TERRE HAUTE — Remember how American decathletes “Dan and Dave” were hyped by Reebok heading into the 1992 Olympics in Atlanta?
Well, Dave Johnson went on to win the bronze medal, but Dan O’Brien failed to make the Olympic team.
“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.
Anthony Bertoli, a Terre Haute South graduate, placed third in the decathlon for his best career finish in the MVC meet, and Erica Moore, a Sullivan graduate, took home her first heptathlon title.
Both athletes competed in other events. Moore took first in the 400-meter hurdles, and she anchored the second-place 1,600-meter relay team.
Counting the 10-event decathlon, Bertoli finished off his 15th event when he finished eighth in the 400 hurdles. The original plan was for Bertoli to run a leg of the 4x400, but the proverbial tank was running awfully low at that point.
“Yeah, obviously it was my 15th event so it starts to wear on you eventually,” said Bertoli, who was disappointed he couldn’t help his team overcome an outstanding Northern Iowa team. “I ask a lot of myself and a lot of my team — we just came up a little short. They’ll be back next year and I’ll be here helping out coaching and we’ll get it pulled off.”
Bertoli started Sunday by finishing 10th in the pole vault, and then he took seventh in the 110-meter high hurdles.
“Today was kind of frustrating … for me as an individual, the vault hasn’t gone the way it should have for me all outdoor season,” Bertoli said. “I just got left in the blocks a little bit and had kind of a sloppy race. I couldn’t get my trail leg around so didn’t finish quite as high as I’d like to there.”
After the 400 hurdles, coach John McNichols decided he had to replace him the 4x400 relay.
“His drive was just off in the first hurdle,” said McNichols, who was impressed by Bertoli’s ironman effort to attempt to compete in 16 events in three days.
“That’s crazy for a coach to do that to a guy, but he wanted to do it,” McNichols said. “He’s got great endurance and strength. If anybody could pull off that sort of thing, he would be a guy that can do it. But you know there’s a point they’re going to start to falter — you saw that with him in the 400 hurdles.”
After giving her friend a hug, Moore said Bertoli is a man that will be missed around the Marks Field track.
“Anthony’s one of the few people that really does understand what it’s like to be a multi-eventer, if not more than me,” Moore said. “Definitely have a special relationship there. We can be there to support each other during a meet. He’ll be a good coach. He’s very in tune with track and field.”
• Beautiful day caps off meet — The first Missouri Valley Conference meet at Marks Field since 2001 went off with no problems.
A large crowd witnessed Sunday’s final day under perfect spring weather. Marks Field had a large video board that many spectators and coaches viewed for results and team scores throughout the meet.
The new blue track combined with blue and white flags that whipped in the wind all weekend made for a picturesque scene.
“Compliments to Indiana State for hosting a terrific meet,” Northern Iowa coach Travis Geopfert said. “They did a great job. The facility was ready to go and looked great. Gartland and McNichols work their tails off and do a terrific job.”
Craig Pearson can be reached by e-mail at craig.pearson@tribstar.com or by phone at (812) 231-4356.
Given to Fly
May 18, 2009
'Til It's Over: Bertoli, Moore put on show in abundance of events
- 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
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- 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.
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- 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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