The 250th birthday of the United States of America has come and gone, and there's no better time to look back at some South Dakota high school sports highlights.
In South Dakota, that means deciding who is on our Mount Rushmore in different categories. For the next five weeks, Argus Leader readers will get to make their own Mount Rushmore of athletes.
The four most common submissions will be put on the Argus Leader Mount Rushmore.
With the offensive side of the football done, it's time to switch sports for a week to cleanse the palette.
All surveys will be open for six days, with these two allowing fans to choose the top boys and girls basketball players from South Dakota, closing at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4.

#mount

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and his staff are close to wrapping up the No. 1-ranked 2027 recruiting class, and as soon as the 2026 season kicks off against Missouri State on Saturday, Sept. 5, the 2028 recruiting class will become the focus, but won't include five-star cornerback A'mir Sears, who reclassified to the 2027 cycle and will announce his commitment on Friday.
Last week, it was revealed that two Aggie legacies in the 2028 class received predictions to land with Texas A&M, as four-star running back Ian Thomas and four-star wide receiver and track star Dillon Mitchell descend from two former A&M starters in the 1990s.
On Wednesday, On3 insider Sam Speigelman released his latest set of predictions for 19 prospects in the 2028 class, with Dillon Mitchell receiving a 75% confidence level from Speigelman to commit to the Aggies. Even more impressive, Texas A&M is listed as the "biggest threat" to secure commitments from four-star OT Jai'storm Knight, four-star athlete CJ Whaley, four-star DL Logan Lokey, four-star Edge Braydon Robinson, and three-star CB Kameron Grisby.
None of this is surprising given Mike Elko's success in the 2027 cycle, building strong and lasting relationships with all 26 commitments, with nearly half shutting down their recruitments this summer.
After a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft back in late April, Elko further proved his ability to develop players to reach their NFL potential at nearly every position, and you can be sure every current high school prospect will be paying attention if Elko continues to send double-digit recruits and transfer additions to the league.

#dillon

On the latest episode of JohnWallStreet Presents: Big Business on Campus, a college sports podcast powered by Playfly Sports, JohnWallStreet Founder Corey Leff and Playfly Sports Chairman Michael Schreiber sit down with DePaul University Senior Vice President & Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy.
In this 50-minute conversation, the trio touch on a multitude of actionable insights including:
Why Facilities Still Matter
DePaul raised $20 million and plans to break ground on a new basketball building this summer. While college sports' arms race has shifted from facilities to player compensation —and the money raised could theoretically be directed toward athletes— Peevy explained the project complements the school's NIL efforts.
"If NIL is about attracting talent, facilities are about developing and retaining that talent. You can't gain and sustain success without both in this transfer portal era.... Let's say we bring in someone that develops into the freshman of the year in our league, those are targeted [players] for other leagues. So, if we don't have [resources] in place to retain first our best, we're going to be behind consistently," he said. "A dedicated facility also improves our operational capabilities every day, including [with] recovery [and] film."

#college #including

The state of Texas is not only one of the biggest states in the country, but also one of the most talent-rich areas. It's also home to 25 Division I schools, which is one fewer than California for the most in the country.
Texas is also home to huge public universities like the University of Texas and Texas A&M, two of the richest athletic programs in college sports that also happen to be fierce rivals. Other schools like Baylor and Houston have all experienced the highest highs of college sports.
With a long list of schools, especially ones with illustrious pasts in sports, landing on the 10 best college athletes in the state's history wasn't easy, and certainly resulted in some all-time players being left out. The list features Heisman Trophy winners, all-time greats and players that were equally as important culturally as they were on the field.
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Here's a look at USA TODAY's 10 best college athletes from Texas, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary:

#texas #college #like #list

Rocky Top will always be the dominant college powerhouse in the state of Tennessee with Volunteers having historical success in women's basketball and talented athletes in football, softball and track and field. But when putting a list of the 10 best athletes in Tennessee, there are other schools to consider.
Vanderbilt, Memphis and Tennessee State are among the 11 other schools that compete in Division I athletics across the state. Each of the aforementioned trio have standouts that deserve inclusion in the discussion.
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Here's a look at the top 10 greatest college athletes to ever play in the state of Tennessee, part of the USA TODAY Sports USA 250 initiative:
The 2007 SEC female athlete of the year, Abbott set NCAA records in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and became the first pitcher to post at least 500 strikeouts in four consecutive seasons. She guided the Vols to three Women's College World Series berths and struck out a record 734 batters her senior year and was named national player of the year. Abbott is the NCAA leader in career strikeouts (2,440) as part of a career that includes 23 no-hitters and six perfect games.

