EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second installment in a series breaking down each position ahead of the opening of Buffalo Bills training camp July 29.

ORCHARD PARK — Quarterbacks tend to make bad decisions when they have been hit enough times. There’s one decision to make on the way to the turf for a sack: don’t let go of the ball.

Seems simple enough, right?

But putting quarterbacks on the ground before the ball was thrown wasn’t a high priority during the Sean McDermott era. Instead, his defense focused on confusing quarterbacks, making them think longer than preferred and banking on them making a bad decision.

The Bills ranked in the top-10 in takeaways eight times in nine seasons under McDermott, including five in the top-five. They ranked in the top-10 in sacks once during that span.

It worked for the Bills during the regular season, ranking in the top-five five times in pass defense. But in the playoffs, it’s much harder to fool good quarterbacks and it showed in their inability to create pressure and make quarterbacks uncomfortable.

In the AFC divisional round, Denver quarterback Bo Nix was the only playoff quarterback in the last 25 years to attempt 45 passes, complete fewer than 60% of them and not get sacked. In McDermott’s playoff wins, the Bills had a 42.8% pressure rate, compared to 25.8% in losses, with average for last year’s playoff winners being 36.8%.

Enter defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, whose blitz-happy scheme is as hyper-aggressive as McDermott’s was when he first arrived in Buffalo. And the man charged with flipping Buffalo’s edge rushers from watchmen to predators is his former co-defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Bobby April III.

The last time April coached for the Bills, the expectations were through the roof. He was the outside linebackers coach for Rex Ryan in 2015 and 2016, but the pass rush fell flat.

After getting fired with the rest of Ryan’s staff, April spent a year out of football and has since spent his time in college, most recently as Stanford’s defensive coordinator.

April has coached big-time college edge rushers like Eagles linebacker Zack Baun, Pittsburgh’s Nate Herbig and the Jets’ No. 2 overall pick David Bailey. But now he must apply it to the NFL.

“I took everything I was teaching the NFL player to the college level,” April told GNN Sports. “I felt like I was using the tools that I was using with grown men initially. … Luckily we had success. We had good kids too that bought in. … And that’s really the NFL, just having guys buying and believing what you do.”

April is tasked with elevating 2021 first-round pick Greg Rousseau, who was good enough to net a four-year, $80 million extension, but still hasn’t logged more than eight sacks in a season. April has already said the Bills intend to unleash Rousseau rather than forcing him to set the edge all the time.

Alongside Rousseau is veteran Bradley Chubb, who inked a three-year, $43.5 million contract in March. And second-round pick T.J. Parker. April says it’s like having three first-round picks and an ideal scenario.

At 30, Chubb is the veteran with two Pro Bowls on his resume. Rousseau is only 26, but he’s played 78 career games. And Parker is the hungry young upstart looking to carve a niche in the NFL.

“It’s kind of like being a foster dad a little bit,” said April, whose father was Buffalo’s special teams coach from 2004-2009. “You’ve got three big brothers and they’re all trying to compete for the same, whatever it may be. … I think there’s a fine line of turning it into a competitive I-want-to-beat-you battle to an I-want-to-get-you-better battle. And that’s where we’re at right now.”

Rousseau is playing a position similar to the one he played at the University of Miami. Chubb played for Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph when he was Denver’s head coach and Leonhard spent the last two seasons working for Joseph.

In Chubb’s experience, the Bills won’t be deploying a passive rush when the game is on the line.

“Just playing fast, playing physical, getting off the ball, putting fear in the tackle’s feet,” Chubb said. “If you’ve got guys who have been in this defense in the past like (Denver’s) Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, they do the same things. They just get off the ball and ask questions later.”

Training camp battles

Rostered outside linebackers (8): Bradley Chubb, Mike Danna, Cade Denhoff, Michael Hoecht, Andre Jones Jr., T.J. Parker, Greg Rousseau, Javon Solomon.

Chubb, Rousseau and Parker are going to get the bulk of the snaps. Hoecht, who expects to be ready to start training camp coming off a torn Achilles, may not have a big role early in the season as he continues to heal, but should eventually find a spot as an early-down edge defender and an inside rusher on passing downs.

That makes Danna’s situation intriguing. Danna isn’t a big pass-rush threat with 21 ½ sacks in 87 career games with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he can set the edge against the run. Whether Danna can play 3-4 defensive end at 261 may determine his roster fate.

Solomon is also interesting because general manager Brandon Beane mentioned him multiple times during the offseason as possibly being a better fit in the 3-4 than McDermott’s 4-3.

Solomon never found a consistent role defensively under McDermott during his first two seasons, but he was a core special teams player. That likely puts him ahead of Danna in the pecking order.

Jul. 15—The defending champions had their backs against the wall heading into Tuesday's final round of a tightly contested 58th annual Tribune Cup women's golf tournament at Clarkston's Red Wolf Golf Club.

Nevertheless, the six representatives of Lewiston Golf and Country Club remained undaunted.

"We had them where we wanted them: overconfident," LGCC team captain Marcy Spilker said of her rivals from Clarkston's Quail Ridge Golf Course.

Trailing by three points through the first two installments of the three-part match-play event, the LGCC team overcame both mildly adverse weather and the slight starting deficit as it surged to a cumulative total of 63 points. Quail Ridge finished with 58 points, while Red Wolf was third at 41.

Red Wolf captain Helen Henry handled hosting duties and made the final results announcement over a champagne toast during a genial post-tournament luncheon in the clubhouse.

