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Garrett Milan is the starting forward and points leader for the Rock Lobsters, Athens’ first-year FPHL hockey team that has taken the city by storm. As a Canadian native with nearly 18 years of professional hockey experience, Milan starred in all 56 games this season and tallied six game-winning goals for the Rock Lobsters on the way to being named league MVP.

With their season recently wrapping up after exiting the Commissioner’s Cup Playoffs, Milan reflected on his unforgettable first season in Athens. 

Q: With the Rock Lobsters’ inaugural season in Athens, what were your expectations for the team and the success of the organization entering the season?

A: Obviously, it’s tough with a new team. You never know exactly how it’s going to go. But looking at the roster when I signed, and talking to coach Steve Martinson, it’s pretty blatant that we knew that it was going to be a good team right off the hop. And I think that’s why a lot of us older guys or new guys came in to play here, is that we knew that it was going to be a good team. Did we know we were going to have such a good start? Maybe not as good, but I knew that we were going to be right where we are right now, for sure.

Q: What was your mindset entering this season following your back injury last year playing for Pensacola?

A: It was tough. Last year was a little frustrating year for myself, just pain wise, injury-wise, it wasn’t the best season that way. And then the offseason, I did a lot of rehab after surgery, so I wasn’t too sure if I was going to be able to play or not this year. But come September, I started feeling a little better and got on the ice, and when Steve called me, it was kind of a no-brainer for what he was pitching and what Athens brought: a brand-new organization. And this year has been tremendous. Obviously, it’s a lot better to play hockey when you’re not hurting.

Q: How has the success of this new Athens team and fanbase fueled you and the squad to such an impressive first season?

A: It’s been huge. You never know going to a new organization what the fan base is going to be like. Obviously, with the Georgia Bulldogs, they have a good following already, and we tried to get some people from there, and I think we have. And then we also dipped into that student pool, which the students have been tremendous. Coming to games, they’re nice and loud, and that gets the guys going in the locker room. I’ve been around for a while and seen a lot of fans, a lot of fan support, but I think for the young guys, it’s been tremendous that they actually see what playing professional hockey is. We’re pretty lucky here in this league, for sure.

Q: At 34 years old, what are your plans or goals for the rest of your hockey career?

A: That’s a good question. I’m kind of taking it year by year now. Obviously, last year I kind of thought was my last year. This year’s kind of sparked a new energy in myself, just, you know, playing injury free this year. So we’ll see. 

Q: How has Coach Martinson’s experience helped develop this team in only its first year of existence?

A: It’s huge. Obviously, he’s got a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience. He knows a lot about the game, so it’s kind of like doing nuances and practice, or if it’s in video, or if it’s kind of bringing in one of the younger guys aside, and showing them little tricks here and there. I think it’s tremendous working with a coach like that, that you can approach and talk to. You know, he knows that the games change as well, so he takes information. If myself or Carter (Shinkaruk) want to talk about certain things, he takes that in and actually wants to use that as well. So that’s good, coming as a player. But yeah, he’s been tremendous with us, and I think the young guys have definitely helped with that, for sure. 

Q: As the team’s points leader, how have you elevated your game this season and at this point in your career?

A: I think coming in, I knew that they were going to rely on me offensively that way. That’s kind of my game. It comes with a little bit of, you know, people want to see you score. People want to see good points. So there’s that added pressure, but I think that’s good pressure. Obviously, you want that pressure, and you want the success from the team first and foremost. But I think that to help with that, I do my job as well.

Q: As a Canadian player, how have you seen hockey expand and grow in popularity in the Southeast, especially with the unprecedented success of a team in Athens?

A: It’s been huge. Obviously, I played in the South in Florida, and I saw that kind of grow. From the first year, two years, we had about 3,000 average, and then it went to, you know, 5,500 average. And then coming here, it’s been tremendous. Right from the start, I think everyone was excited. I think they did a great job of marketing the team to the community, but also to the whole South. Down here, it kind of seems like we’ve got people coming from two hours away to see our games. The support and the livelihood and the rink and the fan support has been tremendous. I think in the South, hockey’s not big, but once you go to a game and you actually get them in the seats, they love it. The fighting, the body checking, the loud atmosphere, it’s tremendous. And I think everyone keeps coming back. So, it’s been good.

