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Indiana Pacers mascot Boomer softens stressful test week in Wolcott

WOLCOTT — A four-legged figure with a bipedal jog-and-walk, catlike reflections and friendly disposition graced Tri-County Junior and Senior High School. Indiana Pacers mascot Boomer made an appearance in Wolcott on Monday at the suggestion of Tri-County Middle School English teacher Daniel Szombathy. The blue and yellow Pacers representative performed back-flip dunks while also encouraging students to study for the ILEARN test. "I just wanted (the students) to have a memory and get them motivated to take the ILEARN test," Szombathy said. "It's just a stressful week and maybe this could help them." More: Lafayette football coach spearheads state's first African American Studies course Szombathy became inspired through an experience he had a high school while growing up in Plymouth. Boomer showed up, and it stuck with him. Now he wanted his students to have the same experience before the ILEARN — Indiana's Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network — a state-mandated test assessing students' knowledge in English between the third through eighth grades, mathematics for grades three through eight, and science for students between the fourth and sixth grades. Fifth-graders also take the Social Studies portion. "The kids were going crazy," Szombathy said. "Boomer even took volunteers for some of the gags he had planned." More: Flying Squirrels assist Central Catholic girls basketball Szombathy explained the ILEARN week tends to be the toughest academically. His students will be taking the math and English portions this week, two for English and two for math. But there's a reward at the end of it for students if 50% or more receive passing grades. The reward? Letting the students shave Szombathy's head bald. "We were very fortunate for Boomer and the Indiana Pacers," Szombathy said. "We just needed him for one day, and the day we needed Boomer was the one day we had open. The kids had a blast." 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 Pacers mascot Boomer visits Tri-County