3-23-21

Volume 96, Issue 22

Week of March 23, 2021

COLLEGE HEIGHTS

HERALD

CABONI'S CONTRACT WHAT'S CHANGED, WHAT'S NEW, WHAT HE THINKS

PHOTO BY ALLIE HENDRICKS

STORY ON PAGE 2 AND 3

2 NEWS

Week of March 23, 2021

President Caboni signs employment agreement to continue serving as university president

By Debra Murray

The Board of Regents has approved the contract between WKU President Tim Caboni and the university, which Caboni has officially signed, continuing his employment.

The contract establishes Caboni’s base salary, retention and performance bonus levels and qualifications, deferred compensation plan, and potential separation payments. His contract was the subject of the last Board of Regents meeting.

Caboni said he is glad the Board of Regents is pleased with the progress WKU is making during his time as president.

“There's no place that Kasey [Caboni] and I would rather be than WKU,” Caboni said. “This allows us to stop thinking about anything other than the goals and the work that we have ahead, and so I'm thankful for the board, expressing that confidence in our performance as a university, in my leadership as president.”

Caboni said he is grateful the Board of Regents wants to continue his employment.

“All that it needs is the chair of the Board of Regents to sign it,” Caboni said. “But to be candid with you after that [Board of Regents] meeting, I put all of my efforts back into focusing on the strategic plan,

and we have lots of exciting things that are to come.”

Caboni’s base salary will be increased by $50,000 per year, to a total of $450,000.

Susan Howarth is the executive vice president for Strategy, Operations and Finance. Howarth said Caboni’s salary is a part of the overall budget for the university.

“The president’s new boardapproved contract is budget neutral,” Howarth said in an email.

“Required funds will come from an existing previously budgeted university-wide reserve.”

The last Faculty Senate meeting was held on March 19. The Senate discussed Caboni’s recent pay in-

crease. The pay increase widens the gap between salaries of faculty and staff in comparison to high-level administration.

In comparison to his original contract as president, his second contract has changed the separation policy to create a schedule to establish the sum Caboni would be required to pay to the university in the event he were to terminate his employment and take another administrative position within a year of his contract termination date.

Caboni said the contract shows the commitment of the Board of Regents to keep him as president.

“The board was very clear about their intent and desire to retain me

NEWS 3

Week of March 23, 2021 as university president, and not just for a year or two, but for the long term,” Caboni said. “I would suggest and I think the contract demonstrates that commitment to me. But it also demonstrates my commitment to the university. Kasey and I joined this community. I rejoined this community as a proud alumnus, to help continue the great work that had happened before we got here.”

A deferred compensation plan was added to the employment agreement to “provide stability to the University’s Chief Executive position and allow the full dedication of Caboni’s resources to address and implement the goals and visions of the University,” as described in subsection D of the contract.

“I think the contract protects

the university and protects me,” Caboni said. “We want to make sure that it was fair for both sides, and I think the document that you see is the one that ensures that Kasey and I can focus on the work at hand, that we don't have to worry about anything other than the strategic plan and achieving those goals, and the board can focus on the work at hand, and they don't have to be concerned about anything other than those strategic goals.”

Debra Murray can be reached at debra.murray940@topper.wku.edu.

Follow her on Twitter @debramurrayy

LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE? to view your options visit:

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4 COMMUNITY

Week of March 23, 2021

Frankfort’s Assault on the Constitution and Transparency

Submission

By Jon Fleischaker and Michael Abate

Print edition published weekly

by WKU Student Publications at Western Kentucky University.

First copy: free | Additional copies: $1

EDITORIAL BOARD

Laurel Deppen Editor-in-chief Ellie Tolbert Managing editor Nick Fuller Digital director Lily Burris Assignment editor Michael J. Collins Digital news editor Nick Kieser Sports editor

Loren Gaskin Community editor Gabi Broekema Sam Mallon Multimedia editors Zachery McClain Social media manager Megan Fisher Design editor Hannah Crisp Copy desk chief

OTHER LEADERS AND ADVISERS Robin Robinson Distribution manager Brian Kehne Advertising manager Emma Spainhoward Cherry Creative director

Carrie Pratt Herald adviser Will Hoagland Advertising adviser Chuck Clark Student Publications director

POLICIES

Opinions expressed in the College Heights Herald are those of student editors and journalists and do not necessarily represent the views of WKU. Student editors determine all news and editorial content, and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions.

