Published: June 23, 2008 11:56 pm            

Ramblin' Reck: New boss in charge of Casey softball

TERRE HAUTE — We’ll start with some news from the high school ranks in Illinois and continue with all-state baseball honorees in Indiana on this fine summer day.

Casey has hired a softball coach to replace Katie O’Connell, who resigned to accept a position near her hometown.

Dara Updegraff is the new coach — only the fourth in history — and has strong links to Casey and the strong softball there. She is the daughter of Denny Throneburg and played softball for the Warriors.

She earned numerous honors while in high school and most recently has been helping her father in his duties as coach at Lake Land College. She was hired as teaching aide and coach.

Casey won 647 games and six state titles in softball with her father as coach and also finished second three times in the tournament.

• Casey has been strong in football just about as long as it has been strong in softball and figures to be one of the top teams in its class this fall.

The Warriors won a 7-on-7 passing tournament at the University of Illinois during the weekend. They defeated Monticello 44-14, Deer Creek-Mackinaw 24-14, Benton Central from Indiana 37-26 in overtime and Chicago Leo 38-22.

Casey will compete in a tournament at Indiana State on Saturday.

• Former Martinsville (Ill.) cage standout Heidi Dahnke took part in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-star game for 1A and 2A schools Saturday at Illinois Wesleyan.

The Tribune-Star 2007-2008 girls basketball player of the year scored seven points and had six rebounds and three assists. She will play for Illinois-Chicago and now is enrolled at the school and working out with other members of the team.

• • •

• Diamond honors — Baseball players from the Indiana area are included on the all-state teams

announced by the state coaches last week in Class A and Class 3A.

In Class A, Matt King of Rockville is the first-team first baseman and teammate Steven Ball is a first-team selection in the outfield. Billy Newton of Shakamak is an honorable mention selection.

In Class 3A, Jordan Pearson of West Vigo is the first-team second baseman. Teammate Drew Aff earned honorable-mention honors.

We thought more players from the area deserved the honor. Great baseball was played in the Valley this spring.

• • •

• Amateur begins — Golfers from the area are in the field for the Indiana Amateur with play beginning this morning at the Wolf Run Course at Zionsville.

Ted Kaperak, Chris Cassell, Troy Farris, Dusty Jovanovich and Phillip Myers will be on the course along with Zac Treash of Plainfield. His grandparents live in Brazil.

Some of these golfers should be in the Brazil Open this weekend at Forest Park. Farris is a past winner of the overall championship in this event.

• • •

• Tom-Cattin’ It — The Northview boys basketball team and others have kept busy with practice sessions and tournaments this summer.

Ernie Maesch is the coach of the Knights. His staff includes varsity assistants Phil Leonard and Mike Lacy, freshman coach Josh Trout and junior varsity coach Chris DeHart.

• Cedric Lloyd is the new football coach at Indianapolis Manual High School, which has not had a winning season since 1987.

Lloyd formerly coached Indianapolis Tech, compiling a 13-13 record in three seasons.

• Gibson Southern has named Jeremy Henney its new boys basketball coach. He formerly coached in North Carolina and last year was an assistant on the staff at Davidson, one of the surprise teams in the NCAA tournament.

• Purdue received another commitment in men's basketball from Danville center Travis Carroll. He also had been recruited by Indiana State, Indiana, Butler and Ohio State.

He averaged 21.5 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season.

• Two of the race drivers have donated their share of the winnings from recent races to flood victims.

Tony Stewart gave about $55,000 to his hometown of Columbus from his check at Michigan and Dan Wheldon donated his share of the first-place purse to victims in Iowa from his win at Iowa Speedway on Sunday.

We know the Indy Racing League and its teams also contributed at least $60,000 to the Iowa victims and there probably are many others who have contributed.

• Robert Vaden is one of the college basketball players who has decided not to enter the draft and return to college.

Vaden will be back at Alabama-Birmingham where his coach is Mike Davis, who also coached him at Indiana.



Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at (812) 232-3231 (if it is working), by email at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 South 5th Street, Apartment 3, Terre Haute, IN 47802.

        

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