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  Nothing to do this weekend? The Trib-Star's 'BASH section offers some suggestions

  Community Theatre of Terre Haute’s main stage season finale opens this Friday, with the hit Broadway comedy “Social Security,” directed by Sonni Crawford.

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  Kid Rock, Rolling Stones on scalping, summer tours

  NEW YORK — Kid Rock is a scalper.

• 

  ISU plans hearing on proposed tuition/fees increase

  Indiana State University will conduct a public hearing at 2 p.m. June 4 to receive input on a proposed 1.95 percent increase in student tuition and mandatory fees for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years.

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• Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza State bend: Terre Haute North pole-vaulter Rachel Gutish bends her pole as she begins her ascent over the bar during practice Friday at North.

  

• Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Marked success: Terre Haute North's Rachel Gutish marked her poles after she successfully cleared 10-6 in the pole vault competition earlier in the season.

  

• Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Ready to take on state: Terre Haute North's Rachel Gutish will compete in the girls state track and field meet Friday in Bloomington.

  

• Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza 10-6 and climbing: Rachel Gutish takes her time in placing her hand in the proper position as she prepares to practice for state competition Friday at Terre Haute North.

  

• Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Technique discussion: Terre Haute North assistant coach Matt Presnell discusses execution and technique with pole-vaulter Rachel Gutish during practice Friday at North.

  

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May 31, 2012

Aerial acrobatics: Gutish vaults her way into state prominence

David Hughes The Tribune-Star The Tribune Star Thu May 31, 2012, 05:02 AM EDT

TERRE HAUTE — Of all the competitors representing the Wabash Valley in this weekend’s IHSAA track and field state finals in Bloomington, Terre Haute North sophomore Rachel Gutish probably doesn’t have the best chance of winning her event.

Entered in the girls pole vault for Friday, Gutish cleared 10 feet, 6 inches in the Evansville Central Regional last week. That was good for third place and good enough to qualify for the state finals, but she admits that doesn’t make her a top contender for the state championship.

“I’m looking forward to the state,” Gutish told the Tribune-Star a few days ago. “I’m hoping I can get 11 feet. That would tie my PR [personal record]… Top 15 sounds good to me. I’m hoping that by my senior year, I’m ready to contend for the top spot. But I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet.”

“She’s shooting for the school record, which is 11-9, held by Kylie Hutson,” North girls coach Mike Dason mentioned. “I know she definitely wants to have it by her junior year.”

What makes Gutish unique among these other track athletes, however, is that she juggles pole-vaulting with another sport.

It’s not another track event, nor is it softball or tennis or any other high school sport.

It’s motorcycle racing and Gutish is pretty good at it.

“My [racing] season begins in February or March and doesn’t end until October,” she pointed out.

Gutish, 16, competes in the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, AMA EnduroCross Series and National Enduro Series (where she’s the points leader in the women’s pro class).

She described EnduroCross Series racing as “like an obstacle course on a dirt bike.”

“It takes place in stadiums,” continued Gutish, who owns three KTM bikes but mainly competes on her 200cc model. “I think it’s my favorite kind.”

So far, she’s impressed enough people with her riding skills to be invited to the upcoming X Games qualifier.

At last weekend’s “Can-Am Mountaineer Run” at Masontown, W.Va., Gutish placed second in the women’s pro class behind perennial winner Maria Forsberg. Gutish has finished ninth, 11th, 11th, eighth, seventh, sixth and now second in seven 2012 GNCC races, boosting her to fifth in the season point standings in that series.

Gutish, who started riding dirt bikes when she was 5 and racing at 6, said she plans to compete “until I’m not physically capable of doing it anymore.”

“I’d prefer to race motorcycles for a living,” she added about her future. “But if that doesn’t work out, I’m hoping to go into the forestry industry, like work for the DNR [Department of Natural Resources] maybe.”

Asked which she likes better between motorcycle racing and pole-vaulting (which she started doing during the summer before her freshman year at North), Gutish paused a little because assistant coach Matt Presnell was within listening distance.

“I hate to say too much with my vaulting coach [Presnell] sitting right here next to me,” she eventually replied, “but I’ve got to say dirt bikes.”

This weekend, Gutish’s focus may be split between the two sports.

She’s slated to start vaulting in Bloomington at 3 p.m. Friday and she figures the event should be over around 4:30.

“I’m going to compete in state,” Gutish explained. “That same evening, I have to catch a plane [out of Indianapolis] to go to Boise, Idaho, [by herself] for a National Enduro there. Then I have to stay there for a week to race in the X Games qualifier the following weekend.”

This isn’t the first time she’s faced scheduling challenges involving her two sports.

A few weeks ago, she had a race in Las Vegas that required creative planning.

“My dad had to drive the bike out ahead of time to Las Vegas and I had to fly as soon as I got out of school on a Thursday because the race was going to be Friday,” Gutish noted. “So I go to my race and do pretty well [placing seventh]. But there happened to be a National Enduro I had to hit that same weekend [Sunday] in Louisiana. And I had a track meet coming up on the Tuesday.”

