College update: Mariah Hobson, Emma Kruse-Carter back in the game

Two former Princeton soccer players are back in the game this year after taking a year off recovering from knee injuries.

Mariah Hobson and 2022 classmate Emma Kruse-Carter both sustained ACL injuries during their senior season at Princeton.

Hobson came back two weeks later to score two goals and break the school’s single-season scoring record (107) before shutting things down the rest of the season to have surgery.

The three-time BCR Soccer Player of the Year is back on the pitch at Monmouth College this fall. She was featured on Monmouth’s social media promotion for the Fighting Scotts’ season-opening match on Aug. 30.

“It feels good to be back,” Hobson said. “It’s a little scary, but I’m meant to be on that field, so it’s all coming back to me.”

“It’s a little scary, but I’m meant to be on that field, so it’s all coming back to me.”

—  Mariah Hobson

Kruse-Carter has already played in six games for Black Hawk College, including a 4-0 win at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on Aug. 28.

She said it’s good to be back

“The knee is feeling good. I have not been wearing my brace, because I have been confident without it, which is a huge step,” she said. “I am very blessed to be able to play this year.”

On Saturday, Kruse-Carter will make a homecoming to play at IVCC at noon.

• Maggie Davis, of Princeton, made an Illinois homecoming on Aug. 24 with the Brescia University soccer team in Owensboro, Kent. when it played at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights. She is a junior defender for the Bearcats (1-3), majoring in accounting.

• Sophomore Anastasia Mallery-Sondgeroth (Malden/Princeton) and freshmen Jacob Moore and Noah Mzoughi of Spring Valley/Hall are playing for IVCC.

Volleyball

• A pair of Princeton classmates had a reunion in a JV match. Miyah Fox is a freshman at Mt. Mercy University and Chrissy Sierens is a freshman member at St. Ambrose University.

Bureau Valley grad Kate Salisbury, the 2023 BCR Player and Athlete of the Year, is also a freshman member of the St. Ambrose JV.

Fox also will be running track for the Mustangs next spring.

• IVCC has a new head coach from Bureau County, Kate Vigars of Princeton, as well as four freshmen - Cecilia Verucchi (Spring Valley/Hall), Natasha Faber-Fox (Malden/Princeton), Emily Robbins (Cherry/St. Bede) and Aubree Acuncius (Spring Valley/St. Bede).

• Two Putnam County products, sophomore Tori Balma and freshman Maggie Richetta have been reunited with the Sauk Valley volleyball team. Freshman Reanna Brant of Mendota has also joined the team this fall.

Golf

• Adam Vigars, of Princeton, is a senior swinger for the Kansas Wesleyan University golf team in Salina, Kan. He is a Network Management and System Administration major.

• Sophomores Parker Stier of Bureau Valley and Brendan Pillion of St. Bede/Ladd are playing for Sauk Valley.

• Sophomores Grant Plym of Hall and Jake Delaney, a former BCR Golfer of the Year, are playing for IVCC.

• Rivers Jordan, a sophomore from Hall, is golfing for Anderson (Ind.) University.

• Jaden Eggers of Princeton returns for his sophomore season at Adrian (Mich.) College.

Cross country

• Former BCR Runner of the Year Elijah House of Bureau Valley has transferred to Sauk Valley from Heartland College this fall.

He’s joined by BV classmate Jillian Hulsing, sophomore Lexi Bohms, a two-time BCR Runner of the Year from Malden/Princeton, and newcomer Kiana Brokaw of Princeton.

*Brock Loftus of Ohio is now running for the University of Illinois-Springfield after graduating from Heartland College. He will also run track for the Prairie Stars.

• Princeton’s Christian Yepsen returns for his second season running for IVCC. He was the first recruit for IVCC’s program when it started up last year.