Willoughby, Hickerson Take Top Honors At TOC
NORTH WEBSTER – The spector of sport. The feats of the chosen ones. The glory of helping pay college tuition.
The unfolding of the 2013 Shoop Sports & Youth Foundation sponsored Tournament of Champions had 25 athletes from around the area battle it out in 10 different athletic disciplines in the quest for college scholarships. In events such as the obstacle course, 40-yard dash and soccer course, the men and women working could not rely on their comfort zones alone, but a mastery of some form of the 10 events in order to earn one of four scholarships.
Taking top honors in 2013 for the men was Brian Willoughby, winning the mile-run and obstacle course as well as finishing a close second in the soccer course. Willoughby scored 14 points on the day, which earned him the top scholarship of $2,000 to put toward his studies at Olivet-Nazarene University.
On the women’s side, Emily Hickerson earned $2,000 for her work, winning four of the 10 categories and finishing second in another to bundle up 20 points. The Grace College soccer star won the soccer course, the shuttle run, long jump and pull-ups and was second by less than a two-tenths of a second in the 40-yard dash.
Taking $1,500 for second place overall, respectively, were Rose-Hulman’s Zac Erba, who finished with 11.8 points, and University of Indianapolis product Amy Walker. Erba did not win any event, but was second in the 40-yard dash and third in three events while Walker won the mile run and obstacle course in building up 15.5 points.
Third place and $1,000 each went to Matt Ray of Indiana Wesleyan University and Adriana Ganz from the University of South Florida. Ray tied for first place in free throws and scored nine points while Ganz edged Hickerson out for the win in the 40-yard dash en route to 13.75 points.
IPFW’s Derek Snep and Manchester University’s Kylee Ort both took home $500 for fourth place finishes. Snep, at 8.3 points, was second in both pull-ups and football throw while Ort, 13 points, drained nine three-pointers to win the long distance shoot-out was second place in three other events.
All of the scholarships handed out Saturday are sponsored by the Shoop Sports & Youth Foundation.
2013 Tournament of Champions
Men’s Division
1. Brian Willoughby 14 points
2. Zac Erba 11.8
3. Matt Ray 9
4. Derek Snep 8.3
5. Garrett Freel 7.8
6. Preston Keim, Si Shear, Derrick Sorensen 7
9. Jordan Acton 6.5
10. John Essex, DJ Semon 5
12. Aaron Becker 4.5
13. Brian Clark 4
14. Doug Corl 3
Women’s Division
1. Emily Hickerson 20
2. Amy Walker 15.5
3. Adriana Ganz 13.75
4. Kylee Ort 13
5. KiLee Knafel 9.75
6. Josie Sparks 9
7. Shana Anderson 8
8. Micaela Sylvester 6.5
9. Amanda Kingman 3
10. Holly Frantz, Lexy Blunk 0.75