Golf's best twins taught me 10 lessons in an hour — here they are
By: Dylan Dethier March 20, 2025 “I like to see what I would call a smooth one, which looks like about 75, and then what is a full one, and that will be different in the morning and afternoon,” he says. He works down the bag from there. “I always like to think ‘Tommy Fleetwood’. […]
“I like to see what I would call a smooth one, which looks like about 75, and then what is a full one, and that will be different in the morning and afternoon,” he says. He works down the bag from there.
“I always like to think ‘Tommy Fleetwood’. I love the way he hits those shots to this finish,” Nicolai says, holding an abbreviated followthrough with perfect upright posture, Fleetwood-style.
“What’s the secret?” I ask.Here are 10 things I learned from an hour with the top twins in golf.“I was winning that one and then ended up making that double bogey on the last to lose,” he says.“Rory came over, tapped me on the shoulder,” he remembers. “‘Hey Nico, happy birthday! When I was 23 I was World No. 1 and I’d won two majors.’ I was like, alright, back to work. I loved that. It was pretty cool. It shows that you have a relationship for him to come and say that.”“I didn’t say that,” Rasmus counters.“Just trying to get a feel for, ‘today, what does 50 [meters] feel like?’” Nicolai says. He hits one 48 meters. That’s within his two-meter tolerance. “We’ll go up to 55,” he says. He hits one. I check the monitor. 55.“That was on purpose, by the way,” Nicolai says.“We’ve learned to deal with it,” Nicolai says. “When we were younger we’d be fighting and couldn’t speak, sometimes for days.”“Ras has almost like a quarter-life crisis haircut,” Nicolai says with a grin.How do you tell the Højgaard twins apart?
1. They each start with wedges.
“I’d love to hit a little fade, but I always end up drawing the ball. When I’m under pressure, I always draw the ball,” Nicolai says. He’s been working on zeroing out his swing path on the range, knowing that force of habit on the golf course is a completely different animal. He talks about being able to get it “to the corners” of greens, which can be a challenge if you’re only hitting a draw. That’s why wants something more versatile.Darren RiehlDylan Dethier is a senior writer for GOLF Magazine/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams College, where he majored in English, and he’s the author of 18 in America, which details the year he spent as an 18-year-old living from his car and playing a round of golf in every state.“To be fair I think it’s been quite healthy for us. In a way that if one of us is doing quite well the other one is eager to come out and play well. And I think that’s been a good thing to get sharper when the other one is on his game. It’s frustrating when Nicolai’s on and I’m not. I’m happy that he’s playing well but I really want to play well as well. So it’s that balance, and I think that’s helping us.”“When something is going wrong in the plane; say you get an engine fire, a loss of cabin pressure, whatever. You obviously have to react pretty quick,” Nicolai says. “But you have to do it the right way. The only thing you can’t do is stress. No panic.
“Did he just call himself Rasmus the artist?” Nicolai asks with glee.A little at a time.“When I’m a little bit off in my game, we always work on the Tommy finish because that just feels like you’ve got to be connected. That’s a little shoutout to Tommy there.”
2. They’ve learned a lesson from their pilot father.
“If I start hitting draws [on the range] all the time when I get to the course, it turns into bigger draws,” Nicolai says. “So it’s always that balance of how do we neutralize it before it goes to the golf course?”“Our parents have been great,” Nicolai says. “It must have been very tough for them. I mean, we’ve never really spoken a lot with them about it … but they dealt with it very good.”Their father Ole is a pilot, which may not seem particularly similar to golf until you consider the attention to detail, the commitment to a process and the need for a cool head under pressure required for each.Rasmus points out the conundrum: “It’s a hard one, because who do you go up to: the guy who’s done well or the guy who’s not done well?”They’re unwilling to go that far; perhaps it seems presumptuous. But they freely call him a hero.
3. Just thinking about Tommy Fleetwood can help.
The twins turned 23 during Players Championship week in 2024; Nicolai had lunch that day with Fleetwood, Justin Rose and McIlroy, his Ryder Cup teammates from 2023. “The chubby one is Ras,” Nicolai says, twinkle in his eye. “I remember I won an event and I go in the front seat and Ras goes in the back,” Nicolai remembers. “And he says to me, ‘Nico, don’t you think you’ve got the throne now?’ He was so pissed that I’d won in a playoff.”
