SJO boys cross country squad takes 5th at regionals, advances to sectional on Saturday

Giving their all against the best small school running programs on this side of the state, the St. Joseph-Ogden boys cross country team did their best to prove their themselves worthy of the name Spartan. Competing under less than favorable weather conditions at the Class 1A cross country regional in Tuscola on Saturday, the team finished fifth overall.

Their collective effort resulted in extending their season yet another week in order to compete in the upcoming sectional meet in Effingham. The Spartans' top five runners finished with 97 points, two points away from what could have been a three-way tie score-wise with Paxton-Buckley-Loda and Unity, who tallied 95 points each.

This week, SJO runners will train with the goal of qualifying for this season's IHSA state meet at weekend's upcoming sectional for a spot in the IHSA state meet on November 9.

One of the first ten to cross the finish line in the boys race at last Saturday's regional race was SJO's Brandon Mattsey, who led the Spartan contingent in their fifth place finish. He turned in a time of 16:44 on the three-mile Wimple Park course in Tuscola. His career best three-mile time is 15:41.

Supporting Mattsey's effort, Eric Poe finished 14th overall at 17:03 and Charlie Mabry clocked in at 17:15 to earn 20 points for the team.

Here is how the Spartans finished at the 2019 Tuscola regional:

Runner	Place	Time
Brandon Mattsey (Jr.)	10	16:44
Eric Poe (Sr.)	14	17:03
Charlie Mabry (So.)	20	17:15
Elijah Mock (So.)	24	17:26
Luke Stegall (So.)	29	17:39
Braden Clampitt (So.)	35	18:02
Ethan Blackburn (Fr.)	43	18:39

Memory Monday: '06 Spartans win state softball title

Spartan pitcher Morgan Finn winds up for a pitch against Casey-Westfield back on June 3, 2006, in her team's second consecutive state final appearance. In the previous season, Finn, who was the number 2 pitcher, and the Spartans brought home a third place state trophy to place next to the program's first, a fourth place one from 1989 season. Using her uncanny placement and speed, Finn's pitching led St. Joseph-Ogden to a 1-0 to victory to win the first program's first IHSA state softball title. Dubbed underdogs at the start of the postseason, SJO gave up just one run in during their memorable run to the Class 1A title. See more photos from 2006 softball season here. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Left: On their way to winning the state title the Spartans took a few lumps during the 2006 season. One of them was a 3-1 loss at home against the Monticello Sages on April 27. Here Spartan second base player Stacy Ferguson hauls in a pop fly for an out. Right: Despite the loss to the Sages there was still a reason to celebrate, team co-captain Abby Williams presents coach Randy Wolken with a memento for achieving his 648th career win after defeating Mt. Zion on the previous Saturday. Wolken would go on to become and currently remains the only softball coach in the state of Illinois to achieve over 1,000 career victories. His coaching ended with an impressive career record of 1,044-242. What makes those numbers even more impressive is that record was acquired coaching for just one program. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Catcher Brittany Morgan catches a congratulatory kiss from her nephew Blake after the Spartans beat Westmont 1-0 to advance to the championship game against Casey-Westfield for the Class A softball title on June 3. It was through Morgan's RBI that put fellow senior Abby Williams across the plate in the first inning for the semifinal game winner. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Left: Stacy Ferguson slides into second base on a steal for the Spartans. Coming off a back-to-back doubleheader loss to Casey-Westfield, St. Joseph-Ogden beat crushed the Unity Rockets, 8-0 on April 21. Ferguson was safe on the play. Right: Sarah Thompson leaps in the air to celebrate scoring the first and only run in Spartans' title game against Casey-Westfield. After falling to the Warriors twice in a twin bill earlier in the season, SJO held on to win their first Class A softball title Saturday evening, 1-0. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Left: Lindsey Barron gives a teammate a high-ten after Sarah Thompson scored a run for the Spartans. Two seasons later, Barron would break the state record in the number of stolen basis in a season with 92. Currently #2 on the IHSA list for career stolen bases, she took 254 extra bases while wearing the Spartan uniform from 2005-2008. Right: St. Joseph-Ogden students [left to right] Nick Krisman, Jesse Grice, and Mark Gones cheer for the school's softball team at the start of the awards ceremony. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Pandemonium. After the final out of the game frenzied chaos ensued as the members of St. Joseph-Ogden girls softball team celebrates their 1-0 win over Casey-Westfield. Screams of joy, laughter, non-stop hugs and tears consumed players, coaches, family members and fans prior to the start of the official awards ceremony. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

