MSHS Soccer wins IHSA Regional Championship, MSHS Boys Track Sectional Champions, Softball wins, Baseball splits two

By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com

The best girls’ soccer team in Mahomet-Seymour history continues to improve its legacy.

Last week, the Bulldogs broke the single-season wins mark with No. 20.

On Saturday, M-S added its 21st victory.

Last year, the program won back-to-back regional titles for the first time in school history.

On Saturday, the current senior class became the school’s first with three consecutive regional championships.

It wasn’t easy.

The Bulldogs and former Corn Belt Conference foe Normal University High (11-11-1) were tied 1-1 after regulation (40 minutes) and after another two 10-minute overtime periods.

M-S (21-2) won it on penalty kicks, 3-1.

Erin Lenschow, Maddy Wade and Melissa Singleton all found the net in the penalty kick round.

U-High hit its first shot, then missed its next three, thanks in part to two saves by M-S keeper Sarah Hohenstein.

A goal by Meredith Johnson-Monfort — her school-record 43rd of the spring — 10 minutes into the second half was the lone Bulldog tally through the game’s first 60 minutes of action. Her goal was assisted by Lenschow.

U-High managed to force OT by scoring with eight seconds left in regulation on a shot from 35 yards.

Hohenstein finished with 11 saves, nine during regulation.

Overall, the regional title is the eighth for M-S in the past 16 years in girls’ soccer.

M-S returns to action on Tuesday in the sectional semifinals at Urbana, playing Springfield at 5 p.m.

Boys’ track

For the second year in a row, Mahomet-Seymour’s boys’ track and field team was crowned sectional champions.

The Bulldogs won the Rantoul Class 2A Sectional on Thursday by the narrowest of margins.

M-S totaled 75 points. Runner-up Unity had 74 1/2 points. Third-place Mount Zion had 58 points.

The Bulldogs will compete at state in seven different individual events.

Hunter Hendershot was the sectional champion in the shot put (55 feet, 3 inches) and took second in the discus (161-3).

Also advancing in two events was Riley Fortune. He was second in the 1,600 meters (4 minutes, 30 seconds) and qualified in the 800 meters (1:58.7) after placing third.

Coach Todd Lafond’s team had three other individual sectional champions.

Callan Whitehouse was the pole vault winner, clearing 15 feet.

Brandon Bretz won the 400 meters in 50.45.

Mathias Powell captured the 3,200 meters, winning in 9:45.

The state meet for M-S will start with the semifinals on Friday morning.

In all, 11 Bulldogs scored points at sectionals. Each was essential in the team chase.

Powell provided points for M-S in a second running race. He was third in the 1,600 (4:32.08).

Hurdlers C.J. Shoaf and Peter Slezak scored team points in the meet.

Shoaf, a freshman, was fifth in the 110 high hurdles (16.10). Slezak, a sophomore, was sixth in the 300 hurdles (42.94).

The Bulldogs also received points from a second discus thrower. Senior Skyler O’Connor was fourth (130-3).

The sectional crown was the fifth for M-S in the past 12 years. The others were earned in 2017, 2012, 2011 and 2007.

Baseball

Brooks Coetzee hit home runs in each game as M-S (17-8) split a doubleheader against Lincoln on Thursday to finish with a 6-6 record in Apollo Conference games.

Lincoln won the opener 8-6 and M-S salvaged the split with a 3-2 win in the second game.

Coetzee, Lukas Graham and Kyle Kinney were the only Bulldogs with hits in both games.

Coetzee drove in six runs for the twin bill, including all three in the nightcap.

His two-run homer was the game-winner.

Jordan Veldman had three hits in the opener. Graham walked three times in the first game.

Tanner Kirts pitched 4 2/3 innings in Game 1, but had no decision. He allowed five hits, walked four and struck out three.

Dawson Finch worked the final 2 1/3 innings, yielding four hits, walking two and striking out two. He permitted five ones, but just one was earned. Finch suffered the loss.

In Game 2, winning pitcher Kinney pitched the first five innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out two.

Cory Noe faced the minimum number of batters while earning a two-inning save. Noe fanned four.

Coetzee and Austin Biehl share the team-lead in home runs with five apiece.

As a team, the Bulldogs have hit seven home runs in their last seven games.

Softball

The Bulldogs (14-14) won their third game in a row while posting their fourth shutout of the season, a 10-0 win at Urbana on Thursday.

Aubrie Shore pitched a two-hitter, walking no one and striking out nine.

She was backed by a 15-hit attack.

Layne Acree and Julia McNaught each had three hits. McNaught drove in three runs.

Teammates with two hits were Allison Nofziger, Madi Scott and Ashley Wheeler.

Overall, eight Bulldogs had hits and six of them swatted extra-base hits. McNaught drilled two doubles. Scott and Kameryn Brotherton each had one double. Nofziger, Wheeler and Ashley Campbell all hit triples.