July 9, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Dukeman shines in classroom and in athletics

School comes easy for St. Joseph-Ogden High School junior Hannah Dukeman.


Dukeman, who plays softball for SJO in addition to playing travel softball Premier Fastpitch, said she values academics.


“School has always been something that doesn’t come extremely difficult for me,” she said. “I know that school work is important when it comes to playing sports, so I work efficiently when I need to.”


Dukeman was a vital part of the SJO girls’ basketball team that placed third in Class 2A last month.


She averaged 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Spartans while contributing to the team’s average GPA of 3.66.


According to her Premier Fastpitch profile, Dukeman’s GPA is 4.4 out of 4.0 and she is ranked second in her class while taking accelerated trigonometry and AP English.


“I have always cared a lot about my grades and wanted to get straight A’s because I know I have the potential to,” Dukeman said. “I guess you can say I push myself in the classroom just like I do in sports because I want to do the best I can.”


SJO girls’ basketball coach Kevin Taylor said he stressed to his team the importance of academics.


“I try to make sure the girls know that grades come first,” he said.


Taylor said he tells his team at the start of the season that they are excused from practice any time they need to go visit a teacher for help or need to finish a school project.


“I am lucky as well because just about all the girls take academics very seriously on their own,” Taylor said. “Last year we won the award for highest GPA for a team.”


Dukeman said Taylor emphasized the importance of academics, but the team didn’t need much encouragement.


“The team understands how important schoolwork is, which clearly reflects in our team GPA,” she said.


Taylor said it isn’t just the girls’ basketball team that values academics. The entire school has a culture of expecting students to perform well in the classroom. Taylor, who serves on the SJO school board, said it is important to provide all the students, not just those who play sports, with as many advantages as they can for when they leave high school.


Taylor said he is a strong advocate for dual credit and AP courses as well as providing options for students who may enter the workforce directly after high school.


“As a parent I know that even with success in sports, the day for playing sports will come to an end,” he said, “and then my children will have to rely on the knowledge they gained from playing sports but most importantly what they learned in school.”


Dukeman, who is committed to play softball in college at Ball State, echoes that sentiment.


“I think our school stresses the importance of academics because we usually have a large group of students that succeed when it comes to the classroom,” she said. “They want to be a school where people want to learn, but also aren’t afraid to get help if needed.”

Banner
Related Posts

How I get it done …. with Jennifer Huls Wayland

October 14, 2022

October 14, 2022

We asked local business owners to describe their leadership style and how they make decisions. This week we talked to...

Spartan Classic up next after Mattsey, Plotner run well in Peoria

September 27, 2019

September 27, 2019

It’s the only chance for St. Joseph residents to see the St. Joseph-Ogden High School cross-country teams in action in...

SJO baseball off to superb start

April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022

High-scoring wins. Dominant pitching performances. Balanced hitting up and down the lineup. These are just some of the staples the...

SJO to hold summer camps

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

Boys Basketball Youth CampMay 29, 30, 31 8 AM-1:30 PMThe camp will be full of drills and fundamentals. The new...

Novak hopes butterfly garden benefits community

October 14, 2019

October 14, 2019

Heidi Novak isn’t a gardner. However, that didn’t stop the 2019 St. Joseph-Ogden High School graduate from creating a butterfly...

Knott, Meyer win conference titles for SJO

May 2, 2019

May 2, 2019

The Illini Prairie Conference track and field meet took place over two days because of inclement weather. But when it...

Burnett, Rose help SJO baseball post three wins

April 22, 2019

April 22, 2019

The past week featured a bit of everything for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team. Solid pitching. Timely hitting....

Meyer, Knott and relays excel for SJO boys’ track and field in Clinton

May 8, 2019

May 8, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ track and field team received wins from two individuals and two relay teams to...

‘I’m so excited for this journey’ Schlueter to open restaurant in former Scratch location

October 10, 2022

October 10, 2022

40 Eighty-Eight is coming to St. Joseph. Owner Christian Schlueter said he chose the name for his new restaurant because...

Izard, Cain, Pence key SJO boys’ basketball to sixth-place finish at State Farm Holiday Classic

January 3, 2020

January 3, 2020

The small-school State Farm Holiday Classic ended on a sour note for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ basketball team....

Get to know Senior SJO Marching Band member Allegra Pearman

October 21, 2022

October 21, 2022

My favorite thing about marching band is the very end of the show when the dust settles and the cheering...

Burnett living out dream, signs with Illinois

June 3, 2021

June 3, 2021

Throughout the years, the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team has sent multiple players on to the next level. The...

Passion for fitness inspires Hixson’s JustBfit class

September 17, 2019

September 17, 2019

Brenda Hixson likes to help people be fit. Hixson created a fitness program that meets at St. Joseph Grade School...

5 things you don’t know about me… McKenzie Keller

August 7, 2019

August 7, 2019

McKenzie is in the running for the title of Little Princess! She is six years old. We asked her to...

McCune accomplishes personal goal

May 14, 2021

May 14, 2021

At the beginning of his sophomore track season at University of Illinois-Springfield, St. Joseph-Ogden graduate Isiah McCune had a goal...

Comments
Leave a Reply