EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Swimming & Diving fell to Eastern Illinois University on Saturday, 112-111. The Screaming Eagles took home four first place finishes and set five school records, one coming in a first-time event.
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USI honored Sophomore Adele Schnautz (Evansville, Indiana) on Saturday before the meet. The nursing major had also spent four years on the USI Track and Cross-Country teams. Schnautz leaves the program holding school records in the 200 and 400-Yard IM and is a part of the record holding 800-Yard Freestyle Relay team.
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Freshman Mattilynn Smith (Morgantown, Kentucky) dominated for the Eagles on the day, securing all 27 points possible for the squad, taking first in all three of her events. Smith set a school record in her first-place finish in the 1000-Yard Freestyle with a time of 10:44.76. She also took first place in the 200 and 500-Yard Freestyles. Freshman Kate Hilgarth (Indianapolis, Indiana) took first place in the 100-Yard Backstroke. Freshman Emily McIntosh (Huntertown, Indiana) and Abbi Hendren (Millington, Tennessee) set school records on the day for USI. McIntosh set a first-time record in the 100-Yard IM while Hendren set a new record in the 100-Yard Freestyle. As a team, the Eagles would also set a new school record in the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay.
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The Eagles were able to secure all 18 points from diving on the day. Freshman Autumn Turley (Hobart, Indiana) took first place in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives while setting a new school record in the 3-meter.
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Other Top Women’s Results:
200-Yard Medley Relay: 1:52.66 (2nd) – Hilgarth, Freshman Hannah Gardner (Bowling Green, Kentucky), Freshman Sarah-Catherine Dawson (Prospect, Kentucky), McIntosh
1000-Yard Freestyle: 10:44.76 (1st) – Smith
200-Yard Freestyle: 1:59.16 (1st) – Smith
100-Yard IM: 1:03.68 (3rd) – McIntosh
1-Meter Dive: 177.38 points (1st) – Turley
100-Yard Butterfly: 1:00.06 (2nd) – Dawson
100-Yard Freestyle: 55.51 (2nd) – Hendren
100-Yard Backstroke: 1:00.14 (1st) – Hilgarth
500-Yard Freestyle: 5:16.79 (1st) – Smith
3-Meter Dive: 180.75 points (1st) – Turley
100-Yard Breaststroke: 1:09.27 (2nd) – Gardner
200-Yard Freestyle Relay: 1:41.64 (2nd) – Hilgarth, McIntosh, Hendren, Freshman Joey Testa (North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania)
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UP NEXT FOR USI:
The Eagles will be back in action February 22-25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as they compete in the Summit League Championships.
Schnautz Honored as Eagles Fall in Tight Contest with Panthers​​​​​​​
Attorney General Todd Rokita continues fight against woke ESG agendas — this time helping to lead multistate lawsuit
Attorney General Todd Rokita today continued his leadership in the fight against ESG (environmental, social and governance) investment. He announced that Indiana is part of a 25-state lawsuit against the Biden administration over a Department of Labor (DOL) rule that would allow 401(k) managers to direct clients’ money toward this discredited strategy instead of rightly exercising their fiduciary duty to maximize financial return for retirement account holders.
The new rule — which runs contrary to the laws outlined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) — would affect the retirement accounts of millions of people.
“ESG investment strategies are not even designed to maximize financial returns for clients,†Attorney General Rokita said. “Rather, they have been concocted entirely to impose a leftist social and economic agenda that cannot otherwise be implemented through the ballot box.â€
Attorney General Rokita has been a national leader in the fight against ESG investing.
He has issued an official advisory opinion clarifying that Indiana and its investment managers must give priority to the financial interests of state employees and retirees — refraining from using investment strategies guided or influenced by ESG considerations.
Among other actions, he is also investigating three of the largest investment managers — BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street.
