Sports and Outdoors

Friday, December 30, 2011

Work for the TinCaps

The Fort Wayne TinCaps food and beverage department at Parkview Field is now accepting applications for the 2012 baseball season.

The TinCaps are currently looking to fill the following part-time, seasonal positions:
- Bartender (must be 21 or older)
- Concession Cashier
- Cook
- Food Runner
- Server
- Vendor

Interested candidates may pick up an application at the Parkview Field administrative office or by logging on to the Fort Wayne TinCaps website (Click on "CLUBHOUSE" on the main navigation and then click on "EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES").

Applications may be submitted in person to the TinCaps Administrative Office located on the west side of Parkview Field, with an entrance up from Ewing Street. The TinCaps office regular business hours are from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. The team's administrative offices will be closed for the holidays, beginning December 23rd through January 2nd.

For more information in regards to these positions please contact Dan Krleski with the TinCaps at (260) 407-2827.

Change in location

From the Bluffton High School Athletic Department: The boys' basketball game vs. Winchester will be played in the Winchester Fieldhouse in downtown Winchester and not at Winchester High School. The jv game will begin at 6:00 pm.


Thursday, December 29, 2011

State parks offer two nights for the price of one

From the Indiana Department of Natural Resources:

Spend 2 nights with us at any of our 7 locations, and pay for only 1. Available Nov. 28, 2011 - March 1, 2012. Must stay two consecutive nights, valid Sunday through Thursday only.

(not valid Dec. 23 - Dec 31, 2011, subject to availability, and cannot be combined with any other discount or used for groups.)

Reservations can be made by calling 1.877.LODGES 1 or ONLINE at any location by using the "2 for 1" rate code. Click on your favorite location above to make a reservation.

To learn more, click here.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

N-B Video: 2011 boys' basketball — Bluffton vs. Norwell

The Bluffton Tigers take on the Norwell Knights in regular season boys' basketball action. Learn more in the Wednesday, Dec. 28, News-Banner. (Photos and video by Glen Werling)







Tuesday, December 27, 2011

4-H Extension calendar

  • December 30 — Wells County 4-H Jr. Leader Officers & Directors, noon to 2 p.m., Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton
  • January 2 — New Year's Holiday — County Offices Closed
  • January 3 — Extension Homemakers Executive Council, 12:30 p.m. Extension Homemakers Presidents' Council, 1:30 p.m.
  • January 6-8 — Indiana Association of Fairs, Festivals & Events, Marriott East, Indianapolis
  • January 7 — State 4-H Poultry Workshop, Boone County Farm Bureau Community Building, Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds, Lebanon, I-65 at exit 138
  • January 8 — Wells County 4-H Horse & Pony Club, Wells County Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 5 p.m.
  • January 8 — Wells County 4-H Horse & Pony Advisory Board (after 4-H Club meeting), Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton
  • January 16 — Martin Lutheran King Day — County Offices Closed
  • January 17 — 4-H Scholarship & Resume Forms due at Wells County Extension Office
  • January 17 — State P-CARET Legislative Luncheon, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Indianapolis, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

13th annual Aqua Systems New Year's Day bash set for Sunday afternoon at Anderson Speedway

ANDERSON, Ind. – Anderson Speedway begins the 65th season of racing action on Sunday afternoon, January 1 with the 13th Annual Aqua Systems New Year’s Day Bash. Featured divisions include Figure 8’s, ThunderCars, Mini Cups along with Front Wheel Drives on the Oval and Figure 8.

The Aqua Systems New Year’s Day Bash annually draws nearly 100 cars that compete on the World’s Fastest Quarter-Mile Oval on January 1. In the most recent Aqua Systems New Year’s Day Bash in 2010 feature winners included Ronnie Rose (ThunderCars), Jeff Williams (Front Wheel Drive Oval) and Nick Warner (Front Wheel Drive Oval Figure 8’s).

On Sunday, spectator gates open at 11 a.m. with the racing program going green at approximately 1 p.m.

