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Grace Opens Season With A 'Blast'

WINONA LAKE - Grace College opened its men's basketball season with a blast on Tuesday night - the IU Northwest Blast. The Lancers opened a season of question marks with an exclamation point in a 111-39 win that just fell short of setting a number of team records. The 72-point win was just seven short of the school record, and it was the largest victory since a 129-51 victory over Indiana-South Bend in 1973.The 39 points allowed fell just four points short of the best defensive game for Grace, and head coach Jim Kessler picked up win No.398 in his 21-year career as coach of the Lancers. And all of this came in a season in which nobody knows what to expect from this team.Last year's top two players, Darren Gagnon and Bert McLaughlin, both graduated along with numerous other players that started or got plenty of playing time.However, one key player returned, Andy Schmidt.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Minton Named Coach Of The Year

Retired Wawasee HIgh School cross country and track coach Jerry Minton was named Manchester College's M Association's Claude Wolfe Coach of the Year during homecoming festivities Oct. 19. Minton, who retired last year after 27 years at Wawasee, is a 1962 Manchester College graduate. Minton coached the Warrior boys' cross country teams to 262 wins and the boys' track teams to 260 wins. His cross country teams went 102-12 in the 1980s. In 1995, Minton was named the Northern Lakes Conference cross country Coach of the Year. He earned the state's girls' cross country Coach of the Year honor in 1983. Photo provided
Photo Provided- | July 28, 2016

21-Year-Old Durbin Makes Jump To Majors

So sudden was Chad Durbin's callup to the major leagues last Thursday that he had only a number - 33 - but no last name on the back of his Kansas City Royals jersey. And unlike the Yankees, the Royals put last names on jerseys.The Kansas City equipment manager didn't have time to sew Durbin's name onto the uniform.Durbin did not make it into the game. The name Chad Durbin may not mean anything to you. It will. Durbin had some special guests watching his debut, which came Sunday in Detroit against the Tigers - Warsaw's Max and Debbie Hebel, his stepfather and mother. "We couldn't ask for more," Debbie said. Durbin, a 21-year-old right-hander, pitched 2-1/3 innings, striking out three.He allowed one hit and walked one.He gave up no runs. He entered with two outs in the third inning.He struck out the first batter he faced, veteran Luis Polonia, he of the left-handed stance and .311 batting average.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Powerful Panthers Oust Warriors

MIDDLEBURY - Like a running back pounding out gains of eight and nine yards per carry, NorthWood's varsity volleyball team got points in chunks and used quick starts in both games against Wawasee Thursday in the Northridge (3A) Sectional to top the Warriors 15-12, 15-4. The Panthers, who advanced to the semistate two years ago but fell in the sectional opener last year, improved to 26-7 with the win; Wawasee, which has played NorthWood in the sectional three of the last four years, ends its season with a 22-11 record. If it were a football game, junior Carol Duncan, listed as 6-foot-1 on last year's basketball roster, was NorthWood's bruising fullback. Numerous times last night Duncan returned the ball to Wawasee's side of the net with sheer power, shots the Warriors could do nothing with.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Kennedy Travels Winding Path To Get To Grace College

WINONA LAKE - The stories that can be told about James Kennedy. Around Grace College, they've become almost legendary.This 18-year-old Kenyan has stormed onto the national cross country scene with mind-boggling results and a No.2 ranking in the Great Lakes Region. Take the Indiana Intercollegiate Championships.Kennedy beat his best time ever by running eight kilometers in 23:38, the second-best time among NAIA runners.That averages out to better than 4-1/2 minutes a mile for five miles. He's actually better at the 1,500 in track than in cross country. There's the stories of how Kennedy has talked to his friends and has five other Kenyans interested in coming to Grace as soon as this winter, four of which may be faster than him. There's the story of how Kennedy chose Grace because he was afraid of the fast-paced American style and wanted to go to a small school in a small town.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Hit Their Peak By Reaching State Finals

