MSJHS Cross Country at Parkside, Baseball on win streak, Girls’ Basketball begins season strong

By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com

Mahomet-Seymour placed fifth in Saturday’s 50-school Normal Parkside junior high school girls’ cross-country invitational.

Ava Boyd was the M-S leader, running the 2-mile course in 12 minutes, 17 seconds to finish 15th individually.

Avah Turner was 24th.

Other team leaders in the 313-runner field were Reese Gallier (50th), Ava Jansen (69th), Emmaline Culp (70th), Chloe Bundren (113th) and Phoebe Truax (200th).

Tolono Unity was the meet winner with 52 points. M-S’ team composite was 225.

Between the girls’ and boys’ races, the meet attracted 1,925 junior high runners. M-S supplied 120 of those competitors.

“With this year’s strength being our ability to pack up our runners, this meet provided us with the opportunity to have to work hard to find our Bulldog pack,” head coach Lisa Martin said. “With a crowded course, the Bulldogs searched to find each other during the races and were able to find teammates that helped push them into the finish line. 

“Our young runners had a great day also. We are excited about the leadership this team has on it as well as the young runners who are eager to learn and grow in the sport.”

In the crowded girls’ open race, 570 participants were on the course.

Twelve athletes from M-S finished in the top 100.

Leading the way was Haley Reed, whose 2-mile time of 14 minutes, 36 seconds enabled her to end in 35th place.

Other team leaders were Ainsley Smith (36th), Isabel Lietz (37th), Isabelle Scheele (41st), Isabelle Difanis (44th), Hadley Grotelueschen (57th), Emma Frazier (78th), Lauren Bednar (80th), Morgan Waisath  (81st), Lacie Bushman (84th), Cora Tandy (86th) and McKenzie Hissong (91st).

Mahomet-Seymour Junior High Boys’ cross-country

Davin Tetz was the lone M-S runner among the top 50 finishers in Saturday’s Normal Parkside Invitational.

Tietz ran the 2-mile course in 11 minutes, 28 seconds and placed 18th individually. There were 341 runners.

As a team, the Bulldogs placed 13th in a 50-school field. M-S’ team composite score was 382.

Meet champion Parker had a score of 94.

Other M-S leaders were: Lukas Nykaza (73rd), Isaac Warren (84th), Finn Randolph (93rd), Sean Dady-Dreher (114th), Grant Smysor (118th) and Ty Clark (122nd).

In a separate open division race, which attracted 701 runners, 16 M-S competitors finished among the top 100.

The team leader was Augustus Gaudio. He placed seventh with a 2-mile time of 12 minutes, 20 seconds.

Other Bulldog leaders were: Blake Dillman (10th), Landyn Hannah (15th), Kai Jones (16th), Henry McMurry (26th), Kaden Jackson (34th), Emmett Kearns (39th), Parker Wilkins (40th), Zach Wilcoski (42nd), Chase Dockham (45th), Charlie Hawley (47th), Owen Mahannah (69th), Jaxon Themanson (71st), Tucker Loven (72nd), Preston Sriver (85th) and Will Anderson (99th).

Mahomet-Seymour Junior High Baseball

Raymond Long struck out 10 in four innings of work on Tuesday (Sept. 10) as the Bulldogs upended George Evans 14-3.  Long yielded three hits and walked no one.

Matthew Orr struck out three batters in the fifth inning to close out the win.

Nolan Johnson and Cade Starrick spearheaded the M-S offense.

Johnson was 4-for-4. Starrick was 3-for-3 and walked once. They combined to drive in six runs.

Long and Braden Pagel each contributed two hits. Pagel and Johnson each scored three runs.

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, M-S topped Franklin 12-8, recovering from an 8-1 deficit with an eight-run fifth inning.

Johnson and Collin Ishcomer combined to strike out seven batters.

Gavin Bailey and Starrick each knocked in three runs.

On Thursday (Sept. 12), M-S dealt Clinton a 12-2, five-inning loss.

Peyton Cox pitched a complete game for M-S, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out four.

Noah Butler had three hits and drove in three runs to lead the Bulldogs. He also stole four bases. Teammates with two hits apiece were Johnson and Pagel.

Johnson knocked in a game-high five runs.

M-S is 11-3 and has a seven-game winning streak.

Mahomet-Seymour Junior High Softball

Before being ousted in the IESA softball regionals by the top-seeded team, M-S gained revenge for an early-season loss to Champaign Jefferson.

On Wednesday (Sept. 11), the Bulldogs rebounded to edge Jefferson 8-7 in a regional quarterfinal contest for the team’s third consecutive win.

M-S led early, 4-1, but trailed 6-4 entering the sixth inning. The Bulldogs scored in the sixth and again in the seventh to create extra innings.

An eighth-inning run secured the win.

“The girls played a great game with a lot of pressure moments,” coach James Heinold said.

In Saturday’s semifinal round, top-seeded Unity ended the M-S season with a 14-3 triumph.

“We came out swinging and scored the first run of the game,” Heinold said. “Unfortunately, we had some untimely errors and they scored runs.”

M-S ended the season with an 8-11 record.

“I am very proud of the improvements that the girls made from the beginning of the year to the end,” Heinold said. “They always played hard and never quit.

“I believe the eighth-graders will make a big impact and strengthen a very competitive high school program. I am looking forward to the returning seventh-graders and to build upon what they were able to accomplish this year.”

Mahomet-Seymour Junior High Girls’ basketball

M-S opened its season on Tuesday with a pair of victories.

The seventh-grade squad topped Champaign Franklin 51-18.

The eighth-graders defeated Franklin 41-12.

Next up are home games for each team on Thursday against Danville North Ridge.