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IHSAA Executive Committee approves fall sports sectional sites

The Indiana High School Athletic Association’s most recent Executive Committee meeting included approval of sectional hosts for the 2022 fall sports season.

Boys tennis

Shelbyville will continue to serve as the host site for a boys tennis sectional that features all five Shelby County schools. The regional and semistate rounds of the team tournament will go through Center Grove High School.

Cross country

Shelby County’s five cross country programs will compete across three sectional sites later this year.

Franklin will host a 12-team sectional that includes Shelbyville and Waldron. Regional qualifiers return to Franklin to compete against South Dearborn regional qualifiers.

Fourteen teams will compete at Mt. Vernon including Morristown and Triton Central. Regional qualifiers advance to the Rushville Regional.

Southwestern travels to Brown County for a 10-team sectional. Columbus North is the regional host for qualifiers from the Brown County and Austin sectionals.

Shelbyville is one of four semistate hosts. Qualifiers from regionals at Ben Davis, Noblesville, Rushville and Franklin will compete at the Blue River Memorial Park cross country course.

Southwestern athletes qualifying for semistate competition at the Columbus North Regional will return to Brown County for semistate races.

Football

New football sectional pairings have already been announced. Host sites for sectional openers will be announced as the postseason gets closer.

In Class 4A, Shelbyville is paired with Bedford North Lawrence, East Central, Edgewood, Greenwood, Jennings County, Martinsville and Silver Creek.

In Class 2A, Triton Central is joined by Brown County, Brownstown Central, Christel House, Clarksville, Eastern (Pekin), Scecina and Switzerland County.

Girls golf

Girls golf programs from Morristown and Triton Central will compete at the New Palestine Sectional at Hawk’s Tail Golf Course in Greenfield.

Shelbyville and Southwestern travel to Greensburg for a 9-team sectional at the Greensburg Country Club.

Regional competition will either be at Edgewood Golf Club hosted by Lapel or The Legends Golf Club hosted by Franklin.

Girls soccer

New Palestine will host a Class 3A, 6-team girls soccer sectional that includes Shelbyville, East Central, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon and Richmond. The sectional champion advances to the Carmel Regional with sectional winners from Mooresville, Westfield and Warren Central.

Triton Central is the host site for a Class A regional featuring Knightstown, Muncie Burris, Union County and Wapahani.

The sectional champion advances to the Knightstown Regional to face sectional champions from Cascade, Ritter and Heritage Christian.

Boys soccer

Shelbyville is the host site for Class 3A, Sectional 12. The Golden Bears host Connersville, East Central, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon, New Palestine and Richmond.

The sectional winner advances to the Carmel Regional.

Southwestern is the host school for Class A, Sectional 42 which includes eight teams.

Morristown will travel to Knightstown for sectional competition.

The sectional champions at Southwestern and Knightstown advance to the Knightstown Regional.

Volleyball

Shelbyville heads south to Columbus East for a six-team volleyball sectional that includes Columbus North, East Central, Franklin and Whiteland.

The sectional winner advances to the Bloomington North Regional.

Eastern Hancock is the host for Class 2A, Sectional 42 that includes Scecina, Irvington Prep, Riverside and Triton Central.

Cascade is the regional host site.

Waldron hosts Class A, Sectional 60 that includes Morristown and Southwestern.

Edinburgh is the regional host site for the Waldron Sectional champion.

Basketball

While not officially announced by the IHSAA yet, Edinburgh will host the Class A boys basketball sectional that includes Morristown, Southwestern and Waldron.

Waldron will be the girls basketball sectional host.

Rock Candy Blue dominant in Horseshoe Indianapolis QHRAI Derby

After turning in the second fastest time trial, Rock Candy Blue was all business when the gates sprung for the 13th running of the $115840 Horseshoe Indianapolis QHRAI Derby.

The Oklahoma-bred gelding, guided by jockey Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, was an open length winner in the event to secure his first stakes title.

Starting from the inside post one, Rock Candy Blue was patient in the gate while adjustments were made to other starters. Once the field was set, he was out of the gate quickly and on top in the 400-yard dash, grabbing the lead early.

As the wire neared, the sorrel sophomore never let up, coasting under the wire for the two and one-quarter length win.

One Night Too Long and German Rodriguez, the fastest trial winner, finished second a neck ahead of Screenshot and Jose Ruiz and A Little Louie and Francisco Ramirez Jr., who could not be separated at the wire for third in the tight five-horse photo.

 

 

“We didn’t do anything different with him between the trials and the final,” said Jessi Vazquez. “We made no changes on him. He’s so hyper in the stall but once he gets in the gate, he knows he’s a racehorse and he is so laid back.”

Purchased out of the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale for $88,000, owners Campos Family Ventures have nearly paid for Rock Candy Blue in two starts, both wins for the new connections. Vazquez trains the Jess Louisiana Blue gelding, who is now three for nine lifetime and possesses earnings of more than $83,000 -- $70,000 of which has been earned since arriving in Indiana.

“From day one, this horse has been great,” said Vazquez, who partners with her husband, Giovani, in the care and training of Rock Candy Blue. “Giovanni loves him and has been on top of him since we bought him. We’ll keep running him in derbies and see what else comes up.”


Shelbyville's Karissa Hamilton named Indiana Miss Softball

Karissa Hamilton joined Bill Garrett as the only Shelbyville High School athletes to receive their respective sport’s top honor.

On Saturday at the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana’s North/South All-Star Game, Hamilton, who recently finished her senior year at Shelbyville, was named Indiana Miss Softball.

“I had no idea,” said Hamilton of receiving the award. She was one of five announced finalists from around the state. “They are all such amazing athletes. You could have picked any one of them out of a bag.”

Hamilton closed out her Golden Bear career hitting .526 in 30 games with 53 runs scored, nine doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in.

She helped Shelbyville capture its first softball regional title and propelled the Golden Bears into the semistate championship game with a mammoth walk-off home run in the eighth inning against Bedford North-Lawrence in the semistate semifinal round.

That home run may have secured the final votes needed to hold off Pioneer’s Hailey Cripe, Kokomo’s Karley Trine, Westfield’s Avery Parker and Gibson Southern’s Brenna Blume for the state’s top individual honor.

Shelbyville’s only other top award winner is Garrett, who led Shelbyville to the 1947 boys basketball state championship and was named Mr. Basketball.

For her career, Hamilton hit .533 in 86 games and collected 28 doubles, 14 triples, a program-best 40 home runs and 120 RBIs. She will play collegiately next season at the University of Kentucky.

 

For more on Hamilton's decision to play at the University of Kentucky: https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/603974

 

Kentucky issued a press release Sunday announcing Hamilton’s award and noting she is ranked as the No. 22 overall player in the Class of 2022 by Extra Innings Softball and the No. 7 catcher in the nation.

With a 4-0 win over No. 2 Whiteland on May 31, Shelbyville captured its first regional championship and set up a scheduling conflict for the following Saturday with semistate and graduation on the same day.

The four seniors on the softball squad were allowed to walk across the stage first that morning so they could get on a bus and head to Bedford.

“That whole entire day was a rollercoaster of emotions,” said Hamilton. “I got my diploma … the four seniors got to go first. We turned our tassels right before we left … we did it together and then we went to Bedford.”

Shelbyville first had to deal with the host Stars, ranked No. 5 in the final coaches poll and making their second-straight semistate appearance.

The Golden Bears, ranked No. 10, got on top early but the Stars recovered to tie the game and send it to extra innings. After holding Bedford North Lawrence scoreless in the top of the eighth inning, Hamilton was unsure if she would get a chance to swing the bat in the bottom of the eighth.

“I wondered if they would walk me?” thought Hamilton at the time. “But they pitched to me. She pitched me inside and I turned on it. I knew that one was over. I took about one-and-a-half steps and threw my hands up!”

 

Hamilton's walkoff home run courtesy of Bedford North Lawrence's Twitter account: https://twitter.com/BNLAthletics1/status/1533165768606728195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1533165768606728195%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indystar.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fhigh-school%2F2022%2F06%2F04%2Fihsaa-softball-semistate-karissa-hamilton-hits-walk-off-hr-vs-bedford-north-lawrence-indiana%2F7515044001%2F

 

Hamilton circled the bases in a flash and unleashed a massive stomp on home plate to signify the victory.

“That was the fastest home run trot I’ve ever had,” she said.

Shelbyville needed extra innings to dispatch of Bloomington South in its sectional opener 11 days earlier. That win was the first postseason win for Hamilton in her three seasons of varsity softball – her sophomore season was cancelled due to the pandemic.

With wins over Columbus East and Columbus North to secure the sectional title and Whiteland and Bedford North Lawrence, Shelbyville set up a semistate championship contest with Roncalli, the defending state champions and No. 1 ranked team in the country.

“For me, I was thinking it’s my senior year. Who knows what can happen?” said Hamilton. “We had nothing to lose at the semistate. We already made school history. It was all crazy.”

Hamilton is familiar with Roncalli ace Keagan Rothrock, who will be a Southeastern Conference foe in the future. Rothrock is committed to Florida as the top player in the country in the Class of 2023.

Shelbyville struck early for a 1-0 lead off Rothrock and Roncalli but could not find more offense and eventually lost 7-1. The Royals went on to crush Harrison (West Lafayette), 16-0, in the Class 4A state championship game to complete a 33-0 season. Roncalli is 64-2 the last two years.

 

 

Hamilton represented Shelbyville one last time Saturday in the North-South All-Star games played at Indiana University.

At the conclusion of the first game of the doubleheader, Hamilton was announced as Miss Softball and donned the white No. 1 jersey for game two.

Hamilton quickly transitions back into the travel ball circuit with her Indiana Magic Gold squad. She is headed to Colorado today to play in a national tournament before returning home to close out her travel ball career with trips to Columbus, Ohio, and then one final national tournament held at Championship Park in Kokomo, Indiana.

With a move-in date at Kentucky of Aug. 17, it is hard not to look ahead to joining the nationally-ranked Wildcats program.

“At this point, my mindset is just being a Kentucky player,” she said. “I am working out like a Kentucky player now. I am lifting (weights), doing cardio and getting my ducks in a row. I’m getting after it.”

Nothing less would be expected of someone now known as Miss Softball.

Climber wins Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Filly Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Climber reached new heights Wednesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis with an impressive win in the $100,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes for fillies.

