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Acacia Walker-Weinstein Named as U.S. Women’s Senior National Team Head Coach

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By Brian Logue | USA Lacrosse

USA Lacrosse has announced that two-time U.S. gold medalist Acacia Walker-Weinstein has been selected as the U.S. Women’s Senior National Team head coach. Walker-Weinstein’s appointment will run through the 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, which will be held in Japan.

Walker-Weinsten, the head women’s lacrosse coach at Boston College, was just 14 years old when she was tried out for the 1999 U.S. U19 team. She made the team and helped bring home a world championship from Perth, Australia. In 2009, she played on the U.S. women’s senior team that won the world championship in Prague, Czech Republic.

“Acacia brings a positive energy into every situation and has used that enthusiasm to take the Boston College program to new heights,” said USA Lacrosse CEO Marc Riccio. “From being the youngest player on our 1999 U19 team, to being one of the final cuts from our 2005 senior team to winning gold in 2009, she’s had a long history with our national team program that will help her connect with the players.”

Walker-Weinstein knows the goal is to win a gold medal, but she also wants to make an impact on the sport with the way the U.S. team plays under her leadership, building on the success of the coaches who have come before her.

“I want it to be exciting to watch,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I want the players to feel liberated and free to play with their own personal brand. I want the lacrosse to be exciting to watch. I want it to be difficult for the opponents to stop. I want it to be a product that makes the fans say, ‘That is the way women’s lacrosse should be played.’”

Walker-Weinstein has been the head coach at Boston College since the 2013 season and has transformed the Eagles into one of the nation’s elite programs. Boston College has played in six straight NCAA championship games and won the school’s first national title in 2021.

Walker-Weinstein was the IWLCA National Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2021 and compiled 173 wins in her first 11 seasons, including a school-record 22 in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Three of her Boston College players – Sam Apuzzo, Dempsey Arsenault and Charlotte North – played on the 2022 U.S. women’s team that won the world championship and another, Kristin Igoe, played on the 2013 world championship team.

She first came to Boston College as the associate head coach and in 2011 helped the school reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. Prior to coming to BC, she spent two seasons as the associate head coach at the University of Massachusetts, helping the team win back-to-back Atlantic 10 championships. From 2005 through 2008 she was an assistant coach at Northwestern, helping the school win three national championships.

As a player, Walker-Weinstein was an All-American and captain at the University of Maryland, helping the Terps reach the NCAA tournament all four seasons. She spent a decade, from 2002 through 2012, as a member of the U.S. women’s senior team.

The U.S. women’s senior team has won a record nine world championships, including the four most recent. The U.S. won the inaugural championship in 1982, followed by Australia winning in 1986. The U.S. then won four straight championships before Australia beat the U.S. in the 2005 gold medal game. Walker-Weinstein was on the 2009 U.S. team that started the current string of four straight world titles, including the 2022 event which marked the first time the host nation had won the championship.

The U.S. Women’s National Team trains and plays using game-changing, high-performance equipment from Cascade Maverik, Gait Lacrosse and STX and best-in-class products from Enovis (sports bracing).

In addition to these partners, Gatorade, MedStar Health and Stryker are official sponsors of the U.S. National Team Program. Team training is also aided by products from Athletic Republic.

Funding for the national teams also comes from generous donors to the USA Lacrosse Foundation. Help support the team.

Gymnast Morgan Price becomes first HBCU athlete to win national collegiate title

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By Cara Tabachnick | CBS News

Gymnast Morgan Price became the first athlete from a historically Black college or university team to win a national collegiate championship on Friday.  

The Fisk University student clinched the title with an all-around score of 39.225 – and became “the first USAG Collegiate National Champion from an HBCU! ” said USA Gymnastics. She was among athletes from 12 college teams joining the competition at the USA Gymnastics’ 2024 Women’s Collegiate National Championships in West Chester, Pennsylvania. 

Price joined the first HBCU intercollegiate team at Nashville’s Fisk University in 2023 after graduating from high school. She initially signed onto Arkansas before switching to attend Fisk, ESPN reported, after Coach Corrine Tarver asked her the simple question: “Do you want to make history?”

Since forming, the gymnastics team has garnered high-profile media attention, competed on ESPN and has sold out meets.

“I have learned that it is enjoyable to be around your culture. Since we are the first, we have a lot of eyes on us, and our support system is excellent. Seeing the fans and little girls cheering us on was super fun,” Price said in 2023. 

Her team celebrated her win with a social media post saying, “THE PRICE IS RIGHT. Etch her name in the HISTORY BOOKS.”

Price will compete on Sunday in the Individual Event finals on vault, bars and floor.

South Carolina defeats Iowa 87-75 to win national championship and complete perfect season

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With undefeated South Carolina jolted onto an unfamiliar backfoot, coach Dawn Staley looked toward her bench to remedy an early 11-point deficit to Iowa — more specifically, she looked toward Tessa Johnson.

The freshman guard outshone her six-point scoring average all tournament long and was a revelation in relief for the Gamecocks. With a team-high 19 points and three triples, Johnson led South Carolina to a slim halftime lead and a dominant third quarter, helping the Gamecocks claim their second national title in three years, 87-75, and cap off a perfect season.

The role players were rolling from the opening tip, as Kate Martin and Sydney Affolter gave Iowa a quick 7-0 lead, but Caitlin Clark scored 13 in a row from all over the court. The newly crowned AP Player of the Year drained a pair of 3s, was fouled on two more attempts and converted at the rim to give her Hawkeyes a 20-9 lead by the first media timeout. Clark finished with 30 points (10 of 28 shooting), eight rebounds and five assists in her last college game.

Iowa’s centers Hannah Stuelke and Addison O’Grady admirably limited star Gamecock post Cardoso to just 2 of 6 shooting in the first quarter, but the Brazilian behemoth partnered with Johnson and inevitably found her opening. Johnson — who led the Gamecocks’ 36-0 bench scoring advantage — took up the mantle for South Carolina and its top-ranked defense. The freshman guard poked away a pair of steals, turning each into transition baskets, before Cardoso finished through contact to tie the game at 27.

That top-ranked defense also took exception to Clark’s early mastery, and a savvy defensive play from Raven Johnson dispossessed Clark and gave the Gamecocks an easy two points before halftime.

South Carolina bottled up this late-half momentum for a roaring start out of the locker room. Chloe Kitts ensured her spot on the floor with two straight baskets out of the intermission, and Te-Hina Paopao nailed a pull-up jumper to give her Gamecocks a 55-46 lead and force Iowa coach Lisa Bluder to burn a quick timeout. 

Cardoso also hauled a career-high 17 rebounds, leading an overwhelming South Carolina rebounding effort that started to wear on the Hawkeyes. The Gamecocks enjoyed a 24-11 rebounding advantage in the second half, including six offensive boards, and a plus-6 advantage in second chance points helped South Carolina maintain its lead.

Paopao nailed a 3 to begin the fourth quarter, one of her three long-range bombs Sunday, and a familiarly balanced South Carolina scoring attack — seven Gamecocks made at least three field goals — proved too much for a late Hawkeyes rally. 

Softball and baseball on same day! Woman makes NCAA history

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Melanie Martinez-Lopez | MLB

Jillian Albayati continues to be a pioneer for women in the game of baseball.

On Sunday, she became the second player in collegiate history — and the first in Division II — to play baseball and softball on the same day when she accomplished the feat for Cal State San Marcos.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team was down four pitchers, including three starters, and were considering open tryouts in the middle of chasing the California Collegiate Athletic Association title.

Softball coach Stef Ewing immediately thought of Albayati, a right-handed pitcher for baseball and a third baseman for softball.

The move made sense, given Albayati began to play baseball when she was 3 years old — and she played throughout high school. The All-CIF pitcher from Anaheim went 20-0 with a 1.68 ERA in her high-school career, all while hitting .360.

“I piped up and said, ‘We’ve got Jill on our team, and she played high school baseball,’” Ewing told San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Kirk Kenney. “She pitches and plays third base for the U.S. Women’s National Baseball Team. She can throw.’”

It was not the first time Albayati made a mark on women’s baseball.

She was selected to play in the inaugural Trailblazer Series. It was created in 2017 to provide girls with an opportunity to play baseball with other girls in a highly competitive environment.

The following year, Albayati participated in the 2018 Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series, a program that focuses on developing girls who play baseball.

Now, she has once again made her mark nearly seven years later — this time, just days before the 2024 Trailblazer Series gets underway on Saturday.

