Local Sports News: July 2, 2024

Mackenzie Holmes and Lauren Fields Named Graduate Managers for Indiana University Women’s Basketball Indiana Women’s Basketball has announced the addition of the program’s all-time leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes and Lauren Fields as graduate managers for the 2024-25 season. Holmes recently wrapped up her decorated career at Indiana where she played in 147 games for the Hoosiers in five seasons. She finished her career ranking first in the program as the all-time leading scorer (2,530) and in field goals made (1,043), field goal percentage (63.9) and games won (123). Holmes led the team to four NCAA Tournament runs in her career, most recently to the Sweet Sixteen in 2024. She averaged a team-high of 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in her fifth year.

The Gorham, Maine native earned unanimous All-Big Ten First Team, All-Big Ten Defensive team, USWBA and AP All American selections in her last year. Over her five-year career, Holmes earned eight All-American selections, the program’s first First Team All-American. Following her illustrious career, Holmes was selected 26th overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2024 WNBA Draft in April. She will join the Storm for Training Camp in 2025. Holmes graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human development & family studies in May 2023 and began her master’s degree work in 2023-24.

Fields wrapped up a five-year playing career in March as she spent her final year of eligibility at West Virginia in 2023-24, Fields started in all 33 games for the Mountaineers and 302 points, 99 rebounds and 77 steals in her lone season. She was a three-year letter winner from Oklahoma State where she played in 83 games for the Cowgirls, making 66 starts. As a junior OSU, she earned a Second Team All-Big 12 accolades, with a team-high 15.4 points per game. In the classroom, she is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 first team honoree. She also spent one year at Arizona, where she earned 30 starts and appeared in all 32 games (2022-23).

Indiana University Football lands Florida Wide Receiver Miles Kendrick for 2025
After a few days of quiet, Indiana football landed another commitment on Saturday afternoon. 2025 wide receiver Myles Kendrick announced his commitment to the Hoosiers following an official visit to Bloomington a week ago. Kendrick is rated as a three-star recruit, according to Rivals. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Kendrick chose Indiana over the likes of Colorado, Coastal Carolina, Michigan State, Wake Forest and others. A 6-foot, about 165 pound wideout, Kendrick tallied 40 catches for 710 yards this past season at Riverside High School. Kendrick added 10 total touchdowns — nine receiving and one rushing — as a junior as well. Kendrick also runs track in high school, boasting times of 11.03 in the 100 and 23.12 in the 200. With Kendrick’s commitment on Saturday, Indiana’s 2025 class now stands at 17 members. Kendrick joins fellow wideouts Davion Chandler and LeBron Bond as 2025 receivers that have pledged their commitment to Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers.

Ramsey Gary and Team USA win Gold at the NORECA U-21 Championships
Indiana Sophomore libero Ramsey Gary was an anchor for the U.S. U-21 National Team this week, playing prolific defense enroute to a gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s U21 Continental Championship. The Americans went a perfect 5-0 without dropping a set the whole week. Gary tallied 14 digs in the gold medal match, a 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-16) win over Puerto Rico. It capped off a week that saw her feature in an international match for the first time in her career and record 62 digs (4.13 per set) across five efficient contests for the United States. For her efforts, she was named the NORCECA U21 Best Receiver of the Tournament, handed out to the best passing libero at the event. Gary was one of two Americans to earn an All-Tournament award and of two liberos to earn an honor at the championships.

Along the way, the United States earned its bid to the 2025 FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship as a result of advancing into the top four places at the NORCECA Championship. Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic also earned bids. Gary will now return to Bloomington in preparation for the 2024 NCAA Volleyball season. She is also set to represent the Hoosiers at Big Ten Volleyball Media Days in Chicago this coming August. The Pendleton, Ind. native is one of five returning starters for IU this season.

Indiana University Men’s Golf adds Westfield Native Alec Cesare
Indiana Head Men’s Golf Coach Mike Mayer announced the addition of in-state transfer Alec Cesare on Monday. “We have been looking for a player to come in right away and help us and Alec is a perfect fit,” said Mayer. “He had a very solid freshman season playing in every tournament for a team that won its conference championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament. “Alec is a fighter, a bulldog on the golf course who will never give up on himself or his teammates. He has the talent, athleticism, and ability to play at this level. We are thrilled that he has decided to join our Hoosier family and we look forward to working with him for the next three years.”
 
