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“We’re looking for how well they compete and how hard they are trying and not giving up; and I thought our guys did a decent job of that.  We were just not able to get anything going because they were beating us up front.”  Coach Oaks

[SEPT. 29, 2001]  Students from Audra’s Studio of Dance returned to Lincoln loaded with top awards from the Footlites National Competition on Aug. 11-12 in Elgin.

The dancers are first judged individually against a standard, receiving individual scores that result in place awards. Then they compete in five categories: solo, duet, trio, small group and large group. Their scores are compared, with awards going to the top five scores in each category. There is also an age-based competition for petite, junior and seniors, with the top two scores in each group receiving awards.

[Amanda Shelley (left) and Kirsten Ganderberger]

Solos

Jenna Dumser — "You’re Not From Here," first place

Jessica Alexander — "Colour Everywhere," high second

Jean Cross — "Reflection," high second

Kate Kruger — "Angel" (vocal solo), first

Audra Turley — "Amazing Grace," first; VIP choreographer award (given to the dance with the best choreography)

Kirsten Gandenberger — "Sonate," first

Brande Montgomery — "Movin" On," first

Amanda Shelley — "Because You Loved Me," first

Mici Beard — "Arms Wide Open," first

[Senior solo contestants: (front row, left to right) Brande Montgomery, Mici Beard, Amanda Shelley, Jenna Dumser; (back row) Jean Cross, Kirsten Gandenberger, Jessica Alexander, Kate Krueger]

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Flying Feet Rockets (Brande Montgomery, Jenna Dumser, Jean Cross, Kelsey Ney, Mici Beard, Kirsten Gandenberger, Kirstin Rawlins, Brittany Charette) — "Bluegrass Rules," first (score of 149.1 out of 150)

Brande Montgomery and Kirsten Gandenberger — "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," first; first overall senior duet; first overall in entire senior category (score of 149.6 out of 150)

[Kirsten Gandenberger (left) and Brande Montgomery with trophies from the top senior duet, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," and the top senior small group, the Warriors.]

Katie Nelson and Kate Kruger — "Glencoe Set," high second

Kelsey Ney, Katie Nelson, Kate Krueger, Jessica Alexander, Rachel Thomas and Mici Beard — "I Believe in You," high second

Jenna Dumser, Brande Montgomery, and Amy Rehtmeyer — "I Wanna Love You Forever," first; fifth overall senior small group

Kirsten Gandenberger, Annie Sheley, Rachel Thomas, Chris Thomas and Bill Thomas — "Nosey Joe," first; fourth overall senior small group

Brande Montgomery, Jenna Dumser, Amy Rehtmeyer, Mici Beard, Kelsey Ney, Katie Nelson, Kate Krueger, Jessica Alexander, and Rachel Thomas — "You Won’t See Me Cry," first; third overall senior small group

Brande Montgomery, Kirsten Gandenberger, Kelsey Ney and Jenna Dumser — "Warriors," first; first overall senior small group

Wes Tucker and Jillyn Cross — "Funkytown," first

Flying Feet Firecrackers (Ashley Meyrick, Brooke Kelly, Olivia Renken, Kelsey Sickmeyer, Jaci Gandenberger, Audra Ballinger, Rachel Franklin, Karenda Langley, Amy Ramlow, Brigette Hyde, Elizabeth Brown, Jill Tibbs, Channing Beard, Wes Tucker and Jillyn Cross) — "Precision," first

[Most of the participants from the studio]

[SEPT. 28, 2001]  Ask Lady Railer volleyball fans what Kari McFadden is most known for on the court, and they would tell you it’s her intensity and her front-line kills that send opponents fleeing for cover. Last night Kari’s intensity was there as usual, but it was concentrated at a different place — the service line. Kari’s 14 service points, combined with focused team play, led the Railers to their third CS8 Conference win, as they defeated a good Sacred Heart-Griffin team by scores of 15-12, 15-9.

In junior varsity action last night, the Lady Railers were also victorious over SHG, in a hard-fought match, by scores of 16-14 and 15-7.

SHG came into the match fresh off a first-place finish in the Springfield Tournament and holding a well deserved 13-3 overall record. Combine that with the fact that over the 30-year history of this matchup the Lady Railers are at a 6-30 disadvantage. Toss in both teams’ desire to win the conference title, and you have the makings of an intense volleyball match. And that is what those present last night witnessed.

