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Top 25 Sports Stories this Year on RiverBender.com

25. Battlehawks Announce Schedule – UFL Also Says Championship Game Will Be Held In St. Louis
	February 5 2024 1:54 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,562 ST. LOUIS – A little over a month since the announcement of the new United Football League , teams all across the league are beginning to release their schedules. That includes the returning......

24. AP Girls Basketball Updated Rankings - Alton Up To No. 2 In 4A, CM Remains In 3A Top 10
	January 4 2024 9:07 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,609 ALTON - The Associated Press updated its Illinois high school girls basketball rankings Wednesday afternoon. The undefeated Alton Redbirds (15-0) moved up a spot in Class 4A to No. 2. Southwestern......

23. Redbirds Can't Hang On In Fourth Quarter, Lose To State-Ranked Collinsville
	February 17 2024 8:59 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,635 ALTON – On the final day of the regular season, the Redbirds were attempting to rain on Collinsville’s parade. Alton hosted the Kahoks (ranked No. 7 in IHSA Class 4A in the final Associated......

22. EAWR Grad Jayden Ulrich Makes History at Louisville in Shot Put, Discus
	April 3 2024 2:15 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,641 BLOOMINGTON, IND. - East Alton-Wood River grad Jayden Ulrich broke Louisville University School records in her first outdoor meet of the season in both the shot put and discus. She also topped off a......

21. Maroons Hit Three Straight Buzzer Beaters - Belleville West Stuns Collinsville in Double OT Regional Final Thriller
	February 24 2024 11:55 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,677 GRANITE CITY - Jamorie Wysinger led Collinsville with 15 points, but it was Belleville West hitting three consecutive buzzer-beating shots, including the final one from Daylen Byrd, that allowed the......

20. Lady Redbirds Finish Strong To Beat Nashville In Highland Tourney Semis
	January 18 2024 9:08 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,688 HIGHLAND - The Lady Redbirds are headed back to the Highland Tournament championship game. While many clamored for a semifinal between the two Southwestern Conference juggernauts, Nashville had other......

19. Rochester Leads With 20 Points, Three Marquette Players Score In Double Figures, Top Pleasant Plains 56-45, Advance To Sweet Sixteen
	February 28 2024 6:34 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,730 BEARDSTOWN - Jaden Rochester led with 20 points as three Marquette Catholic players hit in double figures as the Explorers won over Pleasant Plains 56-45 in the semifinals of the IHSA Class 2A boys basketbal......

18. Bramstedt, Goclan Both Score Twice, Edwardsville Wins MVCHA Class 2A Championship Over O'Fallon 5-1, Sweeps Series 2-0
	February 28 2024 6:52 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,737 O'FALLON - Both Fred Bramstedt and Konnor Goclan scored twice, and Kai Vetter came up big in goal again, as Edwardsville High's hockey team regained the Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association Clas......

17. CM's Defense Wins Battle Between Two State-Ranked Teams
	January 9 2024 9:09 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,751 BETHALTO - Civic Memorial's girls basketball team made it three in a row on what became a snowy Monday night. The Eagles, ranked No. 6 in IHSA Class 3A by the Associated Press, hosted the Teutopolis......

16. Alton Gets Past Okawville At Highland Tourney Setting Up Semifinal Against Upset-Minded Nashville
	January 16 2024 9:28 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,772 HIGHLAND – It wasn’t a perfect game for the Alton Lady Redbirds, but they got the job done. State-ranked Alton (No. 3 Class 4A) defeated Okawville (No. 6 Class 1A) in the quarterfinals......

15. Six Of Carlinville's Landons Won County Track Titles
	April 29 2024 3:29 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,806 CARLINVILLE - Track is a tradition in some families, particularly for the Landons of Carlinville. Six members of that family have won individual county track titles. Jacob Landon was the last with......

14. Jan. 17 Associated Press Boys Basketball Rankings - Collinsville Moves Down To No. 7 In 4A, Breese Central Remains Atop 2A
	January 17 2024 6:46 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,814 ALTON - The Associated Press updated its Illinois high school boys basketball rankings as of Jan. 17, 2024. Collinsville, after suffering its second loss of the season, falls down to No. 7 in Class......

