Participants in the Robinson Youth Baseball Camp are pictured with Robinson High School coaches and players who conducted the camp at Robinson City Park and The Depot recently. 47 youth from age 7-15 attended the camp, where they received instruction on hitting, fielding, throwing and running during the four-day program. (Josh Brown photo)
A former Robinson High School athlete has decided to continue her collegiate career a little closer to home.
After having a successful freshman season at Murray State University, 6-3 Kelsey Dirks has decided to transfer to Indiana State University to play basketball.
Dirks said the decision wasn't easy, but one she believes will be beneficial on and off the court.
"It was a very difficult decision to transfer from Murray State to Indiana State," Dirks said. "However, I felt that Indiana State provided a better academic program for my major and a very competitive basketball program. Another big plus was Indiana State's proximity to family and friends."
A Palestine High School student-athlete has been deemed one of the best baseball players in this part of the state in his age group.
Sophomore-to-be Brandon Ramsey was recently selected as a member of the 14-under Southern Illinois State All-Star Team.
Ramsey was one of 12 players named to the squad, which will participate in a series of all-star games against teams representing eight different states as part of the 2013 "Play the Turf" All-State Tournament in Jacksonville.
More than a dozen Crawford County athletes were recognized for their achievements on the diamond this spring by being named to one of the All-Little Illini Conference baseball and softball teams.
There were 11 baseball players from Crawford County that earned All-LIC honors, while another half-dozen softball players were also selected.
Another tremendous performance by Robinson High School's boys' track team netted the Maroons three medals and a new school record at the IHSA Class 1A State Finals in Charleston Saturday.
Robinson placed in all three events they competed in Saturday, on their way to tying for 16th in the team standings.
"It was a great way to end a great season," RHS head coach Tony Cork said. "Everybody got a medal and that was very important."
A strong performance from Robinson High School's boys' track team netted the Maroons berths in the finals of three events and good chance to score some points Saturday after Thursday's preliminary round of the Class 1A Track & Field State Finals in Charleston.
"Overall, I think we had a very good day," RHS head coach Tony Cork said.
An up and down day ended rather abruptly for Robinson High School junior Brennan Buchanan at the Boys Tennis State Finals, but he also did something no other RHS player had done in quite some time.
Buchanan opened play in the tournament at Hersey High School with a straight-set loss to Johnsburg's Kevin Wells, 7-5, 6-1, but he rebounded to win his first consolation bracket match by outlasting LaSalle-Peru's Reo Hammers in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In a season full of outstanding performances, Robinson High School's boys' track team may have saved their best for last.
Robinson had three individual champions and qualified for the state meet in eight events, on their way to winning the IHSA Class A Lawrenceville Sectional Friday.
For the third time in four years, Robinson High School's boys' tennis team will have a participant in the IHSA State Finals.
Seeding held up for RHS junior Brennan Buchanan, as he finished second in the singles tournament to advance to the state finals and help the Maroons to a sixth-place finish as a team.
The Maroons scored 10 points, which put them just outside the top-five in the team standings. Effingham won the meet with 22 points, followed by Charleston (18), Effingham St. Anthony (18), Teutopolis (13) and Mattoon (12). Roundinf out the field were Casey-Westfield (9), Paris (4), Shelbyville (2) and Newton (0).
"This was one of the most competitive sectionals that we have been a part of in a while," RHS head coach Tom Buchanan said. "Both the singles and doubles fields were full of quality teams."
The lopsided score would indicate otherwise, but Saturday's Class 1A Softball Regional championship game was not as one-sided as one might think.
Second-seeded Oblong actually held a brief lead against top-seeded Cumberland, but one disastrous inning did in the Lady Panthers, allowing Cumberland to roll to a 17-1 win.
"We just got beat," OHS head coach Galen Slover said. "You hate to get beat that bad, but they just beat us. We didn't beat ourselves, and I can live with that."
One bad inning proved costly for Hutsonville-Palestine's baseball team Saturday night.
The Tigers made three errors that contributed four runs in the third inning, leading to a 6-1 loss to Edwards County in the championship game of the Class 1A Edwards County Regional in Albion.
