College Sports

St. John's

Published

2 months ago

March 21, 2025

Both series have aired their original six episodes already, with those available on-demand through Vice TV’s website (cable-or-equivalent authentication required), streaming MVPDs including Philo and Hulu+Live TV, or via individual episode purchases through platforms including YouTube and Prime Video. Pitino: Red Storm Rising is also re-airing on Vice TV Friday night and Saturday morning beginning at 10 p.m. ET, and it will have a seventh episode on April 3 covering the Red Storm’s NCAA Tournament run. Gaffney said they had to make the decision to extend one or both shows several weeks back, and made that call based on where those teams were at the time.
“We took a chance with doing both of these shows. Rick Pitino, Rick has had his ups and downs. And we thought that he specifically was someone who was very, as we say in our world, ‘Vice-y.’ We thought that both these coaches would be great for our brand. And everything we’ve done so far we’re extremely happy with.”

Gaffney said Vice’s two projects here were selected from a wide variety of pitches and stood out because of the coaches involved.
“The combination of sports and Vice really has been met with a sort of natural reaction from folks, ‘Yeah, that makes sense.’ And it made sense from day one for us, and so far we’re getting a lot of traction, so that’s great.”
“They’re great coaches, they’re the two active coaches with the most wins in college basketball. And we thought about starting from that point there, because we could have done it with other schools whose coaches weren’t as dynamic and weren’t as prominent.
For Vice, that move from one to two docuseries came with challenges and opportunities.

“It was not something we went into this marketplace thinking that we were going to do two of these shows,” Gaffney said. “In some ways it was risky to do two, but on the other hand, we were mitigating risk because we didn’t know which team was going to do well. We were hoping that both would do well. And as the season was progressing, St. John’s really did stand out and they have had a fantastic season.
“We sort of put that out there to the creative community. We got a bunch of different production companies that came back to us. And we started to circle both John Calipari and Rick Pitino.”
“As we got into this process, we knew we wanted to make a splash as we were moving more into sports, and we were looking for a show that was like this. We were looking specifically for a college basketball, Hard Knocks style follow doc series, where we would follow them during the season.

Other schools had their own appeals, but Gaffney said what stood out with St. John’s and Arkansas was the stories of Calipari and Pitino and their quests to achieve further success for their respective schools.
A large part of Vice TV’s December-announced shift to a sports-focused approach has revolved around docuseries. Two prominent ones there are college basketball docuseries on prominent coaches Rick Pitino and John Calipari and their teams, Calipari: Razor’s Edge (from Omaha Productions) and Pitino: Red Storm Rising (from WorkShop Content Studios).
“We have to be careful about how we spend our dollars. And so we thought that the Pitino show would be the one that we could take the most advantage of because they had a better chance of going far in the tournament, we thought at the time. And we’ll see what happens: I wish we could root for both teams to win at this point, but it was something we had to make a decision on a few weeks ago. And at the time, St. John’s was the hottest team in the country and continues to be one of the hottest teams.”

With Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm and Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks both winning first-round NCAA Tournament matchups Thursday, those teams will now face off Saturday afternoon (2:40 p.m. ET, CBS). Vice TV president Pete Gaffney told Awful Announcing Friday that’s an outcome beyond anything Vice could have hoped for when they ordered these series.
“This is beyond my wildest dreams of how this was going to go. We could never have imagined it. You know, I’m an optimist, but we never could have imagined that these two teams that we are following throughout the season would be facing each other in the tournament. So I am, and the whole team is, beyond happy about these teams facing off tomorrow.
While many college coaches are known for media control and carefully presented images, Gaffney said Pitino and Calipari (both oft–quotable) stood out as subjects to cover who would be willing to be more raw and authentic.

“If we get great talent, we make great content, we’re able to get that attention in the world of sports, we’re going to get people to check this out, to build out the brand. And as we build it, you know, as they say, if we build it they will come. And we’re on our way. So we’re really happy about the progress we’ve made so far.”
“The only downside is one of them has to lose; I guess the only thing that could have been better is if they had met each other in the final. But this is fantastic; it’s fantastic for both coaches, it’s great for Vice as well, and for Vice Sports as we try to build out our sports brand.”

If those factors continue to build, Gaffney expects Vice TV to become an even more significant sports player in the future.
He said acceptance from that creative community is a key part of their success metrics, but not the only factor.
“When you talk about any content that you’re going to make, any show that you’re going to make, you want to make sure that you have great stories and great characters,” he said. “And I made sure that I met with both coaches going into the season to make sure they were, one, on board to do this, and two, were going to be authentic and talk about the things that may be tough, let us into their locker rooms and hear from them in a way that was real and raw and authentic.”

Gaffney said Vice TV’s shift to more sports emphasis has been well-received in the industry, and that’s led to lots of people wanting to work with them.
“When it comes down to measuring our success, it comes down to a number of factors. One, you know, does the creative community and does talent want to make shows with us? That was one of the first things that we wanted to see, and that has been a resounding yes, the talent out there in the marketplace wants to work with us. Secondly, are we making good content? And we feel we are making best in class content for sure. And are we getting the attention in the marketplace for that content? And so far we are, hell yes.”
“Ultimately we thought that it was the combination of both the schools and the coaches and their stories as they came in: Calipari coming from Kentucky, having been there 15 years, trying to take Arkansas to a higher place. And then St. John’s, who hadn’t won the Big East in 25 years, we knew that the potential for great storytelling was there as well.”
“Coach Cal has struggled a little bit more throughout the season, he had a couple of losing streaks along the way. But they’ve gotten to this point and they’ve fought hard. So we’re ecstatic that the teams are playing as well as they’re playing now. And the fact that the two of them are going to be facing off against each other is again something we could not have even imagined.”

A big part of these particular series focuses on the coaches, with both even in the title of their respective documentaries. Gaffney said both stood out as compelling figures and were willing to provide the access and authentic approach Vice wanted.
“As we were in production and as production schedules sort of go, we had to make a decision about three weeks ago as to whether to end them both at six episodes, whether to extend them, or what. And at the time, St. John’s was on a roll, they were continuing to rise up in the ranks. Arkansas was struggling a little bit. And we thought, as a calculated risk, that extending the Pitino show was going to be the the right choice for us.

Up Next

Tom Brady's jaw

Don't Miss

Jeremiah Azu wins men's 60m at World Indoor Championships 2025

Click to comment

College Sports

Routt County high school graduations give encouragement to the futures of 235 grads

235 high school seniors earned diplomas this weekend across four graduation ceremonies in Routt County. Yampa Valley High SchoolPer tradition, the Yampa Valley High School commencement ceremony took place at the Yampa River Botanic Park on Friday, beginning a new journey for the school’s 10 graduating seniors. During the commencement, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue firefighter […]

Published

24 minutes ago

May 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

235 high school seniors earned diplomas this weekend across four graduation ceremonies in Routt County.

Yampa Valley High School
Per tradition, the Yampa Valley High School commencement ceremony took place at the Yampa River Botanic Park on Friday, beginning a new journey for the school’s 10 graduating seniors.

During the commencement, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue firefighter and paramedic, Marne Smith, gave an address to the students. Graduates Raven McLaughlin and Charlie Tegtmeyer also stepped to the lectern to address their classmates during the ceremony.

Some of the school’s graduates will be furthering their education at the collegiate level with others interested in learning trades and will enter the workforce.

School principal Kristyl Boies said students at Yampa Valley High School took advantage of a large number of internships offered by local community partners, got a taste of college by taking classes at Colorado Mountain College and found career opportunities through technical education programs that introduced students to their career path after graduation.

Yampa Valley High School’s Carter Chase is congratulated by Jason Eavenson, who spoke at the school’s commencement ceremony on Friday, May 23, 2025 at the Yampa River Botanic Park. Chase was one of 10 Yampa Valley High School seniors that graduated during the afternoon event.

Hayden High School
Hayden School District staff described the Tigers’ Class of 2025 as a distinctive group of individuals who remained closely connected while also charting individual paths.

The class completed a combined 154 college-level credits through concurrent enrollment and on Friday night, 18 seniors received diplomas during the school’s graduation ceremony in the gymnasium.

The class’s integration with the broader community of Hayden stood out as a defining trait to the district staff.

“They challenged everything,” said Katherine George, senior seminar instructor and capstone advisor. “Even if life is hard, and even if you have to work harder than you expected, you should follow your heart, your passions and your dreams, no matter where they lead you.”

Graduating Hayden High School Senior Triston Day performed “Pack My Hometown” during Friday’s ceremony, dedicating the song to the town of Hayden.

