Wheeler boys kick it into gear at Gavit cross country invitational

HAMMOND | It's gotta be the shoes.

Defensive stands keep Noll sturdy in victory over Boone

HAMMOND | In the first half of Bishop Noll's game against Boone Grove, Josh Galgan was overthrowing his own receivers' heads. In the second, his spirals soared over Boone Grove's shiny blue and white helmets.

Marian Catholic golfer Sylvie Brick one of the best in the state

Sylvie Brick is a shape-shifting breed of golfer with a knack for versatility. She's like Doogie Howser, Mrs. Huxtable, and a Ford truck commercial all neatly assembled to make Marian Catholic's No. 1 black-and-white polka-dotted golfer.

Valpo's vigor puts Mustangs on their heels

MUNSTER | Valparaiso's Carrie Clark looked and sounded like an antique auctioneer Thursday night as she hastily called out new opponents, pointed directions and fired up her squad up in one fluid motion.

Munster begins its volleyball season with a victory

MUNSTER | Munster's volleyball team doesn't have one superstar that can dominantly alter the path of a match.

Marian Catholic boys golf team second at T.F. North/T.F. South Invitational

CRETE | Marian Catholic golfers slid into second place at Tuesday's T.F. North/T.F. South Invitational, with all five players shooting in the 80s.

Marian Catholic girls golf team wins own invitational

FLOSSMOOR | The setting was made for comfort. Marian Catholic started off the 2011 season by hosting its own tournament at Coyote Run, its home course, with partly cloudy skies and a slight breeze.

Three generations of state finalists promote classical traditions of baseball

Roberta Cruz was just 6 years old when it happened.

Three personal lows fuel commanding win at Curtis Creek

Valparaiso's Ellie Gorski and Brooke Fullenkamp whipped their phones to their ears the minute they stepped off the course, eagerly awaiting each ring so they could boast to their parents.

Kelly Grassel shoots personal low in blowout victory

DEMOTTE | Three Chesterton girls golfers leaned down on the first hole tee box firmly planting the base for a pyramid. Two others giggled as they nervously placed each knee on their teammates' backs careful not to dig into their spines during the team photo.

Harvey on point in leadership role

CROWN POINT | Alyssa Harvey's small frame and innocent face are dead giveaways that Crown Point's No. 1 is a freshman. Watch her with a club in her hands, however, and her collected course conduct would fool anyone.

Hobart girls golf team edges Andrean, Highland for relaxed scramble victory

HOBART | After a 9 a.m. tee time at River Pointe Country Club, the last round of heavy-footed girls golfers thumped towards the pro shop at 4:20 p.m. immediately flinging off their cleats to rest.

Dubsky paves the way as Valparaiso crushes the competition

ST. JOHN | Jennifer Gough couldn't refrain from gushing her excitement as she threw her arms up in the air and let out an abbreviated "Woo!"

Close-knit Crown Point team looks to take next step on national softball stage

CROWN POINT | Last season the Crown Point 12U girls' softball team took the top spot at the National Softball Association's "B" World Series with just nine girls on the roster.Now the Bulldogs are fully loaded, a year more experienced and primed for their first national tournament.

Cool demeanor carries Joh to South Shore Victory

CROWN POINT | Tiffany Joh laughs in the faces of golfers distracted by camera flashes. After the final round of the South Shore Championship, she has played, and won, amongst cannons.

Indiana rookie finds solace in home-state company

CROWN POINT | When rookie Lyndsay McBride entered the LPGA Futures Tour in late January, she was scared, just not of the competition.

Hanover Central pegged as Jimtown Regional winners

JIMTOWN | It has been a complete change of culture for the Hanover Central Wildcat baseball program, according to junior shortstop Nick Bollenbacher.

Mike Balich hits in clutch to help Hanover win in regional semifinal

JIMTOWN | Going into the top of the sixth inning, it looked as though senior Mike Balich's first-inning two-RBI triple would be all Hanover Central needed. That assumption couldn't have been more wrong.

Munster seniors fight to end Lake Central golf supremacy

This season Munster senior Tony Rubino has played a round of golf in a spongy pair of Crocs and has been disqualified for a simple misunderstanding, so adversity has become a good friend of his.

Hanover Central captures school's first-ever baseball sectional title

CEDAR LAKE | Spectators lounged in golf carts and under umbrellas beyond the outfield fence at Hanover Central, and occasional clouds skating across the sky briefly provided the only shade at the ballpark.

Noll baseball team overcomes shaky start to take down River Forest

Bishop Noll just knew. Senior pitcher Eric Rodriguez knew his team would advance, he knew he could shake off his early-inning jitters and his coach Paul Writz knew that run support for his pitcher was inevitable.

Merrillville grad healthily mowing down hitters

On July 16, Kim Polk didn't dare leave her seat, firmly stationed next to her computer speakers at her Indianapolis home.

Sportsworx Stars seek redemption in return to CABA World Series

A second straight bid to the Continental Amateur Baseball Association (CABA) World Series can only mean one thing for the 11-and-under SportsWorx Stars: Another full weekend of living the lavish hotel life.

Ben Nisle, 11, wins regional MLB Pitch, Hit & Run

Ben Nisle was able to undertake something only Marlon Byrd, Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and the rest of the Cubs are allowed to do on a daily basis.

Tony Walker does TV 'The American Way'

Back in 2005 Tony Walker was your run-of-the-mill union worker who loved the outdoors.

Andrean baseball team advances to semistate

PLYMOUTH | Andrean was in no hurry as it trotted down the first-base line Saturday night, yet the 59ers wasted no time getting around the diamond to cross home plate.

Clark grabs third consecutive baseball sectional title

HAMMOND | Clark's players had two more wishes after winning the Class 3A Gavit Sectional title for the third consecutive year: Win regionals and pick up opposing Gavit pitcher Aveeno Nasiloski to join their squad.

C.P., LaPorte advance in baseball sectional

CROWN POINT | Josh Negele had his way Thursday, both triggering Crown Point, and shutting down Valparaiso in the Bulldogs' 3-1 win in the first round of the Class 4A Crown Point Sectional.

Michigan City, Portage advance in baseball sectional

CROWN POINT | Jordan Nieman's eyes lit up just before laying out toward home plate, stretching his frame for a popped up bunt. Ball-in-glove, Nieman's head jerked toward third base as he sprinted for the third out of the inning, narrowly escaping a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seven…

Lake Central, Lowell advance to softball sectional semis

ST. JOHN | Lowell and Lake Central coasted by their competition Tuesday, setting up a Class 4A Lake Central Sectional semifinal matchup between the two.

Highland wins seventh straight girls tennis sectional title

HIGHLAND | Over the course of the season, Highland coach Adam Baez has noticed his pants have gotten just a big tighter.

Highland advances to girls tennis sectional finals

HIGHLAND | Highland coach Adam Baez doesn't see himself as much of a "rah rah" motivational kind of guy. On Thursday in the opening round of the Highland Sectional , the Trojans' coach didn't need to be.