TERRE HAUTE —
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.
Then some good fortune finally came Seaton’s way.
After graduating from Pepperdine University in late April with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and moving back to Terre Haute in May, she learned that interest in her services from NCAA Division I volleyball programs still existed.
“I had been hurt so many times in my college career that I didn’t think anybody would want me anymore,” admitted Seaton, a 2007 Terre Haute South High School graduate, 2007 female McMillan Award winner and 2007 member of the Indiana All-Star volleyball team.
Because she redshirted her sophomore season at Pepperdine with stress fractures in her left foot and she’s graduated, she has one season of athletic eligibility remaining if she enrolls in a graduate program.
Enter Indiana University, which made the 6-foot-5 Seaton a full-scholarship offer she could not refuse. This week, she finalized her decision to play for the Hoosiers and coach Sherry Dunbar in 2011. She’s undecided on a major, but there’s plenty of time to find her niche.
For now, it’s time to celebrate Seaton’s return to volleyball.
“I’m very, very excited,” she emphasized. “It still feels unreal. I just want to play again. This will be my second and last chance. … I’m going to be a pin hitter, either on the outside or on the right side.”
Seaton, 22, selected IU over another Division I university in the Midwest because IU is closer to home. She mentioned that her parents, grandmother and boyfriend Justin Yoho won’t need to travel far to watch her matches.
“That was a big factor,” she stressed.
The upbeat Seaton hopes she can avoid the injuries that devastated her Pepperdine career.
To summarize that once-promising career, Seaton saw plenty of playing time as a freshman in 2007, appearing in 27 matches (12 starts). She averaged 1.88 kills, 0.78 digs, 0.61 blocks and 0.32 aces per game. Against Arkansas and Loyola Marymount, she posted a season-high 12 kills in each match.
Then the stress fractures hit, forcing Seaton to miss her sophomore season as a redshirt in 2008. “I tried a million different things [but not surgery] before I got it to go away,” she recalled.
In 2009, Seaton returned as a redshirt sophomore to start 10 of her 18 matches and average 1.96 kills, 0.64 blocks and 0.44 digs per game. Against Army and UCLA, she again racked up a season-high 12 kills in each match. She also was named to the Pepperdine Asics Classic all-tournament team.
But there was a problem that season. While practicing in September 2009, Seaton tore the labrum in her left (hitting) shoulder. She played through it the best she could, then underwent surgery in December 2009.
She recovered quickly enough to be back playing in the spring of 2010, then a freakish accident that seemingly could only happen to her (and maybe Greg Oden) knocked her out of action last summer.
On the first day of Pepperdine’s youth volleyball camp, one of the campers — whom Seaton estimated to be 12 or 13 — backed into Seaton from the court next to her. The collision dislocated Seaton’s knee and tore her meniscus.
Wow! How does that even happen?
Seaton tried to rehabilitate so she could play for Pepperdine in 2010. But it didn’t work out and she ended up having a successful surgery in November.
She rehabbed again through January and February, then rested afterward, figuring there was no need to rush the process to resume her volleyball career.
That was over, she assumed.
“I thought I was totally done playing and just kinda relaxed,” said Seaton, who’s been an assistant coach for Terre Haute’s Crossroads of America volleyball program this summer.
Since she started talking to IU, Seaton joined Anytime Fitness (free plug for my favorite 24-hour gym) to help fast-forward her training during her last few weeks in Terre Haute before she heads to Bloomington.
For those who might be interested in watching Seaton play, IU’s home matches take place in the University Gym. The Hoosiers’ regular-season opener will be Aug. 26 against High Point in the Hokie Classic at Blacksburg, Va.
• Going down under — Former Terre Haute North softball standout Bethany Sullivan, who recently completed her freshman season at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, has been invited to pitch for a U.S. women’s college-age team in Australia in June 2012.
Sullivan was recommended by her IU Southeast coach, Todd Buckingham, who also will coach this U.S. team.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Sullivan, who has never been to Australia. “For example, we’re going to learn how to surf while we’re down there. We’re going to take tours on other days.”
Sullivan said games will be played June 10-22 in Sydney and the Gold Coast.
Unfortunately, there is a catch. Sullivan needs to raise $6,500 over the next few months to pay for the trip and she could use a little help.
“The Bethany Sullivan Benefit Fund” has been set up at First Financial Bank and donations can be made at any of its branches.
Sullivan ended up 6-2 with a 2.01 earned-run average and one shutout in 2011 as IU Southeast finished 34-20.
David Hughes can be reached after 4 p.m. by phone at 1-800-783-8742, Option 4, or at (812) 231-4224; by e-mail at david.hughes@tribstar.com; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.
Hughes News & Views
HUGHES, NEWS AND VIEWS: Seaton aces chance for more Div. 1 volleyball
- Hughes News & Views
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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HUGHES, NEWS & VIEWS: Questions abound for Indy 500, Manning, baseball sectional
Phones are ringing less frequently in the Tribune-Star sports department this week.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Former South coach Rady makes it look easy
Jack Butcher, Howard Sharpe and Bill Stearman.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Terre Haute runner sets up race to help Boston
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Today in History May 24
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Britain Braces for Possible Copycat Attacks
Today in History May 25
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
Young protestor goes viral on Youtube
High Wire Spectacle Thrills Crowd in Austria
Toronto Mayor says he's not a crack head
Maine island offers lighthouse getaway
Should We Prepare for Quakes?
Lynn Kindergarten Class Rescues Ducklings
Congressional gold medal awarded to civil rights heroes
Charles Ramsey visits Kentucky
Unique Display Greets Guests At Revel Casino
Cape Cod Train Service Worries Residents
BASE jumper rides snowmobile off cliff to honor dead friend
SHOCKING: School Guard Throws Girl Down Stairs
Star Wars X-Wing Star Fighter Made of Legos
Actress Amanda Bynes Arrested in New York
Singer Psy Has An Imposter
President Obama Heckled at National Security Speech
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
More lewd photos may soon come out: Weiner
