American Gold Sports Alliance

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ICC to Push for Cricket’s Inclusion in Olympics

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The ICC has confirmed its intention to push for cricket’s inclusion in the Olympic Games going forward, starting preparations for a bid on behalf of the sport with the primary target being its addition to the Los Angeles 2028 itinerary.

A Working Group to lead the bid has been assembled by the ICC. 

Thirty-million cricket fans live in the USA, making LA 2028 the ideal Games for cricket to make its return to Olympic competition. Cricket, till now, has made just one appearance in the Olympics, way back in 1900 in Paris when only two teams competed at the event – Great Britain and hosts France – meaning the sport’s inclusion in 2028 would mark the end of a 128-year absence. 

The sport will feature in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games next year, which shapes as a perfect showcase for what the sport can bring to the Olympics, as well as being a momentous occasion on its own.  

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Awards Ceremony at Proctors Recognizes Standout Female Athletes

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By Jim Schiltz | The Daily Gazette

Recent Taconic Hills graduate Clare Howard couldn’t help but notice just how proud the parents, siblings, coaches and friends were of the individuals who were honored Monday evening at the second annual Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala at Proctors.l

Howard’s rooting section included her mom, dad, brother and sister.

“You could see how each family supported their athlete,” said Howard, who, after each individual was honored, earned the prestigious Grand Scholastic Sports Woman of the Year prize. “To be able to invite people shows how far we’ve come in this pandemic.”

The first awards ceremony held last August saw only two guests allowed for each of the young women who were honored for their outstanding athletic and academic achievement, service to their school and community involvement.

The 2020 Capital District Sports Women of the Year gala was originally scheduled to take place in May of that year at Proctors, but that was postponed due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and was instead held at The Desmond Hotel in Colonie in a low-key affair where the grand winners were sprinter and soccer player Lydia Ware of Averill Park in the high school category and soccer player Morgan Burchhardt of Saint Rose in the collegiate category. 

“This was the dream I had,” Capital District Sports Women of the Year president and founder Eric McDowell said as pictures were taken in a room adjacent to the GE Theatre, where the event was held. “Women’s sports deserve coverage and recognition outside the arena. This is what I wanted to do, and I wanted to do it here.”

Soccer player Hallie Klosterman of Russell Sage College was the Grand Sports Woman of the Year winner in the collegiate category. 

Also honored Monday were recent high school graduates Phoebe Fox (Glens Falls), Riley Gibbons (Germantown), Jenna Hoffman (Maple Hill), Anna Jankovic (Averill Park), Sara Langworthy (Warrensburg), Izzy Mancini (Galway),  Madison Relyea (Mayfield) and Kate Sherman (Mohonasen), rising high school senior Beth Irwin (Guilderland), and Naseyah Dix (Bryant & Stratton College).

“What an all-star team,” McDowell said before each of the honorees received a trophy and gave a speech. “What accomplishments.”

Howard, Taconic Hills’ five-sports participant and senior class president, said she was both surprised and excited when the grand awards were announced.

“I was expecting a lot when I got here, but when I heard the resumes, it was mind boggling,” Howard said. “I was blown away by what the girls had done. Each girl has so much to offer. We all could have won it for different reasons.”

“We read about them. Put out the releases,” McDowell said of the honorees. “To see them come to life was very, very special. What they did is amazing.”

McDowell said there were more nominations for the 2021 awards than in 2020, and he expects an even larger number next year.

“It’s growing,” McDowell said. “Word will come out and they will say, ‘We have someone, too.’ ”

Howard began competing in sports at Taconic Hills as a seventh-grader, and as the years passed she kept adding teams to her athletic resume. She capped off her record and award-filled scholastic career this school year by participating in soccer and cross country in the fall, swimming and skiing in the winter and track in the spring. She would have done the five as a junior, too, had that spring season not been taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Clare is a remarkable young lady that manages her time well in order to be successfully involved in as much as she is,” Taconic Hills math teacher Angela Webster said in a pre-event testimonial. “She is one of the most all-around talented individuals I have met in my career. I admire her for her positive, calm demeanor in the classroom while being an aggressive, sportsmanlike competitor on the field.”

Howard will focus on the 400 hurdles at William and Mary, and while she has yet to declare a major, she has great interest in the math and science fields where the National Honor Society member has received several prestigious awards.

“How many hours are in her day?” McDowell asked.