#tennessee #college #state #abbott

Utah and Brigham Young are the flagship universities in the Beehive State. Most of the success in college athletics comes from those two schools. However, there are five other institutions in the state that play in Division I that are worthy of attention.
Yes, the exercise of recognizing the 10 greatest college athletes who played in Utah is going to focus on the Utes and Cougars, who both have taken a circuitous patch to eventually reach their current membership in the Big 12 Conference. The Cougars boast a Heisman Trophy winner and several other well-known quarterbacks. The Utes have their own notable success in multiple sports.
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But the list is also going to include some other standouts who didn't play on the biggest stage in the state. Utah State and Weber State respectively produced a Pro Football Hall of Famer who also gained notoriety outside the sporting world and a future Basketball Hall of Famer.
The only Heisman Trophy winner from one of Utah's schools, Detmer was one of the most prolific passers in college football history. He threw for 15,031 yards and 121 touchdowns while setting 59 NCAA records in his time with the Cougars. His biggest moment from the 1990 season came against No. 1 Miami when he passed for 406 yards in an upset of the Hurricanes that kick-started his Heisman run.

#cougars #Football

We would like to highlight the top performances from high school multi-sport female athletes on the SouthCoast from the 2025-26 school year.
For the Fan Choice SouthCoast Female Athlete of the Year, we've narrowed the list down to eight choices.
Now, we'd like you to vote for the person you think should be crowned the SouthCoast Female Athlete of the Year. Your vote will be part of the formula we use to select the winner. Our staff will also weigh in, and we'll wind up with an overall winner.
(Editor's Note: Voting will end at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7.)
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by school.

#southcoast #year

We would like to highlight the top performances from high school multi-sport female athletes on the SouthCoast from the 2025-26 school year.
For the Fan Choice SouthCoast Female Athlete of the Year, we've narrowed the list down to eight choices.
Now, we'd like you to vote for the person you think should be crowned the SouthCoast Female Athlete of the Year. Your vote will be part of the formula we use to select the winner. Our staff will also weigh in, and we'll wind up with an overall winner.
(Editor's Note: Voting will end at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7.)
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by school.

#southcoast #athlete #like #vote

Florida football will enter the 2026 season with one of the best running backs in the SEC, if not the country.
Gators junior Jadan Baugh rushed for 1,170 yards and 8 TDs last season, ranking third in the SEC and becoming UF's first 1,000-yard rusher since Kelvin Taylor in 2015.
What can Baugh do for an encore? Under new Florida coach Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, the possibilities are limitless. Faulkner recruited Baugh out of Columbia High in Atlanta when he was at Georgia Tech and understands the strengths of the 6-foot-1, 228-pound running back who began his high school career as a linebacker.
"He always told me these are the things we can do with you, play can play running back, quarterback, receiver, whatever you want to do," Baugh said, "Being with an offensive coordinator like that, to have so much creativity and being able to put players in great positions, I feel like it's very exciting."
At 1,843 career rushing yards, Baugh has a chance to surpass 3,000 career rushing yards with a big junior season. That would put him among the top five UF rushers of all time, a list that includes Fred Taylor, Earnest Graham, Neal Anderson, Emmitt Smith and Errict Rhett.

#baugh

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin appeals court on Wednesday restored a 2011 anti-union law that abolished collective bargaining rights, in a setback for unions and public workers. Unions are expected to appeal, sending the case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is controlled by liberal justices.
The 2024 ruling striking down the law as unconstitutional had been on hold pending appeal, so Wednesday's reversal does not change the status quo. The law remains in effect, as it has been the past 15 years, as the legal fight continues.
Enactment of a 2011 anti-union state law, championed by Republicans, sparked weeks of protests and made Wisconsin the center of a national battle over union rights.
That law, known as Act 10, effectively ended most public employees′ ability to bargain for wage increases and other issues, and forced them to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits.
Supporters of the law say it gives local governments more control over workers and the powers needed to cut costs. They argue that repealing the law, which allowed schools and local governments to raise money through higher employee contributions for benefits, would bankrupt those entities.

