The Centier Bank Performers of the Week are Plymouth senior track performer Nate Patterson and Chesterton senior baseball player Tommy Benson.
At Thursday’s Kokomo regional, the University of Southern California recruit set a 2018 national recruit in the high jump with a score of 7-feet-3½ inches. He broke the previous national best of 7-3 inches achieved by two participants in California and another in the state of Washington. Patterson also achieved a new Indiana state best in the process, surpassing the previous record of 7-3¼ established in 1998 by Lamar Johnson of North Central (Indianapolis). He also won the long jump and broke the school record with a score of 23-feet-2½ inches. Patterson will next compete in the IHSAA state finals on June 2 at Indiana University.
In Friday’s 11-0 blanking of Hobart in the Chesterton sectional semifinals, Benson smacked three home runs, good for four RBIs, and also had two walks. According to Chesterton coach Jack Campbell, it was the first time in his 48-year career that he has had a player hit three homers in a game. In Wednesday’s 17-0 triumph over Merrillville, he chipped in two hits, including a three-run home run. The Trojans (17-8) host Valparaiso (14-10) in Monday’s sectional title game.
The Centier Bank Performer of the Week is open to any male-female student athlete who participates in any IHSAA sanctioned sport and whose school is in the Centier Bank geographic area.