Madison County Board recognizes local student athletes

By Editor | July 22, 2025 |

by Randy Pierce •

Elena Ryback (photo courtesy of AreaSports.net)

Local students who excelled in various sports endeavors this past school year were honored with proclamations from Chris Slusser, chairman of the Madison County Board, at its most recent meeting held on July 16.

A special time set aside toward the beginning of the meeting saw Robert Werden, Madison County regional superintendent of schools, introduce the guests along with providing some background concerning their achievements before Slusser read proclamations recognizing each of them.

The first one was Elena Rybak, who completed her senior year and graduated from Father McGivney Catholic High School in May. Along with four state championships in the 1,600-meter run, Rybak won the 800-meter event twice with Werden jesting about her return to the competition at that level a fifth time.

He explained, however, that she will instead be entering the University of Notre Dame in August as a freshman, adding, “We are extremely proud of you, and we know you’re going to do great things and make Madison County proud.”

A standing ovation from everyone in attendance at the meeting followed Werden’s saying Rybak holds a FMCHS record with 12 state medals, with the superintendent also calling for a round of applause for Rybak’s coach, James Helton, who was there.

Helton, after stating he started the Father McGivney track program seven years ago, said, “So I’ve got some grandkids I need to be grandparent to. These guys have put up with the old guy too long.”

Slusser’s proclamation pointed out how Rybak additionally set a state record in the 800-meter run with a time of two minutes and eight seconds while earning a spot on the Illinois High School Association all-state academic team.

Next up for the accolades was Triad High School’s Adam Nelson, the track coach for the girls’ four by 100-meter relay team comprised of Addie Fields, Mikayla Niehaus, Izzy Stein and Sophia Schardan.

Not only did that team’s 47.39 finish set a Triad record but Schardan, starting her senior year in August, came in second by .01 seconds in the 100-meter dash despite suffering a mid-race injury, according to Werden.

Following Slussers’s reading of the proclamation honoring the aforementioned team, Werden called 2025 Triad graduate Louis Yohannes forward for recognition as a two-time state champion in 110-meter hurdles.

In completing that event in 14.11, Yohannes, who was coached by Brian Weiss and Marissa Guiffre, Werden said, broke his own Triad record and has joined wrestler Colby Crouch as only the second athlete in the school’s history to earn multiple state titles.

Slusser concluded this segment of the county board meeting by saying there will be a few more student athletes who could not be present to be so honored in August.