By Chris May
HA.com Guest Columnist
SPEEDWAY — Wednesday was not an average day for Jodi Howell. But then again, Howell isnâ??t your average high schooler.
The 6â??0â? Alexandria High School senior and 2005 Indiana Miss Basketball traded in her typical weekday routine of English classes, math lessons, and social studies for an opportunity to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and open the day May 11 by waiving the green flag.
â??Itâ??s awesome I had a chance to do this,â? said Howell. â??Iâ??ve never been here before. Iâ??m usually at a basketball tournament, but I always watch (the Indianapolis 500).â?
In addition to opening the dayâ??s festivities, Howell and her father/high school coach, Jon, stuck around for lunch in one of the Speedway suites as well as a tour of the grounds, including pit road and the garage area.
For Howell, the honor of waiving the green flag was one that came together quickly — in under 24 hours.
â??It was great,â? the Purdue-bound player said. â??My dad said, â??Youâ??re not going to school today,â?? and at first I thought something was wrong.â? In fact, it was quite the opposite.
When asked about her familiarity with racing and the drivers, Jodi did not fake a deep knowledge of the series or offer a favorite driver. But she did comment that she knew of Danica Patrick, the only female driver at the Speedway this year, and that she hoped to see Patrickâ??s garage area. (Mission later accomplished)
Howell, who will sport the No. 1 jersey for the state June 18 in Bowling Green, Ky., and June 25 at Conseco Fieldhouse, said making the Indiana All-Star team and being voted Miss Basketball has changed her summer calendar, but in a good way. Originally scheduled to report to West Lafayette on June 12, she now plans on seeing coach Kristy Curry and her future Boiler teammates â??as soon as possibleâ? after the All-Star festivities are completed.
The 2,000-plus point scorer sounded excited when talking about this summerâ??s series versus Kentucky, speaking like a very unselfish Miss Basketball: â??I think weâ??ll play as a team and go out and have a good time.â?
For Howell, the day was not spent entirely at the track. She departed mid-afternoon for a previously scheduled engagement at Blue River Valley High School â??? a shooting demonstration.
A high schooler giving a shooting demonstration? Check out Jodiâ??s career numbers:
?· 27.7 points per game
?· 84 percent at the free throw line
?· 57 percent shooting from the field
?· 42 percent from behind the 3-point arc
And two (2) ACL surgeries. Not your average high schooler, indeed.
For you Hoosier Hysteria fans who like to hang out at the Speedway, keep your eyes open: There are more possible flag-waivers from the world of Indiana basketball in the next couple of weeks. Greg Oden, however, will not be added to that list soon; one of the requirements for the role is that you be at least 18 years old.
NOTE: Strike that — reverse it!!! Not only is there now an excellent chance that Oden WILL indeed be waiving a green flag at a 2.5-mile speedway near you sometime soon (apparently there has been a change in the Speedway’s insurance/safety policies where pit road flag-waiving is not involved), but it also has been confirmed that Indiana Mr. Basketball Luke Zeller will preside over a ceremony similar to Howell’s on May 19.
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