#union #court #rights #appeal

A Christmas sweater. A case of pink eye. A Hallmark movie set.
That's how Descendants: Wicked Wonderland star Malia Baker says her Hollywood career began. At 11, the Vancouver native snuck onto a set and walked away with her first acting credit.
Yahoo's kid correspondent, Gigi — yes, my daughter — is 11 now. She's the one interviewing Baker about her unlikely origin story and how she went from set crasher to a Disney princess who's currently starring in the fifth Descendants movie. Now airing on Disney Channel and streaming on Disney+, the film reveals a darker side of Baker's character, Chloe Charming, the daughter of Cinderella. Can you say evil Chloe?
Speaking to Gigi, the 19-year-old actor, also known for Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club, answers the kinds of questions only a preteen may ask. For instance: What's the name of the Descendants text chat? Does she have any squishies? What are the names of her pets?
Before long, though, the conversation turns to growing up — pursuing dreams, finding your people and the advice Baker wishes she'd gotten before starting middle school. Take it away, Gigi …

#baker #gigi #movie

Jul. 29—Multiple schools in the Miami Valley have indicated they do not plan to add girls flag football to their list of athletic programs.
Cox First Media surveyed area high schools about their interest in offering girls flag football as a varsity activity following its approval by the OHSAA as its 29th sport. No area school that responded to the survey provided a "yes"-type response outside of the schools that already offer the sport.
School administrators did provide positive feedback on the sport's growth and acceptance by the OHSAA.
Northmont athletic director Micah Harding indicated the school is not in a position to add any new programs as it attempts to avoid further expenses, but believes it could be something that is explored in a better financial situation.
Sustainability is also on the mind when it comes to growth. Miamisburg AD Jason Shade believes it would be difficult to ensure a program could make it through its infancy due to declining enrollment and a low percentage of upperclassmen females.

#Football

Oprah Winfrey is reshaping her nearly two-decade mission in South Africa. After almost 20 years, the media icon is charting a bold new course for one of her proudest endeavors. What began as a single campus is about to grow into something far larger. She says the heart of the mission stays exactly the same.
Oprah Winfrey revealed this week that the school she founded in South Africa nearly two decades ago will wind down. It hands its operations back to local officials, while she pours energy into expanded scholarship efforts for girls.
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will end operations in its current form at the close of 2027, with the provincial government taking over the facility from there. "The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women," Winfrey, 72, said in a statement.
She stressed that her purpose "doesn't end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education."
The academy will graduate two more classes before the shift. A rep says remaining students will move to other top-tier schools with tuition fully covered through graduation.

#south #africa #campus

The Georgia Bulldogs are predicted to close the deal on one of their top remaining recruiting targets in the class of 2027. Georgia is projected to land a commitment from four-star safety recruit Seth Williams, per Benjamin Wolk of 247Sports.
Georgia is predicted to beat out the Clemson Tigers for the elite safety prospect. Georgia and Clemson are Williams' final two schools. Both programs will find out soon enough with Williams announcing his commitment on Friday, July 31.
Williams plays high school football for Lakeside High School in Atlanta, Georgia. The Peach State star is the No. 19 safety prospect in the country and the No. 19 recruit in Georgia. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back is the No. 409 recruit in the country, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
The Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart would love to keep Williams home. Georgia has only one defensive back commitment in the 2027 recruiting class, so the Dawgs are looking to add more. Georgia has 19 total commitments in the 2027 cycle including one from four-star safety Adryan Cole. Georgia has America's No. 12 recruiting class.
Clemson is not quite as desperate for defensive back commitments as Georgia. The Tigers have five commitments in the secondary. Clemson has made Williams a priority. Clemson has invested a lot of time and resources into recruiting Williams, but it appears that may not be enough. Clemson and coach Dabo Swinney have the No. 13 recruiting class in the country. The Tigers have 25 commitments.

#tigers

There are several players with local ties that began their football careers on fields around Central Mass. that are starting training camp with NFL teams this week. Jennifer Toland took a look at 12 former local high school and college stars giving it their all for a shot on living the ultimate dream.
Anderson, who helped lead Holy Cross to four straight Patriot League championships, joined the Bengals' practice squad in October 2025. He spent most of his first two pro seasons (2023, 2024) on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad. Anderson played in four games for the Colts, primarily as a special teams contributor. Anderson was a two-time All-Patriot League first-team honoree.
Coker, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Panthers in June, emerged as a vital part of the Panthers' offense his first two seasons in the NFL. ****** er missed the first six games of 2025 with a quadriceps injury before coming back to make 33 catches for 394 yards and 3 touchdowns and help Carolina win the NFC South ****** le for the first time in a decade. In the Panthers' wild-card playoff game loss to the Los Angeles Rams, ****** er had nine receptions for 134 yards and a TD. ****** er is Holy Cross' all-time leader in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Crippen, who grew up in Northborough and attended Milton Academy and IMG Academy, was a member of the University of Michigan's 2024 national ****** le team. As a graduate student in 2025, Crippen started all 13 games at center and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. The Steelers signed the 6-foot-4, 309-pound Crippen as an undrafted free agent after his successful tryout at the team's rookie minicamp in May.
Gray, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, enters his sixth season with the Chiefs. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion. Gray, who had 21 receptions for 178 yards last season, is expected to continue in his backup role to Travis Kelce in 2026. Gray had his most productive season in 2024, when he caught 40 passes for 437 yards and 5 touchdowns, all career highs.

#anderson #panthers #games

Iowa State wrestling head coach Alli St. John announced the signing of Chloe Sanders Wednesday, the program's fourth freshman addition of the summer. Sanders, a standout from Vinton-Shellsburg High School, is slated to compete in the 138-pound weight class.
Sanders arrives at Iowa State as the winningest female high school wrestler in Iowa history, finishing her prep career with a 219-12 record. During her senior season, she recorded a perfect 58-0 record and won the Class 1A 135-pound state ******* le. Of her 219 career victories, 168 were won by fall.
In February, Sanders became the first girl from Vinton-Shellsburg to win a state wrestling championship. Her high school accolades include being named the 2026 Dan Gable 1A Ms. Wrestler of the Year, earning four WaMaC Conference ******* les and being selected as the WaMaC Wrestler of the Year twice.
At Iowa State, Sanders is expected to compete for the 138-pound position alongside William Penn transfer Esther Kolawole. The Cyclones' current roster includes 17 athletes, comprising 13 transfers and four incoming freshmen.
Signees
Jumoke Adekoye – 131 – Jun.
Molly Allen – 124 – Soph.
Kailey Benson – 131 – Soph.
Greta Brus – 145 – Fresh.
Makennah Craft – 103 – Soph.
Anaya Falcon – 110 – Soph.
Piper Fowler – 180 – Soph.
Gabriella Gomez – 124 – Soph.
Persaeus Gomez – 131 – Soph.
Esther Kolawole – 138 – Jun.
Daniella Nugent – 145 – Soph.
Christianah Ogunsanya – 117 – Jun.
Tatiana Paragas – 124 – Soph.
Avy Perez – 110 – Soph.
Brooklyn Perez – 131 – Fresh.
Alezandra Robles – 145 – Fresh.
Chloe Sanders – 138 – Fresh.

#soph #state #wrestler #pound

Tennessee said Wednesday that linebacker Arion Carter has been suspended for the first two games of the 2026 season by the NCAA after he repaid an agent for a flight he took during the NFL's pre-draft process.
Carter explored entering the 2026 NFL Draft before deciding to return for his senior season. As he was looking at entering the draft, an agent paid for a $427 plane ticket. After Carter suffered an injury while working out before the draft, he returned to school and paid for the flight.
However, the NCAA deemed the initial payment of that ticket by the agent to be a Level III violation because players and their families are not allowed to take material benefits from agents, including transportation. And a spokesperson for the school told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Carter had actually been suspended for three games before it was reduced down to two.
"We disagree with the NCAA's ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said in a statement. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being. He will proudly graduate from Tennessee in public health with Dean's List honors in August. Our team stands behind AC and his family, and we can't wait to be on the field with him during training camp this week."
Carter was Tennessee's third-leading tackler in 2025 despite missing three games because of a foot injury that flared up as he was looking to turn pro. He had 76 stops and six tackles for loss across 10 games. He'll miss the team's Week 1 game against Furman and its Week 2 matchup vs. Georgia Tech.

#carter #draft

Arkansas football enters 2026 looking almost nothing like the team that stumbled through a disastrous 2025 season that saw them go 2-10 overall and 0-for-the-SEC. After Sam Pittman was fired in late September and Bobby Petrino finished out the year as interim coach, the Razorbacks turned to Memphis' Ryan Silverfield to lead yet another full scale rebuild of the program. With a new staff, a roster overhauled through the transfer portal, but one of the toughest schedules in the country waiting, expectations in Northwest Arkansas are cautious but hopeful.
Silverfield arrives after six seasons at Memphis, where he went a solid 50-25 and built a reputation for explosive offenses. Memphis has always been a place at which it was tough to succeed. Despite a ton of local talent, the university's commitment level (or lack thereof) and competition on the recruiting trail from SEC schools frequently combined to keep the Tigers from reaching their potential.
Silverfield won more than ten games twice, but 2025 saw the Tigers drop to 8-4, and Silverfield leave prior to them taking a 31-7 beating from NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl. In short, he was not the most highly sought after coach on the carousel, and probably had a hit of a sell by date in Memphis. But Arkansas isn't exactly a plum ****** ignment in the SEC. So in some ways it felt like program and coach found each other at the right time.
Silverfield wasted little time ****** embling his first Arkansas staff. Tim Cramsey, his offensive coordinator at Memphis for four seasons, follows him to Fayetteville after helping the Tigers average 36 points per game and rank among the top 25 offenses nationally. On defense, Silverfield hired Ron Roberts, who spent the last two years running Florida's defense and previously called plays at Auburn, Baylor and Louisiana, including on Baylor's Sugar Bowl winning 2022 staff. Chad Lunsford, a former Georgia Southern head coach, takes over special teams duties after a strong 2025 at Auburn. The staff also brought in several ****** istants from Memphis and around the country, including veteran offensive line coaches Jeff Myers and Marcus Johnson, signaling a clear intent to rebuild a line that struggled last season.
Those new coaches are going to need name tags to keep up with all their new players. Few programs churned their roster harder than Arkansas this offseason. With dozens of scholarship spots to fill, the Razorbacks needed a portal class that ranked among the largest in the country, and they landed roughly 29 commitments that placed them near the top of the SEC and top 15 nationally in industry transfer rankings.

#memphis #coach #country #auburn

The top high school athletic program in the country resides in Central Indiana.
That is the ****** ysis of MaxPreps, which ranked Carmel as the No. 1 athletic program in the country by its metrics for the 2025-26 school year. The Greyhounds finished with 2,906 points in the MaxPreps Cup standings to rank No. 1. Carmel finished 164 points ahead of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the second school on the list.
Here are all of the state ****** les the Greyhounds captured last year:
Boys' Lacrosse
Boys' Soccer

#school #carmel

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy of Girls in South Africa will be closing after 2027 and transitioning its operations back to local officials
Winfrey will instead focuses on an "expanded" scholarship program for girls there
"Overall, there will be double the amount of girls who will have access to education through this model," a rep for Winfrey says
The South Africa school that Oprah Winfrey opened nearly two decades ago will be closing and transitioning its operations back to local officials while Winfrey focuses on an "expanded" scholarship program for girls there, she announced this week.
"The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women," Winfrey, 72, said in a statement on Wednesday, July 29, announcing that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy of Girls will end operations in its current form at the end of 2027.

#winfrey #girls #operations #leadership

We've never seen Indiana football recruit at the level it's been lately.
The Hoosiers have had moments where they've reigned in highly-rated high school prospects, but they've been few and far between. They've never had a five-star commit, as happened when Monshun Sales announced his decision earlier this month. Nor have they ever landed one of the nation's top quarterback prospects, as happened when Lukas Prock did the same not long after. Sales and Prock are No. 1 and No. 2 in 247Sports' list of all-time Indiana commits.
With all of this in mind, we asked Indiana football fans how they felt about recruiting moving forward. There were responses that indicated a lack of optimism, but no respondents chose them.
Indiana fans, of course, have reason to be optimistic. Curt Cignetti and the rest of the Hoosiers' staff are coming off of the first national ******* le in program history and won it without a single 5-star on the roster, developing several other prospects into high-level contributors over time.
The Hoosiers enter the 2026 season with a similar build as former James Madison and Tom Allen Indiana players exhaust their eligibility and the roster is bolstered through the transfer portal and development of past recruits. Indiana sits at +950 to repeat as national champions, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