"It doesn't matter what team you're from — we're all best of friends," Henry said. "That's what matters: we have fun."

Still in it

Teeing off in the morning, participants navigated the course in groups of three featuring one representative of each team. Under the match-play format of the Tribune Cup, players earned points by outperforming their opponents on a majority of holes, rather than necessarily completing the overall course in fewer strokes.

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"I love match play," LGCC's Kim Eimers said. "You can have a bad hole and still be in it."

Light rain in the morning and persistent winds created difficulties and sometimes carried balls astray, but many felt the weather was overall more pleasant to play in than the pounding sun and intense heat under blue skies which often characterizes the Tribune Cup.

LGCC players competed in pink checkered polo shirts, while Quail Ridge sported white-and-green dotted tops. Red Wolf followed no specific uniform or dress code, choosing instead to be "rebellious," as some attendees put it.

Quail Ridge and Lewiston Golf and Country Club had each taken a turn to host one round of the Tribune Cup over the last two months, accruing scores of 44 and 41 respectively while Red Wolf sat at 23. On Tuesday, LGCC put up 22 points in its push to the overall victory, Red Wolf scored 18 and Clarkston added 14.

Propel-ing to victory

Spilker supplied each of her teammates with a bottle of Propel sports drink for electrolytes, which they credited for their winning stamina. Eimers led the champions on the course with a perfect score of six points, attributing her success to strong long game play.

"I hit the ball well," said Eimers, a veteran who has played the Tribune Cup for decades since starting out as a member of then-participant Grangeville Golf and Country Club. "I didn't putt really well, but I hit the ball well. It put me in position to be able to be up there and miss a few putts and still be okay."

Spilker put up another 4 1/2 points. Lewis-Clark State women's golf alum Carlee Rhodes — who could sometimes be seen wearing a red LC windbreaker to "represent," as she put it — contributed four points, as did Tammy Baldus.

Julie Fisher, a former Lewiston girls basketball coach and the mother of Lewis-Clark State men's hoops signee Royce Fisher, was the rookie on LGCC's team this year.

"Go in, you dirty dog," Fisher exclaimed early on as a putt lost momentum on a slight uphill ridge, ultimately curving to the left of Hole 8.

In spite of any frustrations, she would prove that her competitive drive extends across sports, adding another 3 1/2 points on the day.

For Quail Ridge, Colleen Schilling had a perfect six of her own — calling it her "claim to fame" — while Wendy Rimmelspacher scored five. Kim Thiel, Shanna Caba and Sheila Wooley led Red Wolf with 4 1/2 points apiece.

All players queried on the matter expressed their intent to return and add further chapters to the friendly rivalry.

"Next year's threepeat," Spilker declared.

Tuesday's scores — Lewiston Golf and Country Club 22; Red Wolf 18; Quail Ridge 14.

Cumulative scores — Lewiston Golf and Country Club 63; Quail Ridge 58; Red Wolf 41.

Wendt may be contacted at (208) 848-2268, or cwendt@lmtribune.com.

Jul. 14—GRAND FORKS — Brian Idalski is the new head coach at Syracuse University.

The former UND women's hockey coach will take over Syracuse after spending last season as the head coach of expansion Vancouver in the Professional Women's Hockey League.

"Brian Idalski is one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the sport, and we are thrilled to welcome him, his wife Nicole and their boys to Syracuse," athletic director Bryan Blair said. "His track record speaks for itself — a proven program-builder who wins at every level, from the NCAA to the Olympics. Just as important, he has a track record of developing complete student-athletes who succeed in the classroom and beyond. This is an exciting moment for the future of Syracuse women's ice hockey."

Syracuse went 15-18-4 last season under Britni Smith, who stepped down in April.

Syracuse plays in Atlantic Hockey with Penn State, Delaware, RIT, Mercyhurst, Lindenwood and Robert Morris. The Orange, who have been at the Division-I level since 2008, have reached the NCAA tournament twice — 2019 and 2022.

"Syracuse women's hockey has tremendous potential, and I look forward to building strong relationships and a culture of accountability, development and relentless competitiveness," Idalski said. "Together, we will work to make the Orange a program everyone is proud of."

Idalski spent 10 seasons at UND from 2007-17, turning the program into a national contender.

He recruited Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Kristen Campbell to UND as well as Finnish stars Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani.

The Lamoureux twins are in UND's Hall of Fame. Karvinen will be inducted this fall.

UND cut its program in 2017.

Since then, Idalski has made stops at the prep level (Culver Academy), NCAA level (St. Cloud State), professional level (KRS Vanke Rays, Vancouver) and international level (China, Czechia).

The PIAA Distrct 11 Hall of Fame class of 2026 was announced on Tuesday, and among the newest selections into the hall of fame is Tamaqua Area High School multi-sport athlete Erika (Barron) Davis.

Davis, who now serves as the coach of the Tamaqua girls’ basketball team, participated in cross country, basketball, track and field, and volleyball during her time at Tamaqua. She finished her career with a school record 2,317 points and was a two-time All-State selection in the process.

She’d go on to have a standout collegiate career at Susquehanna University, where she totaled nearly 900 points in 102 career games played while also recording 364 assists and 159 steals.

Davis, this past school year, completed her 11th season as Tamaqua’s girls’ basketball coach.

