Top Performers: Metro-east high school athletes of the week

KAYLEE BASTIEN

Bastien had a home run among her four hits last week in a 6-3 Class 3A Waterloo Softball Regional semifinal win over Cahokia Conference rival Freeburg that got the Eagles to the championship game. It was her first home run this season. Bastien began Monday as incredibly one of seven hitters with averages at .400 or higher, hitting .466 with one home run and 22 RBIs.

JESSICA BELZER

The sophomore was two-times the hero in helping the Lancers advance to the 4A Softball Super-Sectional. Belzer roped a two-out walk-off hit into the gap to score teammate Quiozha Alexander from first base to secure a 2-1 semifinal win over O’Fallon Tuesday. Then on Saturday she drove home Becca Dahm and Brooke Laidley in a 4-3 walk-off win over Belleville West in the championship game.

FONTEZ DAVIS

Davis capped a memorable season in grand style as he won the long jump with a leap of 23 feet 6 inches to help the Tigers win their first Class 3A state track and field title on Saturday at O’Brien Stadium in Charleston.

JACOB HAMILTON AND CHASE STUMNE

Hamilton and Stumne ended their high school careers on a high note, winning their first five matches and finishing fourth in the IHSA Boys State Tennis Tournament on Saturday in suburban Chicago.

TYLER HIGGINS

Only a sophomore, Higgins became the Bulldogs first individual state champion when he took the Class 2A 400 meters crown on Saturday at O’Brien Stadium.

Higgins finished with a tme of 48.29 seconds.

MACI INGRAM

The McKendree-bound senior kept the Hornettes alive in the Class 2A playoffs by tossing all 15 innings Saturday in a 2-1 victory over River-to-River Conference rival Carterville at the Carterville Sectional. Ingram, one of the top pitchers in Southern Illinois, allowed only four hits and struck out 18. Nashville, which suffered its only two losses this season to Carterville in league play, won the game in the 15th on a walk-off single by freshman Karly Stanowski.

AUSTIN KEEN

Headed to Kentucky, the hard-throwing senior right-hander played a role in all three Althoff playoff victories before Monday. He threw three relief innings in the regional semifinal win over Dupo, then tossed seven innings and struck out nine against Wesclin in the Class 2A Dupo Regional championship. Keen came back in relief last week in Althoff’s semifinal win over Central at the Vandalia Sectional and in 11 1/3 playoff innings has struck out 17.

CAL KOSSINA

Kossina barely factored into the Maroons’ pitching plans early in the season, but recent performances earned him the right to take the mound in a do-or-die regional play-in game against Granite City on Memorial Day. He was nearly perfect, allowing just two Warrior base runners in the game — one on a hit by the game’s first batter and another on a fifth-inning error. He struck out five as West advanced to the 4A regional semifinal.

ANDRE MCGILL

A two-time state indoor state champion in March, McGill capped a memorable senior season in grand style as he won the Class 1A 200 meters state championship in a time of 21.73 seconds. McGill was also second in the 100 meters on Saturday at O’Brien Stadium in Charleston.

RICKY NELSON

Showing a flare for the dramatic, Nelson saved the best for last as in the final throw of his high school career he bettered his own personal best by more then 16 feet with an effort of 192 feet 2 inches to win the Class 3A discus state championship.

WILLIAM SESSION

Bothered by injuries for much of the season, Session proved why he is considered one of the top juniors in the state as he won the Class 3A 110 meter hurdles state championship in a time of 14.25 seconds on Saturday. The Lancers standout also placed fourth in the 300 meter hurdles.

NOAH THAGGARD

The junior right-hander was extremely sharp in the Class 3A Freeburg Regional semifinals, shutting down Mascoutah on four hits while striking out seven in a 6-1 victory.

OLIVIA YOUNG

The junior slugger already was second in the region with 11 home runs entering the Class 4A softball regional last Wednesday. She belted two more and drove in six runs total in a 11-1 short-game win over Collinsville in the semifinal to advance the Maroons to the title game.

JAMARI WARD

The top male track and field athletein the state, Ward ended his junior season with four state titles on Saturday as the Comanches smashed just about every record possible in winning their fifth straight Class 2A state championship. Ward set a new state mark — 25 feet 1/4 inch — in winning the long jump, won the triple jump and ran on both of the Comanches state record 400 and 800 meter relay teams.

This story was originally published June 1, 2015 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Top Performers: Metro-east high school athletes of the week."