald 42:50.6 ; 123. Ashtyn Clark 44:36.8 ; 124. Allison Clark 44:48.9 ; 125. Melinda Ohlsson 47:24.5 ; 126. Amanda Upton 48:07.2 ; 127. Christina Miezio 52:09.6 ; 128. Kimberly Nigg 52:09.7 ; 129. Jeremy Bird 55:26.8 ; 130. Gina Bird 55:27.0 ; 131. Emily Bird 55:27.0 ; 132. Chloe Bird 55:27.8 ; 133. David Cluver 1:02:28 ; 134. Craig Stundahl 1:02:37 ; 135. Sue Stundahl 1:02:37 ;

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State Cross Country |Unity's four-peat bid falls short, St. Joseph-Ogden finishes 12th at state

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Members of the Unity girls' cross country program and coaches are recognized during the Rockets' second-round home football playoff against St. Joseph-Ogden on Saturday. The Rocket harriers won the Class 1A second-place trophy hours earlier at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Unity just missed winning their fourth-consecutive state championship by just three points.

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PEORIA - Unity's quest for a fourth consecutive Class 1A title at the Illinois High School Association Girls Cross Country State Finals fell just short, as the Rockets finished in second place with 173 points, narrowly missing the top spot behind Williamsville, who clinched the championship with 171 points. The competition, held at the picturesque Detweiller Park, brought together the top 255 runners from small school programs around the state.

The Rockets’ performance was highlighted by standout runners Emily Decker and Mackenzie Pound, who both earned All-State honors by finishing in the top 25. Decker, a senior, crossed the finish line in 10th place with a time of 17:25.10, while Pound, an 11th grader, secured 19th place in 17:43.70. Their efforts were crucial in maintaining Unity's strong reputation in the sport, having dominated the small school category for the past three years.

The race also saw impressive performances from St. Joseph-Ogden, which finished 12th overall. Senior Savanna Franzen led her team with a 21st place finish at 17:45.50, followed closely by ninth grader Grace Bressner, who finished 25th in 17:55.90. This marked a successful end to their season, as both Spartan runners achieved All-State recognition.

Among the individual competitors, Tuscola's Kate Foltz stole the spotlight, finishing first with a remarkable time of 15:59.40. Following her was St. Anthony's Isabella Keller, who clocked in at 16:27.90, and Westmont’s Kyla Babb, who secured third place with a time of 16:35.50.

Other notable finishes included Oakwood's Callie Richardson, who placed 49th with a time of 18:41.00, and Urbana University High's Clara Knutson, who concluded her race in 96th place at 19:21.50, a career best finish for the freshman. Richardson's finish was just four seconds off the PR she turned in at the Tuscola Regional at Wimple Park.

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KEYWORDS: Illinois High School Association, Girls Cross Country State Finals, Unity Rockets, All-State recognition, Savanna Franzen, Kate Foltz

207 SJO students earn High Honor Roll recognition in the second quarter

ST. JOSEPH - At the end of October, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the recipients of the second quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll. To be recognized on the Honor Roll at SJO, students must achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Those with a GPA exceeding 3.74 are honored as High Honor Roll students.

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Freshman High Honor Roll

Kira Aase
Tyler Bonny
Ava Bronowski
Patrick Clark
Avarie Dietiker
Ainsley Dirksmeyer
Trey Divan
Connor Eaton
Olivia Edington
Eli Franklin
Isabella Frerichs
Ava Gallo
Conlan Gill
Colton Heidel
Nathan Hinkel
Ashlee Jannusch
Lilyah Jones
Megan Kearney
Lillyan Kelley
Gavin Little
Royce Loschen
Charles Martin
Landon May
Henry McCannon
Lane McKinney
Connor McMahon
Hannah Nirider
Mason Osterbur
Mara Perkins
Marissa Perkins
Hailey Phillips
Evan Potter
Airin Rash
Kenley Ray
Abigail Reynolds
Roisin Rice
Alyssa Robinson
Vivian Smith
Nayeli Steele
Brooklyn Stevens
Ethan Suchor
Mataya Thaman
Korinne Travis
Evelyn Valentine
Owen Wall
Lucas Waters
Sorena Welsh
Ian Wolken
Samson Zadeh

Sophomore High Honor Roll

Lillian Ahart
Zhou Barbee
Abigail Bello
Zachary Benoit
Olivia Berlatsky
Colin Burnett
Brenda Castro Gutierrez
Elizabeth Clark
Abigail Crider
Hayden Dahl
Iris Davis
Madison Farber
Nathaniel Farney
Nolan Franzen
Leah Gaines
Skyler Graham
Anna Hammond
Mark Harbourt
Nicholas Harris
Tyler Hess
Maggie Hewkin
Brynn Ikemire
Mia Jones
Alivia Learned
Avrianna Lyttle
Chase Mabry
Hadley McDonald
Finnegan Miller
Maddux Musselman
Mason Ramm
Kiah Riesel
Dennis Rineberg
Sophie Schmitz
Adeline Stevens
Ani Stine
Isabella Turner
Brayden Waller
Jack Wear
Emerson Williams
Declan Yohnka

