TERRE HAUTE —
Siblings are becoming the story when it comes to the Tribune-Star’s Athletes of the Year awards.
After Terre Haute North distance runners Chanli and Tyeson Mundy made the unprecedented step of sweeping the fall sports awards just a few months ago, the same scenario exists for winter awards in Sullivan’s Smith family, where junior Rhagen and senior Rhett are two of the three winners.
Rhett Smith will share his Athlete of the Year award for winter sports athletes — as well as Wabash Valley Player of the Year honors in boys basketball — with Terre Haute North’s Matt O’Leary, but there’s a sibling angle with O’Leary too.
Matt O’Leary is the youngest of four brothers who have been mainstays of the Patriot basketball program for a long time (not to mention Chris O’Leary also being an honored football player for North), but was the first to earn a Division I basketball scholarship and now is the first to earn an Athlete of the Year honor.
He made it known quickly this week, however, that he wouldn’t be holding that over his brothers’ heads.
“A lot of the credit goes to them,” he said of Marc, Dan and Chris. “They’ve supported me all the way.”
The common thread among all three of the honored players from the 2011-2012 season — more so than the points, rebounds and blocked shots they all had in abundance — is winning.
“We were 64-11 the last three years, and [Rhett Smith] had a lot to do with that,” noted coach Jeff Moore of the Sullivan boys team.
“We were 11-11 my freshman year, then 20-4, then 21-4 [last season],” said Rhagen Smith. “We’re gradually getting more wins [every season], and it’s been great to see the improvement.”
And although O’Leary’s North teams were 38-15 during the two years the late-blooming, fast-rising senior (who had honorable-mention status on last season’s all-Valley team) was a starter, he has the trump card over the Smiths, both first-team all-Valley players a year ago — a victory at the Class 4A Hinkle Fieldhouse Regional a few weeks ago that left his Patriots among the final eight teams in the state.
“We accomplished one of my main goals,” he said earlier this week. “Winning the sectional, winning a game at the regional and beating the No. 2 team in the state [that regional win over Pendleton Heights]. I couldn’t be much happier.”
“I felt like we should’ve gone farther [in the state tournament],” said Rhett Smith, whose Arrows won two Class 3A sectionals — losing one of the two regional games that followed in overtime — and dropped a three-point decision to second-ranked Eastern Greene for this year’s Class 2A sectional championship, “but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
“I’d love to get back to the regional and get another shot at [defending Class 2A state champion Evansville] Mater Dei,” said Rhagen Smith, whose team won its Class 2A sectional this year after losing a Class 3A sectional championship game in overtime a year earlier.
As mentioned, however, there is also no shortage of statistics when it comes to the three players voted as the Wabash Valley’s top basketball players by members of the Tribune-Star’s sports staff.
Rhett Smith is Sullivan’s all-time leading scorer with 1,534 points and finished his senior year averaging 20 points, between seven and eight rebounds and approximately three blocked shots per game.
O’Leary averaged 17.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for North, while shooting 37 percent from 3-point range and 72 percent from the foul line. His blocked-shots average wasn’t as high as Smith’s — although Smith probably remembers a couple of the ones O’Leary did get. “We don’t block many shots in the [Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference],” pointed out North coach Todd Woelfle, who supplied the other averages.
Rhagen Smith passed the 1,000-point level during her junior season, during which she averaged 15.9 points, eight rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 assists per game. She has a chance to become her school’s all-time leading female scorer, and will certainly do so if she reaches a goal she’s already mentioned to her coach.
“She’s already told me her goal next year is to average 20 points and 12 rebounds [per game], and she means it,” said Julie Meeks. “She’s a great player who is outstanding on the court, in the classroom and as a person.
“She works very, very hard,” Meeks continued, “and she’s a great team player. I’m excited for her [winning this award]. She’s very deserving.”
“He’s very deserving,” Moore echoed when asked about Rhett Smith. “He’s one of the premier athletes in this area. “He’s had a great career at Sullivan High School ... and played more high school games than anybody in the history of the school.”
“I think it’s a great honor, one that is well deserved,” Woelfle said of O’Leary. “He’s put in a lot of hard work to make himself a good basketball player, and he’s a good person.”
Rhett Smith and O’Leary, who are preparing themselves for college play at Indiana State and Loyola of Chicago respectively, are joined on the first team by Rockville’s Lane Mahurin, the other repeater from last year’s first team; Ross Sponsler, O’Leary’s North teammate; and two more Vigo County stars, Jordan Houser of West Vigo and Jeffrey Turner of Terre Haute South.
Rhagen Smith’s fellow first-teamers are two repeaters from last year, Terre Haute North’s Nicole Anderson and Robinson’s Kelsey Dirks, joined by South’s Tasia Brewer, Riverton Parke’s Sara Dickey and Clay City’s Carmela Roeschlein.
Other challengers for Athlete of the Year honors for winter sports were four individual state finalists: South swimmers Grace Padget and Nolan Roach and wrestlers Tsali Lough of South and Aaron See of Northview.
High School
Related Photos
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In traffic: Sullivan's Rhagen Smith draws a crowd of South Knox defenders as she shoots from the paint in the first half of their sectional matchup Wednesday night in Bloomfield.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Pressure: Terre Haute South's Holden Smith keeps the pressure on North's Matt O'Leary early in the crosstown matchup Friday night in Hulman Center.
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Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Physical game? You betcha!: Terre Haute North's Matt O'Leary tries to stop a driving Rhett Smith of Sullivan during the Patriots' win in the final of the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic Friday at North.
Discussion
Terre Haute North's O'Leary, Sullivan's Smith share Winter Athlete of the Year honors
Rhagen Smith named top girl in Wabash Valley
- High School
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North baseball pulls away from South in sectional opener
In high school baseball little things mean a lot, and the crack in the door doesn’t have to be open very wide.
Terre Haute North burst through that crack in the bottom of the second inning Wednesday evening at Terre Haute South, scoring seven two-out runs and going on to a surprisingly easy 12-2 victory over the host Braves. -
Blank, Mundy named McMillan Award winners
Posing side-by-side for photos following Terre Haute North High School’s Senior Awards ceremony, seniors Calvin Blank and Chanli Mundy couldn’t look more different.
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The Vikings scored four runs in the first inning of the first sectional game and went on to defeat Brown County 10-0 in five innings with Kevin Stewart hurling a two-hitter. -
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The Eagles bested the Vikings 7-5 and will meet South Vermillion, a 12-7 winner over Owen Valley, for the sectional championship on Thursday starting at 6 p.m.
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Valley baseball teams have been keeping busy heading into sectionals
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The Knights hit three home runs in an eight-run third inning to reach the championship game. -
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PREP ROUNDUP: South tennis cruises into regional final
Terre Haute South didn’t lose a game en route to blanking Seeger 5-0 in girls high school tennis Tuesday to advance to today’s championship match against Crawfordsville in the Greencastle Regional.
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees. -
West Vigo softball holds off nemesis Edgewood in softball sectional
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Shakamak improved to 22-3 on the season behind a complete-game effort from Brett Yeryar, and Patrick Green hit two solo home runs in a high school baseball game Monday.
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Terre Haute North offense unable to get going in loss to Mooresville
Jack Kirchner chose to give credit Monday night to Mooresville pitcher Taylor Chitwood, not to the Greg Maddux-size strike zone she seemed to enjoy.
But if there were no excuses forthcoming from Kirchner and his Terre Haute North High School softball team, it wouldn’t have been hard to find a spectator or two to come up with extenuating circumstances about the Patriots’ 4-1 loss at the Class 4A Martinsville Sectional. -
Terre Haute North looking strong going into girls track regional
Terre Haute North might need an off night for anyone to catch them in the girls track regional at Evansville Central.
The Patriots are as well-rounded as they’ve ever been, and two relay teams are state contenders with times ranking No. 2 in Indiana among times recorded all spring.
Terre Haute South, Northview and Sullivan have athletes among the contenders in multiple events as well. -
South tennis ready for potential challenge in regional
Terre Haute South and Northview take respective records of 10-5 and 11-5 into the Greencastle Regional today.
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Softball sectionals up for grabs
All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.
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Terre Haute South, Northview vie for tennis regional title
Terre Haute South and Northview take respective records of 10-5 and 11-5 into the Greencastle Regional today.
Coach Bill Blankenbaker’s Braves will play Seeger at 4:30 p.m., while coach Emily Goff’s Knights will take on Crawfordsville about 6 p.m. -
Vikings win in extra innings at Rockville
West Vigo scored six runs in its first two innings Saturday, then needed a ninth-inning single by Lucas Fagg to escape with a 7-6 extra-inning win in nonconference high school baseball at Rockville.
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TH South beats Northview in Big Four makeup baseball game
Terre Haute South wrapped up a share of the MIC baseball title and finished up the Big Four Classic with an 8-1 victory over Northview in less than 24 hours on Saturday morning.
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Olds pitches South to share of MIC baseball title
Friday night, winning the second game 5-0 and earning a share of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title.
Damon Olds was dominant on the mound for the Braves, striking out 14 and walking just one while pitching a three-hit shutout. -
South wins first half of doubleheader against Lawrence North
Host Terre Haute South kept its Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title hopes alive — and clinched no worse than second place in the process — by downing Lawrence North 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night.
The second game, which started after Senior Night festivities between games, ended past the Tribune-Star deadline. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Calleja pitches West Vigo past South Vermillion
Brandon Calleja had 13 strikeouts to lead West Vigo to a 5-1 victory against South Vermillion in high school baseball Friday.
Brandon Behringer went 2 for 4 with two RBI for the Vikings, who secured second place in the Western Indiana Conference.
Kaden Lawson had double for South Vermillion (15-7), which finished 4-2 in the WIC. -
Seibert returns from injury to win three events as Braves win sectional crown
His baseball equivalent might be Rick Sutcliffe of the 1984 Chicago Cubs.
When Tyler Seibert returned to the Terre Haute South track and field lineup Thursday for sectional action at Terre Haute North, it was like the midseason trade the Cubs made for Sutcliffe that earned them a playoff spot. -
South switches up lineup to defeat North in tennis sectional
Terre Haute South coach Bill Blankenbaker said two weeks ago that he would change the Braves’ lineup after the 3-2 dual-meet loss to Terre Haute North.
The Patriots knew it was coming, but they couldn’t do anything to stop it. -
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Colton Pittman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Zach Milam with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as host Terre Haute North edged Northview 8-7 in high school baseball Thursday at Jennings Field.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North and South to face off for tennis sectional title
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Terre Haute North gets 10 event victories to claim 12th straight sectional crown
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North, South to meet in first round of baseball sectional
The Indiana High School Athletic Association announced pairings for the baseball state tournament Tuesday and the draw offered up a Vigo County battle in the opening game.
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PREP ROUNDUP: West Vigo softball clinches share of WIC title
West Vigo clinched at least a share of the Western Indiana Conference softball title with a 6-4 victory over Edgewood on Tuesday.
Jacy McClain and Bailee Waters had RBI singles in the fourth inning to break the game open for the Vikings. - More High School Headlines
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