Originally featured in our December 2023 Legacy Ledger, this alumni spotlight shares the story of Larra Overton, New Albany High School Class of 2001.
A standout runner, student journalist, and WNAS broadcaster at NAHS, Larra carried her love of sports and storytelling into a career in media. Today, she works across Colts media platforms as a producer, host, and reporter for Colts Productions, while also serving as an analyst and sideline reporter for national sports coverage.
Rex Bickers (FCHS ‘70)
Mike Olmstead
(FCHS, 1989)
Larra Overton told us flat out: she loved “stories in print” as a kid. An early shadowing opportunity with newspaper columnist Bob Hill was a big catalyst. Each week, she awaited the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, especially its “Faces in the Crowd” feature. Yet magazine stories were very much eclipsed in her own home, with tales of the legendary (’77). Bulldog track team. Her father ran the 440, setting a school record…but the triple threat was Hall of Famer Jeff Woodard with conference records twice (long jump and 880 relay) and the state high jump record.
No surprise then, that Larra also ran for NAHS excelling in both track and cross-country. She was just a ninth grader when she first met coach (Hall of Famer) Tom Chapala. With no seniors on the team in (fall) 1997, New Albany sent Indiana’s “youngest” group of girls to state in cross-country… and then did it again in ’98, ’99 and 2000. Larra was also varsity in track all four years and set a school record in the 800. It led to a full athletic scholarship at IU (once again in track and cross-country). She captained the track team her final two years, with NCAA championship appearances twice in XC and twice in track.
Despite her successes as a high school athlete, Larra never let sports push storytelling to the back burner. She was a yearbook sports editor as a junior and editor-in-chief her senior year. Yet it was WNAS where two more Hall of Famers made a huge difference. Just as NAHS was a pioneer in radio, the station stretched the envelope further, tackling live election night coverage. This was the crucible that forged a partnership between the late Lee Kelly and government teacher Bob Dusch. It helped shape Larra’s plan to double major in journalism and political science. She had sportscasting squarely in mind, but she sought to prepare herself for a broader range of television reporting.
As ”the Voice of the Bulldogs,” Lee Kelly left a rich “sound bite” in Larra’s head. It’s been there for over twenty years, especially through the beginning of her broadcasting career at WDRB in Louisville. Her first experiences as a reporter were with Big Ten Network, covering IU and Purdue football. She went on to become the weekend sports anchor and reporter at Terre Haute‘s WTWO. After relocating to Indianapolis, she wore various hats for the Indiana Pacers, Fox Sports and IUPUI’s National Sports Journalism Center.
Today, Larra Overton appears across Colts media platforms as producer, host and reporter for Colts Productions. She joined the team in July 2019 after five years at Fox59 WXIN and CBS 4 WTTV in Indianapolis. In addition to her various roles with the Colts, she also works as an analyst and sideline reporter for USATF, ESPN and BTN.
Larra can often be found running and competing in local road races, walking with her English Mastiff, Tugboat, or biking with her husband, Dan.
Special thanks to Matt Uhl (FCHS ’97) for collaborating on Larra Overton’s Spotlight.
Read the entire December 2023 Legacy Ledger (Issue 40) edition.