Much has been made of Warsaw coach Phil Jensen turning the Tigers' football program around in four years, from 2-7 his first year to 8-2 this year, but arguably no Warsaw coach has changed a program like Paul Sibray helped the girls cross country team. Five years ago, Warsaw would send four girls to meets, because these were all the runners Sibray had available.More times than not, the Tigers earned an incomplete because they did not have enough runners to qualify for a team score. Now Warsaw is going to the state finals for the first time in school history. Warsaw has 22 runners in 1999, and four of them - Jennifer Finch, Hillary Barlow, Rachel Rondeau and Summer Boyd - placed in the top 25 at Saturday's Manchester Semistate. At the regional two weeks ago, No.19 Warsaw placed fourth, behind No.5 West Noble, No.13 Northridge and No.18 DeKalb.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Freshman To Lead Tigers Against Homestead

As the starting quarter at Edgewood Middle School, Justin Clemens lost one game in two years. Friday night he'll face the challenge of leading Warsaw Community High School's varsity football team against Class 5A No.8 Homestead (9-1) in Sectional 3 semifinal action in Fort Wayne. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.and the winner will face either No.7 Marion (9-1) or No.10 Fort Wayne Snider (8-2) in next week's sectional championship game. Clemens, who at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds doesn't look like your average freshman, is starting in the place of senior Tyler Akers and junior Ben Higgins, who are both out with knee injuries. The 5-10, 168-pound Akers, who was injured in Warsaw's 28-21 win over Carroll in the sectional opener, completed 67 of 157 passes for 840 yards this season with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Valley Girls Open Season Victorious

MENTONE - Rarely can a team survive a quarter in which it makes only one field goal. Not only did Valley survive that in the girls basketball opener on Thursday, the Vikings outscored Bremen by nine points in the third quarter on their way to a 59-41 victory Thursday. Leading 24-19 at the half, Valley outscored Bremen 10-1 as the Lions were even colder from the floor.Bremen missed all nine of their field goal attempts and made only one of four free throws.Valley point guard Rhonda Doud, who had just two points on four shots in the first half, scored eight points in the quarter as Valley went ahead 34-20.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Lancer Regional Volleyball Title Run Ends At Four

WINONA LAKE - The Grace College volleyball team knew it had its work cut out for it. Despite being the four-time defending NCCAA Regional III champions, the Lancers came into the weekend tournament as the No.3 seed.In No.1 seed Cedarville and No.2 seed Indiana Wesleyan, Grace saw a challenge like it hadn't had in the past five seasons. The Lancers proved that champions are difficult to dethrone by upending Indiana Wesleyan Friday night in four sets: 15-9, 15-8, 6-15, 15-12.With Cedarville's three-set win over Spring Arbor earlier Friday, it set up a pivotal game between the two unbeatens in the first game Saturday. Cedarville and Grace battled through four sets, three of which teetered back and forth, but the Yellow Jackets pulled out the win 15-12, 13-15, 15-3, 15-11.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw's Season Ends In Shootout

GOSHEN - Tuesday night's Bethany Christian soccer sectional showdown between Westview and Warsaw was taken to penalty kicks by two underclassmen.The Warriors rode the leg of sophomore Cheri Borkholder and penalty kicks to a 2-1 win over Warsaw and a Thursday match with Lakeland. The scuttlebutt heading into the contest was about Westview senior Jamie Gallmeyer. Gallmeyer, who is one of just three girls to have scored 100 goals in state history, had 107 goals heading into the match against the Tigers but was held in check by Warsaw's defense. "There was a lot of press going on about Gallmeyer going for the state record.It wasn't going to be against us.We controlled the middle of the field.She wasn't a factor," said Warsaw coach Mike Getz. The Tigers' offense was dealt a blow earlier in the season when sophomore Abby Rankin was injured for the remainder of the season.
DANIEL RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Losses Leave Valley In Limbo