The new DOL rule, which takes effect on Jan. 30, affects two-thirds of the U.S. population’s retirement savings accounts, totaling $12 trillion in assets. Strict laws enacted as part of ERISA are intended to protect retirement savings from these kinds of unnecessary risks.
“Woke big businesses are collaborating with their leftist allies to subvert the will of the people,†Rokita said. “That’s contrary to the letter and spirit of the law.â€
Attorney General Rokita thanked his fellow attorneys general from Texas and Utah for their work organizing the multistate coalition filing this week’s lawsuit.
The lawsuit is attached.
2023.01.26_1 Complaint.pdf
Second-half momentum swing hurts Eagles on the road
MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball concluded its regular-season series against the University of Tennessee at Martin with a heartbreaking 68-56 loss on Saturday afternoon.
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Following a strong 32-23 first half by the Screaming Eagles, UT Martin made a charge after halftime and never looked back with a momentum swing that led to a 45-24 difference in the second half.
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The Screaming Eagles jumped out with a solid start, making their presence known in the post. Senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) scored six early points, including a perfect 4-for-4 at the foul line in the first period. Junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) had three drives to the basket for six points of her own in the first quarter. Strong rebounding and hustle plays by USI led to an 18-11 lead for Southern Indiana after the opening quarter.
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In the second quarter, the defensive intensity and pace escalated, as the two sides showed pressure down the court. Southern Indiana increased its lead to nine, 24-15, with 7:16 left in the first half after back-to-back baskets by senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri).
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Following a two-minute scoreless drought for both sides in the middle of the second, USI picked up its aggression to increase the lead. Â The Screaming Eagles made four free throws inside the last three minutes with a Raley three-pointer sandwiched in between to push USI’s advantage to 11, 32-21, with just over a minute left in the second period. USI’s defense held UT Martin without a field goal from the floor in the last 2:35 of the first half. Southern Indiana went into the halftime locker room up 32-23.
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Southern Indiana extended its halftime lead in the opening minute of the third quarter. A three-pointer by Raley and a jumper by sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) gave USI a 37-23 lead. Over the next three minutes of the third quarter, UT Martin grabbed the momentum with a 16-0 run and tied the game at 39 with 5:08 remaining in the third. The Skyhawks went ahead later in the period. With under a minute left in the third, Robbe scored to bring USI within three, 47-44, but UT Martin scored before the end of the quarter to lead 49-44 after three.
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After a quick start to the fourth quarter for UT Martin, USI responded to make it a five-point contest, 53-48, following two consecutive buckets from Robbe. Another scoreless drought for both teams ensued for the next two minutes until Haithcock brought USI within three, 53-50, with 6:05 remaining. That would be as close as USI could get the score for the rest of the game. After the 4:30 mark of the fourth, the Skyhawks gradually built upon their advantage, which eventually led to the 12-point difference in the final score.
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Southern Indiana had three players in double figures with Raley leading the way with 16 points on 6-11 shooting. Haithcock scored 15 points with 7 rebounds and a 9-for-10 performance at the foul line. Robbe tallied a season-high 12 points on 5-7 shooting. Shafford posted six points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and dished out five assists. Saturday was Shafford’s fifth double-digit rebound game of the season. As a team, USI was 19-for-49 for 38.8 percent from the field, 16-for-20 for 80 percent at the line and made two triples. USI outrebounded UT Martin 41-30.
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UT Martin also had three players in double figures, as graduate guard Seygan Robins scored 30 points on 10-18 shooting and 7-for-11 from three. Robins scored 23 of the 30 points in the second half. The Skyhawks were 21-for-56 for 37.5 percent overall, 18-for-24 for 75 percent at the stripe and hit eight three-pointers.
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Following Saturday’s game, USI’s record moved to 9-12 overall and 3-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference. UT Martin improved to 8-12 this season and 5-5 in the OVC.
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The Screaming Eagles will return to Screaming Eagles Arena next week for a two-game homestand against Tennessee State University next Thursday and against Morehead State University next Saturday. Thursday’s tip-off time is 5 p.m. and Saturday’s start time will be 1 p.m. The Saturday game against Morehead State will be homecoming and family weekend on the USI campus.
