TERRE HAUTE — When Indiana State defensive end Daniel Millington and safety Donye McCleskey began their Sycamore careers in 2006, they took a leap of faith on a program that had an unsure future.
The Sycamores didn’t win much for the departing senior class and the current seniors had two head coaches and one interim coach, but the ISU seniors can walk away knowing they were part of group that solidified ISU football and put the program on solid ground.
“It definitely makes me feel good that I was part of the first step. I was part of getting it turned around, so when I come back, it [ital]will[ital] be turned around and I can go around bragging about playing for Indiana State. I’m glad to say I was one of those strong-minded individuals who didn’t run off and take the easy route and transfer. I stayed and we took the first step,” McCleskey said.
Eight ISU seniors — McCleskey, Millington, Mike Woods, Jeramie Gray, Jerry Calvert, Gabe Mullane, Elliott Thomas (who arrived in 2005) and Antoine Brown — will play their final game in a Sycamore uniform today as ISU entertains North Dakota State in the season finale.
When the current senior class came aboard, it was an open question whether ISU would commit to football. In their time, a new locker room was built, Memorial Stadium’s turf was replaced and a coaching change was made with the idea that football was a sport ISU intended to turn in the right direction.
“The transition has been unbelievable. It’s hard for those who aren’t in the program to see all of the little things that have been done,” Millington said. “Most people are judging the program on the win-loss total. I hope everyone’s patient. The work is being done inside the program, it will get done.”
ISU coach Trent Miles has only had two years with the current senior group, but he knows the sacrifces they’ve made to put ISU on the road to respectability after they played through very little thick and too much thin.
“They’ve stuck it out through the toughest times. I love ‘em for it. They tried to be leaders, they tried to do the right thing, they’ve lead us in the right direction looking forward. I’m very grateful for their perseverance.”
Millington and McCleskey’s class only won two games — Missouri State in 2006 and Western Illinois in 2009. Millington cherishes the win over the Leathernecks, but more for his teammates than himself.
“The excitement on everyone’s face, that meant a lot to me. Being able to give [younger players] what they’ve been waiting for, that meant a lot to me after we’ve been working together,” Millington said.
Millington is the only Wabash Valley player who will play in his last game and playing for the area has also meant a great deal to him.
“My time here has meant a lot to me. It means a lot to me to do what I can to turn the program around. Being from Terre Haute, playing in front of my family has meant a lot to me. I’ll cherish every bit of it,” Millington said.
n Struggling NDSU comes to Memorial Stadium — Unfortunately, the surprise team in the Missouri Valley Football Conference might be North Dakota State ... and it’s not for a good reason.
The Bison were chosen fourth in the MVFC preseason poll and got a first-place vote, but NDSU fell on hard times as it is 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the MVFC, one-half game ahead of the Sycamores for sixth-place. Until a 14-7 victory over Western Illinois on Oct. 31, the Bison had lost five straight.
“I don’t know why they have the record they have because they’re a good team. Their tailback is excellent, they’re big, they’re stout defensively,” Miles said.
Pat Paschall, the aforementioned tailback, isn’t just excellent, he’s the nation’s leading rusher at 141 yards per game. Shamen Washington, who averages a conference-best 27.8 yards per kick return also gives the Bison special teams a jolt.
If there’s a statistic that stands out in a bad way, its NDSU’s pass defense, ranked 113th in the nation in efficiency. However, ISU ranks 115th in pass offense and quarterback Ryan Roberts is banged up, so ISU will have to improve dramatically to take advantage.
ISU injuries will have a major impact on the Sycamores. Two-third of ISU’s linebacking corps — C.J. Cook and Jacolby Washington — are out. ISU will also be missing Koby Kraemer and Matt Seliger, they were hurt on consecutive plays last Saturday at Missouri State.
“We have more depth than we’ve had since I’ve been here. Guys have been waiting for their turn, especially at linebacker, we have a lot of talent there. They’ve been anxious all year to get their turn to play. This is their week, it’s their time to step up,” Millington said.
An ISU win would assure at least a tie for sixth place in the conference, a lofty finish considering ISU carried the nation’s longest losing streak into the conference season.
“We’re fighting for who’s going to be ahead of who in the conference. There’s a lot to play for tomorrow,” Millington said.
College
Indiana State seniors happy football program is headed in right direction
Sycamores play final home game of season
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A time for firsts: SMWC seniors have national title aspirations
Even though St. Mary-of-the-Woods College has won eight national titles in softball in the last 16 years, seniors Sara Goelz and Jessica Jonas are among the many current Woods players who have not been part of a national championship team.
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Win over SIU puts Sycamores in first place
As Indiana State’s baseball team tried to climb to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference mountain on Saturday against Southern Illinois, it stood to reason that the air would get more rarefied as they neared the summit.
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Major Clay takes fourth straight MVC high jump title
For the fourth straight year, Indiana State’s Major Clay will climb to the top spot on the awards podium as the Sycamore captured his fourth high jump championship at the 2012 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday.
The competition was conducted at Cessna Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University. -
Edgewood takes Western Indiana Conference golf crown
Edgewood and senior Jackson Cowden took top honors in the Western Indiana Conference boys golf championship played Saturday at Idle Creek.
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North grad wins 10,000 at Big Ten Championships
Terre Haute North alumnus Zach Mayhew ran a Dan McClimon track record at the University of Wisconsin to win the 10,000 meters at the Big Ten Championships.
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Top-seeded Rose-Hulman falls in opener of HCAC Tournament
A couple of Rose-Hulman streaks came to an end Thursday night in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament action, but the home-team jinx looks to be still alive.
