Local Interest
Related Photos
-
Joseph C. Garza
Discussion
Greg Oden mingles at golf event
TERRE HAUTE — A sporting event involving Greg Oden took place Friday in Terre Haute.
No, the former Terre Haute resident and 7-foot rookie center for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers wasn’t dunking a basketball against some overmatched foe.
Instead, Oden mingled, signed autographs and had his photo taken with competitors in the second annual “Travis Smith Memorial Golf Classic Hosted by Greg Oden” at the Country Club of Terre Haute.
Jimmy Smith, Travis’ father and executive director of the Terre Haute Boys & Girls Club, said 73 foursomes (six more than last year) participated in the private event that raised money for the Boys & Girls Club and the Travis Smith Memorial Fund.
Travis Smith, a former standout golfer at Terre Haute South High School and a Ball State University freshman at the time, was killed in an auto accident in Muncie on Jan. 27, 2007. He was 19 and a longtime friend of Oden.
Accompanied Friday by younger brother Anthony Oden and former Indiana University guard Eric Gordon (selected No. 7 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2008 NBA draft), Oden hung out the last two days with former teammates from the Rim Rattlers AAU basketball team that he and Travis Smith played on when they were youngsters.
“I think they all had a good time,” Jimmy Smith said.
The Odens and Gordon did not play on any of the foursomes Friday, but Greg admitted that he tried swinging a golf club.
“I had a great time,” Greg Oden told the Tribune-Star. “I got to ride around on the cart and hit a couple balls. I was horrible, but it was still fun.
“All of this is going for a good cause. It’s good that everybody came out and had a lot of fun.”
Oden, who mentioned Thursday at a cookout in Terre Haute that he’s recovered from the September microfracture surgery on his right knee that caused him to miss the entire 2007-08 NBA season, plans to report to the Trail Blazers for preseason workouts Aug. 25. The team will play its exhibition opener Oct. 7 at home against the Sacramento Kings and its regular-season opener Oct. 28 at the Los Angeles Lakers.
One fan who will be watching his pro career finally get started is Brazil resident and former Northview golfer Millie Akers, who played in a foursome during the afternoon session Friday.
“It’s an honor to come out here and support the Smith family and such a good cause,” Akers said between rounds. “It’s great for Greg to come back here and give his time.”
Akers, who will be a sophomore at Indiana University in the fall, said she met Greg Oden years ago through Travis Smith and they’ve remained friends even after Oden moved from Terre Haute to Indianapolis (Lawrence North High School), then to Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State), then to Portland.
“He’s still the same guy as when I first met him,” she insisted.
Jimmy Smith said Friday’s event would not have been possible without First Financial Bank and Union Hospital as corporate sponsors, Sycamore Chevrolet as lunch sponsor and 42 other businesses as hole sponsors.
Gross Division champions were Tyler Dooley, Jordan Maynor, Brian Bass and Thomas Goss, who combined to shoot a 53 in the morning session, and current/former Ball State golfers Wayne Denger, Brian Maurer, C.D. Hockersmith and Kyle Cox, who teamed up to fire a 50 in the afternoon session.
Travis Smith
MemoriaL Classic Hosted by Greg Oden
Friday at Country Club of Terre Haute
Scramble format
Morning session
Gross Division
1. — Tyler Dooley, Jordan Maynor, Brian Bass, Thomas Goss 53.
2. — Dave Patterson, Greg Livvix, Wayne Morris, Mark Harvey 55.
3. — Geoff Shuck, Mike Toney, Terry Thimlar, Bill Verdeyen 55.
Net Division
1. — Tom Ridge, Justin Ridge, Danny Ridge, Scott Ridge 58.
2. — Mike Fleck, Ryan Chattin, Jimmy Kostaroff, Brian Lassitar 58.
3. — Bob Treash, Zac Treash, Joe Hernandez, Bob Treash 58.
Skill awards
Closest to the pin — Jess Muller (No. 3), Tom Ridge (No. 7), Tom Ridge (No. 10), Kevin McKenna (No. 13), Josh Dyer (No. 16).
Longest drives — Women: Priscilla Burlison (No. 6). Men: Scott Ridge (No. 18).
