Congratulations to Scott Massey, co-founder of anu™ (previously gropod) and a Purdue University alumnus, as he was recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Manufacturing & Industry. Purdue Innovates has previously invested in anu, which is leading the charge in the Ag-Tech revolution. Last year, anu was awarded $200,000 in Indiana Manufacturing Readiness Grants to mass manufacture its aeroponic seed pods that grow produce in controlled environments. Read more about Massey: https://ow.ly/eNef50QXYKK #Purdue #PurdueInnovates #30Under30
NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships Begin Wednesday in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS – “The fastest meet in the world” returns to Indianapolis for the first time since 2017, essentially a home meet for Big Ten Champion Indiana men’s swimming and diving. The 2024 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships will be held at the IU Natatorium Wednesday (March 27) through Saturday (March 30) in the Hoosier State capital.
Final sessions will start at 6 p.m. ET each evening. Preliminary heats will begin at 10 a.m. every morning beginning Thursday. Fans can buy tickets here or stream the event via the ESPN+ digital platform.
Fifteen Hoosiers qualified for the national meet – 12 swimmers and three divers. Indiana also qualified all five relays.
IU finished fourth at last year’s championships with 376 points, its fourth top-five finish of the last five years. In those five years, only four team have consistently finished top six nationally: Cal, Texas, Florida and Indiana.
Last year Indiana scored 104 points from diving alone, 32.5 points more than any program. That total would have finished 12th in the team standings by itself. The Hoosiers return three divers from the 2023 roster: juniors Quinn Henninger and Carson Tyler and sophomore Maxwell Weinrich.
Tyler is the defending NCAA platform champion and placed fourth on the 3-meter board a year ago. He also comes into this year’s championships as a four-time Big Ten Champion, winning his second-straight conference platform title as well as his first-career 3-meter title. The junior was the nation’s top scorer from the NCAA Zone Championships on 3-meter and platform and the No. 5 scorer on 1-meter.
Henninger earned bronze on both the 3-meter board and platform as a sophomore and is a four-time All-American. Both Henninger and Tyler competed at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in February.
Indiana also returns its swimming national champion of the last two seasons, senior Brendan Burns, for his fourth and final NCAA meet – the fifth-year’s first championships in 2020 were canceled due to COVID-19. Since then, Burns became a national champion in the 200-yard butterfly (2022) and 100-yard backstroke (2023). Burns will race both again, this time taking on the 200 back as his third event for the first time at a national meet – matching his annual Big Ten program, which he swept every season from 2021-23. He’s the No. 7-seeded swimmer in the 100 back (44.62) Friday and No. 13 seed (1:39.50) in the 200 back and No. 7 seed in the 200 fly (1:40.24) on Saturday.
Senior Tomer Frankel is again a medal contender in the butterfly events Friday and Saturday as the No. 5 seed in the 100 fly (44.32) and No. 6 seed in the 200 fly (1:39.80). The 2020 Olympian was the only swimmer at last year’s meet to finish top five in both events and earned bronze in the 100-yard event with a program record 44.04.
IU will look to harvest a bounty from the breaststroke events with four competitors qualified in each of the two races. Junior Finn Brooks (51.30), senior Jassen Yep (51.49), junior Josh Matheny (51.69) and Maxwell Reich (51.87) all have top-26 times in the country in the 100-yard race. Indiana is an even greater threat in the 200 breast with Yep (1:50.40), Matheny (1:51.13), Reich (1:51.89) and freshman Toby Barnett (1:51.95) all having top-15 seeds after taking the top four podium spots at the Big Ten Championships.
Indiana again qualified all five relays for the championships, and each earned a top-16 seed – within scoring territory. The Hoosiers come in as the No. 5 seed in the 400-yard medley relay (3:01.61), an event they’ve finished runner-up each of the last two seasons with the quartet of Burns, Matheny, Frankel and junior Rafael Miroslaw – all still with the team. IU also has the No. 6 time in the 200 medley relay (1:22.17) and the No. 8 time in the 800 freestyle relay (6:10.86), the two events that will open the meet Wednesday night.
MEET INFO
Wednesday, March 27 – Saturday, March 30 • 10 a.m. ET (prelims), 6 p.m. ET (finals)
IU Natatorium • Indianapolis, Ind.
