No. 14 Trailblazers fall in National Quarterfinals to No. 6 Panola

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Vincennes University Men’s Basketball team hit the floor Wednesday night in the 2025 NJCAA Division I National Tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena in Kansas.

The Trailblazers played in the National Quarterfinals with another tough opponent waiting for them in No. 6 seed Panola College from Carthage, Tex.

The Blazers got off to a tough start, with Panola quickly jumping out to an early 14-5 lead over Vincennes.

VU would respond with a 9-2 scoring run later in the first half to cut the deficit down to one point.

Vincennes would finally break through late in the first half with an 8-0 scoring run to take a 36-31 lead.

Panola answered back with a pair of threes to regain the lead before the Blazers closed out the first half with a late basket to head into the locker room break even at 40-40.

Panola once again got off to a fast start in the second half, opening the period on a 12-2 scoring run to take a 52-42 lead.

Vincennes regained composure and would use an 11-4 run to cut the Ponies lead down to three at 56-53.

VU was stay trailing by three at 62-59 before Panola broke away late by outscoring VU 11-4.

Vincennes attempted a late comeback but were unable to erase the deficit as the Trailblazers fell by the final score of 75-67 to Panola.

The Blazers were led offensively by freshman Travelle Bryson (Anderson, S.C.) who got the VU offense going early with 17 first half points, including hitting five threes and grabbing three rebounds.

VU sophomore and 2025 NJCAA Division I Region 24 Player of the Year Lebron Thomas (Bishopville, S.C.) also matched Bryson’s total of 17 points in the game, while also leading the Blazers with seven assists and six rebounds.

Thomas ends his Trailblazer career with exactly 1,000 career points in his two season in Blue and Gold, becoming the 40th player in VU Men’s Basketball history to surpass the 1,000 point milestone.

Sophomore Bryan Akanmu (Paris, France) was the third VU scorer in double figures Wednesday night, scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds while dishing out five assists.

The Trailblazers close out their 2024-25 campaign with a final record of 28-5, winning 22 of their final 24 games and holding an impressive 16-1 record against Region 24 opponents.

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (67): Bryan Akanmu 5-12 0-1 10, Lebron Thomas 5-12 7-8 17, Travelle Bryson 5-7 2-2 17, Dayton Williams 2-2 0-0 5, Hussein Elmaraghy 1-4 4-4 6, Christian Andrews 0-0 0-0 0, Taveon Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Michael Cooper 1-1 4-5 6, Darstin Onye 0-0 0-0 0, Ali Sakho 1-2 0-0 2, Kenaz Ochogwu 2-3 0-0 4, Team 22-44 17-20 67.

VU (28-5, 16-1) – 40   27 – 67

Panola – 40   35 – 75

Three-point goals: VU 6 (Bryson 5, Williams). Rebounds: VU 34 (Akanmu 6, Thomas 6). Assists: VU 14 (Thomas 7). Steals: VU 3 (Williams 2). Blocked Shots: VU 3 (Thomas 2). Turnovers: VU 14. Personal Fouls: VU 19. Fouled out: Elmaraghy. Technical Fouls: Thomas (1st – 13:30), Coach (2nd – 17:57).

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The Vincennes University Men’s Basketball season ends with a final record of 28-5 and a 16-1 record against Region 24 opponents.

Hoosiers Break American Record on Opening Night

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Indiana’s all-American quartet of senior Luke Barr, graduate transfer Brian Benzing, senior Finn Brooks and junior Matt King broke the American record in the 200-yard medley relay Wednesday (March 26) night to open the 2025 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.

Indiana’s 1:20.92 marks the program’s first time under 1:21, shattering the previous Big Ten and program record 1:21.39 set at conference championships one month ago. The time is six hundredths faster than the previous American standard set by NC State a year ago. IU finished fifth in the first event of the championships.

Barr led it off in 20.65, almost identical to his Big Ten time. Benzing’s 22.65 breaststroke marked the fastest among the non-disqualified relays. Brooks went 19.49 in the butterfly, and King brought the Hoosiers home in 18.13 – the field’s fifth-best anchor.

Indiana’s sixth place finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay will help its chances in this week’s team race. The Hoosiers were seeded No. 14 in the event with a 6:11.39 but won the third of four heats with a 6:06.76 to reach the podium.

The Hoosiers sit tied for third in the team standings with 54 points after two events.

“It was a good start for the Hoosier program,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “An American record in the 200 medley relay, then a fantastic 800 freestyle relay to end the session. Prelims will be key tomorrow morning. We need to focus on all the little things and execute fundamentals.”

Junior Owen McDonald led off the 800 free relay with a 1:31.14, moving him from No. 9 to No. 4 all-time in the program’s all-time performers list. Senior Rafael Miroslaw followed up with a nearly identical 1:31.39. Senior Kai van Westering contributed a 1:32.79 before fifth-year senior Tomer Frankel anchored with a 1:31.53.

