Championship Saturday: Patterson, Marx, Schlittler celebrate state titles (2024)

To subscribe, click here.

Sign up for our daily newsletter here

There will be much to celebrate today on the college and high school level.

As Illinois baseball tries to secure an outright Big Ten championship with one more win against Purdue (2 p.m. start), area high school stars will aim for regional, section and state titles in baseball, boys' tennis, girls' soccer, softball and track.

We'll provide updates throughout a busy, beautiful day.

***

Tuscola's Lia Patterson completed a sweep of the Class 1A hurdles, winning the 300 in dominating fashion. Her performance had the Warriors in contention for a team title (they eventually finished second).

Later, she finished third in the 200, collapsing into a competitor's arms and saying, "We're done."

***

Mahomet-Seymour sophom*ore Madalyn Marx made a late push to win the Class 2A 400 in come-from-behind fashion. The PA announcer summed it up best with 'Holy smokes' in announcing the finish.

***

Champaign Central's Ezra Bernhard beat teammate Abel Vines 6-1, 6-0 to win a Class 2A boys' tennis sectional title in Normal. The Maroons finished second as a team.

It continued a sizzling season for Bernhard, who won the Big 12 title at No. 1 singles last week.

***

Arcola beat Salt Fork 9-2 to win a Class A baseball title. Deegan Albert had two hits for the Storm.

***

Dan Hartleb's Illini wrapped up an outright Big Ten baseball title when Michigan State beat Nebraska 11-6 earlier Saturday.

The Illini, who raced to a 4-0 lead in today's series finale at Purdue, clinched a share on Friday night. They'll be the No. 1 seed at the Big Ten tournament.

Saturday's game is being aired on Big Ten Network.

***

Uni High won a Class 1A boys' tennis sectional in Champaign, sending four players to next weekend's state meet in the Chicago suburbs: Aryan Sachdev and Taehan Lee in singles, and the doubles team of Swapnil Kumar and Mason Miao. Sachdev and the doubles team won sectional titles.

It was the first sectional title for the Illineks since 2018.

***

Dylan Brown (two hits), Luke Teschke (two hits) and Raiden Colbert had RBI as Monticello beat Clinton 3-1 for win No. 30 — and a regional title.

The Sages next play Westville at Millikin at 7p.m. Wednesday.

***

Tuscola's Lia Patterson is a state champion — again. The talented junior repeated as the Class 1A 100-meter hurdles winner.

After posing atop the podium, she raced back to the starting blocks and finished third in the 100.

***

LeRoy (30-7) rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Tuscola 7-6 in a Class 1A softball regional title game.

Armstrong-Potomac beat St. Anne 5-0 for its third consecutive regional baseball title. The Trojans advance to meet Mt. Pulaski on Wednesday in Arcola.

***

Kami Muehling pitched a complete-game two-hitter and helped her own cause with two hits as Milford beat Salt Fork 7-1 to advance to the LeRoy Sectional. Addison Lucht and Jossalin Lavicka added two hits and Lillie Harris had two RBI for the Bearcats (20-6).

***

Kodey McKinney scored on Nolan Earley's ground ball in the bottom of the seventh as St. Joseph-Ogden rallied past BHRA 4-3 to win a Class 2A baseball regional title.

The Spartans trailed 2-0 before scoring four times in the last four innings, making a winner of relief pitcher Parker Fitch.

After McKinney reached base to lead off the seventh, Luke Landrus and Braxton Waller were intentionally walked, setting up Earley's game-winner.

***

St. Joseph-Ogden beat Unity 5-1 for its first softball regional title since 2019. Ellie Ward and Grace Osterbur had run-scoring doubles as the Spartans pulled away in the fourth inning.

SJ-O (30-6) advances to play Effingham St. Anthony at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Monticello.

***

Mahomet-Seymour won another girls' soccer regional, starting fast and finishing off Lincoln 7-1 at home. Erika Johnson scored three goals for the Bulldogs.

***

Westville beat host Unity 7-2 to win a Class 2A baseball regional title, its first since 1993. Cade Schaumburg (8-0) pitched a complete game for the Tigers (25-5-1), who play Wednesday at Millikin University in a sectional semifinal.

***

Unity's Jillian Schlittler won the Class 2A long jump title, and teammate Ava Jones was fourth.