Latest news with #LafayetteJeff
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lafayette Jeff's Sydney North goes from the balance beam to the baseline
LAFAYETTE ― Sydney North stroked a forehand shot firmly as the Lafayette Jeff girls tennis sophomore worked against Harrison senior Ella York. North had won 12 straight matches and was undefeated coming into match against York Tuesday, May 7. Advertisement "It was a fluke to how I got started," North said. Tennis became North's primary sport of choice later in life when she was at gymnastics practice at age 7. North's mother, Katina, saw a group of children with rackets at Lafayette Sports Center go behind a curtain to take lessons with instructor Lisa Wright and her Indiana High School Tennis Hall of Fame husband Tim Wright. "It was like fate," Wright said. More: Lafayette Jeff's Elise Medrano helps raise $3,000 for cancer patient in Smash Cancer tennis match VOTE VOTE: Journal & Courier Athlete of the Week poll (April 28 to May 3) North has continued her path in tennis ever since with the Wrights over the last 10 years, the latter of which also coach at West Lafayette. Advertisement "She started to excel at a young age, jumped up levels and she moved up and skipped a couple of levels," Wright said. "She has a lot of potential and puts in numerous hours on the court. She's very determined. She has taken my advice and that's to play in as many tournaments as she can." Lafayette Jeff's Sydney North hits the ball Tuesday, May 6, 2025, during the IHSAA city-county track and field meet at Lafayette Jeff High School in Lafayette, Indiana. North is balancing her high school career by also doing coaching herself. She teaches lessons to students between the ages of 8-18 years old at West Lafayette Elementary on Sunday afternoons. The combined teaching, playing and interactions with the game have afforded North to continually grow while staying confident and humble at the same time. Advertisement Her undefeated streak ended against York, an elite player who did lessons with the Wrights as well. More: Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA The quick pace, aggressive serve and experience of being a four year varsity player were tools North found difficult in matching. But North also knows losing is part of the process of growing in sports. To get better, it takes competing against elite players. "The key to being able to keep your momentum up every day and come out here is just to have that mentality that even if you do get beat, you're still going to go out there and give it your 110%," North said. Lafayette Jeff's Sydney North serves the ball Tuesday, May 6, 2025, during the IHSAA girls tennis meet at Lafayette Jeff High School in Lafayette, Indiana. North has her mind fixated on one day playing in college just like Wright, who earned a scholarship to Indiana State. Advertisement Coaches around North believe she has the capability of playing college tennis someday because of her daily involvement with the sport as both a player and teacher to other aspiring tennis enthusiasts. More: How do you say that? Helping you with those tricky area softball and baseball names "She's just a solid year-round player," Lafayette Jeff coach Dawn Patterson said. "She's cool, calm tennis is a lot of mental strength. I haven't played a girl player like her in a really long time." Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson . This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette Jeff tennis player Sydney North continues to grow her game
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mackey Arena to host inaugural IHSAA boys state volleyball championship
WEST LAFAYETTE — Mackey Arena which hosted the 2021 Final Four and IHSAA regional boys basketball tournaments is set to usher in a new era of boys volleyball in Indiana. The host gym for Purdue men's basketball and women's basketball will be the inaugural site of the first IHSAA boys volleyball state championship, the IHSAA announced on Friday afternoon. Advertisement Mackey Arena will host two semifinal matches and the state championship on Saturday, May 31, 2025, wrote IHSAA sports information director Jason Wille in a press release. The first year of IHSAA boys volleyball has seen 136 programs competing statewide. More: Lafayette Jeff and McCutcheon reflects on first IHSAA boys volleyball game Lafayette Jeff Bronchos Edwin Rodriguez (3) and Lafayette Jeff Bronchos defensive specialist Ian Cardona (17) go for the ball Wednesday, April 2, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball match against the McCutcheon Mavericks at McCutcheon High School in Lafayette, Ind. More: Why Frontier High School will be the host for an Indiana University spring volleyball game Boiler Juniors Boys Volleyball Director Andrew Fuller who has been a lead in growing the