Piatt's OT: Rob Ledin up for National Coach of the Year
Apr. 11—If you haven't seen me out covering events lately, it's because I've been focusing most of my attention on trying to finalize another wave of All-Area packages.
We're halfway through recognizing our winter sports athletes. Congrats to Wrestler of the Year Jack Barnhart from Centennial and Boys' Swimmer of the Year Garren Barker from Champaign Central. Our All-Area girls' basketball teams will go out this Saturday, with the boys' basketball teams set to run the following Saturday.
Vote for Athletes of the Week
This week's boys' finalists are Gavin Bailey (Mahomet-Seymour baseball), Cody Kuhns (Arthur Christian baseball), Braxton Waller (St. Joseph-Ogden baseball) and Jeremy Wells (Unity track and field).
The girls' candidates are Natalie Loy (LeRoy softball), Allison Nebelsick (Monticello soccer), Kendall Rannebarger (Danville softball) and Jillian Schlittler (Unity track and field).
Waller and Wells are in a tight battle on the boys' side. Schlittler is leading the girls, with Rannebarger not too far behind. You have until noon Thursday to cast your vote under the "Prep Sports" tab on , with the winners revealed in Friday's paper and more on the duo next Monday.
A first for the Spartans
Two weeks from now, St. Joseph-Ogden senior girls' tennis player Addison Ross will sign her letter of intent to continue her playing career at Millikin University in Decatur.
It's a big day for her and her family as well as the Spartans' girls' tennis team.
SJ-O started the program during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ross is the first athlete in the program to commit to play at the collegiate level. At a school that has sent hundreds of athletes on to play college sports in the past, this is a pretty cool achievement.
Ross' signing is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. on April 25, in the SJ-O commons area. Head to St. Joseph then to help celebrate her historic feat.
Change of plans
Thursday night was supposed to bring about a girls' soccer tripleheader at Demirjian Park for the second straight year.
But the potential of bad weather has forced organizers to call an audible, with area teams Centennial, Champaign Central, Monticello, St. Thomas More, Uni High and Urbana now set to play on Sunday at the University of Illinois facility.
Uni High will play St. Thomas More at noon, followed by Monticello against Urbana at 2 p.m. and Centennial against Central at 4 p.m.
Zach Piatt is a prep sports reporter at The News-Gazette. He can be reached at .
