Latest news with #IndianaState
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Special Olympics Indiana's Summer Games begin in Terre Haute
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Thousands of athletes, volunteers, and supporters from around the state of Indiana are in Terre Haute this weekend for Special Olympics Indiana's biggest event of the year. Athlete Hunter Canada said the feeling is amazing. 'It's pretty entertaining and fun just being out there with all the other people competing', Canada said. 'I'm wishing everybody good luck.' Athletes compete in a number of different events like swimming on the campus of Rose-Hulman and volleyball, track and field, and pickleball at Indiana State. One duo from Jackson County, AJ Engel and Hunter Canada, claimed the top two spots in their 800-meter race. 'I was expecting him to pass me at the end, but we were expecting to get first and second', Canada said. 'It feels good to take first and second', Engel said. 'The runners were good competition.' Some athletes have been competing for their entire lives. 'I've done this for as long as I remember', Engel said. 'I've run track in middle school and high school. I just really feel like Special Olympics is good.' Other, like Madison Carter, have chosen the volunteer route. 'I've actually been doing this for eight years now', Carter said. 'I started out in high school doing Best Buddies, unified track, peer tutoring, you name it, I've probably done it. Then I've been in volleyball since I was nine years old, so I reached out to somebody here at Special Olympics. I started as a volunteer, then became a part of the management team, and now I'm the manager of it all.' All involved agree the best part about the event is coming together. 'The camaraderie and building those relationships throughout the entire experience here is like no other', Carter said. 'I've seen people since I started eight years ago, all the way to new people this year. I think those relationships are like no other.' Events will continue in Terre Haute and on the campuses of Indiana State and Rose-Hulman through the weekend. All events are open to the public at no cost. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma State men's basketball adds Lou Gudino as assistant coach
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State men's basketball coach Steve Lutz added a veteran assistant to his staff Wednesday. Lou Gudino, a 28-year coaching veteran, has joined the program, according to a press release. Gudino spent the last three seasons as the associate head coach at Ball State, following stints as an assistant at Wichita State, New Mexico State and Indiana State. Advertisement 'I've known Lou for many years,' Lutz said in the release.' He is one of the most prepared coaches in our profession and has helped elevate every program that he's been a part of. His eye for talent, knack for player development and deep basketball knowledge will make an immediate impact here. I'm thrilled to welcome him and his wife Dana to Stillwater and the Cowboy Basketball family.' Under coach Michael Lewis at Ball State, Gudino worked closely with the big men, including three-time all-conference center Payton Sparks, who finished his career ranked among the program's all-time leaders in blocks, rebounds, free throws and field goal percentage. A native of Clinton, Indiana, Gudino graduated from Indiana University in 1997. He began his college coaching career shortly thereafter at the junior college level. More: Which Oklahoma State basketball players are coming, going via the transfer portal? Ball State associate head coach Lou Gudino during an open men's basketball practice at Worthen Arena Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. He later became the longest tenured assistant coach in Indiana State history, helping the Sycamores to five straight postseason appearances during his 10 years there. That included an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011 and consecutive NIT bids in 2013-14. Advertisement Lutz still has one vacancy to fill on his coaching staff, following the departures of Jeremy Cox, who returned to UTEP, and Mike Ekanem, who was hired at Houston. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State men's basketball adds Lou Gudino as assistant coach
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
2025 Indiana Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The 2025 Special Olympics Summer Games in Terre Haute begin in one week and to kick off the events, local law enforcement and officials put their running shoes on. Officers from all branches come together, each year, to run alongside Special Olympics Indiana Athletes, signifying the beginning of the 2025 Special Olympics Summer Games. Quentin Seger is an officer at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. He said community is the most important aspect of this event. 'Coming together as a community is always important', Seger said. 'I'm a big believer in strength in numbers, so if a community can come together and show support for an organization, I think it's a huge help for a community to build a stronger bond and a relationship as a whole.' Participants ran three miles through downtown Terre Haute and Indiana State's campus, alongside Special Olympics athlete Shelby Baker, who was carrying the torch to start the race and cross the finish line. Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun said this run is just the start of local law enforcement's participation in the Special Olympics Summer Games. 'A lot of the local law enforcement agencies are actively involved, and I say actively because they don't just sponsor', Sakbun said. 'They do the high five line, they help compete in some of the events, they do the memorial run which means just so much to the athletes and the organization.' The Special Olympics Summer Games will begin in Terre Haute on June 6th, bringing together thousands of athletes, partners, and volunteers. Sakbun said the numbers do more than just help Terre Haute. 'Anytime you bring over 2,500 athletes, as well as their families, to the community that's obviously a huge boost', Sakbun said. 'I think what it also does, a unique event like this, is it inspires folks. The challenges that they go through to come through all of that and then champion at the end of it, honestly means a lot.' The Special Olympics Summer Games will take place from June 6th through the 8th, on the campuses of Indiana State and Rose-Hulman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Boston Globe
