TERRE HAUTE —
After a stellar track and field career at Indiana State, Terre Haute South grad Anthony Bertoli wanted to stay active in the sport.
He spent last spring as a graduate assistant for the Sycamores, but knew his career would be best served if he spread his wings and experienced the sport he loves from an alternate viewpoint.
So, Bertoli moved to Alabama this summer to continue his graduate studies and be an assistant coach for the Division I Troy program.
“I am very grateful to ISU and all the coaches there for everything I have learned,” Bertoli said. “Jeff Martin was my coach in high school, and I've been with him a long time.
“I came down here to see how a different program works. There are many similarities from what I can tell already, but it will be good to see things in a different light.
“Getting the most viewpoints will help me to continue to improve and make me the most marketable.”
Bertoli is taking grad courses in the Troy sports and fitness management program, which emphasizes the administrative side of sports.
Coaching his own program of course, is his long-term goal.
“When I first told my dad about it, he said I was crazy,” Bertoli recalls. “I love it and I can't get away from it. It's a constant learning process, and I love learning new things and then seeing how they apply to the athletes I coach.”
Bertoli's father, Jim, brought his family to the Wabash Valley when he took a job as the head volleyball coach at Indiana State. Jim Bertoli now works in fundraising for Union Hospital, and has served as a tremendous inspiration for Anthony.
“He loved volleyball and still does, but some of the stress got to him a little bit,” Anthony said. “I really believe he loved his job as a coach and sets a good example of how if you do things right and work hard, it shows in your performances.
“He's been a great role model for me and a great father.”
Bertoli learned of the Troy position through a networking system that is highly useful in today's society.
“Coach [Jill] Lancaster was recruiting me out of high school, and I had known her from that,” he said. “I ran into her at one of our meets and she said to give her a resume and she said she’d help to try to get me a job. They got approved for a new GA position, and she got in touch with me.
“I am very excited to be at Troy.”
Lancaster likes the new viewpoints that Bertoli will be bringing to her program.
“We’re really excited to have Anthony with us this year,” Director of Track and Field Jill Lancaster said. “He brings new energy into our program, and his coaching talents will allow us to maximize our staff with the technical aspects of the sport in the hurdles and jumps as well as our heptathlon and decathlon athletes.”
Bertoli was a member of Indiana State’s Track and Field team for four years, earning a total of eight letters.
He finished his Indiana State career holding the school record for the indoor heptathlon with 5,189 points, a total he accumulated in finishing sixth at the 2008 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships. He also ranks second on the all-time outdoor decathlon list with 6,927 points which he accumulated in finishing sixth at the 2008 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships. Bertoli is also sixth on the indoor 600 meter list (1:20.52) and is seventh on the indoor pole vault all-time best list (16’-2.5”).
Bertoli was fourth in the indoor heptathlon at the 2009 MVC Indoor Championships and third in the outdoor decathlon at the 2009 MVC Outdoor Championships which earned him All-Missouri Valley Conference recognition. He was also named to the 2009 MVC Track & Field Scholar-Athlete team.
After graduating in December, Bertoli was a volunteer coach at his alma mater, working with the hurdlers, pole vaulters and combined-event athletes.
He continued to build on that success as a coach, as he earned a major distinction in the summer months of 2010. During the summer, Bertoli attended an emerging elite coaches camp at the United States Olympic Training Center in San Diego, earning some valuable experience along the way over the summer.
“Anthony’s selection to attend the USATF Olympic Training Emerging Elite Coaches Camp speaks volumes in our sport,” Lancaster said. “He was one of 10 selected for the multi-event session, and is the second coach on staff to receive this honor [as Chip Brundage attended the Olympic Training Center Emerging Elite Coaches Summit prior to his arrival at Troy for the throws session].”
Bertoli hopes that the experience he gained in San Diego will help him be a successful coach with the Trojans.
“Being at the camp taught me a lot of new techniques to be a better coach and really broadened my horizons,” he said.
The appeal of Alabama in the spring time is also another good selling point.
“I was telling someone here the other day about the Big Blue meet we once held, and I had to break up the sheet of ice over the steeplechase hazard,” Bertoli said.
Bertoli competed in every kind of event except for two, hammer and triple jump, and his versatility as an athlete is paying off in coaching.
“Having done most of the events was a big help for me,” he said. “I might not be able to set up a training program for every event, but I can step in for any coach and make sure the athletes are doing it the right way.”
Bertoli went to the ISU coaches last spring to learn more so he would be prepared for any event.
Another appeal of track and field is the lack of the subjectivity of some sports where judgments have to be made on playing time – there are times and distances to be met and no other factors matter.
“That's a good thing, too,” Bertoli agreed. “There are always different talent levels, but the biggest difference is how hard you want to work.”
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• Rosselli top SMWC freshman – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods softball coach Gary Rodgers says it is just more than putting up good numbers that gets you the Freshman of the Year Award in his highly-successful program.
Terre Haute North grad Kelsey Rosselli definitely put up the good numbers last spring in her first season as a Pomeroy, batting .326 with 21 RBI, 42 runs scored, a .670 on-base percentage and a .984 fielding average.
Her classroom work, however, is what put her over the top and earned Rosselli the top freshman honor.
“She had one of our best grade-point averages, and she worked as hard academically as she did for her softball team,” Rodgers said. “Her attitude is always positive toward her coaches and her teammates. Her questions to me about the game and game situations was a good indication that she was wanting to help herself be a better player and to help her team be better.”
Rodgers looks for Rosselli to continue to improve her leadership skills as her career continues.
“Kelsey is a quiet leader yet is not hesitant about speaking up if the time is right,” he said. “Her athletic skills as an outfielder are smooth, quick, and strong. She hits with power from the left side and can also slap and bunt. She has hit 1 or 2 for us last year and I look for that to be the same scenario this year.
“Kelsey is a player that can make things happen quickly in a game to get things started for a team burst of energy.”
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.
College Report
College Report: Anthony Bertoli begins track coaching career in Alabama
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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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Catching up as the school year winds down
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