Hickerson, Kratzsch Run Away With TOC Titles [VIDEO]
NORTH WEBSTER – It wasn’t close for a pair of champions. Both Tommy Hickerson and Megan Kratzsch ran away with the titles at the Tournament of Champions, earning a big payday in the form of college scholarships.
The TOC, sponsored by the Shoop Sports Foundation, held its 2017 edition Saturday morning at North Webster Elementary, the annual scholarship test of athleticism, endurance and lots of local bragging rights. For Kratzsch, she took down a reigning three-time champion and Hickerson added his name to the family placard of TOC success.
Hickerson, the fourth in a line of very athletic siblings, laid claim to the men’s title in convincing fashion with 16.33 points. With a three-way tie for second place with 9.5 points, Hickerson’s show of force was extra impressive in a field that had all 15 male competitors score at least a half-point. Grace College’s Drew Schermerhorn, Purdue University’s Caleb Ray and Wawasee graduate Michael Katzer all tied for second.
“I was trying to have fun with this, that was the main thing for me,” said Hickerson, who won a $2,000 scholarship for college tuition with his first career win. The other three runner-ups earned $1,000 each splitting the other three totals of $1,500, $1,000 and $500. “Doing a variety of things here kept it fun for me, I’m just fortunate to win this with a lot of other good competitors here.”
Tommy Hickerson, heading into his sophomore year at Grace College, follows brother, Joey, and sister, Emily, as TOC veterans. Tommy, a member of the Grace track program, excelled in football and track at Warsaw Community High School, and noted his balanced background was a big help in the multi-dimensional slate of tasks. Hickerson won the long jump, tied for the win in the 40-yard dash, and was second in two others.
“Having a year under your belt really helps when you return,” Hickerson said of the advice from the Hickerson house. “Once you experience it, you’ll know what to expect. But it’s just about coming in and having fun. There’s nothing to lose. Just come in and compete and see what happens.”
Kratzsch, also a Warsaw graduate and entering her junior year at Ball State, found the sledding pretty easy in nearly every event. Kratzsch scored at least a point in all but two events, winning six of them. Trying to unseat three-time champion Kelsie Peterson, Kratszch outdid the Grace hoopster straight up in the three-point shootout, hitting 12 shots while Peterson missed double digits.
A soccer and track star while a Lady Tiger, Kratzsch took her well-rounded love for athletics into her dominant performance.
“I just took a big breath before I started today and stayed calm,” stated Kratzsch. “I played soccer and ran track in high school, so I have that experience. And I like to play basketball, so that helped today as well. I was able to put all of that into what I did today. I really felt it in the three-point shootout. I hit the second one and I just did the same motion, it was all muscle memory from there.”
Peterson, a senior at Grace, still earned $1,250 with her 15 points, tying Goshen High School graduate Ashton Ellis for second place. Grace College’s Aubrey Feipel was fourth at 12.5 points, earning $500.
The tournament, which features 10 events including a three-point shootout and free throw contest, pull-ups, long jump, shuttle run, 40-yard dash, mile run, football/softball throw and a soccer and obstacle course, has remained consistent under the direction of coordinator Mitch Willaman, who has captained the event for over a dozen years.
“The past couple of years we’ve just had a great group of kids who come in with great attitudes,” Willaman said. “They celebrate each other’s victories out here. They aren’t just in it for the money, and you can tell. They compete – sure, we all want to win – but this isn’t about the self, and I saw a lot of the guys and girls really cheering for one another and making this more enjoyable this year.”