TERRE HAUTE — I know I’m getting older — aren’t we all? — when I see more and more former athletes that I covered “back in the day” going into their college halls of fame.
It happened again Saturday at Rose-Hulman when the eastside engineering institute inducted five men into its Athletic Hall of Fame, boosting its membership to 147.
An induction ceremony took place in Rose’s Sports and Recreation Center, then the five were introduced to the Cook Stadium crowd at halftime of the Engineers’ football game against Greenville College.
One of the inductees was two-time NCAA Division III men’s pole-vault champion Ryan Loftus. Now 32, he lives in Riley with his wife, also a former Rose athlete, who went by Mandy Smith when she competed in track and women’s basketball.
Loftus, a process engineer for Danisco Sweetners in Terre Haute, enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane with well-wishers this weekend.
“I decided to go with Rose-Hulman [out of high school] because of the small classroom size and also the opportunity to participate in sports,” recalled Loftus, a 1998 Rose graduate who said he also considered enrolling at the University of Illinois.
“Looking back, I’m very pleased with my decision. I don’t think I would have accomplished quite as much if I had joined the University of Illinois team.”
Loftus said his favorite athletic memory was the 1997 Division III indoor national title he won at Oshkosh, Wis., where he cleared a school-record 16 feet, 8 inches.
“It was the first one that I won,” he explained. “That was the highest I vaulted during my whole career and my mom was there. I really had the adrenaline going. My coach [Bill Welch] could tell by looking at me that I was in the zone and totally focused on vaulting that day.”
Academics also played an important part in Loftus’ college experience.
“It was a great school and I had great professors,” he emphasized. “I learned a lot. It was very technically challenging. It was a good environment to be in to be challenged, both academically and athletically.”
Rose-Hulman informed Loftus in March that it wanted to induct him into its Hall of Fame this year and he gladly accepted the honor.
“I knew the requirement was that you had to be out of school for 10 years,” he said. “I barely meet that… It was definitely a good feeling to know that I was being inducted.”
A chemical-engineering major, Loftus captured the 1998 indoor national title in the men’s pole vault. A four-time All-American, which included a second-place national outdoors finish in 1998, he was CoSIDA Track and Field Academic All-American of the Year in 1998 and a second-team Academic All-American in track and field in 1997. He also was a four-time conference champion in the pole vault.
Below is a list of the other 2008 inductees and a summary of what they accomplished athletically at Rose-Hulman. If you know any of them, be sure to congratulate them in the next few weeks.
• Arvont Hill, who sprinted in track and field and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1998, was a two-time conference champion (1996 and 1997). He also was the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s 100-meter champion in 1996 and part of the ICAC 400-meter relay team championship in 1997. He became the school’s 55-meter indoor record holder with a time of 6.56 seconds in 1996 and became its 100-meter outdoor record holder with a time of 10.94 in 1994.
• Ernie Jones, a 1973 graduate who competed in track and field and football and majored in mechanical engineering, helped lead the Engineers’ track and field team to a perfect season in 1973. He also established a school record in the triple jump (46 feet, 11 3/4 inches) that still ranks second all-time. He set a school record in the pole vault with a leap of 14-3 1/2. In 1973, he was high-point scorer and named Most Valuable in Field Events and team captain. In 1972, he was the team’s high-point scorer and named Most Valuable in Field Events. He won the Ruel Fox Burns Blanket as the college’s top athlete in 1973.
• Matt Sims, a 1998 graduate who pitched for the baseball team and majored in electrical engineering, ranks third in school history with 25 wins. He also stands third in Rose history with 51 appearances and he’s tied for second with seven career shutouts. He ranks fourth all-time in innings pitched (224) and eighth in strikeouts (157). In 1996, he finished 10-3 with a 2.56 earned-run average to lead the team to the NCAA Division III tournament. He compiled a 6-3 record and a 3.04 ERA as a junior and finished 7-2 as a senior. After graduation, he signed a contract in the Frontier League.
• Nathan Subbert, a 1998 graduate who specialized in track and field and football and majored in computer engineering, earned All-American status in the outdoor hammer throw in 1998. He also finished eighth in the hammer in the NCAA Division III outdoor championships with a school-record throw of 172 feet, 8 inches, still owns the school record in the 35-pound weight throw (53-7), won two Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference titles in the hammer, started as a guard on the football team all four years, earned CoSIDA Academic All-District status three times and won the Sam Hulbert Award for team spirit, sportsmanship and a desire to succeed in 1998.
David Hughes can be reached by phone at 1-800-783-8742, Option 4, or at (812) 231-4276; by e-mail at david.hughes@tribstar.com; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.
Hughes News & Views
Hughes News & Views: Rose adds 5 to Hall of Fame
- Hughes News & Views
-
-
Terre Haute runner sets up race to help Boston
Having competed in the Boston Marathon once before in 2003, 35-year-old Majel Wells of Terre Haute thought she should give it another try in 2013.