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ISU's Ort getting hot at right time for Sycamores
Indiana State’s baseball game notes list game-by-game performance for each Sycamore batter. It lists them box score-style: at-bats, runs, hits and RBI.
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Terre Haute native getting national attention as freshman for Kentucky
On a day where Terre Haute native A.J. Reed returned home to continue his college career, he got plenty of time to be on-stage.
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Top seed, home field doesn’t guarantee Rose success
On the surface, serving as host for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament would appear to benefit Rose-Hulman’s No. 1-seeded team, which finished the regular season 27-12 overall and 18-6 in the conference.
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Metro roundup: ISU’s Lucas honored by Missouri Valley again
For the fifth time in the last nine weeks, Indiana State junior catcher Jeremy Lucas has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
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Sycamores top Shockers in 10 innings in MVC series opener
If free baseball is what you want, Indiana State has what you need. For the sixth time in the span of a month, ISU’s series opener went extra innings.
- METRO ROUNDUP: Rose baseball team takes first game of doubleheader
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ISU starting pitchers in rhythm heading into Wichita State series
“Gettting into rhythm” is such an oft-used cliché in sports that it’s hard to hear the term and fight the urge to not let it enter one ear and escape another.
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ISU goes to well too many times
Perhaps the most unnecessary pursuit for a Wabash Valley sports fan during the now-completed weekend was watching the first few innings of nonconference college baseball between Indiana State and visiting Nebraska-Omaha.
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ISU baseball living on the edge
Indiana State’s baseball team got its game against Nebraska-Omaha in Saturday between morning and evening rain showers. But in the wake of another walk-off 3-2 victory against the struggling Mavericks, one might be forgiven if they felt the Sycamores are walking between the raindrops a bit.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North Central baseball improves to 10-2
North Central lost a 7-1 game to Vincennes Rivet, and then Nolan Kinnett pitched the Thunderbirds to victory, adding a double and three RBIs against Riverton Parke in a pair of high school baseball games on Saturday.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Jenkins, Goatee win inaugural Rush the Punter 5K
Steve Jenkins and TaPring Goatee were the 5K winners in the inaugural Rush the Punter event on Saturday at Fairbanks Park.
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Providing perspective: ISU’s vets have 2009 as window into 2012
Indiana State’s baseball team has reached dizzying heights, but if the Sycamores have any trouble keeping their feet on the ground, they can turn to three teammates who can remind them how dangerous it can be to get complacent.
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Missouri State wins MVC golf championship as expected
Missouri State was a unanimous pick to win the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Golf Championship, the pollsters citing their experience with four upperclassmen.
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Uphill Battle: ISU 23 strokes back of MVC leader No. Iowa
Indiana State maintained sixth place after two rounds of the Missouri Valley Conference Golf Championships, but the Sycamores face a tough challenge to move into the top half of the league after today’s final round at the Country Club of Terre Haute.
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Enter Cummings, exit McWhorter
All it took was a stat sheet to show Indiana State men’s basketball coach Greg Lansing the glaring need the Sycamores had as they built their 2013 team.
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TH golf community steps up for ISU
The Terre Haute golf community and the Indiana State women’s golf program can be a thriving partnership, and this week’s Missouri Valley Golf Championships have put that potential on display.
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ISU blue after football scrimmage
One of Indiana State football coach Trent Miles’ stated goals for Saturday’s Blue-White spring football scrimmage was to get through the game unaffected by injuries.
As the 12-minute running clock ticked down — one of the concessions made by the football staff to speed the scrimmage up and get players off the field unscathed — it appeared ISU would make it through its spring game more-or-less unscathed.
But on the last play of the scrimmage, disaster struck. -
Hosting Missouri Valley Conference meet, ISU golf heading in right direction under Towne
It’s been a loooooong time in the making.
When the Indiana State women’s golf program was resurrected in 2005, it had already been on a 28-year hiatus. Since then, the Sycamores have enjoyed modest success, but have not hosted a golf match or invitational.
That changes beginning today — in a big way. -
ISU golfers step up after injury sidelines top player
Indiana State will be missing its best player, junior Reece Feducia, in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Golf Championships at the Country Club of Terre Haute from today through Tuesday.
Feducia was the team’s medalist in their first five tournaments of the fall season, but is still recovering from complications due to gall bladder surgery. She was all-MVC a year ago, finishing tied for third in last year’s MVC tournament. -
Walterhouse blast keys ISU to victory vs. Dallas Baptist
Ryan Walterhouse couldn’t have picked a better time to get a pleasant surprise.
The Indiana State senior lofted what looked like a routine towering fly to right field with two out in the bottom of the first inning Saturday at Bob Warn Field only to see it disappear — maybe a yard fair, possibly less than that beyond the fence — for a three-run homer that was the big blow in the Sycamores’ 6-3, series-tying victory over Dallas Baptist. -
ISU baseball drops weekend series opener to DBU
Indiana State and Dallas Baptist are playing this weekend at Warn Field for the opportunity to position themselves for a NCAA baseball tournament at-large bid.
The first statement was made by the visiting Patriots. - ISU football hopes to survive as well as evaluate
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METRO ROUNDUP: ISU's Padgett breaks school record in 10,000 meters
Indiana State senior Craig Padgett broke a five-year-old school record in the 10,000 meters late Thursday night and junior Albaro Escalera ran the third fastest 10,000 meters in school history at Hilmer Lodge Stadium during the 54th Mt. SAC Relays.
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Padgett breaks ISU track record in 10K
Indiana State's Craig Padgett ran a time of 29 minutes, 38.70 seconds to set a new school record in the 10,000-meter run.
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