With teammate Stacy Buck all smiles beside here, St. Joseph-Ogden pitcher Morgan Finn wipes the non-stop tears of joy from her face as she and the member of the girls softball team receive their state first-place medals. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The St. Joseph-Ogden softball team poses with their state medals and the program's first state champion softball trophy. The Class 1A title winners finished the season with a record of 31-6. The title run followed the previous year's third-place finish and 32-4 finish. Since this season, the Spartans have made three additional state finals appearances in 2012, 2015 and 2017 bringing home second, third and fourth place trophies. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Girls XC advances to Effingham sectional meet

Despite cold conditions and wet, rainy conditions, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls cross county team finished in third place behind Monticello (first) and Unity (second) as one of seven teams advancing to next Saturday's Class 1A sectional in Effingham.

Hannah Rajlich runs during the Spartan Classic in September. The all-conference runner did not compete in Saturday's regional race. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The Spartans finished the meet just two points ahead of St. Thomas More with a score of 85 points in arguably the state's toughest small school sectional qualifier.

Led by senior Jillian Plotner, SJO's scoring runners completed the course at Wimple Park in a strong formation of 9, 16, 19, 20 and 21.

Plotner circumvented the course in 19 minutes and 10 seconds for a ninth place overall finish. Ashlyn Lannert was the next Spartan to cross the finish line 33 seconds later at 19:43. Two runners and five seconds later, Ava Knap locked up 19th place.

Malorie Sarnecki rounded out the top 20 finishers with a time of 19:54 with teammate Ally Monk one second behind her at 19:55.

Sophomores Addie Allen and Kailyn Ingram finished their races under the 21 minute mark.

Volleyball team revels in Senior Night victory

While her father Mark smiles holding one of her many mementos, Emily Bigger receives a kiss from her mother Melissa during SJO's senior night recognition on Tuesday prior to the start of volleyball team's final home match of the season. Bigger, a four-year volleyball veteran, is also involved in Spanish Club, FCA, National Honor Society and the school's Advisory Mentoring Program. She and eight other seniors received gifts and were thank for their contribution to program's success over the past four seasons. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Lindsey Aden went out in style at her last home volleyball game. The senior delivered three aces in St. Joseph-Ogden's 2-0 victory over the visiting Olympia Spartans on Tuesday night. Notching their tenth consecutive win, the the maroon and Columbia blue clad Spartans now enjoy an impressive 25-4 record as the end of the regular season draws close.

Katelyn Berry, one of nine seniors honored earlier during the senior night recognition ceremony, lead SJO with a match-high 10 kills. The four-year veteran was also credited with three digs.

"It's so weird, so sad honestly," said Berry, who was multitasking between processing the first of many milestones of her senior year and celebrating her team's victory. "It felt good to get the win."

It was nearly an even matchup for first half of set one until the home team blasted seven unanswered points to go up 18-11. After allowing their opponent six more points, SJO closed out the set with a down-the-line boomer from junior Kennedi Burnett for a 25-17 finish.

"We started off slow, but came back," Berry said, analyzing the initial set. "We need to work on starting out stronger."

In a mirrored start of the first set, SJO dropped the first point of the second and let Olympia take a 3-1 lead. They led the contest for just three of the next 20 exchanges until the score reached 10-all.

"We kept our composure," said head coach Abby McDonald, whose program improved to 7-1, second in the Illini Prairie Conference behind St. Thomas More. "We played a mature match and we made it count when we need to."

Calmly and self-assured, McDonald's team turned up the intensity collecting five points for every one they relinquished to the visiting Spartans. Olympia called a timeout at 19-12 hoping the break would shift the momentum back to their side of the court, but it was too late.

Brodie Sullivan leads fellow football players and volleyball fans in singing Sweet Caroline before the start of St. Joseph-Ogden's last home match of the season. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Senior Katelyn Berry puts the ball away during set two of SJO's home match against Olympia. SJO play their final conference match of the season at Monticello Thursday and start their postseason campaign next Tuesday at Oakwood High School. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

The Spartans were playing in the zone. In their happy place, Berry along with Burnett and Stephanie Trame, registered four kills for the last eight points of the match sealing their Illini Prairie Conference win, 25-14.

Burnett finished the contest with five kills, seven digs and two aces for SJO. Jenna Albrecht added another four kills and Emily Bigger racked up 24 assists. Fellow senior Kenly Taylor contributed five digs and an ace in their home court finale.

Olympia's offense was lead by junior Abby Stine and Bella Dickhut with four kills each. Kaelyn Leverson, a senior, had 20 assists. The Spartans fall to 4-4 in the conference and 15-13 overall on the season.

St. Joseph-Ogden, who have lost just one road match out of 13 this season, squares off next at Monticello (19-13) in the last IPC match of the season. The Sages boast a 7-1 record on their home court going into tomorrow night's contest.

McDonald is eagerly looking forward to the match in Monticello and competing in the annual Mt. Pulaski tournament this weekend. SJO will face Mt. Zion and Illini Central in pool play on Saturday morning.

"I think this group plays much better on the road."

Great Value products recalled

Before you chow down on those sausage patties in the morning you might want to look at the label first.

Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released a statement that more than six thousand pounds of ready-to-eat pork sausage and turkey patty products produced in George's Prepared Foods' Caryville, Tennessee facility is subject to recall after a small quantity tested positive for Salmonella.

The contaminated product packaged under the Great Value brand name may have been distributed to Walmart Stores after their third-party cold storage facility inadvertently shipped the meat products.

If you purchased these items you are urged not to eat them and return it to the place of purchase for a refund or exchange, or thrown away immediately.

"FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers' refrigerators or freezers or both," the agency announced in Friday'statement. "Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase." Here are the packaged goods recalled :

Product Name: Great Value Original Breakfast Turkey Patties 24.92oz
UPC: 0007874212373 Best If used By Date: 10/24/2019 EST Number: 2260T

Product Name: Great Value Fully Cooked Original Pork Sausage Patties 35.6oz
UPC: 0007874203062 Best If used By Date: 11/05/19 EST Number: 2260T

Product Name: Great Value Fully Cooked Original Pork Sausage Patties 35.6oz
UPC: 0007874203062 Best If used By Date: 11/03/19 EST Number: 2260T

Product Name: Great Value Original Pork Sausage Patties 24.9oz
UPC: 0007874202095 Best If used By Date: 10/16/19 EST Number: 2260T

Salmonella symptoms usually start 12 to 72 hours after the contaminate food has been eaten. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. While most people recover in four to seven days without treatment, death may occur with older people, infants, or those with compromised immune systems.

As of today there has not been any reported illness attributed to the listed products. George's issued a statement on their website confirming the recall.

Bigger pounds 6 aces against BCC, Burnett lights up the floor with double-double

SJO's Payton Vallee goes up to block a kill attempt by Bloomington Central Catholic's Kate Moorman-Wolfe. Vallee had five kills against the Saints. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

A one-two combination comprised of Emily Bigger's serves and Kennedi Burnett's thunderous spikes was too much for the visiting Central Catholic (4-19 overall) volleyball team to handle. Thanks to the duo, the Spartan offense rolled to a 2-0 sweep over the Saints on Wednesday.

SJO dominated the opening set from the get-go. After dropping the first point, Bigger & Co. rattled of the nine unanswered points to take a 9-1 lead. It was a hole too deep for Central Catholic to recover from with the Spartan's hitters keeping the deficit at seven points or more the remainder of the set.

Up by 11 at 21-10, BCC would score one more point before the senior dominated squad closed out a brilliantly played set, 25-11.

The Spartans meticulously built a six-point lead after the first 14 points of the second set to go up, 10-4. The Saints, playing a much better defensive game, closed the gap to 11-8 and got within three points again at 12-9 before SJO's offense reignited.

After two unanswered points followed by a five-point run and then six unanswered points, SJO took commanding lead at 23-11. Three serves later the match was over ending the final set, 25-12.

Kennedi Burnett hits the ball down-the-line for one of her 10 kills. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

"I thought we played one of the best matches we've played all season," said head coach Abby McDonald, now three victories away from hitting the 300-win milestone. "They really embraced the changes we made this week and rose to the challenge."

Completely in the zone, Burnett collected a double-double with ten kills and ten digs. The senior also booked two of the team's four blocks. Classmate Katelyn Berry, hitting .467 for the evening, contributed eight kills and four digs to the cause.

Then there was Bigger. Outdoing her four-ace performance against Rantoul earlier in the week, she added another six to her career stats. The senior also had three digs and smashed a pair of kills on Saints.

Rounding out the total team effort, Payton Vallee was credited with five of the team's 31 kills in the conference win to help the Spartans pick up their 18th win of the season. Rylee Stahl, Kenly Taylor and Lacey Kaiser with three kills, each had five digs apiece.