CARLINVILLE, ILL. – Blackburn College is inviting youth and adults from the surrounding communities to take advantage of exciting athletic opportunities this summer. With a variety of camps, clinics, and leagues for all skill levels and interests, Blackburn’s summer programming is designed to keep participants active, learning, and engaged on campus.

From youth sports camps to adult recreational leagues, Blackburn Athletics is committed to promoting wellness, skill development, and community connection. Many activities will take place in Blackburn’s upgraded athletic facilities, including the College’s newly opened state-of-the-art indoor athletic center.

Youth Camps & Clinics

Blackburn will host a series of summer camps and clinics led by NCAA-level collegiate coaches and student-athletes. These sessions offer area youth opportunities to enhance their skills, develop teamwork, and have fun in a supportive environment.

• Volleyball Kid’s Camp – June 9-10
• Volleyball Position Camp – June 11
• Softball Kid’s Camp – June 19
• Athletics Kid’s Camp – June 23-27
• Basketball Kid’s Camp  –  July 12 
• Men’s and Women’s Youth Soccer Camp – July 14-17
• Men’s Soccer ID Clinic – July 19
• Women’s Soccer ID Camp – July 19
• Athletics Kid’s Camp – July 21-25
• Women’s Wrestling – July 31

These camps are open to a range of ages, depending on the sport and session. Additional details and registration information can be found by visiting blackburn.edu/sportcamps.

Adult Leagues

Blackburn also offers recreational opportunities for adults seeking to stay active and compete in a fun, friendly environment. For Summer 2025, Blackburn is offering:

• Men’s 5-on-5 Basketball League (Ages 16+)
• Co-ed 4-on-4 Sand Volleyball League

These leagues are open to individuals and teams. More information at blackburn.edu/sportleagues.

Memberships & Rentals

In addition to camps and leagues, Blackburn offers memberships to its Golf Performance Center, which features high-end simulators, a putting green, and a pitching area—ideal for players seeking to refine their game.

The College also welcomes facility rentals for team practices, special events, or private games. 

For full details, pricing, and registration for camps, leagues, memberships, or rentals, visit blackburnbeavers.com or contact Blackburn Athletics at athletics@blackburn.edu.

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The Gillespie High School Miners softball team captured the regional championship with a 9-5 victory over conference rival, Staunton High School. The team’s impressive performance on both offense and pitching helped secure their spot in the sectional semifinals being played in Vandalia this week.

Sadie Sholtis led the charge on the mound, delivering a stellar performance with just one earned run, five strikeouts, and no walks over the course of the game. Her dominant pitching kept the Bulldogs at bay and was instrumental in the Miners’ success.

Offensively, the Miners showcased their depth and resilience highlighted by Sholtis’ 2-for-5 performance with a homerun and three RBIs. Delaney Taylor led the charge with an outstanding 4-for-5 effort at the plate, including a double and an RBI.

Laci Schuckenbrock added to the offensive onslaught with a 3-for-4 game featuring a double, while Macie Wright went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, providing clutch hits when needed. Ava Rakers also contributed with a 2-for-4 performance and Paxton Reid chipped in with a 1-for-4 effort and an RBI.

With this win, the Miners advance to the sectional semifinals, eager to continue their successful season. Gillespie faces Newton (24-2) on Tuesday in Vandalia at 5:30 p.m. in a 2024 sectional championship rematch. In 2024, the Miners were beating Newton 2-1 in the sectional championship before the Eagles tied the game in the 7th inning and went on to win in extra innings.

Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Monday night recognized eight members of the Gillespie Middle School Girls Track and Field team who qualified during a sectional meet last Saturday at Gillespie advance to state finals this coming Saturday in Peoria.

“This year’s girls track team has been spectacular,” GMS Principal Patrick McGinthy. “It seemed like every meet, they were bringing home hardware.”

Head Coach Jacob West introduced each of the eight team members, all seventh graders, who will compete at the state level.

Ella Brawner, started pole vaulting in the sixth grade, according to West. This year, she broke the previous school record with a jump of of eight fee and five inches. At subsequent meets, she broke her own record with successive jumps in excess of eight feet, culminating with a jump of nine feet and four inches at sectional.

Though not a record breaker Alyssa Cyprian, also qualified to compete in the pole vault this Saturday.

Brawner also will compete at state in hurdles. Starting this year without blocks, Assistant Coach Jack Burns suggested introducing her to spikes and starting blocks. “Sure enough, she broke her previous record and qualified for state,” West said.

West described Jessie Bulla as an all-around athlete. “You can put her in anything at she’ll do very well,” West said. At Staunton, she threw the shotput 30 feet and one and one-half inches, breaking the previous school record of 29 feet and six inches. She came in first at the sectional meet, qualifying for the state competition.

