Grant Horvat invited to play in PGA Tour's Barracuda Championship
Grant Horvat has a decision to make. The famous YouTuber has received a sponsor invite to play in this summer’s Barracuda Championship, an opposite-field event to the Open Championship at Old Greenwood in Truckee, California. Horvat, who won the Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass last month, turned to his fans to help make his decision, […]
The famous YouTuber has received a sponsor invite to play in this summer’s Barracuda Championship, an opposite-field event to the Open Championship at Old Greenwood in Truckee, California. Horvat, who won the Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass last month, turned to his fans to help make his decision, asking whether he should play.
The Duels: Miami, LIV Golf’s spinoff of the Creator Classic. Six creators played with LIV players ahead of LIV Golf Miami at Trump Doral, and the video posted in its entirety on Horvat’s YouTube page after the event. It has more than 2 million views.
suspended by the PGA Tour for his participation in the event. Numerous creators, including Horvat, tweeted “#FreeWesley” in response to the news.
An important distinction to make is that Wesley is a PGA Tour member, in addition to being a content creator. He has three starts this year, including a T-25 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open. A length of his suspension from the Tour wasn’t announced, but previous suspensions for competing in LIV Golf events have been a year from the date last played.
Although the field hasn’t been announced, Wesley was likely going to play in the third version of the Creator Classic next month at the Truist Championship. He had played in the first two events, but with his suspension, it’s unlikely he’ll play at Philadelphia Cricket Club.
This has been frustrating for fans, especially considering the timing of Horvat’s announcement. Horvat revealed his invite only hours before Wesley’s suspension was announced, confusing fans why Horvat would be allowed to play in a Tour event when he also played in The Duels: Miami event.
Tournaments can use their invites on any player they want. In Horvat’s case, he’s not a member of the PGA Tour, meaning he doesn’t have to follow the Tour’s guidelines when it comes to what events he can and can’t play in.
The debate on whether Wesley’s suspension was warranted in playing a made-for-YouTube competition is fair criticism, but he also has different guidelines to follow than Horvat does. Will his suspension last, or will there be potential backlash from fellow creators because of it? Only time will tell.
Here’s to hoping Horvat plays the Barracuda. The content would be can’t miss, and it would be a great opportunity for him to experience life inside the ropes of a PGA Tour event.
Gold Rush Charter team wins its first middle school volleyball tournament | Sports
Gold Rush Charter School achieved history earlier this month as its middle school volleyball team earned the program’s first-ever tournament victory. “Despite being a smaller charter school that often combines grade levels to form teams, our students regularly rise to the challenge of competing against older and more experienced players. The results have been inspiring,” […]
Gold Rush Charter School achieved history earlier this month as its middle school volleyball team earned the program’s first-ever tournament victory.
“Despite being a smaller charter school that often combines grade levels to form teams, our students regularly rise to the challenge of competing against older and more experienced players. The results have been inspiring,” GRCS principal Amanda McLeod stated. “Participation in sports has brought more than just wins to our school. It has fostered a deep sense of ownership, discipline, teamwork and school spirit among our students.
“The energy and excitement surrounding our athletic program have become a powerful force for student engagement and personal growth.”
The Division II eighth-grade postseason tournament began April 28 at Mother Lode Christian School. GRCS faced a tough test in its opener against Twain Harte Elementary, which defeated GRCS three times this year, twice in the preseason tournament and in the regular season finale.
Twain Harte prevailed again, dropping GRCS into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination format. On April 29, GRCS beat Summerville. The next day, GRCS defeated Sonora.
Entering May, GRCS had to win a tripleheader to secure the tournament title, which is exactly what it did. The first victory came against Tenaya of Groveland. Then, redemption was served up on a silver platter.
GRCS faced off against Twain Harte again, which was unbeaten at that point. GRCS won the first set, dropped the second and prevailed in the third to advance into a sudden death, winner-take-all matchup that began after a brief two-minute break.
GRCS kept the momentum rolling into a sweep against Twain Harte to achieve program history.
“It was pretty amazing and almost like one of those sports movies where you’re down in the beginning and have to fight adversity to overcome, and end up winning it,” GRCS head coach Darwin Olson said. “For the girls to be able to lose to this team three times, make it through the loser’s bracket, only to come back and beat them twice to win first place was amazing. The girls never had a doubt that they wouldn’t be able to do it.”
The GRCS roster includes: Roslyn Anderson, Maylynn DeWoody, Celeste Durgin, Hailey Johnson, Evelyn Lamendola, Hayden Olson, Alisia Soldati, Isabella Stevenson, Izzy Turner and Evelyn Wagner. The team is led by Darwin Olson and his wife, assistant coach Melissa Olson.
