Beloved Alpine coach passed away Feb. 17

The DWSC Alpine Team holds up the Southern Series trophy in Taos, New Mexico, on March 23. (Courtesy Caitlyn Kneller)

On May 4 at Chapman Hill, Durango Winter Sports Club athletes, coaches, families and supporters will gather to celebrate an incredible season and remember beloved Alpine skiing coach Ian McKnight.

The end-of-season awards party will be a time for the Alpine, freeride, freestyle, snowboard and Gromlin club teams to come together and celebrate their success this winter. Each discipline will recognize athletes who demonstrated personal achievement, sportsmanship, resilience and dedication.

The winter held many significant accomplishments and highlights for DWSC racers, including having five different athletes win their age groups at the Southern Series Championship. However, Feb. 17 was a pause in celebration for the club. Ian McKnight, a Durango native and Alpine coach since 2019, passed away unexpectedly from complications of an epileptic seizure.

The Alpine team canceled practice the following day and came together around a fire at Chapman to acknowledge McKnight and the loss. The party on Sunday will be a time to celebrate the season and all that McKnight contributed to each athlete and to the team. DWSC will honor the legacy of McKnight by recognizing an Alpine athlete who embodied his teachings.

McKnight grew up skiing and Alpine racing at Purgatory. He had a strong racing career, dominated local races and proved to be a strong competitor in the national racing circuit. As one of the most successful athletes to come out of the Purgatory Ski Team, McKnight competed in the U.S. Nationals at the age of 17.

Over the course of his skiing career, McKnight, a downhill specialist, took several podiums in regional and championship races and competed on both the international Whistler Cup Team and the U.S. National Development Team. McKnight started his ski coaching career in 2011 with Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club, where he coached for eight years.

In 2019, McKnight began his coaching career at Durango Winter Sports Club. He was a key member of the coaching staff over the last six years and was known for his strong technical knowledge and deep passion for coaching the tactics and techniques of ski racing. McKnight’s full obituary can be found here: https://everloved.com/life-of/ian-mcknight/obituary/.

At the time of McKnight’s passing, the DWSC Alpine team was in full stride and experiencing much success. McKnight had just completed a travel weekend to Aspen for the Rocky Mountain Division (RMD) U12 Super G training and races. This event saw a number of athletes post personal bests and one athlete, Brynley Feistner, earned a podium with a third-place result among powerhouse teams such as Vail, Aspen, Summit and Steamboat.

The Alpine team, led by director Tyler Hoyt, had many other successes throughout the season, including earning the Southern Series Championship title as a team for the sixth consecutive year.

The Southern Series consists of three race weekends, hosted by the DWSC, Flagstaff Alpine Ski and Snowboard Team and the Taos (New Mexico) Winter Sports Team. Five athletes were Southern Series overall age group winners: Tobin Saffer in U8, Jett Winebarger in U10, Brynley Feistner in U12, Zaria Smith in U14 and June Scheid in U16.

DWSC’s freeride, freestyle and snowboard teams also enjoyed a strong season. Their results were shared in a prior article: http://durangoherald.com/articles/durango-winter-sports-club-ski-snowboard-teams-finish-season-strong/.

Hosting the end-of-season celebration at Chapman is significant. DWSC is fortunate for local partnerships with the City of Durango-Chapman Hill and Purgatory Resort, both of which are important training venues for athletes and have been symbols of the local community’s commitment to ski racing.

DWSC recognizes that coaches are the heart of everything the DWSC does. Losing a coach this season has been difficult for all who knew McKnight. Coaches pass the sport from generation to generation and keep the opportunity of being a winter sports athlete from the Southwest viable.

Maintaining this idea was a critical mission for McKnight. He has already played a huge role in helping many local kids become racers and his legacy will continue to be a crucial part of ski racing in Durango.

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HAMMOND, La. – The first-place Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team hosts Lamar in another key Southland Conference series this weekend at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Southeastern (33-12, 18-6 SLC) and fourth-place Lamar (36-12, 16-8 SLC) are separated by two games. McNeese (17-7 SLC) and UTRGV (19-8 SLC) are currently tied for second. The top two teams in the Southland regular-season standings will host their respective brackets in the opening rounds of the upcoming conference tournament.
 
