The Mail-Journal, Volume 20, Number 9, Milford, Kosciusko County, 16 March 1983 — Page 8

THE MAIL-JOURNAL —Wed., March 1«, I*B3

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S p'o rts

* an. aI I fi’.s 11 ssn i v ■ ■ B IMk I * P; i / 9 BBS I q I >* -■ t-’- rir^-ISlimi^^BL STATE TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANTS — Pictured are Wawasee Swim Club members who recently participated at the State C Association championship tournament at Muncie. > In the front row are Brad Koser. Thadius Dubois, Scott Berkey, Erin Titas, Tiffany Titus, Dawn Firestone, Stacey Neterer and Gretchen Naugler. In the middle are Jennifer Titus. Tyuler Crum. Mike Tuttle, Stef Berkey, Barb Butler, Danielle Iwankowitsch. Melissa Naugler and Vince Koser. In back are Stacie Boles. Steve Ensinger and Chris EMridge. (Photo by Sharon Stockman)

WAWASEE SWIM CLUB AWARD WINNERS — These swimmers were at Wawasee High School for a special awards program on Saturday, March 12. Pictured in front are Thad Dubois, winner of the boys’ coaches award, left, and Chris Peterson, winner of the high point award for boys’ ages eight and under. In back, left to right, are Jennifer Titus, winner of the high point award for girls’ 11-and-12-years old and the girls’ coaches aw ard; Lori Boles, winner of the girls’ high point award for the nine-and-10-years old: Vince Koser, winner of the boys’ high point award for 11-and-12-years old; and Michael Tuttle, winner of the boys’ ninerand- 10-years old group. Not pictured are Jennifer Tuttle, winner of ' the girls’ 13 and up high point award: and Derin Kein, boys’ 13 and up high point award winner.

Wawasee Swim Club in championship competition

Wawasee's Swim Club recently participated in the State C Association Championship meet at Muncie. Tyler Crum placed first in the 100-yard freestyle for 11- and 12-year-old boys and first in the 50-yard freestyle. He was awarded a certificate for over achievement because his time of 31.12 in the freestyle exceeded the time for a “C” meet. Other boys placing in the 11Milford grapplers lose to Towncrest Milford’s Junior High wrestlers were defeated by Towncrest last week 42-32. Individual winners for the Trojans were Neli Schrock, Mitch Price, Albert Stricklin, Joe Hernandez, Ben Beer, Jim Charters, Joe Henderson and John Mills.

Sports Calendar Week Os March 16 to March 23 SATURDAY Boys’ High School basketball 11:00a.m., 12:30-8:15 p.m semi-state at Fort Wayne MONDAY v North Webster Junior High gymnastics v 3:45 p.m. at Syracuse TUESDAY Milford Junior High gymnastics Jj 4:30 p.m. at Lakeland LeGrange

and 12-year-old events were Michael Tuttle, third in the 50yard backstroke and Tyler Crum, second in the 50-yard fly. In the 10 and undo- events for boys Scott Berkey placed second in the 50-yard freestyle and third in the 50-yard breast stroke; and Thaddeus Dubois placed sixth in the 50-yard freestyle. Dawn Firestone placed fourth in the 50-yard freestyle and sixth in the 50-yard breast stroke in the 10 and under girls’ division. In the 11- and 12-year-old division for girls Danielle Iwankowitsch came in second in the 50-yard breast stroke and was awarded a certifi :ate for over achievement because she exceeded the time previously set for a “C” meet, with 41.70. Jennifer Titus placed second in

the 50-yard fly and fourth in the 200 individual medley for 11- and 12-year-old girls. Jennifer Tuttle placed second in the 100 breast stroke and the 200 individual medley and third in the 100-yard fly for 13- and 14-year-old girls and Christine Eldridge placed fifth in the 100yard backstroke. Milford-Syracuse gymnasts split Milford defeated Syracuse in the beginners’ level, 87.6 to 75.7, and Syracuse edged Milford 57.5 to 56.4 in the intermediate competition during junior high gymnastic action last week.

■Py IV J jfl - \\l w jyß ■ fsEi*A » Jm II [' |h| I Mm ~ Mx '_ i\df# \ fl TOPEKA IMPLEMENT CHAMPS — Topeka Implement won Ike Wawasee Adult Basketball league championship and tourney. Topeka defeated Love Furniture in the championship game. Team members are Bill Stoner, Larry Bowers. Doug Brookins, Dick Rohrer and Mike Stark. (Photo hy Gary Lewis)

