The University of Southern Indiana women’s soccer team bowed out of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament with a 2-0 loss at 18^th-ranked Truman State University Sunday afternoon in Kirksville, Missouri. USI finishes the year 9-9-1, while top-seeded Truman State advances with a 14-1-3 mark in 2016.

The eighth-seeded Screaming Eagles, who appeared in the GLVC Tournament for the first time since 2012, battled back-and-forth with the Bulldogs for 80 minutes before two of the 24 Truman State shots got through the USI defense. Truman also had a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks in the match, while USI posted just three shots, two in the opening half and one in the second half.

Truman advances to the GLVC Tournament semifinals at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 4.The GLVC championship game is slated for November 6 at Carroll Stadium.

The University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team advanced to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament semifinals with a 1-0 victory over the University of Missouri-St. Louis Sunday afternoon at Strassweg Field. USI, the third seed, watch its record go to 13-2-3, while sixth-seeded UMSL ends the season 10-7-1.

The Screaming Eagles and the Tritons battled to a scoreless draw through 80 minutes with each team posting six shots and just missing on several scoring opportunities. The match’s only tally came at 80:10 when USI junior midfielder Stephen Tuma (Pekin, Indiana) broke through the UMSL defense for the game-winner, his first goal of the season.

Tuma blasted the game-winning shot from 25 yards as the Tritons tried to clear the ball after a shot by junior midfielder Riley Belding (Columbus, Indiana). The Eagles and junior goalkeeper Adam Zehme(Orland Park, Illinois) would make the single tally stand up for the victory.

Zehme posted his 13^th win of the season, two short of tying the USI single-season mark, and his career-high seventh shutout of the year by facing a total of eight shots, making five saves in the win. The junior goalkeeper has 11career shutouts, moving Zehme into fifth all-time at USI.

USI advances to play the winner of second-seeded Missouri University of Science & Technology and seventh-seeded University of Indianapolis (underway at press time in Rolla, Missouri) on November 4 at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Game time for the semifinal contest is to be determined.

The Carroll Stadium venue will be the first time in the 38-year history of the GLVC that the men’s soccer semifinals and championship game will be played at a neutral site. Live coverage for USI’s run in the GLVC Tournament can be found at GoUSIEagles.com.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016) — Reigning Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist has been declared out of next Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park after coming out of his last workout with what trainer Doug O’Neill described as a “puffy ankle.”

The defection prevents a rare matchup of Kentucky Derby winners running against each other in the Breeders’ Cup, for which 2014 Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome is the big favorite. Derby winners last met in America’s richest race in 1991 when 1990 Derby winner Unbridled finished third and ’91 winner Strike the Gold fifth. The quintessential Derby winner showdown was 1987, when the 4-year-old Ferdinand nosed out the 3-year-old Alysheba.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we regrettably have to report that Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist came out of his most recent work (seven furlongs in 1:27.40 on Thursday) with a puffy ankle,” O’Neill announced on his Facebook page. “Though Nyquist is 100 percent sound and X-rays are clean, the timing unfortunately precludes us from the dream of having him run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in our own backyard.”

O’Neill said further plans for the Derby champ will be announced later.

Sprint champ Runhappy works 5 furlongs in 58 2/5

Runhappy, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and Eclipse champion sprinter, worked five-eighths in 58 2/5 seconds under regular exercise rider Marcus O’Donnell shortly after Santa Anita’s main track opened at 5 a.m.

Going in Friday’s Dirt Mile, Runhappy will attempt to  be the fourth horse to win two Breeders’ Cup events, joining the great Zenyatta (Distaff, Classic), Beholder (Juvenile Fillies, Distaff) and Stephanie’s Kitten (Juvenile Fillies Turf, Filly & Mare Turf). He has raced once this year, finishing fourth in Churchill Downs’ mile Ack Ack (G3) won by fellow Dirt Mile contender Tom’s Ready.

As has become his habit, Runhappy stopped and started in spurts after coming on the track but flew once he got into gear. The time was the second-fastest of 87 moves at the distance Saturday. The fastest time was Seattle Boom’s 58 1/5.

“I thought he looked good down the stretch, and Marcus wasn’t having to ask him or anything,” said Laura Wohlers, who trains Runhappy out of Lexington’s The Thoroughbred Center for brother-in-law James McIngvale. “He was in the bridle. That’s a nice strong work. That’s all we wanted out of him. He’s been galloping very strong in the morning. Those probably will set him up as well as a breeze.”

Runhappy will be ridden by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Gary Stevens. The Hall of Famer rode Runhappy in a race once before, winning Santa Anita’s Grade 1 Malibu last Dec. 26.

Wohlers said Runhappy has gotten used to having his way, adding, “If he was like a child, he might be getting grounded quite often. But he’s a 4-year-old colt. All colts want to get their way. We pretty much have spoiled him to death, and that probably hasn’t helped. I think he’s just gotten to where he’s like, ‘Well, I’m going to do what I want to do when I want to.’ We’ll hopefully break him out of his habit one day, but I doubt it. We’ll just deal with it for another 14 months.”

