The Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Celebrates its 15th Class at the Monroe Convention Center The Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Honored its 15th Class Friday Night with its annual banquet at the Monroe Convention Center in Downtown Bloomington. What has become a summer staple on the calendar in Bloomington and Monroe County was celebrated with over 250 in attendance to welcome in 12 new members to the Hall of Fame that included 6 athletes, 2 coaches, 2 contributors and 2 pioneers. Since 2011 159 have been Inducted and 93 Scholar Athletes that include one Female and one Male from Bloomington North, Bloomington South and Edgewood High Schools have been awarded over $78,000 in scholarships.
Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame President David Hays announced that in 2026 the Scholarship Award will be named after 2015 Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Inductee and Founding Board Member Bob Hammel who Passed Away at Age 88 earlier this week. Hammel said when the scholarships were established that they are “The intersection of the best of athletics with the best of academics”. The evening started with a meet and greet that was opened to the public and all the Inductees brought in their memorabilia including Shelby Wilson’s 1960 Olympic Gold Medal that he won in Rome, Italy in Wrestling. Jonathan Holmes who played basketball at Bloomington and the University of North Carolina had his jerseys on display.
After dinner it was time to get the festivities started and Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame President David Hays welcomed everyone, and Vice President Mark Deal was the master of ceremonies. The Six Scholar Athletes were recognized which Included Sofie Garcia and Jay Stewart of Bloomington North, Grace Stringer and David Kovacs of Bloomington South and Ayrica DeHart and Jackson Klinger of Edgewood. Garcia was in attendance with her family and escorted her former teacher Lance Fox to stage when it was his time to be inducted and shows the deep connections that Monroe County has when it comes to Athletics.
Rob Snoddy the Son of Bob Snoddy accepted on his behalf. Snoddy was University High School’s only Track and Field State Champion winning the 120 Yard Hurdles and 220 Yard Hurdles at the 1947 State Track and Field Championships. Snoddy passed away in 2014 at age 86 and was one of two pioneers that were inducted into the class. Wayne Nichols was honored by his wife of 59 years who was escorted to the stage by 2018 Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame inductee Mark Smythe who played football for Coach Nichols at Bloomington North along with Gene Brewer who wrestled for Nichols at University High School and spoke on behalf of the family. 56 members of the Nichols Family were on hand along many athletes he coached including 2024 Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award Winner Hadley Lucas of Bloomington North who completed her Freshman Season at the University of Wisconsin. Nichols taught for 58 years as Physical Education Teacher at every school in Monroe County and passed away in 2022.
Bloomington South Track and Cross-Country Coach Larry Williams the second coach inducted and Jim Murphy who was a four-sport star at Eastern Greene HS and the longtime president of CFC Properties was inducted as a contributor along with Shelby Wilson who and Olympic Gold Medal in 1960 in Rome in Wrestling has been a mentor, coach and speaker inspiring young up and coming wrestlers for many years in the area. “I was born in Oklahoma but have lived in Indiana for 40 Years and call myself a Hoosier” Wilson Said during his induction speech and was honored to be included into this ” Prestigeous Hall of Fame”. It was Special Night for Lance and Ted Fox who were the first father and son to be inducted together. Ted Fox won the State Championship in the Pole Vault for Bloomington HS in 1944 and coached for 30 years at Bedford North Lawrence HS. Lance graduated in from Bloomington South in 1976 setting the school pole Vault Record on his way to the 2004 Sectional Title and was a two time Big Ten Champion at Indiana University. Ted Fox passed away in 2004 and looked down on his son as they enter the Hall of Fame together. Lance Fox has moonlighted has comedian and did impressions including the longtime radio voice of Monroe County High School Sports Joe Smith who is a 2021 Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Inductee which got a great reaction from the crowd.
Andy Anderson was Indiana Baseball All-Star for Edgewood in 2000 and went on to Ball State University to start as pitcher for four years. Anderson was a 4 Year letter winner in Basketball and was an all-conference selection his Senior season. His father Tom Coached Basketball and Baseball for many years, and he was happy to share this moment with his dad and his mom who passed away on Christmas Day in 2024 was proud of him and looking down happy that her son is now in the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame. Alex Guyton was a 2008 Indiana Girls Basketball All-Star for Bloomington North and won three Big Ten Regular Season Championships at Purdue and became an assistant coach after her playing career was up at both the High School and College levels. Her HS Coach Steve Goddard was in attendance as Guyton becomes the third member of the Hall of Fame that played under Goddard joining Whitney Thomas in 2018 who played for IU and Kiley Jarrett who was an Indiana All-Star in 2005 and played at Ball State and now the Girls Basketball Head Coach at Bloomington North.