General admission tickets will be priced at $10 for adults, $4 for children 6-12 with kids five and under admitted free.

For additional information on Anderson Speedway, visit www.andersonspeedway.com or contact Anderson Speedway at (765) 642-0206.

Friday, December 23, 2011

N-B Video: County schools compete at wrestling tournament

Wrestlers from Northern Wells, Bluffton-Harrison and Southern Wells compete in the East Central Indiana Classic wrestling tournament Thursday, Dec. 22. Featured here are Norwell wrestler Mitchell Wilson, Southern Wells wrestler Seth Biberstine and Norwel wrestler Kyle Short. Learn more in the Friday, Dec. 23, News-Banner. (Video by Paul Beitler)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Get away for the weekend

Looking for a little winter vacation during a weekend next year? The Indiana Department of Natural Resources offers the following escapes for the new year.

  • Join McCormick’s Creek staff and people all across the country for a First Day Hike on New Year’s Day in a state park.
  • Take Brown County’s Annual Winter Hike on Jan. 14. Go sledding at Fort Harrison’s sledding hill, which is open during park hours when snow cover and weather permit. Call (317) 591-0904 to check on the status.
  • Experience the Battle of the Bulge re-enactment on Jan. 7 at Fort Harrison. A Battle of the Bulge exhibit is available on weekends through January.
  • Register in advance by Jan. 10 to build an Eastern screech owl nest box on Jan. 15 at Monroe Lake.
  • Check out the Indiana Dunes Geocache Adventure on Jan. 2. Get site-specific geocaching information here.
  • Cross-country ski at Pokagon. The ski rental is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends. When there’s a base of five to six inches of snow, a variety of trails for varying levels of expertise are available.
  • Become a “Road Scholar” (formerly Elderhostel) at Pokagon’s Potawatomi Inn, Jan. 29-Feb. 3. Road Scholar is a non-profit, educational organization that provides short-term, non-credit, residential learning opportunities for people 55 years of age and older.
  • Go tobogganing at Pokagon. Gift certificates are available for friends and family.
  • Cure the cabin fever blues with “Old-time Winter on the Farm” at the O'Bannon Woods nature center on Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Experience life on the farm, from the cross-cut saw to the open fire of the summer kitchen. Call ahead in case of inclement weather, (812) 738-8234.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Randy Davis Named A Bob Cousy Award Candidate

From the Ball State Athletic Department:

For the second year in a row, Ball State senior point guard Randy Davis (Plymouth, has been named one of 59 candidates for the 2012 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts announced Monday. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in college basketball.

Davis is one of just two players from the Mid-American Conference (D.J. Cooper, Ohio) among the 2012 nominees and is just one of 12 players in the country that has made the exclusive list for two straight years. Additional multiple nominees include Keegan Bell (Chattanooga), Chris Wroblewski (Cornell), Scott Machado (Iona), Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas), Casper Ware (Long Beach State), D.J. Cooper (Ohio), Zach Rosen (Pennsylvania), Lewis Jackson (Purdue), Hank Thomas (TCU), Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin) and Tu Holloway (Xavier).

Davis leads the Mid-American Conference and ranks third in NCAA Division I in assists per game at 7.75 as he has handed out 62 through the first eight games this year. He ranks fifth in the nation in assist/turnover ratio at 3.875, which is also tops in the MAC. His play has the Cardinals ranking first in the league in assist/turnover ratio as a team at 1.20 and second in assists at 14.9 per game.

Davis, a preseason All-MAC West selection, tied his career-high with 11 assists in the season-opener against No. 16 Arizona. He ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 7.8 points per game and has scored in double figures on three occasions this season.

This original list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 by January 1st, final ten by February 1, and final five by March 1. A premier Selection Committee will be appointed by the Hall of Fame to review the final five candidates in contention for the nation’s top collegiate point guard award. These Hall of Fame committees are made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and hall of famers. The winner of the 2012 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday in New Orleans as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) and last year’s recipient Kemba Walker (Connecticut). For more information on the 2012 Bob Cousy, log onto www.CousyAward.com.