With games scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, the series will have a significant impact on the conference standings with two weekends remaining before the Southland Baseball Tournament. All three games of the weekend series will be carried on ESPN+.
 
Fans can listen to game broadcasts in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 The Lion. In addition, an audio stream is available online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via the Lions Gameday Experience and MyTuner Radio apps. The MyTuner app is compatible with the Apple CarPlay software available in most late-model automobiles.
 
Live stats will be available in the Lions Gameday Experience app and online at www.LionSports.net.
 
To avoid any potential weather conflicts, this weekend’s senior ceremony has been pushed to Sunday and will take place 30 minutes before first pitch. Gates will open early Sunday in preparation for the ceremony.
 
Postgame fireworks are still slated for Friday’s game. Baseball bingo cards will be available for fans at Saturday’s game.
 
In addition to Senior Day, Sunday’s game is also Military Appreciation Day. Free general admission tickets to the game are available for active military members who present a valid service ID at the gate.
 
SLU looks to rebound from Tuesday’s loss at No. 2-ranked LSU and continue its winning ways in conference.
 
Hitting .298 as a team, the Lions rank 20th nationally with 73 home runs. The home run total is tied for the third-most in program history.
 
Southeastern also currently ranks third in the nation in both shutouts (7) and double plays turned (46) and sixth with a 3.53 staff ERA.
 
Dane Watts (.346, 6 HR, 32 RBI), TJ Salvaggio (.330, 11 HR, 40 RBI), Giovanni Licciardi (.321, 1 HR, 27 RBI) and Conner O’Neal (.297, 12 HR, 48 RBI) pace the SLU offense at the plate. Salvaggio enters the weekend in fourth place on SLU’s career home run chart (32), one back of Jeremy Gross (1997-98).
 
Right-hander Brennan Stuprich (9-2, 2.06) draws the starting nod for the Lions on the mound in the series opener. He ranks second nationally in wins, third in WHIP (0.85), fifth in strikeouts (98) and eighth in ERA. He will be opposed by Lamar junior right-hander Riely Hunsaker (2-2, 2.61).
 
Stuprich is also climbing the program’s career charts. The redshirt senior from Kenner, Louisiana is tied with Kenny Lehrmann (1976-78) for the most pitching victories (25) in program history, ranks second in strikeouts (268) and third in innings pitched (305.1 IP).
 
Saturday’s pitching matchup features junior right-hander Luke Lirette (4-2, 3.72) for SLU. The junior from Houma, Louisiana will counter Cardinal junior right-hander Chris Olivier (6-1, 3.02).
 
Blake Lobell (5-1, 4.02), a junior right-hander from Holden, Louisiana, earns the start on the mound for Southeastern in Sunday’s contest. Lamar has not announced a starting pitcher for the series finale.
 
The Cardinals are led at the plate by Damian Ruiz (.416, 7 HR, 40 RBI), Heladio Moreno (.356, 28 RBI), Zane Spinn (.332, 4 HR, 43 RBI), Tab Tracy (.320, 34 RBI) and Brayden Evans (.303, 8 HR, 49 RBI).
 

Lamar had its four-game winning streak snapped Tuesday in a 13-6 loss at Texas A&M.
 
UP NEXT
Southeastern wraps up the home portion of its regular season schedule Tuesday at 6 p.m., hosting South Alabama in a non-conference contest at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
The game promotions include Youth Sports Night and a t-shirt giveaway. Youth sport teams, 8th grade and under, wearing their team jersey, get free admission. Children, aged 12 and under, will also be able to stand on the field with their favorite SLU Baseball Player during the National Anthem.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors the safety precautions required for entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.
 
DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and the S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or by visiting www.LionUp.com.
  
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Southeastern Baseball social media accounts (@LionUpBaseball) on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay engaged with the program.
 
The latest updates are also available at www.LionSports.net and the Lions Gameday Experience app. Available for both Android and iOS devices, the Gameday app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.
 
