WATSEKA — This one is a bit of a callback to my first column I wrote for The News-Gazette in January 2024, before I had even settled on the name Piatt’s OT.
In that column, I highlighted the Watseka girls’ basketball team’s successful start to the season, sharing comments from then-seniors Brianna Denault, Jasmine Essington and Haven Meyer. What I’ve noticed in my now two years on the preps beat is that the Warriors have plenty more going for them than just basketball. Watseka girls’ athletics as a whole has developed a winning culture in recent years, so I asked a few more athletes what it’s like to be part of it.
“It’s been an honor,” senior Noelle Schroeder said. “It’ll be exciting to look back in a couple years and be like, ‘That’s my team up on the wall in the gym.’”
The Warriors have added plenty of hardware to their trophy case and banners to their wall during the last few years. The volleyball team has won nine regional championships, five sectional titles and a 2014 Class 2A state third-place trophy in the last 14 years. Last winter, the girls’ basketball team won a fourth consecutive regional plaque to make it nine titles since 2012. And plenty of other sports, from softball to track and field to golf to tennis, have put together numerous successful campaigns to keep that winning tradition going.
“I think the credibility of the programs comes from the coaches and the passion each coach has for girls’ sports,” 2025 Watseka graduate and multi-sport standout Megan Martin said. “It makes me happy to see that our coaches care that much. We all love playing sports, and we love being with each other. If we truly didn’t like one another, it would be a whole different story. All of our coaches pound into our heads that chemistry is the best thing that will get you far.”
A lot of those relationships have come naturally. Not only have these Warriors grown up together, but they’ve been teammates since they started playing sports, too. And at a high school that has fewer than 300 students, the rosters tend to look pretty similar from season to season with many multi-sport athletes.
“The camaraderie of it is so good,” senior Christa Holohan said. “We have such good team chemistry, and everyone can tell we’re having the best time. We’re best friends. You just know it’s going to be enjoyable because of the people, and we all just want to be the best at everything we do.”
All their success has developed a sense of pride throughout Watseka’s community of athletes. How much pride? “A lot” would be the simple answer from Holohan. Martin took care of the deeper side of it.
“When I come back into the gym when I’m an adult and have my own family, I get to see that I was part of all these regional titles and accolades,” Martin said. “It makes me feel really good that I did it with some of the best teammates and had the best coaches.”
A look ahead
Athlete of the Week voting is back
Now that fall sports are in full swing again, so are our Athlete of the Week polls. Champaign Central boys’ golfer Evan Kolb and Iroquois West girls’ golfer Kaia Kimmel took home the honors in our first week.
This week’s boys’ candidates are Jack Ajster of Westville football, Simonas Ankstutis of Georgetown-Ridge farm/Westville soccer, Beau Green of Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond cross-country and Mason Swartz of Oakwood/Salt Fork soccer. The girls’ finalists are Milee Ellis of Georgetown-Ridge farm volleyball, Reis McFarland of Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin volleyball, Mady Melton of Monticello volleyball and Cassidy Monahan of St. Thomas more volleyball.
A reminder that new polls with new candidates will publish every Monday morning under the “Prep Sports” tab on news-gazette.com. You can vote once per device, and voting ends at noon every Thursday. Winners will be featured online the following Monday and in print that Tuesday.
Shoutouts
Dane Eisenmenger, Unity football
Announced his commitment to continue his football career at the University of Central Missouri on Aug. 1.
Parker Fitch, St. Joseph-Ogden baseball
Announced his commitment to continue his baseball career at Lake Land College on Aug. 8.
Milee Ellis, Georgetown-Ridge Farm volleyball
Recorded her 500th career kill in her eight-kill performance in a three-set win against Judah Christian on Aug. 25.
Mahomet-Seymour
girls’ swimming and diving team
The Bulldogs broke one school record and three pool records in a three-team meet win on Aug. 25 at Olympia. Aubrey Meints set a new M-S diving record with a score of 220.10. Raegan O’Donnell broke the pool record in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 57.81 seconds. Talynn O’Donnell, Norelle Eilts, Karsyn Johnson and Caroline Mills teamed up to set a new pool record in the 200 medley relay (1:59.54). Johnson, Lainey Howard, Mills and Raegan O’Donnell did the same in the 200 freestyle relay (1:43.90).
Eric Fenton
Oakwood/Salt Fork boys’ soccer
O/SF’s 9-0 victory against Schlarman on Aug. 26 marked Fenton’s 200th win of his career.
Simonas Ankstutis
Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Westville boys’ soccer
Scored all eight of the Buffaloes’ goals in an 8-3 win against Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond on Aug. 26.
Armstrong-Potomac boys’ golf team
Shot a program-record 9-hole team score of 175 on Aug. 28 at Willow Pond Golf Club. Luke Townsend shot a 42, Ryan Edwards and Carson Whitlow both shot a 43 and Kolton Morgan shot a 47.
