Each year, the Men’s and Women’s Basketball coaching staff at Tippecanoe Valley
High School recognize one female and one male student from the senior class to receive an award from the Rita Price – Bill Patrick Scholarship Fund, a component fund of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
This year’s recipients of the Rita Price – Bill Patrick Scholarship Fund award are Emma Craig and Tanner Trippiedi.
To be eligible for this award, students must be a graduating senior in good standing with a B average or better. They also must have participated in varsity basketball and demonstrated outstanding character on the court and in their daily lives. In addition to academic and athletic dedication, these students must demonstrate community involvement, a strong work ethic, and leadership skills.
Emma Craig is described by her coaches as reliable, respectful, and driven. She was awarded the Academic All-Conference award in 2019 and 2020. In addition to the Varsity basketball team, Emma also participated in AAU basketball, Student Council, National Honor Society, and TVHS Leadership Sports Club. She has spent many hours volunteering with Feed My Starving Children and Riley Hospital, and has annually helped with the Lady Vikings Kids Basketball Camp. After graduation, Emma plans to attend Earlham College to study Speech and Language Pathology.
Tanner Trippiedi is described as a compassionate leader with a great attitude and work ethic. A three-sport athlete, Tanner has participated and excelled on the Varsity basketball, football, and baseball teams. He has earned awards for Academic All-Conference, All-State Honorable Mention, and Most Valuable Player. He has also participated in National Honor Society and Student Council, and has been on three mission trips to Honduras. After graduation, Tanner plans to attend Indiana University Kelley School of Business to pursue a degree in Business Management.
The Rita Price – Bill Patrick Scholarship Fund was established at the Community Foundation by a local community member in honor of two important people in the Kosciusko community; Rita Price Simpson and Coach Bill Patrick.
Bill Patrick was a dedicated coach, coaching numerous sports over a 50-year span. He was a varsity basketball coach in the Whitko School System for 30 years. Coach Patrick then coached varsity basketball for 19 years at Tippecanoe Valley High School until he retired from coaching in 2017, with a career record of 765-319. He is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. As a coach and mentor, Coach Patrick undoubtedly influenced the lives of many young athletes and is a true icon in Indiana high school basketball.
Rita Price is a sports broadcasting legend across the state of Indiana. Rita was inducted into the Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame in 2006. She was the first female basketball on-air announcer in the state of Indiana. As a broadcaster for over 60 years, Rita impacted the lives of countless Kosciusko County athletes. Her dedication, support, and encouragement to the students, school, community, and families has earned her numerous awards. Rita is a big booster of her adopted home town of Mentone and all the students at TVHS.
The Price-Patrick award is an annual award that honors two Indiana basketball icons and celebrates outstanding TVHS senior athletes. To make a gift in honor of Coach Patrick or Rita Price and help this award provide support to future students, visit www.kcfoundation.org/donate.