Guided by Emmanuel Esquivel, the filly is now a stakes winner in her young racing career.

Starting from post seven left Climber with an outside position early as Speedy Delivery and Gage Holmes secured the top spot along the inside followed closely by Holy Justice and Jose Riquelme in the stalking position. Esquivel kept Climber on the outside three-wide heading down the backstretch under a firm hold.

Around the turn, Esquivel let Climber out a notch and she responded, so he let her have her head some more and she exploded to the front. Down the stretch, Climber was all alone as she rallied home to a five-and-one-half length victory in the stakes in her eighth career start. Louder Than Words and Sammy Bermudez moved in for second over Holy Justice for third.

“She runs with her head up going long,” said Esquivel. “When she runs short, you can give her head to her early but going long, I had to take hold of her, but I could feel her relaxed under me down the backside. Plus, she had horses right beside her. Last time, I thought I gave her head to her too soon, but she responded well tonight, and she galloped out nice too.”

 

 

Overlooked by the betting public, Climber paid $25.20 for the win. The Indiana-bred daughter of Divining Rod is owned by Bruce Murphy and Southwest Racing Stables and managed by Genaro Garcia, who also trains the filly bred by Dawn Martin.

“She’s a nice three-year-old filly that needs to go long, that’s how she’s bred,” said Garcia. “The further she goes the better she feels. I’m real excited about her after this race. She’s easy to take care of too in the barn. She’s the type of horse that everybody likes to take care of. They’ve done a great job with her too in the barn taking care of her.”

Climber has now won two of her last three starts and her second overall in four outings in 2022. She has not finished worse than second this season before taking a step up into her first stakes attempt. Climber increased her career earnings tally to more than $100,000 with the win.


Mowins mows them down in Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes

Mowins was exceptional last year at two as a two-time stakes winner. He proved he’s going to be just as tough as a three-year-old with an impressive win in the 14th running of the $100,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes Wednesday in Shelbyville at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Veteran jockey Jon Court was aboard Mowins for the first time in a race, but he has plenty of time aboard the Indiana-bred standout. This winter, he breezed him numerous times for trainer Mike Lauer while at Oaklawn Park. The Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes was his first time to test the three-year-old in a race.

Mowins had early speed at the start of the one and one-sixteenth mile race and moved into the lead from the middle of the pack, securing the top spot before the first turn. He was joined on the outside by Oro Azteca and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. and was even passed up for a portion of the second quarter before Mowins moved back up to stand his ground. The field of 12 was tightly bunched behind the top two for most of the race.

“We were able to take the task early on,” said Court, winner of more than 4,200 career races. “The horse on the outside (Oro Azteca) was pressing early and could have gone on, but we were able to keep him at bay. It worked out well for us in the end.”

Around the turn, Court asked Mowins to accelerate, and he responded. By the time they moved into the stretch, Mowins had taken over and sped away from the field, opening up to a five-and-one-quarter length advantage at the wire. Mr Chaos and Rodney Prescott moved in for second on the outside over Latigo and Tommy Pompell for third.

 

 

“He’s a pretty neat horse,” said Lauer. “We gave him some time off and then took him to Arkansas this winter. He had won several races, so he didn’t have a lot of options to race (in Arkansas). We tried him in a stakes out there before coming back to Indiana.”

Mowins was the favorite of the field, paying $7 for the win. The homebred son of Mohaymen is now four-for-eight in his career and has more than $220,000 in career earnings. The win in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes is his third title at Horseshoe Indianapolis  for Mike and Penny Lauer and Clary Thoroughbreds. The colt is out of Lauer’s mare, Prize Winner, who made more than $250,000 on the track before becoming a brood mare.

“Prize Winner was a nice racehorse for us and won a stakes (Malvern Rose at Presque Isle Downs),” said Lauer. “She’s thrown a couple other nice horses for us, too.”

One would be hard pressed to find many stakes in the Indiana record books that Jon Court has not won. The two-time winner of Indiana’s top race, the Grade 3 Indiana Derby, earned his first win in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes. Court was Indiana’s first all-time leading rider before moving his tack to Kentucky and later to California where he experienced great success. However, he has always returned to Indiana to ride when he can and has racked up numerous stakes wins over the years in Indiana.

For Lauer, this was his third win in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes, connecting with Mister Pollard in 2014 and Badabing Badaboom in 2016. The win with Mowins was his 45th career stakes win at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

IHSAA Executive Committee approves change to basketball tournament format

The Executive Committee of the Indiana High School Athletic Association voted to make a significant change to the format of the annual boys and girls basketball state tournaments.

In its final meeting of the 2021-22 school year, the group of school principals and athletic directors voted 15-2 to make the regional round a single game and the semistate round a two-game format beginning with next winter’s tournaments.

The previous format of a two-round regional and a single semistate game had been in place since 2002.

This spring, IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig conducted a survey of principals, athletic directors, boys and girls coaches and 73.4% of those 781 respondents voted in favor of the change with at least 70% in all four groups approving.

Regional pairings will be drawn and announced at the same time as the traditional sectional pairings with two regional championship games being played at the same site and potentially from different classes.

Another new wrinkle includes conducting an additional blind draw and announcing the semistate pairings the day after the regional championship games on IHSAAtv.org.

“We really like the potential of a high-energy atmosphere at the semistate level with a chance to advance to the state championship games the following week at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Pacers and Fever,” Neidig said. “This new format will double the number of teams who play a week longer in the tournament and should create a lot of excitement in those communities and will be financially beneficial for those communities that serve as host sites.”

Tournament host sites will be approved by the Executive Committee later this fall.

Also from today’s meeting:

• The Executive Committee formally approved full membership for Dugger Union, Evansville Christian and Purdue Polytechnic. Those schools become officially eligible to compete in IHSAA state tournaments beginning this fall.

• The Committee approved modified restrictions on Indiana schools competing against schools from beyond the 300-mile travel limit. IHSAA schools will now be able to participate against out-of-state schools from beyond the 300-mile limit as long as they are in good standing with their state association, the venue is within the 300-mile limit, and is sanctioned by the NFHS and IHSAA. Also, Indiana schools may now host out-of-state schools in Indiana from beyond the 300-mile limit as long as they are a member in good standing with their own state association and the event is sanctioned by the NFHS and IHSAA.

• A proposal to raise ticket prices in several sports including football and basketball sectional games from $6 to $7 was also approved as well as raising an officials stipend by $10 at all levels as well as bumping their mileage from 25 cents to 50 cents per mile.


Sweet victory for Honey Red at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Honey Red, the all-time highest priced yearling sold at the 2021 Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (ITOBA) Fall Mixed Sale, is now a race winner.

The impressive daughter from the first crop of Indiana’s richest racehorse ever, Bucchero, was a winner on the Wednesday racing program in Shelbyville at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Making only her second start, Honey Red got away in mid-pack for jockey Joe Ramos and sat patiently through the first part of the four and one-half furlong race. The flashy chestnut filly began to move in on the leaders around the final turn, and then took over in the lane, stretching out to a two and three-quarter length win as the favorite of the field.

D’Kitten and DeShawn Parker finished second over Night Livin and Joshua Morales for third.

 

 

Honey Red paid $4.40 for the win. She is trained by Randy Klopp and owned in partnership by Klopp, Dennis Claramunt and Spiess Stable. She was bred by Dr. Crystal Chapple and Michael Phelps, who were trackside to greet the filly and Ramos in the winner’s circle.

Honey Red was highly sought after in last year’s yearling sale in Indiana, bringing $48,000 through the sales ring. She has been prepping for her racing career at Horseshoe Indianapolis all season from the Klopp barn, which stables year-round at the Shelbyville track.

“She’s special,” said Ramos of Honey Red. “In the mornings, she shows more and works nice. She has some talent and she’s learning. I thought she had a good shot to win, but as soon as she hit the turn, I had to reel her back in and get her focused to pull out the win. She’s a very nice filly to ride.”

ITOBA is currently preparing for its annual sale this fall on Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. in the receiving barn at Horseshoe Indianapolis. This year’s sale will include a new owner to the Indiana racing scene as Anthony Bradshaw was the winner of the Road to Louisville contest. As part of his prize, he will go to the sale and have up to $15,000 to purchase a yearling from the sale, with an additional $15,000 reserved for expenses for the first year of training.

DeShawn Parker collects milestone career win at Horseshoe Indianapolis

June 21 will be a date that forever sticks with jockey DeShawn Parker. He rallied home aboard For Mama to score his 6,000th career win, a feat that only 20 other jockeys have accomplished in the history of Thoroughbred racing.

Parker started off his Tuesday night two wins away from the milestone and connected with Wicket Intent in the third race of the night for trainer Caio Caramori. Parker had one more shot on the card at Horseshoe Indianapolis. There, he climbed aboard the Jeff Greenhill-trained For Mama seeking to complete the milestone.

For Mama got away in heavy traffic in the six-furlong sprint and racing room never shook loose. Parker kept the three-year-old gelding behind leaders Circle Indy and Alex Achard, Got Lost and Sammy Bermudez, and Runaway Image and Declan Cannon.

 

 

Around the turn, the field remained tightly bunched and it appeared For Mama would have to wait for another day to break his maiden. But Parker did what he’s done so many times before, he waited patiently until the right time arrived.

That time arrived a quarter of the way down the stretch for Parker and For Mama. A slight opening appeared between Got Lost on the inside and Circle Indy on the outside. It took a little urging at first, but Parker encouraged For Mama to split rivals to find the racing room they needed. Once he was through, it was only Got Lost he had to get past.

The two matched each other stride for stride until late in the stretch when For Mama got the slim margin at the wire for the win, just a head in front of Got Lost. Golden Rapper and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. closed in to finish third.

For Mama was the favorite of the maiden field, paying $2.60 for the win. The Can the Man Indiana bred gelding is owned by James Wyenandt’s Bosharon Stable, who also teamed up with In Good Company Farm as the breeder.

 

 

Parker (above, center) was joined by Eric Halstrom (above, left), Vice President and General Manager of Racing, along with Rachel McLaughlin (above, right), Racing Broadcast Manager, for the presentation. Several jockeys came in to help Parker celebrate such a significant milestone.

“This means the world to me, and I was riding for my dad, because I couldn’t have been here without him,” said Parker, who lost his dad, Daryl, a longtime steward in the state of Ohio in the spring of 2021 to cancer. “He knew I was getting close to this milestone, but he never said much about any of the milestones. He’s the one that kept me calm, and if I was getting worked up over something. I would give him a call and tell him what was going on and he’d calm me down. I miss not being able to do that.”

