Columbus North ran away with the Conference Indiana girls all-sports title and narrowly edged out Bloomington South to claim the boys all-sports championship for the 2018-19 school year.
The Bull Dog girls racked up 64 points to 50 for runner-up Bloomington South to win the all-sports crown for the 15th time in the conference’s 22-year history. Bloomington North finished third with 41 1/2, followed by Terre Haute South (36 1/2), Terre Haute North (33) and Southport (21).
Columbus North’s boys slipped past Bloomington South 59-58 to win for the sixth time overall and the first since the 2014-15 school year. Bloomington North finished third with 41 points, followed by Terre Haute South (32 1/2), Southport (31 1/2) and Terre Haute North (30).
The Bull Dog boys won conference titles in football, swimming and baseball and finished second in tennis and basketball. Columbus North’s girls won championships in golf, gymnastics and softball and took second in soccer, basketball, swimming and tennis.
The Bull Dogs also won the conference Unified track title. The points from that co-ed sport were split evenly between boys and girls.
Kelley, Lofton win awards
Trenton Kelley and Bailey Lofton won awards as this year’s top senior male and female athletes at Columbus North at the school’s Senior Awards Program.
Kelley took the Dr. Maurice McKain Mental Attitude Award. He tied the school record for touchdown passes as a junior and ranks third on the school’s all-time passing list. Kelley was named Academic All-State in football, honorable mention Academic All-State in basketball and won a Scholar Athlete Award from the Central Indiana chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Bailey Lofton won the Josephine Armuth Award. A four-year starter in softball, she was named All-Conference and team co-MVP as a junior. She currently leads the Bull Dogs in home runs and RBIs.
Track athletes are top seeds
Columbus North is seeded first in four events, and Columbus East senior Cody Horner is the top seed in the 100 meters going into tonight’s Warren Central boys track regional.
Top seeds for the Bull Dogs are sophomore Preston Terrell in the high jump, freshmen Tucker Smith in the shot put and Matt Newell in the 1,600 and junior Collin Pruitt, freshmen Reese Kilbarger-Stumpff and Newell and junior Carson Littrell in the 4×800 relay. Smith’s 57-foot, 9-inch throw in the shot not only broke the school record, it broke the state freshman record and ranks No. 2 in the country for freshmen this year.
North senior John Sluys is seeded third in the 3,200. East sophomore Crase Bergman is tied for the No. 3 seed in the long jump.
The top three in each event from each of the eight regionals, plus anyone else meeting the state standard, qualify for the May 31 Boys Track State Finals at Indiana University. If those numbers don’t reach 27 in an event, the next-best performances from around the state will be added to get to 27 competitors in those events.
North boys hosting 3 camps
The Columbus North boys basketball team will host three camps in June.
The Elementary Camp will be from 9 a.m. to noon June 3 to 6 for boys entering Grades 2 to 5. The Middle School Camp is from 9 a.m. to noon June 10 to 13 for Grades 6 to 8. The Shooting Camp is from 9 a.m. to noon June 17 to 20 for Grades 3 to 8.
Cost is $100 for each camp. Signup forms are available on the Columbus North athletics website — columbusnorthath letics.org/ — under “Summer Camps.”
Patberg to talk at North camp
Indiana University senior and 2015 Miss Basketball Ali Patberg will be the featured speaker at the 2019 Columbus North Girls Basketball Camp, which will be June 3 to 6 for girls entering Grades 2 to 8.
Sessions for Grades 5 to 8 will be from 1 to 3 p.m. the first three days and 1 to 4 p.m. on June 6 for Patberg’s guest appearance. Sessions for Grades 2 to 4 will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. the first three days, then going from 2:45 to 5 p.m. on June 6 to account for Patberg’s talk.
North head coach Pat McKee, assistant coach Brett White, several guest coaches and current players from the Bull Dogs’ program will work with the campers.
Cost is $65 for Grades 5 to 8 and $60 for Grades 2 to 4 and includes a Camp t-shirt, a $5 Subway gift card and two complimentary tickets to the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star basketball doubleheader on June 8 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The primary registration period ends May 23 to ensure there is an appropriate number of t-shirts and other items to distribute. Registrations after May 23 will be accepted, but a $5 late fee will be added and a Camp t-shirt will not be guaranteed.
To request a registration form, e-mail McKee at [email protected]
East to host girls hoops camp
The 2019 Columbus Lady Olympians Summer Basketball Camp will be June 10 to 12 for girls entering Grades 3 to 8. Grades 3 to 5 will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and Grades 6 to 8 will be from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Columbus East head coach and Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer Danny Brown will conduct the camp, which will stress fundamentals and team play. Olympian players will demonstrate drills.
Cost is $45 per player, and each camper will receive a camp t-shirt. A registration form is available at https://columbuseastathletics.org/main/teamcamps/id/113616/seasonId/4379917
North to host softball camp
Columbus North will host the CNHS Summer Softball Camp from 9 a.m. to noon June 11 for Grades 3 to 5 and from 9 a.m. to noon June 12 for Grades 6 to 8 at the high school fields at Southside Elementary.
Cost is $40 for Grades 3 to 5 and $45 for Grades 6 to 8. High school coaches and players will direct camp drills and activities for all skill levels from beginner to advanced.
To register, or for more information, contact head coach Ron McDonald at 812-344-6993 or [email protected]
Ted Schultz is sports editor for The Republic. He can be reached at [email protected] or 812-379-5628.