When Albayati was offered the opportunity to pitch in a baseball game Sunday for Cal State San Marcos — a first for Division II sports (Christina Elsbury did it last year for Division III Gallaude) — there was no hesitation. According to the Union-Tribune, she threw a bullpen session on Friday to showcase her skills, and soon after, Albayati was added to the roster.

“We’re in a place where we’re pretty banged up on the mound,” Cougars baseball manager Jose Garcia told the newspaper. “It’s not asking her to come in and pitch in high-leverage situations. It’s more to give us a cushion, to eat some innings and help keep everybody as healthy as possible.”

Albayati’s complete game

When Sunday came around, the 5-foot-6 Albayati was ready to pitch in.

First came the softball game against Cal State Monterey Bay. After celebrating her teammate’s walk-off grand slam in a dramatic 4-3 win, the sophomore switched out of her softball jersey and sprinted over to the nearby baseball field. She was called in from the bullpen two batters into the ninth inning.

Albayati was not intimidated by the seven batters she faced. She allowed two runs (one earned) off three hits and one walk to close out the inning.

She then returned to the softball field after her collegiate baseball debut for the second game of a doubleheader. She went 2-for-6 in the softball team’s 4-2 victory to help the club complete the sweep — before once again returning to the baseball dugout to end her day.

“It’s just amazing,” Albayati said to Kenney. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be able to do that.”

Albayati hopes to be able to continue playing both sports, but she told Ewing her priority is softball.

“But I know her love is baseball,” Ewing said. “I thought we made a kid’s career in more ways than you can imagine by having her go out there. … We made her dream come true today.”

With both teams on the road an hour away for the next series, there is a chance she may travel with the baseball team while the injured pitchers continue to recover.

The newspaper also reported that Albayati was invited to pitch for the Savannah Bananas over the summer.

USA Today names Iowa women’s wrestling head coach Clarissa Chun Woman of the Year

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By: Kenna Roering | The Daily Iowan

Hawkeye women’s wrestling head coach Clarissa Chun has been named USA Today’s Woman of the Year honoree for the state of Iowa.

This award is presented annually to 12 national recipients and one honoree per state who “use their voices and determination to push for change and equality, and even joy.”

Chun, a two-time Olympian, is the first head coach in Iowa women’s wrestling history. In their inaugural season, the Hawkeyes won the National Duals title and qualified 15 wrestlers for the national championships coming up on March 8-9. Chun served as an assistant coach on the women’s national team from 2017-21, helping the United States earn 17 World medals.

This year’s honorees include gymnast Aly Raisman, a six-time Olympic medalist, director and actress Eva Longoria, and mental health first responder Cheryl Jacobs.

Previous collegiate head coach recipients include Oklahoma softball’s Patty Gasso, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, and Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer.

“They are our neighbors and role models. They use their voices for others, many overcoming immense challenges, to make change happen,” USA Today wrote in a release. “Simply put, they make us want to do better.”

Jenny Cavnar Makes MLB History as A’s Lead Play-by-Play Announcer with Dallas Braden

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By BVM Sportsdesk

Jenny Cavnar is set to make history as the first woman to serve as a Major League Baseball team’s primary play-by-play voice, appointed by the A’s. Her groundbreaking journey is a tribute to predecessors like Suzyn Waldman and Melanie Newman. Cavnar acknowledges the support of decision-makers like Alison Vigil and Devon Fox, leading to her current role alongside former A’s pitcher Dallas Braden. Despite the pressure, Cavnar is ready for the challenge, drawing inspiration from her broadcasting experience and the advice to “do the work” and “be you.” This opportunity symbolizes progress for women in sports and aims to normalize such hires beyond headline status, creating equal opportunities for all aspiring broadcasters.

The Big Picture

Cavnar’s appointment reflects a significant milestone in gender diversity in sports broadcasting, paving the way for more inclusive opportunities in the industry.

By the Numbers

  • Jenny Cavnar is the first woman to serve as a Major League Baseball team’s primary play-by-play voice.
  • She has over 18 seasons of experience as a broadcaster in Major League Baseball.

State of Play

  • Jenny Cavnar appointed as the A’s lead play-by-play announcer, marking a historic moment for women in sports broadcasting.
  • Her partnership with former A’s pitcher Dallas Braden adds a personal touch to the new role.
  • The appointment underscores progress towards gender equality in sports commentary and sets a precedent for future hires.

What’s Next

Cavnar’s achievement opens doors for more gender diversity in sports broadcasting, aiming to make such appointments a norm rather than an exception, fostering equal opportunities for all aspiring broadcasters.

Bottom Line

Jenny Cavnar’s groundbreaking role as the A’s lead play-by-play announcer signifies a crucial step towards gender equality in sports broadcasting, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and equal opportunities for all in the industry.

NELLY KORDA BECOMES FIRST LPGA PRO TO WIN THREE TITLES IN A ROW SINCE 2016

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By: Andy Roberts | Golf Magic

NELLY KORDA BECOMES FIRST LPGA PRO TO WIN THREE TITLES IN A ROW SINCE 2016

World No.1 Nelly Korda continues her golden run with three straight wins on the LPGA Tour. 

Nelly Korda becomes first LPGA pro to win three titles in a row since 2016

Nelly Korda has become the first player since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 to win three straight titles on the LPGA Tour following victory at the Ford Championship.

Korda, 25, closed with a flawless 7-under 65 to finish the week on 20-under par and two strokes clear of Hira Naveed.

It marked her 11th win on the LPGA Tour. 

The win also makes it a consecutive hat-trick for Korda having also won the LPGA Drive On Championship on 28 January and the Fir Hills Seri Park Championship on 24 March. 

“To win three in a row is just a dream come true,” said Korda.

That matches a feat last set by Jutanugarn who won three straight events on the LPGA Tour in 2016.

Jutanugarn won the Yokohama Tire LPGA Clasic, Kingsmill Championship and LPGA Volvik Championship that season. 

Prior to that, Inbee Park achieved the feat in 2013 and so did Lorena Ochoa in 2008. 

Korda will need to keep her foot on the gas to achieve the outright LPGA Tour record of consecutive wins as the current record is five. 

That was set by Nancy Lopez in 1978 and Annika Sorenstam in 2005. 

World Rugby to expand female coach development programme

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The Gallagher High Performance Academy will improve the pathway for women at elite levels of the sport and increase the prominence of female coaches and other high performance roles at the top level.

The original programme, designed in partnership with Gallagher – an official partner of women’s rugby, WXV 2023 & 2024, and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 – was launched in 2023 ahead of the inaugural WXV 15s tournament as part of a strategic plan to accelerate the development of women’s rugby, and increase the competitiveness of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.

Following the success of the initial programme, World Rugby is rolling out the scheme to all formats of the women’s game, with 10 Sevens coaches to be inaugurated into the Gallagher High Performance Academy, in 2024.

World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby, Sally Horrox said: “As we celebrate the second year of the Gallagher High Performance Academy by extending the reach of programme to encompass all formats of the women’s game, we are not just shaping coaches; we are sculpting the future of women’s rugby.

“Together with Gallagher, we continue to champion diversity, excellence, and inclusivity on and off the field. 

“The Academy enables a clear pathway for aspiring female coaches and provides vitally important coaching opportunities as we strive towards our ambitious target of 40% female high performance coaching roles at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. 

“We are already starting to see the fruits of our labour as coaches progress into full time roles around the world.”

With a focus on talent identification, professional support and championing the next generation of international coaches, the Gallagher High Performance Academy develops existing coaching talent, and identifies opportunities for new coaches and other high performance roles.

Sixteen women, from 16 different nations, took part in the first Academy in 2023. Each of the participants were fully embedded with their respective nations, before and during WXV, providing them with meaningful professional development opportunities, as well as the opportunity to gain valuable experience of working in a high-performance sporting environment.

Off the field, participants received mentor support and took part in a series of online and in-person workshops, hosted by World Rugby and Gallagher. 

Workshops were tailored to cover a variety of topics, ranging from game planning, tactics and skill development, to relationships, communication and creating the right culture; as well as relevant, best practice learnings from Gallagher, sharing transferable skills.

All 10 newly inaugurated coaches took part in a rugby coaching masterclass at Dignity Health Sports Park, in Los Angeles.

The inductees staged a series of live coaching sessions, putting into practice the skills that they have been learning through the Academy and the in game live experience they have gained from being embedded in their respective teams for the HSBC World SVNS Series. 

They were joined by players and coaches from grassroots clubs within the local community, who benefitted from being coached by some of the most inspirational women in world rugby.

