In the Southside School gymnasium, it was an afternoon of celebration on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, for the Morrison portion of the Bi-County Bulldogs Track and Field Team. Under the direction of Coach Mandi Roggy and Assistant Coach Mallory Hardesty, a dozen Bi-County Education students are able to compete in three sports: fall Basketball; spring Track and Field; summer Bowling. Roggy has coached four years; this is Hardesty’s first year. Kent Humphrey is an active volunteer.
- Practice is one night a week for 1.5 hours, on the Morrison High School track or inside Southside School. Track season is eight weeks prior to competition. There is no fee to participate, because Special Olympics Illinois supports the programs. Roggy notes, “We held two fundraisers this year.”
- There is a range of ages for these teammates: age 12 (1), 13 (1), 14 (2), 15 (3), 16 (1), 17 (1), 19 (1), and 20 (2.) Roggy explained, “The Bi-County programs go up to the day before [an athlete’s] 22nd birthday.”
- They come from five School Districts: Eastland-2, Morrison-3, Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico-3, River Bend-3, and Rock Falls-1.
The Bulldogs wore team shirts designed by Amanda Cook and medals they won at the Track and Field Regionals, at Harlem High School in Machesney Park, IL, on Saturday, May 4. Hooties Designs of Galt, IL, donated their team banner.
Competitors had chosen to enter the 50- or 100-meter run, and all 21 competed in the softball throw. Including nine of the 11 Sterling team members who competed, these youth earned 14 Gold, six Silver, and 13 Bronze medals. Kim Battaglia and Ashley Ogburn (Morrison) and John Clapper and Shad Eshleman (Sterling) each won two Gold medals on the day.
Six Morrison youth qualified for State competition at Illinois State University, Bloomington, IL, Friday, June 7, through Sunday, June 9. Their names are underlined. The Morrison team (minus Zoe Whipple, 17,) includes, left-to-right, Andruw Bender, 14; Noah Stillings, 15; Joey Carlson,15; Tori Humphrey, 20; Rhen Huizenga, 20; John Daugherty, 14; Kristina Daugherty, 16; Ashley Ogburn, 15; Embrey Toppert, 12; Kim Battaglia, 19; Samantha Zimmerman, 13.
Coach Susan Erisman has led the Sterling team four years.
Nine of her 11 members (minus Trevor Frey and Yadira Gomez)) competed at Regionals. State qualifiers are underlined. Left-to-right are, back row, Andrew Bertolozzi, 14; John Clapper, 12; Dantre Dillard, Sterling, 12; Damian Hughes, 13; Noah Halverson, Sterling, 15; Trevor Frey; front row, Shad Eshelman, 12; Gabe Garza, 14; Gaby Ovalle, 18; Josef Buyno, PLT, 21.