Afternoon session
Gross Division
1. — Wayne Denger, Brian Maurer, C.D. Hockersmith, Kyle Cox 50.
2. — Bill Burdine, Geoff Shuck, Mike Toney, Dale Long 53.
3. — Katherine Mowat, Rachael Pruett, Nick Karazsia, Tom Jones 53.
Net Division
1. — Ross Cosat, Eric Steger, Andrew Rhodes, Don Ireland 56.
2. — Steve Heck, Larry Kirchner, Brian Kaufman, Doug Wood 56.
3. — Nick Williams, Mike Wright, Noah Place, John Newlin 57.
Skill awards
Closest to the pin — Mark Neaderhiser (No. 3), David Doerr (No. 7), Jon Holloway (No. 10), Mike Wright (No. 13), Doug Wood (No. 16).
Longest drives — Women: Rachael Pruett (No. 6). Men: Cam White (No. 18).
- Local Interest
-
-
Metro Roundup: 5-0 Rose volleyball off to best start in program’s history
Rose-Hulman’s volleyball team has recorded its best start to a season in program history with a 5-0 record after earning two three-set victories at the Eureka Invitational on Sunday. Rose-Hulman defeated Stephens College 25-11, 25-12, 25-12 in the opener, then topped Robert Morris-Springfield 25-23, 25-15, 25-17 in the nightcap.
-
ISU women’s soccer team capitalizes late to defeat EIU
After threatening in the waning seconds of three different periods Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, the Indiana State women’s soccer team finally took advantage of its last opportunity when Casey Clark found the top corner of the net with 26 seconds remaining in the second extra period for a 2-1 nonconference win over Eastern Illinois.
-
From Terre Haute to the Major Leagues: Former Sycamores Ashley, Ciolli get promoted
A pair of former Indiana State players were promoted, while another pair of former ISU pitchers came off rehabilitation assignments to join their regular teams this week. Catcher Nevin Ashley was promoted to the Durham Bulls (AAA) from Montgomery (AA) by the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Since joining Durham, Ashley is 1 for 10 in three games, with a home run and two RBIs. Ashley’s homer came in his Durham debut at Charlotte on Aug. 29.
-
Prep Roundup: North boys tennis fares well in invitational
Terre Haute North won 14 of its 15 matches for the day in dominating the Macy Invitational in boys high school tennis Saturday at Crawfordsville. The 18th-ranked Patriots got championships from Chris Holcomb and Tate Egan in singles play and from the doubles teams of Ethan Claretto and Alex Farmer and the team of Justin Huxford and Grant Potts.
-
Metro Roundup: ISU cross country’s Escalera takes first in Evansville Mid-America Opener
Indiana State sophomore Albaro Escalera took the lead midway through the men’s 6K race and dominated the final 2,000 meters to take first place and lead the Sycamore men to victory at the Evansville Mid-America Opener cross country meet Saturday morning.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: The Woods tops Anderson in soccer
The St. Mary-of-the-Woods women’s soccer team defeated Anderson 3-0 Wednesday.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: Greg Towne named new head coach of ISU women's golf
Greg Towne of Clermont, Fla., has been named head women’s golf coach at Indiana State, Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman announced Monday.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: North, South girls golf teams record victories
Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South recorded victories in girls golf on Monday.
-
5-sport athlete: South Vermillion’s Scott Johansen does it all for Wildcats
He’s everywhere, he’s everywhere!
If you regularly peruse the sports pages, South Vermillion senior Scott Johansen’s name appears throughout the school year. And for a good reason, or should I say five reasons.
Johansen competes in five, count ‘em, sports for the Wildcats — a high school version of a five-tool player, as it were.
In the fall it’s football and soccer, in the winter it’s bowling and basketball, and in the spring it’s baseball. -
Metro Roundup: ISU women’s soccer makes it 2 shutout victories in a row
Junior goalkeeper Emily Lahay and the Indiana State women’s soccer team tallied their second consecutive shutout victory on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, dropping visiting IPFW 2-0.
- More Local Interest Headlines
-
Metro Roundup: 5-0 Rose volleyball off to best start in program’s history