Steamboat Springs High School
With 186 seniors graduating Saturday morning at Gardner Field, the Steamboat Springs High School Class of 2025 includes students who have committed to attend universities across the nation — running from Dartmouth to Stanford.

Graduates Jack Fisher and Hanna Hale were selected as student speakers at the graduation. Both Fisher and Hale will be attending the University of Colorado Boulder this fall.

Brian Ripley, head coach of the 2024-25 Sailors ice hockey state championship team, gave the honorary presentation. He discussed the lessons learned from a state championship team and reminded the class to live by the set of values they find most important.

Principal Jay Hamric took to the lectern as well, addressing the students and reminding them of the mountains that surround the town.

“Whether they are standing tall, bathing in sunshine and glory, or enshrouded in clouds, rain or snow, we always sense their presence and power,” Hamric said. “Seniors, as you travel the world and go to far off places, I hope you can always find a mountain to look up to and be reminded of the power and loving connection of your Steamboat community.”

Steamboat Springs High School graduate Jack Fisher gives a round of applause for the Class of 2025. He was a distinguished student speaker at the commencement ceremony on Saturday.

Soroco High School
Soroco High School valedictorians Tim Bedell and Ruby Hill were filled with excitement, anticipation and a hint of nostalgia as they stood in front of the Class of 2025 at the commencement ceremony in the school’s gymnasium.

Soroco graduated 18 students Saturday morning, 12 of which will be moving on to post-secondary studies at institutions across the country and six opting to enter the workforce with skills they have obtained in high school.

Delivering the commencement address on Saturday was 1996 graduate Chad Bedell, Tim’s father. Chad spoke about his disappointment of not making the pilot academy, but how it enabled him to find his passion as a rodeo cowboy.

He told graduates to “persevere through all of the disappointments and setbacks that you will experience, (and to) stay the course and keep your focus on the end goal.”

Confetti erupts at the Soroco High School 2025 graduation ceremony.

Steamboat Springs High School graduate Abby McLarnon receives her diploma during the commencement ceremony on Saturday.

Hayden High School graduate Shawnee Steen Rosado gives flowers to loved ones during Friday’s graduation ceremony. Each graduating senior handed out tiger lilies — representing prosperity and good fortune — to friends and family who supported them through high school.

Yampa Valley High Schools Charlie Tegtmeyer speaks to the graduating class of 2025 during commencement at the Yampa Valley Botanic Park on Friday, May 24, 2025. Tegtmeyer was one of 10 graduates that received diplomas Friday.

Two Soroco 2025 seniors walk to their seats for the graduation ceremony.

The Steamboat Springs High School choir sings “Dog Days are Over” by Florence and the Machine during the school’s 2025 graduation ceremony.

Yampa Valley High School’s Yampa Zakk Leftwich laughs as his teacher introduces him during the school’s commencement ceremony on Friday, May 23, 2025 at the Yampa River Botanic Park. Leftich was one of 10 Yampa Valley High School seniors that graduated during the afternoon event.

Wiley Cotter receives his diploma during the 2025 Steamboat Springs High School graduation ceremony. Cotter wore a medal and red ribbon, distinguishing him as a Magna Cum Laude graduate, 4.1 GPA or higher.

Commencement speaker Chad Bedell addresses Soroco High School graduation attendants.

Hayden High School seniors throw their caps after graduating on Friday.

Brian Ripley, head coach of the 2024-25 Steamboat Springs Sailors hockey state champions, gave the honorary presentation at the school’s graduation ceremony on Saturday.

4 Soroco High School seniors wait under a balloon arch before walking to their seats.

Anna Grove, a Steamboat Springs High School Class of 2025 Officer, addresses the crowd at the school’s graduation ceremony Saturday.

Steamboat Springs Fires Rescue firelfighter and paramedic Marnie Smith was the honored speaker at the Yampa Valley High School 2025 graduation on Friday, May 23, 2025.

Future Farmers of America members hold the American and Colorado state flags at the Soroco High School 2025 graduation ceremony.

Hanna Hale delivers a speech as a distinguished student speaker at the Steamboat Springs High School 2025 graduation ceremony on Saturday.

Graduate Raven McLaughlin speaks to her classmates during The Yampa Valley High School commencement ceremony on Friday May 23, 2025. McLaughlin was one of 10 graduates that competed their work at the high school and received diplomas during Friday’s ceremony.

