Depth and pins propel St. Joseph-Ogden to second at IPC wrestling tournament

St. Joseph-Ogden placed second at the Illini Prairie Conference Wrestling Tournament with a 7-1 record. The Spartans swept six duals and fell only to Unity in the championship matchup. SJO opened the tournament with three lopsided wins on Friday.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

SJO's Vance McComas wrestles IVC's Mason Talley in their 190 pound match. McComas pinned Talley at 3:34 for the win. St. Joseph-Ogden went on to win the dual at the conference meet 72-9.

ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Ogden put together a dominant two-day showing at the Illini Prairie Conference Wrestling Tournament, finishing second overall with a 7-1 record and sweeping its six non-Unity duals in convincing fashion. The weekend was yet another sign that Spartan wrestling program is making positive strides back to its position of one of the area's top Class 1A wrestling programs with the return of the Gallo family leading the program after a 16-year hiatus.

The Spartans’ only conference tournament loss came against eventual champion Unity, which secured its seventh league title. SJO controlled the rest of the field, placing ahead of Monticello, Pontiac, Illinois Valley Central, Prairie Central, Rantoul and St. Thomas More.

St. Joseph-Ogden opened the round-robin tournament Friday with a 71-6 rout of Prairie Central, followed by a 72-9 win over Illinois Valley Central. The Spartans closed the first day by overpowering Rantoul 59-9, establishing early momentum behind depth throughout the lineup.

Saturday began with a 48-33 victory over Pontiac, then a 57-24 win over Monticello. SJO capped its non-championship duals by cruising past St. Thomas More 72-12 before setting up a title-deciding matchup with Unity.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Spartans' Cam Getty settles in for a pin during his 126 pound match against Illinois Valley Central's Bradley Allen.

The Spartans jumped out quickly in the championship dual, sweeping the four lightweight classes to build a 24-0 lead. Levi Lee opened at 106 pounds with a first-period pin of Vincent Abon. At 113, sophomore Ben Wells scored two takedowns before pinning Ian Skibbe 38 seconds into the match. George Hale followed with a fall over Deklyn Thomas at 120, and Cam Getty pinned Bryson Williams in the first period at 126.

Unity responded with a decisive mid-match surge, winning five consecutive bouts and flipping the momentum. After a forfeit at 132, Hayden Smith pinned Alec Bowlin at 144. Aiden Hundley fell by technical fall to AJ Daly, and the Rockets added victories at 150, 157, 165 and 175 to seize control.

Senior Vance McComas briefly halted the run at 190, pinning Bradley Smith to cut the deficit to 38-30. Unity sealed the dual at 215, where Chason Daley recorded a second-period fall over Liam Carter. Heavyweight Cam Wagner closed the match with a 40-second pin of Christian Sellers, but the eight-point margin held in a 44-36 Unity win.

Individually, Getty finished the tournament with five wins, all by pin, with his only loss coming in sudden victory against Pontiac freshman Jack Voigts. Coy Hayes also posted six wins, including five pins and one forfeit, with his lone setback coming by major decision to Unity’s Abram Davidson.

Carter finished with five victories at 215 pounds, while Wagner added valuable team points despite limited competition, recording one pin and collecting multiple forfeits.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden 157 pound wrestler Alex Vaughn pins Rantoul's Jordan Cross in the first period. The Spartans cruised to a 59-9 victory over the Eagles on Friday.

TAGS: St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling second place finish, Illini Prairie Conference wrestling tournament recap, SJO Spartans conference wrestling results, Illinois high school conference wrestling standings, Unity vs St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling dual

Unity wrestling runs the table to capture seventh Illini Prairie Conference title

Individual standouts powered Unity’s run through the tournament. Hunter Shike and Chason Daley both finished 6-0, recording multiple first-period pins. Freshman Hayden Smith added seven wins, contributing depth and bonus points.

Unity Athletics

ST. JOSEPH - Unity left little doubt about its place atop the Illini Prairie Conference this weekend. For Unity, it was a statement performance, blending individual dominance with team-wide consistency. With another conference championship secured, the Rockets will carry both momentum and confidence forged over two decisive days on the mat in the upcoming postseason.

Unity captured their seventh conference championship with a dominant two-day performance, running the table against all seven league opponents to claim the title and improve to 19-10 on the season. Entering the tournament as the No. 1 seed, the Rockets delivered on that billing from start to finish, combining depth, bonus points and timely pins to separate itself from the field.