Also at Santa Anita: Albaugh Family Stable’s Not This Time, winner by 10 of an Ellis Park maiden race and Churchill Downs’ Grade 3 Iroquois by 8 3/4, went five-eighths of a mile in 1:01 3/5, starting off leisurely under exercise rider Faustino Aguillar.

“It was a good work,” said Churchill Downs-based trainer Dale Romans. “He started off slow and he got faster as they went. I got him galloping out in 1:13 and change. He had a fast day galloping (Friday), and this sets him up well for a nice easy next seven days… He got the heavy lifting over with.”

Not This Time is ridden by Robby Albarado, leading rider at Churchill Downs’ September meet.

Normandy Farm’s Daddys Lil Darling, winner of Churchill Downs’ Grade 3 Pocahontas and second in Keeneland’s Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades, went an easy half-mile in 51 2/5 for trainer Kenny McPeek.

Spinster winner I’m a Chatterbox heads Keeneland’s works

I’m a Chatterbox, winner of Keeneland’s Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster in her last start, worked five-eights of a mile in 59 seconds flat, the fastest time of 22 at the distance Saturday. Florent Geroux, who will ride Carolyn and Fletcher Gray’s 4-year-old chestnut filly in Friday’s Distaff, was aboard for the work. I’m a Chatterbox went her last quarter-mile in 23 2/5 seconds and was timed galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:12 3/5.

“She went good,” Kentucky-born trainer Larry Jones told Keeneland’s publicity department. “And with it being the only work between the Spinster and (Distaff), we needed to make sure it was a decent work. We’re going into it the way I like to. As I told Flo when we started, ‘Give her one of those Oaks works and let her go ahead and do something.’ We’re shooting for the Breeders’ Cup. We’re where we want to be. If we get beat, we get beat.”

I’m a Chatterbox was eighth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland. She is three for five this year, including taking the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap in July at Delaware Park. She flies to California Monday.

The Graham Motion-trained Breeders’ Cup Mile contender Ring Weekend worked five furlongs on dirt in 1:02 4/5. Ring Weekend won Santa Anita’s Frank Kilroe (G1) last year, then was off more than 14 months. This year he captured Saratoga’s Bernard Baruch (G2) before finishing seventh in Keeneland’s $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1), though losing by a total of only 2 1/4 lengths behind victorious stablemate Miss Temple City.

“There are probably nine or 10 horses on paper that could jump up and win and you wouldn’t be surprised,” said Terry Finley, president of co-owner West Point Thoroughbreds, on hand for the work. Baruch rider John Velazquez has the Breeders’ Cup mount.

Undrafted, who was a late-running and narrowly-beaten third in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, worked five-eighths of a mile on the Keeneland turf in 1:01. The historic Group 1 winner last year at Royal Ascot is seeking his first victory since Keeneland’s Shakertown (G2) in the spring. He was sixth in Keeneland’s Woodford (G3) and fourth in the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint in his last two starts, beaten less than three lengths both times.

“It was a nice little cruiser, all by himself,” Wesley Ward, who trains Undrafted for former NFL star Wes Welker and Sol Kumin, told Keeneland. “He did everything right. This is his home, so he feels very, very comfortable here. We’re getting him on the last plane out on Nov. 1 to keep him right here at home until he’s gotta go. We’re all set…. I think he’s going to run a big, big race.”

Velazquez has the mount.

Jennie Rees is a racing communications specialist from Louisville. Her Breeders’ Cup coverage is being provided free to media as a service by Kentucky Downs, Ellis Park, the Kentucky HBPA and JockeyTalk360.com.

Aces run solid times in meet 

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Evansville cross country teams participated in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships on Saturday morning in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

“Overall, I am proud of the way both of our teams ran today,” UE head coach Don Walters said.  “The course was fantastic and had a few hills in it that slowed the times down a bit from the last time we were here, but we still came away with some good races.  Our women were just 13 points behind Drake, which is a big step for us.  The men also improved their standing over last season.”

Hannah Welsh ran one of her best races of the year for the women.  The freshman ran the 5K in 18:35.2.  She took 26^th place out of the 80 runners.  Welsh’s finish was the best for a UE female since Kelby Jenkins finished 8^th as a senior in 2013.  Welsh finished ahead of Sienna Crews, who took 35^th.  Crews finished the race in a time of 18:54.6.

Michelle Karp was UE’s #3 runner.  The junior completed the race in 20:03.1.  For Karp, it was her second-fastest time of the season.  Ashton Bosler was next up.  She checked in with a 20:17.4.  Kylie Hasenour was fifth for UE, running her first MVC Championship in 21:21.9.  Anna Loef registered a time of 21:26.3.  A consistent season has seen Loef run five out of six races in 21:34 or faster.

Katie Beaber and Hayley Elliott were the final two runners for the Aces.  Beaber notched a 21:52.3.  It was the third time this season that Beaber finished the 5K in under 22 minutes.  Elliott’s time finished at 23:10.4.

