TERRE HAUTE —
Cleaning out the end-of-year college sports mailbag:
• Area throws successful — Two field events participants from area schools had great springs for the Millikin University track and field program.
Junior Brittany Sherron of Rockville finished in ninth place in the discus at the 2011 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 28 in Delaware, Ohio.
Sherron’s best throw of the day was 42.55 meters. Her top throw of the season came at the CCIW Championships when she established a new Millikin record with a toss of 46.46 meters. Sherron finished in fifth place at the 2010 NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships.
Sophomore LeAnn Spesard of Paris came up short in her attempt to make the shot put finals at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Spesard’s best throw in the shot put preliminaries was 12.77 meters.
Spesard qualified for the NCAA Championship with a Millikin record setting throw of 13.73 meters (44-00.75) on May 7 at the CCIW Championships.
At the CCIW meet, Spesard broke her own Millikin University record in the shot put with an impressive throw of 13.43 meters (152.05 feet).
She also finished eighth in the discus, with a throw of 35.02 meters.
Spesard earned All-CCIW Conference honors in both events by placing in the Top Eight in each.
• Meggs named all-Pac Ten — University of Washington outfielder Joe Meggs, a redshirt sophomore, was named honorable mention all-Pac Ten for the spring baseball season.
Meggs led the Huskies with a .317 average despite missing the first few weeks of the season.
He also led the UW in on-base average, hit by pitch and sacrifice hits.
• Local pair honored — Two University of Indianapolis athletes earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Council of Presidents’ Academic Excellence recognition.
Nate Blank of the men’s basketball team and Ben Bertoli of the men’s track and field team were the two local honorees.
Blank has a cumulative 3.56 GPA, while Bertoli has compiled a 3.53 GPA.
The honorees of the GLVC Council of Presidents’ Academic Excellence Award exemplify the outstanding student-athletes in the GLVC. Each honoree has exhausted his or her eligibility in the intercollegiate sport in which they participated and maintained at a least a 3.5 grade point average throughout their academic career.
In addition, to be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must have competed in the GLVC for a minimum of two years and completed 96 credit hours. A student-athlete can only earn the distinguished honor one time in his or her career.
• Area pair on all-GLVC team — Bertoli and Northview grad John Latta were both named second team all-GLVC for their performances in the conference track meet this spring.
Bertoli placed fourth in the 400 hurdles in a time of 56.08 and was also seventh in the triple jump at 13.08m.
Latta was fourth in the 10,000 meters in 31:28.28 and also placed 10th in the 5,000 meters in 15:07.06.
• Area native joins OCC — Former Terre Haute resident Noah Stewart, a 2011 All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference second-team selection at Rend Lake College, has transferred to Olney Central.
The 5-11, 165-pound point guard averaged 17 points, four rebounds and four assists per game last season for the Warriors.
“Noah is a great person and an extremely gifted basketball player,” OCC head coach Mike Burris said. “He excelled not only on the court but in the classroom with a 3.3 GPA. He epitomizes what we want the kids in our program to be about.
“Noah has excellent vision and makes guys around him better. He can score as well as he can distribute the ball. He has good quickness and can get in the lane to make plays. We think he’s a great fit in our system.”
Stewart played in high school at Fishers; his older brother, Zack, played at Lawrence North.
“We’re going to have a guy at the point-guard spot that has a year of the GRAC under his belt,” Burris said. “Noah’s experience will help him make an impact for us from day one.
“Noah is a hard-working player who wants to get better. We feel with some added strength, he will be a definite Division I player out of here. A lot of coaches, including myself, missed on Noah. We’re getting another Indiana kid who knows how to play and we’re looking forward to helping him achieve his goals on and off the floor.”
Returning starters John Michael Jarvis of Terre Haute South and Jordan Mitchell will join Stewart in OCC’s backcourt.
• Covington grad drafted — University of Southern Indiana senior right-hander Taylor Dennis was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 34th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. He is the eighth USI player to be drafted and the first since 2008.
Dennis was 6-4 this season with a 3.62 ERA in 16 games and 11 starts. He also struck out 61 batters in 2011, tying the USI single-game record by striking out 14 Quincy University Hawks in the GLVC Tournament.
Dennis, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 NCAA Division II Championship Series after winning two games in the Eagles’ national title run, tied the USI single-season record for wins with a 12-1 mark last year. He also had a 4.71 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 101.1 innings of work.
In his two seasons, Dennis was 18-5 overall with a 4.26 ERA and 125 strike outs. He also was named second-team All-GLVC in 2011.
• Hicks to Quincy — Clayton Hicks of Whiteland and Danville Area Community College, who was one of two Prospect League all-stars for the Terre Haute Rex last summer, has signed with Division II Quincy College.
Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil.
College Report
COLLEGE REPORT: Some final notes on the spring season
- 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.
- More College Report Headlines
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Catching up as the school year winds down
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
AP CEO: Records Seizure 'Unconstitutional'
Raw: Tornadoes Spotted in Kansas
Today in History for May 20th
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
Obama Exhorts Good Deeds by Morehouse Graduates
Raw: Gun Scare Mars Cannes Film Festival
Today in History for May 19th
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air
Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window
RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Justin Bieber Gets Booed
New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer, Drake Joins List of Rumored Cameos
Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction
Heat Star Dwyane Wade Surprises Coral Gables Teen At Prom
Steak n' Shake waitress scores huge tip
Singer Miguel Accidentally Lands on Fan At Billboard Music Awards
Celebs Celebrate the Rise of the Side Butt
Grizzly bear gets up close and personal with camera
Justin Bieber Gets Booed After Winning at the Billboard Awards
Singer forgets lyrics, makes up words to National Anthem
Who is $600M Powerball winner in Fla.?
Top 5 Plays of the Day
Sailor Surprises His Mom At Her CU Denver Graduation Ceremony
Twiggy, the Waterskiing Squirrel
