IOWA CITY, IA.- University of Southern Indiana Women’s Swimming and Diving finishes in sixth place at the 2025 Summit League Championships, totaling 272 points.

The Screaming Eagles continue to move in the right direction in year three, improving by 115 points from their 2024 total. After failing to record an A-Finalist or medalist in the 2023 and 2024 season, USI made significant achievements with five A-Finalists, 13 B-Finalists, one bronze medal, and one silver medal.

University of Denver earned its 12^th straight conference title, totaling 885 points. University of South Dakota came in second for the fourth straight year (712). The following order included University of Nebraska-Omaha (568.5), University of St. Thomas (395), South Dakota State University (325.5), USI (272), and Eastern Illinois University (184).

Wednesday
Day one featured the women’s one-meter, 200 medley relays, and 800 freestyle relays. USI found success, breaking three school records. The meet started with diving prelims as all three Eagles qualified for finals and contributed points.

Sophomore Maranda Uttke snuck into the B-Finals placing 13^th in prelims, while freshman Gabbie Meier also qualified for B-Finals, sneaking into the final slot. Meier stepped up, capturing four points with a fifth-place finish in the B-Finals, while Uttke grabbed one point.

Freshman Anna Bunnell became the first women’s diver to reach an A finals, following her fourth-place prelim performance (238.80 pts). The Evansville native returned for the night cap, placing fifth in the A-Finals and earning 14 hard-earned points.

The USI relay teams were strong, starting with the 200 medley team of freshman Elizabeth Ketcham, sophomore Hayden Shurtz, junior Sarah-Catherine Dawson, and freshman Simone Green. The squad broke the previous record by a full second at 1:45.16.

The 800 freestyle team of sophomore Caiya Cooper, junior Mattilynn Smith, sophomore Reagan Holmes, and freshman Ailyn Zurliene broke another school best at 7:40.49. Cooper’s relay lead off shattered her own 200 freestyle record at 1:52.95.

The Eagles finished day one in fourth place with 69 points, marking their highest position ever at the Summit League Champs.

Thursday
Day two featured the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, and team diving springboard events. The Eagles continued to improve by setting four school records and earning a bronze diving medal.

The diving trio of Bunnell, Meier, and Uttke secured third place in the team springboard event, rotating dives to earn a bronze medal with 243.15 points.

Three different Eagles advanced to B-Finals events on the swimming side. Cooper reset her own 500 freestyle school record with a blazing prelim time (5:03.37). The sophomore finished 13^th overall. Smith also qualified for the B-Finals and finished right behind Cooper at 14^th overall, stepping up her game in the final heat (5:04.91).

Freshman Emma Gabhart improved her best time by three seconds in the 200 IM, capturing the school record in the B-Finals. The blazing time (2:07.05) slotted her into 13^th overall. After day two, USI moved to fifth at 138 points with two days left.

Friday
Day three brought multiple standout performances from the Eagles, featuring the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, three-meter dive, and 400 medley relay events. USI finished day three with four new school records, five A-Finalists, and a silver diving medal.

The diving squad excelled in the three-meter with a historic day. Bunnell finished prelims with the top score among the field at 277.40 pts. This mark dismantled her previous school record of 253.00 pts, shocking the competition and qualifying for the nightcap. Meier also advanced into the A-Finals, snatching the final spot with a score of 229.60 pts. Uttke qualified for B-Finals and contributed six big points with a score of 224.00 pts. The duo of Bunnell and Meier became the first Screaming Eagle duo to compete in the A-Finals together.

Fast forward to the nightcap finals, Meier stepped up her performance with a fifth-place finish at 239.35 pts. Bunnell delivered another clutch performance, finishing second and becoming the first individual to earn a silver medal in the program’s existence. The freshman’s score of 273.55 pts was only 0.80 pts shy of the gold medal. However, Bunnell will continue to be a problem for the rest of the league after earning the highest place in the program’s history as just a freshman.

Ketcham led the Eagles swimmers, dazzling in the 100 butterfly prelims, recording a new school record (56.05) and finishing eighth in the A-Finals. The freshman continued her monsterous day in the 100 backstroke event with another school record (57.33). The 100 backstroke record marked a huge accomplishment for Ketcham, breaking a record dating back to 2023.

Shurtz picked her first career A-Finals qualification in the 100 backstroke (104.06). The sophomore leader picked up 11 points for the squad. The USI relay team of freshman Alivia Scott, Cooper, Shurtz, and Ketcham snatched the school record in the 400 medley relay (3:56.86). USI finished the third day in fifth place at 226 points as they looked to empty the tank on Saturday.

