The Mail-Journal, Volume 21, Number 6, Milford, Kosciusko County, 22 February 1984 — Page 8
THE MAIL-JOURNAL - Wed., February 22,1984
8
Sports
Warriors sneak past Central, 72-68
By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Writer All season long Wawasee head basketball coach John Wysong wondered just how good his team really was. Thursday evening he gained a better perspective as his Warriors outplayed Elkhart Central in a 72-68 non-conference victory. “One thing that I saw against Elkhart was that we are not., afraid of stiff competition.” said Wysong. “In fact, we are eager to have it because we seem to be a little more competitive and play under control pretty much.” With the Warriors’ victory, they improve their overall record to 15-4 and head into Friday’s action with the Bremen Lions. Both squads are 4-2 in the Northern Lakes Conference. For Wawasee. Thursday’s rescheduled contest with the Blue Blazers may have been to their benefit. With Elkhart having to play South Bend Clay the following evening, coach Ed McDowell’s squad may have looked past the Warriors. But whether they did or not, it did not matter. Wawasee won the ball game with it’s intensity, concentration and desire. Jon Vitaniemi, who has been playing his best basketball as of late, scored 26 points while grab-
I MU <3 m BPsJ’ BOMBS AWAY — Wawasee’s outstanding forward Jon Vitaniemi lets loose on a 15 foot jumper during second quarter action with Elkhart Central. The Warriors used Vitaniemi’s 26 points and 12 rebounds to defeat the Blue Blazers. 72-68. Thursday. Feb. 16. (Photo by Mark Weinstein)
Sports comment — Calling the shots
FORMER WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLER and cross-country runner Kevin Walker, is pursuing yet another sport these days — rugby. Walker is a junior at Ball State University. The Cardinals have one of the Midwest’s top clubs. Last year, the 15-member All-Indiana Collegiate Select Team featured 10 Ball State players, including Walker. Walker, who did not play the sport until his sophomore year, anchors the scrum position This is a rough — literally — equivalent of the quarterback position in football. Although a relative newcomer to the sport, he is considered one of the squad’s top three players. The Ball State administration is currently in the process of considering the sport for full varsity status. Kevin is the son of Stuart and Diane Walker, 119 W.E. Long Dr., Syracuse. CLARK KELLOGG, A FORWARD WITH THE INDIANA PACERS, has accepted the position of Honorary Head Coach of Indiana Special Olympics. As Honorary Head Coach, Kellogg will serve as a main spokesman for the group and will work with the summer games on June 21-23 at Indiana State University. “I am excited and honored with the appointment as Honorary Head Coach and look forward to working with the Special Olympics,” Kellogg commented. The Pacers also announced that they will hold a special clinic for Indianapolis area Special Olympic teams on Feb. 21 at Market Square Arena. The 6’7” Kellogg is in his second season with the Pacers. He was the Pacers’ leading scorer and rebounder in the 1982-83 season. Kellogg is a graduate of Ohio State University. FAIRFIELD’S HERB HOFER was the only area wrestler to place in the state wrestling meet at Indianapolis last weekend. Hofer, who has compiled an impressive 91-11 mark over the past four years, placed third in the heavyweight divi-
bing a team high 12 rebounds in lifting the Warriors early. Brooks Koble added 21 and Kim Zurcher chipped in with 16 points for the Warriors. “Vitaniemi played just an outstanding game against Central,” praised his senior forward. “But lurcher, and Koble also had great games in different roles. Although Elkhart jumped out to an early 4-0 count, Wawasee never felt any pressure. Vitaniemi, along with Zurcher and others brought the Warriors back in the initial frame. As the two seniors connected on three of four fielders each in the first quarter, Wawasee erased the four point deficit. In return, the host Warriors raced past the high-flying Blazers to take a 18-13 lead after the first break. Starting out slowly, Wawasee finally caught the quick Blazers. Vitaniemi knotted up the score at eight apiece with a rebounded bucket late in the first period, and then Zurcher. Brooks Koble and Jeff Atwood went to work. Zurcher provided the Warriors with theit first lead of the game with a short 12 foot jumper. Much tp the enjoyment of the home crowd. Koble added a layup following an Elkhart turnover for a 12-8 lead and the Warriors were on a roll.
