The Sentinel: 02/11/25

Spartan wrestlers advance to IHSA sectionals after big day at Monticello regional

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Jackson Walsh wrestles MacArthur's Tristan Green during their 120 pound match last month. Walsh was one of four Spartan wrestlers who advanced out of the Monticello regional meet on Saturday to sectionals.

MONTICELLO - Four St. Joseph-Ogden wrestlers advanced to this year's IHSA sectional meet at Clinton this Friday and Saturday. Ben Wells, Jackson Walsh, Landen Butts, and Cam Wagner, each with over 34 wins this season, wrestled their way out of the regional meet at Monticello High School last Saturday.

Wells, who is 35-11 for the season, finished second at 106 pounds for SJO, losing the title bout to Hoopeston Area's Charlie Flores (44-3) a minute and two seconds into their match. Finishing 2-1 for the day, the SJO freshman standout pinned St. Thomas More's RJ Cinnamon (19-15) in their quarterfinal match and notched an 18-3 technical fall against LeRoy's Austin Pacha.

At 113 pounds, Jackson Walsh went 3-0 to win a regional title for the Spartans. After a bye in the quarterfinals, Walsh faced Prairie Central's Julius Smith, whom he pinned a minute and 11 seconds into their match. His title match pitted him against LeRoy's Jake Baughman (23-21). With his best technical performance of the season, Walsh built a 15-point advantage for a tech fall, improving his season record to 39-8.

Senior Landen Butts was on the mat four times on his way to third place and qualifying for the sectional championships. After a first-round bye and cruising past Pontiac's Cale Christenson, Butts went toe-to-toe with Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley's Ethan Lowe in the 144-pound semifinal.

Lowe led on the scoreboard, going up 3-0 with a late first-period takedown. Neither wrestler could score in the second period. Lowe scored an escape and another takedown in the final period before getting the pin at 3:29. In the consolation bracket, Butts won his last two matches to finish the day 3-1 and in third place.

Cam Wagner also punched his ticket for a sectional appearance wearing the Spartans' maroon and Columbia blue. The coveted nationally recruited D1 lineman finished the day 2-1 and second in the 285-pound division. After the sophomore won his first two matches by pin, he was pinned himself in the division's title bout against LeRoy's Tate Sigler (41-5).

Also scoring major team points for the Spartans were Nathan Phillips (23-17) and Aiden Hundley (26-25), both finishing fourth in the 215- and 138-pound divisions, respectively.

Phillips went 2-2 with both losses to Unity's Chason Daly (21-21), concluding his final season with the SJO wrestling program with 23 wins and 17 losses.

If there were an award for the most matches wrestled, Hundley easily would have won it, having wrestled six matches. The sophomore won four matches via pins, totaling four minutes and 46 seconds, with three lasting an average of 45 seconds.

SJO's Osterbur double-double key in conference win over PBL

PAXTON - Junior Kayla Osterbur scored 13 first-half points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead St. Joseph-Ogden to a 39-25 conference road win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Monday. The Spartans improved to 5-4 in the Illini Prairie and 11-16 overall, closing the season with back-to-back wins.

Kayla Osterbur looks for an open teammate during SJO's Country Financial Shootout game in December. The junior has grown into the role of the Spartans' top performer.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Trailing 10-8 after the first quarter, Osterbur scored 10 points in the second quarter to give SJO a 23-16 halftime lead.

The Spartans held PBL to nine points in the second half, with senior Katie Ericksen contributing nine of her 11 points during this stretch. Addison Brooks and Hayden Dahl hit three-pointers in the third quarter to help secure the win.

For the Panthers (4-26, 2-7), Tanner Graham led with 10 points, all scored in the first half. Sophomore Kylie Rust came off the bench to add six points, while Aubrey Busboom contributed with a field goal and two free throws. Addison Lavender rounded out the scoring with a basket in the fourth quarter, totaling two points.

St. Joseph-Ogden will begin their postseason on Monday, February 17, at home against the winner of Saturday's quarterfinal between St. Thomas More and the #6 seed, Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin. SJO earned the #3 seed in the regional.

Blood disorder impacts hundreds, especially women of color

by Terri Dee
Indiana News Service

Sickle cell disease causes normally healthy, round, and flexible blood cells to become 'C' or sickle-shaped and stick to small blood-vessel walls.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the life-shortening blood disease sickle cell anemia affects about 100,000 Americans, mostly people of color.

And many individuals with the illness do not get the important screenings and treatments.

Healthy red blood cells.

Illustration: allinonemovie/Pixabay

Sickle cell disease causes normally healthy, round, and flexible blood cells to become 'C' or sickle-shaped and stick to small blood-vessel walls.

This blockage prevents blood and oxygen flow to the arms, legs, and internal organs. Around 1,700 Hoosiers, mostly women of color, are impacted by the disorder.

Lisa Hoffman, grants and team manager with Innovative Hematology, said she would like to see better public awareness about the inherited disease.

"I would like to think it's not an issue about race, but 87% of the people in Indiana that have sickle cell are Black or African American," said Hoffman. "There are other diseases that affect predominantly white folks, and those diseases seem to get a bit more attention."

Patient education is essential for addressing sickle cell anemia complications. The blockages cause repeated episodes of severe pain, organ damage, infections, or sometimes a stroke.

Innovative Hematology indicates that 52% of sickle cell anemia patients in Indiana are female, and 48% are male.

One barrier to care is insufficient or no insurance coverage, which affects disease management. Another is a lack of medical providers with knowledge of detecting the illness. This can lead to a misdiagnosis or prescribing an ineffective treatment plan.

Hoffman said family members in dual roles as caregivers often do not get needed support. And other factors can present additional burdens for a patient.

"If you're a single mom and you have sickle cell disease and you are having a pain crisis and really should go to the hospital," said Hoffman, "you face a lot of barriers - such as, who's going to watch my child? How am I going to get there?"

The Indiana Statehouse hosted 174 attendees for Sickle Cell Advocacy Day last week, to raise the voices of those in the community who are affected by the painful disorder.

Hoffman said she wants legislators to extend health care services beyond age 21 for individuals with this specific condition.

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