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Aces fight to the finish in opening day of Easton Bama Bash

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UE drops contests to MTSU and #2 Alabama

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Battling against some of the top competition that college softball has to offer, the University of Evansville softball team came up short against Middle Tennessee State and #2 Alabama in Friday’s opening day of the Easton Bama Bash at Rhoads Stadium.

 

Game 1 – Middle Tennessee State 4, UE 2

Middle Tennessee State plated two runs in both the first and second innings and would hang on to finish Friday’s opener with a 4-2 win over the Purple Aces.  A bases loaded walk and a Claire Czajkowski RBI single got the Blue Raiders going in the first inning before Abby Shoulders picked a 2-RBI knock in the second.

 

Jessica Fehr picked up the first hit of the day, hitting a 2-out single in the third before coming through in an even larger way in the fifth.  Jenna Nink reached on an error to open the frame and stole second base.  With two outs, Mackenzie McFeron walkeds to bring up Fehr, who belted a 2-RBI double to left-center to get the Aces on the scoreboard.

 

UE threatened again in the sixth with a pair of 2-out baserunners with Hannah Hood drawing a walk before Nink was hit by a pitch.  Unfortunately, a strikeout ended the threat.  Fehr recorded her third hit of the day in the seventh but was stranded at second with MTSU clinching the win.  Sydney Weatherford pitched the complete game for UE, giving up four runs, three earned, on three hits.  Keri Munn tossed the full seven frames for MTSU.  Both UE runs were unearned.

 

Game 2 – #2 Alabama 10, UE 2

Second-ranked Alabama plated three runs in the first inning before inching away to finish with a 10-2 victory over the Aces in six innings.  After picking up three hits in game one, Jessica Fehr got the game started with a single up the middle with Crimson Tide starter Jaala Torrence striking out the Aces in order to end the threat.

 

Alabama responded in the bottom half of the first, scoring three runs on three walks and three batters hit by a pitch.  Just when it looked like the Tide had taken control, Evansville bounced back with a run on two hits in the top of the second.  With one out, Jenna Nink singled through the left side and moved to second on a wild pitch.  With two outs, Alexa Davis belted a single through the right side to plate UE’s first run of the day.

 

Evansville remained close until a 4-run fourth inning extended Alabama’s lead to 8-1.  The offense for UE added a second run in the fifth inning as a Sydney Weatherford single scored McFeron, who reached on a 1-out single.  The Crimson Tide added single runs in the fifth and sixth to clinch the 10-2 win.  Alabama had nine hits with the Aces picking up six.  Ally Shipman led the Tide with three RBI while Kaylee Tow registered two.

 

Weatherford paced Evansville with a pair of hits and a RBI.  Aces starter Izzy Vetter suffered her first loss of the season, allowing 10 runs, seven earned, in five frames.  She struck out four.  Torrence tossed the complete game for the Tide, giving up two earned runs on six hits while striking out 10.

 

On Saturday, the Aces open with an 11 a.m. game against #8 Virginia Tech before facing Middle Tennessee State at 6:30 p.m.

 

Men’s golf opens spring season on Sunday

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – This weekend, the University of Evansville men’s golf team opens its spring season with a trip to Prattville, Alabama for the ASU Spring Classic.

 

Hosted by Alabama State, the tournament will be played at the RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill.  Sunday’s opening day will feature 36 holes with the final 18 slated to be played on Monday.  Par is a 72 and the yardage is 7,008.

Joining the Purple Aces in the event will be Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Western Illinois, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morehouse College and Savannah State.

Michael Ikejiani recorded the lowest average last fall among those on the team who played over seven rounds.  He registered a 76.22 average over the course of his nine rounds with a low of 71 coming in the opening 18 holes at the Alabama A&M Fall Invite.  That event saw him come home in the 8th position.

Isaac Rohleder completed the fall with a 76.86 stroke average while playing in all 15 rounds.  Rohleder picked up a pair of top 17 finishes, including a tie for 16th a the Valpo Fall Invitational.  The opening round of that event saw him shoot a season-low 70.

