High School Sports
Gillespie softball off to 5-1 start
Addison Bryant leads the team on offense and on the pitching rubber six games through the season.
The Gillespie High School softball team is off to a strong start to the 2017 spring season. After six games, the team’s record stands at 5-1 and they have outscored their opponents 54-22.
The Miners haven’t had any trouble at the plate in their first six games of the season. The team’s batting average stands at .375 with 66 hits and although most of the hits have been one-baggers, the Miners are averaging three extra-base hits and one home run per game.
Addison Bryant, the pitching and hitting duo for Gillespie who has already committed to collegiate softball at Lincoln Land Community College, leads the team at the plate with a .524 average, 10 RBI’s and two home runs. Bryant is also 4-1 on the mound for Gillespie with 55 strikeouts while Sydney Henrichs is 1-0 from the rubber.
Other driving forces behind the team’s offense are Rylee Jarman, Mackenzie Kasarda, Rylee Sarti and Sydney Henrichs. With each of them batting over .400, the group of four has a combined 35 hits and 22 RBI’s. Jarman leads the team in triples (2) while Kasarda leads the team in doubles (3) and shares the home run queen title with Bryant at two home runs.
Gillespie’s only road game this season was on Wednesday when they traveled to Triad and ousted them 7-0. The rest of the games have been at the team’s homestead behind Ben-Gil Elementary School where they have picked up their other four wins against Morrisonville (6-0), Auburn (4-0), Mt. Olive (11-5) and Dupo (12-5), and a loss to Edwardsville (9-12).
Plaguing the season for the Miners has been defensive errors and rainout cancellations. The team has committed 14 errors this season already – averaging more than two each game and 10 more than the 2016 season where they only had four errors after six games in the season. Rainout cancellations have cancelled four games for Gillespie in two weeks. Their opening game against Ramsey was rained out and last week’s game against Alton Marquette was canceled as well. This week’s games against Metro-East Lutheran on Monday and Highland on Thursday were also both canceled because of extensive amounts of rain.
The Miners are scheduled to travel to Greenville this afternoon for a 4:30 p.m. start and Vandalia this weekend for the Vandal Tournament.
Next week Gillespie is scheduled to play every night Monday through Friday. They will host Calhoun on Monday, Litchfield on Tuesday, travel to North Mac on Wednesday, then return home on Thursday and Friday to host Carlinville and Roxana, respected.
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In a decisive finish that underscored his rising dominance in Illinois Class 1A cross country, senior Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie High School claimed the state title with a time of 14:31.10 at the IHSA State Cross Country Championships held at Detweiller Park on Saturday, November 8.
Finishing just behind Oberkfell, sophomore Evan Knobloch of Toulon (Stark County) crossed the line in 14:46.25, placing second. Rounding out the top five were senior Blake McLeese of Tuscola (14:46.45), senior Luca Bryja of Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy) with 14:48.38, and senior Elijah Teefey of Pleasant Plains at 14:49.02.
This victory marks Oberkfell’s second IHSA Class 1A state championship. He also won the state crown as a junior in 2024 with a time of 14:31.87. In his sophomore year, he finished 21st with a 15:21.43 season-best time.
Looking ahead, Oberkfell is set to compete in the New Balance NXR Midwest Regional Championships on Sunday, November 16, at the LaVerne Gibson Course in Indiana. The meet serves as a critical stepping stone toward the national championships, and Oberkfell will look to carry his state momentum into the regional stage.
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In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.
The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.
From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.
Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.
Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.
