American Gold Sports Alliance

Athlete Spotlight

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

by

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.
[Read more…] about Who is Jade Carey? Get to know U.S. gymnastics’ automatic individual Olympic qualifier

Jade Carey, an American Gymnast Competing as an Individual, Qualifies for Olympic Floor Exercise, Vault Finals

by

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.

[Read more…] about Jade Carey, an American Gymnast Competing as an Individual, Qualifies for Olympic Floor Exercise, Vault Finals

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

by

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.

[Read more…] about Best of the Best: Future Gamecock, Local Standout Wins Third SC Gatorade Award

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

by

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.

Golden Nuggets With Bhaavya Manikonda- IHSA State Girls Badminton Champion

by

Our Sports Program Coordinator, Elizabeth Blaszynski, had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Badminton State Champion, Bhaavya Manikonda! Read all about how Bhaavya started playing badminton, all the hard work she put into becoming a state champion, and how her father inspired her to keep playing!

How many years have you played for your team?

I played varsity badminton all throughout high school (freshman to senior year). I was also first in the lineup every year. I am currently ranked number 2 nationally in singles and 3 in doubles. I won the IHSA badminton state for singles in 2019 and 2021 as well.

Why did you start playing badminton?

My dad always wanted to put me in a sport for three reasons: learning discipline, learn the importance of fitness and athletics and having fun. There was a badminton club near the house we moved into in 2012 so he signed me up and I have played and grown ever since. 

What is your favorite badminton memory?

My favorite memory while playing would be when I was warming up to play singles finals at the Pan American Junior Tournament in Moncton, Canada. The previous year I played in the same tournament in Brazil and I lost the first round so it was satisfying to see hard work and perseverance be worth it. The entire year before this day I made sure to stay motivated with the three reasons my dad had in mind and having that purpose helped me stay grounded towards my goal and it was cool to see everything pay off.

What is a life lesson you learned from playing badminton?

I learned that experience comes from more than just winning. If you want to be successful, failure is bound to be a stepping stone. Badminton is a fun recreation sport but it can also be a beautiful competitive sport and sticking with it and embracing the challenges it brings is key.

How did badminton impact your student-athlete life?

Badminton definitely had an impact on my academic life when I first started high school because I had not yet learned how to balance both. I was able to fix this problem by setting up schedules and to do lists for even little time periods of my day because even though I might not stick to them completely, I can refocus even after getting off track. I also would be in the moment when in school and doing homework and then also would have my mind completely up present when playing badminton so I am not thinking about other aspects of my life. Badminton did create moments of stress for me because of how it constructed my time for everything else but I now have the lifelong skill of time management and self composure. 

What are 3 words you can think of that describe badminton?

I would describe badminton as uplifting, dynamic, and gritty.

Do you continue to play badminton once your season is over?

I do still play now and am currently attending a camp to train for nationals that are happening at the end of June (June 2021). After this tournament, I will be going to college in the fall so I will stop training as regularity and will play for fun and fitness and not as competitively.

How has participating in badminton camp helped you?

Badminton camp not only improved my physical and mental endurance but also gave me a place to be around other people who are willing to put in work and appreciate badminton as a sport. The friends I have made are forever and they have taught me so much and given me some of my favorite memories. 

ODICCI ALEXANDER SIGNS WITH USSSA PRIDE

by

Odicci Alexander is going to the pros.

The former JMU pitcher and breakout WCWS star has been drafted to the USSSA Pride.

It makes her the third former Duke to sign with the team, including Jailyn Ford and Megan Good. 

Alexander helped lead the Dukes to their first Women’s College World Series appearance in program history, throwing 1,229 total pitches throughout the tournament. She amassed an 18-3 record in the circle with a 1.71 ERA, 204 strikeouts and was named to the all-tournament team. 

It’s not like this is the first year Alexander has been great at what she does. She was the 2017 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year. In 2018 and 2019 she was the CAA Player of the Year, and this year was named Pitcher of the Year. 

[Read more…] about ODICCI ALEXANDER SIGNS WITH USSSA PRIDE

Campbellsport Softball Player with Cancer Receives Help from Opposing Team

by

By Jason Zimmerman

WAUPUN, Wis. (WBAY) – Some much needed help for a Campbellsport teenager battling brain cancer.