In Game 1 the Railers got down early, fought back quickly and never trailed again. SHG served first and started off with a vengeance. The Railers very quickly found themselves down 0-3, and it looked as though SHG might blow the Railers out of their own gym.

Then came Kari McFadden to the service line. Before the officials signaled side out again, the score was Railers 6, SHG 3. A long-term battle ensued at this point, with more side-out signals than points being scored. Darcy White picked up a couple more Railer points, and then Kari McFadden returned to pick up three more service points to bring her game total to nine. Net play by Darcy White and Michelle McFadden put the finishing touches on these points, and the Railers led 11-7.

Serving by Missy Aper and Samantha Conrady wrapped up a very competitive first game. The Railers got great defensive blocking from a Cook-Michelle McFadden and a Gleason-Kari McFadden combination, as well as numerous side-out kills from Tina Cook, to stop SHG from catching up. The final point of Game 1 was indicative of the match, as both teams refused to let the ball hit the floor until a soft dink by Darcy White was too well placed for SHG to reach.

The final point of Game 1 seemed to take some of the air out of the Blazers’ attack as Game 2 began. With the Lady Railers serving first, Kari McFadden again came to the service line and continued her streak. Her first serve was an ace. Kills by Samantha Conrady and Kelli Gleason, along with a dink by Darcy White, brought the Railers to 4-0. After a quick one-serve side out for SHG, Kelli Gleason rotated to the service line. Three successive Railer blocks by Michelle McFadden and Tina Cook left the SHG hitters with the volleyball on their side of the court and found SHG down 0-7. SHG’s longtime coach Helen Dulle called her team over for a brief discussion.

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Whatever coach Dulle had to say, worked, as SHG roared back to get as close as 10-9. But getting back to 10-9 was it. The Railers played strong team offense and defense to shut off the Blazers and win the game and the match 15-9.

The Railer back-line defense was awesome as Christina Xamis and Darcy White, among others, made some crucial digs to keep the ball off the floor after strong SHG kills. Good back-row passing was also a key factor in the victory. Tina Cook was lethal during the last stretch of Game 2, as her kills and a block led to points or side outs. The final point of Game 2 and the match found Missy Aper serving, Darcy White digging and Samantha Conrady killing, to bring home the victory for the Lady Railers.

Coach Howe, in post-game comments, said she thinks the Railers are getting back up to speed after a slight mid-season slump. She hopes for continued improvement as the Railers finish conference play and head for the postseason. I thought the Railers played hard through some long rallies and looked like a team with a strong will to win again.

When I asked Kari McFadden for her thoughts on her excellent serving performance she, with her usual smile and in her usual gracious fashion, gave the credit to her team’s overall performance. Good point. Right attitude. It took the fabulous performances of at least eight Railers to pull off last night’s important win. Nice job, ladies!

The Railers now stand at 19-4-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference. They will be on the road next week to play a conference match with Lanphier on Tuesday and a tough non-conference match against Normal Community on Thursday. Both matches will be keys to the Railers’ conference and postseason positions.

GO, RAILERS!

[Rick Hobler]

Lincoln College vs. Carl Sandburg

[SEPT. 28, 2001]  Lincoln College will take the weekend off after beating Carl Sandburg 30-26, 30-9 and 30-25 in volleyball Thursday night at Lincoln. "We will take a 9-8 record into this short break, and it is very pleasing to be over .500 at this time," said coach Mark Tippett.

The Lady Lynx coach continued, "We played pretty well and with a lot of intensity. Carl Sandburg made us work hard for our points in the first and third games. I don't know what happened in the second game, as we just totally dominated. We were very consistent with our serving and we found a way to push through in the first and third games."

Janine Buettner had another outstanding night for the Lady Lynx with 12 points, eight aces and nine kills.   Erica Miller contributed nine points, six kills and four digs, while Marie Burash had nine points and one ace.   Angela Maestas, a Lincoln High School graduate, had eight points and three digs, while Beth Guy, a Hartsburg-Emden grad, contributed 25 set assists.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

Lincoln College vs. Danville

[SEPT. 27, 2001]  Lincoln College shut out Danville 4-0 in men’s soccer at Danville Wednesday afternoon. The victory runs the Lincoln record to 6-2 for the season.

Lincoln College scored its third shutout in the past four games with Fernando Delgado in goal. Delgado was credited with six saves in the game.