4. Competing with your twin isn’t always easy.
That’s where I began, as I met the two young Danes, Nicolai and Rasmus, on the back of the driving range at Panther National, an enclave on the western edge of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.Good news: That’s only half the interview! Watch the full thing on YouTube here.
Rasmus ducks and swipes something from his face; Nicolai’s just hit him with a crosswind divot.One area Nicolai has been strong but has looked to improve is in his iron play, where he’s chasing neutral.“You’ve gotta have a temper to be good,” Nicolai says. He runs a little hotter than his brother, he says. Golf is frustrating, particularly with high standards. You can hit a decent shot but it’s not quite good enough. You want to achieve perfection while knowing that you never, ever will. Still, he sees running hot as a serious asset. “You just have to control it.”Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard on the driving range at Panther National.“He’s been great to us,” Nicolai says. “There’s that saying that you’re not supposed to meet your heroes but we’ve been very lucky. He’s been absolutely great to us.”
5. Managing twins requires saintly parents.
Nicolai starts by grabbing his lob wedge and putting down his launch monitor to help dial in some specific yardages with half-wedge shots: 50, 55, 60, 65.Jokes aside, they confirm they each other’s biggest fans. Take last fall at the Irish Open, when Nicolai and their friends were in the crowd — “literally the only ones celebrating,” he remembers — when Rasmus took down local favorite Rory McIlroy.Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.“There’s a checklist to go through to make sure that I do the right things that’ll help me,” Rasmus says. It’s a different checklist for driving, for short game, for putting. It’s a different checklist for him versus his brother. But it helps with accountability and preparation.You can also watch the interview on YouTube here or below.
6. They’ve never played their best at the same time.
“I was going to say that Nicolai is trying to grow somewhat of a beard at the moment. Trying to,” Rasmus counters.Speaking of McIlroy: Nicolai finished second to McIlroy in the 2023 Race to Dubai rankings on the DP World Tour. Rasmus finished second to McIlroy in the Race to Dubai a year later. That’s fitting, of course. It’s a remarkable parallel. I’m also curious: Have they become friends with McIlroy as a result of good play and increased proximity?“We’ve discussed it quite a bit. How can it be?” Rasmus says, referring to their intriguing push-pull.They both laugh. It turns out to be an appropriate tone-setter for the hour that follows, our Warming Up interview, which largely becomes one twin ripping on the other interrupted by some occasional golf talk.
7. Play well enough for long enough and you make big-time friends.
Golf.com Editor
It’s always interesting to hear how different pros begin their warmups — particularly when those pros are identical.In what order? That’s the key to the story: Nicolai ended up four-putting 18, he admits ruefully, to lose to his twin brother.“We’ve never really had situations where we’ve both played well at the same time,” Rasmus says. It’s remarkable looking at their results pages; it’s been clear at various points that one brother is playing better than the other — but then it flips.Searching for something in your swing? These guys know that feeling.
8. Want to control your draw? Hit a bunch of fades.
How do you deal with that as a 10-year-old? He can’t remember. He blocked it out. But Rasmus knows it was a quiet ride home.Seventy-two holes is a long time. A season is a long time. It’s important, Nicolai says, to keep that in mind.The way he describes it, that battle is a necessity. Jack Nicklaus would hit draws on the driving range so that on the course he’d just hit a gentle fade, for instance. Otherwise, your natural tendencies can get exaggerated past playability.I’m pretty sure I know the answer, but just to make sure I ask: Are you happy for each other when you’ve done well?“So then you pull out the checklist and you go through it bit by bit, you do it correctly, because you can’t make a mistake there. And the same thing in golf, sometimes you feel like you’re in the fire, you’re in the mix, everything’s happening pretty quick and you’re like, ‘what you you do?’ I like the picture of being a pilot and losing cabin pressure: you pull the mask down, you open the book and you go through it so that you don’t stress about the situation.“This year my approach game has been pretty solid so far and I feel like it’s because I’m working more to neutralizing the fight a little bit more and have more options,” he says.
