TERRE HAUTE — Doc Brown told an old-timer in a saloon in “Back to the Future III” that despite having automobiles in the future people run for recreation.
“Run for fun? What the [heck] kind of fun is that?” the saloon patron asked.
For Kylee Thacker of Northview, last year’s foot injuries put a dent in her recreation time.
Thacker doesn’t want to go back to 1985 like Marty McFly — she actually can’t since she was born in 1990, and the jury’s still out on the possibility of time travel — but Thacker wouldn’t mind going back in time to 2007 when she was healthy and among the state’s distance runners.
Being in a boot for six months as she was last year was not fun. But despite suffering three stress fractures in her right foot, two in her heel one in the metatarsal, Thacker recently signed to run at Indiana State.
During that standout sophomore season, Thacker took 37th in the 2007 IHSAA state cross country finals at LaVern Gibson, broke the school record in the 3,200 (11:20) on the track, won the Western Indiana Conference and reached the state finals on the track. Thacker also has school records in cross country in the 4K (15:36) and 5K (19:04).
Going from running 40 to 50 miles a week to nothing wasn’t easy.
“My friends tried to keep me entertained — my closest friends aren’t runners so they always keep me entertained,” a “very excited” Thacker said the day she signed her national letter-of-intent. “I always wanted to run Division I.”
About six weeks ago, Thacker got back to training and the foot’s been feeling strong.
ISU women’s track and cross country coach John Gartland sees great potential.
“She has had a long stretch of being injured but she has remained positive in her approach to everything,” Gartland said. “If she can return to her form of 2007 next year, she will run in our top five in cross country.”
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Thacker is one of seven to sign to run for the Sycamores next year:
• Jasmyn Hudgins is a state champion from Wisconsin in the 200 meters, and her best time of 24.55 ranks eighth best in Wiconsin high school history. Her 11.89 in the 100 ranks fifth all-time.
“She will immediately come in and be our top short sprinter next year,” Gartland said. “She is an outstanding athlete.”
• Leeann Michl of Newton, Ill., has earned five All-State medals in her first three years in the IHSA state finals. She has school records in the 200 (25.64), 400 (57.59), 800 (2:15.78) and 1,600 (5:31).
“We project her to be one of our finest 800 runners ever. She is blessed with a beautiful running stride and should excel wherever we put her.”
• Macey Black is a three-time Class 1A all-stater out of Pleasant Hill, Ill., running personal bestts of 12.34 in the 100 and 26.10 in the 200.
• Richelle Kimble is a pole vaulter from Lowell, Mich., finishing as Division I runner-up in with a jump of 11-feet-3 inches. She is also a competitive gymnast.
“We expect her to blossom as a vaulter in our environment,” Gartland said. “She should contend for an All-MVC spot right away.”
n Shalesa Smith of Milwaukee, Wis., is a two-time third-place finisher in the triple jump in Wisconsin, while also running the lead leg of a third-place 400-meter relay team in 2007. Her best long jump is 17-5.
• Hannah Mercer of Northridge High School finished 40th in the 2008 state cross country meet at LaVern Gibson, finishing in 19:25.99.
“I feel fortunate that we were able to recruit her late in the fall,” Gartland said. “She has a chance to be in our cross country top five next fall.”
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ISU men’s coach John McNichols was able to sign three talented athletes as well.
With distance runners Kyle Smiley of New Prairie and Derek Stinefield of Wapahani, ISU has added depth to its track and cross country teams.
“Combined with last year’s recruiting class, we have five of the top nine milers at the state meet last year,” McNichols said. “And we are still looking at several others who could come in and compete well for us.”
Smiley was ninth last year and Stinefield fourth in the mile, Smiley running in 4:24.76 and Stinfield 4:21.62.
Sprinter Jared Miller of Bremen was fourth in the 100 and eighth in the 200 at the 2008 state meet.
Craig Pearson can be reached by e-mail at craig.pearson@tribstar.com or by phone after 4 p.m. at (812) 231-4356.
Given to Fly
February 14, 2009
Given to Fly: Northview standout runner Thacker coming to ISU
- Given to Fly
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GIVEN TO FLY: ISU women have solid recruiting class
The caliber of athletes that the Indiana State women’s basketball coaching staff is bringing in is on an upswing.
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GIVEN TO FLY: Major leaguers John, Dorsett meet up at tonight’s game
Terre Haute’s only two big leaguers of the last 50 years — Tommy John and Brian Dorsett — will catch up with one another today.
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FOOT NOTES: Valley natives perform well on national stage
Several Wabash Valley natives continue to shine on the national track and field scene.
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'Til It's Over: Sycamores ‘in a good place,’ but searching for more in MVC
Can Teri Moren lift Indiana State, last year’s seventh-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference, to one of the league’s contenders in her first year on campus?
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'Til It's Over: Two sets of identical twins should keep North Central baseball a contender
The last high school baseball team standing in the Wabash Valley was the North Central, the Thunderbirds falling short 4-3 in the Class A Semistate on Saturday just one game shy of Victory Field.
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'Til It's Over: Jarvis, Anderson confident Olney, hard work leads to Division I dream
Olney, Ill., population 8,000-plus and known for its population of white squirrels, might not be the dream destination for high school basketball players in Indiana.