Alexis Feucht plays high school girls softball and in a game Monday night the opposing team took action.

Before Feucht could take the field in Waupun, it was hard not to notice the bake sale and raffle being done, as an attempt to raise money in her fight against brain cancer.

Feucht, who plays shortstop, was diagnosed last fall after a series of bad headaches wouldn’t go away.

She said, “I had no idea what was going on. We thought it was sinuses, we thought it was just because I had a heavy case load for school.”

As Feucht undergoes treatment, she continues to play sports.

She also has friends in Waupun, on the opposing team, and they wanted to help and raise awareness.

“It was also a school project and it started like this could be a small little community event and just to like help as much as we can and it turned into something so much bigger and so much better than we could have imagined,” said friend and event organizer Makenya Potratz.

Dulcie Kind was also among the organizers.

She added, “I’ve known Alexis since we were young and she’s always been a good motivator for me and I played with her on the softball field and she always gives it her hardest and not once since this whole journey she’s been thru has she given up, nothing like that and she keep pushing forward.”

All of the money from the event will help cover the family’s medical expenses. The goal is to raise at least a thousand dollars, knowing that every little bit helps.

Feucht responded, “I am super thankful. It’s unbelievable how much the small towns have come together to just help me out and just makes be feel so much better about having what I have.”

Before the game, Feucht also addressed the crowd, saying she’s optimistic about her chances for a full recovery.

“I’m hoping that it goes within the year of chemo, but you know, I’m going to do what it takes to get rid of this crap,” she told the crowd.

From Rio in 2016 to Tokyo in 2021: For PV Sindhu, it’s All About Change

by

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

Sindhu’s second trip to the Olympic Games is going to be a vastly different to the one she embarked on as a starry-eyed youngster.

To say that the world is a different place in 2021 than it was in 2016, would be an understatement. The past year has turned our daily lives upside down and it is going to be no different for athletes heading to the Olympic Games, a year later than they had hoped and trained for.

And so it will be for Indian badminton star PV Sindhu. At 25 (26, by the time the Games begin) Sindhu is going to be spearheading India’s quest to complete a hat-trick of Games with at least a medal in the sport that has flourished since the turn of the century. Silver medallist at Rio 2016, and the reigning World Champion (albeit that feels like from a different era), Sindhu will be — make no mistake — an athlete that countless fans pin their hopes on once again.

[Read more…] about From Rio in 2016 to Tokyo in 2021: For PV Sindhu, it’s All About Change

Philippine Saso Steals Show With Playoff Win at Olympic

by

76th U.S. Women’s Open Home

What Happened

The Olympic Club struck again. Just as in the five U.S. Opens contested on the club’s Lake Course, the first U.S. Women’s Open Championship played over this iconic Bay Area layout wasn’t kind to the favored final-round frontrunner.

Olympic’s list of past victims includes Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Jim Furyk and Payne Stewart, and Lexi Thompson can now be added to the remarkable list of players who have come up short in championship bids here.

Thompson, the 54-hole leader, was five strokes ahead of her closest pursuers on a beautiful early June Sunday with 10 holes remaining, only to play the final eight in 5 over par, including consecutive bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 that left the 26-year-old Floridian with a final-round 75, one agonizing stroke shy of the playoff between Yuka Saso and Nasa Hataoka  at 4-under 280.

It took three holes to decide the outcome. Saso converted a 12-foot birdie putt on the first sudden-death playoff hole (No. 9) after both players made back-to-back pars in the two-hole aggregate playoff. At 19 years, 11 months, 17 days old, Saso joined World Golf Hall of Fame member and seven-time major winner Inbee Park as the youngest champion in U.S. Women’s Open history – to the day. She also becomes the first player from the Philippines to engrave her name on the Harton S. Semple Trophy. Princess Mary Superal (2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior) is the only other player from the Philippines to claim a USGA title.

“I don’t know what’s happening in the Philippines right now, but I’m just thankful that there’s so many people in the Philippines cheering for me,” said Saso, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour of Japan. “I don’t know how to thank them. They gave me so much energy. I want to say thank you to everyone.”

[Read more…] about Philippine Saso Steals Show With Playoff Win at Olympic

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy