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Jul. 22—These 10 area athletes produced highlights of their own from the 2025-26 school year in their respective sports. But they might not have generated front-page headlines like their fellow classmates or teammates. Don't worry, though. Sports Editor Matt Daniels is making sure they get some overdue recognition now:
The emergence of girls' wrestling in the area and the state has no signs of slowing down. Disanto played a part in that. The Urbana senior excelled on the mat this winter for the Tigers, producing a 44-9 record at 235 pounds and concluded her career with a fifth-place finish at the IHSA state meet. In the spring, she won a Big 12 Conference title in the shot put and qualified for the Class 2A state meet in the event, too.
A goal-scoring presence for a Class 1A regional championship girls' soccer team, Finet also delivered in the gym last fall with the Sages' volleyball team. The recent Monticello graduate reached 1,000 career assists in volleyball during the 2025 season and then scored a team-high 32 goals in the spring with the Monticello girls' soccer team, helping the Sages add more postseason hardware. She leaves as the program's all-time leading goal scorer with 121.
The multi-sport standout still has another year with the Hilltoppers to make his mark. He certainly did that throughout his junior season as the main scoring option on a Schlarman boys' basketball team that made a surprising run to a Class 1A regional championship game. In the spring, he also contributed to the Hilltoppers' baseball and track and field teams, qualifying for the 1A state meet in the high jump.
The recent Centennial graduate isn't done showcasing her skills on the softball diamond. The hard-throwing right-hander will pitch at Wabash Community College in 2027 after she threw nearly every inning for the Chargers this spring. A young Centennial team only finished 4-19 during the 2026 season, but Goodreau compiled a 1.80 ERA, 206 strikeouts and only 19 walks in 93 innings while providing a steady presence at the plate, too, that opposing teams had to avoid.
A steady presence inside on the basketball court for the Timberwolves, Hamrick topped 1,000 career points this season in helping Cissna Park win an outright Vermilion Valley Conference title, a Class 1A regional championship and finish with a 26-3 record. Hamrick's play complemented the all-around talents of Addison Lucht in bringing more success for Cissna Park. Last fall, Hamrick didn't play much on a Class 1A volleyball state championship team, but her leadership was vital in lifting Cissna Park to a 40-1 record.
The first regional championship for Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond baseball in 21 years doesn't happen this spring without the efforts of Hilligoss. The senior, who also played basketball for the Knights last winter, delivered a .472 average with four home runs, 33 RBI and 26 stolen bases. He finished with a 1.293 on-base plus slugging percentage and earned Class 1A All-State First Team honors from the Illinois High Schools Baseball Coaches Association for a team that finished with a 21-10 record.
Only 16 Class 1A boys' golfers across the state won individual regional titles last fall, and Kirby was one of them when he shot a 78 to place first at a 1A regional at Turtle Run Golf Club in Danville. But Kirby wasn't finished contributing to the Sabers. The senior also helped the STM boys' basketball team win a 1A regional title in February and then he advanced to the 1A boys' tennis state tournament in the spring, going 2-2 in singles play.
The recent Unity graduate contributed significantly with every Rockets team he was on. A dependable wide receiver who caught six passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the Class 3A state title game, a scoring option off the bench who averaged 6.0 points for the third-place boys' basketball team in Class 2A and a state qualifier in track and field, O'Neill flew under the radar most times but didn't let it affect his performance in any of his sports.
The junior improved her times at nearly every cross-country race last fall running for the Oakwood/Salt Fork co-op program, peaking at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria when she crossed the finish line in 36th place with a time of 18 minutes, 18.1 seconds at Detweiller Park. Richardson kept posting impressive distance times in track and field season, qualifying for state in the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200-meter run and finishing 13th in the 3,200.
The recent graduate didn't enjoy the football team success the Purple Riders are accustomed to, but he was one of the few seniors who helped the program navigate a difficult stretch. On the baseball diamond, Whisman was almost impossible to get out this past spring. The Quincy University recruit compiled a .541 average with eight home runs and 39 RBI while striking out 91 in 471/3 innings pitched and having a 1.92 earned run average.