The multi-talented teen also has an ear for music, and can play the piano, flute and cello. She has been involved with several different groups, and was invited to perform with the Empire State String Youth Orchestra.

“I was always active growing up, and that carried over to my teenage years,” Howard, who served as her class treasurer for three years and was on the school’s COVID-19 reopening committee, said prior to the awards gala. “I am just really thankful that with everything I’ve done, I’ve had my family and friends and everyone in school backing me up and supporting me.”

Howard graduated third in her class.

“I really want to be the best version of myself as I can,” the 18-year-old academic and athletic star said when informed earlier this year that she was among the 10 high schoolers to be recognized. “It’s rewarding to see it all pay off.”

Klosterman anchored Russell Sage’s run to its first Empire 8 women’s soccer championship last spring as a junior, while academically, she was named to Russell Sage’s President’s List, Dean’s List and Athletic Honor Society for the third time. This past academic year she was also named to the college’s Athenian Honors Society. The Wallkill High School graduate has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average throughout her college career.

“The key to my success is challenging myself to be the best I can as a student, athlete and person,” Klosterman said.

Klosterman was named the Empire 8 tournament MVP after the team captain assisted on the winning goal in the semifinals, and scored both the tying goal late in the second half and the game-winner on a penalty kick in extra time against Utica College in the title match.

“Oh my gosh,” Klosterman had said, “it was incredible. Everybody on the team, that was their goal. That’s what we were striving for. Did we have a perfect season? No. But, in my opinion, winning a championship doesn’t have to be a perfect season. If you have some upsets here and there, that’s where you learn. That’s where your growth comes from. That’s what can make or break a championship.”

Klosterman has already completed her undergraduate work at Russell Sage and is now embarking on a three-year graduate program in physical therapy.

News Channel 13 sports personality Ashley Miller served as the master of ceremonies and Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer, who lived in Schenectady as a youth, was the virtual guest speaker. Indie-pop artist Annie Scherer of Voorheesville performed on piano at the beginning of the event and on guitar after a brief intermission.

Papp Pulls Out First Professional Victory

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Beaumont, TX) – The final round of the Babe Zaharias Open has concluded and it was a shootout. Several players were able to take advantage of the favorable conditions round four had to offer and two Texas Longhorns and a Texas Tech Red Raider battled it out for 18 holes.

Kaitlyn Papp (Austin, TX) held a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the Babe Zaharias Open. Papp found herself in familiar territory as last week, as she was once again in the final group in the final round. This time however, Papp came into the final round with the lead and she was determined to keep that lead. Starting her day with a birdie, Papp wanted to send a message early that last week would not be a normal final round. The other two players in her group were Greta Voelker (Germany) and Sofia Garcia (Paraguay) who both put on the pressure all day, but Papp answered the call. Even when Garcia tied the heading into 18, Papp never seemed phased. Garcia would hit it right off the tee and into the trees, while Papp would put it right down the middle. Garcia shortsided herself in the greenside bunker and could not get up and down. Papp found the middle of the green on 18 and was able to two-putt to become the 2021 Babe Zaharias Open Champion!

The top-5 for the Race to Stage II also concluded in Beaumont. The top-5 to end the season were Jessica Porvasnik, Sofia del Rosario, Gabby Then, Ginger Howard, and Sofia Garcia. Congratulations ladies and good luck in Florida at Stage II!

The Women’s All Pro Tour would like to thank Beaumont Country Club and the city of Beaumont for their hospitality and help all week. A very special thank you to Head Professional Jeff Cooper, Tournament Director Roni Stephenson, Volunteer Chair Cindy Lindsay, Housing Coordinator Jodi Meaux, and Course Superintendent Brandon Johnson.

Who is Jade Carey? Get to know U.S. gymnastics’ automatic individual Olympic qualifier

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Emily AdamsUSA TODAY

  • Jade Carey, 21, was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • The Tokyo Games are Carey’s first trip to compete at the Olympics.
  • Carey has a chance to compete in the individual event finals on vault and floor exercise.

While the other gymnasts at the U.S. Olympic Trials pulled out all of their best skills and anxiously fought for the chance to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, Jade Carey was completely calm. That’s because Carey’s spot on the team was already guaranteed 

Carey is one of the athletes taking advantage of the FIG’s new team structure when she competes as an individual in Tokyo. A vault and floor exercise specialist, Carey should give the U.S. extra opportunities to bring home medals in the individual event finals.