Although it was only a “short” session, this year’s iteration of the Kentucky General Assembly was an unprecedented assault on transparency and the constitutional guarantees of free speech and freedom of the press. As counsel for the Kentucky Press Association (KPA)—one of whom was a primary author of the state’s Open Records Acts—we saw first-hand how close Kentucky came to trading its status as a national leader in transparency for a new reputation as the one of the states most willing to trample on the First Amendment. Even for lawyers who’ve been around Frankfort and thought they’d seen it all, this year’s legislative push was truly shocking.

Take for example SB 211, a bill proposed by Sen. Danny Carroll of Paducah. Among many other things, this legislation would have made it a crime to insult, taunt, or challenge a law enforcement officer with derisive words or gestures if a “reasonable” person would have felt provoked by the speech. Never mind that challenging authority is the basis of our republic and that police are (or should

CONTACT US

REPORT AN ERROR: herald.editor@wku.edu 270-745-5044 NEWSROOM: herald.news@wku.edu 270-745-2653 or 270-745-5044 ADVERTISING: herald.advertising@wku.edu 270-745-6285 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: herald.opinion@wku.edu ON CAMPUS: Adams-Whitaker Student Publications Center, 1660 Normal St. ONLINE: WKUHerald.com NEWSLETTER: WKUHerald.com/newsletter SOCIAL MEDIA: • Twitter: @wkuherald, @wkuheraldsports • Facebook, Instagram: WKUHerald • YouTube: wkuheraldvideo • Tiktok: wkuherald

Portrait of Jon Fleischaker. Courtesy of Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird.

be) trained to de-escalate tense situations; the Senate decided that the right response is to jail citizens who hurt police officers’ feelings and to mandate that they be held for at least 48 hours without bail. The original version went even further; it would have stripped all public assistance benefits from anyone convicted of this offense (and others related to protesting)—a mean-spirited provision that trades on racial stereotypes and was rightly removed even from an otherwise unconstitutional bill.

Another egregious example was the attempt to amend SB 48, a rather innocuous bill concerning the home addresses of police officers and other officials (which are confidential under current law). The Kentucky House tried to amend this bill at the eleventh hour to add new criminal penalties and a private right of action against any person who disseminated information in print or online that could be used to “identify” a police officer, prosecutor, judge, or other named public employees or their family members. That means that any story about either Gov. Beshear (both former prosecutors), Attorney General Cameron, the LMPD Officers involved in the Breonna Taylor case, and even the bill’s sponsor (Rep. Blanton, a former KSP officer himself), would have been a crime if those officials claimed to have a “reasonable” fear of harm to themselves or their property. Moreover, upon a request from a protected individual or their family member, newspapers would have been required to scrub their archives of all such stories—and individuals forced to scrub their social media feeds—or face the threat of prosecution or a lawsuit for punitive damages.

If these examples seem absurd and far-fetched to you: we agree. But despite what legislators said about their bills, that is exactly what the proposed

Portrait of Micheal Abate. Courtesy of Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird.

language would do. And they likely would be on their way to being the law in Kentucky if not for the brave actions of a handful of legislators in both parties that stood up for the constitutional rights that all members claim to protect. For example, Rep. Jason Nemes from Louisville made the key motion in the House Judiciary Committee to strip SB 48 of the unconstitutional proposal from Rep. Blanton that the committee had approved just minutes before.

Even after that succeeded, the bill rose again like a Zombie on the House floor at the behest of Republican leadership, and likely would have passed had time not run out on the final day before the veto period—thanks, in large part, to the courageous (if somewhat tedious) actions of many members of the Democratic caucus, who slowed down the action on the House floor and prevented the passage of SB 48, SB 211, and other unconstitutional acts the Governor would have been powerless to stop with his veto pen.

Among the unconstitutional bills that did not make it for a vote was the “doxing” bill, SB 267. That was one of many ways in which Frankfort tried to regulate what the citizens of the world

CONTINUE ON PAGE 9

FUN PAGE

WKU Herald 3/23/21 Trivia Puzzle

U Herald 3/23/21 Crossword

Across

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PuzzleJunction.com

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1 Clobber 4 It keeps an eye on 15 16 TV 19 18 7 Plumbing problem 23 22 11 Cotton fabric 12 Scarce 27 28 13 Elliptical path 30 31 32 33 34 35 15 Church denomination 39 38 17 Stun gun 18 Vietnamese 44 42 43 holiday 46 47 19 Wandering 21 Old World vine 50 51 52 22 Handbills 23 Wiener schnitzel 56 57 58 59 meat 64 61 62 63 24 Blood-related 27 Chess pieces 67 66 28 Easy on the eyes 30 Drop-off spot 69 70 33 “Iliad” city Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com 36 Country bumpkin 38 Bar request 9 Strong green 66 Folk dance 39 Parches liqueurs 67 Big name in 41 Off-color 10 Ukraine’s capital pineapples 42 High society 11 Anti-fur org.

