College Notebook | Former SJO player knocks one out the park

Micah Downs finishes sixth at CCIW meet

College Notebook on the Sentinel Last February Micah Downs went 4-1 at the IHSA state wrestling meet at the State Farm Center to bring home a bronze medal for the Rockets. This February, a freshman wrestling at 184 pounds for Millikan University, Downs finished sixth at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin conference meet in Rock Island on Saturday.

Dowling hits first college homer

Well, that didn't take long.

Former St. Joseph-Ogden softball player Bailey Dowling cranked the first home run of her college career this weekend. A starting shortstop for the University of Alabama, the true freshman when yard for a two-run shot to put her team up 3-0 on Valentine's Day against Louisville (0-2). The Crimson Tide went on to win 4-0, which was the exact result of their three-day, four-game schedule this past weekend.

Here is the video of Dowling hitting the ball out of the park on Sunday.

🚨 Outta Here! 🥎🚀 https://t.co/C9GEPs3cx8 pic.twitter.com/U8lAe2qtvA
— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) February 14, 2021

After four contests Dowling has tallied 4 hits in ten appearances at the plate, scored three runs and delivered three RBI for one of the country's top softball programs.

Kaiser notches 6 kills for Parkland

Katie Kaiser contributed 4 blocks and 6 kills in match two of Parkland College's doubleheader against the JV squad from Lincoln College. Ella Godsell, a freshman with the Cobras, had 11 of the team's 49 team digs. The former Rocket volleyball players helped undefeated Parkland (7-0) sweep the visiting Lynx in both matches, 3-0.

Kaiser, a sophomore, and Godsell travel to Quincy, Ill., for an M-WAC match against John Wood CC on Wednesday, February 17, at 6:00 pm.

Former Spartans keep Parkland team undefeated

The Parkland women's basketball team improved to 6-0 on Sunday after rolling over John Wood Community College, 62-41.

Peyton Crowe scored 12 and Bree Trimble added another 11 points in the Cobra's home win. Crowe the team's top rebounder with nine boards. She was also credited with four assist and two steals.

Trimble lights out against Maryville

When he was in high school Brandon Trimble dropped 44 points in St. Joseph-Ogden's Class 2A semifinal against Breese Central. Now a junior at Lindenwood College in St. Louis, the sports management major scored 24 points and collected six rebounds in the Lions 83-69 win over Maryville College on Thursday.

After 15 games in his first season, he is averaging 11.5 points per game. Since the start of his college basketball career starting in 2019, Trimble had scored 20 or more points in eight games.

Baker 2nd at the Grand Valley Big Meet

Eastern Illinois University sprinter Riley Baker is just a half second off the qualifying for the NCAA Division II track & field national championships. The junior turned in a 48.99, good for a second place finish, in the 400-meter run to assist the EIU men's track team effort at the Grand Valley Big Meet on Saturday in Allendale, Michigan.

Baker and the Panthers host the Friday Night Special at the Lantz Indoor Fieldhouse this weekend.

Coursey posts strong start for Redbirds

Last Thursday, Andrea Coursey started her senior season with the Illinois State University softball team on fire. The St. Joseph-Ogden product padded her stats with a pair of hits in ISU's road game against North Florida. One of three hit by the opposing pitcher during the game, she was left on base on all three times in the 4-0 shutout and season opener.

Lincoln Land streak ends, Taylor leads team in assists

The Lincoln Land Loggers drop a heartbreaker to rival Illinois Central College 85-62 on Sunday. Sophomore Maclayne Taylor, who competed in volleyball, cross Country, track and basketball at St. Joseph-Ogden, lead the team with six assists and contributed seven points in the loss. The loss ends a 5-game win streak for the now 6-2 Loggers.

Know a Unity or St. Joseph-Ogden graduate playing at the collegiate level? Let us know their name, sport(s) and where they are playing. An email or a link to their social media account for interviews is a big help, too. Send The Sentinel a message to us at sports@oursentinel.com.

Five SJO alumni earn Dean's List honors at ISU

Five St. Joseph-Ogden graduates earned academic recognition for their efforts at Illinois State University in the fall of 2018.

ISU students must complete at least 12 or more semester hours to be eligible for recognition. The Dean's List for individual colleges, which include the Colleges of Applied Science and Technology, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Fine Arts, and Mennonite College of Nursing, will recognize those students whose grade point average places them among the top ten percent of those students majoring within the College based on their semester GPA. Students whose major does not place them in one of the six colleges that offer degrees and whose semester grade point average is within the top ten percent of the University are identified on a separate list at the institution.

Courses completed after the official end of the semester and courses taken with a Credit/No Credit option are not tabulated in the final GPA.

Area honorees include:

Ogden: Katie Kurtz

St. Joseph: Brandon Burnett, Makenzie Pence, Hanna Richter and Nathan Schuele.

Note: Area students who have chosen to restrict access to directory and/or address information will not appear on the list below.

Walden named to WIU Dean's List

Nick Walden, wearing #57, and members of the St. Joseph-Ogden football team run out to the field before the start of their state championship football game against Stillman Valley on November 29, 2013. Running along with Walden are Spartans Jacob Bowman, Logan DeWeese and Wesley Kibler. SJO battled to an heartbreaking 43-41 overtime finish at Huskie Stadium to finish runner-up in Class 3A. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

St. Joseph-Ogden alumni Nick Walden was one of 1,361 undergraduate students named to Western Illinois University's 2018 Fall Dean's List last week.

His junior year at SJO, Walden was a member of the state final football team in 2013 that narrowly lost to the Stillman Valley Cardinals. His team finished the season with 11 wins and 3 losses.

Undergraduate students at WIU must earn at least a 3.6 grade point average while taking a minimum of 12 hours of classes. Classes taken on a pass-fail basis, for student teaching hours and internships are not counted towards the GPA calculation.

Walden, a senior, is one of 1,153 student from Illinois and seven from Champaign County to earn the Dean's academic recognition.

She's got it

St. Joseph-Ogden basketball alumna Alyssa Beals is all smiles as she catches a souvenir basketball while taking in Monday night's home game between the Spartans and visiting Unity. SJO blasted the Rockets 59-27 in their regular season Illini Prairie Conference contest. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Recent study suggests childhood trauma could haunt Illinois adults for life

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed 75% of U.S. high school students said they have had at least one adverse childhood experience, or ACE.

Research has shown ACEs can alter a child's brain chemistry and produce a prolonged toxic stress response. Experiencing at least one ACE as a child is linked to having alcohol and substance use problems in adulthood, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.