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Vikings Pull Out A Close One

BOURBON -ÊTippecanoe Valley baseball coach Scott Backus was happy to leave Triton with a 4-3 win Monday night.After all, the game could have gone either way. "It's nice to be on this (winning) side of things," said Backus."Last year we lost a lot of games like this.Now we are playing good baseball and we want to win.We believe we can win." Triton struck first blood in the game.In the bottom of the first inning, Tyson Blackford, Daniel Kuhn and Tyler Hensley each walked to load the bases.After Blackford crossed home plate, Triton held a 1-0 advantage. "(Pitcher) Drew Deardorff struggled early, walking in a run in the first, but he settled down and threw strikes the rest of the way," said Backus. The Vikings tied the game at 1-all after manufacturing a run in the second inning.Mike Schwenk reached first on a walk.Then Wes Backus reached first on an error at the second base position, and Schwenk moved to third on the play.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Conn's No-No Propels Warriors

SYRACUSE - What happens when a veteran Wawasee softball team meets an inexperienced Manchester team with just three players returning from last year's squad? Try a 10-0 Wawasee victory with an exclamation point for Jamie Conn's pitching performance. Conn struck out 10 batters and got by some early control problems to shut down Manchester's bats to the tune of zero hits.At one point she retired nine consecutive batters, six by strikeout and the other three by easy groundouts. "This is what we expected from her," Wawasee head coach Bo O'Dell said. On the Manchester side, head coach Jim Troyer left the game shaking his head again.His batters have now struck out 24 times in the past two ball games and have just one hit to show for their efforts.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Manchester Wins Rain-Shortened TRC Match

AKRON -ÊThe Manchester girls tennis team had a good chance of faring well in the Three Rivers Conference match Saturday at Tippecanoe Valley High School.However, the Squires passed on the opportunity for success at the conference tournament for something more important - the chance to pay their respects and attend a classmate's funeral. Manchester student Heather Medley died May 3, and her funeral was held Saturday.Members of Manchester's tennis team elected to go to the funeral and forego competing in the Three Rivers Conference Tournament the same day. But the Squires got back into the swing of things Monday night, traveling to Akron for a head-to-head TRC match with Tippecanoe Valley. Manchester went home with a rain-shortened 3-0 win and kept its conference record untarnished at a perfect 3-0. In the three matches that finihsed before the rain started, Manchester's singles players dominated.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sport Editor- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Offense Clicks Against NorthWood

Last year in Chicago, most commonly when rookie pitching sensation Kerry Wood was on the mound, the Wrigley Field faithful would hold up poster boards bearing the letter "K" to signify a strikeout. In one game fans held 20 of these signs. Though it's unofficial, had this been done in Monday's Warsaw/NorthWood girls softball game, there might not have been enough fans to hold up these signs for Warsaw's right-handed ace Michelle Liebsch. With just a few fans in attendance, Liebsch struck out 13 batters and gave up four hits en route to the Tigers' 14-4 Northern Lakes Conference win over NorthWood. The win moves Warsaw's overall record to 4-6 and, more importantly, to 3-0 in Northern Lakes Conference play.The Panthers fell to 1-4 overall on the season. "We played two hard teams in Valparaiso and Lowell on Saturday," said Warsaw coach Craig Helfrich."Now we're 3-0 in the NLC.We're capable of doing this.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Elusive Third Point Leads To More Warsaw Losses

Warsaw varsity girls tennis coach Mike Baber and his team are searching for something, and in the last two matches they didn't find it. The Tigers followed a 3-2 setback at Tippecanoe Valley Monday with a 3-2 loss at home Thursday to Northern Lakes Conference rival Wawasee.Warsaw got its points from the same players both nights, leaving them searching for a third point. "No.3 singles and No.2 doubles came through for us again," Baber said, "but we have to find that third point." At No.3 singles sophomore Lauren Witzky easily disposed of sophomore Alex Heckaman 6-1, 6-1, and at No.2 doubles Angie Suchecki and Tracy Yoder got by Kayla Auer and Ashley Ganz 6-3, 6-2. The Warriors won because, as Baber said, "They won the big points." Wawasee won both the No.1 singles and doubles matches. At No.1 singles, Wawasee's Mandy Perzanowski took care of Abbie Simmons 6-2, 6-0.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Olinger Fighting System, Pain For Game He Loves

