February 7, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Jones named SJO student-athlete of the month

Helene Jones likes a challenge.


Jones, the October St. Joseph-Ogden student-athlete of the month, enjoys math because it challenges her.


Her can-do attitude can also be seen on the cross country course.


“Helene is among the top freshman in 1A cross country,” said Head Coach Jason Retz. “She was our number one runner at the Spartan Classic.”


Jones finished with a time of 20:46 at the Spartan Classic and bested that time at the IHSA Regionals with a time of 19:36.


Jones said being a member of the SJO cross country team is rewarding and enjoyable.


“The best thing about being a student-athlete at SJO is all the fun that me and my team have,” she said.


Her positive attitude expands to even the part of cross country she doesn’t love—early morning practice.


“The most difficult thing about being a student-athlete at SJO would be having morning practice,” she said. “But that isn’t even that bad. I love being an SJO athlete.”


The SJO Freshman dreams of going to the University of Tennessee and majoring in business of some sort.


She said she was surprised and appreciated being named student-athlete of the month.


“It makes me very happy and honored,” she said. “I would not have thought that I would have got this but I am so glad I did.”

Photo provided by Carrie Mattsey

Banner
Related Posts

Franzen, Knap pace SJO girls’ cross-country at Spartan Classic

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ cross-country team had a strong showing at the Spartan Classic this past Saturday. SJO...

Kaiser, Albrecht spark latest win by SJO volleyball

September 17, 2019

September 17, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School volleyball team kept right on rolling Monday night after placing second this past Saturday at...

Ingram, balanced run game and opportunistic defense lead SJO football to first win

September 23, 2021

September 23, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School football team needed a win. In a big way. The Spartans delivered one. In a...

SJO graduate Crowe thriving at Parkland as Cobras vie for national championship

April 23, 2021

April 23, 2021

Peyton Crowe knows a thing or two about championships. Crowe was a part of the 2018-19 St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball...

SJO cross-country is heading to state!

November 4, 2019

November 4, 2019

Detweiller Park, here they come. After two stellar postseason races, the St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ cross-country team and girls’...

SJO baseball loses heartbreaker in sectional title game

June 6, 2019

June 6, 2019

For six innings, Crayton Burnett was unhittable. But all it took were two singles that just fell out of the...

Softball bonds Witruk family

April 12, 2019

April 12, 2019

For the Witruk family of St. Joseph softball is a family affair. Every member of the household has played or...

Cohen, Seeley help guide SJO soccer to win

September 30, 2019

September 30, 2019

With less than two weeks left in the regular season, the St. Joseph-Ogden High School soccer team picked up a...

Hamilton, relay team place first at conference meet for Spartans

May 2, 2019

May 2, 2019

The intensity of a postseason meet is right around the corner for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ track and...

Five key SJO baseball games to watch for in 2019

March 5, 2019

March 5, 2019

The 2018 baseball season for St. Joseph-Ogden High School was another successful one. Under the leadership of coach Josh Haley,...

SJO girls’ basketball wins sectional title, advances to Elite Eight

February 15, 2019

February 15, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team waited more than a decade to give the program another sectional title....

Cramer, Lannert spark SJO girls’ basketball to fifth at State Farm Holiday Classic

January 3, 2020

January 3, 2020

Close games. Again. Clutch moments. Again. The small-school State Farm Holiday Classic had all of these attributes — and more...

SJO baseball ups win streak to 13 games and Haley nets 400th career victory

April 26, 2023

April 26, 2023

The path to 20 wins each season can take high school baseball teams on a different path. Maybe the majority...

Scholarship honors, remembers Dick Duval: ‘His legend will live on in St. Joe’

October 5, 2021

October 5, 2021

If you want to know who Dick Duval truly was, all you have to do is ask St. Joseph-Ogden Superintendent...

Sjuts saving the best for last

May 9, 2019

May 9, 2019

Rylee Sjuts is starting her final month as a track athlete for St. Joseph-Ogden High School. If the past is...

Comments
Leave a Reply