13. EHS Grad Kate Martin Comes Through In Clutch, Scores 11 Points, Hits Big Baskets In Fourth As Iowa Holds Off UConn
	April 6 2024 10:59 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,852 CLEVELAND - Iowa's star and Edwardsville grad Kate Martin helped pick up the slack on Friday night, hitting key baskets in the pivotal fourth quarter in scoring 11 points to help Iowa defeat Connecticut......

12. CM Beats Jersey For First Time In Five Years
	January 12 2024 11:09 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,908 BETHALTO – The Civic Memorial Eagles snapped a 10-game losing streak to their Mississippi Valley Conference rivals Jerseyville Friday night. CM won by a score of 54-39. It was their first......

11. SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School’s Basketball Team Shaping Young Men
	February 1 2024 4:50 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 3,987 EAST ST. LOUIS – More than dribbling down the court, laying up a shot or jumping for a rebound, three Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) seniors......

10. Five Local Wrestlers Win Medals At Girls State Wrestling, Dawson Finishes Second, Hickman, Swaim Place Third
	February 25 2024 8:48 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,054 BLOOMINGTON - A total of five local wrestlers - Elanna Hickman of Alton, Taylor Dawson of Collinsville, both Norah Swaim and Holly Zugmaier of Edwardsville, and August Rottmann of Highland - all finished......

9. Arbuthnot Stepping Down As CM Girls Basketball Coach After Four Seasons
	March 6 2024 6:10 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,075 BETHALTO – The Civic Memorial girls basketball program announced that its head coach Mike Arbuthnot will not be returning. The news broke Wednesday afternoon that he will be leaving after four......

8. 30th Win: Kiyoko Proctor Leads Alton to Decisive 63-38 Victory over Edwardsville
	February 17 2024 9:49 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,114 COLLINSVILLE - Junior guard Kiyoko Proctor led four Alton players in double figures with 17 points as the Redbirds girls basketball team won the IHSA Class 4A regional championship with a 63-38 decision......

7. Lady Hawks Soar From Seasonal Uncertainty To Regional Champions
	February 15 2024 9:56 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,124 CARROLLTON - It’s been a roller coaster of a season for the Lady Hawks, but it’s beginning to pay off. From not having a coach and the season in jeopardy due to low numbers, to now......

6. Griffin, Couch State Champions; Champlin Second At IHSA Wrestling State Tournament: Local Athletes Shine At State Farm Center
	February 18 2024 9:07 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,124 CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - Civic Memorial's Bryce Griffin and Triad's Colby Crouch won the Class 2A state championships in their weight classes, while Drake Champlin of East Alton-Wood River finished second......

5. Five Roxana Wrestlers Advance To State Meet, Champlin Goes For EAWR
	February 12 2024 4:01 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,138 VANDALIA - Five wrestlers from Roxana - Logan Riggs, Brandon Green, Jr., Braden Johnson, Lyndon Thies, and James Herring - along with East Alton-Wood River's Drake Champlin, advanced to the IHSA Class......

4. Chambers Leaves Legacy of Growth and Gratitude at Collinsville High
	February 26 2024 8:17 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,142 GRANITE CITY - Zach Chambers, a senior center for the Collinsville High boys basketball team, scored 11 points in what turned out to be his final varsity game, the Kahoks' 58-56 heartbreaking loss......

3. Warriors Win Ninth Straight - Defeat Edwardsville Again In Jersey Mid-Winter Classic Championship
	January 20 2024 10:51 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,144 JERSEYVILLE – The Warriors found themselves at 4-8 on the season after a first-round loss to Decatur MacArthur in the Prairie Farms Holiday Classic in Collinsville back on Dec. 27. Since then,......

2. Calhoun Breaks Carrollton Hearts Again - Warriors Crowned WIVC Champions
	February 6 2024 10:49 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,229 CARROLLTON – The second meeting between the Calhoun Warriors and Carrollton Hawks proved to be much less dramatic. Last time out it was one of the wildest endings to a basketball game back o......

1. Three Local Wrestlers To Compete For State Titles In Champaign-Urbana
	February 17 2024 10:19 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,279 CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - Three area wrestlers - Civic Memorial's Bryce Griffin, Triad's Colby Crouch, and East Alton-Wood River's Drake Champlin - won their semifinal matches and will wrestle for the stat......