9. Patience is, unfortunately, the key to everything.
Luckily for me they’ve color-coded for the day: Nicolai is wearing a black hat while Rasmus’ hat is white, making it easy to keep track. And while they share a Florida rental home, a birthday and a set of DNA, by the end of the hour it’s easy to pick out differences between the two — in golf swings, in mindsets, in personalities. This is the first year that both Nicolai and Rasmus are playing the PGA Tour full-time. They’d love for the year to end with the two of them playing together for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup. In the meantime? Ribbing each other seems like a full-time sport.“You can play poorly for a long time and then you got nine holes, you shoot five under and you’re in the tournament,” he says. “Or you shoot a 65 final day from nothing and you’re at the top. There’s so much golf to be played. You just have to stay patient all the time, which is a thing everyone says: ‘Stay patient’. But it’s true. It’s true. I mean, we haven’t done much in this game yet, but we still feel like we’ve tried quite a bit and it’s the same thing everyone says, stay patient, focus on yourself and your own craft and then it will come over time.”
10. …but so is a temper.
There were stakes attached to their finishes, too: Low bro of the day would get to sit in the front seat.“When we were 10 years old we entered our first tournament, not knowing what the level of golf in Denmark was at that time. So we played this Danish championship for our age, under 12,” Rasmus remembers. “We turned up with these junior clubs and everybody turned up with their Titleist clubs, they all looked so good and we were like, ‘we don’t belong here.’ But then we ended up finishing 1-2.”“When there’s a lot on the line, when it’s happening quick, you’ve got to calm down and just take it one step at a time.”
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Dylan Dethier
Rasmus has several 60-degree wedges in his bag; it’s an off-week, so there’s a lot of testing going on, he says as he selects one with which to begin his warmup. While he’s not trying to hit as many specific numbers with his half-wedges — “I’m not as systematic when it comes to that,” he says — he, too, is calibrating the day’s feels.
I wonder aloud if Nicolai is more the technician while Rasmus is the artist; Nicolai immediately seizes on that, while Rasmus hates it.
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships 2025 preview and how to watch live athletics action
The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships are back. Featuring the best college athletes attending university in the United States, the championships are a chance for these student-athletes to make their marks – and in some cases, make an unexpected case for international selection. The 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field […]
The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships are back.
Featuring the best college athletes attending university in the United States, the championships are a chance for these student-athletes to make their marks – and in some cases, make an unexpected case for international selection.
The 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships will take place at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Hayward Field, the spiritual home of track in the United States, often hosts the USATF Outdoor Championships and Olympic and World Trials for the U.S. team. It hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships, and is due to host the 2026 World U20 Athletics Championships.
Previously, the Championships have unearthed gems such as last year’s men’s 100m winner, Louie Hinchliffe of Great Britain, who went on to run at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, as well as Olympic and world champion hammer thrower Camryn Rogers of Canada.
Among the names competing this year is Johanna Duplantis – the fourth member of her family to vault for Louisiana State University. The U.S.-born Swede, competing in the women’s pole vault, follows in the footsteps of her dad Greg, eldest brother Andreas, and another brother – Olympic and world champion and world record holder Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis.
Discover the full schedule of events and how to watch the action.
Preston HS senior to play volleyball at University of Mount Saint Vincent in the fall – Bronx Times
Photo courtesy of Preston High School
Stephanie Rodriguez, a standout member of Preston High School’s Class of 2025, will continue her athletic and academic journey at the University of Mount Saint Vincent this fall, where she has committed to playing on the women’s volleyball team. Rodriguez, who plans to study business during her […]
Stephanie Rodriguez, a standout member of Preston High School’s Class of 2025, will continue her athletic and academic journey at the University of Mount Saint Vincent this fall, where she has committed to playing on the women’s volleyball team.
Rodriguez, who plans to study business during her four years at the Riverdale-based college, wrapped up an accomplished high school career both on and off the court. As a senior, she served as Vice President of Co-Curricular Affairs on the Student Council and was inducted into the National Honor Society as well as the English, Math, and Spanish Honor Societies.
When Are The Women’s 100m Races At The 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships?
The women’s 100-meter dash may only take 11 seconds, but it always seems to have us on the edge of our seat. That should be no different when the fastest of this year’s collegiate athletes fight for the women’s 100m national title at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The event […]
The women’s 100-meter dash may only take 11 seconds, but it always seems to have us on the edge of our seat.
That should be no different when the fastest of this year’s collegiate athletes fight for the women’s 100m national title at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The event will take place across two days at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon, which is hosting the season-ending meet from June 11-14.
The women’s 100 semifinals will be June 12 at 8:25 p.m. Eastern, and the final will be run June 14 at 9:52 p.m. EDT.
Catch all the action from the 2025 Division I Outdoor Championships live on ESPN+, and visit FloTrack for breaking news, results, highlights and more.
Portions of the competition on June 11-12 also will be broadcast on ESPN, while some events on June 13-14 will air on ESPN2.
To earn their spots at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the student-athletes battled their way through a pair of regional competitions to determine the field for the national event at Hayward Field.
Every individual event at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will feature 24 athletes – 12 from each regional – while each relay welcomes 24 teams – 12 from each regional event.
The 2025 NCAA Division I Track and Field West Regional was held in College Station, Texas, and the East Regional took place in Jacksonville, Florida. Both were held May 28-31.
Below, is the list of women who qualified in the 100-meter event:
Women’s 100m Qualifiers
Shenese Walker (Florida State) – 10.98
Leah Bertrand (Ohio State) – 10.99
Dajaz Defrand (USC) – 11.00
JaMeesia Ford (South Carolina) – 11.00
Joella Lloyd (Florida State) – 11.01
Anthaya Charlton (Florida) – 11.01
Victoria Cameron (Tarleton State) – 11.01
Samirah Moody (USC) – 11.02
Jasmine Montgomery (Texas A&M) – 11.02
Brianna Selby (USC) – 11.03
Jassani Carter (USC) – 11.06
Jade Brown (Arizona) – 11.07
Cynteria James (South Carolina) – 11.07
Alicia Burnett (Missouri) – 11.10
Tima Godbless (LSU) – 11.11
Aniyah Kitt (Clemson) – 11.12
Iyana Gray (TCU) – 11.14
Kelly Ufodiama (E. Carolina) – 11.15
Indya Mayberry (TCU) – 11.15
London Tucker (TCU) – 11.17
Camryn Dickson (Texas A&M) – 11.17
Kaila Jackson (Georgia) – 11.17
Kailei Collins (Howard) – 11.21
Reign Redmond (Georgia) – 11.24
Who Won The 100m National Title At The 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships?
At last year’s NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, McKenzie Long of Ole Miss won the title with a time of 10.82 seconds. She bested Brianna Lyston of LSU (10.89) and Texas Tech’s Rosemary Chukwuma (10.90).
The men’s champion was Houston’s Louie Hinchliffe (9.95). This year’s men’s semifinals will be June 11 at 8:25 p.m. Eastern, and the final will be June 13 at 8:52 p.m. EDT.
How To Watch The 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track And Field Championships
The 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships will take place June 11-14 at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon.
Live coverage will be provided by ESPN+ starting at 3 p.m. Eastern on June 11; 12:45 p.m. EDT on June 12; 2:45 p.m. on June 13; and 3:30 p.m. on June 14.
On June 11, ESPN will broadcast men’s action at 7 p.m. Eastern. On June 12, the women will be on ESPN at 7 p.m. EDT. On June 13, the second day of men’s competition will air on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. EDT. On June 14, the women will take the ESPN2 spotlight at 9 p.m. EDT.
For the entire event, FloTrack will be your one-stop shop for breaking news, highlights, results and more, so make sure top pop open that extra tab.
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 2025 – Women’s Schedule
All Times Eastern
Thursday, June 12
Field Events
4:30 p.m. – Hammer Throw Final
7:35 p.m. – Pole Vault Final
8:15 p.m. – Javelin Final
8:40 p.m. – Long Jump Final
9:10 p.m. – Shot Put Final
Track Events
7:05 p.m. – 4×100 Relay Semifinal
7:21 p.m. – 1,500m Semifinal
7:38 p.m. – 3,000m Steeplechase Semifinal
8:08 p.m. – 100m Hurdles Semifinal
8:25 p.m. – 100m Semifinal
8:41 p.m. – 400m Semifinal
8:58 p.m. – 800m Semifinal
9:14 p.m. – 400m Hurdles Semifinal
9:29 p.m. – 200m Semifinal
9:56 p.m. – 10,000m Final
10:36 p.m. – 4×400 Relay Semifinal
Friday, June 13
Combined Events
2:45 p.m. – 100m Hurdles (Heptathlon)
3:45 p.m. – High Jump (Heptathlon)
5:45 p.m. – Shot Put (Heptathlon)
9:43 p.m. – 200m (Heptathlon)
Saturday, June 14
Field Events
3:30 p.m. – Discus Final
8:30 p.m. – High Jump Final
9:10 p.m. – Triple Jump Final
Combined Events
6:30 p.m. – Long Jump (Heptathlon)
7:45 p.m. – Javelin (Heptathlon)
10:43 p.m. – 800m (Heptathlon)
Track Events
8:50 p.m. – National Collegiate Wheelchair 100m Final
9:02 p.m. – 4×100 Relay Final
9:11 p.m. – 1,500m Final
9:24 p.m. – 3,000m Steeplechase Final
9:42 p.m. – 100m Hurdles Final
9:52 p.m. – 100m Final
10:02 p.m. – 400m Final
10:14 p.m. – 800m Final
10:27 p.m. – 400m Hurdles Final
10:37 p.m. – 200m Final
10:55 p.m. – 5,000m Final
11:21 p.m. – 4×400 Relay Final
About Hayward Field
Hayward Field, which was built in 1919, is no stranger to top-tier track and field events, including the Diamond League and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
The venue is named after Bill Hayward, who ran the University of Oregon track and field program from 1904 to 1947. Though it originally was intended for Ducks football, many additions and renovations over the century have helped it become a premier destination.
In September 2023, the venue became the first facility outside of Zurich or Brussels to host the two-day season-ending Wanda Diamond League Final, where the year’s 32 overall champions were crowned.
What Schools Won The Team Titles At The 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s And Women’s Outdoor Track And Field Championships?
The Arkansas women took home the outdoor team title in 2024, sweeping the indoor and outdoor championships for the 2023-2024 season.
Florida, led by legendary head coach Mike Holloway, secured the men’s title in 2024, giving the Gators three consecutive outdoor men’s titles. Florida became the first team to three-peat since Texas A&M (2009-2011).
What Schools Have Won The Most Titles At The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track And Field Championships?
The NCAA Division I Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships first was held in 1921.
USC owns the most men’s titles with 25, while Arkansas is the only other program with 10 or more (10).
The NCAA Division I Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships first was held in 1982.
LSU has won the most women’s titles with 14. The next-closest is Texas with five.
From FloTrack YouTube
Kick Of The Week: HUGE Come From Behind Win In 800m Race
FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year
Don’t miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.
FloTrack Archived Footage
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
Story Links
WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross volleyball head coach Matthew Cribbin has announced that Kiya Yeoman will join the program as an assistant coach. This is the first collegiate coaching stop for Yeoman who spent four seasons (2020-2023) at Texas Woman’s University and one season as a graduate student at American […]
WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross volleyball head coach Matthew Cribbin has announced that Kiya Yeoman will join the program as an assistant coach.
This is the first collegiate coaching stop for Yeoman who spent four seasons (2020-2023) at Texas Woman’s University and one season as a graduate student at American International. At TWU, Yeoman appeared in 60 matches, totaling 112 kills (0.82 K/S) hitting .201 as a middle blocker with 95 total blocks (0.70). During her graduate year at AIC, she helped the Yellow Jackets to their third NE10 Championship over the last four seasons. She played in 18 matches tallying 102 kills, (1.65 K/S) while hitting .364with 47 total blocks (0.76 B/S).
She has also served as a coach for Instinct Volleyball Club in Dallas, Texas as a 16U and 14U coach being responsible for the growth, mentorship and leadership and coaching of 12 female athletes within the middle and high school age bracket.
Yeoman graduated from TWU in May 2023 Magna Cum Laude with Honors with a bachelor of science in criminal justice. She is completing her masters of forensic psychology degree at AIC.
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To hear Winter Park beach volleyball coach Emily Ewing say it, Rachel Seneff plays the game like a blockbuster Marvel superhero. “She’s not big, but she makes up for that by flying over the sand,” Ewing said about the repeat Sentinel Varsity Beach Volleyball Player of the Year. She has an insane vertical mashed with […]
To hear Winter Park beach volleyball coach Emily Ewing say it, Rachel Seneff plays the game like a blockbuster Marvel superhero.
“She’s not big, but she makes up for that by flying over the sand,” Ewing said about the repeat Sentinel Varsity Beach Volleyball Player of the Year. She has an insane vertical mashed with an insane amount of power and speed. It’s hard to walk, let alone sprint in coarse, dry sand, and she makes game-changing plays. She’s an animal.”
