Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Molina recovers after first match loss, Unity junior still in the hunt for top 3 finish
Off-season work pays off; St. Joseph-Ogden's Maddie Wells heads to state wrestling
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden's Maddie Wells (left) wrestles Urbana's Rickasia Ivy in dual meet in December. Wells and Ivy, who took second place, qualified for the IHSA Girls Individual Wrestling State Finals in Bloomington Feb. 28 - Mar. 1.
HIGHLAND - At the beginning of the season in December, when asked what she wanted to accomplish this season, St. Joseph-Ogden's Maddie Wells said, "I'm really hoping to qualify for girls' state for the first time." Mission accomplished. Wells, a junior who started wrestling three years ago, is a warrior. Yesterday, she became the first St. Joseph-Ogden female athlete to qualify for the IHSA's Girls Wrestling State Finals. Finishing third in the 140-pound division, the junior's grueling path through the bracket to punch her ticket to the state tournament in Bloomington was sealed after six matches at the Highland Sectional. "I was kind of in disbelief and I was happy for all my friends that I’ve made along the way that also qualified," Wells said after her third-place finish. "I was most excited to eat Chipotle, though." Except for her quarterfinal loss to Collinsville's Taylor Dawson, who won the sectional title in their division, Wells won four matches by fall and recorded a techfall in her consolation semifinal win over Mt. Vernon's Daniya Musgrave. Mentally and emotionally, she said her first match of sectionals was the most stressful. "My qualification match was my toughest," she admitted. "My previous two years I had been knocked out in this round so I was the most nervous." Wells won her sectional opener, pinning Salem's Alan Finney at 1:44. Her quarterfinal loss to Dawson lasted 42 seconds. She bounced back from the defeat to win her next four bouts. All the work Wells put in during the off-season paid dividends. She heads to the state tournament at Grossinger Motors Arena with an 18-6 record. "I do a lot of open gyms," she said. She also attended camps at the University of Illinois during the summer to sharpen her technical skills. "And, I did some off-season girls tournaments." Now a trailblazer for the Spartan girls' program and one of two girls on this year's squad, she hopes that her success will influence other female athletes to join the sport. "I feel privileged to be able to pave the path but I feel excited to see the girls that follow," she said. "I hope I inspired girls younger than me to not be afraid of trying new things despite their gender and being able to follow their dreams."
Maddie Wells sectional match results:
- Champ. Round 1 - Maddie Wells won by fall over Alana Finney, Salem - Fall 1:44
- Quarterfinal - Taylor Dawson, Collinsville 32-3 won by fall over Maddie Wells - Fall 0:42
- Cons. Round 2 - Maddie Wells won by fall over Kaisley Shotkoski, Mahomet-Seymour - Fall 1:15
- Cons. Round 3 - Maddie Wells won by fall over Jacee Mardirosian, Carterville - Fall 3:34
- Cons. Semi - Maddie Wells won by tech fall over Daniya Musgrave, Mt. Vernon - TF-1.5 2:18 18-0
- 3rd Place Match - Maddie Wells won by fall over Lillien Roughton, Unity Christian - Fall 3:09
Colombia Eagles wins small school cheerleading title
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
BLOOMINGTON - Members of the Columbia High School cheerleading team perform during Friday's preliminary competition at the IHSA Competitive Cheerleading State Finals. The Eagles went on to win this year's state title on Saturday battling against the nine top teams in the state in the Small School Division. Earning the division top score of 93.82, Columbia finished ahead of Breese Mater Dei (90.84) in second place, and St. Francis (90.60) in third.
This year's Eagle cheerleading team includes Lucy Moore, Daylen Stevens, Mia McConachie, Morgan, Kelley, Sophia Walters, Lylah Bridges, Maddie Mudd, Ava Stanley, Maya Dill, Addie Ramage and Ellie Davis. The is coached by Robbie Walters, who is assisted by Marla Rose.
Providence Catholic leads Class 2A prelims at IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals
Members of the Providence Catholic dance team strike their finale pose at the 2025 IHSA Competitive Dance State Finalson Friday. The Dancing Celtics finished the first day of competition as the Class 2A leaders.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
BLOOMINGTON - Providence Catholic danced its way to the top of the Class 2A preliminary standings at the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals on Friday, posting a 93.56 score to lead the field at Grossinger Motors Arena. The Dancing Celtics, who placed fifth in last year’s finals, improved upon their 2024 preliminary standing by one spot and will look to claim the program’s first state title in Saturday’s championship round. Morris secured the No. 2 position for the second straight year, earning a 92.34 score with their polished routine. Jacksonville, the reigning state champion, followed closely behind in third at 91.12, setting up a potential battle for the podium among the top three.