Parker earned his 5,000th career win at Mountaineer Park in 2016. He moved his tack to Indiana on a full-time basis in 2017 and scored the leading rider title at the track just three years later in 2020. In five and one-half years of riding at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville, he is already among the track’s top 10 with 492 career wins and just under $13 million in earnings in Indiana.

“I’m happy to get this (milestone) done,” added Parker. “I wanted to do it, and I’ve been trying to do it, but it seemed like I just didn’t have the right horse at the right time. Everyone kept encouraging me to get it, which was nice, but I have to say it’s even better than I expected to get this milestone. It’s a load off and I couldn’t be happier.”


Future Golden Bears improved skill sets at SHS boys basketball camp

Future Golden Bears had the opportunity recently to work on their skills with the Shelbyville High School boys basketball coaching staff and players.

A total of 68 basketball players from incoming grades 1-8 improved their skill set at the 2022 Shelbyville Boys Basketball Camp held at Shelbyville High School.

“We were extremely pleased with the turnout and the players’ efforts to improve over the course of the three-day camp,” said SHS varsity basketball coach John Hartnett Jr. “Our attendance increased 22 from last year and it is exciting to see the enthusiasm from the kids.”

 

 

Campers received instruction from the Golden Bear coaching staff as well as current Shelbyville players. Each participant received a camp T-shirt and a basketball.

The Shelbyville boys basketball program will continue to hold instructional sessions for grades 2-8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the month of July.

A full schedule can be found at shelbyvilleboysbasketball.weebly.com.     

Evening post times slated next Tuesday through Thursday at Horseshoe Indianapolis

With high temperatures and elevated heat indexes projected again next week, Horseshoe Indianapolis is being proactive and will move first race post times to 6:45 p.m. beginning Tuesday, June 21 and extending through Thursday, June 23.

 

Post times for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday’s program will begin after the heat of the day. All handicapping contests offered will also move to the evening hours. Racing will be held at the regularly scheduled time Monday, June 20 beginning at 2:30 p.m.

 

Post times are expected to move back to the regular schedule of 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 27.

 

The 20th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Live racing is conducted at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with Thursday post times set for 2:10 p.m. A total of 12 Saturdays will feature live racing in 2022 highlighted by the 28th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby and the 27th running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks set for Saturday, July 9. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.


Shelbyville's Karissa Hamilton selected to SCAI South All-Star Team

Karissa Hamilton will represent the Shelbyville Golden Bears one more time.

Hamilton, who just finished her senior year at Shelbyville, was selected to play in the 2022 Softball Coaches Association of Indiana (SCAI) All-Star games June 24-25 on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington.

Hamilton is one of 21 seniors that will represent the South All-Star team. The University of Kentucky recruit hit .526 this past season with 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in to help lead the Golden Bears to their first semistate appearance.

Hamilton will have plenty of familiar names on her South squad. She will be joined by Mooresville’s Kendall Grover (Eastern Illinois commit), Whiteland’s Debbie Hill (Trine), Yorktown’s Alanah Jones (Purdue Fort Wayne), Greenfield-Central’s Megan Wineinger (University of Indianapolis) and Bloomington South’s Jessica Young (Western Michigan).

Also selected to the South squad were Westfield’s Avery Parker (Indiana), Martinsville’s Ella Whitney (Florida International), Chatard’s Lily Wendt (Marian), Ben Davis’ Kansas Robinson (Northwestern), Southmont’s Macie Shirk, Clay City’s Sophie Moshos (Transylvania), Center Grove’s Alexia Warner, Union County’s Sophia Knock (Longwood), Winchester’s Gena Moore (Huntington), Gibson Southern’s Brenna Blume (Belmont), Charlestown’s Savannah Gaither, Corydon Central’s Bella Gerlach (Western Michigan), Evansville Central’s Olivia Moxley (Butler), Tecumseh’s Ashtyn Green (Wabash Valley) and Sullivan’s Kendal Edmonson.

 

 

The North squad will be lead by University of Kansas recruit Hailey Cripe, from Pioneer, and Trine recruit Karley Trine of Kokomo.

Cripe, Trine, Parker, Blume and Hamilton are the five SCAI Miss Softball award finalists.

Also on the North squad are Valparaiso’s Charlotte Dombrowski (Minnesota Crookston), Lake Central’s Kiley Conner (Northern Illinois), Valparaiso’s Paiton Iliff (St. Francis), Harrison’s Sydney Miller, Lowell’s Carlye Walter (Indiana Tech), McCutcheon’s Kennedy Peckinpaugh (Purdue Fort Wayne), Lake Central’s Katie O’Drobinak (Indiana Tech), Winamac’s Ella Gearhart (Indiana Wesleyan), Pioneer’s Kylie Farris, Illiana Christian’s Amanda DeBoer, Concord’s Lynnsey Delio, Columbia City’s Natalie Haselby (Huntington) and Brooke Lickey (Purdue Fort Wayne), Adams’ Haleigh Smith, Norwell’s Allyson Burtron, Westview’s Alexys Antal (Findlay), Whitko’s Guinny Garr (Kentucky Wesleyan) and Eastside’s Faith McClain (Rock Valley College).

Game times have not yet been announced.

Shelbyville's Rife, Tackett named to All-HHC Baseball Team

A pair of Golden Bears were selected to the 20-player Hoosier Heritage Conference All-Conference team.

Senior Charlie Rife and junior Caden Tackett were honored for their 2022 season performances.

 

 

Rife (photo above) hit .395 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 25 runs batted in. He will play collegiately next season at Bellarmine University.

 

 

Tackett (photo above) hit a team-leading .420 with 20 runs scored and 26 RBIs.

Also selected All-HHC were Delta’s Parker Faletic, Greenfield-Central’s A.J. Oden, Grant Shepherd and Conner Sims, Mt. Vernon’s Eli Bridenthal, Landon Clark, Gavin Johnston and Russell Weaver, New Castle’s Eli Cooper, Aydan Decker Petty and Corbin Malott, New Palestine’s Luke Legault, Maddox Manes, Zayden Stiller and Carter Stogsdill, Pendleton Heights’ Caleb Frakes, and Yorktown’s Jacob Pruitt and Cole Temple.

Mt. Vernon was crowned the HHC champion with a 12-2 record against conference opposition. The Marauders finished the season with a 17-10 record.

New Palestine (24-7, 11-3 HHC) was the runner-up ahead of New Castle (18-6-1, 10-4), Yorktown (16-11, 7-7), Greenfield-Central (12-15, 7-7), Shelbyville (12-14, 5-9), Pendleton Heights (11-16, 3-11) and Delta (9-17, 1-13).

Mt. Vernon’s Brad King and New Palestine’s Shawn Lyons were selected HHC Co-Coaches of the Year.

Four Golden Bears named to All-HHC softball team

Four Golden Bears earned postseason honors after leading Shelbyville to a share of the Hoosier Heritage Conference softball title in 2022.

Karissa Hamilton, Kylee Edwards, Cheyenne Eads and Addie Stieneker collected all-conference honors as part of the All-HHC team announced Wednesday.

Hamilton, a senior who will play collegiately at the University of Kentucky, hit .526 this season with 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in.

Edwards, a junior verbally committed to play at Mississippi State University, led the Golden Bears with a .538 batting average with 17 doubles and a team-high 41 RBIs.

Eads, who just completed her sophomore year, finished with a 14-5 record and 1.91 earned run average. She had 138 strikeouts in 120.2 innings of work.

Stieneker, a freshman, hit .422 with 11 doubles and 35 RBIs.

Shelbyville shared the HHC title with Yorktown, who had three All-HHC selections. They were Alanah Jones, Macie Dowd and Caitlyn Laferny.

Also earning All-HHC designation were Delta’s Kate Penrod, Greenfield-Central’s Ella Redman and Megan Wineinger, Mt. Vernon’s Graci Hines and Easton Wampler, New Castle’s Hannah Essert, New Palestine’s Aglaia Rudd, Allie Blum and Alaina Miller, and Pendleton Heights’ Kieli Ryan, Khloee Gergory, Caroline DeRolf and Kiah Hubble.

Shelbyville and Yorktown finished 6-1 in the HHC standings.

New Palestine (23-4-1, 5-2 HHC) was third in the standings ahead of Pendleton Heights (25-7, 4-3), Greenfield-Central (15-8, 3-4), Mt. Vernon (13-9, 3-4), New Castle (13-16, 2-6) and Delta (10-15, 0-7).

Yorktown’s Jeremy Penrod was named HHC Coach of the Year.

The conference produced three sectional champions – Shelbyville, Pendleton Heights and Yorktown.

Shelbyville (24-6) and Yorktown (25-4) also captured regional championships.

Racing canceled Tuesday due to hot, humid weather at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Due to forecasted temperatures in Central Indiana Tuesday, June 14, the racing program at Horseshoe Indianapolis has been canceled. The heat index is expected to rise above 100 degrees and the area is currently under a heat advisory.

 

“The safety of our equine athletes and those who are involved in the racing program is always at the forefront of our concerns,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “We are taking the proper steps to ensure everyone involved in conducting our racing program is safe from the anticipated temperatures on Tuesday.”

 

At this time, racing will resume Wednesday, June 15 at 2:25 p.m. Officials will continue to monitor the expected heat indexes for Central Indiana over the next few days.

Puerto Rico wins 8th Annual World Jockey Challenge

The 8th Annual World Jockey Challenge provided an action-packed event Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville.

Team Puerto Rico came out on top with 48 points over Team USA for a second-straight victory in the event.

A total of eight teams competed for their countries and Puerto Rico got off to a fast start with a win from apprentice jockey Andrea Rodriguez.

Team Panama, which consisted of Santo Sanjur and Marcelino Pedroza Jr., rallied to take the lead with a one-two finish in the second race, but blazing back to take the lead was Puerto Rico with a pair of wins from jockey Joe Ramos.

Pedroza Jr. retook the lead for Panama in the fourth race.

 

 

Just when it looked like it would be a two-team finish to the end, Team USA began to pour it on, getting wins from apprentice jockey Gage Holmes and jockey Tommy Pompell.

Going into the final race, Puerto Rico held a slight edge over Team USA and completed their victory by two points for the title.

“This means a lot to me because I started from the very bottom in Puerto Rico,” said Ramos, who is currently in second place on the leaderboard this season. “We all tried very hard, and it was a team effort. We love to win this for our country.”

In addition to Rodriguez and Ramos, jockeys Sammy Bermudez and Joshua Morales added points to the tally for Team Puerto Rico. All four were in the winner’s circle following the event for the trophy presentation. Others jockeys from Puerto Rico who are part of Horseshoe Indianapolis’ jockey colony but did not ride during the Saturday card were Edgar Morales, Bryan Rivera, Orlando Mojica and Rafael Mojica.

Other countries represented in the World Jockey Challenge included England, who had a win by Jack Gilligan, Peru, represented by Fernando De La Cruz, and Mexico, represented by Jose Beltran, Edgar Diaz, Manny Esquivel, Juan Marquez, Daniel Martinez, Eddie Perez, Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, Rolando Del Rio Pina and German Rodriguez.

Other members of Team USA who put points on the board included E.T. Baird, Erik Esqueda, Lindsey Hebert, Dex Mitchell, DeShawn Parker, Rodney Prescott and Shanley Jackson.

Morristown's Caldwell, Shelbyville's Baker miss regional cut to state golf finals

Asher Caldwell missed the state finals cut by three strokes.

Playing at the Muncie Central Regional Thursday at The Players Club, Caldwell shot even-par 36 on the front nine and 6-over par 42 on the back nine for an 18-hole score of 78 to bring an end to his Morristown golf career.

Caldwell will attend Trine University in the fall and join the golf program.

Caldwell’s 78 was a 14-shot improvement over his 2021 regional round on the same course.

Shelbyville’s Eli Baker also competed Thursday at the golf regional and shot 92 (42-50).

The top three teams and the top five individuals not on an advancing team qualified for the IHSAA State Finals beginning Tuesday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.

Cathedral was crowned regional champion over Noblesville based on each team’s fifth-player score. The Irish and Millers each finished at 305 based on their top four results.

Hamilton Southeastern finished third and advanced with a score of 309.

New Castle’s Derek Tabor shot a 6-under-par round of 66 to be crowned the regional champion. Tabor leads a pack of five individuals that will compete in the State Finals.

Tabor will be joined by Chatard’s William Pruitt (74), Fishers’ Connor McMillan (74), Delta’s Riley Batton (75) and New Castle’s Dillon Bergum (75).

Shelbyville's Hamilton, Edwards named First Team All-State

The 25-player Softball Coaches Association of Indiana Class 3A/4A First Team All-State squad includes a pair of Golden Bears.

Shelbyville’s Karissa Hamilton and Kylee Edwards earned the postseason honor after leading the Golden Bears to the 4A semistate championship game.

Hamilton (main photo) hit .526 this season with nine doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in. For her career, the University of Kentucky recruit hit .533 with 28 doubles, 14 triples and a program-record 40 home runs.

 

 

Edwards (photo) led Shelbyville with a .538 batting average this season with 17 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 41 RBIs and 43 runs. In her first two seasons with the Golden Bears, the Mississippi State recruit is hitting .490 with 26 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 64 RBIs and 87 runs.

Also named 3A/4A First Team All-State were Valparaiso’s Charlotte Dombrowski and Paiton Illiff, Lake Central’s Kiley Conner, Crown Point’s Emily Phillips, Munster’s Char Lorenz, Goshen’s Tyra Marcum, Leo’s Ellie Sander, Kokomo’s Karley Trine, Northridge’s Abigail Hostetler, South Bend St. Joe’s Berkley Zache, Roncalli’s Keagan Rothrock and Lyla Blackwell, Mooresville’s Alexandra Cooper, Westfield’s Avery Parker, Guerin Catholic’s Izzy Kemp, Whiteland’s Debbie Hill, Columbus North’s Maddi Rutan, Center Grove’s Ryley Henson, Gibson Southern’s Brenna Blume, Castle’s Jackie Lis, Bedford North Lawrence’s Annie Waggoner and Ava Ratliff, and Corydon Central’s Bella Gerlach.

Hamilton is one of five Miss Softball finalists.

Also part of the final five are Pioneer’s Hailey Cripe, Kokomo’s Karley Trine, Westfield’s Avery Parker and Gibson Southern’s Brenna Blume.

Morristown hires Collin McCartt as next athletic director

Collin McCartt stepped down as Morristown High School boys basketball coach after one season to pursue an administrative position.

The veteran coach never expected not having to leave Morristown.

At Wednesday’s Shelby Eastern Schools board meeting, McCartt was hired as Morristown’s new athletic director and assistant principal, replacing Eric Screeton, who held the position for one year.

Screeton has been hired as dean of students at Leo High School, in the Fort Wayne area, where he is originally from, according to McCartt.

McCartt will spend the next three weeks working with Screeton to insure a smooth transition before officially taking over on July 1.

 

 

McCartt was 3-18 last season as head coach of a young Yellow Jackets squad.

“I stepped down because I had finished my administrative license,” said McCartt Thursday morning. “All along I intended (coaching) to be a short term thing. I didn’t realize when I stepped down that Eric would be leaving soon so things worked out really well.”

McCartt’s one-year tenure followed Scott McClelland’s highly-successful run at Morristown where he served as an assistant coach.

This will be his first stint as a high school athletic director.

“I’ve been a coach many, many years and a middle school athletic director,” said McCartt.

Once he is settled in and feels comfortable with the day-to-day activities, McCartt looks forward to providing direction for all the athletic programs at Morristown.

“I’ve got experience that can help develop coaches and develop standards across all the programs.” he said.

McCartt just finished his third year as a teacher and coach at Morristown and was involved in the hiring of Cory Kreiger as the next Morristown boys basketball coach.

 

For more on Cory Kreiger's hiring, https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/633656

 

“I really like coach Kreiger,” said McCartt. “He will do a fantastic job. He has a great background and immediately impressed us in the interview process. And the kids already love him.”

Stop Hammertime halts field in William Henry Harrison Stakes

There was no stopping the gelding with one of the most identifiable names at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Stop Hammertime and Rodney Prescott made all the right moves to dance their way home as winners in the 19th running of the $100,000 William Henry Harrison Stakes Wednesday in Shelbyville.

“He’s been close to winning a stakes race before, but something always happened or didn’t work out,” said Tianna Richardville, who owns, trains and bred the gelding. “Rodney (Prescott) had a lot of confidence in him today, and he was right.”

The inside post in the 10-horse field didn’t help Stop Hammertime, who got away from the starting gate in mid pack as Maters N Taters and Andrea Rodriguez rallied out for the early lead. Good Sugar and Tommy Pompell and Dillsboro Devil and Edgar Morales tracked the early leader closely through the six-furlong sprint over a sloppy track.

Around the turn, the horses began to bunch up. Prescott had Stop Hammertime along the inside and identified a space to move to the extreme outside, ready to pounce once the stretch arrived. That’s just what Stop Hammertime did. He hit another gear and rallied home to pass up his opponents, winning by one-half length over Manuelito and Joshua Morales. Good Sugar finished third in the tight three-horse photo.

The time of the race was 1:12.08.

 

 

“He (Stop Hammertime) responded just like I hoped he would in the turn,” said Prescott on his strategic move. “He’s a pretty classy horse and he’s pretty consistent. He handled the dirt well in his face when we were on the inside and he handled the off track well. This race actually set up perfectly for him. I felt the speed would be there early for him to close in like he did.

Stop Hammertime earned his first stakes win in his 36th career start. The six-year-old son of Domestic Dispute now has six career wins with earnings of more than $275,000 for Richardville. He was a long shot on the board, paying $25.80 for the win.

“Rodney (Prescott) did a great job riding him,” said Richardville of Indiana’s all-time leading jockey and winner of more than 4,000 career races. “I saw him make his move in the turn. Rodney has been getting on him and working him all year. It means so much more when you watch them grow up as a baby and then get to this point.”

Richardville has a lot to look forward to with future members of Stop Hammertime’s family. She purchased a farm several years ago on the outskirts of Shelbyville on Mausoleum Road. There, she still has Stop Hammertime’s dam, Insure, and a few other prospects from the family. Plus, Insure is in foal to Looking Cool, Richardville’s recent stallion by Candy Ride that she added to her racing and breeding operation.

“This is the first year I’ve had a stallion of my own,” said Richardville, who runs her horses under her stable name, Thirstyacres Racing LLC. “We have a two-year-old from this mare that is getting broke right now named Abra Abra. And this sounds odd, but we have a five-year-old sister to ‘Hammer’ named Botox Katie that we have high hopes for. We didn’t get started with her until she was three. She had some setbacks, but she’s always show quite a bit of ability. She’s had one start so far and we are excited for her next race.”

Hungarian Princess reigns in Shelby County Stakes

Although rain had plagued the afternoon program all day Wednesday, the inclement weather stopped long enough for Hungarian Princess to score the win in the 20th running of the $100,000 Shelby County Stakes.

The race is one of the three original stakes that began during the inaugural season at Horseshoe Indianapolis in 2003.

Hungarian Princess is now a four-time stakes winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis, located in Shelbyville, Indiana. After turning in a brilliant three-year-old campaign last season, she was stepping up to face older females for the first time in her career.

Starting from the extreme outside post nine in the six-furlong sprint, Hungarian Princess was among the first to emerge from the starting gate on the lead. However, after surveying the early speed, jockey Sammy Bermudez changed his game plan and backed away from the early pace as Unbridled Victory and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. took over along the inside tracked closely by Lil Evie and Tommy Pompell and Miss Deputy Star and Alex Achard on the outside of the top two.

Once the bunch had spread out some heading into the only turn of the sprint, Bermudez asked Hungarian Princess to start picking up the tempo and she responded.

 

 

Hungarian Princess was ready for the stretch drive at the head of the lane and went to battle with Unbridled Victory, who dug in gamely on the inside. The two fillies matched each other stride for stride for most of the stretch before Hungarian Princess got the edge in the final strides to win by one length. Pretty Assets, winner of the Shelby County Stakes in 2020, and Santo Sanjur rallied up late on the outside to finish third.

The time of the sprint was 1:12.14 over the sloppy oval.

“We left and when I looked over and saw they were going on, I decided to sit back and relax with her,” said Bermudez, who has been aboard the filly for all 15 of her career starts. “I knew the five (Acutely) could come up and close, so I didn’t want to come up short at the end and get passed up. She’s more mature being four now. She is more focused, and she’s grown some too.”

Hungarian Princess was the favorite of the field, paying $4.60 for the win. The daughter of Pataky Kid is owned by Swifty Farms, who also bred the impressive four-year-old. She now has eight career wins in 15 starts and has more than $383,000 in career earnings. She most definitely will join the powerhouse brood mare ranks of Swifty Farms once her racing career is over. This is the first year she has been part of trainer Marvin Johnson’s stable.

“I got her in mid-January, and it’s easy to train good horses,” said Johnson. “Good horses make everybody look good. She ran huge today. She’s the type of horse that never runs any harder than she has to. I was very happy with the outside post because you can sit out there and adjust way better, especially with horses like her. Plus, you never know what to expect when a horse is coming off a seven-month layoff and going head-to-head with horses that have been running, but she handled it great. I’m happy to have her in the barn.”

WRs Valentino wins $34,000 Overnight Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Another year older has not slowed WRs Valentino down a step.

The now six-year-old rallied home with a big finish to win the $34,000 Overnight Stakes Tuesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Indiana.

Randy and Gwen Williams of William Racing Stables of LaCenter, Kentucky, are accustomed to having multiple horses in stakes action at Horseshoe Indianapolis, but it was a different pair side by side in the Overnight Stakes.

WRs Moonin The Wagon, now four, has stepped up to join WRs Valentino in the older ranks for the first time this season. They started from posts one and two, respectively, out of the gate and WRs Valentino was a force from the start.

Guided by Juan Marquez, WRs Valentino was in charge from the start. The Mighty B Valiant gelding was in an early battle with Hooked on Jordan and Isidro Banuelos that turned out to be a two-horse match down the stretch in the 350-yard dash. In the end, WRs Valentino brought home the win by a head in 17.513 seconds over Hooked on Jordan.

High Rolling Seize and Shanley Jackson finished third.

 

 

WRs Valentino was the favorite in the nine-horse field, paying $3.80 for the win. He is conditioned by Horseshoe Indianapolis’ all-time leading Quarter Horse trainer Randy Smith for the Williams family. Smith has had the horse his entire career. After five years of racing, the veteran gelding has never finished worse than second in 18 career starts. He now has nine wins and nine seconds with earnings over the $375,000 mark.

“I thought he still had it, and proud he’s still got it,” said Randy Williams. “We had some chips removed from him when he was younger, but nothing major. Randy (Smith) and his crew have worked hard on him. He’s not the easiest fella in the world to be around, but today he behaved.”

The Smith Stable had learned how to work with WRs Valentino and keep him happy. The five-time stakes winner has a schedule in the barn, but on race days, he’s a different horse.

“Like Randy (Williams) said, he can be difficult,” added Randy Smith. “He’s hard to walk and get out of the barn in the morning, but when it comes time to race, he’s a professional. At the end of last season, we sent him home (Williams farm in Kentucky) to just let him be a horse. We brought him back the first of March and have just been getting him fit.”

Gwen and Randy Williams also know he needs his own routine.

“When he’s at the farm, he’s like a big ole puppy dog,” said Randy Williams. “When he walks from our big barn to his paddock, he stops and looks around and he might stand there for a couple of minutes. You just have to let him have his way. Then, he walks right to his paddock with no problems. Gwen handles him every day and she doesn’t have any problems.”

The Williams family also has something to look forward to for this racing season. They have a pair of two-year-olds that are younger siblings to both WRs Valentino and WRs Moonin The Wagon.

“Those two foals were born within eight hours of one another, so we nicknamed the colt Donnie, and we named the filly Marie,” said Williams. “The both raced out here last week and ran really well. We are pretty excited to have some younger horses to run in the stakes this year in Indiana.”

WRs Hava Dasher (Marie) is a half-sister to WRs Valentino and was second in her racing debut May 31. WRs Painted Moon (Donnie) is a half-brother to WRs Moonin The Wagon and shares the grey coat of his older brother. He finished third in his racing debut May 26.

Five Shelby County baseball players selected All-MHC

A trio of Southwestern Spartans were selected to the All-Conference baseball team by the Mid-Hoosier Conference.

Matthew Clements, Aiden Hartsell and Jordan Jones were part of the 16-player All-MHC baseball squad for 2022.

Morristown’s Grant Kessler and Waldron’s Bryce Yarling also were selected for the postseason honor.

Rounding out the All-MHC team are Hauser’s Levi Gollmer, Koby Johnson, Eli Miller and Sam Miller, North Decatur’s Reid Messer, Jacob Mirick and Nathan O’Dell, Edinburgh’s Riley Palmeter, and South Decatur’s Devin Pate, Avery Seegers and Evan Wullenweber.

Hauser was the MHC champion after finishing the conference schedule 11-1. The Jets were 15-13 this season.

North Decatur (14-11, 9-3 MHC) was runner-up followed by South Decatur (18-8, 8-4), Southwestern (6-16, 5-7), Morristown (12-12, 5-7), Waldron (7-17, 3-9) and Edinburgh (6-16, 1-11).

Morristown's Whitney, Waldron's Hudnall earn All-MHC softball honor

Morristown’s Kristen Whitney and Waldron’s Madalyn Hudnall were selected to the Mid-Hoosier Conference All-Conference softball team.

Whitney and Hudnall were the only representatives from their schools on the 13-player squad.

Also named All-MHC were Hauser’s Lucie Asher, Paige McDaniel, Kyra Meister and Hannah Taylor, Edinburgh’s MacKenzie Bieker, Gracie Crawhorn and Kyah Streeval, North Decatur’s Keisha Crosland, Kalyn Muckerheide and Sarah Swain, and South Decatur’s Loryn Pate.

Hauser was crowned MHC champion with a perfect 10-0 record. The Jets finished the season 24-5-1.

North Decatur (16-11, 8-2 MHC) was runner-up ahead of Edinburgh (11-12, 6-4 MHC), South Decatur (5-16, 3-7), Morristown (10-11, 2-8) and Waldron (3-12, 1-9).

Triton Central's Shircliff, May selected to All-ICC baseball team

A pair of Triton Central Tigers were selected All-Conference by the Indiana Crossroads Conference.

The 18-player All-ICC baseball squad includes Triton Central senior Aaron Shircliff and freshman Hayden May.

Conference champion Cascade had five selections including top vote getter Wyatt Blinn.

Also named All-ICC from Cascade were Evan Lanphier, Logan Gibbs, Hunter Howard and Trey Gruca.

The remainder of the All-ICC squad is Ritter’s Jake Dill, Scecina’s David Mendez, Luke Soultz and Aidan Ray, Monrovia’s Brayton Belcher, Speedway’s Ben Heaviland, Beech Grove’s Cameron Brown and Logan Muffler, and Lutheran’s Cole Perkins, Micah Mackay and Sean Moore.

 

For more on Aaron Shircliff signing with Goshen College: https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/614583

 

Twelve more players also received votes for All-ICC consideration. Triton Central’s Cole Thomas topped that group.

Cascade (24-5) won the ICC title with a 14-0 mark.

Scecina (14-11, 11-2 ICC) was runner-up ahead of Lutheran (22-9, 8-6), Beech Grove (13-14, 7-7), Triton Central (11-12, 6-7), Speedway (7-15, 4-10), Monrovia (5-21, 3-11) and Ritter (5-20, 2-12).

Shelbyville's Baker, Morristown's Caldwell advance to golf regional

A Golden Bear and a Yellow Jacket advanced out the Greenfield-Central golf sectional Monday at Hawk’s Tail Golf Course.

Shelbyville missed the team cut by eight strokes but Eli Baker’s 82 qualified him as one of three golfers moving on from a non-advancing team to Thursday’s regional.

Baker (main photo) will be joined at The Players Club Thursday for the Muncie Central Regional by Morristown’s Asher Caldwell. The Yellow Jackets finished ninth in the team standings but Caldwell’s 82 also advanced him to the regional.

New Castle captured the sectional championship with a 311 team score. New Palestine was runner-up at 322 and Mt. Vernon took the final advancing spot at 338.

Shelbyville followed at 346, ahead of Greenfield-Central (347), Shenandoah (347), Triton Central (397), Southwestern (399), Morristown (403), Eastern Hancock (404), Blue River Valley (405), Knightstown (426) and Waldron (464).

 

 

Baker, Caldwell (photo) and Shenandoah’s Jordan Zody (83) will compete individually at the regional.

New Castle’s Derek Tabor was the individual sectional champion with a 2-under par score of 70.

Also for Shelbyville, Jake Garrison shot 85. DaMiles McDuffey followed at 89 and Nolen Chaney carded 90.

Caldwell was joined at the sectional by Nick Stidham (97), Carson Essex (109) and Carson Conrad (115).

Hunter Pappano led Southwestern with a 95. Tristan Pappano and Justin Swift each shot 98. Caleb Pappano followed at 100.

Oliver Gearlds topped Triton Central’s scorecard with an 85. Chase Chandler finished at 101. Garrett Eberhardt was three shots back at 104. Derreck Uhls posted 107.

Josh Kellums led Waldron at 102. Lucas Shaw was second on the scorecard at 112. Matthew Thomas (122) and Jack Fischer (128) completed the Mohawks’ team score.

Rock Hard Candy solid in Born Runner Classic

A year has made a big difference for Rock Hard Candy.

Although he’s been close in several outings, the Indiana sired gelding could never quite get the win in the bigger events. This year has already seen a change in Rock Hard Candy as he is now a stakes winner for his connections, earning the title in the 10th running of the Born Runner Classic Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville.

Starting from post two, Rock Hard Candy was out quickly to take control of the 400-yard dash. Stablemate Beach Blast was also in good position early for Juan Marquez, but Rock Hard Candy seemed to have the advantage most of the way. With German Rodriguez aboard, Rock Hard Candy extended his lead in the final strides, picking up the win by one length over favored Beach Blast on the outside.

Jess A Flyin Beach and Jose Beltran finished third.

 

 

Rock Hard Candy paid $21.40 for the win. It was one of five wins on the card for trainer Randy Smith, Indiana’s all-time leading Quarter Horse trainer. The Escondido Beach five-year-old scored his first win of 2022 in his second start. Owned by breeders Lance and Tammy Finlinson, it just took a little time and patience to get him to stakes winner status.

