Local Sports Headlines: April 26, 2023

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Indiana University Athletics celebrates annual Night to Shine Banquet
IU Athletics celebrated its student-athletes Monday evening as part of ‘Night to Shine,’ the department’s annual banquet designed to honor the athletic, academic, and service-related achievements of the more than 600 students that compete in intercollegiate athletics at Indiana University. Highlighting the evening’s honorees were Swimming and Diving’s Margaret Rogers and Football’s Tiawan Mullen, who were named the 2023 recipients of the G. Frederick Glass Director’s Award. Named in honor of IU’s athletic director from 2009-20, the Director’s Award is presented to two student-athletes who best represent The Spirit of Indiana: 24 Sports, 1 Team.

Rogers recently concluded her senior season with the IU women’s swimming and diving program, a campaign that included her qualifying for the NCAA Zone Diving Championship meet for the third time. In addition to her successes in the diving well, she has been a leader among IU’s student-athletes as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the 2022-23 academic year. Among her most notable contributions in that role was the formulation of a mental health initiative that was highlighted during IU Football games, and a first-of-its-kind NIL mixer, which brought together local business leaders and IU student-athletes to explore NIL partnerships. Besides her involvement with SAAC, she has also served on the Faculty Athletics Committee, on the Dean’s Cabinet of Student Leaders, and is a Hoosier HERO mentor for incoming IU student-athletes. Rogers has also excelled in the classroom. An Honors Program student in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, she will graduate with a degree in Public Affairs next month. She’s a two-time Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar and a three-time IU Founders Scholar.

Mullen, meanwhile, has spent the last four seasons with IU Football and has been an anchor for a program that earned two January bowl game berths during his IU career. In 2019, he earned Freshman All-America honors after leading the Big Ten in passes broken up and helping lead IU to the Gator Bowl. He followed that up with a 2020 season that included three interceptions, 3 ½ sacks, and four pass break-ups for IU’s Big Ten runner-up squad. Mullen was named First-Team All-American by both FWAA and Phil Steele, making him the first cornerback in IU program history to earn first-team All-America accolades. Like Rogers, Mullen has made a significant impact off the field as well. A 2022 IU Football team captain, he served on Tom Allen’s IU Football Leadership Council. Throughout his time on campus he’s been among the most active IU student-athletes in terms of attending and supporting IU’s over varsity sports programs. On top of those efforts to support his fellow IU student-athletes, he has also been heavily involved in the local community through his work at the Bloomington Boys and Girls Club.   

Another highlight recognition of the event was the naming of the 2023 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients. First presented in 1915, this award is earmarked for individuals who strive for excellence both academically and athletically. Of the nearly 10,000 students who compete in intercollegiate athletics for Big Ten universities annually, only 28 earn this award each year.

Indiana University’s 2023 Big Ten Medal of Honor winners are Noelle Peplowski (women’s swimming and diving) and Andrew Capobianco (men’s swimming and diving). Peplowski is an 11-time All-America swimmer who captured the 2023 Big Ten title in the 200 breaststroke. She followed that up with a fifth-place finish at NCAAs in the event, marking the third time she has placed in the top six at nationally in her specialty. She’s been instrumental in helping the program to top 15 finishes in each of the past five NCAA Championship competitions, highlighted by a program-record-tying seventh place finish in 2023. Capobianco, meanwhile, is one of the most accomplished student-athletes in IU Athletics history. He’s a three-time NCAA champion in three-meter diving and a four-time Big Ten Diver of the Year. He earned 12 All-America honors as a Hoosier, six top-three finishes at NCAAs and was a member of four Big Ten Championship teams. On top of his successes at IU, he has also excelled on the international level, highlighted by a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in synchronized three-meter diving.