sion. This was his second trip to Indianapolis. He finished the season at 28 3. LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: Michigan 62, Illinois 60; Indiana 49, lowa 45; Brigham Young 68, Notre Dame 64; Michigan State 65, Purdue 53; Wawasee 72, Elkhart Central 68; Warsaw 84, Mishawaka 51; Triton 73, Knox 68. Whitko’s remarkable comeback win over Southwood last Friday has to stand as one of the best in recent memory. The Wildcats rallied from a 70-55 deficit with 24 minutes remaining to score a 72-71 win. The ’Cats engineered the wild finish without the services of coach Bill Patrick who was ejected from the contest. Whitko is now 16-2 overall.' This week’s contests: Wawasee at Bremen, Elkhart Central at Warsaw, Concord at Westview, S B. LaSalle at Plymouth, Marquette at Notre Dame, Michigan State at Indiana and Illinois at Purdue. Charles (.648) — The are rolling at the right time of year. Bremen is a tough away date, but the Warriors should be up to the test. Winners: Wawasee, Warsaw, Concord, Plymouth, the Irish, Indiana and Illinois. ?" Kuhn (.680) — “Look for the Tigers to play at Market Square Arena on March 24,” said Derk. “They could take it all!” Winners: Wawasee, Warsaw, Westview, Plymouth, Marquette, Indiana and Purdue. Rhodes (.6161 — Rhodes’ winners: Wawasee, Warsaw, Westview, S.B. LaSalle, Notre Dame, Indiana and Illinois. Weinstein (.554) — “I’m going with the Lions because Kim Zurcher pleaded with me not to jinx the Warriors,” claimed the star-crossed Weinstein. Winners: Bremen, Warsaw, Westview, S.B. LaSalle, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Illinois.
With Elkhart trying desperately to catch the Warriors, the Blazers could get no closer than two points after the first period Wawasee blitz. Every time Elkhart made a run at the Warriors, Wawasee’s five would match the visitor’s attempt. Elkhart, beind somewhat rattled due in part to the enthusiastic Wawasee crowd, followed Koble’s easy field goal with an errant pass. Atwood, seeing Elkhart’s intentions, intercepted the ball, which Zurcher converted for a Wawasee 14-8 lead. The Blazers were able to close within five at the final period buzzer, but it wasn't enough as Wawasee’s first period spurt provided the hosts the victory.
Wrestlers repeat tournament wins in successful 1983-84 campaign
By TOM CHARLES Sports Editor Brad Traviolia’s inability to wrestle in the state finals was a bitter ending to another successful season for Wawasee’s wrestling program. The 132-pound sophomore was not able to recover from his hip injury in time to participate in last weekend’s meet. Traviolia finished the season with a 29-3 record. Overall, this group of wrestlers put together one of the finest seasons in the school’s history. They compiled a 9-1 dual meet record, won the Wawasee Invitational, tied Goshen for a share of the NLC crown, won the East Noble Sectional and won the Carroll Regional. “I had a feeling all along that we were a week or two ahead of last year,’’ said Welborn. “But with six or seven seniors on the team, you expect to be farther along.” In addition to their team titles, this year’s grapplers improved upon last year’s finishes in both the Mishawaka and East Noble Invitationals. Wawasee took ninth in the tough Mishawaka field and came in second at East Noble “Our finish at Mishawaka was the best ever,” noted Welborn. “We were fourth at East Noble last year. This year, the key to East Noble was the draw. The kids wrestled well considering our draw.” Perhaps the high point of the season was the NLC tournament win at Wawasee. The win, Wawasee’s first NEC tournament crown in 13 years, ensured the Warriors of a tie for the conference championship. “The team showed a lot of character in the NLC meet,” said Welborn. “We did well in the head-to-head matches with Goshen. That made the difference.” The sectional and regional crowns were especially gratifying to Welborn. The Warriors got a good draw in the sectional and had little trouble in collecting its
w By TOM CHARLES
The visiting Blazers cut the one time nine-point early second period deficit to two as the period closed out. But Vitaniemi retaliated when the teams returned for the third quarter. Hitting on three consecutive field goals, Vitaniemi helped Wawasee pull out to seven-point spread midway into the period. Wawasee continued to expand its lead throughout the final two quarters with a spread-out motion offensive attack. Still the Blazers kept battling back. As the Warriors attempted to pull the Blazer defense out, their lead inflated to nine points with just over two minutes remaining in the contest. “I think Zurcher and Koble did , a nice job protecting the ball,”
