American Gold Sports Alliance

Softball

A Home Run Success: Highlights from the 3rd Annual American Gold Sports Alliance Softball Camp

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At the American Gold Sports Alliance (AGSA), the spirit of unity and passion for sports continues to shine brightly. We are thrilled to share with you the incredible success of our 3rd Annual AGSA Softball Camp, a celebration of growth, camaraderie, and unforgettable memories.

A Blend of Skill and Joy:

Imagine a field filled with laughter, the crack of bats, and the whoosh of pitches. Our Softball Camp wasn’t just about refining skills; it was about crafting moments that would stay with participants for years to come. With each swing, catch, and throw, friendships were forged and bonds strengthened.

Learning from the Best:

Picture this: being mentored by current and former collegiate athletes who have walked the path you aspire to tread. Our camp was graced by these exceptional mentors who shared not only their expertise but also life lessons garnered from their athletic journey. It wasn’t just about perfecting softball techniques; it was about imbibing values that extend far beyond the confines of the field.

A Symphony of Fun and Unity:

From drills that honed precision to plays that induced exhilaration, the Softball Camp was a whirlwind of excitement. Yet, the true magic lay in the connections that took root. Players of varying backgrounds and skill levels found common ground, creating a supportive and encouraging atmosphere that resonated with the core values of AGSA. It was more than a camp; it was a symphony of unity in diversity.

A Heartfelt Expression of Gratitude:

To our incredible athletes, coaches, volunteers, and sponsors, we extend a heartfelt thank you. Your dedication and passion have etched unforgettable memories in the hearts of all involved. And to our participants, your enthusiasm turned each day into an adventure, lighting up the field with energy and excitement. You were the heart and soul of the Softball Camp’s success.

A Celebration of Unity:

As we look back on the memorable moments of water balloon fights, insightful conversations, and the joy of the game, we’re filled with gratitude. AGSA is more than just an organization; it’s a family united by a shared love for sports and a commitment to positive change. Your presence has made this year’s camp a shining testament to what unity can achieve.

So, get ready for an even more exhilarating journey ahead. With AGSA, there’s more excitement, more growth, and more cherished memories waiting to be created. Until then, keep the spirit of summer alive, and always remember that you’re an indispensable part of the AGSA family.

Incoming Freshmen Bennett and Mardjetko Named Gatorade Players of the Year

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CHICAGO — Incoming South Carolina softball freshmen Reganne Bennett (Novi, Mich./Novi) and Sage Mardjetko (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) were named the Gatorade Player of the Year in their respective states. It’s the second Player of the Year award for Mardjetko, who also earned the honor in 2022.

In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, the award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. Both are now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award to be announced in June.

Bennett, a 5-foot-10 right-handed pitcher and first baseman, batted .598 with 18 home runs and 20 doubles this past season, leading the Wildcats (25-12-1) to the Division 1, District 19 tournament final. Bennett scored 60 runs and drove in 63 while posting a .664 on-base percentage and a 1.295 slugging percentage. In the circle, she posted an 11-5 record with a 1.12 ERA, fanning 239 in 131 2-3 innings pitched. She is ranked as the nation’s No. 18 recruit in the Class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball.

Bennett has volunteered locally with the Novi High School Unified Basketball team, a program that empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports. She has also donated her time as an elementary school classroom aide. Bennett has maintained a weighted 4.06 GPA in the classroom.

Mardjetko led Lemont to the back-to-back Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 3A state championships, capping off her career with a 12-inning, 24-strikeout, no-hitter in the state championship on Saturday (June 10). She also threw a no-hitter in the 2022 IHSA state championship. In 2023, the 5-foot-10 right-handed pitcher finished with a 23-0 record and a 0.00 ERA, leading the Indians to a 35-1 record. The state’s returning Gatorade Player of the Year, Mardjetko struck out 340 batters while allowing just 18 hits and 21 walks in 143 1-3 innings over 24 games. She fired 12 no-hitters, including two perfect games, and allowed just three unearned runs all season. Mardjetko becomes only the second pitcher in IHSA history to finish a season with a 0.00 ERA (min. 70 innings). Ranked as the nation’s No. 10 recruit in the Class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball, she also batted .348 with five home runs and a .667 slugging percentage.

