Okonkwo misses cut to advance at Urbana challenger

URBANA - Oliver Okonkwo hits a monster forehand shot during his match against Hunter Heck at the Paine Schwartz Partners Challenger held at Atkins Tennis Center. After winning their first match on Sunday, the two current University of Illinois teammates battled for spot into the round of 32 at this year's professional tennis tournament in Urbana. Okonkwo, a graduate student at the Illinois who is currently 7-3 in collegiate play, fell 7-6(2), 6-2 to Heck.

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Kirchheimer defeats Karlovskiy, advances to round of 16 at Urbana challenger

URBANA - Strong Kirchheimer stretches out as he goes for a shot into the ad court during his first-round match against Evgeny Karlovskiy at the Paine Schwartz Partners Challenger earlier today. After taking the first set, 7-5, Kirchheimer, ATP ranked at 401, advanced to the next round after Karlovskiy retired the match down one game, 5-4. He will play the winner of Tuesday's match between Ethan Quinn and #3 seed Emilio Nava.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

SJO volleyball head coach inducted into Hall of Fame

Normal - St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball head coach Abby McDonald was honored this past Saturday during the year's IHSA Volleyball State Finals with her induction into the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

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Having won more than 400 matches during her coaching career, St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Abby McDonald has become a member of the IVCA Hall of Fame. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Under her leadership, the SJO volleyball program collects 20-win seasons like Halloween candy. Earlier this season McDonald earned her 400th career coach win. A mere 1,432 days earlier, the Spartans celebrated her 300th coaching victory in 2019.

McDonald, a second-grade teacher by trade, took over the head coaching position at St. Joseph-Ogden High School in 2008. Since then, the Spartans have won nine IHSA regional titles, two sectional, and two supersectional titles. In 2016, finished as runner-up in the IHSA Class 2A state tournament and she led the program back again in 2019, when the finish third in the state.

The veteran coach has amassed 417 wins against just 95 losses and looks to continue to build on her coaching legacy.

McDonald knows volleyball.

She graduated from Hoopeston Area High School in 2001. She was a three-sport athlete earning ten varsity levels. After a two-year stint at Danville Community College where she was team captain, All-Conference, and the team's MVP, she also ranked in the top 10 in the nation for assists per game. After two years, McDonald transfered to University of Illinois-Springfield where she quickly found herself back in her leadership role as a team captain and starter for the Prairie Stars.

State Champions! Once again Unity cross-country program captures Class 1A title

Unity's Emily Decker runs in the Class 1A championship race at the IHSA State Cross Country State Finals on Saturday. Decker was the third Rocket to cross the finish line, finishing her race in 18 minutes and 22.60 seconds.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Class 1A Final Standings

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 1. Unity 109
 2. Anna-Jonesboro 157
 3. Peoria Notre Dame 224
 4. Eureka 231
 5. Knoxville 270
 6. Chicago Christian 274
 7. Shelbyville 278
 8. Father McGivney 319
 9. Williamsville 331
10. Herscher 347

Peoria - Two weeks ago, the Unity girls cross country program cemented their place in prep sports history as a downstate running dynasty. The Rockets tallied 109 points, 48 points less than their nearest competitor to bring home the Class 1A state title for a third consecutive season.

Led by sophomore Mackenzie Pound and Erica Woodward, who finished their individual race under the 18 minute mark, Unity's three-peat performance moved the school to #5 on the IHSA's list for most-consecutive title wins.

Pound was the tenth runner in the small school race to cross the finish line at 17:36.87. Woodard, a senior, also earned All-State status, crossed over at 17:45.26.

Unity's #3 runner, Emily Decker, finished 30th behind Clinton senior MaKayla Koeppel (18:18.41) and Christ Our Rock Lutheran's Sarah McKowen, senior, at 18:20.41. Earning her third team medal, Decker turned in a time of 18:22.60.

Running neck and neck to the finish line, Ashlyn Denny held off Princeville's Bethany Sennett, who finished six-hundreth of second ahead of her stopping her race clock 18 minute, 53.38 second.

Almost a second and half later, Rocket senior Olivia Shike closed out her prep cross country career at 18:54.89 to close out the top five runners to cross the finish line.

Over the past nine season, except for a two-year hiccup from 2018 to 2019, the Class 1A state championship trophy was brought home by either Unity or St. Joseph-Ogden. Unity now ranks second in program state title victories, behind Winnebago's 13 state title, with five. Surpassing St. Teresa's four titles, Unity has won four previous state championships in 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2022. The Rockets also were runner-up back in the one class system in 1988 and again in the three-class championships in 2016.

This championship squad included:
10. Mackenzie Pound 17:36.87
14. Erica Woodard 17:45.26
30. Emily Decker 18:22.60
52. Ashlyn Denney 18:53.38
55. Olivia Shike 18:54.89
63. Camryn Reedy 19:00.12
73. Reagen Stringer 19:07.77

Local union to host ribbon-cutting ceremony at new training facility in Savoy

SAVOY - UA Local 149 will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow at their new training center for area plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC technicians.

Elected officials and union leaders from across Illinois will be in attendance at the grand opening event starting at 4:30pm at the UA Local 149 Training Center, located at 1005 N. Dunlap Ave. in Savoy. In addition to presentations made by state and local officials, as well as Local 149 leadership, several Champaign-area business leaders will also be recognized at the event as part of a celebration of National Apprenticeship Week.

Local 149 apprentices spend five years learning as they are earning, spending 240 hours in class and 1,700 hours on the job each year, working for local contractors. They make $22.66 an hour on day one, with guaranteed hourly raises each year to $42.80 in their fifth year, after which their total hourly package is $73.60 as journeymen.

The grand opening will also feature demonstrations by apprentices on the new equipment and tours of the new facility.

On Wednesday from 9am to 12 pm, there will be an open house to welcome interested applicants to tour the facility and apply to join Local 149, which represents more than 600 workers across East Central Illinois.

Those who apply are invited to take an entrance exam and in-person interviews before possibly being offered a position in the union.