Kearney leads Spartans in conference loss at Monticello

MONTICELLO - Coming off an 18-point decision over St. Thomas More earlier in the week, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls' basketball team lost 34-24 on the road at Monticello on Thursday.

Going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, Sara Kearney led St. Joseph-Ogden with 10 points. Katie Ericksen finished with eight points. Kayla Osterbur collected four points in the second quarter, and Timera Blackburn-Kelley was held to just a third-quarter field goal.

The Spartans held a one-point lead after the first quarter, but the Sages found their stride in the second quarter, outscoring their visitors 21-13 over the next two frames. Each team made just one field goal in the fourth quarter, with the remainder of the scoring coming from free-throw conversions.

Monticello enjoyed scoring from seven players. Megan Allen led all scorers with 13 points. Sophomore Sara Cresap finished with 10 points, contributing in all four quarters for the Sages. Ali Weidmer, another sophomore, contributed five points, and Annie Robinson, who scored the only bucket in the final quarter, drained a trey to round out Monticello's top scorers.

St. Joseph-Ogden drops to 2-3 in the Illini Prairie Conference and 8-12 overall.

Monticello improves to 2-2 in the conference and 12-8 overall. The conference is currently led by Bloomington Central Catholic at 4-0, followed by Illinois Valley Central. The Unity Rockets round out the top three spots in the IPC.

Next week, St. Joseph-Ogden hosts St. Teresa on Monday at the high school. On Thursday, the Spartans travel to Bloomington to take on the undefeated Saints.


SJO rolls past Prairie Central at IPC Meet, Walsh notches first period-pin in rout

CHILLICOTHE - Michael Jackson sang "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and the St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling took the song to heart, going undefeated during the first day of competition and the Illini Prairie Conference wrestling meet last week.

SJO grapplers delivered a commanding performance on Jan. 17, overwhelming the Prairie Central Hawks 54-12 at the two-day Illini Prairie Conference wrestling meet at Illinois Valley Central High School. The Spartans also claimed victories over Pontiac (48-35) and St. Thomas More (66-12).

Despite a few competitive bouts, including a 10-7 overtime decision at 138 pounds in favor of Prairie Central’s John Traub over Aiden Hundley, the Spartans’ depth and ability to secure bonus points proved decisive. Other key contributors included Eli Birt (126 pounds), who earned a 4-1 decision, and Devan Swisher (175 pounds), who posted a 10-3 decision.

Ben Wells (106 pounds) won the dual opener for the Spartans by pinning Prairie Central’s Andrew Patino in 1:37. Jackson Walsh (113 pounds) followed with another first-period pin, defeating Julius Smith in 1:33. Camden Getty (120 pounds) kept the momentum going, recording a fall over Prestin Gero in 2:08.

Landen Butts (144 pounds) added to the Spartans’ strong showing with a pin over Daemian Spisak in 4:20, while heavyweight Cam Wagner capped the dual with a forfeit victory. Wagner, a sophomore enjoying a standout debut season, is also a top-rated football player with Division I scholarship offers.

Day one conference meet standouts
Several Spartans delivered standout performances across all three matches on day one. Walsh (113 pounds) was a force on the mat, securing two first-period pins, including a 1:49 fall against Pontiac’s Sophia Mussari. Getty (120 pounds) also recorded two pins, showcasing the improvement he has made through the hard work he put in during the off-season.

Wagner (285 pounds) continued to impress with two falls, including a decisive 1:35 pin over Pontiac’s Hunter McCullough. Butts (144 pounds) added two pins to his tally, further highlighting the Spartans’ dominance in the middleweight classes.

Box Score
106 - WELLS, BEN (SJO) over Patino, Andrew (PC), Fall 1:37; 113 - WALSH, JACKSON (SJO) over Smith, Julius (PC), Fall 1:33; 120 - GETTY, CAMDEN (SJO) over Gero, Prestin (PC), Fall 2:08; 126 - BIRT, ELI (SJO) over Clemons, Drake (PC), Decision 4-1; 132 - Forfeit, (PC) over Forfeit, (SJO), Double Forfeit; 138 - Traub, John (PC) over HUNDLEY, AIDEN (SJO), Decision 10-7 (OT); 144 - BUTTS, LANDEN (SJO) over Spisak, Daemian (PC), Fall 4:20; 150 - WARE, THOMAS (SJO) over Forfeit, (PC), FORFEIT; 157 - Ziller, Ethan (PC) over MOORE, JONATHON (SJO), Decision 9-6; 165 - Martin, Jaxson (PC) over VAUGHN, ALEX (SJO), Fall 1:02; 175 - SWISHER, DEVAN (SJO) over Mowery, Elijah (PC), Decision 10-3; 190 - Carter, Liam (SJO) over Forfeit, (PC), FORFEIT; 215 - PHILLIPS, NATHAN (SJO) over Forfeit, (PC), FORFEIT; 285 - WAGNER, CAM (SJO) over Forfeit, (PC), FORFEIT.


St. Joe-Ogden Athletics


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