Park hunts make inroads on habitat recovery

From the Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Controlled deer hunts at state park properties are achieving the intended result of habitat recovery, but analysis of information collected this year indicates deer numbers remain above desired levels at many locations.

Volunteer hunters harvested 1,546 deer during four days of controlled hunts at 21 state parks in November. That’s only the 10th highest total in 18 years of state park hunts, but resource biologists say harvest numbers alone have limited value in determining success.

Instead, their research shows a better indicator is harvest-to-hunter effort (H/E). When the H/E ratio nears .22 to .20, vegetation and habitat begin to recover from deer overbrowsing. Another reliable target is a harvest of 12 to 16 deer per square mile.

The mean H/E ratio for all participating parks this year was 0.27—the second most successful on record. Seventeen parks experienced H/E ratios above target levels, and most parks also were above the harvest per square mile target.

“Although some parks are more successful than others at achieving a maintenance phase, data continue to indicate habitat recovery as well as sustained deer populations,” said Mike Mycroft, chief of natural resources for the DNR Division of State Parks & Reservoirs.

“It’s worth reiterating that park reductions are not intended to manage deer populations for optimal recreational hunting,” he said. “The goal is to reduce the impact of browsing to a level that allows some of Indiana’s rarest and most unique natural communities to thrive.”

Mycroft noted that although abrupt browse lines and emaciated deer are a thing of the past at state parks, less obvious damage persists throughout the park system, and deer continue to impact rare and endangered flora, as well as valuable habitat such as oak forests.

Mycroft’s full report on the 2011 controlled hunts is available at StateParks.IN.gov. Look for the 2011 Deer Reduction Report link below the photographs.

The first two-day hunt was Nov. 14-15, and the second was Nov. 28-29. State parks included were Brown County, Chain O’Lakes, Charlestown, Clifty Falls, Fort Harrison, Harmonie, Indiana Dunes, Lincoln, McCormick’s Creek, Ouabache, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Prophetstown, Shades, Shakamak, Spring Mill, Summit Lake, Tippecanoe, Turkey Run, Versailles, and Whitewater Memorial. Cave River Valley, a satellite site at Spring Mill, also was included.

Weather was marginal statewide for both sessions. Temperatures were warm on the first two-day session with high winds, rain and thunderstorms scattered across much of the state. Second-round weather was cooler with gusty winds and a mix of rain and snow.

Another influencing factor was no-shows, meaning hunters who were drawn for participation but did not participate at all, or participated only one day. Just over 6,000 hunters were selected in the initial draw. Standby drawings were conducted at four parks on a trial basis to fill spots left vacant by originally drawn hunters. The standby drawings reduced what would have been a combined 59 percent four-day average of no-shows at those four parks to 49 percent.

Parks requiring reductions in 2012 will be listed and made available along with online applications in July 2012 at dnr.IN.gov/fishwild/5834.htm.

Friday, December 16, 2011

N-B Video: Officials announce ACAC basketball tournament

People wait to hear who will play whom in the annual Allen County Athletic Conference boys' and girls' basketball tournament. Officials held this year's draw on Thursday, Dec. 15, at Decatur. Learn more in the Friday, Dec. 16, News-Banner. (Video by Paul Beitler)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Athletics announces television package for MAC games

MUNCIE, Ind. — The Ball State athletic department has announced the television schedule for the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball Mid-American Conference seasons. The men’s basketball team can have up to 12 MAC games broadcasted and the women’s basketball team will have five games televised on the Ball State Sports Network (BSSN), BSU Sports Link, SportsTime Ohio (STO) and ESPNU.

