Game Balls: Top performances from the week in high school sports

Bryce Beckmann and Wil Rakers

The Knights (9-0-1) are the area’s lone unbeaten team and Beckmann and Rakers are two of the big reasons. Beckmann, a senior outfielder, was 5-for-10 with a double, triple and four RBIs last week and is hitting .541 with six doubles, seven RBIs and 11 runs scored. Rakers, a junior, was 5-for-9 last week with a double and three RBIs, pushing his season average to .533 with two homers and 15 RBIs.

Chris Conrad

One of the major surprises in the early going of the season, Conrad continued to put up impressive times as he won the 800 meters at the Norm Armstrong/Belleville West Invitational on Saturday. A junior, Conrad had a time of 1:55.2.

Elias Czech

It was quite a week for both Czech and the Freeburg Midgets as the senior picked up a win and two saves during a 3-0 stretch that included wins over Waterloo and Cahokia Conference rivals Central and Wesclin. Czech is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and two saves. His 23 strikeouts, 23 innings pitched and six appearances are all team-highs.

A.J. Epenesa

It was another meet and another record for Epenesa who won the discus at the Norm Armstrong/Belleville West Invitational. After taking the ACT earlier in the day, Epenesa broke the meet record in the discus with a throw of 190 feet, 4 inches. The record was the second in as many weeks for the Tigers junior, who broke the discus mark at the O’Fallon Relays the previous week.

Jake Garella

Among the St. Louis area leaders in batting average (.543), hits, home runs (three) and RBIs (18), the senior University of Mobile recruit is off to an outstanding start. Garella was 6-for-10 with four RBIs in three games last week, collecting a double and two RBIs against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and belting a two-run homer against Belleville West. He also pitched well in the Tigers’ conference loss to Alton, allowing two hits, no earned runs and striking out nine in five innings.

Bradley Harrison

The talented senior left-handed pitcher and outfielder shut down Belleville East last week, tossing a one-hitter and striking out 12 in a 4-0 Southwestern Conference win. The Southern Illinois University Carbondale recruit is among the St. Louis area pitching leaders in most categories, compiling a 5-0 record (tied for first) with a 0.43 ERA and 50 strikeouts (first) in only 32 1/3 innings.

Will O’Keefe

The News-Democrat Class 3A Cross Country Runner of the Year in the fall, O’Keefe is also proving to be the top 1,600-meter runner in the area. The Warriors standout captured his biggest win of the young season by taking the 1,600 meter championship at the Norm Armstrong/Belleville West Invitational with a time of 4 minutes, 26.6 seconds.

Jalyn Richardson

Richardson banged in two goals as the Kahoks stayed hot Tuesday with a 5-1 victory over visiting Belleville West in a key Southwestern Conference contest. Richardson, a sophomore, came back with another goal in a 6-1 triumph over Helias on Saturday, swelling her team-leading goals total this season to six.

Allison Richter

One of the best Class 2A athletes in the state in the shot put, Richter showed off her versatility on Friday at the Triad Invitational. Richter won the shot put with a throw of 41 feet, the discus win an effort of 125 feet, 7 inches and the long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 7 inches.

William Session

The Lancers senior wasn’t at top form but he was good enough to win both hurdles races at the Norm Armstrong/Belleville West Invitational. Session won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.2 seconds, then outlasted several athletes to finish with a time of 38.5 seconds and win the 300-meter hurdle title.

Max Skaer

Highly touted coming into high school, this Lancers freshman has lived up to all the hype. Currently 5-1 for the season in singles, Skaer has wins over top players from Columbia Rockbridge, Springfield, Normal University High, Althoff and Westminister. His only loss is to Victor Spolidoro of Dunlap probably one of the top 10 players in the state.

Cameron Touchette

The Eagles’ senior center fielder and John A. Logan College recruit piled up big numbers last week, going 9-for-13 at the plate with two doubles, two triples, four RBIs and six runs scored in three games. He leads the St. Louis area in hitting with a .714 average (15-for-21) that includes four doubles, two triples, one home run, 14 RBIs and 14 RBIs in only six games. His on-base percentage is .750.

Lexi Touchette

The freshman blasted a three-run home run and had five RBIs in the Eagles’ 12-6 win at Belleville East on Thursday. Touchette also hit a solo homer at Carlyle Tuesday for the now 8-1 Eagles.

Ja’Mari Ward

Ward had another record-smashing day Saturday at the Norm Armstrong/Belleville West Invitational. Competing in the 100 and 200 meters for the first time, Ward won the 100 meters in 10.64 seconds and the 200 meters in 21.05 seconds. The Missouri recruit capped off his four-win day by taking the titles in the long jump and triple jump

Olivia Young

The week before last, the senior outfielder hit four home runs in the doubleheader to break Jenny Klotz’s career record. She came back last week with a triple and home run in a loss at Edwardsville, and one more homer among her two hits against Highland. In three games, she was 5-for-11 with seven RBIs. Her six home runs are tied for tops in the region, and her 21 RBIs rank fourth.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Game Balls: Top performances from the week in high school sports."