Camden Marshall Finishes 9th in the 800 Meters to close out the 2023-24 Indiana University Athletics Calendar
Camden Marshall earned Second Team All-American honors with a ninth-place finish in the 800 meters on Friday evening at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Marshall was on the verge of making a move in the last 100 meters, before a fall in the final curve. He crossed the line with a time of 2:04.27.
“I felt good about the effort our group gave this week,” Director of cross country and track & field Ed Beathea said. “Cam falling was very unfortunate, considering how well he has been racing. The championship is a good way to evaluate our season.” In the prelims, Marshall ran a time of 1:48.17 to win his heat and to advance to his first NCAA final, indoor or outdoor, with a time of 1:48.17. The Corydon, Ind., native is now a 4x All-American with three indoor All-American honors in 2022, 23, 24. He broke two school records with the indoor mile and the outdoor 800 meters.
Indiana Fever beat the Washington Mystics in the Nation’s Capital
In Indiana’s first game back after last playing on Sunday, the Fever secured its second Commissioner’s Cup victory in an 85-83 win against the Washington Mystics on Friday night at Capital One Arena. Fever rookie Guard Caitlin Clark tied a career-high with 30 points, which included seven made 3-point field goals, which was the most made 3-point field goals by a rookie in Fever franchise history. Clark also pulled down eight rebounds, six assists, and tied a career-high four steals. The Fever also set a franchise record for most made 3-point field goals (16) and 3-point field goal attempts (35) on Friday night.
Fever Guard Kelsey Mitchell followed with 16 points, four assists and three steals, while Center Aliyah Boston and Forward NaLyssa Smith both totaled 10 points. Smith also penciled in a double-double with 10 rebounds and Boston added six rebounds, three assists and one steal to end her night. Fever guard Erica Wheeler surpassed 2,500 career points tonight and added five assists in the win. Fever guard Kristy Wallace recorded nine points, which included a season-high three made shots from beyond the arc, as well as two rebounds, two assists and one block. Former Indiana University Star Grace Berger did not play.
For the Mystics, five players scored in double-figures, led by 19 points from Center Stefanie Dolson. Guard Ariel Atkins trailed behind with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Washington dropped to 0-11 on the regular season. The Fever head to take on the Connecticut Sun Tonight at 7pm at Mohegan Sun Arena and the game will be broadcast on WTHR Channel 13 and NBA TV.
Longtime Indiana State University Baseball Coach Mitch Hannahs steps down to take over the University of South Florida
Indiana State Athletics has another coaching search on its hands. After losing men’s basketball coach Josh Schertz to Saint Louis after a run at the NIT, the Sycamores baseball team is now looking for a new leader. Longtime head coach Mitch Hannahs officially resigned from his post in Terre Haute Saturday. Hannahs heads to Florida to be the new skipper of the University of South Florida Bulls. The Sycamores won 30-plus games in seven of the 11 seasons Hannahs was the head coach. During that time, he led the Sycamores to the NCAA Regional five times, including the last two years. This year, the Sycamores lost to Kentucky in the Lexington Regional. In 2023, TCU knocked ISU out of the Super Regionals. This stretch marked the first time in program history the Sycamores have played in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.
Hannahs was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, and leaves Terre Haute with 355 wins at his alma mater — second all-time in Sycamores baseball history. Hannahs was inducted into ISU’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. “Indiana State will always be home to me and my family,” Hannahs said in a university news release. “I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to coach at my alma mater. The relationships that have been built with our players, staff, campus community, and the Wabash Valley made this a really difficult decision for Amy and I. A special thank you to Coach Warn and Steve DeGroote for bringing me to ISU many years ago. It has been everything they said it would be.”
University President Mike Godard and Interim Director of Athletics Angie Lansing will now start a national search for Hannahs’ replacement. “It’s hard to put into words what Coach Hannahs has meant to Indiana State University as both a player and a coach,” Lansing said. “We have been extremely fortunate for his presence in our department. His leadership has been greatly appreciated during his time at ISU. We thank him for the strong relationships he has built with so many, the mentorship of our student-athletes and the national exposure he has brought to our program. We wish him and the Hannahs family nothing but the best.”
Indiana Girls Basketball All-Stars Sweep Kentucky for the First Time since 2016
The Indiana All-Stars girls team got back from Lexington, Ky. at 1:30 a.m. The team then had to wake up for a 9:30 a.m. practice in Gainbridge Fieldhouse to get ready to play Kentucky again at 5 p.m. So, it made sense for this group of girls — in their third game in four days — to come out sluggish Saturday. Indiana scored just 25 points in the first half after dropping 90 in its win over Kentucky on Friday. There was essentially no energy in Gainbridge Fieldhouse as Kentucky led by as many as 12 and held a nine-point advantage at halftime.