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
March Madness bracket expansion would add value and could be decided in next few months, Baker says
'We've had good conversations with CBS and WBD,' Baker said, referring to Warner Bros. Discovery, whose holdings include the Turner networks that air NCAA Tournament games. 'Our goal here is to try to sort of get to either yes or no sometime in the next few months because there's a lot of logistical work that would be associated with doing this. If we were to go down this road, you just think about the opening weekends, who has to travel the longest, it gets complicated.' The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 68 teams in 2011. The change introduced the First Four round, a set of pre-tournament games in which the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and four lowest-seeded conference champions compete for spots in the traditional 64-team bracket. Advertisement Baker indicated that the current formula has flaws and said it would be beneficial to give more opportunities to worthy teams. 'If you have a tournament that's got 64 or 68 teams in it, you're going to have a bunch of teams that are probably among what most people would consider to be the best 68 or 70 teams in the country that aren't going to make the tournament, period,' Baker said. 'The point behind going from 68 to 72 or 76 is to basically give some of those schools that were probably among the 72, 76, 68, 64 best teams in the country a way into the tournament.' Advertisement Baker cited a competitive Indiana State team falling short of the tournament as an example. Indiana State went on to play Seton Hall in the 2024 NIT title game, which he referred to as one of the best games that spring. Kansas coach Bill Self said fellow Big 12 coaches seem to favor an NCAA tourney expansion. The Big 12 had seven bids in 2025, half the total of the SEC. 'There was a little bit that was brought forth and the consensus among the coaches, even though it was very little, would be in favor of that,' he said. 'I don't know if you could make it where it was totally equitable all the way across the board for everybody. Certainly, there's going to be outliers on every situation.' Changes could come as soon as this upcoming season, but negotiations will have to move quickly. 'That would be the goal — to try and do this for next year, which is why the window to actually negotiate it will probably end sometime early summer,' he said.


Fox Sports
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
March Madness expansion could be decided 'in next new months' per Charlie Baker
NCAA President Charlie Baker said Thursday he sees value in expanding the NCAA Tournament by a handful of teams and wants to reach a decision on the matter in the next few months. Baker spoke during Big 12 spring meetings, where conference leaders are discussing everything from the multibillion-dollar revenue-sharing House settlement to complexities brought on by the transfer portal and name, image and likeness compensation. Baker discussed the idea of expanding from 68 teams to 72 or 76. "We've had good conversations with CBS and WBD," Baker said, referring to Warner Bros. Discovery, whose holdings include the Turner networks that air NCAA Tournament games. "Our goal here is to try to sort of get to either yes or no sometime in the next few months because there's a lot of logistical work that would be associated with doing this. If we were to go down this road, you just think about the opening weekends, who has to travel the longest, it gets complicated." The NCAA Men's tournament expanded from 64 to 68 teams in 2011, with the Women's tournament jumping to 68 teams after the 2020-2021 season, following a review of gender equality between the men's and women's side that also allowed the latter to use "March Madness" branding. The change introduced the First Four round, a set of pre-tournament games where the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and four lowest-seeded conference champions compete for spots in the traditional 64-team bracket. Baker indicated that the current formula has flaws and said it would be beneficial to give more opportunities to worthy teams. "If you have a tournament that's got 64 or 68 teams in it, you're going to have a bunch of teams that are probably among what most people would consider to be the best 68 or 70 teams in the country that aren't going to make the tournament, period," Baker said. "The point behind going from 68 to 72 or 76 is to basically give some of those schools that were probably among the 72, 76, 68, 64 best teams in the country a way into the tournament." Baker cited a competitive Indiana State team falling short of the tournament as an example. Indiana State went on to play Seton Hall in the 2024 NIT title game, which he referred to as one of the best games that spring. Kansas coach Bill Self said fellow Big 12 coaches seem to favor an NCAA tourney expansion. The Big 12 had seven bids in 2025, half the total of the SEC. "There was a little bit that was brought forth and the consensus among the coaches, even though it was very little, would be in favor of that," he said. "I don't know if you could make it where it was totally equitable all the way across the board for everybody. Certainly, there's going to be outliers on every situation." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Basketball recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic