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.
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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
College Report
South’s Craft to join Vincennes
- College Report
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Catching up as the school year winds down
Odds and ends from here and there as the school year quickly winds down. For starters, high jumper Nick Jaeger of Terre Haute South was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s male track & field newcomer of the year:
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College Report: Lively earned collegiate upgrade with strong play
Hillary Lively signed to play Division II basketball at Maryville (Mo.) during her senior year at North Vermillion, but those plans changed and she would up at nearby Danville Area Community College — where she recently concluded an outstanding two-year career.
Lively was impressive enough to earn a Division I scholarship to Southeast Missouri State of the Ohio Valley Conference, and both her future and past college coaches think she will continue to succeed there.
“She fits what we need,” SEMO coach Ty Margenthaler said. “She has college experience, she is strong and physical and plays well around the basket and moves well.
“Her strength, rebounding and touch around the basket will be a big help. On the defensive end, she’ll be able to guard a true center.” -
COLLEGE REPORT: Valley prep athletes getting ready for next level
The NCAA “regular” signing period begins Wednesday for all sports except football, field hockey, soccer, track and field, cross country and men’s water polo.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Conferences honor Valley softball players
Several Wabash Valley area college softball players have been honored by their respective conferences for outstanding play this spring.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Jake Newton makes big impact for Lincoln Trail College
Jake Newton had a long time between playing in competitive basketball games, a span of about 18 months, and used the frustration from that long dry spell to produce a stellar freshman season for Lincoln Trail College this winter.
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COLLEGE REPORT: A.J. Reed earns SEC Player of the Week honors
After belting three home runs during a five games last week, Kentucky sophomore left-handed pitcher/first baseman A.J. Reed was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Spring newcomers making marks
Several freshman baseball and softball NCAA Division I players from the Wabash Valley have already made immediate impacts at their new schools, while others are waiting for their turns to shine.
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COLLEGE REPORT: A.J. Reed named third-team preseason baseball All-American
Two-way sophomore standout A.J. Reed was one of three University of Kentucky players named third-team preseason All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Sponsler honored after big week for Wabash men's hoops
Wabash College freshman Ross Sponsler of Terre Haute North was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 6.
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COLLEGE REPORT: North grad Hughes finds success after facing preseason adversity
A.J. Hughes knew he was in for a battle as he competed with three other walk-on punters in the preseason for the lone starting job on the Virginia Tech football team.
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Etling, Meggs enjoying great year
It’s been a great year so far with more to come for a pair of longtime friends and St. Patrick’s School classmates.
Former Terre Haute resident Jack Meggs quarterbacked the Bellevue Wolverines football team to the Washington Class 3A state championship this fall, culminating with a 35-3 win over Sammamish Eastside Catholic — Bellevue’s fifth straight crown.
Danny Etling, meanwhile, has completed graduation requirements at Terre Haute South and is preparing for an upcoming high school all-star game and his first college classes in a couple of weeks. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Valley’s women’s college hoops players start strong
Several women’s college basketball players from the Wabash Valley have gotten off to good starts this season on the hardwood. Highlights:
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COLLEGE REPORT: Mayhew, Mascari provide fall highlights
Several dozen Wabash Valley athletes enjoyed successful fall seasons collegiately in cross country and tennis this year. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Former North teammates start strong in college
Former Terre Haute North teammates Ross Sponsler and Matt O’Leary made their college basketball debuts last week and had outstanding initial performances. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Shoemaker OBP leads Chisox farmhands
Former Indiana State, Olney Central and Northview baseball standout Brady Shoemaker opened a lot of eyes last summer in the Chicago White Sox farm system, earning him a spot on a mlb.com blog team that highlighted the team’s outstanding minor leaguers at each position.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Boeglin has plenty of ISU memories, but not all are related to basketball
Melanie Boeglin, an All-American who played on the women’s basketball team at Indiana State from 2002-2006, will be inducted into the 21st class of the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday.
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COLLEGE REPORT: North grad leading DePauw volleyball in winning streak
DePauw’s volleyball team has won seven straight matches entering this weekend’s DePauw Invitational, including four straight wins last weekend to capture the Rose-Hulman invitational title.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Engle moving up football coaching ranks
Michael Engle graduated from DePauw University in the spring of 2011 with a degree in political science and future plans to advance his studies in law school.
Being a coach’s son and a competitive athlete by nature, Engle has put those plans on hold for now. -
COLLEGE REPORT: From Terre Haute South to Division I competition to coaching careers
Adriane Wunderlich and Katelyn Bishop both turned stellar high school careers at Terre Haute South into Division I collegiate careers at Indiana State and Southern California, respectively.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Former prep athletes getting ready for fall college season
An impressive total of at least 122 Wabash Valley athletes and coaches will be competing collegiately for the first time during the upcoming school year or have changed schools to continue their careers.
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COLLEGE REPORT: SP’s Boetjer is Indiana’s Miss Softball
South Putnam’s Brooke Boetjer, who will be a freshman on the Indiana University softball team next spring, was named the 2012 Indiana Miss Softball last month between games at the North/South All-Star games in Carmel.
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College report: North grad Mayhew is second team all-American at IU
Indiana University running standout Zach Mayhew of Terre Haute North was honored earlier this month as a second-team All-American by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
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College report: Bloomfield runner to join IUPUI track, cross country teams
Bloomfield track/cross country standout Julie Riggins will be joining the developing IUPUI program next fall as one of six incoming recruits.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Roberts takes coaching position at UNC-Greensboro
Terre Haute native Mike Roberts is continuing his climb up the college basketball coaching ladder, recently departing Rice for a spot as the associate head coach at North Carolina-Greensboro.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Valley grads playing role for No. 13 Vincennes
A few springtime odds and ends:
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COLLEGE REPORT: Shouse making his mark for Danville Community College
Derek Shouse definitely flew under the radar in his one season of playing for the Terre Haute South boys basketball team last winter.
Not highly recruited, he made his way to Danville Area Community College as a walk-on with the hopes he could find his way onto the court at some point. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Bullock finds sunny home to continue tennis career
Most college athletes progress along similar paths to get to their final destinations athletically, but Terre Haute South grad Taylor Bullock’s route to the Eckerd College women’s tennis team was a little different than most.
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COLLEGE REPORT: TH South QB entertains Division I offers
Danny Etling’s trek to being a big-time college quarterback took a huge step this week when the Terre Haute South junior picked up a scholarship offer from Purdue, according to 247sports.com.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Seibert stepping up her game
Terre Haute South grad Haley Seibert has seen the usual ups and downs of her freshman basketball season at Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne and is making the most of her opportunities this season.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Vikings Waters, Barton excited about college basketball
West Vigo grad Lauren Dailey helped the Lady Vikings basketball program to a lot of success at the end of the 1990s, and went on to play for Eastern Illinois from 2001-2004.
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