In addition to the Director’s Award and the Big Ten Medal of Honor, a multitude of other award winners were announced, including: Anita Aldrich Leadership Award (which recognizes a female student-athlete for best exemplifying Anita Aldrich’s ideals of leadership, scholastic achievement, and athletic ability among all female student-athletes): Grace Berger (Women’s Basketball).
Jake Gimble Award (given to a senior male student-athlete who has distinguished himself in athletics and scholarship and who has displayed an outstanding mental attitude): Kynton Grays (Men’s Track and Field).
Andy Hipskind Comeback Award: Isa Lopez (Volleyball) and Craig Yoho (Baseball).
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award: Desiree Dufek (Softball) and Tyler Lillard (Wrestling).
Hoosier Award (which recognizes a student-athlete for bringing honor and distinction to Indiana University in their representative sport during the academic year): Anthony Leal – Men’s Basketball, Matthew Ellis – Baseball, Gabriel Sanchez – Men’s Cross Country, Cam Jones – Football, Mitch Davis – Men’s Golf, Van Mathias – Men’s Swimming and Diving, Andrew Capobianco– Men’s Swimming and Diving,
Jagger Saylor – Men’s Tennis, Cam Marshall – Men’s Track and Field, Mason Alley – Wrestling, Mackenzie Holmes – Women’s Basketball
Kennedy Reardon – Field Hockey, Sarah Schmitt – Women’s Cross Country Val Clancy – Women’s Golf, Sophie Carmosino – Rowing
Taryn Kern – Softball, Noelle Peplowski – Women’s Swimming and Diving, Anne Fowler – Women’s Swimming and Diving, Lara Schneider – Women’s Tennis, Hope Purcell – Women’s Track and field, Camryn Haworth – Volleyball and Lanna Debow – Water Polo.
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (which recognizes student-athletes from each sport for demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship in their respective sport throughout the year):
Miller Kopp – Men’s Basketball, Ben Seiler – Baseball, Jake Gebhardt – Men’s Cross Country, Aaron Casey – Football, Noah Gillard – Men’s Golf, Brett Bebej – Men’s Soccer, Andrew Capobinco– Men’s Swimming and Diving, Sam Landau – Men’s Tennis, Austin Haskett – Men’s Track and Field, Graham Rooks – Wrestling, Sydney Parrish – Women’s Basketball, Jemima Cookson – Field Hockey, Maddie Dalton – Women’s Cross Country, Lexi Florio – Women’s Golf, Abbey Armstrong – Rowing, Karlee Luker – Women’s Soccer, Cora Bassett – Softball, Sydney Turner – Women’s Swimming and Diving, Nicole Teodosescu – Women’s Tennis, Hope Purcell – Women’s Track and Field
Candela Alonso-Corcelles – Volleyball and Sophia Sollie – Water Polo.
Aline Robinson Mental Attitude Award (which recognizes female student-athletes for their mental attitude and distinguished performance in athletics and academics on their respective team): Mona Zaric – Women’s Basketball, Sydney Keld – Field Hockey
Maddie Dalton – Women’s Cross Country, Hanna Tanaka – Women’s Golf, Lily Haupt – Rowing, Olivia Rush – Women’s Soccer
Brianna Copeland – Softball, Ella Ristic-Women’s Swimming and Diving, Anne Fowler – Women’s Swimming and Diving, Mahogany Jenkins – Women’s Track and field, Emily Fitzner – Volleyball and Katherine Hawkins – Water Polo.

Indiana University Men’s Basketball announces Big Ten Conference opponents for 2023-2024 Season
The Big Ten Conference has announced league opponents in men’s basketball for the 2023-24 season. The league enters its sixth year playing a 20-game conference schedule and each team will play seven opponents twice, three opponents only at home, and three opponents on the road. Dates, times, and television designations will be announced later this summer. The Hoosiers are coming off a 23-12 season and a final ranking of No. 24 team in the Coaches Poll. IU tied for second place in the league. Indiana has made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Mike Woodson.  In non-conference play, the Hoosiers will play either defending national champion UConn, Texas, or Louisville in the 2023 Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 19-20. IU will also conclude a two-game series against Kansas on Dec. 16 in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

IU 2023-24 Big Ten Conference Opponents
Home and Away: Purdue, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Home Only: Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern.
Away Only: Illinois, Michigan and Rutgers

Indiana University Rowing’s Varsity Eight Boat named Big Ten Boat of the Week
Indiana rowing’s Varsity Eight crew was named the Big Ten Boat of the Week on Tuesday as announced by the conference office. IU’s top boat won a three-boat race against No. 12 Ohio State and Michigan State on Saturday, posting a time of 6:30.4. The Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes by 4.5 seconds and the Spartans by 31.2 seconds.

