Two Vigo County baseball players will sign national letters-of-intent this week to play at the Division I level, and one Wabash Valley track standout has committed to run for Indiana State.
Jacob Hayes of Terre Haute South will sign today to play for defending regular-season Big Ten champion Ohio State, and Tyler Wampler of West Vigo will ink with Indiana State during the early signing period that begins today and ends Nov. 18.
All-state sprinter Shelby Higginbottom of North Central will run for the Sycamores and women’s coach John Gartland. She cannot sign a LOI until on or after Feb. 3.
For Hayes, playing for Ohio State has been his dream ever since his cousin Mike Hayes pitched for the Buckeyes.
While Hayes said he also had interest from Indiana University, it didn’t take him long to make a decision.
“When [Ohio State] said they’d offer me a scholarship, it was a weird feeling, it really was a dream come true,” Hayes said. “I kind of knew when Ohio State offered, I knew deep down that’s where I would end up. Ohio State has made it seem like I’ll have a chance to play right away.”
Hayes, who credits his father and South coach Kyle Kraemer for his development as a player, helped the Braves win back-to-back sectional titles and a regional title in 2008. The leadoff batter had four home runs in 2009 and had a strong summer for Wayne Newton Post 346. Playing for his uncle, manager John Hayes, Jacob hit .427 and struck out just 10 times in close to 150 at-bats.
Wampler made a verbal commitment to the Sycamores earlier this fall, and the 6-foot two-sport standout at West Vigo will join two former Vikings at ISU. Second baseman Jordan Pearson and catcher Jeremy Lucas are freshmen at ISU. Those three players were key in helping West Vigo finish as runner-up in Class 3A in 2009.
“I’ll get to play with Jeremy and Jordan again and Bryan Chestnut,” Wampler said. “The progam’s really turning around. I just like what direction
they’re heading.”
Wampler expects his game to continue to improve.
“I’m a strong defender,” Wampler said. “I think the next level, they’ll get me hitting a lot better. I’ll be working with Casey DeGroote. I think they’ll raise my level of play so I can get to the next level after that.”
West Vigo coach Steve DeGroote said Wampler is a natural leader.
“There’s just certain people that have a certain characteristic that leads people in the direction that gets things started,” Steve DeGroote said.
Wampler, also a pitcher for the Vikings, finished his junior year with a .412 average. DeGroote expects an even better season in 2010.
“I really think when it’s all said and done, he will be as good as any shortstop in the state of Indiana,” DeGroote said.
“Even as good as he is, he is so willing to listen to a coach on instructions of his play. That’s where so many ballplayers are lost, they quit listening. He’s never quit listening to instructions to get better.”
Higginbottom is joining the ranks of several Sullivan County track and field athletes who have went on to great success at ISU. From North Central, Higginbottom’s coach Jessica (Crowder) Wayton was a NCAA All-American and a Missouri Valley Conference champion in cross country, and Rick Sluder held the men’s 5,000-meter track record for ISU for many years.
Higginbottom, like former Sullivan standout and ISU senior Erica Moore, excels in the shorter distances.
Higginbottom has North Central’s school records in the 100-meter dash, the 200, 400, 800 and long jump. She also has the school’s cross country record for a 5K — girls ran just 4K during Crowder’s career in the late 1990s.
Higginbottom qualified for the state finals as a freshman in the 100, 200 and long jump. As a sophomore, she earned All-State honors in two events. She was fifth place with a leap of 17-feet, 8 inches in the long jump and eighth place in the 200 with a time of 25.85.
“They might try to build her up in the jumps,” Wayton said. “I’m sure they’ll try in a few different things. I think she could do whatever she sets her mind to.”
Robinson, Ill., will have two athletes signing Thursday. Meyers Leonard, a 6-11 center on the basketball floor, will sign to play for the University of Illinois. Derek Hannahs, son of former Indiana State baseball standout Mitch Hannahs, will sign to play baseball for Ball State.
High School
Valley prep athletes pick colleges
South baseball’s Hayes, West Vigo’s Wampler and North Central’s Higginbottom will compete at next level
- High School
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South’s Lough to wrestle for state title
The day didn’t start in a promising fashion for Wabash Valley high school wrestlers at the Evansville Semistate in Ford Center on Saturday — but it got better as it went along.
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TERRE HAUTE NORTH SECTIONAL: Mooresville tops South for fourth straight title
For Terre Haute South High School girls basketball fans, it might sound good that the Braves did not miss a shot in the first four minutes of their Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional championship game Saturday.
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BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan rebounds from tough start for title
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Sullivan struggled mightily in the first half, eerily reminiscent of its eventual elimination in the final seconds of overtime by Edgewood in last year’s Class 3A girls basketball sectional. -
CLAY CITY SECTIONAL: Eels take third straight sectional crown
Clay City stood up to the pressure and to the Shakamak Lakers on Saturday night to win a third straight Class A sectional championship in the Eel Dome.
