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ADVERTISEMENT Erika Gómez, head of sales at Onza Distribution, discusses the strengths of the company’s diverse slate across telenovelas, dramas, documentaries and entertainment formats. Onza Distribution represents an expansive catalog that covers the gamut of genres. “Our focus is on delivering stories that entertain, inspire and connect with audiences worldwide,” says Gómez. Onza particularly prides […]

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Erika Gómez, head of sales at Onza Distribution, discusses the strengths of the company’s diverse slate across telenovelas, dramas, documentaries and entertainment formats.

Onza Distribution represents an expansive catalog that covers the gamut of genres. “Our focus is on delivering stories that entertain, inspire and connect with audiences worldwide,” says Gómez.

Onza particularly prides itself on its telenovela offering, which features an array of options from the Portuguese channel TVI. “Its telenovelas are the undisputed leaders in prime time, which makes a lot of sense since its stories have the capacity to captivate audiences inside and outside its border. These telenovelas capture very well the Mediterranean culture, lifestyle and landscapes, but at the same time deal with universal themes such as love, jealousy, family secrets and revenge, which connect with audiences all over the world.”

Prime examples include The Color of Love, which sees three Portuguese sisters inherit a wealthy estate in Angola, and Cacao, in which a young Portuguese woman who makes chocolates on a Brazilian cocoa farm discovers her real father is the wealthy owner of the plantation. Both give viewers cross-border storylines. Heart Keeper, meanwhile, “shares the leading role with the successful Cacao, Matilde Reymão, who this time plays a businesswoman in the restaurant business who is in love with the man who was accused of killing her father,” Gómez explains.

“In addition to all these interesting plots, high production values, spectacular locations and very elaborate casting have led to the international success of our telenovela catalog,” she adds.

Onza Distribution’s fiction slate spans beyond telenovelas to include comedies, thrillers and much more. The feel-good comedy Traffic Jam takes place across one evening in the middle of a traffic jam. “Each episode takes you through different emotions like love, nostalgia, suspense or even terror, but always leaves you with a good feeling,” Gómez says.

Other titles in the fiction catalog include Flowers Over the Inferno, a thriller that follows criminologist Teresa Battaglia through investigations in the Italian Alps, and Mamen Mayo: At Her Will, centered on a flamboyant lawyer who specializes in inheritances.

In addition to its offer of fictional stories, Onza Distribution’s slate features a slew of documentaries that “span a variety of topics, from nature and conservation to history and human stories, all aimed at engaging and informing audiences worldwide,” Gómez says.

This includes Iberia & Savannah: One Wildlife, a documentary that accompanies a leopard cub and an Iberian lynx cub as they grow into adulthood alongside other species. “This documentary perfectly complements our factual slate by reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, visually stunning and entertaining content,” she explains.

Onza Distribution also has a deal in place with Wakai for three sports documentaries “that delve into the inspiring journeys of athletes, the challenges they overcome and the broader cultural and social impact of sports,” Gómez notes. “They fit seamlessly into our slate by providing high-energy, character-driven narratives that appeal to both sports enthusiasts and general audiences. At Onza, we aim to tell stories that transcend the field of play, offering compelling human experiences that resonate globally.” She points to Courtois: The Return of the Number 1, telling the story of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ comeback, as a shining example.

Ultimately, “our documentary catalog is aligned with our values of educating while entertaining, whether it is wildlife, sports, science, history or social issues,” she states.

Onza Distribution additionally has a partnership in place with 7yacción to represent “innovative and entertaining formats that have already proven their success,” Gómez says. Through the partnership, Onza represents formats such as The Celeb Challenge, pushing celebrities to face real challenges to raise money for charity; The Anthill (El Hormiguero), a celebrity talk show that also features scientific experiments; and The Way Home, accompanying celebrities as they retrace the journey from their childhood home to their old school to who they are now.

This multigenre offering will only continue to grow, as the company plans to keep diversifying its already-expansive catalog “with high-quality, distinctive content that aligns with our vision,” Gómez says. “In fiction, we seek character-driven dramas [and] thrillers that bring fresh narratives and strong international appeal. In factual, we aim to acquire premium documentaries that explore sports, current affairs, human stories and wildlife with a strong commercial approach. Additionally, we are always interested in entertainment formats that can be easily adapted for different markets.”

No matter the genre, though, she reiterates that the company’s main ethos remains on “delivering stories that entertain, inspire and connect with audiences worldwide.”

