January 02, 2025
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NewsTribune College Update: Amellia Bromenschenkel leading Purdue-Fort Wayne

Three area players contributing for Illinois baseball; Rachel Hickey setting records at Illinois State

By Kevin Chlum
Purdue-Fort Wayne's Amellia Bromenschenkel, a Mendota graduate, pushes the ball down the floor during a game this season.

Purdue-Fort Wayne's Amellia Bromenschenkel, a Mendota graduate, pushes the ball down the floor during a game this season. (Photo provided by Purdue-Fort Wayne/John N)

Mendota graduate Amellia Bromenschenkel scored 18 points Thursday to lead the No. 6-seeded Purdue-Fort Wayne women’s basketball team to a 73-69 upset victory over No. 3 IUPUI in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League Tournament.

Bromenschenkel scored eight points in the final two minutes, including a steal and layup along with 3 of 4 free throws in the final 12 seconds.

The Mastodons will play No. 1 Green Bay in the semifinals at noon Monday.

Bromenschenkel is leading the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game and rebounding at 5.1 per game and also is averaging 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Bromenschenkel was named Third-Team All-Horizon League as she averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals in conference games.

She has seven 20-point games and scored a season-high 25 points twice — once against Wright State and also against top-15 ranked Maryland.

Bromenschenkel also was chosen to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. Bromenschenkel has a 3.61 GPA as a mechanical engineering major.

Ella Goodrich (Fieldcrest) played in all 25 games for Monmouth, starting 14. She averaged 2.4 points and 2.2 rebounds.

Johnny Riva (La Salle-Peru) recently wrapped up his freshman season at North Central College. The Cardinals finished 14-12 overall and 8-8 in the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

TRACK AND FIELD

Rachel Hickey (La Salle-Peru) set records and helped Illinois State to its fifth Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championship in the last six years.

At the MVC Meet, Hickey placed second in the mile in 4:57.62 and took third in the 800 meters in 2:12.35. Earlier in the indoor season, Hickey ran a 2:06.63 to break the school record in the 800 at the Valentine Invite in Boston. It is the third school record Hickey has broken in her career.

Also at ISU, Ashley Heagy (La Salle-Peru) placed third in the mile (5:17.11) and sixth in the 800 (2:26.76) at the Eastern Illinois University Friday Night Special.

Bret Dannis (St. Bede) placed eighth in the 60 hurdles in 7.84 seconds for Illinois at the Big Ten Conference Indoor Championships. Earlier in the indoor season, he ran a personal-best 7.74 seconds in the 60 hurdles to finish second at the Don Kirby Invitational in New Mexico.

BASEBALL

Area players are making an impact at the University of Illinois. Cam McDonald (Hall) recorded his 200th career hit. Through seven games, he’s hitting .355 (9 for 31) with two home runs, a triple, three doubles, nine RBIs and nine runs. Julius Sanchez (La Salle-Peru) struck out the first batter he faced in his college debut. He’s made three appearances on the mound, making one start. Sanchez is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA. He’s allowed nine hits while striking out seven batters and walking five in seven innings. Ty Rybarczyk (Hall) has made one appearance, giving up six hits with three strikeouts and three walks in four innings.

At Southeast Missouri State, Chance Resetich (Hall) has played in the team’s first eight games, making seven starts at second base. He’s hitting .179 (5 for 28) with a home run, two doubles, six runs and five RBIs. He has a 1.000 fielding percentage.

In two starts for Parkland this season, Trez Rybarczyk (Hall) is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA. He has allowed seven hits while striking out 10 batters and walking one in seven innings.

Black Hawk is loaded with area players in Payton Plym (Hall), Ethan Plym (Hall), Ean Compton (Princeton), Alec Bulak (Hall) and Jack Savitch (Hall).

At Monmouth, Luke Kelty (Hall) has made two appearances on the mound. He has two strikeouts and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Jack Scheri (La Salle-Peru) is a freshman at Creighton.

SOFTBALL

Kaitlyn Gibson (La Salle-Peru) ripped an RBI double to spark a five-run fifth inning for Ball State in a comeback victory over Loyola. She is hitting .143 (1 for 7) in seven games.

Abbie May (St. Bede) has started two games this season for Purdue Northwest. She is 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA. She has struck out five batters and walked three in 11 innings.

SWIMMING

Peyton Heagy (La Salle-Peru) had a solid freshman season at Indiana State.

She helped the Sycamores place second at the Missouri Valley Championships for the first time.

Heagy swam on Indiana State’s school-record setting 400-yard freestyle relay. The Sycamores swam a 3:22.09 to place third.

Earlier in the season, Heagy was named MVC Freshman of the Week after a strong performance at the Valley Showcase.

At that event, she placed sixth in the 50 freestyle (24.62 seconds), fourth in the 100 freestyle (5.86) and third in the 100 breaststroke B final (1:08.5). She also helped the 400 freestyle relay to a win in the A final in 3:28.61.

Caden Brooks (Princeton) helped McKendree to an undefeated dual record. In the final dual of the season, he placed third in the 500 freestyle in 4:48.14.

At the Great Lakes Valley Conference Meet in which McKendree placed third, Brooks took ninth in the 1,650 in 15:54.04.

GOLF

Ethan Hanaman (Mendota) is a freshman at Missouri Baptist. He is starting qualifying rounds for the spring season, which begins March 13.