Sports
Kensinger, Kirunchyk, Morin Named to Big 12 All-Conference Team
Story Links Beach VB All-Time Conference Honors IRVING, Texas – After placing second in the Big 12, three from Sun Devil Beach Volleyball are on the 2025 Big 12 All-Conference Team: Daniella Kensinger, Ava Kirunchyk and Samaya Morin. Arizona State has had at least […]

IRVING, Texas – After placing second in the Big 12, three from Sun Devil Beach Volleyball are on the 2025 Big 12 All-Conference Team: Daniella Kensinger, Ava Kirunchyk and Samaya Morin.
Arizona State has had at least one all-conference honoree for three years in a row. Additionally, three in the same season ties the program record, which also was achieved in 2017. Kensinger, a junior, has now received all-conference nods in each of her three seasons after being All-Pac-12 in 2024 and All-WCC in 2023. For Kirunchyk and Morin, both redshirt juniors, this is their first all-conference award.
For the full Big 12 All-Conference Team, head to the conference website.
Kensinger had another stand-out season for the Sand Devils. She had a 21-14 record, playing primarily at the No. 1 court but also seeing time on court three. During the season, she had six wins over the top pairs from ranked teams, as well as a win against No. 7 Florida State’s threes. This season, she was the Big 12 Pair of the Week on March 5 with Ava Williamson, with whom she had a six-match winning streak.
Kirunchyk put together a 22-10 record in 2025, the second-best individual win total on the team. She played on the top two courts for the majority of the season. Against pairs from ranked opponents, she had nine wins, including four against top-10 teams and three against conference foe TCU. The win over the Horned Frogs’ top pair came in the Big 12 Championship Finals. Kirunchyk was paired with Morin and they swept TCU’s No.1 duo, the first time they had been swept all season. For their efforts, Morin and Kirunchyk were named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Kirunchyk also won a Big 12 Pair of the Week award this season, winning on April 9 with Ava Williamson. That pair had a 10-match winning streak this season, which is the second-longest streak by a pair in program history.
After missing her first season with ASU in 2024 due to injury, Morin came back strong in 2025, compiling a 17-9 record. She played mostly between the No. 1 and 2 courts, earning an 11-6 mark on the top court. She had five wins over pairs from ranked teams, including two top-10 wins over No. 7 Florida State (helping the team get the dual upset) and against No. 2 TCU. Morin earned Big 12 All-Tournament Team honors alongside Kirunchyk after they went 3-1 at the tournament with a win over TCU’s top duo.
Sports
Fuseini, Modeste earn superlatives, 12 ETAMU track and field athletes named to all-Southland teams
Twelve student-athletes from the East Texas A&M University track and field teams earned all-Southland Conference recognition following their performances at the SLC Outdoor Championships, including a pair of superlative awards. Highlighting the honors for the Lions are Ibrahim Fuseini (Accra, Ghana), who earned the conference’s Athlete of the Year award to go along with being the Outstanding […]

Twelve student-athletes from the East Texas A&M University track and field teams earned all-Southland Conference recognition following their performances at the SLC Outdoor Championships, including a pair of superlative awards.
Highlighting the honors for the Lions are Ibrahim Fuseini (Accra, Ghana), who earned the conference’s Athlete of the Year award to go along with being the Outstanding Running Events performer and the Most Valuable Performer at the outdoor meet, while Armani Modeste (Castries, Saint Lucia) was named the co-Newcomer of the Year.
Fuseini put together an impressive season for East Texas A&M as he went 4 for 4 in winning conference championships at the meet in Houston, being part of two school record and one Southland meet record performance as well. He won the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 4×100 meter relay, and 4×400 meter relay, setting the school record in the 200 meter dash and the 4×100 meter relay, and breaking the Lions’ SLC meet record in the 4×100 meter relay as well.