Also qualifying to compete in the shotput competition at state is Alivia Schoen.

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“Not only will Jessie Bulla being throwing at state,” West reported, “but she will be joined by Alivia Schoen.”

Alyssa Hamilton set a new school record in discuss during the Staunton meet, throwing a distance of 86 feet and five inches. She qualified Saturday to throw at the state level.

Completing her first season in track and field, Lydia Edwards will compete in the high jump after posting a jump of four feet and five inches.

“We tried to get her to come out last year,” West said. “This year she decided to come out and she has just put her heart out there.”

West said the GMS 4×100 meter relay team consistently placed first throughout their season and qualified to run at the state level at last Saturday’s sectional meeting. Leighton Vogel will run first, passing the baton to Edwards who will pass off to Bulla. Bulla will hand off to Khloe Helvey to finish.

West reported the team placed first in every meet of their season except the South Central Conference meet, where they landed in second place. The team was in five points of first place.

“I told them to get ready for a phenomenal career in seventh and eighth grade and in high school,” West said. “You guys have something other teams don’t. This year, let’s work on making other teams nervous and sure enough they did it. I’m proud of them and they should be proud of themselves.”

“For you guys to place first in the sectional speaks volumes,” Supt. Shane Owsley said. “When you get to state, you’re not going to see anything you’re not prepared for. I don’t think this is the last piece of hardware we’re going to see from this team.”

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School Board President Mark Hayes commended West’s enthusiasm for the track and field. “It’s obvious you love what you’re doing,” he said.

West and co-head coach Chase Peterson lead 55 middle school athletes who went out for track and field this year and are assisted by Burns.

PERSONNEL

By a unanimous vote, the board rehired the following winter coaches for the 2025-26 school year:

• Anthony Kravanya as freshman boys basketball coach.
• Nikki Brawner as head high school girls basketball coach, with Matt Brawner as assistant coach and Michael Rodriguez as volunteer assistant coach.
• Alexis Lucky as head high school cheerleading coach.
• Andrea Williamson as high school head dance coach, with volunteer assistant coach Elizabeth Doghttery.
• Jarrod Herron as high school and middle school Scholar Bowl coach.
• Celia Jubelt to coach eighth grade volleyball and Elizabeth Thackrey at seventh grade volleyball coach.
• Tate Wargo as eight grade boys basketball coach and Trae Wargo as seventh grade boys basketball coach.

Board members voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Kaylee Collins and Language and Speech Pathologist, a position Collins was hire for in December 2022, filling a position that had been vacant since the beginning of the academic year. The measure to accept Collins’ resignation included posting the position as vacant for the coming academic year.

Board members also voted unanimously to hire Nicholas Davio as BenGil Elementary School music teacher and fifth grade band teacher, and hire Jessica Kelly for a Gillespie Middle School summer school position. Davio, a 2003 graduate of Milikin University, Decatur, has pursued a music career in the Chicago area for more than 20 years. A freelance singer, musician and songwriter, he was on the staff of the Old Town School of Folk Music for 10 years.

Additionally, the board accepted the resignation of Shelby Maguire as a district paraprofessional and posted the position as vacant.

BUDGET MATTERS

Board members voted to display an amended fiscal 2025 budget reflecting changes and revenue and expenditures that occurred during the fiscal year concluding on June 30. Supt. Owsley said the original budget adopted last year doesn’t appear to “be off by much.” However, the amended budget available for public inspection until June 30 is subject to change as more information becomes available. Owsley said state funds due to the school district should be in by June 30, as well as final invoices.

The board directed Owsley last month to start compiling a fiscal 2026 budget. The 2026 fiscal year starts July 1. State law requires the district to adopt a budget by the end of September. Owsley typically presents the tentative budget in August every year, after which the document will be subject to public review for 30 days.

FOIA REQUEST

Owsley reported he received another AI-generated Freedom of Information Act request of information. This follows several AI FOIA requests the board was made aware of last month. The newest request ask for copies of all purchase orders the school district generated from 2020 to date.

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Since the request appeared to be a “commercial” request, Owsley said he notified the requester there would be a charge for photocopying the documents.

“We have 600 to 700 purchase orders every year,” he noted.

OTHER ACTION

In other action the board:

• Accepted bids from Prairie Farms to supply milk for the 2025-26 school year, and from Kohl Wholesale, Quincy, to supply bread products.
• Agreed to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the South Central Illinois Regional Workforce Training and Innovation Center, Litchfield. Owsley said 21 local students plan to pursue vocational education at the facility next year.
• Approved a project to resurface playgrounds at BenGil Elementary School, using proceeds from a maintenance grant plus matching funds.
• Approved district-wide job descriptions.

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