Sports

The Crossroads League announced its 2022-2023 Female Athlete-of-the-Year honor on Wednesday, with Huntington’s cross country and track standout, Addy Wiley, claiming the top honor. Wiley made her mark on the NAIA, Crossroads League and Huntington record books during her incredible freshman collegiate campaign. The cross country and track student-athlete ran to seven NAIA National Championships and nine NAIA All-American honors to headline her historic 2022-2023 season.

Lace up your running (or walking) shoes and get ready to light up the night as Huntington University presents the third annual Night Lights 5K on Friday, Aug. 25. This event promises a night of fun and fitness, all for a great cause: HU’s Hometown Grant. And, for the first time, this isn’t just a timed race, it’s an official chipped race. Check-in begins at 8 p.m., with the event officially starting at dusk. The cost of registration is $25 and includes your entry fee and shirt.

The Huntington North boys golf team wrapped up its 2023 season at the Warsaw Sectional meet on Friday, June 2, at Rozella Ford Golf Club, placing fifth in the team standings with a score of 330. Cole Collins paced the Vikings with a score of 80, with Austin Williams on his heels firing an 81. Javin Gray followed by turning in a round of 82, with Kai Richison’s 87 rounding out the Huntington North scoring quartet. Griffin Husband fired a non-scoring 92 to complete the Viking contingent.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released its baseball All-American teams and among the 68 athletes honored were HU graduate Langston Ginder and sophomore Graham Kollen. The pair were just two of four Crossroads League players to earn All-American honors. Ginder saved his best for last and for his efforts was tabbed Second Team All-American. The second baseman pounded out 71 hits, 31 for extra bases which included a team-leading 15 homers. He posted a .360 batting average and .685 slugging percentage.

Huntington North junior Ella Colclesser put a bow on the 2022–23 athletic school year for the Vikings by racing in the 800 meter run at the IHSAA State Finals on Saturday, June 3, at Indiana University’s Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex. Colclesser’s time of 2:21.08 earned her 23rd place in the event, surpassing her seeding of 26th. Colclesser began her run with a first lap time of 1:08.08 before posting a 1:13.00 in her second lap to place 10th in her heat.

Huntington North senior Brayden Voght represented his team on the state’s biggest stage on Friday, June 2, racing in the 400 meter run at the IHSAA State Finals at Indiana University’s Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex. Voght entered the State Finals as the 25th seed in the event, but surpassed his seeding by placing 22nd overall, stopping the clock at 50.79 seconds. Head coach Scott Bower noted how Voght’s race strategy was a bit different from normal based on the competitive field, though that is not uncommon at the state meet.

HU freshman Addy Wiley left an indelible mark on 1500-meter history Saturday afternoon, June 3, at the 21st annual Music City Track Carnival hosted by the Nashville Track Club on the campus of Vanderbilt University. The Forester rookie won the 1500m Pro in in a blazing 4:03.22 to become the second-fastest woman in collegiate history. Among US collegiate woman, only former world champion Jenny Simpson (3:59.90, 2009) has ever ran faster. “There’s really no words to describe what Addy did today in the 1500m,” said HU Coach Austin Roark.

The Huntington North baseball team opened its postseason run on Wednesday, May 24, at Huntington University’s Forest Glen Park, earning a 10–3 comeback win over New Haven in sectional quarterfinal action.

The Forester track and field program wrapped up the year by enjoying two national titles and 11 All-American honors at the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at IWU’s Wildcat Complex in Marion. Freshman Addy Wiley made it look easy by cruising to a pair of national titles within a two-hour span Friday afternoon. She crushed the competition by eight seconds in the 1500 meters by posting a time of 4:14.56. Not long after, she toed the line of the 800 meters and sailed around the track twice in 2:04.29 to beat the defending champion by nearly four seconds.

Brayden Vought will finish his track and field career at the IHSAA State Finals after earning a spot in the 400 meter dash to lead the Huntington North boys team to a 17th place finish at the Carroll Regional Thursday, May 25. Voght placed third in the 400m dash with a time of 50.40 to qualify for the state meet. Voght also anchored the 4x400m relay team with Caleb Reust, Noah Wagner, and Tony Decker as they finished in 13th place. Caleb Reust finished fifth in the 300m hurdles with a time of 40.80.

Huntington North’s Ella Colclesser placed third in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:19.48  at the Carroll Regional Tuesday, May 22, to earn a spot in the IHSAA Girls Track and Field State Finals. The state meet begins at 3 p.m. June 3 at Indiana University Bloomington. The junior also competed in two relays at Carroll, teaming up with Johanna Bragg, Elle McDonald, and Gracie Fields in the 4x800m relay for fifth place, and with Raegan Double, Alyse Geiger, and Fields for a 14th place result in the 4x400m relay.

It took an extra inning but the Huntington North softball team pulled out a tight 4-3 win over Homestead in the championship game of the Class 4A Columbia City championship game Thursday night, May 25. Homestead, the visiting team for the night, struck first with two runs right off the bat in the top of the first inning. Huntington North answered back with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. After a scoreless second inning, both teams scored a run in the third inning to remain tied at 3-3. The score remained 3-3 after seven innings, forcing extra innings.

The Huntington North boys golf team competed at the Northeast 8 Conference Meet on Saturday, placing fifth with a team score of 336. Javin Gray led the way for the Vikings, firing a round of 74, which tied for fourth overall in the individual standings. Cole Collins and Griffin Husband each turned in scorecards of 87 to tie for second on the team, with Austin Williams on their heels with a score of 88. Kamden Lahr recorded a non-scoring 89 to round out the Huntington North contingent.

The Huntington North baseball team fell behind early but dominated New Haven in a 10-3 win in the opening round of the Class 4A Columbia City Sectional Wednesday night, May 24. Viking pitchers Wes Huff and Cole Martz combined to pitch a 3-hitter, shutting the Bulldogs out over the final six innings. New Haven took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first but the Vikings quickly answered in the top of the second inning with four runs to take a 4-3 lead.

Eleven Foresters will represent Huntington University at the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships slated for May 24-26 at Indiana Wesleyan’s Wildcat Track & Field Complex in Marion. (The NAIA Outdoor Nationals took place after the Huntington Tab’s deadline.) The Forester women, ranked fifth in the latest USTFCCCA National Rating Index, are entered in three running events, four field events and the heptathlon. Freshman Addy Wiley, one of the nation’s top runners, will toe the line of the 800 and 1500 as the top seed in each race.