College Report: Fougerousse helps her team reach JUCO World Series

Terre Haute South grad Kelly Fougerousse has helped the South Georgia College softball team to reach the Division 1 Junior College World Series.
SGC defeated Georgia Perimeter College 3-2 in the championship game of the Region XVII tournament, and became the first of 16 national tournament qualifiers.
The national tournament will be played at Plant City, Fla., from May 15-17.
For the season, Fougerousse was one of the top all-around performers in Region XVII this season. She finished third in the region in hitting with a .413 batting average, four doubles and three home runs. Fougerousse also had a 5-7 pitching record with one save and a 1.89 ERA.
Several other Wabash Valley area softball performers have been honored for their successful seasons this year.
Junior shortstop Morgan Wheeler of Indiana Wesleyan was named first-team all-Mid-Central College Conference and also first-team MCC all-academic. She led Indiana Wesleyan with 15 doubles and 31 runs scored and also hit three home runs on her way to a .421 batting average. She also had a .492 on-base percentage and a .649 slugging percentage.
IWU finished with a 20-19 record.
Ashley Walters of Riverton Parke was named first-team all-TranSouth Athletic Conference. She finished the regular season with a .406 batting average with seven doubles, four triples, three home runs and 24 RBIs. Walters also had a 3-2 pitching record.
Union is hosting the TSAC tournament this weekend.
South Putnam’s Amy Harris was named first-team all-Gulf South Conference for the second straight year.
Harris is the team leader in home runs and RBIs with 10 and 55 respectively. Harris, who also captured GSC Player of the Week honors this season, moved into third place all time in home runs at UAH with 39.
• • •
The Chargers are competing in their conference tournament this weekend.
n Sears to VU — Linton senior track and field standout Aubrey Sears has signed a letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic career next season at Vincennes University. The school record holder in the shotput signed with the Trailblazers at the North Daviess Invitational April 18.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to compete in the shot put next season at VU,” Sears told the Greene County Daily World. “They have a respectable program there and I expect to be able to step in and contribute to the success. Right now looking at their depth, I expect to be somewhere in the middle.”
• • •
• Hutson looks to next year — Terre Haute North grad Max Hutson (1-2, 4.26 last season for Wichita State as a junior) has missed the 2008 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery over the summer, but is expected to return next year.
“Rehab is going well for Max,” pitching coach Brent Kemnitz said. “He is ahead of schedule. He should be a big contributor in 2009.”
Tyler Hill, a senior utility player for the Shockers, writes a blog on the Wichita State Web site and detailed a prank played on Hutson earlier this season:
“Pitcher Max Hutson made the mistake of riding his bike to Spear’s Restaurant and locking it to a handicap sign outside the entry doors. He went inside to eat thinking his precious investment was safe. Little did he know his roommate Rob Musgrave saw a golden opportunity to have some fun.
“In approximately two seconds, Musgrave lifted the bike and its locked chain over the handicap sign. He then proceeded to put the bike in the back of Andy Dirks’ truck and headed in to join the team for breakfast.
“Whispers of the theft circulated from table to table as Hutson remained oblivious. When people finished breakfast and started leaving for the field, Hutson followed. Through the restaurant windows, few of us watched for his reaction.
“First, he confusingly looked around as if he were lost. Then, a calm anger came over him. He made a few calls to help gather his thoughts then found a ride to the field. Riding to the field, Hutson dwelled on his frustration. When arriving, he saw his bike leaning up against another handicap sign in the Eck Stadium parking lot.
“He was both relieved and incredibly flustered that his teammates would do this. Making his way to the locker room, things quickly went from fun spirited to intense as Hutson temporarily lost his composure as an innocent chair became a victim of brutality. After taking a long walk to cool down, he arrived with all smiles and a new appreciation for the joke that was played on him. He also learned not to lock his bike to short poles stuck in the ground.
“After the morning comedy, we knew that the rest of the weekend was going to be a success. We went on to win the next two games easily and took the series. All is well. We got our wins and Hutson got his bike.”

Wabash Valley softball players
Casey-Westfield
Denny Throneburg (head coach, Lake Land) — Coached team to 34-7 regular-season record.
Dara (Throneburg) Updegraff (assistant coach, Lake Land) — Helped coach team to 34-7 regular-season record.
Sandy Montgomery (head coach, SIU-Edwardsville) — Coached team to 44-9 regular-season record, No. 13 national ranking, and 19-5 record in Great Lakes Valley Conference (second place).
Tasha Wilhoit (So., Lake Land) — Has pitched 11 innings this year with no decisions. Batting .250 with four RBI and four runs scored.
Chelsey Sullivan (Fr., Lake Land) — Has a 19-2 pitching record with a 2.03 ERA. Has 97 strikeouts and 40 walks in 123.2 innings pitched.
Clay City
Kari Bettenbrock (Sr., Indiana) — Has played in 22 games for 16-33 Hoosiers, starting six. Has one home run, four RBI and is batting .194.
Chelsee Gerber (Fr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
Greencastle
Stevie Woodall (So., Franklin) — Played in 26 games for 5-27 Grizzlies, starting 19. Batted .211 with eight RBI and two doubles.
Linton
Casey Simmons (Jr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
Marshall
Kayla Parsley (Fr., Lincoln Trail) — Team does not list statistics on school Web site or njcaa.org.
North Central
Danielle Austin (Sr., St. Joseph’s) — Team ended season 20-25 overall and 10-14 in GLVC. Played in 20 games, starting 18, with two doubles, one triple, one RBI and a .356 batting average.
Jacilyn McClain (Fr., Lincoln Trail) — Went 2-3 in 6-3 win over Olney Central on April 17. Team does not list statistics on school Web site or njcaa.org.
North Vermillion
Annie Morgan (assistant coach, Lakeland, Wisc.) — Helped coach team o 17-18 overall record and 15-9 mark in Northern Athletics Conference.
Northview
Kayla Raderstorf (Fr., Rend Lake) — Played in 22 games, batting .305 with two doubles, 13 RBI and seven runs scored.
Stefanie Jonson (Fr., Indiana State) — Has pitched in four games with an 0-2 record and a 7.68 ERA. Has nine strikeouts in 13 innings.
Brittany Searing (Fr., Indiana State) — Has played in 15 games, starting six, and is batting .200 with one double and one RBI.
Paris
Whitney Haase (Jr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
Riverton Parke
Ashley Loomis (Sr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
Robinson
Amanda McGlone (So., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
Jamie Lytle (So., Olney Central) — Team does not list statistics on school Web site or njcaa.org.
Julie Nichols (Fr., Shawnee (Ill.) CC) — Team does not list statistics on school Web site.
Shakamak
Chelsea Baker (Fr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
South Putnam
Megan Robinson (Fr., Hanover) — Batted .307(second on team) with five doubles, three triples and five RBI.
South Vermillion
Brian Shearer (head coach, Rose-Hulman) — Coached team to 25-10 record and a berth in the HCAC tournament.
Sullivan
Ally McKinley (Jr., Southern Indiana) — Batted .282 (fourth on team) with 10 doubles and 25 RBI.
Reva Ledune (Fr., Indiana State) — Has played in 35 games, starting 31, batting .160 with one home run and eight RBI.
Terre Haute North
Megan Ciolli (assistant coach, Northern Illinois) — Has helped coach team to 12-29 overall record and 6-12 Mid-American Conference mark.
Katie Iocoangeli (Sr., Indiana State) — Has played in 45 games, starting 41, batting .230 with three home runs and nine RBI.
Alicia Hayes (So., Lake Land) — Third on team in hitting at .451 with 27 doubles, two triples and four home runs. Has 47 RBI and 37 runs scored.
Selina Roman (Fr., Olney Central) — Team does not list statistics on school Web site or njcaa.org.
Terre Haute South
Jessica Ketner (Sr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
Ashley Sankey (Jr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
Kylee Anderson (So., Danville Area CC) — Batting a team-high .424 with three doubles, one triple, one home run, 12 RBI and eight runs scored.
Turkey Run
Chelsea Hanner (Fr., Hanover) — Had a 3-13 pitching record with a 4.93 ERA.
Union
Sasha Stanton (So., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.
West Vigo
Kea Silcock (Jr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods) — Stats will be published on May 18.

Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches and coaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

May 03, 2008 11:25 pm

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College Report: Two former Sullivan standouts finishing strong college careers

Two former Sullivan High School baseball standouts are winding up their college baseball careers with outstanding senior seasons.
Korey Grow is one of the top hitters for Huntington and has also emerged as a relief pitching specialist, while Shane Noble is one of the top hitters for Bellarmine (Ky.) College.
Grow had a big day on Thursday as the Foresters took both games of a doubleheader from Indiana Wesleyan University, winning the first game 3-1 in eight innings and the second 10-0 in five.
In the opener, Grow came on in relief of starter Michael Dalton in the bottom of the eighth and picked up his sixth save on the year.
In the nightcap, Huntington got seven runs in the top of the second keyed by a two-run single from Grow, who led the Foresters at the plate with three hits and three RBI.
Huntington is now 22-10, and Grow is fourth on the team in hitting at .368. He has 12 doubles, three home runs, 32 RBI and 22 runs scored. He has pitched in 14 games, with a 1-3 record but a sparkling 2.95 ERA. Grow has six saves and 18 strikeouts in 18.1 innings while walking just five.
Noble is sixth on the Bellarmine team in batting average at .301, and leads the 22-15 Knights in home runs with six. Noble, son of former Golden Arrow standout Charley Noble, has eight doubles, 35 RBI, 28 runs scored, and 63 total bases.
Noble has eight two-hit games this year, one three-hit game and one four-hit game. The senior cleanup hitter has a 12-game hitting streak earlier this season, and leads the team with 12 multiple RBI games – nine games with two RBI and three games with three RBI.
• • •
• One that got away — Former Terre Haute resident Jeff Grantham had a career day for St. John’s University’s baseball team on Tuesday.
The senior shortstop had a career-high six RBIs as the Red Storm routed Hofstra, 19-5, in non-conference action. Grantham also added his first career home run, a three-run blast to account for half the runs in a second-inning outburst.
In the sixth inning, St. John's scored two more times to open up a 14-2 lead, one scoring on an RBI single by Grantham.
The Red Storm offense was not done, however, and plated five more runs in the eighth to go up 19-5. With one out, two runners reached on a hit by a pitch and a single and Grantham followed with an RBI single.
Grantham, who is the team captain, is hitting .263 with two doubles, one homer and 10 RBI. He has made 30 putouts and 55 assists with only three errors for a .966 fielding percentage.
• • •
• Odum, McLeish add to short list — With recent signings of Terre Haute South’s Zach Odum (Wabash Valley College) and South Vermillion’s Jenni McLeish (Lake Land College), the small number of Valley athletes going on to continue college hoops careers grew a little bit.
Area teams were heavily dominated by underclassmen this season, thereby reducing the number of players moving on to an uncharacteristically low number. The only other area seniors known to be moving on at this date are Terre Haute South’s Megan Craft (Vincennes), Martinsville’s Heidi Dahnke (Illinois-Chicago) and Casey-Westfield’s Logan Boyd (Greenville).
South grad Jay Smith will continue his career at Eastern Illinois after two successful seasons at Trinity Valley Community College, while former Brave Travis Davis is also expected to move on after a successful sophomore season at Illinois Central in which he was named to the all-Region XXIV team.
Commitments have already been made by South’s Dragana Grbic (Butler) and Rockville’s R.J. Mahurin (Indiana State), with many more members of the class of 2009 undoubtedly joining that list over the next year.
• Woods adds more local flavor — South Vermillion catcher Sondra Blake has decided to play her college softball at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, joining Chelsey Myers of Riverton Parke and surely many other local standouts in becoming future Pomeroys.
Other softball players recently finalizing college plans were North Central’s Megan Cox (Olney Central) and Jacki Porter (Wabash Valley).

Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

April 20, 2008 12:07 am

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Young Engineers baseball team smiling after spring trip

Having begun his 19th season as Rose-Hulman’s baseball coach, Jeff Jenkins wasn’t sure what to think of his young team when it traveled to Florida for its annual spring trip last month.
But when the Engineers scored 79 runs — including a school-record-tying 15 in one inning against St. Vincent College on Feb. 25 — in compiling a 6-3 record, he came back with a smile and a positive opinion.
“We had so many question marks going into it,” Jenkins said after Saturday’s trip-ending 9-2 victory over York College. “We didn’t know what to expect.”
Rose, which finished 21-18 overall and 12-10 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference last season, will make its 2008 home debut Saturday. Games are scheduled against Illinois Wesleyan (11 a.m.) and University of Chicago (4 p.m.) at Art Nehf Field.
Missing will be 10 graduating seniors and one graduate student from last season.
Leading the offense so far has been sophomore catcher/designated hitter Keenan Long, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound transfer from Northwestern. He’s batting .486 with two home runs, three doubles, 15 runs batted in and 13 runs scored while playing errorless defense.
“He’s an intense competitor,” Jenkins said of Long. “He’s got good power. He’s jumped in and really taken off.”
Whenever Long starts at DH, Jenkins doesn’t hesitate to use senior Alex Decker (.375) behind the plate.
“We’re really happy with our catching,” the Engineers’ coach said. “We thought it could be a strength and it has been.”
Continuing around the infield, Jenkins is rotating left-handed Nathaniel Miles, a sophomore, and right-handed Reed Eason, a freshman and Rose-Hulman football player in the fall, at first base. Miles is hitting .385 and Eason .333.
“They both have a little pop in their bat,” Jenkins mentioned.
Junior Andrew Pinkstaff (.417) was scheduled to play often at second base, but Jenkins said he’s probably out for the season after injuring his knee while sliding home Friday. Sophomore Tim Tepe (.343, three homers, 17 RBIs) will continue to see plenty of action in the infield, probably more at second base now that Pinkstaff is unavailable.
“He hits the ball well and he can really turn the double play,” Jenkins said of Tepe, who batted .324 as a part-time starter last season.
Senior Michael Matsui, a significant contributor in the past, is likely to fill in at second when he’s not pitching, which gives Jenkins the option of moving Tepe to shortstop.
Also expected to play shortstop are sophomore Chandler Kent (.286) and freshman Kreigh Williams (.375). Williams broke his nose in January and only recently recovered.
Troy Eveslage, a sophomore, is penciled in at third base. “He can play second, short, third or any of the outfield spots,” Jenkins pointed out.
Kent also is capable of handling the hot corner.
Manning the outfield at various times have been sophomore Andrew Bilse (.414, 14 runs, center field), sophomore Kirk Thompson (.429, left or right field), senior Gabe Focke (.300, left field) and freshman Michael Kovacs (.389, 11 RBI, right field). Focke hit .351 as a frequent starter in 2006.
Jenkins described Kovacs as the Engineers’ fastest outfielder with the strongest arm among the outfielders.
“He can cover ground in the outfield,” Jenkins noted. “He can throw. We don’t steal too much, but if we do, he can run.”
Bilse usually bats first in the lineup.
“He really works the count well,” Jenkins assessed, “and he’s already hit two home runs.”
Jenkins said any number of players can start at DH, including Long, Thompson, Focke, Decker and Matsui.
Turning to the pitching staff, Jenkins named sophomore Derek Eitel (1-1, 3.14 earned-run average) of Marshall, Ill., senior Luis Bougrat (1-1) and Matsui (2-0, 2.45), all right-handers, as his main three starters. Bougrat ended up 5-1 last season.
Freshman Gannon Sadzeck, sophomore Nick Maloney and freshman Nick Rumpke, again all righties, also figure to start during busy weeks.
The tallest player on the team, 6-7 senior Sam Deters of Teutopolis, Ill., remains the Rose closer. In nine appearances, the right-hander is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, nine strikeouts and two saves in 4.1 innings.
“We’ve got one of the best [NCAA Division III] closers in the country,” Jenkins emphasized. “He has been absolutely dominant. He throws it in the mid-80s [mph] and he’s got electric stuff. His ball moves.”
Senior righty Joe Valerioti is likely to handle some of the middle-inning relief duties.
Overall, Jenkins thinks his pitching can compete well in the HCAC when the conference part of Rose-Hulman’s season begins March 29 with a doubleheader at Manchester.
Speaking of the conference, Jenkins rattled off Mount St. Joseph, Transylvania, Anderson and Manchester as the favorites to win the championship.
“I think we could surprise some people this year,” he added.