The Ball State Sports Network package for the MAC season includes three men’s games and a women’s game. The men’s games scheduled for broadcasts are Jan. 7 vs. Western Michigan, Jan. 21 at Northern Illinois and Feb. 25 at Eastern Michigan. Affiliates for BSSN include WIPB-TV (Muncie), HTSN 6.2 (Indianapolis), Comcast Indianapolis (Ch. 420), Brighthouse Indianapolis (Ch. 164), WANE-TV 15.2 (Fort Wayne), WJTS-TV (Jasper), WNDA-TV (Jeffersonville), WKYI-TV (Louisville, KY) and WHME-TV (South Bend).

BSSN will broadcast the women’s basketball game Jan. 11 vs. Northern Illinois at Worthen Arena. The women’s broadcast will be televised on WIPB-Muncie.

BSU Sports Link, an immersive learning student program, will broadcast three games in 2012. The program will produce the men’s game Feb. 8 vs. Bowling Green, as well as women’s contests Jan. 25 vs. Bowling Green and Feb. 22 vs. Western Michigan. All Sports Link broadcasts will be available for free at www.ballstatesports.com.

The Ball State men’s program will have three games guaranteed for SportsTime Ohio broadcasts including Jan. 10 at Toledo, Jan. 24 vs. Akron and Feb. 22 at Western Michigan. The Cardinals have five games in the ESPNU flex-schedule which allows for a 21-day advance notice of the broadcast. Men’s games on the flex-schedule include Jan. 14 vs. Eastern Michigan, Jan. 28 at Ohio, Feb. 11 at Kent State, Feb. 29 vs. Central Michigan and March 2/3 vs. Northern Illinois.

The women’s team will have two games broadcast as part of the MAC television package. The Cardinals will play on STO Jan. 28 at Miami and Feb. 19 against Central Michigan.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

HU tennis camp slated for December 27-29

From Huntington University:

HUNTINGTON, IN—The Huntington University men’s tennis team will host their first annual holiday tennis tennis camp December 27-29 at the Merillat Complex for Physical Education. Cost to attend is $20 for K–5th grade (10am-11am), $30 for 6th-8th grade (11am-12:30pm) and $40 for 9th-12th grade (1pm-3pm).

Registration forms for the camp are available at the Huntington University Athletic Office or campers can print off a registration form at http://www.huntington.edu/athletics/tennis-M/. Questions? Contact Coach Kreg Eckert at (260)433-1323.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 14 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 53 NAIA All-America honors and 187 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S.News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.

Monday, December 12, 2011

4-H Extension calendar for December

  • December 12 — Wells County 4-H Association, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 6 PM. Carry-in meal.
  • December 15 — 4-H Scholarship Workshop, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 7 to 8 PM
  • December 19 — 4-H Scholarship Workshop, Adams County Extension Office, Decatur, 7 to 8 PM
  • December 19 — 4-H Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 7 PM
  • December 23 — Christmas Holiday. County Offices Closed
  • December 26 — Christmas Holiday. County Offices Closed
  • December 30 — New Yearís Holiday. County Offices Closed
  • January 2 — New Yearís Holiday. County Offices Closed
  • January 6 to 8 — Indiana Association of Fairs, Festivals & Events, Marriott East, Indianapolis

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Ball State player named Academic All-American

From the Ball State Athletic Office

Briggs Orsbon, a senior member of the Ball State 2011 football team, has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Orsbon, who owns a 4.0 grade-point average on Ball State’s 4.0 scale as a risk management and finance major, is the first Ball State football player selected to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team since Travis Barclay was named to the squad in 2002 and 2003. Orsbon becomes only the eighth football student-athlete in school history to earn first-team honors.

"We could not be happier for Briggs to be the recipient of this prestigious honor,” Ball State first-year head coach Pete Lembo says. “He is a model student-athlete and a tremendous competitor. Briggs was a great leader and a major contributor to our team's success this year. We are confident he will continue to be an asset to the University as an alum of our football program."

A 2011 All-Mid-American Conference Second-Team selection, Orsbon was also a candidate for the 2011 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award. He is a two-time Capital One Academic All-District choice and a two-time Academic All-MAC recipient.

