IHSA Announces Cancellation Of All Spring Sports

By Al Zipsie

The IHSA has canceled in-school sessions for the rest of the year. And with that, all high school spring sports have been canceled due to COVID-19.

The IHSA was in limbo and had closed in school sessions through April. They were hoping to return to school and spring sports in May. They even considered moving the season back to get in the spring sport championships.

One must feel bad for the seniors who will miss prom, graduation, and a senior spring sports season.

"As disappointing as it may be for students, it is the right decision for their health and safety, as well as for the health and safety, as well as for the health and safety of the general public, as we cope with this unprecedented pandemic," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson.

The IHSA had canceled the boy's basketball state championships on all four divisions. Spring sports stayed hopeful until COVID-19 lingered.

Dakota wrestling and Eastland girls basketball were lucky to get their state championships in before things got worse.

Some good NUIC softball, baseball, and boys and girls teams missed out on a chance at a state championship. And in track the NUIC had some possible state champions miss out in Jace Coffey of Polo in the discus who finished second last year. Nolan Lentz of Dakota who set the school record in the 400 meters last year was a state contender in the sprints. Lentz missed all sports this year. He was a returning all-conference kicker and punter and missed the season with a pre-season injury. He sat out wrestling and the team won the state championship. Then he missed a promising track season after starting with the indoor season instead of wrestling. The bright side for Lentz he signed to run track in college at Dubuque. Olivia Sturrup of Milledgeville also was one of the top female sprinters.

In football news. Milledgeville on Monday voted to go to 8 man football. Ashton/Franklin Center and Amboy are also going to 8-man. That would leave eleven teams left in the NUIC and 11 man football.

The Stateline Sports Hub the last three years has had the NUIC Multisports athlete of the Year award. It will be skipped this year without spring sports.

The boy's winners had been in boys Hayden Fox of Stockton in 2017, Rahveon Valentine of Lena-Winslow in 18, and Ian Kuehl of Lena-Winslow in 19. Isaiah Bruce was in contention to be the 2020 winner, which would have made three years straight for a Lena-Winslow athlete.

Bruce who is headed to Iowa to play football was all-state on the championship unbeaten Panthers team. He played basketball and was to looking to be a state medalist in track in the shot put and sprint relays.

The girl's award was up in the air from several NUIC athletes. The past female winners were Mackenzie Fink of Eastland in 17, Emily Offenheiser from Stockton in 18, and Jaynee Prestegaard of Ashton/Franklin Center last year.

Even though the award will not be given in 2020. We would like to name those who were in consideration.

Isaiah Bruce. Lena-Winslow. Senior. Football/Basketball. Missed track.

Sean Ormiston. Lena-Winslow. Senior. Football/Basketball/Track. All state football on state champions. All conference basketball.

Elijah Dertz. Eastland. Senior. Football/Wrestling.

All-state in football. Also not an official sport but powerlifting national champion.

Will Gustafson. Aquin. Junior. Football, Basketball. All-Conference MVP in football. Missed baseball.

Cade Janecke. Orangeville. Junior. Football, hockey. All-Conference football. Hockey standout for Monroe Coop. Missed baseball.

Ethan Williams. Warren. Senior. Football/Basketball. Quarterback and all-conference defensive back for Coop Wisconsin state champions Warren/Blackhawk. Missed baseball.

Jason Hermann. Stockton. Junior. Football/Wrestling. All-conference running back, fourth in state wrestling

Michael Popkin. Senior. West Carroll. Football/Basketball. Missed baseball.

Josh Clark. Dakota. Senior. Football/Basketball. Missed track where he was looking for the school record in 800 meters.

Tucker Mumford. Polo. Football, basketball. Football on 8 man state champions. Missed baseball.

Girls.

Erin Henze. Eastland. Senior. Volleyball/Basketball. All-state first team basketball on State championship team. Missed softball.

Tabytha Toelke. Dakota. Junior. Volleyball/Basketball. Standout in volleyball who lost in Super-Sectional and basketball. Missed softball.

Abby Barr. Aquin. Volleyball/Basketball. Standout in both sports.

Tiana Timpe. Stockton. Junior. Standout in basketball. Missed softball.

Karlie Korgman. Eastland. Junior. Volleyball/Basketball. Standout in volleyball and state title basketball team. Missed track season where she was looking to be a state medalist in the shot put and discus.

Lydia Coatney. Eastland. Senior. Basketball. All state basketball second team. Missed track.

Sage Walrath. Milledgeville. Senior. Volleyball/Basketball. Missed track.

Olivia Sturrup. Milledgeville. Senior. Volleyball/Basketball. Missed track where she was a contender for a state champion in the sprints.

Sami Wamund. Galena. Senior. Volleyball/Basketball.

Mallory Powers. Amboy. Junior. Volleyball/Basketball. A standout on the girls basketball team that lost in Super-Sectional.

Sadly no NUIC all-time records will be broken in track. And no teams will get state hardware. For those records go to Facebook NUIC track records. NUIC sports hardware. Dakota wrestling history. A new site is facebook Rockford Stateline Sports Hub Track Records. It is for the Stateline of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. The NUIC is represented. This list shows just the top performer in each event. On the site, it shows the top ten in each event.

100 Meters. Gerald Bell. Rockford Auburn. 1972. 10.39.

200 Meters. Terry Brown. Rockford East. 1970. 20.63.

400 Meters. Jerry Holloway. Rockford East. 1975. 46.9. Mark Claypool. Kaneland. 46.9.

800 Meters. Nathaniel Kucera. Kaneland. 2013. 1:51.33.

1600 Meters. Ron Wartgow. Belvidere. 1976. 4:06.4.

3200 Meters. Jesse Reiser. McHenry. 2015. 8:49.40.

100 High Hurdles. Jerry Holloway. Rockford East. 1975. 14.04.

300 Intermediate Hurdles. Deion McShane. Freeport. 2017. 36.53.

Long Jump. Jaiko Woodson. Rockford Jefferson.1976. 26'11. State record.

Triple Jump. Devin Valentine. Freeport. 2012. 48'5 7.5.

High Jump. Gail Olson. Sycamore. 1978. 7'4 1/2.

Pole Vault. Kyle Kruthoff. Erie/Prophetstown. 2019. 16'8.