Soroco’s 2025 class valedictorians, Ruby Hill and Tim Bedell, stand at the podium for their speech.

Graduates of Steamboat Springs High School look on as speeches are given during the 2025 commencement ceremony on Saturday at Gardner Field.

Editors Note: Steamboat Mountain School will host its commencement ceremony on June 1. The school will see 19 seniors graduate from the Class of 2025.

Link

College Sports

Team USA Defeats Sweden, 6-2; Advances to Gold-Medal Game of Men’s Worlds

Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn./Nashville Predators/University of Minnesota) opened the scoring for Team USA at 6:52 of the opening frame. He wristed a shot from that point that found the back of the net following an offensive-zone faceoff win from Pinto to give the U.S. the early lead. A strong forecheck from Pinto and Will Smith […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn./Nashville Predators/University of Minnesota) opened the scoring for Team USA at 6:52 of the opening frame. He wristed a shot from that point that found the back of the net following an offensive-zone faceoff win from Pinto to give the U.S. the early lead.

A strong forecheck from Pinto and Will Smith (Lexington, Mass./San Jose Sharks/Boston College) forced a Swedish turnover that led to a chance for Cutter Gauthier (Scottsdale, Ariz./Anaheim Ducks/Boston College) to double the U.S. lead with 5:40 left in the first, but his chance was denied by Swedish netminder Jacob Markström.

Gauthier capitalized on another Swedish turnover generated by a strong presence in the offensive zone, as he forced a puck through Markström’s five-hole following shots from Pinto and Smith at 17:13.

U.S. netminder Jeremy Swayman (Anchorage, Alaska/Boston Bruins/University of Maine) made a stellar save with 10:56 remaining in the second to keep the U.S. ahead by two when he sprawled across the crease to deny a Swedish opportunity just in front of the net. Swayman finished with 27 saves to pick up his sixth win of the tournament.

Team USA extended its lead to 3-0 at 11:07, as Conor Garland (Scituate, Mass./Vancouver Canucks) powered home a rebound chance after a one-timer from Logan Cooley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Utah Mammoth/University of Minnesota).

Mikey Eyssimont (Littleton, Colo./Seattle Kraken/St. Cloud State University) added to the U.S. lead at 17:03 when he fired a wrister past Markström after a cross-ice pass from Matty Beniers (Hingham, Mass./Seattle Kraken/University of Michigan).

William Nylander put Sweden on the board at 6:32 of the third on a shot from just in front of Swayman’s crease. Elias Lindholm scored 42 seconds later on a one-timer from the slot to put the hosts to within two, resulting in a U.S. timeout.

Jackson LaCombe (Eden Prairie, Minn./Anaheim Ducks/University of Minnesota) responded with a goal at 11:09 firing a shot over Swedish goalie Samuel Ersson’s blocker to give the U.S. a 5-2 lead. Pinto added an empty-net goal from below his own goal-line at 15:53 to account for the 6-2 final.

The victory ended a 12-game losing streak in the men’s worlds semifinals and has the U.S. playing in its first gold-medal game in the event since 1934.

NOTES: Shane Pinto was named U.S. Player of the Game … Team USA was 0-1 on the power play, while Sweden finished 0-2 … Sweden outshot the U.S., 29-28 … Conor Garland, Frank Nazar and Logan Cooley were named the top three U.S. players of the tournament.

Link

College Sports

University of North Carolina Athletics

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. – Top-seed North Carolina women’s lacrosse will battle No. 3 Northwestern in the NCAA Championship game on Sunday, May 25. First draw is set for noon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The Heels match-up with the Wildcats will air on ESPN with Jay Alter, Sheehan Stanwick Burch, Charlotte North and Dana Boyle on the call. […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. – Top-seed North Carolina women’s lacrosse will battle No. 3 Northwestern in the NCAA Championship game on Sunday, May 25. First draw is set for noon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

The Heels match-up with the Wildcats will air on ESPN with Jay Alter, Sheehan Stanwick Burch, Charlotte North and Dana Boyle on the call.

Game Info

Who: (1) Carolina vs. (3) Northwestern

Where: Foxborough, Mass. – Gillette Stadium

When: Sunday, May 25 – Noon

Links: ESPN | Live Stats | Tickets

Ten Things to Know

North Carolina has gone 45-22 over its 25 NCAA Tournaments. UNC has won three National Championships (2013, ’16, ’22), played in the title game six times and reached the semifinals 14 times, which is tied for the third most all-time. The Tar Heels are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third time. They also entered the tourney as the top seed in 2021 and ’22.

UNC has won eight ACC Tournament titles and 11 ACC regular-season championships, including eight outright.

With a win, HC Jenny Levy would move into a tie for second in all-time DI wins with Princeton’s Chris Sailer at 433.

UNC is the only undefeated team in the country after snapping Boston College’s 21-game winning streak earlier this season and Florida’s 17-game streak on Friday. The Tar Heels current 21-game winning streak is the longest in the nation, 10 games ahead of Northwestern’s 11-game streak. The 21-game streak is the third longest in program history and the 21 wins are the second most in a season for Carolina.

Through 21 games, Carolina has outscored its opponents 372-143 (+229). The 372 goals are a single-season program record. Its 10.9 scoring margin per game ranks first nationally. UNC ranks first in both the ACC and NCAA in scoring offense at 17.7 goals per game.

Carolina’s defense has held opponents to 6.8 goals per game, which ranks first in both the ACC and NCAA. The team has only allowed four double-digit scoring efforts all year. UNC has kept its opponent scoreless in 18 quarters across 21 games, including the final three quarters of the NCAA Semifinal versus Florida.

Betty Nelson and Lexi Zenk have combined to give UNC a .509 save percentage, which ranks fourth in the country. Nelson’s 7.33 goals-against average ranks first nationally.

The Humphrey sisters are the 12th and 13th Tewaaraton Award finalists in UNC history and Chloe is the first freshman to become a finalist for the women’s award. This is the third time UNC has had two finalists (2021: Moreno/Ortega | 2022: Ortega/Mastroianni).

Chloe Humphrey has scored 86 goals (4th NCAA) this season, setting a new NCAA record for goals by a freshman. She set a career high with seven goals vs. Florida and set a new UNC single-season record for goals, passing Jamie Ortega, who had 82 in 2021. Humphrey has scored at least five goals nine times this season and has tallied hat tricks in 17-of-21 games.

Ashley Humphrey has tallied 254 career assists between Stanford and UNC, setting a new NCAA record. Her 86 assists this season lead the country and set UNC’s single-season mark. Humphrey’s 117 points also set UNC’s single-season record and she’s currently third on UNC’s all-time assists list (124). Ashley’s 16 assists in three games of the NCAA Tournament are tied for the all-time record with Hannah Nielsen (NW, 4g, ’09) and Kenzie Kent (BC, 5g, ’17).

Stay up to date with UNC women’s lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Link

College Sports

Four-star Ethan Taylor making good on potential in gym filled with NBA legacies

KANSAS CITY, Kans. – The coaches are back at home this weekend, but grassroots basketball never stops. After making stops in the great Phoenix area and Memphis this spring, Nike made its way to Kansas City and the sparkling Homefield KC facility as the swoosh holds the third spring stop of its loaded EYBL. While […]

Published

3 hours ago

May 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

KANSAS CITY, Kans. – The coaches are back at home this weekend, but grassroots basketball never stops. After making stops in the great Phoenix area and Memphis this spring, Nike made its way to Kansas City and the sparkling Homefield KC facility as the swoosh holds the third spring stop of its loaded EYBL.

While several elite prospects took the floor on Friday night – including 2026’s No. 1-ranked player Tyran Stokes – it was the breakout performance from a four-star big man, who has been knocking on the door of taking his recruitment to a new level, that stole the show.

247Sports had National Director of Basketball Eric Bossi and national analyst Travis Branham on hand to track all of the action. Below are notes and analysis on 2026 center Ethan Taylor, 2027 point guard Anthony Brown, 2027 guard Anderson Diaz, 2026 forward Jasiah Jervis, 2026 big man Adonis Ratliff, 2026 forward Aziz Olajuwon, 2026 wing Elijah Williams, 2026 forward Cole Cloer, and Stokes, the No. 1 player in the 2026 class.

Link

College Sports

Keegan O’Toole, Helen Hu and Shannon Welker were among Mizzou’s best in 2024-25

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Two Mizzou athletes, two comebacks. Wrestler Keegan O’Toole had the kind of injury that keeps most athletes on the shelf for a year but no plans to let that get in the way of his quest for silverware. Helen Hu had ground herself through recovery from an ACL tear, walking away from […]

Published

5 hours ago

May 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Two Mizzou athletes, two comebacks.

Wrestler Keegan O’Toole had the kind of injury that keeps most athletes on the shelf for a year but no plans to let that get in the way of his quest for silverware. Helen Hu had ground herself through recovery from an ACL tear, walking away from gymnastics with nothing left in the tank.

Both came back to their sports in different ways, and both made the most of it, putting together the most captivating performances by Missouri athletes in the 2024-25 sports cycle. Their comebacks — and the heights that came with them — make them the Post-Dispatch’s choices for MU men’s and women’s athlete of the year, part of the newspaper’s annual honors capping the year in sports at the school.

NCAA Championships Wrestling — Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole celebrates after defeating Iowa State’s David Carr in the championship round at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships on Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla.

Ian Maule, Tulsa World

Men’s Athlete of the Year: O’Toole, wrestling

A couple of weeks after finishing as the Big 12 champion and national runner-up at 174 pounds, O’Toole posted a picture from a hospital bed, his left knee bandaged and stabilized with a beefy brace.

He’d had finally had surgery to repair a torn ACL, but only after wrestling — in dominant fashion — through the normally debilitating injury.

O’Toole first hurt the knee during a mid-November meet at Virginia Tech, when he felt a little pop somewhere inside the joint.

“It kind of hurt for a minute, but the pain went away,” he told FloWrestling. “I just thought that I popped my calf or something.”

About a month later, O’Toole felt an odder sensation in that knee during a match: something he described as the tissue connecting bones finally giving way. The next morning, he needed help getting out of bed. An MRI revealed he’d torn his ACL.

The immediate option, which most athletes probably would’ve taken, was to undergo surgery to repair the ligament. That would’ve ended O’Toole’s season, though, and he wanted no such thing.

Instead, he stopped competing for two months but put off surgery. As swelling went down in the injured knee, he started to get some strength back. O’Toole returned for the final dual of the regular season, a short run-up to the postseason.

He looked neither rusty nor badly injured during the Big 12 championships, winning all four of his matches en route to a conference title. He then went 4-1 at the NCAA Championships, which was good for second place and an All-American nod — the fifth of his career.

All that, with a torn ACL.

“I still had fun,” O’Toole said.

Shortly after his surgery, Mizzou coach Brian Smith announced that O’Toole has been hired as an assistant.

In the running: Triple jumper Jonathan Seremes won a national title with a personal-best 17.04-meter effort at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship in March. … Football right tackle Armand Membou was Mizzou’s highest-selected player in the NFL draft in more than a decade. … Men’s basketball’s Mark Mitchell earned third-team All-SEC honors while leading the team in scoring, and Caleb Grill was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year after an incredible 3-point shooting run.

NCAA Womens Championships Gymnastics — Missouri’s Helen Hu, right, celebrates with a coach after competing on the balance beam during the NCAA Championships on Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tony Gutierrez, Associated Press

Women’s Athlete of the Year: Hu, gymnastics

The first time Helen Hu left Mizzou gymnastics, she was burned out and hurting. The second time she did so, she was a national champion. It was a good thing she came back in between.

Hu had been one of the Tigers’ best gymnasts the first time around, returning from an ACL injury to star on the balance beam. But she’d had enough after the 2023 season, in which she earned second-team All-American honors but no perfect 10 score.

After a year of globetrotting around Central America, Europe and Asia, gymnastics coach Shannon Welker pitched Hu, back in Columbia for a former teammate’s wedding, the idea of returning to use her final year of eligibility.

“I took it as a joke,” Hu said, but it wasn’t.

She earned her elusive 10 during a meet at Oklahoma, then added another in the regular-season finale at Arkansas. Hu then added another during the second round of the NCAA Tournament, driving the Tigers into the late stages of the postseason by closing out meets with clutch routines.

Hu won the national beam title at the NCAA Championships, where Missouri finished third in the team competition.

“When I decided to come back, I did not have it in my mind to accomplish so much that I did this year,” she said. “It was really quite a shock.”

In the running: Volleyball outside hitter Mychael Vernon was named a third-team All-American after ranking third in the SEC in kills. … Gymnasts Elise Tisler and Mara Titarsolej joined Hu as first-team All-Americans. … Softball catcher Julia Crenshaw made the All-SEC first team after leading the Tigers with a .343 batting average and sound defensive work.

Missouri gymnastics — University of Missouri head gymnastics coach Shannon Welker gives some advice to Amari Celestine during a practice session Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, at Mizzou’s gymnastics training facility in Columbia, Mo.

David Carson, Post-Dispatch

Coach of the Year: Welker, gymnastics

In the immediate aftermath of Mizzou gymnastics advancing narrowly out of an NCAA Championship semifinal and into the finals for the first time in program history, Welker was running late to his news conference.

“Sorry I’m late,” he joked to reporters on site in Fort Worth, Texas. “I was renegotiating my contract.”

He did get a new contract with Missouri, albeit near the start of a 2025 season that goes down as one of the most impressive in recent MU athletics history. It’s much deserved for the coach running the school’s highest-performing team at present.

Welker’s 12th season coaching the Tigers netted the aforementioned third-place finish, plus the program’s first national champion (Hu), most perfect 10s in a season (five) and first team score of 198 in a meet. He built that success through recruitment and development of a senior class that made two runs to the NCAA Championships, well-timed transfers and wooing Hu out of retirement for one more year — the kind of roster building necessary in today’s college sports environment.

Welker was named both the national gymnastics and SEC coach of the year for his efforts.

In the running: Volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan captured regional coach of the year honors after leading the Tigers to the Sweet 16 in her second season. … Eli Drinkwitz became the second-ever MU football coach to win 10-plus games in back-to-back seasons. … Dennis Gates brought Mizzou men’s basketball back to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in his three years at the helm.

Basketball's rebound, football missing CFP among 5 biggest Mizzou stories of 24-25

Mizzou gymnastics finishes 3rd at NCAA Championships

Mizzou records worst baseball season in 66 years. 'We need to get back on track,' AD says

Transfer portal retrospective: Mizzou men's hoops prioritized retaining, complementing 'nucleus'

Link

College Sports

Why golf phenom Kihei Akina chose BYU – Deseret News

Standing on the first tee of the Black Desert Championship last October in Ivins, Utah, Kihei Akina caught a glimpse of his future. With a large crowd gathered around him, BYU’s prized five-star golf recruit took out his driver and readied himself to make his PGA Tour debut. “I was fine and felt normal,” Akina […]

Published

5 hours ago

May 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“I was fine and felt normal,” Akina told the “Y’s Guys” podcast this week. “But I put the tee in the ground and as I stood over the ball, my legs went to jelly. I couldn’t feel my hands. I couldn’t feel anything. I thought, ‘Oh crap! Just make contact!’ Somehow, I hit it down the fairway.”

By the third hole, Akina was back to being his confident self and over the course of two days he went toe-to-toe with the professionals and made eight birdies and finished just outside the cut line at 4 under par.

Special Collector’s Issue: “1984: The Year BYU was Second to None”

Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football’s 1984 National Championship season.

“It was definitely different from junior golf and high school golf,” said the three-time state champion at Lone Peak High. “I just tried to learn as much as I could from those guys.”

Akina hails from an athletic family. His older sister, Kiani, played rugby at Harvard, and older brothers Keanu golfed at BYU and Kawika played basketball at NYU in Manhattan. Now it’s his time to shine.

When it came time to decide on a college, Akina received offers and NIL pitches from 50 programs, including BYU, which presented a competitive proposal — and an environment that has less to do with golf and more to do with the golfer.

“I wanted to surround myself with likeminded people. People in the church who have the same beliefs as me,” Akina said. “I think it will help build me and help build my testimony of the Savior and help me be a better person and get to where I want to be in life.”

Akina also wants to win. Bruce Brockbank’s current Cougars are competing this weekend at the NCAA championships in Carlsbad, California, where BYU is chasing its first national title since 1981.

“I also wanted to come in and build the program up and I want to compete for a national championship,” Akina said. “At BYU you represent so much. You represent the church and this great state of Utah. It’s really cool to be able to do that. Hopefully we can make a run next year.”

Akina is a big piece of an unprecedented wave of prized prep recruits bringing their talents to Provo, including No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa (basketball), No. 1-ranked Jane Hedengren (women’s cross-country), No. 1-ranked Daniel Simmons (men’s cross-country) and the No. 5-ranked tight end Brock Harris (football).

“BYU is on the rise for sure. It’s really cool to see. Everything is building up with every sport,” Akina said. “I’m excited to be a part of it. I’ve been itching to get to campus for the last year and a half.”

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com

Link