Eagles Take Down Panthers to Finish Regular Season​​​​​​​
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Swimming & Diving defeated Eastern Illinois University on Saturday, 129-102, at the USI Aquatics Center to earn the first victory in program history. The Screaming Eagles took home four first place finishes and set two school records, one coming in a first-time event.
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Freshman Carson Faley (Dixon, Illinois) led the Eagles on the day, securing 17 points for the squad. Faley set both school records, finishing in first place in the 1000-Yard Freestyle with a time of 10:04.69 and a second-place finish in the 100-Yard IM with a time of 56.25. He also took second place in the 500-Yard Freestyle. Freshmen Gabriel Groves (New Carlisle, Indiana) and Caleb Davis (Spring, Texas) took the other two individual first place finishes for USI. Groves secured first in the 50-Yard Freestyle while Davis took first in the 100-Yard Breaststroke. Groves would also take second in the 100-Yard Backstroke. The Eagles also took first place in the 200-Yard Medley Relay.
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The Eagles were able to secure all 26 points from diving on the day. Junior Donnevun Banks took first place in the 1-meter dive while freshman Lane Pollock (Boonville, Indiana) took first place in the 3-meter dive. Banks would also take second in the 3-meter while Pollock took second in the 1-meter.
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Other Top Men’s Results:
200-Yard Medley Relay: 1:37.02 (1st) – Freshman Colton Agdeppa (Redding, California), Davis, Freshman Gregory Benson (Plainfield, Illinois), Sophomore Payton Buse (Lynnville, Indiana)
1000-Yard Freestyle: 10:04.69 (1st) – Faley
200-Yard Freestyle: 1:49.14 (2nd) – Freshman Jack Hannon (Lowell, Indiana)
50-Yard Freestyle: 21.78 (1st) – Groves
100-Yard IM: 56.25 (2nd) – Faley
1-Meter Dive: 249.90 points (1st) – Banks
100-Yard Butterfly: 53.11 (2nd) – Agdeppa
100-Yard Freestyle: 48.80 (2nd) – Buse
100-Yard Backstroke: 54.32 (2nd) – Groves
500-Yard Freestyle: 4:52.47 (2nd) – Faley
3-Meter Dive: 227.18 points (1st) – Pollock
100-Yard Breaststroke: 1:00.23 (1st) – Davis
200-Yard Freestyle Relay: 1:31.75 (2nd) – Hannon, Freshman Aakash Gorthi (Kalamazoo, Michigan), Freshman Adam Depetro (Knoxville, Tennessee), Freshman Grant VanWanzeele (Plainfield, Indiana)
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JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
Marilyn Cosby
Sherry Ramsey
Tim Coslett
Jeffrey Ahlers
Marc Howlett
William Prather
Karen Edwards
Cody Banks
Lawrence Edward Ellington
Lisa Shoulders
Krystle Clark
Sandy Pratt Vasos
Gary Staley
Dawnya G. Taylor
Mikey J Armanno
Harry Vanpell
Brenda Whitney
Monica Keith
Bret Nicholson
Jeffery Harris
Bob Deig
Jill Marcrum
Jason Scheller
Roy Gilkey
Brick Briscoe
Randy Sheffer
Steve Fleenor
Tommy Waterman
J.D. Strouth
Grant Folz
Dennis Miller
Jody Piper
Chris Meyer
James Gorman
Liz Gregg
Cricket Schmitt
Johnna Hancock Blake
Gloria Millay
Julie Gellert
Debra Taylor
Jerrod Eagleson
Rob Maurer
Rob Kerney
Donnie Turpen
Dave Nelson
Kevin Pate
Michael Johnson
Sandra Og
Ron Kuhlenschmidt
Matt Scheessele
Chester Rycroft
Babette Whitlock – DeTalente
Gary Williams
Christina DeWeese Eagleson
Aaron Luttrull
Robbie Kent
Doug Patmore
Patricia Miller
James Grant
Donna Anderson Kohlmeyer
Andrew Herbertz
James Harris
Brittany DeWeese O’Hair
Terri Groeninger-Scott