Rose-Hulman baseball schedule
All times EST
Feb. 24 — St. John Fisher at Leesburg, Fla. (won 7-4)
Feb. 25 — St. Vincent at Leesburg, Fla. (lost 9-2 and won 19-4)
Feb. 26 — Emory & Henry at Sanford, Fla. (won 16-12)
Feb. 27 — Ohio Northern at Leesburg, Fla. (won 8-1)
Feb. 28 — John Carroll at Orlando, Fla. (won 7-5 and lost 10-5)
Feb. 29 — Johnson & Wales at Leesburg, Fla. (lost 7-6)
March 1 — York at Longwood, Fla. (won 9-2)
Saturday — Illinois Wesleyan, 11 a.m.
Saturday — U. of Chicago, 4 p.m.
Sunday — U. of Chicago, 11 a.m.
Sunday — Illinois Wesleyan, 4 p.m.
March 15 — Adrian, noon
March 16 — Adrian, 1 p.m.
March 22 — Robert Morris-Springfield, 1 p.m.
March 29 — at Manchester (2), noon
March 30 — at Manchester, 1 p.m.
April 1 — Franklin, 6 p.m.
April 2 — at DePauw, 4 p.m.
April 4 — Bluffton, 4 p.m.
April 5 — Bluffton (2), noon
April 8 — vs. Anderson at Indianapolis’ Victory Field, 6 p.m.
April 11 — Mount St. Joseph, 5 p.m.
April 12 — Mount St. Joseph, 6 p.m.
April 18 — at Defiance, 4 p.m.
April 19 — at Defiance, noon
April 22 — at Franklin, 4 p.m.
April 25 — Hanover, 7 p.m.
April 26 — Hanover (2), 1 p.m.
April 29 — Anderson, 6 p.m.
May 3 — at Transylvania (2), 1 p.m.
May 4 — at Transylvania, noon
May 8-10 — HCAC tournament at TBA

March 03, 2008 11:08 pm

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Valley has plethora of softball players in collegiate ranks

Softball season has now begun at the college level, with many teams taking southern or western trips to find some decent weather.
The Wabash Valley is represented by 38 players competing collegiately this spring, with six other area graduates serving as coaches.
Nearly all of those 44 people have remained in the Indiana and Illinois area, with only Terre Haute South’s Kelly Fougerousse (South Georgia College), South Putnam’s Amy Harris (Alabama-Huntsville), Riverton Parke’s Ashley Walters (Union University in Tennessee) and North Vermillion’s Annie Morgan (coaching at Lakeland College in Wisconsin) drifting away from the bi-state area.
Harris is off to a great start in her senior year at UAH, and was named Gulf South Conference East Player of the Week after leading the 14th-ranked Chargers to a 4-0 weekend at the GSC/Midwest Tournament in Tunica, Miss.
Harris batted .727 (8-for-11) with four doubles, six RBI and six runs scored. She was also 2-for-2 in stolen bases. She had a slugging percentage of 1.091 and a .786 on-base percentage. In the Chargers’ 15-0 win over Indianapolis, Harris was 3-for-3 with three doubles and four RBI.
For RP’s Walters, the season did not start so auspiciously.
Tornadoes ravaged the Union campus at Jackson, Tenn., on Feb. 5, destroying 40 percent of the buildings and damaging another 40 percent.
First-year Union Coach Heather Hall came to Union from Tennessee-Martin, located 52 miles north of Jackson, and was able to take her team there to work out while things settled down on what was left of the school’s campus.
Fortunately, the school’s softball field was undamaged and the Lady Bulldogs began their season on Friday by winning a pair of exhibition games over Jackson State.
Ironically, one of the nation’s other prominent tragedies this month also affected a Wabash Valley native.
Terre Haute North grad Megan Ciolli is in her first year as an assistant coach at Northern Illinois, the location of the latest school shooting tragedy involving multiple fatalities.
NIU suspended all athletic events for 10 days following the Feb. 14 shootings, including four softball games. The Huskies will now open their season on Friday by meeting Mercer at Fort Myers, Fla.
The early leader for clutch performances in the young season has to be Clay City’s Kari Bettenbrock, who provided the game-winning heroics in Indiana’s 7-6 win over Tulsa last Sunday in San Diego.
With her team trailing 6-5, IU’s Sarah Padove doubled with one out. After a strikeout, Bettenbrock stepped to the plate and hit her third career home run for the game-winner.

• Northview pair to college — Northview seniors Ashley Hull and Kaley Huffman will be joining classmate Lottie King in the ranks of college volleyball this fall, as Hull has received a full-ride scholarship to Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill., and Huffman will join IUPUI’s team as a walk-on.
King earlier accepted a scholarship from Southern Indiana.
Hull, Huffman, King and the rest of Northview’s strong senior class helped the Knights to a school-record 31-4 record last year.
Lake Land Coach Jessica Hills, whose nationally-ranked team was 24-12 last year, is looking forward to having Hills to join her program.
“Ashley will come into the program with good experience and be able to offer an immediate impact,” Hills said. “I look for her to contribute on the outside and middle. She has great technique and will fit into the program very well.”
Hull has been told she will be an outside hitter, but knows she could play in the middle or wherever she may be needed.
Hull is good friends with Terre Haute North senior Casey Hayne, who has also signed with Lake Land. The two will be roommates, and Hull will be glad to have a familiar face around.
“That really helps that Casey is going there, too,” Hull said. “I made a campus visit and liked the size of the campus and liked the team too.”
Northview Coach Scott McDonald sees good things for Hull’s future at the college level.
“They are getting a Division I player,” he said. “She’s versatile and can hit from anywhere, and she was a great leader for us. Ashley will do very well there.”
Hull, who is playing this winter for the Circle City travel program in Indianapolis, played two varsity seasons for the Knights and was all-Western Indiana Athletic Conference in her junior year. She also considered Vincennes University, and hopes to move on to the Division I level after her Lake Land career.
“They have a lot of players who go on to play at Eastern Illinois,” Hull said. “I just want to help them keep their winning program going.”
Huffman will join a familiar face at IUPUI, as older sister Jenae is a student there.
“I also considered the University of Indianapolis, but I want to major in pre-optometry and IUPUI has a really good program,” Huffman said. “I know I won’t get to play much the first year, and their scholarships are given out for my first two years, but my hope is to be able to earn a scholarship by my junior year.”
Huffman started varsity all four years of her high school career, and was all-WIC the past three seasons. She hopes to eventually earn some playing time as a passer, defensive specialist or a libero.
Huffman has been a member of the Crossroads of America volleyball program based in Terre Haute.
“She is a great student, and will undoubtedly get some academic scholarships to help her,” McDonald said. “She was a great leader on the court for us, as well, and IUPUI is getting a scholarship-quality player without having to give out a scholarship. She will find a way to make an impact in their program.
“If she was six feet tall, she’d be big-time Division I.”
The trio of Knights will join 2006 graduate Christy Fulk (Indianapolis) and 2007 grad Brianne Arvin (Stephens College) in the college volleyball ranks.

• Witt to Grand Valley — Shakamak cross country standout Anthony Witt, who finished third in the 2007 Indiana state high school meet, will continue his career at the collegiate level with Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.
Witt also considered St. Joseph’s and Indiana State.
“Ultimately I choose GVSU over the other two because of their strength in their overall athletic program and the class sizes,” he told the Greene County Daily World. “I’ll get more attention academically yet still have the strong competition on the athletic side.”
Grand Valley State competes at the Division II level and is considered a powerhouse in both cross country and track and field. This past season, the cross country team finished fourth at Nationals and eighth at Track and Field Nationals.
Witt, who plans to major in biochemistry, said one of his goals before he graduates from GVSU is to be an All-American.
“Obviously everyone wants to be a National Champion,” Witt said. “But then you start running into the Kenyans at the collegiate level so I definitely want to be an All-American.”

• College notes — Sullivan graduate Shane Noble got his senior baseball season at Bellarmine College off to a good start last weekend as the Knights kicked of their season with a three-game series at North Alabama.
While the Knights returned just 1-2, Noble looked like he was in mid-season form. The senior left fielder went 5-for-10 on the weekend with two home runs and a double. He led the team with six RBI and finished the trip with a whopping 1.200 slugging percentage.
Bellarmine defeated North Alabama 4-1 in the opener as Noble blasted a pair of home runs while going 3-for-6 with four RBI for the afternoon.
Noble blasted his first home run, a fourth inning solo shot, to give the Knights a 2-1 lead in the first game. His round-tripper proved to be the game-winning RBI. He also added an RBI single in the first inning. In the second game, Bellarmine managed just three hits, although Noble’s third-inning home run gave the Knights an early 3-0 lead.
Noble went 2 for 4 with two RBI in an 8-4 loss in the series finale.
• Northview’s Julia Whitted scored 26 points and hauled in 14 rebounds as IUPUI defeated Oral Roberts 69-66 last Saturday. Whitted had 14 points in the final 12:54 of the game. The 6-foot-5 center finished the game 10-of-16 and hit a career-high 6 free throws in a career-best 10 attempts.
Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

Valley softball
Casey-Westfield
Denny Throneburg, head coach, Lake Land
Dara (Throneburg) Updegraff, assistant coach, Lake Land
Sandy Montgomery, head coach, SIU-Edwardsville
Tasha Wilhoit, sophomore, Lake Land
Chelsey Sullivan, freshman, Lake Land
Clay City
Kari Bettenbrock, senior, Indiana
Chelsee Gerber, freshman, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Greencastle
Stevie Woodall, sophomore, Franklin
Linton
Casey Simmons, junior, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Marshall
Kayla Parsley, freshman, Lincoln Trail
North Central
Danielle Austin, senior, St. Joseph’s
Jacilyn McClain, freshman, Lincoln Trail
North Vermillion
Annie Morgan, assistant coach, Lakeland (Wisc.)
Northview
Kayla Raderstorf, freshman, Rend Lake
Stefanie Jonson, freshman, Indiana State
Brittany Searing, freshman, Indiana State
Paris
Whitney Haase, junior, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Lindsey Nugent, sophomore, Danville Area CC
Katie Meagher, freshman, Danville Area CC
Sarah Snyder, freshman, Danville Area CC
Riverton Parke
Ashley Loomis, senior, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Ashley Walters, senior, Union University (Tenn.)
Robinson
Amanda McGlone, sophomore, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Jamie Lytle, sophomore, Olney Central
Julie Nichols, freshman, Shawnee (Ill.) CC
Rockville
Morgan Wheeler, junior, Indiana Wesleyan
Shakamak
Chelsea Baker, freshman, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
South Putnam
Amy Harris, senior, Alabama-Huntsville
Megan Robinson, freshman, Hanover
South Vermillion
Brian Shearer, head coach, Rose-Hulman
Sullivan
Ally McKinley, junior, Southern Indiana
Reva Ledune, freshman, Indiana State
Terre Haute North
Megan Ciolli, assistant coach, Northern Illinois
Katie Iocoangeli, senior, Indiana State
Alicia Hayes, sophomore, Lake Land
Selina Roman, freshman, Olney Central
Terre Haute South
Jessica Ketner, senior, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Ashley Sankey, junior, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Racheal McCleary, sophomore, Indiana State
Kylee Anderson, sophomore, Danville Area CC
Kelly Fougerousse, freshman, South Georgia College
Turkey Run
Chelsea Hanner, freshman, Hanover
Union
Sasha Stanton, sophomore, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
West Vigo
Kea Silcock, junior, St. Mary-of-the-Woods

February 23, 2008 11:27 pm

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College Report: Valley athletes begin baseball season at Vincennes today

Unbelievably, the college baseball season for several former Wabash Valley standouts begins today as Vincennes University tries to open its season by playing at Lindsey Wilson in Columbia, Ky.
A total of 43 former area standouts appear on college baseball rosters this year, and the Trailblazers have the largest part of that amount with seven.
Taking the field for VU Coach Jon Adams this spring will be Terre Haute North grads John Rosselli and Skyler Pearson (who played one year at Indiana State), Cole Vicars from Terre Haute South, T.J. Amerman of Riverton Parke, Seth Bayless of Robinson and Dylan Anderson of Hutsonville.
Northview’s John Reberger is on the roster, but will be sitting out the season as a medical redshirt.
Terre Haute North leads the team competition with 12 players competing collegiately, including six at the Division I level. Two Patriots have found new homes at junior colleges in Illinois, as Devin Peabody is on the roster at Danville Area Community College and Andrew Woodason has landed at Lake Land after one semester at Indiana State.
Terre Haute South has eight players scheduled to play college ball, including junior catcher Evan Pettit — who transferred from Arkansas-Fort Smith to Murray State after two successful seasons.
• • •
In other college news:
• Lake Land continues local recruiting — In addition to landing North’s Woodason to play baseball this season and Casey Hayne to play volleyball starting in the fall, Lake Land College has also added its fourth former Casey-Westfield softball player since Denny Throneburg took over as head coach.
Catcher Brianna Athey, who played on both of the Lady Warriors’ most recent state tournament qualifiers, will become a Laker next fall.
She will rejoin former batterymate Chelsey Sullivan, who is a Lake Land freshman this year.
Athey hit .373 as a sophomore with 40 RBIs, nine doubles, five triples and a home run, then hit .345 with 30 RBIs, eight doubles, one triple and two homers in her junior year.
“Obviously she’s a really good athlete,” Throneburg, the former C-W coach, told the Mattoon Times-Courier. “She comes from a program used to winning. The things that I like about her are the things I like about most players — she’s versatile and highly competitive.”
Athey made the transition from the outfield to behind the plate last season for the Warriors, and can also play third base.
“She can hit at this level and she can step right in and swing the bat for us,” Throneburg said. “She’s from an athletic family. Her older brothers both played sports at Casey. Her dad played fast-pitch softball, he’s coached and he knows the game. She’s very knowledgeable and she understands the game. She’s vocal and a leader.”
Lake Land volleyball coach Jessica Hills, who will welcome North’s Hayne to her program next year, was unavailable for comment two weeks ago when this column featured Hayne’s decision.
Hills is very glad to be adding the versatile Hayne to her team.
“Lake Land College is a nationally competitive junior college program,” Hills said. “I see Casey coming in and making an impact in either setting or defense. She has a strong volleyball background with good fundamentals.
“I look for my incoming freshmen to be able to contribute immediately either in their normal position or not. Casey is very capable of doing that throughout the 2008 season!”
• Aouad honored – Sophomore Emmanuel Aouad of Terre Haute North earned North Coast Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors for his performance in last week’s Wabash Alumni Indoor Invitational.
Aouad received the Men’s Indoor Sprints/Hurdles honor after winning the 55-meter hurdles with a mark of 7.74. His mark of 22 feet, 5 inches in the long jump was also good enough for first place. He was also part of the Little Giant 800-meter relay team that broke its own meet record with a time of 1:32.59.

Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

Valley baseball
players

Cloverdale
Cody Nees, sophomore, Franklin
Ryan Welty, sophomore, Danville Area CC
Greencastle
Derrick Patterson, sophomore, Franklin
Hutsonville-Palestine
Dylan Anderson, sophomore, Vincennes
Local connections
Jeff Grantham, senior, St. John’s
Marshall
Derek Eitel, sophomore, Rose-Hulman
Chase Boyer, freshman, Lincoln Trail
North Central
Kevin Greve, junior, Earlham
Northview
T.J. King, junior, Arkansas-Little Rock
Brady Shoemaker, junior, Indiana State
John Reberger, sophomore, Vincennes (injured, will sit out season as medical redshirt)
Riverton Parke
T.J. Amerman, freshman, Vincennes
Robinson
Seth Bayless, sophomore, Vincennes
Adam Richart, freshman, Lincoln Trail
Shakamak
Tyler Rehmel, junior, Eastern Kentucky
Ridge Inman, freshman, Olney Central (injured, will sit out season as medical redshirt)
Steven McNabb, freshman, Oakland City
South Putnam
Jeff McDole, senior, St. Joseph’s
Sullivan
Korey Grow, senior, Huntington
Shane Noble, senior, Bellarmine
Terre Haute North
Chris Macke, senior, Ohio State
Max Hutson, senior, Wichita State
John Cummins, junior, Purdue
Ryan Nevill, junior, Dayton
Josh Phegley, sophomore, Indiana
Nick Ciolli, sophomore, Indiana State
Brian Fisher, sophomore, DePauw
Jeremy Feathers, sophomore, Lake Land
John Rosselli, sophomore, Vincennes
Skyler Pearson, sophomore, Vincennes
Andrew Woodason, freshman, Lake Land
Devin Peabody, freshman, Danville Area CC
Terre Haute South
Evan Pettit, junior, Murray State
Michael Ferguson, junior, Rose-Hulman
Mitch Hannum, sophomore, DePauw
Brett Arnold, sophomore, Franklin
Pat Duncan, sophomore, Rose-Hulman
Bobby Woods, freshman, Olney Central
Cole Vicars, freshman, Vincennes
Michael Raines, freshman, Manchester
West Vigo
Mike Rogers, senior, Arkansas-Little Rock
Mitch Coombs, sophomore, Lincoln Trail (Ball State in ‘09)
Bryan Chestnut, freshman, Indiana State

February 10, 2008 12:28 am

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South’s Craft to join Vincennes

Three Wabash Valley area athletes have decided upon their collegiate sports futures, and all of them will be moving on to participate at the junior college level.
Terre Haute South basketball standout Megan Craft will be joining the Vincennes University women’s program, while Terre Haute North’s Casey Hayne (volleyball) and Rockville’s Luke Green (baseball) will take their skills to Lake Land College at Mattoon, Ill.
Craft is a four-year varsity performer for the 12-4 Braves, and is averaging 11.1 points per game this season. She led the team in scoring her sophomore year, was second in scoring her junior year and ranks fourth this season on a well-balanced team.
She was chosen as a Junior All-Star last summer, and feels she will be able to fit in with the Trailblazer program.
“It’s close to home and the family can come and watch me play,” said Craft, who holds down a 3.8 grade point average and plans to major in secondary education. “They needed a two-guard. They have four girls over 6-feet tall, so they really needed guards.”
Craft likes her chances of moving on to a four-year school based upon the interest in the players on this year’s VU team.
“All of their current scholarship kids are being recruited,” she said. “College basketball is so much more physical. I will have to adjust to that aspect."
South Coach Alan Maroska, who has had his share of college players over the years and has at least one-third of this year’s team undoubtedly advancing their careers, thinks VU is a good fit for his senior leader.
“It is a tremendous opportunity for Megan,” he said. “Megan is playing her best overall basketball of her career. VU has two other commitments from outstanding guards and is being touted as a national contender next year.
“If a national contender comes to pass, it would be a great opportunity to get D-1 exposure,” Maroska added. “As a qualifier, Megan could get picked up after one year at VU. Then she could have four years at a D-1 school.”
Hayne, an all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference selection this season and an all-Vigo County choice as a junior, owns several mentions in the North record book. She holds career records for assists in a match, kills in a season and hitting average, and this season led the team in assists in a season, assists in a match, kills in a season and hitting average.
North Coach Kris Painter sees a bright future for Hayne.
“Casey will do very well at the collegiate level because I think that she just continues to get better,” Painter said. “By the time most kids get to that point in their careers, they have been playing for seven to eight years and most of them have hit their peak. While Casey has been playing for that long, she has only been a setter since her sophomore year and has improved every year since.
“Casey is a real competitor and will do whatever it takes to help her team win.”
Green is a hard-hitting, versatile defender who can play infield and outfield.
Last year for the Rox, he hit .417 (30-72) with two homers, four doubles, 19 RBI and 25 runs scored.
Green said he chose Lake Land not only for its baseball program, but for how its academics fit in with his long-term plans.
“It is a small school and has a pre-chiropractic major that I am interested in,” he said. “I will be playing good Division I junior college baseball, and hopefully will take advantage of the next two years so that I can transfer to a four-year school to finish my college career both as a player and as a student.”
Rockville Coach Bob Kyle considers dedication as one of Green’s biggest attributes.
“If Luke could play 365 days a year he would,” Kyle said. “That is how much he loves the game. He is the hardest worker I have ever seen as a coach, and he has made himself a really good player.”
Kyle predicts success for Green at the next level.
“He will do fine in college because I do not see his work ethic changing any,” he added. “He has a very pure, pretty and quick stroke.”
Lake Land Coach Jim Jarrett agrees with Kyle’s assessment.
“Luke has good bat speed and he really understands and studies the game,” Jarrett said. “He appears to have the makeup of a very good second place hitter in the lineup. He can handle the bat, and he has been schooled in the fundamentals.
In other news:
• Smith heating up — Terre Haute South grad Jay Smith of Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College is averaging 18 points per game this season, and has added 20 pounds of weight as he works to get ready to start his Division I basketball career at Eastern Illinois next winter.
“Had Jay waited and signed later — he’s probably put 20 pounds on — he would have had an opportunity to have played in some larger colleges,” Trinity Valley assistant coach Guy Furr told the Mattoon Journal-Gazette. “But we’re happy with his decision. They did a good job recruiting him.”
Furr also told the Journal-Gazette that Smith is maturing off the court as well as on it.
“He’s shooting the 3 very well, making some good decisions,” Furr said. “A good leader, great attitude, coming along in class. Last year he was a shooter and 3-point shooter, this year he’s become more of a defender, beating people off the dribble. He’s developing a good mid-range game.”
• McNeal finished — South grad Anthony McNeal suffered a season-ending knee injury, and wound up second on the team for Brescia College in scoring at 19.7 points per game.
He will be a senior next year.
“I’m really proud of that guy,” South Coach Mike Saylor said Friday night on the post-game radio show following the North-South game.
Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

Mb
Terre Haute North
Alicia Hayes (Lake Land), softball, IUPUI
Kian Helms, soccer, Ancilla
Casey Hayne, volleyball, Lake Land
Terre Haute South
Jay Smith (Trinity Valley CC), basketball, Eastern Illinois
Koby Kraemer, baseball/football, Indiana State
Brock Lough, football, Indiana State
Megan Craft, basketball, Vincennes
Dragana Grbic, basketball, Butler (‘09-‘10)
West Vigo
Morgan Coombs (Lincoln Trail), baseball, Ball State
Cogan Keith (Lincoln Trail), football, Indiana State
Alex Menestrina, football, Indiana State
Northview
Lottie King, volleyball, Southern Indiana
Sullivan
Emily Lahay, soccer, Indiana State
Alyssa Chagnon, volleyball, Vincennes
Jackie Exline, track and field, Emerson
North Vermillion
Whitney Davis, softball, SIU-Edwardsville
Rockville
Luke Green, baseball, Lake Land
R.J. Mahurin, basketball, Indiana State (’09-’10)
Marshall
Kyle Burnam, baseball, Indiana State
Casey-Westfield
Megan Murphy, softball, Illinois
Martinsville
Heidi Dahnke, basketball, Illinois-Chicago

January 26, 2008 11:19 pm

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Valley swimmers making impact for college teams

Three former Terre Haute North swimmers and one from Terre Haute South are having excellent seasons at the collegiate level.
On Friday, Valparaiso sophomore Kristy Shew set two season bests in a 135-82 loss to Michigan State. Shew recorded two of the team’s top performances this season with the team’s sixth best 50 free time (26.23 seconds) and fourth-best 100 free time (56.83).
“We swam Michigan State very competitively and had several personal bests as well as three first place finishes,” said interim head coach Barbara Tyree. “I am really proud of them.”
Earlier this season, Shew had the team’s fifth-best 200 free time of 2:05.15.
Shew, a political science major, swam in every freestyle event last year as a freshman and was voted team’s Workhorse Award recipient and also named to the Mid-Continent Conference All-Academic Team.
The Illinois Fighting Illini women’s swimming and diving team finished the fall portion of its season on Dec. 2 with a sixth-place finish at the Ohio State Invitational.
Meghan Bradley, a senior from Terre Haute North, set a personal record in the 100 back with a career best time of 59.48.
Other season bests for Bradley this year were 28.93 in the 50 back (on Nov. 3 vs. both Drury and Missouri in the MIzzou Dual Meet Challenge), 2:06.99 on Dec. 2 in the Ohio State Invitational and 2:17.13 in the 200 IM on Nov. 10 at Illinois State.
Olivia Bayer, a senior at IUPUI, has personal best times this year of 27.24 in the 50 free, 59.71 in the 100 free, 30.63 in the 50 back and 1:07.31 in the 100 back.
Brent Noble, a junior at Eastern Illinois, recently picked up two victories for the Panthers in a dual-meet win over Millikin. Noble placed first in the 200 free in 1:52.45 and also won the 500 free in 5:02.75.
In other swimming news:
Valley connections
Ashley Thompson, Jr., Delta State — Won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:07.33 in the Delta State Christmas Meet last month.
Greencastle
Andrew Bretscher, So., Ohio State — Competing on several relay teams for the No. 13 ranked Buckeyes. In the Ohio State Invitational last month, Bretscher was a member of the fourth-place 400-yard freestyle relay team that had a time of 3:01.56.
Dustin Wood, Fr., Evansville — Was a member of the third-place 200-yard medley relay team in a meet at Rose-Hulman on Wednesday. The team had a time of 1:48.24.
Tracy Menzel, Jr., Kenyon — Has the team’s top times this season in the 100 breast (1:04.86) and the 200 breast (2:23.21).
South Vermillion
Cheri Baratto, Jr., Akron — In the 2007 Zippy Invitational, she placed seventh in the 200 breast in 2:29.31.
Terre Haute South
Donny Brush, assistant coach, Indiana – Has helped coach the Hoosiers to a No. 7 national ranking.
• Maggert has breakout game — Emily Maggert of Paris had her career best game for Ball State’s women’s basketball team on Wednesday with 24 points and nine rebounds in an 84-70 win over Western Michigan.
Maggert hit 9 of 10 field goals and 6 of 11 free throws in 30 minutes of action.
The Cardinals opened Mid-American Conference play with the victory and improved to 4-9 on the season.
“Emily stepped up and had a great performance finishing from the field,” acting head coach Lisa McDonald said. “She is capable of being one of the top post players in the entire MAC, and we were able to see all of her hard work in practice translate to a game-type scenario.”
• Greyhounds finally lose — The University of Indianapolis women’s basketball team won its first 11 games of the season before falling 62-60 on Thursday to No. 15 Northern Kentucky.
Sophomore Jessica Canary of South Putnam had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Indianapolis, while Terre Haute North grad Samantha Meissel had a rare off night and hit just 2 of 11 field goal attempts. She finished with four points, three rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot.
Canary is averaging 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Meissel is averaging 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
• Littlefield back in action — Terre Haute South graduate Terrence Littlefield, who sat out last season at IUPUI as a redshirt after playing one year of basketball at Vincennes, now plays for Lee Junior College in Texas.
This season, Littlefield is averaging 5.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
• Pigg honored — Terre Haute South grad Anna Pigg, a freshman soccer player at IUPUI, was one of 101 Jaguar student-athletes named to the Academic Advisors list for recording at least a 3.0 grade point average in the fall semester.
• Roman to OCC — Selina Roman of Terre Haute North is a freshman member of Olney Central’s softball team.
“Selina brings a big bat to the Lady Blue Knights lineup,” OCC Coach Rick Porter said. “She will be looked upon to play the corner infield positions while keeping the mood in the dugout light. She is a hard worker and always looking for ways to improve.”
She is the daughter of Doug and Brenda Roman of Terre Haute.
Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com

