Here are this week’s candidates for the Antonio’s Pizza Prime Time Performer. You can vote once every 12 hours until the polls close on Friday at 5pm. The winner will receive a $20 gift card to Antonio’s Pizza!
Jamari Drake (Southeast track) It’s sectional time for the Spartans senior and she’s showing out. Drake is headed to Southern Miss this fall but first, she’s ready to make her mark one last time at the state track meet. On Friday at sectionals, Drake won three individual titles and helped Southeast’s 4×100 qualify for state. Drake won the high jump at 5’7”, won the 100 with a time of 12.59 and won the 200 with a time of 25.94.
Tristan Weaver (Auburn baseball) Tristan Weaver is officially in the IHSA record books. He currently sits ninth all time for recording 24 strikeouts in a single game. Weaver was throwing a perfect game on Friday against Pawnee for NINE INNINGS. The Trojans were finally able to scratch out three runs in the 11th after Weaver exited the game with a pitch count of 115. With those 115 pitches, he struck out 24 batters, just let that sink in. He gave up no hits and no walks in nine innings of work.
Kaylee Burton (Williamsville softball) There’s always examples in Prime Time Performer of athletes who make the list because of some impressive numbers throughout the week. Other times, it’s because big time players come through in the big moments. Burton is the latter. Her two out, RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning won the game for the Bullets against PORTA, which locked up a perfect Sangamo season and the outright conference title.
Aubrey Magro (Rochester softball) The Rockets had themselves quite a week, shooting to the top of the CS8 softball standings with one week to go. Second baseman Aubrey Magro was just one of several Rochester players that stood out in their sweep of Glenwood and Lincoln. Magro’s two run single with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning against Glenwood to give the Rockets their first lead of the game at 10-9 after trailing 9-2 just three innings earlier earns her a spot on Prime Time Performer this week. Mags also went 3 for 4 at the dish against Lincoln on Friday, in another Rochester victory.
Megan Behl (Taylorville softball) Softball no-hitters are tough to pull off because there’s so many different ways to find yourself on first. Sophomore hurler Megan Behl threw herself onto our list this week with a no-no against Lanphier in Taylorville’s 11-0 win. Behl struck out five Lions and walked just one in the Tornado victory.
Ozzy Erewele (Springfield track) We gave her a week off, but she’s back in the running. (No pun intended) Ozzy Erewele brought home first place from the 3A Rock Island sectional in the 100 meter dash with a time that isn’t even close to her personal best this season. The sophomore Senator ran a 12.14 which was good enough for first and to send her to state, where she will be looking to break that 12 second mark.
Eddie Smith (Springfield track) Another Senator on the Prime Time Performer list was a big reason why the boys joined the girls as the CS8 track champions. Senior Eddie Smith’s Friday was filled with success as Springfield High won their third straight boys conference crown. Smith won the 200 with a time of 22.58, took second in the 100 with a time of 11.23 and was a key piece in the 4×100 meter relay team that took first as well.
Hope Tewes (Plains track) Hope Tewes is going to be rather busy at the state track meet this weekend. On Friday night she qualified for four events at sectionals. Tewes won the high jump with a jump five inches shorter than her PR, she won the triple jump at 32’6”, anchored the 4×200 meter relay team for the Cardinals that took first and just for good measure, placed second in the 200 meter dash.
Tyler Fitzgerald (Rochester baseball) The Louisville commit came through for his squad on Wednesday night as the Rockets were looking for a season sweep against their rivals from Chatham. Rochester picked up a 2-1 win over the Titans and both runs came off the bat of Fitzgerald. The shortstop blasted a two run shot in the 5th inning to win it for Glenwood.
Becca Jostes (Rochester soccer) A perfect record in a CS8 soccer slate that’s filled with talent and nasty hits didn’t come easy, but Rochester pulled it off. Senior forward Becca Jostes put the Rockets up 2-0 halfway through the first half at Glenwood with two goals just 64 seconds apart. Before halftime, she assisted on a goal to Baylee Smith that gave Chad Kutscher’s ladies a 3-0 halftime lead that would wrap up with a 4-2 victory to seal the perfect CS8 season.
