After just the third practice back from the offseason, those in the Ball State soccer program gathered together to hear head coach Josh Rife’s closing remarks. The 2021 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year talked about the importance of being battle-tested, and encouraged the Cardinals to continue the energy they’ve brought to camp after just two days back in Muncie.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The Americans came into the Women’s World Cup as the two-time defending champions and tournament favorites. By the end of the group stage, they are relieved to still be in the competition. “That was stressful. I was like (expletive),” said United States star Megan Rapinoe, using a curse word to describe her emotions after the team squeezed into the knockout stage with a 0-0 draw against Portugal on Tuesday.
As associate head coach at Middle Tennessee State University, Peña led the Blue Raiders to their second-ever Conference USA Tournament title. This gave the team a berth in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Final. Before being defeated in the regional by fifth-seed Alabama, the Blue Raiders won three regional games. This is the most wins in a regional by a Conference USA team since 2014.
Since she was three years old, Addie Chester’s life was lived through the game of soccer. “I feel like as a kid, it's just kind of what you're good at,” she said. “If you're good at something, you'll keep doing it.” But when she was about to attend Delta High School, she was on the cusp of being done. “Anybody who's played a sport for that long gets burnt out at different times,” she said.
The 57th annual Murat Shrine North/South All-Star Classic did not go as planned as the contest was cut short due to multiple scuffles between the two teams. With 4:09 remaining in the fourth quarter, back-to-back plays ended with shoving matches and players screaming at their opponents. The referees did not hesitate to call the game.
If an Indiana high school football athlete shines for their school, they could be chosen for the Murat Shrine North/South All-Star Classic, which is held by the Indiana Football Coaches Association. For this year’s 57th annual game, two Delaware County players will play for the North team. Those are Muncie Central’s Josiah Ullom and Yorktown’s Kolton Nanko.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe is ready to retire after an illustrious career in which she won an Olympic gold medal, two World Cups and never shied away from using her platform to spotlight social issues. Rapinoe, 38, announced Saturday her fourth World Cup will be her last and she'll officially retire with the OL Reign at the end of the National Women's Soccer League season.
Kendra Keesling was set on Ball State when she was making a decision when it came to her future education. But after four years of being a cheerleader, volleyball player, and track and field athlete for Delta High School, the senior and soon-to-be nursing major’s athletic career seemed to be coming to its conclusion. “I really had the mindset that I do not want to do sports in college,” Keesling said. “I think I'm just gonna focus on my schooling and figure out who I am as a person outside of athletics.”
Vanis Buckholz started playing volleyball during his sophomore and junior year in high school, and only a handful of years later, Buckholz has now been selected to play on the USA Men’s Collegiate National Team. “I tried out my sophomore year in Spring and that was my first time ever playing volleyball and absolutely fell in love with it,” Buckholz said. “My summer going into junior year I started club volleyball at Balboa Bay, then I fully committed to it my junior year in high school.”
Ball State Softball head coach Lacy Schurr is stepping down from her position and will move into a role with the coaching staff at the University of Pittsburgh, according to Ball State athletics. “We are grateful to Lacy for her contributions to the Ball State program, and we wish her well at Pitt,” said Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell. “Our program is on an upward trajectory, and I’m excited to search for a coach that continues our upward path.”
All but one of the 30 of the Major League Baseball teams are hosting Pride Nights this season, most during Pride Month, which celebrates and supports LGBTQ+ culture and rights. The Texas Rangers are the only team without a Pride Night. They say they are committed to making everyone feel welcome at all games.
In my first season as the Daily News beat writer covering Delaware County high school athletics, I saw multiple athletes fight their way to help their school. But when the 2022-2023 sports season officially ended, I thought to myself, which players stood out? With that in mind, here are my awards for the season. The first two awards are a bit different than the rest as I sent an email to the area’s athletic directors asking for nominees. From there, I looked at the candidates and chose the winners.
When you walk into the Ball State Track and Field locker room, it looks as you would probably expect. There are lockers along the wall filled with gear. Two couches and stools help fill the space. But laying in the corner are two things that stick out: two water guns. Some might ask, what are water guns doing in the corner of a college locker room?
Ball State Track and Field athletes junior Jenelle Rogers and senior Charity Griffith return to Muncie with an impressive list of accomplishments, including a National Champion crown for Griffith. Rogers finished fifth in the heptathlon. She and Griffith were named All-Americans for their performances this season. It is the first time in school history that Ball State has produced multiple outdoor All-Americans in the same season, it is also the first time two Cardinals were within the top 10 in the NCAA Outdoor Championship.
The Wes-Del Warriors hoped that they would return to the 1A State Championship for the first time since the 1990 season. But they would fall two games short as they were defeated 6-2 in their first semi-state game. “I'm extremely proud of them,” Wes-Del head coach Daniel Hanson said. “This moment sucks and they're hurting. I told them [in the post-game huddle] how proud I am of them and that we came here today to fight and they did that.”
Last year, the Wes-Del Warriors ended their season with a 5-3 loss to Cowan in the sectional championship. “This group was pretty determined [to not repeat that],” Warriors third-year head coach Daniel Hanson said. “...[The team] wanted to make sure that when we got back to those kinds of moments, we were prepared, and that it was a different outcome.” So with that in mind, how did they respond this season?
One thing was clear when speaking with Yorktown head coach Nathan McClung, he said he not only has a good group of golfers, but also a good group of kids. “This is one of the most enjoyable teams I've ever coached, and last year was too,” McClung said “But this group of guys, they're very different. But a lot of them are unique and some really special. They're phenomenal young men. So it's a privilege that they call me coach.” That group of kids ended up winning sectionals at the Hickory Hills Golf Club with a score of 321, led by the sectional individual champion, Christian Groves.
The Yorktown Tigers and Cowan Blackhawks attempted to reach the promised land as they continued their journey in the state tournament. But there are no longer any Delaware County teams left as both teams had their quests cut just short as they were defeated in Saturday’s semi-state. In the first game of the 3A semi-state, the Tigers (17-9, 4-3 Hoosier Heritage) trailed Leo (26-2, 6-1 Northeast Eight) 4-1 in the seventh inning. But after a walk by Freshman Emma Reynolds, Yorktown hoped for a comeback at Twin Lakes High School.
After a historic season and postseason, winning a Mid-American Conference Championship and making it to the NCAA Tournament, the Ball State Baseball season comes to an end. Head coach Rich Maloney said he would never forget the team being selected and hearing Ball State be picked to play in an NCAA regional. Ball State (36-23) lost their elimination game against West Virginia (40-20).
In the first inning of today’s NCAA regional game in Lexington, KY, Ball State junior Decker Scheffler hit a single. That was followed by a double by senior Adam Tellier. With two base runners on second and third with only one out, Cardinal fans might have thought that their team was going to hit the scoreboard early. But then, the hometown Kentucky Wildcats retired the next two Ball State batters with a lineout and a strikeout. The Cardinals did not know it then, but that would end up being their best chance to score in their 4-0 opening loss of the NCAA Tournament.