“My goal was just to finish and enjoy Boston,” she reflected this week. “I had an injury [runner’s knee] beforehand, so I wasn’t too worried about beating my time from 2003 [4 hours, 10.20 seconds].
“But nobody cares about what your time is at Boston anyway.”
From what I’ve heard over the years, she’s right. Unless you’re a super-serious runner, the Boston Marathon has been more about taking in the atmosphere and having fun than placing in the top 50, although Wells was pleased that she beat her previous time by finishing in 3:55.19 on April 15.
Obviously, her race time wasn’t the most vivid memory that Wells took away from her 2013 Boston experience. -
Former South players to play in Saylor benefit game
I had my first phone conversation with Mike Saylor since mid-February on Thursday and he sounded good.
The former Terre Haute South High School boys basketball coach, who’s been battling cancer this year, has been traveling back and forth to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for chemotherapy treatments. -
Recent South swimmers Roach, Bray heading to DI nationals
I’m sure most of you with office jobs can relate.
When work gets busy, sometimes it’s easy to skim over our emails. After all, how many times do we need to read the same nonsense from alleged Nigerians wanting to make us rich if we’ll send them several thousand dollars first?
So after having three consecutive days off, that almost happened to me when I returned to work Tuesday. Then I realized that the message from Jeff Thompson, Terre Haute South High School’s boys and girls swimming coach, contained significant news. -
NCAA Division III basketball tournament returns to Rose-Hulman
The last time Rose-Hulman served as host for the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament, its game was played inside an old World War II airplane hangar.
You “old-timers” should know the building I’m talking about and the matchup wasn’t really that long ago — March 6, 1997, to be exact. -
DAVID HUGHES: Childhood friends use faith, sports to get them through
When I learned in February 2009 that a rare form of appendix cancer would devastate my life and cause me to miss work for several months, Mike Saylor was among the first to offer assistance.
-
Book review: Thumbs up for ‘Trophies and Tears’
Now might be too late for giving Christmas presents, but the book “Trophies and Tears: The Story of Evansville and the Aces” is a fascinating read for longtime Indiana basketball fans, particularly those older than 40.
Written by award-winning Kyle Keiderling of Henderson, Nev., and released in hardcover format in mid-December, the 480-page “Trophies and Tears” documents the rich tradition of the University of Evansville men’s basketball program through recent interviews and research of old yearbooks and newspaper/scrapbook clippings.
The book contains many cheery moments — behind-the-scenes details of all five NCAA College Division (now known as Division II) championships won in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s by the Purple Aces and their legendary coach Arad McCutchan — although some of those moments don’t seem so cheery from an Indiana State perspective when the Sycamores found themselves on the losing end of scores. -
Hughes, News & Views: Wishing for Colts-Broncos playoff matchup from Santa
There’s plenty of tragedy in the world to bring us down if we let it, so let’s have a light-hearted column today — my annual Christmas gift requests for Santa Claus.
I already know one of my gift wishes is becoming less likely to happen. That would be for the Indianapolis Colts to face the Denver Broncos in the AFC playoffs. -
Colts' loyalty tested by Manning, Broncos
We’re approaching the halfway point of the NFL season and so far it’s been surprisingly enjoyable.
I wasn’t sure how I would handle following two favorite teams — 1a.) the Indianapolis Colts and 1b.) Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos — but the new arrangement hasn’t caused me any loyalty conflicts yet.
-
HUGHES NEWS & VIEWS: Sorting out the sports air waves
My name isn’t attached to them, but I’m the one who usually puts together the “Sports on the air” television/radio listings that appear daily on this newspaper’s Scoreboard Page.
-
Hughes, News & Views: North junior ready to go racing
When we last visited 16-year-old Rachel Gutish, she was finishing sixth in the Women’s Enduro X race in the nationally televised Summer X Games at Los Angeles.
-
HUGHES NEWS & VIEWS: Yelovich still striking the ball long on LDA Tour
In June 2011, I wrote a feature story about former Indiana State basketball center Mick Yelovich making a name for himself as a golfer on the Long Drivers Association (LDA) Tour.
-
HUGHES NEWS & VIEWS: Colts? Broncos? Maybe there’s more than enough room for both
I’ve got a longtime buddy who I’m fairly sure rarely, if ever, reads this column.
-
HUGHES NEWS & VIEWS: Point of Jones’ return
Since May 14, Indiana high school basketball fans have wondered why Jim Jones would want to come out of retirement at 74.
-
HUGHES, NEWS & VIEWS: Questions abound for Indy 500, Manning, baseball sectional
Phones are ringing less frequently in the Tribune-Star sports department this week.