UNI took the top spot in the women’s team rankings.  The Panthers finished with a score of 52, defeating Bradley by 12.  Evansville came home in 10^th.  Rebekah Topham of the Shockers took top honors with a 17:24.8.  She defeated Illinois State’s Ariel Michalek, who ran a 17:33.6.

Ricky Hendrix was the top runner for the men, running the 8K in 27:45.5.  He came home in 56^th out of the 69 runners.  Senior Ben Woolems was second on the squad.  He ran what was by far his best time of the season, circling the course in 28:48.0.  It was nearly three minutes faster than any other 8K race of the year.

Taking third on the team was Andrew Barrett.  A 28:56.5 was his third-best 8K race of the season.  Next was senior Ross Frondorf, who finished the race in 29:01.7.  Rounding out the Aces’ top five was Tucker Dawson.  The freshman ran a time of 29:16.2.  Stanley Chepchieng, Paul Schwartz and Aaron Cochran completed the UE contingent.  Chepchieng ran a 29:32.3 while Schwartz finished with a 29:56.9.  Cochran’s checked in at 31:30.0.

Bradley took the men’s championship with a final score of 24 points.  The Braves had four of the top six finishers in the race.  Wichita State was second with 82 while Indiana State finished third (84).  The Aces took 10^th place.  Reed Fischer of Drake was the top finisher in the race, running a 24:31.8 to win by just under seven seconds.

University of Southern Indiana Volleyball ended its 2016 home schedule with a 25-20, 25-15, 27-25 Great Lakes Valley Conference loss to visiting Drury University on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center.

Drury (17-9, 8-5 GLVC) used runs of 5-0 and 5-1 to capture a five-point win in the opening set; then won 14 of the first 18 rallies in the second frame en route to a 10-point win and a two-set lead.

The Screaming Eagles (9-16, 3-10 GLVC) were limited to a .091 attacking percent in the first set and a .062 attacking percentage in the second frame as they fell into a two-set deficit for the second straight outing.

In a back-and-forth third set that featured 13 ties and seven lead changes, USI fought off match-point to earn a set-point opportunity at 25-24. The Panthers, however, responded with three straight points to earn the two-point win and three-set sweep.

USI was held to a .020 attacking percentage in the final frame as it suffered its fifth straight loss and seventh in the last eight contests.

Freshman outside hitter Mikaila Humphrey (Floyd Knobs, Indiana) had 13 kills to lead USI, while junior libero Shannon Farrell (Munster, Indiana) had a match-high 18 digs.

Prior to the match, the Eagles honored senior setter Quin Shoultz (Columbus, Indiana) and senior middle/outside hitter Amy Zwissler (Bloomington, Indiana). Shoultz finished with 28 assists and two aces in her final appearance at the PAC, while Zwissler had five kills in her final home match.

USI ends the regular season with five straight road matches, starting Friday at 7 p.m. when the Eagles visit the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Aces battle Ramblers to the finish

For the second night in a row, the University of Evansville volleyball team battled to five sets, but after an exciting win over Bradley on Friday, the Purple Aces fell to Loyola in a 3-2 match on Saturday.

Evansville (5-21, 1-12 MVC) trailed the match by a 2-1 score, but a 25-12 win in the fourth game knotted it up.  In the fifth, Loyola (12-14, 7-6 MVC) used a late run to earn the 15-11 win.  Mildrelis Rodriguez led the UE offense once again with 15 kills while Rachel Tam finished the night with ten.  Olivia Goldstein notched 17 digs while Cathy Schreiber had a match-high seven block assists.

Morgan Reardon had a game-high 20 kills for the Ramblers while Gabi Maciagowski registered 15.

The opening four points of the night were tied before the Ramblers took a 6-4 lead.  Evansville got within one at 9-8 before Loyola scored four in a row on their way to a 25-15 win.

Mildrelis Rodriguez had four kills including the clincher in the second frame as the Aces knotted the match up at 1-1.  It was another competitive game from the outset, leading to a 14-14 score.  Loyola looked to take control as a Jackie Kocken kill put them up 20-15, but the Aces roared back.  Rachel Tam did the serving in a 3-0 stretch before Rodriguez posted the final two kills in the win.

Loyola scooted out to a 6-3 lead in the third game and held strong for a 25-19 triumph.  The Aces battled to get within just one at 17-16 on a Rocio Fortuny kill, but the Ramblers overcame the rally.

It was all Aces in the fourth set as the offense hit .286 on its way to a dominating 25-12 victory.  Evansville took a 4-1 lead at the start and added to it from there.  Up 13-9, UE finished the set on a 12-3 run as a Jelena Merseli service ace finished it off to send the game to a deciding frame.

In the fifth game, a Rodriguez kill saw the Aces take an 11-9 lead.  Loyola was able to grab the momentum at that point, reeling off the final six points of the set to take the match with a 15-11 win in the deciding game.

Next weekend, UE returns to the road with matches at Indiana State and Illinois State.