#indiana #prock #never #Football

The opportunity to put sponsorship patches on Texas Tech football uniforms has stirred interest from potential corporate partners, Robert Giovannetti said this week, but the Tech senior **** ociate athletics director stopped short of saying whether he expects a deal to be struck in time for this season.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we have one," Giovannetti said, "but I don't know if I'd use the term 'expect'. I think we understand the value. We understand the importance. We understand that we need to monetize where we can, but I think we want to make sure we have the right partnership and we get the right price for it."
Giovannetti made the observation on Tuesday, July 28, hours after Ohio State and Notre Dame both announced department-wide sponsorship agreements that will have all their teams wearing a sponsor's logo on uniforms. According to reports, Ohio State is expected to receive about $15 million to $17 million annually in a multi-year deal with JPMorganChase, and Notre Dame is expected to receive in the range of $18 million to $20 million annually in a six-year deal with SoFi Technologies. Both deals are for jersey patches for all teams at each of the schools.
More: What goes into Texas Tech Ring of Honor selection? An inside look
More: Texas Tech's 10-year deal with adidas signed at last: Contract details here

#notre

TORRINGTON - Sara Brewer, Torrington's new athletic director, played three sports while attending the MacDuffie School in Massachusetts, but her No. 1 athletic love was always equestrian.
She took her first horse-riding lesson at age 6, got her first horse at 12 and competed in horse shows along the Eastern Seaboard from New England down to Virginia until she left for college. The then Suffield resident won her circuit championship several times and was even high-point champion in Massachusetts and reserve high-point champion in Connecticut.
"I was successful," Brewer said, "but it wasn't about the ribbons, though I do love blue. It was about the camaraderie. It was about working with this 2,000-pound animal and trying to convince him that he wanted to do what I wanted him to do. It was a lot of fun."
She will bring the lessons learned in the horse ring, along with plenty of others gleaned from years in sports, to the new position she took over July 1 from retired Torrington athletic director Mike McKenna. Certainly, she has already shown a knack for adaptability in 15 years at the high school.
After graduating from MacDuffie, Brewer earned a degree in athletic training from Endicott College in Massachusetts and a teaching certificate from Central Connecticut (and later advanced degrees online from Canisius and the University of New England). Like McKenna before her, she was originally an athletic trainer for Torrington before joining the faculty as an allied health and sports medicine teacher.

#Athletic #torrington #sports

Jul. 29—On Wednesdays, we'll chop it up with our Golfer of the Week. Email nominations to .
As caddy for his daughter, Jeff Woods provided sound advice throughout last weekend's Twin City tournament. Better yet, he provided frequent updates for inquiring minds wanting to know how things were going.
"He was texting all the updates to my family and friends," Mary Woods said. "He's a great caddy."
With Dad on the bag, Mary won her first Twin City ******* le in three tries by beating Ashley Wells on the first playoff hole Sunday at the Champaign Country Club. The 26-year-old University of Illinois graduate, who was a News-Gazette All-Area Girls' Soccer performer at Centennial (Class of '18), also played basketball and tennis in high school.
Golf? She rediscovered her love of a sport she quit playing in middle school when COVID-19 hit.

#woods #first

Happy Gump Day, everyone. Since it is Gump Day, we'll say that Alabama is being overlooked and thus has the rest of the SEC right where they want them:
As the season approaches, major preview magazines have already hit newsstands, including Athon Sports. Most of the magazines are projecting Alabama to finish midpack within the SEC, and Athlon is no different.
The Crimson Tide fell seventh in the SEC in the Athlon preseason rankings. The magazine projected Alabama to finish 15th nationally.
The publication had Georgia No. 1 in the league, followed by Texas, with Oklahoma third. Texas A&M was fourth on the list, with LSU rounding out the top five and Ole Miss the other school ahead of the Crimson Tide, which sat one spot ahead of Tennessee.
It has been many years since Alabama football has been under the radar like this.

#gump

It is a sign of the times ... literally. Advertisements dominate our daily viewing more than we may realize. Depending on the day, the average person will see between 4,000 and 10,000 advertisements. Ohio State fans will be adding one more to that list, as it was announced earlier today that the Buckeye Athletic Department has entered into an agreement with Chase Bank and will wear a jersey patch on all of its uniforms. The reported agreement will give OSU another $17 million to play with per year.
As you can imagine, there were some passionate responses to seeing the scarlet and gray uniform become a walking billboard. Some see it as a necessary evil in today's name, image and likeness arms race, while others, holding tight to tradition, were not so forgiving. Some fan bases decided to get on their high horse only to find out their school made a similar deal just hours later. Love it or hate it, this is what collegiate sports are turning into.
As soon as the news broke, there was no shortage of opinions, and we're here to bring you some of the best.
Contact/Follow us BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State social media reacts to buckeyes wearing a jersey patch

#state #buckeyes

Lady Diana Spencer and then-Prince (now King) Charles' 1981 wedding was nothing short of a spectacle. One that, even today, remains among the most talked-about weddings of all time.
The pair first met in 1977, when she was 16 and he was 29. In 1980, the Prince of Wales began courting the nursery school ****** istant, and by February 1981, Charles had proposed and the two were headed down the aisle.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles wed in an extravagant ceremony held at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981. With Diana being the first British woman to marry an heir to the throne in 300 years, the palace spared no expense, declaring the special day a public holiday and doling out a jaw-dropping $48 million, according to Smithsonian magazine.
About 3,500 people attended the ceremony, while more than 600,000 people lined the streets and 7.5 million more tuned in at home to watch the nuptials.
The pair welcomed sons William and Harry in 1982 and 1984, but the former Prince and Princess of Wales' marriage was famously tumultuous. In his authorized biography, The Prince of Wales, published in 1994, Charles confirmed he began his affair with former flame Camilla Parker Bowles in 1986. Ex-army Major James Hewitt also claimed to have begun an affair with Diana around this time, which he said lasted for the next five years.

#charles

Some stars spend years working their way up, while others become unforgettable almost overnight. These 13 performers made an immediate impact with major debut roles that launched them straight into the spotlight. From pop icons to acclaimed actresses, they proved that one breakout performance can change an entire career.
TRF/ MEGA
Maisie Williams stunned audiences with her debut as Arya Stark, a character who quickly captured hearts and established her as a fan favorite. She landed the part at just 12 years old after beating out roughly 300 other girls who tried out for the role, as reported by Deadline. Her fearless performance made her an instant sensation and left a lasting legacy in the fantasy genre, proving she belonged on the biggest stage from the start.
Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / MEGA
Auli'i Cravalho shot to fame the moment she voiced the iconic Moana for Disney, soaring on her vocal talent and effortless charm. The then-unknown Hawaii high schooler was plucked for the role after Disney discovered a tape of her performing at a local charity showcase, according to Time.

#performance

A Christmas sweater. A case of pink eye. A Hallmark movie set.
That's how Descendants: Wicked Wonderland star Malia Baker says her Hollywood career began. At 11, the Vancouver native snuck onto a set and walked away with her first acting credit.
Yahoo's kid correspondent, Gigi — yes, my daughter — is 11 now. She's the one interviewing Baker about her unlikely origin story and how she went from set crasher to a Disney princess who's currently starring in the fifth Descendants movie. Now airing on Disney Channel and streaming on Disney+, the film reveals a darker side of Baker's character, Chloe Charming, the daughter of Cinderella. Can you say evil Chloe?
Speaking to Gigi, the 19-year-old actor, also known for Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club, answers the kinds of questions only a preteen may ask. For instance: What's the name of the Descendants text chat? Does she have any squishies? What are the names of her pets?
Before long, though, the conversation turns to growing up — pursuing dreams, finding your people and the advice Baker wishes she'd gotten before starting middle school. Take it away, Gigi …

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PARIS — LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton's key fashion and leather goods division broke its losing streak in the second quarter, in a signal that demand for luxury goods is recovering after two years of sluggish sales.
The French luxury goods giant said organic sales for the unit, which includes Louis Vuitton, Dior and Loro Piana, rose 1 percent to 9.01 billion euros in the three months to June 30, following seven consecutive quarters of declines.
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