News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Breaking News

Sports

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable as well as posts that are attacking other users. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
June 9, 2012

FROM THE PRESS BOX: Looking back and forward at ISU athletics

Todd Golden The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — It started in State College, Pa., and ended in Eugene, Ore. Few Indiana State athletic seasons have spanned the nation in as many sports as 2011-12 did for the Sycamores’ athletic teams. And from coast-to-coast there was glory and heartbreak alike.

ISU finished fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference’s All-Sports Trophy standings, its best placing since 2006. That was one spot short of ISU’s best-ever MVC effort — the Sycamores finished fourth in 2001 and 2005.

It was my eighth season covering ISU athletics and was one of the most compelling of all. Now that it’s in the history books, here’s a look back at the highs and lows.

• Athlete of the year — As far as individual efforts were concerned, there were a wealth of ISU athletes to choose from.

Catcher Jeremy Lucas was MVC Player of the Year for the baseball team. Track and field had an abundance of choices.

Felisha Johnson finished fifth nationally in the women’s shot put and Brandon Pounds was sixth in the hammer throw. Greggmar Swift, Stacia Weatherford and Mary Thiesen also competed in the NCAA Championships. Not to be left out is Major Clay, who capped an outstanding career by winning the MVC high jump title four years running.

But running back Shakir Bell reached individual prominence no ISU athlete has ever had in football. Bell led the nation as he rushed for 1,670 yards and finished runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, the FCS version of the Heisman. No ISU football player has come close to that kind of national prominence in any era.

• Coach of the year — There are several candidates. Rick Heller led ISU’s baseball team to glory and was MVC Coach of the Year. Volleyball coach Traci Dahl returned the Sycamores to the MVC Tournament for the first time since 2004. Several other coaches brought home winning seasons.

But men’s cross country and track coach John McNichols gets the nod. McNichols’ teams won their third-straight MVC cross country championship and second consecutive men’s outdoor track crown.

McNichols’ teams accomplished their goals in a trying year for McNichols himself. He missed part of the men’s track season after he had a benign tumor removed, but returned in short order and led the Sycamores to the kind of prominence that’s become expected of them.

• Team of the year — You always have to give a shout-out to ISU’s men’s track and field and cross country teams in this space. They both defended MVC titles and have been long-established as ISU’s most consistent winning program.

But I give the nod to baseball. ISU was picked fourth in the MVC by the league’s coaches and lower by national publications. But the 41-19 Sycamores surprised everyone but themselves with their first-ever MVC regular season championship and an at-large bid to the NCAA baseball tournament.

• Disappointment of the year — The men’s basketball team never got on script in 2011-12. Though its 18-15 record gave ISU its third consecutive winning season, more was expected from a team picked to finish third in the MVC.

Point guard Jake Odum gamely played through painful plantar fasciitis all season, but few of the rest of the Sycamores lived up to potential. Internal dissension and questionable effort gripped the players at times, especially in the first half of the MVC season. In a year in which ISU was expected to turn it on, the Sycamores turned it on and off, and paid the price for it with an 8-10 MVC finish.

• Biggest victory — Each of ISU’s signature team sports had important victories — football won at Western Kentucky, men’s basketball won at Vanderbilt and the baseball team defeated several NCAA Tournament teams.

If I had to pick just one, I’d go with ISU’s 44-16 football victory at WKU on Sept. 17. Football Championship Subdivision teams just don’t beat Football Bowl Subdivision teams that often, and for ISU, it’s exceedingly rare. And the Sycamores didn’t just beat the Hilltoppers, they hammered them. WKU went on to have a 7-5 season and contended for the Sun Belt Conference championship.

• Worst loss — ISU’s men’s basketball team’s fall-from-ahead 67-60 loss to Robert Morris in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament on March 13 at Hulman Center was just one of several times you walked out of an arena shaking your head in bewilderment as to how the Sycamores were beaten by an inferior team and why its effort came and went. An argument could be made for listless losses to MVC bottom-feeders Bradley and Southern Illinois too.

• Game of the year — Game of the year and biggest victory are two different things. Think pure excitement and/or weirdness. (I only count games I covered)

ISU was unusually bereft of weird or out-of-left field games this season. The choice for me is ISU’s 61-55 men’s basketball win over Vanderbilt on Dec. 17. ISU was down eight with 6:31 to go, but finished the game on a 16-2 run on Vandy’s home court to seal the upset.

• Weirdest moment — The postgame, profanity-laced handshake/confrontation between Evansville women’s basketball coach Oties Epps and the ISU coaching staff after ISU’s 73-54 win on Dec. 30 at Hulman Center wins hands down.

•Team that needs to make progress in 2012-13 — ISU’s women’s basketball team has been in neutral for several years now. Since 2008, ISU is 76-76 overall, 42-48 in conference play and hasn’t finished higher than fifth in that span.

Tickets sold at Hulman Center are high by national women’s basketball standards, but anyone who regularly attends the games knows that no-shows are significantly up. There’s been little buzz, and if the women’s basketball can’t make progress and move up in the MVC, the program risks becoming an afterthought to ISU fans.

• Things to look forward to — Many outside and inside observers think 2012-13 might be a rebuilding season for many of ISU’s teams. Important seniors and contributors were lost by nearly every team.

The rebuilding could play out, but there’s certainly gold to be mined too. Football returns Bell and all-world defensive end Ben Obaseki. ISU’s baseball team was not hit in the MLB Draft as hard as one might have thought and it returns a solid nucleus. Men’s basketball has a bunch of new faces, but also has more athleticism than its had in several years. If they gel early, I think they can be better than people might think.



Todd Golden is sports editor of the Tribune-Star. He can be reached at (812) 231-4272 or todd.golden@tribstar.com. Follow Golden on Twitter @TribStarTodd.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Sports
softballsecs.jpg

Softball sectionals

  • 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

  • SPT0511613manaea3.jpg ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction

    Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
    But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • 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 20, 2013

  • Rose to send 5 to national finals

    Five Rose-Hulman athletes have qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships later this week at Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

    May 20, 2013

  • 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

  • IndyCar Indy 500 Auto_Morg.jpg 500 field fills up quickly on Bump Day

    In just over an hour, the field for the 2013 Indianapolis 500 was complete on Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

    May 20, 2013 2 Photos

  • 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 20, 2013

  • SPT042213relaywelkergoatee.jpg 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 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • 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 20, 2013

  • SPT 043013 ACE HUNT TROPHY.jpg ISU's athletic treasure trove

    Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.

    May 19, 2013 9 Photos 2 Links

Local Interest
softballsecs.jpg

Softball sectionals

High School
College
  • ISU track sending record 22 to postseason

    On the heels of their thrilling double victory at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships both the Indiana State men and women moved up in the national rankings which were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

    May 20, 2013

  • SPT0511613manaea3.jpg ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction

    Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
    But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • SPT 043013 ACE HUNT TROPHY.jpg ISU's athletic treasure trove

    Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.

    May 19, 2013 9 Photos 2 Links

  • Ort sets ISU RBI record in 16-7 win

    Robby Ort celebrated his Indiana State baseball Senior Day on Saturday by becoming the Sycamores’ all-time leader in RBIs as ISU ended its regular season with a 16-7 win over Bradley at Bob Warn Field.

    May 19, 2013

  • Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU

    Momentum was the only thing riding on Indiana State’s baseball game against Bradley on Friday. With a five-game winning streak going, ISU wanted to keep the good vibes going into next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
    ISU couldn’t do it.

    May 18, 2013

Sports Columns
Pro Sports
Terre Haute Rex
SPT 071512 DORSETT FILE.jpg

Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)

Colts
Auto Racing
Latest News
Multimedia

Like us on Facebook!
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
Front page
AP Video
Myers: 'We still need to do some evaluating as to what exactly we need' Weekend Recruiting Wrap Heat vs. Pacers: Playoff grudge match Triple Play: Miguel Cabrera, Giants, and Rays Globe 10.0: Can the Bruins young defensemen keep playing well? Does Tiger feel he should clear the air with Sergio? In a word: no. Redskins looking to find edge at the tight end position Galiardi: 'We think we're the better team' Kevin Dupont discusses Bruins-Rangers Game 2 Singer forgets lyrics, makes up words to National Anthem Padres honor Marines Nolan Arenado Fitting Right In With The Rockies Preakness Day 2013 WQAM Audio: Lamar Miller's goal? 1,500 rushing yards Red Wings beat Blackhawks 4-1 in game 2 of Western Conference Semifinals Orb heads Preakness field Betting at the Preakness Amico: Grizzlies/Spurs series preview Three and Out: Knick's Bench
NDN Video
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble Robert Pattinson Moves Out RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone" Khloe Lashes Out at Kim Kardashian's Critics Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song Justin Bieber Gets Booed RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer, Drake Joins List of Rumored Cameos Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction Heat Star Dwyane Wade Surprises Coral Gables Teen At Prom Steak n' Shake waitress scores huge tip Singer Miguel Accidentally Lands on Fan At Billboard Music Awards Celebs Celebrate the Rise of the Side Butt Grizzly bear gets up close and personal with camera Justin Bieber Gets Booed After Winning at the Billboard Awards Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest Singer forgets lyrics, makes up words to National Anthem
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

     

    March 12, 2010

activity