The Arizona Cardinals held their first practice of voluntary OTAs, the third and final phase of the offseason program. Players are not required to be there, so when players are absent, it shouldn't be viewed too negatively. Players not on the field are sometimes in the training room rehabbing injuries. Some have personal things to attend. Sometimes, they choose not to participate while in contract talks or when they have a contract dispute.

At the first day of OTAs, the Cardinals had good attendance, but not everyone was present.

AZCentral's Theo Mackie tracked the players who were not working on the field or on the side on Monday.

One player, tight end Tip Reiman, was on the side in street clothes. He is coming off a serious ankle injury.

These were the players not present:

• QB Jacoby Brissett
• RB Trey Benson
• OL Christian Jones
• DL L.J. Collier
• DL Walter Nolen
• EDGE Baron Browning
• EDGE Josh Sweat
• LB Karson Sharar
• CB Garrett Williams

Brissett's absence is contract-related. He wants more money.

Sweat didn't attend some of last year's voluntary work, but he is also familiar with the defense. Benson, Nolen and Williams all are coming off injuries.

Sharar, a rookie, likely is dealing with something. The absence of Jones, Browning and Collier aren't known.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals had a few absences from OTAs

Boxing star Claressa Shields has been banned from events prompted by Most Valuable Promotions after Shields got into a physical altercation with MVP-backed boxer Alycia Baumgardner, a boxing champion promoted by MVP, the promotion company announced in a statement.

The incident took place at MVP MMA1, which featured the comeback fight of Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano on Saturday May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

MVP is co-founded by Jake Paul. The company partnered with Netflix to promote its inaugural MMA event, headlined by the bout between Rousey and Carano.

“There is a time and a place for fighter tension and banter, but to physically attack a fellow athlete while there as a guest inside a private VIP area is unacceptable,’’ MVP’s statement reads. “MVP would like to thank venue security for their swift response in addressing and de-escalating the situation and appreciate Alycia Baumgardner not retaliating and further amplifying the situation.’’

Video shows Shields and Baumgardner in a heated verbal exchange before Shields apparently reaches out and appears to slap Baumgardner.

Shields, 31, is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, 18-0 as a pro and the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Baumgardner, 31, is 18-1 and the unified female featherweight champion. She is promoted by MVP.

"MVP maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for hostile, threatening, or aggressive behavior toward fighters, staff, media, or guests at any of our events,'' the company's statement reads. "Physical altercations outside the ring or cage are unacceptable in any MVP environment. MVP does not condone, tolerate, or accept Claressa Shields’ behavior in that setting and it reflects poorly on MVP and women’s sports, which we have worked tirelessly to uplift."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Claressa Shields altercation with Alycia Baumgardner leads to MVP ban

Formula 1 is back in North America this weekend for the Canadian Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2026 season.

Mercedes' George Russell, who won the race last year, will be aiming to narrow the 20-point gap to his team-mate Kimi Antonelli at the top of the drivers' championship.

Before the race in Montreal, BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions.

Why don't other F1 drivers enter different forms of motor racing like Max Verstappen is currently doing with the endurance racing? - Paul

Max Verstappen's outing at the Nurburgring 24 Hours last weekend generated a lot of interest, but it is no accident that he is only the third grand prix driver in more than 20 years - and probably longer - to race seriously elsewhere while competing in Formula 1.

The other big name to do so was Fernando Alonso, towards the end of his first career in F1, when he took part in the Indianapolis 500,Daytona 24 Hours and then joined Toyota for the World Endurance Championship while he was still under contract to McLaren.

Nico Hulkenberg also raced at Le Mans when he was at Force India in 2015.

The main reason drivers do not generally do this is that their contracts forbid it.

Why? Well, risk is the first obvious reason. Then there are potential contractual clashes, and the lack of time available to devote to doing something like this properly.

In Verstappen's case, it is a question of the balance of power between driver and team. He has massive leverage with Red Bull that most other drivers do not have.

He is a four-time world champion, and the team are desperate to keep him happy. On a general level, but also because right now they know he is not exactly enamoured with F1.

Alonso's situation was not dissimilar. His McLaren was uncompetitive. The team wanted to keep him happy. And in the case of the Indy adventure particularly, McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown is a motorsport fan through and through and he thought it was a cool thing to do.

On Verstappen, by the way, he was absolutely - and unsurprisingly - outstanding at the Nordschleife.

His first stint in the car on Saturday afternoon took his team from 10th on the road to the lead. A lead they never lost until the driveshaft failure that cost them the win on Sunday morning.

Most of that was Verstappen overtaking other cars, albeit a small number pitted out of his way on divergent strategies.

But the race also underlined why F1 teams don't let drivers do this sort of thing.

Verstappen nearly crashed at high speed early in that stint when his car's front wheels became airborne over a crest as he chased a rival.

And there were a series of other near-misses, as there always are in this sort of race with a number of different categories of cars, and huge speed differentials.

Generally, these sorts of races are more dangerous than F1.

Much of the 2013 season was boring. Why such a fondness for the era? I'm intrigued by the demands of the new era and feel it's consistent and coherent with the current age. Are the critics of the current era flagging their age and risking their obsolescence? - Dave

This question essentially centres on the push by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to return Formula 1 to a set of engine regulations that are pretty much the same as the era from 2010-13.

We delved into this topic extensively last week. There's a link to that article below.

Now, as to the specific question, yes, 2013 was pretty boring, or at least the second half of it was.

The season started relatively competitively - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won four of the first 10 grands prix, but Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton all won over that period.

But a change to the specification of tyres following a series of blow-outs at the British Grand Prix led to Red Bull dominating and Vettel won the last nine races in a row to clinch a fourth consecutive world title.

The last years of the V8 era, once refuelling was banned at the end of 2009, fluctuated between intensely competitive and, er, not.

The 2010 and 2012 seasons had gripping title fights. In 2010 there were five drivers in the running until the penultimate race, and four mathematically at the last one.

That was the year Ferrari dropped the ball on strategy in Abu Dhabi and threw away the title, letting Red Bull and Vettel in to win their first title.

In 2012, there were seven different winners in the first seven races, and the title fight between Vettel and Alonso went to the final race again.

In 2011, as in 2013, Vettel and Red Bull dominated.

But there were a lot more factors involved in those scenarios than just engines. Tyres, for one. The relative competitiveness of the cars for another.

However, the naturally aspirated era - and especially the years from 1994-2009 when there was refuelling - was notorious for the lack of overtaking on track.

That has certainly increased this year with the new style of "yo-yo racing" brought about by the new hybrid engines.

There are so many issues wrapped up in this engine debate. Some of it may well be people harking back to the past, one they felt was more attractive than what F1 serves up today.

But there is also a cost issue, whether the essence of F1 has been polluted, noise, the changing road-car market place and on and on.

• Will F1 go back to the future with its engines?

With Kimi Antonelli doing especially well lately and a lot of talk about his talent and future, can we put some of his results down to his race engineer Pete Bonnington? We all know how good Lewis Hamilton was working with Bono. - Michael

The relationship with their engineer is one of the most important for a racing driver.

In Peter Bonnington, Antonelli has someone of vast experience, who has "learned from the greats", as Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff put it in Miami.

Bonnington previously had the same role with Michael Schumacher and then Lewis Hamilton. Wolff says: "He has been a good mentor to (Antonelli). But also a strong boss."

But putting Antonelli with Bonnington is just one example of the care Mercedes have taken with the start of Antonelli's F1 career.

Wolff has always been convinced of his protege's potential. He has said over and over again that he knew Antonelli would make mistakes at the start of his career, but that equally he knew he would come good.

And now Antonelli has done exactly that, Wolff is already in the next phase - keeping him grounded and focused on the job, and not getting carried away with things.

Wolff says: "We need to keep re-emphasising and repeating the message. This is a long game. He has a killer of a team-mate (George Russell) that is extremely fast. The others are catching up in performance. And we want to play the long game."

How does a driver's size and weight affect the performance of the vehicle? Is any allowance or compensation made for larger drivers, for example Russell vs Antonelli? - Gil

The F1 rules are constructed in such a way as to minimise any deficit a driver might suffer from their size and weight.

The minimum weight for an F1 car this year is 768kg, and that includes the driver.

The principle behind this is that otherwise lighter drivers would have an advantage over heavier ones, as lower weight is lap time.

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, this was the case. So, for example, when Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost were Ferrari team-mates in 1990, the considerably heavier Mansell had to literally drive faster to lap at the same speed as Prost.

As Mansell was said to be more than 20kg heavier than Prost, that in theory put him at a disadvantage of a little over 0.2secs a lap.

Fundamentally, this is now a non-issue, although it does still crop up for taller drivers from time to time when it comes to seating position and trying to get their head low enough not to impede the airflow, especially into the engine air intake.

George Best would have been 80 on 22 May.

It is six decades since he started to dazzle home audiences, over 40 since he last played a game.

But Best is one of a rare breed whose legacy endures. Either in the colours of Manchester United or Northern Ireland, the highlights of his career encapsulate why many who saw him still argue he was the best player ever.

For those who are younger, whose parents were too young to see Best play, there is a modern-day comparison.

"Lionel Messi is close to Best in the way he plays. He can dribble, beat people, score goals and make goals," said another former United and Northern Ireland great Sammy McIlroy.

McIlroy counted Best as a hero when he was growing up in Belfast.

Best later became his mentor and a team-mate.

"Messi has got this amazing dribbling ability," said McIlroy.

"Best had that too but it was in the 1960s, when the conditions were much different to the way they are now.

"The pitches were terrible and your opponents wanted to hurt you. Norman Hunter, Tommy Smith and Ron Harris were good players but they were cruel in the way they played.

"It didn't bother George. It didn't matter who was dishing it out. He used to take the rough stuff, get up and say, 'come on then, let's have some more'.

McIlroy was 13 when he went to Windsor Park to watch Best produce what is dubbed as the 'game of his life' for Northern Ireland against Scotland.

"I never saw another performance like it in my life," he said. "It was a one-man show. He made me want to be a footballer. He made me want to join Manchester United.

"Everything came naturally to him. Left foot, right foot, shoot, head, tackle."

But there was more to Best than what he did on matchday.

McIlroy recounts he was a fierce competitor in training. And, at odds with the devil-may-care attitude his off-field antics often portrayed, he was also a father figure to young Northern Irish boys like him who travelled to England with dreams of playing for Manchester United.

"He was a natural lad, a lovely lad," said McIlroy. "He spent a little bit of time with me, as he did with the all the other Belfast trialists that came over. George always had time for you. I really admired that.

"When I signed as an apprentice in 1969, I brought my mum and dad over and right away he came across and spoke to them. I was standing there listening to him telling my parents he would look after me.

"My dad's eyes were just glued on Bestie. He never opened his mouth. He was just in awe of George."

Here we've picked out five reasons why Best is regarded by many as one of the greatest players in history.

A superb finisher

Sammy McIlroy: "The ball comes into the box. It's headed out by Mike England. Big Pat (Jennings) comes and punches it, but it goes right to George. There's a load of players around him in the penalty area, but he's only got one thing in his mind about what to do.

"He's lobbed the goalkeeper. He does it so well because it just falls underneath the bar. There's actually two Spurs players on the line and he still lobs it into the goal. Absolutely fantastic."

Brilliant balance

McIlroy: "I was actually at this game. John Aston slides Bestie through. He's running straight at goal. Ron Harris, who was known as Chopper Harris in his day, takes him, I think, from the midriff.

"I don't even think George sees Harris till the last moment when he comes and tries to take him out. But Best, with his bravery and his balance, stays up, goes round Peter Bonetti and slides the ball into the net. Then he falls down and I was thinking 'he's hurt'.

"But no, he just got up, took the acknowledgement of his team-mates. It was remarkable. Bravery and skill. There's everything in that goal."

Blistering pace

McIlroy: "Big Alex (Stepney) takes a kick and Alan Gowling heads it on. Best looks up and he's kind of passive. But no, he sees he's about 25 yards from goal, takes on three or four Sheffield United players, goes across the goal and then puts it in the far corner.

"You see the Sheffield United defenders thinking 'how did he do that?'. He just takes them all on.

"He is going away from goal, but then has the nous to put it in the far corner, leaving the goalkeeper no chance at all."

A big-game player

McIlroy: "This is European Cup final, where George goes around the goalkeeper and puts it in the back of the net. But the strange thing was Big Alex (Stepney) with the route one ball, which is something we very rarely did.

"It's right down the centre of the Benfica defence. There is the flick on from Brian Kidd, which falls to George. George puts it through his legs of the last Benfica defender, goes into the box and the goalkeeper comes out. He goes round him and slides it in with his left foot into the net. Pure class.

"To score a goal like that in a European Cup final is a dream come true."

Dribbling ability

McIlroy: "This is George on the left wing up against (John) McDowell, the full-back. He turns him inside out a couple of times on the left-hand side, drives across the box, then he's up against the great Bobby Moore, one of the best defenders in the world at the time.

"He shows him a dummy, goes past Moore and smashes it past the West Ham goalkeeper. That was a remarkable goal."

• Latest Manchester United news, analysis and fan views
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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL 
CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS 

MONDAY’S RESULTS
First Round 

DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter 16, #17 Middle College 6
#20 Cleveland 20, #13 Dorsey 2
#10 North Hollywood 12, #14 USC-MAE 0
#18 Taft 13, #15 Central City Value 0

DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys 19, #17 Alliance Bloomfield 2
#20 East Valley 14, #13 Community Charter 3
#14 VAAS 18, #19 Angelou 0
#15 Reseda 24, #18 Stella 0

DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn 44, #17 West Adams 33
#20 Hawkins 28, #13 LAAAE 7
#14 Franklin 19, #19 Mendez 7
#18 Diego Rivera 24, #15 Discovery 8

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE 
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted) 
First Round 

DIVISION I
#16 Sherman Oaks CES at #1 Venice
#9 San Fernando at #8 Bravo
#12 Lincoln at #5 Chavez
#13 Animo Venice at #4 Chatsworth
#14 LA University at #3 Port of LA
#11 Harbor Teacher at #6 Eagle Rock
#10 Verdugo Hills at #7 Garfield
#15 LA Hamilton at #2 Marquez

Second Round 

DIVISION II 
#16 Triumph Charter at #1 LA Marshall
#9 Northridge Academy at #8 Rancho Dominguez
#12 Fremont at #5 Symar
#20 Cleveland at #4 Narbonne
#19 North Hollywood at #3 Roosevelt
#11 Orthopaedic at #5 Arleta
#10 Sun Valley Poly at #7 South Gate
#18 Taft at #2 LA Wilson

DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys at #1 Bell
#9 Palisades at #8 Hollywood
#12 Lakeview Charter at #5 South East
#20 East Valley at #4 Maywood Academy
#14 VAAS at #3 Maywood CES
#11 Westchester at #6 Torres
#10 Animo Robinson at #7 LACES
#15 Reseda at #2 Sun Valley Magnet

DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn at #1 Jefferson
#9 Smidt Tech at #8 Alliance Levine
#12 Downtown Magnets at #5 University Prep Value
#20 Hawkins at #4 Huntington Park
#14 Franklin at #3 Santee
#11 Bernstein at #6 Camino Nuevo
#10 Rise Kohyang at #7 CALS Early College
#18 Diego Rivera at #2 LA Jordan

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE 
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
Quarterfinals 

OPEN DIVISION
#8 Granada Hills Kennedy at #1 Granada Hills
#5 El Camino Real at #4 San Pedro
#6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Birmingham
#7 Legacy at #2 Carson

Note: Division I-IV quarterfinals May 22 at higher seeds; Semifinals all divisions May 27 at higher seeds; Finals all divisions May 29-30 at TBD. 

Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Dallas Wings heard Jose Fernandez's message loud and clear.

Four days after the first-year head coach publicly called out his team's "selfishness" three games into the season, the Wings responded with an emphatic 92-69 win over the Washington Mystics on Monday, May 18 to end a two-game skid. The Wings finished with a season-high 30 assists on 33 made field goals in the victory.

"It felt really good," said Paige Bueckers, one of five Wings players to finish in double-digits. "We played selfless tonight. Ninety-two points, we got out in transition and really moved the ball really well... It was a really good response for our team."

Never gets old 😏

Azzi Fudd find Paige Bueckers and sets her up for three!

WAS-DAL | NBCSN + Peacock
Tap to watch: https://t.co/RRLkvI9RPMpic.twitter.com/6KHO6tQrhP

— WNBA (@WNBA) May 19, 2026

Bueckers said the team had a "rough film session" following their 90-86 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, where the Wings led by as many as 12 points. Fernandez got candid after the loss and asked his team to "look in the mirror and be accountable on how you play." The following days featured lots of conversations, Bueckers said

"Two days of practice leading up to this game where we were talking, we're communicating," Bueckers said. "We held each other accountable and talked about what we needed to improve on, and we just took pride on the (defensive) side of the ball. We know we can score. We have so much offensive firepower, but it's really awesome for us all about getting stops because that fuels our offense."

Arike Ogunbowale said the loss to the Lynx featured a silver lining.

"Even though that loss to the Lynx was unfortunate, I think with that film session we learned so much that we might not have learned if we would've ended up winning that game," added Ogunbowale. "So just seeing what we did wrong... I think we really corrected that today. But it's still early. This was only... Game 4 and it's still a lot left, but if we can take things from the film session, execute it and practice and bring it to the game, I think we would be in a good position."

The Wings came out with a different level of intensity Monday. Dallas held Washington to nine-points in the first quarter and went on to score 23 points on 19 turnovers throughout the game.

Bueckers finished with a team-high 18 points and seven assists. Arike Ogunbowale added 16 points, Jessica Shepard had a 12-point, 16-rebound double-double. Azzi Fudd and Maddy Siegrist finished with 12 and 11 points off the bench, respectively.

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dallas Wings respond to coach's challenge with blowout over Mystics

Former MLB commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti wrote about baseball that "it is designed to break your heart." The latest instance of that adage holding up took place on Monday, May 18 at Angel Stadium.

Athletics pitcher T.J. Ginn was flirting with throwing Major League Baseball's first no-hitter since 2024, only to allow a base hit to the first hitter he faced in the bottom of the ninth inning and then a walk-off home run to the next.

The Los Angeles Angels prevailed, 2-1, spoiling Ginn's no-no bid in an improbably thrilling way.

Ginn, who struck out 10 Angels batters through eight innings, saw Adam Frazier end the no-hit hopes with a line drive single to center field. The next batter, Zach Neto, took Ginn deep to quickly turn the tide on the Athletics.

The win ended a six-game losing streak for the Angels, who were coming off getting swept in back-to-back series by the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Chicago Cubs' Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge combined no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 4, 2024 still stands as MLB's most recent no-no.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A's T.J. Ginn loses no-hitter then Athletics lose game vs Angels

The Victor Wembanyama era may have begun in earnest on Monday. That night, the 22-year-old, 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs phenom went off for 41 points, 24 rebounds and three blocks in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, and he made numerous plays in crunch time as the Spurs defeated the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in double overtime.

Many agree that if the Los Angeles Lakers are to win the NBA championship anytime soon, the team will need some sort of upgrade at the center position. Deandre Ayton's season with the Lakers was considered a disappointment, or something even worse than that, and while backup Jaxson Hayes plays with energy and effort, he is limited offensively and lacks elite strength.

Still, it may help the Lakers to keep Hayes, even if he ends up third on their depth chart next season. He will become a free agent this summer, and Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports reported that the big man wants to stay put, although it isn't a given he will do so (h/t Lakers Daily).

“Hayes wants to return to the Lakers, but if he gets a significant offer—with more playing time—he would have to take it,” Deveney wrote.

Hayes just completed his third season with the Lakers. This season, he posted 7.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 18.3 minutes a game. While he hasn't developed the way some thought he could in his seven years in the NBA, he is a springy lob threat, which makes him, at least in that regard, the type of center Luka Doncic wants to play with.

Los Angeles is projected to have roughly $50 million in salary cap space this offseason, but it will look to use at least some of it to re-sign some of its own free agents, including but not limited to LeBron James and Austin Reaves. Given how strong the center position is league-wide, it may be beneficial for L.A. to have three men on its roster who can play the 5 spot.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider: Jaxson Hayes wants to stay with the Lakers

Marc J. Spears: There is optimism that Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, who missed Game 1 with an ankle injury, will play in Game 2, sources said.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: De'Aaron Fox to play in Game 2?

Tom Petrini: "Confidence through the roof... Once the ball went up, I'm like, 'oh, that's going in.' It's kind of just who he is. I mean, he's one of the kind." -Dylan Harper on Wemby

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Confidence through the roof... Once the ball went up, …

Tom Petrini: "My seven steals was kind of a team thing, it was more just rotations, and just for me, being in the right place and just let my instincts take over." -Dylan Harper

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "My seven steals was kind of a team thing, it was more …

SportsCenter: "We just got to be better, me in particular." SGA on shooting 7-23 FG in the Thunder's Game 1 loss.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "We just got to be better, me in particular." SGA on …

Oh No He Didn't: Shai on his first playoff loss of his career: "My first loss was to Golden State with Steph and KD and them. I honestly don't remember but I've changed a lot since then"

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "My first loss was to Golden State with Steph and KD …

Joel Lorenzi: Jared McCain, who says this was the first time he’s played the Spurs: “That was the most playoff (like) game that I’ve felt since I’ve been here.”

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jared McCain, who says this was the first time he’s …

Joel Lorenzi: Mark Daigneault on the difference between scheming for Wemby and needing to react to him in real time: “He's a great player with high impact, obviously. And when you play against those players, it's kind of an acquired thing, you know? You’re learning as you go. You can talk about as much you want, but you gotta develop a feel for it.”

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: When you play against those players, it's kind of an …

Tom Petrini: Wemby on if SGA's MVP mattered: "Feels like I still got a lot to learn, and I want to get that trophy many times in my career." Asked if he feels like the best player in the world: "Do I feel like it right now? I feel tired... We'll see."

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Victor Wembanyama on MVP award: 'I want to get that trophy many times in my career'

Tom Petrini: "It was a great effort from everybody. Physically I'm feeling tired, but not as much as you would expect." -Wemby says he will sleep well tonight

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Victor Wembanyama: 'Physically I'm feeling tired, but not as much as you would expect'

While his second postseason experience was undoubtedly a disappointment, Detroit will try to retain the Philadelphia native this offseason — just at a lower rate than expected. Duren could make an All-NBA team, which would make him eligible for a five-year max contract worth 30 percent of the salary cap. Given his postseason showing, the widely held belief around the league is that he has little to no leverage to negotiate for the max.

New York Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: No max money for Jalen Duren?

Ausar Thompson is also extension eligible. Per a league source, Detroit views Thompson as part of its core and will seek to get a rookie-scale extension done with the third-year wing in the offseason. Thompson tallied more “stocks” than anyone in the postseason (28 steals and 25 blocks), and his impact was undeniable despite his offensive limitations.

New York Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Ausar Thompson is also extension eligible. Per a …

Although Detroit collapsed in the second round, the front office’s confidence in Bickerstaff, who signed a contract extension the day after the Pistons ousted the Magic in the first round, hasn’t wavered. The Pistons view him as the coach of the future, and the expectation, per league sources, is for Bickerstaff to be around long term. He’s established meaningful relationships throughout the locker room and has cultivated a culture that the organization believes is sustainable, given the team’s youth.

New York Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The Pistons view him as the coach of the future, and …

Final

Twins 6, Astros 3

Starting pitcher performance

The Twins turned to Kendry Rojas to start in place of Simeon Woods Richardson, who has had a tough start to the season, and the rookie, who was making his first major-league start, responded with four scoreless innings.

Rojas ran into some trouble in the first inning, hitting the first batter he faced, allowing a single to center and then walking Yordan Alvarez, but he managed to wiggle his way out of the jam unscathed, getting a pop up for the first out before he got left fielder Zach Dezenzo to line into an inning-ending double play.

Rojas got 10 swinging starts on 46 pitches before making way for Woods Richardson, who threw a scoreless fifth inning before a 1:57-rain delay ended his night.

Player of the Game

Josh Bell waited more than a month between his third and fourth home runs this season. He didn’t have quite the wait between his fourth and fifth. The Twins designated hitter hit changeup from starter Tatsuya Imai 429 feet out to center field in the second inning to give the Twins the lead.

In his very next at-bat, he hit an opposite shot out to left on a high fastball. This one came with Trevor Larnach on base, giving the Twins a three-run lead in the fourth inning. He also knocked in a run as part of a three-run Twins sixth inning.

Injury update

Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers left the game mid at-bat in the eighth inning.

Up next

The Twins will send Zebby Matthews (1-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound to face veteran Lance McCullers (2-3, 6.86) on Tuesday night. It will be Matthews’ second major league start of the season after throwing seven scoreless innings his last time out.

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• Despite five-run inning, Saints come up short vs. Clippers

ROCKTON, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The NIC-10 race in baseball isn’t quite over yet, but it felt like it Monday afternoon after Harlem knocked off Hononegah 7-0. That boosted Harlem’s conference mark to 15-1, one game ahead of 14-2 Hononegah. Both teams have two conference games remaining, but Harlem’s are against 0-15 East and Hononegah’s will be against 11-5 Guilford.

This win for Harlem came on the heels of the Huskies loss to Hononegah last Friday 6-5 that had left the two teams in a tie for first place. The Huskies were confident they would bounce back knowing that they had ace pitcher Jackson Heidemann ready to take the hill for this rematch.

Heidemann proved again to be a big-game pitcher. He went all seven innings pitching a three-hit shutout. He walked only one batter, and he struck out eight.

He had lots of run support when Harlem scored two runs in the top of the first inning and four more in the top of the second. The Huskies added their other run in the top of the fourth inning.

The first four batters in the Huskies lineup combined to go 7-for 13 at the plate with four walks.

Finn Stovall went three-for-three with two RBIs and a walk. Braxton Fausett had a pair of hits, a walk, and he scored two runs. Cruz Cook had a hit, and he drove in a pair of runs. Ryan Miller added an RBI hit.

Harlem was also flawless in the field while also turning one double play.

Hononegah started with Luke DeLeo on the mound. He lasted 1 and 1/3 innings giving up five runs. Four other pitchers followed him.

Max Miller, Zach Nett and Grant Statler had Hononegah’s three hits.

Watch the media player for highlights and postgame interviews with Harlem.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO WQRF News, Weather and Sports.

New Mexico men’s golf team is second-to-last on the leaderboard after finishing 13 over par in the first round of the NCAA Bryan Regional Monday at Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas.

Only Arkansas-Pine Bluff (+30) carded a higher team score than the fourth-seeded Lobos. Tournament host Texas A&M leads the 14-team field at 12 under par while North Carolina (-10) and TCU (-8) are in second and third place.

Top-seeded Texas – led by former Lobo coach John Fields – is in fourth place at 7 under at the par-72, 7,146-yard Traditions Club. UNM’s conference rival, UNLV, is in eighth place at 1 over.

Monday, Johnnie Clark led the Lobos with a 1-over-par 73, good for a tie with eight other players for 36th on the individual leaderboard. Mountain West Freshman of the Year Thayer Plewe carded a 3-over 75, Wyatt Provence finished with a 4-over 76 and Emil Albers turned in a 5-over 77.

Mesa Falleur, UNM’s highest-ranked golfer, finished Monday with a 7-over 79, his first over-par round since March. The senior from Muskogee, Oklahoma missed the Mountain West Championship earlier this month with back soreness.

The 54-hole Bryan Regional continues Tuesday and Wednesday. The top five teams from the regional will advance to the NCAA Division I Golf Championship (May 29-June 3) at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

Bryan Regional leaderboard

1. Texas A&M (-12)

2. North Carolina (-10)

3. TCU (-8)

4. Texas (-7)

5. Tennessee (-6)

6. Tennessee-Chattanooga (-2)

7. Colorado (-1)

8. UNLV (+1)

9. North Carolina-Wilmington (+5)

T-10. Cincinnati (+7)

T-10. Texas-Rio Grande Valley (+7)

12. Miami (Ohio) (+10)

13. New Mexico (+13)

14. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (+30)

Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.

Vimael Machín has played for 20 teams since the summer of 2014.

From summer college wood-bat leagues back east to plenty of Minor League teams, a couple of stretches in the Majors and numerous international games for his native Puerto Rico, the 32-year-old infielder has an awful lot of experiences and interactions to draw from.

So when asked what it is about this season with the Albuquerque Isotopes that has him feeling so upbeat and positive — both with great performance on the field and good vibes off it — his answer carries some weight.

"All those teams, this is the most fun I've had in my whole career," Machín told the Journal last week during his team's six-game homestand against the Oklahoma City Comets. "I'm 32 years old, about to be 33, and I've been playing pro since 2015, so me saying this, I mean it. I wake up every day here and I just want to get to the field. It's always fun."

Winning (the Isotopes are 25-20 and one game out of first in the Pacific Coast League standings) and hitting (he's hitting .347 with five home runs, 26 RBIs and has a .573 slugging percent in 33 games) are a big part of those good feelings, of course. But so, too, is the "winning" clubhouse atmosphere that Isotopes manager Pedro Lopez and Colorado Rockies front office personnel have told the Journal was very much an offseason goal with the types of players brought in to fill the roster around the core of young, top prospects.

And Machín, along with veteran players like Blake Crimm, Dre Avans, Chad Stevens and a few others, are a big part of that calculated roster construction that has paid off so far this season.

"We have great chemistry here, especially with all the young guys we have here," Machín said. "... Just to come here every day and just be there for them — they come to me and ask me a lot of questions. It's fun. I'm having a blast this year."

With just 30 games and five series remaining before the first-half race comes to a close (the PCL crowns a first-half and a second-half winner), that the Isotopes are still in the race is as much about how guys like Machín are hitting as it is about how they are teaching.

"It's leadership. He leads by example," Lopez said of Machín. "If you want to talk about offensively, he's got a really good approach. He's got a really good feel for hitting. He's got a really good feel for analyzing the game and making in-game adjustments. We come out here every day and there's a plan in place, but that plan is subject to change, depending on the pitcher. He's a guy that has been able to do that throughout the years, and I think that's what he brings to the table here and he's able to communicate with the younger players."

Thanks for coming

Clearly part of the equation was having three-time World Series champion and Los Angeles Dodgers fan favorite Kiké Hernandez in town for six games last week playing for the Oklahoma City Comets while rehabbing an injury. But whatever the reason, what a homestand it was at the turnstiles at Rio Grande Credit Union Field.

The Isotopes announced 51,815 fans over the six-game set, the fifth-highest homestand attendance in franchise history.

Huge shoutout to all the Isotopes fans for making this week one for the record books!

We also currently lead ALL of @MiLB in total attendance! pic.twitter.com/fizb7Zki6A

— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) May 17, 2026

"What we saw this week is Albuquerque at its absolute best," said Isotopes General Manager Chrissy Baines. "Fifty‑thousand plus fans packing the ballpark isn't just a number as it's a statement about the passion, pride, and heart of this community. Our fans and partners play a huge role in making these nights unforgettable. This city shows up, and we're honored to be the place where those memories are made."

Also, the Isotopes' 161,581 fans so far this season leads all of Minor League Baseball.

Trivia time!

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Question: Last week was the fifth-highest-attended homestand in franchise history.

Three of the four better-attended series included holiday fireworks games, and one of the top four featured an injury rehab appearance by a Dodgers star, who in this case played for, not against, the Isotopes.

Who was that injured Dodger, and when was that series that drew more fans than last week despite being just a four-game series?

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Answer: See below...

Know the foe

The Isotopes hit the road home for a six-game Pacific Coast League series at Las Vegas Ballpark in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tuesday through Sunday.

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Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, 25-20 overall, 2nd place PCL

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Las Vegas Aviators, Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, 23-20 overall, 4th place PCL

Three up, three down

Some things that have been looking good lately for the 'Topes, some not so good.

Looking good:

1.

IF Chad Stevens singled in the first inning of Sunday's loss to Oklahoma City, extending his in-season on-base streak to 38 games. That ties the franchise record held by Joe Dillon (June 26-Aug. 8, 2005).

Overall, Stevens has a 48-game on-base stretch that began Sept. 11, 2025, against Salt Lake.

2.

Albuquerque's 14 road wins are the most in the PCL this season. They are 14-7 on the road (just 11-13 at home).

3.

IF Nic Kent hit his first Triple-A home run in Sunday's loss to Oklahoma City. Seven of Kent's eight hits this season have gone for extra bases.

Look away:

1.

The Isotopes allowed 59 runs and 69 hits over the final four games — all losses — of the OKC series. That's an average of 14.8 runs and 17.3 hits per game.

2.

Albuquerque's four-game losing streak to OKC Thursday through Sunday ties a season-long skid.

3.

Pitcher Erasmo Ramirez allowed 10 hits on Sunday, the most for a Topes pitcher this season. The nine runs he allowed was tied for the most this season from all of two days prior when Stu Flesland III allowed nine vs. OKC on Friday.

Fast food

There's something about that jar. With three racers, it's all natural. And then there's Salsa, who has this jar exterior that seems to be giving it an advantage this season.

Is the jar juiced?

2026 Season Standings (23 races):

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11 wins — Salsa Jar

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5 wins — Red Chile

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4 wins — Green Chile

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3 wins — Taco

What are they doing?

Here's a check in on some (not all) of the fun promos the "other guys" are doing this season when the Isotopes are in town. In Las Vegas this week...

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Wednesday: Bark on the Berm with dogs allowed in the ballpark

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Thursday: $2 beer!

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Friday: Kids paw patrol hat giveaway

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Saturday: Star Wars Night (May the 23rd be with you?)

Trivia answer

In four games from June 23-26, 2009 against Nashville, the Isotopes welcomed in 53,070 fans thanks to a brief appearance on an injury rehab assignment from fan-favorite Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.

Part of it was the chair — and its location.

Draped in white cloth and placed almost in the middle of the dimly lit room featuring murals and other works of art, shelves of paint and drying racks, it sat under a spotlight. Work tables had been pushed aside to create the necessary space because the large desk behind the chair certainly wasn’t moving.

To the left and the right and in front? Those were the places the easels had been set up for the 16 students at Rio Grande High, complete with paper, pencils and erasers.

All of it made Chris Gloster — the occupant of that chair — a little nervous.

“It’s so different,” the New Mexico United defender said Wednesday. “When we’re playing in the (Isotopes’) stadium, thousands of people are watching us. But here, in a little room with 16 people, I started sweating a bit.”

A small room full of people looking down to sketch, peeking back up and then doodling away again with the occasional reassessment and scrubbing and redo. All with some calming music playing in the background.

Gloster? He isn’t moving, except for his eyes glancing around or his mouth twitching into a smirk every now and then. No scrolling on his phone. No shifting in his seat. But the model subject isn’t supposed to, either. Stillness is the name of this game.

He’s the latest United player to volunteer his time for United in Art, a partnership between the soccer club and Albuquerque Public Schools that has players become art projects. Forward Cristian Nava was the United model at Albuquerque High — Nava’s alma mater — on April 8. Midfielder Valentin Noël was at Del Norte High on April 22.

“In a way, it helps bring the community together,” said René Palomares, a secondary/bilingual resource teacher in APS’ visual and performing arts department. “United gets something out of it and the kids, it’s exposing them to that representation piece of, ‘If they can see it, they can be it.’ One day, I can do this or be this.”

Palomares was the one who came up with the idea.

A United season-ticket holder and supporter, Palomares is an artist himself, known for drawing and bringing custom Pokemon-like cards of players to matches. (Hey, some things never go out of style.) He made his United in Art pitch to Jules Myers, United’s senior manager for production and impact, during a bus ride to the club’s Western Conference final at FC Tulsa last season.

“It’s like a Field of Dreams mentality, right?” Palomares said. “Build it and they’ll come, and that’s what kids need. They need more opportunities where we build stuff for them. And stuff that they relate to or has some kind popularity or is pop culture, and is inclusive. I think United brings that. There’s a hype with the team. There’s a lot of interest. You’ve seen the games, how crazy they can get, but it’s good, clean fun.

“So, why not include that in our schools? I just think we need to keep building things for students, not with the intention of we want them to become artists, but with the other lessons they can learn.”

Wednesday marked the third and final United in Art of the spring semester. It also happened to have the largest student turnout of the sessions. There are plans — and certainly a want — to continue it in the fall and to expand it further within the city.

After all, those involved see it as a win-win.

“It’s one of those things where you look back and you can convince yourself not to do things because it seems like it’s going to be hard, and then you get in it and you’re in it and you end up saying, ‘Why haven’t I done this more?’” said Orlando Ramirez, an art teacher at Rio Grande who also helps coach United’s developmental academy.

“When you look at all the kids, they're laughing and enjoying themselves and collaborating with each other.”

It’s about the experience.

For many of the artists, with varying levels of ability, it was the first time they had worked with a live model.

“I’ve always seen stuff like this happen (at other places), but it’s never actually happened at our school,” senior Valentina Chavez said. “It seemed like something worth participating in.”

It’s an opportunity to try something new — or at least different.

Why not?

“Starting something and not being perfect at it can just be the beginning of being good at it,” senior Izabell Baughn said. “You’re not going to wake up and be freaking Vincent Van Gogh. You’re just starting somewhere. A little, tiny drawing, no matter how bad you think you are, just making those little improvements yourself, not fitting to anyone else’s standards, I think it can really help you be yourself artistically. It’s all subjective.”

United in Art doesn’t allow a lot of time for the student artists to dwell. There’s a warmup session and then two 15-minute periods — to outline and then to focus on the details — with a break in between to allow Gloster to stretch and for the artists to walk around and observe their contemporaries’ work. The only rule? See how others are approaching the product, but don’t judge your work against theirs.

Some went for a full-body sketch. Others opted for the torso up. A few had a side profile and a bit more a front view. From there, it devolved further with each focusing on different aspects of Gloster — his facial features, his attire, his hair and beard, how his legs and arms were positioned. Things had to be adjusted once the break between periods was done. A live model rarely sits in the exact same position twice.

“I wanted to start with the basic shapes and then get everything sorted,” sophomore Rosanne Avila said. “I wanted to get his build and then his innocent eyes, his hair, his big shoes. Stuff that actually pops out. When I had more time, I started going more into detail about little things like the puma on his soccer ball and then on his shirt and the cross he was wearing.”

Gloster came away rather impressed. Both at the halfway point and at the end. And he offers an honest assessment. He doesn’t rate his artistic skill on the same level.

But the project wasn’t necessarily supposed to be easy. Just different. And that can be can be good thing.

“There were some things that were difficult,” sophomore Silas Maestas said. “Usually I draw (from) pictures of basketball players or athletes, but something like this, you can see your progress (as an artist). And that’s what this is about.”

Soon it was time to wrap up. For pencils to be put down. Erasers, too. For Gloster to get up from that chair for the last time.

But before he called it a day, Gloster made sure to pose for a group photo, each of the students holding up their rendition of the United defender. He signed each one.

Those sketches? They went home with their artist. All except one. That was gifted to Gloster. He left with it in hand. The chair stayed behind.

“I’m probably going to hang this on my fridge,” Gloster said. “It needs to go somewhere.”

David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X @DavidGlovach.

More New Mexico United reading

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For NM United, State Fairgrounds 'our first choice right now' for stadium

With Balloon Fiesta Park proposal still mired in legal hurdles, NMU has turned attention elsewhere

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NM United has ugly showing in 2nd USL Cup outing

Jonas Fjeldberg leads Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in rout

*

Match day: New Mexico United at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

NMU resumes USL Cup play against old nemesis

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NM United sees ‘great learning opportunity’ with international friendly

Club will host Liga MX’s Atlante FC in July

*

'An important piece,' Keller makes return for NM United

After missing five matches, defender plays 1st half in rout of Las Vegas Lights FC

*

Match day: Las Vegas Lights FC at New Mexico United

NMU and Dennis Sanchez get another shot at manager’s former club

*

NM United draws with El Paso after allowing late equalizer

Hurst's first goals of season weren't enough to help NMU snap winless streak against El Paso

*

Match day: El Paso Locomotive FC at New Mexico United

NMU looks to turn tide against longtime rival El Paso

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NM United's David Estrada still gets to showcase his skills

A look inside at when the assistant and former pro hops into training sessions against first team

*

Rennicks helps NM United celebrate USL Cup opener

Forward credits teammate for helping pick best way to enjoy go-ahead goal

David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X @DavidGlovach.

WASHINGTON — If there was any momentum from the Mets‘ Subway Series win over the weekend, it probably went out the window somewhere on the Beltway. Facing an NL East team for only the second time this season, the first game of a four-game series against the Washington Nationals lacked excitement and had all the energy of a legislative procedural meeting.

When the crowds are sparse on a Monday night for a rebuilding team, a lack of atmosphere is to be expected. There were no signs of a hangover from the weekend theatrics from the Mets, but there were signs of a taxed bullpen when the Nationals were able to tie the game twice, pushing it into 12 innings.

But tied 6-6 in the top of the 12th, the Mets exploded for 10 runs to win 16-7 at Nationals Park. They chased right-hander Paxton Schultz (0-1) from the game, and the Nats (23-25) waived the white flag by putting a position player on the mound. One day after walking the Yankees off for a series win, the Mets came through in the clutch once again, winning their seventh game in eight tries.

Brett Baty came through with the key hit, a two-run single off Schultz, before Marcus Semien and A.J. Ewing both hit RBI singles to keep the inning going. The Mets (21-26) batted around then some, sending four more hitters to the plate before the third out was finally recorded.

There was more than enough breathing room for right-hander Craig Kimbrel in the bottom of the frame.

Left-hander Brooks Raley gave up a run in the bottom of the seventh and faced heavy traffic on the basepaths. Right-hander Tobias Myers helped Raley get out of the seventh, but then gave up the tying run in the eighth. The Mets pushed the automatic runner across the plate to take a lead in the top of the 10th, but Washington came right back to tie again against right-hander Huascar Brazobán (3-1) in his second inning of work.

This came after a shaky start by right-hander Christian Scott, who was charged with three earned runs over four innings. Three walks and a hit batter hurt him early.

The Mets went up 1-0 in the top of the second, fell behind 2-1 in the bottom of the inning, then 3-1. Baty (2-for-6, three RBI) led off the fourth with a long shot to center field off left-hander Jake Irvin, bringing the Mets back to within one. They took advantage of errors and deep fly balls in the fifth, putting two on with one out for Juan Soto, who drove in two on a single off left-hander PJ Poulin.

Bo Bichette homered off left-hander Mitchell Parker in the seventh, his first extra-base hit since April 28. It gave the Mets a 5-3 lead, but the Nats weren’t done.

They put heavy traffic on the basepaths in the seventh and eighth, cashing in twice to even the score at 5-5. They had two on against right-hander Luke Weaver in the ninth, and the bases were loaded on Brazobán in the ninth before a big out at the plate helped the right-hander get out of the inning unscathed.

Tied at 6-6 with runners on second and third in the 11th, Brazobán got out of the inning with the game tied.

Two road series against the Nats and the Marlins might not be the most exciting part of the schedule, but that might be exactly what the Mets need right now. The spotlight is off of them in their own city, with the Knicks set to begin play Tuesday in the Eastern Conference Finals.

For some reason, the Mets tend to play their best baseball when no one expects. They can fly under the radar and pick up some much-needed wins against two bad divisional teams this week.

Everyone’s a Lobo, but now three members of the University of New Mexico dance team are a Colt, Seahawk and Ram, too.

Malia Dumlao, Isabelle Vigil and Paloma Lopez have been named to the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders, Seattle Seahawks Dancers and Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders.

Each dancer is a graduating senior at UNM and will be joining the squads for the 2026 season.

Lopez looked to her hometown team for an NFL opportunity and auditioned with the Rams Cheerleaders during their open-call tryouts. She made it past the semifinals and was excited for the finals interview process, which gave her a chance to show the team who she was.

“I feel like the hard part was trying to represent yourself in the preliminary and semifinal rounds, because they don’t know who you are,” Lopez said. “They don’t know anything about you. They don’t know where you’re from. And once I made (it) into finals, I was really relieved, because I knew the coaches would get to see how I was as a teammate and how I interacted with the other dancers.”

In her interview, she talked about how she was always taught to project to the higher levels of the stadium. She said she has been that fan in the upper decks watching the cheer squads from above. Now she’ll be the one on the field.

“It’s really exciting to think that now I’ll get to be one of the dancers performing,” she said, “and I’ve always looked up to them when I’ve gone to the games.”

As part of the Lobo Dance team, she said she has been able to give back to the community in ways that go beyond dancing, such as toy drives for children’s hospitals and speaking at schools. She said she is looking forward to applying that philanthropy at a higher level.

“I’m really excited to be able to go back to Los Angeles, where I’m from, and have that role in the community,” Lopez said.

Lopez said it has been great to represent New Mexico and UNM. During tryout finals, she said other participants were coming up to her to ask about Lobo basketball and the Pit.

“It's really exciting to be able to teach people about New Mexico,” Lopez said.

Vigil has been on the Lobo Dance team since her freshman year, and was born and raised in Albuquerque.

“I’m obviously super proud and excited to be a New Mexican dancing at the next level,” Vigil said, “and I’m very proud to represent UNM.”

Her desire to join an NFL team stemmed from participating in an event called Pro Action, where college and professional teams come together to perform. She said she is drawn to the Seahawks’ fan culture.

“I feel like it’s so similar to the fan culture at UNM where everyone is like a Seahawks fan for life, ride or die,” Vigil said.

After making it through finals and being announced on the roster, she said she stood there in disbelief, clutching the poms given to her by a junior Seahawks dancer. Soon after, she was fitted for a Seahawks uniform, and she said she couldn’t believe she was wearing it herself.

“I’ve been seeing myself in cherry and silver for the past four years, and so to see myself in like, a dark blue and green uniform was so weird, but it was so fun,” she said.

She said, through rehearsals and finals, the team’s energy remains high and positive as the Seahawks step off one of their best seasons ever as Super Bowl LX champions. She said it’s a cool space to be stepping into as a rookie.

“I remember watching the Super Bowl with my friends and thinking, like, how badly I wanted to be on the field with them,” Vigil said.

Dumalo said she first was drawn to the Colts cheer team and their mascot, Blue, due to their social media presence. This led her to take a deeper look into not only the cheer team, but the coaching organization of the Colts itself. She felt like the team was a good fit for her.

“They’re owned by women, which is really awesome to see, especially in the NFL,” she said.

Dumlao never dreamed of being an NFL cheerleader but was motivated to try out to see what she was capable of.

The application process began in December and continued through February, with video submissions to become a finalist. After that, Dumlao flew to Indianapolis and went through two weeks of in-person workshops, including interviews, technique, choreography and more.

She said the final round had around 47 girls. At the end, she was one of 26 chosen for the 2026 roster. She said it was an amazing feeling to hear her name called out as a Colts cheerleader.

“It’s still surreal, like I’m still in disbelief,” she said. “It was a very long two weeks out there, and it really pushes you physically, mentally and emotionally.”

Dumlao said the final selection process had all the girls in one room as they called out the audition numbers, and all she was waiting for was to hear the number 23.

“As soon as I heard my number, I just melted, and I just started crying, because I was just repeating the number in my head,” Dumlao said.

“That instant feeling of relief, once I heard my number called, it was just amazing.”

When it came down to who she wanted to tell first, it was one of her biggest supporters, her mom. Who, luckily, was in the stands waiting for the final roster announcement.

“How it’s announced is you go one by one, they say your name, you do a little two-eight count solo, and then you do a little group dance,” Dumlao said. “And so my first time coming on stage in the Colts gear is how my mom found out. And so she has a video of that, it’s just her screaming. It just made me want to cry to see her in the audience.”

She said the support she has had from her mother and loved ones her whole life has made everything worth it. While competing for the highest level of cheer and dance was scary and nerve-racking, support pushed her through and showed her she could do it.

The first moment of putting on the uniform and knowing she would get to wear it for the next year, representing the organization, felt surreal, she said.

After wearing red since high school, she said, it was different to see herself in the Colts’ blue.

“It just felt amazing, just to even have the horseshoe on my chest,” Dumlao said.

For Dumlao, it is not just about representing the Colts but also New Mexico and her hometown, Roswell. She said she finds New Mexico sometimes gets left out a bit and so do small towns, so she is excited to be able to represent the whole state.

“I just hope that it shows not only like people, but even younger girls that might look up to me that nothing is too far out of reach, and that as long as you try, that anything is possible,” she said.

Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow from the New Mexico Local News Fellowship program. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.

There seems to be a feeling among some that LeBron James would like to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers for next season and that he will if he receives an offer in free agency that he deems appropriate. But one can never quite be sure what he will do.

He may be 41 years of age, but he is still a desired commodity across the NBA. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania made an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday and said that many teams have already called James' agent, Rich Paul.

“Honestly, I think LeBron, more than past years, probably needs even more time with his family, with his inner circle,” Charania said. “I do know a lot of teams are calling him and his camp. I spoke to Rich Paul the other day at the Chicago Draft Combine last week, and he told me every contender in the NBA, essentially, since the season ended has placed a call.”

Charania also added that James is expected to play another season in the league rather than retire.

It is thought that if James leaves the Lakers, he's most likely to join the Cleveland Cavaliers, his original team, or the Golden State Warriors. The Los Angeles Clippers have also been mentioned as a team that may have an outside chance of landing the four-time MVP.

But the Lakers could have an advantage over every other team that wants him since they will, in all likelihood, be able to offer him more money than everyone else. In addition, James and his family already live in the Southland, and, of course, his son Bronny plays for the Lakers.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Charania: 'A lot of teams are calling' LeBron James and his camp

Summer is here, sort of, and it is everyone’s favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Bucs fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Tampa Bay. 

Are we going to write about quarterbacks? Offensive tackles? Edge rushers? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Bucs, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Bucs fans can be the most informed fans. 

So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall.

Film

• Michigan
• Maryland
• MTSU

Background Info

• Listed at 6-4/247 lbs.
• 3-Star recruit according to 247 Sports
• Initially committed to Navy for lacrosse, but flipped to Wisconsin for football
• All-American lacrosse player
• Transferred from Wisconsin to Ohio State
• First-Team All-State and First-Team All-County in high school

Notable career stats heading into 2026

• 124 tackles
• 22 combined tackles for a loss and sacks
• Generated 0 turnovers

Notable numbers from PFF heading into 2026

• 57.5 Career PFF Run Defense Grade
• 52.7 Career PFF Coverage Grade
• 9 Hurries
• Missed tackle rate of 12.5%
• 52 Stops

Strengths

• Closing speed that makes him reliable in the run game and pass rushing
• Physical player, can run through blockers
• Does a good job of shedding blocks or finding holes in the scheme
• A presence in the middle of coverage
• Sideline to sideline range and speed

Player Summary

Christian Alliegro is a physical linebacker prospect who has some limitations in his game. He is really physical in the middle of the field for the defense, he closes quickly on ball carriers, but his best tool is his range. He does a good job of shedding blocks as well, and finding running lanes in general, so it allows for him to make a difference there. However, he needs to work on his pass coverage and overall awareness in 2026. 

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2027 Summer Scouting Report on Ohio State LB Christian Alliegro

Championship season has officially arrived for spring sports.

Monday and Tuesday concludes golf season for Seaside as both the boys and girls traveled to their respective state championship locations. The boys made a return trip to Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, while the girls traveled to Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond. On the track, Knappa, Astoria, Warrenton and Seaside teams are set for their district meets later this week.

Seaside senior eyeing state title

The Seaside boys enter the state golf tournament as the defending champions.

Despite returning top golfer Xanh Quang and experienced golfer Landon Nofield, the Seagulls have three new members making the trip this year. Freshman Will Haag, and juniors Gunner Norman and Dexter Jenks are looking to provide the Seagulls with two more good rounds.

The Seaside boys entered the state tournament ranked fifth in the official Oregon School Activities Association computer rankings. The Seagulls rank behind favorites Pendelton/Griswold and Marist Catholic, as well as Cascade and Marshfield. Though Pendleton and Marist are the two favorites, Seaside head coach Jim Poetsch says the tournament is wide open for anyone to take due to how difficult the course is to manage.

On the individual side, Quang is looking to cement his legacy as one of the best golfers in Seaside history. Quang will be chasing the state individual title to cap off his legacy. After setting milestones like a tournament record at the Seaside Invitational and winning the district title last week, he’s hoping for one more moment on Tuesday.

Seaside girls golf team hopes for splashy finish

The girls entered Monday’s 21-team field as the No. 5 seed.

A strong season from Seaside has the girls ranked behind Salem Academy, Henley, Catlin Gabel and St. Marys. Cowapa league rival Scappoose is ranked sixth, but is trending up over the last couple of weeks.

The girls’ field is shaping up to be a coronation for Salem Academy. The Crusaders have dominated the 4A/3A/2A/1A division all season and look poised to hold the trophy Tuesday afternoon. Salem is coming off shooting a total team score of 644 in last week’s district championships. This was more than 160 points lower than second-place Santiam Christian. Not only that, but Salem had four of the first five spots in the individual category.

Second place behind Salem will be up for grabs, so the experienced Seagulls squad can easily claim a top five finish if all four girls shoot well at the same time.

Knappa distance runners look sharp in last tuneup

In the final tuneup meet before the 2A District Championships on Friday, the Knappa boys distance runners had solid results.

Senior Wyatt Jacobson won the 800 meters in a personal best time of 1:57.95. Jacobson now owns the top times in the state for three events. His 1:57.95 leads in the 800, his time of 4:07.57 is top in the 1500 and 8:55.54 in the 3000 meters is also first. The senior has a chance to add more state titles to his belt before he leaves the Loggers.

In the 1500 meters, Rowdy Justus and Kyler Rodriguez both ran personal best times at the Jeannie James Invitational. Justus crossed the line first with a 4:17.37, then Rodriguez came home third with a 4:24.13. Logan Affolter was fourth in a time of 4:33.66. Finally, Gavin Jasper ran a personal best of 9:27.01 in the 3000 meters to finish second. Jasper and teammate Oskar Peitsch finished with near identical times as Peitsch crossed the line in 9:27.50.

Entering districts, the Loggers have three of the top 10 times in the 3000 meters, two of the top 10 in the 1500, the top 800 meter time and Paul Thompson is ranked fourth in the 400 meters with a time of 51.47.

On the girls side, Emma Jackson continued her lowering of times with a personal best in the 1500. The junior blew away the competition while running a 5:09.42, to win the race by over 45 seconds.

Jackson now ranks in the top 10 in all three distance events. She is eighth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:29.80, ninth in the 1500 after her 5:09.42 and is eighth in the 3000 meters with a time of 11:26.44

Astoria, Seaside track teams set to begin Cowapa League showdowns

The Cowapa League Championships is set to begin Wednesday. The two-day event is expected to see some exciting matchups.

The most anticipated track matchup will featuring Seaside’s super freshman Will Flores and Scappoose senior Cameron Dierdoff. Flores has taken the track world by storm as one of the fastest freshman in all of Oregon regardless of division. Flores has run under 50 seconds in the 400, 1:55 in the 800 and under 4:25 in the 1500 meters. These are times that would get most seniors into college and Flores is running them as a freshman.

His counterpart Dierdoff, is right with him.

The Indians senior has run 49.99 in the 400, to Flores’ 49.86 and is the No. 1 seed in the boys 800 meters with a 1:54.99. Assuming these two run the same races, that will be one of the most watched track events of the two day meet.

The other will be William Laman vs Diego Velazquez in the distance events. These two have been rivals for the last two seasons and Laman is looking to get revenge on Velazquez after losing to him during cross country season. Velazquez has the lower time at the 1500 distance, while Laman has him beat in the 3000 meters.

Of course, there are other athletes to watch in the field events, but these are two events that will garner the most attention on track.

Warrenton is set for district meet

Warrenton’s track and field team members are set to join the rest of their Clatsop County counterparts at their own district meet. The Warriors will travel to Griswold Stadium at Lewis and Clark College for the 3A Coastal Range League Championship. This will be the final meet for athletes to qualify, so Warrenton seniors will look to finish off their track and field seasons with a qualifying berth in Eugene.

Building a 53-man roster is no small task in the NFL. It’s not always about keeping the best 53 players, but rather the right 53 players. Going long at one position group means going short at another, and the Dallas Cowboys’ running back group looks like one that can definitely go short.

Made up of Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, Malik Davis, Hunter Luepke, Phil Mafah, Israel Abanikanda, and Dominic Richardson, the Cowboys’ running back room is a virtual who’s who of “who?” Aside from Williams, most of the NFL would be hard-pressed to name a guy on this unproven depth chart. It puts a lot of pressure on Williams to stay healthy but also gives the Cowboys a chance to stash most of their running backs on the practice squad.

Luepke, Dallas’ do-it-all fullback/halfback/H-back, offers running back depth as well as tight end depth. Under contract through 2027 and serving as a core special teams player, he’s a pretty safe bet to make the roster again in 2026.  

FULLBACK TOUCHDOWN 🚨

Dak Prescott finds Hunter Luepke for 6 🙌pic.twitter.com/kUVgqlAZS0

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 12, 2025

Blue, a former fifth-round pick out of Texas, has enough big-play potential and college film to make him a desirable commodity on the open market. As such, it’s unlikely the Cowboys would try to stash him on the practice squad, rather preferring to secure him and his 129 career rushing yards on the final 53.

JAYDON BLUE 27 YARD RUN 💨 pic.twitter.com/OGhgh8Q5rS

— SleeperCowboys (@SleeperCowboys) January 4, 2026

Fellow second-year man Phil Mafah doesn’t offer those same qualities. Mafah had an injury-stunted rookie year in 2025 and could likely survive a trip to the practice squad. The 234-pound running back from Clemson is a good candidate to be a gameday elevation week to week. Dallas could move him back and forth early as they sort out a possible permanent place on the 53.

Rookie Phil Mafah introducing himself to the defense 😳

Watch on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/8tZaDT9OVj

— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025

Davis, the Cowboys’ incumbent RB2, looked good in spot duty last season. He’s put his pass protection issues behind him and could be the “use in case of emergency” option in 2026. It’s unlikely he’d be in much demand if released, so like Mafah, he could be a gameday elevation candidate week to week in September.

Malik Davis with the long rip for the Cowboys touchdown, Cowboys lead.

Cowboys finally got it going 🔥 pic.twitter.com/j9GlVRXslX

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) November 27, 2025

Abanikanda, a reserve/future player, and Richardson, an undrafted free agent rookie, both look like camp bodies who are longshots to make the roster. But then again, if there’s one position to come out of nowhere and surprise, it’s probably running back, so they’ll get a full shake if they can stay healthy and contribute on special teams.

Unless the Cowboys add a veteran in the upcoming June 1 cuts or they find a last-minute castoff to steal from someone else’s practice squad, they’re situated to only carry three running backs on the final 53-man roster this September.

You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: No-name depth? Cowboys could be safe going super thin at RB in 2026

May 18—BEMIDJI — The Minnesota Vikings are making a stop in Bemidji in their tour of summer youth camps around the state.

On June 11 at Bemidji State, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Chet Anderson Stadium, Minnesota's NFL organization will bring the free-entry Vikings Youth Football Camps to the shore of Lake Bemidji.

The camp is a one-day, non-contact event with the Vikings' youth football development coaching staff. The camp is for kids from ages 6 to 14 and there is no fee to enter. Registration can be found at

vikings.com/community/youth-football.

Check-in opens at 9 a.m. on the day of the camp.

For questions or more information, email youthfb@vikings.nfl.net and include "Bemidji" in the subject line.

Aaron Rai withdrew from this week's PGA Tour event, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Dallas, on Monday after winning the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club a day earlier.

Rai, 31, will be replaced in the field by South Korea's Seung-Yul Noh. He wasn't the only one to withdraw from the field on Monday. Aldrich Potgeiter, who contended early at the U.S. Open, and Andrew Putnam also withdrew. A day earlier, Michael Kim, Webb Simpson and Trey Mullinax pulled out and on Saturday Nicolai Hojgaard and Marco Penge did, too. The field also expanded to 147 due to Brooks Koepka competing this week, paving the way for Scott Piercey, Ryan Palmer and U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell (sponsor's exemption) to get into the field.

The CJ Cup field is headlined by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and fellow hometown hero Jordan Spieth.

Rai broke out of the pack and sucked all the drama out of the closing holes on Sunday with six birdies over the final 10 holes to shoot 5-under 65 for a three-shot victory, He became the first English-born player since 1919 to capture the PGA Championship. It was Rai's second Tour title. It's unclear when Rai will play next but with his victory on Sunday he became eligible for the remaining signature events, including The Memorial, a limited-field event with a $20 million purse, which will be held in two weeks.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: PGA champion Aaron Rai withdraws from CJ Cup

May 18—BEMIDJI — By the sixth inning of the Bemidji High School baseball team's game against Duluth Marshall, Lawson Berg was pitching lights-out.

To that point, he had given up three hits and hadn't let a Hilltopper past second base.

But Duluth Marshall's arms were keeping BHS batters at bay. After giving up two runs in the first inning, Mason Park and Evan Lammi held Bemidji without a run to keep the game within reach.

With the Jacks ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Berg needed a better cushion for his final inning on the mound. Who better to do that than himself?

After Gunner Ganske hit a leadoff triple, Berg hit a line drive that hugged the first base line to score Ganske, an RBI double to extend the BHS lead to 3-0.

The Jacks weren't done, either. Heaton Brodina hit a towering two-run home run to right field to truly give Bemidji the cushion it needed, leading 5-0 by inning's end.

Berg was sent back to the mound in the seventh inning to finish off the Hilltoppers. After giving up a leadoff single, he produced a double play and a fly out to close the Lumberjacks' 5-0 victory Monday evening at the BSU ballfield.

Berg gave up only four hits, one walk and struck out four in seven innings pitched.

Oh, and he was 3-for-3 with an RBI at the plate.

"Just a fabulous job by Lawson Berg," head coach Jim Grimm said. "He was bordering on a Maddux game. He barely threw 12 pitches an inning, that's really good."

A Maddux — a statistic named after Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux — is when a player pitches a complete game shutout in fewer than 100 pitches. Berg threw just 83 pitches against Duluth Marshall.

His shutout was most in jeopardy in the fifth inning. The Hilltoppers had two men on with nobody out, the most action they had on the basepaths on Monday. Knowing the tying run was on first, Berg struck out Junior Lucero and turned a double play after Mason Park tried to bunt to get out of the inning unscathed.

Park's bunt was popped to Berg on the mound, but communication with his teammates helped him turn two.

"Gunner (Ganske) was yelling 'Two,' so I just ripped it over to second base, got the out and got out of the inning," Berg explained. "And that was kind of a momentum changer because we scored three in the bottom of the sixth, too."

It was one of two double plays the Bemidji defense turned on Duluth Marshall. It's satisfying for Grimm to see improvement on defense, especially seeing the skill and chemistry come together this late in the season.

"It's been a long time coming," he said. "Every practice, I can't even tell you how many double plays we do. One after another. Because you can include so many things in that. You know, you're getting ground balls, you're throwing, you're doing all that. We're getting more settled on who's defending up the middle."

Bemidji took advantage of Hilltoppers' mistakes in the first inning. With Reece Dokken attempting to steal second and Miles Gish watching closely at third base, catcher Lucero threw over the head of second baseman Easton Grumdahl for Gish to score. James Garrison drove home Dokken on a groundout to make it 2-0 Jacks.

They held onto that lead until the three-run sixth inning, highlighted by Brodina's two-run blast.

"That's his first (home run), first of many to come, hopefully," Berg said. "We all know he can do it; it was just a matter of time before he got one."

"Heaton's hit some balls really hard," Grimm added. "Hasn't had some luck once in a while, but he got a hold of that one."

The Lumberjacks (8-7) head into Tuesday with their biggest doubleheader of the season: a Section 8-4A matchup against Brainerd that could have playoff implications if one team sweeps the other. Bemidji is 4-4 against section foes this season, and is

sixth out of eight teams in the section

as of May 18. Brainerd is in last place with a 0-6 section record.

In a Section 8-4A doubleheader last Friday, BHS lost to Elk River, 4-2, but defeated first-place St. Michael-Albertville 8-6, the Knights' only section loss this season.

Little separates the teams in Section 8-4A, so a high seed and a home game are more than available for BHS.

"I think the section's up for grabs," Grimm said. "I don't see anybody taking control of it. No one's running away with it, and nobody's out of it either. I think it's going to be a battle royale when the section comes around."

Bemidji 5, Duluth Marshall 0

DM 000 000 0 — 0-4-2

BHS 200 003 X — 5-9-2

WP: Berg (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

LP: Park (4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

The Baltimore Ravens enter organized team activities with one of the NFL's most talented defensive rosters on paper, but OTAs will still answer several critical questions before training camp arrives in July. Baltimore added impact talent, retained important veterans, and reshaped portions of the secondary and pass rush this offseason. Now comes the process of determining how all the pieces fit together.

Here's the biggest question at every defensive position as the Ravens begin OTAs.

Defensive line: What version of Nnamdi Madubuike will Baltimore get?

Everything starts with Nnamdi Madubuike.

Baltimore's defensive front looks dramatically different depending on his health status. Madubuike missed most of last season with a neck injury serious enough to spark retirement speculation at one point, though recent workout footage has created optimism entering the offseason. The Ravens still possess quality depth with Travis Jones, veteran John Jenkins, Broderick Washington, and second-year player Aeneas Peebles, but Madubuike remains the disruptive centerpiece when healthy.

OTAs may not provide full answers, but any clarity surrounding his condition immediately changes Baltimore's defensive ceiling.

Edge rusher: Can Baltimore finally build a dominant pass-rush rotation?

The Ravens landed the proven closer they desperately wanted by adding Trey Hendrickson, but the bigger OTA question centers around the players surrounding him. Mike Green flashed as a rookie. Tavius Robinson showed promise despite injuries. Zion Young arrives with an intriguing upside, while Adisa Isaac and Kaimon Rucker continue battling for rotational snaps. Baltimore suddenly has numbers and athleticism off the edge. OTAs should begin revealing whether the Ravens finally possess enough depth to consistently pressure quarterbacks late in games.

Inside linebacker: Who becomes Roquan Smith's long-term running mate?

Roquan Smith remains the unquestioned leader of Baltimore's defense, but the long-term picture beside him still feels unsettled. Trenton Simpson enters a pivotal season while seeking future roster security. Teddye Buchanan is recovering from a torn ACL. Rookie Jay Higgins arrives looking to climb the depth chart quickly.

The Ravens need a reliable second linebacker who can thrive in one of football's most demanding defensive systems. OTAs should offer the first clues about who currently holds the inside track.

Cornerback: Is Baltimore deep enough behind Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins?

The Ravens still boast high-end talent with Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins, while veteran Chidobe Awuzie provides stability.

The real question lies behind them.

T.J. Tampa still has not emerged in Year 3. Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam are returning from injuries. Chandler Rivers joins the room as a rookie, while Keyon Martin surprisingly handled meaningful snaps as an undrafted free agent last season. Baltimore's secondary dealt with injuries repeatedly last year, so developing trustworthy cornerback depth becomes essential entering 2026.

Safety: Does Baltimore have the best safety trio in the NFL?

Baltimore still possesses one of football's elite safety duos in Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks.

The concern begins behind them.

After losing Ar'Darius Washington and Alohi Gilman, the Ravens added veteran Jaylinn Hawkins to stabilize the room. Hawkins is dependable, but does Baltimore still need additional contributors to emerge? Second-year player Keondre Jackson remains an intriguing special teams standout, while younger players Jahquez Robinson and Silas Walters will attempt to force their way into the conversation.

OTAs should help clarify whether Baltimore's safety depth is strong enough as it enters training camp.

Specialists: Can Tyler Loop bounce back mentally?

Special teams may quietly feature one of Baltimore's most important offseason storylines.

Tyler Loop finished his rookie season with impressive overall numbers, connecting on 30 of 34 field-goal attempts. Still, his missed game-winning kick against Pittsburgh in Week 18 ended Baltimore's playoff hopes and became the defining image of his season. The talent clearly exists. The bigger question becomes mental recovery and consistency entering Year 2. Meanwhile, rookie punter Ryan Eckley arrives with elite college production and the potential to immediately solidify Baltimore's field-position battle. The Ravens once again enter the season with championship expectations, but OTAs represent the first meaningful step toward determining whether this defense has enough depth, health, and cohesion to carry Baltimore deep into January.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens defensive questions take center stage at OTAs

It has been a crazy year for Porter Martone. After a stellar season with Michigan State, the forward joined the Philadelphia Flyers, making a playoff push in his first stint in the NHL. Now, after the Flyers fell in the second round of the playoffs, he has made his way overseas to represent Canada in the men's world championships.

In the Canadians game against Denmark, scoreless early in the third period, it was the former Spartan that opened the scoring. It was Martone getting assisted by NHL legend Sidney Crosby and superstar Macklin Celebrini. Watch the goal via X:

Celebrini ➡️ Crosby ➡️ Martone 🚨#MensWorlds | #MondialMasculinpic.twitter.com/VquPOBPd5V

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 18, 2026

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Rex_Linzy

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Watch Porter Martone score massive goal for team Canada

As a reminder, there is no offseason when it comes to college football news, and that's the case now more than ever. Case in point: the Big Ten is having its spring meetings this week in southern California, and there's plenty to talk about.

One of those things is the future of the College Football Playoff. If you are a college football fan, you know the CFP started as a four-team field in 2014, then expanded to 12 teams for the 2024 season (ahem, Ohio State won both of those first iterations). As with anything that has the potential for more inclusive -- and more importantly -- more money, there is now a push to expand further. Some prefer a few teams, while others want to double the field.

That's the company line all the Big Ten coaches are saying in unisom coming out of the meetings, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. From Rutgers to Ohio State, all eighteen teams are supporting a 24-team playoff, something Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti has been lobbying for.

The Big Ten invited prominent media members to be a part of the meeting this year, something that seems to be designed to get some messaging out, especially with the SEC beating its own drum on a smaller, 16-team model. However, after winning three straight playoffs, the conference would seem to have a bigger voice now more than ever.

And the Big Ten isn't missing its chance to get the message out, ahead of the SEC meetings that are set to take place after Memorial Day. All, thanks in large part to Washington head coach Jedd Fisch.

"I just felt like if messages were getting out of one part of the country and not the other part of the country, some of the things that we wanted to share that we really believe in was getting missed," said Fisch.

Story from the opening of Big Ten meetings, where the league is amplifying its off-season voice and is unified on pushing for a 24-team College Football Playoff. https://t.co/SjFWZMqf5x

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) May 18, 2026

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck pointed to the full support of the League as a reason why others (ahem, the SEC), might listen. To date, the ACC and Big 12 have also been on board with.

"It's got tremendous steam and power behind it (the 24-team field)," Fleck said. "Especially from the 18 head coaches in the Big Ten. When you do a lot of things that everybody's 18-for-18 for what we should do, I think it speaks volumes."

It remains to be seen whether or not the big, bad, declawed SEC will get behind such a large field, but with zero SEC teams playing in a national championship game the last three years, now might be the time the conference relents.

There are clearly some things with the calendar that would have to be worked out. Right now, a 24-team field would make an already longer season much longer and perhaps stretch into February. The idea of conference championship games will also have to be revisited, and perhaps scrapped. Those games are pretty lucrative when it comes to gate revenue, so that would have to all be worked out. Long story short, the calendar would need to be condensed

"The season needs to be pushed up," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. "We need to finish the season much sooner. Let's have this all done by the first week in January so we have a season that makes sense." to make it all come together.

One way or another, expansion and changes are coming to a College Football Playoff near you, and the Big Ten is trying to throw its weight around at a time when stepping on the scales looks like the conference is an 800-pound gorilla. It just might work.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Big Ten coaches unanimous on 24-team playoff at spring meetings

Dustin Poirier is torn about the idea of fighting Nate Diaz after his performance against Mike Perry at Rousey vs Carano on Netflix.

Diaz (21-14) was battered for almost the entirety of 10 minutes by Perry (15-8) on Saturday before the corner stopped it after Round 2. Afterward, Diaz rejected any calls for retirement and said he won't walk away "crying" in a shot at Poirier, who hung up his gloves last July.

Poirier and Diaz have been talking about fighting each other for years. They were officially scheduled in November 2018, but it didn't happen. Since then, the pair have offered conflicting takes about why it didn't come to fruition.

"The Diamond" has said the only matchup that would bring him out of retirement is a grudge match with Diaz, and even though he still stands by it, he admits the showing against Perry diminished the appeal.

"We could've fought. He knows that. I wish he would be honest with the fans and say that he pulled out or didn't come to terms with the UFC or whatever it was for the couple times we were supposed to fight that it never happened," Poirier said on Paramount's "Deep Waters" podcast. "But, dude, after the way he looked on Saturday night, he can't talk right now man. You need to take a break. He needs to go get some sleep and some rest, not me. He looked like dog sh*t. He looked horrible. He looked like he didn't want to be in there, looked like a punching bag. He looked off balance. His timing was horrible. When somebody loses, I don't like to sh*t on them too hard, but he knows.

"It's crazy that he's bringing me up in a post-fight. Apparently he still wants the fight or is thinking about it. It's just like, after a performance like that, it's like I'm picking on somebody now if I'm chasing Nate Diaz, the way he looked. It's like I'm picking on an easy fight, easy win. But, Nate Diaz, I will knock you clean out if we fight."

More: Rousey vs. Carano fight night weights: Gina much heavier than Ronda

Diaz is once again a free agent following his bout with Perry on Netflix, which was promoted by MVP MMA. He said afterward that he wants to rematch Perry "ASAP," but if Diaz instead pursues a deal with the UFC, Poirier said he will take the necessary steps to be eligible for competition.

"My invitation is still out there," Poirier said. "At 170, I'll go back in the drug test protocol or whatever. I will knock Nate Diaz completely out."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dustin Poirier rips Nate Diaz's 'dog sh*t' performance vs. Mike Perry

The Brooklyn Nets came away from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with a disappointing result as they ended up with the No. 6 overall pick despite having a 14.0% chance of getting the No. 1 pick. Brooklyn now moves forward with the knowledge that they can use their first-round pick to draft their next franchise guy, but they could have other moves to make this summer.

"The Nets have nothing but time now. Waiting out Embiid’s contract is no problem for them, their whole team is cheap and they’re not contending next year anyway short of some Hail Mary we don’t currently see," CBS Sports' Sam Quinn wrote in a post on X when reacting to Brooklyn unfortunate turn of events in the Lottery. One of Quinn's suggestions is trading for Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in the effort to get more draft capital.

"If he happens to give you some fun stretches? Cool. Bonus," Quinn continued in his post. "Really, he’s the matching salary in my star trade(s) in two years once he’s expiring, and a path to extracting picks out of Philly now. I’m just trying to accumulate such a cartoonish amount of future draft capital that I can get outbid for whoever the guy is in 2028 or 2029 by absolutely nobody."

As of this writing, the Nets have at least 11 first-round picks in the next six years, but there are some in the NBA community who believe that teams like Brooklyn should be trying to get as many draft picks as possible until they're no longer needed. Based on what most pundits are saying about the 2026 draft class, the Nets aren't expected to select a star-level player given that they pick didn't land in the top-4.

For a team like the 76ers, Embiid's contract may prove to be something that the team needs to get off if they're going to move in a different direction, which could happen after President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey was let go following their loss to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. Given Embiid's injury woes, Philadelphia may have to attach draft capital to Embiid to move him and Brooklyn could potentially benefit from that transaction.

I have a controversial pivot for the Nets in the wake of these two back to back disappointing lotteries. My whole plan for now is maximizing future draft capital by any means necessary. To that end I’d do two things:

1. Trade Michael Porter Jr.
2. Take on Joel Embiid’s contract.…

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) May 12, 2026

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Should the Nets trade for 76ers' Joel Embiid after Lottery result?

Reaching a significant milestone in the history of a program is the matter of executing on the little things.

Those little things can be physical — such as fielding routine groundballs or grinding out productive at-bats.

They can be mental as well — in terms of showing persistence, sacrificing for a common goal and coming to the field with a positive attitude.

The 2026 Clay Panthers' baseball program has either performed in all of those areas throughout the year or gotten progressively better in them daily.

It's resulted in what is one of Clay's best seasons to date, which has included a 20-6 overall record, a No. 5 state ranking and wins in 15 out of its last 18 games.

The latest win, an 8-5 triumph for Clay over the Racine Southern Tornadoes' baseball program on Friday evening, was extra special.

Overcoming a 4-2 deficit after three innings of play, the Panthers hung a six-spot in the fourth frame of work and never trailed from that point onward en route to obtaining program victory No. 1,000 Friday evening in Rosemount.

The victory marked another goal checked off the list for Kylon Crabtree's group, who entered the spring with the goal of checking off 1,000 wins on its mind after receiving helpful information from Clay baseball assistant coach and Clay Junior-Senior High history teacher Zack Fryman.

"It's a wonderful feeling," Crabtree said. "You can't really describe how good it feels because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I truly had no idea about it until early in the season. My assistant coach, Zack Fryman, got into the history books and started going back, and once we added everything up, we realized how close we were to that milestone. That made the boys really push for that. They used that as some motivation, and set it as a goal, saying, 'Hey, let's go get 20 wins, and get 1,000 (program wins) this year."

Now, Clay's not only got 20 wins for the season and 1,000 wins in the history of the program, but has an opportunity to accomplish much more than that.

With its 20-win season in the bag, the 2026 Clay squad is just the fourth team in the history of the program, dating back to the start of baseball at Clay in 1940, that has won 20 games in a season, and the first since the 2019 Clay squad to accomplish the feat.

By winning its 20th game on Friday, Clay matched that 2019 team as well as the 1954 group for the second-most victories in a single-season in program history. Winning just one more game in 2026 would allow Clay to match the 1949 squad, a group coached by longtime head baseball coach Kinney Long, a 2004 Clay Hall of Fame inductee who won 408 games, 16 conference titles, and three district championships in his 30 seasons from 1940 to 1970.

Since Long's retirement from the position following the 1970 season, Clay has remained competitive in the sport, and won district championships in 1987 under Dick McCleese and 2003 under Mark Robinson.

This season's group could be on track to win a district title for the first time in 23 years.

During its 15 wins over an 18-game stretch, Clay has taken down state ranked foes in No. 2 OHSBCA Division VII Green (4-0) and No. 12 OHSBCA Division V Valley (7-6) on the road. The Panthers also defeated archrival Notre Dame by a 4-3 count in nine innings on April 24 at home.

"You don't know what to expect early on in the year, but these guys have not disappointed and not let up since the beginning," Crabtree said. "When you do have a young team, you have to let them go prove what they can do. We knew they had the capability, but they've proved it from Game 1. They have come out on a mission. They come out and play, they come out and compete, and it's just a great group of boys to be around."

As Clay has gone on its tear toward becoming one of the state's most highly-respected units, the Panthers have garnered more respect in the process. The Panthers have won seven games by mercy rule since April 14, but have also gone 4-2 in games decided by three runs or less in the same span of time.

Clay's only losses since April 14 are setbacks to OHSAA Division V foes Portsmouth (4-2) and Northwest (6-3) as well as a loss at OHSBCA No. 8 South Webster (11-2).

"You can't really explain how that chemistry just grows among the team — it's just something that you have to witness," Crabtree said. "Witnessing it in person and seeing a group of kids that have different backgrounds and hobbies come together as one when they all step into not only our dugout, but the visiting dugouts, and put everything else aside and have one goal in mind — to play and compete together — is terrific. The happiest I've been is seeing them believe in each other. It's not just been one or two guys — it's been a collective group of an entire team that has sacrificed and put their own feelings aside and has done what's best for our team."

Because of their own mindsets, Clay now sits within two games from establishing the new all-time mark for wins in a season, as only the 1949 squad, which took the field 76 years ago, has won over 20 games in a single campaign.

Breaking the aforementioned district title drought also sits within reach, and even the 82-year drought of advancing to a state semifinal — a feat that only Long's 1944 group has ever done from a baseball standpoint at Clay — isn't unfathomable, either.

All of those achievement would certainly thrill the folks in Rosemount and Clay Township as the cathartic atmosphere behind what can be done within the program seems to grow with each passing game and pitch.

"Our community has done nothing but show up, time and time again," Crabtree said. "A huge thanks goes out to each and every person. You work hard to get your team to buy in, but when you can also get the community to buy into a group of guys, and they are collectively coming up to support a group that's working hard, it's just unlike anything else. The community, the parents, the families, the grandparents, the aunts and uncles, and everybody that comes to support these kids — it's been nothing short of spectacular."

But while special goals to shoot for and look forward toward striving for, the mentality of the Clay baseball program remains one pitch, one play and one game at a time.

"It's one game at a time," Crabtree said. "The boys have set goals, and they're achieving those goals one game at a time. That's the word that you have to keep saying — one game at a time. They have a goal of eclipsing the school record for the number of wins at Clay, which is 21 wins in a season, so if we're fortunate enough to notch two more wins somewhere between now or tournament play, we're going to achieve that, and hopefully, even a few more."

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Badin has taken over the top spot in Division III as part of the newest Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association state top-20 polls.

The penultimate rankings were released Monday, May 18. Badin (20-3) moved one spot to the top of the D-III rankings, receiving 10 first place votes, 5 second place and 1 third place on the 16 ballots.

Miami Valley teams make up five of the top-6 spots in D-III. Butler (21-5) had its five-week run at top end and comes in at No. 3, followed by No. 4 Tippecanoe (20-5), No. 5 Kenton Ridge (19-5) and No. 6 Bellbrook (21-3).

Centerville (21-2) remains No. 1 in the D-I rankings. Beavercreek (16-5) fell one spot to eighth, and Springboro (17-7) dropped two spots to 10th. Lebanon (17-6) moved up to 13th.

Troy (20-3) went from second to third in the D-II rankings after a mid-week loss to Centerville. Northmont (16-9) moved back into the rankings all the way up to a tie for ninth with Highland.

Also appearing in D-III was Monroe (18-4) in 15th, and Urbana (20-5) was 14th in D-IV.

Coldwater (19-4) remains second in D-V, followed by Anna (19-5) in 10th and Arcanum (20-3) in 16th.

The D-VI rankings has St. Henry (21-3) at No. 3 and Mechanicsburg (19-2) at No. 5. D-VII has No. 7 Newton (17-4), No. 12 Fort Loramie (14-8) tied with Minster (15-8), and No. 18 Russia (12-11).

District tournament play for D-III through VII teams started Monday with first and second round games taking place during the week.

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Save

Badin has taken over the top spot in Division III as part of the newest Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association state top-20 polls.

The penultimate rankings were released Monday, May 18. Badin (20-3) moved one spot to the top of the D-III rankings, receiving 10 first place votes, 5 second place and 1 third place on the 16 ballots.

Miami Valley teams make up five of the top-6 spots in D-III. Butler (21-5) had its five-week run at top end and comes in at No. 3, followed by No. 4 Tippecanoe (20-5), No. 5 Kenton Ridge (19-5) and No. 6 Bellbrook (21-3).

Centerville (21-2) remains No. 1 in the D-I rankings. Beavercreek (16-5) fell one spot to eighth, and Springboro (17-7) dropped two spots to 10th. Lebanon (17-6) moved up to 13th.

Troy (20-3) went from second to third in the D-II rankings after a mid-week loss to Centerville. Northmont (16-9) moved back into the rankings all the way up to a tie for ninth with Highland.

Also appearing in D-III was Monroe (18-4) in 15th, and Urbana (20-5) was 14th in D-IV.

Coldwater (19-4) remains second in D-V, followed by Anna (19-5) in 10th and Arcanum (20-3) in 16th.

The D-VI rankings has St. Henry (21-3) at No. 3 and Mechanicsburg (19-2) at No. 5. D-VII has No. 7 Newton (17-4), No. 12 Fort Loramie (14-8) tied with Minster (15-8), and No. 18 Russia (12-11).

District tournament play for D-III through VII teams started Monday with first and second round games taking place during the week.

May 18—Badin has taken over the top spot in Division III as part of the newest Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association state top-20 polls.

The penultimate rankings were released Monday, May 18. Badin (20-3) moved one spot to the top of the D-III rankings, receiving 10 first place votes, 5 second place and 1 third place on the 16 ballots.

Miami Valley teams make up five of the top-6 spots in D-III. Butler (21-5) had its five-week run at top end and comes in at No. 3, followed by No. 4 Tippecanoe (20-5), No. 5 Kenton Ridge (19-5) and No. 6 Bellbrook (21-3).

Centerville (21-2) remains No. 1 in the D-I rankings. Beavercreek (16-5) fell one spot to eighth, and Springboro (17-7) dropped two spots to 10th. Lebanon (17-6) moved up to 13th.

Troy (20-3) went from second to third in the D-II rankings after a mid-week loss to Centerville. Northmont (16-9) moved back into the rankings all the way up to a tie for ninth with Highland.

Also appearing in D-III was Monroe (18-4) in 15th, and Urbana (20-5) was 14th in D-IV.

Coldwater (19-4) remains second in D-V, followed by Anna (19-5) in 10th and Arcanum (20-3) in 16th.

The D-VI rankings has St. Henry (21-3) at No. 3 and Mechanicsburg (19-2) at No. 5. D-VII has No. 7 Newton (17-4), No. 12 Fort Loramie (14-8) tied with Minster (15-8), and No. 18 Russia (12-11).

District tournament play for D-III through VII teams started Monday with first and second round games taking place during the week.

Cade Hiebert said he was experiencing soreness on Sunday, one day after the Bakersfield Christian High junior completed a very satisfying week of championship tennis.

Hiebert won his singles and doubles matches Wednesday to help lift the Eagles to their first CIF Central Section Division 1 team championship. Two days later, he did something that required just himself to come through. He captured the CIF Central Section Boys Tennis Individual Tournament singles title Saturday, winning four matches in two days at Clovis North High.

“Having four matches in a short amount of time, I felt I’ve not been able to do that for a while,” Hiebert said. "It feels great to win."

He won round of 16 and quarterfinal matches on Friday, defeated Aiden Navarro of Visalia Redwood 6-0, 6-0 and Santa Maria-St. Joseph’s Diego Morales 6-0, 6-2. His semifinal opponent Saturday morning was Clovis West’s Ray Roush, whom he defeated 6-3, 6-2.

“I was able to get through that match. We had a lot of good points and (Ray) has a really good forehand that seemed to always get winners,” Hiebert said.

Waiting for Hiebert in the singles final was Clovis North’s Bryon Quitorio, who had beaten Hiebert 6-1, 6-3 Feb. 13 in a regular-season team match.

Hiebert wanted to avenge that defeat, and it happened on a bigger stage.

“That loss gave me some motivation,” Hiebert said. “I knew what I’d be going up against. I knew I’d be ready.”

Hiebert won 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 and the title.

“He had set point on me at 5-4 in the first set. Making that save was cool. It was definitely one of my best matches for not giving up,” he said.

Other local singles results: Frontier's Clay Villarreal defeated Bakersfield's Theo Brandon 6-1, 6-3, but lost to Ray Roush 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. Stockdale’s John Paul Flores lost to Diego Morales 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 in the first round.

Individual Doubles: Bakersfield High juniors Evan Noel and Ryan Rosales reached the Central Section doubles championship match, falling to San Luis Obispo’s Neil Wells and Grant Vanclef in a three-set battle 7-5. 3-6, 6-2.

Reaching the final was a big accomplishment for the duo, who last year went out in the quarterfinals. This year, Noel and Rosales defeated Mission College Prep’s Decker Schmit and Grady Veyna 6-1, 6-1 in the opener then beat Bullard’s Brett Carter and Karman Aujla 6-3, 6-1. Playing in a semifinal, the Drillers topped Clovis North’s Nikith Daniel and Nathan Magallon 6-1, 6-2 to get the title match.

Other local doubles tournament results were David Hair Jr. and Adrian Araya, Bakersfield Christian, reaching the semifinals, losing to Wells and Vanclef 6-2, 6-1. Later, Hair and Araya won a third-place match against Clovis North’s Daniel and Magallon 4-6, 6-3 and a third-set tiebreaker to 10, 10-6. Liberty’s Keen Nguyen and Beau Perez won their first match when their opponent withdrew. But Nguyen and Perez then lost to Clovis North’s Daniel and Magallon 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. Another Liberty entry, Tristan Panero and Eli Phillips, lost in the round of 16 to Clovis’ Silas Roberts and Carson Feeser 6-3, 6-4.

CIF STATE SWIM AND DIVE

For the second straight season, Liberty High senior Sophia Munoz-Rodriguez and Garces High senior Jett Kalmikovs have been true point-getters and standouts at the CIF State Swimming Championships meet.

On Saturday, following a full preliminary racing schedule on Friday, both were directly responsible for the points and end result in their final bows as high school swimmers.

The meet, held at Clovis West High, saw Munoz-Rodriguez compete in four state finals events, two individually in A finals and two relays with teammates in B finals.

Munoz-Rodriguez, who will swim next year at Cal State Bakersfield, finished sixth in the 100-yard butterfly in 54.45 seconds, a high school All-America time consideration mark. She finished ninth in the 200 individual medley race, also securing All-America time consideration for her 2:01.76 mark.

She is also a key cog for Liberty’s 200 medley and 200 free relays. In the state consolation finals — swimmers/teams vie for 10-18th place — Liberty took 15th place overall, sixth place, in both relay races.

In the 200 medley relay, Jillian Bean swam leadoff, followed by Munoz-Rodriguez, then Gracie Dean and the anchor, Paige Bowyer. All seniors, this team swam in 1:46.16, another All-America time consideration.

In the 200 free relay consolation, the lineup was Munoz-Rodriguez leading off, followed by Bean, sophomore Ellie Horrisberger and Bowyer as anchor. The team swam in 1:37.47.

As a team in the state finals, Liberty scored 43 total points.

Garces’ Kalmikovs qualified for the state finals in one individual event, the 100-yard backstroke, and leadoff for the boys 200 medley relay consolation final. Kalmikovs, along with, in order, Charlie Potter, Clay Selvidge and Owen Weishaar, finished 14th overall, fifth in the relay in 1:33.94, barely missing an All-America time consideration mark of 1:33.91.

In the 100 back, Kalmikovs qualified for the A final and finished eighth in 48.85. He earned 13 points for his individual race and with 10 from the relay, he was key for Garces’ 23 team points.

He also swam on the Rams’ 200 free relay team with Selvidge, Weishaar and Potter. The team finished 19th, just missing the last qualifying spot for the consolation final, in the prelims. They swam in 1:25.04.

Kalmikovs was also in the 100 free, but swam 45.93 to finish 22nd in the prelims.

Garces scored seven points in the girls’ state standings as senior Addison Roberts scored points for finishing 12th in the CIF State Diving finals held on Thursday.

CIF TRACK AND FIELD

The McFarland High boys track and field team captured the CIF Central Section Division 4 championship, the only local area team to win a team title among the four division meets held last Friday. Liberty High had the highest finish among girls teams, taking second at the Division 1 finals.

The Cougars, who scored 85 points, got individual title wins from Diego Ochoa in the 800- and 1,600-meters, 1 minute, 58.34 seconds and 4:24.52, respectively. Ochoa also ran on McFarland’s winning 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams, and Marco Gonzalez won the D-4 pole vault title at 13 feet, 3 inches. The D-4 finals were held at Firebaugh High School.

Meanwhile, the Patriot girls, led by Madelyn Porter’s title wins in the pole vault and triple jump, scored 66 and one-third points, to finish behind D-1 champion Clovis Buchanan (107). Porter went 11-8 in the pole vault and 38 feet in the triple jump. Liberty had multiple high finishes to gain the runner-up status points wise. Freshman Ally Bennett was second in the 1,600 meters and third in the 3,200, Porter was runner-up in the 100 hurdles, Liberty was second in the 4x100 relay and third in the 4x400 relay. The D-1 finals were hosted by Sanger High at Washington Academic Middle School’s Dodson Field.

Other top team placings among the four divisions were Del Oro boys, third in the D-3 finals at Exeter Union High, Shafter and Kern Valley girls finished fourth in divisions 2 at Dinuba High and 4, respectively. Liberty boys were fifth in D-1, Independence boys were seventh in D-2, and South’s girls were sixth in D-3.

Other event title wins by locals in their division final, boys and girls, were:

Division 1 — Boys: Liberty, 4x100 relay, 41.48. Girls: Nevaeh Ramos Howard, Stockdale, 100, 11:75, and 200, 24.39.

Division 2 — Boys: Damarious Johnson, Independence, 100, 11:06; Anthony Brown, Golden Valley, 100 Unified, 14:47; Josiah Frink, Ridgeview, high jump, 6-2; Julius Porter, Ridgeview, triple jump, 43-11. Girls: Lashanique Jones and Jacqueline Flores, both Golden Valley, 100 Unified, both 29.42; Chelsea Jauregui, Ridgeview, 800, 2:19.30; Independence, 4x100 relay 48.91; Golden Valley, 4x100 Unified, 56.16; Joslyn Pierucci, Shafter, shot put, 36-8 and discus 136-1; Jacqueline Flores, Golden Valley, shot put Unified, 42-9; Victoria Smith-Chaplin, Ridgeview, high jump, 5-0.

Division 3 — Boys: Luke Diaz, Chavez, 800, 1:57.77; Brayden Holford, Foothill, 110 hurdles, 14.98; Luis Ramirez, West, 300 hurdles, 39.20; Talen Prince, North, Discus, 171-1; Thaddeus Dyer, Tehachapi, high jump, 6-3; Girls: None.

Division 4 — Boys: Andrew Gartica, Boron, 100, 10.77; Terall McAdams, Rosamond, shot put, 51-10. Girls: Jayda Bushling, Kern Valley, 100, 12.07, 200, 25.60, long jump, 17-4 and one-half inches; 4x800 relay, McFarland, 10:23.45; Lacey Mueller, Bakersfield Christian, High Jump, 5-3; Zelia Elise Hoyt, Bakersfield Christian, Pole Vault, 9-9.

Last week, the USC baseball team wrapped up its regular season with a three-game series at Oregon. After dropping two of the three games in Eugene, the Trojans finished the year with an overall record of 42-14 and a 20-10 mark in conference play.

Now, it is on to the Big Ten Tournament for the Trojans. USC earned the No. 4 seed in the tournament, meaning that the Trojans will have a bye through to the quarterfinals.

USC and Oregon actually finished tied for third in the conference standings. However, the Ducks earned the tiebreaker by winning the head-to-head series between the two teams, giving them the No. 3 seed, while USC fell to No. 4.

The Trojans will open tournament play on Friday. They will not know their opponent until at least Wednesday, as teams will have to win two games in the preliminary round in order to advance.

The good news for the Trojans is that they will have a rest advantage over their first opponent in Omaha. The bad news, however, is that the game will be played at 7:00 a.m. Pacific time/9:00 a.m. local time on Friday, meaning that it will be a difficult body clock game for USC.

With a victory in the quarterfinals, the Trojans would advance to the semifinals on Saturday, where they would likely face No. 1 seed UCLA. After getting swept by their crosstown rivals during the regular season, it would be an opportunity for USC to get some revenge in Omaha.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC baseball wraps up regular season, Big Ten Tournament up next

May 18—MITCHELL — Cold temperatures and scattered rain showers did little to slow down the competition Monday at Lakeview Golf Course, where the Region 4B girls and boys golf championships produced state-qualifying individuals and teams.

Burke's Brody Indahl delivered the round of the day on the boys side, carding a 5-over-par 77 to capture the individual Region 4B title by two strokes in a 53-golfer field. Starting on the back nine as part of the boys rotation, Indahl stayed steady throughout the afternoon before finishing strong on Hole No. 9, rolling in an eagle on the par-5 closing hole to secure the individual championship.

Indahl shot a 3-over-par 39 over his final nine holes to pull away from Platte-Geddes' Bohde Kuiper and Jett Kemp, who each finished tied for second place with rounds of 79. Bon Homme's Michael Branaugh and McCook Central/Montrose's Liam Rayman shared fourth place after both golfers posted rounds of 80.

Bon Homme also placed two more golfers inside the top 10, as Madden Merkwan and Kashius Tucker each shot 81 to tie with MCM's Andrew Sabers for sixth place. Platte-Geddes' Aiden Boltjes finished ninth overall with an 82, while Hanson's Nate Wilber rounded out the top-10 golfers after carding an 83.

The Cavaliers used their depth to secure the boys championship, finishing with a team score of 242. Platte-Geddes followed closely behind in second at 245, with both programs qualifying for the Class B state tournament due to their top-two finishes.

McCook Central/Montrose claimed third place with a 253, Hanson finished fourth at 259, and Corsica-Stickney tied Burke for fifth place at 265.

On the girls side, Platte-Geddes' Mallory Grant captured the individual championship and helped lead the Black Panthers to the team title. Grant fired a 13-over-par 85, edging Corsica-Stickney's Claire Gerlach by a single stroke after Gerlach finished with an 86 at second place.

Ethan's Bella Guthrie took third place with a 92, while Platte-Geddes' Randi Oberbroekling earned fourth after shooting a 94. Scotland/Menno teammates Campbell Mogck and Kailin Odens tied for fifth place with rounds of 96, while Platte-Geddes' Leah Schuman followed in seventh place with a 97.

MCM's Khloie Klinkhammer and Kimball/White Lake's Charlee Bass each carded rounds of 98 to tie for eighth place, while Burke's Brianna Davis completed the top-10 golfers with a 99.

Platte-Geddes dominated the girls team standings with a winning score of 276, finishing 18 strokes ahead of runner-up Scotland/Menno at 294. Both teams earned spots in the Class B state tournament. McCook Central/Montrose finished third at 316, Avon took fourth at 317, and Burke rounded out the top five after posting a team score of 319.

The top 40% of individual golfers from both the boys and girls region divisions qualified for the Class B state golf tournament, which is scheduled for June 1-2 in Watertown. The girls tournament will be played at Prairie Winds Golf Club, while the boys will compete at Cattail Crossing Golf Course.

Region 4B golf meet

Monday at Lakeview Golf Course, Mitchell (par 72)

Boys team scores (top-two advance to state): 1. Bon Homme 242, 2. Platte-Geddes 245, 3. McCook Central/Montrose 253, 4. Hanson 259, T5. Corsica-Stickney 265, T5. Burke 265, T7. Ethan 287, T7. Scotland/Menno 287, 9. Bridgwater-Emery 289, 10. Gregory 294, 11. Avon 335, 12. Tripp-Delmont/Armour 336.

Boys state qualifiers (top 40% of participants): 1. Brody Indahl, Burke, 77; T2. Bohde Kuiper, Platte-Geddes, 79; T2. Jett Kemp, Corsica-Stickney, 79; T4. Michael Branaugh, Bon Homme, 80; T4. Liam Rayman, MCM, 80; T6. Keshun Tucker, Platte-Geddes, 81; T6. Madden Merkwan, Bon Homme, 81; T6. Andrew Sabers, MCM, 81; 9. Aiden Boitjes, Platte-Geddes, 82; 10. Nate Wilber, Hanson, 83; T11. Maddux VanZee, Platte-Geddes, 84; T11. Caden Zomer, Bon Homme, 84; 13. Davin Hohn, Ethan, 85; T14. Aiden Thompson, ACDC, 87; T14. Bryson Indahl, Burke, 87; T14. Layton Popp, Hanson, 87; T17. Jacob Klein, Gregory, 88; T17. Jye Bailey, Platte-Geddes, 88; T19. Brigham Rokusek, Scotland/Menno, 89; T19. Price Kayser, Hanson, 89; 21. Lane Nieuwenhuis, ACDC, 90.

Girls team scores (top-two advance to state): 1. Platte-Geddes 276, 2. Scotland/Menno 294, 3. McCook Central/Montrose 316, 4. Avon 317, 5. Burke 319, 6. Corsica-Stickney 323, 7. Kimball/White Lake 330, 8. Bon Homme 344, 9. Bridgewater-Emery 405.

Girls state qualifiers (top 40% of participants): 1. Mallory Gant, Platte-Geddes, 85; 2. Claire Gerlach, Corsica-Stickney, 86; 3. Bella Guthrie, Ethan, 92; 4. Randi Oberbroekling, Platte-Geddes, 94; T5. Kailin Odens, Scotland/Menno, 96; T5. Campbell Mogck, Scotland/Menno, 96; 7. Leah Schuman, Platte-Geddes, 97; T8. Khloe Kindthammer, McCook Central/Montrose, 98; T8. Charlee Bass, Kimball/White Lake, 98; 10. Brianna Davis, Burke, 99; 11. Reagan Brandt, Avon, 101; T12. Rowan Brandt, Avon, 102; T12. Tary Rokusek, Scotland/Menno, 102; 14. Paige Beckers, Burke, 104; T15. Gracie Biggins, Gregory, 106; T15. Leah Whittington, Bon Homme, 106.

Arsenal have never been closer to a Premier League title under Mikel Arteta's management.

The Gunners' 1-0 win over Burnley left them close to ending their 22-year wait for the league crown - and that dream could be realised as early as Tuesday.

Anything but a Manchester City win at Bournemouth would hand Arsenal the title before Sunday's league finale and ensure Arteta's side finally shed their nearly-men tag after three straight second-place finishes.

Even a City win on Tuesday would leave Arsenal just needing victory at Crystal Palace on Sunday to clinch the title.

The Gunners will know nothing is won yet but, with no team in Premier League history ever having started the final day on top of the table and not won the title, surely nothing can stop them now?

On a night when reports spread that Pep Guardiola's City reign was coming to an end, Arsenal fans will believe they are about to welcome in their own new era.

There was a party atmosphere long before the match started at Emirates Stadium. Supporters welcomed the team bus with flares and chants 90 minutes before kick-off.

Kai Havertz's headed first-half goal proved enough despite a nervy second half, during which the goalscorer escaped a red card for a late challenge.

But Arsenal's eighth 1-0 win of the season was enough and, while Arteta was coy on where he would watching Tuesday's match, all eyes are now on Bournemouth.

"It think we deserve to be champions, 100% speaking honestly," Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice told BBC Sport.

"This season has been our season but Man City have been incredible. Under Pep, you can never rule them out, the ruthlessness of them. But we have put ourselves in a really good position and all I have been saying is that we have to keep going.

"There is one more. Thirty-eight games nearly completed and at the end you can say you are a champion, but you have to go out there on Sunday and perform because Palace is not going to be easy."

'One-nil to the Arsenal sums them up'

It seemed fitting that Arsenal have one hand on the Premier League trophy thanks to a 1-0 win - of their past four league matches, all victories, three have ended with that score - with the Gunners conceding just once in their past six.

They have conceded the fewest goals in the league (26), while the last time they conceded in open play came in their defeat by Manchester City on 19 April, which was seven games ago.

The clean sheet against Burnley was Arsenal's 32nd in all competitions this season.

"I thought that the amount of hair that I have is never going to go away but in this job it is going to test it to the limit," said Arteta.

"The desire that every single player shows in their defensive duties, their behaviours and the way that they work for each other is phenomenal.

"It's a lot of work put in by all the coaches as well. And we all know the importance of that and how many results and wins we have because of that."

It was their 13th 1-0 win of the season. Their playing style, their threat from and reliance on set-pieces, and the relative lack of bigger wins has brought criticism and anxious finishes in equal measure.

Manchester City have a better goal difference - and if they win their final two matches, that does mean Arsenal will have to beat Crystal Palace. A draw, in that scenario, would not be enough.

"In a funny way, Man City might actually have taken that," ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports. "Seeing how they played that second half, I think the nerves will really kick in if Man City beat Bournemouth. Crystal Palace are a better team than Burnley even with a few players out.

"Arsenal are going to do it in the fashion of George Graham rather than Arsene Wenger - '1-0 to the Arsenal' probably sums them up."

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville added: "Arsenal are right on the brink but by goodness they don't half make it difficult for themselves.

"You have to admire their ability to concentrate and focus and keep to the defensive shape and principles. They keep clean sheets and that's a rare commodity in the modern game, for a team to see out 1-0 victories like this team can.

"I think it's going to be enough to see them home."

'If they don't do it, it would be heartbreaking'

So now the focus turns to the south coast and Bournemouth.

Before Arsenal's match at West Ham last week, Guardiola gave a call of support for the Hammers, hoping they would take crucial points off his title rivals.

But now it was time for Arteta - once Guardiola's assistant at City - to lend his support elsewhere. He said he would be Bournemouth's "biggest fan" on Tuesday.

And with so much riding on it, Arsenal supporters will gather to see if they can become champions without playing.

"It's so big. I remember when we did the double, my kids obviously don't. They've been so consistent for the last few years. All the players, Arteta, they deserve it so much. And if they don't do it, it'd be heartbreaking," Arsenal supporter Kym said.

"I'm going to watch it at home and behind a pillow honestly. It's literally down to the last wire and with Pep Guardiola and Arteta having that such close relationship, it's going to be, it's intense.

"I will be on cloud nine for a long time [if Arsenal win the title]. It's not just me, it's my whole family, it's all the supporters, I just feel like it's been so close so many years and it will mean so much."

Another supporter said: "I'm nervous. I will be watching it with my friends after work.

"I think you know Bournemouth actually have something to play for so that's what is in my head. I think Bournemouth could do the job because if they finish sixth and Villa win the Europa League [and finish fifth], they're in the Champions League.

"So yeah, it's possible and the same thing with Palace, they got to play for the Conference League.

"I'm saying this to someone that's been very critical of Arsenal, I've never been more confident. I'm not saying I'm very confident but I've never been more confident in us getting this over the line."

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May 18—MITCHELL — A trio of players from the Mitchell High School spring baseball team were tabbed as Class A all-region performers by the South Dakota High School Baseball Association on Monday.

Seniors Jacob Ebert and Jaxson Hartman and junior Lincoln Bottum were the Kernel selections.

Ebert pitched 27 2/3 innings with a 4-1 record in five starts, recording a 1.51 earned-run average and 22 strikeouts along the way.

Hartman, who was listed as a utility player, had 16 hits with a .327 batting average in addition to 14 runs batted in and 13 runs scored.

Bottum, who primarily played third base, tallied 21 hits with a .344 average while tacking on 12 runs scored and 11 RBIs. He also drew 13 walks.

Mitchell finished the spring with a 14-13 overall record, falling in the regional qualifying round as the No. 11 seed to No. 6 Pierre, which swept the best-of-three series.

Harrisburg, Brandon Valley, Sioux Falls Jefferson and Yankton — the top four seeded teams in the Class A playoffs — led the division with five selections apiece on the 60-player honor list.

Tennessee is recruiting toward its 2027 football signing class.

Three-star safety Brandon Leavell committed to Tennessee over North Carolina State, Florida State, Florida and Clemson on Monday.

The 6-foot, 165-pound prospect is an in-state target from Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 47 athlete in the class and No. 28 player in Tennessee.

Tennessee offered Leavell a scholarship on Feb. 24. He has visited Tennessee two times and will officially visit the Vols on Thursday.

UConn was the first school to offer Leavell a scholarship on Feb. 6. Other schools to offer him scholarships include Colgate, Lehigh, Middle Tennessee State, Tulane, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Missouri, Purdue, Miami University, Coastal Carolina, UAB, Memphis, USF, Maryland, Auburn, Ole Miss and Indiana.

Tennessee has seven other commitments in its 2027 football recruiting class: linebacker JP Peace, offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, defensive lineman Kadin Fife, quarterback Derrick Baker, athlete Jaden Butler, wide receiver KeSean Bowman and defensive back Carter Jamison.

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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: 2027 defensive back commits to Tennessee football over ACC schools

May 18—Top-10 for all classes combined, as reported to athletic.net database.

Athletes listed by ranking, year, school and date mark was attained. List current through May 16 meets.