"We played pretty well.  We had a lot of opportunities early but couldn’t put the ball in the net," said coach Mark Howard.  "I put in three subs for the last 20 minutes of the game, and two of the three scored goals.   We didn’t play our best defensive game of the year, but they were a hard team to defend because they just kick and run."

Jesus Cruz scored Lincoln’s first goal at the 39th minute with an assist from Steve Gorton. That was the only goal of the first half as the Lynx had a 1-0 margin.  At the 75th minute, John Lusicic scored with an assist from Chris Luther, and 12 minutes later Cliff Scattergood put a ball in the net with an assist from Mike Fox.  The final Lynx goal came at the 89th minute, with Lusicic again scoring, this time with the assist from Jeremy Wood.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

Lincoln College vs. Lake Land

[SEPT. 26, 2001]  Lincoln College lost to the Lake Land volleyball team in three matches at Mattoon on Tuesday night, 30-22, 30-23, 30-15. The loss drops the Lady Lynx back to the .500 mark for the season as they enter a home match against Carl Sandburg Thursday at 6 p.m.

"Lake Land was a very solid team. We did not come out with much intensity," said coach Mark Tippett. "I felt we should have played tougher, but when you don’t play with a lot of emotion against good teams, you are going to have problems."

Erica Miller had nine points and four kills, while Angela Maestas had seven points and three digs for the Lady Lynx. Janine Buettner contributed six points, two blocks and five kills.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

Tough, but not enough

[SEPT. 25, 2001]  The will to win. Refusing to lose. Both are two sides of the same coin. Last night one team had more of both than the other. Unfortunately, the team with more was the Olympia Spartans. The Lady Railers played tough, but tough was not enough to win.

Olympia came into last night’s match with a 19-2 record and was all business from the warm-up time until its business was finished. Its business was to take care of an excellent Lady Railer team. A hard-fought battle ensued between botsh champion-caliber teams. The Railers had victory in sight in both games but couldn’t finish off the Spartans in either game. In the end, it was Olympia who would outlast the Lady Railers 15-11, 16-14 to take home their 20^th win.

In Game 1 the Lady Railers maintained a lead through the 11-point mark and then let the victory slip away. The Railers played tough as the match began. An opening serve from Kari McFadden and a kill by Samantha Conrady broke the ice and gave the Railers a lead they would not relinquish again until the scoreboard showed 12-11 Olympia.

But while the Railers led most of the way, Oly was always right at the door looking to take over. Ultimately it was Olympia’s Laura Doombas, at the net and at the service line, who took over and who proved too much for the Lady Railers. Doombas was everywhere, and wherever she was things happened. Her hard kills at the net were virtually untouchable. Her hard jump serve frustrated the Railers all night. With the score 11-8 in favor of the Lady Railers, Doombas stepped to the service line for Oly. When she finished there, the game was over. Doombos ran off seven successive serves that finished off the Railer hopes for a victory.

Bright spots for the Lady Railers in Game 1 included the serving and net play of Darcy White and the team net play by Tina Cook, Michelle McFadden, Kari McFadden and Samantha Conrady.

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In Game 2 it looked like the Railers would force a three-game match, as they overcame an early Oly lead to bring themselves to the brink of victory at 14-12. But the Spartans just wouldn’t allow themselves to lose. The entire game was again a back-and-forth affair with the Railers’ biggest lead being four points at the 10-6 mark. But once again it was Oly’s Laura Doombas, along with Elizabeth Siuda, who had more of a will to win than anyone on the floor. Doombas’ plays on a defensive block at 14-14 and another powerful kill at 14-15 secured the match for Olympia.

The Railers were led in serving by junior service expert Christina Xamis and by Missy Aper and Darcy White. On the Railer side of the net, Kelli Gleason did her usual excellent job of setting, and Tina Cook and Darcy White were unstoppable at the net. Kari McFadden have several nice soft touches for points as well as the night’s most unusual play, when her "pass" from the backcourt went over the net and fell to the court, untouched by Olympia, for a Railer point.

The large crowd in attendance last night witnessed two of the premier teams in the area going head to head. Regardless of the winner, both teams played competitive volleyball and showed why their programs are the envy of many in central Illinois. Both teams have talent, depth and work hard on the court.

It seemed to me that the slight difference that caused Oly to go home with the victory and Lincoln to suffer the loss was sheer will. Oly was not about to lose. They expected they would win…and they did. The Railers played well but were unable to finish. I’m sure the loss will prove useful to the Lady Railers as they continue conference play and enter the postseason state tournament, where willing to win and refusing to lose will be crucial.

