BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Boys soccer Mack Mappin Caston 3, Rochester 1 (Thursday): Simon McGrew and Mack Mappin each had a goal and an assist, and Reed Sommers also scored for the visiting Comets in a win over Rochester at the Brent Blacketor Memorial Sports Complex Thursday. Carson Harness had three saves in goal. Caston led 1-0 at halftime. Rochester tied the game on an own-goal in the 65th minute when Camdyn Furnivall’s direct kick deflected off a Caston playe

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Boys tennis Camden Zink The Rochester boys tennis team went 1-2 at the John Glenn Invitational Saturday. The Zebras beat Knox 3-2 but lost to John Glenn 3-2 and Mishawaka 3-2. In the Knox match, Rochester winners included Camden Zink at No. 1 singles and the doubles teams of Logan Fuller and Jesse Smith at No. 1 and Luke Gottschalk and Ayden Smith at No. 2. Zink also won at No. 1 singles against John Glenn. The other point came from Fulle

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Boys tennis Triton 5, Rochester 0 (Thursday): Camden Zink, Griffin Newton and Cash Casper lost in straight sets at singles. Logan Fuller and Jesse Smith lost in straight sets at No. 1 doubles, and Luke Gottschalk and Ayden Smith lost in straight sets at No. 2 doubles. Newton and Casper, both freshmen, were making their singles debuts after both played doubles against Tippecanoe Valley Tuesday. Fuller and Jesse Smith moved from singles to

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Girls golf Rochester’s Molly Moore shot a 75 to earn medalist honors at the Ulen Invitational at Ulen Country Club in Lebanon Saturday. Moore’s round included back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8. Moore topped a field of 70. (photo provided Rochester’s Molly Moore shot a 2-over-par 75 to take medalist honors at the Ulen Invitational at Ulen Country Club in Lebanon Saturday. Moore beat a field of 70 golfers. Moore helped Rochester finish e

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Girls golf Molly Moore Rochester 215, Winamac 253 (Thursday): Molly Moore earned medalist honors with a 42 as the host Lady Zs beat sectional rival Winamac over the front nine at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Thursday. Lexi Haughs added a 47, Audrey Widman had a 59, and Makenna Jackson had a 67. Kenlee Smith shot a 69 for the JV. Lily Chipps missed the match due to illness. at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Thursday (front nine,

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Adison Hayes Warner DuBois The Rochester girls cross-country team scored 38 points and finishing second out of four teams at the inaugural Twin Lakes Invitational Aug. 18. Adison Hayes was sixth overall in 24:14, Katelyn Conliff was seventh in 25:05, Daniela Ochoa was 12th in 25:55, Vivian Miller was 13th in 27:18, and Jane Gottschalk was 26th in 30:58. Non-scoring r

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Girls soccer LaVille 4, Rochester 0 (Thursday): The Lady Zs dropped to 0-2 with a road loss to LaVille Thursday. Rochester was blanked for the second straight game. LaVille is a reigning Class 1A sectional champion.

Zebras have 3 TDs called back by penalty, but defense shuts out Knights for 4th straight year BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Gavin Pinder Alex Chapman Fortune favors the bold, the Roman poet Virgil once wrote. Rochester football coach Isaac Shaffer exemplified this statement with two play calls in particular that led to touchdowns as the Zebras rolled to a 46-0 win over visiting Southwood in the s

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Amara Wieringa had 13 kills, Brailyn Hunter had 11, and Makayla Walley added 10 as the Rochester volleyball team earned their second five-set win in as many matches in a 24-26, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 15-12 win over Pioneer at the RHS gym Tuesday. Rochester was coming off a five-set win over Plymouth in their season opener in which they staved off three match points in the fifth set. This also marked the second straight year Rochester beat P

Rochester 46, Southwood 0 Tippecanoe Valley 22, Plymouth 14 Caston 54, Whitko 14 Central Noble 35, Culver 7 Northfield 28, North Miami 14 Pioneer 20, Lewis Cass 15 Winamac 34, West Central 20 Three Rivers Conference Rochester 46, Southwood 0 Northwestern 27, Manchester 14 Caston 54, Whitko 14 (nonconference) Northfield 28, North Miami 14 (nonconference) Pioneer 20, Lewis Cass 15 (nonconference) Logansport 61, Peru 20 (nonconference) Maconaquah 42, Sheridan 27 (nonconference)

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Tanner Glennie Jordan Shepherd AKRON — The Tippecanoe Valley boys tennis team won all five matches in straight sets to beat inexperienced Rochester 5-0 in the season opener for both teams at the Valley courts Tuesday. In a match featuring two players who are new to No. 1 singles, Noah Mellott beat Camden Zink 6-3, 6-0. Liam Newcomer handled Jesse Sm

Valley to host Plymouth; Caston to play Whitko for first time since 1978; Culver begins series vs. C. Noble; NM seeks more rushing success vs. Northfield; Pioneer seeks 4th straight win over Lewis Cass; Winamac hopes to gain home momentum vs. W. Central BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Southwood at Rochester, 7 p.m. The difference in coaching experience at Barnhart Field Friday is stark. Southwood coach Larry "Bud" Wright is coaching in his 684th career game, and Rochest

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Volleyball Aubrey Wilson Rochester def. Plymouth, 16-25, 25-23, 25-13, 21-25, 18-16 (Saturday): The visiting Rochester volleyball team warded off three Plymouth match points in the fifth set to earn a season-opening win Saturday. Plymouth led 14-11 in the fifth set before Rochester rallied. The win marks the first time Rochester has beaten Plymouth since 2017. Rochester has seven seniors: Kyra Doran, Brailyn Hunter, Logyn Honkomp, KayLea

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Boys soccer North White 4, Rochester 0 (Tuesday): The visiting Zebras dropped to 1-1 with a loss to North White Tuesday. Rochester will host Caston at 5:30 p.m. today at the Brent Blacketor Memorial Sports Complex.

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Taya Tindi Taya Tindi scored with 34:15 left to give the Rochester boys soccer team a 1-0 win over visiting North Miami in their season opener at the Brent Blacketor Memorial Sports Complex Saturday. Evan Maroney had the assist, dribbling down the middle of the pitch and dropping a pass off to Tindi weaving behind him. Tindi then fired a shot to the left of the goalkeeper. Freshman goalkeeper Kevin Jones had six saves for the shutout in h

First-time keeper Edwards stops 6 shots for shutout BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC North Miami's Kinzy Storm Rochester's Izzy Hook Kinzy Storm scored the game’s lone goal off a Sydney Lane assist with 9:43 left in the first half as the North Miami girls soccer team edged Rochester 1-0 at the Brent Blacketor Memorial Sports Complex Saturday. Rochester had a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal and a 7-4 edge in corner kicks, but No

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Girls golf Lexi Haughs Rochester 197, Western 203 (Tuesday): Molly Moore shot a 38 to earn medalist honors as the Lady Zs beat visiting Western at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Tuesday. Lexi Haughs added a 43, Makenna Jackson had a 57, Audrey Widman had a 59, and Lily Chipps had a 61. JV players Zoey Blakesley and Kenlee Smith shot a 65 and a 71, respectively. Rochester was playing their first match in 10 days after rains forced the

Winamac’s Davis compliments team on growth from summer scrimmage BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Rochester football coach Isaac Shaffer does not like scrimmages. The scrimmage included senior fullback Kale Shotts breaking into the defensive backfield for a long run in the first segment of the scrimmage and three more touchdowns in the second segment, which consisted of plays starting at the opponents’ 10-yard-line. Meanwhile, Winamac did not score a touchdown in the sec

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC The Rochester football team will open their season with a home game against Southwood at 7 p.m. Friday. Rochester went 9-2 last year and 8-0 in the Three Rivers Conference. Front, from left – Trevor Coplen, J.J. Velez, Navan Goodman, Trenton Meadows, Liam Spence, Kale Shotts, Camden Susaraba, Ethan Bailey, Grant Holloway, Barrett Brown, Calib Tyler, Tanner Krom. Second – Ayden Hipsher, Mason Oliver, Tanner Horn, Gavin Fincher, Auggie Well