Reno DeMuth
Sylvia Walter
Ronald Frazier
Betsey Odom Freyberger
Judy Swallows
Jimmy Shaw
Glenn Grampp
Katie Claspell
Kay Kingsbury
Janet Morrow Harper
Holli Hunter
Jay Zimmer
Evie Sue
Linda F Negro
Lisa Karger-Summers
Cathy Cook
Nick Dilegge
Matthew Neville
Gwen Lewis
Sarah Woehler Halter
Stacy Robinson
Mary Ellen Van Dyke
Mark Katterhenry
John Hurley
Lesley Kohlmeyer Smith
Bert Wheat
Brandi Beckerle
Amber James
Holly Dunn Pendleton
Leanne Titzer
Ed Higginbotham
Joe Beckwith
Nick Stratman
Cathy Hart
Doros Hadjisavva
Toby Wolfe
Jolinda Hobbs VanBibber
Judi D. Freson
Judith Libs
Sharon Crafton
Will Luther
Kathy Griepenstroh
Alan Braun
Dan Susan Devor
Shawn Granderson
Daniela Vidal-Tirado
Thomas Phelps
Lisa Michelle Ashby
Dee Dee Ramirez
Shelly Wicks Clark
Matt Corn
Wendy McNamara
Sonny Laughlin
Brett Sprinkle
Diane Roe Hanes
Sean Calvert
Susan Miller
Don Lee
Tammy Busch
Wanda Barron Moser
Thomas Shoulders
Jeff Stucke
Amanda Owens
Tara Dillbeck Briley
Lori Rone Newman
Tim Poole
Brent Wilson
Stephanie Faith Vandivier
Jancey Smith
Sheila Scales
Bob Hagedorn
Penny Wilhite
Von Rogers
Lady Blazers look strong in wire-to-wire home win over Olney Central
VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers got their revenge after a December loss to the Lady Blue Knights in Olney by picking up a very strong 87-55 win over Olney Central Saturday night.
The Lady Blazers wasted little time setting the tone against Olney Central, scoring the first eight points of the game and jumping out to a 14-3 lead.
OCC picked things up offensively and answered back with a 7-0 scoring run of their own to cut the VU lead down to four.
This would be the closest Olney Central would get for the rest of the game however as VU built a 13-point lead with an 11-2 scoring run late in the first quarter and grabbed a 28-18 lead after the first 10 minutes of play.
The second quarter was a more defensive battle, with neither team able to get much momentum scoring the ball.
The Lady Blazers held strong and headed into the locker room with a 40-28 halftime advantage over Olney Central.
Vincennes came out of the locker room swinging and quickly grabbed all of the momentum with a 12-0 run early in the third quarter.
VU kept their foot on the gas throughout the third quarter, taking a 65-46 lead into the final period.
The Lady Blazers looked to put the game away early in the fourth quarter and picked up their game defensively.
VU kept building on their lead with steals and transition layups as Vincennes cruised late to an 87-55 win over the Lady Blue Knights.
“We remembered the game over in Olney,†VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Harry Meeks said. “We kept talking about it and going back and watching the game film. We know that they had a lot to do with us not winning last time in Olney, but we know that we also had a lot to do with it. We have worked really hard at cutting down on some of our errors. Right now I think we are starting to run our offenses and plays better. We are getting more production out of people.â€
“I just think the team wanted to win tonight,†Meeks added. “I think the girls played really hard. We pushed the ball and scored a lot of points and we definitely have a happy locker room tonight.â€
The Lady Blazers were led offensively by sophomore Cherrelle Newsom (Indianapolis, Ind.) who started out hot from behind the arc with three first quarter three’s and ended the way she started with three more in the fourth quarter.