A member of the Lemont High School Athletic Council, Mardjetko has volunteered locally with Young Hearts for Life, a heart-health screening program, and as a peer tutor. Mardjetko has maintained a weighted 4.30 GPA in the classroom.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media, and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.

Incoming Softball Pitcher Posts Eye-Popping Numbers

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John Whittle | 24/7 Sports

Incoming pitcher Sage Mardjetko earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors in her home state of Illinois.

There’s a huge void on the mound that needs to be filled as Donnie Gobourne finished her one-year career with the South Carolina softball program. There are other pitchers moving on, too, and head coach Beverly Smith went and signed one of the top players in the country to take a leading role on the mound.

Sage Mardjetko, the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year for softball in her home state of Illinois, is getting set to come to Columbia with absolutely sterling numbers. In 36 games pitched as a senior this season, Mardjetko threw 143 1/3 innings and didn’t give up a single earned run.

For the second year in a row, she picked up the win in her team’s state championship game by throwing a no-hitter. This year’s was special, not only because it was the final game of her high school career, but it was a 12-inning no hitter that saw her strike out 24 hitters in the game.

In the 143 1/3 innings she pitched this season, she struck out 340 hitters and allowed only 18 hits with 18 walks. Over the course of her season, she tossed 12 no hitters, which included two perfect games.

Mardjetko is considered the No. 10 recruit nationally by Extra Inning Softball, and also hit for her Lemont High School team. Her numbers, which calculated through the quarterfinal round of the state tournament, included a .386 batting average with five home runs and a .754 slugging percentage.

According to a press release from Gatorade, Mardjetko also owns a 4.30 grade point average.

Mardjetko isn’t the only top-flight softball signee for the Gamecocks this offseason. First baseman Reganne Bennett won the Gatorade Player of the Year award in Michigan. Considered the No. 18 recruit nationally, Bennett batted .598 with 18 home runs and 20 doubles this season. She scored 60 runs and drove in 63 while posting a .664 on-base percentage and a 1.295 slugging percentage.

Bennett also featured as a right-handed pitcher and put up great numbers in the circle, too, with an 11-5 record with a 1.12 ERA. She struck out 239 in 131 2/3 innings pitched.

LEMONT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE ILLINOIS SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

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Gatorade

CHICAGO (June 9, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Sage Mardjetko of Lemont High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Illinois Softball Player of the Year. Mardjetko is the second Gatorade Illinois Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Lemont High School. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Mardjetko as Illinois’ best high school softball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Mardjetko joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Jordyn Bahl (2020-21, Papillion-La Vista High School, Neb.), Megan Faraimo (2017-18, Cathedral Catholic High School, Calif.), Rachel Garcia (2014-15, Highland High School, Calif.) and Cat Osterman (2000-01, Cypress Spring High School, Texas). Entering today’s Class 3A state semifinals (June 9), the 5-foot-10 senior right-handed pitcher owned a 21-0 record and a 0.00 ERA, leading the Indians (33-1) to the final four.

The state’s returning Gatorade Player of the Year, Mardjetko struck out 303 batters while allowing just 16 hits and 18 walks in 125.1 innings over 34 games. She fired 11 no-hitters, including two perfect games in that span, and allowed just three unearned runs all season. Ranked as the nation’s No. 10 recruit in the Class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball, she also batted .386 with five home runs and a .754 slugging percentage. A member of the Lemont High School Athletic Council, Mardjetko has volunteered locally with Young Hearts for Life, a heart-health screening program, and as a peer tutor. “Sage is definitely one of the best pitchers I have seen in a long time,” said Vince Brown, head coach of Thornton Fractional North High School. “She knows how to throw the ball inside, outside, high or low. To me, that’s the definition of a great pitcher.” Mardjetko has maintained a weighted 4.30 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a national letter of intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of South Carolina this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport. Two-time winner Mardjetko joins recent Gatorade Illinois Softball Players of the Year Abby Dunning (2020-21, Marist High School), and Bailey Dowling (2019-20 & 2018-19, St. Joseph-Ogden High School), among the state’s list of former award winners. Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through G

atorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations. For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

Ole Miss’ Tenly Grisham wants to put her name, tribe on the map

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BY: Scott Procter | BVM Sports

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (BVM) – Tenly Grisham first stepped into the batter’s box for one of the most accomplished high school softball programs in the country as a seventh grader. There was some initial fear as she looked across the infield at the pitcher’s mound to see athletes four or five years older than her, but Grisham believes it was one of the best things to ever happen to her.