“He never would run over 300 yards last year, so we had decided to sell him,” said Lance Finlinson, who has a long history of stakes winners, including last year’s standout Valiantinecandyrocks from their foundation mare Jesses Candy. “I talked with Randy (Smith) and he said we should take him down to the Caesars Entertainment Equine Hospital and have his knees looked at. Sure enough. He had a chip in one. I told Randy if he’s take care of getting the surgery and rehabbing him, we’d keep him, and that is what we did. Randy deserves all the credit for this horse.”

Known as “Jo” around the Smith barn, Rock Hard Candy also had the backing of jockey German Rodriguez, who works for the Smith Stable. Rodriguez identified early on this was a horse he wanted to stay connected with.

“I told Randy early on I wanted to ride ‘Jo’ because I thought he was one of the best in the stable,” said Rodriguez, who rode four of Smith’s winners on the day. “He has been great in all of his works. I thought if we had good luck, we could get this win today, and we did.”

Rodriguez noted that he kept on Smith to let him ride “Jo” and the persistence paid off. He knew what he had from the start.

“We broke on the lead,” said Rodriguez. “I hit him two times because I knew they would be coming at us, and he really took off. He never let up.”

Rock Hard Candy received his nickname form the Finlinsons. He was born on Tammy’s mother’s birthday. Her name is Judy O’Neal, so the striking gelding inherited the nickname “Jo” for Judy’s initials.

Judy’s namesake now has more than $118,000 on his card with his first career stakes win. He joins a long list of foals out of Jesses Candy, 2021 Broodmare of the Year in Indiana, with the same status, including Rockys Candy Shop and last year’s Indiana bred Horse of the Year Valiantinecandyrocks, who won four of five starts, all stakes races.

Sarahs Violin surprises field in Harley Greene Derby

What a way to break a maiden.

Sarahs Violin and Erik Esqueda were the last on the list to qualify for the $107,100 Harley Green Derby but were the first to cross the wire in the 5th running of the event.

As the longest shot on the board, the duo covered the 350-yard dash in a time of 17.987 seconds.

Starting from post one, Sarahs Violin was ready to go when the gates opened up and got the early advantage along the inside. Lexus Beach and Juan Marquez were right on their outside to challenge the entire distance, but Sarahs Violin never gave in, crossing the wire first in the six-horse photo.

Nachor Favorite and Cristian Esqueda rallied up to finish second over Lexus Beach.

 

 

Sarahs Violin made his first career trip to the winner’s circle in the Greene Derby. Overlooked by the betting public, he paid $29.40 for the win.

Sarahs Violin is owned and trained by Librado Barraza. The sorrel son of Encore had seven previous starts, only hitting the board once. The Indiana bred now has more than $60,000 on his card with the stakes win.

“This horse has a lot of guts,” said Esqueda, who completed a riding triple on the day with Sarahs Violin. “In the past, he just had trouble getting good starts. That’s what really counts. In the trial he was really running at the end. I was surprised he got on the lead that easy, and I saw them closing in. I wasn’t going to quit on him. He has a lot of heart.”

Waldron tennis duo defeated in regional championship match

Waldron’s Mackenzie Shaw and Megan Bogemann came within one win of reaching the IHSAA Girls Tennis State Finals Doubles Tournament.

The pair, unbeaten entering the regional championship tournament Saturday at Fishers High School, won their semifinal match but came up short in the championship.

Before arriving at Fishers, Shaw and Bogemann attended graduation ceremonies. The start time of their semifinal match was pushed back 90 minutes to accommodate their schedule.

 

 

Once they arrived, the Mohawks quickly took control against Blue River Valley’s Samantha Webb and Jenna Willis and prevailed, 6-1, 6-0.

In the other semifinal, Hamilton Southeastern’s Misha Bukkasagaram and Emily Orme defeated Brownsburg’s Shelby Allen and Evelyn Cougill, 6-1, 6-1.

 

For more on the Mohawks' path to the regional championship: https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/637331

 

In the championship match, Bukkasagaram and Orme dealt Shaw and Bogemann their only loss of the season, 6-1, 6-0.

The Mohawks closed out their tennis careers with an 18-1 record and were the first to represent their tennis program in the regional round of the state doubles tournament.

Southwestern's Rooks finishes 13th in state championship track and field meet

To secure a coveted podium finish at the IHSAA Girls Track and Field State Championship Meet Friday, Southwestern rising senior Lilly Rooks knew another 18-foot jump would be needed in the long jump.

Rooks broke her own school record at the regional meet, going 18-0.25 to finish runner-up.

 

 

Rooks improved with each of her first three qualifying attempts Friday at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University but she did not get to 18 feet and finished 13th overall.

Evansville Bosse junior Alexia Smith was one jump away from being eliminated from the competition after fouling on her first two attempts. On her third, she soared 18-9.75 to win the state championship despite fouling on her final three attempts in the championship round.

Terre Haute South’s Courtney Jones was runner-up at 18-8.5 and Fort Wayne Northrop’s Morgan Patterson was third at 18-7.75.

Six of the top seven finishers in the event were seniors.

 

For more on Lilly Rooks' road to the state championship meet: https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/637120

 

Rooks, a two-time state qualifier in the long jump, also finished 13th in the 2021 state championship meet held at Ben Davis High School.

Rooks opened the event Friday with a distance of 16-9.75. She improved to 17-2.25 then 17-6.75, which is the same distance she recorded at the 2021 state finals when she broke the school record.

Shaw, Bogemann take Waldron tennis into state doubles regional tournament

When Mackenzie Shaw and Megan Bogemann step on to the Fishers High School tennis courts Saturday morning, they will officially be graduates of Waldron High School.

Just when they will stop wearing Mohawks athletic gear is still to be determined.

The doubles pairing debuts at the regional level Saturday at Fishers against Blue River Valley’s Samantha Webb and Jenna Willis (15-1).

Shaw (photo, right) and Bogemann (photo, left), a perfect 17-0 in their second season together, need a win to advance to the regional championship match to face either Brownsburg’s Shelby Allen and Evelyn Cougill or Hamilton Southeastern’s Misha Bukkasagaram and Emily Orme.

The Mohawks have not played a match since winning the Center Grove Sectional title 10 days earlier. They have spent this week refining their skills and strategy against a variety of players, including head coach Chelsea Platt.

“We’re just really working on our game and playing to our strengths against anyone we play and working on our weaknesses,” said Shaw.

Shaw and Bogemann advanced out of the team sectional in 2021 but were eliminated in their first doubles tournament match at the Center Grove tennis complex.

“We knew what to expect (this year),” said Bogemann. “Center Grove is a really big school and it was kind of overwhelming just seeing that.”

That experience will help Saturday at Fishers High School. So will a highly-decorated senior season that includes a volleyball sectional championship as well as sectional and regional titles in the basketball season.

 

 

Waldron and Blue River Valley met in the regular season but neither coach utilized their No. 1 doubles team that day so Shaw and Bogemann have not gone head-to-head with Webb and Willis.

Shaw and Bogemann will graduate Saturday morning at 9 a.m. then quickly head to Fishers for the regional tournament.

Their match is expected to start at 11:30 a.m. The championship match is slated for 3:30 p.m.

“I don’t know what it is going to take to beat them,” said Platt. “It will have to be a good team.”

The next loss will be the last loss for the duo that have not experienced much defeat their entire senior year.

“We’ve been playing sports together since we were in second grade … our whole senior class,” said Shaw. “Knowing that we are the last ones playing right now is kind of bittersweet to know this chapter of our lives is almost over. We are excited to start the next chapter.”

Shaw is headed to IUPUI to study Nursing. Bogemann will attend Purdue University for Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.

On Saturday, the pair will rely on their athleticism and faith in each other.

“We’ve known each other forever,” said Bogemann. “We’ve been best friends forever. I think knowing each other that well really helps with that aspect of the game.”

Platt knows her top doubles team, the first Waldron tennis players to play in the regional round of the state tournament, will not be intimidated by the environment. They can lean on each other as they have done all season.

“They balance each other out really well,” said Platt. “Kenzie has a lot of power. Megan has a lot of consistency with placement so they balance each other out.”

“We can feed off each other’s energy,” said Shaw. “We know when something is going wrong and we’ve really helped each other a lot this year. We know what to expect from each other.”

Shaw and Bogemann won the Mid-Hoosier Conference title this season and were recently selected District 4 All-District by the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association.

With two wins Saturday, the Mohawks would advance to the quarterfinal round of the State Finals doubles tournament June 10-11 at Park Tudor High School.

Triton Central freshman named to All-ICC softball squad

Triton Central freshman Brylie Couch was named to the Indiana Crossroads Conference All-Conference Softball Team.

Couch led the Tigers in batting average (.471), hits (32), runs batted in (22) and home runs (4) and was one of the team’s top pitchers.

Couch was one of 17 players announced as All-ICC.

Also honored were Beech Grove’s Malone Moore, Lillianna Jansen and Kylie Robinson, Ritter’s Kelsey Waggoner, Cascade’s Gracelynn Gray, Megan Walker, Ella Cochenour and Tara Gruca, Lutheran’s Mystic Means and Kayla Burns, Monrovia’s Athena McGinnis, Ashley Lewis and Piper Carpenter, Speedway’s Laney Jarrett and Ella Hedrick, and Scecina’s Lucy Lyons.

Beech Grove pitcher Malone Moore was named the ICC Player of the Year.

Cascade won the ICC title with a perfect 7-0 record. The Cadets finished the season 22-5.

Monrovia (14-9, 5-2 ICC), Lutheran (11-15, 5-3 ICC), Beech Grove (12-14, 4-3 ICC), Speedway (7-15, 3-5 ICC) and Triton Central (11-10, 2-4 ICC) followed in the standings.

Prep Report: Southwestern golf closes out regular season with win over Morristown

Southwestern golf produced its best 9-hole team score of the season Thursday in its regular-season finale against Morristown.

The Spartans defeated the Yellow Jackets, 176-208, at Timbergate Golf Course in Edinburgh.

Hunter Pappano became the sixth Shelby County golfer to break 40 this season. He shot a season-best 39.

Caleb Pappano and Justin Swift followed on the Southwestern scorecard with 45s. Tristan Pappano shot 47 and Ty Burcham finished at 48.

Asher Caldwell led all golfers with a 37. Also playing for Morristown were Carson Essex (51), Nick Stidham (56) and Webb Walker (64).

