Two years ago, Columbus East volleyball player Tayler Chandler put together a 5K run/walk for her senior project to raise money for Inheritance of Hope.
Now, her younger sister McKenna is doing the same thing for her senior project. She will host the Walk It Out for IOH 5K run/walk at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mill Race Park.
Inheritance of Hope is an organization that sends families with a terminally ill parent on a trip to Disney World or New York City. The Chandlers’ mother, Chena, died of bone and lung cancer in 2014, and IOH sent the family to Disney during McKenna’s eighth-grade year in May 2013.
Like Tayler did with her senior project, McKenna, who also played volleyball for the Olympians, is hoping to raise money to help Inheritance of Hope send more families with a terminally ill parent on a vacation. She has set a goal of $10,000.
“She had a lot of people show up, and it raised a ton of money, so I wanted to continue on,” McKenna Chandler said.
The cost to enter is $25 and includes a T-shirt, Subway gift card, prizes, snacks and hot chocolate. Registration and a video are available at inheritanceofhope.org/walkitout
Locals named All-State
Two Columbus North players have been selected to the Associated Press Class 6A All-State football team, and three members of the state runner-up Columbus East squad are on the 5A team.
North running back Mitchell Burton and offensive tackle David Redding made the 6A first team. Kicker Mark Salle-Tabor, defensive tackle Coleman Tennyson and defensive backs J.D. Harris and Harley Huser are honorable mention selections.
East running back Jamon Hogan, center Harry Crider and defensive back Ethan Summa are on the 5A first team. Quarterback Josh Major, offensive tackle Jared Clark and linebacker T.C. O’Neal made honorable mention.
South Decatur running back Damon Allen is on the Class A first team. Jennings County wide receiver Tucker Marsh made honorable mention in 4A.
Meanwhile, Crider and Redding have been named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 team, which consists of the state’s top 50 players regardless of class.
Burton and Tennyson are on the Class 6A Senior All-State team. Harris made the 6A Junior All-State squad.
Clark is on the 5A Senior All-State team. Major, Hogan and Summa made the 5A Junior All-State squad.
Allen landed on the Class A Senior All-State team.
Hauser senior commits
Hauser senior Hailey Lange signed a national letter-of-intent Monday to play softball at Evangel University.
Lange found out about Evangel after the coach of an All-American travel team for which she played (Jay Halbrook) took the coaching job at Evangel, an NAIA school in Springfield, Missouri.
“The coach there is awesome, the team is awesome, the campus is awesome and most importantly, they have the major (physical therapy) I want,” Lange said.
Lange is a three-sport who is currently playing basketball for the Jets. She has played on two regional championship teams in both volleyball and softball and was the starting catcher on Hauser’s 2015 Class A state championship softball team.
Panthers coach reaches milestone
With four wins in the Hoosier Hills Conference Duals on Friday and Saturday, Jennings County wrestling coach Howard Jones eclipsed the 500 mark for his career and moved into the top-five all-time in Indiana.
Jones, who is in his 30th year, now ranks fifth in state history with 502 wins to go along with 200 losses and a tie. He has won nine Hoosier Hills Conference and 13 sectional titles and has led the Panthers to regional championships the past two years.
Jones sits only six wins behind former South Bend Clay coach Al Hartman for fourth place. Lafayette Jeff coach Tom Miller is the all-time leader with 599 wins.
North to honor alumni at games
Columbus North’s boys and girls basketball teams are welcoming back alumni of the programs for upcoming games.
The Bull Dog boys will host Alumni Night at Friday’s game against Franklin Central. The girls will host Alumni Day at their Dec. 17 game against Terre Haute North.
All former Columbus High School and Columbus North players are invited and will be recognized at halftime of the boys or girls games. A postgame reception is planned for each.
No RSVP is necessary.
Gymnastics regional back at East
This year’s gymnastics regional, which had been moved to Connersville, has been moved back to Columbus East.
The Olympians originally thought they might be hosting the boys basketball sectional that weekend. But that sectional will be played at Bloomington North.
East is in line to host the boys basketball sectional in 2018.