“It was nerve-wracking for sure,” Grisham said of leading off for Neshoba Central High School in the seventh grade. “I was coming in a seventh grader and I didn’t know what to expect. I was kind of thrown into the fire with going in as the leadoff (hitter) but I knew I had eight other players behind me that would help me out so I knew as long as I tried to do my part as best as I could, they had my back.

“My coach giving me that opportunity was the best thing I could’ve asked for.”

The decision to throw Grisham directly into the fire has resulted in nothing but success for Mississippi’s most dominant softball program.

After a 31-3 record this past season, Grisham helped lead the Rockets to their ninth-straight MHSAA Class 5A state title. Grisham has been Nashoba Central’s leadoff hitter for the last six years and has five championship rings to show for it. The only year without a championship came in 2020 when the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rockets have gone an eye-popping 96-5 over the last three seasons and although Grisham is a major reason why, the opportunity she’s been afforded throughout her prep career is not lost on her.

“It’s been amazing,” Grisham said of the Rockets’ dynasty. “Not everyone has the opportunity to play for such an outstanding high school program and I thank God everyday for blessing me with that opportunity. Just playing with them shows how much I love softball.

“Every player, whether they’re the nine-hole batter or the leadoff, cheers from the side like they love the game so much and want to win and I could not thank them enough for having my back.”

Perhaps the only thing more impressive than Neshoba’s 8-1 record in the playoffs this season and dominant sweep of East Central (7-0, 14-4) in the state finals is what Grisham accomplished during her senior campaign.

The 5-foot-4 senior batted .531 with 23 RBIs, 55 runs scored and 45 stolen bases. She was walked 15 times and struck out just once all season in 111 plate appearances. The elite play led to Grisham becoming just the third Gatorade Mississippi Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Neshoba Central.

“I was very shocked because there are several talented players in Mississippi, especially in softball,” Grisham said of the Gatorade honor. “Being named Gatorade Player of the Year, I’m speechless about it and I didn’t know how to react when my mom told me. I’m honored.”

Neshoba Central swept New Hope (9-0, 7-1) to punch its ticket to the MHSAA State Championship Series, and the Trojans’ head coach knows just how important the Rockets’ leadoff hitter was to their success in every facet of the game.

“Tenly is a triple-threat on offense,” New Hope head coach Casey Finch said in a Gatorade press release. “She can slap for power, place the short ball and her speed and knowledge on the basepaths is incredible. She’s also an exceptional defensive player.”

Ranked as the nation’s No. 42 recruit (No. 28 among infielders) in the Class of 2022 by Extra Inning Softball, Grisham is on the doorstep of a dream she’s had since a child: playing collegiate softball.

The Gatorade Mississippi Softball POY will stay close to home and headline the Ole Miss Rebels’ No. 3-ranked recruiting class. Much like being thrown into the fire as a seventh-grade leadoff hitter for a state championship-caliber squad, Grisham feels like she has an opportunity in Oxford that she can’t pass up.

“They gave me a really big opportunity to come play for them and they were so welcoming and loving,” Grisham said of Ole Miss softball. “They knew me, I wasn’t just another number, I was a player and person to them. They made Oxford feel like home.”

Grisham is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the only federally recognized American Indian tribe living within the state of Mississippi. As one of the United States’ original first nations, the tribe is more than 11,000 members strong and Grisham hopes to be an inspiration to her community.

The future Rebel will certainly work to elevate her status within the softball world, but more important than that is showing other young ladies like her what hard work can do.

“I want to prove that any Choctaw little girl that plays softball can do it; they can make it to the big stage,” Grisham said. “I just want to make a name for myself but as well as my tribe and let them know like, “she grew up playing on the rec ball fields and she made it there.’ I just want them to know that they can make it. That’s the main thing.”