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The emergence of girls' wrestling in the area and the state has no signs of slowing down. Disanto played a part in that. The Urbana senior excelled on the mat this winter for the Tigers, producing a 44-9 record at 235 pounds and concluded her career with a fifth-place finish at the IHSA state meet. In the spring, she won a Big 12 Conference title in the shot put and qualified for the Class 2A state meet in the event, too.
A goal-scoring presence for a Class 1A regional championship girls' soccer team, Finet also delivered in the gym last fall with the Sages' volleyball team. The recent Monticello graduate reached 1,000 career assists in volleyball during the 2025 season and then scored a team-high 32 goals in the spring with the Monticello girls' soccer team, helping the Sages add more postseason hardware. She leaves as the program's all-time leading goal scorer with 121.
The multi-sport standout still has another year with the Hilltoppers to make his mark. He certainly did that throughout his junior season as the main scoring option on a Schlarman boys' basketball team that made a surprising run to a Class 1A regional championship game. In the spring, he also contributed to the Hilltoppers' baseball and track and field teams, qualifying for the 1A state meet in the high jump.
The recent Centennial graduate isn't done showcasing her skills on the softball diamond. The hard-throwing right-hander will pitch at Wabash Community College in 2027 after she threw nearly every inning for the Chargers this spring. A young Centennial team only finished 4-19 during the 2026 season, but Goodreau compiled a 1.80 ERA, 206 strikeouts and only 19 walks in 93 innings while providing a steady presence at the plate, too, that opposing teams had to avoid.
A steady presence inside on the basketball court for the Timberwolves, Hamrick topped 1,000 career points this season in helping Cissna Park win an outright Vermilion Valley Conference title, a Class 1A regional championship and finish with a 26-3 record. Hamrick's play complemented the all-around talents of Addison Lucht in bringing more success for Cissna Park. Last fall, Hamrick didn't play much on a Class 1A volleyball state championship team, but her leadership was vital in lifting Cissna Park to a 40-1 record.
The first regional championship for Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond baseball in 21 years doesn't happen this spring without the efforts of Hilligoss. The senior, who also played basketball for the Knights last winter, delivered a .472 average with four home runs, 33 RBI and 26 stolen bases. He finished with a 1.293 on-base plus slugging percentage and earned Class 1A All-State First Team honors from the Illinois High Schools Baseball Coaches Association for a team that finished with a 21-10 record.
Only 16 Class 1A boys' golfers across the state won individual regional titles last fall, and Kirby was one of them when he shot a 78 to place first at a 1A regional at Turtle Run Golf Club in Danville. But Kirby wasn't finished contributing to the Sabers. The senior also helped the STM boys' basketball team win a 1A regional title in February and then he advanced to the 1A boys' tennis state tournament in the spring, going 2-2 in singles play.
The recent Unity graduate contributed significantly with every Rockets team he was on. A dependable wide receiver who caught six passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the Class 3A state title game, a scoring option off the bench who averaged 6.0 points for the third-place boys' basketball team in Class 2A and a state qualifier in track and field, O'Neill flew under the radar most times but didn't let it affect his performance in any of his sports.
The junior improved her times at nearly every cross-country race last fall running for the Oakwood/Salt Fork co-op program, peaking at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria when she crossed the finish line in 36th place with a time of 18 minutes, 18.1 seconds at Detweiller Park. Richardson kept posting impressive distance times in track and field season, qualifying for state in the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200-meter run and finishing 13th in the 3,200.
The recent graduate didn't enjoy the football team success the Purple Riders are accustomed to, but he was one of the few seniors who helped the program navigate a difficult stretch. On the baseball diamond, Whisman was almost impossible to get out this past spring. The Quincy University recruit compiled a .541 average with eight home runs and 39 RBI while striking out 91 in 471/3 innings pitched and having a 1.92 earned run average.
Continue reading...