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'Til It's Over: Robinson 7-footer more focused in postseason; 6-foot Jones keeps producing
Robinson 7-footer Meyers Leonard is not going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA some day, but his odds of reaching the league are pretty solid if his game continues to evolve as it has during high school.
- 'Til It's Over: ‘Stepping stone’ game points Sycamores in right direction Whether the win comes against a top-25 team or a conference pushover, ending a four-game losing streak is always a relief.
- 'Til It's Over: Indianapolis ISU recruit rolling along in senior season As Indiana State recruit Anna Munn approached Christmas with the Decatur Central basketball team, the senior guard didn’t seem to need much of a wishlist.
- 'Til It's Over: Magic’s still there for '79 Sycamores For the former Indiana State players who visited the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in late November, the weekend was a chance to relive memories with teammates and see Larry Bird’s career with the Sycamores celebrated again.
- CRAIG PEARSON: North has strong history in cross country state finals Vigo County is home to just four IHSAA state championships in team sports. Most recently, Terre Haute South won girls titles in basketball (2002) and tennis (2001).
- 'Till It's Over: It’s been rough year but no need to break up Cubs' core Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is only in the first year of a three-year contract, and aren’t back-to-back division championships enough to keep him around despite this year’s season filled with bad luck?
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'Til It's Over: Hansbrough, Hibbert give Pacers glimpse of future
You might have heard of the Indiana Pacers’ 2009 first-round draft pick. He was on the television once in a while during his four-year career at North Carolina.
- 'Til It's Over: Bertoli, Moore put on show in abundance of events “Anthony and Erica” may not have the marketing capability of “Dan and Dave,” but neither of Indiana State’s outstanding multi-event participants had let-down performances this weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
- ‘Walking wounded’: ISU seniors return to provide spark All three ISU seniors will graduate in May, and all three will be in uniform today as Indiana State battles Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.
- Given to Fly: Northview standout runner Thacker coming to ISU Doc Brown told an old-timer in a saloon in “Back to the Future III” that despite having automobiles in the future people run for recreation.
- Given to Fly: Schilli’s Rodman-like performance aids ISU With Indiana State’s women’s basketball team ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in field-goal percentage (36.5), the Sycamores need as many shot attempts as possible to maintain their standing on top of the league.
- Given to Fly: A classic in every sense of the word What tournament director and co-founder Gary Fears had in mind when creating the tournament came to fruition Tuesday. Marshall, with an enrollment of 438 students, became the smallest school to win the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic in the ninth season of the tourney.
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Given to Fly: ISU women should build confidence off strong outing
Indiana State did not pull off the monumental upset Saturday against No. 23 Kansas State, but the Wildcats are —aside from Connecticut in 2005 — the best team the Sycamores have played in the Jim Wiedie era.
- Given to Fly: ISU women's hoops team slides onto commercial radio Coach Jim Wiedie expects the Indiana State women’s basketball team to have a bit of a retro feel this season, meaning the Sycamores have the potential to get back to creating havoc with their full-court press.
- Given to Fly: ISU vets hope to prove pundits wrong Indiana State’s only two seniors were surprised to see they were picked ahead of just three Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball teams Tuesday morning.
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Footnotes: In first marathon, former Sycamore comes out a winner
Indiana State graduate Dani Prince made her debut in the event with a victory in the Columbus Marathon on Sunday.
Prince’s goal was a time under 2 hours and 50 minutes, and she ran a 2:48.56. -
Given To Fly: ISU volleyball turning things around
It was an extremely busy weekend for Indiana State athletics this weekend.
- Footnotes: Here’s hoping perfect weather is still around for Nationals in November The weather made for a perfect fall afternoon Saturday at LaVern Gibson Championship Course. For what it’s worth, the Farmer’s Almanac calls for more sunny conditions from Nov. 20-24, with the NCAA Championships falling on the 24th this year.
- Terre Haute natives cherish memories of ‘House that Ruth Built’ Yankee Stadium was packed as usual on Easter Sunday in 1979. George Steinbrenner’s Yankees were one loss away from being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to start the season. That was no way for the two-time defending World Series champions to perform, so the boss had a conversation with his new veteran left-handed starting pitcher prior to the game.
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Footnotes: Oregon men and women have strangehold on preseason NCAA cross countryrankings
The Oregon men and women were almost both unanimous picks as the No. 1 teams in the nation in the preseason cross country national rankings released recently.
- Given to Fly: Bronze medalist has strong ISU ties One of the remarkable American medalists of this 2008 Olympics thus far also provided one of the most sparkling stories in the brief history of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course here in Terre Haute.
- Former ISU QB gets back to Amarillo This week, Indiana State signed its most highly-touted football prospect in years, and former quarterback Julian Reese is ripping it up for the Amarillo Dusters of Arena2.
- Indiana State track sending strong group to NCAA regional Three sophomore women and three senior men lead a large Indiana State contingent of track and field athletes into the NCAA Mideast Regional this weekend at Fayetteville, Ark.
- Given to Fly: Sycamores embracing underdog role at MVC Tournament The frustration of not living up to expectations can cause problems within any sports team, from the coach down to the players at the end of the bench.
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