The junior varsity squad also went down to defeat in a hard-fought, three-set match by scores of 14-16, 15-7, 11-15.

The Lady Railers finish out the week with two conference matches. The Lady Railers travel to Glenwood tonight and return home on Thursday to face Sacred Heart Griffin.

GO, RAILERS!

[Rick Hobler]

[SEPT. 24, 2001]  For two weeks or more, many people were pointing to this game to see if this year’s Illini squad was for real or not. And most of the 43,232 patrons, including several Logan County residents at the game Saturday, came away pleased with what they saw. They saw a suspect defense hold an explosive Cardinal offensive attack that was averaging 37-plus points per game to only one touchdown and a field goal for the day!

Louisville’s outstanding receiving corps gobbled up a lot of yardage but couldn’t find the end zone. Had you asked the crew in the press box early in the proceedings how many TD receptions they guessed the Cards would finish the game with, I doubt that many would have said one. I know this LDN reporter wouldn’t have!

The fans also saw the vaunted Illinois aerial attack, although it was sporadic for most of the game. In fact, both teams showed the effects of playing with heavy hearts and a loss of timing that came from having so many days off.

J.J. Tubbs hit an early 29-yard field goal to put the Illini on top 3-0, but by the end of the period, highly touted Louisville QB Dave Regone had completed a 3-yard TD pass to Ronnie Ghent. Nathan Smith added the PAT, and just like that it was 7-3 Cardinals with 2:40 left in the first. And as easy as they made it look, it appeared it might be a long day for Illinois.

Luckily those fears were never fully realized. As a matter of fact, Illinois struck back within 20 seconds. This is NOT a typo. The Illini actually had a three-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a 9-yard strike from Kurt Kittner to Carey Davis. That play put the good guys back on top 10-7. Then it was time for our new favorite player, Christian Morton — actually he was one of our favorites last season — to get into the act. All he did was intercept a pass and take it to the house, which was 33 yards away. That put Illinois ahead 17-7. Smith had a career-longest 43-yard field goal to finish the first-half scoring at 17-10 Illinois.

Both teams appeared to be sluggish at times and out of sync, and you really couldn’t have guessed what was going to happen in the second half. After an inspiring halftime show, the Illini came out and underwhelmed the fans for a couple of possessions before Kittner hooked up with another of our favorite players, Walter Young, on a 38-yard heave that made it 24-10. Illinois surged and was never really headed after that.

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However, our LDN crew is still concerned about whether the defense is Big Ten tough yet. We say to keep putting pressure on our opponents. In the first half the Illini were going with several nickel-and-dime packages that were pretty successful. But in the second half the Orange and Blue picked up the pressure on the QB so much so that Regone was held to six completions for 64 yards! If we continue to blitz, mix up our coverages and continue to improve against the run, we have a chance to be competitive in our always-rough conference.

Antoineo Harris highlighted a stellar offensive day with a short TD jaunt to go along with his 102 yards from scrimmage on 22 carries. Former CS8 player Peter Christofilakos added five points with a field goal and two PATs. Kittner finished the day 18-of-39 for 301 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two INTs. In all fairness to Kurt, it appeared that both of those passes could have been caught for offensive receptions.

The Illini had 504 total yards to Louisville’s 338. The Illinois defense held the Cardinals to 29 yards rushing for the game! We wager to say if we do that during Big Ten play, a wild ride may be in store.

Speaking of wild rides, the Illini hit the road next week to play in the Big House against the infamous blue. A win there and the Illini could well be on their way back to a bowl game…

•  With the win, Illinois has now won 10 non-conference games in a row for the first time since a 15-game winning streak from 1910-16.

•  The win over No. 25 Louisville is Illinois’ first over a ranked team since they picked Ohio State apart 46-20 in 1999.

•  The Illini are now tied with Louisville and Oklahoma in forced turnovers. All three teams have collected 12 turnovers each.

•  Illinois is now leading the turnover battle against their opponents 12-2.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[SEPT. 28, 2001]   

Q. Is it hard to get fired up for an Army football game or is it easier?

A. We haven’t had a home game since the attack, but I think it will be easier. Now more than ever, the team represents something bigger than the academy. The team represents our country and all the ideals we hold true.

Q. Tell us a little about your experience in playing 150-pound football for the academy.

A. Well, I spent most of my time playing "left out." It was a challenging experience. The practices were more intense than any practices I had in any sport in high school. They were longer, tougher and just drained your energy.