Orsbon, one of Ball State’s team captains in 2011, led the Cardinals with 66 catches for 649 receiving yards and four touchdown catches this season. In addition to his pass catching skills in 2011, Orsbon tallied a 19.9 yards per kickoff return average.

With his five catches at Northern Illinois this season, Orsbon became only the second player in Ball State history to tally 200 or more career receptions. He completed his career with 204 catches and ranks second in the Cardinals record books behind only Dante Ridgeway’s 238 receptions from 2002-04. With his 103 receiving yards at Western Michigan, Orsbon became only the sixth player in Ball State history to post over 2,000 yards receiving in a career. He completes his collegiate career with 2,218 receiving yards, which ranks fifth all time in Ball State history. Orsbon set MAC Championship Game records with a career high 13 catches for a career best 141 yards vs. Buffalo in the 2008 league title game.

Ball State entered the 2011-12 academic year ranked 32nd in the country all-time in Capital One Academic All-America selections.

The Cardinals finished the 2011 season with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 MAC mark. Ball State was bowl eligible for the first time since the 2008 season and won six games for the fourth time in 10 seasons.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

N-B Video: A new role on the court

The News-Banner's Paul Beitler interviews Norwell boys' basketball player Caleb Featherston, the new senior on the team. Learn more in the Wednesday, Dec. 7, News-Banner. (Video by Paul Beitler)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

TinCaps holds shopping spree

The TinCaps are giving fans the opportunity to win a $250 shopping spree to The Orchard Team Store this holiday season. All TinCaps fans are eligible to win by following the TinCaps on social media!

Official Rules

  • No purchase necessary. Entry can be completed on the Fort Wayne TinCaps fan page on Facebook.
  • Void where prohibited.
  • One prize is awarded for the sweepstakes consisting of a $250.00 Orchard Team Store shopping spree. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries.
  • Drawing is held and prize is awarded within a few days following the end of the sweepstakes entry period. The sweepstakes for the $250 shopping spree ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16. Drawing will consist of a randomly picked entry from all the entries received in the entry period. Winners will be contacted by email using the email they provided. If no response is received within two days, a new winner will be randomly chosen.

Sponsor reserves the right to cancel a sweepstakes before the entry period begins

Monday, December 5, 2011

Crafts program for preschoolers at Salamonie Lake, Dec. 14

Children ages 2 to 5 can create a variety of crafts on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Salamonie Interpretive Center.

The program runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Children and their parents will have the opportunity to take an outdoor hike and make crafts for display or to give as gifts.

The program is planned to be both indoors and out, starting at the interpretive center. Participants can bring a lunch to eat together after the event. Parents are expected to stay with their child throughout the program.

There is a $2 fee per child for the program. The standard property entrance fee will be waived for program attendees.

Register by calling (260) 468-2127 or visiting the interpretive center at 3691 S. New Holland Road, Andrews, 46702.

The interpretive center and Otter Run Tradin’ Post is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. This barrier-free building features exhibits, floor-to-ceiling windows in the wildlife viewing area, and staff to answer your questions.

Visit dnr.IN.gov/uwis or Facebook.com/upperwabash for more information.

Friday, December 2, 2011

4-H Extension calendar for December

  • Dec. 2-4 — Hoosier Beef Congress, State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis
  • Dec. 9 — Ag Outlook Breakfast and Program, Community Center 4-H Park, Bluffton, 7:00 AM. Call 260-824-6412 for reservations. No fee.
  • Dec. 9 — Pesticide Applicator Recertification Program, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 9:30 AM. $10 Fee. Call 260-824-6412 to reserve space.
  • Dec. 10 — State 4-H & FFA Forestry, Crops & Entomology Judging Contests, Purdue University, 8 AM – 4 PM

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Local parks plan a year's worth of activities

The Upper Wabash Interpretive Services has announced multiple events at its various parks in 2012. You can download them here.