Saturday
The final day included the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, and 200 butterfly events. Sophomore Naomi Weaver earned a personal best in the 200 butterfly (2:13.51), qualifying for B-Finals. The sophomore earned 14th overall with an even better finals time (2:12.60). Gabhart and Shurtz qualified for the B Finals in the 200 breaststroke, placing 12th and 14th.

The 400 freestyle relay squad of Holmes, Ketcham, Green, and Cooper smashed the school record to close the night (3:30.86). Holmes crossed a huge milestone, surpassing her 100 freestyle record to start the relay (52.12).

What’s Next
The Screaming Eagles finish 2025 with strong improvements in year three. USI finished with a head-to-head meet record of 5-4 with big wins over Northern Kentucky University, Valparaiso University, Eastern Illinois, University of Evansville (twice), and numerous school records and personal bests along the way. The Eagles look forward to season four with plenty to feel confident about.

IOWA CITY, IA.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Swimming and Diving concludes play at the 2025 Summit League Championships in sixth place with 268 total points.

The Screaming Eagles made a 94-point improvement from the 2024 conference week. USI secured five A-Finalists, ten B-Finalists, one silver medal, and one bronze medal.

University of Denver captures its tenth title in the past 11 years with 975 points. The following order of finish included University of South Dakota (697.5), South Dakota State University (544), University of Nebraska-Omaha (507.5), University of St. Thomas (352), USI (268), and Eastern Illinois University (193).

Wednesday
Day one of the Summit League Championships featured the men’s team springboard diving event, 200 medley relay, and the 800 freestyle relay. USI finished the day with a massive bronze medal, 32-point contribution from the diving squad, along with a new 800 freestyle school record.

Junior Lane Pollock, sophomore Nathan Deputy, and sophomore George Blake teamed up in the springboard event, rotating dives. The squad earned a podium third-place bronze medal finish for their efforts.

The USI relay teams competed in the finals on Thursday night, battling for huge points against the six other squads. The 800 freestyle team of sophomore Sam Smith, junior Jack Hannon, junior Creed Loy, and Connor Harden (6:49.19) smashed their previous school record by an impressive eight seconds.

USI finished day one in fifth with 82 points. This kept the Eagles only six points behind St. Thomas in fourth, while 38 points behind Denver in first.

Thursday
Day two brought a busy slate featuring the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, and one-meter dive events. The Eagles started with the one-meter prelim event, where USI earned three qualifications into finals events.

Sophomores George Blake and Nathan Deputy qualified for B-Finals, while junior Lane Pollock finished in sixth overall, moving on to the nightcap finals event. Meanwhile, Blake totaled a career-high point total of 243.75 pts in the prelims. Deputy stepped up in the B-Finals by earning a career-high 270.05 points in the one-meter and securing nine points. Blake finished 12^th overall and fourth in the B-Final, adding five points to the leaderboard.

In the nightcap, Pollock garnered his first career podium finish. The Boonville native totaled 277.95 points, placing fifth among the high-competitive field. The 18-point improvement from his prelim performance played a massive role for the team, snatching 14 points.

Sophomore sprinter Joey Smith excelled for the Eagles, breaking the 50 freestyle (20.65) school record in the prelims. Smith advanced in the B-Finals, adding four points and placing 13^th overall.

Junior Jack Hannon earned his first finals berth in the 500 freestyle event. Hannon qualified for the B-Finals, placing 16^th overall (4:36.97). After day two, USI moved down to sixth at 139 points with two days left.

Friday
Day three featured the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, and 400 medley relay events. USI swimming snatched three more school records on day three.

Hannon delivered another B-Finals contribution in the 200 freestyle (1:40.87) event. The time marked a school record for the junior, which previously stood since 2023. Hannon improved by two full seconds from his previous best.

Sam Smith captured another pivotal A-Finals qualification for the squad in the 100 butterfly (49.25). The sophomore standout broke the record from fellow sophomore Cole Baker. He improved his time in the finals, taking 11 points and resetting the record (49.05).

The 400 medley relay squad of freshman Luke Rich, Crist, Sam Smith, and Joey Smith captured fifth, along with another record (3:21.55). The Eagles finished day three in sixth place with 186 points.

Saturday
The final day included the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, and the three-meter dive.

