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Jordan Chiles ‘Hungry for More’ After Back-to-Back Gold at NCAA Champs (Exclusive)

Fresh off another NCAA gold medal, Jordan Chiles says she’s “hungry for more.” In a new interview with PEOPLE, the 24-year-old U.S. gymnast says she relishes winning the individual NCAA Women’s Gymnastics gold medal in uneven bars last month and vows to return for more next season. “It definitely was an amazing experience,” says Chiles, […]

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Fresh off another NCAA gold medal, Jordan Chiles says she’s “hungry for more.”

In a new interview with PEOPLE, the 24-year-old U.S. gymnast says she relishes winning the individual NCAA Women’s Gymnastics gold medal in uneven bars last month and vows to return for more next season.

“It definitely was an amazing experience,” says Chiles, who also won NCAA gold in uneven bars in 2023 before taking 2024 off to prepare for the Paris Olympics. “I’m one of the only athletes that’s ever won back-to-back event titles on bars. So, I think it was really cool to see that I made history again and that I had that opportunity. It just makes me hungry for more. If I can do it twice, maybe I can do it three times, four times, as many times as my body allows it. I really had fun with it and I wouldn’t change the world for anything that happened.”

Chiles, who spoke with PEOPLE to announce her new partnership as a mental health ambassador for CorePower Yoga, also opened up about her plans for competing in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“It’s on my mind,” Chiles says. “It’s not something that I just let go. Obviously, you know, I just did Paris and I went straight into school. So, I think being able to just take it day-by-day, month-by-month and year-by-year. We have three more years until then, so we’ll see what happens. But it’s not completely out of my head. I still think about it.”

Chiles called it “a valid question,” whether she and longtime U.S. gymnastics teammate Simone Biles will return for another Olympic competition. “I like to wonder,” the UCLA junior says. “I mean, we came back for two and I came back for another one. [Simone] came back for a third one. So, it’s not a bad question.”

But right now, Chiles is taking a breath. 

Chiles, who was a core member of the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team, says she’s “excited” about becoming the new face of mental health for CorePower Yoga.

“I’m really excited,” Chiles says about the partnership. “This campaign and this whole mental awareness and being able to bring strength and mentality together and being able to bring that relief and that ‘Stress Free Day’ of yours, and just letting yourself go. I think it’s amazing that they chose me, because that’s literally me almost every day.”

Jordan Chiles.

CorePower


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Chiles tells PEOPLE she and her UCLA teammates are taking a trip to Miami to celebrate the season and to unwind. For the two-time Olympic medal winner, it feels like the first chance in years to truly “just enjoy life.”

“As a college student, it definitely can be very overwhelming,” says Chiles, explaining she’ll take more than a month off from training following the NCAA season. “I think it’s just, well, since Paris it’s been crazy. But I’ve been enjoying it, for sure. Now that the college season has come to an end, I think, you know, it’s time for Jordan to relax herself. I’ve been going for a very long time.”

Jordan Chiles.

CorePower


Even when Chiles is taking time off, she’s still working. Between the bronze medal controversy in Paris and taking home another NCAA gold last month, Chiles released her debut memoir, opening up about her life and career for the first time.

“I felt so relieved,” Chiles says about the book’s release earlier this year. “I felt like, ‘Okay, well now I get the ability to tell my story how it’s supposed to be told, because a lot of people like to put out narratives and had things in their heads that they thought were true and weren’t. So, being able to actually tell my story how it’s supposed to be told, and I get to let the whole world know, it was an amazing feeling. It was really like, I cried because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Like, my book is out!’ Like, my story from since I was born all the way until I was, you know, 23 years old at the Paris Olympics, everything like that. Like, that’s my life. I just put my life in a book! It was just crazy. I was very happy for myself.”

Chiles, who at times has avoided speaking publicly about the medal controversy, says “it wasn’t a scary thing” to finally open up about the incident, which resulted in her being forced to forfeit the bronze.

“I wanted the world to know who Jordan Chiles is and is trying to become,” Chiles says. “It definitely was, you know, ‘Y’all want to know how everything turned out? I’m gonna give it to you.’ So, I think it was more of a relief, because there were some things that I had to read, and hearing them over again, it just reminded myself, ‘Wow, Jordan, like, you’ve gone through a lot, but look at you! You’re accomplishing so much. You’re, you’re doing so much within your life! And you get to experience so much more. Yes, you had trauma yesterday, things that happened to you, but at the end of the day, you get to wake up and live another day.’ So, it was a relief, wow, I actually did it. Look at me go!”



