News From Terre Haute, Indiana

College Report

January 26, 2008

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

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