Jonathan Holmes currently an assistant coach at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio was a 1999 Indiana Boys Basketball All-Star at Bloomington South and started for four years for his Father J.R. who was inducted into the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and is the all-time winningest boys’ basketball coach in the State of Indiana. Jonathan joked when got to the stage escorted by his father “That is the only assist you are going to see Coach Holmes make”. Ronnie Schneider became the first Scholar Athlete Award Winner to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Schneider won three individual State Singles Titles in Tennis and was named a 2013 Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award Winner for Bloomington South, and he remembers 12 years ago when he sat in the crowd and saw the athletes he looked up to growing up be inducted into the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame he has become a Hall of Famer himself and was a full circle moment for him.
Sarah Thompson (Figg) who was a two-sport standout at Edgewood in Basketball and Softball started 4 years in both sports earning all-conference honors in both sports all four years and won 5 Sectional Championships with 3 in Basketball and 2 in Softball owns several school records in both sports that still stand since graduating in 2004. She recently completed her master’s degree in administration and has been a Physical Education Teacher at Edgewood Elementary and now watches her two kids compete in sports. Monroe County has had 17 sports represented with its 159 inductees in this Hall of Fame. The list includes State Champions, Indiana All-Stars, Mental Attitude Award Winners, Olympians, College MVP’s and Professional Athletes. There are not many counties in the State of Indiana and in the United States that can compete with the rich tradition that Monroe County and Bloomington Indiana has which makes the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame one of the most prestigious Hall of Fames anywhere.
Indiana Fever handle the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse The Indiana Fever (13-12) bested the Las Vegas Aces with an 80-70 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday night, the first of seven “Stranger Things” nights following the team’s re-release of the third jersey. Indiana led through much of the first quarter with all five starters making their way onto the score sheet, including Sophie Cunningham leading the way with five points, but the Aces would bring it level at 18-18 at the end of the first 10 minutes. After finding themselves with an eight-point deficit, the Fever battled back, but a 9-2 run by Las Vegas in the final 1:40 of the first half made it a 41-35 in favor of the visitors heading into the break. With 27 total points scored and an 8-0 run to end the third quarter, Indiana erased the Aces’ lead and put themselves in front 62-56, thanks in part to 11 points from Natasha Howard. Kelsey Mitchell closed out the game with 14 of her 21 points coming in the second half, securing the win for the home team.
Natasha Howard recorded her 54th career double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, her sixth of the season. Howard is now tied with Glory Johnson for the 26th most double doubles in WNBA history. Aliyah Boston recorded her 34th career double-double with 10 rebounds and 13 points, her 10th of the season. Boston’s 10 double-doubles are the second most of any player in the WNBA this season. For the first time this season every single member of the starting lineup scored at least one three pointer, including Aliyah Boston (1), Sophie Cunningham (3), Natasha Howard (1), Aari McDonald (3) and Kelsey Mitchell (3). Kelsey Mitchell finished the night with 21 points, extending her double-digit scoring streak to 25 games, posting 10+ points in every game so far this season. With her 21 points scored, Kelsey Mitchell surpassed 4,400 career points, becoming the fourth fastest guard in WNBA history to do so. Mitchell is currently averaging 19.5 points per season, a career-high for the guard. Sydney Colson recorded her 200th career rebound in the fourth quarter. For the first time in franchise history the Indiana Fever have defeated the Las Vegas Aces twice in a single season since the Aces relocated from San Antonio to Las Vegas ahead of the 2018 season. The Indiana Fever head North to take on the Chicago Sky on Sunday at 3:00 PM and will broadcast nationally on ABC.
Indianapolis Indians get a One Run Victory against the Toledo Mud Hens with a Strong Performance from Bubba Chandler Billy Cook’s RBI ground out paired with Ji Hwan Bae’s heads up base running in the third inning pushed the Indianapolis Indians to a 3-2 win over the Toledo Mud Hens on Thursday night at Victory Field. Indy improved to 21-7 in one-run games on the campaign. Cook brought home the winning run for the Indians (17-7, 59-39) in the third frame when a potential double play ball was hit to third base. The Mud Hens (12-12,51-48) recorded a force out at second base to retire Nick Solak, with Cook beating out the throw to first to keep the inning alive. Running from second base, Bae did not break stride on the play and took two bases to score for a 3-0 advantage. Jared Triolo opened the scoring for Indianapolis in the second inning, launching his second home run of the season 413 feet to center field for a1-0 lead.