Jade Carey competes on the floor during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Gymnastics competition at The Dome at America's Center.
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Jade Carey, an American Gymnast Competing as an Individual, Qualifies for Olympic Floor Exercise, Vault Finals

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Jeff MetcalfeArizona Republic

TOKYO — Jade Carey’s untraditional path to the Olympics paid off.

The 19-year-old, competing as an individual instead of as part of the U.S. team, qualified for floor exercise and vaulting finals Sunday with her best performances of the year.

Carey and U.S. superstar Simone Biles, who had one of the roughest performances of her career in the third qualifying session at Ariake Gymnastics Centre, will compete in the vault final on Aug. 1 and floor final the following day. 

MyKayla Skinner finished fourth overall in vault qualifying but is not eligible for the final because a maximum of two per country are allowed in the eight-woman event finals.

So it came down to one American knocking another out of contention for an individual medal for the U.S. spot open alongside Biles on vault and floor. Skinner tied with Jordan Chiles for the third-best U.S. score on floor.

“They did a good job,” said Tom Forster, USA Gymnastics women’s high-performance coordinator, of Carey and Skinner. “I’m fairly certain MyKayla is super happy to finally be an Olympian. She’s proud of herself as she should be.

“The people that made floor finals are the best athletes on floor, same on vault. It is what it is.”

U.S. gymnasts did not talk to the media after their session.

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Best of the Best: Future Gamecock, Local Standout Wins Third SC Gatorade Award

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Jayla Jamison added another top award to cap her high school career.

The Airport High School junior was named South Carolina’s 2021 Gatorade Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year on Friday — it’s the third straight year she’s won the honor

Jamison is the first three-time winner in South Carolina since J.L. Mann’s Brianna Nelson did it in 2008-10. She is the first Midlands athlete to win three in a row since Spring Valley’s Monique Hennagan in 1992-94.

Jamison won in the long jump and the 100, 200 and 400 meters in the 2021 S.C. track and field championships in May. She was the lone Airport runner who placed in the meet and helped the Eagles to a third-place finish in Class 4A. Jamison’s four state championships give her 12 for her career. She won four events in 2018 and 2019. Had last year’s championships not been canceled because of COVID-19, she would have likely added to her total.

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Ola’s Amani Jones wins gold at Junior Pan American Championships

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Amani Jones, fresh off her graduation from Ola, made history at the Junior Pan American Championships in Oaxtepec, Mexico.

Jones became the first Georgia high school girls wrestler to win a gold medal at the games, taking the freestyle title at 55 kilograms with a dominating 10-0 win over Mexico’s Victoria Chazez in the finals. The U.S. team won gold in the event with 176 points, finishing ahead of runner-up Mexico’s 147 and third-place Cuba’s 101.

“This is a huge step for Amani,” Ola coach Joey DiNino said. “She has international level aspirations and this is a step in the right direction. We are extremely proud of Amani.”

Jones, a North Central College (Ill.) recruit, won high school state championships the past three seasons, the first three the Georgia High School Association sanctioned wrestling. She also is a Girls USA Cadet Freestyle National Champion, a Girls Super 32 National Champion and a USA Today Atlanta Sports Female Wrestler of the Year.

USA CRICKET ANNOUNCES EASTERN/CENTRAL SQUADS FOR WOMEN’S SENIOR AND UNDER-19 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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  • The Women & Girls Selection Committee has selected a squad of 14 players to represent the Eastern/Central Conference in the National Championship.
  • A Women’s U19 squad of 14 players also selected to represent Eastern/Central Conference in historic first ever USA Cricket Women’s Under 19 National Championship. 
  • Both squads have been selected after the conclusion of the Eastern Women & Girls Regional Tournament, held in Morrisville, NC. 

USA Cricket is pleased to announce the squads to represent the Eastern/Central Conference for both the Women’s Senior National Championships, and the Women’s U19 National Championships, following the conclusion of the Eastern leg of the Regionals which was played over the July 4th weekend in Morrisville, North Carolina. 

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IHSA Board Sets Schedule For Inaugural Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals, Extends Two State Final Hosting Contracts

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The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting, which included both virtual and in-person attendance, on Monday, June 14, 2021, where the Board finalized the schedule and location of the first-ever IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals in 2022.

The Board approved the tournament structure developed by the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Committee to conduct the first-ever girls state finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on Friday and Saturday, February 25-26, 2022. The IHSA previously conducted its Dual Team Wrestling State Finals on this Saturday and will now extend that tournament to two days, running it concurrently with the Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals at Grossinger Motors Arena.

