MSHS boys’ track and field win Apollo Conference meet, girls’ finish runner-up, baseball wins in 10 over Mattoon
By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
Mahomet-Seymour emerged as the Apollo Conference team champions after completion of the rescheduled boys’ track and field league meet on Friday.
The Bulldogs accumulated 132 points. Runner-up Mount Zion, the host school, placed second with 118 points.
M-S had double placers in both weight events.
Hunter Hendershot and Morrie Mendenhall swept the top two spots in the shot put.
Hendershot’s winning toss was 58-0 ½. Mendenhall’s top mark was 49-7 ½.
“We are getting confident that Morrie will also be able to qualify for the state meet,” Bulldog coach Todd Lafond said.
Hendershot was dominant in the discus, producing a winning throw of 175-0.
Third-place Costen Campion, from M-S, had a 141-8 toss.
C.J. Shoaf was a three-event winner for M-S.
He captured first in the high jump (5 feet, 11 inches), the 110-meter high hurdles (16.04 seconds) and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (42.09 seconds).
For both Shoaf and double distance winner Mathias Powell, Lafond emphasized place over time, saying he asked them “to just do enough to win.”
Powell swept the long-distance runs, clocking 9:53.85 in the 3,200 meters and 4:24.16 in the 1,600 meters.
Shoaf had company in both hurdles race. M-S’ Peter Slezak was second in the 300 event (42.32 seconds) and took third in the high hurdles (15.59 seconds).
“Slezak is coming on at the right time,” Lafond said.
M-S’ freshmen-sophomore 3,200-meter relay made a huge impact in the varsity race, finishing second in 8:41.27.
Freshmen Kyle Nofziger, Joseph Scheele and Jonah Singer shared the baton with sophomore Matthew Sims. Singer cinched the runner-up spot with a 2:05 anchor leg.
“I told them all we needed was a second,” Lafond said. “That is exactly what they did.”
M-S had top six placements in three other individual events and three other relays.
In the triple jump, Bulldogs Noah Powell and Kaeden Hamilton were point-scorers. Powell was fourth in 36-9 ½. Hamilton was sixth in 36-0 ½.
Colin Balbach was third in the pole vault (12-6) and Singer ran sixth in the 800 meters (2:08.90).
The school’s 400 relay was fourth (45.57 seconds), the 800 relay was third (1:37.29) and the 1,600 relay was sixth (3:53.82).
M-S returns to action on Saturday, hosting its own invitational at Frank Dutton Track.
Girls’ track and field
Distance runners Elizabeth Sims and Brisa McGrath went 1-2 in both the 3,200- and 1,600-meter runs in Friday’s Apollo Conference Meet at Mount Zion.
The 36 points they collectively earned for their performances in those two races helped M-S to a runner-up team finish. Meet champion Mount Zion rolled up 161 points. M-S was second with 121 points.
The Bulldogs scored points in 15 of 18 events.
Sims was timed in 12 minutes, 15.51 seconds in the 3,200 and 5:27.40 in the 1.600.
McGrath’s times were 12:24.62 and 5:29.43, respectively.
Lakeida Nichols placed among the top three in three individual events.
Nichols outraced everyone in the 100 meters (12.87), finished second in the 200 meters (26.83) and third in the long jump (16-5 ½).
Hailee McCall-Ochs and Amaya Francom each scored points in two individual events.
McCall-Ochs was fourth in the shot put (31-5 ½) and sixth in the discus (82-0).
Francom took third in the 300-meter hurdles (51.11) and sixth in the 100 hurdles (18.25).
Bulldogs Cece Abramson and Mara Pletcher ended second and third respectively, in the pole vault. Abramson cleared 11-1. Pletcher hit 10-7.
M-S teammates Chloe Allen and Klein Powell were medalists in the 800 meters. Allen was fourth in 2:32.92 and Powell was sixth in 2:37.27.
Other individual placers for M-S at the conference meet were Caitlin Thomason (second in the discus, 89-3), Sylvia Byron (fifth in the 100 hurdles, 17.82) and Destiny Pryor (sixth in the long jump, 15-4).
All four M-S relays clinched spots among the top four.
The 400-meter relay was the runner-up (52.12), the 3,200 relay ended third (10:53.30), the 800 relay took fourth (2:02.91) and the 1,600 relay was also fourth (4:29.35).
M-S returns to action on Thursday in the Tolono Class 2A Sectional. Field events will start at 4 p.m. and running events will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Baseball
Kobe Essien pitched eight innings of no-hit ball on Saturday, but wound up with a no decision as the Bulldogs needed 10 innings to edge visiting Mattoon 1-0 in an Apollo Conference game.
M-S claimed the victory on Nate McFall’s one-out, walk-off home run in the 10th inning. Reliever Ben Greenberger, who allowed one hit in two innings, picked up the pitching victory.
Greenberger was the only Bulldog with hits in each game. He was 2-for-4 in the opener and 2-for-3 in the second game.
Mattoon salvaged a split with a 4-1 second-game conquest.
Dawson Finch pitched six innings in the second game, allowing six hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Kyle Kinney pitched the final inning.
Finch drove in Jake Anderson with the lone M-S run in the second game.
M-S (13-6-1) returns to action today at home against Prairie Central.
Softball
Sam Tamburo collected two hits, including a double, on Friday in the Bulldogs’ 5-2 loss at home to Bloomington Central Catholic.
Each team finished with seven hits.
Allison Nofziger belted a triple for M-S.
Aubrie Shore pitched five innings for the Bulldogs. She allowed five hits, two walks and struck out five.
Karley Yergler worked the final two innings, allowing two hits while walking one and fanning one.
M-S (12-8) returns to action today at home against Fisher.