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NORTH VERMILLION SECTIONAL: Twenty years in the waiting
The Super Bowl came to a new city. A presidential election was ongoing. And Riverton Parke won a girls basketball sectional.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Rox clinch WRC
Class A No. 8-ranked Rockville knocked off Attica 50-35 in boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon, clinching the Wabash River Conference championship in the process.
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THN SECTIONAL: Braves to play Mooresville for sectional title tonight
Terre Haute South continued to show what’s new and Terre Haute North unfortunately reverted back to what’s old in Class 4A high school girls basketball sectional action Friday night at North.
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OWEN VALLEY SECTIONAL: Eagles bring Vikes down to earth
Baby steps. A baby takes that first step and grins, then attempts the second step and tumbles. The West Vigo High School girls took their first step with a victory Tuesday night in the Class 3A basketball sectional at Owen Valley.
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BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan jumps to early lead in sectional victory
Sullivan jumped out to a 9-0 lead and were never threatened in a dominant 48-25 win over Eastern Greene in a semifinal game of the Class 2A Bloomfield girls basketball sectional inside Glover Gymnasium on Friday.
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North Vermillion Sectional: Panthers, Falcons to meet for NV title
Outstanding defense and quality passing landed Riverton Parke in the championship game of the Class A North Vermillion Sectional. The Panthers will have to get through the host school tonight in order to secure the program’s first sectional crown since 1992.
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South swimmers don’t advance at Finals
Terre Haute South’s trip to the IHSAA girls swimming state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium was a short one Friday night.
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South runs into talented North Central team
Terre Haute South players and coaches knew when they got off the bus Saturday afternoon that they couldn’t run with the Class 4A No. 3-ranked Indianapolis North Central Panthers.
But they tried anyway. -
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Duncan’s OT free throws help Marshall down H-P
Jacob Duncan hit four free throws in overtime Friday night as visiting Marshall defeated Hutsonville-Palestine 51-49 in Little Illini Conference action.
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O'Leary pours in career-high 34 for Terre Haute North
Matt O’Leary poured in a career-high 34 points, 17 in each half, to lead Terre Haute North to a dominant 69-46 home victory over Center Grove in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon.
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Davis hits layup in double overtime to lift Terre Haute North at Bloomington North
Playing without their two leading scorers against a team that — most of the time — seemed more determined to win than they did, Terre Haute North's Patriots got a driving layup from Steven Davis with 2.8 seconds left in the second overtime to escape Bloomington North with a 54-52 win in high school basketball Thursday night.
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Sullivan stays on top of WIC for third straight year
Western Indiana Conference boys basketball teams have been trying to storm the Sullivan castle for three years now. The Golden Arrows have endured nearly every kind of strategy in the effort to breech their wall. West Vigo tried a few more on Thursday in a showdown for the WIC championship.
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South girls looking for solid performances at swimming state finals
One individual and one relay team, which includes that same individual, will represent Terre Haute South in the IHSAA girls swimming state finals today and possibly Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cesinger, Jones each score 24 in Clay City win
Blake Cesinger and Brylan Jones poured in 24 points apiece to lead visiting Clay City over North Central 67-53 in SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference boys high school basketball Thursday night.
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Teutopolis knocks off record-setting Marshall girls in regional championship
Marshall jumped ahead 4-0 only to watch Teutopolis score the next 11 points Thursday in the championship game of the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
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Sullivan wins battle in low post
Sullivan dominated the low block at both ends of the court Wednesday to defeat South Knox 43-30.
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State wrestling berths won't come easily
If high school wrestlers thought regional competition was tough last weekend, they can expect the competition, as Keegan Michael Key used to say on MADtv, taken to “a whole notha level” on Saturday.
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South pulls upset
Plainfield’s 16-5 record made the Quakers the team to beat in the Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional.
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Vikings break long sectional drought
You’ll have to forgive West Vigo for celebrating just a wee bit prior to the postgame handshake with South Vermillion, but its first victory in a sectional game in 11 years was worthy of celebrating.
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PREP ROUNDUP: RP rolls past Attica
Riverton Parke jumped to a 20-point halftime lead and easily defeated Attica 59-34 in the Class A North Vermillion girls basketball sectional on Tuesday.
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They’re the pride of Marshall
With a 24-1 record, coach Kathy Miller’s Marshall team earned the top seed in the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
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Union season more fun with Talpas around
The Union boys basketball team has had its share of fun moments in the past, arguably the most fun being its Class A state runner-up in 2000.
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Injury bug follows girls into postseason
Who’s healthy is the question at least three of the four teams will be asking tonight when Class 4A girls high school basketball sectional play begins at Terre Haute North.
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Rockville needs late run to stop West Vigo
It was a game of fits and starts, but host Rockville finally overcame a stiff challenge from visiting West Vigo in a 53-46 victory in boys high basketball action on Saturday.
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Northview holds off Plainfield
Northview got its sixth victory in boys high school basketball action Saturday night, defeating Plainfield 59-56.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cloverdale helps Rady to career win No. 714
Brandon Dorman and Joe Fidler combined for 37 points and six 3-pointers Saturday night as visiting Cloverdale defeated Turkey Run 63-45 in boys high school basketball.
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