Galesburg High School
Swimming: Streaks win conference title
Galesburg won eight of 12 events and repeated as champions of the Western Big 6, edging rival Moline 292-269 in the Oct. 25 meet held in Moline.
“I’m proud of how hard the girls have worked, and it paid off,” coach Ray VanHootegem said. “Everyone contributed … a great team effort.”
Individual firsts went to Macie Nelson in the varsity 200-yard freestyle, Lily Furrow in the varsity 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly, Faith Warren in the varsity 500-yard freestyle, Kennedy Jackson in the junior varsity 100-yard breaststroke, and Hayden Johnson in the varsity 100-yard breaststroke.
The 200-yard freestyle team of Johnson, Nelson, Izzy Feehan and Furrow won that event. The team of Camdyn Miller, Warren, Johnson and Nora Phelps won the 200-yard medley relay.
Team places and scores: 1. Galesburg High School 292; 2. Moline Maroons 269; 3. Sterling High School 165; 3. Rock Island 165; 5. United Township Swim Team 105; 6. Geneseo 43.
Galesburg results for the Western Big 6 Conference meet
1-meter diving varsity
GHS 3 – Isabelle Kennedy 137.50
200-yard medley relay junior varsity
GHS 2 – 2:50.33 (Isabelle Kennedy, Kennedy Jackson, Callie Caulkins, Maria Kamesa)
200-yard medley relay varsity
GHS-A 1 – 1:56.93 (Camdyn Miller, Faith Warren, Hayden Johnson, Nora Phelps)
200-yard freestyle varsity
GHS 1 – Macie Nelson 1:59.88
GHS 4 – Izzy Feehan 2:18.37
200-yard individual medley varsity
GHS 2 – Faith Warren 2:17.46
GHS 3 – Camdyn Miller 2:25.38
50-yard freestyle junior varsity
GHS 12 – Juliana Macaia 49.00
GHS 13 – Maria Kamesa 49.09
50-yard freestyle varsity
GHS 1 – Lily Furrow 24.71
GHS 11 – Callie Caulkins 30.44
100-yard butterfly varsity
GHS 1 – Lily Furrow 59.33
GHS 3 – Macie Nelson 1:01.79
100-yard freestyle junior varsity
GHS 8 – Maria Kamesa 1:59.27
GHS 10 – Juliana Macaia 2:22.41
100-yard freestyle varsity
GHS 2 – Hayden Johnson 55.56
GHS 8 – Kennedy Jackson 1:06.64
500-yard freestyle varsity
GHS 1 – Faith Warren 5:22.15
GHS 4 – Nora Phelps 5:58.09
200-yard freestyle relay junior varsity
GHS A 3 – 2:17.01 (Kennedy Jackson, Callie Caulkins, Nora Phelps, Juliana Macaia)
200-yard freestyle relay varsity
GHS A 1 – 1:43.03 (Hayden Johnson, Macie Nelson, Izzy Feehan, Lily Furrow)
100-yard backstroke junior varsity
GHS 1 – Callie Caulkins 1:16.40
100-yard backstroke varsity
GHS 2 – Camdyn Miller 1:02.44
GHS 5 – Izzy Feehan 1:12.99
100-yard breaststroke junior varsity
GHS 1 – Kennedy Jackson 1:29.77
GHS 4 – Isabelle Kennedy 1:35.58
100-yard breaststroke varsity
GHS 1 – Hayden Johnson 1:08.78
GHS DQ – Nora Phelps
400-yard freestyle relay junior varsity
GHS A DQ – (Maria Kamesa, Juliana Macaia, Izzy Feehan, Isabelle Kennedy)
400-yard freestyle relay varsity
GHS A 1 – 3:45.47 (Macie Nelson, Faith Warren, Camdyn Miller, Lily Furrow)
Carl Sandburg College
Men’s soccer: Sandburg 1, Heartland 0
Ramon Ponga scored at the 37:00 mark of the first period, and that score held up as Sandburg closed out its regular season with a 1-0 victory over visiting Heartland Oct. 25.
The Chargers ended the season with a 12-2-3 overall record and a 3-0-0 Arrowhead Conference record. The team will compete in the Region 4 tournament first round at 2 p.m. Oct. 29.
Sandburg earned the second seed and a first-round bye in the tournament. The Chargers (12-2-3) will host No. 7 Triton or No. 10 Moraine Valley in a quarterfinal match at noon Nov. 1 at Kleine Field. The contest will be streamed on the Sandburg YouTube channel.
If the Chargers win Saturday, they will host a semifinal at 2 p.m. Nov. 4. Sandburg earned a 3-1 win at Triton on Sept. 28 and played to a 1-1 draw at Moraine Valley on Oct. 11.
Cross country: Peterson, Rotich lead runners
Andrew Peterson led Sandburg’s men with a seventh-place finish, and Faith Rotich led women’s runners in 20th place at the NJCAA Region IV cross country championships for Division II on Oct. 25, 2025.
Peterson’s time was 29:09.82 behind Sauk Valley’s Charles Link at 27:02.66. Moraine Valley was the team champion for the meet at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.
Other Charger men competitors: Finnegan Martin, 16, 30:49.47; Mathias Kiprotich, 20, 33:55.14; Mathew Kotut, 25, 34:58.35; Jacob Pedigo, 27, 36:00.83.
Rotich’s time was 25:36.19 behind women’s champion Eva Zimmerman of Moraine Valley at 19:57.69. Moraine Valley was the team champion.