Q. Are you just too busy to play now and are you playing any other sports like IMs?

A. I left the team because I wanted to improve my grades and because I wanted more time for myself. I would leave for practice a little before 3 p.m. and not get back to my room until 7 or 7:30 p.m. That is a big chunk of my day that I could be using for other things.

Everyone here has to do an IM if they are not involved in a varsity sport. I have done basketball and some other sports. Doing an IM is fun, competitive and takes up less time than a varsity sport.

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Q. Reflect on your days of being a Lincoln Railer...

A. Being a Railer. I know I have only been out of high school four years but it seems like so long ago. Being a Railer was great. The fans are great. They are always there to support you. My best friends from high school are people from the Railer teams I was fortunate enough to be a part of. High school was a lot of fun. I have some great memories from things like student council, homecoming, prom and just running around like an idiot with my buddies. But, I realize already that high school is just a short part of your life, and if the most meaningful things you ever did were in high school, then you have missed the boat on life.

Q. What did you like most about it? Least?

The thing I liked most about being a Railer was the whole atmosphere of high school. LCHS is not so small that you know everyone by first names but not so big that on your last day of your senior year you meet another senior for the first time.

Also, I enjoyed the laid-back environment. I feel strongly that high school should be as pressure-free as possible. Set accomplishable goals and achieve them. Everyone has a skill they excel at. High school is a time to search for those things. If you weigh yourself down with the pressure of doing everything, you will not find the skill you are the best at. I think I was able to find out what I was good at, thanks to the people and environment at LCHS.

The thing I liked least was changing the beginning of school from 8:50 to 7:30 after my sophomore year. That really threw my schedule off !

Seriously, the thing I liked least, in retrospect, is the overall lack of diversity in the LCHS student body. That is not the fault of anyone in particular, but you meet people of different colors, faiths, and backgrounds in the real world. There is no real exposure to that at LCHS, and that is a real disadvantage for its students.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[SEPT. 27, 2001]   

Q. Jon, where were you when you heard of last week’s tragic events?

A. I was in between classes, and I heard another student say that the WTC was on fire. So, when I got to my next classroom I told my teacher what I had heard, and he turned on CNN. At that point the second plane had just crashed into the second tower and another plane had struck the Pentagon. All I could think was, "My God, we’re at war."

Jon Barton

Q. Did life as an Army cadet change for you immediately?

A. I think my life changed in the sense that my mission here at the academy became very real. I am here to become an officer in the Army and it is easy to lose sight of that when you have tests and papers and all the other distractions of college life. The current status of our nation’s military agenda has made me focus more on what I will be doing in 18 months.

Q. Will life for you be different for a long time coming?

A. Life will be different for me, but I think life is going to be different for every U.S. citizen. Many people are concerned about the safety of our country. No one knows if the attacks are over, so many people are reluctant to live their lives the way they did prior to the attacks.

On a positive note, the attack has brought our nation together in a way we have not seen since World War II. The way the country is going to retaliate is unclear, but the resolve and courage of our people is not. The citizens of this country will not be intimidated by the acts of a fanatical few bent on the destruction of our way of life.

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Q. What is your attitude and how is the mood in your dorm and on campus?

A. My attitude has taken on a more serious tone. I know now that I am not thinking as much about where my friends and I are going this weekend and more on the things I need to do to better myself as a leader before I graduate.

The attitude on campus is somber but focused. The academy is only 50 miles from New York City, so the attack really hit home. Many of us have visited the WTC. I even have friends that stayed at the Marriott at the base of the tower just a few weeks before the attacks. Another cadet who lives on my floor had a brother working in the WTC at the time of the attack. As of right now his brother is missing and presumed dead. The attacks are very real for most people at the academy.

Q. I imagine that you young men may have more purpose and more resolve than ever?

A. That’s true. I have never seen so much concern or resolve from myself and other cadets since I have been here. We realize now just how important the job of the military is going to be over the next decade, and there is not a more noble cause than protecting the people and the country you love.

Q. Is it hard to go to class, or did the events make your studies more real?

A. It has been very hard to go to class. There is all this horror and suffering going on 50 miles away, and I am sitting in a finance class learning the present value of a corporate bond. Class just seems very trivial right now. There has been an outcry from cadets to go to the city and help out, but there are enough volunteers right now. All we can do is sit and wait for our turn.

(To be continued)

[Jeff Mayfield]

[Click here for Part 2]

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