Junior High Honor Roll

Trevor Ames
Kylie Barrowman
Lexie Barrowman
Adalyn Bell
Kaitlyn Beyers
Emily Bird
Tim Blackburn-Kelley
Aiden Bonny
Addison Brooks
Sara Bytnar
Jacob Carlson
William Carlson
Rudra Chaudhary
Adelyn Childers
Christopher Coffey
Caleb Dwyer
Katherine Ericksen
Abigail Getty
Camden Getty
Charles Hale
William Haley
Erica Hardimon
Zachary Harper
Claire Hartman
Amelia Huckstadt
Lydia Huckstadt
Adalyn Jannusch
Kaelyn Jolley
Sophia Kasper
Madilyn Kelley
Sami Kelso
Cooper Kietzman
Alexis Lackey
Ryker Lockhart
Mackenzie Loschen
Michael McDaniel
Danny McGinnis
Emma McKinney
Kodey McKinney
Patrick McMahon
Ashlyn Miller
Hannah Mock
Delaney Nekolny
Allison Ochs
Brennan Oleynichak
Kayla Osterbur
Colton Overstreet
Garrick Page
Branson Pearman
Kaleb Peoples
Asher Pruemer
Ainsley Rhoton
Lily Rice
Landon Roberts
Logan Rosenthal
Amber Ruppel
Cameron Schlueter
Allison Schmitz
Gracyn Sjoken
Lucas Smith
Tao Smith
Karleigh Spain
Quinn Stahl
Sydney Steinbach
Hadley Sweet
Carlee Taylor
Sophia Vliet
Madeline Wells
Wyatt Wertz
Logan Xiao
Cyrus Zadeh

Senior High Honor Roll

Jared Altenbaumer
EJ Beckett
Audrey Benoit
Macie Blakley
Landon Brown
Arely Castro Gutierrez
Richi Chimal
Preslee Christians
Madison Clampitt
Lauren Dewese
Ella Dietiker
Luke Ditchfield
Andrea Dominguez
Jackson Ennis
Savanna Franzen
Addison Funk
Kaiden Gaines
Tayton Gerdes
Olivia Getty
Makennah Hamilton
Lauren Harris
Haley Hesterberg
Maebree Houston
Paige Johnson
Sara Kearney
Amilliya Kindle
Jeffrey Kuchenbrod
Gabriel Mata
Logan Mills
Gabriel Mortlock
Grace Osterbur
Chayse Palmer
Sonia Patel
Nathan Phillips
Haley Rudolph
Audrey Ruppel
Charles Schmitz
Tanner Siems
Corbin Smith
Kyler Swanson
Coy Taylor
Collin Thomey
Samantha Uden
Reese Wheatley
Madison Wolken
Charley Wright
Fiona Xiao

Here are the recipients from St. Joseph-Ogden's first quarter High Honor and Honor Roll.

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Other articles ~

• SJO wrestling wins home match over BHRA, Getty and four others shine
• Despite earlier milestones, Spartans soccer season ends with loss to Pioneers
• Outlasting a talented Tri-Valley squad, SJO basketball advances to State Farm tournament quarterfinals

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Over 270 St. Joseph-Ogden students earn 2nd quarter academic honors

ST. JOSEPH - Last week, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the second-quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll recipients. Just over 270 members of this year's enrollment earned second-quarter Honor Roll recognition.

To receive honor roll recognition at SJO, students must earn a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students whose GPA soared above 3.74 are recognized as High Honor Roll students.

Freshman High Honor Roll

Lillian Ahart
Zhou Barbee
Zachary Benoit
Alec Bowlin
Colin Burnett
Elizabeth Clark
Abigail Crider
Hayden Dahl
Iris Davis
Nick Ditchfield
Justin Downs
Madison Farber
Nathaniel Farney
Nolan Franzen
Skyler Graham
Anna Hammond
Mark Harbourt
Nicholas Harris
Tyler Hess
Maggie Hewkin
Mia Jones
Alivia Learned
Hadley McDonald
Finnegan Miller
Maddux Musselman
Mason Ramm
Dennis Rineberg
Isa Santiago
Sophie Schmitz
Adeline Stevens
Ani Stine
Isabella Turner
Brayden Waller
Jack Wear
Emerson Williams

Freshman Honor Roll

Yadiel Acosta-Reyes
Samuel Albrecht
Olivia Berlatsky
Brenda Castro Gutierrez
Leah Gaines
Morgan Huls
Brynn Ikemire
Waylon Jones
Avrianna Lyttle
Chase Mabry
Mason Olinger
Tripp Palmer
Peighton Reim
Kiah Riesel
Ava Smoot
Cameron Wagner
Kaden Wedig
Cameron Wright
William Yeazel
Declan Yohnka