 

 

All five Shelby County golf programs travel to Hawk’s Tail Golf Club Monday for the Greenfield-Central Sectional. The top three teams and the top three individual scores not from an advancing team qualify for the Muncie Central Regional on June 9.

Shelbyville has posted the top 18-hole score (346) this season.

Caldwell and Triton Central’s Oliver Gearlds are the only two golfers to shoot a sub-80 round over 18 holes.

Shelbyville can send five golfers out Monday that have been under 90 – Eli Baker (83), Jake Garrison (85), Brock Wischmeyer (86), Nolen Chaney (88) and DaMiles McDuffey (89).

Shelbyville preparing for powerhouse Class 4A Bedford Semistate

Mark Hensley sees a semistate opponent that looks similar to his 2021 Shelbyville Golden Bears.

Good pitching and a powerful offense has brought Class 4A, No. 5 Bedford North Lawrence to its second straight semistate appearance.

The Stars will host the star-studded, four-team semistate Saturday with semifinal games at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The semistate championship game is set for 7 p.m.

The first semifinal pits top-ranked and defending Class 4A state champion Roncalli (30-0), who is ranked No. 1 nationally, against No. 7 Pendleton Heights (25-6).

Shelbyville (23-5) will follow against Bedford North Lawrence (28-2).

The semistate appearance is a first for Shelbyville in the 36-year history of the program.

The Stars have a strong pitcher in junior Annie Waggoner (20-2, 1.17 ERA), who is committed to Indiana State University, and an even stronger offense that is solid top to bottom, according to the Shelbyville head coach.

“They are 28-2 so obviously they are a very good team … and they hit a lot of home runs,” said Hensley. “They are very similar to us last year.”

The Stars are hitting .359 as a team with 298 total hits, 50 doubles, seven triples and 54 home runs. For comparison, Shelbyville hit .384 in 2021 with 313 hits, 64 doubles, nine triples and 67 home runs.

Even with all that power, the Golden Bears could not get by Columbus North in their sectional opener and were left with a long offseason to think about what could have been.

One year later, Shelbyville is battle-tested and steely strong. All five losses this season came to state-ranked opponents. In fact, the Golden Bears have played 12 games against top-15 ranked programs in 2022 and have eliminated No. 14 Bloomington South, No. 6 Columbus North and No. 2 Whiteland to reach the Elite Eight in Class 4A.

Shelbyville is led by a dangerous 1-2 punch at the top of the order. Senior Karissa Hamilton, a Kentucky recruit, is hitting .543 with nine doubles, 10 home runs and 38 RBIs this season. She is followed by junior Kylee Edwards, a Mississippi State recruit, who is hitting .556 with 17 doubles, four home runs and 39 RBIs.

“I think everybody knows that,” said Hensley of his Southeastern Conference bound pairing. “(Bedford North Lawrence) will try to keep them off the bases when possible. When we get them on, good things happen. With their speed, singles turn into doubles. They can steal any base they want to.

“If they get on, I like our chances.”

Freshman Addie Stieneker, junior Hailey Pogue  and senior Kiley McIver have a combined 82 RBIs batting behind the dynamic duo.

 

 

Bedford North Lawrence (photo) has its own quintet hitting better than .370.

Freshman catcher Ava Ratliff leads the team in batting average (.538), hits (50), RBIs (53) and home runs (21).

Junior Braxton McCauley, who has a full-ride offer from Purdue University, is hitting .447 with 10 doubles and seven home runs.

Waggoner is hitting .404 while sophomore Aliza Jewell (.374, seven home runs) and senior Carsyn Alvey (.372, six home runs) follow closely behind.

Ratliff smashed the 21st home run of her young career in the first inning of the regional championship game against Castle Tuesday then was intentionally walked in her next two at bats.

“We have to try to keep the ball in the park,” said Hensley. “And we have to try and find a weakness in that lineup and expose it. I’m not sure there is one, though. Obviously, we have to try and keep them from hitting balls out of the park.”

That job will fall to sophomore pitcher Cheyenne Eads (14-4, 1.77 ERA). She has locked down both Columbus North and Whiteland in Shelbyville’s last two games that ended with a trophy presentation.

Success in shutting down the Stars will keep the home field advantage from becoming a factor. Saturday is graduation day at Shelbyville which adds to the travel intrigue.

The school is exploring the interest in a “fan bus” to Bedford to help those wanting to travel to the game. Follow Shelbyville softball social media for more information.

Hensley is taking the Golden Bears down to Bedford early to watch fellow Hoosier Heritage Conference member Pendleton Heights, a team Shelbyville has defeated twice this season, take on Roncalli and Florida recruit Keagan Rothrock, who is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023.

Rothrock is 25-0 this season with a 0.75 ERA and 346 strikeouts in 149.1 innings.

“There is a reason she is the No. 1 ranked player in the country,” said Hensley. “She is the best player I’ve ever seen and I don’t think a lot of people can argue with that.”

 Shelbyville and Roncalli were slated to meet in the regular season but the rain-altered Marion County Tournament forced the Royals to cancel their trip to Shelbyville and a replacement date could not be found, according to Hensley.

All four state championship games will be played June 10 and June 11 at Bittinger Stadium on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette. Game dates and times are not yet determined.

Rooks chasing podium finish at track and field state championship meet

A long jump of 18 feet may be the cutoff distance for a podium finish at the IHSAA Girls Track and Field State Championships.

Southwestern junior Lilly Rooks sits eighth on the performance list entering Friday’s long jump state championship event that starts at 3 p.m. at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington.

Rooks’ school record jump of 18-0.25 at the May 24 Franklin Regional earned her a runner-up finish and her second consecutive berth in the state championship meet. However, it will be her first time competing at Indiana University.

The 2021 state championship meet was held at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis due to IU still enforcing pandemic protocols and limiting events on campus.

Rooks and Southwestern track and field coach Justin Meredith (photo) were headed to Bloomington today to get a feel for the venue.

“It’s a little bit intimidating,” said Rooks Wednesday morning. “All I have heard is the place is huge.”

The venue can be daunting – just ask her coach.

“I remember the first time I went and competed down there. It was a gun shy kind of moment where the nerves got the best of me the first time I competed,” said Meredith, a Southwestern graduate and former track and field athlete at Manchester University. “I think having a day to go down and check out the facility and not going blind is going to be a tremendous advantage.”

Since qualifying for the state meet, Rooks has maintained her workout routine – one that is working quite well.

On May 3, she won the long jump event at the Shelby County Meet with a distance of 16-1.5. Seven days later, she won the Mid-Hoosier Conference long jump title with a best leap of 16-6.75.

On May 17 at the Franklin Sectional, Rooks bested the field with a distance of 16-10.5. She then extended her own school record by almost six inches with a runner-up finish at the regional. She set the previous record of 17-6.75 during the 2021 state championship meet where she finished 13th overall.

 

 

“I guess there is nothing to be super nervous about because it’s not like I have super high expectations from anybody,” said Rooks.

Zionsville senior Michelle Nazarov and Southport senior Modupe Awosanya are the top two seeds in the event with best regional marks of 18-9.25 and 18-9, respectively.

East Central freshman Ellie Hill, who defeated Rooks at the regional with a best distance of 18-6.5, is the third seed.

Sixteen of the 29 competitors in Friday’s event are seniors.

Rooks believes she can break her own school record at a facility that boasts a fast runway surface.

“I think what I really need to focus on is landing right,” she said. “If I can get my legs out, I can get some more distance.”

Meredith did not want to guess at a distance Rooks can hit, but he is confident she can extend that school record out even more.

“The biggest thing is she hasn’t had much critique in terms of form and jump mechanics,” said Meredith. “There are so many mechanics that go into it that people don’t see. And those mechanics make the difference between being a good jumper and a great jumper.”

Meredith wants Rooks focusing on speed and technique in the qualifying round that will cut down the field.

“From an athlete’s perspective, you have to understand how to control that adrenaline and make sure you are not getting over-hyped in the moment,” he said.

If she can control her emotions, a spot could be waiting on the podium once the event is complete.

“It would mean a lot,” said Rooks of a Spartan finishing in the top nine. “I know it would mean a lot to a lot of people.”

Shelbyville hurdler continuing athletic career at Muskingum University

Shelbyville High School senior Kilikina Schultz signed her letter of intent Tuesday to continue her track and field career at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio.

“I chose the school because of the nursing program,” said Schultz. “That’s the main reason I am going there. I also wanted to pursue track in college and they are getting a brand new facility this season so I will be the first class to compete on that track. So it’s something where I can do both my passions – nursing and track.”

Schultz was .07 seconds off having one more race as a Golden Bear, but her fourth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles at the May 24 Franklin Regional brought an end to her career. The top three finishers automatically advanced to Friday’s state championship meet at Indiana University.

Schultz clocked a personal-best time of 46.59 seconds in her final race.

“Honestly, that was probably the best hurdles race I ever had,” said Schultz. “Even though I didn’t make (the state finals), I am happy with how it went over. That is the best I have ever raced (the 300 hurdles). I am glad I was able to end on a high note.”

Schultz will continue as a hurdler at Muskingum, a Division III school located east of Columbus, Ohio, and bolster the track and field team as a sprinter.

Muskingum is in the final stage of finishing the Henry D. Bullock Health and Wellness Complex, the largest capital project in the school’s history. The 119,000-square-foot complex is projected to open this fall.

“They were the first school to send me a letter recruiting me for track last season,” said Schultz. “It ended up being the first school I looked at and the last school I am going to.”

“I looked at other schools but none of them had everything that I wanted,” she continued.

 

 

The daughter of Christine and James Schultz, she credits her mother, a nurse, for her career inspiration. That presents a challenge, though, trying to balance athletics with a demanding educational track.

“I am sure it will be a challenge,” she said. “I know it will be a challenge but I have talked with the coaches about it and they say they will be able to work things out.

“I think it will be pretty good. It will help me to stay busy and stay disciplined with my school work and track.”

Schultz made her decision several months ago to attend Muskingum but finally made it official Tuesday with several classmates and Shelbyville track and field coach Nick Blakey (photo) in attendance.

“It’s kind of crazy,” said Schultz. “It’s kind of hard to think about. It’s the next step in my life. It’s a little nerve wracking but I am ready for it … I think.”