Newsom ended with 22 points off of her six three-point makes and a team-high seven assists.
Freshman Elikya Baseyila (Paris, France) continues to be an imposing threat in the low block, ending her night with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Sophomore Daylynn Thornton (Lafayette, Ind.) helped get the VU offense going early, getting 10 of her 14 points in the first half. Thornton also finished with four assists and a pair of rebounds.
Sophomore Chanice Willis (Champaign, Ill.) came off the bench to reach double-figures, ending with 14 points, a team-high six steals, four rebounds and three assists.
Freshman Maycee Lange (Vincennes, Ind.) looked to get back on track offensively Saturday, nearly coming away with a dou
ble-double as Lange finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a team-high four blocks.
Freshman Brie Miller (Greencastle, Ind.) controlled the boards all game long as she finished with a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with four points and a pair of assists.
USI’s streak snapped in OT by Skyhawks
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball had its five-game winning streak snapped in overtime by the University of Tennessee at Martin, 86-83, Saturday afternoon in Martin, Tennessee. The Eagles go to 13-10 overall and 6-4 in the OVC, while the Skyhawks are 15-8, 7-3 OVC. Â
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With the loss, USI falls out of the first-place tie in the OVC and into a fourth-place tie with Tennessee Tech University and a game out of league’s top spot. UTM, Morehead State University, and Southeast Missouri State University are tied for first in the conference with 7-3 league marks.
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USI and UTM battled back and forth during the opening 20 minutes that featured eight ties and five lead changes. The Eagles, whose largest lead of game was three-points, 20-17, during the first half, shot only 31.3 percent from the field (10-32) for the first stanza, but seven of the 10 buckets were from beyond the three-point arc.
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Senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) paced the Eagles through the first 20 minutes with nine points on a trio of three-point field goals.
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The second half leaned toward the Skyhawks as they slowly built a 10-point lead, 61-51, with 8:52 to play in the game. The Eagles quickly cut the deficit to four-points, 61-57, with 7:40 left on the clock after a three-pointer by junior guard Tyler Henry (Brooklyn, New York) and three free throws by graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana).
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UTM would rebuild its lead to seven points, 74-67 with 1:59 to play when USI rallied with a 7-0 run to knot at game, 74-74, at the end of regulation. Lakes sent the game into overtime when he hit a three-point bomb from the top of the key with 16.8 seconds left.
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In the overtime, UTM would outscore USI, 12-9, and led all five of the extra minutes for the three-point, 86-83 final. USI had a chance down the stretch of overtime after tying the game, 79-79, with 3:19 left, but could not get into the lead.
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For the game, USI had four players in double-digits and was led by Simmons, who tied a career-high with 26 points. Simmons was eight-of-14 from the field, a blistering five-of-seven from beyond the arc, and five-of-seven from the stripe.
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Lakes followed Simmons in the scoring column with 17 points, scoring 14 in the second half and overtime. USI’s double-figure scorers were rounded out by Henry and senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) with 12 points each.
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Henry, who reached 1,000 career points in Thursday’s win over Eastern Illinois University, reached double-digits for the first time since scoring 12 versus EIU in December.
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Polakovich continues to be dominating in the middle and combined his 12 points with another 20 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season, five behind the single-season record of 16 set by Chris Thompson in 2005-06. He also has had six double-doubles in the last eight games.
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The 20-rebound performance also was Polakovich’s fifth game of the season with 20-or-more boards. Â Â
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Indiana State Police Seeks Police Officers For The 84th Lateral Recruit Academy
The Indiana State Police is accepting applications for the 84th Lateral Recruit Academy. Individuals interested in beginning a rewarding career as an Indiana State Trooper must apply online at IndianaTrooper.com. This website provides a detailed synopsis of the application process and information on additional career opportunities with the Indiana State Police. Applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm (EST) on Sunday, April 27, 2023.  Â
Basic Eligibility Requirements and consideration factors for an Indiana State Trooper (Lateral):
- Must be a United States citizen.
