Top Putnam County sports stories for 2024

Here’s a look at some of the top PC sports stories for 2024 in no particular order:

Harris, Richetta named PC Athletes of the Year

Seniors Orlando Harris and Maggie Richetta were named as the 2023-24 Male and Female Athletes of the Year for Putnam County High School.

Harris played for the Panthers basketball team.

Richetta played for the PC volleyball, girls basketball and softball teams.

PCJH girls return to state

The Putnam County eighth-grade girls basketball team punched its ticket back to the IESA Class 2A State finals with a 42-18 win over Kewanee Wethersfield at the Indian Creek Sectional on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

On Saturday, Dec. 14, the Pumas lost to Bluffs 28-13 in the IESA Class 2A quarterfinals at Havana Junior High School, finishing 23-3.

As seventh-graders, the Pumas placed fourth at state.

Top-seeded Putnam County Junior High defeated No. 2 Fieldcrest 31-10 to capture the Class 2A Putnam County eighth-grade regional championship on Wednesday, Nov. 27. PC opened the regional with a 41-3 win over No. 8 Marseilles and defeated No. 4 Spring Valley JFK 30-23 in the semifinals.

Team members for PC are Murphy Hopkins, Kenzie Pierski, McKenna Wrobleski, Hannah Heiberger, Tula Rue, McKlay Gensini, Millie Harris, Kami Nauman, Anni Judd and Lillian Bouxsein. They are coached by Nick Heuser and Charlie Lenkaitis.

Currie enjoys Big League experience at Busch

It was a big league experience in every way for Nicholas Currie.

The 2023 Putnam County graduate, a member of the Princeton Post 125, played for the Illinois All-Stars against the Missouri All-Stars in an American Legion All-Star game on Sunday, June 23 at Busch Stadium following the St. Louis Cardinals game with the San Francisco Giants.

Currie got to bat once, pitch an inning and play in the outfield two innings.

“It was an incredible experience. Getting out there and (to) play on a field like that, it was incredible,” Currie said. “There’s no other way to explain it, really. I mean everything was perfect down to every little detail. They made sure the field was ready for you like it was a professional game. It was really amazing. Even like warmup time, coming down from the tunnels underneath where we got changed for the game.”

Twice as nice for PCJH at IESA state track

Putnam County had a good run in the 2A IESA State Track & Field Finals at East Peoria, landing two state medals.

Maddox Poole placed third in the eighth-grade boys 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:01.12.

Anni Judd placed eighth (2:32.43) in the seventh-grade girls 800 meters and 10th (5:45.5) in the 1,600 meters.

PC’s eighth-grade girls 4x100 relay of Judd, Sarah Schennum, Chloe Christiansen and Mylee Christiansen placed 17th of 27 teams with a time of 5:55.70. Makenna Wrobleski served as the alternate.

Pumas win baseball regional

The Putnam County Junior High Pumas defeated Peru Parkside 6-1 to capture the Class 2A Fieldcrest Regional baseball championship. The Pumas also beat Spring Valley JFK 4-0 and LaSalle Lincoln 17-1 at regionals.

The Pumas lost to Washington 8-1 in the sectional finals.

Bi-County softball 3-peats

The Bi-County Junior League Softball All-Stars made it back to state for the third straight year, the second at the Junior League level with one in Little League.

Bi-County defeated Mendota 14-9 in the District 20 championship game at Sunset Park in Peru, completing a sweep of tournament play and repeat as district champions.

Along the way, Bi-County defeated LaSalle 7-0 by forfeit, Princeton 15-0 and Mendota 5-1 in the semifinals before coming back for the 14-9 championship-game triumph.

Team members are Britney Trinidad, Eden Carlson, Sarah Schenum, Avery Sherman, Alexis Margis, Kami Nauman, Chloe Parcher, Paige Tonioni, Myah Richardson, Piper Terando and Kennedy Holocker and coaches Steve Tonioni, Shannon Jenkins, Brandi Margis and Elizabeth Parcher.

PCJH volleyball finish as undefeated TCC champions

The Putnam County seventh- and eighth-grade volleyball teams finished as undefeated champions in the Tri-County Conference by sweeping Midland.

Both teams took the top seed into the Tri-County Conference Tournament at Henry and swept the titles.

The eighth-grade Pumas defeated Fieldcrest and Henry to take the title. They finished with a 17-5 record.

The seventh-grade Pumas defeated Henry and El Paso-Gridley for the championship, finishing at 19-3.

Putnam County’s Kami Nauman and Britney Trinidad received the Tri-County Conference’s Sportsmanship Award.

Judd 14th in state cross country

Putnam County sixth-grader Anni Judd saved her best for last in the IESA Class 2A State Cross Country Meet at Maxwell Park in Normal.

She placed 14th, running the two miles in 12:31, shaving 26 seconds off of her sectional time. She was just five seconds off of a top-10 finish. Judd was the runner-up at last week’s Seneca Sectional with a time of 12:57.

Richetta named all-conference at Sauk

Putnam County grad Maggie Richetta was one of four players from Sauk Valley Community College named to the Arrowhead All-Conference volleyball team for 2024.

She finished with 229 kills, 114 blocks and 78 digs for the Skyhawks, who finished 31-8 overall and 9-0 in the conference.

Jenkins receives call to the Hall

Legendary Putnam County High School baseball coach Ken Jenkins was one of 16 honorees in this year’s Shaw Media Illinois Valley Hall of Fame class on Thursday, June 6 in LaSalle.

As PC baseball coach from 1979-2008, Jenkins finished with 517 wins, seven regional titles and three sectional titles. He led three PC baseball teams to state: 1982, 1998 (fourth) and 2008 (third).

Jenkins was named IBCA Coach of the Year in 1982, 1998, and 2008, and is a member of the PC Hall of Fame & IBCA Hall of Fame.

He also coached basketball at PC from 1984-90, finishing with career record of 78-67.