Prep Report: Golden Bears finish fourth at Shelbyville Invitational

Bloomington North edged Mooresville by two shots Wednesday to capture the Shelbyville Invitational golf title at Blue Bear Golf Club.

Led by Charlie Nicholson’s 83, the Cougars posted a team score of 341 to hold off Mooresville (343), North Decatur (353) and Shelbyville Gold (353).

Also competing Wednesday were Lawrenceburg (366), Eastern Hancock (405), Franklin Central (418) and Shelbyville Black (442).

Nicholson and Mooresville’s Elijah Lynn and Daulton Butts all carded 83s to set up a playoff for the medalist honor. Lynn birdied the first playoff hole to become the medalist.

Brock Wischmeyer led Shelbyville Gold with an 86. Eli Baker followed at 88. DaMiles McDuffey was one shot back at 89 and Jake Garrison carded a 90. Nolen Chaney shot 95.

Jake Heaton topped Shelbyville Black with a 95. Sam Bunton followed at 107. James Garrett posted 112 and Trey McCullum finished at 128.

In another prep golf event Wednesday:

 

 

Triton Central 192, Pike 228

At Saddlebrook Golf Club in Indianapolis, Chase Chandler scored his first medalist honor in leading Triton Central with a 44.

Max Ray was one shot back for the Tigers with a 45.

Garrett Eberhardt (51), Derreck Uhls (52) and Dayne Bailey (60) completed Triton Central’s scorecard.

Michael Graham led Pike with a 51.

Collegiate Update: Kemper, Trojans finish 14th at NAIA National Championship in Oklahoma City

Taylor University women’s golf completed the 2022 season with a 14th-place finish Friday in the NAIA National Championship at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Taylor’s three-round total of 911 (315-293-303) left it tied with No. 5 Southeastern and secured the program’s fourth-straight National Championship in which the Trojans finished 14th or better.

“This season has been such a fun ride,” said Taylor head coach Cameron Andry. “After graduating four of our top five from last year’s squad we had a lot of unknowns coming into the year and I’m so proud of the way this squad grew both on and off the golf course. We enjoyed some incredible moments and I’m already looking forward to what God will do in and through this group moving forward.”

Triton Central graduate Elizabeth Kemper finished with a three-round total of 235 (79-76-80) to finish tied for 70th place overall.

The Taylor sophomore posted a 2-under-par 35 on the front nine of  Lincoln Park Thursday in round two of the national championship tournament. She ended the day with a 4-over-par 76.

Taylor fifth-year senior Nicole Jung finished tied for third place with rounds of 72, 67 and 69.

Sabrina Langerak, a freshman, also shot 235 (83-77-75) to finish tied with Kemper in the individual standings.

Fellow freshman Ellie Karst posted 238 (81-78-79) to tie for 76th.

Alyssa Schmidt, a third freshman on the Taylor roster, finished at 248 (93-73-82) to finish 89th.

The University of British Columbia claimed the 2022 NAIA National Championship with a 54-hole total of 4-under par 860 (286-286-288).

Eads shines in Shelbyville's regional championship game win over No. 2 Whiteland

Shelbyville needed 11 pitches to do what it failed to do against Whiteland ace Debbie Hill earlier this season – score a run.

Meanwhile, Class 4A, No. 2 Whiteland was stymied time and again by Shelbyville pitcher Cheyenne Eads. The sophomore twirled a three-hit shutout to lead the Golden Bears to a 4-0 victory Tuesday and the program’s first-ever regional championship.

“We are treading unknown waters right here,” admitted Shelbyville head coach Mark Hensley. “We have it on our shirt, we are ‘Team 36.’ We’ve been around for 36 years having a softball team here at Shelbyville and after last week, that was only our third sectional and we’d never won a regional.

“Now we’re in the Elite 8. There are eight 4A teams left and going into this year we felt like we were one of the top 10 teams. We’ve done exactly what we were hoping to do. Who knows what will happen from here but, hopefully, we are not just satisfied with making it.”

With Eads in the circle, Shelbyville knows it will have a chance to win. In 14 innings this season against the Warriors (24-3), Eads has now allowed just one run.

“The game plan was to go in there and get outs, not focus on strikeouts, just get outs,” said Eads, who has allowed one run in her last two outings – a 2-1 sectional championship game win over No. 6 Columbus North Friday and Tuesday’s 4-0 win over No. 2 Whiteland.

A pitcher with tight spin on her pitches, Eads kept getting fly ball outs that kept the Warriors off the bases. Of Whiteland’s 21 outs Tuesday, 15 came via fly balls.

“She is not a flamethrower. She is not a girl that will have 250 strikeouts. That’s not her game,” said Hensley. “She puts a lot of spin and a lot of movement on the ball and makes people guess on her pitches. She gets them to take some not-so-great swings.”

Whiteland scored a walkoff win on May 2 over Shelbyville, 1-0. The Golden Bears had just two hits while Hill, who will pitch collegiately at Division III nationally-ranked Trine University, notched 15 strikeouts.

Hensley believed his team was more prepared for Hill, a hard-throwing lefty, as a second meeting came about.

Karissa Hamilton dropped the first pitch of the game from Hill into right field for her team’s first hit. The University of Kentucky recruit stole second base and scored on Hailey Pogue’s single up the middle to stake Eads to a 1-0 lead.

The Warriors’ second and third innings ended on base running mistakes.

Halle Nett rounded second base too far on a Madison Myers single to left field but Caitlyn Richardson threw her out as she retreated to the bag to end the second inning.

In the third, Emma Piercy wanted to score from first base on Hill’s single to right field but Kali Laycock fielded the ball cleanly, hit Hailey Pogue with a relay throw who then fired home to Hamilton. That stopped Piercy halfway around third base and she tried to retreat but Hamilton snapped a throw to Addie Stieneker for another inning-ending mistake.

Shelbyville extended the lead in the fourth after Stieneker produced a leadoff single and Pogue doubled to put two in scoring position with no outs.

Whiteland catcher Haley Wilkerson tried to pickoff Stieneker but the ball rolled into left field and the freshman raced across the plate to make it 2-0.

Eads then pushed a bunt to the right side of the infield which scored Pogue and the crowd of more than 800 started buzzing.

 

 

Eads was dominant in the fourth and fifth innings but her defense put her in a jam in the sixth with back-to-back errors.

Hill drew a two-out walk. Hamilton tried to pick off courtesy runner Kylie Matthews and threw the ball into right field. Matthews moved up to scoring position. Wilkerson followed with a grounder up the baseline to Stieneker, who did not make a clean throw across the diamond giving Whiteland the best scoring chance it had all game.

Eads battled with Trinity Borders but induced the third fly ball of the inning to centerfielder Brooke Lipperd, who squeezed it just short of the fence to squash the rally.

“My mentality was to just get the batter,” said Eads. “We had two outs. I just needed to get the batter.”

The Golden Bears extended the lead in the sixth when Hamilton tripled. Her courtesy runner, Anna Shearer, scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

Eads needed 10 pitches to end the game. Hamilton corralled the 14th fly ball out of the game for the first out. Pogue gobbled up a ground ball and threw to first base for the second out.

Myers then popped into foul ground on the third base side and Stieneker settled under it to set off the celebration.

Shelbyville now sits as one of eight teams left in the state tournament. The four-team Bedford North Lawrence Semistate begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.

In the first semifinal, top-ranked Roncalli (30-0), the defending state champion, takes on No. 7 Pendleton Heights (25-6).

Shelbyville (23-5), ranked No. 10 in the final state coaches poll, follows against the host Stars (28-2), ranked No. 5.

The semistate championship game is set for 7 p.m.

In the northern semistate at Harrison (West Lafayette), Crown Point (18-13) takes on No. 15 Penn (22-9) in the first game. Columbia City (28-1) follows against No. 9 Harrison (West Lafayette) (26-1).

Indiana HBPA receives shuttle bus from Horseshoe Indianapolis

Transporting members just became a little easier for the Indiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). The organization received a shuttle bus from Horseshoe Indianapolis, adding a much needed benefit for the people they serve on the backstretch at the track.

“The Indiana HBPA is very appreciative of this donation, and it will get a lot of good use,” said Joe Davis, President of the Indiana HBPA. “The donation of this shuttle bus will allow us to utilize it for our backstretch benevolence initiatives as well as our ministry programs.”

Currently, the Indiana HBPA provides transportation services to those living and working on the backstretch at Horseshoe Indianapolis, many of which do not have transportation for weekly essentials such as food, medicine and other personal items.

The Indiana HBPA steps in to assist with rides for these individuals, and by adding a shuttle bus to their amenities, the services will be more efficient and streamlined for those who require assistance, including two trips per week to Walmart in Shelbyville for vital items such as food, prescriptions and other personal items.

“The addition of the shuttle bus will also give us a way to transport individuals to praise gatherings and other events linked to our ministry program,” added Davis. “The shuttle will be a multi-use vehicle for our organization.”

The Indiana HBPA currently has two chaplains that serve the backstretch. Otto Thorwarth, a former jockey, and Mickey Sajche, bilingual minister who also serves at Centro Cristiano Bethesda on the east side of Indianapolis, provide all types of assistance to the people living and working at the racetrack.

Daily prayer sessions are provided for the jockeys prior to the races as well as weekly bible study, hospital visits, transportation needs, and mentoring and spiritual guidance.

The Chaplains Ministry also provides frequent meal gatherings, ice cream socials and speaker series functions. The addition of the shuttle service will allot them the ability to increase and enhance attendance at off property events.

“The benevolence program Indiana HBPA provides is a wonderful resource to the people that live and work at Horseshoe Indianapolis,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “We identified a need for the sustainability and growth of this program and are thrilled to be a small part of ensuring this service continues to thrive.”

Southwestern golf tops Edinburgh, Oldenburg Academy at Timbergate Golf Course

With three golfers finishing below 50, Southwestern defeated Edinburgh and Oldenburg Academy Tuesday at Timbergate Golf Course in Edinburgh.

Hunter Pappano (44), Justin Swift (47) and Ty Burcham (48) led Southwestern to a team score of 189. Tristan Pappano followed at 50 and Caleb Pappano finished one shot back at 51.

Max Blandford led Edinburgh with a 41. Trevor Moon (51), Cash Cunningham (52) and Mason Calhoun (55) completed the Lancers’ scorecard at 199.

Ben Ruter shot 60 to lead Oldenburg Academy, who did not have a complete team score.

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