- Must be at least 21 and less than 40 years of age when appointed as a police employee. (Graduation date is October 26, 2023*)
- Must meet a minimum vision standard (corrected or uncorrected) of 20/50 acuity in each eye and 20/50 distant binocular acuity in both eyes.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license to operate an automobile.
- Must be a high school graduate as evidenced by a diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). Â
- Must be a current full time merit law enforcement officer (Indiana Law Enforcement Tier I Certification or Out of state equivalent) with a minimum of three years continuous service as of May 23, 2023.
Current Law Enforcement Officers:
Current Law Enforcement Officers having a minimum of three continuous years of merit full time law enforcement service as of May 23, 2023, if they choose, will be assigned to the District where they currently reside.
Current Out of State Law Enforcement Officers having a minimum of three continuous years of merit full time law enforcement service as of May 23, 2023, if they choose, may be afforded their District of choice, if their home state certification is determined equivalent to the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board standards.Â
Lateral applicants who proceed through the hiring process will be required to complete an evaluation including criminal law, traffic law, written assessment, and handgun (Sig Sauer P227) course. This evaluation is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 13, 2023, and will be presented at the Superintendent’s Review.
Recruits in the lateral academy, will have periodic structured performance reviews with the Training Academy staff. Performance expectations for graduation on October 26, 2023, will be continually monitored. If your performance does not meet the criteria for graduation as determined by the Superintendent, you will have the option to continue in the traditional recruit academy with a graduation date of December 21, 2023.
Probationary Troopers graduating from the 84th Recruit Academy, who successfully complete their Field Training Officer (FTO) program, receive a $5,000.00 dollar one-time cash bonus (taxable) in addition to their regular salary.  Â
Included Benefits:
- Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits during the academy and probationary year.
- Military and Law Enforcement service purchase options. Service Purchase Calculator
- NEW take home patrol car issued after completing the FTO period (includes off-duty use).
- Uniforms and over $9,000 of NEW equipment issued at no cost.
- 3 hours of on-duty physical training per week.
- 40 paid days of leave annually and 150 hours of New Parent Leave.
- Health/Vision/Dental and Life Insurance options for actives and retirees.
- Lifetime pension and deferred compensation w/State matching.
- Endless Opportunities and Career Advancement.
Interested applicants can obtain additional information about a career as an Indiana State Trooper by visiting IndianaTrooper.com. Applicants can also contact a recruiter at isprecruiting@isp.in.gov.
USI seeking nominations for 22nd class of Phenomenal Women and the Community
The University of Southern Indiana Multicultural Center is proudly accepting nominations for its 22nd class of Phenomenal Women of USI and the Community. Since the program’s establishment in 2001, the University has recognized over 200 Phenomenal Women for their contributions to diversity, both at USI and in the greater Evansville community. Â
Phenomenal Women nominees may be USI students, employees, alumna and community members who serve as role models and impact lives as champions of diversity. Â
“The Multicultural Center encourages the community to take a few minutes to nominate those silent heroes who continue to impact the lives of others from day to day,” says Jada Hogg, Outreach Coordinator and Student Mentor for the USI Multicultural Center. “My favorite Maya Angelou quote has always been ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'” Â
Nominations should be completed online by Friday, February 17. Honorees will be recognized during an in-person celebration at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 in Carter Hall, located in University Center West.  Â
Detailed information about the 2022 Phenomenal Women celebration, being held in conjunction with Women’s History Month, will be shared with honorees and the community at a later date. Tickets are $20 for USI employees and the public and $10 for USI students. Â
The Phenomenal Women program aims to inspire others to embrace and promote diversity within their own lives and the lives of others. Â
For questions regarding the nomination process or event, contact the Multicultural Center at 812-228-5000 or email jhogg@usi.edu. Â