The crew featured Katherine Nelson as the coxswain with Megan Mills, Emily Bowden, Sophie Bowden, Phoebe Inall, Laura Feinson Piper Maaka, Niamh Monk and Ruby Leverington. Six of those student-athletes were part of IU’s V8 boat that took the bronze medal at the 2022 Big Ten Championships. Indiana has one more regatta before this season’s conference championships. On Saturday IU will host Notre Dame at the Dale England Rowing Center for the 14th annual Dale England Cup.

Indiana University Men’s Tennis to Open and Host Big Ten Tournament
The 2023 Big Ten Men’s Tennis Tournament hosts will also play in the event’s opening match. The No. 9 seed Indiana Hoosiers will face No. 8 seed Penn State in the tournament’s first round on Thursday at 11 AM. Depending on weather, the match will either be inside at the IU Tennis Center, or outside at the outdoor Varsity Tennis Courts. The match will be a rematch as the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions just played one another last Saturday. Penn State won it in dramatic fashion, 4-3, in State College.

Indiana enters the match with a 12-14 record and a 1-8 conference mark. Penn State is is 15-11 and 2-7 in the Big Ten. Indiana has really excelled in doubles play all year. As a team, Indiana is 38-26 in doubles matches across all combinations this spring. The Hoosiers are led by a dominant double’s duo in Partick Fletchall and Ilya Tirasposky who are 11-5 on the season at No. 1 doubles. In singles, freshman Sam Landau has been impressive all year and is 12-4 while playing at the No. 2 and 3 positions. Tiraspolsky has been a consistent force at No. 4 singles, too, charting an 11-8 record. If Indiana advances on Thursday, it will face No. 1 Ohio State at 9 AM on Friday in the quarterfinal. There will be live streaming and live scoring available for all tournament matches.

The entire tournament schedule is as follows:
Thursday, April 27:  No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 8 Penn State – 11 a.m. and No. 10 Purdue vs. No. 7 Michigan State – 2 p.m. 
Friday, April 28: Winner of No. 9 Indiana/No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 1 Ohio State – 9 a.m., No. 5 Nebraska vs. No. 4 Illinois – 11 a.m.,  
Winner of No. 10 Purdue/No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Michigan – 1:30 p.m. and No. 6 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 Northwestern – 4 p.m.  Saturday, April 29: TBA vs. TBA (Semi-Final #1) – 11 a.m. and TBA vs. TBA (Semi-Final #2) – 2 p.m.  
Sunday, April 30:  TBA vs. TBA (Championship) – 12 p.m.  

Indiana University Women’s Tennis earns #11 Seed in Big Ten Tennis Tournament
Indiana women’s tennis (13-10, 4-7 B1G) is the No. 11 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and is set to compete against the No. 6 seed Iowa Hawkeyes (12-9, 7-4 B1G) on Thursday evening after advancing to the second round due to #14 Minnesota forfeiting their season due to injury. All matches will be hosted by Purdue University and will be played at the Schwartz Tennis Center. The live stream and live scoring can be found at the Big Ten Tournament central link here.

Schedule: Wednesday, April 26: No. 13 Rutgers vs. No. 12 Michigan State – 12 p.m. and No. 14 Minnesota vs. No. 11 Indiana – Forfeit Thursday, April 27: No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 8 Maryland – 9 a.m., Winner of No. 13 Rutgers/No. 12 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Northwestern – 12 p.m., No. 10 Nebraska vs. No. 7 Purdue – 3 p.m. and No. 11 Indiana vs. No. 6 Iowa – 6 p.m.
Friday, April 28: Winner of No. 9 Penn State/ No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 1 Michigan – 9 a.m., Winner of No. 5 Northwestern/TBA vs. No. 4 Wisconsin – 12 p.m., Winner of No. 10 Nebraska/No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 2 Ohio State – 3 p.m. and Winner of No. 11 Indiana/No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 3 Illinois – 6 p.m. Saturday, April 29: TBA vs. TBA (Semi-Final #1) – 10 a.m. and TBA vs. TBA (Semi-Final #2) – 2 p.m.
Sunday, April 30: TBA vs. TBA (Championship) – 12 p.m.

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