The Sentinel: Central Athletics

State-Bound: Local tennis players ready for IHSA Finals this weekend

St. Thomas More’s Hunter Madigan wins sectional title; leads local field to IHSA state tennis finals.

St. Thomas More tennis star Hunter Madigan — St. Thomas More's Hunter Madigan plays in last year's park district Labor Day tournament. The junior won last weekend' sectional title and heads to the IHSA state tournament this weekend to face the best players in Illinois.

CHAMPAIGN - Three singles players and three area doubles teams are set to represent the Champaign-Urbana area at the IHSA Boys Tennis State Finals, which begin Thursday across the Chicago suburbs.

St. Thomas More junior Hunter Madigan headlines the local contingent after capturing the Class 1A sectional singles title last weekend at Centennial High School. Madigan cruised through the bracket, dropping just two games in three straight-set victories. He opened with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Luke Abadeer of Cornerstone Christian Academy, then handled Urbana University's Swapnil Kumar 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals.

In the championship match, Madigan faced University High’s Jameson LaFave in a highly anticipated battle between two of the area’s top four singles players. Madigan prevailed 6-3, 6-1 to claim the sectional crown.

"My opponent played very well," LaFave said recounting the championship match. "Hunter Madigan hit some great shots, stayed consistent, and ran me out of the match."

Despite the loss, LaFave showed maturity beyond his years after the loss.

"It was a good fight in the opening set. He was just the better player that day. It was a tough loss," he said. "You got to learn from them and move on to state."

LaFave, a freshman in his first varsity season, still secured a state berth along with three U-High teammates. Senior Robert Gao and junior Kyle Fan qualified for the doubles draw, while Kumar advanced with a third-place singles finish.

Madigan will open state play against Dunlap's Harmin Patel. LaFave, seeded No. 15 in the 1A bracket, draws Brother Rice freshman Nathan Miller. Kumar faces Andrew Mumford of Marmion Academy in the first round, while Gao and Fan will take on Wauconda's Sean Lenhart and Marshawn Gallego.

Chargers' doubles team joins area players at state

Centennial seniors Tyler Luchinski and Ryder Perry also punched their ticket to state, placing second in doubles at their home sectional. They begin the tournament against Althoff Catholic seniors Joe Hamilton and Braden Gasawski.

Three Maroons ready to battle for a podium spot

Central senior Abel Vines enters the tournament with momentum and a sparkling 29-1 record. Vines dominated the Springfield sectional without dropping a game in eight sets and opens his state run against Oswego East's Pranav Kannan.

Rounding the list of high school players heading to state are Central’s doubles team of Daniel Canivez and Sohum Gurrapu, who also secured a spot at state after winning the sectional title. They’ll face Minooka's Eli Chavez and Evan Lundeen, who finished third at the Lincoln-Way East sectional.

Tagged: IHSA Boys Tennis State Finals 2025, Champaign-Urbana high school tennis, Hunter Madigan tennis St. Thomas More, Abel Vines Central High tennis, Illinois high school tennis tournament, U-High Jameson LaFave state tennis

Maroons test their speed in relay prelims at state

Champaign Central Londyn Grant fires out the blocks at state track meet — **CHARLESTON** - Champaign Central's Londyn Grant fires out of the blocks to start the Maroons' shot at securing a spot in the 4x400m relay in Saturday's IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals. Grant, running with teammates Sarah Donahoe, Milka Bwandundu, and Julia Bilsbury, finished the prelims in 33 place out of 40 teams on Friday with a time of 4:07.05. While the four runners did not advance this year, the good news is three of the four runners will return next spring to likely qualify for another trip back to state.

.::. More IHSA state track photos and stories .::.

Tagged: Central Maroons, Central Athletics, Sports, IHSA state meat, State-qualifier, State Track, Central runs at state track meet, 4x400m relay

Maroons stay perfect with four-inning rout over Peoria Lions

Champaign Central's first-inning outburst rocks host Peoria in conference softball win.

by Ben Robertson
The Sentinel

PEORIA — Champaign Central kept its unbeaten streak alive on Saturday afternoon, overpowering host Peoria 21-0 in a four-inning victory to improve to 8-0 on the season.

