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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Central’s and Centennial’s players take the field before their game at the second annual C-U Girls’ Soccer Showcase at Demirjian Park in Urbana on Sunday, April 14, 2024.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. New Illinois men’s basketball commit and Montenegro native David Mirkovic will get the chance to showcase his skills when he and his World teammates take on Team USA in the Nike Hoop Summit on Saturday night from Portland, Ore.
➜ 2. Area high school girls’ soccer fans, circle April 27. Demirjian Park will host the third annual C-U Girls’ Soccer Consortium that Sunday, with Monticello against Danville at 2 p.m., Uni High against Urbana at 4 p.m. and Champaign Central against Centennial at 6 p.m. at the home of the Illini.
➜ 3. Unity volleyball will have a familiar face in charge of the program next fall. Former multi-sport standout and 2021 Centennial graduate Leah Luchinski gets her first head coaching gig with the Rockets.
St. Joseph third-grader Jack Gorman with the second-place wrestling trophy he won this past weekend at the Reno Worlds in Reno, Nev.
Numbers game: 3
Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation state titles St. Joseph third-grade student Jack Gorman has already won in his young wrestling career. He competed this past weekend at the Reno Worlds in Nevada, going 6-1 to finish second after beating state champs from Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon.
Tanner Thomas and the Arcola baseball team is off to a 5-0 start this season.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Tuscola Baseball Showcase. Ervin Park in Tuscola is set to hold six games Friday and Saturday with the host Warriors, Arthur Christian, Lanark Eastland, Paxton-Buckley-Loda, Rantoul and Salt Fork taking part in the six-team event.
➜ 2. Arcola at Okaw Valley baseball. Arcola (5-0) heads to Bethany on Thursday for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch trying to keep its unbeaten start intact. The Purple Riders have outscored their first five foes 49-5.
➜ 3. Peoria Notre Dame at Centennial baseball. The Chargers (6-5) end a five-game road swing with only their second home game of the season with a Big 12 game against the Irish (5-5) at 4:30 p.m. Friday in Champaign.
From left, the Simpson family: Ellie, Sophie, Amy and Troy.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Watseka girls’ track and field coach Troy Simpson:
➜ 1. My favorite sports teams are … the Illini and the Moody Bible Institute.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Rich Reynolds, Mike Ditka and Chris Collins.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … ketchup on a hot dog.
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