Modeste ran alongside Fuseini in the 4×100 meter relay and 4×400 meter relay, winning gold in both races, while also scoring points for the Lions in the 200 meter dash (fourth) and the 400 meter dash (seventh).
Along with the individual honors, the conference also announced the all-conference teams, with 12 Lions being named to the three all-conference teams. The Lions finished fourth on the men’s side at the conference championships, while the Lion women finished sixth.
Fuseini earned first team all-Southland honors in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 4×100 meter relay, and 4×400 meter relay. Joining Fuseini on the first team are Justin Vincent (Agde, France) in the men’s long jump, Veronika Kramarenko (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine) in the women’s high jump, and Romi Griese (Salzkotten, Germany) in the women’s discus.
The four individual champions on the first team were joined by the 4×100 meter relay team of Fuseini, Modeste, Enoch Fosuhene (Accra, Ghana), and Oguz Uyar (Cannakele, Turkey) and the 4×400 meter relay team of Fuseini, Modeste, Fosuhene, and Philip Krenek (Prague, Czech Republic).
Fosuhene was also named to second team all-Southland in the 200 meter dash, while Jonas Gran (Riehen, Switzerland) earned second team honors in the decathlon.
On the women’s side, the third team all-conference honors were Analice Pursley (Georgetown – East View) in the 400 meter hurdles, Cassandra Rendon (San Antonio – Madison) in the discus, and Blessing Samuel (Ghana) in the long jump.
Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field superlative awards are nominated and voted upon by the league’s head coaches. Voting for oneself or one’s own athletes is not permitted. All-conference distinction is given to the first-, second- and third-place finishers in each championship event final.
Women’s Athlete of the Year – Samari Finney, Northwestern State
Women’s Outstanding Running Events Performer – Maygan Shaw, Northwestern State
Women’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Raven-Symone Jarrett, Northwestern State
Women’s Freshman of the Year and Most Valuable Performer – Elizabeth Khatevi, A&M-Corpus Christi
Women’s Newcomer of the Year – Basia Mitchell, SFA
Women’s Phil Olson Coach of the Year – Mike Heimerman, Northwestern State
Men’s Athlete of the Year, Most Outstanding Running Events Performer and Most Valuable Performer – Ibrahim Fuseini, East Texas A&M
Men’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Marcus Francis, McNeese
Men’s Freshman of the Year – Elkana Kipruto, SFA
Men’s Co-Newcomer of the Year – Emmanuel Ekuma, A&M-Corpus Christi
Men’s Co-Newcomer of the Year – Armani Modeste, East Texas A&M
Leon Johnson Award (Men’s Coach of the Year) – Robert Hansen, SFA
2025 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
Event | First | Second | Third |
100 meter dash | Ibrahim Fuseini, East Texas A&M | Corin Burns, UTRGV | Tavis Wilson, NSU |
200 meter dash | Ibrahim Fuseini, East Texas A&M | Enoch Fosuhene, East Texas A&M | Corin Burns, UTRGV |
400 meter dash | Cameron Chin, Lamar | William Achee, NSU | Victory Achapoekri, SLU |
800 meter run | Phillip Jensen e Castro, TAMUCC | Tray’Quan Francis, McNeese | Luke Parker, Lamar |
1,500 meter run | Edouard Lecrivain, HCU | Fredd Richardson, Lamar | Riley Elliott, SFA |
5,000 meter run | Elkana Kipruto, SFA | Griffin Neal, UIW | Freddy Richardson, UIW |
10,000 meter run | Elkana Kipruto, SFA | Griffin Neal, UIW | Lloyd Sheppard-Brown, Lamar |
110 meter hurdles | Olufolabo Ogunyemi, SLU | Dishawn Lamb, NSU | Ashton Munoz-Nieves, HCU |