Q: How has your career in hockey inspired you to share your passion with youth players as a trainer?

A: It’s cool. I’m from a small town ski resort that doesn’t breed a lot of hockey players, I’d say. But you see the passion in the kids, and you want to make it fun, but you obviously want to make them, you know, get something out of it, get better at the game. But it’s cool to give back when you can, and see that spark in the kids’ eyes, or the smile that they love doing it. So I think it’s been good to kind of share your knowledge and express that with the kids. 

Caden Klein is a student in the undergraduate certificate program in the Carmical Sports Media Institute at the University of Georgia.

Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault has the best record of any NBA coach this season. And he has the second-best record of any coach in his house.

Daigneault is a coach — and a coach’s husband too. His wife is Oklahoma assistant women’s gymnastics coach Ashley Kerr. She and the Sooners went 33-2 this season and won another national championship, their third in four years.

So as Daigneault chases his first NBA title — he and the top-seeded Thunder open the NBA Finals at home against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night — his wife has been part of seven national championships over her career on the staffs at Florida and Oklahoma, the most recent of those coming just a few weeks ago as the Thunder were starting this playoff run.

Daigneault isn’t shy about touting the strengths of his wife’s resume, either.

“Among my wife and I, she is — by far — the more accomplished, more impressive, better coach,” Daigneault said. “She’s the real deal.”

It’s a relationship born from ties to Florida. Daigneault — a Massachusetts native — was a student manager under Jim Calhoun at Connecticut, part of the team that won an NCAA championship there in 2004, then started his assistant coaching career at Holy Cross for three years before moving on to Billy Donovan’s staff at Florida.

Kerr, a Florida native, was a gymnast whose four years as a student-athlete for the Gators was ending around that time. She was brilliant, a four-time All-SEC academic selection, and Florida found a way to keep her with the program once her eligibility was exhausted. Kerr became a volunteer student manager for the 2011 season, then got promoted to team manager and eventually assistant to the head coach.

Along the way, she and Daigneault started dating and over time things got serious. And then the relationship reached a key moment. Daigneault had an offer from the Thunder to coach the Oklahoma City Blue, their G League franchise. He was ready to leave.

Kerr had a job in Gainesville. She was not ready to leave.

“The OKC job was a no-brainer for him,” Kerr told The Oklahoman newspaper for a story in 2021. “I was like, ‘You have to do it. You have to.’”

It became a long-distance relationship for a few years, until Kerr decided it was time to leave Florida and try to embark on a coaching career in Oklahoma. The Sooners didn’t have a job for her initially, before a volunteer position opened up right around the time she was going to make the move anyway.

Kerr kept that volunteer job — coaching balance beam and helping Oklahoma win three NCAA titles — for about six years before the NCAA changed rules to allow volunteer assistant positions to be converted into full-time, paid positions.

Over that time, Daigneault was promoted from the Blue to the Thunder, they got married and started a family.

“She has a way of connecting with our student-athletes on a personal level and is an exceptional leader,” Oklahoma coach K.J. Kindler said when Kerr was finally promoted.

Daigneault likes to say the real coaches in his house right now are the couple’s two children, ages 3 and 2, who basically run the show.

“We are not in charge,” Daigneault said. “We are just surviving.”

The younger of the two kids was born April 15, 2023 — a day after the Thunder were eliminated from that season’s play-in tournament and the day the Sooners were competing in the NCAA gymnastics final in Fort Worth, Texas. It was also more than a week before Kerr’s due date.

She went into labor in Fort Worth at about 5 a.m. Daigneault had been back in Oklahoma City for about an hour after the middle-of-the-night flight home from Minnesota, where the Thunder lost that play-in game. He hopped in the car and made it to Fort Worth just in time for the birth that morning, and later that night the Sooners won a national title.

“Our team really rallied around her,” Kindler said.

There are obvious benefits to a coach being married to another coach, as Daigneault and Kerr have found. There is an understanding of the jobs, an understanding of long hours and late nights and travel and unpredictability. But when they’re home, they try to be home, not still at work.

“There’s certainly a lot more things that define our relationship together, starting with our kids now,” Daigneault said. “That’s occupying the majority of our bandwidth, but even beyond that, we’ve always tried to compartmentalize it in a way that’s pretty healthy because we both like to be home when we’re home and not just using the house as an extension of our jobs.”

Daigneault got his master’s degree from Florida, though he originally intended to get it immediately after graduating from Connecticut. If he had stuck to that schedule, though, he almost certainly wouldn’t have coached at Holy Cross. He might not have made it to Florida. He might not have met Kerr. He might not be married to someone with seven national championships. He might not have come to Oklahoma City. He might have missed out on these NBA Finals.

Right place, right time.

“If you replayed my life 10 million times — I used to say a million, but now that we’re playing in the NBA Finals, I’ll say 10 million — this would only happen once,” Daigneault said. “And so there’s never a minute that I’m not grateful.”

Originally Published: June 2, 2025 at 11:54 AM CDT

Mountain Gymnastics Academy’s Xcel Platinum gymnast Mady Byers wins floor title at 2025
Region 7 Xcel Championships

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Mountain Gymnastics Academy (MGA) is proud to announce that Xcel Platinum gymnast Mady Byers delivered an outstanding performance at the 2025 Region 7 Xcel Gymnastics Championships, capturing first place on the floor exercise in her age group. The event was held at the Nittany Valley Sports Centre in State College, Pennsylvania, on May 16, 2025.

Byres dazzled the judges with her powerful tumbling and expressive choreography, earning a winning score of 9.7 on the floor exercise. Her routine stood out among a competitive field of top gymnasts from across Region 7, which includes athletes from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

“We are incredibly proud of Mady and what she has accomplished in gymnastics,” said Gail Hayes, owner of MGA. “This achievement is a testament to her dedication, hard work and love for the sport. She has overcome a lot of obstacles to get where she is, and it fills me with joy to see it all come together for her.”

Mady’s performance at Regionals marks a high point in an already successful season. With Mady and her family beginning a new chapter away from Elkins, she will be deeply missed by her coaches and teammates. “While we’re sad to see her go, we’re excited to cheer her on from afar and look forward to seeing her at upcoming meets,” said Hayes.

Mountain Gymnastics Academy offers beginner to advanced gymnastics, tumbling and ninja training in Elkins for ages 18 months to 18 years. Contact MGA at 681-298-5077, at www.mgarocks.com or on Facebook.

Commencement season is here, one of my favorite times of the year. It’s when we celebrate collectively a major milestone in the lives of our students and their families.

With a degree from UC Davis, students are well equipped for success in the next chapters of their lives, whether it’s entering the workforce, graduate school or whatever path comes next.

That’s certainly true for our 671 student-athletes. Among the class of 2025 are a combined 123 undergraduates and graduate students who excelled in the classroom and the competition fields. From the gridiron and basketball courts to gymnastics, baseball and far beyond, UC Davis Athletics fosters an environment where our student-athletes are encouraged to excel in their academic studies, paving the way for their success once they graduate.

I always say that athletics are the front porch of a university. In this case, we’re witnessing a remarkable story of excellence in both academics and athletics.

For this past winter quarter, UC Davis student-athletes posted an average GPA of 3.3. Out of this group, 77 finished the quarter with a perfect 4.0. Nearly 72% of our student-athletes ended their quarter with a 3.0 GPA or higher. I’d also note that the number of UC Davis student-athletes pursuing STEM majors is more than 20% higher than the national average.

These students are on track to be game-changers in their chosen fields. They are people like Kaia Wolfe, a member of the women’s tennis team who’s majoring in Aerospace Science and Mechanical Engineering. Now, she’s also interning with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

In a March interview with UC Davis Athletics, Kaia said, “Tennis taught me how to stay focused, even under pressure, which was incredibly useful when working on complex models or dealing with tight time constraints.”