OPPONENT | LOCATION
Lamar (36-12, 16-8 SLC) at Southeastern (33-12, 18-6 SLC)
Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field (Hammond, Louisiana)
 
DATES | TIMES | PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, May 2 – 6 p.m. (CT)
LU – RHP Riely Hunsaker (2-2, 2.61) vs.
SLU – RHP Brennan Stuprich (9-2, 2.06)
 
Saturday, May 3 – 6 p.m. (CT)
LU – RHP Chris Olivier (6-1, 3.02) vs.
SLU – RHP Luke Lirette (4-2, 3.72)
 
Sunday, May 4 – 1 p.m. (CT)
LU – TBA (0-0, 0.00) vs.
SLU – RHP Blake Lobell (5-1, 4.02)
 
RADIO | VIDEO | INTERNET | MOBILE DEVICES
• Radio – KSLU 90.9 The Lion
• TV / Video – ESPN+
• www.LionSports.net – live stats, audio and video
• Lions Gameday Experience app
 
 
 

#LionUp

4Ever5 Sports’ travel softball organization started with one team and now has multiple teams with more than 100 athletes, in an effort to develop area softball players who can one do play at the college level. 

4Ever5 Sports was launched by brothers Donta Hall and Ro Harris of Luverne as an athletic training organization, specializing in multi-sport training. Hall was an All-State basketball player at Luverne High School and went on to become a star player at Alabama. Hall then went on to play in the NBA and currently plays overseas in Spain. 

Pike Lib player Lexie Sullins catches a ball during practice. (Josh Boutwell)

Harris was a basketball, baseball and football player at Luverne that went on to play college football at Faulkner University. Harris and Hall’s father, Donald Hall, was a longtime youth sports coach in the Luverne area, who unfortunately passed away. In 2016, the brothers started 4Ever5 Sports in honor of their father, who was called “5” by friends and former teammates for the number he wore in sports. He also had five sons. 

“We built this organization to help student-athletes because at one time we were in a place where no one gave us a chance either,” Harris said. “So, we know that feeling.” 

Harris has spent time as a high school assistant football, basketball, softball and baseball coach since 2009. He coached for former Alabama head coach Mike DuBose at Luverne High School and this past season he was an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Pike Liberal Arts School. 

In 2016, he began coaching youth fast pitch softball for the first time when the Luverne Parks and Rec Director asked him to take on the coaching duties of the “Doodle Bugs.” 

“I will never forget that team,” Harris said with a smile. “Some of those kids went on to play college softball. They still reach out to me to this day. So, that was special for me.”

From there, 4Ever5 Sports began an 18U travel ball team and has grown over the years to now include an 8U, 10U, two 12U, 16U and 18U teams. High school players from all over the state take part in 4Ever5 Sports with numerous athletes from Pike County, Coffee County, Covington County and Baldwin County and athletes from as far away as Birmingham, as well. Several high school players from Pike Liberal Arts, Charles Henderson, Zion Chapel, Pike County and Goshen are on the team.

Pike County’s Emmya Moultry played on the varsity team this season. (Josh Boutwell)

The travel ball program has previously practiced at the Troy SportsPlex but was given access to the old Goshen High School softball field, which was sitting vacant. 4Ever5 Sports now calls that field home.

“It was a blessing because it’s in the middle for everyone,” Harris said of calling Goshen home. 

Harris said 4Ever5 Sports is all about developing athletes so that they can have a shot at playing in college one day. 

“I talked to a college coach who told me that they start looking at girls when they’re eight years old,” he remembered. “We thought we need to be developing our players from eight up, so that they can develop and move up inside the origination and aren’t starting to try and develop in high school.” 

Harris called his fiancé, Shelby Spaziani the “backbone” of the organization. Spaziani, a New Jersey native, played college softball at Coppin State in Maryland. She’s also been an assistant coach at both Pike County and Pike Lib. 

“She gets the kids recruited and knows the ins and outs of recruitment,” Harris said of Spaziani. “She’s really what makes this thing go. She handles all the flyers, the recruitment, E-Mails, everything. She’s the backbone of this whole thing.” 

Along with being a high school assistant coach and training with 4Ever5 Sports, Harris owns his own landscaping business and is a supervisor at Rex Lumber in Troy.

“I get up at four in the morning and get off at 2 (p.m.) and cut a couple of yards and then come out to a ball-field every night,” Harris said. “We don’t make money off this. We’re probably one of the cheapest (travel ball) organizations. They pay $300 for their uniforms and $20 at a tournament and that’s it. We’re out here for the kids, not to make a living off it. We love these kids and they love us and I think that’s why it’s growing so fast. It’s all about developing these athletes and getting them to where they want to be.” 