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Chicago Blackhawks’ Frank Nazar scores twice for US at worlds

STOCKHOLM — Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar scored twice to help the United States rally for a 5-2 victory over the Czech Republic and hand the titleholder its first defeat at the ice hockey world championship Tuesday. The victory lifted the Americans to second place in Group B in Herning, Denmark. Switzerland won the group […]

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STOCKHOLM — Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar scored twice to help the United States rally for a 5-2 victory over the Czech Republic and hand the titleholder its first defeat at the ice hockey world championship Tuesday.

The victory lifted the Americans to second place in Group B in Herning, Denmark. Switzerland won the group with the Czechs finishing third.

“I loved our effort and how we played to our identity,” U.S. coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Give our power play credit too. Overall, great team effort and a good step forward as we continue to build.”

Nazar deflected a shot into the net to tie the score at 2 on a power play 1:35 into the third period. He scored on another power play for the 21-year-old’s sixth goal in the tournament.

Logan Cooley roofed a shot from close range to make it 4-2 with 6:31 to go, and Andrew Peeke finished it off with a goal into an empty net.

Josh Doan gave the Americans a 1-0 lead 9:25 into the game on a rebound with a backhand between the pads of goalie Karel Vejmelka.

The U.S. dominated the first period, outshooting its opponent 23-8. The Czechs came back in the second as David Pastrnak tied the score on a breakaway 41 seconds into the period by beating his Boston Bruins teammate Jeremy Swayman for his sixth goal of the tournament.

Pastrnak then set up Martin Necas in the left circle to one-time a shot that put the Czechs 2-1 up 8:33 into the second period.

Earlier, Austria reached the playoffs for the first time in 31 years by defeating Latvia 6-1 to become the fourth and final team to advance to the quarterfinals from Group A.

Sweden and Canada face each other later Tuesday for the top spot in the group. Finland, another qualified team, beat Slovakia 2-1.

Switzerland beat Kazakhstan 4-1 in Herning and moved to the top of Group B before later games.

Kazakhstan was relegated after five years in the top division.

Switzerland finished with 19 points, two ahead of the Americans and Czechs

The winner between Germany and Denmark later Tuesday will determine the fourth and final team from Group B to advance.

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Bemidji State unveils 2025-26 slate for Beaver Women’s Hockey

Story Links BEMIDJI, Minn. – In conjunction with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, the Bemidji State University Women’s Hockey team unveiled its 2025-26 slate Wednesday morning. The Beavers will play a 34-game regular season which begins Sept. 26-27 with a series against defending National Champions University of Wisconsin at Sanford […]

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BEMIDJI, Minn. – In conjunction with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, the Bemidji State University Women’s Hockey team unveiled its 2025-26 slate Wednesday morning. The Beavers will play a 34-game regular season which begins Sept. 26-27 with a series against defending National Champions University of Wisconsin at Sanford Center.
 
2025-26 will be the 28th season of Bemidji State Women’s Hockey and will feature 34 games during the regular season including 16 at its home arena, Sanford Center. The Beavers will play 28 games against some of the fiercest competition in collegiate women’s hockey while also playing six non-conference games against Robert Morris University, Lindenwood University and Merrimack College.
 
For the complete schedule, click here.
 
The Beavers’ kick-off the new season with its first two series at home hosting Wisconsin (Sept. 26-27) and Robert Morris (Oct. 3-4). Bemidji State will then travel to Columbus, Ohio to face Ohio State University Oct. 10-11 before back-to-back bye weeks.
 
The Beavers return to action Oct. 31-Nov. 1 with a road trip to Minnesota State University, Mankato and then return to Sanford Center Nov. 7-8 to host University of St. Thomas. BSU then travels to University of Minnesota Nov. 14-15 before hosting St. Cloud State University Nov. 21-22.
 
The Beavers will spend Thanksgiving weekend in St. Charles, Mo., for a non-conference series at Lindenwood Nov. 28-29. Bemidji State will play just two games in December when it hosts University of Minnesota Duluth Dec. 5-6.
 

After the holiday break, the Beavers return to action Jan. 3-4 and travel to North Andover, Mass., to face Merrimack for the first time in program history. The Beavers then make their first appearance at the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul, Minn., for a series at St. Thomas to cap-off a four-game road streak.
 
Bemidji State returns home Jan. 16-17 to host Minnesota and then travels to Madison, Wis., for their second meeting with the Badgers Jan. 23-24. The Beavers end the month of January by hosting Minnesota State Jan. 30-31.
 
BSU finishes the final month of the regular season with six games including four on the road. The Beavers begin February at Minnesota Duluth (Feb. 6-7) and then travel to St. Cloud State (Feb. 13-14). Bemidji State finishes the 2025-26 regular season at home hosting Ohio State Feb. 20-21.
 
The 2026 WCHA Playoffs kick-off Feb. 27-28 with the WCHA Quarterfinals hosted by highest seeds. The WCHA Final Faceoff will be the following weekend at a site yet to be determined.
 
The 2026 NCAA Women’s Hockey Tournament begins Mar. 13 with the NCAA Regionals followed by the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa., Mar 20.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State women’s hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X or Instagram, or like them on Facebook.
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
–bsu–





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University Of Massachusetts Hockey Adds Transfer Mikey DeAngelo

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts hockey has added 5-11, 179-pound forward Mikey DeAngelo to its roster out of the transfer portal, head coach Greg Carvel announced on Wednesday. DeAngelo, who will join the Minutemen as a sophomore after one year at Michigan State, is the first new addition to the 2025-26 squad. “Mikey DeAngelo comes […]

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AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts hockey has added 5-11, 179-pound forward Mikey DeAngelo to its roster out of the transfer portal, head coach Greg Carvel announced on Wednesday. DeAngelo, who will join the Minutemen as a sophomore after one year at Michigan State, is the first new addition to the 2025-26 squad.

“Mikey DeAngelo comes to UMass after one year at Michigan State where he had a solid season on a very good college hockey team,” said Carvel. “Mikey will bring speed and skill to our lineup and will fill one of the spots created by three UMass centers signing NHL contracts after this past season. With the opportunity that exists on our team, we expect Mikey to be a point getter who plays a responsible game without the puck and plays with a lot of tenacity and plays to our identity as a team. It should be a smooth transition for Mikey, and I am excited to see his impact on our lineup.”

As a freshman at Michigan State, DeAngelo helped the Spartans to a Big Ten title and an NCAA Tournament berth, appearing in 33 games and logging nine points on three goals and six assists with a +3 rating.

Prior to playing college hockey, the Itasca, Illinois, native was a member of the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for two seasons and combined for 34 goals and 53 assists in 110 games for the Gamblers. DeAngelo also spent a season with Dubuque (USHL) in 2021-22, appearing in 38 games and compiling six points on three goals and three assists. He represented Team USA at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Slovakia and Czech Republic, leading the US skaters in points in the tournament with six (2g, 4a) over four games.

DeAngelo is a product of the Chicago Mission youth organization, winning state championships in 2017 and 2020.

 



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2025 primary election results | State College News

Centre County voters cast their ballots in the 2025 municipal primary election on Tuesday. A total of 18,829 ballots were cast during the election according to unofficial results posted to centrecountypa.gov. Listed below are the unofficial election results for statewide races and State College officials as of 10:33 pm on Tuesday. Superior Court of Pennsylvania […]

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Centre County voters cast their ballots in the 2025 municipal primary election on Tuesday. A total of 18,829 ballots were cast during the election according to unofficial results posted to centrecountypa.gov.

Listed below are the unofficial election results for statewide races and State College officials as of 10:33 pm on Tuesday.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of the two statewide intermediate appellate courts within Pennsylvania. The Superior Court reviews civil and criminal cases that are appealed from the Courts of Common Pleas.

Judges who are appointed to the Superior Court serve 10-year terms and must retire at age 75. Judges retain their seat after their term has expired via a retention vote.

Brandon Neuman (D-Pa.) ran against Maria Battista (R-Pa.) and Ann Marie Wheatcraft (R-Pa.), with Neuman winning with a total of 823,710 votes. 9,224 of those votes were cast within Centre County.

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is the second intermediate appellate court and alongside the Superior Court, deals with regulatory agencies, state and local governments.

Judges who are appointed to the Commonwealth court follow the same rules as the Superior Court in regards to term limits, retention and retirement.

Stella Tsai (D-Pa.) ran against Matt Wolford (R-Pa.) and Josh Prince (R-Pa.). Tsai won with a total of 821,340 votes. 9,243 of those votes came from Centre County.

District Attorney

The district attorney (DA) acts as a representative of the United States government in criminal cases that take place in county-level and local courts. DAs can serve a total of two four-year terms.

Bernie Cantorna (D-Pa.), ran unopposed and was reelected with a total of 9,407 votes. Cantorna has served as district attorney in Centre County since Jan. 2, 2018.