sport in the Lafayette area praised the IHSAA's decision to host the state boys volleyball tournament in Mackey Arena. Mackey Arena holds a seating capacity of 14,876. Advertisement "I think the IHSAA putting the state championship at Mackey Arena is a great opportunity spearhead growth as we continue to grow the sport and work with them to provide opportunities for more players,' Fuller said. Along with running the boys programs at Boiler Juniors based in West Lafayette, Fuller is also head coach at Carmel. "I hope plenty of people can come and see this great event," Fuller said. "It's been a tremendous venue both for Purdue basketball and for Big Ten Conference sports events. I think it's a great opportunity to spearhead the growth of boys volleyball." Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Mackey Arena to host IHSAA boys state volleyball championships
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Zionsville outlasted Lafayette Jeff in IHSAA boys volleyball sectional thriller
WEST LAFAYETTE ― The clash between Zionsville and Lafayette Jeff Thursday, May 15, indicated just how far boys volleyball in Indiana has come as it concludes the first season under IHSAA overwatch. While the Indianapolis area has produced nationally ranked high school teams, there were questions about whether or not Lafayette Jeff could handle the size and pressure brought about by Zionsville. Advertisement Zionsville beat Lafayette Jeff twice during the regular season but faced determined resistance from the Bronchos. Zionsville was more consistent. Seniors 6-foot-5 outside hitter Anders Christianson pounded 15 kills, left hander Mason Archer slammed 11 kills and Liam Vigil added 10 kills as the Eagles outlasted Lafayette Jeff in a first-round thriller of the IHSAA sectional quarterfinals, 11-25, 25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 15-11. The other sectional quarterfinal saw Harrison sweep North Putnam in three sets, 25-11, 25-8, 25-20. Harrison will face Zionsville in the second semifinal Saturday, May 17, with the championship game later that night at Harrison. More: Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA Advertisement More: Take your pick: Vote for the Journal & Courier Athlete of the Week for May 4 to May 10 Lafayette Jeff Bronchos Edwin Rodriguez (3) celebrates with Lafayette Jeff Bronchos Joshua Waller (1) Thursday, May 15, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals match against the Zionsville Eagles at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Senior captain Kevin Braxton led the Bronchos with 14 kills, junior Azlan Rodriguez added 13 kills and junior setter Josh Waller totaled eight kills, 12 digs and four assists for Lafayette Jeff (17-8). "We played amazing, we played with our heart, and we made a bridge off that," Waller said. "We played as a family, and we were all there." Lafayette Jeff struggled containing Christianson while Zionsville (22-10) collectively began hitting short middle shots. Zionsville overcame being down 15-9 in the third set before Lafayette Jeff rallied in the fourth. Advertisement Lafayette Jeff forced the fifth set despite starting junior middle blocker Colin Smith injuring his left ankle in the fourth frame. "It was a heartbreaker, but we knew he was going to support us no matter what, whether he was on the court or on the bench," Braxton said. More: Lafayette Jeff and McCutcheon reflects on first IHSAA boys volleyball game Lafayette Jeff will many return key players next year, including Rodriguez and Waller, who are receiving college looks. Rodriguez led the Bronchos with 208 kills while Waller proved to be a well-rounded player, totaling 118 kills, 102 digs and 59 assists for the 2025 campaign. The Zionsville Eagles celebrate Thursday, May 15, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals match against the Lafayette Jeff Bronchos at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Set-by-set breakdown of Lafayette Jeff vs. Zionsville Set one: Zionsville looked like a team that woke up from a nap, while Lafayette Jeff looked engaged from the jump. A 3-0 lead ballooned to an 18-6 advantage. Junior setter Josh Waller and libero Edwin Rodriguez-Arteaga led a strong shot receive and never looked out of sorts. The balance of Waller set the stage for senior Kevin Braxton with three kills and a block. Junior Azlan Rodriguez has a 4-foot vertical and swift enough to play defensive specialist or libero in college. Lafayette Jeff couldn't have asked for a better start. Advertisement Set two: Zionsville senior lefty outside hitter Mason Archer went on the offensive. Controlling passing in the back row, they were able to turn the momentum of the match. Short side and far side shots found their mark and the back row for Lafayette Jeff splintered. Zionsville won the set by five, but the gap