SportShorts for Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Morrison’s Veltrop named all-state

Fillies senior forward Shelby Veltrop was named to a pair of all-state teams last week, as she was an honorable mention selection by the Associated Press, and a second-team pick by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.

Also on the IBCA 1A all-state team as special mention selections were Amboy junior guard Elly Jones, Morrison sophomore forward Camryn Veltrop, and Polo senior center Lindee Poper.

While no locals were named to the 2A or 3A all-state teams by either the AP or the IBCA, several familiar names appeared on those lists.

Byron senior center Ava Kultgen earned 2A first-team all-state honors from both the AP and the IBCA. Winnebago senior guard/forward Campbell Schrank, Alleman junior forward Clair Hulke and Stillman Valley junior forward Mya Janssen were all honorable mention selections by the AP, with Hulke and Byron senior forward Ella Grundstrom earning third-team spots from the IBCA, while Stillman Valley sophomore guard Taylor Davidson was a special mention selection in 2A.

Galesburg junior guard Kiarra Kilgore and Geneseo senior guard Danielle Beach led the 3A contingent, as both were named honorable mention by the AP and to the second team by the IBCA. Rock Island senior guard Kayla Rice and Geneseo senior forward Annie Wirth were named AP honorable mention and IBCA special mention.

Several local girls earn all-BNC honors

Led by three first-team selections, the Dixon, Rock Falls and Oregon girls basketball teams had several players named to the Big Northern all-conference team.

Dixon seniors Harvest Day and Ella Govig, and Rock Falls junior Claire Bickett were named to the first team by the league’s coaches. Other first-teamers were Byron seniors Ava Kultgen and Ella Grundstrom, Rockford Lutheran senior Sydney Carlson, Stillman Valley sophomore Taylor Davidson, and Winnebago senior Campbell Schrank.

Local second-teamers were Byron freshman Macy Groharing, Oregon senior Hadley Lutz, and Rock Falls senior Brooke Howard. Honorable mention picks were Byron sophomore Karsyn Bielskis, Rock Falls senior Rylee Johnson, Dixon senior Hannah Steinmeyer, and Oregon senior Mariah Drake.

Damhoff named player of the year in NUIC South

Fulton junior Baylen Damhoff was named the Player of the Year in the NUIC South this season, and was one of six unanimous selections to the first team on the all-conference squad.

AFC senior Carson Rueff, Eastland freshman Parker Krogman, Fulton senior Ethan Price, Milledgeville junior Connor Nye, and Polo junior Brock Soltow were also unanimous picks to the team.

Second-teamers were AFC senior Lane Koning, Amboy sophomore Eddie Jones, Eastland junior Trevor Janssen, Milledgeville senior Kacen Johnson, and Forreston senior Owen Greenfield and sophomore Brendan Greenfield.

AFC seniors Jordan Harris and Kaleb Goldman, Amboy junior Troy Anderson, Eastland senior Carsen Heeren, Forreston senior Brock Smith, Fulton sophomore Dom Kramer and senior Reed Owen, and Polo junior Carter Merdian and senior Carson Jones were all named honorable mention.

Big Northern names all-conference wrestling team

The Dixon Dukes and Oregon Hawks each had three wrestlers earn first-team spots on the all-conference squad, while Rock Falls senior Aaron Meenen was also a first-teamer.

Dixon junior Ayden Rowley and seniors Owen Brooks and Shaun DeVries were first-team picks, as were Oregon seniors Lane Halverson and Seth Stevens and junior Anthony Bauer.

Local second-teamers were Rock Falls sophomore Logan Williamson and freshman Adan Oquendo; Oregon seniors Grant Stender, Gabe Eckerd, Jonathon Alaniz and Evan Flaharty and junior Quentin Berry; and Dixon juniors Cade Hey and Steven Kitzman and senior Ethan Mick.

Dixon’s Jayden Weidman, Rock Falls’ Ryan McCord, and Oregon’s Jackson Messenger were all named honorable mention.

Prestegaard finishes career with all-conference nod

Former AFC star and SVM Player of the Year Jaynee Prestegaard was honored by the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference as a second-team selection on the all-conference squad.

The St. Ambrose senior was named to the second team for the second straight season; she was also an honorable mention pick as a sophomore. Prestegaard averaged 14.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game; all three of those marks were top-10 in the CCAC (10th in scoring, sixth in rebounds, second in blocked shots).

Prestegaard had 14 double-doubles this season, including six over the team’s final eight games. She also matched single-game records in made baskets without a miss (9-for-9 against Bellevue) and blocked shots (8 against Olivet Nazarene).

The 5-foot-11 forward finishes her career ranked 32nd on St. Ambrose’s career scoring list with 1,106 points, ninth in career rebounds with 785, and fourth in career blocked shots with 173.

Senior bowlers roll through February

The Sauk Valley Senior Bowlers played in their league every Tuesday and Thursday morning at Plum Hollow in Dixon through the month of February.

Individual high scores for the month were: Bill Bontz 170, 474; Connie Bontz 189, 455; David Bucher 185, 440; Steve Byars 195, 535; Chico Contreras 190, 531; Charlotte Dierdorff 125, 315; Anita Dunphy 151, 419; Dan Dunphy 237, 592; Ron Erickson 238, 658; Mike Imel 168, 447; Barb Jacobs 180, NA; Dave Jacobs 198, 505; Jan Kuepker 114, 316; Ken Masters 202, 554; Ron Meagher 184, 493; Doug Near 156, NA; Ron Odenthal 237, 569; Larry Reed 199, 533; Cruz Rivera 180, 508; Randy Scott Sr. 154, 409; Jim Shuman 224, 553; Frank Stenzel 94, 253; Karen Stenzel 76, 145; Glenn Stroh 113, 282; Dee Szymanski 157, 413; Ed Webb 178, 458; Shirley Webb 144, NA; Charlie Warner 159, NA; Jay Wolf 199, 542; Barbara Young 190, 537.