RESULTS
200 MEDLEY RELAY
5. Luke Barr, Brian Benzing, Brooks, King – 1:20.92 (All-America, American Record, Big Ten Record, Program Record)

800 FREESTYLE RELAY

6. Owen McDonald, Rafael Miroslaw, Kai van Westering, Tomer Frankel – 6:06.76 (All-America)

HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS

Luke Barr – 200 medley relay

Brian Benzing – 200 medley relay

Finn Brooks – 200 medley relay

Tomer Frankel – 800 freestyle relay

Matt King – 200 medley relay

Owen McDonald – 800 freestyle relay

Rafael Miroslaw – 800 freestyle relay

Kai van Westering – 800 freestyle relay

UP NEXT
The 2025 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships resume Thursday for day two, the first full day of action. Athletes will compete in the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 1-meter dive and 200 freestyle relay, with preliminaries beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Finals are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.

@IndianaSwimDive
Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

#NeverDaunted

Trailblazers drop midweek clash at Wabash Valley

The Vincennes University baseball team was back in action Wednesday afternoon, hitting the road to nearby Wabash Valley College for a midweek showdown with the Warriors.

The Blazers fought hard but ultimately fell to Wabash Valley by the final score of 7-3.

Vincennes got the game off to a great start, with sophomore leadoff hitter Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) leading off the game by reaching on an error and advancing through the bases on a passed ball and a wild pitch.

Douglas would come in to score the first run of the ball game on an RBI single by freshman Carter Gricius (Scottsburg, Ind.) to give the Blazers an early 1-0 lead.

Wabash Valley would get on the board in the third inning, scoring there runs in the inning to take their first lead of the game at 3-1 and adding two more runs in the sixth to increase their lead to 5-1 heading into the final third of the game.

Vincennes would look to complete a late comeback starting in the seventh after sophomores Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) and Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.) were hit by pitches.

The pair would then score on a clutch two-out two-RBI single by Bradyn Douglas to cut the Warrior lead to two at 5-3.

Wabash Valley would immediately answer back in the bottom half of the inning, getting those two runs back and taking a 7-3 lead.

VU once again looked to strike in the eighth after Carter Gricius led off the inning with a single followed by a walk by sophomore Damon Kay (Spencer, Ind.).

Vincennes would load the bases with a walk by Noble Johnson, his third time reaching base safely, but were unable to capitalize and plate a run in the inning.

VU’s last comeback attempt in the ninth again got off to a good start with Bradyn Douglas leading off the inning with a single, his fourth time reaching base safely in the game, followed by Carter Gricius being hit by pitch.

But again, the Trailblazers were unable to get a run across as the Warriors closed out the 7-3 victory over Vincennes.

Sophomore JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) got the start in his hometown Wednesday afternoon, throwing a scheduled inning of work, allowing one hit.

Freshman Ryan Rayburn (Columbus, Ind.) was the first man out of the bullpen for VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney, throwing one and one-third innings, allowing three runs, two earned and striking out one.

Freshman Jacob Allen (Vincennes, Ind.) followed him by throwing one inning, allowing no runs on no hits and striking out one.

Freshman Ty Stultz (Terre Haute, Ind.) pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

Sophomore Yancey Edlin allowed one hit and struck out one in two-thirds of an inning while freshman Wyatt Burris (Farmland, Ind.) allowing one earned run on one hit.

Freshman Kory Kingsbury (Evansville, Ind.) pitched the final one and one-third innings allowing one hit and striking out one.

The Trailblazers will look to bounce back as the Blazers head into another tough Mid-West Athletic Conference series weekend, this time heading to Peoria, Ill. to face off against Illinois Central College.

The four-game weekend series will begin Friday, March 28 with first pitch set for 2 p.m. eastern, with the final two games set for Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

VU (12-16, 3-9) – 100   000   200 – 3

Wabash Valley 003   002   20x – 7

VINCENNES HITTING

RBI – Douglas 2, Gricius. HBP – Gricius, Johnson, Edlin. SB – Edlin, Johnson. Sac Bunt – Burris.

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The Vincennes University baseball team falls to 12-16 on the season, with a 3-9 record in MWAC Conference play.

Mielke named CSC Academic All-District​​​​​​​

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Basketball graduate forward Jack Mielke was named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District for NCAA Division I. The award is the third in Mielke’s career at USI.

To be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District Award, the student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials and at minimum a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). They must have reached a sophomore athletic and academic standing at the institution and must have completed at least one full academic year at the institution.

Mielke, a master of business administration candidate after graduating magna cum laude from USI with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Professional Services, started all 30 games last season for USI. He averaged 6.0 points and a career-high 5.7 rebounds per outing.

The graduate forward also posted his first career double-double with a season-high 17 points and 11 rebounds in a loss at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He added a second double-double at Liberty Arena when he had 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the USI win over SIUE on Senior Night.

For more on Mielke and the 2024-25 Screaming Eagles, visit USIScreamingEagles.com.