Good news is all around us and there may be no better venue that the sports world in La Porte County. Achievements - both team and individual, traditions and more highlight our Top 10 Sports Stories on LaPorteCountyLife.com in 2015.
Without further adieu, see our favorite stories from the past year below!
Michigan City’s Allyson Richards to Play for U.S. Women's Volleyball Team at 2015 Tournament in Austria
Click here to read more!
This summer, Michigan City High Schooler Allyson Richards will have the distinct honor of competing with the U.S.A. Women’s Volleyball Team at a tournament taking place in Austria over a five day period in Austria this June. Allyson, a sophomore at Michigan City High School, will be playing for the 16-18 year old team.
“It’s very exciting,” Richards said. “I signed up for a recruiting website, NCSA, and Jane Turner, the US Coach, contacted me through the NCSA and wondered it I would like to play with the USA Team. I then had to try out so we had to send in a video and do an interview over the phone. It’s going to be a great opportunity for me.”
La Porte High School Baseball: Building On Storied Slicer Traditions
Click here to read more!
If there is one thing that La Porte, Indiana is known for, it is the high school’s baseball program. Slicer baseball has had quite the reputation for winning for the past forty-some years. This is due, in large part, to the strong coaching talents of Ken Schreiber.
Schreiber, who coached at LPHS for over 38 years, ended his tenure with an impressive record of 1010 wins and a mere 217 losses.
La Porte High School Girls Cross Country: Winning as One
Click here to read more!
“WE wanted this moment to be remembered.”
That’s what Girls Cross Country member at La Porte High School, Katie Pickford, said when I asked her about the six-way tie that occurred at the end of their meet last night.
La Porte High School Football Teams Continues to Hold Traditional, Fellowship Building Dinner
Click here to read more!
Every Thursday at Kiwanis Field a tradition takes place for some La Porte Slicer Football players, their coaches and dedicated volunteers. Every Thursday the team eats dinner together and for a few moments players, friends, coaches and mothers are allowed to bond together.
Junior Varsity and Varsity football players from La Porte High School participate every Thursday in what is called their pre-dinner, a dinner open to all JV and Varsity football players to sit and eat dinner together with their fellow athletes and coaches. This is a time where the players can temporarily forget their individual roles and coaches can forget their coaching schedule and eat together as friends and colleagues.
LPHS Semi-State All-Star Football Team Honored with Rings
Click here to read more!
The LPHS football team has overcome obstacles that some might call extremely challenging, but instead of giving up, they pushed through and worked tirelessly towards an outstanding season.
Together as a team, they earned a record of 7-7, which led them to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis where they competed against Indianapolis Cathedral at State. Although they did not come out with a win, these Semi-State champs were honored for their impressive season by a ring ceremony held in the Slicer gym.
Krueger Middle School Hosts Staff vs Student Game
Click here to read more!
Krueger Middle School, home of the Colts, in partnership with “Pennies for Patients,” recently held a Staff versus Student basketball game. On April 1, 2015 staff members became players, cheerleaders, scoreboard operators, announcers, ticket takers, and concession workers. Those staff members chosen as players faced up against members of the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams. The staff team was coached by the dynamic duo of Mrs. Linda Swedenburg and Ms. Nikki Dopka while the students were coached by Principal Vera Jones.
In the second charity event hosted by Krueger’s student council, every admission fee of one dollar went towards helping cancer patients! Like with their past fundraiser, “Penny Wars”, the steering committee chose for the game’s proceeds to be donated specifically to the American Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.
MMA Excitement Returns to Northwest Indiana as Blue Chip Casino Hosts HFC 26 Title Bout
Click here to read more!
The Blue Chip Hotel Casino and Spa have been a staple of the Northwest Indiana region for several years. Situated in Michigan City, Indiana, the entertainment complex sees thousands of visitors daily and their Stardust Event Center has played host to hundreds of performers since its inception. But it has never seen anything like the event that is coming to the Blue Chip tomorrow: Hoosier Fight Club 26.
Beginning in 2009, HFC has hosted numerous MMA events in the area. Headlining Saturdays event in Michigan city will be the professional middleweight title matchup between Ohio-native Muhammed “The Hurricane” Abdullah (5-1) and Nick “Ye Daddy” Kraus (9-3) of Rolling Prairie, Indiana. Both fighters having recently lost to UFC fighter Chris Dempsey, Kraus will be looking to improve his record to 4 -0 since joining the HFC.
Old Memories Relived and a Rivalry Rekindled at the LaPorte County Family YMCA Vintage Veterans Basketball Classic
Click here to read more!
There are those who would tell you that you can’t go home again; that what’s gone is gone. And that past glories, now faded with time, can never be recaptured.
However, they never bothered to tell that to the ’66 Michigan City Elston team members who showed up at the LaPorte County Family YMCA on Wednesday night, to square off against their historic rivals, the LaPorte Slicers.
Slicer Supporters Celebrate Homecoming Weekend with 14th Annual Tailgate Fundraiser
Click here to read more!
Hours before La Porte High School’s football team played against their rivals Michigan City, Slicer supporters were keeping homecoming spirits high with their annual tailgate party at Handley Elementary. Slicers of past, future, and present gathered together to scarf down some hot dogs and hamburgers before kick-off. The party was hosted not only to bring everyone together for homecoming, but also was a fundraiser for the La Porte Educational Development Foundation.
“This event is our 14th Annual Homecoming Tailgate, which really gets our community together before the big game,” Steve Walters, member of the La Porte Educational Development Foundation explained. “The foundation puts this on to raise funds so we can give teachers grants for the classrooms so that they can do special projects that they normally wouldn’t have the funds to do on their own. It’s one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, but it’s also a great tradition and a good time for the people out here tonight.”