Area roundup: Dixon boys win, Rock Falls boys fall, Newman boys split in golf

Sterling girls run to win at Moline Invite, while Johnson takes top spot in boys race

Sauk Valley sports roundup

The Dixon boys golf team defeated Rockford Christian 182-185 on Monday in a Big Northern dual at Timber Creek.

Alex Harrison was medalist with a 43 for the Dukes, while Mason Weigle and Steven Kitzman both shot 45. Ben Oros added a 48, and Cade Hey fired a 51.

Geneseo 148, Rock Falls 170: The Rockets fell to the Maple Leafs in a nonconference dual at Rock River Golf and Pool.

Carter Dillon’s 37 led Rock Falls, while Nick Vickers and Brody VanWeelden both fired 44s. Colby Ward added a 45, Conner Porter had a 48, and Cheyenne Hansen shot a 49.

Geneseo’s Bryson VanHoutte was medalist with a 35.

Hall 170, Newman 181, Sherrard 191: The Comets split a Three Rivers triangular at Spring Creek, led by medalist Kyle Wolfe.

Wolfe shot a 37 to edge Hall’s Landon Plym by one stroke for top honors. Logan Palmer added a 40 for Newman, while Carson Palmer shot a 59 and Garret Wolfe fired a 55. Sam Neisewander (57) and Andrew Downs (63) also played for the Comets.

Sterling 10th in DeKalb: The Golden Warriors played at the Mark Rolfing Invite and placed 10th with a 370, led by Mason Hubbard’s 14th-place finish.

Hubbard shot an 85, while Cam O’Brien and Trevor Dir both fired 94s, and Braden Hartman rounded out the Sterling score with a 97. Carter Morris and Cale Cushman both added 107s.

Geneva won the team title with a 317, 10 shots better than runner-up St. Charles North.

Amboy 180, Dakota 246: The Clippers rolled past the Indians at Shady Oaks, led by medalist Hayden Wittenauer’s 39 and runner-up Wes Wilson’s 40.

Also for Amboy, Griffin Bushman had a 49, Carson Barlow fired a 52, Logan O’Brien added a 58, and Bryson Full shot a 64.

Eastland 223, Polo 280: The Marcos’ Cody Buskohl was medalist with a 47, but the Cougars had five of the top six scores in an NUIC dual at Lake Carroll.

Keagan Strauch was runner-up with a 53 to lead Eastland, while Cameron Huber fired a 56, and Braden Anderson and Parker Krogman added 57s. Kayden Knutti (65) and Perry Stoner (74) also competed for the Cougars.

Aiden Messer shot a 70, Caleb Sutton had a 71, and Wyatt Brooks added a 92 for Polo.

Fulton 167, Galena 172, Warren 223: The Steamers remained undefeated on the season with a win in an NUIC triangular at Fulton Country Club.

Landon Meyers shot a 40, and Brady Read fired a 41 for Fulton. Reed Owen and Dawson Price both had 43s, Jacob Voss shot a 45, and Chase Dykstra added a 47.

Galena’s Ryan Stoffregen was medalist with a 39.

Bureau Valley 168, Kewanee 190, Erie-Prophetstown 204: The Storm topped the Boilermakers and Panthers in a Three Rivers triangular at Lake Erie.

Wyatt Novotny was medalist with a 40, while Seth Spratt and Landen Birdsley both fired 42s for Bureau Valley. Parker Stier finished with a 44 to round out the team score, and Cooper Balensiefen (45) and Atticus Middleton (55) also played.

Blake Geuns led Erie-Prophetstown with a 46, Bryce VanDeWostine had a 51, Caden VanHorn fired a 52, and Keith Goodson added a 55. Colin Ashdown (58) and Robert Winters (69) also competed.

Girls golf

Bureau Valley 211, Sterling 257: The Storm topped the Golden Warriors in a nonconference dual at Hidden Lake.

Bureau Valley’s Callie Schoff was medalist with a 49, while Mattie Michlig (53), Cassidy Peterson (54) and Layne Sproston (55) also counted toward the Storm’s team score. Lynzie Cady (64) and Connie Gibson (67) also teed it up.

Deyanie Alfaro led Sterling with a 62, Carmen Camacho had a 64, Rileigh Wren added a 65, and Emily Schwingle shot a 66. Makayla Wolfe and Brinley Francis both had 68s.

Polo 238, Eastland 277: The Marcos downed the Cougars in an NUIC dual at Lake Carroll.

Kamryn Stockton was medalist with a 46 for Polo, while Avery Faivre shot a 60, Alivia Schmidt fired a 65, and Anna Faivre added a 67.

Belle Lego led Eastland with a 54, Cheyenne Schmitt shot a 70, Jaden Brower fired a 75, and Kaya Van Mate added a 78.