Two words.That's all Mike Walters needed when asked to assess his girls' basketball team this season. "Very inexperienced," he said. How true. Having one starter (Kara Tucker) returning from the starting five on last year's sectional team makes the 1996-1997 Vikings inexperienced. Having only three players (Tucker, Sondrea Hamilton, Kelly Walters) on the varsity roster who have played major varsity minutes in the past is what makes them very inexperienced. Gone are juniors Samantha Wideman and Tiffany Glingle, who transferred to other schools.Gone is junior Andria Parker, who did not transfer but chose not to play basketball this season.All three played on the varsity team as sophomores. Starting this year for Valley will be Tucker (point guard), Brandi Fisher (shooting guard), Bonnie Bickel (forward), Walters (forward) and Hamilton (center). "Neither (Bickel or Walters) carries much size or weight, but both are leapers," Walters said.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Stichter Wins Third Straight Cross Country Sectional Title

GOSHEN - The course wet and muddy, rain falling from the sky, Wawasee standout runner Rachel Stichter admitted she fell during Tuesday afternoon's sectional at Ox Bow Park. The mud on her left knee confirmed it. In reality, it was the rest of the field that got tripped up, as the Warrior junior cruised to her third straight individual sectional title, finishing in a time of 14:22. The 19-second gap back to runner-up finisher Megan Jackson from Northridge only confirmed Stichter's dominance. "The course was pretty slick," Stichter said."I'm sure my time was slower.I fell down once, but I'm OK with it.I just don't think I got the time I wanted." While Stichter ran away with the individual title, the same can be said for Northridge in the team competition. With the top five runners from each squad counting toward the team score, the Raiders claimed spots second through eighth and scored 20 points.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Tiger Spikers Going 1-3 In Tourney

FRANKFORT - The Warsaw Tiger volleyball team went 1-3 in Saturday's Clinton Prairie Invitational. Providence beat Warsaw 15-11, 9-15, 15-11 in the first match.Warsaw bounced back to beat Benton Central 15-7, 15-9.The Tigers then lost to Indianapolis Central, ranked No.6 in today's poll, 10-15, 15-2, 16-14.Ben Davis beat the Tigers 15-7, 15-13 in Warsaw's final match of the day. Sarah Calhoun finished with 54 kills and 36 digs on the day for the Tigers.Lisa Estep had 40 kills and 31 digs.Nancy Mason had 12 kills, while Jahna Swanson had 15 digs.Alyssa Raphael had 22 digs and five kills.Melissa Bolles had 94 assists and 17 digs. Warsaw's freshman volleyball team won Saturday's Plymouth Invitational.Warsaw beat Wawasee 15-12, 15-0.Melissa Himes had two aces for the Tigers, while Janelle Kesler had six assists.
Staff Report- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Fall To Northrop In Regional

HUNTINGTON - Warsaw volleyball coach Doug West said it was just one point, but in a sport where momentum changes as often as the leading presidential candidate, the Tigers and their fans can only wonder "what if" a call against them Saturday in the Huntington 4A Regional had gone their way. After beating eighth-ranked Fort Wayne Northrop 25-20 in the first game of the best-of-five match in Saturday's first semifinal, the Tigers trailed the Bruins 23-20 in the second game and had junior Noelle Scrafton at the service line. After Northrop returned Scrafton's serve, a powerful spike by the Tigers that appeared in was called out, giving Northrop the momentum and a 24-20 advantage.The Tigers scored a sideout on the Bruins' next serve, but couldn't regain momentum and fell 25-21.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Barlow Battles Through Hip Troubles

Hillary Barlow limps when she walks.Sometimes, she says, her right leg feels like it will fall off, much like a bad table leg that falls off an old table. But the leg stays connected.It just hurts worse at different times. The pain nags her, but it does not stop her.She refuses to let it hinder her. Injured body and all, Barlow finished in the top 10 at the cross country sectional, regional and semistate. Now Barlow, a junior, and her Warsaw teammates will compete in Saturday's cross country state finals in Bloomington. Because her hip bothers her, Barlow trained Wednesday not by running outdoors with her teammates in the crisp autumn air but by swimming inside in the hot, sweaty pool area.Doctors told her to avoid jarring her hip.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Wawasee More Than Lantz, Swain