Lady Warrior coach Chumbley: ‘I wasn’t mad about tonight. … I saw a lot of good things.’ BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Logyn Honkomp DENVER — The fun started in the back row for the Rochester volleyball team and then worked its way forward against host North Miami in a scrimmage Thursday. As for North Miami, it is the beginning of the post-Grace Sailors, post-Sparks twins era, and players’ roles are changing. But this might also be remembered as the start of the Lilly

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Brailyn Hunter Amara Wieringa Adalyn Gonzalez Makayla Walley The Rochester volleyball team has seven seniors. Its most accomplished player might be a junior. Its most athletic player might be a sophomore. And its player with the most potential is a freshman who will step into the lineup immediately. As to how the pieces fit, the process is ongoing. The team went 10-19 last year and is 26-65 over the la

Molly Moore Lady Zs shoot 410, finish in 11th place BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC KOKOMO — Rochester girls golf coach Dan Bailey does not talk about individual scores or team scores at such an early stage in the season. “I don’t talk so much about score with the girls as opposed to let’s do a little bit better today than we did yesterday,” Bailey said. “I feel like we’re slowly making those steps.” And junior Molly Moore might have taken the biggest step at the Kokomo

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Molly Moore The post-Olivia Bailey era of Rochester girls golf started with a win. Molly Moore shot an 81 to earn medalist honors as the Lady Zs won a three-way, 18-hole match over Triton and Winamac at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Monday. Rochester shot a 424, Triton had a 483, and Winamac had a 509. Chloe McKinney led Triton with a 97. Sophia Shell was Winamac’s low scorer with a 122. Scarlett Browning added a 124, Brianna Patton

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Baseball Braylon Smith The Plymouth Post 27 Junior Baseball American Legion Team won the state championship in Kokomo July 19. The team went undefeated in July and finished the season 19-6. Team members included Rochester’s Braylon Smith and Tippecanoe Valley’s Brock Adamson.

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC RTC4 Baseball Player of the Year Carson Paulik It was a standout season for two high school baseball teams in particular in our area in 2026. North Miami won just their third sectional title ever and then followed it with their first regional title. Caston also won their third sectional title. But our RTC4 Baseball Player of the Year, Rochester senior pitcher-infielder Carson Paulik, did not attend either of those schools. Paulik singleha

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC RTC4 Softball Player of the Year Dalynne Bussard We had a pretty good idea whom we were picking for RTC4 Softball Player of the Year before sectionals week started. What happened during sectionals week only confirmed what we had already been thinking: Dalynne Bussard deserves it again. Bussard, a senior from Tippecanoe Valley and a University of Indianapolis recruit, is the first two-time winner in the six-year history of the award. She a

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC RTC4 Boys Golfer of the Year Ivan Reyes Once again, our RTC Boys Golfer of the Year is from Pioneer. But this time, it is a different player. Last year, it was Micah Rans. This year, it is Ivan Reyes. A junior, Reyes is our pick after winning medalist honors and leading his Panthers to a Hoosier North title. He also shot a 76 at the Logansport sectional to lead his team to a third-place finish and a return trip to the regional. This was a

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Maci Parker Karley Hallstrom In the six-year history of naming the All-RTC4 Girls Tennis Player of the Year, somebody from Tippecanoe Valley has won it every year. That streak continues in 2026. Our picks as Co-Players of the Year are Karley Hallstrom and Maci Parker, the No. 1 doubles players for the Lady Vikings. They were the senior leaders for a team that made his

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC RTC4 Boys Track Athlete of the Year Harrison Dunwoody Harrison Dunwoody added the 100 meters and the long jump to his track repertoire in 2026, but the event in which his name will be listed on the record board inside the hallway above the concession stand at Rochester High School is the 110 hurdles. And thanks to that record-breaking performance, he is our RTC4 Boys Track Athlete of the Year for the second straight year. Dunwoody is a gi

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC RTC4 Girls Track Athlete of the Year Betty Shepherd For the third straight year, our RTC4 Girls Athlete of the Year is a 300-meter hurdler. And for the second time during that span, it is Tippecanoe Valley’s Betty Shepherd. Shepherd also was our Girls Athlete of the Year in 2024 when she made state as a sophomore. She did not make state in 2025 as friend and rival Audrey Wagner from Rochester was our Athlete of the Year. But that did not