Other Charger women competitors: Linda Koech, 21, 25:38.93; Sheila Cheruiyot, 27, 27:29.68; Grace Maiyo, 28, 27:31.09; Marrion Kemboi, 29, 27:49.06; Abigael Maiyo, 31, 28:49.80.
Volleyball: Sandburg 0-for-4 at Parkland
The Sandburg volleyball team competed at the Parkland Region Crossover Oct. 24-25 as the Chargers continued a gauntlet of ranked opponents.
After facing 12th-ranked Sauk Valley on Wednesday, three of the Chargers’ four contests on the weekend also came against teams in the NJCAA Division II national rankings: Friday vs. No. 5 Heartland and Saturday against No. 3 Parkland and No. 20 Illinois Central.
On Oct. 24, No. 5 Heartland defeated Sandburg 25-11, 25-20, 25-16. Charger leaders: kills – Harlee Hainds 8; assists – Quinn Rexroat 21; digs – Addison Gillen 15.
Lincoln Land defeated Sandburg 25-23, 25-23, 25-18. Charger leaders: kills – Abigail Shaffer 11, Hainds 7; assists – Rexroat 25; digs – Gillen 13; blocks – Emma Schweigert 7, Taliya Galloway 3; aces – Macy Nolan 2.
On Oct. 25, No. 3 Parkland def. Sandburg 25-13, 25-11, 25-15. Charger leaders: kills – Shaffer 7; digs – Gillen 9; blocks – Hainds 2; aces – Galloway 1, Nolan 1.
No. 20 Illinois Central def. Sandburg 25-11, 25-13, 25-20. Charger leaders: kills – Hainds 7, Madalynn Knapp 6; assists – Rexroat 17; digs – Shaffer 19, Jalie Eller 13, Rexroat 12; aces – Rexroat 1.
Sandburg will host Black Hawk for Sophomore Night at 6 p.m. Oct. 29.
Basketball: Sandburg alumni reunion
All former Sandburg men’s and women’s basketball players are invited to return to campus for the annual alumni reunion Nov. 15.
This daylong celebration allows Sandburg basketball alumni to reconnect, reminisce and make new memories while cheering on this season’s Chargers squads. This year’s event will include special recognition for all basketball classes ending in “5” (1975-2015).
The Nov. 15 men’s and women’s basketball games against Madison also mark Paint the House Red Day. All fans are encouraged to wear red to that day’s games to show their Charger pride.
Alumni can respond by visiting sandburg.edu/basketballreunion.
For questions or more information, contact Stacey Rucker, assistant manager of alumni engagement and advancement communications, at 309-341-5330 or alumni@sandburg.edu.
Knox College
Men’s golf: Knox fifth in home tournament
The Knox College men’s golf team climbed one spot on the team leaderboard with a solid second-round performance, shaving 11 strokes off its first-round score, to finish the Prairie Fire Fall Classic Oct. 25-26 in fifth out of nine teams with a 647 (+71).
Senior Gabriel Newman was the top finisher for the Prairie Fire, tying for eighth in the 53-player field with a 76-78—154 (+10).
While Newman shot a 6-over 78, his classmate Pranav Nandakumar produced the low score on the day for Knox on the par-72, 6,555-yard course at Soangetaha Country Club. The senior shot a 3-over 75, sinking a pair of birdies and 12 pars, and finished in a tie for 16th at 12-over par (156). Newman also had 12 pars in his round with one birdie.
Junior Nathaniel Zug matched his first-round score with an 80 (+8) and had two birdies, tying for 21st place at 16-over. Senior Saransh Raina improved by seven strokes Oct. 26 to card an 85 (+13) with back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12.
First-year Jaxson Forman had a birdie in his round to give Knox eight as a team on the day.
Southwestern Community College in Iowa took the team title with a 610 (+34) and had the two players tied for medalist honors: Alexander Cordrey and Elliot Lorentzon at 4-over par (148).
Knox will return to the links in the spring.
Women’s basketball: Thompson joins as assistant coach
Kelsi Thompson has joined the Knox College women’s basketball program as assistant coach for the 2025-26 season. She comes to Knox having served as the assistant girls basketball coach at Galesburg High School for the past three years.
“I’m excited to welcome Kelsi to our staff, as she brings a lot of energy and leadership to our program,” head coach Emily Carpenter said. “She comes with a great background and familiarity within the area and community. I’m excited to work with Kelsi and continue to help develop and grow our women’s basketball program together.”
A member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, Thompson had numerous responsibilities at Galesburg, including helping with guard skill development as well as scouting and game planning, working on defensive strategy and development in practice, mentoring underclassmen, and co-directing elementary school camps in the summer.
Thompson lives in Galesburg with her husband, Chad Thompson, who is an assistant coach for the Prairie Fire men’s basketball team.
On the Schedule
Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
- Carl Sandburg men’s basketball vs. Monmouth, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025
- Knox College women’s soccer vs. Cornell, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025
- Carl Sandburg soccer at Region IV tournament, 2 p.m.
- Carl Sandburg volleyball vs. Black Hawk College, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025
- Carl Sandburg women’s basketball vs. Monmouth, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 31, 2025
- Knox College volleyball at Grinnell College, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025
- Knox cross country at Midwest Conference Championships, 10 a.m.
- Knox women’s soccer vs. Grinnell College, noon
- Knox football vs. Cornell College, 1 p.m.
- Knox men’s soccer vs. Grinnell College, 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025
- Carl Sandburg women’s basketball vs. Culver-Stockton JV, 1 p.m.
- Carl Sandburg men’s basketball vs. Culver-Stockton JV, 3 p.m.