The Maroons set the tone early, scoring 10 runs in the opening frame and piling on six more in the second before closing out their scoring with five in the third. Central tallied 19 hits and 16 RBIs in the win, while eight players combined for eight stolen bases.

Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Helm led the offensive effort with a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate, recording two triples and driving in multiple runs. Helm also crossed the plate four times.

Molly Kloeppel delivered a standout performance, driving in four runs on three hits, including a triple in the first inning and a two-run home run to center in the third. Kloeppel also tripled during the opening frame, contributing to the Maroons' early scoring burst.

Grace Bandy added a triple and a double, scoring multiple runs, while Maisie Bowers went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Bowers also earned the win in the circle, tossing three hitless innings and striking out five. Peoria was held without a hit across the abbreviated contest.

The Maroons’ first-inning outburst featured extra-base hits from Bandy, Helm, and Kloeppel, a walk drawn by Mya de la Cruz to bring in a run, and an RBI double from Bandy in her second at-bat of the inning. Central continued its production in the second inning with RBIs from Jaila Davis, Kennedy Hedrick, Helm, and Bowers.

Central sealed the win in the third with a six-hit inning, highlighted by Kloeppel’s homer and Bowers’ two-run double.

Champaign Central returns to action on Monday at Mattoon against the Green Wave to extend its perfect start to 9-0.

Central varsity dance team competes at IHSA state finals

BLOOMINGTON - The competitive dance team at Central made school history on Friday, becoming the first squad to compete for a state title in the IHSA's Competitive Dance State Championships. The Maroons were among 30 Class 2A teams that performed at Grossinger Motors Area in Bloomington, aiming for a spot in the championship round before judges, hundreds of dancers, and thousands of fans.

Members of the Central dance team perform at the IHSA Competitive State Dance Finals. The Maroons were the only Big 12 team to qualify for this year's finals.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Central secured their state qualification with a third-place finish, showcasing their dynamic hip hop routine at the Mahomet-Seymour Sectional on January 22, surpassing Triad (4th), Dunlap (5th), and Ottawa (6th). The sectional title went to Bradley-Bourbonnais, narrowly edging out Washington for the top spot by less than half a point.

Following the preliminary round, Bradley-Bourbonnais was the sole team from downstate 2A to advance to Saturday's final. The Boilerettes faced tough competition from championship-caliber teams like Geneva and Lake Zurich, who have been contenders since Competitive Dance was introduced by the IHSA in 2013. In their inaugural state appearance, Central finished 30th.

"It's absolutely incredibly. The energy here is awesome. They worked so hard and they earned it," head Coach Illyanna Lopez said after the list of teams advancing to Saturday's final was read. Unfortunately, Central was not among them. "To be here, fighting with the best of the best, is the most we could hope for."

Central was the lone Big 12 dance team to qualify for the IHSA state competition. Heading into Friday's preliminaries, the Maroon varsity dance squad was no stranger to competing with top-tier teams. Under Lopez, the program has claimed a IDTA state title in Hip Hop (2023) and qualified for the IDTA state last year.

Members of the 2024-2025 Champaign Central varsity dance team pose for a photo after competing at the state dance championships. Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Lopez emphasized the team's dedication to academics and discipline in preparation for competing against the best. "We pushed them as students first before being athletes," she explained. She pointed out that the school's athletic director and families were 'incredible' to work with this season. "It truly was a team effort."

Despite their final placement, Lopez expressed pride in her team's performance on Friday. "It is our first time in Unit 4 to be here," Lopez told her dancers. "You've earned it. Congratulations."

Central's first state-qualifying dance team includes: TyShauna Leinhart, Summer Aker, Leyla Allison, Azaria Lewis, Aurelie Gerini, Yanadelyz Cabrera, Kai’mere Beard, Aylaya Dooley, Zarayah Markham, Kimora Maynor, Tesla Burack, Londyn Grant, and Jane Koske.

Related articles:

Prep Hoops |
Tuesday's area basketball summary

Sentinel area basketball scores. Don't see your team's score listed? Read below to learn how to send us your game scores and stats.

Girls' Basketball

Champaign Central 58 - Rantoul 50
The Maroons had three players finish their non-conference home game finish in double figures. The win improving Central's record to 3-5.

Junior Khalia Williams led the team with 15 points and seven rebounds. Samara McArthur finished with 12 points and five boards. Meanwhile, senior Alex Parastaran collected 10 points while dishing out a team-high nine assists and snatching five steals.

Thursday night, Williams and the Maroons host Danville (4-7) in a Big Twelve conference contest.

Oakwood 42 - Armstrong 45
Down 28-17 at the half, Oakwood made up the deficit in the second half but came up short, taking a loss in Vermilion Valley Conference play. Bella Bradford scored a team-high 14 points in the Comets' road game on Tuesday. Fellow senior Rylee Wright finished the loss with ten points.

Boys' Basketball

Champaign Central 71 - Unity 59
Chris Bush drained 19 points and collected six rebounds in the Maroons' road game at Unity (3-3). Sophomore Cayden Love shined, scoring 18 points to bolster Central's record to 5-3.

The Maroons travel to Decatur to take on the Eisenhower (4-4).

Hoopeston 46 - Cissna Park 44
Brayden Walder delivered 16 points in Hoopeston Area's VVC non-conference win over Cissna Park (3-8).

Cole Miller, who scored four points, had eight rebounds. Trenton Montez, a senior, also finished with eight boards along with seven points.

The Cornjerkers play at home on Friday, hosting the Storm of Salt Fork.

Urbana 51 - Sacred Heart-Griffin 79
The Cyclones handed the Tigers their fourth-consecutive loss. Urbana looks to improve their early-season record after Friday's road game at Peoria Notre Dame.

St. Thomas More 55 - Clifton Central 60
The Sabers (4-6) were outscored 8-3 in the overtime period by the Comets (7-4).

St. Thomas More is back in action on Saturday at the Eureka College Shootout where they will face Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.

Urbana U-High 32 - Westville 75

Attention Coaches: Hey, help us keep area basketball, wrestling, and competitive dance fans informed! Email us your team's game and match results for the Prep Sports Notebook. Please send us a clear photo of the scorebook or link to game results at sports@oursentinel.com.

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Prep Hoops |
Thursday Basketball Scores

Girls' Basketball

St. Joseph-Ogden 57 - Danville 39
Kayla Osterbur dropped a team-high 14 points in the Spartans' home game against the Vikings. Addie Brooks was good for another 12 to pull out the W for the team's third win of the season. Danville's Jada Bell led all scorers with 18 points. She converted on eight of her 10 free throws attempts.

Unity 33 - Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond 27
With the Knights shooting just 48 shots, sophomore Morgan Casteel shot 29% from the field to lead her team with nine points on the road against the Rockets. Unity host the Urbana Tigers on Monday for their annual non-conference rivalry game.

Glenwood 59 - Centennial 15
The Chargers drop to 1-5 after the road loss. Centennial looks ahead to Tuesday's home game against Peoria Manual to halt a three-game skid.

Urbana 30 - Urbana University 26
The Tigers are 2-1 after defeating the Illineks of U-High. Sophomore Lai'yonna Harper led Urbana with 10 points. Junior Madison Shade added seven to the cause. The Tigers, who finished 1-20 in the previous season, look for win number three at Unity on Monday.

Chizara Onyemele paced the Uni with ten points.

Boys' Basketball

Central 69 - Richwoods 65
The Maroons (4-2) notched their first conference win with four players reaching double figures. Chris Bush led the scoring output with 24 points. Luke Swanson delivered an 18-point performance while Cayden Love chipped in 12 points and Aidyn Beck added another 11. Swanson finished with seven boards and Trey Cole grabbed five more against the Knights (4-1). Central returns to action next Friday in another Big Twelve contest with Normal Community coming to town.

Attention Coaches: Help us keep area basketball, wrestling, and competitive dance fans informed! Email us your team's game and match results for the Prep Sports Notebook. Please send us a clear photo of the scorebook or link to game results at sports@oursentinel.com.

We are looking for great photos
Did you take a great photograph at any of these games? We would love to share it with our readers.

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Prep Hoops |
Wednesday Basketball Scores

Boys' Basketball

Charleston 55 - Watseka 30
Charleston's Tyler Oakley needed just three quarters of play to score 18 points during the team's second pool game at the annual Toyota of Danville Classic at St. Joseph-Odgen High School. Luke Bonsetter drained three treys to finish with 16 points.

Payton Schaumburg and Quinn Starkey paced the Warriors with six points each. Watseka is back on the hardwood Friday night at 6:30 against Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond (ALAH).

The Trojans will play in the following game looking to beat the host St. Joseph-Ogden, also 2-0 in tournament play, to punch their ticket into the title game on Saturday.

Bishop McNamara 65 - Paxton-Buckley-Loda 42
The Fightin' Irish continued to dominate the competition at the Toyota of Danville Classic. Cole Czako scored 17 points and Wille Felton added another 10 points in the win over the PBL. A win Friday night over Cissna Park will put Bishop McNamara in their first-ever tournament championship appearance.

The Panthers, who will play in Saturday's third-place game, had a solid first-half performances from Robert Boyd-Meents and Tyler Cole with 11 points each. Carson Goss and Ethan Williams bolstered the scoring effort, combining for 16 points, each each.

Cissna Park 69 - Oakwood 68
The Timberwolves rallied back from a 56-49 third-quarter deficit to beat the Comets by one at the Toyota of Danville Classic. Dierks Neukomm went for 5-for-6 from the free throw line on his way to a tournement-high 30 points. Teammate Seth Walder nearly duplicated the feat, finishing with 29 points.

Carson Dudley led the Comets with four quarters of scoring, finishing with 23 points. Jackson Dudley came up with key shots all in all four periods to contribute 15 points in the loss. Brandt Hobick also finished in double figures with 13 points.

Neukomm, Walder and Cissna Park play again on Saturday in the 5th place game against the winner of Friday night's showdown between ALAH and Watseka. Oakwood gets a day of rest to prepare for Saturday's 7th place contest against the loser between the Warriors and the Knights, starting at 1 PM.

Springfield 64 - Central 50
Sophomore Daniel Sago and Senior Chris Bush scored 12 points each in the Maroons' loss at Combes Gym. Central (4-2).

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State Cross Country |
Central’s Mathias finishes 18th in state cross country meet, Mahomet-Seymour places in top ten

PEORIA - Mahomet-Seymour’s boys cross country team capped their season with a sixth-place finish at the IHSA Boys Class 2A Cross Country State Finals on Saturday at Detweiller Park, earning 279 points to secure a top-ten team placement. Competing in a strong field, Mahomet-Seymour showcased depth and tenacity.

Leading the way for Mahomet-Seymour, junior Henry McMurry claimed 26th with a time of 14:55.00, setting a fast pace in the early stages of the race to finish under the 15-minute mark. Senior Kaleb Kasper crossed next for Mahomet-Seymour, taking 40th place in 15:15.10, followed by sophomore Tate Bode at 107th, who completed the 3-mile course in 15:51.10. Rounding out the top five for Mahomet-Seymour, freshman Adam Smigielski and senior Lukas Nykaza secured 161st and 163rd place with respective times of 16:14.50 and 16:16.60, adding critical points for the Bulldogs.

Central junior Caleb Mathias made a notable individual appearance, finishing in 18th place with a time of 14:50.90, the best individual result for the Champaign-Urbana area in Class 2A. Mathias’ performance marked a strong showing, establishing him as a key competitor among the state’s top runners with All-State recognition earned on Saturday.

The meet’s top finisher, senior Finn Richards, won with a time of 14:21.10, leading Payton to first place in the team standings with 113 points. Morton and Latin finished in second and third with 191 and 195 points, respectively, rounding out the podium as Kaneland (222 points) and Dixon (196 points) followed closely.

KEYWORDS: Central Cross Country, Mahomet-Seymour, Cross Country All-State, IHSA state cross country, High school sports