March 20 – March 26The Week in Indiana History |
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   “The postman is a patient soul, and seldom makes a fuss, but for a dog to bite him seems to him superfluous; So teach your dog to hide his grouch and wag a cordial tail, for he who has a dog that bites is he who gets no mail.” —Mary E. Bostwick (1886 – 1959)    Mary E. Bostwick was an adventurous reporter for the Indianapolis Star. She barnstormed with young pilots in the 1920s, rode elephants in circus parades, hovered over the city in air balloons, and was the first woman to ride around the Speedway. For many years, she penned a daily column, “Last Page Lyric,” which viewed the day’s events in a humorous tone. The above appeared in the issue for April 25, 1929. Answers: 1. Jay County (John Jay) 2. Franklin County (Benjamin Franklin) 3. Fayette County (Marquis de Lafayette) 4. Jennings County (Jonathan Jennings) |
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Hoosier History Highlights: St. Meinrad Founded in Spencer County
1912  The Spades Park Branch Library was dedicated in Indianapolis. Andrew Carnegie built 164 libraries in Indiana, and this is the only one in the Italianesque style. The Spades Park Branch continues to serve the community near Brookside Park.
1917   The Methodist Church approved the move of Moores Hill Collegiate Institute to Evansville. In 1919, it became Evansville College and, in 1967, the University of Evansville. The school was founded in 1854 in Dearborn County.
1954   The basketball team from the small high school in Milan, Indiana, won the state championship. The victory was the inspiration for “Hoosiers,” one of the most popular sports movies of all time. The film was shot in locations around the state, including the iconic final game at the Butler University fieldhouse.
2012   Randall T. Shepard retired as Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. He was the longest-serving Chief Justice in Indiana history. Appointed to the Court in 1985 by Governor Robert D. Orr, Shepard had earlier served as Judge of the Vanderburgh Superior Court in Evansville.
January Indiana Employment ReportÂ
INDIANAPOLIS (March 14, 2022) – Indiana’s unemployment rate fell from 2.7% in December 2021 to 2.4% in January 2022—continuing a record low for the state dating back to 1976, when the current method of compiling unemployment rates began, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD).
In addition, private sector employment increased by 1,500 jobs over the last month and has now grown for seven of the last eight months. This has resulted in a gain of 85,800 jobs year-over-year. Total private employment now stands at 2,731,800—9,900 below the February 2019 peak of 2,741,700.
“With a 2.4% unemployment rate in January, even lower than the previous month, Indiana continues to outperform the nation as a whole,†DWD Commissioner Fred Payne said. “The low unemployment rate coincides with significant year-over-year job growth indicating that Indiana is trending in the right direction.â€
By comparison, the national unemployment rate increased from 3.9% in December 2021 to 4.0% in January 2022.
Learn more about how unemployment rates are calculated here: https://www.hoosierdata.in.gov/infographics/employment-status.asp.
Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 1,528 over the previous month, due to an increase of 10,344 employed residents and a decrease of 8,816 unemployed residents.
Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3,304,953. The state’s labor force participation rate remains at 61.9% after year-end revisions, below the national rate of 62.2%.
Employment by Sector
The monthly increase in jobs can primarily be attributed to:
• Construction (+1,100)
• Financial Activities (+200)
Midwest Unemployment Rates
EDITOR’S NOTES:
Data are sourced from January Current Employment Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
January employment data for Indiana Counties, Cities and MSAs will be available Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at noon (Eastern) pending U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics validation.
Hayden, Gilliland Earn 3-Meter Medals
Hayden, Gilliland Earn 3-Meter Medals
ATLANTA – Senior Kristen Hayden and sophomore Tarrin Gilliland finished second and third, respectively, in the 3-meter dive championship final Friday (March 18) night at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside McAuley Aquatic Center.
Hayden and Gilliland are the first Indiana diving duo to finish top-three in a single event at the national meet since 2009, when Christina Loukas and Brittney Feldman finished first and third in the same competition.
Hayden tallied a 397.20 to collect her highest-ever finish at the national meet. Hayden scored north of 65 on five of her six dives and led going into the final round, where she executed a forward 2 1/2 somersault, single twist pike for 69 points. Reigning 3M national champion Sarah Bacon of Minnesota followed with a 78.00 on the same dive to edge out Hayden in the final round.
“What a great event this evening,†IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “In the last round there were three ladies that could have won the gold, and both of ours hit their dives and ended up in a second and third place which is just fantastic. The winner is one of the best in the world, and we were right there with her.”
The third-place finisher at the Big Ten Championships in February, Gilliland put up a career-best 382.00 in the 3M to earn bronze and add to her illustrious young career at IU. It’s her second top-three finish at the NCAA Championships as she will try to defend her 2021 national title in the Platform dive Saturday.
In total, three IU divers have collected five All-America honors this week in just two events. On Thursday, Indiana was the only program with three combined A-and-B finalists in the 1-meter competition. Friday, the Hoosiers were one of two teams with two divers in the A final.
In the swimming pool freshman, Anna Peplowski beat her B final seed to earn her first-career top-10 finish, swimming the 200 Freestyle in 1:43.57, just four-tenths of a second short of her personal best.
 Peplowski’s sister, senior Noelle Peplowski, also earned honorable mention All-America honors Friday as she finished 16th in the 100 Breaststroke at 59.71. The elder Peplowski picked up her seventh-career All-America nod Friday and swam a season-best 59.27 in the prelim.
“Our ladies are fighting with every bit of passion, desire and effort they have,†IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “We are super proud of both our divers tonight on 3-meter.â€
Indiana sits 15th with 75 points going into Saturday, the final day of competition in Atlanta.
“Tomorrow can be our best day,†Looze said.
RESULTS
200 FREESTYLE
- Anna Peplowski – 1:43.57 (All-America Honorable Mention)
100 BREASTSTROKE
- Noelle Peplowski – 59.71 (All-America Honorable Mention)
3-METER DIVE
- Kristen Hayden – 397.20 (NCAA Runner-up, All-America)
- Tarrin Gilliland – 382.00 (All-America, Career Best)Â
400 MEDLEY RELAY
- Kacey McKenna, Noelle Peplowski, Elizabeth Broshears, Anna Peplowski – 3:33.23
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Elizabeth Broshears (200 Medley Relay*)
Anne Fowler (1-Meter*)
Tarrin Gilliland (1-Meter, 3-Meter)
Kristen Hayden (1-Meter*, 3-Meter)
Dominika Kossakowska (800 Freestyle Relay*)
Mackenzie Looze (800 Freestyle Relay*, 200 IM*)
Kacey McKenna (200 Medley Relay*)
Anna Peplowski (800 Freestyle Relay*, 200 Freestyle*)
Noelle Peplowski (200 Medley Relay*, 100 Breaststroke)
Ella Ristic (800 Freestyle Relay*)
Ashley Turak (200 Medley Relay*)
* – Denotes All-America Honorable Mention
UP NEXT
Indiana marches into the final day of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday (March 19). The 1,650 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, and 400 Freestyle races are on the schedule for day four.
HOT JOBS
Women’s golf to face UIC on Monday in Evansville
Teams to meet in 7-on-7 format
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On Monday, the University of Evansville golf team is set to face UIC in a 7-on-7 match at Evansville Country Club.
Play will get underway at 2 p.m. and will be open to the public.
Last week, the ladies wrapped up the SHU Spring Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla. with a fifth-place finish. Alyssa McMinn led three Purple Aces who finished in the top 25. Her 2-round tally of 155 tied her for 15th.
Mallory Russell and Allison Enchelmayer tied for the 24th position with scores of 159. Caitlin O’Donnell was four behind the duo with a 163.
USI ROTC Cadet leadership to be honored for excellence in Wabash Battalion
The Wabash Battalion’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) unit has earned the 2021 MacArthur Award as the top program in the military’s 7th Brigade, a region covering 38 universities and colleges in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee, including the University of Southern Indiana. Cadets from USI make up one third of the Wabash Battalion. To recognize USI Cadet contributions to the overall success of the battalion, the 7th Brigade Commander will present an award to Cadet leadership at USI during a ceremony at 11 a.m. March 24 at the Griffin Center on campus.
Additionally, the program was selected to compete for the overall 2021 Department of Defense ROTC and Partner Institution Excellence Award among Army, Air Force and Navy units.
The U.S. Army Cadet Command recognized the unit’s achievements during the 2020-21 school year for readiness training and commissioning lieutenants for military service. Award-winning programs represent the Army’s ideals of Duty-Honor-Country and the legacy of leadership as practiced by General Douglas MacArthur, according to Army ROTC award guidelines.
Wabash Battalion ROTC unit accomplishments for 2020-21 include:Â
- Commissioning 35 officers, far exceeding the 19-officer requirement.
- Six cadets ranked in the top 20% nationally and earned distinguished military graduate honors.
- Twenty-four cadets exceeded performance averages in areas of physical fitness, written land navigation, practical land navigation, weapons qualification and tactical performance evaluations during last summer’s training exercises.
- Cadets had key leadership roles in the “Bold Warriorâ€/Ranger Challenge team which had its best finish in the past 20 years against other senior ROTC programs in the 7th Brigade region.
- A 98% retention rate of students enrolled in the program from 2020 to 2021.
“None of this would have been possible if not for the amazing support we receive from the colleges and universities that comprise our battalion,†says Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Benjamin Schneller. “The entire program is humbled by their generosity and commitment to helping us develop future leaders for the Army and our country. We thank everyone for their continued support.â€
The Wabash Battalion ROTC consists of seven colleges and universities in southwest Indiana for the 2021-22 school year. Among student leadership this year are senior cadets Wilson Henderson, Evan McCarthy, Nathan O’Connor, Adam Schmitt and Austin Tobin from the University of Southern Indiana, and Hank Bergmann of the University of Evansville.
USI’s ROTC Program was established in 2001 as a partnership program with the Wabash Battalion, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Students from the University of Evansville can also participate in ROTC at USI. After completion of the Army ROTC program, graduates will be commissioned into the Army as Second Lieutenants. In the Army, officer career fields are known as branches and after choosing an Army branch, Second Lieutenants will pursue specialized training. The USI ROTC program mirrors the Cadet Motto of “Scholar-Athlete-Leader.†This means that the top priority for Cadets enrolled in the USI ROTC program is that they are focused on their academics.
MVC schedule opens on Saturday at Cooper Stadium
UE set to face Drake in 3-game set
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Missouri Valley Conference play opens this weekend when the University of Evansville softball team welcomes Drake to Cooper Stadium. A noon doubleheader opens the series on Saturday before another noon contest marks the third and final game on Sunday with all three games to be carried on ESPN3.
 Last Time Out
– Taking to the road for its final non-conference tournament, the Purple Aces traveled to Murray, Ky. for the Racer Classic
– After dropping games to St. Thomas (MN) and Western Illinois on Sunday, the Aces came back to defeat both squads on Monday to earn a weekend split
– Sydney Weatherford tossed two complete games including a 6-0 shutout against the Tommies that saw her go 2-4 with four RBI and a home run
– Earning the win over the Leathernecks was Izzy Vetter, who struck out seven batters in the 7-2 triumph with Jessica Fehr and Marah Wood adding two RBI apiece
Can’t do much more than that
– In Monday’s 6-0 shutout against St. Thomas, Sydney Weatherford tossed a complete game shutout while going 2-4 with four RBI and a home run at the plate
– The big performance saw her season RBI tally improve to 18, which paces the MVC
– Her four triples is tied for the conference lead while she is slugging .571 on the season, which ranks 9th
– Weatherford’s pitching has been impressive, checking in with the 4th-best ERA in the league at 1.98 while allowing two earned runs in her last 14 innings of work
Regaining her form
– Despite an 8-game hit streak being broken at the Racer Classic, Marah Wood has recorded a hit in 10 of her last 12 games and enters the MVC schedule batting .273 with four home runs and 14 RBI
– Wood is tied for second in the league with six doubles, tied for fourth in the league with four home runs and is in a 6th-place tie with 14 RBI
– The sophomore scored six runs at the UE Softball Invitational including two in the wins over Green Bay and Morehead State before belting her third home run of the year to add some insurance in the 2-0 triumph over Creighton
Two more no-no’s
– Evansville’s home tournament saw Izzy Vetter record no-hitters against Morehead State and Creighton to improve her career tally to four
– She has won seven of her last eight appearances in the circle and paces the conference with 11 victories in 2022 while earning three MVC Pitcher of the Week awards
– Vetter ranks atop the MVC in opposing batting average (.145), innings pitched (74.0), strikeouts (112), strikeouts looking (24) and wins (11) while ranking second with an ERA of 1.51
– Her 112 K’s is 9th in the nation while her 10.6 K’s per 7 innings pitched is 27th
Hayden, Gilliland Make 3-Meter A Final
 ATLANTA – Indiana women’s swimming and diving is one of two programs with multiple athletes set to compete in Friday (March 18) night’s 3-meter dive championship final at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside McAuley Aquatic Center.
In total, IU qualified four finalists during the Friday preliminary session: two swimmers and two divers. Indiana will also compete in the 400 Medley Relay during the day three evening session, entering with a 3:32.83 seed time.
In the 3M prelim, senior Kristen Hayden finished second with a 381.45 and all six dives scoring north of 55. Hayden executed four dives for better than 60 points to secure her first-career A final in the event and third-career All-America performance. In all, Hayden has been an All-American six times.
Sophomore Tarrin Gilliland is now 5-for-5 earning final bids at the NCAA Championships after her sixth-place finish in Friday’s prelim. It’s her third-career first team All-America performance and second during the 2022 meet.
