Post Season Awards Come To Many NUIC Schools

By Al Zipsie

NUIC Girls Basketball

Stockton's girls basketball team had the highest finish in the history of the school in girls sports and made the state championship game for the first time. Stockton had placed before at State in girls basketball with a third in 2001 and fourth in 1993. This Blackhawks team made the state championship game before falling to Danville Schlarman 53-31.

In the semifinal, Stockton beat Okaw Valley 58-43 behind 18 points from 1A AP All-State first team center senior Emily Offenheiser and freshman Tiana Timpe. Stockton finished the season 32-3. For Stockton and all-time NUIC Sports hardware and an updated list go to Facebook. NUIC Sports.

In 2A boys Sectional Byron plays the host Manlius Bureau Valley Tuesday and second-ranked Winnebago meets Rock Island Alleman Wednesday. At the 1A Eastland 1A Sectional in Lanark, Tuesday East Dubuque plays Milledgeville and Wednesday River Ridge battles Sterling Newman.

In wrestling Lena-Winslow/Stockton who had beat NUIC rival Dakota for the Regional title. LW/S then ran into the buzz saw of Aurora Christian who they lost to 37-24 in the team dual Sectional. The Panther/Hawks lost three matches by one point which was to much to overcome. A chance for a second straight 1A dual State title was wiped out by Aurora Christian who went on to win the 1A championship this past weekend.

Both Lewin/Stockton and Dakota had nine wrestlers named to our Stateline Sports Hub all NUIC wrestling team either on the first or second team. Eight freshman were named to the team.

Stateline Sports Hub. All NUIC wrestling.

1st Team.

Ian Kuehl. 285. LW/S. Junior. State Champion.

Maverick McPeek. 220. Dakota. State Champion.

Rahveon Valentine. 170. LW/S. Senior. State Runner-up.

Hunter Luke. 138. LW/S. Senior. State fourth place.

Ethen Doty. 120. West Carroll. Freshman. State fifth place.

Lucas Sutherland. 113. Dakota. Freshman. State.

Jaden Rice. 106. LW/S. Freshman. State.

Connor Elmer. 106. Dakota. Freshman.  State.

Caleb Alber. 132. Dakota. Junior.

Alex Hoffman. 170. Du/Pec. Senior.

Elijah Rowe. 182. LW/S. Senior.

Tanner Kalkbrenner. 126. LW/S. Freshman.

Jeremiah Hermann. 145. LW/S. Senior.

Andrew Wenzel. 152. Dakota. Freshman.

2nd Team.

Jason Hermann. 152. LW/S. Freshman.

Colin Dvorak. 160. LW/S. Junior.

Calin Kaecker. 195. A/FC. Senior.

Austin Horn. 132. Polo. Senior.

Evan Riggle. 138. Dakota. Sophomore.

Elijah Dertz. 195. West Carroll. Sophomore.

Cade Slayton. 145. Dakota. Senior.

Aiden Nardin. 160. Dakota. Freshman.

Grant Gallagher. 182. Dakota. Senior.

Erik Quinnett. 285. Dakota. Junior.

Winston McPeek. 132. LW/S. Sophomore.

Trapper Hartman, 113. West Carroll. Sophomore.

Connor Eubanks. 120. Polo. Sophomore.

Sam Hahn. 152. A/FC. Senior.

Former Dakota high school standout Brett Benning is a 6 foot 8 junior at Augustana. He scored a college career high 24 points to finish the regular season as league champions. In the CCIW tournament he scored 20 points and then finished with 14 in the championship win over North Central 77-74. Benning also leads the team in rebounding. Ausustana now will play in the NCAA Division lll National Tournament where they finished as runners-up last year.