400 meter hurdles | Jarvis Anderson, SFA | Jaden Powell, McNeese | Denzel Hinds, HCU |
3,000 meter steeplechase | Christopher Daniels, UIW | Zephirin Darhan, SFA | Ethan Malsich, UIW |
4×100 meter relay | Oguz Uyar, Enoch Fosuhene, Armani Modeste, Ibrahim Fuseini – East Texas A&M | Galen Loyd, Mikkel Johansson, Elijah Rowe, Tavis Wilson — NSU | Christopher Murphy, Madonna Favour, Daryl Bachmann, Darryl George, Jr. – UNO |
4×400 meter relay | Enoch Fosuhene, Philip Krenek, Armani Modeste, Ibrahim Fuseini– East Texas A&M | Vincent Granini, Desmond Duncan, Galen Loyd, William Achee – NSU | Alejandro Arellano, Jamari Harts, Ricky Young, Derrius Henry –UTRGV |
High Jump | Elijah Jackson, Lamar | Hunter Murphy, SFA | Nicholas Grullon, SFA |
Pole Vault | Brayden Hill, SFA | Garrett Savage, SFA | Cade Carter, SFA |
Long Jump | Justin Vincent, East Texas A&M | Keamonie Archie, UTRGV | Christopher Murphy, UNO |
Triple Jump | Bryson Williams, SFA | Joshua Gillis-Harry, HCU | Aaron Cooper, UTRGV |
Shot Put | Marcus Francis, McNeese | Donroy Brown, SLU | Emmanuel Ekuma, TAMUCC |
Discus Throw | Marcus Francis, McNeese | Anthony Oliver, Lamar | Micah Miller, SLU |
Hammer Throw | Anthony Oliver, Lamar | Gerrit Viser, SLU | Tyler Challis, McNeese |
Javelin Throw | Thomas Knoop, Lamar | Gabriel Lim, SLU | Alex Del Popolo, TAMUCC |
Decathlon | Leo Chauchard, UIW | Jonas Gran, East Texas A&M | Bruce Boon, NSU |
2025 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
Event | First | Second | Third |
100 meter dash | Nayla Harris, UTRGV | Sileena Farrell, NSU | Kennedy Swann, SFA |
200 meter dash | Maygan Shaw, NSU | Jizzale Davis, UTRGV | Samari Finney, NSU |
400 meter dash | Maygan Shaw, NSU | Onyah Onyinye Favour, SLU | Samari Finney, NSU |
800 meter run | Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC | Lilliana Guerrero, UTRGV | Kailey Salazar, UTRGV |
1,500 meter run | Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC | Eline Mast, HCU | Inca Padfield, Lamar |
5,000 meter run | Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC | Inca Padfield, Lamar | Alicia Finnis, TAMUCC |
10,000 meter run | Valentine Jemutai, SFA | Ahston Rainey, Lamar | Alicia Finnis, TAMUCC |
100 meter hurdles | Kayli Johnson, Lamar | Helen Baugaretn, UNO | Raven-Symone Jarrett, NSU |
400 meter hurdles | Esther Nwaze, SLU | Silet Gray, NSU | Analice Pursley, East Texas A&M |
3,000 meter steeplechase | Samantha Gonzalez, UTRGV | Oceane Cercueil, UIW | Micah Mizell, TAMUCC |
4×100 meter relay | Samari Finney, Maygan Shaw, Dynia Lewis, Sileena Farrell — NSU | Kierra Yarbough, Jada Gibson, Kennedy Swann, Whitenee Teagle — SFA | Ahmasia Brown, Kayla Smith, Kayli Johnson, Chantell Brown — Lamar |
4×400 meter relay | Kahliyah Anderson, Tranasia Jones, Margret Conteh, Samari Finney — NSU | Miriam Kauer, Nina Sorapuru, Esther Nwanze, Onyah Onyinye Favour — SLU | Aliyah Castillo, Zoe Adams, Trinity Kirk, Jizzale Davis — UTRGV |
High Jump | Veronika Kramarenko, East Texas A&M | Achol Maywin, UTRGV | Isabella Gonzalez-Velasquez, UIW |
Pole Vault | Kalli Knott, NSU | Iliana Singh, UIW | Kira Van Den Ham, SFA |
Long Jump | Samari Finney, NSU | Kayli Johnson, Lamar | Blessing Samuel, East Texas A&M |
Triple Jump | Jaslyn Smith, NSU | Nyadhol Thichoit, TAMUCC | Kayli Johnson, Lamar |
Shot Put | Shakera Williams, NSU | Efe Latham, UTRGV | Jaslyn Russell, McNeese |
Discus Throw | Romi Griese, East Texas A&M | Shakera Kirk, NSU | Cassandra Rendon, East Texas A&M |
Hammer Throw | Hannah Hilding, UTRGV | Breyunna Dowell, TAMUUC | Cyan Green, TAMUCC |
Javelin Throw | Neelie Schiel, Lamar | Cecile Bogliolo, Lamar | Teodors Samac, NSU |