68 Hand or foot 44 Worry 12 Agoutis 69 Spotted 45 ___ of Wight 14 Give it a whirl 70 Mos. and mos.

46 Acquired kin 16 Bat’s home 71 “Wanna ___?”

48 Bird of myth 20 Toni Morrison’s 50 Greek salad “___ Baby” Down cheese 25 Door opener 51 Snob 26 Slanted text 1 Two-footed 53 Bank letters 27 Grit 2 Leaves off 56 Former French 28 Combustible pile 3 ___ seul (dance coin 29 Cry of pain solo) 58 Soap opera, e.g.

30 Compass pt.

4 Director of “Meet 60 Asian language John Doe” 31 Pastrami purveyor 61 More competent 5 Small fishing net 32 ___ employed 64 Scientific 6 Narcissist’s love 34 Some whistle study of food 7 Realtor’s offering blowers preparation 35 Crew tool 8 Baseball stat

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1. Who was the Green Arrow's sidekick? (a) Speedy (b) Lance (c) Quiver 2. Who was the pest who would irk the Man of Steel?

17 (a) The Green Goblin (b) Omar the Slacker (c) Mr Mxyzptlk 3. What Super Hero was a police scientist? (a) The Atom (b) The Flash (c) Green Lantern 20 21 4. What was the name of the Justice League's human mascot? (a) Doiby Dickles (b) Snapper Carr (c) Rick Jones 24 25 26 5. What is the name of Bruce Wayne's father? (a) Frank (b) Richard (c) Thomas 6. What is the name of Captain Marvel's alter-ego?

29 (a) Billy Batson (b) Billy Watson (c) Billy Stinson 7. Who killed Batman's parents?

36 37 (a) The Joker (b) Joe Chill (c) Two-Face 8. What Superman villain was elected President of the United States?

40 41 (a) Morgan Edge (b) Bruno Mannheim (c) Lex Luther 9. The teen sidekicks of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Green Arrow formed a team known as what?

45 (a) The Teen Titans (b) The Junior Justice Society (c) L.E.G.I.O.N. 48 49 10. The black and white costume Spiderman had for awhile came WKU Herald 3/23/21 Sudoku from what series? (a) The Web of Spiderman (b) Secret Wars (c) The Amazing 53 54 55 WKU Herald 9/8/20 Sudoku 1 PuzzleJ Spiderman 6.a 7.b 8.c 9.a 10.b

60 65

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Solution

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

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Last week's crossword solution:

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6

8 17

3 14 1 5

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Solution Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com Solution

R O T S

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6 8 3 9 4 9 5 4 7 6 7 1 2 5 3 4 6 7 8 2 2 3 8 4 1 Herald 3/23/21 Trivia Puzzle 1 9 5 3 7 5 4 1 2 8 3 2 9 6 5 8 7 6 1 9

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1. Who was the Green Arrow's sidekick? (a) Speedy (b) Lance (c) Quiver 2. Who was the pest who would irk the Man of Steel? (a) The Green Goblin (b) Omar the Slacker (c) Mr Mxyzptlk 3. What Super Hero was a police scientist? (a) The Atom (b) The Flash (c) Green Lantern 4. What was the name of the Justice League's human mascot? (a) Doiby Dickles (b) Snapper Carr (c) Rick Jones 5. What is the name of Bruce Wayne's father? (a) Frank (b) Richard (c) Thomas 6. What is the name of Captain Marvel's alter-ego? (a) Billy Batson (b) Billy Watson (c) Billy Stinson 7. Who killed Batman's parents? (a) The Joker (b) Joe Chill (c) Two-Face 8. What Superman villain was elected President of the United States? (a) Morgan Edge (b) Bruno Mannheim (c) Lex Luther 9. The teen sidekicks of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Green Arrow formed a team known as what? (a) The Teen Titans (b) The Junior Justice Society (c) L.E.G.I.O.N. 10. The black and white costume Spiderman had for awhile came from what series? (a) The Web of Spiderman (b) Secret Wars (c) The Amazing Spiderman

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1.a 2.c 3.b 4.b 5.c

11

PHOTO

HELPING HOOVES

Week of March 23, 2021

New Beginnings Therapeutic Riding is a nonprofit organization that serves individuals with behavioral, emotional, mental and physical disabilities in Warren County. New Beginnings relies on donations, fundraisers and volunteers to keep the doors open for their students.