Just behind him was Henry Kiel, who tallied a 77.11 mark in nine rounds to open the 2021-22 season.  His low round was a 73, which came at the Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate and the Alabama A&M Fall Invite.

Swimming & Diving Breaks Fourth Record Of Valley Championships Friday

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Evansville junior Maya Cunningham (Yakima, Wash./Eisenhower) broke UE’s fourth school record of the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday on her way to earning first-team all-MVC honors.

Cunningham posted UE’s fastest time ever in the 400-yard IM event with a time of 4:26.77 in Friday’s preliminary round.  She then came back later on Friday to earn first team all-MVC honors by placing third in the 400 IM with a time of 4:26.95.  She is the first Purple Ace to earn first team all-MVC honors since diver Courtney Coverdale did so in 2018.

“Maya is the star of the night,” said UE head swimming coach Stuart Wilson.  “To break a school record and finish in the top three at conference is a tremendous accomplishment.

“I will say that I thought that the ladies swam much better at night in the finals.  They are a persistent group and they will not give up.  I am proud of how they swam tonight.  I also thought the divers stepped up again today.  One more day to grind.”

Cunningham was not the only Purple Ace to earn all-MVC honors on Friday, as sophomore Iryna Tsesiul (Minsk, Belarus) also earned honorable mention all-Valley honors in the 100-yard Backstroke, as she placed seventh overall with a time of 56.03.  It marks the second-straight year in which Tsesiul has earned honorable mention all-MVC honors.

UE also continued to have strong showings in the “B Finals” at the Valley Championships, as juniors Allison McDonald (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Cape Central) and Sage Moore (Lexington, Ohio/Lexington) finished third and fourth respectively in the “B Finals” of the 100-yard Breaststroke.  Fellow junior Sonsoles Aguayo (Jerez, Spain) also finished third in the “B Finals” of the 200-yard Freestyle.

The 2022 MVC Swimming & Diving Championships will conclude on Saturday with a full day of events.  Saturday’s action will feature the finals of the three-meter diving competition, as well as prelims and finals in the 1,650-yard Freestyle, the 200-yard Backstroke, the 100-yard Freestyle, the 200-yard Breaststroke, 200-yard Butterfly, and the 400-yard Medley Relay.  Preliminary swims will begin at 11 a.m., with finals set for 6 p.m.

No. 15 IUSD Grabs 16 Final Placements in Day Three Prelims

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MADISON, Wis. – Indiana women’s swimming and diving earned 16 final berths during the Friday (Feb. 18) Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship preliminary session inside Soderholm Family Aquatic Center.

 

Adding the 200 Freestyle Relay, the Hoosiers will have 15 final swims during the evening session. IU diving will send two finalists in the 3-meter dive, as Anne Fowler and Tarrin Gilliland qualified for the evening session.

 

Freshman Anna Peplowski starred for IU in prelims, taking the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds in the 200 Freestyle and 100 Backstroke championship finals, respectively.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
100 Butterfly – None.

400 IM – Mackenzie Looze (5th), Mariah Denigan (7th)
200 Freestyle – Anna Peplowski (1st)

100 Breaststroke – Noelle Peplowski (6th), Brearna Crawford (8th)

100 Backstroke – Anna Peplowski (3rd), Kacey McKenna (4th)

3-Meter Dive – Anne Fowler (2nd), Tarrin Gilliland (8th)

CONSOLATION FINAL
100 Butterfly – Elizabeth Broshears (13th)

400 IM – Ching Hwee Gan (9th), Anna Freed (13th)
200 Freestyle – Ella Ristic (9th), Dominika Kossakowska (10th)

100 Breaststroke – None.

100 Backstroke – None.

3-Meter Dive – TBD

C FINAL
100 Butterfly – Brearna Crawford (17th)

