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Time to turn off newspaper
keyboard after 20 years By Mark Downey Sports Editor September of 2006 marked 20 years in journalism for yours truly. After two decades it’s time
to pull away from the keyboard. R. Michael Johnson, whom I had known as a fellow employee at the Bloomfield Evening World several years
ago, came to me this past March with plans to begin a weekly newspaper in The newspaper is healthy and the staff has grown, but as far as sports writing is concerned, the paper
needs someone who can devote more time to the job. I still enjoy sports, but my interest in covering sports is not what it once was. Besides, there are other things which occupy most of my time, which at the top of the list includes family,
church and my job at SAIC. I began work at the Bloomfield Evening World in September of 1986 and continued in that capacity for 17
and a half years. Over the past 30 months I’ve written for the Bloomington
Herald-Times in addition to the Bloomfield Free Press, all of which has afforded me a lifetime of sports memories too numerous
to mention. More importantly, I gained countless friends
and acquaintances with whom I remain in touch with. Among the highlights: -The 1992-93 and 1993-94 boys’ basketball seasons with -The rise of volleyball in this area, with first WRV, then - -Kelley (Strickler) Miller becoming the first area athlete to reach both the track and cross country state
finals. -The state titles of track standouts Melissa Dyal, Matt Campbell and Doug Dayhoff. - -The emergence of WRV girls’ basketball, culminating with a trip to the state finals. -Eastern-Greene’s involvement in two of the most memorable games I’ve ever witnessed, Bloomfield’s
cat-and-mouse 12-11 last second thriller over the T-Birds during the 2001-02 season and Eastern’s 63-58 regional victory
over host Crawford County the following season. Another would be -Watching high school baseball be played the way it’s supposed to be played under coach Chip Sweet’s
tutelage at the Shakamak baseball factory. -The chance to talk with the likes of George Brett, Roger Clemens and Bo Jackson during spring training. There have been far more positives than negatives during the past 20 years, but there have been a few changes
occur which have taken some of the fun out of sports writing, the biggest of which has been class sports, which I still despise. More close to home has been the total disregard for loyalty some local schools have shown for some of their
long-time coaches as well as former athletes and graduates who desire to return home as teachers and coaches and receive a
thanks, but no thanks reply. Some may say ‘you’re just getting older’, but folks, things aren’t the
way they used to be. If I ever decide to return to the keyboard it will be to write a book on the subject of Thanks to all who have made small town sports journalism such an enjoyable experience for the past two
decades.
SWIAC producing college
athletes in just about every sport By Mark Downey Sports Editor There are presently 34 former SWIAC athletes representing seven
of the eight conference schools in eight different sports. The following is a list of those athletes. Hopefully, no one
has been omitted. If so, please feel free to bring it to my attention so that
the list can be updated. The list is in alphabetical order by school. -Michael Crane, Bloomfield, basketball,
Rose-Hulman -Jon Neill, -Nathan O’Neall,
-Whitney McWilliams, -Tommy Bowlen, Eastern-Greene, baseball,
Urbana University
-Whitney Sanders, Eastern-Greene, basketball, Olney Central -Brittany Sparks, Eastern-Greene,
basketball, College of Mt. St. Joseph's -Jeremy Stanger, Eastern-Greene,
basketball, Olney Central -Buster Voils, Eastern-Greene, basketball, IU-East -Daniel Allen, Linton, football, -Adam Brewer, Linton, football, -Drew Dunkerly, Linton, golf, USI -Hannah Gennicks, Linton, softball,
St. Mary-of-the-Woods -Katie Tharp, Linton, volleyball/basketball, Rose-Hulman
-Marisa Baker, -Rebecca Hays, North Daviess, volleyball, -Kellie Koverman, -Chelsea Baker, Shakamak, softball,
St. Mary-of-the-Woods -Ridge Inman, Shakamak, baseball,
Olney Central -Steven McNabb, Shakamak, baseball,
Oakland City University -Mandi Moore, Shakamak, volleyball, -Jared Rehmel, Shakamak, basketball, Olney Central -Tyler Rehmel, Shakamak, baseball,
Eastern Kentucky University
-Doug Dayhoff, WRV, track, -A.J. Graves, WRV, basketball, -Tyra Schantz, WRV, track,
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