The Warsaw Board of School Trustees approved the hiring of Jeffrey Hamstra for the assistant athletic director position at Warsaw Community High School Monday. While at Grace College, Hamstra did his student-teaching at WCHS. He played on the Lancer baseball and basketball teams, earning eight letters and NAIA scholar-athlete awards. He was basketball team captain for the 2005-06 season. Hamstra was athletic director at Covenant Christian High School. He also served as a basketball coach at Kankakee Valley. He was  first as an assistant, then spent three seasons as head coach, compiling a 24-41 record with the Kougars.

Grace College’s athletic department took home eight awards at the annual NAIA-SIDA Convention. The Lancers’ website (www.gclancers.com) highlighted Grace's award haul when it was named the No. 1 site in the nation. The site, in conjunction with SIDEARM Sports, was redesigned in February. Four months later it was voted as the NAIA’s best site. Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director Josh Neuhart, who oversees Grace’s athletic communication and website content, was quick to point out the groups who helped him in the redesign process.

Area Sports Briefs Myers Gets Ace At Raccoon Run Kevin Myers recorded a hole-in-one at Raccoon Run’s 17th hole. Witnesses were Jim Leslie and Larry Bowman. First “Bre’s Run” …

Judi Warren, a Warsaw Community High School alum, was named an at-large member of the Indiana Basketball Hall Of Fame’s Executive Committee Thursday.

LMS Athletics Golf Outing Saturday Players and sponsors are sought for the  Lakeview Middle School Athletic Department Golf Scramble Saturday at Stonehenge Golf Club. The tournament will raise …

Matt Talarico is a creative thinker.

CARMEL – A record-setting second round ended with Center Grove winning its first boys golf state championship Wednesday at Prairie View Golf Club.

SOUTH WHITLEY – Among the most successful baseball coaches in Whitko High School history, Erik Hisner announced his resignation from the position Wednesday afternoon.

WINONA LAKE – Grace College’s women’s tennis team will have a new head coach next season in Marcus Moore.

CARMEL – Two local golfers got off to solid starts, but later ran into problems Tuesday in the first round of the IHSAA boys golf state finals at Prairie View Golf Club.

When you write a weekly column, sometimes you’re excited to write about the subject of the week and sometimes you dread it. I wasn’t and am not looking to forward this one at all.

The Tippecanoe Valley Athletic Department presented its spring sports awards recently. Katie Prater was the Golden Glove winner for the Lady Viking softball team. Abby Betten had the highest batting average and was chosen the team’s most valuable player. Ally Betten drove in the most runs and Sydney Howard had the most defensive assists and the team’s lowest earned run average. Alex Gomez was the metal attitude award winner, and Mia Gunnels was most improved. Jordan Krotke had the highest batting average among junior varsity players.

Drew Bradford, Alex Bechtold, Landen Goff, Zach Hewitt and Alex Robbins shared the most valuable player honor at Whitko’s baseball awards banquet Tuesday at the high school. Bradford was also named the “Cy Young” award winner as the Wildcats’ best pitcher, and the Silver Slugger award as the team’s best hitter. Bechtold, Goff and Robbins shared the Coach’s Award and Hewitt was the Gold Glove winner as the team’s best defender.

The seventh annual Warsaw Aqua Mile Open Water Swim Time Trial was Saturday. After the event, race director Troy Turley (L) presented  Mike McCulloch of Westfield the winning trophy with the champion’s pineapple.

MENTONE – The Tippecanoe Valley School Board approved Chad Patrick as the new boys basketball coach and Rebekah Parker as the new middle school physical education teacher and JV girls basketball coach during a meeting at Mentone Elementary School Monday.

After the NBA Finals came to what seemed to be its inevitable conclusion, I watched LeBron James’ press conference early this morning (as in after midnight).

Warsaw graduate Kyle Mangas scored four points, all from the free throw line, for the Indiana All-Stars in their 111-110 double-overtime loss to the Kentucky All-Stars in the final game of the series for 2017.

SYRACUSE – From his shop in Syracuse, Randy Cesco makes duck and goose calls that go all over the world and are used to hunt and in world-class calling competitions.

WINONA LAKE – Grace College’s track and field program is pleased to announce its first full-time assistant coach in Max Kittle.

Survive and advance is the name of the game in postseason play.

Warsaw’s Kyle Mangas started and scored four points for the Indiana All-Stars in Thursday’s 134-92 win over the Junior All-Stars. Mangas made 1 of 4 shots from the floor, missed a pair of three-point shots, and made both his free throws. He had six rebounds, two offensive, and four assists in 23 minutes.

GAS CITY – Sure, Kyle Larson knows the risks of climbing into a sprint car and going wheel-to-wheel with the nation’s best dirt track drivers in between races on the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup circuit.

Spring sports athletes at Manchester High School were recognized for their achievements by the athletic department on Wednesday. David McAtee was the Rotary Mental Attitude award winner in baseball, and the Squire Award was presented to Kane Gable. Hayes Sturtsman received awards for the best batting average and lowest earned run average, and McAtee drove in the most runs. On the junior varsity team, Sam Martindale had the best batting average and Kyle Shepherd had the lowest ERA.

Former Warsaw Tiger Kyle Mangas came off the bench to score 10 points in the Indiana All-Stars’ 122-110 exhibition loss to a team of Indiana Junior All-Stars Tuesday night at New Albany High School. Mangas made four of five shots from the field, including both of his three point attempts. He had three rebounds, two assists and two turnovers in 15 minutes.

Grace College Director of Athletics Chad Briscoe was recently recognized for his service to the NCCAA. During the NCCAA’s Annual Convention in Louisville, Briscoe was given the Meritorious Service Award. He served as the NCCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Chair for three years (2014-17), overseeing the men’s basketball coaches at the NCCAA level.