College Sports

Three Penn State wrestling connections are picked to win at the World Team Trials this weekend

Penn State wrestling is already set to be represented by Luke Lilledahl and Mitchell Mesenbrink at Final X. The June event will feature 20 men’s and women’s freestyle matches to determine the 2025 U.S. Senior team, which will compete at the World Championship later this year. Before that, the U.S. World Team Trials will be […]

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Three Penn State wrestling connections are picked to win at the World Team Trials this weekend

Penn State wrestling is already set to be represented by Luke Lilledahl and Mitchell Mesenbrink at Final X. The June event will feature 20 men’s and women’s freestyle matches to determine the 2025 U.S. Senior team, which will compete at the World Championship later this year. Before that, the U.S. World Team Trials will be held this Friday and Saturday in Louisville. That’s where PSU and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club connections can punch their ticket to join Lilledahl and Mesenbrink, and Kyle Snyder in New Jersey. And, one national writer thinks that more than a few will.

Writing for FLO Wrestling, Jon Kozak predicts three Penn State connections will take first this weekend. He projects that senior Levi Haines will win the 79 kilogram (174.1 pounds) bracket while redshirt sophomore Josh Barr claims the 92 kilogram (202.8 pounds) division. He picked the Nittany Lion to do so before Jacob Cardenas dropped from the bracket. Now, Barr might be an even bigger favorite. And, beyond current members of Cael Sanderson’s team, Kozak also has NLWC member and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake taking the 86 kilogram (189.5 pounds) title.

Learn more about the Penn State wrestling connections competing at the U.S. World Team Trials by watching the latest BWI wrestling show below!

“The 79 kg bracket at the WTT is essentially a smaller version of the 79 kg bracket from the US Open,” Kozak writes. “In Vegas, DJ Hamiti finished as the runner-up with a tech fall over Kennedy Monday while losing to Evan Wick in the finals 9-1. Simon Ruiz finished in third place at the US Open, also only losing to Evan Wick (9-5) but defeating Carson Kharchla (twice, 3-2 and 7-7) and Muhamed McBryde (6-4). From these results, Hamiti should be considered a slight favorite, but Ruiz and Kharchla are interesting challengers capable of making a run to the finals.

“Levi Haines is the only wrestler in this bracket who didn’t wrestle at the US Open. While Haines lost to Hamiti at the NCAA Tournament, Haines is capable of winning this bracket in Louisville. Haines hasn’t competed much in freestyle, but he notably finished 4th at the 2024 World Team Trials at 79 kg. There, Haines lost to Jordan Burroughs and David Carr but defeated US Open winner Evan Wick (by pin) and Keegan O’Toole (6-0). Haines’ wrestling translates well to freestyle, and he has incredible potential to win in Louisville and at Final X.”

The action begins 10 a.m. ET on Friday with preliminary round action. The first session closes by 2:30 p.m. ET following the quarterfinal round. The semifinals and consolation bracket action run 4-7:30 p.m. ET on Friday. And, the finals are at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday. FLO is streaming the event. Here’s the list of Penn State connections:

Penn State signee Marcus Blaze and program alum Beau Bartlett – 65 kilograms (143.3 pounds)

Nittany Lion signee PJ Duke – 70 kilograms (154.3 pounds)

Penn State senior Levi Haines – 79 kilograms (174.1 pounds)

Nittany Lion alum Carter Starocci and NLWC member Kyle Dake- 86 kilograms (189.5 pounds)

Penn State redshirt sophomore Josh Barr – 92 kilograms (202.8 pounds)

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College Sports

PENINSULA COLLEGE

PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College Athletics celebrated its 2024-25 academic year accomplishments by handing out athletic awards to outstanding student-athletes Wednesday afternoon in the Pirate Union Building. Albin Rosenlund, Isaiah Lopez, Carliese O’Brien, Ciera Agasiva, Gemma Rowland, Evee Stoddard, Sid Gunton-Day and Konrad Mueller all won awards. The Art Feiro Award (basketball) and Wally Sigmar […]

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PENINSULA COLLEGE

PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College Athletics celebrated its 2024-25 academic year accomplishments by handing out athletic awards to outstanding student-athletes Wednesday afternoon in the Pirate Union Building.

Albin Rosenlund, Isaiah Lopez, Carliese O’Brien, Ciera Agasiva, Gemma Rowland, Evee Stoddard, Sid Gunton-Day and Konrad Mueller all won awards.

The Art Feiro Award (basketball) and Wally Sigmar Award (soccer) go to student-athletes who exemplify leadership, athleticism, academics and citizenship.