0. Crawford Makes IBCA First Team In 3A – Flowers, Oller Named To Third Team In 1A, Gilman An Honorable Mention
	March 4 2024 9:28 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,301 ALTON – The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association announced the rest of its All-State teams for Class 1A, 2A, and 3A over the weekend. A few area girls were announced to the 4A All-State......

-1. Alton Loses OT Heartbreaker To Waubonsie Valley In Super-Sectional
	February 27 2024 1:31 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,325 BLOOMINGTON – It took a long time for Alton to get over last season’s sectional semifinal loss to O’Fallon. But the Lady Redbirds cleared that hurdle a year later and then won their......

-2. Francis Vogel Brings Natural Talents To His Jersey Team
	January 2 2024 2:34 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,364 JERSEYVILLE - Jersey Community High School senior guard Francis Vogel has had quite an impact on the Panthers program since moving to the school from Brussels after his freshman year. Vogel is now......

-3. Crawford’s 30 Points Helps Panthers Battle Back To Beat Knights
	January 6 2024 1:09 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,375 TROY – The Jerseyville girls basketball team is on a bit of a roll right now. The Panthers won their sixth straight game with a 50-44 win over Mississippi Valley Conference foes Triad on Friday......

-4. Lewis Leads Five Players In Double Figures With 15 Points, Alton Reels Off 50-0 Run In First Half, Defeats Granite 83-15
	February 13 2024 9:02 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,392 COLLINSVILLE - Alyssa Lewis led five players in double figures for top-seeded Alton with 15 points, as the Redbirds went on a 50-0 run in the first half, including all 24 points in the second quarter,......

-5. Dazzler Dance Company of East Alton DDC All-Stars Compete In National Dance Team Championships
	February 7 2024 1:01 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,534 EAST ALTON - Dazzler Dance Company of East Alton, recently took their DDC All-Stars to Orlando, Fla., to compete in the UDA National Dance Team Championships. The coaches are Katie Pluhar and her assistant......

-6. Jan. 17 Associated Press Girls Basketball Rankings - Alton Improves One Spot, CM Drops Down To. No. 9
	January 17 2024 7:11 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,567 ALTON - The Associated Press updated its Illinois high school girls basketball rankings as of Jan. 17, 2024. Alton gained its spot back at No. 2 in Class 4A while O'Fallon dropped a couple spots dow......

-7. Alton High Grad Bryan Hudson's Stellar Relief Performance Earns Him First MLB Victory
	April 22 2024 12:07 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,600 ST. LOUIS - Reliever Bryan Hudson, an Alton High School grad, notched his first Major League Baseball win on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Hudson, 26, was a 2015 Alton High graduate. H......

-8. Adult Beginner to Champion: Taylor Unger's Inspiring Skate Story
	April 1 2024 2:26 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,624 TROY - Troy’s Taylor Unger is a story that would inspire any skater - young or old. The 31-year-old skating star didn’t begin her quest on ice until she was age 27. Over the course of thos......

-9. Sea Of Green: Fans Show Their Devotion Once Again At Packed Lady Hawk Invite Championship
	January 29 2024 4:08 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,642 CARROLLTON - There is something special about small towns and sports, especially in Greene and Calhoun counties. On Saturday night, there was an epic matchup between the Carrollton High Hawks girls'......

-10. St. Mary's Catholic School Boys Make History, Prepare To Play In State Semifinals
	February 6 2024 2:59 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,805 ALTON - St. Mary's Catholic School's eighth-grade boys team is headed for the Southern Illinois Junior High School Athletic Association (SIJHSAA) state semifinals. The boys are 24-0 heading into a matchu......

-11. Local Gymnast Talia Omotola Shines, Takes Home State Gold
	April 17 2024 11:54 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,864 EDWARDSVILLE - Talia Omotola, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School in Edwardsville, is attracting significant attention in the gymnastic ranks. She recently competed in the State Gymnastics Championship......