January 12, 2008 11:53 pm

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Five Wabash Valley products starting for Division I basketball teams

The men’s college basketball season is in full swing, and several Wabash Valley area players are having outstanding seasons.
All five Division I players are now in the starting lineup for their respective teams, since Terre Haute North’s Wendell Mardis moved into the first five for Alabama State two games ago.
Nate Blank’s Gardner-Webb squad has not maintained its early-season success and has fallen off to a 5-8 record, while former area resident Jake Kelly has been one of Iowa’s top players this year.
A.J. Graves of White River Valley has had another stellar season, hitting a 35-footer on Friday night to lead the No. 16-ranked Butler Bulldogs over Southern Illinois, while Terre Haute South’s Armon Bassett was expected to return to action Saturday for No. 14 Indiana after a three-game suspension.
Here are some other highlights:
• Iowa’s Kelly, a freshman guard, moved into the starting lineup in Iowa’s last five games and led the team in assists three times. He scored a career-high 19 points in a win at Northern Iowa, hitting 6-13 field goal attempts and 3-5 treys while collecting two steals.
Kelly had six assists against Louisiana-Monroe and four assists in the win over Eastern Illinois. At Iowa State, he contributed 13 points, five rebounds and five assists. Kelly is averaging 7.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and ranks among Big Ten leaders in 3-point field goal percentage (50 percent).
• Terre Haute South grad Anthony McNeal of Brescia College won the NAIA Division I Independent Basketball Player of the Week honors for the week ending Dec. 10.
McNeal, a junior swingman, averaged 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in a 1-1 week for the Bearcats last week, scoring a season-high 28 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in 45 minutes against Indiana-Southeast, coming back with a 25-point, five rebound outing against Pikeville.
McNeal is second on the Brescia squad in scoring at 19.7 per game, shooting .523 from the field, .400 from 3-point range and .732 from the free throw line.
• Northview grad Heath Chamberlain helped Marian College to win the team’s own holiday tournament in December with a big game against Davenport in a 53-50 semifinal win.
Chamberlain had team highs of nine points and five rebounds, including two key baskets late in the game and a huge defensive stop on the last possession of the game, to pace Marian.
The Knights then defeated IU-Southeast 67-73 in the championship game.

In women’s college hoops news:
• More on Whitted, Martin — Comments from IUPUI Coach Shanna Hart were not received in time for the Dec. 16 College Report, but Hart was very complimentary of the Northview sophomore.
“Julia showed us glimpses of what she could do towards the end of last season, but this year, she has been dominant on several occasions,” Hart said. “Julia does a very good job of getting in position to score. She knows how to properly post-up and knows the angles for her layups and bank shots.”
Hart foresees continued success for Whitted.
“Julia has the potential to be one of, if not the top, player in our conference when her eligibility is over,” Hart added. “With her combination of size and strength, she presents talents that very few people in our conference possess.
“When she plays to her potential, like she did against Marshall and Cleveland State, it can take our team to a completely different level.”
Terre Haute North’s Molly Martin, meanwhile, made the all-tournament team each of the past two weekends in helping Hanover College take a 7-3 record into the New Year.
Hanover hosted and won the fifth annual Eleanore Moyer tournament Dec. 15-16. Martin had 15 points and eight rebounds in a 70-58 first-round win over Spalding, then added 12 points in an 80-76 win over Denison in the championship game.
Last weekend, Martin scored a career-high 25 points and added 14 rebounds as Hanover beat North Park 61-54 in the first round of the Host Holiday Classic at Holland, Mich.
Hope, the host school ranked No. 1 in the nation in NAIA, routed Hanover 88-49 in the finals. Martin had seven points and five rebounds for the Panthers.

In football news:
• Wabash football happenings – The Wabash College football team saw its outstanding season end in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs with a 47-7 loss at Wisconsin-Whitewater, which eventually cruised to the national championship.
That game ended the Wabash careers of former Terre Haute North standouts Mike Russell and Jared Lange, and also was the last game at Wabash for Coach Chris Creighton. Creighton left the Little Giants last week to accept the head coaching position at Drake.
North senior placekicker Drew Oehler will be the only returning Valley player next year for Wabash.
North Central all-state running back Michael Woodsmall had been considering Wabash, but said Friday he now places DePauw, St. Joseph’s and Indianapolis at the top of his list after Creighton’s departure.
• Siverly honored — McKendree University senior Mike Siverly of Casey-Westfield) has been named to the American Football Coaches Association-NAIA All-America team.
Siverly, who was a four-year starter along the Bearcats’ offensive line, was one of 25 players selected to the squad. The AFCA-NAIA All-America team is chosen by members of the AFCA-NAIA All-America Selection Committee. That body is comprised of three head coaches from each of the AFCA’s nine districts.
“This is a great honor for Mike,” said McKendree head football coach Carl Poelker. “He has been a consistent performer for us throughout his four-year career, and has been our best lineman throughout that period. Mike has been a starter since his freshman season and has been a big reason our running game has been so successful. He started his first three seasons then moved to guard this year. Mike continued to perform at a high level even after making the transition.”
A two-time All-Conference selection in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League, Siverly has graded out as the Bearcats’ top lineman in each of the past two seasons. During his four-year career, Siverly helped lead McKendree to 28 victories and a pair of NAIA Football Championship Series appearances.
McKendree finished the 2007 season with a record of 6-4.

Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

December 29, 2007 10:36 pm

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College Report: Whitted enjoying bigger role with IUPUI

Two powerful, left-handed, female post players from the Wabash Valley are making big impacts this winter for their respective college basketball teams.
Julia Whitted — a 6-5 sophomore from Northview — ranks second in both scoring and rebounding this season for IUPUI, including a career-high total of 25 points against Cleveland State on Dec. 5, while Terre Haute freshman Molly Martin had a pair of double-doubles last week and was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference player of the week.
Last season, Whitted started six of 29 games for the Jaguars and averaged 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Coach Shann Hart upgraded Whitted’s role this year to that of starting center, and the Staunton native has responded with averages of 12.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
“This year, a lot more has been expected of me and I have had to perform and contribute every night,” Whitted said. “Last year, they needed more as a spark off the bench for a couple of baskets. This year, they need me for the majority of the game, and it’s a lot more like my role in high school.”
Whitted’s scoring average ranks her 13th in the Summit League, while her rebounding total is tied for seventh best. She leads the entire conference in blocked shots with an average of 2.6 per game.
Whitted has led the 3-7 Jaguars four times each this season in both scoring and rebounding, and likes her increased role.
“A lot of it is knowing that I had to step it up for us to succeed,” Whitted said of her success this season. “I work better under pressure and I feed off of the pressure for energy. Also, as weird as it may sound, I feel like when I play good it just sort of happens and I don’t know really exactly how or why it happens — it just does.”
Whatever “it” is definitely happened against Cleveland State, a game in which Whitted hit 10 of 18 field goals and 5 of 5 free throws in 36 minutes of action
A good pre-season conditioning program has helped Whitted to increase her athleticism, and also a year of knowing what to expect has also made her second season a much more enjoyable one.
“I’m a lot more comfortable, and I am used to Coach Hart and how she coaches,” Whitted said. “I know the campus and how a lot of the teachers are. I just like it a lot more this year because I don't feel like there are any surprises about to jump out at me anymore, which is comforting.”
Whitted’s personal and team goals for the season concentrate on an increase in consistency.
“My goal for the rest of the season is to be a lot more consistent from game to game, getting in better basketball shape and finishing a lot better inside,” she said. “As a team, we are going to have to be able to put two halves together and all of us come to play in one game. We are also going to have to be able to execute all of our plays and play as a team a lot more.”
Martin’s Hanover squad is off to a 4-2 start this season, 2-1 in the Heartland Conference, and the 6-2 Martin keyed a pair of HCAC victories last week.
She scored 22 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and had three steals in a 63-56 win against Mount St. Joseph on Dec. 5. Martin then netted 11 points, grabbed 12 boards and had three assists in a 77-64 triumph against Defiance Dec. 8.
Martin, who helped direct the Patriots to a sectional title last winter, paces Hanover in scoring (14.2), rebounding (9.8) and blocked shots (.83) this season.
She is obviously enjoying her first collegiate season.
“The transition has been pretty easy, although the work load is a lot more,” Martin said. “I am enjoying playing for Hanover.”
Panther Coach Molly Jones credits Martin’s success to her tremendous work ethic.
“Molly has come in as a freshman and been able to dominate inside,” Jones said. “She is such a workhorse and gives 100 percent in every practice and every game. She has to be guarded by the other team’s best post player and is often double-teamed.”
In addition to her scoring and rebounding abilities, Jones credits Martin’s unselfishness with helping Hanover turn around last year’s dismal records of 3-21 overall and 1-15 in the HCAC.
“She is a very unselfish player and is able to make her teammates around her better,” Jones said. “I look for Molly to continue working hard, getting better, and being one of the top players in our conference.”
• • •
• Ex-Tiger honored — Misi Clark, a former Paris Tiger standout who was a three-time All-American in women’s basketball at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, had her No. 3 jersey retired Dec. 1 in a halftime ceremony at the Vadalabene Center.
Clark’s career at SIUE included three appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. She earned All-American honors as a freshman during the 1997-98 season, as a junior during the 1999-2000 season, and as a senior during the 2000-2001 season.
“Misi played more than 4,000 minutes as a Cougar. She worked hard in every one of those minutes as well as in the hours of practices,” said SIUE coach Wendy Hedberg.
Clark scored a school-record 2,164 points and holds school records in steals (324), field goals attempted (1,550), free throws (647) and free throws attempted (920). She is in the top five in field goals (683), three-point field goals made (151), three-point field goals attempted (473), assists (461) and blocks (62) for her career.
She scored double figures in a school-record 97 consecutive games and 110 of 114 career games.
A 2003 SIUE graduate with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, Clark also played semi-professional basketball for the Chicago Blaze.
Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