Jury Commissioner

The jury commissioners are tasked with overseeing the civil jury process within their appointed county. There are two jury commissioners in Centre County who serve four-year terms.

Shelley L Thompson (D-Pa.) and Hope P Miller (R-Pa.) were both reelected to their positions with a total of 9,125 and 7,515 votes respectively. They both ran unopposed on their respective ballots.

Mayor

The Mayor of State College is the official representative of the municipality as well as the presiding officer of the State College Borough Council. They are limited to four-year terms before needing to be reelected.

Ezra Nanes (D-Pa.) was reelected as mayor of State College with a total of 1,535 votes. He ran unopposed, save for 42 write-in Republican ballots.

State College Borough Council

The State College Borough Council consists of seven members including the mayor, who all serve four-year terms that overlap, resulting in some members seeing elections before others.

Nalini Krishnankuttty (D-Pa.), John Hayes (D-Pa.) and Gopal Balachandran (D-Pa.) ran unopposed to be reelected to their positions on the council, with Krishnankutty receiving 1,459 votes, Hayes receiving 1,371 votes and Balachandran receiving 1,430 votes.

School Director, State College School District

The State College Area School District (SCASD) is governed by a board of directors which consists of nine members who all serve four-year terms.

Seven candidates ran on both the Democratic and Republican ballots for four available seats on the board with Deborah Anderson being reelected to the board with 6,084 votes across both ballots.

Jackie Huff, another incumbent, is also expected to be reelected with 5,490 votes across both ballots.

Jesse Barlow and Rebecca Arnold Desmarais are also expected to win seats on the SCASD Board of Directors with each candidate receiving 5,834 votes and 5,059 votes respectively across both ballots.

Judges

Judges in Centre County serve in minor courts within Pennsylvania’s judicial system and consist of magisterial district judges who preside over several municipal courts throughout State College and elsewhere.

These courts are tasked with determining if criminal cases go to the Court of Common Pleas, dealing with Preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings and setting and accepting bail, except in murder or voluntary manslaughter cases.

State College is made up of two magisterial districts.

Magisterial District 49-1-01 consists of Voting Districts within State College, specifically East 2, East 3, and East 4, East Central 2 and 3, South 2, South Central 1 & 2, Southeast and West Central 2.

Donald M Hahn ran on both the Democratic and Republican ballots to be reelected as judge for magisterial district 49-1-01, which includes State College, with a total of 930 votes across both ballots. He ran unopposed for the position.

Magisterial District 49-3-05 consists of Voting Districts within State College, specifically Voting Districts East 1, East Central 1, North, Northeast, Northwest, South 1, West 1, West 2 and West Central 1.

Steven F. Lachman ran on both the Democratic and Republican ballots to be reelected as judge for magisterial district 49-3-05, which includes State College, with a total of 889 votes across both ballots. He ran unopposed for the position.

The full list of Centre County unofficial Municipal Primary Elections results is available at centrecountypa.gov.

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‘With enough hard work, anything is possible’ | Maddie Pitts’ journey as a Penn State track and field star

Despite growing up around gymnastics her entire life, multi-event athlete Maddie Pitts is no…

 

 

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Luzerne County voters choose council candidates

It appears Luzerne County Republican voters chose three incumbents, a prior councilman and a newcomer to advance to the November general election in the county council race, according to unofficial primary election results. At 11:45 p.m., with all 186 precincts reporting, the following Republicans were in the lead: Council members John Lombardo, Brian Thornton […]

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It appears Luzerne County Republican voters chose three incumbents, a prior councilman and a newcomer to advance to the November general election in the county council race, according to unofficial primary election results.

At 11:45 p.m., with all 186 precincts reporting, the following Republicans were in the lead: Council members John Lombardo, Brian Thornton and Greg Wolovich, past county councilman Stephen J. Urban and southern county resident Jackie Scarcella.

Meanwhile, county Democrats nominated these five based on unofficial results: Denise Williams, Dawn Simmons, Chris Belles, Steven M. Coslett and Tony Perzia.

Nine Republicans sought that party’s five nominations Tuesday, which means the following four will not advance if the unofficial leads stand: incumbent Kevin Lescavage, Thomas Dombroski, Ronald D. Knapp and Rob Viars.

Seven Democrats ran, and the unofficial leads indicate the following did not secure nominations: Johnny Price and Emily Singh.