-12. AP Boys Basketball Updated Rankings - Collinsville Jumps Up To No. 2 In 4A, Breese Central Sits Atop 2A
	January 4 2024 9:39 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,922 ALTON - The Associated Press updated its Illinois high school boys basketball ranking Wednesday afternoon. Collinsville (16-0) just cracked the top 10 in the initial rankings released on Dec. 13.......

-13. "Positive Visualization Is A Key" - EHS Grad Kate Martin Plays Key To Iowa's Move To Final Four
	April 2 2024 11:51 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 4,974 IOWA CITY, Iowa - Edwardsville High School grad Kate Martin has made quite a name for herself in the legendary University of Iowa women’s team annals over her illustrious career. She gets another......

-14. EAWR World Proud Of Jayden Ulrich's Quest To Be The Best At The University Of Louisville
	April 16 2024 11:54 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 5,096 LOUISVILLE, KY. - East Alton-Wood River head boys and girls track and field coach Russ Colona on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, reported that the Oilers' legendary shot put and discus thrower Jayden Ulrich......

-15. Kahoks Dispatch Shorthanded East Side In Fight For SWC Lead
	February 2 2024 10:28 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 5,117 COLLINSVILLE – Friday night’s contest between the hosting Collinsville Kahoks and East St. Louis Flyers had a lot riding on it. Collinsville came into the game 6-2 in the Southwestern......

-16. Five Local Wrestlers Secure Top Six Finish at IHSA State Tournament
	February 16 2024 2:30 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 5,177 CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - Five Riverbender.com area wrestlers won their first round and quarterfinal matches, guaranteeing them no worse that a sixth-place finish, while other wrestlers split their first two......

-17. Alton Wins Highland Tourney For Second Year Straight - Proctor Once Again Named Tournament MVP
	January 20 2024 5:01 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 5,286 HIGHLAND – For the second year straight, the Lady Redbirds are Highland Tournament champions. A season ago Alton beat Okawville 54-38 in the final. This year, in the tournament’s 37th......

-18. Emotions Run High As Lady Redbirds Beat O'Fallon In Sectional Semifinal, Avenging Last Season's Loss
	February 20 2024 9:33 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 5,355 BELLEVILLE – The Lady Redbirds were willing to do anything to make sure history didn’t repeat itself. “We were devastated last year,” an emotional Deserea Howard said regarding......

-19. St. Louis City SC Makes Handful Of Off-Season Moves - Ready For An Improved 2024
	January 1 2024 4:07 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 5,802 ST. LOUIS - It’s been over two months since St. Louis City SC was eliminated from the MLS Playoffs at the hands of their geographical rivals Sporting Kansas City. During those MLS Playoffs,......

-20. Alton Snaps Nine-Game Losing Streak To Edwardsville – Elliot’s Late Game Heroics Sees Redbirds Win In OT
	January 11 2024 9:58 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,236 ALTON – February 21, 2020. The last time Alton had beaten Edwardsville in a boys basketball game. A nine-game streak snapped Thursday night at Alton High School. After being down by 11 points......

-21. Highland Girls Tournament To Showcase Some Of State's Best Including Three Defending State Champs
	January 11 2024 10:16 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,475 HIGHLAND - The annual mid-season Highland girls basketball tournament always brings the best out of the teams that participate. That's because the teams that participate are some of the best in the......

-22. Historic Win: Alton Defeats Normal Community For Program's First Sectional Title
	February 22 2024 11:06 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,636 NORMAL, Ill. – “It feels good making history,” Alton’s Jarius Powers said Thursday night. She’s no stranger to making history, and the Lady Redbirds aren’t very......

-23. Absher, Elite Force Athletes - Elliott-Barnes, Borkowski, Johnson, Advance To New Balance Nationals
	March 8 2024 2:12 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 13,319 ALTON - Ebony Absher, of Elite Force Athletics in Alton, which trains track and field athletes, has some under her direction who have qualified for a large national competition - the New Balance Nationals......

-24. Viva Kate Martin! Former EHS Basketball Star Drafted 18th By WNBA Champs Las Vegas Aces
	April 16 2024 10:47 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 17,943 BROOKLYN, N.Y. - When it comes to Kate Martin, there are three words to describe where she'll be going to play professionally at: Vegas, baby, Vegas. Martin, a 2018 graduate of Edwardsville High School,......

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