More Sports | The Journal-News

Court Is In Session For Panhandle Picklers

Thanks to the determination of a group of volunteers, the Raymond Park now has two new pickleball courts. Last spring a group of players, the Panhandle Picklers, set a goal of updating the courts. … more

7/11/24

Nancy and Dale Brakenhoff of Litchfield still have the jacket that Nancy's mom, Virginia (Durham) Dellamano, wore as a member of the Helen Stephens Olympic Co-Eds semi-pro basketball team in 1948-49. Dellamano, who passed away in 2020, continued her friendship with Stephens, who won a gold medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, until Stephens' passing in 1994.

Brakenhoffs Remember An Olympic Legend

For many, the Olympics are the chance to watch some of the world’s greatest athletes compete against one another for the glory of hearing their country’s national anthem in front of … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 7/8/24

Springfield native Ryan Held, whose father grew up in Raymond and still has family there, qualified for the Paris Olympics on June 19, by virtue of his fifth place finish in the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis, IN.

Held To Make Olympic Return

A lot has happened in the eight years since Ryan Held stood on the Olympic medal podium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after he and his teammates won the gold medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. … more

7/8/24

Drew Detmers, formerly of Nokomis, helped Millikin University to a share of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season title for the first time in 49 years as he wrapped up his baseball career with the Big Blue.

The College Report: Detmers’ Time At Millikin Ends On High Note

In the movie “Rocky Balboa”, the lead character tells his son that “winning is about refusing to give up”, even if you lose the battle. It is fair to say that Drew … more

by Dan Chamness | 7/8/24

Indian Springs To Host Golf Camp

The Indian Springs Summer Golf Camp, hosted by Dany Baker and PGA Teach Pro Sam Gilliland, will be held July 16, 17 and 18, from 8 a.m. to noon at the golf course near Coffeen. Boys and girls between … more

7/8/24

Bake Sale To Benefit Hillsboro JFL Cheerleaders

The Hillsboro JFL cheerleaders will be hosting a bake sale fundraiser on Friday, July 12, at two locations in Hillsboro. The group will be at the CNB Bank and Trust parking lot and in front of the … more

7/8/24

Hillsboro racer Chase Saathoff picked up his fourth straight podium finish on Saturday, June 29, as he finished third in the Lima Half Mile in Lima, OH. Saathoff is currently third in the overall season points for the American Flat Track Singles Series.

Saathoff Takes Third To Extend Podium Streak

Hillsboro flat track racer Chase Saathoff extended his podium streak to four races in the AFT Singles series with a pair of third place finishes at the Bridgeport Half Mile and Lima Half Mile. … more

7/3/24

Nobody was better than Litchfield’s Bodee Everett on Saturday, June 29, as the 13-year-old took first in the Restricted Micros class at Coles County Speedway.

Everett Strikes Gold At Coles County Speedway

Litchfield racer Bodee Everett picked up his first win of the season on Saturday, June 29, winning the Patriot Landscape Restricted Micros class at Coles County Speedway in Mattoon. The … more

7/3/24

After a stellar career for the Millikin University baseball team, Ryan Janssen will be returning home to Nokomis in the fall, this time as a teacher and coach at North Elementary School.

THE COLLEGE REPORT • Janssen Coming Home

Ryan Janssen has a love for Nokomis. His actions simply prove that. The recent graduate of Millikin University, who played four years of baseball, two at Millikin and two at Lake Land College … more

7/3/24

Walshville’s Travis Lentz picked up his ninth win in as many rounds at the Grand National Cross Country series on June 22-23, in Snowshoe, WV. The win clinched the title for Lentz in the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. (14-15) class.

Local Trio Finish In A Flurry At Snowshoe

By all accounts, Snowshoe is the toughest race of the 13 events that make up the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series. With that said, the three local racers who have decided to tackle the full … more

7/3/24

With #418 Ace Enloe closing in, Keegan Pickard goes over one of the jumps at the Montgomery County Fair motocross event on June 21, in Butler. Enloe finished fifth in both the 250 Pro and 450 Pro classes, while Pickard was eighth in 250 and ninth in 450.

Hicks And Company Put On A Fair Show

St. Louis pro rider Michael Hicks put on a show for the crowd and took the top spot in both pro classes at the Montgomery County Fair motocross races on Friday, June 21, in Butler. The … more

7/3/24

Litchfield racer Roger Burdell was just shy of winning the Saturday edition of the Twin 10Ks on June 22, but he did still bring home a pretty good paycheck from Havana’s Midstate Dragway as he finished second in the big money race.

Burdell Runner Up In Midstate 10K

The Twin 10Ks were back at Midstate Dragway in Havana on June 22-23, with Litchfield racers Roger Burdell, Corey Wood, Dustin Bryant, Phil Bryant, Chris Eichelberger, Nathan Gerl and Randy Weller in … more

7/3/24

Junior drag racer Addy Beal gets a hand from her dad, Andy, in staging her Bad Addytude dragster during her season debut at Coles County Dragway in Charleston on June 8. The Farmersville racer has been splitting time between the track and the practice mats as she prepares for the IBJJF Pan Kids Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Kissimmee, FL, July 26-28.

Beal Busy On The Track, Mats

It’s been tough for Farmersville’s Addy Beal to get much time on the track lately, but the 15-year-old has made one appearance at Coles County Dragway in Charleston. In her first … more

7/3/24

Nokomis’ Daryl Keiser took the top spot in the Don Walker Memorial Class at the Montgomery County Fair tractor pulls, with his 1150 Massey Ferguson pulling 187.26 feet.

County Pullers Win Six Of Eight Fair Classes

While the livestock shows were done by the final day of the Montgomery County Fair, Sunday, June 23 was all about the horses as the annual truck and tractor pulls took place at the fairgrounds in … more

7/3/24

Litchfield racer Timothy Hearn prepares to climb behind the wheel of his 1998 Chevrolet Camaro during the Gateway High School Racers drag racing series at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison.

Hearn Competing In WWTR High School Racing Series

Timothy Hearn is still a few months away from his 16th birthday, but the Litchfield teenager has already been getting some valuable time behind the wheel during the Gateway High School Racers drag … more

7/3/24

2019 Hillsboro graduate Isaiah Atkins wrapped up his college career last fall as a member of the Greenville University cross country team. His career was extended by a fifth year of eligibilty due to the pandemic.

THE COLLEGE REPORT • Atkins Makes Strides In Cross Country Career

For a high school soccer player, Hillsboro graduate Isaiah Atkins turned out to be a three-time all-conference college cross-country runner. “I’m pretty proud of my improvement from … more

by Dan Chamness | 6/27/24

Local Riders Stay Busy At Lincoln Trail

It’s been a busy summer already for motocross as several racers from the Journal-News Motorsports area raced in all four rounds of the Thor Showdown Series at Lincoln Trail Motosports in Casey. … more

6/27/24

Irving’s Tanner Mullen (left) and Butler’s Kaleb Keiser (right) were the last two running in the Limited Weld class on Saturday, June 22, at the Montgomery County Fair demolition derby in Butler. Mullen managed to hold on to take the top spot, with Keiser coming in second and Irving’s Kyle Yeske third.

County Cars Go Smashy Smashy

Full stock was full of county winners at the Montgomery County Fair demolition derby on Saturday, June 22, in Butler. Not only did Montgomery County drivers win both the Limited Weld and Full Size … more

6/27/24

Dunlap's Chris O'Kane kept his cool, but his John Deere 700A blew its stack at the Montgomery County Fair tractor pulls on Sunday, June 23. Fortunately for O'Kane, the top didn't pop until after he had already gone 341.25 feet, which was good enough for first in the 12,500+ class.

The Fast and the Fair-ious

The Montgomery County Fair has always been about family and there was plenty for families to see this year, especially if you like a little fun on four wheels (or two). Here are some of our favorite … more

6/24/24

Litchfield’s Rilynn Younker completes her deadlift during the Mad Max Push/Pull powerlifting meet at Unit Strength Training in Lindenhurst on June 15. Younker broke an 11-year-old national record in the 52 kilogram/115 pounds weight class at the meet, lifting 85 kilograms or 187.25 pounds.

Younker Sets New Powerlifting Record

Scientists estimate that the rhinoceroses found in Africa and Asia can lift up to half of their body weight. But for the “Rino” that can be found in Litchfield, that’s just the … more

6/20/24