Council members receive $8,000 annually. In addition to adopting a budget, their duties include approving larger contracts, appointing members to outside county boards, enacting codes and ordinances, confirming nominations to eight division head positions and hiring/firing and evaluating the manager.

The compensation and powers of council could change if voters adopt a proposed home rule charter in November. For example, the county government study commission drafting the revised charter is recommending increasing the annual compensation for council members from $8,000 to $10,000 due to their responsibilities and workload.

The five council members selected in November will take office or start new terms the start of 2026 and serve with Joanna Bryn Smith, Harry Haas, Patty Krushnowski, LeeAnn McDermott, Jimmy Sabatino and Brittany Stephenson.

Chris Perry, the remaining incumbent in a seat that expires at the end of this year, did not seek re-election.

The unofficial vote tally as of 11:45 p.m. with 186 precincts reporting:

Republicans: Lombardo, 12,065; Thornton, 9,838; Urban, 9,042; Scarcella, 8,999; Wolovich, 8,638; Lescavage, 8,339; Dombroski, 8,017; Knapp, 6,629; and Viars, 4,742.

Democrats: Williams, 14,647; Simmons, 12,461; Belles, 12,048; Coslett, 11,501; Perzia, 10,618; Singh, 8,763; and Price, 8,057.

Some background on the nominees based on their announcement and other communications:

Republicans

• Lombardo, of Pittston, received a bachelor’s degree in political science and media relations from Penn State University in 2015. He currently works as a full-time firefighter/EMT at the City Fire Bureau and has served on county council since January 2022.

• Thornton, of West Pittston, graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He initially worked as a project engineer in New York City and has worked as a financial advisor in the county for 28 years. He had previously served on West Pittston Borough Council for a decade and has been a county council member since January 2022.

• Urban, of Kingston, is an IT support coordinator for a major food distributor and prior county council member. He served on county council from 2012 through 2015 and from 2020 through 2023. He currently serves on the county Government Study Commission.

• Scarcella, of Hazle Township, works as the development and alumni stewardship officer at Penn State University’s Hazleton campus and is a graduate of Hazleton High School and the Luzerne County Community College. She served two terms on the Hazleton Area School Board from 2016 to 2023.

• Wolovich, of Hanover Township, has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from King’s College and works as an operations manager at Wegmans Food Market in Wilkes-Barre Township. He has served on county council since January 2022.

Democrats

• Williams, of Kingston Township, began her career as a registered nurse and later became the coordinator of religious education at Saint Therese’s Church in Shavertown, a role she held for 24 years until her retirement in 2021. From 2017 to 2021, Williams volunteered with Fair Districts PA, a nonpartisan citizens group working to end gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. She served as county election board chair from 2021 through the end of 2024.

• Simmons, of Wilkes-Barre, Simmons, is a U.S. Air Force veteran and Realtor and described herself as a “resolute advocate for veterans, families and economic growth.”

• Belles, of West Pittston, is a 2004 Dallas High School graduate and a 2009 graduate of King’s College. He has spent most of his life in Luzerne County and currently works as a data analyst for Astound Broadband (RCN), where he focuses on identifying opportunities for efficiency.

• Coslett, of Forty Fort, graduated from the Wyoming Valley West School District and attended Luzerne County Community College, where he studied business management and criminal justice. Additionally, Coslett is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Academy in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. He retired after 23 years with the county correctional services division but continues to serve on the honor guard and its board of directors.

• Perzia, of Luzerne, said he is a dedicated community advocate with more than 30 years of experience in the community. He has served on the Luzerne Borough Council, as the Wyoming Valley West School District’s support staff president and on the PSEA Legislative Committee.

There was no primary competition in the county controller’s race because incumbent Republican controller Walter Griffith and Democratic contender Tim McGinley were each unopposed. The two will run against each other in November.

Based on the unofficial primary tally at 11:45 p.m., McGinley received 17,841 votes, while Griffith obtained 15,888.



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Eight years in the making, former Ferris State hockey player Lucas Finner earns Doctor of Pharmacy

      May 21, 2025 Former Ferris State hockey player let what started as a curiosity about pharmacy lead him ultimately to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Ferris State. BIG RAPIDS, Mich. —  It was an eight-year journey for Lucas Finner, who initially arrived at Ferris State University laser-focused on his college hockey career. […]

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Lucas Finner Bulldog hockey alum earns Doctor of Pharmacy
Former Ferris State hockey player let what started as a curiosity about pharmacy lead
him ultimately to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Ferris State.

