Altamont's Grace Nelson dribbles to the paint during the Lady Indians Class 1A state third-place game on Thursday. Nelson, an Illinois State University recruit, led her team to a 64-56 victory with 39 points. The senior tallied 71 points and 23 rebounds in a single day in the two contest she played in at CEFCU Arena.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
BEDFORD PARK - The Illlinois Basketball Coaches Association released this year's Class 1A all-state team selections today. Four area players, one senior and three juniors, earned a spot on the list. Salt Fork junior Alexa Jamison and Tuscola senior Sydney Moss were named to the Third Team. Macie Russell, also from Salt Fork, and Tuscola's Ava Boyer received Honorable Mentions. See the complete list of honorees from around the state below.
FIRST TEAM
(FIRST NAME LAST NAME, SCHOOL, YEAR)
Grace Nelson, Altamont, 12;
Amiah Hargrove, Christopher, 12;
Gracie Furlong, Galena, 11;
Addie Hefel, Galena, 12;
Abby Compton, Goreville, 12;
Lily Luczkowiak, (Glasford) Illini Bluffs, 12;
Alayna Kraus, Okawville, 12;
Whitney Sullivan, Orangeville, 12;
Stacie Vonderheide, (Effingham) St. Anthony, 12;
Shelby Bowman, (Biggsville) West Central, 12
SECOND TEAM
(FIRST NAME LAST NAME, SCHOOL, YEAR)
Kennedy Quinn, Abingdon-Avon, 9;
Kaylee Celus, Annawan, 12;
Kenzie Kassing, (Mt. Sterling) Brown County, 9;
Addison Lucht, Cissna Park, 10;
Paityn London, (Freeport) Aquin, 9;
Addison Fair, Gardner South Wilmington, 12;
Tiara Williams, (Chicago) Morgan Park Academy, 9;
Soraya Parker, (Rockford) Lutheran, 10;
Nancy Ruholl, (Effingham) St. Anthony, 10;
Ali Bosnich, (Peru) St. Bede, 12
THIRD TEAM
(FIRST NAME LAST NAME, SCHOOL, YEAR)
Ava Heinz, Brimfield, 11;
Dayana Haslett, Brownstown-St Elmo, 9;
Lauren Flowers, Carrollton, 12;
Grace Bishop, (Albion) Edwards County, 10;
Sami Oller, (Glen Carbon) Father McGivney, 12;
Anna Herrmann, Hinckley Big Rock, 10;
Alyson Murphy, Mt. Pulaski, 10;
Madisyn Wienstroer, Okawville, 12;
Raeyn Obermeier, Okawville, 12;
Laney Cahoon, Orangeville, 11;
Elaina Rager, Pecatonica, 11;
Alexa Jamison, (Catlin) Salt Fork, 11;
Lucy Corley, (Decatur) St. Teresa, 11;
Sydney Moss, Tuscola, 12;
Bryleigh Fox, W. Central (Winchester/Bluffs), 12
HONORABLE MENTION
(FIRST NAME LAST NAME, SCHOOL, YEAR)
Hailey Redding, Abingdon-Avon, 11; Taylor Jahn, Ashton Franklin Center, 12; Lexi Seabaugh, Brownstown-St Elmo, 12; Audrey Gilman, Calhoun-Brussels, 11; Macee Rodman, Cowden-Herrick, 11; Lola Nussmeyer, (Albion) Edwards County, 10; Savannah Lynch, (Elgin) St. Edward, 9; Mae Herman, Elmwood, 12; Brea Suits, Goreville, 11; Josie Hughes, Havana, 12; Josie Armstrong, Hume-Shiloh, 12; Ilana Schwartz, (Skokie) Ida Crown, 12; Grace Groezinger, Lena Winslow, 12; Molly Buckles, LeRoy, 12; Landry Smith, Lewistown, 12; Haylee Campbell, Neoga, 12; Brynn Richards, Neoga, 11; Lily Craig, (Ottawa) Marquette, 12; Emily Dana, Peoria Heights, 12; Brianna Brodie, Princeville, 12; Macie Russell, (Catlin) Salt Fork, 11; Paisley Twait, Serena, 12; Makayla McNally, Serena, 12; Angelina Ippolito, (Kincaid) South Fork, 10; Ava Boyer, Tuscola, 11; Saniyya Harvey, (Melrose Park) Walther Christian, 11; Kennady Anderson, (Kewanee) Wethersfield, 12; Grace Lizak, (Des Plaines) Willows Academy, 11; and Jase Burkett, Woodlawn, 12.