Meanwhile, Audrey Lee combined her love of sports with her studies in statistical data science. The senior field hockey player landed an internship with the San Diego Padres, joining its finance team to assist with budgetary work and day-to-day operations. In the process, she also gained leadership and critical thinking skills that will be a tremendous asset after she graduates this spring.

Many of our student-athletes also have an artistic flair. In April, our Manetti Shrem Museum hosted an art exhibition created by student-athletes. More than 20 students participated in this 16th annual “Art of Athletes” exhibition, showcasing their paintings, videography and photography talents.

Our teams also reached new heights in this year’s competition. The whole year was a lengthy highlight reel for UC Davis Athletics, one in which our football team finished fifth in the country with big wins over Idaho and Montana.

The UC Davis women’s gymnastics team qualified for NCAA regionals for the first time since 2014, while women’s golf qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015. The 2024-25 academic year also saw women’s basketball head coach Jennifer Gross set the all-time wins record in the program’s history.

We’re already looking forward to another season of success once the fall quarter starts in September. I encourage you to support our student-athletes and enjoy some games in the 2025-2026 season. You can plan ahead now, as season tickets for football are already on sale.

No matter what sport you choose, our games are fun and affordable ways to entertain the family while rooting for UC Davis teams and our entire city.

In the meantime, let’s root for all our students graduating this spring. Our primary goal at UC Davis is for all students to be winners in the game of life. With a diploma from UC Davis, they are well on their way to victory.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State Coach Ashley Miles Greig announced a pair of additions to her coaching staff Monday morning, naming both Jazmyn Estrella and Mary Wise as assistant coaches.

Estrella, a former collegiate gymnast at both Utah State (2017-18) and Temple (2019-20), has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the University of New Hampshire. Prior to her years with the Wildcats, Estrella got her start in coaching with her alma mater, serving as Temple’s volunteer assistant during the 2023 campaign.

“I am beyond thrilled to welcome Jazmyn Estrella to the Cyclone family,” said Miles Greig. “She brings an impressive coaching background and a proven ability to build strong relationships with student-athletes. Jazmyn shares our vision for the future of Iowa State Gymnastics, and her unique skills and passion for the sport will be a tremendous asset to our program moving forward.”

A decorated collegiate gymnast, Estrella earned her degree in Adult and Organizational Development from Temple. During her time as an Owl gymnast, Estrella set the program record with her performance on uneven bars, scoring a 9.95. As part of her two years as an athlete at Temple, Estrella helped the team win back-to-back ECAC Championships and was an All-ECAC performer on vault, bars and beam.

“I am so unbelievably excited to join the Iowa State coaching staff,” said Estrella. “Through all of my conversations with Coach Miles Greig, it was clear that she has a strong vision and is committed to excellence both in and out of the gym. I’m grateful for the opportunity to support her and contribute to the continued success and excellence of the program. The future of Cyclone Gymnastics is bright, and I am so grateful to be a part of it.”

Wise will bring over 20 years of experience to the Cyclones, having coached multiple current/former collegiate gymnasts. Most recently, she served as a team coach for the Air Force Gymnastics Academy. Wise is not new to the state of Iowa, as she spent 13 years (2009-21) as a Coach with Iowa Gym-Nest in Coralville.

“I take great pleasure in having Mary Wise join my coaching staff,” said Miles Greig. “With over two decades of experience at the highest levels of the sport, she brings a wealth of knowledge that will be instrumental as we continue striving to build a championship-level program. Her love of the sport and positive energy will be a tremendous addition to our team.”

Wise graduated from UW-La Crosse in 2005 with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science/Spanish. She spent her senior year helping the gymnastics team as a student assistant, as the Eagles went on to win the NCGA team title.

“I’m thrilled to begin my collegiate gymnastics coaching career at Iowa State,” said Wise. “College coaching has always been a goal of mine, and Iowa State immediately felt like home. I’m excited to be part of the strong coaching staff that Ashley is building, as well as a bright future for Cyclone Gymnastics.”