400 IM – Cat Minic (20th)
200 Freestyle – None.

100 Breaststroke – None.

100 Backstroke – None.

TEAM SCORES
1. Ohio State – 425

  1. Michigan – 411.5
  2. Indiana – 405
  3. Wisconsin – 371
  4. Minnesota – 320.5
  5. Northwestern – 295
  6. Rutgers – 190
  7. Nebraska – 171
  8. Purdue – 160
  9. Penn State – 152
  10. Illinois – 105
  11. Iowa – 92

Men’s basketball hosts Valpo at 1 p.m. on Saturday

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Just two more home games remain in season

 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A stretch of four games in eight days comprises the final week of the regular season for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team and begins on Saturday with a 1 p.m. home game against Valparaiso.  ESPN3 and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the coverage.

 

Last Time Out

– Drake hit 9 of its opening 10 attempts on Wednesday and put things out of reach early before taking a 73-51 victory at the Knapp Center in Des Moines

– The Bulldogs took a 19-3 lead just over six minutes into the contest and would lead by 32 at the half and as many as 38 in the second half before the Purple Aces finished the game on a 26-10 run to cut into the deficit

– Blake Sisley paced UE with 14 points, converting six of his 14 field goal tries

– Blaise Beauchamp continued his scoring streak, knocking down four triples on his way to 12 points

 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY RECENT BOOKING RECORDS

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN COVID-19 SCHOOL GUIDANCE

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HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN COVID-19 SCHOOL GUIDANCE

Gov. Holcomb Announces Work Policy Changes Designed to Make State of Indiana a Top Employer, Reward Employees

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INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Eric J. Holcomb today announced three phases of new state work policies that will offer employees more workplace flexibility, enhance their experience and well-being, and continue efforts to make compensation more competitive.

“We pledged to evaluate the employee experience to make sure that we are taking care of our most valuable resource – our people,” Gov. Holcomb said. “These changes make the State of Indiana a more flexible employer who values continued education, employee wellness, and recognition. These changes will set us apart as an employer that attracts and retains top talent.”

Agency leaders and employees from across state government gave feedback about workplace policy changes that would contribute to creating the best environment for employees to feel valued, collaborate to provide great government service, be invested in their work and contribute positively to their workplace and communities.

The State Personnel Department will implement work policy changes in three phases, beginning March 7. These initial changes include:

  • Flexible work arrangements, allowing state agencies to permit up to 15 hours per week of remote work for employees whose work may be performed outside of state facilities
  • Education reimbursement, allowing full-time employees to be reimbursed for up to $5,250 annually for the cost of an advanced degree, state licensure or certificate
  • Referral bonus, rewarding current employees who recruit talented people to public service with the state with bonuses ranging from $100 to $500
  • WHOLE Employee policy, which allows state agencies greater flexibility to conduct employee engagement, wellness, learning and development-related activities
  • Community Service Leave, increasing the number of paid time off hours full-time employees may spend annually performing charitable service to 15
  • New Employee Leave Time, granting 22.5 hours of personal leave to use in the first six months of employment
  • Re-Employing Retired State Employees, creating a special classification for retired state employees to return to state employment, which enhances the knowledge and experience in state agencies
  • Bridge to Retirement Program, which allows agencies to hire a new employee to begin training with an employee who has set a retirement date, to foster a smooth transition

Phase 2, which will become effective May 1, will launch a dependent care support survey to gauge child- or dependent-care barriers to employment and re-establish the Governor’s Public Service Achievement Awards in conjunction with a revitalized Spot Bonus Program to efficiently reward exceptional service by state employees.

This summer, Phase 3 will include the results and policy recommendations from the ongoing Comprehensive Compensation Study. The results of the study will help inform salary discussions for the next biennium budget.

Earlier this year, executive branch employees received a general salary adjustment for the first time in a dozen years, resulting in an average 5 percent increase. Annual performance assessments are also underway, which will result in one-time bonuses paid in early March.

An overview of the policy changes and a message from Gov. Holcomb can be found here.