URBANA - The roster of players for the 2024 Illinois All-State girls basketball team for Class 2A was made public on Wednesday. The Sentinel area did not have one area player make this year's cut.
The team was picked via votes by Illinois Media, a group made up of sportswriters and broadcasters from different parts of the state. They selected five players for the first team and five players for the second team in each class. The players have received five points for a first-team vote and three points for a second-team vote.
The media members voting for this year's team include: Derek Bayne, WREX-TV Rockford; Josh Brown, Robinson Daily News; Jeremy Chawgo, Breese Journal; Kevin Chlum, LaSalle News-Tribune; Michael Clark, Chicago Sun-Times/Lansing News/SBLive; Jimmy Dean, WGGH radio Marion; Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star; Kevin Hieronymus, Bureau County Republican; Paul Hines, Mount Vernon Sentinel; John Homan, Southerm Illinoisan; Brian Hoxsey, Ottawa Times; Fred Kroner, Mahomet Daily; Randy List, Centralia Morning Sentinel; Jim Mattson, WEEK-TV Peoria/Bloomington; Dennis Mathes, Jacksonville Journal-Courier; Erich Murphy, Pontiac Daily Leader; Zach Piatt, Champaign News-Gazette; Randy Reinhardt, Bloomington Pantagraph; Matt Trowbridge, Rockford Register-Star; Matt Schuckman, Muddy River Sports; Mason Schweizer, Kankakee Daily Journal; Greg Shashack, Alton Telegraph; Steve Tappa, MC22-TV Quad Cities/QCSportsNet/Illinois Media All-State chair; Alex Wallner, Effingham Daily News; Bill Welt, Springfield State Journal-Register; Matthew Wheaton, Wheat on the Prairie; and Matt Wilson, Carlyle Union Banner.
Below are the all-staters for Class 2A. Class 3A and 4A teams will be announced later today.
NORMAL - On Friday, Unity's Brock Suding (left) and St. Joseph-Ogden's Logan Smith were honored prior to the start of the Class 3A state championship football game between Byron and Mt. Carmel as All-Staters by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association.
ST. JOSEPH -- St. Joseph-Ogden High School will introduce four new inductees to the St. Joseph-Ogden Hall of Fame during the Spartan football team's Homecoming game against Nokomis. The distinquished group includes 1960 graduate 
Tonight, four individuals will be welcomed into the 8th Hall of Fame class. Amy Scharlau-Lewis, Gary Garrison, Greg Knott and Ron White will receive well-deserved recognition for their outstanding athletic career as an SJO athlete
Amy Scharlau Lewis, who graduated in 1991 was a member of the National Honor Society and the Scholastic Bowl team. She was a two-year letter winner and captain of the volleyball team in 1990. A four-year softball letter winner, she earned All-Conference first team recognition three times. In 1990 and 1991, her name made the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette's All-Area Softball list. Her senior year she was a team captain and later became the News-Gazette Softball Player of the Year. She was also a member of the 1989 IHSA State Softball All-Tournament Team.
For over 30 years, Gary Garrison served as a guidance counselor, teacher, and coach at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. As the boys' head track coach he brought home two IHSA state championship titles under the two-class system in both 1993 and 2000. He was also an assistant coach for the SJO girls’ track team that won a 2000 state title.
Also being recognized is 1984 SJO graduate Greg Knott. A knowledgeable source on the history of St. Joseph, he played football from 1980-1983. During the winter season, he was a varsity manager for Coach Randy Wolken during basketball season from 1982-1984 and during the softball manager from 1983-1984. Knott was also elected to President of the SJO Letterman’s Club his senior year and was on the yearbook staff.
The fourth honoree is Ron White, who played football for the University of Illinois earning his varsity college letters in 1975 and 1976. Before attending the U of I, White was a three-sport athlete at SJO. In addition to earning recognition as an All-Area Offensive and Defensive lineman, the 1972 graduate was president of the Student Council his senior year. He lettered twice in basketball and earned three varsity letters in both football and baseball.
Past Hall of Fame recepients include:
St. Joseph-Ogden's Ty Pence was named to the 2020-21 
