Career development

Thumbs-up to the four Seymour High School students who received honors last month for their skills in critical thinking, creative solutions and public speaking. Senior Noah Beaty and junior Kaleb Johnson received first-place awards, and junior Johnathan Perez and senior Jacob Shafer received second place at the annual Region 9 Jobs for America’s Graduates Career Development Conference held Jan. 20 at Indiana University-Purdue University in Columbus. Beaty and Johnson will travel to Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis on March 17 to compete in the state JAG Career Development Conference.

A first title

Thumbs-up to the Crothersville’s girls basketball team for giving the school its first sectional title in the 102 years the school has been a member of the IHSAA. The Tigers beat the West Washington Senators 72-69 on Saturday in the Class A Sectional 61 title game at Orleans High School. It was the team’s 19th victory of the season, a school record. A related thumbs-up to senior Katrina Christian, who led the team in scoring this season. Christian presently has 1,634 points, making her the second-leading career scorer girls high school basketball in Jackson County.

Top swimmers

Thumbs-up to Seymour seniors Sarah Montgomery and Kenzie Persinger and Nastya Yakovlyeva, and junior Katie Turner, who won the 200-yard freestyle relay on Saturday at the Floyd Central Sectional. At 1:39.78, the Owls broke the school record by more than a second and were only .25 off of New Albany’s sectional record that was set in 2013. The same team also finished second in the 200-medley relay. Montgomery was second in the 100-butterfly and Turner placed second in the 100-backstroke to help lead the team to a third-place finish. A related thumbs-up to Trinity Lutheran freshman Rachel Sabotin, who qualified for state in two events in her first postseason competition. Sabotin won the 200 freestyle m(1:53.83) and finished second in the 500 freestyle (5:01.45). She achieved the state-cut time in the 500.

On the Road to Evansville

Thumbs-up to the three Seymour High School wrestlers, junior Zack Newton at 15, and sophomores Justin Ruddick at 120 and Brandon Penegar 138, who advanced to the Evansville Reitz Semistate on Saturday at the Ford Center. Wrestlers had to finish in the top four at the Jeffersonville Regional to advance.