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.

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Wins $2,000 Prize and Video She Created will Air on 160 TV Stations Nationwide

CHICAGO – Emily Bergen, 16, a student at Gillespie High School in Gillespie, has won the annual Drive Safe Chicago public service announcement contest.  Antonio Knott, 15, of Merrillville High School in Merrillville IN, placed second in the voting, and Noelani Elizalde, 17, also from Merrillville High School, was third. 

Sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation in partnership with the Chicago Auto Show, teens from Illinois and surrounding states were invited to submit ideas for a 30-second PSA about sharing the road with other passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians.

Three finalists were selected and each worked with an Emmy Award-winning producer to transform their PSA submissions into 30-second TV public service announcements.  The public was then able to vote for their favorite online.  More than 1,400 online votes were cast.

The winner received $2,000 and will be featured on nationally-syndicated Teen Kids News, reaching more than 160 TV stations across the country. The first runner-up got $1,000 and the second runner-up won $500.  All three finalists’ teachers received $100 gift cards.

Bergen’s winning PSA shows a young driver starting her car and pressing a “share the road” button.  As she drives, an AI voice warns her of a bicyclist, a pedestrian and children in a school zone. The voice then reminds her, “Cars don’t come with devices like me, which is why you need to know how to share the road.”

“The carnage on our roads can be reduced if drivers remain aware of others who share the road,” said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes safe driving. “We think the creative ideas about sharing the road from our Drive Safe Chicago winner and runners-up convey that message effectively.”

“Although today’s new cars are safer than ever, with technological advances that are proven to help avoid crashes,” said Chicago Auto Show Chairwoman Kelly Webb Roberts, “drivers must still be aware of others they are sharing the road with, whether it’s a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrians.”

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The National Road Safety Foundation says driver error accounts for 94 percent of all fatal crashes, with speeding and driver distraction among the leading factors.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 40,990 people died on U.S. roads and highways in 2023, with hundreds of thousands of injuries and an estimated annual cost of more than $340 billion.

View Bergen’s winning video below:

Bergen’s video is also featured center on the National Road Safety Foundation’s website with the runners-up videos to the right and to the left: https://m.shortstack.page/NLxMqT

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Class of 2025

High honor roll

Maria Alger, Madison Barrios, Quinn Beechler, Bailee Borror, Corinne Fellin, Dakotah Forsythe, Kennedy Helmkamp, En Li, Myca McKee, Haylie Otten, Owen Pau, Abigail Sharp, Ellie Wilson, Macie Wright

Honor roll

Zoey Bergen,  Mia Brawner,  Adian Brennan,  Ian Brennan,  Abby Carter,  Alexander Clark,  Gabriel Clotfelter,  Reanna Compton,  Landen Emelander,  Logan Griffith,  John Halteman,  Eva Hedden,  Landon Higginbotham,  Jack Kaylor,  Haeden Kellebrew,  Austin Klose,  Felecia Lambert,  Emma Luckshis,  Traegen Madeline,  Ashley Markulakis,  Madilyn Martin,  Rueben McMillin,  Mason Miller,  Keegan Moles,  Peyton Montes,  Joseph Morgan,  Elissa Plasters-Cline,  Braden Rauzi,  Logan Rhodes,  Franklin Rolando,  Rylan Schuette,  Andrew Sellers,  Caleb Siar,  Gryffin Smith,  Colin Snyder,  Kaitlyn Spencer,  Jayden Stangle,  Emma Stinnett,  Tyler Swank,  Delaney Taylor,  Vincent Tesio,  Jack Voyles,  Logan Wentler,  Curtis Whitworth,  Avery Young

Class of 2026

High honor roll

Ceanna Bearden,  Emily Bergen,  Addison Cox,  Jackson Crook,  Hank Fletcher,  Marshall Garwood,  Katherine Gerdes,  Sofia Hedrick,  Kayden Koelker,  Tyler Palmer,  Ava Parish,  Kori Petersen,  Zachary Phillips,  Ava Rakers,  Sean Roach,  Lucas Rosenthal,  Luke Schuckenbrock,  Ava Segarra,  Brody Shaw,  Sadie Sholtis,  Carter Sies,  Hailey Young

Honor roll

Anthony Amoroso,  Jacob Baglin,  Edin Compton,  Jackson Cooper,  Carson Cooper,  Andrew Crossman,  Brookelyn Crotchett,  Brayden Enslow,  Joseph Feldman,  James Girdner,  Collin Griffith,  Madyson Grogg,  Carson Hailstone,  Hunter Hegel,  Jersey Helvey,  Beverly Hupp,  Roadie Jackson,  Keegan Jett,  Lillianna Jones,  Cedrick Krieder,  Dawson Lancaster,  Sophia Lewis,  Kayley Maykopet,  Mylee Mckee,  Dawson Morgan,  Douglas Neverdowski,  David Norville,  Chaz Oberkfell,  Lukas Parish,  Makayla Price,  Joseph Reid,  Paxton Reid,  Brock Sherman,  Sierra Steelman,  Nevaeh Thomas,  Kaia Vickery,  Owen Voyles,  Whelen Walker,  Claire Wallace

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Class of 2027

High honor roll

Cole Katich

Honor roll

Zowe Badolato,  Jaxon Ballinger,  Logan Belcher,  Clayton Bethard,  Sloane Brawner,  Wrigley Bruhn,  Jack Bulla,  Bryce Carter,  Mitchell Clark,  Lillian Conner,  Riley Cox,  Olivia Crumley,  Jacob Daponte,  Briley Flournoy,  Emily Helvey,  Margaret Heyen,  Marli Johnson,  Lucca Kapp,  Olivia Kelly,  Tripp Kessinger,  Zaden King,  Isaac Kravanya,  Tember Miller,  Braxten Noll,  Adam Peterson,  Aiden Pinkston,  Matthew Plovich,  Fleshman Ranger,  Cash Reynolds,  Karlee Rhodes,  Lasica Robbins,  Cheyenne Sarti,  Alex Schoen,  Laci Schuckenbrock,  Emilia Segarra,  Carter Segrest,  Jasmine Smith,  Cali Stagner,  Emerson Striegel,  Payten Taylor,  Amari Vickery,  Aedan Watson,  Macie Williams,  Maxwell Young

Class of 2028

High honor roll

Cali Barkley,  Lyla Drewel,  Madison Durston,  Carter Young

Honor roll

Bryce Alpi,  Gracelynn Balestri,  Dallas Barker,  Alexis Brown,  Scarlet Bruhn,  Logan Buhs,  Aleeyah Busch,  Jasper Calcari,  Annabelle Daniels,  Tegan Davis,  Tess Dixon,  Kylie Edge,  Lainey Edwards,  Katie Hamann,  Skye Harbison,  Keegan Hartpence,  Kullen Hartpence,  Hadyn Hegel,  Nolan Hostettler,  Levi Hughes,  Henry Knetzer,  Sophie Knetzer,  Cory Knotts,  Isabella Long,  Paige Marcum,  Noah Marks,  Preston Noe,  Stephen Otten,  Elijah Pabon,  Urijah Pabon,  Benjamin Pruitt,  Braden Reich,  Caitlynn Rhodes,  Nolan Ruyle,  Kendall Schweppe,  Helaina Scott,  Destini Smith,  Gillian Smith,  Aliana Snow,  Xzavier Spencer,  Rafe Stangle,  Richetti Stewart,  Bryce Stoecker,  Addisyn Tallman,  Madisyn Thomas,  Luke Walker,  Jason Wolf,  Matrix Wright

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