The sister duo of senior Noelle Peplowski and freshman Anna Peplowski earned spots in the 100 Breaststroke and 200 Freestyle, respectively. Each athlete grabbed their second honorable mention All-America nods of the week, and the elder Peplowski picked up her fifth-career All-America honor as well as a season-best time in the 100 breast by finishing in 59.27.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS
400 IM
- Mackenzie Looze – 4:08.79
- Ching Hwee Gan – 4:12.88
- Mariah Denigan – 4:12.92
200 FREESTYLE
- Anna Peplowski – 1:44.55 (Consolation Final, All-America Honorable Mention)
- Ella Ristic – 1:46.49
100 BREASTSTROKE
- Noelle Peplowski – 59.27 (Consolation Final, All-America Honorable Mention)
- Brearna Crawford – 1:00.29
100 BACKSTROKE
- Kacey McKenna – 52.57
3-METER DIVE
- Kristen Hayden – 381.45 (Championship Final, All-America)
- Tarrin Gilliland – 351.50 (Championship Final, All-America)
- Anne Fowler – 309.35
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Elizabeth Broshears (200 Medley Relay*)
Anne Fowler (1-Meter*)
Tarrin Gilliland (1-Meter, 3-Meter)
Kristen Hayden (1-Meter*, 3-Meter)
Dominika Kossakowska (800 Freestyle Relay*)
Mackenzie Looze (800 Freestyle Relay*, 200 IM*)
Kacey McKenna (200 Medley Relay*)
Anna Peplowski (800 Freestyle Relay*, 200 Freestyle*)
Noelle Peplowski (200 Medley Relay*, 100 Breaststroke)
Ella Ristic (800 Freestyle Relay*)
Ashley Turak (200 Medley Relay*)
Inclement weather forecast alters USI Softball home-opener
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball will have to wait one more day to open its 2022 home schedule as its Great Lakes Valley Conference opener against the University of Illinois Springfield has been postponed due to inclement weather in the forecast Saturday.
The Screaming Eagles (14-8, 0-0) will open their home schedule Sunday at noon when they host Lewis University in a GLVC doubleheader at the USI Softball Field, while their doubleheader against Illinois Springfield has been rescheduled for Monday at noon.
All four of USI’s games this weekend will be aired on the GLVC Sports Network, while Sunday’s doubleheader will be simulcasted on 95.7 The Spin. Live Stats, audio and video links can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.
USI Softball Notes
• Long layoff. The Eagles return to the field following a 12-day layoff. USI, which had its GLVC-opener against the University of Indianapolis last weekend postponed to a later date, was previously in action March 8 when it defeated Ashland University, 7-1, in a Midwest Region bout to end The Spring Games.
• Spring Games. USI went 4-2 at The Spring Games March 4-8. The Eagles opened their Florida trip with wins against St. Cloud State University and the University of Central Missouri but lost close contests to Winona State University and then No. 17-ranked Minnesota State University-Mankato the following day. USI ended its stay in the Sunshine State with wins over Lynn University and Ashland.
• Offensive success. The Eagles are currently second in the GLVC with a .344 team batting average and a .510 slugging percentage. USI has racked up 31 doubles, 12 home runs and a GLVC-best 17 triples on the year, while their 133 RBI rank second in the league.
• Individual leaders. USI has eight players with at least 20 at-bats hitting .333 or better, including three players with batting averages north of .400. Freshman pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) is hitting .429 with two triples, a home run and 10 RBI, while senior pitcher Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana) is hitting .419 with four doubles, a home run and 13 RBI.
Sophomore first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) is hitting .415 with six doubles, a triple, three home runs and 20 RBI, while freshman outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) is hitting .366 with four doubles, two triples, three home runs and a team-high 22 RBI.
• In the circle. Senior pitcher Maddie Duncan (Lynnville, Indiana) has a team-best 1.27 ERA and .188 opponent batting averages. Duncan has been snake-bit in the win-loss column, where she is 2-4 with a save. Gotshall is 4-0, while Back is 3-1.
• Closing in on 600. USI Head Coach Sue Kunkle is seven wins away from her 600th career win, all of which have come at the helm of the Screaming Eagles during her 21 years at USI.
• Hit streaks. Martinez and sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) each saw a season-high 11-game hitting streak come to an end at The Spring Games. Fair has currently hit safely in a team-high six games and has reached base safely in a team-high 14 consecutive games, while Nalley, who has a nine-game hitting streak under her belt, and junior shortstop Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) have each hit safely in the last three games.