Indiana
A pond for Ponds: Bloomington names body of water after Indiana CB
D’Angelo Ponds announced himself to the nation by returning an interception of Oregon quarterback Dante Moore for a touchdown on the first play of the College Football Playoff semifinal last Friday. That moment cemented his place in Hoosiers lore — and, now, on Bloomington’s map.
The city temporarily renamed a local pond “D’Angelo’s Pond” in honor of the Indiana cornerback after a social media post calling for such a move went viral. The city’s communications team approached Mayor Kerry Thomson with the idea, and she was quickly on board.
“(We) thought it was brilliant, really. It helps lift up some of the less visible players,” Thomson told The Athletic. “This was a great opportunity to highlight that our city is a place where potential is unlocked, and this team has really shown that.”
The retention pond — designed to temporarily hold stormwater runoff — sits just a few minutes from Memorial Stadium. Thomson’s office leaned into the metaphor in its announcement, writing that “like a great cornerback, a well-designed stormwater pond knows how to contain and protect.”
Ponds told Fox 59 that the renaming was a “once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
“Just to have a pond named after me is something that’s always been talked about, but I was just really shocked to see it come to life,” he said.
After drawing little attention from major programs out of high school because of his size, the 5-foot-9 defensive back committed to James Madison and coach Curt Cignetti in 2022. Ponds earned Freshman All-America honors in 2023 before following Cignetti to Bloomington, where he’s emerged as one of the nation’s top cornerbacks. He was named Defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl in Indiana’s win over Alabama, then earned the same honor in the Hoosiers’ rout of Oregon.
Bloomington’s honor also rewards Ponds’ loyalty to the Hoosiers. He was offered by 30 programs after entering the portal last April — including Alabama, Tennessee and Miami. He told The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman that he had second thoughts after committing to Indiana, a school better known for its basketball program. But he chose to stick with Cignetti and the Hoosiers, and is now on the precipice of winning the school’s first national championship and completing one of the greatest turnarounds in sports history.
“The vibe in Bloomington recently around football has been quite different than it has been in the past 30 years,” Thomson said. “The whole community has really come together around this team and around their story.”
Asked why the new name for the previously unnamed pond wasn’t permanent, the mayor said an official name change would’ve required the use of public resources.
“It’s unofficially official until the end of time,” she said. “… But, at the end of the day, who knows? Anything’s possible.”
While Thomson has not gotten the chance to speak with Ponds, she’s heard that the cornerback is planning a visit when he returns from Miami. The pond is not swimmable, so Thomson hopes to toss a football across the pond to Ponds.
Fernando Mendoza did not attend Indiana University’s visit to the White House commemorating the Hoosiers’ college football national championship on Monday. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback said earlier this month that he would not attend if it interfered with any activities with his new team.
“I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here,” Mendoza said following a rookie minicamp practice. “I got to prove myself. I can’t miss practice. I don’t know anything official. I don’t have the calendar, but I just wouldn’t. As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look, and I want to try to best serve my teammates. And I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”
According to the team’s official offseason schedule, the Raiders did not have any formal practices or workouts on Monday. The team’s next organized activity is May 18, its first OTA workout.
“Fernando couldn’t be here today because, as I said, he’s now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders,” President Donald Trump said in his address. “Let’s see how good of a team they have, and I think he’s gonna do great. He’s a winner.”
Mendoza wasn’t the only absence. Center Pat Coogan and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds were among the other Hoosiers not in attendance for the event due to NFL obligations. Indiana had a program-record eight players selected in April’s NFL Draft.
Trump highlighted Mendoza’s accomplishments and contributions to the school’s first football national title. He celebrated Mendoza as Indiana’s inaugural Heisman Trophy winner and praised his fourth-quarter touchdown run in the championship game against Miami.
“He’s gonna be a good one,” Trump said.
Indiana was well-represented by returning members of the team. Charlie Becker, one of Mendoza’s go-to receivers during the College Football Playoffs, and Jamari Sharpe, whose late interception secured the title-game victory, both spoke on behalf of the school, as did head coach Curt Cignetti.
Mendoza is one of four members of the national champion Hoosiers who joined the Raiders this offseason. Running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. signed as undrafted free agents in the days following the draft. Wide receiver Jonathan Brady earned a contract after impressing as a tryout player during rookie minicamp.
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating a triple shooting that took place on Muncie’s south side Sunday evening that left a woman dead and two men injured.
According to police, at approximately 5:27 p.m., Muncie Police Officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of South Walnut Street in reference to reports of several people being shot.
Officers arrived and located three gunshot victims: A 23-year-old female who died from “multiple wounds,” a 39-year-old male who is hospitalized in stable condition, and a 40-year-old male who was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital in critical condition.
Police say a suspect is in custody, a 21-year-old man.
Police did not provide any additional information.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Muncie Police Detective Division at 765-747-4867 or dispatch at 765-747-4838.
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Sports Seriously
The Indiana Pacers lost 63 games this season for a chance at a franchise-changing lottery pick. On Sunday, May 10, they lost that chance, too.
All Pacers president Kevin Pritchard could do was apologize for taking the risk.
Indiana’s pick landed at No. 5 in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, one spot outside the top four protections attached to a midseason trade. The selection now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers .
Shortly after the results were announced, Pritchard took social media and apologized.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck.”
The Pacers entered the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick after finishing 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA. It wasn’t enough.
Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick to Los Angeles in the midseason deal for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, along with the conditional 2026 first-rounder. The pick was theirs to keep only if it landed in the top four.
Zubac appeared in just five games for Indiana after the trade because of a fractured rib.
“This team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year,” Pritchard wrote. “We have always been resillient.”
Pritchard will have to be resilient if he looks at the replies to his statement. About half of the Pacers fans’ comments were not happy, and fans of other teams called him out for “tanking.”
There were also a large number of fans who were supportive of Pritchard taking that risk.
Tyrese Haliburton is expected to return next season after tearing his Achilles in last year’s NBA Finals. The Pacers will have him Pascal Siakam and a roster they think is built to compete. They just won’t have that first-round pick to add to it.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins June 23 in Brooklyn.
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