Sophomore High Honor Roll

Caroline Aden
Trevor Ames
Kylie Barrowman
Lexie Barrowman
Kaitlyn Beyers
Emily Bird
Tim Blackburn-Kelley
Aiden Bonny
Addison Brooks
Sara Bytnar
Erica Hardimon
William Carlson
Rudra Chaudhary
Adelyn Childers
Christopher Coffey
Katherine Ericksen
Callie Evans
Abigail Getty
Camden Getty
William Haley
Zachary Harper
Claire Hartman
Lydia Huckstadt
Adalyn Jannusch
Kaelyn Jolley
Sophia Kasper
Madilyn Kelley
Cooper Kietzman
Kylan Kincaid
Alexis Lackey
Ryker Lockhart
Mackenzie Loschen
Michael McDaniel
Danny McGinnis
Emma McKinney
Kodey McKinney
Patrick McMahon
Ava Midkiff
Ashlyn Miller
Hannah Mock
Delaney Nekolny
Allison Ochs
Brennan Oleynichak
Kayla Osterbur
Colton Overstreet
Garrick Page
Branson Pearman
Kaleb Peoples
Asher Pruemer
Ainsley Rhoton
Lily Rice
Landon Roberts
Logan Rosenthal
Amber Ruppel
Cameron Schlueter
Allison Schmitz
Lucas Smith
Tao Smith
Karleigh Spain
Quinn Stahl
Sydney Steinbach
Hadley Sweet
Carlee Taylor
Sophia Vliet
Madeline Wells
Wyatt Wertz
Logan Xiao
Cyrus Zadeh

Sophomore Honor Roll

Adalyn Bell
Shelby Campbell
Jacob Carlson
Caleb Dwyer
Brandon Goodwin
Charles Hale
Bryson Houchens
Amelia Huckstadt
Nick Jackson
Malachy Kates
Sami Kelso
Graham Ray
Lance Retz
Trevor Sexton
Gracyn Sjoken
Landon Smith
Luke Tranel
Hunter Van Meenen

Junior High Honor Roll

EJ Beckett
Audrey Benoit
William Besson
Holden Brazelton
Arely Castro Gutierrez
Richi Chimal
Preslee Christians
Madison Clampitt
Lauren Dewese
Ella Dietiker
Luke Ditchfield
Jackson Ennis
Savanna Franzen
Addison Funk
Kaiden Gaines
Tayton Gerdes
Olivia Getty
Makennah Hamilton
Lauren Harris
Haley Hesterberg
Maebree Houston
Kendrick Johnson
Paige Johnson
Dylan Jones
Sara Kearney
Madison Lankster
Logan Mills
Gabriel Mortlock
Grace Osterbur
Chayse Palmer
Sonia Patel
Haley Rudolph
Audrey Ruppel
Charles Schmitz
Kyler Swanson
Collin Thomey
Samantha Uden
Reese Wheatley
Fiona Xiao

Junior Honor Roll

Jared Altenbaumer
Rylie Barton
Eli Birt
Sul Bonny
Landon Brown
Landen Butts
Hayden Coffey
Joshua Courter
Nolan Earley
Lyla Frerichs
Tinley Ideus
Amilliya Kindle
Owen Knap
Aiden Krall
Jeffrey Kuchenbrod
Logan Lackey
Gabe Mata
Brenden Maury
Logan Patton
Nathan Phillips
Sydney Reitmeier
Tanner Siems
Corbin Smith
Thea Smith
Coy Taylor
Ava Worley
Charley Wright

Senior High Honor Roll

Edward Alewelt
Logan Allen
Luke Allen
Aden Armstrong
Samantha Beetz
Chloe Burkhalter
Payton Carter
Garrett Denhart
Samantha Downs
Sadie Ericksen
Joseph Frasca
Mia Frederick
Alana Frerichs-McCurry
Addison Frick
Grace Getty
Chloe Harper
Rachel Harris
Brody Hausman
Annabelle Hueber
Tanner Jacob
Kya Jolley
Helene Jones
Tori Kibler
Lauren Lannert
Quinn Lewis
Taylyn Lockhart
Addisyn Martinie
Ethan McElroy
Shannon McMahon
Talan Miller
Isaiah Mock
Caleb Ochs
Macy Reed-Thompson
Addison Roesch
Addison Ross
Daniel Santiago
Addison Seggebruch
Lucas Skelton
Aescton Slowikowski
Logan Smith
Dylan Smoot
Drew Thurman
Emma Thurman
Braxton Waller
Elissia Ward
Colin Wayland
Brody Weaver
Corbin Wells
Hayden Williams
Peyton Williams
Spencer Wilson

Senior Honor Roll

Halle Brazelton
Tyler Buss
Maya Chahine
Cameron Dressen
Ashton Fonner
Chloe George
Amaya Gula
Ray Gutierrez
Emmitt Holt
Ella Jones
Luke Landrus
Hayden Lewis
Connor Little
Carson Maroon
Rowan Musselman
Cole Pruitt
Kaydence Reynolds
Madison Stevens
Zoey Sweet
Nicholas Wetzel
Mitchell Wright