Coach Andy Maguire knew his squad was worn out, but he had one request as the group prepared for its last 20 minutes of high school hoops. “All we really talked about at halftime was just ‘Give us some heart,’” Maguire said. “We’ve got to play from the heart at this point. It may not be good, it may not be perfect, but let’s put some heart into this and really show what we’re about.” Indiana crawled its way back and tied the score at 47 heading into the third quarter. Indiana outlasted Kentucky in a back-and-forth fourth quarter to seal a 66-64 victory and sweep Kentucky for the first time since 2016.
With the score tied at 59 with just over two minutes left, IndyStar Miss Basketball Chloe Spreen scored the team’s last seven points, including a three-point play that gave Indiana the lead with 1:37 to go. The Bedford North Lawrence grad and Alabama recruit came up clutch while wearing the coveted No. 1 jersey for the week. Spreen’s playing time was limited Friday due to her fouling out. With Purdue commit and Fort Wayne Snider’s Jordyn Poole being out (face) Saturday, Spreen delivered with the game in the balance. While Spreen fouled out in the final second of Saturday’s matchup, she finished with a team-high 16 points. “Spending my time out there with them — as my last few minutes of high school in Indiana — I can’t even express,” Spreen said. “It’s sad, but I wouldn’t have done it with any other girls. Great group of girls, and the coaches are just great too.”
The MVP of the game was awarded to Jennings County grad and Michigan State recruit Juliann Woodard. Woodard finished with a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double and kept Indiana afloat with seven of the team’s 11 first-quarter points. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and my coaches by my side,” Woodard said of the award. “I think I just put my head down and play my game, and whatever comes of it, comes of it.”
As usual, it’s the last high school game all of Indiana’s players will participate in. But it was also the final game on the sideline for Maguire. Maguire stepped down from his gig at Zionsville in March after coaching the program for 21 years across two stints. He finished his career by getting two wins over Indiana’s southern rivals. “It is emotional,” Maguire said. “I mean, this is a sport that’s done a lot for me. It’s helped me be the person I am, and I hope I’ve helped other people become better because of basketball. So, it’s tough to give something like that up.” Maguire, 60, didn’t rule out a return to coaching after the game, but for now, he wants some time away. Maguire is set to depart for Alaska on Monday for a trip he hasn’t been able to make in the past because of basketball camps. For now, Maguire and the rest of the All-Stars exit high school basketball on top.
Indiana Boys Basketball All-Stars Win Saturday Night to Split with the Kentucky All-Stars
The last time Kentucky swept the Indiana All-Stars in the annual high school basketball series, “Top Gun” — the original — was the top movie in theaters. It was 1986. “I know for damn sure I did not want that to happen to us,” Indiana All-Star Aaron Fine of Noblesville said. “I did not want to be part of that and go in the record books. I wanted to be able to tell my kids we won at least one game.” Fine’s future kids can scroll the list of results some day and see the Indiana All-Stars did find a way to split the series. The All-Stars held off a late Kentucky rally for a 92-89 victory on Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in front of 5,445 fans.
It was a highly motivated Indiana All-Stars team coming off Friday night’s 103-82 loss at Kentucky in Lexington. That game turned when IndyStar Mr. Basketball Flory Bidunga of Kokomo was whistled for a technical — his fifth foul — with Indiana trailing by one point. He watched the last 10-plus minutes from the bench was Kentucky poured it on. “We took it personal,” Bidunga said. When the 6-9 Bidunga takes it personal, the results usually follow. The Kansas recruit and McDonald’s All American put on a dominant performance Saturday with 31 points, 17 rebounds, five blocked shots, and four assists in 38 minutes. He was backed by Purdue recruit Jack Benter as the Brownstown Central star finished with 16 points and four rebounds. “I thought we played more of a complete game tonight,” Benter said. “(Friday night) we played like 25 minutes good and the other minutes we didn’t play so good. We played more of a complete game.”
The Indiana All-Stars, in similar fashion to Friday’s game, were dominant in the early going. Indiana closed the half with a 10-0 run, capped by a running 3-pointer by Benter, to take a 50-31 lead into halftime. It appeared Indiana All-Stars coach John Peckinpaugh’s challenge to “take it personal” landed with the team. “Some stuff didn’t go our way down there that was out of our control,” Peckinpaugh said of the loss in Kentucky. “I stated (Friday) I didn’t do a good job of handling adversity and it kind of snowballed down to our players. We addressed that and challenged them to step up and try their best to defend some guys who can make really tough shots. I think we did a good job with that for the majority of the game. They have some guys over there who make some really, really tough shots.”
