Local Sports News: June 21, 2024

2022 Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Al Gallo Passes Away at Age 93
Al Gallo who was inducted as a Contributor in the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 the night before his 92nd Birthday passed away Wednesday Afternoon at age 93. Gallo spent over 50 years in coaching as an assistant coach in Football, Basketball, Track and Baseball at University HS, Bloomington HS, Bloomington South and Bloomington North. In football he played a key role as offensive coach under Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Inductee 2014 Fred Huff and Tom Sells during the Panthers 60 Game Winning Streak from 1967-73. Gallo was an innovative mind, incorporating such offenses as the Iowa Wing T, the Green Bay Sweep and Indiana Wide-I. He mentored 5 future All-Americans and numerous all-state athletes and was the 1970 South Central Conference Offensive Coach of the Year. Gallo briefly coached IU freshman football and WTTS radio color commentator for high school football. Gallo Coached American Legion and Babe Ruth baseball, served as USA Track and Field official and National Umpires Association umpire and is 1994 Bloomington Softball Association Hall of Fame Inductee. Recommended by Dobby Grossman during his Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame acceptance speech in 2017, calling him the “best motivator I’ve ever seen”.

Indiana University Football Lands Former University of Pittsburgh Commit and Cornerback Zachery Smith for 2025
Class of 2025 defensive back Zacharey Smith announced his decommitment from Pittsburgh late Thursday morning. Just minutes later, the Atlanta, Ga. (Hapewell Charter H.S.) product announced he has verbally committed to play at Indiana. The 6-foot cornerback was on campus for a visit in Bloomington this week.  That was his second visit to IU after another visit in March. Smith played on both sides of the ball in 2023 and also returned kicks.  He tallied three interceptions. Smith is currently unranked, but he has the kind of offer list that suggests that’s about to change.  In addition to IU and Pitt, Smith had offers from several Power-4 schools including Auburn, Kentucky, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Missouri, Cincinnati and Louisville. With the addition of Smith, Indiana now has two cornerbacks in their 2025 class.  Smith joins fellow Georgia product Jaylen Bell.  IU lost a commitment from cornerback Chris McCorkle last week. In total IU now has 12 commits in their rising senior high school class.  The class now ranks 56th overall and No. 17 in the Big Ten according to On3.

Teri Moren and Team USA to Face the Dominican Republic in the FIBA U-18 AmeriCup Quarterfinals 
Indiana University Women’s Basketball Head Coach Teri Moren and Team USA will face the Dominican Republic today at 4:10pm in the Quarterfinals of the FIBA AmeriCup U-18 Tournament in Bucaramanga Colombia. Team USA dominated Group B Play winning 97-51 over Brazil, 102-22 over Puerto Rico and 115-20 over Mexico. Team USA is averaging 104.7 points per game with four players averaging double figures led by Kayleigh Heckel at 14.7 points per game. Jasmine Davison and Joyce Edwards are both averaging 12.7 Points per game and Sienna Betts is averaging 12 points per game. 

The Dominican Republic finished 0-3 in the Group A Play and have struggled to score averaging 42 points a game and led by Arianna Mercado averaging 10.7 points per game. The Dominican Republic fell to Colombia 84-64, Argentina 81-35 and Canada 117-27. The winner of this game will face the winner of Argentina 2-1 or Puerto Rico 1-2 on Saturday in the Semifinals while the losers face off in the classification Semifinals to determine 5th through 8th place.
On the other side of the bracket Brazil 2-1 will take on the hosts Colombia 1-2 while 3-0 Canada takes on 0-3 Mexico. The Finals are Sunday Night at 9:10pm. This Tournament serves as the Qualifying Tournament for the FIBA Americas for the 2025 FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in the Czech Republic with the top four teams in this event qualifying for next year’s tournament. 

Eight Indiana University Track and Field Athletes Set to Compete at U.S. Olympic Trials
Indiana Track and Field will have eight compete in the USA Track & Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon starting Tonight and continuing through June 30, as they aim to qualify for the 2024 Paris Games.

HOOSIERS AT TRIALS (All Times ET) Men

Camden Marshall: 800 meters

Antonio Laidler: 100 meters

Ben Veatch: 5000 meters

Scott Houston: Pole Vault

Women

Bailey Hertenstein: 5000 meters

Jessica Mercier: Pole Vault

Monique Riddick: Shot Put

Khayla Dawson: Shot Put

SCHEDULE (All Times Eastern)

Friday, June 21

Women’s 5000m – Qualifying (9:22 p.m.)

Saturday, June 22

Men’s 100m – Round One (9:22 p.m.)

Sunday, June 23

Men’s Pole Vault – Final (8:00 p.m.)

Men’s 100m – Semifinal (8:48 p.m.)

Men’s 100m – Final (10:49 p.m.)

Monday, June 24

Women’s 5000m – Final (10:09 p.m.)

Tuesday, June 25

Practice Day

Wednesday, June 26

Practice Day

Thursday, June 27

Men’s 800m – Round One (7:30 p.m.)

Men’s 5000m – Round One (11:03 p.m.)

