Two Center Grove High School graduates have qualified for the NCAA Outdoor National Track and Field Championships as a result of their performances at the NCAA East Regional.
Indiana’s Sydney Clute, the sixth seed, is one of three competitors who cleared 4.25 meters (13-111/3) without any misses in the women’s pole vault. There were no attempts at a higher height.
Clute is the indoor and outdoor Big Ten champion in this event and set conference championship and Indiana University records in the outdoor championships. The business marketing major topped off her great week by being selected to the NCAA All District Academic first team.
Wisconsin’s Austin Mudd qualified in the men’s 800 meters by finishing second in his heat in 1:48.17, the fourth fastest time at the regional.
Mudd had finished third at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in a personal-best time of 1:47.52. The national championships will take place June 8 through 11 at Eugene, Oregon.
Center Grove
Purdue’s Justin Veteto tied a personal best by finishing the 110-meter hurdles in 14.02, good for a 19th-place finish at the NCAA East Regionals.
University of Indianapolis softball player Natalie Lalich was selected to the NCAA Division II Softball All-America third team. She hit .388 for the season with 14 home runs and 61 RBIs.
Greenwood
The Indiana baseball team (32-24) lost 5-0 to Maryland in its first Big Ten Championship game, defeated Nebraska 6-2 and was eliminated by Maryland (3-0). Alex Krupa had one RBI and no hits in six at-bats in the three games and finished the season with a .281 batting average (45 for 160).
Georgia’s softball team, the 16th seed in the 16-team NCAA Division I Super Regionals, defeated No. 1 seed Florida at Gainesville, Florida to advance to the College World Series. Brittany Gray is a member of the Bulldogs but did not see action in the Florida games since Georgia’s No. 1 pitcher pitched two complete-game wins.
The Lindsey Wilson baseball team (42-23) split four games in the NAIA World Series. The Blue Raiders defeated Masters University 7-1, lost 5-4 to Faulkner, defeated Auburn-Montgomery 15-12, and was eliminated by Bellevue, Nebraska 4-1. Aaron Doughty pitched seven innings in the loss to Faulkner and gave up three earned runs, seven hits and no walks and struck out seven. He left the game with a 4-2 lead after a single to lead off the eighth, but the relief pitcher was charged with the loss. Doughty finished with an 8-6 record and a 3.93 ERA in 821/3 innings.
Franklin
The Indiana State baseball team lost two of three games in the Missouri Valley Championships. Jeremy McKinney pitched 41/3 innings in the elimination game, an 11-4 loss to Missouri State and gave up five earned runs, seven hits and no walks and struck out two. He did not get the decision and finished the season with a 6-4 record and an ERA of 3.26.