Sam Smith secured the highest prelim position of any Eagle swimmer, finishing second best in the 200 butterfly (1:48.74), along with resetting his school record. Knauf earned another B-Final qualification in the event (1:53.36). Smith eclipsed his school record time again in the finals, earning silver in the 200 butterfly (1:48.07). The sensational sophomore became the first Eagle swimmer to medal at the Summit League Champs.

Rich completely dismantled his previous school record in the 200 breaststroke (2:04.61) by nearly four full seconds. Joey Smith delivered another strong sprint performance, qualifying for B-Finals in the 100 freestyle (45.90). Sophomore Alek Bandy finished the week strong for the Eagles, snatching the record in the 1650 freestyle (16:44.42).

USI Diving excelled in the three-meter dive as Deputy and Pollock both qualified for the A-Finals, placing fifth and sixth in the prelims. Pollock totaled his career high mark of 293.20 pts in the finals, while Deputy finished just ahead with 294.60 pts. The dynamic duo earned big points, reaching the podium at fourth and fifth.

What’s Next
The Eagles head into the offseason with plenty to be proud of and to improve upon following the third year of the program’s existence. The Eagles finish the season 3-6 in head-to-head meets with memorable victories over Northern Kentucky University, Valparaiso University, and the program’s first win against University of Evansville. The program continues to move in the right direction, and we appreciate the support throughout the season.

Softball splits Sunday contests

UE defeats UT Martin to complete the day

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Sunday’s contests saw the University of Evansville softball team open the day with a 9-5 loss to Western Michigan before the bats came alive in a 14-2 win over UT Martin at Tri-State Orthpaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.

Game 1 – Western Michigan 9, UE 5

Evansville scored three runs in the top of the first and two more in the second to take a 5-2 lead, but it was Western Michigan plating the final seven runs to take a 9-5 victory in Sunday’s opener.  Five walks saw the Purple Aces reach base while Taylor Howe and Niki Bode each hit a sacrifice fly to take the early lead.

Western Michigan scored twice in the top of the second, but UE countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame.  Howe belted a 2-run home run to extend the lead back to three runs.  The Broncos inched their way closer with four runs in the next three innings to take a 6-5 edge.  They put things out of reach with a 3-run home run in the top of the seventh.

Howe led the way with three RBI while Jess Willsey scored twice.  Kate Ridgway made the start, allowing five runs in three innings.  Cassidy Gall suffered the loss, giving up four runs in 3 1/3 innings of work.  Elle Jarrett recorded the final two outs.

Game 2 – UE 14, UT Martin 2

Game two saw the bats come alive with 14 runs, five home runs and 11 hits as the Aces defeated UT Martin by a final score of 14-2.

Just as they did in game one, the Aces jumped out to the early lead, scoring three times in the bottom half of the first.  After Taylor Howe scored on a passed ball, Niki Bode notched a 2-run single to cap a 3-run inning.  In the second, Jess Willsey hit a solo homer to push the lead to four.

UT Martin got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the third before the Aces regained control.  Niki Bode hit a solo shot before Morgan Adams followed with a 2-run homer.  The long balls continued to fly in the next frame as homers from Howe and Callie Meinel extended the lead even more.

In total, the Aces scored seven runs in the fourth before completing the day with a 14-2 victory in five innings.  Bode and Donohoo both recorded three hits apiece with both scoring twice.  Bode added three RBI while Howe and Adams registered two apiece.  Gracie Hollingsworth went the full five innings on the way to her third win of the season.  She gave up two runs on three hits.

UE is back in action on Monday to face Western Michigan at 12:30 p.m. before taking on the Skyhawks at 3 p.m. at Cooper Stadium.

UE returns home for Senior Day

 CHICAGO – Gabriel Pozzato scored 23 points while Tayshawn Comer added 22 on Saturday to pace the University of Evansville men’s basketball team in an 82-77 setback at UIC inside Credit Union 1 Arena.

Pozzato connected on nine of his 20 field goal tries while picking up six boards.  Comer added seven boards and seven assists to his tally.  Connor Turnbull added 18 points.

“I thought our guys played with good energy and it really showed early in the second half.  At the end of the day it came down to rebounding and UIC did a great job from the beginning,” UE head coach David Ragland said.  “Down the stretch, every time we needed a big stop, we just could not get it.”

Converting their first three attempts, the Purple Aces held an early 8-5 lead.  Tayshawn Comer scored six of those points.  UIC got things going and took its first lead of 9-8 less than four minutes into the contest.  Two minutes later, the Flames extend the lead to 14-10.  Evansville countered by scoring nine in a row to go up 19-14 as a step back triple by Comer highlighted the stretch.