Performing a hip hop routine, the Morris Varsity Dance team finished this year's state prelims in second place.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
A tight race for the remaining top-five spots saw Montini (89.36), Carmel (89.30) and Highland (89.26) separated by less than a tenth of a point, underscoring the level of competition heading into the final round. Evergreen Park (88.14), Marion (87.32), Joliet Catholic Academy (87.00), Nazareth Academy (86.84), Sycamore (86.00) and Clinton (85.18) rounded out the 12-team field advancing to Saturday's final. With four of last year’s top five teams once again among the top performers, the 2025 championship showdown will feature familiar contenders at this year's state championships.
2025 Class 2A Preliminary Standings:
1. Providence Catholic – 93.56 2. Morris – 92.34
3. Jacksonville – 91.12
4. Montini – 89.36
5. Carmel – 89.30
6. Highland – 89.26
7. Evergreen Park – 88.14
8. Marion – 87.32
9. Joliet Catholic Academy – 87.00
10. Nazareth Academy – 86.84
11. Sycamore – 86.00
12. Clinton – 85.18
The Class 2A championship round begins Saturday morning.
The field for the Class 1A Dance State Finals set, The state's top programs ready to showcase their talent
Joliet Catholic Academy dance team competes during the preliminary round at the 2024 IHSA Competitive State Dance Finals. The Angels return to state this weekend for another shot at an elusive state crown.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
BLOOMINGTON — Thirty of Illinois’ top small-school dance programs will take center stage this Friday at Grossinger Motors Arena for the 2025 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Competitive Dance State Finals. These elite teams earned their spots through five sectionals held across the state, and they now set their sights on bringing back a state trophy to their school. With high energy, intense competition, and a legacy of excellence on the line, the 2025 IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals promise to deliver another thrilling chapter in Illinois high school dance history. The road to Bloomington was anything but easy, with each sectional producing standout performances. Jacksonville and Highland took home sectional titles at St. Anthony High School in Effingham, while Morris edged out Providence Catholic and Joliet Catholic Academy to claim top honors at the Mahomet-Seymour sectional. Evergreen Park narrowly defeated Nazareth Academy at Maine East, posting an 85.17 to Nazareth’s 84.33. Montini secured its ticket to state with a razor-thin .73-point victory over Sycamore at the Sycamore sectional.
Members of the Morris Varsity Poms perform their show routine at the 2024 state finals prelims on the way to a second place trophy a day later at Grossinger Motor Arena.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Familiar Faces Return to the Finals
Fans attending this weekend’s competition will recognize several programs from last year’s Class 1A state finals, as all ten 2024 finalists are back in the mix. The list includes defending champion Jacksonville, as well as Morris, Providence Catholic, Carmel, Nazareth Academy, Marion, Sycamore, Highland, Clinton, Glenbard South, and St. Viator.
Last year, Jacksonville dazzled the judges with an expressive lyrical routine in the finals, overcoming an initial third-place finish in the preliminary round to secure its second consecutive state title with a score of 90.70. Morris, which finished as runner-up (89.96), will be looking to close the gap this year, while Carmel (89.44), Joliet Catholic Academy (89.01), and Providence Catholic (88.52) round out last year’s top five.
Dancers from Jacksonville perform during the Friday's prelim on last January. The J'ettes went on to win the Class 1A state title.
A High-Stakes Competition Awaits
With a field packed with talented, seasoned programs, this year’s finals promise to be as competitive as ever. While perennial powerhouses Jacksonville and Morris enter as favorites, teams such as Joliet Catholic Academy, Providence Catholic, and Nazareth Academy have worked hard to improve to improve their precision, musicality, and overall execution, to finish in one of the top three spots.
Event Schedule and Ticket Information
The Class 1A competition kicks off Friday morning, with doors opening at 9:15 a.m. The first performance is set for 10:15 a.m., with the final routine scheduled for 2:21 p.m. The top teams from the preliminary round will advance to Saturday’s finals, with finalists announced at 2:40 p.m.
Providence Catholic dancers execute a stunt in their preliminary round performance. The Dancing Celtic return the state finals looking to improve on their 5th place finish in 2024.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Photo Gallery |Mahomet-Seymour wins semifinal over DePaul
NORMAL - Mahomet-Seymour's Ellie Barker cheers with teammates Ava Yeakel, Erin Dallas and Anna Streicher after a point during second set action against DePaul College Prep during Friday's semifinal match at CEFCU Arena. The Bulldogs advanced to the title game after defeating the Rams in straights 25-18, 25-22. A day later, Mahomet-Seymour went on to win the Class 3A title, beating Limestone in an exciting three-setter 22-25, 25-22, 25-18. Below are 21 more photos from the opening match.
Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Keywords: Mahomet-Seymour State Volleyball Champions, DePaul Rams, State Volleyball, Mahomet Volleyball Team
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Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks