Molina advances at state wrestling

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

BLOOMINGTON - Unity's Phoenix Molina celebrates her pin after 235-pound quarter final match against Sycamore's Jasmine Enriquez at the IHSA Girls Individual Wrestling State Finals on Friday. Molina advances to Saturday morning's semifinal, where she will face Wheeling's Jasmine Rene for a shot at her first state title.

Oakwood's Devin Ehler finishes 5th at state

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN - Oakwood's Devin Ehler trips up Princeton's Kane Dauber during 138-pound third place match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Tournament on Saturday. Ehler, who took control of the match early going up 3-1 in the first period, won the bronze medal with a 7-1 decision. The sophomore finished the weekend at the State Farm Center with four wins and one loss.

TAGS: Oakwood state qualifer, IHSA state finals, state wrestling championships, Oakwood's Devin Ehler wrestles at state

Brian E. Smith captures 400m state title, cements sprint legacy for North Shore Country Day

Smith became just the third individual state champion in school history for North Shore Country Day. Senior medaled in three events at Saturday's state track finals.

Brian E. Smith acknowledges the roar of the crowd after winning the 400m Dash at state — North Shore Country Day's Brian E. Smith turns to acknowledge the roar of the crowd after winning the Class 1A 400m Dash title on Saturday at the IHSA Boys Track & Field State Finals in Charleston.

CHARLESTON - North Shore Country Day senior Brian E. Smith II closed out his high school track career with a historic finish at the IHSA Track and Field State Finals, held May 29–31 at Eastern Illinois University. Smith claimed the Class 1A state championship in the 400-meter dash, turning in a winning time of 48.47 seconds, good for the third-fastest 400m time across all three IHSA classes.

With the title, Smith became just the third individual state champion in school history for North Shore Country Day, a private school of just over 500 students in Winnetka. His performance came during what proved to be one of the driest and mildest weather weekends the state finals have seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smith advanced to the 400m finals after posting his personal-best time of 48.12 seconds in Thursday’s qualifying round. In the championship race, he outran Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Evan Landers-Kristensen, who placed second at 49.06 seconds, and Casey-Westfield’s Hayden Parcel, who took third in 49.36.

Brian E. Smith runs in heat 2 of the 100m dash at state — Running past Cumberland's Reid Carlen, Smith runs to a second place finish in heat 2 of the 100m Dash prelims on Thursday. He qualified for the championship race with the sixth fastest time at 10.89 after running a 11.10 at sectionals. Read more 2025 Sentinel state track coverage here.

Smith also competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, placing in both to cap a rare triple-threat showing. In the 100m final, he finished fifth with a time of 10.99 seconds. Morrison junior Brady Anderson won the event in 10.74, followed by Lena-Winslow’s Alec Schlichting (10.78), Morrison’s Levi Milder (10.92), and Red Bud’s Gavin Baldwin (10.96).

Later in the day, Smith took on the 200m dash and finished seventh with a time of 22.19. Milder secured his second gold medal of the meet with a personal-best 21.44 in the event.

Brian E. Smith at the top of the podium for the 400m Dash

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Smith stands above the 400m Dash finalist during the awards

Smith was one of only two athletes in the state to place in all three sprint events—an accomplishment that underscored his consistency, versatility, and determination in a highly competitive field.

North Shore Country Day’s representation at the state meet wasn’t limited to Smith. Sophomore Kaeden Ackley advanced to compete in the triple jump, gaining valuable experience on the big stage. On the girls’ side, junior Reese Meyers earned a sixth-place finish in the Class 1A 400-meter dash a week earlier, clocking in at 57.94.

“We’re incredibly proud of all three student-athletes for representing North Shore on such a competitive level,” said Athletic Director and coach Patrick McHugh. “It was truly an amazing performance.”

Smith’s 400m state title marked a memorable conclusion to a spring season built on personal milestones, steady progress, and a strong sense of school pride.

Brian E. Smith races past the competition in the prelims at state — Smith crosses the finish line the Class 1A 200m Dash prelims. The senior and one other runner ran in all three short-distance races in the 2025 state finals.

Tagged:North Shore Country Track & Field, State Track, Boys Track & Field, State Champion, Class 1A Sprinter

Running over obstacles, Swanson finishes season at state meet

SJO's Kyler Swanson clears a hurdle at state track meet — **CHARLESTON** - Ignoring the plight of Prairie Central's Tage Fehr next to him, St. Joseph-Ogden's Kyler Swanson clears a hurdle while running in 110 High Hurdle prelims on Friday at the IHSA Boys Track & Field State Finals. Swanson, a senior, turn in a time of 15.84, finishing sixth in his heat and 24th overall at O'Brien Field to cap his track & field career for the Spartans.

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

Tagged: IHSA track & field, state track, IHSA boys state track meet 2025, 2025 state qualifier, High School Sports, SJO Track and Field, St. Joseph-Ogden track, State track qualifier

Dwight's Meister leads the pack in state shot put

Dwight Graham Meister throws shot at state track — **CHARLESTON** - Dwight's Graham Meister throw the shot during the Class 1A Shot Put preliminaries. Meister led the field of 36 competitors at the end of the first day of competition with his longest throw of 17.81m.

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

Tagged: IHSA Boys' State Track Meet, Dwight Shot Putter Leads the Pack, State Track

Decker going the distance, Unity senior in the running for state medals

Unity's Emily Decker competes in the 1600m run at state — **CHARLESTON** - Unity's Emily Decker runs her second lap of the Class 2A 1600m Run during the prelims at the 2025 IHSA Girls Track and Field State Finals on Friday. Decker advanced to the championship race after finishing seventh out a field of 30 with a time of 5:04.23. She will also run in 3200m Run and in the 4x800m relay for the Rockets on Saturday at O'Brien Field. .::. More IHSA state track photos and stories .::.

Tagged: Unity Athletics, Sports, IHSA Girls State Track Meet, High School Sports,

Valmeyer senior takes her shot at a state title

Valmeyer senior Ava McClellan competing in the state long jump — **CHARLESTON** - Ava McClellan jumps 15' 11" on her second attempt during the Class 1A Long Jump at the IHSA Girls Track & Field Finals on Thursday. The Valmeyer senior finished third her flight with her best of three jumps at 16' 07.25".

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

Tagged: IHSA track & field, state track, IHSA girls state track meet 2025, 2025 state qualifier, High School Sports, Valmyer High School, Long Jump, State track qualifier

Sabers grab a spot into a relay championship at state

St. Thomas More's Alyson Clements runs 4x400 anchor — **CHARLESTON** - St. Thomas More's Alyson Clements starts out on her leg of 4x400m relay ahead of Lila Coleman in Thursday's prelims at the IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals. Clements, along with teammates Taylor Wells, Francie Williamson, and Alex Anderson, finished premlims with the ninth best time at 4:12.21, advancing to Saturday's title race in Class 1A. .::. More IHSA state track photos and stories .::.

Tagged: IHSA track & field, state track, IHSA girls state track meet 2025, 2025 state qualifier, High School Sports

Ashtyn Lazzell gave it her best shot, sophomore comes up short

**CHARLESTON** - Rushville-Industry high jumper Ashtyn Lazzell tries to clear the bar on her second attempt during the preliminary round at the Illinois High School Association Girls Track & Field State Finals on Thursday. Giving her all, Lazzell failed to advance to Saturday's finals. Despite her performance on a fall-like day at O'Brien Stadium, the sophomore has two more years to win a prep state title. .::. More IHSA state track photos and stories .::.

Tagged: IHSA track & field, state track, IHSA girls state track meet 2025, High Jump, 2025 state qualifier, High School Sports

Loyola's Hiller claims second straight state wrestling title

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Ramblers' Harlee Hiller (left) pushes Hampshire's Amelia Nidelea-Polanin head to the mat on her way to winning her second state champion title. In her four-year prep career, Hiller never placed below third at the IHSA state tournament.

BLOOMINGTON – Loyola Academy senior Harlee Hiller capped her high school wrestling career with another championship performance at the IHSA Girls Wrestling State Finals on Saturday. Hiller won all four of her matches in the 115-pound division at Grossinger Motors Arena, earning her second consecutive state title.

Hiller allowed just three points across the tournament while controlling each match. In the finale, she defeated Mt. Zion’s Sydney Cannon by a 12-0 major decision. After a scoreless first period, Hiller broke the match open in the second with a takedown and nearfall to go ahead 7-0. The Rambler added an escape and another takedown early in the third period, then tacked on one final point in the closing seconds.

The title run marked a return to the top for Hiller, who finished as the 115-pound runner-up last season after a 4-3 loss to Gabby Gomez of Glenbard North. As a sophomore, she captured the 105-pound championship, and she placed third in the inaugural IHSA girls wrestling state series during her freshman year in 2022.

Hiller opened her final state tournament with a first-period pin against Metea Valley’s Ashley Basmajian in 1:21. She advanced through the quarterfinals after LaSalle-Peru’s Kiely Domyancich was disqualified in the second period. In the semifinals, Hiller shut out Hampshire’s Amelia Nidelea-Polanin with an 11-0 major decision.

With two titles and four state medals in as many years, Hiller leaves Loyola Academy as one of the program’s most accomplished wrestlers.

More photos from Hiller's 115 pound match against Hampshire’s Amelia Nidelea-Polanin.

Something to cheer about, Redhawks win first state cheer title

Members of the Marist cheerleading team celebrate with the program's first-ever state championship trophy on Saturday. The Redhawk squad won the Large School Division title at this year's IHSA Competitive Cheer State Final after two days of competition against 25 team in Bloomington. See more photos from Saturday's competition below.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

BLOOMINGTON - Sitting in a circle with their heads down with eight other teams around them, the Marist cheerleaders had their heads down, gripping their teammates' hands nervously while waiting for the announcement of this year's Large School Divison state champion at the IHSA Competitive Cheerleading State Finals on Saturday. When their name rang out over the P.A. system at Grossinger Motors Arena, they shrieked in unison and preceded to celebrate with unabashed joy.

"We were bridesmaids but never the bride, but today we got to be the bride," Redhawks head coach Jordan Miller said after the awards ceremony. "Our team has worked so hard. They really focused on themselves, their goals, and our values we have as a team. It really showed today on the mat, and fortunately, we got a win."

It was a historic moment for the program that has qualified for state every year from the get-go. Since 2005, Marist has finished second four times (2013, 2018, 2019, 2022) and third once in 2012. Saturday's state title was the first in school history.

Jordan said the key to his team's success was the fact that the girls on the team love each other.

"They put each other first," he explained. "They really focused on our team values rather than just the skills alone."

Marist finished the first day of competition in third place after receiving a score of 93.52 from the judges. Ahead of them, Lockport Township (96.64) and Edwardsville (94.72 ) gave nearly flawless performances to take the top two spots. Also advancing to the championship round were Sandburg (93.44), Andrews (90.72), Schaumburg (90.48), and Lincoln-Way East (90.23). Huntley earned an 89.24, Maine South 88.25, and Lincoln-Way Central 88.13 to round out the top ten, advancing to Saturday's finals.

Running the last routine of the day in the division, the team saw solid team performances from Edwardsville, who finished second, and Lockport, who came in third place. The squad's performance, to their surprise, earned the division's top mark of 96.32, surpassing the Tigers' 95.90 and the Porters' 94.99.

Marist's seniors played an important role this season.

"The senior class is really special to me. They are great athletes, but even better, they are just human beings," he said. "The rest of the team has some big shoes to fill, but I know we'll make them proud in the future."

This season's state championship squad includes Jaclyn Fitzmaurice, Jenna McAdams, Katelin Carney, Kaliyah House, Emerson McGuire, Sarah Tadevich, Gianna Marciano, Carrington Anderson, Emma Summers, Anna Connor, Mya Marciano, Julia Lorenz, June Giblin-Segal, Breanna Doherty, Kelsey Weber, Abigail Osborne, Molly Ryan, Brianna Kirchner, Madelyn Gutrich, Autumn Veal, Bridget Panerese, Mia Vincent, Mia Dusynski, Kaelyn and Howell. Miller's assistant coaches includes Tiara Patterson, Mary Mckenna and Beth Piper.