The City of Daytona Beach Parks & Recreation Department is hosting a flag football league for girls ages 10 to 15 years old.

Girls’ flag football continues to gain popularity throughout the world. Girls can now earn scholarships to college in flag football, and it will soon become an Olympic sport. This is the third straight year the city will offer the sport.

Free clinics are taking place at Der-byshire Sports Complex at 849 Der-byshire Road on Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The clinics are in preparation for the upcoming girls flag football season, which runs from May through June 14. Those who decide to play in the league are required to pay a registration fee of $40.

Register online at https://www.DaytonaBeach.gov/Activities

For more information, call 386-671- 5509.

Tiana Brown, a senior at Nashua High School North, was chosen for this year’s Youth of the Year Award by the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua. Courtesy photo

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Republican state lawmakers have signaled they want to ban transgender girls from competing on girls school sports teams in Illinois.

This comes after President Trump signed an executive order to narrow the definition of women protected by Title IX to include only cisgender women.

The Illinois High School Association said it allowed three transgender girls to compete in girls sports last year.

Illinois Senate Republicans sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi asking for guidance on Illinois’ policy on transgender athletes’ ability to play girls sports under Title IX, the landmark federal law that bars gender discrimination in public education.

Republicans said they got a confusing statement from the IHSA. The association says it can’t follow the federal executive order since the Illinois Human Rights Act dictates transgender athletes cannot be restricted from playing in sports with their chosen gender.

Republican lawmakers consider that unfair.

State Sen. Sally Turner of Beason interprets women in Title IX to only include cisgender women, arguing that transgender people have a different biological makeup.

“And this isn’t anything political,” Turner said. “This is just the way people should recognize that women need to have their own area in sports, and I think that’s the right thing to do. It’s about protecting people and making sure that they’re getting the safety that they need in order to play sports fairly.”

Turner said she wants to protect the legacy of female athletes who paved the way for Title IX.

Courtesy

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Illinois Senate Republicans

“I will say that we as women fought hard for Title IX to be recognized in this sports field, and we fought very hard for that, and I think that’s really important that we continue to look at that in that fashion, that women’s sports is something that women need to be participating in,” Turner said.

Turner said people in her mostly rural district support banning transgender girls from competing in girls sports. Turner’s district includes parts of Bloomington-Normal and stretches to near Peoria, Springfield and Decatur.

Opposition from Central Illinois Friends

A few miles from Turner’s district, an organization based in Bloomington-Normal and Peoria that provides a space and support for people in the LGTBQ+ community vehemently opposes the message Republican lawmakers are sending.

Selena Pappas, a spokesperson for Central Illinois Friends, said the letter is meant to bully the trans community and distract from real issues affecting women.

“We are focusing on this tiny subset of people, on isolating them, on removing them from public existence, on keeping them down when there are far more important issues,” Pappas said.

Pappas said trans teenagers are already marginalized on top of the anxieties that often come with growing up.

“When you isolate a person, that has a negative effect on their emotional development, right?” Pappas said. “There are numerous studies that you can go out there and find about how laws like this negatively affect the mental health of transgender youth, right? Again, transgender people, for the portion of the population that they make up, are targeted extremely disproportionately by some of the most powerful people in the nation.”

Forty-eight percent of transgender youth in Illinois seriously considered suicide and 15% attempted to last year, according to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit group.

Pappas says sports are not only a space to compete but also to develop as a person.

“The positive effect of a transgender person being able to participate in youth sports is the same reason that all youth participate in in sports,” Pappas said. “Kids go to sports for socialization, and that is the that is the same for kids, whether they are cisgender or whether they are transgender, right? It’s about being able to build community.”

A couple days after Republicans sent the letter to the attorney general with no response, Republican state Rep. Regan Deering called for a legislative fix.

Deering, who represents parts of Bloomington-Normal, pushed a bill to ban transgender girls from playing on girl sports teams.

“What we’re talking about today is protecting all athletes, and if we have gender confused athletes that are looking to compete, there are opportunities for them,” Deering said. “But our legislation talks about sanctioned sports, and we’re trying to create an opportunity to maintain these biological females’ right to compete in their sports, to win awards, to gain scholarships and continue to have a career and a camaraderie.”

Deering’s bill would create co-ed teams for transgender athletes. She filed the bill soon after she took office in January. It’s never been given a hearing.