Those awards went to Rosenlund of Norrkoping, Sweden, for men’s basketball and to first-team all-region Agasiva of Kalihi, Hawaii, for women’s basketball.

The soccer awards went to Northwest Athletic Conference first-team all-star and defensive player of the year Stoddard of Pocatello, Idaho, for women’s soccer and to first-team all-star Mueller of Trier, Germany, for men’s soccer.

The Pirate Gold Award is given to student-athletes who share inspiration, dedication, accomplishment and ambassadorship.

Those awards went to Lopez of Okinawa, Japan, for men’s basketball and to all-defensive team selection O’Brien of Bethel, Alaska, for women’s basketball.

For women’s soccer, it was first-team all-star and student body president Rowland of Shedd, Ore., and the men’s winner was second-team all-star Gunton-Day of Bristol, United Kingdom.

“These eight student-athletes represent a truly remarkable Class of ’25,” said Rick Ross, associate dean. “The coaches had so many options for these awards. It was a year of high-achieving, high-energy and high-quality young women and men. We are blessed to get to do what we do, coaching and working with athletes from all over the world and helping them advance through their higher education journey.”

As a program, Pirate Athletics won Northwest Athletic Conference championships in women’s and men’s soccer, their 15th NWAC titles since 2010, and claimed three more North Region titles in women’s and men’s soccer and women’s basketball.

The 80 student-athletes combined for an average grade point of 3.2 with about 40 students on the honor roll and president’s list each quarter.

More than 25 sophomores will go on to play at the next level.


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Mizzou gymnastics star graduates this spring | Mizzou Xtra

COLUMBIA − Amari Celestine is a force on the floor. She has been a part of Mizzou Gymnastics all four years of her college career. She has been involved with gymnastics since she was a toddler. “I really don’t consider myself good at any other sport,” Celestine said. “Gymnastics has always just been innate to me […]

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COLUMBIA − Amari Celestine is a force on the floor. She has been a part of Mizzou Gymnastics all four years of her college career.

She has been involved with gymnastics since she was a toddler.

“I really don’t consider myself good at any other sport,” Celestine said. “Gymnastics has always just been innate to me its just been natural.”

Celestine’s ultimate goal that drove her was getting to college. Now, after helping her team place third at the NCAA Championship final, Celestine will graduate on Saturday.

Celestine helped her team score the highest floor score in Mizzou Gymnastics program history. She has scored 9.900 or higher on floor in 10 of 16 meets this season. She recorded five-straight scores of 9.900+ on bars. 

After Mizzou gymnastics earned a third place finish at the NCAA Championship final, Amari talked about the doubters that did not think the team would make it that far. She is a crucial part of uplift to the team, and was determined to leave a mark at Mizzou.

“We can’t let what they feel about us define our efforts,” Celestine said. “We want to say, okay, well this is gonna be the sweetest ‘I told you so’ in the world. Like, you’re gonna see, you’re gonna learn, so I think that’s been really helpful,” Celestine said.

Since being at Mizzou, Amari has earned a handful of awards, earning WCGA Vault Floor First Team All-American in 2022, WCGA All-Around Second Team All-American and WCGA South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year this year. She was also named the 2025 NCAA Seattle Regional Outright Vault Champion.

Celestine has been on the All-SEC team four times. She is only one of two Mizzou gymnasts to earn four All-American honors in four years.

With being on the team for four years, Celestine serves as a leader and a player her teammates can count on. “If I could describe Amari in one word, it would be inspiring,” fellow Mizzou gymnast, Kennedy Griffin, said. 

Griffin is a sophomore gymnast who has been under Celestine’s wing. She said she appreciates how Amari genuinely cares for her and her team as teammates and as people outside of the sport.

“She is someone I can come to with something even outside of gymnastics, like helping me apply to an internship that I’m currently doing,” Griffin said.

Post graduation, Amari will be an intern at Rich Paul’s sports agency in Los Angeles, Klutch Sports Agency. She will also be a graduate assistant in southern Alabama this coming fall.  



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Northwestern Wildcats Ready for NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinal Vs. Penn

When Northwestern takes the field Thursday at Martin Stadium, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to reach their sixth consecutive Final Four. Just like 2024, Penn stands in the way in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal. The ‘Cats have two decades of championship-caliber history, but they aren’t looking to the past as they gear up for […]

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When Northwestern takes the field Thursday at Martin Stadium, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to reach their sixth consecutive Final Four. Just like 2024, Penn stands in the way in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal.