-
Hughes, News & Views: Hutson getting ready for final stretch toward Olympic Trials
If Kylie Hutson were a cross-country runner, she’d be approaching the final stretch of her biggest race in about three weeks.
-
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Rose basketball alumni offer advice to current team
Bryan Egli and Joe Puthoff, both Rose-Hulman basketball starters I covered in the late 1990s, took their degrees from the prestigious engineering institute and found successful careers in the Indianapolis area.
Egli, also a former West Vigo High School multi-sport standout, lives in Carmel and works for Thieneman Construction in Westfield. Puthoff lives in Indy and works for Rolls Royce Aircraft Engines. -
DAVID HUGHES: Super Bowl odds getting stranger and stranger
Today’s annual “Super Bowl odds column” feels special to me because I’ve been a diehard NFL fan since 1967 and next Sunday will be the first time the big game takes place in our great state of Indiana.
-
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Coach’s book a chance to remember North Vermillion state champs
Almost 10 years ago, February 2002 to be exact, the New England Patriots upset the high-powered St. Louis Rams to win Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans, the Winter Olympics entertained spectators in Salt Lake City and Terre Haute South High School’s girls basketball team started its tournament run toward a Class 4A state title.
-
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Plenty of sports-related gifts for columnist's wish list
Last week, I was all set to beg Santa Claus to give the Indianapolis Colts a certificate good for one NFL regular-season victory.
Then the 2011 Colts decided to play like the 2009 Colts and clobber the Tennessee Titans on Sunday for their first win of the season. So that present won’t be necessary. -
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: WTHI defends decision not to show Colts
When your favorite NFL team is threatening to finish 0-16, you have to figure a few fans will jump off the bandwagon.
-
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Former South coach Rady makes it look easy
Jack Butcher, Howard Sharpe and Bill Stearman.
-
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Wheldon's genuine personality a devastating loss to racing
Lori Wood, the Tribune-Star’s Indianapolis 500 correspondent since 2000, planned to visit a friend in California and take in the IndyCar Las Vegas 300 as a ticket-buying fan last weekend.
-
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Past greats proud of ISU’s recent improvements
Indiana State football alum Chris “Big C” Hicks will turn 58 Saturday and he knows exactly what he wants for his birthday.
-
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Rose-Hulman hungry for first football victory of season
The Engineers have not endured a losing season since 2004. But they’ve opened this season at 0-2, causing Sokol to admit they’re desperate for a win.
“We’re all very hungry for a victory,” he said after practice Thursday. “We all want to taste victory really, really bad.” -
Valley semipro football team reaches championship of IFL
The West Central Wildcats’ semipro football team from Terre Haute has been written about before in this column space over the last two years.
-
HUGHES NEWS & VIEWS: Colts cheerleaders glad to get back on field
When I heard the NFL lockout finally ended this week, I looked for someone affiliated with the Indianapolis Colts to get a reaction.
-
Amateur boxing card set for outdoors at Show-Me's
We all know what Show-Me’s sports bar is famous for around Terre Haute, right?
Chicken wings, of course. -
HUGHES NEWS & VIEWS: Porter’s persistence keeps his boxing career going
When I walked in Sweatbox Gym through the alley door Wednesday, I wondered if a time machine had taken me back to the 1950s, the glory days of boxing.
-
HUGHES, NEWS AND VIEWS: Seaton aces chance for more Div. 1 volleyball
Plagued by one injury after another after another, Kristen Seaton was ready to turn off the lights on her volleyball career.
In her mind, the party was over.
-
HUGHES NEWS & VIEWS: Semi-pro football team to kick off season today
If you’re worried about the NFL season being canceled and you can’t wait months for the college and high school seasons to begin, you can get your football fix tonight at Memorial Stadium.
- More Hughes News & Views Headlines
-
Terre Haute runner sets up race to help Boston
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
Raw: Costa Rica Volcano Roars to Life
Today in History May 22
Raw: Japan's WWII Atrocities Under Fire in Seoul
Raw: Students Clash With Police in Chile
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Protests Outside Cincinnati IRS Office
Reunited Dad, Son: 'We Just Praise God'
Families Begin Returning to Their Homes in Moore
Tim Cook Defends Apple's Tax Accounting
Raw: Aussie Zoo Shows Off White Rhino Calf
Slow Pokes: Acupuncture Helps Sick Turtles
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Trout's cycle a boost for Angels
Kim Kardashian Flaunts Pregnant Bikini Body in Greece
NBA star pledges $1M to help tornado recovery
Shakira's Shocking Talent
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
GRAPHIC: Blood-Soaked Machete Killer Caught on Tape
Elin Nordegren Furious With Lindsey Vonn For Parading Kids in Public
Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls
Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place
Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill
DWTS Crowns a Winner
Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House
Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor
Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
Olivia Munn Flaunts Her Bikini Bod