Lady Zs lose to John Glenn, beat Triton BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC July can be a month to experiment with different set-ups and alignments for a high school volleyball coach, and Rochester’s Laneia Strasser used Monday’s three-way summer scrimmage against John Glenn and Triton at the RHS gym to try a one-setter system. It’s a familiar group that is back for Strasser as she begins her fourth year. Avarie Montel and Ella Hake graduated, but the entire back row return

Ex-Rochester 3-sport star became realtor after breaking 4-minute mile BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Wesley Meyer (photo provided) Roughly 2,300 men have ever run a sub-four minute mile. Approximately 750 American men have ever run a sub-four minute mile. Wesley Meyer, a 2016 Rochester High School grad, is one of them. He did it on June 6, 2021. He viewed it as his one chance. It was the peak of his career but also the end of his career, at least the middle distance ph

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Emmalie Grossman Emmalie Grossman final year in 4-H included an appearance in the Supreme Master Showmanship Contest at the Fulton County 4-H Fair Thursday. Grossman is a 10-year member of 4-H. She qualified for the contest by winning Master Sheep Showman earlier in the week. Madisyn Douglass wound up winning the Contest, which involved each contestant showing a dairy cow, a sheep, a beef cow, a pig and a goat. Grossman said she thought s

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Moratorium Week is over. Camp Week is over. The Rochester girls basketball team returned to the court against Peru for a summer scrimmage at the RHS gym Thursday. The “40” defense that coach Joel Burrus relies on was turned up to a “50.” In other words, the emphasis was on a halfcourt trap defense and turning turnovers into points more so than the regular 2-3 halfcourt zone. Meanwhile, the Peru team they faced was unlike the one that beat

Former Rochester shortstop led St. Francis to NAIA national tourney BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Emma Howdeshell Emma Howdeshell experienced it all during her high school athletic career, and she is blazing trails in college too. Point guard on two sectional basketball championship teams? Check. Most goals in a season in Rochester High School girls soccer history? Check. A .616 batting average over a two-season span with 10 homers and 63 RBIs in softball? She did tha

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Tanner Krom Playing golf might be a frustrating game, but when compared to raising cattle, Tanner Krom said the answer was clear when asked which sport is more frustrating. “Definitely cattle,” Krom said. The work, however, is paying off. Krom, who is in his ninth year in 4-H and who will be a senior at Rochester in the fall, finished with the fifth overall steer and won the champion shorthorn at the Fulton County 4-H Fair Beef Show Tuesd

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Fulton County 4-H Fair Queen Vivian Miller Vivian Miller’s sister put the idea in her head that she should enter the Fulton County 4-H Fair Queen pageant. Her mother was once the queen. And her father gave her the best advice. All of the family elements came together for Miller, who will be a senior at Rochester High School in the fall, in winning the pageant Sunday. "It's amazing,” Miller said. “Honestly, I was in disbelief until this mo

Culver to host volleyball sectional, regional; Argos to host girls, boys soccer sectionals BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Rochester will host a volleyball sectional, and they will no longer be in a sectional with Southwood, according to the IHSAA Executive Committee meeting minutes released Monday. Southwood was moved from Sectional 38 to Sectional 36 in Class 2A, according to the IHSAA’s release of the meeting minutes. That will put Southwood in a sectional with Manch

Rochester’s Miller, Winamac’s Wegner make girls honorable mention BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Grant Bailey Kale Shotts Track Rochester senior Grant Bailey and junior Kale Shotts have been named First Team Academic All-State in boys track. In order to be honored, an athlete must be a junior or senior, must be on the sectional roster and must have a minimum 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Seniors mu

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Girls golf Olivia Bailey Rochester senior Olivia Bailey has been named to the Academic All-State first team for girls tennis. She was the only RTC area player to be recognized on the Academic All-State team. To be recognized, a player must have a GPA of 3.8 or better on a 4.0 scale and an SAT score of 1280 or an ACT score of 27. Also, the coach must be a member of the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association. Bailey was the Rocheste