As the half approached the midway point, Gabriel Pozzato’s 3-pointer put the Aces back up by five – 22-17.  Over the next four minutes, UIC took control as they scored 14 in a row to take their largest lead at 31-17.  The Flames knocked down five of their six shot attempts to go back in front.  Their advantage reached 10 points in the final minutes before UE cut the deficit to eight at halftime – 39-31.  Making the difference in the period was points off turnovers as the Flames finished with a 9-0 advantage.

Pozzato opened the second half with a triple before Comer added a bucket to cut the deficit to three.  With 15:26 remaining, a layup put the Flames back up by six at 47-41.  Just as UIC did in the first half, Evansville made a big run in the second.  Helped by triples from Josh Hughes and Comer, the Aces scored ten in a row to go up 51-47 inside of the 13-minute mark.  Tanner Cuff had the floater that put Evansville back on top.

The lead for the Aces reached five points at 55-50 and the squad continued to hold a 60-57 edge inside of 10 minutes remaining.  UIC fought back once again, outscoring UE by an 18-2 margin while taking a 75-62 lead with 2:34 on the clock.  During the stretch, the Aces missed eight of their nine field goal attempts.

In the final minute, the Aces did their best to claw back as a triple by Cuff cut the deficit all the way down to five points and that would be the final as the Flames hung on for the 82-77 win.  The Flames were led by Modestas Kancleris who recorded 18 points and 10 boards.  Ahmad Henderson II and Sasa Ciani finished with 13 apiece.

Evansville completed the day shooting 46.7% while the Flames finished at 40.6%.  UIC outrebounded the Aces by a 38-28 tally.

On Wednesday, the Aces wrap up the home schedule with a 7 p.m. game against Drake.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Softball nearly concluded its trip to the University of Alabama Birmingham Green and Gold Classic with a comeback victory on Saturday, but the Screaming Eagles narrowly fell 4-3 against UAB after a 12-0 setback earlier in the day against Purdue University.
 
USI (1-8) started the day facing its first-ever Big Ten Conference opponent Purdue (7-5). Like Friday’s games at the Green and Gold Classic, the first inning was a thorn in the side of the Screaming Eagles. The Boilermakers quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead after a triple and single to start the contest. Purdue scored twice more in the top of the first inning to go up 3-0.
 
After scoreless second and third innings, Purdue tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth and another pair in the fifth inning to increase its advantage to 7-0. Then the Boilermakers struck for five runs in the sixth to seal the game.
 
Senior outfielder Kennedy Nalley had one of USI’s two hits that went for a double.  Senior pitcher Josie Newman (1-4) struck out three in five innings, giving up seven runs – five earned – in the start.
 
Purdue totaled 13 hits toward its 12 runs. Sophomore pitcher Julia Gossett (2-4) struck out five in the two-hit shutout.
 
In the midday matchup against UAB, Southern Indiana flipped the tournament tides and struck first in the first inning. Following a leadoff single and stolen base by junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton, sophomore infielder Sydney Long singled down the right-field line to score Stapleton and give USI the quick 1-0 lead. However, UAB answered with three runs – two unearned – in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-1 advantage.
 
The Blazers increased their lead to 4-1 in the home half of the third thanks to three singles in the frame.
 
The Eagles came right back in the top of the fifth. Two singles brought Nalley up to the plate with a chance to deliver an RBI knock. Nalley came through with a two-RBI double to deep centerfield that brought USI back within one, 4-3.
 
Meanwhile, freshman starting pitcher Kylie Witthaus continued to get stronger into the late innings. The left-hander posted zeroes in innings four through six to give USI a chance going into the top of the seventh inning.
 
After two sharp outs to begin the seventh, USI targeted a two-out rally. Nalley singled to the left side to reach base as the potential game-tying run and extending the game to bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate. However, the Blazers were able to induce a final groundout to close out the contest.
 
Southern Indiana finished with three runs on seven hits. The top three in the batting order for USI – Stapleton, Nalley and Long – each registered two-hit games. Stapleton had two runs, Nalley collected two RBIs with the double, and Long also had an RBI. Freshman first baseman Lilly Brown added a hit and a run to the USI line score.
 
Witthaus (0-3) tossed her first career complete game, striking out one and giving up four runs – two earned – in six innings pitched.
 
UAB notched four runs on eight hits. Sophomore pitcher Caroline McLendon (4-0) remained undefeated for the Blazers after striking out four and allowing three runs in a complete seven innings pitched.