Somehow, though, she always finds a way to get things done.

“I’m never sitting around being bored,” insisted Gutish, who estimated her cumulative grade-point average to be 3.34. “There’s always something for me to do. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“She’s a hard worker, very dedicated,” Dason emphasized. “That girl is committed. She’s committed to her riding and she’s committed to pole vault… She’s just a treat to have on the team. She brings a different type of personality to the track team and I mean that in a great way. Her motivation and her drive to do well is fun to be around.”

Even though motorcycle racing is Gutish’s favorite sport, she would like to continue vaulting for a few more years beyond high school. But she doubts that she’ll try to go as far as Summer Olympics hopeful Hutson has in the sport.

“I don’t think I want to be a professional pole-vaulter,” Gutish acknowledged. “I’m hoping to stick with racing [as a career]. I hope to pole-vault in college, but I don’t think I will much beyond that.”

IHSAA track and field state finals

At Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex, Bloomington

Admission per session: $8

Friday

GIRLS

3 p.m. — Pole vault, long jump, discus.

3:30 — High jump, shot put.

4:15 — 3,200 relay.

5 — 100 trials.

5:15 — 100 high-hurdles trials.

5:40 — 200 trials.

6:10 — Opening ceremonies.

6:15 — 100 high-hurdles finals.

6:25 — 100 finals.

6:35 — 1,600.

6:45 — 400 relay.

7:05 — 400.

7:20 — 300 low hurdles.

7:45 — 800.

8:05 — 200 finals.

8:15 — 3,200.

8:30 — 1,600 relay.

Saturday

BOYS

3 p.m. — Pole vault, long jump, discus.

3:30 — High jump, shot put.

4:15 — 3,200 relay.

5 — 100 trials.

5:15 — 110 high-hurdles trials.

5:40 — 200 trials.

6:10 — Opening ceremonies.

6:15 — 110 high-hurdles finals.

6:25 — 100 finals.

6:35 — 1,600.

6:45 — 400 relay.

7:05 — 400.

7:20 — 300 intermediate hurdles

7:45 — 800.

8:05 — 200 finals.

8:15 — 3,200.

8:30 — 1,600 relay.

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High School

• West Vigo advances to sectional championship with walk-off win in ninth

  High school baseball sectional games between West Vigo and Edgewood have had a tendency to be unpredictable over the years, but the Vikings and Mustangs outdid themselves in that area Thursday evening — and Thursday night.

  May 24, 2013 3 Photos  

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  Terre Haute North had three winners, Terre Haute South two, and the Patriots and Braves finished second and third respectively at the Evansville Regional for boys track on Thursday at Evansville Central.
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  May 24, 2013  

• PREP ROUNDUP: Martinsville adavances in Class 4A THS Sectional

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• North baseball pulls away from South in sectional opener

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  May 23, 2013  

• Terre Haute South tennis claims regional crown

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  May 23, 2013  

• Big group of Wabash Valley boys head to Evansville looking for state berths

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  May 22, 2013 2 Photos  

• West Vigo comes up short against 19-9 Brown County softball

  West Vigo got off to a good start but Brown County finished better in Class 3A high school softball sectional semifinal action Tuesday night at Edgewood.
  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.
   

  May 22, 2013 5 Photos  

• Valley baseball teams have been keeping busy heading into sectionals

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  May 22, 2013  

• Northview powers way past Terre Haute South in sectional semifinal

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  The Knights hit three home runs in an eight-run third inning to reach the championship game.

  May 22, 2013  

• Terre Haute North dominates field at regional

  Keirra Porter took first place in two individual events and helped Terre Haute North win one of its relays as the Patriots captured the Evansville Central Regional team championship in girls high school track and field Tuesday night.

  May 22, 2013  

• 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.

  May 22, 2013  

• Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play

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  May 22, 2013 4 Photos  

• West Vigo softball holds off nemesis Edgewood in softball sectional

  Ice cream was enough of a reward Monday night after the West Vigo Vikings beat eight-time defending champion Edgewood 6-2 in extra innings in the opening game of the Class 3A softball sectional at Edgewood High School. But that’s not what Vikings want.

  May 21, 2013  

• PREP ROUNDUP: Shakamak's Green hits two homers in win over West Vigo

  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.

  May 21, 2013  

• 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.

  May 21, 2013  

• 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.

  May 21, 2013 1 Photo  

• 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.

  May 21, 2013  

• 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.

  May 20, 2013 1 Photo  

• 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.

  May 20, 2013  

• 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.

  May 19, 2013  

• 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.

  May 19, 2013 4 Photos  

• 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.

  May 18, 2013 1 Photo  

• 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.

  May 18, 2013  

• 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.

  May 18, 2013  

• 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.

  May 17, 2013 4 Photos  

• More High School Headlines

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