felt larger. Set three: Zionsville kept its composure in the crunch and Lafayette Jeff didn't. A pair of late third set hitting errors plus a debated touch ultimately helped the Eagles claw back from a 15-9 deficit to take set three. Christianson and Archer provided the juice offensively backed by libero Landon Scroggins. Rodriguez had the highlight play, but Zionsville was more consistent in its shot receive. More: Lafayette Jeff boys volleyball returns core players in 2025 Advertisement Set four: This set illustrated what makes the speed and strategy of volleyball entertaining and fun. And it came with some drama with Smith's injury. Senior Kmaury Moten gave Lafayette Jeff a boost off the bench, while an explosive effort from Rodriguez and Josh Waller forced a fifth set. Set five: Lafayette Jeff ran out of steam, struggling against the physicality of Archer, Vigil and Christianson. Rodriguez had some flashes, but errors on shot receive doomed Lafayette Jeff. Harrison Raiders Emerson Mohr (10) celebrates with Harrison Raiders opposite Josiah Callahan (1) Thursday, May 15, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals match against the North Putnam Cougars at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Harrison learns lessons in sweep over North Putnam Harrison, led by sophomore 6-foot-3 outside hitter Cole Hess and junior Emerson Mohr, made the first two sets look easy. Advertisement But then an 8-4 deficit morphed into a 14-10 drought against North Putnam (5-11) in the third set. "I think our communication was off and we brought that connection back up," Mohr said. Eventually Harrison found its way to earn the sweep and set up a semifinal matchup with Zionsville on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The winner plays either McCutcheon (14-9) or Lebanon (4-7-1) for the first IHSAA sectional championship in Harold May Gymnasium in West Lafayette at 6 p.m. later that day. More: Mackey Arena to host inaugural IHSAA boys state volleyball championship Hess believes Harrison is prepared to play Zionsville, ranked No. 6 in the state according to rankings on Advertisement "I think they're more beatable now, now that we got to watch them play," Hess said. Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson . This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette Jeff, Zionsville battle in IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eight Lafayette area football players named to Indiana North/South north team
LAFAYETTE — The 59th Annual Murat Shrine North/South Football All Star Classic game will feature seven Lafayette area football players, an assistant coach and a manager expected to compete for the North team this summer. Headlining the all-star game will be Journal & Courier Big Schools Offensive Player of the Year Keyen Crowder from Lafayette Jeff and Small Schools Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Delgatto from Central Catholic. Crowder threw for 3,085 yards with 40 touchdowns and eight interceptions and stamped a record of 11-1 — the best finish for Lafayette Jeff since 1982. His 72.1% completion percentage in 2024 was the highest in Bronchos history. He is committed to Wabash College. More: How a player-driven mindset change spurs postseason success for Lafayette Jeff football Delgatto made 99 tackles, including 24 tackles for loss with 22 sacks and a collective 129 yards for loss while being the third straight Knights' defensive player to earn the small schools honor. Joined by Crowder locally on offense is Benny Speaker from West Lafayette and Reid Duncan from Frontier. Speaker is listed at wide receiver after starting at quarterback during his senior year for the Red Devils. Speaker as a receiver made 118 receptions, 1,504 yards and 15 yards. More: Carroll football creates competitive foundation in the weight room Duncan is committed to play football at Millikin and helped lead Frontier as a quarterback to its first winning season since 2006. Teaming with Delgatto are Journal & Courier All-Area Big School defensive players Harrison linebacker Jackson Mills (117 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one interception, two pass deflections, two forced fumbles), McCutcheon defensive lineman Malachi Kenner (53 tackles, four TFL, three fumble recoveries and 2.5 sacks) and All-Area Small School selectee Carroll linebacker Coy Lytle (67 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks and one fumble recovery). Mills is committed to Marian. Blake Betzner, named an assistant coach, is 42-8 in four seasons and has won three sectional titles as head coach with Carroll. Andrian Banks of Lafayette Jefferson is a manager and has collects data for the Bronchos during team managers. Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Indiana All-Star football classic features eight Lafayette players