“I’ve gotta give the girls a lot of credit, we only had four eighth-grade girls on this team and the rest were seventh graders,” Darwin Olson said. “For those girls being able to play at the eighth-grade level shows that they are very talented. We do have some girls who play on the TuCo Elite volleyball travel team. That helps out a lot having girls playing at a higher level to begin with.
“Gold Rush is such a small school, there’s only one class per grade. The pool of girls that were able to try out, there was only about 30. For them to come out and beat some of these schools that are bigger, just shows how hard they worked. Me and my wife are going to be coaching next year, too, so we’re hoping to keep building on that each year.”
The middle school girls at GRCS have excelled on the court so much that they’ll get to continue playing together in high school.
“Encouraged by the remarkable success of our middle school program, GRCS is proud to announce the launch of our high school sports program beginning in Winter 2025,” McLeod stated. “This marks a major step forward in our mission to provide a dynamic educational experience that meets the individual needs of our students — while preserving many of the cherished traditions found in more conventional schools.
“At GRCS, we believe that athletics are not just extracurricular — they are an essential part of building character, community and confidence.”
From Paris to polo, Riordan keeping head above water
The ‘post-Olympic blues’ is a well-discussed topic. The anxiety, depression or other mental health issues that athletes can suffer from after the high-stakes competition wraps up is widely acknowledged. Team Ireland were no different to other countries in setting up support structures, with many athletes discussing their own strategies before jetting out to Paris. For […]
The ‘post-Olympic blues’ is a well-discussed topic.
The anxiety, depression or other mental health issues that athletes can suffer from after the high-stakes competition wraps up is widely acknowledged.
Team Ireland were no different to other countries in setting up support structures, with many athletes discussing their own strategies before jetting out to Paris.
For former swimmer Erin Riordan, the months leading up to the Games were among the most draining of her life. The endorphins she anticipated never arrived, and she quietly slipped away from the sport afterwards.
2024 was a rollercoaster of emotions.
Born in Japan to Irish parents, Riordan had spent time living in Switzerland, Hong Kong and the UK. Her first time experiencing daily life in Ireland came in 2017 when she started college here.
After missing out on Tokyo, she gave it another shot to realise the Olympic dream as part of the 400m freestyle relay team that competed at the World Championships in Doha in February last year.
Ireland finished 17th in the rankings, agonisingly one place outside of qualification for Paris.
When the dream appeared to be over, she decided enough was enough, and retired at the age of 24.
However, Japan’s decision not to travel opened the door for Riordan, Victoria Catterson, Grace Davison and Danielle Hill to become the first Irish women’s relay team to represent Ireland at an Olympic Games in more than half a century.
For Riordan however, the memories are bittersweet. Playing catch-up in the pool, the team finished eighth in their heat.
From left: Grace Davison, Erin Riordan and Danielle Hill look on during the women’s 4x100m freestyle relays in Paris
“Along the way you kind of forget why you’re doing it and it becomes ‘I want to make the Games, I want to do this’, as opposed to ‘I used to love the sport and I used to love getting up at 5am’,” she tells RTÉ Sport.
“It was difficult for sure. I think I kind of had a sour taste in my mouth from swimming even though I had this amazing experience and I’ll never forget that.
“I think I had already grieved that I wasn’t going to the Olympics. And then two weeks later it was ‘Get back to Dublin, you might be going’. It was a big toll on the mind, more so than the body.
“You walk out and you’re like ‘This is it, this is the moment’. And then you’re also like, ‘Oh, this is it?’ Two edges of a sword I guess.”
The second swimming retirement was a final one, though the sporting void has been filled in different ways. She works full time as a documentation specialist with a pharmaceutical company and has signed up to run her first marathon later this year.
“I’m in the mind space of ‘I want to enjoy sports'”
Competitive sport, and indeed the water, drew her back in however. Triathlon was considered, but once water polo came across her radar, she soon found herself back in the pool.
Having never played ball sports, or team sports, the curiosity and challenge proved too hard to resist and she threw her lot in with the St Vincent’s club.
“It was a bit humbling at the beginning, going from the Olympics to being the very worst on a team that has 14-year-old girls on it, but good fun all the same,” said Riordan.
“I’m in the mind space of ‘I want to enjoy sports’, first and foremost to be doing it because I want to be there. The Olympics was a heavy mental and emotional toll on me. I wanted to take a break from that.”
Riordan in action with St Vincent’s. Picture: Laszlo Geczo
She was called into the senior cup team, a member of the side that recently got the better of Galway’s Tribes in a cup final decided by penalties.
“I was more of a minor role, but I got a bit of game time and in the next few seasons I’m going to keep going, see where we can go.
“I didn’t realise how physical the sport was. People are wrestling each other in the water but it’s almost refreshing to see that in a women’s sport because that’s not how we’re ‘meant’ to behave I guess. But it is very physical, very aggressive in the water.”
There is now a contentment she could only dream of 12 months ago, a balance she struggled to get right during her swimming career.