second straight crown. Jeff Dunithan, Rob DeSomer, Dave Melendez, Brad Traviolia, Mike Hernandez and Steve Yoder won sectional championships. One week later, the Warriors successfully defended their Carroll Regional crown. Traviolia and Melendez were Wawasee’s individual champions. “I hate to have to be in the position where you caff just sit and watch (to see if you are going to win),” said Welborn in reference to the tough meet. “But the regional was a lot tougher this year because people were picking us to win. It was satisfying that the kids could take the pressure and come through.” Key Performers The 1983-84 season was highlighted by several key performances at various points in the year. Steve Sturgill overcame injuries to register an important fourth place in the NLC meet. Tim Fraser’s third place in the regional provided the Warriors with some crucial points. Lance Lantz also played an important role in several meets. However, the strong point for Wawasee all season was in the middle weights. Rob DeSomer, 21-7, Dave Melendez, 27-3, Brad Traviolia, 29-3, and Mike Hernandez, 27-3, provided a formidable “Green Wave” from 119-138 pounds. Os the four, only Traviolia will be back next winter. DeSomer closed out his prep career with an excellent year. “He got stronger as the season went along,” noted Welborn. “His intensity really picked up. This was the second year in which DeSomer qualified for the semi-state. He was a sectional champion and a runner up in the regional. Melendez suffered a disappointing loss in the semi-state, but still had a fantastic year. “He probably ended up being our team leader,” said Welborn. “He did a super job.” He finished as a conference champion, sectional champion and regional champion. Hernandez also finished the season on somewhat of a disappointing note. He suffered a stretched nerve in his shoulder the last two weeks of the season. “The injury really hurt him,” said Welborn. “But Mike is an excellent wrestler. He has good qualities.” Hernandez qualified
Sports Calendar Week Os February 22 To February 29 " yi— —■ i ■ V Wawasee Gymnastics v 6:30 p.m., at East Noble V Syracuse Junior High Wrestling i. L 4:15 p.m., at home vs Pierceton Milford Junior High Wrestling 3:45 p.m., at home vs North Webster FRIDAY Wawasee Boys’ JV and Varsity Basketball 6:15 p.m., at Bremen . MONDAY Syracuse Junior High Wrestling 4:45 p.m., at South Whitley Wawasee Gymnastics Sectional 6:00 p.m., at Wawasee TUESDAY 4? Milford Junior High Wrestling 4:00 p.m., at Pierceton IMLY North Webster Junior High Wrestling / 4:00 p.m., at home vs West Noble Syracuse Junior High Wrestling 4:30 p.m., at Nappanee
said Wysong, “and Swihart made his foul shots at the end. But we also made some mistakes that helped Elkhart get closer to us at the end.” The Warriors, entering the final weekend of the regular season have experienced a side problem. . .their health. While Atwood was playing sick in the Elkhart contest, Koble developed a fever following the affair and Zurcher has been under the weather lately. Bremen Next “It should be a very interesting game with Bremen,” said Wysong. “Bremen has had an outstanding year, and I know they will be looking to gain some momentum going into their sectional game against Plymouth.”
for the state meet last year and was a sectional champion this season. Jason Keim, Pat Inks and Tim Fraser will also be lost to graduation. Keim provided the Warriors with some key points in the Wawasee Invitational. Fraser was third in the regional, second in the sectional and second in the NLC. Inks battled injuries during the season but came on strong at the end. “I think the fact that our seniors came through and improved and that our younger kids got better was important for us this year,” said Welborn. “We had a nice blend, and it turned out well.”
Gymnasts split final regular season meets, search for fifth consective sectional crown
By TOM CHARLES Sports Editor Wawasee’s gymnastics teams tuned up for sectional competition with two meets in the past week. The optional team split its meets, losing at Huntington and defeating Plymouth. The intermediate team won both meets. Wawasee will host the gymnastics sectional on Monday, Feb. 27 and Thursday, March 1. Action is scheduled in the vault and bars on Monday night, with the beam and floor exercise competitions set for Thursday. The meet begins at 6:00 p.m. each evening. Admission for students and adults is $1.50 per session. Competition will take place on both the inidividual and team levels. The top three individual finishers in each optional event, as well as the top optional team, will advance to the Merrillville Regional on March 10. Only the top intermediate individuals advance. There is no intermediate team competition. The Warriors have won the last four sectional titles, but will face a stiff challenge this year from Elkhart Memorial. The Chargers won their Jan. 31 encounter with Wawasee by a score of 84.15-76.45. “It will be a very, very close meet,” said coach Kim Conrad. “We were short some team members in the meet against them. But our average team scores have been very c|ose.”
Warsaw TRITON SECTIONAL PAIRINGS Wawasee 7:30 P.M. ___ WVWWWy Rochester Tippy Valley ’’SLy* - 7:30 P.M. W--4 -4,— wwWUwww y Triton
Warriors, Tigers square off J
By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Writer Similiar to the Warsaw girls’ sectional, Wawasee’s boys’ basketball team opens first round action in the Triton Sectional against nearby Warsaw. Entering the 74th annual Indiana High School Athletic Association tournament, Friday, March 2, the Warriors will tangle with Warsaw, the sectional favorite. The Tigers, 17-2, and winners of the Northern Lakes Conference, defeated every member of the sectional except Triton. The Trojans and Tigers did not meet in the regular season. Including in the string of triumphs was a convincing 65-54 victory over
Last Week Tuesday night, Wawasee swept Plymouth in the intermediate and optional competitions. On the intermediate level, Wawasee won by the score of 87.75-57.5. Shelly Daniels, Michelle Leffler and Paula Smith captured firsts for Wawasee. Smith won both the floor exercises and the all-around competition. The optional team raised its record to 5-3 with a 91.7-11.3 victory. Kathy Campbell continued her fine performances with firsts
Galloway, Zachary in state meet, swimmers place fifth in sectional
Led by Bob Galloway’s first place in the 200 individual medley and Phil Zachary’s second, place in diving, the Wawasee i boys’ swim team finished fifth in the Elkhart Sectional last weekend. The Warriors compiled 133 points. Elkhart Central took top honors with 234 points.. Both Galloway and Zachary now advance to the state swim meet this Friday and Saturday at the Indiana-Purdue Natatorium in Indianapolis. Qualifying rounds for diving are slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, while the swimming preliminaries will begin at 4:00 p.m. The finals in both swimming and diving are set for Saturday. Galloway, who broke the school and pool record in the 200 individual medley earlier this year, improved his mark during the sectional races. In the event, he captured the top spot with a 2:03.58 clocking, smashing his former school record of 2:04.5. Galloway also qualified for the state meet in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 1:04.79 fourth-place finish. Along with Galloway, Zachary also set a school record while advancing to the final meet of the year. Zachary’s 434.50 points in diving allowed the senior to finish second behind Northern Lakes Conference champion Nate Kuhns of North Wood. Zachary’s point total erased the Wawasee record set by Greg Day in 1983. This will be the first trip to the state finals for Zachary. Galloway was a part of Wawasee’s 400 freestyle relay team which participated at the state meet last year. Swimming correction It was incorrectly noted in last week’s Mail-Journal that Wawasee swimmer Carl Rouch was given artificial respiration at the conference swim meet. The Mail-Journal regrets the error and any misunderstanding it may have caused.
the Warriors on December 9. But since that date with the Tigers, Wawasee has improved greatly. Presently holding an impressive 15-4 slate, Wawasee recently turned back Warsaw’s final opponent, Elkhart Central 72-68. “Warsaw was the best team on our schedule, by far,” said Wysong. “They have talent and play smart.” Although the Warriors came up on the short end of the score last time, Wysong is optimistic when the two reunite at Triton High School. “We can beat them, but we will need a lot of faith,” added Wysong. “And we also will need to execute well at both ends of the court.” Presently each team has three exceptional scoring
on the bars and the floor, and top honors in the all-around competition. She also grabbed second place on the beam. Jeanine Gunn won the vault with a score of 8.35. Angie Graff’s 7.5 on the beam was good for first place. She also took second on the floor, third on the bars and third in the vault. Last Thursday, the team traveled to Huntington. The intermediate squad came away with a close 93.9-93.1 win. The optional team lost another close match, 94.9-93.2. Stephanie Crow, Shelly Daniels
808 GALLOWAY Zachary will need to make it through three preliminary cuts in order to make it through to Saturday’s diving finals. Only the top 16 divers will compete on Saturday. “It’s hard to tell how Zach will do,” said swim coach /Tim Caldwell. “Diving is a very sub-
Athlete of the week
Although it was nothing unusual, Jon Vitaniemi scored 26 points and grabbed 42 rebounds in leading the Warriors to an impressive 72-68 victory over Elkhart Central. For Vitaniemi’s efforts, he becomes the first Wawasee athlete to earn a second “Athlete of the Week” award in 1984. Vitaniemi led the Warriors with 12 rebounds as they outrebounded the high-leaping Blazers, 24-21. Along with his outstanding effort on the boards, “Vito” also netted a team-high 26 points, nine in the final period as Wawasee held off a late Blazer rally.
athletes, with others playing a less than glamourous position. Warsaw is led offensively by junior guard Jeff Grose’s 21.2 points per game. Marty Lehmann’s 18.9 average ranks second on the Tigers, while Rob Randels comes in with a 14.0 average, including a 19.0 mark during the last eight games. The Warriors on the other hand have less spectacular figures, but they are equally important. Jon Vitaniemi, who plays much bigger than his size would indicate, leads Wawasee with a 19.6 offensive average and 12 rebounds per contest. Kim Zurcher has a respectable 16.2 mark, while Brooks Koble rounds out the doubledigit scorers with a 15.6 average.
and Marcia Taylor turned in high scores on the way to their firstplace finishes. Crow scored an 8.5 to win the vault, Daniels had a 7.9 to win the beam, and Taylor scored a 9.0 to win the floor exercise. Angie Graff was Wawasee’s lone optional winner. She took first place on the beam with a score of 8.1 Kathy Campbell placed second on the bars, beam, and in the allaround competition. Graff was third in the all-around. Raeni Rinker placed third on the bars.
PHIL ZACHARY jective sport.” Galloway, on the other hand, can use the clock for comparison. His time in the medley earned him the 15th seed going Into Friday’s action. He is also seeded 27th in the breaststroke. The top 16 swimmers in each event score points.
I mRv \ JON VITANIEMI