For the first time in more than two decades, Hauser is about to have a new athletics director.
Dave Irvine is retiring after 41½ years at the school, the past 20½ as AD. In his place, Ron Hounshell will take over when the second semester begins in January.
“Dave has had a lot of success there,” Hounshell said. “I kind of feel like Joe B. Hall did at Kentucky when he followed Adolph Rupp (as basketball coach). I want to at least maintain things and follow what he’s established.”
Hounshell, 61, has worked in the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. in its Stop and Restart program alternative education program at McDowell the past 18 years. Prior to that, he spent a little more than a year as manager for the Triple Crown baseball complex in Greenfield.
The Shelbyville resident had retired after 22 years in the military. He was stationed in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Fort Ord in Monterrey, California. After coming to Shelbyville, he was the top recruiter in state two years in a row, and was then sent to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for three years.
With his family staying in Shelbyville while he was in Grand Rapids, Hounshell drove back and forth on weekends. He came back in to Shelbyville for good in 1992, worked three more years and retired in December 1995.
“I loved the military,” Hounshell said. “It will always be a part of me because it’s who I am. I went in there a kid and came out a man.”
Hounshell, who has master’s in management and a bachelor’s in business, has been a licensed baseball and softball official for the past 21 years and has worked a lot of Hauser games.
From 1995-2001, Hounshell was an assistant baseball coach at Shelbyville. He also was on the Indiana Bandits travel team coaching staff for five years and coached former Greenfield-Central standout and current Minnesota Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson.
Hounshell was a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball at Madison Central High School in Richmond, Kentucky. In addition to baseball, he has coached youth basketball and football.
The transition in the Hauser athletics department actually began in July, when Hounshell began working with Irvine.
“I’ve been learning everything I could learn from him,” Hounshell said. “They have a good athletic program, and they have good facilities. They have great coaches, and they have great kids. I can understand why they’ve been successful.”
Before becoming AD, Irvine was a teacher for 21 years and coached some middle school basketball and volleyball and high school track and field. He will continue working through December.
After that, Irvine isn’t sure what he’ll do.
“I haven’t thought about that yet,” Irvine said. “I’d like to travel a little bit, spend time with my granddaughters and just enjoy life a little bit.”
Girls earn academic honors
Three local seniors have been named to the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association Volleyball Academic All-State team.Columbus East’s Cortney VanLiew, Brown County’s Elisabeth Huls and Trinity Lutheran’s Hailley Peters made the first team. Jennings County’s Krystal Wilson, South Decatur’s Brooke Helms and Trinity’s Lexi Schneider and Whitney Rogers are honorable mention selections.
East’s Mila Lipinski is on the ICGSA Girls Soccer Academic All-State squad. East’s Maggie Lewis and Kayla Gastineau made honorable mention.
Also making an ICGSA Academic All-State team was South Decatur’s Stacy Fox in cross-country. Edinburgh’s Allie Schooler and Blythe Carman are honorable mention selections in cross-country, and South Decatur’s Lydia Wolterman made honorable mention in golf.
Dogs named All-Conference
Seven members of the Conference Indiana runner-up Columbus North football team have been named to this year’s All-Conference squad.Seniors David Redding, Triston Perry and Mitchell Burton made the team on offense; senior Coleman Tennyson and junior J.D. Harris made it on defense and seniors Mark Salle-Tabor and Harley Huser were special teams selections. Junior Jaylen Flemmons and seniors Daniel Hill, Tucker Payne and Spencer West made honorable mention.
Senior Nick Beales, junior Rico Hollenkamp and sophomore Alex McGill are on the All-Conference boys soccer team. Junior Jannis Anderson, sophomore Zack Friend and senior Ian Hussey made honorable mention.
Seniors Marina Hughes, Addy Lang and Natalie Teo and sophomore Tanner Johnson made the All-Conference girls soccer squad. Freshman Caroline Hollenkamp and junior Liz Tynan are honorable mention selections.
Seniors Ammar Khaled and Nathan VanDeventer and sophomore Kevin Lin are on the All-Conference boys tennis team. Junior Isaac Jackson made honorable mention.
Senior Hannah Weaver made the All-Conference volleyball team. Senior Mackenzie Rooks in an honorable mention selection.
All-Conference honors in boys and girls cross-country and girls golf were decided at the conference meets. Scott Seavers, who led the Bull Dogs to the girls golf title, was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.
Senior wins another honor
Senior Holly Anderson, who won sectional, regional and state medalist honors, has been named MVP of the Columbus North girls golf team.Aubrey Smith won the Bull Dog Award, and Danbi Kim and Julia Luken shared the Most Improved Award. Alex Munnicha was honored for having the team’s highest GPA.
Anderson and Smith were recognized as the team captains. Anderson and Kim earned All-State honors.
Junior selected East MVP
Junior Scott Hammond has been named MVP of the Columbus East boys soccer team.Hammond also was honored for making first team All-District, while Eli Newell made the second team. Andy Davidson won the Olympian Award, and Landon Miles was named the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association Top Team Player.
Graydon Chisholm, Nicholas Shedd, Simon Tunny and Newell made ISCA Academic All-State.
Ted Schultz is sports editor for The Republic. He can be reached at [email protected] or 812-379-5628.