To name a few: Max Green, Quel’Ron House and Tyler Perry. Green, a 6-6 guard headed to Holy Cross, burned the All-Stars on Friday for 36 points. He poured in a team-high 25 points on Saturday, including 16 in the second half. House, a 6-foot guard signed with Jacksonville State, scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half. And, Perry, Mr. Basketball and a Kentucky commit scored 12 of his 17 after halftime. It added up to a bit of a scramble for the All-Stars in the final minutes. Kentucky had the ball and a chance to tie, in the waning seconds after an Indiana turnover but were unable to get a clean look and missed short. “It felt good to get the win, but I think we still felt like we could have played better,” said K.J. Windham of Ben Davis. “Just us being competitors. Especially me. When you are up by a lot and sort of make stuff tougher than it is, it got a little frustrating. But I’m glad we got the win.” In large part due to the presence of Bidunga, who threw down several authoritative dunks, the Indiana All-Stars were plus-11 on rebounds. Bidunga was 13-for-21 from the field and 5-for-8 from the free-throw line.
“He’s been really special to our community and our basketball program at Kokomo,” Peckinpaugh said of Bidunga, who came to Kokomo from the Republic of the Congo before his sophomore year. “He’s a wonderful kid and he’s going to have a big-time future. He’s a hard worker and he’s going to keep getting better. We’ve had a lot of good memories together. He might tell you I’ve yelled at him too much, but it’s been a fun ride and I’m glad I got to coach him two more games before he heads off to college.” Windham added 13 points, including 11 in the first half, before he leaves for Northwestern. Eastern Kentucky recruit Micah Davis of Franklin had 11 points and Brebuef Jesuit guard and Butler recruit Evan Haywood added 10 points and six rebounds. Keenan Garner of Fishers, an IU Indy recruit, filled the stat sheet with nine points, 10 rebounds and three assists. For everyone in the locker room, it was a final high school game before starting the college experience. Most of the players leave as early as Sunday. To go out on a positive note, and improve the all-time series record to 105-46, was significant. “I feel like we all have one goal in mind and that was to win,” Benter said. “After (Friday night), we all jelled together and came out tonight and had a good connection.”
Taylor University Names Josh Grubbs Head Coach of the Men’s and Women’s Tennis Programs
Taylor University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Kyle Gould, announced on Friday that Josh Grubbs had been hired as the new head coach for the relaunched TU men’s and women’s tennis programs. Grubbs is set to begin his time with the Trojans on Monday, June 17 and will spend the 2024-2025 year building the rosters before the teams resume competition for the 2025-2026 seasons.
“Associate Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Natalie Young, and I set out to find the right leader to bring back our men’s and women’s tennis programs and we could not be happier with Josh Grubbs being that person,” said TU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Kyle Gould. “He was an impactful player in this league and has since built a successful, consistent tennis program at Leo High School over the past 15 years. Josh fully aligns with the mission of Taylor University, and we look forward to supporting him in not only restarting these programs, but in building a successful foundation that will allow both teams to compete at a high level. We are excited to welcome Josh, his wife, Abby, and their two boys to Taylor and we cannot wait for him to get started.”
Grubbs comes to Taylor after a long and successful stint leading the boys’ and girls’ teams at Leo High School. Grubbs won 101 matches with the Leo girl’s tennis teams from 2011 through 2021 and piled up 206 wins with the boy’s program from 2009 through 2023. “Abby, our sons, and I are blessed to join the Taylor University family,” stated Grubbs. “From the moment we stepped on campus we felt welcomed. We are excited to build the men’s and women’s tennis programs at Taylor University. The thriving culture of Taylor will allow us to recruit student-athletes who will make an impact in the community. We are looking forward to building a tennis program that gives men and women the opportunity to work hard, have fun, encourage one another, and have a winning attitude. Our family is thankful for the opportunity to use our gifts for His kingdom.”
During his run to 307 total wins with the Lions, Grubbs was named the district’s Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016. That time was highlighted by a trip to the Indiana State Championship in 2015, as well as regional titles in 2016 and 2023 and sectional championships in 2016, 2017 and 2023. In all, Grubbs led his squads to four sectional championships, three regional crowns and one semi-state title, while also coaching his Lions to a state title in doubles in 2018. Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Grubbs enjoyed a standout career on the courts himself, winning 39 singles matches at Bethel College and tying for the program’s record with 57 doubles wins. The two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete also played to the MCC Doubles Championship in 2004-2005 and was named to the All-MCC squad in 2003-2004. Grubbs graduated from Bethel in 2007 with a degree in sports studies. Grubbs and his wife, Abby, have two sons, Brandon and Jordan.
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