Also being inducted into this year’s hall of fame is former Northern Lehigh’s Bob Chandler (cross country), Catasauqua’s Amanda Gerhard (soccer), Keith Groller (media – The Morning Call), Stroudsburg’s Jake Jakobsen (wrestling), Stroudsburg’s Ken Lacey (men’s basketball), East Stroudsburg’s Stacy Perryman (basketball), and Parkland’s Andre Williams (football).

Coaches being inducted are long-time former Southern Lehigh softball coach Brian Neefe, former Emmaus swimming coach Mike Seip, former Easton football coach Steve Shiffert, and former Salisbury baseball coach Frank Yelinko.

There are also two media selections for this year’s Hall of Fame. With the Morning Call’s Keith Groller and Severice Electric Network’s Mike Zambelli both earning the honor.

It was supposed to be an all-in showdown on the Ninth Island.

No, not the McGregor-Holloway fight, although that one at least had a moment of action before being decided to the satisfaction of no one.

But the battle of public relations between the Mountain West and the Pac-12 never materialized.

No mas? No show. The Pac-12 did not even put in an ante.

Here’s the back story:

Two years ago, 10 of the 12 Pac-12 schools departed for other conferences. Oregon State and Washington State were left behind with each other, whatever TV revenues were abandoned, and the conference’s name. OSU and WSU had two options: 1) beg to follow Oregon and Washington into the Big Ten, or 2) merge with the Mountain West. They chose “none of the above.”

Instead, OSU and WSU negotiated to play football games against Mountain West teams during the 2024 season. Then in September of that year, whether it was through poaching or persuasive marketing, five Mountain West schools — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — agreed to join the Pac-12 beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. It took cross-my-heart loyalty pledges and retention payouts to keep UNLV and Air Force from joining the secession. Along the way, basketball powerhouse Gonzaga joined the Pac-12. The Mountain West countered with additions such as UTEP and Grand Canyon, and Hawaii becoming an all-sports member.

Both conferences went to court to argue over poaching penalties and exit fees worth millions of dollars.

This summer, both were supposed to boast about their members, television partners, sponsors and overall well-being.

This week, the Mountain West is hosting media days in Las Vegas. Each of the 10 football programs was asked to bring four players, the head coach, a top administrator, a media relations director, two digital creators and a mascot. (UH does not have an official mascot.) Television and broadcast partners will attend. Commissioner Gloria Nevarez will promote the league’s strengths and five-time-zone footprint in her annual state-of-the-MW address. The two-day event will be held at the Palms, once a celebrity hot spot in the early 2000s. In recent years, the Mountain West’s media days were held at the 21-and-older Circa Resort &Casino in downtown Las Vegas.

The Pac-12 also was expected to launch its football season with media days in Las Vegas. After all, the Pac-12 has embraced Las Vegas as a favorite venue. For the next two years, the Pac-12’s basketball tournaments will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

But Pac-12 officials have been secretive in recent weeks. They have declined to reveal financial details of their new television contracts. And deputy commissioner Rick Hart recently told reporters the Pac-12 decided against holding a media day. The Pac-12 is the only FBS conference without a traditional media day or official preseason kickoff event this summer.

“We could have,” Hart told Front Office Sports. “We talked about it. Those are expensive. … Traditionally, you spend a lot of money, you bring everybody together for two or three days, you disrupt camp or whatever’s going on. Maybe you get the media there, maybe you don’t. Maybe you get 72 hours of publicity alongside all the other leagues that are doing media days. It’s pretty noisy. There’s a lot of static. And then everybody moves on.”

But media event would not conflict with training camp, which can’t open more than a month from the opener. UH, for example, plays Stanford on Aug. 29, college football’s Week Zero. The Warriors’ first practice of training camp is July 29.

The preseason hype probably offsets the cost of a media event. The Mountain West pays for meals and lodging for each team’s representatives. The schools pays for their travel expenses.

To the cynics, there are these conspiracy theories of the Pac-12’s non-plans.

1. If the Pac-12 announces lucrative sponsorships, TV deals and payouts to members, it could enhance the Mountain West’s claim the poaching/secession caused damage.

2. The Mountain West would receive better coverage if the Pac-12 held a media event at the same time in Las Vegas. UNLV and Nevada are Mountain West members; the Pac-12 does not have a member in the Silver State.

Maybe the Pac-12 has an entertaining and superior product. But the proof won’t be in the promotions.

As the college football world turns, University of Hawaii head coach Timmy Chang remains grounded in his goals.

“I think college football has changed,” said Chang, who enters his fifth season as the Rainbow Warriors’ leader. “You have to be flexible to build a roster and compete. We’re doing that. We’re a different type of program. We’re in a different location. And that poses different factors and opportunities and challenges that we have to be able to adapt.”

Fifty-four months after inheriting a disheartened program that was in emotional turmoil, Chang is navigating an evolving landscape. The transfer portal has eased the way for players to change schools without interruption. Student-athletes may now profit from use of their name, image and likeness. The House vs. NCAA settlement requires profit sharing up to $20.5 million annually per school. (UH has budgeted $5 million for NILs and profit sharing this coming academic year, with $2.5 million earmarked for football.)

The Rainbow Warriors have been impacted living in a material whirl.

“Jackson Harris is an example,” Chang said of the wideout who received a lucrative NIL deal after transferring to LSU following the 2025 regular season. “I think he loved our program, but he left for the money.”

But the portal is accessible in both directions, and the Warriors were able to find tall and fast transfers to reload the receiver positions.

“We just focus on our program, focus on our staff, focus on getting better,” Chang said. “Those are the things we can control. We focus on building and developing young student-athletes.”