SYRACUSE - The X factor, the Ohio if you will, for Friday night's game between Wawasee and Plymouth may be the Warriors' passing game. The Rockies and first-year head coach Jon Barron were successful in stopping 4A No.1 East Noble from scoring last week by shutting down a one-dimensional attack. Wawasee's mixture of running and passing provides a pick-your-poison scenario for Plymouth. "East Noble is very one dimensional.We were able to put eight guys up to try and stop Konrad (Mundon)," said Baron."Defending Wawasee and East Noble are two different monsters.I think the key is to try and make them throw." Mundon finished the evening with 125 yards and 2504 on the season, good for first among state rushing leaders.Third in the state is Wawasee's Jordan Swain, with 2124 yards on 234 carries, but he will be paid extra attention by Plymouth. For Wawasee to win its first sectional title since 1985, however, it may come down to the play of other offensive weapons.
DANIEL RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Grace Women's Basketball Hopes For Long-Awaited Winning Season

WINONA LAKE -ÊIn her short career as a women's basketball coach, new Lancer head coach Lori Wynn has coached it all.She's coached at NCCAA schools, NAIA schools and NCAA Division I schools.She's seen what it takes to become a quality team at every level and she'll use that experience to turn around a program that hasn't seen a winning season since 1991-92. That's not to say there haven't been bright spots.Last year's team opened the season 9-1 with victories over quality opposition before stumbling down the stretch and finishing 12-17. But Wynn sees possibilities in this senior-laden team.She sees an opportunity to build a solid reputation at Grace in women's basketball.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Arthur Helps Guide Grace's Soccer Team

Eve Arthur, a Grace College women's soccer and basketball player, was following her father, Bob Arthur, home to Ohio for Thanksgiving Break. After stopping to get a bite to eat, the two began the trip home. At 1:30 a.m., near Sandusky, Ohio, oncoming headlights veered onto their side of the road and struck Bob's van head-on.The collision tossed the van into a ditch on the side of the road. After her car struck the drunk driver's automobile too, Eve could see the crumpled van and knew what had happened.She ran across the road to a house.When nobody answered her screams and her knocking, she ran back to the accident.A semi truck had pulled up and two men had gotten out.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Cross Country Season Ends For Area Runners

NORTH MANCHESTER - For most of the seven area cross country runners competing in the semistate round Saturday, aspirations did not exist of reaching the state finals. A few knew that with a perfect race and a lot of help, there was an outside chance of placing in the top 15 and moving on.However, that did not happen as the top runner placed 37th. Warsaw's David Hoffert, Manchester's Jeremy Stacy, Valley's Jenny Day, NorthWood's Brooke Tobias, and Wawasee's Katie McCauley all competed at the Manchester Semistate.Triton's Mason McIntyre and Reghan Kreft both ran at the New Prairie Semistate. Hoffert, a Warsaw senior, was considered to have the best chance of the seven runners to advance to the state finals.He finished 13th in one of the most difficult regionals in the state.He was hoping to finish between 25th and 30th, but ended 37th.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Falls To Snider In Regional

MUNCIE - At the midway point of the volleyball season, Warsaw coach Doug West set up a meeting with his team. "On September 24, we had a meeting to discuss where we were as a team," said West."We were not playing poorly, but we wanted to step things up to the next level." That meeting lit a fire under the Tigers.They finished the rest of the regular season 10-3, including two wins at the Clinton Prairie Tournament, and went on to win the Carroll Sectional by defeating Carroll and Columbia City. "We played great in the second half of the season," said West."I think the second half of the season really showed the fruits of our labor." Saturday in the Muncie Regional, the Warsaw squad faced off against Fort Wayne Snider in the opening game of the regional.Earlier in the season, Warsaw fell to Snider 3-1, 21-11, 21-14, 13-21, 21-10. Saturday the result was the same as the Tigers fell to the Panthers 3-1 in the Muncie Central Regional.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016
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