Indiana University Athletics
Hometown Hoosiers: South Bend, Ind.
1/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
Jan. 24, 2007
Story by Emily Hanover
As part of an ongoing series, IUHOOSIERS.com will take a look at the hometowns of Hoosier student-athletes throughout the year. The sixth in the series is South Bend, Ind.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - South Bend, Ind., is seen to outsiders as a town that revolves solely around Norte Dame athletics; just imagine a scene from the film "Rudy." But to those who know the truth understand that the campus of Notre Dame University is really located just north of South Bend, on Notre Dame, Ind., soil.
Nonetheless, South Bend is a place where residents grew up rooting for the Fighting Irish. With Notre Dame athletics leading the way, this town is also home to a quite a few national landmarks that attract their own set of annual visitors. Located at the heart of downtown, the College Football Hall of Fame and the Morris Civic Auditorium are just two of the attractions that six Hoosier student-athletes are proud to mention as they share their own thoughts about growing up in South Bend.
Both John Adams High School alums, sophomore Caitlin Lauer (women's track and field) and freshman Jennifer Glueckert (softball) decided to head south to Bloomington, as they both had fallen in love with the diverse selection IU offered its students, a fact that makes Bloomington feel just like home.
"My favorite part about South Bend is the people," Lauer said. "The people are all so different making it a true cultural melting pot."
Speaking of a melting pot, Lauer was quick to add that if one ever visits her hometown he must make a stop at the South Bend Chocolate Factory. "I just love the chocolate fondue," she said.
Another fan of the chocolate factory is sophomore Stephanie Horvath (rowing/St. Joseph's), who, like Lauer, enjoys educating non-residents about the origin of South Bend and why Indiana's most northern town begins with the word South.
"There are only two rivers in the world that flow north," Lauer explained. "The Nile and the St. Joseph River in South Bend."
A piece of trivia that has turned into a fact that many South Bend residents know, but the rest of the country does not.
"South Bend is located on the south bend of the Saint Joseph River," Horvath said as she described a specific occasion in which her father disclosed this piece of trivia to her and her family.
With a variety of people making up the population, South Bend also has quite a few noteworthy attractions, such as Coveleski "The Cove" Stadium and the Studebaker National Museum. The Potawatomi Zoo, which draws many visitors, is the oldest zoo in the state.
Notre Dame great Knute Rockne, Major League Baseball's Craig Counsell and current Notre Dame Football Head Coach Charlie Weis were all raised in this northern Indiana town, but South Bend also boasts many collegiate institutions.
Indiana University South Bend, Saint Mary's College, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana - North Central, Holy Cross College, Bethel College and the South Bend Community School Corporation are all located in South Bend.
"My favorite part of town was my school, Saint Joseph's," Horvath said. "It may seem unusual, but this is where I got my education, and one of the benefits of living near a large, prominent Catholic university like Notre Dame is how it stems some great religious teachers."
While Horvath's education was a keynote of her South Bend childhood, for Glueckert it would be out of the ordinary to not mention the athletics associated with Notre Dame.
Notre Dame football, along with various other sports, sparks much of the economy in South Bend. While Lauer and Horvath admit to not favoring the Fighting Irish, Glueckert grew up a huge fan with a deeper connection to the football program.
"My dad graduated from there," Glueckert said. "I was brought up to watch N-D play and we always went to a few games. Also, my great grandpa played under Knute Rockne as one of The Seven Mules."
A town associated with a rich history and a lengthy connection to sports, it is not a surprise that many Hoosier student-athletes head south to Bloomington. As their ties to the word "South" is apart of who they have become, while growing up in South Bend, Ind.
Other student-athletes that call South Bend home are:
Freshman Tim Blue (men's swimming and diving/South Bend Riley)
Redshirt junior Tim Bugg (football/Penn)
Sophomore Wesley Fike (wrestling/Penn)