In accepting the UH job in January 2022, Chang emphasized assembling a staff that shared his vision, connecting the program with academic and administrative leaders, and taking great care of his players.

“If we want someone to come into our program, it means something,” Chang said. “You’re taking in somebody’s son. You’re taking in someone who wants to trust you. That’s the biggest thing.”

For Chang, that meant providing educational and nutritional opportunities.

“Five years ago, we fought for feeding our kids and taking care of them,” said Chang, noting such programs as the Braddahhood Grindz and Sodexo provide training tables. “We’re fed year ’round besides the days we’re truly off, like spring break or winter break. We kept them fed.”

With expanded guidelines, every team member, including walk-ons, partakes in the training table.

“Once you’re on our team, you’re part of it,” Chang said.

He also has provided some leeway for youthful mistakes.

“I made it vocal, my biggest problem is we’re very quick to move to the next thing and move off people,” Chang said. “We want to build a program where we can give people second chances to try to do things right. We want to grow and develop and build that trust with them.”

During Chang’s tenure, the pied piper has been quarterback Micah Alejado, who was born and reared on Oahu and became a standout quarterback for national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High of Las Vegas.

“Micah brings a lot to the table for our program, for our state,” Chang said of the third-year Warrior. “He’s able to attract other players, as well. When you talk about receivers wanting to come and play, they want to play with Micah. A guy who left, like Jackson, still wanted to play with Micah. It’s the style of how we recruit. We recruit people. Your talent is your talent. We recruit based on who you are as a person.”

Chang also said that standard holds for his coaches and staff. Chang has reached agreement on a contract extension, although the paper work has not been signed. As part of conversations, Chang strongly proposed rewarding his staff. Last month, the assistant coaches received new contracts — some received two-year deals.

“The most important thing is continuing to build,” Chang said. “When you look at the building part of it, it’s taking care of your coaches. The coaches are an extension of me. I want to make sure we’re taking care of them. And always taking care of the players, whether it’s revenue sharing or NILs or feeding them. That’s the biggest thing.”

The Warriors became a football-only member of the Mountain West in 2012. This month, 15 UH sports joined, making the school essentially a full member. (UH’s men’s volleyball, beach volleyball and water polo teams remain in the Big West because the Mountain West does not sponsor those sports.)

With UH as full member, school president Wendy Hensel has been appointed to the Mountain West’s Board of Directors and the league’s executive committee. Athletic director Matt Elliott will have a greater voice in decisions involving UH. And UH will receive a full share of the league’s national television revenue.

On the football field, the Warriors have a chance to fill the leadership void created by Boise State’s and Fresno State’s departure to the Pac-12.

Chang will continue to call plays for the ever-evolving run-and-shoot offense.

“I think the run-and-shoot is a wrinkle in itself,” Chang said. “It’s an offense about quarterbacks and receivers being on the same page. You start with an offense like that, it becomes challenging (for defenses) to stop.”

Chang also said defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman will continue to reload a scheme in attack mode.

“Dennis has a great understanding of how he wants to attack and what he wants to do,” Chang said. “Complicated or simple, he wants to make his defense attack. This year more than others. You lose (play-making safety) Peter Manuma and you have guys to replace him. There have been guys waiting in the wings ready to step up.”

—

Following 37 seasons as the play-by-play voice of the Magic, both on television and radio, David Steele announced his retirement Tuesday morning.

“I can’t thank the DeVos family and the Orlando Magic organization enough for what they have provided to me and my family,” Steele said in a statement. “When I interviewed with Pat Williams back in 1988, I never dreamed it would play out this way. Now it is time for me to put the microphone down and spend time with my family.

“It’s been an honor to represent the Orlando Magic, and I am forever grateful,” he added.

After handling radio play-by-play duties for the team’s first nine seasons (1989-98), Steele was then named the television play-by-play voice for the Magic in March 1998 and spent the next 28 seasons in that role.

“You can’t have a memory of Orlando Magic basketball without David Steele’s voice being a part of it,” Magic chairman Dan DeVos said in a statement. “David handled everything with professionalism and class, and he will forever be entrenched in this franchise’s history. … We wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

Replacing Steele, 72, as Orlando’s new play-by-play television announcer will be Dante Marchitelli, the team said.

Marchitelli, 50, enters his 28th season with the organization and has served as studio host/sideline reporter since 2008. He’s also performed play-by-play duties for select games for the last three seasons (2023-26).

Marchitelli began his career with the Magic in 1998 as a radio intern. He was hired full time in January 2000 as radio producer, working behind the scenes on every broadcast for the Magic Radio Network. Marchitelli was promoted in 2005 to radio manager and also served as radio sideline reporter. He was named assistant director of broadcasting in July 2017, then promoted to director of broadcasting and alumni relations in July 2023.

“I am beyond grateful to the DeVos family and the Orlando Magic organization for this wonderful opportunity,” Marchitelli said in a statement. “Working with David Steele for the past 20 years has been the highlight of my career. He is an absolute legend, and I can’t thank him enough for everything he has taught me along the way.

“This is a dream come true and I’m looking forward to continuing my connection with Orlando Magic fans everywhere,” he added.

The former voice of the University of Florida, Steele arrived in Orlando in 1989 after serving as network coordinator and football/basketball play-by-play announcer for the Gators for seven seasons.