Racing Legend Al Unser Jr. To Hold Book Signing At The Victory Theater Today

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Racing Legend Al Unser Jr. Is Married To Norma Lawrence An Evansville Native 

Norma Lawrence Unser and her twin sister Liz Lawrence Childers went to Reitz High School 95’ and are graduates of the University of Southern Indiana 00’.  Norma and Al Jr. were introduced through Future Star Racing and the Wings and Wheels Foundation a 501c3 formed to advance the careers of promising young drivers in the next level of achievement in racing by awarding scholarships.  Since meeting Al is the Director of Competition and driver coach, Norma is Executive Director with a focus on raining funds to apply towards scholarships.  Al and Norma were married in her sister’s backyard on September 30th.

Winning came naturally to “Little Al”. Born into one of the most prominent families in the history of auto racing, he had a natural talent for going fast and winning races. Following in the footsteps of his father, Al, and his uncle, Bobby, he won a number of championships on his way up the ladder to the very top echelons of open-wheel racing. In 2007 he was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and in 2009, to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. But even though the book is packed with fantastic racing anecdotes and insider accounts, Al Unser Jr: A Checkered Past, is more than just another motor racing book. Unser shares deeply personal stories about his life away from the race track and his struggles with mental health. He tells how the demons of drug and alcohol addiction fueled the destruction of his personal and financial life, even as his career flourished.

The book is an unblinking look at how even our most celebrated sports heroes struggle with human frailty. His battle to climb out of the darkness is one of the great stories in motorsports, one that he hopes will provide help and inspiration to others fighting their own demons. In the words of Motorsport magazine’s Damien Smith, this book is “a brave and astonishing piece of work in its unflinching, brutal honesty.”

BOOK SIGNING SCHEDULE

February 19, 2022, 12-2 pm At Victory Theatre, 600 Main Street, Evansville, IN 47708

Al Unser Jr will be present signing books; books can be purchased on site.

This event is hosted by Bluestocking Social. For questions about the event, call: 812.402.2055.

FOOTNOTES: Contact Jo Snyder at jo@octanepress.com or 1.512.507 7867 for further information, with interview requests, or to secure media review copies, images, or excerpts for publication. To learn more about Octane Press, visit octanepress.com.

About the Authors

Alfred Unser Jr. (born April 19, 1962) nicknamed “Little Al,” is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. Al started racing go-karts at the age of nine, and by the age of sixteen, he was already racing sprint cars. Soon after high school, he moved into road racing, winning the Super Vee title in1981 and the Can-Am title in 1982. He was a key member of many notable teams throughout his career and made a name for himself while driving for Galles Racing, Doug Shierson Racing, Team Penske, and others. In 2007 he was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and, shortly after, in 2009, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Jade Gurss. Best-selling author Jade Gurss has written a series of motorsports books (Racer, Beast, In the Red, Driver #8) that capture the behind-the-scenes drama and intrigue of racing at the highest levels. His award-winning and immensely popular work has included chronicling driver’s stories including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, and John Andretti. Gurss is the owner of fingerprint inc. and has done extensive work in marketing and publicity for Ilmor Engineering, Mercedes-Benz, and Mazda. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

Todd Rokita Defends Liberty With New Action Against Federal Vaccine Mandates

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Attorney General Todd Rokita took new action this week to fight an unlawful vaccine mandate foisted on federal contractors by President Joe Biden.

Attorney General Rokita is asking a federal appeals court to strike down the mandate nationally because it improperly intrudes on states’ traditional powers and represents an unauthorized exercise of regulatory power, among other reasons.

“Liberty is too precious for us to accept partial victories,” Attorney General Rokita said. “As long as these unlawful mandates are enforced anywhere in the nation, they threaten our freedoms here in Indiana.”

Attorney General Rokita has already prevailed in getting courts to prevent the federal-contractor mandate from being applied to employees of Indiana agencies that provide services to the federal government, but it remains in force for other state workers at companies with federal contracts.

“We will keep pressing onward,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Hoosiers can count on it.”

 

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