Published: April 13, 2008 11:32 pm         

North grad helps Cutters win Little 500

Hamilton rides 60 laps in record-setting victory

BLOOMINGTON — A Vigo County native and Terre Haute North High School graduate was part of history Saturday at Indiana University’s 58th annual Little 500 bicycle race.

Erik Hamilton, a 2004 North graduate, rode approximately 60 of the 200 laps on the 410-meter cinder track at Armstrong Stadium as The Cutters became the first back-to-back men’s champions in the history of the event.

It was the ninth title overall for The Cutters, an independent team that traces its roots back to the 1979 film “Breaking Away.”

“I had heard about [The Cutters] and I actually sat out a year for the chance to ride with them,” Hamilton said Sunday in a telephone interview from Bloomington. It was the third — and final — appearance in the Little 500 for Hamilton, who had been a member of the Cinzano team his first two years.

Cycling became a passion for Hamilton shortly after he arrived in Bloomington after being a four-year member of the track and cross country teams at North. He was a three-time state finals participant in cross country for the Patriots.

“Midway through my freshman year I saw a flyer [about the Little 500], so I went right out and bought my first bike,” he said.

A senior with one semester remaining to complete a psychology major, Hamilton hopes to keep riding. He’s considering an attempt to be a professional cyclist — along with graduate school — among his future options, he said Sunday.



Tennis

• Sycamore men lose — At Des Moines, 43rd-ranked Drake defeated Indiana State 6-1 in Missouri Valley Conference men’s tennis on Sunday.

Mpiloenhle Migogo posted the Sycamores’ lone victory of the day as he defeated Drake’s Ricardo Lau 6-2, 2-6, 10-6 at No. 3 singles.

Anton Tsymbalov took on No. 68 ranked Dalibor Pavic in the No. 1 singles match, losing in a close match 6-4, 7-6, (7-5), one of several close matches lost by the visitors.



Drake 6, Indiana State 1

Singles — Dalibor Pavic (D) def. Anton Tsymbalov 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); Maor Zirkin (D) def. Rishi Behl 6-2, 7-5; Mpiloehnle Migogo (ISU) def. Ricardo Lau 6-2, 2-6, 10-6; Maruicio Ballivian (D) def. Joshua Smith 6-4, 6-4; Bokang Setshogo (D) def. Jon Sigurdsson 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; Ivan Mendoza (D) def. Michael Wenham 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles — Pavic-Zirkin (D) def. Behl-Migogo 8-5; Ballivian-Mendoza (D) def. Sigurdsson-Smith 8-4; Lau-Setshogo (D) def. Tsymbalov-Wenham 8-1.

Next match — Indiana State (8-12, 2-2 in MVC) finishes its regular season with home matches against Illinois State on Saturday and Bradley next Sunday. Drake is 21-0 and 5-0.



• Engineers nipped — At Indianapolis, Rose-Hulman’s men fell to 3-2 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play after losing 5-4 to Franklin on Sunday in the West Indy Racquet Club.

David Becerra, Ryan Taylor and Matt Rusin had singles wins for Rose, with Michael Schoumacher and Scott Grubbs getting a doubles win.



Franklin 5, Rose-Hulman 4

Singles — Ham (F) def. Michael Schoumacher 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; Redman (F) def. Scott Grubbs 7-5, 7-5; David Beccera (RH) def. Lowe 6-4, 6-4; Kelly (F) def. Alex Gumz 7-5, 4-6, 6-0; Ryan Taylor (RH) def. Moran 6-3, 6-2; Matt Rusin (RH) def. Ahlbrand 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 10-7.

Doubles — Grubbs-Schoumacher (RH) def. Kelly-Lowe 9-8 (7-2); Ham-Moran (F) def. Beccera-Taylor 8-6; Redmond-Wingate (F) def. Brent Frizzell-Seth Hendrickson 8-3.

Next match — Rose-Hulman (3-5, 3-2 in HCAC) plays Tuesday at Lake Land.



