TERRE HAUTE —
The orientation period for West Vigo High School’s new athletic director is expected to be a short one.
Kenny Pearson was confirmed at Monday night’s Vigo County School Corporation Board of Trustees meeting as the successor to Mike Miller, whose resignation took effect last week after 13 years on the job. And it’s safe to say he knows his way around the building.
A 1984 West Vigo graduate whose children — Jordan and Kaysee — are recent graduates from there themselves, Pearson has, in some ways, never really left.
In addition to supporting Jordan in his basketball and baseball careers and West Vigo and Kaysee in her volleyball seasons, Kenny Pearson was also an assistant baseball coach under Steve DeGroote for seven years, resigning after the 2011 season to have more time to follow Jordan with the Indiana State baseball team this spring.
He’s also been a physical education teacher at West Vigo Elementary and Rio Grande Elementary the past three years, and is now completing requirements for his administrator’s license.
Re-inventing the wheel is not on his agenda, he emphasized.
“My hopes are to continue on with the great things Jim Mann [West Vigo’s 30-year athletic director who was Miller’s predecessor] and Mike Miller have put in front of me,” Pearson said Monday after his appointment was confirmed. “Their longevity will help me; I think Mike has things already scheduled three or four years out … being the third [West Vigo] athletic director in something like 50 years is something to draw on.”
His job officially starts Aug. 1, but Pearson will be in the building before then, he said. At that, however, he still doesn’t have the advantage Miller had — a semester in the building picking Mann’s brain.
“Mike will be in a few times and I’ll be able to get some help from him, just like he did with Jim,” Pearson said. “I’m a little behind in the game and I’ll have to learn really quick, but this is a great opportunity.”
Pearson’s wife, Tammy Pearson, is also a West Vigo graduate and the West Vigo community’s representative on the school board. The couple took pains to make sure there was no conflict of interest in his hiring, Kenny Pearson said.
“I work for my wife every day,” he joked, “and I’ve wanted this job for a long time. I started my resume four years ago [before Tammy was elected to the school board], when Mike said he’d be retiring. [Tammy] abstained from the vote [Monday night], and I think the people from West Vigo know if they see her at a game it won’t be as a school board member, it will be as a booster club member or working in the concession stand.”
Returning to a familiar building will mean leaving two others, Pearson pointed out.
“[Teaching P.E.] is something I’m going to miss,” he said. “I really love those two places.”
And being athletic director means Pearson will have to give up his other West Vigo job, working the chain gang at home football games.
“I’ve been on the football sideline for 14 years. Jim Mann hired me his last year,” Pearson said. “I guess that’s my first order of business: I’ll have to replace me.”
Sports
Pearson has strong bond with W. Vigo
- Sports
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Ethan Page is the race director for the Terre Haute Triathlon.
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TILL IT'S OVER: Terre Haute Triathlon's new race director seeks more events for his hometown
Today is the day for the Thunder in the Valley, and the Terre Haute Triathlon is under new leadership in 2013, the 28th year for the event at Hawthorn Park.
A former Terre Haute North track and cross country standout, Ethan Page is the race director as the race falls under the reign of Page’s new company, Crossroads Events. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
South switches up lineup to defeat North in tennis sectional
Terre Haute South coach Bill Blankenbaker said two weeks ago that he would change the Braves’ lineup after the 3-2 dual-meet loss to Terre Haute North.
The Patriots knew it was coming, but they couldn’t do anything to stop it. -
Behind 16 hits and Manaea's pitching, ISU beats Bradley
Indiana State’s baseball team rode a wild ride of emotion on Thursday.
First came the public announcement that Bob Warn Field would host the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Later, Sean Manaea’s availability to pitch ISU’s series opener against Bradley was in doubt. -
Indiana State women add five transfers, including experienced D-I point guard
Indiana State coach Teri Moren believes the addition of five more newcomers to the program — in addition to the five who had already joined the program earlier this calendar year — will provide her coaching staff the athleticism and depth it needs to play a successful, up-tempo brand of basketball next season.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North slips past Northview in eight-inning baseball game
Colton Pittman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Zach Milam with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as host Terre Haute North edged Northview 8-7 in high school baseball Thursday at Jennings Field.
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TILL IT'S OVER: Terre Haute Triathlon's new race director seeks more events for his hometown
- Local Interest
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Indiana State baseball series canceled
Heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday has forced Indiana State and Tennessee Martin to cancel their three-game weekend baseball series in northwest Tennessee.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman baseball to play DePauw on Thursday after Tuesday's rain
The Rose-Hulman baseball team has rescheduled its non-conference game with DePauw to Thursday night.
The start time remains 7 p.m. for the single nine-inning game that was originally scheduled for today. Tuesday’s scheduled Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Anderson was moved to Sunday because of rain. -
Vigo County Youth Soccer Association to host Indiana Soccer Cup Games
The Vigo County Youth Soccer Association will welcome more than 7,000 people to its Springhill Drive facility through two tournaments in the next five weeks.
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METRO ROUNDUP: North, South well-represented on All-Star teams
Two Terre Haute schools, two Terre Haute coaches and four Terre Haute All-Stars.
When it comes to the 21st Annual North-South All-Star Classic on April14 at Rose-Hulman, it would be hard to discern any North-South bias.
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Wabash baseball tops Rose-Hulman
Wabash College scored two runs in the third inning and two in the fifth to top Rose-Hulman 4-1 in non-conference baseball Wednesday afternoon.
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Indiana State baseball series canceled
- High School
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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. - South wins first half of doubleheader against Lawrence North
- PREP ROUNDUP: Calleja pitches West Vigo past South Vermillion
- Seibert returns from injury to win three events as Braves win sectional crown
- South switches up lineup to defeat North in tennis sectional
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- College
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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. -
Behind 16 hits and Manaea's pitching, ISU beats Bradley
Indiana State’s baseball team rode a wild ride of emotion on Thursday.
First came the public announcement that Bob Warn Field would host the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Later, Sean Manaea’s availability to pitch ISU’s series opener against Bradley was in doubt. -
Indiana State women add five transfers, including experienced D-I point guard
Indiana State coach Teri Moren believes the addition of five more newcomers to the program — in addition to the five who had already joined the program earlier this calendar year — will provide her coaching staff the athleticism and depth it needs to play a successful, up-tempo brand of basketball next season.
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Metro roundup: Woods softball takes seventh in national tournament
The St. Mary-of-the-Woods softball team finished seventh in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association softball tournament on Tuesday at Firestone Stadium.
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Metro Roundup: Indiana State’s Shakir Bell on Performance Awards watch list
College Football Performance Awards has announced its watch list for the 2013 CFPA FCS Running Back Award, and Indiana State’s Shakir Bell earned a spot on the list.
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Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU
- Sports Columns
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Ethan Page is the race director for the Terre Haute Triathlon.
-
TILL IT'S OVER: Terre Haute Triathlon's new race director seeks more events for his hometown
Today is the day for the Thunder in the Valley, and the Terre Haute Triathlon is under new leadership in 2013, the 28th year for the event at Hawthorn Park.
A former Terre Haute North track and cross country standout, Ethan Page is the race director as the race falls under the reign of Page’s new company, Crossroads Events. - TODD GOLDEN: Don't give up on ISU baseball just yet
- TRACKSIDE: Terre Haute's Carmichael enjoying strong spring in modifieds, stocks
- From Terre Haute to the major leagues: Phegley's play could earn him promotion to Chicago
- There's an expert at Parker's Archery
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TILL IT'S OVER: Terre Haute Triathlon's new race director seeks more events for his hometown
- Pro Sports
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts received high marks for the impact players the team added through the NFL draft.
Of the 10 players selected, five ended up either starting or seeing extensive playing time (quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and running back Vick Ballard) during the Colts’ 11-5 season.
While this year’s class may not rival that group in terms of name recognition and flash, it may produce just as many major contributors once the 2013 season gets underway. - Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft
- Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck
- Colts introduce free-agent signees
- Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
- Terre Haute Rex
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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)
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
The Terre Haute Rex went through plenty of trials and tribulations during the summer of 2012.
The team got off to a sluggish start to settle for third place during the first half of the Prospect League race, but manager Brian Dorsett rallied the troops to a second-half title. - Metro Roundup: Dorsett, Rex players honored in Prospect League postseason awards
- Rex out of playoffs
- Rex mix, match their way to win
- Rex turn eye to Prospect playoffs
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
- Colts
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
While the Indianapolis Colts put their rookies and a handful of second-year players through workouts this weekend at the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, a pair of first-year coordinators are getting a chance to do some valuable on-field work as well.
- Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp
- Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
- Werner at top of game
- Colts select pass rusher Werner in first round
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
- Auto Racing
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TRACKSIDE: Rain still a pain for Wabash Valley racing organizers
Soggy weather conditions, which have rightfully drawn the ire of Wabash Valley race fans and crews in recent days, continue to plague promoters where it hurts the most — their pocketbooks.
- TRACKSIDE: Tough to rise from sprint-car racing, especially in challenging financial times
- METRO ROUNDUP: Rose baseball wins another thriller
- East gets jump at SUMAR Classic
- Hurtubise, Sumar races on Action Track slate this weekend
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TRACKSIDE: Rain still a pain for Wabash Valley racing organizers