He was named Florida Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association twice, winning the honor in both 2009 and 2021. In 1980, Steele earned the Ray Reeve Award as TV Sportscaster of the Year in North Carolina. He also won the Best Play-By-Play in Florida award from the Florida Sportscasters Association in 1984. In February 2019, Steele became the eighth person inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.

A native of Jacksonville, Steele’s professional broadcasting career began in 1975, as sports director at WJHG-TV in Panama City. He also served as sports director at WLOS-TV in Asheville, NC, and was the football/basketball play-by-play announcer at Western Carolina University.

He and his wife, Sally, live in Orlando. They have three children, Luke, Emily and Betsy, and eight grandchildren.

Marchitelli earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations/advertising from Liberty University in 1998. A native of Woburn, Mass., he and his wife, Lana, live in Windermere and have two daughters, Olivia and Allison.

Following the closure of FanDuel Sports Network Florida, the Magic will announce their broadcast plans for the 2026-27 season in the near future, the team said.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

The New Mexico Goatheads announced their first roster move Friday. On Monday, the Colorado Avalanche’s ECHL affiliate revealed its first addition to coach Zack Storini’s staff.

Former longtime minor-league defenseman Matt Register was named assistant coach ahead of the Goatheads’ inaugural season. New Mexico begins its 2026-27 campaign Oct. 16 against the Allen Americans at Rio Rancho Events Center.

This will be the 36-year-old’s second coaching stop. After appearing in four games last season with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, Register transitioned into an assistant for the team.

It capped a professional career for the Calgary, Alberta native that spanned 15 seasons between the Central Hockey League, ECHL, American Hockey League and the United Kingdom’s Elite Ice Hockey League.

Most of his time and success came in the ECHL.

During his 14 years in the league, Register won the Kelly Cup — the ECHL’s version of the Stanley Cup — three straight seasons (2016 with the Americans and 2017 and 2018 with the Colorado Eagles). He was named the Kelly Cup MVP in 2017. Register earned All-ECHL honors six times and was named the league defensive player of the year on three occasions.

Overall, Register played in 843 ECHL games between the regular season and playoff, and finished with 147 goals, 521 assists and 571 penalty minutes.

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

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In the span of a minute, Conrad Sanders experienced the full range of emotions an Ironman race can provide.

Crossing the finish line? The 32-year-old clutched and pumped the banner he broke through, the face of pure determination and ultimate accomplishment.

A few seconds later? Sanders was sprawled on the pavement, holding a pained, exhausted grimace as he furiously tried to catch his breath.

“Make sure he gets up and walks,” a nearby medical officer said.

But once he was back on his feet, barely a half-minute later?

Sanders said he wouldn’t mind coming back for more next year.

“Definitely,” he said, with a grin on his face.

Sanders was one of 746 participants to cross the finish line Sunday in the Ironman 70.3 Ruidoso, the first half-triathlon to be hosted in New Mexico by The Ironman Group, a popular international endurance sports company.

Finishing in 4 hours, 4 minutes and 52 seconds, Sanders was the fastest to complete a 1.2-mile swim around Grindstone Lake, a 56-mile out-and-back bike ride through Ruidoso and finally, a 13.1-mile run around the athlete village at White Mountain Sports Complex. The event site boasted the highest average elevation (6,920 feet) of any Ironman race in the United States, one that only 53 percent of the 1,390 who entered finished.

However daunting the grueling mountain course seemed, there was something — the proximity of the race, the challenge it provided or all of the above — that got the competitors to the starting line early Sunday morning.

Take Sanders. It wasn’t a surprise he made it out for Sunday’s race — after all, the Arizona native is a regular on the Ironman circuit, competing in 20-plus half-triathlons since he took up the sport in 2013.

Sanders also plans to run his eighth “full” triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run) this fall.

“Ironman has a lot of money from me,” he chuckled. “They’re making a killing off me, that’s for sure.”

But it was a feel for New Mexico that made Ruidoso a no-brainer for Sanders. Working as a dietician in Zuni, he said he “100%” knew he was going to enter the event when it was announced.

“New Mexico, I thought it was a flyover state,” Sanders said. “ … But working up in Zuni, (he’s had) a real change in the perception of what New Mexico is. It’s a really, really beautiful state … You don’t have a lot of races at this elevation.”

Alina Hanschke, the top women’s finisher at 4:30.06, was drawn to the Ruidoso event more for convenience than anything else. Balancing raising two young children as an active triathlete, the Puebla, Mexico native believed Ruidoso would be a perfect place to take a week-long family vacation while getting the opportunity to race.

Looking at her children from just behind the finish line, the 42-year-old wondered aloud if they knew every family doesn’t do this on vacation.

“I don’t know,” Hanschke chuckled. “But it’s nice. They like hiking, they like riding bikes … and they love it. But it’s hard (balancing the two).”

For others across the field, Ruidoso served as a way to prove they could complete a triathlon — whether they knew it before entering or not.

Case in point: Nicholas Letbetter, 18, competed as a high school graduation gift after hearing his friend brag about their dad completing the Ironman.

“I was like, ‘you know what?’” the Houston native remembered. “‘Lemme try this.’”

After finishing 22nd in his age division (6:16.46) at his first Ironman, Letbetter now aims to be more competitive in the coming years. “That’s hopefully what my senior graduation gift from college will be,” he chuckled.

For some, simply finding a new avenue to compete provided enough of an appeal. Jonathan Gardea, 29, of El Paso switched from competitive powerlifting, while Elisa Woody, 31, embraced triathlons after back injuries ended her collegiate running career for New Mexico in the mid-2010s.