Heptathlon | Raven-Symone Jarrett, NSU | Basia Mitchell, SFA | Mariam Buenanueva-Saleme, Lamar |
Article source and photo credit: lionathletics.com
Sports
Rutgers Freshman Becomes Tunnel to Towers Student Athlete Advocate
Rutgers University freshman Caitlin Collins hails from a family of firefighters, so when the opportunity came to show support to fallen heroes of September 11th, she threw her hat into the ring. “It’s my way of giving back to the people I know who have served,” Collins told Fox Sports Radio New Jersey a couple […]

Rutgers University freshman Caitlin Collins hails from a family of firefighters, so when the opportunity came to show support to fallen heroes of September 11th, she threw her hat into the ring.
“It’s my way of giving back to the people I know who have served,” Collins told Fox Sports Radio New Jersey a couple of days before Memorial Day. “I think about sharing the stories of growing up in a firehouse, navigating holidays, birthdays, and graduations around my dad’s firehouse schedule. Growing up around it I learned about the scarifies first responders make every day.”
Collins is the daughter of a firefighter captain, granddaughter of a retired firefighter, and great-granddaughter of a former battalion chief.
This spring, she just completed her freshman season on the Rutgers women’s Lacrosse team and is now the latest member of the Student Athlete Advocate Program through the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
The Foundation was formed over 20 years ago in honor of the sacrifice made by FDNY Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001.
The Foundation has supported the nation’s first responders, veterans, and their families by providing mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen heroes.
According to a press release issued by T2T, since 2021, Tunnel to Towers has joined up with the NCAA to provide an opportunity to “connect current student-athletes to the foundation’s mission and ensure young Americans ‘Never Forget’ the sacrifices made by first responders and military members.”
To date, 18 student-athletes and young professionals have collaborated with the foundation to participate in the initiative.
Collins was chosen along with Jack Holl, a senior water polo player at Pennsylvania State University-Behrend, to represent the foundation.
Continued Collins: “I would always see their commercials, and my dad’s fire station has worked with the Foundation in the past. We had a ‘My Cause’ game back in March, and it was a no-brainer to choose Tunnels to Towers. I went to their website, and they had a column for student athletes, and I saw other athletes sharing their stories, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Added Tunnel to Towers Media Relations Manager Nick Diamantis: “Caitlin’s background was everything we looked for in building this program. Her long lineage of family and first responder units totally captures what we try to do here to get a younger demographic of people helping out the Foundation, spreading the mission nationwide.”
Collins will take part in the Tunnel to Towers Tower Climb on June 1 in New York City at One World Observatory. The event has been taking place since 2015, and celebrates the life and scarifies of all 9-11 heroes.
“It’s a way to give back and carry on the legacy of others. Seeing other people my age grow up the same way you did is relatable, and it’s fun to be a part of. I was born in 2006, so I only know the post-9/11 world, so it’s important to me to promote that we never forget what families have gone through.”