The program aims to strengthen the mind and the body of their students

by encouraging confidence and coordination in riders. Students work on physical strengthening while riding the horses and mental strengthening through focusing on lessons and being aware of their surroundings. New Beginnings believes in giving riders the freedom to be mobile without artificial aids. The program has recently opened classes with new safety

precautions which allow students to get back on the field. Volunteers are needed to help students and around the barn. At the moment they have about 35 students and see groups throughout the week. Once a month, New Beginnings holds orientation for new volunteers who want to get involved with the organization.

A New Beginnings student rider gently introduces herself to horse, Red. This is the first time that the student and Red had met.

Volunteer and board member Greg Senser helps rider Ben work on motor skills by helping him grab on to a hula hoop during a riding lesson.

ABOVE: Students participate in a riding lesson. The lesson intended to work on interpersonal communication between the riders, encouraging them to stay focused and remember their steps together.

LEFT: Staff members and volunteers help student rider Ben from his wheelchair to Leroy the horse before the start of a lesson. Riding lessons at New Beginnings act as both a fun activity for students as well as therapy sessions.

PHOTOS AND WORDS BY BRITTANY FISHER

8 NEWS

Week of March 23, 2021

Fighting the quarantine blues with new friends

By Sarah Walters

From “Tiger King” to whipped coffee, many trends have come and gone during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Some have stayed and only continue to grow, like pet adoption.

Nielsen, a global marketing research firm, conducted a survey where 20% of respondents said they had adopted one or more pets between March and July 2020. At the same time in 2019, the number was less than 5%.

Many shelters have been unable to keep up with the demands, boasting empty kennels and waitlists for fostering animals. Some lucky few though were able to find some furry friends to keep them company during the quarantine.

Brooke and Colby Jack Having left her hometown of Corbin to move to Bowling Green for

school, Brooke Litteral, 20, decided to get a dog to help her with the loneliness of quarantine.

"COVID is so lonely, you don't get any social interaction," Litteral said.

"Dogs just want you to love them all the time."

A trip to the Humane Society led Litteral to her new friend, Colby Jack.

Originally named Chief, Colby Jack got his name after a friend misheard Litteral and thought his name was Cheese.

"After that, my friend and I went back and forth talking about how there's a lot of cheese names that would be good for a dog," Litteral said, "We loved Colby Jack because he's got similar colors to colby jack cheese, and we could also use CJ as a nickname."

It was not all fun and games though. Colby Jack had an issue with separation anxiety that made his first

week with Litteral difficult.

"The first week my anxiety went through the roof," Litteral said, describing the guilt she'd felt about leaving Colby Jack to go to classes and his early morning wake up calls; "After that first week we settled into a schedule."

While Litteral "highly recommends" adopting a pet to help with quarantine, she warns to "prepare for yourself for the long term of it."

"You're working from home, you can be with the dog all the time, they can be with you all the time," Litteral said, noting how quarantine does eventually have to end. "It'll be more of a struggle trying to find that balance."

"Yeah, they're easing your anxiety, but also they have their own mental health," Litteral said. "They're going to get attached to you. Prepare for yourself for the long term of it."

Payton and Eugene Payton Bingham, 20, brought Eugene with her to WKU from their home in Pineville.

Bingham adopted Eugene just as the lockdown began, and she decided to bring him with her this semester as an emotional-support animal. Bingham has an anxiety disorder that has only worsened during the pandemic.

"He keeps me company," Bingham said. "He’s such a sweetheart, and it just makes it feel less lonely to have something to come home to."

Bingham did advocate for adopting a pet to help with the stresses of quarantine but warns to "be wise about it."

"Pets are a large responsibility and it isn’t a decision to make lightly," Bingham said; "There’s also the chance of developing a codependency issue so that’s something to consider."

Amya and Styx Louisville resident Amya Montgomery, 20, was not expecting to adopt a cat when she went out with her friends during the summer. When Styx crossed her path though, it was meant to be.

