Powell and Hendershot capture Illinois Prep Top Times championship
By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
Two Mahomet-Seymour athletes won individual titles on Saturday in the boys’ Class 2A division of the Illinois Prep Top Times indoor track and field meet at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center.
The meet is considered the unofficial state indoor meet.
Junior Hunter Hendershot defended his title in the shot put, with a winning effort of 57 feet, 7 3/4 inches.
The runner-up was 15 inches behind Hendershot.
Senior Mathias Powell broke meet and school records in the 3,200-meter race.
His time was 9 minutes, 13.79 seconds. Powell was seeded second in the event.
The previous meet record (9:13.84) had stood since 2010.
Powell finished 8.50 seconds ahead of his closest pursuer.
C.J. Shoaf cleared 6-foot-3 and placed fifth in the high jump. He also tied a personal-best time in the 60-meter hurdles (8.85 seconds) and finished 14th.
The other boys’ competitor from M-S was pole vaulter Corey Cebulski, who did not place.
M-S will open the outdoor season on Monday, April 1 at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.
Girls’ track and field
Senior Brisa McGrath earned the sixth-place medal on Saturday in the Class 2A division of the 3,200 meters at the Illinois Prep Top Times unofficial indoor state finals in Bloomington.
McGrath cut nearly 11 seconds off her season’s best, covering the distance in 11 minutes, 38.60 seconds.
She also competed in the 1,600 meters and finished 14th in 5:31.69.
The Bulldogs’ other medalist was freshman Cece Abramson, who cleared 11 feet in the pole vault and captured fifth place.
The other M-S competitor was sprinter Lakeida Nichols.
She took 17th in the 60-meter dash (8.18 seconds) and 19th in the 200 meters (27.80 seconds).
M-S will open the outdoor season on Saturday in the Champaign County Meet at Urbana.
Girls’ soccer
Maddie Wade scored a goal and had two assists on Thursday as the Bulldogs (4-0) won at home over Metamora, 4-0.
Wade’s goal marked the only scoring of the first half.
Other M-S goals were scored by Cayla Koerner, Grace Lietz and Chloe Buzicky.
Maddie Louis also had an assist.
Noelle Bailey had three saves in her third successive shutout and the team’s fourth in four matches.
The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday at St. Thomas More.
Baseball
Leadoff batter Jordan Veldman swatted home runs in both games on Saturday and reached base on seven of eight plate appearances as the unbeaten Bulldogs (5-0) swept a non-conference doubleheader from visiting Urbana.
M-S won the opener 10-0 and added a 5-1 triumph in Game 2.
For the day, Veldman was 4-for-5, with three extra-base hits, while drawing three walks.
Veldman scored three runs in the opener. Ben Greenberger and Kyle Kinney each crossed home plate twice.
C.J. McKinney and Zack Chalk teamed up on a three-hitter in the first game. McKinney pitched 5 2/3 innings, yielding two hits and four walks while striking out eight.
In the nightcap, Veldman, Kinney, Jack McHale and Rick Bohlen all contributed two hits.
Teammate Jon Latham had hits in each game and knocked in three runs overall.
Greenberger earned the second-game win. In six innings, he struck out 10, walked one and permitted six hits.
Kinney pitched a hitless final inning, striking out two.
McKinney and Greenberger are the fourth and fifth different Bulldogs with pitching wins through five games.
On Thursday, Veldman delivered three hits and also drew a walk as the Bulldogs rallied on the road to beat Carterville, 4-2, in nine innings.
Dawson Finch collected two hits and also walked once.
Kobe Essien and Rick Bohlen shared the pitching chores.
Essien struck out 10 in his six-inning stint. He yielded two hits.
Reliever Bohlen picked up the win. He worked three innings, permitted four hits and struck out three.
The Bulldogs return to action today at home against Teutopolis.
Softball
Sam Tamburo slugged home runs in each game on Saturday as M-S (2-2) split a doubleheader at Galesburg.
Behind the complete-game pitching performance of Karley Yergler, the Bulldogs won the opener, 12-5.
Yergler struck out three and walked two.
Tamburo had three hits in the first game and Aubrie Shore had two hits. Shore doubled twice and Tamburo had a double to go with her home run.
They each drove in two runs as did Julia McNaught.
Galesburg salvaged a 7-6 win in the second game.
Shore pitched all six innings, striking out three and walking one.
Shore had her second two-hit game of the day, again lacing two doubles. Tamburo and Ashley Campbell each knocked in two runs.
Bulldogs with hits in both games besides Tamburo and Shore were Campbell, Yergler and Emma Clements.
The Bulldogs suffered a no-hit loss in their home-opener on Friday. Herscher captured an 18-0 victory in a five-inning game.
M-S’ lone base runner was Allison Nofziger, who drew a walk.
Shore walked four and struck out four in her three-inning stint.
Herscher built a 6-0 lead before the Bulldogs batted for the first time.
M-S returns to action on Tuesday with a home game against Stanford Olympia.