Softball

• Sycamores canceled — Sunday’s third game of Indiana State’s Missouri Valley softball series against Wichita State was canceled due to cold temperatures.

The Missouri Valley Conference rules state that the wind chill factor be 35 degrees or above; umpires ruled that it would not be safe to play in such temperatures. The game will not be made up.



• Maroons sweep — At Olney, Ill., visiting Robinson swept an Apollo Conference doubleheader in high school play Saturday.



Robinson 000 002 4 — 6 9 1

Olney 100 000 0 — 1 4 2

WP — Hilderbrand. LP — Feutz.

Highlights — For Robinson, Ericka Bonnell had three hits and scored a run; Dawn Bonnell had two hits and two stolen bases, driving in the tying run in the sixth and scoring the go-ahead run; Kasey Redman had two hits; winning pitcher Amber Hilderbrand had a two-run single; Paige Bemont had a hit and an RBI; and Kasey Smith had a key sacrifice bunt.



Robinson 600 001 1 — 8 11 3

Olney 000 001 0 — 1 4 6

WP — Hilderbrand.

Highlights — For Robinson, Gracie Kerr had four hits and an RBI; Paige Bemont had a single, double and RBI; Ericka Bonnell had two hits; Erin Jones had a double and an RBI; and Dawn Bonnell had a hit and two stolen bases.



Golf

• Sycamores 10th — At Omaha, Neb., Indiana State is currently in 10th place after one cold, windy round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championships.

With a score of 341, the Sycamores are within nine strokes of ninth-place Bradley and 10 strokes back of Evansville, Creighton and Wichita State, all tied for sixth at 331.

Pre-tournament favorite Southern Illinois leads with 310, one shot ahead of Illinois State.

Kelsea Ice shot an 82 Sunday and leads the Sycamores; she is currently 24th individually.

Jessica Borstand shot 85, Diana Price 87, Breanne Smith an 87 and Mackenzie Mack and Kayley Bodine each an 89.

The second round begins at 11 a.m. today at the Oak Hills Country Club.



• Warriors dominate — At Attica, Turkey Run won the seven-team Attica Invitational by 15 strokes in high school play Saturday at Harrison Hills.



Attica Invitational

At Harrison Hills

Team scores — Turkey Run 330, Covington 345, Attica 356, Fountain Central 373, Western Boone 374, Seeger 409, Rockville no team score.

Turkey Run (330) — Cook 81, Wrightsman 87, Smith 82, Millikan 80, Newton 92.

Covington (345) — Shepard 82, Dudley 81, White 90, Richards 92, Hay 102.

Attica (356) — Johnson 90, Bloesch 91, O’Shea 87, Ward 88, Emerick 103.

Fountain Central (373) — Fishero 89, Nickle 100, Lowe 106, Webster 90, Stockdale 94.

Western Boone (374) — Dewees 92, Cunningham 91, Clampitt 96, Nirider 95, Rabenstine 100.

Seeger (409) — Penick 102, Bryant 84, Lucas 105, Brummett 118.

Rockville — Powell 94, J.Bryant 90, C.Cunningham WD, Troutwine WD, Bridge WD.



• Ace — At Geneva Hills, John Paul Kanizer of Clinton recorded his second career hole-in-one on Wednesday.

He used a 6-iron to ace the 170-yard eighth hole, a shot witnessed by Larry Fossi and John Wilson.



Auto racing

• Swanson wins — At Kenly, N.C., Kody Swanson won the feature race in U.S. Auto Club midget racing Saturday at Southern National Raceway.

Dakoda Armstrong took second and Cole Whitt third in the main event.



Saturday’s results

Fast qualifier — Brad Loyet.

Heat winners — Kevin Swindell, Bobby East, Levi Jones.

Feature — Kody Swanson, Dakoda Armstrong, Cole Whitt, Darren Hagen, Tracy Hines, East, Brad Sweet, Swindell, Loyet, Dave Darland, Mike Murgoitio, Brad Kuhn, Josh Wise, Chase Barber, Jerry Coons Jr., 26. Mario Marietta.



