January 23, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Student athlete of the month Ava Knap

Ava Knap
Grade: 12
Sport: Cross Country
Reason nominated: Knap won the Doc Acklin Invite and was help lead the team to a win.
Nominated by: Jason Retz

What is your favorite class?
My favorite class this year is calculus. Calculus ties everything together and I really like my class.

What are your plans after high school?
I don’t know where I am going yet but I plan on running collegiately and majoring in neuroscience.

What is the best thing about being a student athlete?
We have all the resources to be successful and accomplish our goals. It’s an hour to be apart of such a respectable program and team.

What is the most difficult part of being a student athlete?
To truly access in sports and academics, you have to be disciplined and willing to do things differently than other high schoolers.

Banner
Related Posts

All conference basketball teams announced

April 16, 2021

April 16, 2021

The 2021 Illini Prairie Conference Girls Basketball All Conference Team has been announced. Junior Taylor Wells from St. Joseph-Ogden was...

On the call: Sjuts delivers in PA role for Spartans

September 20, 2019

September 20, 2019

Even if you don’t know his name, chances are you know his voice. For nearly 20 years Keith Sjuts has...

Smith, Pence and Wertz spark SJO football to first playoff win since 2015

November 5, 2022

November 5, 2022

The wait for a playoff victory from the St. Joseph-Ogden High School football team is no more. Hosting the program’s...

SJO5k Results for July 30, 2022

August 1, 2022

August 1, 2022

Name City Bib No Age Gender Age Group Total Time Pace 1 Austin Bridgman Potomac IL 632 22 M 1:Open...

Poe named male student-athlete of the month for August

September 20, 2019

September 20, 2019

Photo by Betty Lake Photography Eric Poe is a leader. St. Joseph-Ogden cross country head coach Jason Retz said Poe...

Going the Distance: Smetzer excels at Western

October 17, 2019

October 17, 2019

Ross Smetzer has goals. The 2016 St. Joseph-Ogden High School graduate runs cross country and track for Western Illinois University...

Spartans win Toyota of Danville Classic as Jacobs earns MVP honors

December 5, 2023

December 5, 2023

How well the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team would fare this season without current Illinois State guard Ty Pence in...

SJO soccer to have new home in 2023, while issues arise about current field maintenance

July 14, 2022

July 14, 2022

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School soccer team is set to have a new home field for the 2023 season. SJO...

Athlete of the Month… Keegan McCarty

September 3, 2019

September 3, 2019

Every month in season coaches at St. Joseph-Ogden High School nominate athletes to be the student-athlete of the month. A...

‘This team loves to compete’ SJO girls’ track and field continuing to train from home during pandemic as they wait for season to start

March 30, 2020

March 30, 2020

Fresh off tying for third place in Class 1A a season ago, needless to say the St. Joseph-Ogden High School...

Red-hot SJO volleyball faces St. Teresa for regional championship

October 28, 2021

October 28, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School volleyball team concluded August with an impressive three-set win at St. Teresa. If the Spartans...

Pence helps SJO boys’ basketball win opener; Toyota of Danville Classic up this week

November 30, 2021

November 30, 2021

All eyes will be on Ty Pence this basketball season. Understandably so. The St. Joseph-Ogden High School junior boys’ basketball...

Get to know SJO Volleyball player Emma Ward

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

What do you think makes the team so successful? Our ability to work well together What is your favorite thing...

SJO dances through adversity and earns date at state

January 22, 2019

January 22, 2019

On Friday afternoon, the St. Joseph-Ogden dance team thought its season was finished. Not because of how they performed. But...

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...

Comments
Leave a Reply