100 Meters

1. Javon Haukaas, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 10.55, April 14

2. Beckett Martens, so., Tea Area, 10.67, May 7

3. Karson Walti, jr., Pierre, 10.73, April 23

4. Kaeden Mattheis, sr., Sioux Falls Jefferson, 10.75, April 23

5. Jase Thiesse, sr., Harrisburg, 10.80, April 14

6. Fox Pendegraft, fr., Rapid City Central, 10.81, April 10

7. Carter Lust, jr., Aberdeen Central, 10.83, May 8

8. Alexier Padilla, sr., Mitchell, 10.83, April 23

9. Nolan Long, jr., Rapid City Stevens, 10.86, April 21

10. Rush O'Neill, jr., Bennett County, 10.86, April 10

200 Meters

1. Javon Haukaas, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 21.49, May 1

2. Zyan Conrad, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 21.81, May 8

3. Zyron Hills, sr., Sioux Falls Jefferson, 21.82, April 17

4. Oliver Fieber, sr., Deuel, 22.00, May 1

5. Tanner Charron, so., O'Gorman, 22.03, May 8

6. Seth Burton, sr., Sturgis, 22.04, May 9

7. Alexier Padilla, sr., Mitchell, 22.05, April 23

8. Kaeden Mattheis, sr., Sioux Falls Jefferson, 22.11, April 23

9. Tyler Pankonin, sr., Sioux Falls Washington, 22.12, April 21

10. Nolan Long, jr., Rapid City Stevens, 22.12, May 9

400 Meters

1. Zyan Conrad, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 47.57, April 21

2. Evan Abild, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 47.71, April 21

3. Tanner Charron, so., O'Gorman, 49.11, May 2

4. Isaac Herrboldt, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 49.16, April 21

5. Seth Burton, sr., Sturgis, 49.76, May 5

6. Garrison Schoenwald, sr., O'Gorman, 49.90, May 8

7. Alexier Padilla, sr., Mitchell, 49.96, May 7

8. Kyson Fayant, sr., Aberdeen Central, 50.17, April 13

9. Dax Frandsen, sr., Hill City, 50.23, May 9

10. Zyron Hills, sr., Sioux Falls Jefferson, 50.26, April 10

800 Meters

1. Griffin Smith, sr., Harrisburg, 1:54.29, April 16

2. Tate Grabow, sr., Hill City, 1:54.86, May 9

3. Cole Reilly, jr., Sioux Falls Washington, 1:55.17, May 8

4. Mikah Peters, sr., Brandon Valley, 1:55.78, May 8

5. Wyatt Balliew, jr., Douglas, 1:56.37, May 9

6. Taylor Colunga, sr., Sturgis, 1:56.39, May 9

7. Dane Stark, jr., Watertown, 1:56.75, April 14

8. Isaac Herrboldt, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 1:57.20, May 8

9. Levi Vander Leest, jr., Sioux Falls Christian, 1:57.51, May 7

10. Caleb Morris, sr., Pierre, 1:57.52, May 8

1,600 Meters

1. Mikah Peters, sr., Brandon Valley, 4:09.22, May 2

2. Cole Reilly, jr., Sioux Falls Washington, 4:09.82, May 2

3. Miles Lechtenberg, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 4:14.09, April 9

4. Tyrus Needles, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 4:14.28, May 2

5. Griffin Smith, sr., Harrisburg, 4:15.20, May 2

6. Dane Stark, jr., Watertown, 4:16.79, May 2

7. Arvid Nelsen, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 4:18.47, May 2

8. Tate Grabow, sr., Hill City, 4:18.99, May 2

9. Quinn Bruch, sr., Sturgis, 4:22.39, May 9

10. Griffin Miller, jr., Sioux Falls Washington, 4:22.61, May 8

3,200 Meters

1. Mikah Peters, sr., Brandon Valley, 8:48.66, April 11

2. Cole Reilly, jr., Sioux Falls Washington, 9:04.58, May 1

3. Miles Lechtenberg, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 9:07.28, May 1

4. Tyrus Needles, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 9:08.55, May 1

5. Griffin Smith, sr., Harrisburg, 9:14.39, May 1

6. Blake Maas, sr., Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 9:14.41, May 1

7. Henry Sayler, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 9:20.94, May 1

8. Caleb Morris, sr., Pierre, 9:21.74, May 1

9. Eric Errea, jr., Rapid City Central, 9:23.94, May 1

10. Quinn Bruch, sr., Sturgis, 9:24.44, May 1

110m Hurdles

1. Shane Veenhof, sr., Madison, 14.38, April 14

2. Jack Day, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 14.38, May 2

3. Asher Hauert, jr., Harrisburg, 14.52, April 16

4. Lincoln Dilges, sr., Pierre, 14.72, April 10

5. Dawson Holthe, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 14.77, May 2

6. Brody Tynan, sr., O'Gorman, 14.80, May 1

7. Ty Oyen, sr., Tri-Valley, 14.88, May 1

8. Blake Swanson, jr., Rapid City Stevens, 14.96, May 9

9. Cale Haselhorst, sr., Yankton, 15.06, April 16

10. Ben Burchett, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 15.06, April 16

300m Hurdles

1. Kyson Fayant, sr., Aberdeen Central, 38.33, May 2

2. Shane Veenhof, sr., Madison, 38.94, April 21

3. Tyler Pankonin, sr., Sioux Falls Washington, 39.58, May 2

4. Henry Hill, sr., Rapid City Central, 39.87, May 2

5. Brody Tynan, sr., O'Gorman, 40.01, May 8

6. Jack Day, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 40.02, April 16

7. Colt Keiser, sr., Gregory, 40.25, May 2

8. Dominic Butts, jr., West Central, 40.38, April 13

9. Tanner Volmer, jr., Wall, 40.44, April 10

10. Maddux Risse, so., Bennett County, 40.72, April 21

4x100 Relay

1. Harrisburg (Nathan Walter, Kamden Schimmel, Josiah Heinz, Jase Thiesse), 42.19, May 2

2. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 42.38, May 8

3. Sioux Falls Jefferson, 42.39, April 21

4. Rapid City Central, 42.52, April 10

5. Rapid City Stevens, 42.76, April 10

6. Pierre, 42.92, April 16

7. Sioux Falls Washington, 43.15, May 2

8. Aberdeen Central, 43.19, April 21

9. Vermillion, 43.24, May 7

10. Yankton, 43.25, April 10

4x200 Relay

1. Sioux Falls Lincoln (Cooper Hicks, Evan Abild, Zyan Conrad, Isaac Herrboldt), 1:26.71, May 8

2. Sioux Falls Jefferson, 1:28.39, April 21

3. Harrisburg, 1:29.47, April 9

4. Sturgis, 1:29.51, May 9

5. Rapid City Central, 1:29.60, April 10

6. Sioux Falls Washington, 1:30.08, May 8

7. Mitchell (Alexier Padilla, Ben Johnson, Sam Mullenmeister, Samari Wright), 1:30.20, May 7

8. Rapid City Stevens, 1:30.45, May 9

9. Aberdeen Central, 1:30.51, April 24

10. Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 1:30.93, May 1

4x400 Relay

1. Sioux Falls Lincoln (Javon Haukaas, Isaac Herrboldt, Zyan Conrad, Evan Abild), 3:14.69, April 16

2. O'Gorman, 3:23.46, May 2

3. Sturgis, 3:23.87, May 9

4. Mitchell (Alexier Padilla, Keniel Padilla, Sam Mullenmeister, Samari Wright), 3:24.06, May 2

5. Rapid City Central, 3:25.52, May 9

6. Sioux Valley, 3:27.37, May 2

7. Sioux Falls Christian, 3:27.68, May 7

8. Rapid City Stevens, 3:29.05, May 9

9. Hill City, 3:30.52, April 10

10. Yankton, 3:31.07, May 2

4x800 Relay

1. Sioux Falls Lincoln (Miles Lechtenberg, Isaac Herrboldt, Tyrus Needles, Zyan Conrad), 7:57.86, May 1

2. Sioux Falls Washington, 8:00.41, April 14

3. Brandon Valley, 8:07.61, May 8

4. Harrisburg, 8:08.79, May 8

5. Sioux Falls Christian, 8:12.23, May 1

6. Philip, 8:12.29, May 9

7. Sturgis, 8:18.21, May 1

8. Lennox, 8:19.21, May 1

9. Vermillion, 8:21.93, May 7

10. Custer, 8:23.41, May 1

1,600m Sprint Medley Relay

1. Brandon Valley (Camden Christion, Maddox Mueller, Caelen Christion, Mikah Peters), 3:30.18, May 2

2. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 3:30.58, April 14

3. Pierre, 3:31.32, May 2

4. Sturgis, 3:32.27, May 2

5. Sioux Valley, 3:33.09, May 2

6. Sioux Falls Christian, 3:33.20, May 2

7. Lennox, 3:33.52, May 2

8. Philip, 3:36.01, May 2

9. Rapid City Stevens, 3:36.38, April 10

10. Sioux Falls Washington, 3:37.33, May 2

Shot Put

1. Marcus Furth, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 62-2, April 23

2. Maxon Speed, sr., St. Thomas More, 55-8, April 22

3. Dylan Frederick, jr., Harrisburg, 54-3.5, April 28

4. Gunnar Grant, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 54-1.75, April 21

5. Matthew Mount, sr., Webster Area, 54-0.5, April 16

6. Bryer Stach, jr., Mitchell, 53-6.5, April 14

7. Kellen Pfitzer, jr., Mobridge-Pollock, 52-9, April 21

8. Taiton Boersma, sr., Elkton-Lake Benton, 52-8.25, April 10

9. Landon Voight, fr., Brandon Valley, 52-7, April 9

10. Weiland Benbo, sr., Rapid City Central, 52-0, April 21

Discus

1. Jaxon Day, jr., Winner, 191-6, April 11

2. Legend Benedict, so., Winner, 168-8, May 2

3. Taiton Boersma, sr., Elkton-Lake Benton, 164-11, May 2

4. Jack Bertsch, sr., Aberdeen Central, 164-7, May 8

5. Kellen Pfitzer, jr., Mobridge-Pollock, 163-11, April 21

6. Matthew Mount, sr., Webster Area, 163-11, April 23

7. Bryer Stach, jr., Mitchell, 163-0, April 16

8. Layne Bixby, sr., Rapid City Central, 160-7, May 2

9. Gunnar Grant, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 159-6, May 2

10. Lawson Novy, so., Milbank, 159-4, May 5

Javelin

1. Lucas Honner, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 199-0, May 1

2. Sam Marcus, sr., Spearfish, 184-4, April 10

3. Spencer Melius, sr., Faulkton Area, 178-9, May 9

4. Austin Dowd, jr., Brandon Valley, 174-8, May 1

5. Kade Olmsted, jr., Rapid City Stevens, 174-4, May 1

6. Alex Wainman, sr., Brookings, 173-3, May 8

7. Chayce Hartman, so., Brandon Valley, 172-6, April 21

8. Keyvin Strand, jr., Canton, 172-0, May 5

9. Levi Brant, sr., Sturgis, 171-5, March 27

10. Brenner Waldrop, jr., Aberdeen Central, 170-5, April 21

High Jump

1. Coy Urban, sr., Rapid City Central, 6-8.25, April 21

2. Dexter Johnson, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 6-8, April 14

3. Zachary Matos, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 6-8, May 8

4. Rush O'Neill, jr., Bennett County, 6-6, April 10

5. Teegan Musser, sr., Lennox, 6-5, April 21

6. Corde Austin, sr., Pierre, 6-5, May 8

7. Lincoln Williamson, fr., Rapid City Central, 6-5, April 21

8. Colt Keiser, sr., Gregory, 6-5, April 14

9. Shea Kjeldgaard, sr., Wagner, 6-5, April 21

10. Quinton Hall, sr., Sioux Falls Washington, 6-4, April 9

Pole Vault

1. Uriah Dixon, jr., Brandon Valley, 15-6, April 14

2. Maddox Mueller, sr., Brandon Valley, 15-2, May 8

3. Charlie Whiting, jr., Watertown, 15-0, April 14

4. Benjamin Anfinson, sr., Brandon Valley, 14-3, May 1

5. Brodie Slancauskas, jr., Douglas, 14-0, April 21

6. William Rounds, sr., Yankton, 14-0, April 28

7. Logan Stangeland, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 14-0, May 8

8. Levi Veskrna, sr., Brandon Valley, 14-0, April 28

9. Kaleb Kangootui, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 13-9, March 27

10. Sam Bullis, jr., Tea Area, 13-6, April 14

Long Jump

1. Rush O'Neill, jr., Bennett County, 23-5, April 10

2. Eli Yoway, sr., Harrisburg, 23-3, May 8

3. Daniel O'Connor, sr., Harrisburg, 23-2, May 8

4. Corde Austin, sr., Pierre, 22-9.5, May 8

5. Dawson Handcock, sr., Wall, 22-6, April 16

6. Mason Jervik, jr., Ethan/Parkston, 22-4, May 9

7. Thomas Hughes, jr., Spearfish, 22-1.5, March 27

8. Jaxson Bittner, sr., Lennox, 22-0.25, April 16

9. Angalia Niyomwungere, sr., Sioux Falls Washington, 21-10.75, May 8

10. Samuel Rick, jr., Milbank, 21-9.5, April 20

Triple Jump

1. Riem Riem, so., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 46-9, May 8

2. Lucas Roberts, so., Rapid City Stevens, 46-2, April 21

3. Samuel Rick, jr., Milbank, 46-0, April 16

4. Angalia Niyomwungere, sr., Sioux Falls Washington, 44-6.75, May 8

5. Ty Boekelheide, jr., Northwestern, 44-5.25, April 10

6. Jace Gingras, so., Rapid City Stevens, 44-4, May 2

7. Daniel O'Connor, sr., Harrisburg, 44-1, April 28

8. Tate Gerdes, sr., Lennox, 44-0.75, April 21

9. Ayuel Deng, sr., Brandon Valley, 44-0, May 8

10. Dylan Hofer, jr., Aberdeen Christian, 44-0, May 8

100 Meters

1. Bergan Musser, fr., Lennox, 11.72, May 14

2. Charlee Williams-Smith, sr., Pierre, 11.92, May 16

3. Braelyn Berens, sr., Parker/Marion, 11.98, May 14

4. Alayna Smith, jr., Watertown, 12.01, May 16

5. Ella Bradeen, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 12.12, March 19

6. Kaylie Theberge, 8th, Sturgis, 12.14, April 22

7. Anna Hirtz, sr., Watertown, 12.14, May 16

8. Lily Tadlock, sr., Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 12.18, May 14

9. Halle Braun, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 12.19, April 23

10. Jayla DeCou, so., Lennox, 12.19, May 14

200 Meters

1. Sydney Stahlecker, jr., Tea Area, 24.44, May 16

2. Charlee Williams-Smith, sr., Pierre, 24.57, May 16

3. Reagan O'Neill, so., Bennett County, 24.60, May 11

4. Bergan Musser, fr., Lennox, 24.61, May 5

5. Ava Holzwarth, jr., Rapid City Stevens, 24.67, May 12

6. Braelyn Berens, sr., Parker/Marion, 24.87, May 9

7. Ella Bradeen, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 24.87, May 12

8. Halle Braun, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 24.97, May 7

9. Alayna Smith, jr., Watertown, 25.23, May 16

10. Daniela Rodriguez, sr., Spearfish, 25.27, May 14

400 Meters

1. Charlee Williams-Smith, sr., Pierre, 55.02, May 16

2. Sydney Stahlecker, jr., Tea Area, 56.05, May 2

3. Halle Braun, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 57.19, May 7

4. Jolie Flatten, fr., Colman-Egan, 57.35, May 14

5. Ella Termaat, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 57.72, May 8

6. Ashlynn Elshere, sr., Hot Springs, 57.73, May 14

7. Bergan Musser, fr., Lennox, 57.75, April 28

8. Francesca Barnett, so., Harrisburg, 57.82, May 16

9. Rorie Thoreson, so., Dell Rapids, 58.61, May 11

10. BreAna Aske, so., Jones County, 58.66, May 12

800 Meters

1. Peyton VanDeest, jr., Spearfish, 2:09.81, May 1

2. Brianna Reilly, 8th, Harrisburg, 2:11.79, May 1

3. Ella Boekelheide, sr., Northwestern, 2:11.84, May 1

4. Ellie Maddox, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 2:11.98, May 1

5. Sadie Pettengill, so., Sioux Falls Christian, 2:13.74, May 1

6. Faith Wiese, sr., Flandreau, 2:16.19, April 16

7. Alex McCullough, so., Dakota Valley, 2:16.34, April 28

8. Iris Birnbaum, fr., Rapid City Stevens, 2:16.67, May 12

9. Jaycie Babb, sr., Tea Area, 2:16.97, May 7

10. Evelyn Hurley, 7th, Rapid City Stevens, 2:17.12, May 12

1,600 Meters

1. Ellie Maddox, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 4:46.95, May 2

2. Brianna Reilly, 8th, Harrisburg, 4:48.18, May 2

3. Peyton VanDeest, jr., Spearfish, 4:55.05, May 14

4. Iris Birnbaum, fr., Rapid City Stevens, 4:55.50, May 2

5. Ella Boekelheide, sr., Northwestern, 4:57.99, May 2

6. Alex McCullough, so., Dakota Valley, 4:58.58, April 28

7. Faith Wiese, sr., Flandreau, 4:59.61, May 2

8. Hannah Genrich, fr., Harrisburg, 4:59.61, May 16

9. Sadie Pettengill, so., Sioux Falls Christian, 5:02.19, May 2

10. Evelyn Hurley, 7th, Rapid City Stevens, 5:03.49, May 2

3,200 Meters

1. Ellie Maddox, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 10:11.48, April 11

2. Peyton VanDeest, jr., Spearfish, 10:15.93, April 11

3. Brianna Reilly, 8th, Harrisburg, 10:27.10, April 9

4. Faith Wiese, sr., Flandreau, 10:31.56, May 1

5. Hannah Genrich, fr., Harrisburg, 10:31.57, May 1

6. Mia Kadi, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 10:38.03, May 1

7. Kori Keil, sr., Spearfish, 10:53.15, May 1

8. Bailey VanderGriend, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 10:54.33, May 1

9. Sadie Pettengill, so., Sioux Falls Christian, 10:55.32, May 7

10. Kira Ubence, sr., Douglas, 10:55.97, May 1

100m Hurdles

1. Mya Arampatzis, jr., Aberdeen Central, 14.42, May 16

2. Maya Khachikian, jr., Rapid City Stevens, 14.48, May 1

3. Halle Braun, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 14.60, May 2

4. Peyson O'Neill, fr., Bennett County, 14.93, May 11

5. Lauren McDermott, sr., Elk Point-Jefferson, 14.98, May 7

6. Ashlan Carlow, sr., Mahpiya Luta, 14.99, May 1

7. Sylvie Mortimer, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 15.03, May 9

8. Rylee Peters, jr., Freeman, 15.07, May 5

9. Shelby Bergan, jr., Brandon Valley, 15.19, May 16

10. Tori Gerdes, fr., Lennox, 15.21, May 2

300m Hurdles

1. Halle Braun, sr., Sioux Falls Christian, 42.58, May 2

2. Peyson O'Neill, fr., Bennett County, 44.20, May 11

3. Ashlan Carlow, sr., Mahpiya Luta, 45.22, May 15

4. Shelby Bergan, jr., Brandon Valley, 45.68, May 8

5. Lauren McDermott, sr., Elk Point-Jefferson, 45.73, May 2

6. Sylvie Mortimer, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 45.77, May 12

7. McKenna Tietz, jr., Groton Area, 45.78, May 14

8. Tori Gerdes, fr., Lennox, 45.83, May 5

9. Jacy Wolf, jr., Chester, 45.96, May 2

10. Claire Hasse, jr., Rapid City Central, 45.97, May 9

4x100 Relay

1. Rapid City Stevens (Maya Khachikian, Riley Willet, Ava Holzwarth, Ella Bradeen), 47.54, May 2

2. Watertown, 48.67, May 16

3. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 48.80, May 2

4. Aberdeen Central, 49.36, May 16

5. Sioux Falls Washington, 49.56, May 2

6. Bennett County, 49.70, May 2

7. Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 49.73, April 16

8. Sioux Falls Christian, 49.81, May 7

9. Mitchell (Abby Hohn, Addie Siemsen, Emilie Ellis, Ryan Keys), 49.82, May 2

10. Harrisburg, 50.02, April 21

4x200 Relay

1. Sioux Falls Lincoln (Paislee Kool, Maudelia Needles, Ella Smith, Ella Termaat), 1:41.53, May 14

2. Rapid City Stevens, 1:41.94, May 9

3. Lennox, 1:42.06, May 1

4. Watertown, 1:42.86, May 16

5. Brandon Valley, 1:43.12, May 16

6. Sioux Falls Christian, 1:43.24, May 1

7. Pierre, 1:44.07, May 1

8. Colman-Egan, 1:44.12, May 1

9. Aberdeen Central, 1:44.35, May 16

10. Bennett County, 1:45.28, May 14

4x400 Relay

1. Sioux Falls Lincoln (Ella Termaat, Leighton Crawford, Natalie Lease, Ella Smith), 3:56.36, May 2

2. Tea Area, 3:56.85, May 16

3. Sioux Falls Christian, 3:58.87, May 2

4. Spearfish, 3:59.66, May 2

5. Lennox, 3:59.75, May 2

6. Harrisburg, 4:00.20, May 2

7. Brandon Valley, 4:00.93, May 8

8. O'Gorman, 4:03.31, May 2

9. Rapid City Stevens, 4:03.68, May 9

10. Colman-Egan, 4:03.74, May 2

4x800 Relay

1. Sioux Falls Christian (Sadie Pettengill, Natalie Smith, Bailey VanderGriend, Ellie Maddox), 9:10.59, May 7

2. Spearfish, 9:17.09, April 16

3. Harrisburg, 9:22.00, April 9

4. Rapid City Stevens, 9:31.31, April 21

5. Tea Area, 9:37.97, May 1

6. Brandon Valley, 9:40.66, May 16

7. Pierre, 9:45.72, May 16

8. Lennox, 9:46.50, May 1

9. O'Gorman, 9:49.04, May 1

10. Yankton, 9:51.85, May 16

1,600m Sprint Medley Relay

1. Spearfish (Gabrielle Ranek, Marley Mosset, Daniela Rodriguez, Peyton VanDeest), 4:03.43, May 2

2. Harrisburg, 4:09.12, May 2

3. Sioux Falls Christian, 4:10.71, May 2

4. Flandreau, 4:12.66, May 2

5. Tea Area, 4:13.48, May 2

6. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 4:13.82, April 14

7. Lennox, 4:14.70, May 2

8. Colman-Egan, 4:15.18, May 2

9. Dell Rapids, 4:15.50, May 2

10. Clark/Willow Lake, 4:17.23, May 2

Shot Put

1. Taryn Hermansen, sr., Aberdeen Central, 48-11, April 24

2. Hadlee Holt, sr., Iroquois/Lake Preston, 41-11.75, May 12

3. Kendis Sackreiter, jr., Brookings, 40-10.75, May 8

4. Addison Martz, sr., Lennox, 40-8, April 13

5. Karyn Ellerton, sr., Custer, 40-4, April 22

6. Addison Moe, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 38-11, April 9

7. Landyn Koehn, sr., Kadoka Area, 38-9.5, April 14

8. Eliza Larson, so., Clark/Willow Lake, 38-6.25, May 1

9. Kiana Schmit, sr., Deubrook Area, 38-5.75, May 14

10. Michoen Williamson, jr., Colman-Egan, 38-3.25, May 8

Discus

1. Hadlee Holt, sr., Iroquois/Lake Preston, 153-1, May 2

2. Malia Kranz, sr., Watertown, 148-9, May 16

3. Karyn Ellerton, sr., Custer, 143-0, April 22

4. Landyn Koehn, sr., Kadoka Area, 134-4, May 14

5. Addison Martz, sr., Lennox, 134-1, April 28

6. Desiree Hinsch, jr., Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 134-1, May 14

7. Kendis Sackreiter, jr., Brookings, 130-10, May 16

8. Piper Powell, so., Chamberlain, 130-1, April 11

9. Maddyn LeBrun, so., Dell Rapids St. Mary, 129-7, May 14

10. Jillian Fischer, jr., North Central, 125-5, May 14

Javelin

1. Elizabeth Boschee, sr., Sanborn Central/Woonsocket, 140-9, April 13

2. Hayden Kok, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 134-10, May 1

3. Autumn Bryant, sr., Harrisburg, 134-3, May 16

4. Dani VanDerWerff, so., Gregory, 132-4, May 9

5. Finley Langenfeld, sr., Sioux Falls Washington, 129-9, April 21

6. Leah Landry, jr., Rapid City Central, 126-11, April 16

7. Maddyn LeBrun, so., Dell Rapids St. Mary, 123-1, May 14

8. Clare Ashley, so., Rapid City Stevens, 122-1, May 1

9. Olivia Hanson, jr., Viborg-Hurley, 121-10, April 24

10. Lily Osmundson, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 120-9, May 8

High Jump

1. Quinn Brinkman, jr., Yankton, 5-7, May 16

2. Jayaunna Stroh, sr., Brandon Valley, 5-7, May 16

3. Hazel Luethmers, sr., De Smet, 5-7, April 16

4. Ashlyn Koupal, sr., Wagner, 5-6, April 14

5. Claire Munch, sr., Dakota Valley, 5-6, April 23

6. Miah Leidholt, fr., Warner, 5-6, April 17

7. Mayla McGhee, jr., Watertown, 5-5, April 16

8. Quinn Meyer, jr., Colman-Egan, 5-4, May 8

9. Adelyn Bouman, sr., Spearfish, 5-4, May 14

10. Jade Rhody, sr., Beresford, 5-4, May 1

Pole Vault

1. Tenlee Stiefel, fr., Custer, 13-1, May 2

2. Reese Nida, jr., Spearfish, 12-7, April 21

3. Laila Ratzsch, jr., Spearfish, 12-3, April 16

4. Elly Dingsor, 8th, Watertown, 12-1, April 16

5. Jersy Tryon, sr., Harrisburg, 12-0, April 16

6. Kennedy Ronning, sr., Brookings, 12-0, May 16

7. Kelsey Stiefel, jr., Custer, 11-9, April 16

8. Baya Carlson, so., Sioux Falls Jefferson, 11-9, May 2

9. Rylee Punt, sr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 11-6, April 28

10. Jalyssa Hutson, jr., Ipswich, 11-6, May 12

Long Jump

1. Ava Holzwarth, jr., Rapid City Stevens, 19-10.75, April 16

2. Ella Bradeen, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 19-4, March 19

3. Bergan Musser, fr., Lennox, 19-3, April 28

4. Reagan O'Neill, so., Bennett County, 19-0.25, May 14

5. Maudelia Needles, jr., Sioux Falls Lincoln, 18-7.5, May 8

6. Reese Venenga, fr., O'Gorman, 18-4.25, April 14

7. Kaylie Theberge, 8th, Sturgis, 18-3.5, May 14

8. Jade O'Neill, 7th, Bennett County, 18-0, April 16

9. Burkley Olson, jr., Yankton, 17-11.5, May 7

10. Gracelyn Campbell, 8th, Elk Point-Jefferson, 17-11.25, May 14

Triple Jump

1. Claire Munch, sr., Dakota Valley, 38-4, April 20

2. Kadance Coughlin, sr., Brandon Valley, 38-1, April 14

3. Aesia Aldridge, sr., Harrisburg, 38-1, May 16

4. Katie Humpal, so., Sioux Falls Christian, 38-0, May 14

5. Holly Benson, sr., Rapid City Stevens, 36-10, April 16

6. Quinn Brinkman, jr., Yankton, 36-8.5, April 21

7. Harley Harris, so., Bennett County, 36-7.5, May 2

8. Jayaunna Stroh, sr., Brandon Valley, 36-6.75, May 8

9. Juliet Remington, fr., Yankton, 36-6, May 16

10. Audrey Miller, sr., Mitchell, 36-5.5, May 2

Florida football is making a strong push for top Maryland edge rusher Cahron Wheeler, a four-star recruit who is set to visit Gainesville on June 4. Wheeler described the Gators' pursuit as a "full-court press," denoting how aggressively the program is targeting the 6-foot-5-inch, 266-pound lineman.

The Gators will have to outduel other premier programs for Wheeler's services, as Clemson currently leads the way in his recruitment. The Baltimore product has visits set with both the Tigers and Maryland Terrapins later this summer.

Wheeler helped guide St. Paul's School to its first title in 12 years; the junior registered eight sacks and 30 tackles during the campaign, earning him national recognition. His 79-inch wingspan helps him evade blockers and disrupt opposing offenses with regularity.

Finding game-changers on the offensive and defensive line has been a focal point for new head coach Jon Sumrall and his staff since taking over late last year. Developing the trenches is key to reestablishing viability in the SEC and Sumrall plans to make building this unit a priority. The program's recent momentum has created growing optimism nationally, with some experts picking Florida to finish in the top-25 next season.

Cahron Wheeler's recruiting summary

Wheeler is ranked No. 108 overall and No. 11 at his position according to 247Sports composite, while the On3 Industry rankings have him at No. 128 and No. 14, respectively. He has 20 standing offers, including seven other SEC programs -- among them Auburn, Tennessee and Texas.

Currently, Clemson holds the highest probability of signing Wheeler based on the On3 projection, with a 36.8% chance to land the blue-chip recruit, followed by Florida at 32.2%. Maryland rounds out the top three contenders with 7.9% chance to sign Wheeler.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football is pressing for coveted EDGE recruit Cahron Wheeler

The NASCAR Truck Series is ready to take on the 2026 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the entry list has been revealed. 

NASCAR released the 2026 Coca-Cola 600, O'Reilly Series, and Truck Series entry list for Charlotte on Monday afternoon. This is Charlotte's first of two oval dates on the NASCAR schedule, as the ROVAL was removed from the track for the 2026 season. All three NASCAR levels will be on track this weekend.

There will be 38 entries for the 2026 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Friday night, meaning two drivers will miss the show. Among the notable entries are Kyle Busch, Shane van Gisbergen, and Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports). Also, Travis Pastrana will drive the No. 25 truck for Kaulig Racing at Charlotte.

Below, you can check out the NASCAR entry list for the Truck Series race at Charlotte in May 2026!

NASCAR Truck Series entry list, Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 2026)

1. No. 1 Brandon Jones
2. No. 2 Luke Baldwin
3. No. 4 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
4. No. 5 William Sawalich
5. No. 7 Kyle Busch
6. No. 9 Grant Enfinger
7. No. 10 Corey LaJoie
8. No. 11 Kaden Honeycutt
9. No. 12 Brenden Queen
10. No. 13 Cole Butcher
11. No. 14 Mini Tyrrell
12. No. 15 Tanner Gray
13. No. 16 Justin Haley
14. No. 17 Gio Ruggiero
15. No. 18 Tyler Ankrum
16. No. 19 Daniel Hemric
17. No. 22 Josh Reaume
18. No. 25 Travis Pastrana
19. No. 26 Dawson Sutton
20. No. 27 Toni Breidinger
21. No. 33 Frankie Muniz
22. No. 34 Layne Riggs
23. No. 38 Chandler Smith
24. No. 42 Conner Jones
25. No. 44 Andres Perez de Lara
26. No. 45 Ross Chastain
27. No. 52 Stewart Friesen
28. No. 62 Leland Honeyman
29. No. 71 Shane van Gisbergen
30. No. 76 Spencer Boyd
31. No. 77 Carson Hocevar
32. No. 81 Kris Wright
33. No. 88 Ty Majeski
34. No. 90 Justin S Carroll
35. No. 91 Christian Eckes
36. No. 93 Caleb Costner
37. No. 98 Jake Garcia
38. No. 99 Ben Rhodes

More: How to watch NASCAR live at Charlotte in May 2026, full schedule

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: NASCAR entry list for Truck Series race at Charlotte in May 2026

Dustin Poirier thinks Conor McGregor is facing a major challenge in his UFC 329 comeback against Max Holloway.

Poirier is perhaps the world's most leading authority to speak on the July 11 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+). He's fought McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) three times each, going 2-1 in both trilogies.

The questions around McGregor will be endless for his return from a five-year layoff. He was last seen fighting Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, and it ended in disaster when the Irishman went down with a broken leg in the first round. He will turn 38 just three days after UFC 329, and although there's no question he'll be a different version than the past, Poirier is confident one trait will remain.

"Conor has the power," Poirier said on Paramount's "Deep Waters" podcast. "No matter the injury that's going to be there still, the timing – other things matter. But the power is going to be here. This is going to be a firefight. Oliveira was able to smother (Holloway), which I was surprised by, because Max is hard to hold down. Conor is going to kickbox with him for 25 minutes. He has a puncher's chance.

"Max for sure is a volume puncher, but at '55 when I fought him last, he has power behind his shots, and I've got to think at 170 he's got to have even more power, because Max can punch now. He's not just a volume puncher. He can finish fights."

Although Poirier favors Holloway in the matchup, he does have questions about the Hawaiian. With more strikes absorbed than any fighter in UFC history, the famous durability he once carried is beginning to show flaws.

"The thing that I keep thinking about is in Max's last three fights, he's touched the canvas more times than he's touched his whole career," Poirier said. "(Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria) dropped him, I dropped him. That's his last few fights. If Max's chin is finally catching up to the style of fighting he does, Conor could put him down."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dustin Poirier shares X-factor for Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees are considering a change of plans that could get Gerrit Cole back in the big leagues sooner than expected.

Aaron Boone said Monday that the Yankees are now discussing whether the 2023 Cy Young winner will make his season debut later this week, potentially on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Cole, working his way back from Tommy John surgery, was previously expected to make one more rehab start this week, but it became clear that the Yankees were at least rethinking things when they optioned starting pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez to make space for an extra reliever, Yovanny Cruz, on Monday.

Rodríguez, who pitched against the Mets on Sunday, was initially expected to make one more major league start before being replaced by Cole.

“I’d say it’s on the table, yeah,” Boone said of Cole returning this week, though the manager stressed that nothing has been finalized.

With the Yankees wanting to get input from Cole and their training staff, among others, Boone added that the organization will talk through its options on Monday and Tuesday before making a decision.

The possibility of an early Cole return follows the loss of another ace, as the Yankees placed Max Fried on the injured list with a bone bruise over the weekend. It’s unclear when the lefty will begin throwing, let alone rejoin the team’s rotation.

“Whatever we do, it’s with the long game in mind,” Boone said of Cole. “A need doesn’t necessarily mean we’re bringing him back. If we feel like he’s absolutely ready to go and checked all the boxes, then we’ll make that call.”

Cole, who missed the entire 2025 season, has already made six rehab starts, which have been scattered across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. He has totaled a 4.66 ERA, three walks, 28 strikeouts and six homers over 29 innings, but he spent a handful of those starts working on specific things and pumping strikes in an effort to build his pitch count.

Cole’s most recent rehab start was on Saturday at Triple-A. Boone called it “mostly excellent,” as the righty allowed one earned run, six hits and one walk over 5 1/3 innings. He also struck out six, threw 84 pitches and topped 99 mph with his fastball.

“He looks really good,” Boone said. “This outing was probably a little more with competition in mind, like going to get guys out and stepping on it stuff-wise.

“I think I’ve watched every pitch he’s made in the rehab. It’s gone really well.”

Cruz gets the call

The Yankees drew minimal attention when they made Cruz their first signing of the offseason on Nov. 8, as the 26-year-old had yet to pitch above Double-A and only inked a minor league contract.

But the righty impressed toward the end of spring training after missing some time due to a shoulder issue and paternity leave, flashing a triple-digit fastball in a couple exhibition games. Cruz parlayed that into an electric start to his minor league season, posting a 0.69 ERA with four walks and 17 strikeouts over his first 13 innings at Triple-A.

However, Cruz hasn’t been as dominant lately. Prior to his first big league promotion, he allowed a run in five straight appearances while tallying eight hits, five walks and six strikeouts over five frames. Boone has also noted that the reliever needs to work on controlling the running game.

But with the Yankees’ beleaguered bullpen in need of a rested arm, Cruz got the call anyway.

“It’s a big arm, 100 mph, good slider,” Boone said. “Has had some success down there, has had some struggles down there. Just felt like we needed the extra coverage today, and felt like he was the guy in line.”

Caballero plays catch

José Caballero (broken middle finger) played catch Monday, Boone said. The shortstop had already been fielding, but not throwing, the last few days.

Boone said that Caballero still has a chance to spend the minimum 10 days on the IL, but the Yankees will see how the next few days go.

____

The Arizona Cardinals kicked off the third and final phase of the offseason program on Monday. They held their first practice of OTAs (voluntary organized team activities).

In Phase 3, teams are able to practice offense vs. defense. They might have helmets on but not pads. They can go 11-on-11 or 7-on-7. Teams sometimes opt not to go 11-on-11.

Teams can have up to 10 practices of OTAs. The Cardinals have nine such practices scheduled. This part of the offseason program is still voluntary.

After OTAs, the Cardinals have one week of mandatory minicamp. Here is what the schedule looks like for remainder of the offseason program.

Remaining offseason calendar for Cardinals

• Week 1 of OTAs: May 18, 19, 21 (voluntary)
• Week 2 of OTAs: May 26, 27, 29 (voluntary)
• Week 3 of OTAs: June 1, 2, 4 (voluntary)
• Mandatory minicmap: June 8-10

After that, rookies will still be around for a bit but veterans are then off until the start of training camp.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals open voluntary OTAs Monday

Florida football is set to host four-star wide receiver Jamarian Simmons for an official visit as the Gators are targeting more playmakers in the 2027 cycle. Simmons is one of the top pass catchers in the state, with Florida State and Miami also eyeing the 5-foot-11-inch, 165-pound Tallahassee, Florida native.

A standout from Amos P. Godby High School, Simmons has emerged as a major target for several Power Four teams this offseason. Simmons has also scheduled an official visit to Clemson, which remains heavily involved in his recruiting forecast. The top-25 receiver in the state of Florida impressed scouts at the Rivals camp in Miami, where he competed well against other blue-chip receivers from across the state.

Florida has been in the mix for several elite wide receivers as Jon Sumrall and his staff look to build elite depth with the skill position units. Stacking multiple recruiting classes with SEC-caliber athleticism will help the Gators continue their rebuild and march towards national viability.

Simmons' official visit to Gainesville is set for June 5.

Jamarian Simmons' recruiting summary

Simmons is ranked No. 106 overall and No. 18 at his position according to 247Sports composite, while On3 Industry rankings have him slated at No. 101 and No. 19, respectively. He has 20 offers, including three other SEC programs: Auburn, Georgia, and Ole Miss.

Clemson currently has the best odds to land the four-star prospect with 51.1% chance to land a commitment, followed by Florida State at 19.9% and Florida at 11.7%.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football hosting WR recruit Jamarian Simmons on official visit

The NASCAR O'Reilly Series is ready to take on the 2026 Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the entry list has been revealed. 

NASCAR released the 2026 Coca-Cola 600, O'Reilly Series, and Truck Series entry list for Charlotte on Monday afternoon. This is Charlotte's first of two oval dates on the NASCAR schedule, as the ROVAL was removed from the track for the 2026 season. All three NASCAR levels will be on track this weekend.

There will be 39 entries for the 2026 Charbroil 300 on Saturday afternoon, meaning one driver will miss the show. Among the notable entries are Connor Zilisch and Ross Chastain (JR Motorsports). Also, Leland Honeyman Jr. will drive the No. 92 car for DGM Racing at Charlotte.

Below, you can check out the NASCAR entry list for the O'Reilly Series race at Charlotte in May 2026!

NASCAR O'Reilly Series entry list, Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 2026)

1. No. 0 Cole Custer
2. No. 00 Sheldon Creed
3. No. 1 Connor Zilisch
4. No. 02 Ryan Ellis
5. No. 2 Jesse Love
6. No. 07 Josh Bilicki
7. No. 7 Justin Allgaier
8. No. 8 Sammy Smith
9. No. 9 Ross Chastain
10. No. 17 Corey Day
11. No. 18 William Sawalich
12. No. 19 Brent Crews
13. No. 20 Brandon Jones
14. No. 21 Austin Hill
15. No. 24 Harrison Burton
16. No. 26 Dean Thompson
17. No. 27 Jeb Burton
18. No. 28 Kyle Sieg
19. No. 31 Blaine Perkins
20. No. 32 Andrew Patterson
21. No. 35 TBA
22. No. 38 J.J. Yeley
23. No. 39 Ryan Sieg
24. No. 41 Sam Mayer
25. No. 42 TBA
26. No. 44 Brennan Poole
27. No. 45 Lavar Scott
28. No. 48 Patrick Staropoli
29. No. 51 Jeremy Clements
30. No. 53 David Starr
31. No. 54 Taylor Gray
32. No. 55 TBA
33. No. 74 TBA
34. No. 87 Austin Green
35. No. 88 Rajah Caruth
36. No. 91 Carson Kvapil
37. No. 92 Leland Honeyman
38. No. 96 Anthony Alfredo
39. No. 99 Parker Retzlaff

More: How to watch NASCAR live at Charlotte in May 2026, full schedule

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: NASCAR entry list for O'Reilly Series race at Charlotte in May 2026

Last week, Texas A&M landed 2027 five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews last Friday, likely cementing the Aggies' 2027 cycle as the No. 1-ranked class, already holding steady at the top. Matthews is one of the best pass protectors nationally, and is considered a first-year starter at left tackle, and will continue to develop under O-line coach Adam Cushing.

While Texas A&M's future offensive line has been the focus, 2027 five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson is set to take an official visit to College Station on June 5, and has already received a prediction to land with the Aggies, which should come to fruition sooner rather than later, after Rivals confirmed Dobson has canceled his OV to LSU.

With LSU now off the schedule, Dobson is still scheduled to take official visits to Auburn and South Carolina, while Michigan is still on the "outside looking in" but has a chance to gain momentum with an OV after it was revealed that Dobson said the Wolverines are "definitely up there" in terms of the programs he'll continue to consider heading into next month.

Still, the Rivals prediction machine favors Texas A&M, especially after five-star cornerback John Meredith received a prediction to land with the Texas Longhorns, but still take an OV with the Aggies next month. For coach Mike Elko and his staff, Dobson is close to being the program's No. 1 priority, given his elite skill set and fit in the future secondary.

NEW: 5-star CB Joshua Dobson has made a significant change to his official visit schedule✈️

Rivals' @SWiltfong_ and @ChadSimmons_ have the latest...

Details: https://t.co/7LKWuSqwDhpic.twitter.com/ZKDKOTatJS

— Rivals (@Rivals) May 18, 2026

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 2027 CB Joshua Dobson and Texas A&M target has canceled his LSU OV

It's been less than a month since the Ohio State football team had four players drafted in the first 11 picks. Carnell Tate went No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans. Arvell Reese followed at No. 5, going to the New York Giants. Sonny Styles wasn't far behind taken by the Washington Commanders at No. 7. And the final Buckeye selected in the first round was Caleb Downs, going to Dallas. It was another testament proving Ohio State is an NFL factory, churning out talent year after year.

Three of the four have signed their rookie contracts, with Reese being the exception. A deal is expected to be done soon. All four threw on their new threads for a photo shoot with their respective teams. It's a first look at what these former Buckeyes will look like in something other than Scarlet and Gray. From the classic Cowboys look for Downs to Tate in a new look Titans uniform, the results are outstanding. Take a look at how these former Ohio State stars will look when they take NFL fields this fall.

Carnell Tate - Tennessee Titans

.@carnelltate looking clean in his new @Titans jersey 🥶 pic.twitter.com/AP1e6cLBCN

— NFL (@NFL) May 16, 2026

Arvell Reese - New York Giants

big blue energy from @arvxll 🍎 pic.twitter.com/Gtj7FHOugZ

— NFL (@NFL) May 16, 2026

Sonny Styles - Washington Commanders

SONNY 😤@NFLPA | #RookiePremierepic.twitter.com/6TiR4erug4

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) May 17, 2026

Caleb Downs - Dallas Cowboys

pics from the premier 📸#DallasCowboys | @calebdowns

📸: @ben_liebenberg/NFL pic.twitter.com/SPOF7eChM3

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) May 16, 2026

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 football first round NFL draft picks pose in new uniforms

As heavyweights Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven prepare to fight on Saturday, May 23, the most astonishing tale of the tape belongs to the venue.

They will battle in Egypt at the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the world and a breathtaking sight.

Height: 454 feet.

Weight: No scale big enough to know.

Age: Almost 4,000 years old.

Record: Undefeated. Which is to say the structure hasn’t been knocked down since it was built.

Now exactly why this fight is taking place in front of the pyramid is unclear. But it’s about as novel (or, gimmicky) as the fight itself.

Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) is a three-time undisputed champion boxer from Ukraine. Verhoeven is a kickboxer with a record of 66-10 and 10 knockouts. He has boxed professionally just once, and won by second-round knockout over Janos Finfera in 2014.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven how to watch

Date: Saturday, May 23

Pay-per-view: DAZN

PPV fee: $59.99

Time: 1 p.m. ET, main card starts

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven tale of the tape

• Height: Usyk 6-3; Verhoeven 6-5

• Weight: Usyk 227 pounds; Verhoeven 270 pounds

• Reach: Usyk 78 inches; Verhoeven 77 inches

• Age: Usyk 39; Verhoeven 37

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven main card

• Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven; heavyweight, for the WBA and WBC titles

• Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic; super-middleweight, for the vacant WBO title

• Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov; welterweight, for the WBA title

• Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr.; heavyweight

• Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Soliman; super flyweight, for the WBO title

• Daniel Lapin vs. Benjamin Mendes Tani; light heavyweight

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven pits boxing champ vs. kickboxer

The NASCAR Cup Series is ready to take on the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the entry list has been revealed. 

NASCAR released the 2026 Coca-Cola 600, O'Reilly Series, and Truck Series entry list for Charlotte on Monday afternoon. This is Charlotte's first of two oval dates on the NASCAR schedule, as the ROVAL was removed from the track for the 2026 season. All three NASCAR levels will be on track this weekend.

All 36 full-time drivers are present for the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday afternoon. This is the second season in the charter system's history in which all 36 entries have a full-time competitor. Timmy Hill (Garage 66), Corey Heim (23XI Racing), and Katherine Legge (Live Fast Motorsports) are the open entries, making it a 39-driver field.

Below, you can check out the NASCAR entry list for the Cup Series race at Charlotte in May 2026!

NASCAR entry list for the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

1. No. 1 Ross Chastain
2. No. 2 Austin Cindric
3. No. 3 Austin Dillon
4. No. 4 Noah Gragson
5. No. 5 Kyle Larson
6. No. 6 Brad Keselowski
7. No. 7 Daniel Suarez
8. No. 8 Kyle Busch
9. No. 9 Chase Elliott
10. No. 10 Ty Dillon
11. No. 11 Denny Hamlin
12. No. 12 Ryan Blaney
13. No. 16 A.J. Allmendinger
14. No. 17 Chris Buescher
15. No. 19 Chase Briscoe
16. No. 20 Christopher Bell
17. No. 21 Josh Berry
18. No. 22 Joey Logano
19. No. 23 Bubba Wallace
20. No. 24 William Byron
21. No. 34 Todd Gilliland
22. No. 35 Riley Herbst
23. No. 38 Zane Smith
24. No. 41 Cole Custer
25. No. 42 John Hunter Nemechek
26. No. 43 Erik Jones
27. No. 45 Tyler Reddick
28. No. 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
29. No. 48 Alex Bowman
30. No. 51 Cody Ware
31. No. 54 Ty Gibbs
32. No. 60 Ryan Preece
33. No 66 Timmy Hill*
34. No. 67 Corey Heim*
35. No. 71 Michael McDowell
36. No. 77 Carson Hocevar
37. No. 78 Katherine Legge*
38. No. 88 Connor Zilisch
39. No. 97 Shane van Gisbergen

* = open entry

More: How to watch NASCAR live at Charlotte in May 2026, full schedule

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: NASCAR entry list for the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

Michigan State football has extended an offer to an under-the-radar offensive lineman prospect from Indiana.

RJ Clem of Logansport, Ind. announced on Monday that he's picked up an offer from the Spartans. Clem announced the offer from the Spartans by posting on his social media X account.

Clem is listed at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, and plays for Logansport High. He is considered an offensive tackle by 247Sports and is currently unranked and unrated by the recruiting service.

Michigan State is the first Big Ten school to extend an offer to Clem, according to 247Sports. He also holds offers from Wake Forest, Central Michigan, Liberty, Western Michigan, New Mexico, Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Penn.

Yale is the lone school to have an official visit currently lined up with Clem. We will have to wait and see if the Spartans add an official visit for this next month.

🚨Offer Alert #11🚨
After a nice visit last week and a call today from Coach Tabacca - I am very excited to announce my first Big Ten and 11th overall offer to Michigan State Football!!! Can't wait to get to campus to meet all the coaches and see the facilities. @coachfitz51… pic.twitter.com/WBN6q3GuVM

— RJ Clem (@RJ_Clem) May 18, 2026

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State football offers OT RJ Clem of Logansport, Ind.

I don't know how to tell you this, but hold your tears, Florida State fans. The Seminoles have parted ways with one of their more infamous pieces of memorabilia.

Before Luke Loucks took the reins of the FSU basketball program, Leonard Hamilton's squad in 2020 finished their season as the No. 4 team nationally. That year's conference and NCAA tournaments were cancelled due to COVID-19, meaning the Seminoles never got to compete for a title.

In recognition of their accomplishments, though, FSU raised a banner in celebration. Typically, the Seminoles have only done that for their NCAA Tournament appearances, like in 1993 when they reached the Elite Eight. Their banner read "NCAA Cancelled, #4 Final Ranking, 2020."

Now in 2026, it appears Loucks was okay with parting ways with that banner, as it's now in the possession of Barstool Sports' Big Cat, better known as Dan Katz.

Katz took to X, posting, "Another piece of memorabilia secured. Banner raising in Chicago in a couple weeks with@lukeloucks. Thank you for the incredible hospitality @FSUHoops" with a photo of the infamous banner.

Katz is known for collecting extremely rare pieces of memorabilia, including a bathroom trough from the Buffalo Bills' old stadium and a banner that reads "Get Charged Up!" from when the Los Angeles Chargers were based in San Diego.

Truly, this 2020 banner is something all Seminoles fans will dearly miss.

Another piece of memorabilia secured.

Banner raising in Chicago in a couple weeks with @lukeloucks. Thank you for the incredible hospitality @FSUHoopspic.twitter.com/U1dGYXRr2q

— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) May 18, 2026

It’s beautiful @FSUHoops#GRITpic.twitter.com/7o4PzUfQoQ

— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) May 18, 2026

Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of FSU news, notes, and opinions. Jacob Smith is a contributor for FSU Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. You can also follow Jacob on X at @jsmith_sports.

This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU Basketball: Infamous banner no longer in the rafters

The New Orleans Pelicans have hired former Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley as their next head coach.

Mosley reportedly signed a five-year deal with the Pelicans.

The Magic fired Mosley on May 4 and New Orleans made the hire exactly two weeks later. Mosley led Orlando to three straight playoff appearances, but three straight first round exits and was fired one day after losing to Detroit in Game 7.

Mosley finished with a 189-221 record record in five seasons in Orlando.

The #Pelicans have named Jamahl Mosley as the team’s new head coach, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today 👏 pic.twitter.com/RRIhoR5lfd

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 18, 2026

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are staring down a huge quarterback battle this offseason. Even with the arrival of Aaron Rodgers, all eyes are going to be on second-year quarterback Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar. The Steelers took Allar in the third-round of the 2026 NFL draft in hopes that new head coach Mike McCarthy can work his quarterback magic and make him into the team's new franchise quarteraback.

One person who is not at all sold on Allar is NBC NFL analyst Chris Simms. Simms went so far as to say he wouldn't be shocked if the Steelers cut Allar in the Summer if the serious problems with his game don't show significant improvement.

"The throwing motion, the drops, the offense he was in, it's all bad," Simms said. "He could be so raw that they get through training camp and they go, they can't make him the third either."

Given the age of Rodgers, it would make sense that the Steelers wouldn't want two young, inexperienced quarterbacks backing him up. The more we think about it, the more realistic it is to think the Steelers will keep Mason Rudolph to be the team's No. 2 quarterback and if they don't release either Howard or Allar, sacrifice a roster spot to keep a fourth quarterback.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: NFL analyst makes shocking prediction about Steelers QB Drew Allar

The only thing that mattered for Arsenal here was the result.

In beating Burnley, Arsenal have left Manchester City with no room for error now.

Before the match, the Arsenal fans held up a banner that said "three games to make history" - two remaining games in the Premier League, plus the Champions League final against Paris St-Germain in Budapest on 30 May.

As Arsenal have dealt with the title pressure in recent weeks, manager Arteta has said that he has been making some of his big selection decisions based on intuition.

He did that again for this game naming an attacking line-up that contained Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka.

All of those players are comfortable in possession and alongside the marauding Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal dominated possession and played like a team who know they are close to making history.

With one league game left and the positive feeling at an all-time high, Arsenal are surely set to end their wait for a major trophy - in what could be a historic season.

Burnley interim boss Mike Jackson speaking to the BBC: "Over the last two games, they have been positive performances. We knew the challenge that we were coming into tonight. A lot of people probably thought we might give up after what happened with the relegation and accused the boys of not trying, so I am really pleased tonight and the last game as well to show what they are actually capable of.

"The capability they have got and showed, that has to be a minimum for them. At this level, they can do it and they have shown that tonight, they showed it against Villa. We came on the wrong side of the result, and a decision that I think is not the best, but I am really pleased for the group.

"It has been there in spells but it is just the consistency. If you are not winning games, that can affect the confidence. It is a young group in terms of experience and they are learning. I am sure you will see some of that team, some of that group in the Premier League, whether it is this year, next year or years to come, because there is a lot of talent just not the experience needed."

On the Havertz non-red: "Yes you know the one I am talking about. In today's game, it is a red card and it is dangerous. He could have injured him as well. That means that they go down to 10 with 20 minutes to go, we are still in the game. We stayed in the game as long as we could. They're big decisions that sometimes we don't get, and we haven't got throughout the season."

On the future of the club: "I've not thought about that. I've had this remit for the last three games and that is all I'm focused on, to be honest."

Did you know?

• Burnley suffered their 24th Premier League defeat of the season, equalling their most league defeats in a season, also losing 24 in 2009-10 and 2023-24.
• Burnley's Lucas Pires has never ended on the winning side in any of his 19 Premier League appearances (D8 L11), with only Ben Brereton (24) ever playing more games without a win in Premier League history.
• Burnley have failed to score in 14 of their 37 games, only Wolverhampton Wanderers (19) have failed to score more often in the Premier League this season.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta speaking to the BBC: "I'm really happy with the performance, with the result. In the first half, I think we played some of the best football that we have played this season. The margin should have been bigger but we haven't achieved that, and we have shown what we have shown all season that when we need to defend and get through the game we can do it in an efficient way.

"We were unlucky that we did not score the second or third goal. We faced a tough opponent. Look at the spirit that they had still today to try to get something out of the game. This league is so tough.

"I'm very happy tonight. We have done our job, what is in our hands. We have to wait and see what is going to happen tomorrow and then it's time to prepare for the Palace game.

"Burnley did it last week against Aston Villa, so we knew it was going to be the case. We had to maintain the high standards, the way we have been competing all season and we need to win one more game."

On Manchester City's game v Bournemouth tomorrow: "I will watch tomorrow. Tomorrow we start to prepare Palace and we will watch it for sure. One more to go."

On the Havertz challenge: "I haven't had a look at the challenge again. He said it wasn't but I don't know, I haven't seen it."

Did you know?

• Arsenal's Bukayo Saka became the second youngest player (24 years, 255 days) to reach both 50+ goals and 50+ assists in Premier League history (60 goals, 50 assists), behind only Wayne Rooney who was 24 years and 84 days when he did so.
• Kai Havertz has scored more Premier League goals against Burnley than any other opponent (five), while the Arsenal frontman has netted 32.6% of his overall goals in the competition against sides starting the day in the relegation zone (14/43).
• Arsenal have now won 25+ Premier League games in three of the last four seasons (26 in 2022-23, 28 in 2023-24, 25 in 2025-26), with Mikel Arteta achieving this feat as often as Arsene Wenger did (26 in 2001-02, 26 in 2003-04, 25 in 2004-05).
• Arsenal have kept 32 clean sheets this season, six more than any other side in Europe's big-five leagues in all competitions. Only in 1970-71 (37) and 1979-80 (33) have they had more in a single season.

All-Star Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went viral on Sunday for the wrong reasons.

During a game against the Chicago White Sox, Crow-Armstrong got into a verbal altercation with a fan on the other side of the outfield fence. Video taken from near the incident later revealed the NSFW comments Crow-Armstrong made to the fan.

Crow-Armstrong simply said after the game that "some lady decided to start talking (expletive), and I felt the need to say it back." However, after the video made the rounds on social media Monday, Crow-Armstron addressed the exchange more directly.

He stated that he regrets his "word choice," and expressed concern that children on social media might see the language he used.

“I’m just bummed out about the word choice and that a bunch of little kids will find their way to social media and see that as well….Again, poor word choice," he said, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers. “Directly or indirectly, I don’t think the women in my life would ever think I would use those kind of words regularly.”

PCA on his interaction with the fan yesterday: “I regret the word choice.”

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 18, 2026

PCA: “I’m just bummed out about the word choice and that a bunch of little kids will find their way to social media and see that as well….Again, poor word choice.”

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 18, 2026

More PCA: “Directly or indirectly, I don’t think the women in my life would ever think I would use those kind of words regularly.”

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 18, 2026

As of publication, Crow-Armstrong will not face any repercussions following the spat, contrary to several viral (but fake) posts on social media.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Pete Crow-Armstrong regrets 'word choice' in viral spat with fan

Brazil forward Neymar has been included in head coach Carlo Ancelotti's 26-man squad for this summer's World Cup.

The 34-year-old, who now plays for Brazilian side Santos, is the country's all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances but has not played for the Selecao since 2023 amid his struggles with injuries.

Making the squad means he will feature at a fourth World Cup having also played for Brazil at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Italian Ancelotti revealed his squad at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro and fans cheered when Neymar's name was announced.

Ancelotti, 66, who was appointed by Brazil last year, said: "We spent the entire year analysing Neymar.

"We realised that in this last period he had continuity and was in good physical condition".

• Neymar furious as he is wrongly substituted
• World Cup 2026: Every nation's squad as they are announced

Alisson Becker, who has missed Liverpool's last 10 games through injury, has been selected, along with Manchester United pair Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal defender Gabriel, Brentford striker Igor Thiago and Bournemouth forward Rayan.

However, Chelsea forward Joao Pedro misses out despite being the Blues' top scorer in the Premier League this season with 15 goals and five assists.

Other players who have made the cut include La Liga stars Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid and Barcelona's Raphinha as well as 19-year-old striker Endrick, on loan at Lyon from Real.

Five-time winners Brazil take on Morocco on 13 June, Haiti on 20 June and Scotland in their final Group C game four days later.

The expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico starts on 11 June.

Brazil World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahce), Weverton (Gremio).

Defenders: Alex Sandro, Danilo, Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Wesley (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris St-Germain), Gabriel (Arsenal), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg).

Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo).

Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Luiz Henrique (Zenit St. Petersburg), Neymar (Santos), Rayan (Bournemouth).

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Kai Havertz took Arsenal closer to winning their first Premier League title in 22 years, but nearly went from hero to villain as he was fortunate to not be sent off.

The 26-year-old German started instead of in-form Viktor Gyokeres and repaid Mikel Arteta's faith in him when he headed in Bukayo Saka's corner to give the Gunners a 37th-minute lead over Burnley.

But Havertz very nearly was dismissed midway through the second half, when, in the middle of the pitch, he slid in and his studs caught Lesley Ugochukwu on his left calf.

Havertz was only booked by referee Paul Tierney, with video assistant referee James Bell not advising the official to watch the incident back on a pitchside monitor.

Mikel Arteta decided to replace Havertz with Gyokeres minutes later as the Gunners held on for a nervy 1-0 win to move one win away from becoming champions.

Former England defender Gary Neville, commentating for Sky Sports, said: "Vicious from Havertz. He is miles away from the ball. I don't like that. The height of it and the fact it is on the standing leg."

After VAR did not get involved, Neville added: "I don't think that is right. He is a lucky boy."

A statement from the Premier League Match Centre said: "The referee's call of yellow card to Havertz was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge deemed not to be serious foul play."

Vieira backs referee decision, but other pundits disagree

Former England goalkeeper Rob Green agreed with Neville that Havertz had been lucky to stay on the pitch.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Green said: "Studs up, both feet off the ground, it's high. There will bunches of people referring back to still images where there have been red cards.

"You speak to the players and ask which tackles do you want to eradicate and it's those ones."

Arsenal have not had a player sent off in the Premier League this season, although earlier this month the Premier League's key match incidents panel said defender Gabriel should have been dismissed against Manchester City on 19 April.

Gabriel had pushed his forehead into striker Erling Haaland during City's 2-1 win, but was only shown a yellow card.

Former England defender Jamie Carragher, on Sky Sports, was another to call Havertz "lucky" and added: "When you think of two big decisions in terms of red cards going their way. They are lucky to get away with two big decisions."

On Havertz's challenge, Carragher said: "The fact the referee has such a good view and gives a yellow card, then maybe it's difficult for the VAR to go against it.

"But how the ref has not given a red card, I don't know - it has to be a red card. The force is the one thing that saves him. I struggle to see how you get away with that given how high it is up on the calf."

However, Patrick Vieira, the last Arsenal captain to lift the Premier League trophy, felt Tierney had made the right decision.

"It's a challenge from behind and you can see the studs, but it was the right decision from the referee," said Vieira on Sky Sports.

"There was not enough power or force for the red card. The yellow card was a fair decision."

Burnley interim boss Mike Jackson, speaking to the BBC, felt his side should have been playing against 10 men.

"In today's game, it is a red card and it is dangerous," said Jackson. "He could have injured him as well. That means they go down to 10 with 20 minutes to go - we are still in the game."

'Really poor decision' - your views

There were some comments from fans on the BBC Sport live commentary page, with many wondering why Havertz was not punished further.

Sulaman: "That's a clear red card for Kai Havertz, studs right behind the heel and very dangerous play."

Chris: "How on earth is that not a red card? Another really poor decision."

Nick, Newark: "Given some of the challenges that result in red cards nowadays, I'm amazed that Havertz has got away with that."

• Latest Arsenal news, analysis and fan views
• Ask about Arsenal - what do you want to know?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed a former Pitt Panthers cornerback as an undrafted free agent.

On Tuesday, the Steelers announced the signing of undrafted free agent cornerback Tamon Lynum, who played for the University of Nebraska (2020-2023) and Pittsburgh (2024-2025).

We have signed undrafted free agent DB Tamon Lynum. @BordasLawhttps://t.co/DLbnrnvEh4

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) May 18, 2026

Lynum participated in the Steelers' rookie camp as a tryout player, but he apparently wowed all the right people in order to secure a contract.

During his six collegiate seasons, Lynum appeared in 46 games and recorded 71 combined tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, eight passes defended, and two forced fumbles.

For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers sign undrafted free agent CB Tamon Lynum

Olgun Uluc: It’s official. Joe Ingles has signed a two-year deal with Melbourne United, the team says. “Coming home to Melbourne feels incredibly special,” Ingles said. “… I still love competing, I still love the game, and I believe I can genuinely help this group win.”

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Joe Ingles signs in Australia

Josh Hart added that the break – a roughly 218-hour interlude – is something they would rather not have to deal with, but it did offer them a chance to reset. “Obviously, you'd rather not have a 9-day break – you're in a good rhythm, then you've kinda got to sit there and wait,” Hart said. “Ideally, if it was a three- or four-day break, that would've been nice. Good points and bad points [to the rest].”

SportsNet New York

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “Obviously, you'd rather not have a 9-day break – …

But, even with the importance of Mitchell and Harden to the Cavs’ offense, Brown said the Knicks have to be “conscious of trying to play the right way against this group.” “We have to put pressure on them in all phases, starting with transition and ending with the ability to try and get an offensive rebound,” he said. “You wanna make all of their guys, especially their guys that playmake for them and do a lot for them, you wanna make them work as much as you can.

SportsNet New York

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “We have to put pressure on them in all phases, …

They weren’t kidding around about Tarik Skubal’s accelerated rehabilitation timeline.  

Less than two weeks after having surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner was back on a mound Monday, May 17 at Comerica Park. Unfortunately for the struggling Detroit Tigers it was the bullpen mound, but it does make a June return seem possible.  

It’s a rare ray of hope for the Tigers, who have gone 2-10 since Skubal went on the injured list May 4.  

Skubal threw long toss in the outfield before rain forced him inside for a bullpen session, according to reports. It was his second mound session since surgery. He is beginning his return to a five-day schedule of throwing.  

MLB POWER RANKINGS: Phillies are so back after firing manager for horrid start

On May 6, Skubal underwent a Nanoscope procedure, a less invasive method than traditional arthroscopic surgery. The Tigers had hoped this would fast-track his return.  

So far, it appears to be doing that, but manager A.J. Hinch refuses to be pinned down on a timeline.  

In seven starts before the injury, Skubal went 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, striking out 45 and issuing just six walks over 43 1/3 innings.  

Over the past two seasons, Skubal went 31-10 with a 2.30 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 469 strikeouts in 387 1/3 innings. He won back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards and led the AL in ERA both years. In 2025, he posted a 2.21 ERA and a 241-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 31 starts.  

Skubal, who had Tommy John surgery in college and flexor tendon surgery in August 2022, is in his walk year. He is a free agent after this season and expected to command one of the largest pitching contracts in MBL history.  

The Tigers entered Monday's play at 20-27, battered by injuries and in a wide-open AL Central race.  

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal returns to mound after elbow surgery

Things didn't go Gina Carano's way Saturday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., but she still seems to have had a heck of a lot of fun.

In her first post-fight social media post Monday, Carano (7-2) called the fight and its lead-up "one of the best rides of my life." Carano was submitted by Ronda Rousey in 17 seconds in the main event of the first MMA card to be streamed on Netflix.

"This was one of the best rides of my life," Carano wrote on Instagram. "I felt locked in fight night. No fear just focused positive adrenaline. Love to my team. My heart is heavy, I wanted to throw, battle, win, but I kicked when I should have moved and was down and done. If I hadn’t tapped she would’ve broken my arm, as it had begun to crackle. The disappointment of losing like that is very humbling."

Carano, 44, had not competed since August 2009. In the days prior to Saturday's bout, Carano opened up about the bout's greater impact, both physically and mentally. Carano said she lost 100 pounds in its long-term preparation. She elaborated further in the statement Monday.

"I’ve been in a caloric deficit for a year, training felt like swimming as hard as I could upstream," Carano said. "I can count on two hands the number of times I felt good training. It was physically the hardest thing I’ve ever done taking the weight off while turning back into an athlete. I felt like a science experiment losing 100lbs. Every week the pressure of how to get that little bit off. I learned a little late how to do it healthier but trial by fire. ... I needed to go through this fight to implement permanent lifestyle changes and now I feel like this is just the beginning. I can’t wait to see where I can push my body to go next."

Check out Carano's full statement below:

View this post on Instagram

To those out there surely wondering who on earth Aaron Rai might be, know this: He's the hero this year's PGA Championship was lucky to have.

He was a clear and worthy winner who conjured an indelible moment of magic, sinking a 68-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to lock up his first major in what was a major upset. It was a feel-good story. Rai is one of the hard-working, humble, well-liked players who toiled for years in pro golf without recognition on the biggest stages.

All of it made for a nice surprise in the end.

Because, for four days, it’d looked as if Aronimink Golf Club wasn’t about to permit such delights.

Until Rai’s brilliant back nine and 9-under-par finish, there hadn't been much appealing about this PGA Championship. Unless you are charmed by hours of pro golfers missing fairways and long birdie putts, forever playing it safe on approach shots to hole locations that were – to borrow Scottie Scheffler’s word – “absurd” in their difficulty.

That wasn't a coincidence. To explain, let’s go back a couple of years:

In 2024, Bryson DeChambeau equaled the existing, all-time PGA Championship records for 72-hole total score and score versus par – and he didn’t lift the Wanamaker Trophy. At a record-setting 21 under, Xander Schauffele edged DeChambeau by one stroke at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, winning a PGA Championship that played easier than most random tour events. It was kind of embarrassing for a major.

At Aronimink, a lovely course near Philadelphia, there were fears of the same. Amid forecasts of low scores like 2024, organizers went out and beefed up Aronimink. The rough was thick, and the pins were brutal when paired with the course’s rugged, rolling, heavily sloped greens.

Nothing wrong with a stern setup for a major, but there’s a fine line in golf between a course that’s naturally a great test for pros (see Augusta) and a course being tricked up to be a great test.

The difference was a PGA Championship where the cream couldn’t rise to the top.

While average was plentiful, good was rare. And great? Nearly impossible. At least two dozen golfers entered the final round with a realistic shot to win, and yet none – until Rai – was doing anything down the stretch to deserve to beat the 5 under score that Justin Thomas had been posted hours beforehand.

Not Scheffler (-2), who couldn’t make enough putts. Not Masters champ Rory McIlroy (-4), who couldn’t make enough birdies. Not even LIV’s Jon Rahm (-6), who probably should’ve won. But Rahm, too, fizzled after a strong start to his final round, finishing tied for second.

One by one, for days, all challengers – famous or not – kept stepping up and dropping back again.

“A bunched leaderboard like this, I think it’s a sign of not a great setup,” McIlroy told reporters at Aronimink after the second round. “ ... Because it hasn't really enabled anyone to separate themselves. It's easy to make a ton of pars, hard to make birdies.”

World No. 1 Scheffler, who said these were the most difficult pin locations he’d witnessed on the PGA Tour, echoed McIlroy's thoughts: “I think a lot of times you see the scores get so close together it may not be as good of a test.”

This tournament was slow and tedious. It was kind of like a muddy football game that ends 6-3 and neither offense can muster a first down, much less a touchdown.

A tough watch.

Except for Rai's finishing stretch.

Even for golf enthusiasts, Rai would've been a deep cut. A solid player, no doubt, but an Englishman who wasn’t seriously considered for the European Ryder Cup team last year. Winning the PGA moved him from No. 44 to No. 15 in the world golf rankings, changing his career forever.

Best part was Rai deserved it. This was there for the taking as much as any major could be, and when no one else proved capable, Rai went and shot 6 under in the final 10 holes. Good for him. Good for all of us.

An underdog success story always goes down smooth and satisfying. This PGA Championship was fortunate to enjoy such an aftertaste.

Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who is Aaron Rai? The golfer who saved a tedious PGA Championship

Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was at the center of controversy this week after video showed him getting into a vulgar exchange with a White Sox fan.

But has it risen to the level of MLB discipline? So far, it's not looking that way — despite the best efforts of fake and parody accounts on social media.

Following the Cubs' 9-8 loss to the White Sox, Crow-Armstrong explained that he talked trash back to a fan who heckled him after he missed a leaping attempt at Miguel Vargas' double. There was another exchange where Crow-Armstrong had choice words for a fan from the on-deck circle.

That has led to several fake accounts on social media claiming that MLB issued a multi-game suspension for the Cubs star.

A parody account on Twitter/X claimed that MLB suspended Crow-Armstrong for 10 games, and the tweet had 276,000 views at time of publish. Again, none of that is true.

If MLB is planning to discipline Crow-Armstrong for what happened on Sunday, the league hasn't announced it yet. Crow-Armstrong is listed in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Brewers.

#Cubs lineup for game 48/162-

Nico Hoerner 2B
Michael Busch 1B
Alex Bregman 3B
Ian Happ LF
Seiya Suzuki RF
Michael Conforto DH
Carson Kelly C
Pete Crow-Armstrong CF
Dansby Swanson SS

Shota Imanaga SP

— Jacob Zanolla (@jacobzanolla) May 18, 2026

We'll have to see if MLB takes any action — whether it be a fine or something more — but for now, the Cubs outfielder has already moved on from that altercation at Rate Field.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Has Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong been suspended for NSFW exchange with fan? Debunking fake reports

Power rankings in May are essentially football’s version of organized guesswork, but that doesn’t make them any less entertaining. With the NFL schedule officially released, FOX Sports rolled out its latest league hierarchy, and the New York Jets landed in an uncomfortable spot near the bottom.

At No. 29 overall, the Jets found themselves ahead of only the Las Vegas Raiders, the Miami Dolphins, and the Arizona Cardinals. That’s not exactly the kind of company a franchise hoping to turn a corner wants to keep, especially after an offseason that has generated at least some cautious optimism.

Now that the full 2026 NFL schedule is out, here are @RalphVacchiano's final Power Rankings of the offseason ⬆️⬇️

Read more: https://t.co/NNiA3N1YLvpic.twitter.com/LdHkfrHTj9

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 17, 2026

Hope exists for the Jets, but so do real questions

The placement speaks to a broader reality surrounding the Jets. While there have been changes worth noting, there’s still a meaningful gap between intriguing offseason headlines and proven on-field confidence. The Jets deserve credit for attempting to reshape the narrative. Hiring Frank Reich as offensive coordinator brings experience and a fresh perspective to a unit desperately in need of consistency.

The front office has also continued making moves designed to create the belief that the organization is finally heading somewhere productive, but belief has its limits. Geno Smith brings familiarity and veteran competence, but not necessarily certainty. He can stabilize stretches of play, yet few around the league are likely viewing him as the answer capable of elevating New York into serious contention.

Drafting Cade Klubnik adds intrigue for the future, though rookie quarterbacks rarely provide immediate reassurance, particularly when expectations are already shaky.

So yes, the Jets may feel better about where they are than they did months ago. That matters internally. Externally, however, skepticism remains the dominant viewpoint.

Could the Jets outperform a No. 29 ranking? Absolutely. That’s what makes offseason projections fun to debate. But until optimism turns into consistent execution, rankings like this will continue to reflect possibility rather than belief.

This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: NFL power rankings: Where do the Jets rank in post-draft poll?

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren insist there's no beef between them. NBA fans, however, think otherwise.

The two elite defensive big men are set to square off in the Western Conference Finals, with Game 1 of the series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs set for Monday night. Though both players deny it, many think there's more to this rivalry than the play on the court.

As the theory goes, the perceived beef between the two dates back to 2021, when Holmgren and the United States defeated Wembanyama and France 83-81 in the U19 World Cup final. Holmgren earned tournament MVP honors, leading to what fans believe is a one-sided beef with most of the ire coming from Wembanyama.

Why does Wemby hate Chet?

Villain origin story:

In 2021 France matched up with USA In the U19 World Cup final. USA barely won by two and Chet won the tournament MVP. This is why Wemby comes at Chet and OKC so HARD!

Love it, bring back NBA heated rivalries! 👊 pic.twitter.com/L9eHraAxWl

— Jacob (@Jacobtheclipper) January 14, 2026

Some of Wembanyama's comments certainly haven't helped his case. In December, Wembanyama dismissed the talks about a rivalry while potentially taking a shot at Holmgren.

"No, I don't think about that," Wembanyama said at the time, per Yahoo Sports. "At least from a basketball standpoint, there's no comparison between us."

The Spurs defeated the Thunder in the NBA Cup Finals earlier this year, and Wembanyama made some comments that some saw as backhanded criticisms of Holmgren and the Thunder. Namely, he praised San Antonio for playing "pure, ethical basketball" while noting that some players are built for high-leverage moments while others aren't.

He also noted that Holmgren gets opportunities because of the attention back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander commands on the court.

“The reigning MVP is on that court, so he’s our main focus," Wembanyama said. "Anybody is hard to guard when you have to help on the MVP.”

Holmgren has been a bit more diplomatic in his public comments about Wembanyama, praising the 7-foot-4 superstar's ability and the unique matchup he presents.

"The game definitely changes anytime a very unique player comes into the game. He does things that other lineups don't replicate," Holmgren said. "Definitely changed the game. Changed how they play. Changed how we have to play them."

While the two stars have never openly criticized each other, it seems there may be some history between them. That history will be settled as the top two seeds in the West face off for a spot in the NBA Finals.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Victor Wembanyama - Chet Holmgren perceived beef, explained

The Atlanta Falcons were one of eight teams to begin organized team activities on Monday. The Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans all kicked off OTAs this morning.

The Falcons have a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator and three new quarterbacks on the roster, each of whom will look to settle into their new surroundings during these offseason workouts. The Falcons will hold OTAs on the following days: May 18–19, May 21, May 26–27, May 29, June 8–9, and June 11.

Even though it's just Day 1, Atlanta's social media team has been sharing photos and videos of players from Monday's session. Check out Tua Tagovailoa, Drake London and Brandon Dorlus getting work in on Day 1 of OTAs below.

Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa

While fans have been focused on Michael Penix Jr.'s on-field return, Tua Tagovailoa is very much in the mix for the starting quarterback job this season. Look out Tagovailoa makes his debut at Monday's OTA.

Tua 🤙 pic.twitter.com/9mfFCydGu3

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 18, 2026

Falcons WR Drake London

Here's Falcons wide receiver Drake London making his 2026 OTAs debut. London is playing on the final year of his rookie contract and will look to secure a long-term deal in Atlanta before hitting free agency.

A different mode pic.twitter.com/8WGQF30ocb

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 18, 2026

Falcons DT Brandon Dorlus

Dorlus, a former fourth-round pick out of Oregon, broke out with a career-high 8.5 sacks last season. With David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro no longer with the team, Dorlus could be in for a big year in 2026. Watch as Dorlus pushes the sled at Falcons OTAs below.

😎 @brandon_dorluspic.twitter.com/HakHVlfkiV

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 18, 2026

The Falcons will continue OTAs on Tuesday, May 19. After that, the team will return on May 21, May 26–27, May 29, June 8–9, and June 11. Check back for Falcons practice highlights as they become available.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons begin OTAs: Highlights from Day 1

GAINESVILLE — Florida standout center Rueben Chinyelu has a decision to make that will shape the future of  Todd Golden’s Gators.

Chinyelu, the anchor of the nation’s top rebounding team in 2025-26, could return for his senior season and provide another key piece to a deep and talented roster featuring All-SEC forward Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon and an experienced backcourt led by point guard Boogie Fland.

Chinyelu declared for the NBA Draft in April, and then held his own during last week’s draft combine in Chicago. Now the 22-year-old will have to decide by May 27 where he’ll play next season.

“It just depends on where I’m going to be picked on the draft,” he told reporter Andy Katz. “I had this conversation when I was being interviewed by some of the teams. That’s something I’m going to weigh and ultimately decide if I want to stay in the draft or I want to go back to school.”

Chinyelu is generally considered a second-round prospect. Yahoo Sports now projects him to go with the 14th pick of the second round to San Antonio.

In Chicago, Chinyelu’s physical stature stood out.

The native of Nigeria measured at 6-foot-9¼ without shoes and 259 pounds. He recorded a combine-best hand length of 10 inches and wingspan of 7-feet-7½ inches, while his standing reach of 9-foot-3½ inches ranked fifth among the 78 prospects.

Recapping the combine, the No Ceilings Substack said Chinyelu and UConn big man Tarris Reed Jr. battled during one scrimmage. Chinyelu then posted 14 points and 15 rebounds but also “bobbled a number of passes and rebounds while struggling with his touch.”

Chinyelu had a 33-inch vertical leap, ranking 24th of 31 players in his category, according to 247Sports. He also finished 18th out of 32 participants in the three-quarter court sprint with a time 3.25 seconds. He was seventh in his group with a time of 2.85 seconds in the shuttle run.

Chinyelu fared respectably during shooting drills despite the need to expand his offensive repertoire and ability to score away from the basket. He was 18-of-30 shooting off the dribble — 14th out of 26 participants — and 11-of-25 on long-range attempts, or 19th in his group.

He did, however, finish last in the side-mid-side shooting drill, making just 6-of-22 attempts, 247Sports reported.

If Chinyelu rejoins the Gators, they would boast a frontcourt capable of fueling another national title run.

Chinyelu led all power-conference players with an average of 11.2 rebounds and set a school-record with 19 double-doubles. Named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Chinyelu anchored a defense ranked sixth nationally, according to Ken Pomeroy’s metrics.

The 6-foot-9 Haugh and 6-foot-11 Condon were the Gators’ top two scorers in 2025-26 and are among the SEC’s more versatile players. Haugh averaged 17.1 points, recorded 13 20-point games and shot 46% from the field while averaging 6.1 rebounds. Condon averaged 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds, while leading Florida with 48 blocked shots.

Chinyelu is excited by much more than once again being part of the Gators’ formidable inside trio.

Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen returns to Florida after he transferred following the 2025 national championship season. He then averaged 13.5 points, 3.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 43.3% from the field and 36.3% from 3-point range in his first year as as a full-time starter.

Fland is among the SEC’s best on-ball defenders, while SEC Sixth Man of the Year Urban Klavzar also returns.

Also back are Orlando brothers Isaiah Brown and AJ Brown, who redshirted last season after transferring from Ohio University. Shooting guard Alex Lloyd, a talented scorer from Miami, and athletic small forward CJ Ingram, two top-40 recruits in the 2025 class, also will return, despite veteran players ahead of them.

Golden then signed two European players with size and skill, 6-foot-10 forward Arturas Butajevas of Lithuania and 6-foot-9 Domen Petrovic of Slovenia.

With Florida’s nucleus returning, Chinleylu believes the Gators would have all the pieces in place if he comes back.

“We were going out there, and the mindset is to get it all,” he said. “If I go back, I’m not settling for less.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Jaylen Brown: "But the fact is that as an athlete, I'm obligated to speak to the media. It's my job. Like he thinks the media is his job, it's my job too. It's in my contract. If I do not speak to the media, then I will be fined. So when they use that comparison where it's my job, it's your job to play basketball. It's also my job to speak to the media. So me, my thought process, how do I work around that? I'm going to do it on my terms. If I got to talk to y'all, I'm going to do it on my terms. If y'all want to hear my takes, this is how y'all going to hear them. Because if I give them these takes to these other media, they going to try to build a narrative against me or turn it into something that I don't even it's get weird, bro. What are y'all talking about? But when they run with this media, then when they run with this narrative, they're going to be like, it's Stephen A's job and it's Kendrick Perkins' job and my job to talk to the media. It ain't your job to be a clown. It ain't."

YouTube

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jaylen Brown to Stephen A Smith: 'It ain't your job to be a clown'

Jaylen Brown on Stephen A. Smith: "This is a narrative that he's creating. This is in journalism. This is him making his own opinion and formulizing it about what I had to say on his platform. And this is why respectfully a lot of people say f**k Stephen A. because this is the type of stuff he does and then he doesn't recognize it. But he's creating a narrative saying that the reason why I'm saying that I had my favorite season is because selfishly I had a best performing year." "Not the fact that we out-proved expectations, not the fact that everybody expected us to be nothing and we had to fight and we showed up and we competed every single day and we had to fight for every victory. Not the joy of watching our teammates grow or not the joy of watching guys who are unproven start to solidify themselves as well through leadership, through chemistry. He maybe doesn't understand that because maybe he's never had to fight for nothing in his life. Maybe anytime adversity has hit, he's rolled over or he's gave in. So he thinks it's the same thing as somebody who has little to no expectation and they stood up and they made a name for themselves. He may not understand that concept and that's why he's pushing his narrative. But once again, this is what Stephen A. is using his platform for."

YouTube

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: He maybe doesn't understand that because maybe he's …

Brad Stevens is no stranger to extensions but giving out that type of money to a 33-year-old is far from a no brainer. Adding that type of long-term commitment is more likely to hurt than help Brown’s trade value in the present even after his standout regular season in 2025-26. Quite simply, there’s no sense of urgency here from a Celtics standpoint to do an extension now beyond just appeasing Brown. That’s not going to be the impetus for Stevens’ next big deal. He’s got bigger decisions to make for the present and making a decision on Brown’s long-term future doesn’t help him on that front. For that reason, don’t expect an extension to be among Stevens’ priorities this summer.

Booth Newspapers

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Celtics in no rush to give Jaylen Brown extension?

They likely will be connected to big names around the league, such as Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen − though Utah just traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. to pair with Markkanen − and Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard, who will be entering the final year of his deal and will make $50.3 million in 2026-27 at age 35. The Pistons have all of their first-round picks, including the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and a trove of second-round picks down the road to include in deals.

Detroit Free Press

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: They likely will be connected to big names around the …

Brendan Haywood: "I tell you another thing in Miami that was a microaggression that Pat Riley did. LeBron, I didn't realize it at the time until I played with LeBron in Cleveland. I was like, oh, that's what happened. LeBron wanted Rich Paul, Maverick, Randy, and Lynn Merritt. He wanted their season tickets to be right beside the Heat bench. Oh, yeah. And you remember where were their tickets? They were right beside the bench, but it was the other team's bench. See, these are the little petty things that go on and little things become big things. Pat Riley was like, nah, we don't want you to have your crew right beside the bench that you can talk to. He could have put them anywhere, but he's going to be a funny guy. So he puts them all the way at the other. They used to sit beside our bench. I always thought that was weird in real time and then when I got to talk to LeBron and Mike Miller and all those guys, I realized, oh, Pat Riley was taking a microaggression. That is just my example to show you that these type of little things happen all the time. And LeBron James felt like Pat Riley took a shot, and I guarantee you he felt Rob Pelinka took a shot by not giving that game ball to him."

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: LeBron wanted Rich Paul, Maverick, Randy, and Lynn …

Speaking with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on The Pull Up with Scoop B, Gill recalled being in the room with agent Arn Tellem while the Nets debated using the No. 7 pick on Bryant. Tellem also represented Bryant and strongly opposed New Jersey drafting the teenage guard directly out of high school. “I was right there when they were thinking about drafting Kobe,” Gill said. “Arn is on the phone with John Calipari and he’s saying, ‘Look. We’re going to take Kobe at the 7th pick…’” Gill explained that Tellem warned the Nets that Bryant would go overseas rather than play for the franchise. According to Gill, the Lakers already had a deal lined up with the Charlotte Hornets involving Vlade Divac and Bryant’s draft rights.

TalkBasket

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Gill explained that Tellem warned the Nets that Bryant …

Manchester City are preparing for Pep Guardiola's exit after Sunday's Premier League match against Aston Villa.

Sources have told BBC Sport that the managerial great is expected to leave Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.

City maintain Guardiola has a contract for next season and are hopeful he will remain as manager.

However, work towards his anticipated exit is under way at the club, with members of staff of the understanding he will leave.

It is understood members of the squad are also anticipating his departure after the final game of the season against Villa, while the club have turned their attentions towards how best to mark the tenure of their iconic boss.

Naming the newly expanded North Stand after their departing manager is an option the club are understood to be considering.

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who worked under Guardiola at City, is the front-runner to replace the 55-year-old.

Guardiola has led City to 17 major trophies - and 20 in all - including six Premier League titles, the Champions League, three FA Cups and five EFL Cups during his 10 years at City.

The club's greatest boss is widely regarded as one of the best managers of all time, and could yet still cap his stellar spell at Etihad Stadium with a seventh Premier League title, having already won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup this season.

Speculation about the manager's future has been rife for months, with the question about his tenure at Manchester City often coming up in news conferences.

He was asked on Friday whether the following day's trip to Wembley for the FA Cup final would be his last visit there. "No way," he said, reminding reporters he had "one more year" on his contract.

And in a interview with BBC Sport before Saturday's FA Cup final, when asked if he will still be at the club next season, he replied: "Yeah."

The ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss added: "I am here, I have a contract."

The same question came earlier on Monday at a news conference to preview Tuesday's trip to Bournemouth.

Guardiola was asked about Andoni Iraola's departure from the Cherries and whether he had thought about his own farewell.

He sighed and said: "Next. So many times – I have one more year."

He was also asked about the prospect of the North Stand being named after him.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, I have no idea [about] that," he said.

"They don't have to do anything, honestly."

• Guardiola's legacy of genius will echo through all ages for years to come

A record-breaking tenure

Guardiola signed an initial three-year contract with City in February 2016 to take over from Manuel Pellegrini for the start of the 2016-17 season.

Though he finished that campaign without a trophy for the first time in his career - and also went trophyless last season - his City side have otherwise largely dominated English football during his reign.

City are the only team to reach 100 points in a Premier League season, doing so in 2017-18, when they also set the record for the most goals scored in a campaign, with 106.

In 2022-23, City became only the second English team in history, after rivals Manchester United in 1998-99, to complete the Treble - winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.

Guardiola's City later became the first team to win the English league title four seasons in a row with their triumph in the 2023-24 campaign.

The former Spain international then signed a two-year contract extension in November 2024, until the end of the 2026-27 season.

A trophy-laden career

Guardiola joined City after three seasons at Bayern Munich, where he won three consecutive Bundesliga titles and two German Cups.

He started his managerial career at Barcelona in 2008, forming one of the best club sides ever - winning three straight La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two Copa del Reys before taking a year's sabbatical following the 2011-12 season.

Defensive midfielder Guardiola spent most of his playing career at Barcelona, winning six La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and the 1991-92 European Cup.

He captained Spain to gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and subsequently made 47 appearances for the senior national side. He retired from professional football in 2006.

Latest in series of high-profile City exits?

Should his departure be confirmed, Guardiola will follow several of his key signings during his era at City in exiting the club.

Captain and Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, as well as England defender John Stones, recently confirmed they will both leave when their contracts expire this summer.

Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who now plays for Napoli, left Etihad Stadium when his contract expired last summer, while Brazil goalkeeper Ederson was sold to Turkish side Fenerbahce in September.

Former England right-back Kyle Walker joined Burnley in July, having spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan.

Have there been signs of a possible exit?

Is this the beginning of the end for Guardiola? The signs have certainly pointed to a possible departure in the past week.

On Friday, the manager was asked whether the following day's visit to Wembley Stadium would be his last - Guardiola said "no way" because he has "one more year [on his contract]".

But the playful way in which he delivered that line and his quick exit from the room raised a few eyebrows and only added to the mounting speculation.

City won the FA Cup for the third time under Guardiola by beating Chelsea on Saturday and, perhaps significantly, he took a picture holding the trophy with each member of staff one by one.

The cameras also caught him wistfully looking into the distance when the trophy celebrations were taking place on the pitch - was he searching out a family member in the crowd or taking in his final moments at the national stadium?

City have not made any comment on the latest developments and head to Bournemouth on Tuesday, where Guardiola is certain to be asked about his future once again. Will he provide a definitive answer or point to "one more year" as he has done throughout this season?

Guardiola took charge of his 1,000th career game as manager back in November and may bring down the curtain on Sunday by leading City out for the 593rd time - the highest number of games for which any manager has taken charge of City.

It would be a poetic way to bow out, whether the title is won or not.

• Latest Manchester City news, analysis and fan views
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Days after his embarrassing penalty for being tardy to his tee time for the opening round of the PGA Championship, Garrick Higgo has split with his caddie. Golfweek reported Monday that Austin Gaugert will be replaced with Nick Cavendish-Pell.  

As Higgo was meandering toward the tee on Thursday, Gaugert was seen on video urging him to rush. The South African golfer had a 7:18 a.m. start alongside Michael Brennan and Shaun Micheel at Aronimink Golf Club. He arrived at 7:19, was immediately handed a two-stroke penalty and then failed to make the cut by one stroke.

The decision to change caddies isn’t too shocking considering Higgo’s comments after the round.  

“My caddie dropped my TrackMan in the locker and I went to the putting green thinking I still had five minutes,” Higgo said. “I hit one putt and then heard my name being called. My caddie was yelling at me and I ran down and got a two-shot penalty.” 

After, Higgo was seen on ESPN having an animated discussion with officials in the scoring tent.  

The 29-year-old is believed to be the first player since David Lipsky in 2019 to be penalized for arriving late at the PGA Championship. Another minute and he would have been disqualified completely.  

The change is immediate, Higgo's agent confirmed to Golfweek, and Cavendish-Pell will be on Higgo’s bag this week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Dallas.  

It’s a reunion. Cavendish-Pell was carrying for Higgo when he won the 2021 Palmetto Championship, his first win on the PGA Tour. The two worked together through the 2022 season before going their separate ways.  

Higgo partially took responsibility for his tardiness.

“If you know me, then you know I am very casual and laid back,” Higgo said. “I don’t want to be there 10 minutes early. I know that five minutes is fine. I thought I had time. I was obviously too casual.” 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Garrick Higgo changes caddie after costly PGA penalty

Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano weren’t the only two taking shots during Netflix’s MVP MMA event, which was held on Saturday, May 16.

The event — which was headlined by women’s MMA stars Rousey, 39, and Carano, 44 — was held at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and broadcast live on Netflix.

Though the highly anticipated fight got plenty of people talking, some social media users didn’t have such great things to say.

“Rousey vs. Carano Netflix MVP MMA The place is 90% empty!!!!” one person wrote on X, attaching video from the fight that panned over the crowd to show plenty of empty seats.

“Wow the MVP / Netflix event is bombing baddddd. Zero fans in that arena. So bad,” another person wrote on X. “I guess everyone’s watching on Netflix? Should still do numbers?”

“They CANNOT say this is a success,” said another X user. “MVPMMA has no one in the crowd, apart from those on the floor, the arena is 90% EMPTY #MVPMMA.”

While many talked about how in-person attendance appeared minimal, others sounded off about the fight itself, with one X user writing, “Well that was f**king dumb.”

“#Netflix can’t be happy about that,” the social media user added. “That was ridiculous. F**king stupid waste of time #MVP every other fight was great they should have told Rousey to at least drag it out for 30 seconds #pissed.”

While it appears that official attendance numbers have not yet been released, sports business analyst Dave Meltzer said the view from people watching on Netflix may have looked skewed.

“The attendance for Saturday’s event at the Intuit Dome was 15,795 according to Wrestletix,” Meltzer wrote on X. “I expect actual paid numbers through the commission to be released. The idea the building was empty was ludicrous but it was not sold out.”

According to Intuit Dome’s website, the arena holds 18,500, so if there were actually 15,795 in attendance, there were 2,705 available seats available.

This event was the first MMA event produced by Most Valuable Promotions, which was established in 2021 by Jake Paul and his adviser Nakisa Bidarian.

Rousey came out victorious during the main event, which ended by her signature armbar submission in 17 seconds.

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This story Netflix’s ‘MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano’ Trolled After Arena Looks ‘90% Empty’ first appeared on National Enquirer. Add National Enquirer as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Rounding out their seven-member 2026 NFL Draft class, the Detroit Lions inked defensive lineman Tyre West to a rookie contract.

West agreed to a four-year, $4.54 million contract with the Lions, including a fully-guaranteed $167,296 signing bonus and an average annual salary of $1.13 million.

Per Spotrac, West carries a 2026 cap hit of $926,824.

#Lions sign seventh-round pick Tyre West to four-year, $4.547 million deal that includes $167,292 signing bonus

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 11, 2026

The 6-foot-1, 278-pounder totaled 23 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass defended last season at Tennessee. In his college career, West tallied 65 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and two forced fumbles with the Volunteers. He also totaled 17 pressures in each of his last two seasons, per Pro Football Focus.

Similar to Skyler Gill-Howard, West will have the opportunity to compete for a defensive line rotation spot in his rookie campaign this fall and should be a valuable developmental depth piece for the franchise moving forward.

For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions rookie contract details: DL Tyre West

The New England Patriots have a heap of expectations for the 2026 NFL season after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in last season’s Super Bowl.

The Patriots have four new veteran stars — Romeo Doubs, Dre’Mont Jones, Kevin Byard and Alijah-Vera Tucker — as well as several talented incoming rookies including Caleb Lomu and Gabe Jacas, that New England expects to help them get back to the Super Bowl next season, and win.

Shortly following the release of the Patriots’ schedule for the 2026 season, many questions exist as to how the Patriots will fare on the year from a variety of angles. Here are five bold predictions for the Patriots next season.

Romeo Doubs notches first 1,000-yard season without A.J. Brown in town

Romeo Doubs is in line to assume the role that Stefon Diggs had with the Patriots in 2025 as the team’s No. 1 receiver. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel intends to increase DeMario Douglas’ role in the offense, and Kayshon Boutte will demand more targets next season after the year that he had in 2025, in the event that he stays in New England.

Nevertheless, Doubs, who has consistently converted at least 60 percent of his targets into receptions across his four seasons in the league, has the talent to go for 1,000 yards next season with over 100 passes thrown his way.

Patriots go 3-2 in primetime games next season

The Patriots will play five primetime games next season. They will play their season opener on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle’s sweltering defense will prove to be too much for New England to begin the year, handing the Patriots their first loss in 2026.

New England has the defense to pull off wins against the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers in primetime. Pressuring Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will give the Patriots the edge in Week 7, and more relentless play against the Chargers and their questionable offensive line will do the trick in Week 12.

The Patriots have more weapons than the Minnesota, making that a favorable matchup for New England that results in a win, but the Chiefs’ offense figures to overwhelm the Patriots in a win for Kansas City. New England projects to finish the season with a 3-2 record in primetime games.

Patriots finish with No. 1 defense against the run in 2026

The Patriots ranked No. 6 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (1,729) and No. 4 in rushing touchdowns allowed (11) last season. New England’s defensive tackles, Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, are in the early parts of their primes and are due to take the next step next season.

Harold Landry will be healthy next season, and Dre’Mont Jones gives the Patriots a second imposing edge rusher that primes the team to be even better against the run in 2026. How much better? The Patriots finish with the No. 1 run defense in the league next season.

Packers hand Patriots big loss that impacts AFC East title race

The Patriots will play the Green Bay Packers in Week 9. Green Bay’s passing attack, even without Doubs, has the firepower to get the better of Maye in an uptempo affair against New England.

New England has seven matchups that put them against the strongest Super Bowl contenders in the league next season, but the Packers are a team that the Patriots ought to be favored against. Nevertheless, Green Bay will do enough to contain New England’s rushing attack and pull off a major win that disadvantages the Patriots in a close battle with the Bills for the AFC East crown.

Patriots fail to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LXI

The Patriots came out on top in the AFC last season, but a new story will be told in 2026. The Buffalo Bills are the strongest team in the conference and have the framework to unseat the Patriots as AFC champs.

Meanwhile, all it will take is Patrick Mahomes returning to form next season, even with the receiving corps that he has to work with, for the Kansas City Chiefs to impede the Patriots' path to the Super Bowl. That doesn't even take into account Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III being in Kansas City's backfield now.

The Ravens are the third formidable foe that the Patriots will need to be weary of in 2026. Strikingly, Baltimore did not make the playoffs last season but is due for a bounce-back year with its marquee acquisition of defensive end Trey Hendrickson being a difference-maker for them.

A playoff game on the road in Baltimore spells bad news for New England, but one at home has the potential to go either way. In the event that the Patriots encounter any of those three teams in the playoffs, their postseason will come to a close.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 5 bold predictions for Patriots in 2026 season

Does the thought of Christian Pulisic getting a red card in the World Cup send a shudder down your spine?

Don't worry! Domino's is here to make the pain feel not so bad. The pizza company announced its unofficial promotion for the global tournament on Monday, May 18. They are giving away $1 million worth of "Emergency Pizzas" every time a member of the U.S. men's national team gets a red card in a World Cup match.

To enter, fans can sign up online at the Domino's website and join Domino's Rewards. The pizza company will randomly select 60,000 people to receive a free medium two-topping pizza when the penalty is called.

"Soccer gurus know the worst thing to happen in a game is for a player on the team you're rooting for to receive a red card," Kate Trumbull, Domino's executive vice president – chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "If that happens to the American squad, Domino's is here to help ease the pain by giving away Emergency Pizzas. It may not change the outcome of the match, but it can provide a delicious pick-me-up when it's needed most."

While red cards, which come with an ejection, are fairly rare, soccer fans might recall the 2006 World Cup group stage match when the United States played Italy as a reason to be hopeful for free pizza. There were three total red cards called in the tense draw, two against the Stars and Stripes.

And that's not all. Domino's is partnering with EA Sports and their soccer video game, EA Sports FC (remember, it's no longer FIFA), to give away even more emergency pizzas: 75,000 of them to be exact. Every Friday from the announcement of the deal through June 5, the chain will release promo codes to gamers for a free medium two-topping pizza.

But wait. There's more! Domino's is partnering with soccer boutique Saturdays Football for a capsule collection of kits, slides and a hat. The jerseys have designs that have been fan favorites throughout the years, including three with a collar and a longsleeve warm-up kit.

Michigan has had robust recruiting success this month, accounting for more than half of the current 2027 class of pledges, and added a four-star defensive back on Monday.

Darius Johnson, out of Notre Dame High in Riverside, California, chose Michigan over Oregon, UCLA and USC, among others. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder is ranked four stars by 247Sports Composite and is ranked No. 313 nationally and No. 35 among corners.

He is the son of Derrick Johnson, who played for Washington and then in the NFL. His brother, Derrick Johnson II, plays at Oklahoma. Johnson reposted on social media several updates of his commitment.

Michigan now has 13 commitments to the 2027 class, including seven in May.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

@chengelis

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan football adds Darius Johnson to 2027 recruiting class