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — 

It was an eight-year journey for Lucas Finner, who initially arrived at Ferris State
University laser-focused on his college hockey career.

Skating for the Bulldogs, Finner balanced his efforts on the ice and his work in the
classroom.

Lucas Finner with the Miller boys

Lucas Finner, pictured here as a freshman for the Ferris State hockey team, is pictured
with Cam and Cooper Miller.

After earning his Bachelor of Science in Biology (Pre-Pharmacy) in spring 2021 from
the College of Arts, Sciences and Education, Finner reflected fondly on his complete
Ferris State journey as a hockey student-athlete turned graduate student in the College
of Pharmacy’s doctoral program.

Through the years and his life experiences, Finner has gained perspective on a long
college journey marked by successes.

“Four years to get my degree in Biology, while balancing life as a student-athlete,
followed by four more years working my way to earning my Doctor of Pharmacy,” said
Finner, a native of Elmhurst, Illinois. “It’s definitely a lot to balance.”

The Ferris State Doctor of Pharmacy requires at least six academic years of full-time
college study – two years Pre-Pharmacy plus four professional years. Accordingly,
Finner’s Ferris State choice was about more than playing college hockey as time passed.
Coming to Big Rapids, developing short-term and long-term goals, Finner lived the
best of all worlds as a student-athlete.

“I went to Ferris State to play hockey,” he said. “At the same time, I learned about
its pharmacy program. I knew Ferris State had a really good program. I was blessed
with the opportunity to do both at Ferris State.”

Finner felt a nudge down a career path. “I’ve always had a curiosity about pharmacy.
I like to help people too. I thought it was a great route to go.”

Before joining the Ferris State program, Finner played junior hockey for the Nanaimo
Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League. There, he earned accolades, including
being named the Clippers’ “Most Exciting Player” during the 2016-17 season. He totaled
25 points in 31 games and played in 55 more the prior season with Nanaimo.

On the ice, Finner was a solid player for the Bulldogs with 17 career goals – including
seven on the power play. The 17 goals with 23 assists added up to 40 points for longtime,
legendary head coach Bob Daniels. His first career goal came in Yost Ice Arena in
Ann Arbor against the University of Michigan on Nov. 2, 2017. 
 
Being a student-athlete is challenging. That is especially true for a student-athlete
like Finner, who focused on earning his Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

“It definitely got tough at times,” he said. “But the good thing about it is that
you get a lot of support here from coaches, teammates and the university. What I love
about being here is that everyone wants you to succeed. That lets you know that your
success is possible if you put in the work.”

Beyond the coaching staff, however, Finner had a network of people in the Big Rapids
community cheering him on throughout his Bulldog journey, including Mecosta County
Sheriff Brian Miller, his wife, Heather, and their family.

Heather was among the well-wishers inside a packed Jim Wink Arena on Friday, May 9,
as one of the many people cheering on Finner, including some of his family.

“Lucas was the first to come into our lives in August of 2018 as a Ferris State University
freshman hockey player,” Heather said. “From the very beginning, he brought not only
his passion for the game but a quiet determination, kindness and humility that made
him an instant role model for our two young boys (Cameron and Cooper). Two years later,
when Max joined the team and came to Big Rapids, it felt like our family was simply
growing in the most natural way. Max had his own unique spark—driven, thoughtful,
and always one to step up when needed.”

Max played two seasons for Ferris State and had four points on one goal with three
assists in 38 games.  
Their growth, according to Miller, is a big part of the college experience.

“Watching them both grow from teenagers into mature, driven young men has been one
of the greatest honors of our lives,” she said. “They were more than just college
hockey players — they were family. Our boys idolized them, cheered for them at every
game, and learned from their discipline, sportsmanship and heart both on and off the
ice.”

There was a special twist to a great day for the Finner family. While Lucas graduated
with his Doctor of Pharmacy from Ferris State in Big Rapids, Max graduated in Chicago.

“Now, fast forward eight years, and here we are—full of pride and emotion—watching
Lucas graduate as Dr. Lucas Finner with his Doctor of Pharmacy from Ferris State University.
On the very same day, Max is graduating from Roosevelt University with a degree in
Cybersecurity and preparing to ship off next week for basic training in the U.S. Army,
where he will go on to serve in the Cyber Operations division,” Miller said. “To say
we are proud is an understatement. These two young men are on their way to making
a real difference in the world.”

Lucas Finner is excited about this next chapter of life.

“After eight years of school, I am looking forward to getting out there and working
to see where life takes me from here,” he said. 





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