The Indians then tacked on two runs in the third frame, with the rally starting on a walk by Ronny Simon. With Bae at the plate, Simon stole second and third base. On a successful steal of third, Mud Hens catcher Tomás Nido threw the ball away into left field, scoring Simon on the error. Bae walked, stole second base and subsequently scored on Cook’s groundout. Toledo picked up a pair of runs in the sixth inning when Akil Baddoo got things started with a single and Hao-Yu Lee tripled him home to cut the deficit, 3-1. Jace Jung then hit a sacrifice fly to plate Lee for their second run of the inning. Bubba Chandler (W, 5-3) led the charge for the Indy pitching staff as he tossed 5.2 innings of two-run ball with four hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Three of his seven strikeouts were on fastballs that registered 98.0 mph or faster. Michael Darrell-Hicks, Burch Smith and Eddy Jean (S,5) covered the remainder of the game, with Yean blanking the Mud Hens in the ninth inning to seal victory. Yean has not allowed a run in eight consecutive outings and 10.0 innings since June 27. Mud Hens starter Jordan Balazovic (L,3-1) allowed one run in 2.0 innings en route to his first loss of the season.
Former Indiana University Men’s Soccer Player Samuel Sarver Signs a First Team Deal with FC Dallas FC Dallas has announced the signing of forward Samuel Sarver from North Texas SC to a deal through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028. Sarver earns a first team contract after impressing in his short-term deals with FC Dallas. Sarver recently made his second FC Dallas cameo versus St. Louis CITY on July 19, 2025. In the final minutes of the match, he earned a penalty kick that sealed the win for the Burn. Sarver made his FC Dallas debut against Minnesota United on July 4, 2025. Through 18 games with North Texas SC this season, FC Dallas’ MLS NEXT Pro affiliate club, Sarver has scored 14 goals and assisted three. On July 18, 2025, Sarver became the first player to score a poker in franchise history. He is also the first player to score a hat trick in MLS NEXT Pro and the first to do so for the club since Ronaldo Damus against the Richmond Kickers on Sept. 9, 2019, in USL League One. Sarver is the fastest player for North Texas to score 10 or more goals in an MLS NEXT Pro season. The captain of North Texas leads the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot Race. He made his professional debut against St. Louis CITY2 on March 9, 2025.
The native of Chesterland, Ohio, Sarver recorded 24 goals, 22 assists and registered 70 points over his four-year career at Indiana University. He helped lead IU to the 2024 Big Ten regular season title and earned multiple individual honors, including All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2023 and 2024. He also claimed the 2023 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Tournament and earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection in 2021. Sarver was drafted 41st overall in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft out of Indiana University by FC Dallas. Prior to Indiana, Sarver played in the Columbus Crew SC Academy and scored 44 goals in 55 matches. He also competed with the U16 U.S. Youth National Team at the Nike Friendlies and 4 Nations Tournament in 2019, held in the Czech Republic.
Indiana Pacers Sign 2025 Second Round Draft Pick Taelon Peter to a Two-Way Contract The Indiana Pacers signed guard Taelon Peter to a two-way contract. The Pacers drafted Peter out of Liberty with the No. 54 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Peter averaged 9.5 points per game while shooting 57.1% from the field and 26.7% from three-point range in four games in the Summer League. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season at Liberty. Peter shot 57.8% from the floor and 45.3% from three. He also shot 75.6% from two-point range, the highest mark in Conference USA. Prior to playing at Liberty, Peter played three seasons at Arkansas Tech (Division 2) and one season at Tennessee Tech.
IHSAA Announces Limited Eligibility for Fishers Boys Basketball Senior Kai McGrew after his Transfer from Lawrence North The eligibility of one of the state’s top high school basketball players is in question for the upcoming season. The Indiana High School Athletic Association ruled Wednesday Kai McGrew, who transferred from Lawrence North to Fishers in the spring, will have limited eligibility for the upcoming season in its initial decision. That ruling would limit McGrew to junior varsity games for 365 days from his last varsity game, which was the Class 4A semistate on March 22. The 6-9 McGrew, an Indiana Junior All-Star and ranked No. 4 in the state by IndyStar in the 2026 in-state class, averaged 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists as a junior at Lawrence North, helping the Wildcats to a 22-7 record and Class 4A semistate championship game appearance.
McGrew transferred to Fishers after the season, prior to the new first-time transfer from the IHSAA going into effect on June 1, meaning his transfer was processed by the IHSAA under the previous transfer rules. McGrew enrolled at Fishers High School on April 22. McGrew’s mother, Keela Buckley-McGrew, declined to comment “at this time” when contacted by IndyStar on Wednesday night. She explained in April she has lived in the Fishers district the past two years and wanted to make the transfer due to proximity to school for her son. “I’m able to get him back and forth to school easier and my job is closer,” she said at the time. If the McGrew family chooses to appeal the IHSAA decision, it has 30 days to submit the appeal to the IHSAA review committee.
McGrew attended Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colo., as a freshman, before moving to Indiana prior to his sophomore season. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots a sophomore on a Lawrence North team that went 25-4 and won a 4A regional championship. Fishers won the Class 4A state title two years ago and was the runner-up last year, losing by one point to Jeffersonville in the state championship. The Tigers return junior guards Jason Gardner Jr. and Cooper Zachary, but graduate most of the other key contributors from that team.