Valley women’s basketball
Clay City
Whitney McWilliams, So., Olney Central — No season statistics available. Scored 10 points (including two 3-pointers) in a 106-49 win over Malcolm X College recently.
Greencastle
Toni Burney, Jr., St. Francis — Has led team to 8-1 record this year. Had 14 points and seven assists in recent win over Huntington.
Linton
Katie Tharp, Sr., Rose-Hulman — Averaging 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
Marshall
Jon Prevo, women’s head coach, Rose-Hulman — Has coached team to 3-4 record this season.
North Central
Dee Romine, women’s head coach, Stetson — Has coached young team with only three seniors to 1-7 record so far this year.
Northview
Jennifer Gregg, So., SMWC — Statistics not available. Had 12 points in recent win over Principia.
Julia Whitted, So., IUPUI — Averaging 12.3 and 7.0 rebounds per game.
Lexee Hayes, Fr., SMWC — Statistics not available. Had 12 points in recent win over Principia.
Paris
Emily Maggert, Fr., Ball State — Averaging 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds as sixth man for 3-7 Cardinals.
Robinson
Lade Akande, Jr., Butler — Averaging 15.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in leading team to 7-1 record. Won Horizon League Player of the Week for the third time in four weeks on Dec. 3.
Scored game-high 20 points in just 23 minutes on 9-for-18 shooting from the field in helping the Bulldogs to an 83-70 victory over Indiana State on Dec. 1.
South Putnam
Jessica Canary, So., Indianapolis — Second on team in scoring with 13.4 points per game and also averages 5.0 rebounds per game for 7-0 Greyhounds. Had career-high 23 points in recent win over Ohio Valley.
Terre Haute North
Clint Weddle, women’s ass’t coach, Indiana State — Has helped coach team to 5-3 record.
Samantha Meissel, Fr., Indianapolis — Has started four of seven games for 7-0 Greyhounds, and is third on team in scoring at 10.7. Ranks second in rebounding at 5.9 per game. Has high games of 18 points and nine rebounds against Missouri-St. Louis.
Molly Martin, Fr., Hanover — Averaging 14.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Terre Haute South
Melanie Boeglin, women’s graduate ass’t coach, Indiana State — Will join team after Christmas break.
Brooke Daugherty, So., Danville Area CC — Averaging 10.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, ranking her third on team in both categories. Also averages 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
West Vigo
Amanda Payne, Jr., SMWC — Statistics not available. Had two points in recent win over Principia.
White River Valley
Dani Lammert, So., Olney Central — No season statistics available. Scored 11 points (including three 3-pointers, three rebounds, three assists and one steal) in a 106-49 win over Malcolm X College recently.

December 15, 2007 11:46 pm

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College careers of Wabash Valley football players extended in NCAA playoffs

Wabash and St. Francis recorded first-round victories on Saturday in college football post-season action, while Franklin was eliminated from the national championship chase.
An inspired third quarter propelled Wabash College Saturday into the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Little Giants put up 14 points in the period and hung on to beat Mount St. Joseph, 31-21.
Wabash travels Saturday to Case-Western (11-0) at Cleveland for a second-round game.
The careers of Terre Haute North seniors Mike Russell and Jared Lange were continued for another week.
Russell, a wide receiver who was a first-team all-North Coast Atlantic Conference selection despite a slow start due to injury, made five catches on Saturday for 76 yards. Lange, a defensive end, made four tackles — including one sack, one for loss and broke up a pass.
Drew Oehler, a junior from Terre Haute North, kicked his first career field goal and it was huge. Oehler hit a 29-yarder with 34 seconds left in the first half to give Wabash the lead for good. Oehler also added four extra points to extend his streak to 17 in a row since taking over the first-string kicking duties a few weeks ago.
Entering Saturday’s game, Russell had played in nine games, starting seven, and caught 50 passes for 640 yards and four touchdowns. He had eight catches for a career-high 151 yards in last week’s 24-21 loss to DePauw in the Monon Bell, Wabash’s only loss of the season.
Lange has also returned to form this year after missing almost all of last year, and made 42 tackles this year (15 for loss and 6.5 sacks), plus one forced fumble and one blocked kick going into Saturday’s game.
Wabash won the NCAC title with a 7-0 record.
St. Francis defeated Lindenwood 35-14 in the first of the NAIA playoffs. Former Terre Haute resident Shaine Tierney is the backup quarterback for the Cougars, and completed 3 of 3 passes on Saturday for 30 yards.
Coming into Saturday’s game, Tierney had played in eight games, completing 30 of 43 passes for 362 yards and four touchdowns and rushed 26 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
Franklin suffered a tough 44-42 loss to North Central College as NCC scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the game.
Several former Wabash Valley players competed this year for Franklin, which finished with a 9-2 record.
They were Brandon Mescall of Cloverdale (four punts this year for a 32.2 average), Joey Pigg of North Central (one tackle in one game), Shawn Hines of Terre Haute North (two tackles in three games) and Pat Hancewicz of Terre Haute North (played in one game, making one catch for 16 yards and rushing one time for six yards).
No statistics were available for the following players, many of whom are offensive lineman for whom information is not recorded — Michael Richards of Greencastle, Jacob Page and Kyle Roberts of South Putnam and Jarred Kleptz of Terre Haute North (starter at guard).
Season statistics for all other football players are included with today’s column.

• • •
• Scheidler 122nd in DII meet — At Joplin, Mo., Meagan Scheidler of Terre Haute South concluded her cross country career on Saturday by placing 122nd in the NCAA Division II cross country meet.
Scheidler’s time was 23:20.20 as the Screaming Eagles placed 19th in the team standings.
Season-best performances for all area cross country athletes are included with today’s column when available.
n Davis to SIUE — North Vermillion senior Whitney Davis has signed a national letter of intent to play softball at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, the defending NCAA Division II national champions who will be moving up to Division I in 2009 when Davis and four other recruits arrive.
SIUE is coached by former Casey-Westfield and SIUE standout Sandy Montgomery.
“I’m extremely pleased with the level of excitement each of these players expressed in their desire to play for SIUE,” said Montgomery. “All of the players want to help us build a successful Division I program. They’ve taken on that challenge as the first recruits since the institution made the decision to become an NCAA Division I athletic program.”
Davis, a utility player, has been a four-year starter at North Vermillion High School. The two-time Most Valuable Player also has been named All-Conference twice in softball. She has played summer softball for the Indiana Force, Indy Vipers, Indiana Chaos and the Midland Magic.
“Whitney is a left-handed hitter and runs well for her size (5-foot-8),” said Montgomery. She can play positions in the infield and outfield.
Montgomery said Davis figures to make an impact for the Cougars, filling a void in the lineup as a lefty power hitter.
Davis told the Danville Commercial-News that SIUE was a perfect fit for her.
“Once I saw the campus, I loved it,’’ Davis said. “I didn’t want to go to a really small school or a really big school. SIUE was just perfect. I love the people there, I love the coaches and I love their program.
“It’s also known for education program and I plan on majoring in secondary education and then I want to get my masters in sports management so that I can become an athletics director/coach.’’
Davis credits the Elite Showcase Program run by Nick Nelson and Dale Shelton with helping get her connected to SIUE.
“They talk to a lot of coaches, and they were the ones that got me together with SIUE,” Davis told the Commercial-News. “After that, things went really fast. They saw me play in a tournament, I took my visit there about two weeks later, they offered me a scholarship and I accepted it.’’
The success of Davis comes as no surprise, after witnessing first-hand her outstanding work ethic during the season when I was the North Vermillion varsity coach.
Davis would regularly strike out the varsity players in practice while being only a 7th-grader, and under the tutelage of her father, Mike, it is great to see she has advanced her skills to be a Division I player.
It couldn’t happen to nicer people.
• Hoop rosters — There weren’t many changes necessary in the list of college basketball players that ran with the Nov. 4 column.
Northview grad Josiah Brock, a freshman, plays for the men’s team at Lincoln Christian College in Illinois.
Bloomfield’s Jessica Stout left the team at Vincennes prior to the start of the season. One player still on the VU roster is Dymon Rondo of Louisville, the sister of Boston Celtics’ point guard Rajon Rondo.
• • •
• Next time around — On Dec. 2, fall sports roundups will be included for volleyball, golf, tennis and soccer and a list of the wrestlers competing collegiately.

Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

FOOTBALL
Casey-Westfield
Mike Siverly, McKendree, Sr. — Played in 10 games this year, rushing five times for 17 yards
Steve Hawkins, Rose-Hulman, Sr. — Second-team all-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference performer as a linebacker. Hawkins led the Engineer defense with 68 tackles to record an even 250 during his Fightin' Engineer career.
Mitch Yates, Rose-Hulman, So. — Made eight tackles.
Nick Murphy, Rose-Hulman, So. — Made 26 tackles
Daniel Moore, Murray State, Fr. — Played in nine games, making 26 tackles and recovering one fumble.
Cloverdale
Justin Hacker, DePauw, Fr. — No statistics listed for this season.
Local connections
Tavita Pritchard, Stanford, So. — Has completed 82 of 161 passes for 967 yards and four touchdowns.
Greencastle
Robert Bittle, Anderson, Fr. — No statistics listed for this season.
Matt Plessinger, Anderson, Jr. — Was second on team with 83 tackles (53 solo, two for loss, one sack) and also broke up two passes.
Linton
Adam Brewer, Marian, Fr. — Made 34 tackles (two for losses).
Dan Allen, Marian, Fr. — Made three tackles.
Brock Goggins, Hanover, Jr. — No statistics listed for this season.
Marshall
Seth England, Greenville, Sr. — No statistics available on school website.
Derek Eitel, Rose-Hulman, So. — Named first-team all-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference as a quarterback. Ranked second in the HCAC in passing yards and total offense, while also finishing second in school history in each category. He completed 173 of 327 passes for 2,270 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Lee Edington, Eastern Illinois, So. — No statistics listed.
Chris Stepp, Indiana State, Fr. — No statistics listed.
Martinsville
Josh Turner, Blackburn, So. — No statistics listed.
Trent Dahnke, Greenville, Sr. — No statistics available on school website.
North Central
Ira Drummy, Anderson, So. — No statistics listed for this season.
Northview
Joe Evinger, College of the Canyons (Calif.), Fr. — Earned second-team all-Western State Conference honors as an offensive lineman. Team is 8-2 and hosted Saddleback on Saturday night in the WSC Bowl.
Broc Miller, Indiana State, Fr. — No statistics listed.
Dane Upperman, Marian, Fr. — Offensive lineman (no statistics available).
Jamie Bays, Marian, Fr. — Had 13 carries for 93 yards and 19 kickoff returns for 363 yards.
Devon Chamberlain, Marian, Fr. — No statistics this season.
Matt Crooks, Marian, Fr. — No statistics this season.
Paris
Aaron Haase, McKendree, Sr. — No statistics listed.
Jacob Griffin, McKendree, So. — No statistics listed.
Chip Keys, Eastern Illinois, Jr. — Fourth on team in scoring with six touchdowns. Has carried 22 times for 121 yards.
Ryan Keys, Eastern Illinois, Jr. — No statistics this season.
Robinson
Brad Shaner, Blackburn, Jr. — Successfully kicked his only extra-point attempt of the season.
Ben Wassel, Rose-Hulman, So. — Made 31 tackles, including 2.5 for loss.
South Putnam
Josh Buis, Eastern Michigan, ass’t coach — Helped coach team to 4-8 record.
Drew Christy, Rose-Hulman, So. — Made 32 tackles, 18 solos, plus 1.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two passes broken up.
South Vermillion
Chris Alexander, Indiana State, Jr. — Played in four games and made four tackles.
Terre Haute North
Steve Englehart, Rose-Hulman, head coach — Coached the Engineers to a 7-3 record, the school’s best since 1994.
Kevin Dean, Rose-Hulman, ass’t coach — Helped the Engineers to a 7-3 record, the school’s best since 1994.
Kyle Monroe, DePauw, Sr. — Played in five games this year as the backup nose tackle, making nine tackles (two for loss) and also getting one half of a sack.
Luke Johnson, Butler, Jr. — Played in all 11 games at tight end, catching five passes for 37 yards.
LaShawn Tyler, Indianapolis, So. — Played in three games as an offensive lineman.
Seth Woodason, Harding (Ark.), So. — Made three tackles in four games.
Derek Guggenberger, Butler, So. — Led the team with 68 tackles (40 solo, 28 assisted, six for losses, three sacks) from his linebacker position and also had one interception and one forced fumble. Had the 19th highest number of tackles in the Pioneer Football League. Matched his career high for tackles with 11 stops at Dayton. He had three solo stops and eight assists against the Flyers, matching the total he compiled in Butler’s win over Hanover on Sept. 8.
Paul McGuire, SE Missouri State, So. — Started the last 10 games of the season at center.
Dan Millington, Indiana State, So. — Eighth on team in tackles with 41 (21 solo, 20 assisted, 1.5 for loss) and also had one forced fumble and one blocked kick.
Justin Hall, Marian, Fr. — Had 19 catches for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
Daniel Watson, Marian, Fr. — Played in eight games and made five tackles.
Chris Russell, Anderson, Fr. — Had 12 catches for 128 yards, returned seven punts for 23 yards and 10 kickoffs for 203 yards.
Matt Seliger, Indiana State, Fr. — No statistics listed.
Terre Haute South
Trent Miles, Washington, ass’t coach — Helped coach team to 3-7 record through 10 games.
Kyle Toney, Indiana State, So. — No statistics listed.
Pat Duncan, Rose-Hulman, So. — Made four tackles this season.
Derelle Hankins, Indiana State, Fr. — Played in 10 games and made 25 tackles (3 solo, 22 assisted, one for loss) and forced one fumble.
Kyle Harruff, Southern Illinois, Fr. — Played in four of the team’s first five games at tight end, catching one pass for five yards.
Michael Engle, DePauw, Fr. — No statistics listed for this season.
West Vigo
Jerod Lucas, Olivet Nazarene, Sr. — Played in 10 games this season, making 17 tackles (eight solo, nine assisted, three sacks) and blocked two kicks.
Zach Avary, Marian, Fr. — Played in six games and made nine tackles.
CROSS COUNTRY
Bloomfield
Nate O’Neall, Sr., Franklin — Had season-best performance by finishing 32nd in the Sodexho Grizzly Invitational in 28:51.
Casey-Westfield
Terasita Williams, Fr., Eastern Illinois — Had season-best performance in Belmont Open by placing 60th in 16:46.78.
Greencastle
Andy Weatherford, Fr., Indiana — No results listed for this season.
Joe Franklin, head coach, New Mexico — Coached Lobos to second place in the Mountain West Conference, and will have top runner Jeremy Johnson as one of the top contenders in the NCAA Championships on Monday at the LaVern Gibson Course in Terre Haute.
North Central
Robert Shiflett, Fr., Purdue — Had the team’s second-best 8K time of 25:41.00 in the Pre-National Meet (placing 55th), and had the team’s second-best 10K time of 33:19.42 in the NCAA Regional (placing 97th among 204 runners).
Northview
Emily Pugh, So., Indiana State — Placed 59th in 22:57 in the Bradley Fall Classic.
James Grounds, So., Vincennes — Ran second on the team and 63rd overall in a time of 26:54 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Championships.
South Putnam
Brittany Boler, Fr., Marian — No statistics listed.
Caitlyn Croan, Fr., Franklin — Finished 77th in the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic in 22:25.99.
South Vermillion
Julia Costello, Jr., Indiana State — Placed fourth on the team and 129th overall in 23:40.46 in the NCAA Regional.
Terre Haute North
Josh Bedford, Fr., Indiana State — No fall meet results available.
Kayla Alexander, So., Indiana State — Led the Sycamores by placing 48th overall in 22:16.98 in the NCAA Regional.
Robert Roads, Jr., Southern Indiana — Placed 44th in 27:03 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference championships.
Terre Haute South
Megan Carter, Sr., Earlham — Placed 131st in 23:28.62 in Wilmington Fall Classic.
John Lambertus, Jr., Indiana State — Placed 173rd in 27:38 at the Notre Dame Invitational.
James Twitchell, So., Indiana State — No fall meet results available.
Adriane Wunderlich, So., Indiana State — Placed third for the team and 125th overall in 23:36.23 in the NCAA Regional.
David Mason, So., Indiana State — No fall meet results available.
Ariel Hall, Fr., Indiana State — Placed 84th in 20:15.52 in the Indiana Intercollegiates.

November 18, 2007 12:03 am

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