"There were three outdoor cats, and they'd all had litters within a month of each other," Montgomery said. "She was the runt, and she was the only solid black one, so she stood out."

A friend recommended Amya get the cat to help with the move to her father's house during the quarantine.

"I'd gone a couple months without having anything to really bond with," Montgomery said. "I wanted a pet really bad, but I don't want a dog cause they're a lot of work."

Styx quickly became an ESA for Montgomery. Like Bingham, Montgomery has an anxiety disorder that has been exacerbated by quarantine and the pandemic.

"Before I got her, my anxiety showed itself in rashes," Montgomery explained, detailing how she would scratch herself raw. "Ever since I got her, those have slowly gone away."

Montgomery said anybody who is thinking of getting a pet during quarantine should "especially if you're really, really considering it."

"Now is the time to do it because a lot of people just don't have anything to do," Montgomery said.

"She's entertained me a lot," Montgomery said, picking Styx up to kiss her. "She has a big personality for such a tiny, little cat."

While getting a pet may seem like an easy cure for the quarantine blues, it is important to remember the trials that come with pet ownership.

Money Under 30, a personal finance website for young adults, quotes $500 initially for adopting a pet followed by a budget of $500 a month.

This does not include emergency vet bills or sudden travel that can easily add up to another couple hundred.

On the flip side, according to the mental help advocacy group Help Guide, people with pets are less likely to have depression, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

COMMUNITY 9

Week of March 23, 2021

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

can say about Kentucky residents.

Even as our state and federal courts repeatedly hold that Kentucky has no power to police all online speech about Kentuckians, our General Assembly has tried to push through and pass bills that try to do just that.

Unfortunately, these bills are likely only a taste of what is to come.

Kentuckians can expect the General Assembly to keep pushing laws that will keep them in the dark about their elected leaders and public servants and punish them for any criticism of those same officials. We can only hope that the courageous few—of both parties—will continue to stand up for the constitutional rights and transparency laws that are vital to a functioning democracy. Those who take those aspects of our democracy for granted nearly lost them this year and could do so soon if we are not all vigilant together.

That means that we, as citizens, must do better by focusing on the right things, at the right time, with the urgency appropriate to the situation.

Too often we allow ourselves to be riled up about the wrong things and allow more space for those who want to slip these unconstitutional bills through to do just that.

The past few weeks provide an object lesson. Much of the ink spilled this session by certain transparency advocates concerned HB 312, a bill that modified the state’s open records laws in certain respects. The KPA was as surprised as anyone to see that bill, which was a mashup of proposals from prior sessions, come back when and how it did. However, KPA had been in active dialogue for the past two years with the bill’s sponsors and the Kentucky League of Cities over similar proposals. Therefore, we reacted quickly and, within a matter of hours, secured changes to a proposal that really would have eviscerated the state’s transparency laws (scuttling adoption of an expansive definition of “preliminary” records); preserving the rights of all media organizations (wherever located) to request records;

and preventing new exceptions that would have overturned hard-won court victories in favor of the public’s right to know. Yes, there are aspects of the bill that KPA opposes—such as the constitutionally dubious attempt to exempt the legislature from judicial review of its own open records decisions; that is why the KPA did not endorse the bill. But by having a seat at the table we were able the blunt the bill’s worst aspects and preserve the heart of the ORA from direct attack.

But you would not know that by reading the dramatic critiques of the bill, which portrayed minor, largely procedural changes—such as the use of a new standardized form—as a dramatic rollback of 40 years of transparency. KPA would never stand by and watch that happen; nor would the authors, having spent decades actually litigating Open Records cases. Rather, we continued to work doggedly behindthe-scene to negotiate language that will protect the public’s right to know, securing even more changes up until

BEST OF THE

the very end of the process.

By crying “wolf” about bills like HB 312—and a similar measure related to gruesome photos that is not likely to materially alter current law—certain transparency advocates threaten to do real harm. In a time when the legislature seems set on undermining the First Amendment and the public’s right to know, we must focus the public’s attention on the real wolves at the door: bills that would substantively erode the Open Records law and trample on First Amendment rights. We need to do the hard work to look past what is trending on social media and tell our elected representatives that their job is to protect our foundational First Amendment rights—not their own feelings or those of favored constituents.

Jon L. Fleischaker and Michael P. Abate serve as outside General Counsel to the Kentucky Press Association.

They practice media, and constitutional, and appellate law, among other things, at Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird LLP in Louisville.