Tickets: bit.ly/3Tv25Vz
Live Results (Swim): bit.ly/3vsuiUO/Meet Mobile App
Live Results (Dive): divemeets.com
Live Stream: espn.com/watch
SCHEDULED EVENTS (Finals)
Wednesday (6 p.m. ET) – 200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay
Thursday (6 p.m. ET) – 500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 50 Freestyle, 1-Meter Dive, 200 Freestyle Relay
Friday (6 p.m. ET) – 100 Butterfly, 400 IM, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 3-Meter Dive, 400 Medley Relay
Saturday (6 p.m. ET) – 1,650 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, Platform Dive, 400 Freestyle Relay
INDIANA SWIMMING AND DIVING QUALIFIERS
2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships
Toby Barnett – 200 breaststroke, 200 IM, 400 IM
Luke Barr – 200 IM, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke
Finn Brooks – 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 butterfly
Brendan Burns – 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 200 butterfly
Tristan DeWitt – 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle
Tomer Frankel – 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly
Quinn Henninger – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform
Rafael Miroslaw – 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle
Josh Matheny – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke
Maxwell Reich – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke
Carson Tyler – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform
Armando Vegas – 200 butterfly
Maxwell Weinrich – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform
Kai van Westering – 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke
Jassen Yep – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke
Relays: 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay
EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Massey
Humbled to be named among Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2024. This recognition belongs far more to the incredible anu™ (previously gropod) team and unwavering supporters. Our collective vision of building a resilient future, especially in ensuring adequate nutrition amid dwindling resources, is what drives us every day. Grateful to the mentorship at Purdue University, which revolutionized my perception of a college student’s potential—not just in what we can achieve externally, but how we can transform our outlook and ourselves. Co-founding the company with Ivan Ball has been a remarkable journey, yet I believe our greatest impacts on food sovereignty, nutrition, and safety lie ahead. Here’s to the journey that continues to inspire and challenge us towards making a meaningful difference in the world.
HOT JOBS
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USI Women’s Basketball’s championship-winning season ends in WNIT bout against Wisconsin
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball had its 2023-24 championship-winning season come to an end Monday night in the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) at Screaming Eagles Arena, as the University of Wisconsin came from behind to defeat the Screaming Eagles, 67-62.
The bout on the court generated a lot of excitement and energy throughout the evening as 3,283 fans packed Screaming Eagles Arena to watch Southern Indiana (25-7, 17-1 OVC) host the first-ever Big Ten Conference team to visit USI with Wisconsin (14-16, 6-12 Big Ten) in town. The 3,283 fans also set a new Screaming Eagles Arena record for a women’s basketball game.
Southern Indiana made a strong start out of the gate, as senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) canned a straightaway three in USI’s first possession. Under the seven-minute mark of the first quarter, Raley made another bucket to put the Screaming Eagles ahead 10-4. Late in the first quarter, USI extended its lead to double figures and led 24-12 after the first 10 minutes of action. Raley and senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) combined for 14 points in the first.
Early in the second quarter, sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana) lit it up from beyond the arc, connecting on two three-pointers to give Southern Indiana a 30-12 advantage nearly two minutes into the second stanza. After Wisconsin tried to chip away, USI had the response to keep the Badgers at bay. With a minute remaining until halftime, Saunders chucked up a long-range bomb with the shot clock winding down and stuck it through the bottom of the net. Before the second-quarter buzzer, freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) made a second-chance layup, leading USI into the intermission with a 44-25 lead.
The second half began with a sluggish start on the offensive end with much credit to both defenses. Wisconsin held USI without points for the first five minutes of the third period, allowing the Badgers to climb back to within 13, 44-31. Southern Indiana broke the field-goal drought with three minutes left in the third, as Saunders buried two three-pointers within 30 seconds to expand USI’s lead to 52-33. Wisconsin continued to fight back, pulling to within 13 once again, 55-42, by the end of the quarter.
Wisconsin continued its charge into the fourth quarter, relying heavily on sophomore forward Serah Williams to narrow Southern Indiana’s lead down to single digits. While a layup by Gannon put USI back up by nine just over three minutes into the fourth, the offensive struggles lingered for USI. The Badgers tied the game at 57 after two threes and a pair of free throws before taking the lead for the first time at the 4:25 mark. Williams put the Badgers on her shoulders on both ends of the court down the stretch, helping to not relinquish the lead back to Southern Indiana.
For the game, the Screaming Eagles shot just under 34 percent (19-56) overall and 9-17 for over 52 percent from beyond the arc. USI went 15-20 for 75 percent at the foul line. Saunders led Southern Indiana with 18 points with all five of her makes from the field coming from three-point range at a 5-5 mark. Raley recorded 13 points and Gannon tallied 11 points to round out the USI players that scored double digits.
Wisconsin ended the game at over 40 percent (20-49) shooting after an inefficient start to the contest. The Badgers knocked five threes and went 22-27 for over 81 percent at the charity stripe. Wisconsin won the battle on the glass, 35-34, and scored 26 transition points. Williams posted her 17th consecutive double-double with a game-high 24 points and 11 boards. Two other Badgers scored 10-plus in the game.