“This is an exciting development for the IHSA and for female wrestlers around the state,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “The number of female participants continues to grow, and we are proud to be able to offer an incredible venue and stage to recognize them on. This is an important step for Illinois high school wrestling as a whole.” 

The IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals will consist of the quarterfinal round and the first two rounds of wrestlebacks being contested on Friday morning and afternoon. The semifinals, consolation rounds, and place matches will follow on Saturday morning and afternoon. The event will culminate with a Grand March of the finalists, followed by the state championship matches in 14 different weight classes.

The IHSA Board first approved the formation of the IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals at their meeting in June, 2020, before asking the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Committee to develop the tournament schedule and structure.

Over 800 girls from IHSA schools were eligible to wrestle during the 2019-20 school year after completing the required testing to determine their weight class. In 2020-21, the IHSA wrestling season ran from April 19 to June 12 as a result of the pandemic and the IHSA was not able to conduct a postseason.

Richards High School’s Mia Palumbo (above) made history on February 15, 2018, when the then-freshmen became the first female wrestler to win a match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals.

ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to a modification of the IHSA Scholastic Standing By-laws (3.022 and 4.022) for the first semester of the 2021-22 school term. The Board had modified the by-laws in December to help ease scholastic issues brought about by remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Board continues to recognize the challenges faced by many students in the spring and believes that continuing the academic modifications make sense as schools transition back to a more normal manner of service for the 2021-22 school year.”

2. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Bass Fishing State Final hosting contract with Carlyle Lake in Carlyle for three more years. The contract extension will encompass the 2022, 2023, and 2024 state finals.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The city of Carlyle, Carlyle High School, the Army Corp. of Engineers who oversee Carlyle Lake, and a host of volunteers from around the area have been with us since day one. They helped us realize the dream of a bass fishing state championship and have embraced the event as a community in every way possible. We are proud to return there to conduct the event for three years.”

3. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Speech-Individual Events State Final hosting contract with the Peoria Civic Center for five more years. The contract extension will encompass the state finals from 2022-2026.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Peoria Civic Center provides a great setup and space for this event and has been a wonderful setting for it since 2010. We appreciate their support of IHSA activities and look forward to our continued partnership.”

4. The Board approved a recommendation to allow a one-year Cooperative agreement in the sport of football between Olympia High School and Delavan High School.

5. The Board approved a recommendation to use the actual enrollment, and not IHSA classification enrollment, when determining the membership assessment of single-gender schools.

6. The Board approved a recommendation to reduce the number of required students on a team in order to be eligible for the IHSA Academic Team Award.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Minutes from all Advisory Committees can be viewed by clicking here.

1. The Board approved the consent items, from the Advisory Committees in the following sports & activities:
Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Chess, Dance, Sportsmanship, Gymnastics, Journalism, Music, Officials, Scholastic Bowl, Soccer, Speech, Student Advisory, Swimming, Wrestling, Athletic Administrators and Activities Director.

Consent items are recommendations that received approval from the sport/activity advisory committee, the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee and the IHSA staff. Consent items can be viewed by clicking here.

One non-consent item was approved:
Student Advisory Committee
1. The annual Student Advisory Committee retreat will be held on August 1, 2021.

HEARINGS & APPEALS
1. The Board held a hearing with administrators from Grayslake North High School to discuss the school violating IHSA by-laws 2.010 and 6.011 by knowingly allowing an ineligible student-athlete to participate in a football contest this year.

DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the June 14, 2021 agenda:

1. The Board heard a report on the three new by-laws that will take effect on July 1, 2021, as a result of the membership’s annual legislative process in November and December. A full release on the new by-laws and by-laws changes can be found by clicking here.

2. The Board heard a report from the Executive Director on the future of an IHSA State Series in esports.

3. The Board reviewed a request for an enrollment waiver for LaMoille High School/Amboy High School cooperative, but took no action.

4. The Board agreed to work on creating a timeline and process for gathering input from member schools during the 2021-22 school year concerning the possible implementation of the shot clock as early as the 2022-23 school year. 
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“I expect to have a good discussion with the membership on this topic over the next school year.  I could envision the shot clock being phased in over the next handful of years to allow the membership adequate time to become accustomed to the shot clock, purchase the necessary equipment, and identify workers who will be able to manage the clock.”

5. The Board recognized outgoing Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) Executive Director Steve Endsley, who will retire on June 30 after over 20 years of service to the IESA and its membership.

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