The ‘Cats have two decades of championship-caliber history, but they aren’t looking to the past as they gear up for another title run. Instead, they’re taking it one game at a time.

“This is such an exciting time of the year,” senior midfielder Emerson Boelig said on Wednesday. “We call it Christmas because, like holiday season, you’re so excited. Everyone on the team is ready to go for the next game, and you’re only guaranteed one game, so why wouldn’t we put everything we can into it?”

Northwestern, the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, enters Thursday with a 17-2 record. The team’s only two losses have come to No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Boston College.

The Wildcats played six opponents this season who reached the NCAA Tournament, but the Penn Quakers were not one of them. Madison Taylor, the nation’s leading scorer who logged a tournament-record 10 goals against Michigan on Sunday, said the ‘Cats relish the challenge that comes with facing a team for the first time.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to play a different opponent,” Taylor said. “We’re all really embracing that, working really hard on the field and watching film off the field… We’re really excited just to go out there and play one last game at home this year.”

Boehlig and Taylor were both on the 2023 National Championship team, as well as the 2024 group that fell just short in a rematch with Boston College. While each postseason game gives the players experience in high-pressure moments, Taylor said that coach Kelly Amonte Hiller preaches calmness throughout the game.

It’s this calmness that could take the Wildcats all the way to their ninth National Championship. First, though, Northwestern will have to get past the Quakers on Thursday, with the opening draw set for 11 a.m. CT.



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Better golf swing: Nick Saban, Tommy Tuberville, Charles Barkley or Kalen DeBoer? You tell us

College football coaches are all about evaluating talent. Now, we want you to flip the script and evaluate a couple of former coaches when it comes to their golf swing. Who has the better swing: Nick Saban or Tommy Tuberville? Both were in action this week at the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at […]

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College football coaches are all about evaluating talent.

Now, we want you to flip the script and evaluate a couple of former coaches when it comes to their golf swing.

Who has the better swing: Nick Saban or Tommy Tuberville?

Both were in action this week at the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at Greystone in Hoover.

And, just for fun, we’ll throw in a couple of pretty prominent folks for your consideration.

In addition to the former Alabama and Auburn coaches, consider Auburn football great Bo Jackson, Auburn basketball legend Charles Barkley, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron and Georgia coach Kirby Smart.

Like being a member of the College Football Playoff committee, your evaluation is completely subjective.

There was plenty opinions and interactions among the high-profile ball strikers Wednesday.

Barkley and DeBoer shared some pleasantries.

Meanwhile, DeBoer couldn’t dodge the ever-lingering question about the Crimson Tide quarterback battle.

Barkley, on the other hand, is a huge fan of Birmingham, went after the NCAA and NIL, then revealed his go-to playlist and how much weight he has lost.

Saban, of course, talked about his new appointment to President Donald Trump’s sports commission.

Plenty to sink your teeth into, but what about those swings?

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.





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Renata Engel to serve as interim vice president for Commonwealth campuses | University Park Campus News

Renata Engel has been named interim vice president for Commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor of the Commonwealth campuses, effective May 19.  Formerly the Vice Provost for Online Education, Engel will be filling the role previously left by Margo DelliCarpini, who had moved on to pursue a career at The College of New Jersey. Karen Pollack […]

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Renata Engel has been named interim vice president for Commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor of the Commonwealth campuses, effective May 19. 

Formerly the Vice Provost for Online Education, Engel will be filling the role previously left by Margo DelliCarpini, who had moved on to pursue a career at The College of New Jersey. Karen Pollack will fill Engel’s former position.

Engel’s previously held Associate Vice Provost for Online Programs, Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Engineering and Director for the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Penn State.

“I know this is a time of great change for our Commonwealth Campus communities as the University’s leadership team and Board of Trustees consider changes that will position Penn State for success long into the future,” Engel said in a Penn State press release.

Engel was an undergraduate student at a commonwealth campus herself, and started her bachelor’s degree in engineering science at Penn State Fayette, and later graduated from the University Park campus. Engel then went on to complete a doctorate in engineering mechanics from the University of South Florida.

She was a part of the launch of the Penn State World Campus Chaiken Center for Student Success, which works to “ support resources that have been developed for World Campus students” and bring together academic advising services, according to the release.

“I have always thought that we are at our best as a University when we work together to develop innovative solutions to solve our challenges,” Engel said. “That is why I approach every decision or recommendation with the breadth and comprehensiveness of this university in mind.”

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE


President Bendapudi releases campus closure recommendation report following media leak

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi released the Commonwealth campus closure recommendation…

 

If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.



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