“We are proud of and excited for the extension of the Gallagher High Performance Academy into all formats of women’s rugby,” added Chris Mead, chief marketing officer for Gallagher.

“The growth of the programme is testament to its success and impact in its inaugural year, providing meaningful career development. Expanding the programme to make it more inclusive will further accelerate the growth of women’s rugby around the world and continue to raise opportunities for women both on and off the field.”

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Travel Expenses Quickly Add Up For Para Athletes. Tatyana McFadden Wants To Help With That

By: Ryan Wilson | US Paralympics

Para athletes face a ton of obstacles while pursuing an athletic career.

One frequent deterrent for athletes is travel expenses, which is something Tatyana McFadden wants to help the next generation of Para athletes deal with.

That’s why the 20-time Paralympic medalist, in connection with the DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation, has created the Tatyana McFadden Competitor Award. Recipients of the award will receive up to $500 to help cover travel expenses to any Move United-sanctioned competition (including the Hartford Nationals) taking place this year.

“It’s really just a dream come true that I can do this,” McFadden told USParaTF.org. “It’s what I want to continue doing.”

Often, the barriers of entry into wheelchair racing can be quite high. While the athletes on the national team receive a monthly stipend, younger athletes don’t receive any financial assistance and are responsible for covering the cost of traveling to races. That alone can cost upwards of four figures when factoring in hotels, food, transportation and other costs.

Many athletes raise funds on their own through online resources. Some get help from nonprofit organizations.

McFadden, now 34 and training for her seventh Paralympic Games this summer in Paris, got her start more than two decades ago with the help of donations from Bennett Blazers, an adaptive sports program run through the Kennedy Krieger Institute in her hometown of Baltimore. On top of providing specialized coaching, the program helped McFadden pay for some of her early racing equipment, another major expense for any racer.

New racing wheelchairs can cost between $5,000 and $10,000. Repairing or replacing individual parts like tires, handrims or seat cushions can cost hundreds of dollars as well. McFadden said tires can cost an additional $1,000 apiece.

Bennett Blazers, similar to other adaptive sports programs, is given spare equipment through donations, and McFadden was able to capitalize on the equipment they had on hand.

In fact, she was able to practice with a chair designed by Bob Hall. Touted as the “father of wheelchair racing,” Hall was one of the first wheelchair racers in the Boston Marathon and paved the way for having wheelchair racers accepted as official participants in the event. Hall eventually went on to design his own chairs. McFadden said using one of Hall’s chairs allowed her to experiment with the design to accommodate her comfort level.

“That took off a great expense right there, because I didn’t have to keep buying racing chairs,” McFadden said.

McFadden and Daniel Romanchuk — a two-time Paralympic medalist wheelchair racer who also got his start with the help of Bennett Blazers — have donated old equipment back to their starting place in Baltimore.

Romanchuk once gave the program a $6,000 chair. Wheelchair basketball player and fellow alum of the program Ryan Neiswender, a 2020 U.S. Paralympian, helped the Blazers secure $20,000 to buy more wheelchairs.

McFadden said adaptive programs now allow new racers to try out elite equipment she did not have access to when she first started.

“It’s amazing that they can also start with carbon wheels and start with really nice things because they have been donated,” McFadden said.

The assistance McFadden received early in her career helped her become a six-time Paralympian and one of the most decorated wheelchair racers in the world. Her 20 Paralympic medals include eight golds, seven silvers and four bronzes from wheelchair racing, and one silver from the Sochi 2014 Winter Games in Nordic skiing. McFadden has also won 23 world championships medals, 16 of which are gold.

She is set to continue her high level of racing in the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 later this year, as she’s already qualified for the marathon event at the Games. McFadden kicked off her 2024 track season in mid-February at the Dubai Grand Prix, where she broke her own world record in the 400-meter T54 by 0.18 seconds.

With no signs of slowing down, McFadden also hopes to compete in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, where she’d be 39 years old.

McFadden has already elevated the sport of wheelchair racing, and she wants to leave a lasting legacy on the next generation of athletes like herself. The Tatyana McFadden Competitor Award, she said, was another way to do that.

“It means the world to me that I can just help out a little bit,” she said. “Of course, I want to do more, but right now, it’s just a great start.”

https://agsa.org/2024/03/5434/

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