Friday, June 28

Women’s Pole Vault – Quarterfinals (8:55 p.m.)

Men’s 800m – Semifinal (9:44 p.m.)

Women’s Shot Put – Quarterfinals (10:15 p.m.)

Saturday, June 29

Women’s Shot Put – Finals (8:50 p.m.)

Sunday, June 30

Women’s Pole Vault – Finals (6:15 p.m.)

Men’s 5000m – Finals (7:30 p.m.)

Men’s 800m – Finals (7:51 p.m.)

Bloomington North and Bloomington South Boys Basketball to Compete in the Charlie Hughes Tournament 
The biggest High School Boys Summer Basketball Tournament in the State of Indiana gets underway today with the IBCA/IHSAA Team Showcase in Memory of Charlie Hughes starts at Noon today and will go through Sunday with the last games starting at 3:15pm. 169 Teams from all over the state will be paying a total 311 Games and College Coaches can be in attendance to see the best talent the state of Indiana has to offer. 

The games will take place at Carmel HS and the Alletto Sports Center in Carmel and Westfield High School and Middle School in Westfield. Admission is $10 daily for adults, students ages 6-17 are $5 and kids 6 and under are admitted free. The games will be four eight Minute quarters and no running clock just like a traditional High School Game and all games are Varsity only. 

Both Bloomington North and Bloomington South are playing in this event. The Cougars are in Pool H/I and will be playing Today at 1:15 against Fort Wayne Luers and and 5 PM against South Bend Saint Joseph at Westfield HS in the Fieldhouse. Tomorrow the Cougars will play Warren Central at 11:30 AM in the Westfield Fieldhouse and Westfield at 2 PM in the Main Gym at Westfield HS.  The Panthers who are in Pool Q/U will play tonight at 5 PM against Harrison (West Lafayette) in the Westfield Middle School Auxiliary Gym and face Lake Central at 7:30 PM at Westfield HS in the Fieldhouse. Tomorrow the Panthers will face Merrillville at 11:30 AM at Westfield HS in the Fieldhouse and Northwood at 3:15 PM at the Alletto Sports Center in Carmel. 

Josh Matheny Finishes Second in the Men’s 200 Meter Breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials
Josh Matheny finished second in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke, all but punching his ticket to Paris Wednesday night in Lucas Oil Stadium.  Matheny touched in 2:08.86 behind Penn’s Matt Fallon (2:06.54). With the result, Matheny is eligible for selection to the U.S. Olympic Team and will likely receive that selection later this week.  Matheny had just missed out on Olympic qualification in Sunday’s 100-meter breaststroke, finishing third in a tight race.  Lilly King reached the final of the women’s 200-meter breaststroke in 2:22.45, looking to lock up her second event in Paris. King fell behind Alex Walsh at the 150-meter mark but closed in 36.28 to come from behind and touch in first by 36 hundredths. King will be the No. 2 seed in Thursday’s final, only behind Kate Douglass (2:21.23).  Mariah Denigan was honored at Lucas Oil Stadium as a member of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team with two other open water swimmers. A swimming-meet-record 22,209 spectators attended Wednesday night’s session in Indianapolis. King is the No. 2 qualifier in the 200 breast semi, swimming a 2:25.61 during Wednesday morning heats.

Indiana Fever extend their winning streak to Three Games
The Indiana Fever (6-10) defeated the Washington Mystics, 88-81, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday night for its first four-game home winning streak since the 2015 regular season.  WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week Aliyah Boston, along with Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana in scoring on Wednesday with 22 points each. Boston shot 8-of-11 from the floor and went 5-of-5 from the free throw line, while Mitchell also shot 8-of-11 and recorded a season-high four made 3-point field goals. Boston pulled down eight rebounds, while Mitchell grabbed three rebounds to go along with one assist.

Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark recorded the second double-double of her career as she tallied 18 points, a career-high 12 rebounds, six assists and tied a career-high four steals. Fever forward NaLyssa Smith added 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists and Fever guard Erica Wheeler came off the bench and tied a season-high with nine points in the victory. Wednesday marked the third consecutive game Boston, Mitchell and Smith all scored in double figures and was the second consecutive game the Fever shot better than 50 percent from the floor. Indiana outscored Washington in paint points, 38-26, and outrebounded them, 37-31. Former Indiana University Standout Grace Berger did not play.

For Washington (2-13), Wednesday marked the end of its two-game winning streak and second regular season loss against the Fever. Mystics guard Ariel Atkins finished with a game-high 27 points – her third-consecutive contest leading Washington in scoring. Atkins also passed Ivory Latta for fourth on the Mystics all-time assists list. Mystics guard Karlie Samuelson followed with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds, and Mystics center Stefanie Dolson trailed with 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Mystics rookie forward Aaliyah Edwards was held to four points and four rebounds. Washington outscored Indiana in bench points, 14-11, and fast break points, 12-9. The Fever travel to take on the Atlanta Dream Tonight at 7:30pm. Tonight’s game has been moved to State Farm Arena and will be broadcast on ION.

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