A run for a conference championship, a first since 1995, and an all-league performer on the links were among the highlights of the spring sports season.
Baseball
The Prairie Fire baseball team enjoyed a record-setting season that ended with a third place finish in the 2013 Midwest Conference Tournament. Knox had a 22-13 overall record and a 13-3 mark in the Midwest Conference South Division. The team set new all-time marks for wins in a season and conference victories in a season. The Prairie Fire won the MWC South for the first time since 2008 and advanced to the conference tournament for the second straight year. Knox had five All-Midwest Conference South Division first team selections and earned three awards.
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Softball
The Prairie Fire softball team had a productive season in Midwest Conference play, which included the end of a long drought against one league foe. Knox began the season at home by sweeping Illinois College in a doubleheader on March 30. The Prairie Fire’s 14-9 victory in the opening game was the first win against IC on the softball diamond since April of 2003. Knox won the second game 7-3, capping the first sweep of the Lady Blues since April of 2002. The Prairie Fire, led by junior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington), finished the season with an overall record of 6-25 and 5-10 in the Midwest Conference South Division. The five league wins are the most for Knox since the 2005 season.
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Outdoor Track and Field
The highlight of the 2013 outdoor track and field season was a pair of individual champions for the Prairie Fire at the Midwest Conference Championships in Beloit, Wisconsin. Senior Joe Puntoriero (Cheektowaga, New York, Cleveland Hill) capped off his college career by placing second in the 100 meter dash and winning the MWC Championship in the 200 meter dash. For his efforts, Puntoriero was named an Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet, the first such honor for Knox. Senior Jonas Mack (Algonquin, IL, Cary-Grove) won the MWC Championship in the javelin. The two individual conference championships by Puntoriero and Mack are the most by either Knox track and field team since 1995.
The Knox women’s team improved on the number of points they scored at the MWC Outdoor Championships compared to the indoor conference meet during the winter season.
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Men’s Golf
A Prairie Fire men’s golfer earned his second all-conference honor during the 2012-13 season. Junior James Fenner (East Peoria, IL, Metamora) had three top ten finishes, including a fourth place effort and a season-low round of 73 at the Scot-Fire Invite on April 27. Fenner helped Knox place seventh in the team standings while he finished eighth individually at the 2013 Midwest Conference Championship, earning All-MWC recognition for a second straight season.
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Men’s Tennis
The Prairie Fire men’s tennis team improved in the win column during the 2012-13 season. Knox finished with a 7-15 record -- two more victories than the previous season. The team also won two consolation titles at the Midwest Conference Championships. The future of men’s tennis looks bright for the Prairie Fire with five starters slated to return next season.
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