The Albuquerque native and Volcano Vista High School graduate said the tight-knit community around triathlons has kept her in it.

“Everybody kind of comes together at the end — like it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, they will cheer for you,” Woody said.

As more and more racers crossed the finish line Sunday, race director Shane Asbury said he saw exactly that. With one year of a three-year contract down and what he called an “infectious” energy from racers and spectators alike, he believes the Ironman has come to stay in Ruidoso.

“It’s going to put this town on the map,” Asbury said. “I really think so. Living in Arizona, I always thought Ruidoso could mimic like, a Flagstaff … and really be one of these towns where people come for the outdoors.

“ … I just want to put it on the map. That’s my goal and it’s always been my goal.”

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

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Football Coaches Association presented a total of 14 scholarships prior to kickoff of Friday’s 60th Annual All-Star Classic, including a Hall of Fame prize to Alexandria quarterback Brady Gast.

Gast was a four-year varsity student-athlete in both football and basketball, while also competing for two years in golf and two years in baseball for Alexandria. His football achievements include being named a two-time All-Conference selection, an Academic All-State honoree, and a Region 5 All-Star Offense At-Large selection. Additionally, Gast earned honorable mention All-Conference honors in golf.

“It means a lot with all the work I’ve put in,” Gast said. “I’m thankful for everything that’s happened to me.”

Gast will continue his football and academic career at Franklin College

“I’m excited for that,” he said. “I’ll be studying sports administration and hopefully become an athletic director.”

Last year, Gast was 130-196 passing for 2,095 yards and 25 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions. He rushed for 321 yards and six touchdowns and graduated 32nd in his class with a grade point average of 3.53.

During his four seasons, Gast completed 65.9% of his passes for a total of 6,840 yards with 78 touchdowns against just 25 interceptions while the Tigers posted a 28-14 record. He added over 600 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns over the course of his career while playing for his father, Pete, at Alexandria.

“He’s done a lot for me, the town of Alexandria was great to me and it’s been a great four years,” Gast said.

He added three career interceptions on the defensive side of the ball, including a pair during his junior season.

Prior to kickoff, Gast and the other scholarship winners rode around the field in Corvettes, supplied by the Murat Shriner’s Club.

“That car was cool,” he said. “My takeaway is to be thankful for everything and I’m thankful to God.”

Other scholarship winners include Cade Kitchel from West Lafayette, Owen Dorrel from Culver Academy, Emmianna Dowell of Madison, Angola’s Alex Thomas, Madi Lance from Leo, Sawyer Tippmann of Snider, Mackenzie Kania from Chesterton, Jordan Palmer from Whiteland, Sam Pavey of Rushville, Seeger’s Paul Ragan and Henry Tokar from Yorktown.

Both Dorrel and Kania were presented multiple scholarship awards.

LAKE PLACID — As America continues to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its berth, the legacy of one of the nation’s greatest moments continues to be chronicled at a studio in Loveland, Colorado.

Sculptor Rob Eccleston has made significant progress on the "Monument to a Miracle" sculpture honoring a time when 20 U.S. hockey players shocked the world at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid by defeating the heavily favored Soviet Union in the Miracle on Ice. The team, coached by Herb Brooks, then overcame Finland two days later to secure an improbable gold medal.

“When I presented the sketches to the team, they said it was really nice, but we really want it to be based on the photo of them on the podium because on our backs is USA, not our names,” Eccleston said. “It’s not about us as individuals. It’s about the team. And that spoke volumes to me. It made me more interested in doing the project than ever before because it showed the humility of these amazing hockey players.”

'ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX SCULPTURES'

Eccleston’s work depicts all 20 players on the top rung of the Olympic podium at the medal ceremony.

Last year, Eccleston made significant progress toward the creation of the full "Monument" sculpture ensemble. Admittedly, he has been challenged by this particular work.

“It’s not only the most complex sculpture I’ve ever created. It might be one of the most complex sculptures ever created. This is basically a 20-person jigsaw puzzle."

At his Rocky Mountain location, Eccleston has completed half scale figures of Steve Janaszak, Mark Pavelich, Dave Silk, Bob Suter, Buzz Schneider, Dave Christian and Mike Ramsey.

In addition to the half scale figures, Eccleston also milled and sculpted seven full-scale busts of these same players. According to Eccleston, they are essential for capturing accurate likenesses and will guide the transition to full scale figures.

Looking ahead through 2026, his goal is to complete an additional seven half-scale figures, bringing the total to 14.

To date he has completed 10.

Eccleston anticipates completing a corresponding number of full scale busts, as well, keeping the project on pace with the long-term fabrication schedule.

Working six days a week, he is currently focused on the half scale figures of Jim Craig, Steve Christoff and Mark Johnson.

2027 GOALS

Eccleston’s long range goal is to complete the remaining six half-scale figures and busts by the end of 2027. Once all 20 players are sculpted at half scale and in bust form, Eccleston will shift his attention to the figure of speedskater Eric Heiden, the winner of five Olympic gold medals at those Winter Games.

The Heiden figure will be developed in parallel with the "Monument to a Miracle’s" scanning and 3D printing process.

He said this sequencing ensures the artistic work and the technical fabrication pipeline remain aligned as the project advances toward full-scale production in 2028 and 2029.

At the end of this journey, all sculpting will have been completed in time for Lake Placid’s 50th anniversary of the Olympic Games. That celebration is planned for February 2030.