• Cottle prevails — At Gas City, Shane Cottle was one of the feature winners Friday at Gas City Speedway.

Cottle won his heat and the main event for sprint cars. Mat Neely of Robinson, Ill., was fifth.

Terry Hull took feature honors in modifieds.



Sprint cars

Heat winners — Shane Cottle, Travis Welpott, Damion Gardner, Bill Puterbaugh Jr., Daron Clayton (B-main).

Feature — Cottle, Steve Ott, Gardner, Casey Shuman, Mat Neely, Joshua Clemons, Ryan Hamilton, Jonathan Hendrick, Thomas Messeraull, Matt Goodnight.



• Short, Hillman post wins — At Bloomington, Brady Short, Ray Humphrey and Chris Hillman were feature winners Friday in the season opener at Bloomington Speedway.

Short led the final 12 laps to win the feature for sprint cars and took eighth in the feature for modifieds.

Humphrey took honors in modifieds and Hillman was first in the main for super stocks.

Regular racing is slated this week.



Friday’s results

Sprint cars

Heat winners — Ty Deckard, Jeff Bland Jr., Dick Gaines II, Shain Matthews (B feature).

Feature — Brady Short, Bland, Jon Stanbrough, Gaines, Deckard, Jon Sciscoe, Jesse Cramer, Matthews, Kenny Biro, Ricky Williams, Blake Fitzpatrick, Bobby Stines, Jimmy Light, Kenny Carmichael Jr., Tim Reed.

Super stocks

Heat winners — Jack Frye, Troy Clark, Chris Hillman, Joe Lucas (B).

Feature — Hillman, Brad Cummings, Frye, Jeremy Hines, Clayton Perry, Lucas, Mike Jones, Tom Ault, Jerry Donica, Kevin Arthur.

Modifieds

Heat winners — Kent Robinson, Lee Hobbs, Ralph Groomer, John DeMoss (B).

Feature — Ray Humphrey, Robinson, Matt Boknecht, Hobbs, J.DeMoss, Ryan Thomas, Clint DeMoss, Short, Kenny Carmichael, Matt Bex.



Basketball

• Diamonds win — At Indianapolis, the Terre Haute Diamonds fourth-grade girls team won the St. Vincent’s Invitational at the Sportzone in an overtime thriller in the championship over the Indiana Ice.

The girls are in action next weekend at Fort Wayne at the IBA Gym Rats State Tournament in Spiece Fieldhouse.



Team members are Elyse Babb, Mallory Bell, Torri Brewer, Ali Danielson, Riley Davis, Lauren Hambrock, Annie Heck, Anne Hubbard, Lauren Perrelle, Sofia Saylor, Alexis Shannon and Shannon Sullivan.



Baseball

Friday

At Valle Field

Ben Davis JV 110 204 0 — 8 8 4

Terre Haute South JV 402 041 x — 11 14 3

Miles, Cortez (6) and Jarvis; Manning, Worrell (6), Dove (7) and Brock, Toney (6). W — Manning, 1-0. L — Miles. Sv — Dove (1). HR — BD: Collyear; THS: Clements (1).

Highlights — For South’s junior varsity, Travis Clements was 3 for 4 with a homer, a double, three RBIs and two runs; Josh Dove was 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs and also earned a save; and Derek Thomas had a two-run triple.



Terre Haute South JV 001 410 0 — 6 6 5

Ben Davis JV 202 102 x — 7 3 3

Buske, Fagg (3) and Toney, Brock (3); Beasley (W) and Collyear. L — Fagg, 0-1. HR — THS: Worrell (1).

Highlights — For South, Cody Fagg was 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI, and was a tough-luck losing pitcher despite allowing just one hit and no earned runs in four innings; Ike Worrell had a two-run homer; Nate Manning had a double and two RBIs and Derek Thomas had a double and an RBI.

Next game — South’s junior varsity (3-5) has a 5 p.m. game Tuesday at Terre Haute North.