Sounds like Seneff should be a member of the New Avengers. Instead, the LSU-bound standout earns her second straight Orlando area MVP honor.
As a senior, Seneff teamed with doubles partner Catherine “Cat” Dolya to go 14-1and lead the Wildcats to the Class 3A final eight. Winter Park lost to eventual state champion Jupiter. Seneff and Dolya suffered their only loss in that state quarterfinal.
Besides her superhero-like abilities, Seneff responded to her coach’s need to bring more to the sand.
“We pushed her into a leadership position and she did well with it,” Ewing said. “Going into this season, before (the) first game, I knew she was going to be a leader. I didn’t know how big until she pulled us coaches aside and stated we can win a state championship. She felt good about it, and asked me what she needed to get us there.”
Seneff admits it wasn’t easy, but is thankful Ewing encouraged her leadership role.
“Coach took me out of my comfort zone and made me a better player for it,” she said. “She made me who I was as a leader.”
Seneff made her college decision early.
“I was recruited between my sophomore and junior years, and I committed to (LSU) early,” she said. “It allowed me to refine my focus as an individual the last couple of years and made my goals clear.
Winter Park High beach volleyball players Catherine Dolya (left) and Rachel Seneff (right) went 14-1 this season, losing only to state champ Jupiter. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Sentinel Standout partners
Rachel Seneff (Sr.) and Cat Dolya (Sr.), Winter Park
Buzz: The seniors were 14-1 with the only loss coming against a duo from eventual 3A state champion Jupiter.
Kaleigh Langmo (So.) and Kennedy Langmo (So.), Orangewood Christian
Buzz: Twins were paired together at midseason and led the Rams to the 1A state semifinals. 7-1 with the only loss coming to state champ Berkeley Prep.
Eliza Perdue (Jr.) and Madison Wehr (Jr.), Olympia
Buzz: Juniors went 14-1 and led Titans to first district title. Only loss was to a duo from eventual 2A state Jupiter.
Mirea Thederahn (Jr.) and Isabella Parra (Jr.), Montverde Academy
Buzz: The juniors went 15-2 for the Eagles with their last loss coming against the Langmo sisters in a regional final.
Allyson Leach (Jr.) and Mikayla Miessler (Jr.), Hagerty
Buzz: The juniors earned Seminole Athletic Conference first-team honors with an 8-2 record for region runners-up.
Players of the year and Sentinel standouts are selected by the Sentinel staff with input from area coaches. Athletes represent schools eligible for the FHSAA state series from Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake and southwest Volusia counties.
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
Reaching Her Full Potential: Chioma Njoku’s Journey From Delaware to Maryland Ends With NCAA Championship Berth
Njoku began competing in the shot put and discus throw at Padua Academy, winning an outdoor state championship in each of her four years. She also won two individual indoor state championships in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Her success caught the eye of college recruiters, earning her an athletic scholarship to the University […]
Njoku began competing in the shot put and discus throw at Padua Academy, winning an outdoor state championship in each of her four years. She also won two individual indoor state championships in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Her success caught the eye of college recruiters, earning her an athletic scholarship to the University of Delaware. There, Njoku continued competing less than half an hour from home. She was recruited primarily to compete in the shot put.
Njoku was later introduced to the hammer and weight throws. But it wasn’t until her junior year that coaches suggested she focus solely on the hammer throw. The decision paid off, as she made her postseason debut in the event as a senior. But fresh off her successful 2022-23 campaign, Njoku entered the transfer portal, where she was sought after by coaches to compete in the hammer and weight throws.
Burdorff was immediately interested once he discovered Njoku was looking for a new home. He was already familiar with her, as Njoku was a freshman at Delaware during his first year coaching at the Division I level at Towson. Both schools are part of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
Burdorff recalled coaching the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds for the hammer throw in the CAA championships in 2021. However, it was Njoku who beat both competitors, placing second with a 53.39-meter throw as a redshirt freshman.
“I vividly remember once I saw her name and saw that she was looking for a home outside Delaware,” Burdorff said. “I was like, ‘I remember you very clearly, because you beat us.’ … It was interesting to see everything come full circle.”
STEPHEN A. CALLS OUT LEBRON for Giannis and NBA eras comments 
| First Take