VOTE NOW AT

wkuherald.com/boh

10 SPORTS

Week of March 23, 2021

Softball looks stong ahead of conference play

By Jake Moore

WKU Softball currently owns a 14-4 record with just two games remaining before the Hilltoppers enter Conference USA play.

The team is firing on all cylinders as the Hilltoppers swept C-USA rival UAB over the weekend in a dominant fashion. Head coach Amy Tudor has been able to rely on a deep roster of players that seem to be putting the pieces together at just the right time.

“At this point, I feel like in these games this weekend multiple players stepped up in key moments,” Tudor said. “The numbers speak for themselves. Once we’re all clicking, I think that we have a really good shot to put up some big numbers.”

Redshirt senior and leadoff hitter Paige Carter has proven to be a consistent threat all year, owning a .406 average and .739 slugging percentage to go along with five home runs.

“It’s great to be in the leadoff position this year,” Carter said. “I know that I’m going to be on base the majority of the time […] and to start off that first

inning really strong.”

Redshirt freshman Taylor Sanders has been the main offensive weapon for WKU, leading the team with a .904 slugging percentage and collecting six home runs, tied for best on the team.

The Hilltoppers have also been deadly on the basepaths, with TJ Webster and Taylor Davis combining for 19 stolen bases. Davis leads the team in batting average (.446) as well.

The pitching staff has also been rock solid. Tudor has been able to depend on the arm of redshirt senior Kelsey Aikey to hurl five complete games and shoulder the bulk of the innings. Aikey has no issue taking on that responsibility, however.

“I love pressure. I do well in pressured situations,” Aikey said. “But whenever I’m handed the ball, I just go out there and do my best.”

Redshirt junior Shelby Nunn, redshirt freshman Katie Gardner and redshirt sophomore Kennedy Sullivan have all been dependable arms, with Nunn and Gardner each throwing a complete game and Sullivan leading the staff with a 2.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Aikey made

it clear that she is very happy with the depth of the rotation this season.

“Whether you’re in the starting or closing position, we’re just good at coming in and doing what we need to do,” Aikey said. “If somebody is not doing good that day you know that somebody is going to have your back.”

Sullivan has proven she can swing a bat as well, owning a .400 batting average, a .800 slugging percentage and six home runs, tied for most on the team with Sanders.

“I love being able to play multiple positions,” Sullivan said. “I really love hitting.”

The first of WKU’s final two matchups before conference play is a home game against in-state rival Kentucky on March 24 at 6 p.m. Kentucky is currently ranked ninth in the nation according to the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and will be the toughest competition the Hilltoppers have had to face so far this season.

WKU has gone 8-16 against the Wildcats since 2000, and the Hilltoppers are 1-9 in the two teams’ last 10 meetings with each other. This will be

WKU infielder TJ Webster (3) attempts to tag a UAB player during the game against UAB Saturday, March 20, in Bowling Green, Ky.

the first meeting between the two programs since March 26, 2019, when the Wildcats defeated WKU 4-1.

A win would be huge for the Hilltoppers as they are 0-3 against Power 5 teams this season after falling to No. 18 Mississippi State twice and losing a close game against Louisville.

WKU’s final game before conference play will be at home against Lipscomb on March 30 at 6 p.m. WKU split its games with Lipscomb 1-1 in 2020, and the teams were due to play a third time before COVID-19 shut down the Hilltoppers’ season. The Hilltoppers are 7-1 against Lipscomb all-time.

WKU will face opponents from the C-USA East division throughout conference play, and Tudor made it clear that every C-USA series will be important.

“You can’t take a game or a day off,” Tudor said. “At any moment something could happen. It’s [about] how resilient you can be this season. [All series] are critical for us at this point.”

Softball beat reporter Jake Moore can be reached at charles.moore275@ topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @Charles_JMoore.

WYATT RICHARDSON

SPORTS 11

Week of March 23, 2021

WKU to host Cardinals, led by Barnett

By Ian Fleischman

The Lady Toppers (5-1-1), (3-0-1, C-USA) are back at home against Louisville (5-6), (4-4, ACC) on March 27 at 2 p.m.

WKU is carrying a lot of momentum off of a five game winning streak, and they will hope to continue it against their in-state rival Louisville. The last time WKU lost in regulation was Feb. 6 against North Alabama 4-1.

WKU has only lost once this season and tied against Florida Atlantic on March 12.

The Lady Toppers have shown an excellent performance on offense and defense this season. One huge key to their success is putting pressure on other teams. WKU has outshot their opponents in five of their seven games played, and they have won each game where they took the most shots.

Coming off a Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honor for her stellar performance against Florida Atlantic, junior midfielder Ambere Barnett tallied a goal in the game to help the Lady Toppers end in a draw against Florida Atlantic.

Barnett leads WKU with 12 points and five goals in six games played this spring. She’s also fired 15 shots on net and tied for the second most goals scored in C-USA. Another Lady Topper that’s been having a big impact is freshman defender Ellie Belcher. Belcher is coming off the Marshall game with a goal, and she will look to continue to be a huge role on the WKU defense.

Louisville is coming off a 1-0 win against Dayton that was played

WKU Hilltopper Ambere Barnett (15) headsets the ball during the game against Marshall on Thursday, March 18, in Bowling Green, Ky.

WYATT RICHARDSON

on March 6. It was their first game since Nov. 10 against Virginia. The Cardinals will have their work cut out for them against a team carrying so much momentum.

Junior midfielder Maisie Whitsett lifted Louisville to their first win in 2021 with a goal, and they will most likely utilize her on offense to put pressure on the Lady Toppers.

Louisville is relatively fresh after this long hiatus, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy from here out.

They are dealing with losing players that they had before, and that will definitely be a hurdle for them to get over.

Soccer beat reporter Ian Fleischman can be reached at ian.fleischman583@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @ian_fleischman.

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12 SPORTS

Week of March 23, 2021

Hilltoppers play LA Tech in NIT quarterfinals

By Kaden Gaylord

After a heartbreaking loss in the Conference USA championship, the WKU Hilltoppers had every excuse in the world to lose in the opening round of the National Invitational Tournament, but they pulled out a victory against a Saint Mary’s team that finished second in the West Coast Conference.

“There’s three games left, take them one at a time. By the time we play again, there probably won't be no more than 25 or 30 left in the country left playing, and we’re going to be one of those teams,” head coach Rick Stansbury said. “We’re still competing for a national championship. There’s a lot of players, a lot of coaches who would still like to be in this situation, and everyone you play now takes on a lot more meaning.”

The Hilltoppers held the lead for most of the game, but the Gaels were able to tie it up. Saint Mary’s turned the ball over with nine seconds left before senior Taveion Hollingsworth drew a foul and was sent to the free-throw line, hitting both, ultimately taking the win.

“We got the first one out of the way, now you can't make excuses for the next one. If anything, we would’ve lost this one,” Hollingsworth said. “I'm glad the guys got over the pain and hurt that we were all feeling last weekend. I'm pretty happy for the guys who get to see how we will make a run in this.”

WKU will now take on a familiar foe, conference-rival Louisiana Tech. The Hilltoppers and Bulldogs split the regular season series that took place in Diddle Arena, with WKU winning the first game 66-64 and La Tech winning the second game 63-58. In both games, the Hilltoppers held the Bulldogs under its season average of 73 points per game.

The Bulldogs are currently 22-7 after defeating SEC resident Ole Miss in the first round of the NIT tournament. The Bulldogs are led by their All-Conference USA Second Team members freshman big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. and sophomore forward Isaiah Jackson. Lofton Jr. also earned All-Conference AllFreshman Team honors as well.

The freshman finished with 22 points and seven rebounds in their first round matchup against the Rebels.

By game day, WKU will have had over a week of rest. The last time the Hilltoppers had more than a week of rest, they handily defeated Rice, surpassing their points per game average.

“We’re still competing for a national championship. Most teams still aren’t playing,” Hollingsworth said. “And obviously we’re blessed to be in this situation right now but we’re just going to make the most of it; we’re going to try to win these games.”

WKU will still be without the services of Carson Williams as he is preparing to participate in an NFL pro-day, pursuing a career in professional football. Senior Kenny Cooper is still questionable to be back after he missed the first round game against Saint Mary’s with an ankle injury.

The rubber match between WKU and La Tech will take place Thursday evening at 9 p.m. in Frisco, Texas. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN2.

Men’s basketball beat reporter Kaden Gaylord can be reached at kaden.gaylord559@topper.wku. edu. Follow Kaden on Twitter at @_KLG3.

Photo courtesy of WKU Athletics.

On March 31st from 11am - 2pm we will host the Market on the Avenue in front of PS2!

Shop from local vendors and meet our team!