Cross country

Sterling girls win season opener: The Golden Warrior girls cruised to victory at the Moline Invite, scoring 70 points to top Quincy (77) and Geneseo (82).

On the boys side, Dale Johnson won the race in 15:21.1, as Sterling finished fifth as a team (110), behind Riverdale (55), Rock Island (73), Quincy (99) and Geneseo (102).

Rhylee Wade and Megan Gingrich finished seventh (20:57.3) and eighth (21:12.3) to lead the Sterling girls, while Delia Block was 11th (21:26.6) and Kylie Nicklaus placed 18th (22:05.1). Laney Zuithoff (30th, 23:28.2), Emma Anderson (40th, 25:18.7), Maddison Wickham (49th, 26:21.8), and Kaydence Weeks (60th, 27:47.4) also ran for the Warriors.

Johnson defeated runner-up Tommy Murray of Riverdale by 10.4 seconds, while Murray’s teammates Landis Musser (15:48.6) and Peyton Sand (16:26.4) finished third and fourth.

Jordan Britt finished 15th for Sterling (17:17.1), while Parker Janssen took 20th (17:23.2). Aalin Schmidt (31st, 18:16.3), Connor Pham (47th, 19:00.4), Brecken Peterson (48th, 19:00.6), Owen Anderson (50th, 19:09.5), and Parker Blakeslee (51st, 19:13.0) all broke 20 minutes for the Warriors, and Byron Grobe (85th, 20:59.3) and Even Merama (124th, 27:15.3) also competed.

Boys soccer

Somonauk 7, Oregon 0: The Hawks were shut out in their season opener at Oregon Park West.

Volleyball

Earlville def. Amboy 25-18, 25-21: The Clippers dropped their season opener in straight sets.

Kiera Karlson had three kills and a block, and Elly Jones added two kills, three aces and five digs. Tyrah Vaessen dished eight assists and served an ace, Madison O’Malley had a pair of aces, and Emersyn Noble had six digs. Courtney Ortgiesen chipped in three digs for Amboy.

Milledgeville def. Morrison 25-23, 25-13: The Missiles topped the Fillies in straight sets in a nonconference match in Morrison to open the season.

Saturday’s results

College volleyball

Sauk Valley splits to open season: The Skyhawks went 2-2 at the Opening Week Tournament in Rockford on Friday and Saturday.

Sauk, ranked fifth in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll, defeated Southeast Michigan 25-22, 25-14, 27-25, then fell to No. 8 Kirkwood 25-21, 25-21, 25-14 on Friday. It lost 25-17, 25-23, 25-20 to Mineral Area in Saturday’s first match before bouncing back to win the finale 25-16, 20-25, 25-18, 25-20 over Glen Oaks.

Nicole Boelens led the Skyhawks with 48 kills and 51 digs, and Tiana Tichler added 36 kills and 11.5 blocks. Mckenzie Hecht had 26 kills and 53 digs, Kierra Collins finished with 12 kills and five blocks, and Maya Gartin and Kara Stoecker each stuffed 5.5 blocks. Cadence Stonitsch had 67 assists and 29 digs, Gabby Jones added 55 assists and 39 digs, and Reagan Oster led the way with 86 digs.

Sunday’s results

MLB

Junis leaves after taking liner to hand: Rock Falls native Jakob Junis had a strong start into the seventh inning Sunday, but was forced to leave after taking a 108 mph line drive off his glove hand in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-8, 11-inning win over the Rockies in Colorado.

Junis gave up three earned runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out six without a walk. But Sam Hilliard hit a hard liner right back to the mound, and it hit Junis at the base of his left palm, just above the glove. He recovered and made the throw to first for an out, but immediately started cradling his left hand before squatting between the mound and the first-base line, where a trainer met him. He walked back behind the mound while talking to the trainer, then walked to the dugout. He could be seen gingerly flexing and stretching his left hand in the dugout.

Initial X-rays came back negative, and he was scheduled to have a CT scan on the hand Monday. But after the game, he was upbeat about making his next start Sunday in Minneapolis.

Junis left with a 6-3 lead, but ended with a no-decision after the Rockies tied the game against the bullpen in the eighth inning. After both teams scored two runs in the 10th, the Giants scored in the top of the 11th and held the Rockies scoreless in the bottom of the inning for the victory.

For the season, Junis is 4-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 16 games (13 starts). He has allowed 31 earned runs and 70 hits in 78 innings, with 69 strikeouts, 16 walks and three hit batsmen. Opposing batters are hitting .235 against him.

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Ty Reynolds

Ty Reynolds

Ty has covered sports in the Sauk Valley for more than two decades.