A Warsaw man continues to follow his dreams of being a professional golfer even though his daily life is plagued by pain. Ford Olinger, 31, is not only fighting pain that hinders his walking, he is also fighting the golf system to allow him to use a cart in USGA events. Olinger won an injunction May 15 that enabled him to ride in a golf cart Monday at the U.S.Open qualifying event in South Bend.Although Olinger failed to qualify for the next round, he continues to play golf even after doctors said someday he may never walk again. Lying on an operating table a year ago, Olinger said he faced the reality that he may not walk again or never play golf again. The pain began more than two years ago at a Tommy Armour tour event in Orlando, Fla.Olinger said his lower back began to hurt and a local clinic gave him a cortisone shot for the pain.
TIFFANY SHAW, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Jump All Over NorthWood

Warsaw varsity softball coach Craig Helfrich wondered how his team would respond. He wanted to know how the Tigers would come back after losing their first Northern Lakes Conference game of the year Monday at Plymouth. The third-year skipper got the answer he was looking for in the first inning of Wednesday's home game with NLC foe NorthWood. "I wondered how they would come out after a tough loss," Helfrich said."Good teams will come out and play." And the Tigers came out to play, scoring seven runs in the first inning against the winless Panthers en route to a 9-0 win. The win improves Warsaw's record to 12-5 overall and 9-1 in conference action.NorthWood falls to 0-18 and 0-10. Junior right-handed hurler Ashley Wyatt put the Panthers down in order to start the game, and worked a perfect game through the first three innings.Wyatt picked up the complete-game win, giving up two hits, walking none and striking out five.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Area Teams At Goshen Relays

GOSHEN - Whitko and NorthWood each scored 86 points and tied for second place in the B division of the Goshen Relays Saturday. Manchester also did well, finishing fifth out of 16 teams.In the A division, Warsaw scored 54 points to finish eighth out of 24 teams and Wawasee ended 22nd. For the Wildcats, it was the best finish in school history.Tim Mason was the big winner for Whitko as he set a school and meet record in the long jump with a leap of 22-feet-11 1/4.He also won the 100 with a time of :10.88 and ran on the winning 400 relay team, along with Jimmy Linn, Josh Gonzalez and Aaron Engle, with a time of :45.06. Bo Mullins took a first place for Whitko in the discus with a throw of 153-4. NorthWood got a first place in the 1600 relay as Doug Brown, Todd Coffin, Jason Brenneman and Brad Greenlee ran a time of 3:33.86.
Staff Report, Prep Roundup- | July 28, 2016

Patrick Creates Believers At Tippecanoe Valley

Guys hate sap. We like Bruce Willis, Steven Seagal and professional wrestling.A lot of us, anyway. Guys don't like sap. This is as about as sappy as it'll get - you've been warned - but here goes: Tippecanoe Valley boys basketball fans have fallen in love with first-year coach Bill Patrick, and Bill Patrick has fallen in love with Valley fans. Example: Assistant coach Chad Patrick, also Bill's son, leads a drill during the 20 minutes before game time where the Viking players clap a montonous, rhythmic, one-two, one-two clap. Valley fans begin doing this clap before the players come onto the court.And when the players on the court clap for their drill, they join them again. When Valley played at Triton last month, Triton's janitors had not pulled out the upper bleachers on the visitors' side. Mistake.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Peru Outlasts Valley 111-107 In 2 OT

