Athletes of the Year: The final six
Gary Dudgeon
Greensburg Daily
News - Published July 01, 2008 10:59 pm
Recently the Daily News ran a trio of articles recounting the
exploits of local teams during the fall, winter and spring seasons of the last
school year. Today culminates the series with the announcement of the choice of
male and athlete of the year for each of the county’s three schools.
On Saturday the final choice of the male and female athlete of the year will be
announced. The players listed today were assembled with input from the
administration of the three schools.
Greensburg Community High School had several individuals to choose from,
particularly with the male athletes, but the selections made were Alex Meyer and
Ann Weigel. Meyer had considerable competition as Mitch Adams and Trygve
Henrikson both performed well on both the football and baseball squads and Ethan
Herbert, who was injured for much of the football season, stood out in wrestling
and as a shot putter on the track team. Herbert set a Pirate record by winning
40 consecutive matches wrestling in the 215-pound class last winter.
Henrikson wrestled a class lower as a 189 pounder and qualified for the state
tournament. As a football player he was selected Defensive Player of the Year in
the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference (EIAC).
He was also a factor in the middle of the Pirates’ batting order as Greensburg
advanced to the final game of the Jasper Semi-State before losing to
eventual-state-champion Crawfordsville.
On the female side, Ann Weigel was named, but she had competition from
three-sport-start Sara Welage who competed on the sectional champion Lady Pirate
basketball team, the volley ball team and held the No. 1 singles slot on the
tennis squad all year. Additional mention goes
to Mollye Leas, who
played volleyball and advanced to state as a discus thrower
as well as Erica Schwering, a junior, who played center on the basketball team
and qualified for state as a shot putter. Both Leas and Schwering were
All-conference in track. Other girls considered were Taylor Hunter and Briana
Scheidler, who finished the golf season as the third medalist in golf.
At North Decatur the choices were Neal Ploeger and Sarah Wallpe. Ploeger was
challenged by two class mates, Blake Litmer and Dustin Metz. Litmer was
All-state in football and starred in both basketball and base ball; Metz was
Academic All-state in football, played basketball and ran track. Joe Gauck also
participated in three sports - basketball, cross country and golf.
Wallpe was a three-sport star as a junior at North. She played volleyball as a
hitter, started as center on the basketball team and hit clean-up on the
softball team. Other girls considered include Katie Gahimer, Jill Hammersmith,
Hannah Gauck and Hayley Hayden. All three joined Wallpe on the basketball team
but Wallpe was the only girl to compete in three varsity sports. Hayden missed
most of track season but returned to anchor the 4 X 100 relay team which set a
school record at the regional meet.
South Decatur had four athletes who participated in three sports - Tyler Mote,
Dustin Snyder, Julie French and Jamie Huff. Hayley Holdreith, Allison Cunningham
and Keighlea Owens all performed well in two sports for the Cougars but the
selection came down to two three-sports stars.
Both French and Huff were integral parts of the sectional champion basketball
team and on the volleyball team. Huff played softball, French participated in
both track events and as a high jumper in track but the final determination went
to Huff on the basis of her placing on three All-conference squads.
The boys’ selection was Snyder.
Mote was quarterback on the football team, a leading scorer on the basketball
team and a sprinter on the track team. Honorable mention goes to two-sport
athletes Chris Scheidler, Dylan Wolterman, Dylan Graham and Josh England. All of
the athletes above played basketball except Wolterman, who was a place kicker in
football and a member of the Cougar golf team that went undefeated in dual and
triangular meets. Scheidler also was on the team. Graham participated in track
and England played baseball.
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