But first, the fundraising project that has sustained these initiatives forges ahead. Creating a total of 21 figures requires substantial financial outlay, so organizers are asking fans and supporters, near and far, to consider donating to the mission.

'250 FOR 250' CAMPAIGN

To celebrate America's 250th birthday throughout the month of July, the Friends of the 1980 Miracle on Ice Team have launched the "250 for 250" campaign. The goal is to inspire 250 people to make a symbolic $250 donation in honor of our nation's 250 years of freedom.

Every contribution, regardless of size, helps move the "Monument to a Miracle" one step closer to becoming a permanent tribute to teamwork, perseverance, patriotism and one of the greatest moments in American sports history. Supporters across the country are invited to be part of preserving this legacy for future generations.

For more information, to learn details about the 10 giving levels or to donate to this goal, visit 1980miraclemonument.org.

Lionel Gannon saw the ups and downs from inside the building.

Moanalua’s 2026 campaign was lively, and even with solid success in preseason tournaments, there was no obvious reason to believe Na Menehune would shock the world.

The team grew stronger, turned errors into lessons and ended the OIA’s state-championship drought. Gannon was more than the best player on the best team. He was unflappable, doing all the little things with excellence as Moanalua became the first non-ILH program to win a state title since 1979.

The 6-foot-3 outside hitter’s state-tournament numbers were efficient and crucial.

>> 19 kills (.424), 1.5 blocks, one ace and four digs in a three-set quarterfinal win over Hawaii Baptist

>> 26 kills (.404), two blocks, two aces, one assist, eight digs in a four-set, semifinal win over Mid-Pacific

>> 18 kills (.250), 1.5 blocks, one assist, seven digs in the four-set win over Punahou for the crown

The senior’s reaction to top honors as the Player of the Year in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Boys Volleyball coaches and media selections was, as usual, emotionally understated and on point.

“It’s surreal, obviously. It’s everything I’ve worked for and dreamed of. Honestly, I’m just super glad we won. That’s the main thing that matters,” Gannon said. “If it wasn’t for everyone that supported me, my family, my coaches, my teammates, I would never have been able to do it.”

Alan Cabanting was voted Coach of the Year after steering Moanalua to its first state title. Le Jardin coach Makana Wade was second in the voting, followed by Punahou’s Rick Tune. Gabriel Maunupau of Mililani and Maria Taiafi-Husseini also received votes.

All season long, Cabanting put trust into his team and highly composed leaders like Gannon.

“That silent confidence is what we’re going to miss. He doesn’t talk a lot. He just shows it, models it and the boys playing around him somehow feed off that confidence,” Cabanting said, “knowing that if I mess up, Lionel’s going to be there to help us out.”

A hitter with every kind of touch on his swing plus high IQ was immeasurably valuable.

“He was so savvy with his attacks. Punahou took his cross and he hit line. There were several times where defenses took the line and the tip, and he goes deep corner into a 1-6 area. Being able to see that and knowing he doesn’t have to swing hard to get his kills,” Cabanting said

It was a season to remember.

“It all starts with the mentality that we had going into the season,” Gannon said. “All of our teammates were super bought-in into our system. We knew we had to do everything right to eventually take down Punahou. It’s cool to see a month after, I’ve known so many people for so long, it’s great. Everyone has a different personality and it’s great we were able to mesh together and form a great team chemistry.”

For one night, in the midst of chaotic Kona low weather, in a match that was postponed and moved from Laie to Pearl City, a packed house of loud spectators got to see history. In a rarity, the match was not televised due to the postponement. It felt surreal, but for Moanalua, it was about fundamentals and a defense sparked by the consistency and occasional spectacular play of libero Darric Abe.

“Punahou is one of the best serving teams. That was one of our main focuses throughout the entire season, making sure that our serve pass was really good,” Gannon said. “That allowed us to be competitive in the match. When we were down, I knew that we would never be out because we could bring it back with our serve receive.”

Star-Advertiser’s Fab 15: Boys Volleyball

Rk

Name (School)

Pos.

Notes / Stats

1

Lionel Gannon (Moanalua)

OH

63 kills at state tourney, 18 in final win vs. Punahou

2

Cameron Porter (Punahou)

OH

Closed out a brilliant career, 25 kills vs. Moanalua

3

Sava Miocinovic (Mid-Pacific)

OH

27 vs. eventual champion Moanalua in states

4

Jarryn McCutcheon (Moanalua)

OH/Opp.

Stepped up with 17 kills in the state final

5

Kanalu Akana (Punahou)

S

125 assists, 12 kills, three aces in HHSAA tourney

6

Tanoa Scanlan (Punahou)

OH

Steady player with 11, 15, 15 kills in states

7

Nikola Miocinovic (Mid-Pacific)

S

122 assists at states, including 44 vs. Moanalua

8

La‘akea Kamahele (Le Jardin)

OH

59 kills in three tourney matches for first D-II state title

9

Darric Abe (Moanalua)

L

12 digs in comeback win vs. MPI, 14 digs vs. Punahou

10

Jason Rivers (Hawaii Baptist)

OH

28 kills vs. KS-Hawaii, 17 kills in loss to Moanalua

11

Julian Romine (Mid-Pacific)

Opp/MB

19 kills, 3.5 blocks in semifinal loss to Moanalua

12

Kaito Duranceau (Mililani)

OH

43 kills, 7 aces, 24 digs at the state tourney

13

Brennan Nakayama (Le Jardin)

