Forreston-Polo track athletes headed to state meet

By DAN WUSSOW dwussow@shawmedia.com

EDGINGTON – More than 40 Sauk Valley area track and field athletes punched their tickets to the IHSA state finals in Charleston at the Class 1A Rockridge Sectional at Edgington High School on a windy Friday afternoon.

Forreston-Polo senior Jace Engbert qualified on time in the 110 hurdles (16.19) in his first year of high school track and field.

“I’m very surprised because this is my first year of track and field and I’m a senior. The last time I did hurdles I was in eighth grade, so I’m just really surprised that I made it this year,” Engbert said. “I was ranked third [coming in] and I got third, so I was kind of expecting to get third, but I was not expecting to drop almost a half a second off my time.”

Forreston-Polo’s Michael Taylor won the sectional title in the high jump, clearing 1.9 meters and he teamed with De’Angelo Fernandez, McKeon Crase and Noah Dewey to win the 4x200 (1:30.79) and take second in the 4x100 (43.44). The Cardinals also qualified with a third-place finish in the 4x400 (3:27.12) with Crase, Brock Soltow, Micah Nelson and Dewey.

Milledgeville-Eastland’s Kacen Johnson won the sectional title in the 110 hurdles (15.36 seconds) and the 300 hurdles (42.00), and advanced on time with fourth-place finishes in both the 4x100 relay (44.08) and 4x200 (1:32.74). Kolton Wilk, Draven Zier and Bryce Aude also ran in both sprint relays.

“4x1 felt pretty good. We had clean handoffs. We were pretty fast, so I’m glad we got [to state] on our time. That was our goal at the beginning of the year,” Johnson said. “And then the 110 hurdles, really, I’ve been doing pretty good all year. I kind of was confident that I’d qualify, but I was looking for a PR. ... I was really happy with qualifying for both.”

Wilk won the long jump title with a leap of 6.37 meters, and Parker Krogman ran a 42.23 to advance as the second-place finisher in the 300 hurdles. The Missiles also advanced in the 4x400 as the 10th and final qualifier in

Sports Roundup Baseball

Forreston 6, Eastland 1: A four-run fourth inning propelled the Forreston baseball team to a 6-1 victory over Eastland in a Class 1A Forreston

Regional semifinal May 18.

Patrick Wichman drove in two runs and scored another, and Owen Greenfield had a pair of singles, an RBI and a run scored for the Cardinals. Ayden Book also drove in a pair of runs for

3:34.70 with Wilk, Konner Johnson, Krogman and Zier.

Morrison freshman Brady Anderson qualified in the 100 (2nd, 11.06), and the 4x100 (3rd, 43.86), 4x200 (5th, 1:32.77) and 4x400 relays (1st, 3:27.12).

Levi and Zach Milder both ran in the 4x100 and 4x200. Chase Newman was the fourth runner in the 4x100, and Logan Baker in the 4x200. Zach Milder, Baker and Newman joined Anderson in the sectional championship 4x400.

Fulton’s Daken Pessman fought through an injury to qualify on distance in the triple jump, recording a fourth-place leap of 12.67 meters. Steamers teammate Braiden Damhoff qualified in shot put on distance with a third-place throw of 15.07 meters.

“I came in hurt, I hurt my heel in conference last week, so I was kind of

Forreston, as six players scored for the Cardinals.

Alex Ryia started on the mound and pitched four shutout innings, allowing one hit and three walks to go with three strikeouts. Carson Akins gave up one hit and had three strikeouts in 12/3 innings of scoreless relief, and Alex Milnes allowed one run and two hits in 11/3 innings, with a strikeout and a walk.

Fulton 11, Forreston 3: The Steamers hoping just to make the distance,” Pessman said. “My first jump I didn’t get it, and I hurt my heel again. So I iced it and gave it my all and qualified.” got the edge with a four-run first inning, then pulled away from the Cardinals with a six-run fifth in the Class 1A regional final win May 20.

Erie-Prophetstown’s Parker Holdorf won the sectional title in the pole vault, clearing 4.12 meters, and teammate Caleb Eads advanced on distance in the triple jump, recording a third-place leap of 12.79 meters. E-P’s Charlie Link, Lucas Dreisbach, Wyatt Beck and Gus Schultz qualified on time in the 4x800 with a fourth-place run of 8:31.50. Link narrowly missed a state berth in the 1,600, finishing fourth in 4:39.83, just .03 seconds off state-qualifying time.

Newman’s Wyatt Widolff, Lucas Simpson, Lucas Schaab and Kenny Boesen ran an 8:26:40 to qualify with a second-place finish in the 4x800 relay.

AJ Boardman, Ethan Price and QJ Mangelsen had two hits each to lead Fulton. Boardman and Price both had two RBIs. Boardman and Mangelsen both hit triples.

Reed Owen pitched six innings for the Steamers, allowing three unearned runs on four hits, striking out five with five walks. James Crimmins pitched one inning of scoreless, hitless relief, striking out one with one walk. Owen Greenfield had two hits and Brendan Greenfield had two RBIs for Forreston.

Schaab also qualified in the 1,600 meters, running a 4:36.98 for second place, and Widolff, Boesen and Simpson joined Brady Williamson to qualify in the 4x400 (3:34.60); the Comets placed eighth, but 10 teams qualified for state in the 4x400.

Riverdale’s Tommy Murray won sectional titles in the 1,600 (4:29.46) and 3,200 (9:36.09), and also teamed with Brody Clark, Landis Musser and Peyton Sand to finish fourth in the 4x400 (3:31.86).

1A Oregon Sectional: Oregon’s Aidan Guida was the lone local state qualifier at Landers-Loomis Field.

Guida finished second in the 200 in 23.28 seconds.

He just missed in the 100, finishing third in 11.43, .08 seconds off the state qualifying time.

Softball

Marengo 8, Oregon 3: Ella Dannhorn hit a home run as Oregon came up short in the Class 2A Oregon Regional championship.