Caston’s Logan, Winamac’s Werner make third team BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Bria Rensberger Maggie Keller Lois Layer Softball Rochester’s Bria Rensberger, Winamac’s Maggie Keller and Pioneer’s Lois Layer have been named to the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana Class 1A/2A second team All-State. Rensberger went 15-2 with a 1.34 ERA in the circle. Her only losses were to Class 3A, No. 5 Roncalli a

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Softball The Rochester softball team earned Team Academic All-State honors for the 2025-26 season. Rochester compiled a 3.92 team GPA on a 4-0 scale, ranking 11th in the state. Both Caston and Winamac had 3.71 team GPAs and also earned the honor. The Softball Coaches Association of Indiana compiles team GPAs and gives out individual and team academic honors.

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Baseball Carson Paulik Rochester’s Carson Paulik has been named to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A All-State team as a pitcher. Paulik went 4-2 with a 0.81 ERA in eight mound appearances covering 52 innings. He allowed just 37 hits and six earned runs while walking 12 and striking out 79. He allowed just one home run. To be eligible to be honored, a coach must be an IHSBCA member, and the coach must nominate

‘This is something I can envision myself doing for 15 to 20 years’ BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Isaac Shaffer was born into a football life and has continued to live it. It goes back to his days as a ballboy at Lewis Cass games to his days as a high school player to his days as a quarterback, running back and defensive back for the Kings to playing at the University of Indianapolis to jumping right into coaching. And after five years as an assistant coach at Rocheste

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC AKRON — The Rochester girls basketball team ended the pre-Moratorium portion of its summer schedule with losses to Warsaw and Manchester at the Tippecanoe Valley Summer League at Rita Price Simpson Court Thursday. The Lady Zs fell to Warsaw 20-14 and Manchester 38-28. Each game consisted of two 16-minute halves with a running clock. Games were played width-wise at both the main gym and the auxiliary gym at Valley. After a rough-and-tumble

NM relying on newcomers to replace 4 graduated seniors BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC High school basketball teams spend their summers figuring out who might replace those players that graduated from the previous season. That figures to be no small task for the Rochester and North Miami teams that met at the RHS gym Friday night. Rochester needs to replace leading scorer and rebounder Jonas Kiser, point guard Carson Paulik, starting forward Jack Reffett and top reserve

Lady Warriors looking to replace Musall, Sailors BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC The Rochester girls basketball team can get stops with their 2-3 zone defense, but can they turn those stops into baskets at the offensive end? The North Miami girls basketball team is coming off a Hoosier North title and back-to-back regional titles, but how will they replace the graduated Laney Musall and Grace Sailors? The teams met at the RHS gym Tuesday in a summer game that had decide

Rochester’s Heishman shoots 79, Musselman 87 in last round of season BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Pioneer junior Ivan Reyes studies a putt on the ninth hole at Sandy Pines Golf Club in DeMotte during Thursday’s regional. Reyes shot a team-low 79. Pioneer finished in 11th place with a 337 and did not advance. DEMOTTE — The Pioneer boys golf team improved their score from the 2025 regional, and they beat rival Logansport, but it was not enough to continue their season

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Lake Central boys golf regional When: 9 a.m. Eastern today Where: Sandy Pines Golf Club, 10527 Bunker Drive, DeMotte Who: Top three teams and top three individuals on non-advancing teams from the Valparaiso, Lake Central, LaPorte, South Bend Riley and Logansport sectionals FROM VALPARAISO SECTIONAL: Valparaiso 319, Boone Grove 322, Chesterton 329 FROM LAKE CENTRAL SECTIONAL: Lake Central 300, Crown Point 316, Kankakee Valley 321 FROM LAPO

Parks, Casper make honorable mention BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Carson Paulik Brady Coleman Conner Dunfee Baseball Rochester baseball players Carson Paulik, Brady Coleman and Conner Dunfee were named first-team All-TRC in voting done by the conference’s coaches and released to the media Tuesday. In addition, Zakk Parks and Parker Casper were both named honorable mention All-TRC. Paulik, a senior, went 4-2