L

103 assists in state matches, 39 in D-II state final

14

Elau Hoopai-Waikoloa (Hana)

OH

50 kills vs. Seabury Hall, 39 kills, 4 aces vs. Pahoa

15

William Niethammer (Punahou)

L

Tallied 3 aces, 28 digs at the state tournament

Awards

* Player of the Year: Lionel Gannon (Moanalua)

* Coach of the Year: Alan Cabanting (Moanalua)

Honorable Mention

Taylor Chung (Moanalua), Nathaniel Kawai Koahou (Kamehameha), Luke Pragnell (Maui), Seth Kimura (Mililani), Nahua Lloyd (Punahou), Samuel Mokan (Hawaii Baptist), Josiah Talamoa (Pearl City), Micah Kalima-Keohohina (Radford), Cooper Long (Kamehameha), Brennan Flores (Mid-Pacific), Piikoa Kamoku (KS-Maui), Tui Ika (Radford)

Hawaii Prep World

For high school sports record books, visit .

Jul. 12—Thirty-two years ago, coach Larry Ham let senior Chris Wallace, the star quarterback for the South High School football team, call the plays on defense for the basketball team.

"I'm offense on the football field," Wallace said, "but when it comes to basketball, I think it starts and stops with who's playing defense and who's getting after 50-50 balls and who's winning the rebound war."

That was Wallace's thinking in the 1993-94 season, and it remains his philosophy as he prepares for his first season as the head coach of the Springfield boys basketball team.

"(Defense) dictates a lot of what we do offensively," Wallace said, "and that's getting out and trying to score off the break. If we can't, we'll get into what we do, but that's the precedent we're trying to set right now with our student-athletes."

Springfield announced the hiring of Wallace on June 1. Wallace replaces Matt Yinger, who stepped down in April. Yinger was 28-48 over three seasons.

Wallace will remain the offensive coordinator of Springfield's football team. He said the basketball team will practice in the evening after the football team when the seasons overlap.

The basketball team, which includes many football players, will play its first game in mid-December. That has often been the schedule for Springfield, whose football team has made a habit of deep playoff runs.

"If I have to do double duty, that means we're doing what we're supposed to do on the football field," Wallace said.

Springfield has suffered seven straight losing seasons in basketball. Springfield football was in a similar place when Maurice Douglass took over the program in 2014, having won a combined total of four games in the three previous seasons. Douglass turned the program into a winner in his third season and a state power in his sixth. Springfield then reached the state championship game three seasons in a row.

Wallace has similar goals.

"Those are the same set of kids that did what they did on the football field," Wallace said, "so the expectation doesn't change. Once you set a standard, that's what the goal is, and I think our kids will say that without a doubt. That's where we see ourselves."

For Wallace, the path to that level of success begins with building a culture with the basketball program.

"The one thing that I talked to my assistant coaches about is we all agree right now there's no culture for basketball, and that's where it has to start," he said. "We created a culture with football. We created a sense of belonging. That's something that people value. We hold each other accountable, from the trainers all the way to the kids. That's what we're going to try to do with basketball as well. I think it can happen, but it takes the kids saying, 'Hey, this is what we're going to do. This is how we're going to do things. This is what our standard is going to be as players. As student-athletes, we're going to hold each other to this standard.' If you get that player-led atmosphere, we can start to build. Right now, our talk is we want to play late into March."

Wallace has plenty of experience with the program. He has worked as a varsity assistant basketball coach, a freshman head coach and a junior varsity coach.

Wallace takes over the program as his son, Christopher, enters his senior year. Christopher played quarterback for the football team but was limited to three games in basketball as a junior because of an injury.

Wallace has known many of the basketball players since they were in elementary school. He got to know them through his work as a community mentor supervisor for the school district.

"It's been exciting to see them grow in multiple sports," he said.

Wallace has already started working with them on the court. The Wildcats played at the Midwest Live event in Sandusky, Ohio, in June. They're also holding open gyms at the high school. He has seen good numbers and is excited about the young players.

"We've got a good young class of incoming freshmen and sophomores that are committed to the game," Wallace said, "and are showing up and working hard. We're young on the varsity level as well. We've got three or four sophomores that are going to be contributing, and we've got a couple juniors, and then we've got some seniors at the guard spots as well."

If Wallace achieves his goals, he'll add another chapter to Springfield's rich basketball history. Springfield won state championships in 1925 and 1950. North reached the state semifinals in 1995 and 1997. Ham guided South to seven conference championships and five district titles in 14 seasons.

Wallace knows about the past success of Springfield and North and South high schools, before they combined, as well as anyone.

Wallace is the rare athlete who not only played for South's Larry Ham but also for North's Eddie Ford. Wallace started his high school career at North and finished at South. His Springfield basketball experience goes back even further than that.

"I used to lay the jerseys out when I was a kid for Doug Ratstatter and Don Henderson and company," Wallace said. "I used to be in those locker rooms because my brother went to North. My older cousin, Steve Victoria, went to North. I went to North my first couple years, but even when I was a kid, my sisters cheered for South. I knew the Pepper Begos, the Scott Thomases, the Karlton Claybornes, the Jason Gees."

Some of those former Springfield basketball standouts called to congratulate Wallace on getting the job. They told him, "I know you're going to bring back that attitude and that toughness that we brought on the court in both gyms out on the north side and the south side."

"There's a buzz in the community," Wallace said, "and I'm excited about that."