The 2023-24 campaign came to a close following another round of firsts for the USI Women’s Basketball program. The second year in the Ohio Valley Conference and at the Division I level saw USI capture the first-ever D-I team conference championships for USI Athletics with the 2023-24 OVC regular season and 2024 OVC Championship Tournament titles, which also placed USI among rare companies in reclassifying teams to win a conference title. The strong run culminated with USI’s first D-I national postseason tournament appearance and first-round win in the WNIT.
Southern Indiana had its best winning streaks and the most wins in seven years. The Screaming Eagles had their best conference record since near the turn of the century and were only the fifth OVC team to win at least 17 conference games. Southern Indiana also surpassed 750 victories in program history. Plus, just within the last couple of weeks, USI received its first-ever ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll at No. 22.
Now the program will turn its attention to preparing and defending its championship titles in 2024-25.
Season ends in second round of Ro CBI
Aces fall to Seattle by a 71-57 final
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored a team-high 11 points but it was a 22-point game from Alex Schumacher that paced Seattle to a 71-57 win over the University of Evansville men’s basketball team in the second round of the Ro CBI at the Ocean Center.
It was a banner season for the Purple Aces who made their first postseason appearance since 2015. UE completed the season with 17 wins, its highest tally since 2017-18. In its Arch Madness opener, the Aces grabbed their first win in St. Louis since 2017 as they took down Illinois State. In November, Evansville won its first six games of the season, the best start since the 1964-65 NCAA National Championship squad.
Those are just a few of the accomplishments for head coach David Ragland and his program as they complete the 2023-24 season.
Chuck Bailey III and Cam Haffner each recorded eight points while Tanner Cuff added six points and a team-high 5 boards.
Seattle took the early 2-0 lead as Evansville fought back to tie the score each time. With the Redhawks holding an 8-6 lead, Tanner Cuff knocked down a triple to give the Purple Aces their first lead at 9-8 at the 15:26 mark.
After Seattle tied it up at 9-9, Sekou Kalle converted back-to-back buckets to make it a 13-9 game. Evansville continued to add to the lead as a layup by Antonio Thomas extended the advantage to 20-12 as the half entered its final eight minutes. The Redhawks clawed their way back, getting within two with 2:39 left in the period.
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. hit a layup before a turnover led to another Cuff 3-pointer that made it a 31-24 game entering the final minute. Following a 4-0 run by Seattle, Gage Bobe drilled a triple in the final seconds to send the Aces to the break with a 34-28 lead. The Aces shot 50% in the opening period.
Through the opening two minutes of the second half, the 6-point lead held strong as two Strawbridge free throws pushed the lead to 36-30. Over the next four minutes, Seattle scored seven in a row to go back up by one, but at the 13:56 mark, Bobe knocked down another triple to put Evansville back in front.
The Redhawks wrestled away a 43-40 lead as the game moved into the last 12 minutes as Josh Hughes made a nice move at the basket to make it a 1-point game. Unfortunately, Seattle responded in a big way. Over the next seven minutes, the Redhawks outscored UE by an 18-2 margin to put things out of reach, going up 61-44 with 4:04 remaining.
Evansville’s relentless attitude showed in the final minutes as they never gave up. Cam Haffner and Antonio Thomas each connected on triples to cut the deficit to nine points with just under two minutes on the clock, but that was as close as they would get with Seattle clinching the win.
It was a tale of two halves for both teams. UE shot 50% in the first, but a 31.8% second-half saw them finish the game at 42.3%. Seattle shot 40.9% in the opening 20 minutes before finishing the second half at 48.3%. Their final tally finished at 45.1%.
THUNDERBOLTS PREPARE FOR FINAL REGULAR SEASON ROAD GAMES IN PENSACOLA
Evansville, In.: With a spot in the President’s Cup Playoffs in April secured, the Thunderbolts prepare to embark on their final regular season trip to Pensacola, where they will play the Ice Flyers this Friday and Saturday night.
Week In Review:
Down 1-0 on Friday against Peoria, a pair of goals from Brendan Harrogate and a goal from Adam Pilotte in the second period helped turn the tables as the Thunderbolts defeated the Rivermen 3-1. Peoria got the upper hand in Saturday’s rematch, scoring four goals in the first period to overpower the Thunderbolts 4-1, with Evansville’s lone goal coming from Matt Dorsey shorthanded in the third period. Ty Taylor stopped 18 of 19 shots in Friday’s win, before being swapped on Saturday after stopping 6 of 9 shots, with Cole Ceci finishing strong with 22 saves on 23 shots.