Indiana University Women’s Swimming will have a strong representation at the NCAA Championships
Big Ten Champion Indiana Women’s Swimming and diving will send nine swimmers and all five relays to the 2024 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships following the NCAA’s announcement of invitations to the national meet on Wednesday. The four-day meet will run March 20-23 inside the Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, Georgia. Including the five relays, Indiana will have competitors in 17 events. IU is well-represented in the 500-yard freestyle, with four Hoosiers qualified for the event. Indiana will also have three swimmers each in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle. Indiana can add more qualifiers via the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, March 14-16 in Louisville, Kentucky. Hoosiers with NCAA zone qualifying marks during the season will compete for qualification spots at the preliminary meet.
INDIANA WOMEN’S SWIMMING QUALIFIERS- 2024 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships
Brearna Crawford- 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke
Mariah Denigan- 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle
Anna Freed- 200 butterfly, 200 IM, 400 IM
Ching Hwee Gan- 500 freestyle, 1650 freestyle
Elyse Heiser- 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 1650 freestyle
Kacey McKenna- 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke
Kristina Paegle- 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
Anna Peplowski – 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle
Ashley Truak – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke
200-yard freestyle relay
400-yard freestyle relay
800-yard freestyle relay
200-yard medley relay
400-yard medley relay
Incoming IU Men’s Basketball player Liam McNeely named HS All-American
Liam McNeeley, a consensus five-star commit out of Montverde Academy, was named to the 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Boy’s High School All America Third Team, the Naismith Awards announced on Wednesday afternoon. In 30 games at Montverde Academy, the top-ranked high school program in the country, McNeeley is averaging 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He is shooting 51.0% (130-of-255) from the field, 46.0% (64-of-139) from the 3-point line, and 80.0% (56-of-70) from the free throw line.
The fourth-highest ranked recruit in program history is expected to play in the McDonald’s All-America Game on April 2 in Houston, the Chipotle Nationals from April 4-6 in Brownsburg, and the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21 in Brooklyn. This season marks the fourth-straight season in which Indiana received a commitment from a player represented on a Naismith Trophy All America Team. Tamar Bates (2021) and Kel’el Ware (2022) were both honorable mentions, while Jalen Hood-Schifno (2022) and Mackenize Mgbako (2023) each claimed third team nods.
Big Ten announces Softball Television Schedule
The Big Ten Network announced their linear television schedule for the 2024 softball season on Wednesday. Per the release, Indiana will be featured four times in the network’s regular season coverage schedule. Indiana’s matchups on the Big Ten Network are as follows:
-Wednesday, April 3: Purdue at Indiana (5 PM)
-Wednesday, April 3: Purdue at Indiana (7:30 PM)
-Friday, April 12: Minnesota at Indiana (6:00 PM)
-Sunday, April 21: Indiana at Iowa (2:30 PM)
With the television designation, Indiana’s doubleheader against Purdue is now on Wednesday, April 3, after originally being slated to take place on Tuesday, April 2. All of Indiana’s other regular season conference games can be found on BTN+. The entire Big Ten Tournament, hosted in Iowa City, Iowa, will be on the Big Ten Network, as well.
Taylor University Men’s Basketball player Anton Webb earns all Crossroads League Honorable Mention The Crossroads League announced its Men’s Basketball awards today, in which Anton Webb was named an Honorable Mention selection. The honor for Webb is his first in two seasons for the Trojans and was well earned, after putting up strong numbers by averaging 12.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
The junior, Webb, totaled 14 double-doubles during the season and became the first Trojan to average over ten rebounds in a season in over fifty years. Webb put up a season-high 26 points in the season-opener and had arguably his most impressive performance in February, tallying 19 points, 21 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks in a victory over Goshen. The Dayton, Ohio native led not only the Trojans but also the Crossroads League in rebounding and was fifth in blocks in the league with 30, which made his per-game average 1.0 for the year. Webb was second on the team in scoring, and third in assists as he showed off his all-around game in his second year in the program.
IUPUI parts ways with Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Crenshaw
IUPUI (6-26) is parting ways with men’s head basketball coach Matt Crenshaw less than 24 hours after dropping its Horizon League Tournament opener to Cleveland State. “I want to thank Coach Crenshaw for his countless contributions to the IUPUI basketball program as a student-athlete, assistant coach and ultimately as head coach. These decisions are never easy and aren’t taken lightly, but we wish matt nothing but the best going forward,” IUPUI Director of Athletics Luke Bosso said in a release Wednesday.
Crenshaw joined the Jaguars in 2000 as a student-athlete and captained IUPUI’s NCAA Tournament run in 2003. He remains IUPUI’S all-time leader in assists and is one of only three players in program history to have his number retired. He joined the IUPUI coaching staff in 2006 as an assistant before taking a position with Ball State’s basketball program in 2018. He returned to the Jaguars as head coach in April 2021 and exits the program with an overall record of 14-79. The university will immediately launch a national search for the next IU Indianapolis head coach and has retained SP Athletics to assist in the hiring process.
Taylor University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Josh Andrews will not return next season
Taylor University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Kyle Gould, announced on Tuesday that Josh Andrews would not be returning as TU’s head men’s basketball coach following the conclusion of his 11th season at the helm for the Trojans. “Josh Andrews represented Taylor Athletics and our men’s basketball program with integrity and dedication for eleven years as our head coach,” stated Gould. “His tenure was marked with many highlights and accomplishments, and he was fully committed to the development and discipleship of the young men he recruited into the program. We wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward.” Taylor’s Vice President for Student Development and Intercollegiate Athletics, Skip Trudeau, added, “We appreciate Josh’s contributions to our program and we wish him success in his next endeavor.”
Andrews took over the TU men’s basketball program for the 2013-2014 season as just the third Taylor head coach since the start of the 1947-1948 campaign, following Hall of Famers, Don Odle and Paul Patterson to the position. In his 11 years with the Trojans, Andrews saw his squad pick up 148 wins, while producing 21 All-Crossroads League honors and two NAIA All-Americans. The Trojans were especially tough inside Odle Arena, going 92-68 under Andrews, while scoring 13 victories over top-25 foes on the home planks. The highlight campaign came in 2016-2017, with Andrews leading the Trojans to a 21-12 clip that included a 73-67 win over No. 8 Warner in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament. TU matched its best start in program history that year at 10-0, climbed as high as No. 7 in the NAIA Top-25 Poll and set program records for three-pointers made in a single game and a single season.
In addition to those on-court accomplishments, Andrews’ teams routinely rated among the finest in the classroom in the NAIA, ranking top-10 in team grade-point average four times in the past six years. “My family and I are grateful to have been a part of the Taylor community the past eleven years,” said Andrews. “We are so thankful for the contributions of the players and assistants, past and present, who sacrificed and invested to pursue excellence. Special thanks to the incredible men’s basketball alumni base for welcoming and supporting us. Taylor is an amazing place and it has been a thrill and honor to help develop young men, while seeking to represent Christ from the prestigious helm of the men’s basketball program.” Taylor will begin a national search for its next head men’s basketball coach immediately, with the successful candidate taking over a program that ranks 12th in all-time wins for an NAIA men’s basketball program.
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