The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, May 23, 2018 B-1 SPORTS Submit sports items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: sports@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Senior Taylor Deffendoll finished second in high jump and freshman Libby Stone was second in the 400 -meter dash as the Pike Central High School girls' track and field team placed sixth in the sectional meet at Princeton on Tuesday, May 15. Deffendoll and Stone – along with senior Halley Powers, who placed third in the 800 -meter run, and junior Alyssa Jenkins, who placed third in discus – automatically qualified as individuals to advance to the regional meet, which was held on Tuesday, May 22, at Evansville Central. Also advancing to the regional meet was the Lady Chargers' 4 x 400 -meter relay team of Powers, Stone and freshmen Jen- na Meyer and Lauren Young, which placed second with a season-best time of 4:19.55. "It is a crazy thing how track changes from year to year," Pike Central head coach Ryne Biesterveld said. "Last year, we did not have enough girls to truly be competi- tive in the 4 x 400 and this year we are go- Junior Noah Onyett fired a nine-hole score of 35 to lead the Pike Central High School boys' golf team to a 160 -220 victory over Barr- Reeve on Wednesday, May 16, at the Prides Creek Golf Course. "Noah had a 15 -foot ea- gle putt on the last hole for a 33 and three-putted," Chargers head coach Jar- rod Gideon said. "His round could have easily been four- or five-under." Senior Lincoln Vaughn and freshman Cutter Reed both had scores of 41. "I was proud of Lincoln because he has been bat- tling illness all week," Gide- on said. "Cutter has im- proved tremendously and I am looking forward to coaching him the next sev- eral years." Junior Hayden Kabrick rounded out the Chargers' top four scorers with a 43. "Hayden seems to be gaining confidence with By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School sopho- more Tyler Kirby broke the school's pole vault record while placing first in the event for the second straight year at the boy's track and field sectional meet on Thursday, May 17, at Princ- eton. Tyler Kirby's leap of 14 feet, 1 inch bested the previous school record of 14 feet, which was set in 2002 by his cous- in, Eric Knight, who currently serves as a volunteer coach for the Chargers. "He has been working really hard for the past two years to get that record – he reminds me about it every prac- tice," Knight said. "I am so proud and happy for this young man. He has the heart and determination to do great things in pole vault. Hours and hours of hard work and practice has paid off for him." "If it had to fall, then there's noth- ing better than my little cousin – and someone I taught how to vault – take it down," Knight added. However, the competition didn't start very well for Tyler Kirby, who in- jured his left wrist during warm-ups. "I came up too close when I went to plant, and it slung me off backwards," he recalled. "Instead of going over the bar, or where I was practicing to go, I went straight up and came straight down, re-bending the pole, and it threw me straight back." Tyler Kirby hurt his wrist when he tried to break his fall as he landed on the ground next to the asphalt runway. "At that point, I was really worried about it," Tyler Kirby said. "But what got me through, I think, is the fact that (Knight) taped it real tight, and also that I had a lot of adrenaline going." "I promised myself I'd be a four-time sectional champion," he added, "and I wasn't going to let that slip." Tyler Kirby, senior teammate Gavin Boyd and Princeton senior Chase Wil- son all began competing once the crossbar reached a height of 12 feet. Gavin Boyd, Wilson and Prince- ton senior Luke Dunn – the only oth- er vaulter remaining – all cleared 12 feet on their first attempts, while Ty- ler Kirby did so on his third, and fi- nal, attempt. Dunn subsequently failed to clear 12 feet, 6 inches, while Gavin Boyd, Ty- ler Kirby and Wilson all cleared that height, as well as 13 feet. Both Gavin Boyd and Tyler Kirby cleared 13 feet, 4 inches – setting new personal-best records – but Wilson was eliminated, placing him third. A fter the crossbar was raised to 13 feet, 8 inches, Tyler Kirby successfully cleared it on his third attempt to claim his second straight sectional title. "Everyone else had cleared out, and I didn't realize that I was the last per- son standing and, no matter what, I was going to win the competition," Ty- ler Kirby said. "Eric came up to me on that third attempt and told me, 'Tyler, I think it's time to switch poles." Up to that point in the competition, the 5 -foot-7, 150 -pounder had been us- ing a pole rated for vaulters who weigh up to 165 pounds. "He told me, 'Move up to the next pole. Just go ahead and risk it. You al- ready have it, so you might as well do it,'" said Tyler Kirby, who used a 170 pole to clear 13 feet, 8 inches. "That right there was what made the differ- ence, because that thing threw me up there." Tyler Kirby then requested that the Six Lady Chargers advance to regional track & field meet KIRBY BREAKS SCHOOL POLE VAULT RECORD WHILE WINNING SECOND SECTIONAL TITLE Pike Central High School sophomore Tyler Kirby competes in pole vault during the boys' track and field sectional meet on Thursday, May 17, at Princeton. Kirby placed first with a school-record leap of 14 feet, 1 inch to advance to the regional meet on Thursday, May 24, at Evansville Central. Andy Heur- ing photo Pike Central High School freshman Maddie Williams competes in high jump during the girls' track and field sectional meet on Tuesday, May 15, at Princeton. Williams was one of four competitors who did not clear the open- ing height. Jim Capozella photo Onyett leads PCHS duffers past Barr-Reeve, South Knox See KIRBY on pg 3 See ADVANCE on pg 2 Nalley signs national letter of intent to play basketball at Oakland City University Pike Central High School senior Bryant Nal- ley (seated, center) signed a national letter of intent to play men's basketball at Oakland City University on Tuesday, May 22. Also pictured are Nalley's father, Ryan (seated, left), mother, Nikki (seated, right) and Chargers head bas- ketball coach Hunter Elliott (standing). Ed Ca- hill photo By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Senior Bryant Nal- ley signed a national let- ter of intent to play on the men's basketball team at Oakland City University during a ceremony held at Pike Central High School on Tuesday, May 22. "I feel it's the right de- cision," said Nalley, the 18 -year-old son of Nikki and Ryan Nalley, of Otwell. "It was pretty difficult, but I weighed all the options, and this is the best one I feel like." During his senior sea- son, Nalley – a 6 -foot-5 forward – averaged 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists during 23 games. He also led the Chargers in steals (32). Nalley ended his high school career with 1,260 points – the second-most in school history – and 492 rebounds. Hunter Elliott, who coached Nalley in eighth grade, served as an as- sistant high school varsi- ty coach during Nalley's freshman, sophomore and junior seasons and was the Chargers' head coach for Nalley's senior year, was pleased with Nalley's de- cision. "He's a heck of a basket- ball player and he's defi- nitely deserving of this," said Elliott, who played at OCU from 2007-2011. "I think he's going to have a heck of a career there just like he did here." "The thing is, he's even a better kid," Elliott add- ed. "He just has such a bright future and I think he made a good decision. I think he's going to really excel there." The Mighty Oaks, who were 24-3 during the 2017- 18 season, are coached by Dr. Mike Sandifar, who has a won-loss record of 532- 263 – a 66.9 winning per- centage – in 27 years as head coach. Sandifar also was 26 - 16 in two seasons – from 1976 -78 – as the head boys' See NALLEY on pg 5 See ONYET T on pg 2