SOUTH WHITLEY -ÊThe date was Dec.15, 1998, and the boys basketball team had just lost 80-62, but the losing coach guaranteed his team could play with the winning team. Peru had the 80, Tippecanoe Valley the 62, and the coach was Bill Patrick. "Peru is a good basketball team, no question about it," he said that December night."But I think we're every bit as good as they are, and I think we can play with them in the sectional." Patrick was not lugging a crystal ball under his arm at the time, but he predicted the future 2-1/2 months in advance. Tippecanoe Valley (14-6) drew No.9 Peru (17-3) in Tuesday's first round of the Whitko 3A Sectional.The Vikings played with the Tigers, all right.They tied them 82-82 at regulation and 93-93 after one overtime before losing 111-107 in double overtime.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Down NorthWood For Seventh Straight Win

He said his team's play was sluggish and its base running was lousy, yet Warsaw varsity baseball coach Will Shepherd was answering questions about how his Tigers won their seventh straight game Wednesday. Answering questions about how his team hit four towering home runs. Answering questions about how his team hasn't lost a Northern Lakes Conference game since his current senior players were sophomores. On a day when the wind gave the center field flags a work out, wrestling them back and forth, Warsaw overcame that sluggish play and lousy base running with their four towering home runs and a pair of Major League-like defensive stops by seniors Brandon LaFollette and Jeremy Sharp to pick up an 8-3 win over NLC foe NorthWood. After NorthWood left the bases loaded in the third inning and then left two stranded on base in the fourth, the Panthers failed to produce a base runner in the fifth inning with the host Tigers leading 5-1.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Shows Dominance At NLC Track And Field Meet

DUNLAP - If there was any question about the outcome of Thursday's Northern Lakes Conference boys track meet at Concord High School, it wasn't who would win but the margin of victory. As expected, Warsaw ran away with it and won the NLC outright for the fourth consecutive year.The Tigers took first with a score of 168, 54 points ahead of second-place Concord.Wawasee finished third with 101, followed by NorthWood (75), Plymouth (67), Northridge (50) and Goshen (42).
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Valley Girls Track Sectional Full Of Surprises

MENTONE -ÊAlthough Plymouth won the sectional at Tippecanoe Valley Tuesday night, Manchester surprised everyone including themselves by finishing in the second spot by advancing girls to the regional in nine events next week in Bremen. "I never dreamed that we would do this well at the beginning of the season," said Manchester coach Keith Metzger."I am ecstatic.It is tremendous what these girls have done, especially in the past two weeks." Manchester's Adaku Onyeji placed first in the 100- and 200-meter races, winning the 200 by a full second over her closest competitor.Manchester's only other first place finish came in the 4X100 relay when the team crossed the finish line less than a second before second-place Tippecanoe Valley. Ann Harms advanced to the regionals for the Squires in three individual events, the 100 hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the long jump, while her teammate Tina French advanced in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Aukeman Starts Both Ends Of Doubleheader

WINONA LAKE - It's not the way most people think baseball should be played.With the snow coming down Tuesday afternoon, the Grace College Lancers squared off against the Goshen Maple Leafs at Miller Field for a Mid-Central Conference matchup. Terry Aukeman, the Lancers left-handed ace pitcher, seemed to enjoy the precipitation, however.He struck out five batters on his way to a shortened five-inning complete game victory, 2-0. Feeling confident about Aukeman's pitching performance, head coach Glen Johnson started him in the second game also.But as the snow began to stop falling, Aukeman began to tire.He allowed four runs in the second inning, as Goshen grabbed a split of the doubleheader 7-4.
JASON KNAVEL, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Manchester Gets First Conference Win Over Whitko

NORTH MANCHESTER -ÊMany coaches believe that high school baseball has three seasons -Ênon-conference, conference and postseason. Manchester's Jack Rupley is one of those coaches. Monday evening Rupley's Squires started the Three Rivers Conference season on the right foot with a 6-4 win over Whitko. After a scoreless first inning, Manchester scored one run in the bottom of the second inning. The Squire offense got going in the third inning.Josh Staton opened the bottom half of the inning with a bunt for a single and moved to second on a sacrifice by Drew Walters. Then Anthony Sorg walked and Jediah Carandante was hit by a pitch to load the bases as pitcher Todd Dale stepped to the plate.Dale belted a single to centerfield, driving in two runs to put Manchester up 3-0.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Tiger Golfers Down State-Ranked Wawasee, NorthWood

