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

Gonzalez makes honorable mention BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Softball Bria Rensberger Aubrey Miller Aubrey WIlson Jadyn Field Adalyn Gonzalez Rochester softball players Bria Rensberger, Aubrey Miller, Aubrey Wilson and Jadyn Field were all named All-Three Rivers Conference in voting done by the conference’s coaches and released to the media Tuesday. In addition, Adalyn Gonzalez was named honorable mention All-TRC. Rensberger went 15-2 on t

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Baseball Carson Paulik Rochester’s Carson Paulik has been selected to play in the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Games. Paulik went 4-2 with an 0.81 ERA in eight appearances covering 52 innings this spring for the Zebras. He also hit .247 with three homers and 22 RBIs and an .846 OPS. The games will be played June 26-27 at Loeb Stadium in Lafayette. Paulik is the third Rochester player to be selected

Musselman, Heishman to tee off on front 9 BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Boys golf The Pioneer boys golf team will tee on the back nine at the Lake Central regional at Sandy Pines Golf Club in DeMotte Thursday. Cole Franklin will tee off at 10:40 a.m. Eastern with Brady Price, Dane Bowditch, Micah Rans and Ivan Reyes teeing off at 10-minute intervals. Reyes will tee off last at 11:20 a.m. Pioneer players will be paired with players from LaPorte and Marquette Catholic.

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Boys track Rochester senior Harrison Dunwoody finished in 24th place in the 110 hurdles in 14.89 seconds at the IHSAA state finals at North Central High School in Indianapolis Saturday. Dunwoody was competing in the state finals for the second straight year. He ran a 15.36 and finished in 27th at the state finals in 2025. Dunwoody broke the Rochester school record with a 14.52 at the Warsaw regional nine days earlier. That came a week aft

Rochester’s Musselman, Heishman advance as individuals; Caston’s Chapman eliminated in playoff BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Micah Rans Ivan Reyes Owen Chapman LOGANSPORT — The Pioneer boys golf team is no fluke. One year after the Panthers advanced to the regional as a team for the first time in school history, they did it again Friday, shooting a 318 to finish third at the Logansport sectional at Dykema

Good on Rochester’s future: ‘We’re going to have some spots to fill’ BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC GREENTOWN — The Rochester baseball coaching staff was familiar with Eastern (Greentown) coach Erik Hisner. Formerly the coach at Three Rivers Conference rival Whitko, they knew he likes to play small ball, full of bunting and running. Despite the preparation, it did not pay off in a 6-5 loss in a Class 2A, Sectional 38 semifinal loss to the Comets Saturday. In Eastern’s

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Boys track Harrison Dunwoody After setting the Rochester school record in the 100 hurdles at the Warsaw regional Thursday, senior Harrison Dunwoody now prepares for his second state finals. The state finals begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at North Central High School in Indianapolis. Dunwoody will take to the track at approximately 5:15 p.m. for the trials. The top nine advance to the state finals, which will occur at approximately 6:15 p.m. Dun

The Rochester Zebras Softball team picture after their 3rd straight sectional title. Unfortunately their season ended Tuesday night at home with an extra inning loss to Western Boone at Fansler Field J. Field’s 2 clutch hits produce 3 RBIs; Wilson adds inside-the-park homer BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC It was warm and dry at Fansler Field Tuesday for the Class 2A softball regional between Western Boone and Rochester. Every time a player ran a step or every time the

Parks has 3 hits, Paulik steals home in sectional semifinal loss BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC The Rochester baseball team lost to Eastern (Greentown) 6-5 in a Class 2A, Sectional 38 semifinal at Eastern to end their season. The Zebras finished 13-16. Front, from left – Braylon Smith, Callen Ferverda, Brant Beck, Zakk Parks, Conner Dunfee, Brady Coleman. Back – Trenton Meadows, Carson Paulik, Parker Casper, Liam Spence, Linden Wilburn, Brayson Flory, Mitchell Clark. G

Fredel tops Winamac with a 46 BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Ashton Musselman Isaac Heishman Boys golf Logansport 153, Twin Lakes 159, Rochester 174, Winamac 201 (Tuesday): Both Isaac Heishman and Ashton Musselman each shot a 39, but the Rochester boys golf team finished third in a four-way dual over the front nine at Dykeman Park Golf Course in Logansport Tuesday. Jack Reffett and Parker Brown each added a

Heinzmann ejected after rough collision at third base; next: vs. Western Boone, Tuesday night BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC The Rochester softball team beat Oak Hill 5-3 in the Class 2A, Sectional 38 final at Fansler Field Thursday. The sectional title is Rochester’s third straight and their seventh in school history. Rochester (22-3) will host Sectional 37 champion Western Boone at 6 p.m. Tuesday in a regional at Fansler Field. Front, from left – assistant coach Rach