The championship was effectively decided in Unity’s final dual, a 44-36 win over host St. Joseph-Ogden in what proved to be the Rockets’ stiffest test of the tournament. Despite losses at 106, 113, 120 and 126 pounds, Unity swung the dual with four pivotal pins. Hayden Smith sparked the run with a fall at 144, followed by Hunter Shike at 150 and Josh Heath at 175. Chason Daley sealed the win at 215 with a second-period pin of Liam Carter, providing the eight-point margin that held up at the final whistle.

Unity’s path to the title began Friday with a commanding sweep through the round-robin bracket. The Rockets opened with a 72-10 rout of St. Thomas More, then followed with a 65-9 victory over Prairie Central. They closed the first day by pulling away from Illinois Valley Central, 60-21, positioning themselves for a championship push on Saturday.

Momentum only grew on day two. Unity overwhelmed Rantoul 77-6 and Pontiac 55-20 in its morning duals before dispatching Monticello 54-24. That set the stage for the showdown with St. Joseph-Ogden, where Unity’s ability to generate falls in the middle and upper weights ultimately proved decisive.

Several Rockets delivered standout performances across the two days. Shike was flawless, finishing undefeated while making quick work of most of his opponents. He recorded pins in under a minute in four of his matches and capped his weekend with a first-period fall at 1:55 over St. Joseph-Ogden’s Nathan Daley in his toughest bout of the tournament. With one forfeit mixed in, Shike closed the event at 6-0.

Daley was equally dominant at 215 pounds, posting five victories, all by fall. His most competitive match came against Carter in the finale, ending at 3:49, while his other wins never extended beyond the first period. Like Shike, Daley also benefited from one forfeit to finish 6-0.

Freshman Hayden Smith added to Unity’s depth with seven total wins, three by forfeit. Wrestling at 144, Smith recorded victories over Nicholas Dunner of Rantoul, Braden Oppermen of Pontiac, Drake Weeks of Monticello and Alec Bowlin of St. Joseph-Ogden, contributing critical points throughout the weekend.

St. Joseph-Ogden finished second in the standings at 7-1, sweeping its other six duals with its lone loss coming against Unity. Monticello placed third, followed by Pontiac in fourth, Illinois Valley Central in fifth, Prairie Central in sixth, Rantoul in seventh and St. Thomas More in eighth.

TAGS: Unity Rockets Illini Prairie Conference wrestling championship, Unity High School wrestling conference title, IPC wrestling tournament recap Unity, Unity wrestling St Joseph Ogden dual meet, Central Illinois high school wrestling champions

The Sentinel On This Day |
January 19

News, sports, and more from our archives. Explore our archived articles below from January 19 throughout the years. See what you might have missed.

Instead of battling the crisp winter of January outside your front door, get under a blanket and take look back at stories from our files — everything from six ways to make Valentine's Day special to honor roll announcements for Unity High School and St. Joseph Middle School that readers found on OurSentinel.com this day in years gone by.

Editor's choice ~

Photo provided

Staying warm in the winter, and comfortable all year long

BPT - Transforming unused areas of a home into comfortable, functional spaces can be easier than one might think thanks to modern heating and cooling solutions. Whether it's a sunroom that's too cold to enjoy in the winter, a garage that turns into a sauna during the summer, or a basement that's always chilly, the right systems can help create a comfortable environment in every corner of a home. These innovative solutions improve comfort while maximizing a home's usability and value.

Following are tips on how homeowners can unlock the full potential of their home's living space, making it enjoyable 365 days a year.

Read the article . . .

Sentinel Article Archive for January 19

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January 18 Archives

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TAGS: Children are recovering fast from COVID-19 related MIS-C conditions, SJO wrestling wins at dual meet, Honor Roll for Unity High School announced, Affordable internet service for rural communites cut, Police investigate fatal accident in Urbana

$2,000 scholarship available for Illinois high school seniors interested in civic leadership

The Township Officials of Illinois are offering scholarships to recognize civic-minded Illinois students. Applicants must also meet eligibility and leadership requirements. The deadline for submission is March 2, 2026.

Dieterich - Illinois high school seniors planning to attend college in-state have an opportunity to compete for a $2,000 scholarship through the Township Officials of Illinois, according to State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich.

Niemerg is reminding graduating seniors that the scholarship is open to Illinois residents who will enroll full time at an Illinois college or university. Applicants must submit a 500-word essay addressing “the role of township government in today’s society and in the future.”

“This year we are celebrating America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and it is fitting to talk about the role of township government, which was the first form of grassroots democratic government in America,” Niemerg said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn more about townships and demonstrate their knowledge.”

To be eligible, students must be graduating from an Illinois high school and demonstrate leadership or civic involvement through activities such as student government, club leadership, community service projects, or charitable work. Applicants are also required to interview an elected township official who serves on a township board in Illinois. The official’s signature, title, and township or county must be included with the essay.

Niemerg, who earned his college degree in history from Eastern Illinois University, said the scholarship encourages students to better understand local government while recognizing civic engagement.

More information about the scholarship is available at www.toi.org. Questions may be directed to the Township Officials of Illinois at 217-744-2212 or by email at teresa@toi.org.

Completed applications must be submitted by mail or email in PDF format only and postmarked no later than March 2, 2026. Applications should be sent to debbie@toi.org or mailed to:

Township Officials of Illinois
Attn: Scholarship Committee
3217 Northfield Drive
Springfield, IL 62702

Saturday, January 17 area prep basketball scores

Here is a quick roundup of basketball scores and performances for area teams on Saturday, January 17.

Girls Basketball

Huge bench contribution secures Rantoul victory

Up 48-17 at the half, Rantoul (11-11) cruised to an easy win on Friday. Junior Erykah Baltimore led the Eagles with 15 points and Addyson Sherrick finished with ten points, leading a balanced scoring effort from Rantoul in their 73-44 non-conference win over Schlarman Academy.

The Hilltoppers' offense was led by Addison Forsyth's game-high 20 points.

Next up, Rantoul host the Unity Rockets in Illini Prairie Conference action on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Schlarman (2-9) will host Cissna Park in Danville.

Girls' Area Scoreboard

Rantoul 73, Schlarman 44

Boys Basketball

Rockets rock the Red Devils at shootout

#4 ranked Unity boys basketball team extended their 2026 win streak to six games after crushing Hall at the Central Catholic MLK Shootout on Saturday, 80-47. Four players contributed double figures in the Rockets 15th win of the season.

Trey Hoggard and Tyler Henry finished with 14 points each. Colton Langendorf scored 12 and Carter Schmid added ten to the scoreboard for the hottest team in central Illinois. Dailed in from the free throw line, Unity sank five of their six shots from the stripe.

Boys' Area Scoreboard

Mattoon 58, St. Joseph-Ogden 49
Unity 80, Hall 47
Bismarck-Henning 63, Georgetown-Ridge Farm 28
Kankakee 70, Centennial 57
Heritage 67, Judah Christian 41

Mikulich defeats Noyola at IPC meet, Sages' senior wins three matches

Monticello's Christian Mikulich wrestles Rantoul's Brandon Noyola at conference meet

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - Monticello's Christian Mikulich wrestles Rantoul's Brandon Noyola during their 190-pound match at the Illini Prairie Conference wrestling meet on Friday. Mikulich won the bout thanks to a first period takedown and second period reversal to win, 5-0. The senior went won three out of his six matches over the two-day tournament, picking up wins over Illinois Valley Central's Mason Talley and Pontiac's Rory Gonzlez. The Sages finished the tournament third behind rivals Unity in first and St. Joseph-Ogden in second place. Monticello is back in action on January 22 in quad meet with Riverton, Ridgeview, and Olympia in Lexington next Thursday.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Meanwhile, Noyola, a senior, made three match apperances, finishing 1-2 after losses to Mikulich and Unity's Bradley Smith. His conference tournament win came on a forfiet during the team's match against St. Thomas More. Rantoul finished in seventh place in the final team standings with 42-24 win over the Sabers and 33-28 victory over Illinois Valley Central.

More match photos -

TAGS: Illini Prairie Conference, IPC Wrestling, 190-pound weight class, Varsity Pass gallery, Monticello Sages, Monticello's Christian Mikulich, Rantoul Wrestling, Eagles' wrestler Brandon Noyola

Lee finds success at conference wrestling meet

St. Joseph-Ogden's Levi Lee wrestles Prairie Central's Treyton Zimmerman in a 106-pound match on Friday at the Illini Prairie Conference wrestling championships at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. Lee, who won the bout by technical fall 16-0, finished the two-day tournament with five wins, three by forfeit, and one loss. Here are photos from the freshman's opening match.