WINONA LAKE - Having played for Warsaw himself, Ben Barkey knows how special wins are over rival Wawasee. Tuesday's boys golf match at Stonehenge was a sweet reminder, and the first-year Tiger coach was all smiles for good reason. With three players shooting 40 or lower on a day as windy as the winter is cold, the Tigers shot a 162 and won a three-way Northern Lakes Conference match over No.2 Wawasee and NorthWood. Wawasee, which finished fourth in the state a year ago and graduated just one player, struggled on Stonehenge's back nine, shot uncharacteristically high scores and finished with a 164.NorthWood shot a nine-hole team score of 199.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Beno Wins Golf Tourney

NOBLESVILLE, Ind.- Tom Beno of Warsaw and Rozella Ford Golf Course fired a 5-under-par 66, breaking the tournament and competitive course record, as he came from three shots behind to win the 27th annual Indiana Golf Association Tournament of Champions at Fox Prairie Golf Course. In addition to breaking the tournament and course scoring record, Beno became the first player to win the Tournament of Champions in back-to-back years and just the fifth player to win multiple Tournament of Champions titles. Beno's charge to the title really didn't begin until the final seven holes, which he played in 4-under-par.He did begin his day with a birdie at the par-5 first hole, but fell back to 1-over-par for the championship with a bogey at number two.He finished his front nine with a birdie at the 400-yard ninth hole.
Times-Union Staff Report- | July 28, 2016

Wawasee Wins Whitko Invitational By 15 Strokes

NORTH MANCHESTER -ÊWith four players returning from last year's state qualifying team, Wawasee's golf team is working to get back there this season. Saturday at the Whitko Invitational, the No.2 Warriors showed why they could return to the state meet.The Wawasee squad shot a 305 over 18 holes to win the 12-team invitational by 15 strokes over the second-place Manchester Squires. The Warriors placed three golfers in the top five places to secure that first-place win. Manchester's Joey Zapf was the medalist of the match, shooting a 71 and winning a playoff over Wawasee's Stephen Conrad who also shot a 71. Tippecanoe Valley placed seventh in the invitational with a 358, while Whitko was eighth with a 370. But the story of the day was Wawasee.The Warriors led from the beginning, combining for a 150 on the front nine holes at Sycamore Golf Course.The Warriors finished with a 155 on the last nine holes of the match.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

New Warsaw Softball Coach Has Challenges

Craig Helfrich has his work cut out for him. To get the Warsaw softball program back to where it was in 1991 when the Tigers won a state championship, Helfrich will have a number of obstacles to get past. First, there's the inexperience.Helfrich comes from a baseball background but has never really coached a softball team.He just graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1997, where he played four years of baseball.His dad has coached at both Oak Hill and Marian. "Being around a coach, I know the ropes pretty well," Helfrich said."I haven't really had any problems.There are a lot of the same drills involved with baseball and softball." Then, there is the inexperience of the team to the coach.It often takes an adjustment period for the two entities to get acquainted with each other, but Helfrich has seen that go smoothly so far.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

For Gingerich Sisters, Africa Is Mission Possible

SYRACUSE - It is a day when all seems right with the world.The rain has left northern Indiana, at least on this Tuesday afternoon.The sunshine splashing off the aluminum bleachers at Wawasee's softball diamond on this 70-plus degree day is so bright it forces you to squint to see the world around you. For something as important as this, Wawasee softball coach Bo O'Dell said over the phone a few days back, show up at practice anytime between 3:15 and 5:30, and I'll let the two players out to talk to you.He holds true to his word, as two girls climb up into the bleachers to chat while their teammates hack away at O'Dell's pitches in batting practice.In O'Dell's mind, Amy Gingerich and Andrea Gingerich help make the world a right place.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016
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