Alec Cesare-Westfield, Ind.-Ball State
Cesare appeared in all 32 rounds for the Ball State Cardinals under the guidance of head coach Mike Fleck. He produced a stroke average of 73.88 and added 10 at or below par. The Westfield High School standout collected a pair of top-10 finishes, which included and eight-place result at the 2024 MAC Championships. He was the second-ranked player in the state of Indiana in the 2023 class, according to Junior Golf Scoreboard. During his four-year high school career at Westfield, Cesare earned All-State First Team and three All-Conference First Team selections. He helped guide the Shamrocks to a sectional and regional titles while also claiming runner-up honors at the state match. He racked up over 35 wins on the junior golf circuit since 2007 and was a finalist at the Drive, Chip, and Putt challenge at Augusta National in 2019. He was a four-time participant at the U.S. Kids World Golf Championship and the Future Masters.  
He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining with the Hoosiers.

Former Indiana University Baseball Player Michael Earley Named Head Coach at Texas A&M
Former IU baseball player and alumnus Michael Earley was announced as the new head coach of Texas A&M on Sunday. Earley is an Anderson, Ind. product.  He graduated from Anderson H.S. in 2006.  He played one season at Cincinnati before transferring to play for IU and head coach Tracy Smith for three seasons.

Earley had a magnificent senior campaign for IU in 2010, finishing with a .352 average, 13 home runs and 15 stolen bases to garner Third Team All-Big Ten recognition.  He provided protection for his star teammate Alex Dickerson most of the season, helping the sophomore earn Big Ten Player of the Year and First Team All-America honors. He was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 29th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He played six seasons in the White Sox organization, reaching the Triple-A level with the Charlotte Knights. He wrapped up his professional career with the Southern Illinois Miners in the independent Frontier League in 2015.  Earley then became a scout before getting into college coaching.

As a high school senior at Anderson, Earley was named county player of the year and earned a trip to the North-South All-Star Game. Earley hit .523 with 14 doubles, four triples, four home runs and 30 RBIs, as he was one of the top candidates for Indiana’s Mr. Baseball, won that year by Hoosier teammate Josh Phegley. After his playing career, Earley served as an assistant coach at Arizona State and then Texas A&M. He spent the past three seasons as the Aggies’ hitting coach and first-base coach.  They went 153-62 with two College World Series appearances over that span, including runner-up in earlier this month.

Earley spent five seasons at Arizona State, including four as the hitting coach on Tracy Smith’s staff where he built a reputation for developing hitters with his most notable work being the rise of Spencer Torkelson to the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. “I would not be where I am at today without Coach Earley,” Torkelson said in a Texas A&M release on Sunday. “He is the definition of a winner. His hard work and dedication to the game of baseball is contagious.”

Indiana Fever beat the Phoenix Mercury in the Valley of the Sun
The Indiana Fever (8-12) overcame a 15-point deficit against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday for an 88-82 win at Footprint Center. Surged by Indiana’s 25-9 run in the second half, the Fever outscored the Mercury 29-15 in the third quarter and secured its first win against Phoenix this season. For the second consecutive game, five Fever players scored in double figures, spearheaded by Fever center Aliyah Boston’s 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. Boston also pulled down eight rebounds and distributed four assists. Trailing behind Boston was Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and rookie Caitlin Clark with 16 and 15 points each. Mitchell went 3-of-6 from 3-point range, went 3-of-3 from the free throw line and also grabbed three rebounds. Clark recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 12 assists and added nine rebounds in the win as well.  On Sunday, Clark earned the franchise rookie-record for most assists (138) in a debut season, passing Julie Allemand’s 128 assists in her 2020 rookie campaign. 

Fever forward NaLyssa Smith pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds, 12 points, two steals, one blocked shot and one steal. Smith passed Natalie Williams for eighth place on the Fever all-time rebounds list. In her second game back since suffering a left foot injury, Fever forward Temi Fagbenle recorded 10 points off the bench, while reserves guard Erica Wheeler and forward Katie Lou Samuelson tallied six and five points each.  Former Indiana Hoosier Grace Berger did not play. The Fever trailed 53-38 early in the third quarter, but a pair of runs fueled by a three-pointer and an assist from Clark narrowed Indiana’s deficit to 55-50. Mitchell then sank two back-to-back 3-point field goals to bring the score to 60-55, and the Fever secured its first lead of the night. Indiana dominated the second half, outscoring the Mercury, 50-33. Additionally, the Fever outscored Phoenix in paint points, 34-30, bench points, 21-8, fast-break points, 20-5, and outrebounded the Mercury, 42-28. 