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Boys track Harrison Dunwoody Rochester senior Harrison Dunwoody finished second in the 110 hurdles at the Warsaw regional Thursday to advance to the IHSAA state finals for the second straight year. The top three in each event advanced to state. Dunwoody’s time of 14.52 seconds broke the Rochester school record. It also beat the boys state qualifying standard of 14.62 seconds. Manchester’s Carson Heath won the race in 14.32 seconds. Dunwoo

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Girls tennis Emily Bailey Lowell’s Aubrey Fleming defeated Rochester’s Olivia Bailey 6-3, 6-1 in a state singles sectional match at Crown Point High School Wednesday. Bailey finished with a 12-6 record. Her 2-0 record at the Culver Academy sectional allowed her to continue on in the singles state tournament even though the team had been eliminated. Rochester coach Jesse Atkinson called the match “extremely well-played” in a statement. “We

Wilson, Gonzalez have 2 hits each in 5-inning triumph over Eastern BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Mylee Heinzmann Adalyn Gonzalez Rochester junior softball pitcher Bria Rensberger had a plan on how to deal with Emilia Andrews going into their Class 2A, Sectional 38 semifinal against Eastern (Greentown) Tuesday. Throw in on her hands. Andrews, Eastern’s shortstop and leadoff hitter and an Illinois State recruit

Class 2A, Sectional 38 at Rochester QUARTERFINALS (MONDAY) Eastern (Greentown) 8, Wabash 3 Lewis Cass 17, Manchester 3 (5 innings) SEMIFINALS (TUESDAY) Rochester 11, Eastern (Greentown) 0 Oak Hill 5, Lewis Cass 2 FINAL: Rochester vs. Oak Hill, 7 p.m. Thursday Class 3A, Sectional 20 at NorthWood QUARTERFINALS (MONDAY) Fairfield 11, Wawasee 0 (5 innings) Tippecanoe Valley 6, NorthWood 1 SEMIFINALS (TUESDAY) Fairfield 22, West Noble 1 (5 innings) Tippecanoe Valley 5, Columbia Ci

NM’s Hoover finishes 2nd in shot put, earns first trip to state BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Girls track Betty Shepherd After a two-year wait, Tippecanoe Valley senior Betty Shepherd earned a return trip to the IHSAA girls track state finals by finishing third in the 300 hurdles at the Goshen regional Thursday. Shepherd was timed in 45.67 seconds, breaking her own Valley school record. She had the previous record of 45.97 seconds at the 2025 regional at Warsaw, but s

Class 2A, Sectional 38 at Rochester QUARTERFINALS (MONDAY) Eastern (Greentown) 8, Wabash 3 Lewis Cass 17, Manchester 3 (5 innings) SEMIFINALS (TODAY) Rochester vs. Eastern (Greentown), 5:30 p.m. Oak Hill vs. Lewis Cass, 7:30 p.m. FINAL, 7 p.m. Thursday Class 3A, Sectional 20 at NorthWood QUARTERFINALS (MONDAY) Fairfield vs. Wawasee, 5:30 p.m. Tippecanoe Valley vs. NorthWood, 7:30 p.m. SEMIFINALS (TODAY) West Noble vs. Fairfield, 5:30 p.m. Columbia City vs. Tippecanoe Valley,

Valley’s Shepherd takes 300 hurdles title, also advances in 100 hurdles, discus; Calloway, Bailon, Sailors, Hoover also reach regional BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Kyra Doran Betty Shepherd Kyra Doran of Rochester won the long jump at the Bremen sectional Tuesday, and she also qualified for the regional in two other events by finishing in the top three. In addition, teammates Allyson Callow

Wilburn goes 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Baseball Connor Dunfee Linden Wilburn Rochester 8, Bremen 3 (Thursday): Conner Dunfee pitched four scoreless innings in relief for the win, and he also had a double and three RBIs at the plate as the Rochester baseball team beat host Bremen Thursday for their third straight win. Sophomore and cleanup hitter Linden Wilburn went 3 for 3 w

Logan has both Lady Comet hits BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Emma Mathias Gabby Medina FULTON — Aubrey Wilson and Gabby Medina had RBI singles as part of a four-run fifth inning, and Emma Mathias and Bria Rensberger combined on a two-hit shutout as the Rochester softball team handled host Caston 5-0 Thursday in the regular season finale for both teams. Medina went 3 for 4, and Wilson went 2 for 3 fo

Bailey to continue in singles tourney BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Girls tennis Olivia Bailey Emma Murphy Knox 3, Rochester 2 (Thursday): Olivia Bailey won in straight sets at No. 1 singles, and Emma Murphy won in straight sets at No. 3 singles, but the Rochester girls tennis team’s season ended with a loss to Knox in the sectional semifinals at Culver Academy Thursday. Bailey won 6-1, 6-2. B

Coleman goes 4 for 4, Beck adds 4 RBIs BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS Sports Editor, RTC Carson Paulik Brant Beck The Rochester baseball team celebrated their seniors prior to their game against Lewis Cass Wednesday and revealed their blonde ambitions for the future. Carson Paulik clubbed a three-run homer as part of a four-RBI night, and fellow senior Brant Beck also had four RBIs as the Zebras drubbed