Michael Cohen is the News and Sports Director at Fox Sports Radio New Jersey and Magic 98.3 FM, as well as a radio production assistant with Fox and Magic in New Jersey. He started his career in Somerset in 2018 initially as a news fill-in at WCTC 1450 AM, and soon moved up to higher responsibilities in the ensuing years, assuming News & Sports Director title in 2021Prior to his time with Fox Sports New Jersey, Michael was play-by-play voice for New Jersey Jackals baseball, and as well as play-by-play and color for the College of Staten Island basketball (men and women), softball and baseball. Michael began his career as a news and sportswriter with the Jersey Journal of Hudson County.
Sports
Mathea Olin Scours Vancouver Island for Waves on a Sailboat
Vancouver Island holds many secrets, but you can find them if you look. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot The west coast of Vancouver Island holds many secrets. I grew up there, poking my nose around different corners, slogging through the mud beneath the trees in search of waves, and I have not found most of them. There are […]


Vancouver Island holds many secrets, but you can find them if you look. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot

The west coast of Vancouver Island holds many secrets. I grew up there, poking my nose around different corners, slogging through the mud beneath the trees in search of waves, and I have not found most of them. There are endless waves breaking off endless points and over endless shifting sandbars, many of which require more than just legs to access. It’s a stunningly beautiful place made more beautiful by the work that goes into seeing those beautiful places. Canadian surfer Mathea Olin knows that as well as anyone, and she decided to explore the rugged coastline of her home in Rip Curl’s Transports of Delight II.
“Finding waves where you can surf and you’re the only one out, like, those are moments for me when I know where I’m meant to be,” Olin said. “Those are the moments I’m going to continue to find and explore our coastline and push my limits on a sailboat and just overall learn more about the ocean and who I want to be.”
Vancouver Island isn’t exactly known for it’s perfect, sunny days. The storms come fast and hard, full of driving rain and howling wind. The ocean is moodier there than many other places; ripping currents and freezing cold water that’s sometimes crystal clear and other times as clear as mud.
Olin, like many who call the island home, has a strong connection with the place she grew up. And growing up in Tofino, the ocean is home. Like anywhere else, you can’t always bank on perfect waves.
“For me a huge part of it is just being out there in the ocean. Out in nature,” Olin explained. “It’s definitely a cherry on top when you actually get swell on a sailing trip.”
As I mentioned, Vancouver Island is full of secrets, and Olin wants to keep uncovering them. It’s a magical place, but it’s not just because of the waves.
“Being a surfer, you’re always so enamored by the coastline and what it has to offer,” she said. “Every corner we rounded there was something new to look at. Little moments like that make me want to keep going a little bit farther, not knowing what you’re going to find.”
This is the second such trip Olin has done, and she learned a few valuable lessons from the first go-around.
“Last trip was a crash course in sailing with friend and mentor Satch Robertson,” Rip Curl wrote. “This time, Mathea came prepared. That’s the beauty of doing things for a second time. You know more, have a sense for extra goals and can truly let go of any anxieties. There’s something incredibly empowering about having the skills to chart your own course too. To take your adventure into your own hands. The freedom to explore wherever the wind takes you — and the confidence to make the journey your own.”
Sports
Women’s Track Star Scatchard, Water Polo’s Pozaric Receive Princeton’s Top Senior Athletic Awards
AWARDS SHOW: Princeton University women’s track and cross country star Mena Scatchard, left, is all smiles as she receives the C. Otto von Kienbusch Award from Princeton Director of Athletics John Mack last Thursday evening at the Gary Walters ’67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet. The award is given annually to a Princeton senior woman […]

AWARDS SHOW: Princeton University women’s track and cross country star Mena Scatchard, left, is all smiles as she receives the C. Otto von Kienbusch Award from Princeton Director of Athletics John Mack last Thursday evening at the Gary Walters ’67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet. The award is given annually to a Princeton senior woman of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportswoman. During her Tiger career, Scatchard was eight-time Ivy League champion and a 2025 NCAA indoor runner-up in the mile. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)
By Bill Alden
One is a petite, wiry runner from England while the other is a chiseled 6’4 bruiser from Croatia who dominates in the pool.
Coming to Princeton from Europe in 2021, the two athletes, Mena Scatchard and Roko Pozaric, produced stellar college careers. Scatchard established herself as one of the most accomplished distance runners in the 47-year history of Princeton women’s track and field. Pozaric, for his part, ended his Tiger men’s water polo career with the most goals in program history.
Last Thursday evening, Scatchard and Pozaric were honored as the top Princeton senior athletes at the Gary Walters ’67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet. Scatchard received the C. Otto von Kienbusch Award given annually to a Princeton senior woman of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportswoman. Pozaric won the William Winston Roper Trophy awarded annually to a Princeton senior man of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportsman.
Scatchard displayed her quality time and time again as an eight-time Ivy League champion. A 2025 NCAA indoor runner-up in the mile, Scatchard is just the second Tiger woman to place that high at nationals – and she did it while climbing from 10th to second with the fastest final two laps in the entire field.
At the conference level, Scatchard won individual Ivy titles in four events, while winning four 4×800 relay titles. She set four facility records during her championship performances.
Additionally, Scatchard, a native of North Yorkshire, U.K., is a nine-time first team and three-time second team All-Ivy honoree. Scatchard has rewritten the Princeton record books during her four years. She holds seven program records, including the 800 meters, 1,500, 5,000, 3,000, mile, and as a part of 4×800 and distance medley relays. She also ranks second all-time in the Princeton record books in three other events, while making the all-time top-10 in four more. Scatchard’s performances have landed her in the Ivy League all-time top-10, all-meets in seven events.
A rare middle distance runner who also excels on the cross country course, Scatchard is a two-time
All-Ivy performer and finished second overall last fall to lead the Tigers to their first cross country Heps title in nine years. Scatchard’s individual achievements and leadership have guided Princeton women’s cross country and women’s track and field to new heights this year, helping the program complete its first Triple Crown (Ivy cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track titles) since 2011 and third all-time — two milestones that will be cemented and cherished in the history of the program.
MAKING A SPLASH: Princeton University men’s water polo player Roko Pozaric unloads the ball in action this season. Pozaric, who tallied a program-record 281 goals in his Tiger career, was named last Thursday as the recipient of the William Winston Roper Trophy awarded annually to a Princeton senior man of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportsman. (Photo by Shelley M. Szwast, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)
Pozaric made history of his own for the Tiger men’s water polo team as a four-time All-American and three time conference Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Player of the Year. He is Princeton’s all-time leading goal scorer with 281 tallies while also ranking second all-time in assists, ranking Pozaric as arguably the best player in program history. Pozaric who hails from Zagreb Croatia, made an immediate impact when he arrived at Princeton, being named the NWPC Rookie of the Year and Rookie of the NWPC Tournament on his way to his first All-American honors.
In 2023, Pozaric had a career year with 76 goals and 47 assists and received recognition as the NWPC Tournament MVP and was named a Cutino Award finalist, an award presented annually by the Olympic Club to honor the nation’s most outstanding Division I male and female water polo athletes.
During his carer, Pozaric has helped transform the program into a national contender as the Tigers have won the conference title four years in a row, making it to the NCAA Final Four in 2023 and earning a program-record 28 wins, finishing ranked fifth in the country the last two seasons and beating two of the water polo “big four,” in Cal and Stanford, during his career. Pozaric is a four-time first-team All-NWPC performer and a 14-time conference Player of the Week.
Sports
Beach magic – Fernandina Observer
By Dickie Anderson Plato said, “The sea cures all ailments of man.” My middle son and his 6-year-old son recently visited. There is only one thing my youngest grandson wanted to do. Go to the beach, and so we did. I should not have been surprised. Raising three boys, we spent lots of time at […]

By Dickie Anderson
Plato said, “The sea cures all ailments of man.”
My middle son and his 6-year-old son recently visited. There is only one thing my youngest grandson wanted to do. Go to the beach, and so we did. I should not have been surprised. Raising three boys, we spent lots of time at beaches in North Carolina and Delaware. The beach never got old.
It had been a while since I had enjoyed a beach day. It brought back memories of my childhood when my family would travel from Chicago to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our simple cottage was right on the ocean, and we spent our days on the edge of the ocean fishing and swimming and just hanging out. We rented the same cottage every year. It was a sad day when we got a call telling us a hurricane had claimed our much-loved cottage.
So the cycle continues. I spread a towel and sat on the beach, wiggling my toes in the sand. Groups of people around me set up their camps with chairs, tents, and coolers. Children of all sizes and shapes gathered at the surf’s edge. Some were building sandcastles, some were jumping in the waves, and mothers were chasing their kids to slather sunscreen on their progeny. My grandson never tired of the ocean and its draw — swimming, riding his boogie board, and making forts with his dad. Who needs Disneyland when you can have a day at the beach?
As I watched all ages enjoying a beautiful Amelia Island day, I noticed a man pushing a wheelchair adapted for the beach to the edge of the surf. I joined the man and his mother and asked about the special chair. I learned that many large oceanside hotels now offer the specialized wheelchairs for their guests’ use. His mother was able to get her feet wet and was clearly comforted by her ability to enjoy the beach.
The chunky-tired chairs have made it possible for families to go to the beach together without leaving a family member with a disability at home.
It turns out Amelia Island is the preferred destination for beach goers with challenges.
Bustling Main Beach Park offers everything — beach volleyball courts, playgrounds, picnic shelters, restaurants, restrooms, a skate park and options for the disabled. There is a boardwalk with a Mobi-mat for wheelchair access that extends roughly halfway to the water. The Atlantic Recreation Center has free beach wheelchairs and one Mobi-chair — which can float in water — that can be rented. A deposit is required and equipment can only be used at city beach accesses.
Much is said about the healing qualities of the ocean. Visiting the beach always leaves me feeling alive and refreshed physically and emotionally. My time out at the beach with son and grandson has triggered a pull to the beach. This writer can’t take the computer to the beach — that is a good thing.
Dickie Anderson welcomes your questions and/or comments: dickie.anderson@gmail.com
Sports
Mets, David Villar Agree To Minor League Deal
The Mets are in agreement with infielder David Villar on a minor league contract, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The CAA client had elected free agency after being outrighted by the Giants last week. Villar, 28, joins the second organization of his career. He had been with San Francisco since they selected him in the 11th […]


The Mets are in agreement with infielder David Villar on a minor league contract, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The CAA client had elected free agency after being outrighted by the Giants last week.
Villar, 28, joins the second organization of his career. He had been with San Francisco since they selected him in the 11th round of the 2018 draft. The right-handed hitter showed some promise during his rookie season three years ago. He hit nine home runs with a .455 slugging percentage in 52 games. He would have needed to improve upon a 32% strikeout rate to find long-term success, though.
The Giants never gave him much of a chance to do so. Villar appeared in 46 games the following season, and he hit just .145 while striking out 32% of the time. That more or less closed the book on his MLB tenure in San Francisco. He has appeared in only 20 big league contests over the past two seasons. Villar has tallied well over 1200 Triple-A plate appearances over the last three years. He’s a lifetime .273/.381/.507 hitter with 61 home runs at the top minor league level.
That minor league production has also come with a decent amount of swing-and-miss. Villar has punched out at a near-26% clip in Triple-A. He has cleared outright waivers twice in the past two months, suggesting every team has trepidation about him making enough contact to produce at the big league level. The Mets already have a decent amount of corner infield talent, so it’d probably take an injury to one of Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso or Brett Baty to open an MLB opportunity.
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