For Phoenix (9-9), only three Mercury players scored in double figures, led by center Brittney Griner’s 24 points on 8-of-13 field goal shooting and 8-of-10 free throw shooting. Griner also pulled down six rebounds and two assists. Mercury guards Diana Taurasi and Natasha Cloud followed with 19 and 15 points, respectively. Taurasi added three rebounds and three assists while Cloud dished out seven assists and tied a season-high in a game with four steals. The Fever conclude the road trip with a 9:30pm matchup Tonight at the Las Vegas Aces from T-Mobile Arena and Tonight’s game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Zach Edey pulls his name from Consideration for the Canada Men’s Basketball Olympic Team
New Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey announced his decision Sunday to pull his name from consideration to play for Canada in the 2024 Paris Games to focus on his NBA career. Memphis used the ninth overall selection on the former Purdue center who became the first player in more than 40 years to win The Associated Press’ men’s college basketball player of the year award in back-to-back seasons.

The 7-foot-4 Edey called it a difficult decision not to compete for a spot in the Paris Games. Edey said he’s been training nonstop since last summer to win a national title at Purdue and make it to the NBA. “I have a duty now to properly prepare for all that is coming my way with being drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies,” Edey said in a statement. “The work I put in this summer on my body and my game is critical for me to be the best version of myself.” Edey said representing Canada remains a dream and he will be the team’s biggest fan.

Rowan Barrett, general manager of Canada Basketball’s senior men’s program, said they were told recently of Edey’s plan not to be considered for this team. Barrett said they look forward to having him at a future training camp. “While we were optimistic about having Zach join us in training camp, we understand and support him in this difficult decision,” Barrett said in a statement.

Edey has to prove how his game translates to the NBA as one of the league’s tallest players this coming season. In 2023-24, only San Antonio’s rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, Houston’s Boban Marjanovic and Phoenix’s Bol Bol were listed at 7-foot-3 or taller. This is the latest loss for Canada’s roster for the 2024 Olympics. Barrett said Friday that Golden State is blocking Andrew Wiggins from competing in Paris, while the Warriors countered it was a mutual decision between the team and Wiggins. Wiggins was among the 20 players who received invitations to camp to determine the Olympic roster.

Indianapolis Colts announce 2024 Training Camp Schedule
The Indianapolis Colts will kick off training camp at Westfield’s Grand Park on July 25. Rookies and veterans will report for camp a day earlier on July 24. This marks the sixth time the team has held camp at Grand Park. The team will hold 12 practices open to fans, with the first one at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 25. Seven of the 12 practices are free, while “Primetime Practice” days will cost $5 for fans 18 and over. Those practices are July 27, July 28, Aug. 4, Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. The last two dates are joint practices against the Arizona Cardinals ahead of their Aug. 17 preseason game.

In the past, fans obtained a free ticket for practices. However, the team said a “nominal $5 charge” was added for some practices this year to “allow event organizers to better plan for the number of attendees and give fans a better overall experience with respect to activities, seating, concessions, safety and security.” The practices with additional cost fall on some of the most historically attended practices, including the first weekend of camp. Training camp is still free for attendees 17 and under; they’ll need to download a free ticket.

The Colts said ticket fees would benefit the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis’ new flag football program, which launches this summer and will serve 200 kids. Grand Park will charge a parking fee per vehicle; fans can get a parking pass for $5 in advance or pay $10 onsite.  Advance parking passes are available here. If weather becomes an issue, practice will move indoors, which has limited seating. Ticket and parking fees will be refunded for fans who aren’t able to attend if that’s the case, the team said.

Here’s a look at theme days for this year’s training camp: Camp Kickoff, presented by Koorsen Fire & Security – Thurs., July 25 NFL’s Back Together Weekend – Sat., July 27 & Sun., July 28 Family Day – Fri., Aug. 2 Give Back Sunday, presented by Meijer – Sun., Aug. 4 Back-To-School Day, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors – Mon., Aug. 5 Salute to Service Day, presented by Vet Tix – Wed., Aug. 7 Kicking The Stigma Day – Fri., Aug. 9 Fan Appreciation Day, presented by CenterPoint Energy – Wed., Aug. 14 “Thirsty Thursday,” presented by Bud Light – Thurs., Aug. 15

Fans will also find Colts City this year, which will be open each day of open practice through Aug. 15. Activities include: Colts Play 60 Field, featuring football drills, 40-yard dash & punt returns Colts in Motion, the team’s interactive traveling experience Colts inflatables Colts Pro Shop Appearances by team mascot “Blue” and Colts Cheerleaders Interactive partner displays and exhibits If practice moves indoors, Colts City will close. 

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