Water polo and running are her hobbies now, but there is a willingness to try out others.
“Something I always knew coming out of swimming is that I can’t just stop activity altogether,” she says. “I think I get quite down if I do. So I picked up all these sports, I’m just trying everything out.
“Before, I used to work my life around my sport, whereas now I’m working sport around my life. It’s a different dynamic for me.”
Brownwood volleyball coach Cheyanne Lovelady accepts same position at Austin Brentwood Christian
Brownwood volleyball coach Cheyanne Lovelady accepts same position at Austin Brentwood Christian | Brownwood News facebookexternalhit/1.1 (+http://www.facebook.com/externalhit_uatext.php) X-Middleton/1 fa7fbbd9804f1298a073639c8987cf0bcb10c880 1 Link 0
World Aquatics condemns Enhanced Games “circus built on shortcuts”-Xinhua
Logo of the World Aquatics. BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) — World Aquatics, the global governing body for swimming, has denounced the concept of the Enhanced Games and instead promoted a healthy and fulfilling sporting lifestyle, according to a statement sent to Xinhua on Wednesday. The Enhanced Games, which propose allowing athletes to use performance-enhancing substances […]
BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) — World Aquatics, the global governing body for swimming, has denounced the concept of the Enhanced Games and instead promoted a healthy and fulfilling sporting lifestyle, according to a statement sent to Xinhua on Wednesday.
The Enhanced Games, which propose allowing athletes to use performance-enhancing substances while competing in swimming, track and strength events, announced plans to hold their inaugural edition over Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas in May 2026.
“The Enhanced Games are not a sporting competition built on universal values like honesty, fairness and equity: they are a circus, built on shortcuts,” World Aquatics said in the statement.
“The enduring power of athletes to serve as role models for children and adults alike relies on their talent, hard work, respect and friendship. That’s what we see in our champions and in our competitions, and that’s what we’ll continue to showcase.”
“The way to a long, healthy and happy sporting life is readily available. It doesn’t require a costly cocktail of anti-ageing drugs. Train consistently, eat well, rest well and enjoy the company of other athletes.”
“This is something we already know from the millions of masters swimmers who continue to regularly set new records for human performance at the World Aquatics Masters Championships, some aged over 100. We invite the world to come and learn from these true champions as they compete again in Singapore this summer,” World Aquatics said.
The World Aquatics Masters Championships will take place from July 26-August 22 in Singapore, with approximately 6,000 master-aged aquatics athletes from more than 100 countries and regions competing in swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming and open water swimming. ■
CINCINNATI – Trevor Nolan was named to the All-BIG EAST Team on Friday. The senior earns the honors for the second time in his career. The Brownsburg, Ind., native earned a bronze medal at the BIG EAST Championships on May 16, posting a time of 8:47.44 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He also earned a bronze medal in […]
CINCINNATI – Trevor Nolan was named to the All-BIG EAST Team on Friday. The senior earns the honors for the second time in his career.
The Brownsburg, Ind., native earned a bronze medal at the BIG EAST Championships on May 16, posting a time of 8:47.44 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He also earned a bronze medal in the event at the 2023 BIG EAST Championships.
Nolan qualified for the NCAA Track and Field East Prelims on May 28-31 in Jacksonville, Fla. The four-day meet is being hosted by the University of North Florida at Hodges Stadium. The 3,000-meter steeplechase is scheduled for Friday, May 30 at 5:40 PM.
Nolan ranks 18th in the NCAA East Region with a time of 8:42.25, recording the time on March 27 at the Raleigh Relays.
Gov. Mifflin defeated Central Dauphin in four sets in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball tournament on Thursday to advance to the semifinals. The Mustangs (18-0) won by set scores of 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21. Gov. Mifflin, the Berks County champion, hosts Central York at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal match. The other […]
Gov. Mifflin defeated Central Dauphin in four sets in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball tournament on Thursday to advance to the semifinals.
The Mustangs (18-0) won by set scores of 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21.
Gov. Mifflin, the Berks County champion, hosts Central York at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal match. The other semifinal is Northeastern at Cumberland Valley. The championship match is Thursday.
For the Mustangs, BCIAA player of the year Angel Bermudez had 33 assists, 3 blocks, 3 kills and 7 kills, Armani George had 8 kills and 4 blocks, and Carter Weyant had 7 kills, 1 block and 9 digs.
Also for the Mustangs, Derek Kintzer had 5 kills, 4 blocks and 4 digs, and Anderson Ross had 5 kills and 2 blocks.
In the 2A tournament on Thursday, Brandywine Heights (17-3) defeated New Covenant Christian 25-7, 25-16, 25-18 in the quarterfinals.
The Bullets will play the winner of today’s Berks Catholic-York Suburban match in the semifinals on Tuesday at the higher seed.