3 win first place Several wrestlers from the Wawasee Wrestling Club were at tournaments last week end. Three area boys won first place in a tourney at Indianapolis. In an Indiana State Wrestling Association tournament at Tech High School. Indianapolis. Jeff Welborn, Brad Traviola and Steve Yoder placed first in thenweight classes in the advanced division. Mike Yoder placed second in his weight class the midget division, at that tournament, and Chris Yoder par ticipated. In an ISWA tournament at Memorial High School at Elkhart Tony Hostetter placed first in the 100-pound class, elite division. In Bantam division Joey Salazar placed second and Brian Baker placed sixth in their weight classes. In midget division Brent Baker placed second and Ben Ringler placed third in his weight class. In the elite division Ron Martin placed fourth at 123 and David Melendez placed fifth at 132. In the senior division Gary Gerencser placed second in his weight class and Jim Salazar placed fifth. Josh Lantz participated at that tournament. Missouri Challenge Jeff Welborn is a member of the United States Wrestling Federation Indiana team that will compete in the Missouri Challenge National Invitational wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 26. The tournament will be held at the Saint Louis Community College at Forest Park, Saint Louis, Mo. The invitational will feature the outstanding eighth grade wrestlers in the surrounding states. Jeff is the son of Wawasee High School's varsity wrestling coach, Richard Welborn, and his wife, Greta. He is an eighth grader at Syracuse Junior High School. Answers To Sports Quiz sjuiod I'Ll !»*»»*» 8161 «1 S •J 9 umo)o8joo£) ‘C9 eui|OJ«3 qwoN > 'Buiqs MOUS £ •saaii*A«3 viui&i/v 'Z J3|I!W Auuqof -|

Good balance led Warriors in best season

By GARY LEWIS Second In A Series In completing the greatest season in the history of the school, coach John Wysong’s Wawasee Warriors did it with near perfect balance. A look at the team’s final statistics demonstrates that the cornerstone of the Warriors’ success this season was its balanced attack. Most Valuable Player Jon Vitaniemi ended the season with a 15.0 scoring average followed by senior Kevin Smith (13.8), Brian Walls (13.7) and Ron Spunar (12.6). But the efforts of the “Big Four” were complimented with great performances by relief players Kim Zurcher, Joel Rhoades, and the defensive play of Jeff Atwood. Unsung Heroes Just like every great basketball team, talent off the bench is crucial. Although the Warriors concentrated most of their efforts on the top seven individuals, a number of other players contributed by making the team work in practice. “I think anybody who Is a basketball fan at Wawasee ought to make a special effort to congratulate or commend coach (Doug) Brookins.**—Coach John Wysong. “One of the most important things was that the people who didn't play didn’t complain. They came and worked hard. 1 didn’t hear from their parents, they just left the team alone. The kids just kept working hard and did a great job for os,’’ Wysong explained. “Pat Hare did as fine a job as captain as a person could do,” said Wysong about his senior team leader “No matter where he was in the playing order, he was cheering, yelling and encouraging, and that was just a tremondous thing for us. ” Another contributor was junior Dick Doll. “Dick's in the same mold as Pat,” he said. “He just worked his tail off in practice. He gave us those quick feet to work against . ” Anyone attending a Wawasee basketball game knows coach John Wysong will live and die with the man-toman defense. For the first time in his career, he decided to switch his philosophy to concentrate fully on man-toman coverage and a simple motion offense. Wysong maintained the way to win in high school basketball is with fundamentals, conditioning and team play. It seemed to work. “I like to drill fundamentals. I think if you get a complex offense and defense system, you can’t put the concentration and effort into fundamentals that you need. ” Win Streak Snapped One of the major accomplishments this season for Wawasee was the team’s eight-game win streak. When Whitko came to town January 28, Wysong knew his team would be in a battle. In one of the best games this season on the Wawasee floor, the Wildcats and Warriors went at it basket-to-basket, throat-to-throat. Whitko won the thriller 64-63 after the official ordered an extra three seconds on the clock for another jump hall. The loss snapped the Warriors eight-game win streak, a mark which nearly surpassed the all-time straight wins record at Wawasee. Wawasee played poorly the next night, dropping a 66-58 decision at East Noble and then survived a 5»-53 NLC win at Rochester. At this point of the season, looking ahead to two major NLC clashes, it appeared whoever made up the schedule this season held little regard for sectional preparation. With county-rival Warsaw preparing all week for Wawasee, and the Warriors’ long route to the championship game, Wawasee couldn’t look ahead to the Triton Sectional — not with the NLC title on the line. What took place in those three games was another highlight of the season. Wawasee ripped off three straight wins, beginning with what many considered the best single-game a Wawasee team ever played in a 85-55 trouncing of North Wood. A easy win followed against Northfieid and the Warriors closed out the three-game home stand with a conference-clinching 76-61 win against Bremen in the regular-season finale. Sectional action at Triton began with easy wins against Tippecanoe Valley and Rochester in the first two games and

Sechrist lake to be stocked with trout

Approimately 1,000 rainbow trout will be stocked into SecHrist Lake, near North Webster, on April 12, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The trout, measuring over 10 inches long, are annually stocked into Sechrist Lake to increase spring fishing opportunities in the Barbee Lakes Chain and to utilize the available coldwater fish habitat present throughout the year in Sechrist Lake. According to Jed Pearson. DNR biologist, trout fishing is best within a few weeks immediately after stocking. The daily catch limit is 10 trout and a trout stamp is required. Trout can be identified by their “adipose fin,” a small, soft fin located midway along the fish's back between the main dorsal fin and tail. The DNR will also be conducting a trout harvest survey at Sechrist Lake to estimate the

number of trout fishermen and number of harvested trout. “If plenty of fishermen fish for trout and ample numbers of trout are caught to offset the cost of rearing the trout, then the DNR will continue stocking Sechrist Lake each year,” Pearson said. Besides Sechrist Lake, the only other Kosciusko County trout lake is Wyland Lake, located on the Tri-County Fish and Wildlife Area. Wyland Lake will also receive 1,000 trout on April 12. One minute sports quiz 1. Who won the HondaInverrary Golf Classic? 2. Ralph Sampson plays college basketball for what team? 3. Miil Mahre is known in what sport? 4. Who won the NCAA basketball championship in 1982? 5. What year did George Gervin of San Antonio first become a NBA scoring leader? 10,000 meter run at fairgrounds The Warsaw 10,000 meter run has been scheduled for May 21 at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds. The entry fee is SSO for corporate team entries. Team trophies will be presented in this team and individual race in addition to individual awards in several divisions. The entry fee can be sent to the Warsaw 10,000 race, Athletic Annex of Warsaw, 117 West Center Street, Warsaw, Ind., 46580.

ended in the 53-50 loss to Warsaw which was the second loss of the season Wawasee suffered to the Tigers. “I know people are disappointed, of course, but 1 think the Warsaw game was a good game for ns,., out of sheer determination we nearly shot ’em down.** “I know people are disappointed, of course, but I think the Warsaw game was a good game for us after I look hack on it. We were out of it, weren’t in sync, and couldn't hit, but out of sheer determination we nearly shut them down in the second half,” he said. Wawasee (id more than simply get back into the game. For awhile, the Warriors were in control. “It showed our conditioning, I think, and showed we could keep bearing down. It wasa gutty performance.” For seniors Smith, Walls, Spunar and Hare, many of the memories of this season will be blocked by the sectional defeat. But according to Wysong, it /won’t take long before they'll bounce back in plenty of time to handle the future. “You got to take the good with the bad. When you’re a competitor, you do that. You don’t sit around and cry about it, nor do you gloat over what you did well,” said Wysong. He believes his team are competitors. Walls had an outstanding season, finishing third in scoring, and will always be remembered by Wysong. “1 was to the point last year I didn't know if I wanted Brian on the team. ” But Walls did a complete turnaround. “I am just about as proud of Brian as any person I’ve worked with. He did everything I wanted him to do * Smith was another important member of this year's squad. “He worked extremely hard. He was the type of go-getter, competitor you need to be an over-achiever. ’ ’ Spunar’s play improved drastically and was the difference in Wysong’s defensive plans while juniors Vitaniemi and Atwood contributed steady performances. New Coach Wawasee suffered through a coaching change at mid-season when junior-varsity coach Rob Staley left Wawasee for an assistant principal job at Fairfield. His replacement did more than even Wysong expected of him. “I think anybody who is a basketball fan at Wawasee ought to make a special effort to congratulate or commend coach (Doug) Brookins for coming over and helping us. He took time away from the farm and he certainly didn’t do it for the money.” 4i lf you put those 'could haves* together, you’ll be making excuses all of the rest of your life.” Wysong’s former teammate at Fairfield High School, who went on to play major college basketball at Creighton, compiled an 8-1 record while he was at the helm to lead the Wawasee JV team to a 14-6 record. “The kids really liked him. I must admit, 1 was surprised how well he did. Doug is the type of person that whatever he wanted to do, he could do it very well. ” Wysong and the high school administration will now have to go through the transition process all over again next season. Brookins was appointed under a temporary contract only and another smooth transition will be needed for Wysong’s basketball program. When the 1983-84 basketball season begins, Wysong will not be carrying any lingering excuses on his shoulders Success brings a certain amount of expectation, and when those expectations are not realized it is difficult for the fans to handle. “One thing that really bothers me is people say that if we could have won the sectional, we would have won the regional. If you put those could haves' together you’ll be making excuses all of the rest of your life. ” Wysong admitted to telling his team members that if they did get into the regional, they had a good chance of winning it. But the Warriors didn't, and Wysong refuses to speculate. “1 don’t make excuses, I don’t say any ‘could haves. ’”

jßilSfflHp BASKETBALL INSTRUCTION — Each Saturday morning, the Lakeland Youth Center gives basketball instruction at Milford. Syracuse, and North Wester. The Lakeland Youth Center, an agency of the United Way. relies on volunteers to give their time and knowledge for lessons and teaching of the bask skills of the game. Dave White. North Webster, is shown giving instruction of free throw shooting at North Webster School.

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