Grisham capped off decorated career with title, Gatorade Player of the Year honors

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  • By Drew Kerekes dkerekes@themeridianstar.com

By the time she was a senior this past spring, Neshoba Central’s Tenly Grisham was a well-known player in the Mississippi prep softball scene.

An Ole Miss signee, Grisham had been starting for the Lady Rockets since middle school and has won a state championship with the team every year she’s played varsity fast-pitch. That was capped off in 2022 with the school’s ninth straight fast-pitch title in MHSAA Class 5A.

Grisham hit .531 this past season with a .612 on-base percentage, 45 stolen bases, eight doubles, two triples, one home run, 23 RBIs and 55 runs scored from the leadoff position while manning shortstop for the Lady Rockets. She was named the 2021-22 Gatorade Mississippi Softball Player of the Year and was also a first-team All-State and first-team All-Region 3-5A selection.

Because of her dynamic senior season, Grisham was named the 2022 Premier Preps Softball Player of the Year.

“It’s truly a blessing and an honor,” Grisham said of earning Premier Preps recognition in addition to Gatorade Player of the Year. “I am grateful for both, and I’m glad to represent my tribe (the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians) and school with these prestigious awards.”

In 2017, Grisham took over at third base for Neshoba Central when she was only a seventh grader. At the time, Trae Embry was head coach of the Lady Rockets, and current head coach Zach Sanders was an assistant. Even back then, Sanders said Grisham stood out as an athlete.

“We knew something was special about her the first time we saw her walk onto the field,” Sanders recalled. “You’re talking about a small-statured seventh-grade girl who the ball came off the bat of differently. She was able to play positions unlike any seventh grader you’d ever seen. You really just had to be there to understand.”

Sanders said Grisham was second-team All-State in her seventh-grade season, which showed just how much potential she had.

“She was really good as a young player, and she didn’t stop at that,” Sanders said. “She grew and continued to make it to where she was Gatorade Player of the Year, which is one of the top honors you can get as a softball player in the state of Mississippi.”

Even after six years of starting for the Lady Rockets, Grisham said it doesn’t feel like six years have gone by.

“If I could go back, I would tell myself to take it all in, have fun and just enjoy every moment because it goes by super fast,” Grisham said.

The 2022 Class 5A state championship was the school’s ninth in a row (the 2020 spring season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and the pressure was always on Neshoba Central every season to keep repeating as state champions. 

“We learned to take it one pitch and one game at a time,” Grisham explained. “We had to have fun or the pressure was overwhelming. When you have a team that is able to connect with each other, then it’s easy to play with no pressure.”

As a youth softball player, Grisham looked up to former standout shortstop Hailey Lunderman, a 2015 graduate of Neshoba Central and fellow member of the MBCI. Like Lunderman, Grisham signed with Ole Miss to continue her softball career, and Grisham said she’s honored to follow a similar career path to someone she idolized.

“I definitely looked up to her,” Grisham said. “She played with so much grit and passion, how could you not want to be like her? It was nerve-wracking at first (batting leadoff like Lunderman did) because she was the greatest to be in that leadoff spot, so I knew I had big shoes to fill. But watching her play year after year, to take the torch was the best honor and feeling.”

Now, Grisham will have the chance to represent the MBCI and Neshoba Central at the SEC level, and it’s an opportunity she doesn’t take lightly.

“Playing collegiate softball has always been a goal of mine,” Grisham said. “It’s a blessing. Now I get to be a role model to all the young Native girls (who watch me) as well as represent the tribe that has cheered for me all of these years.”

Seeing Grisham have so much success is no surprise to Sanders, and he only expects that success to continue at Ole Miss.

“Looking back all the way to when she was in seventh grade, she was just an exceptional athlete,” Sanders said. “I would say you wouldn’t find a better kid overall athletic-wise, and she’s also just a great young lady.”

Little League Softball World Series: Meet the 12 Teams

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By: Emma Hruby | Just Women’s Sports

The Little League Softball World Series begins Tuesday, marking the second year in a row that the event has graced the fields of Greenville, N.C.

For the first time, the competition features 12 teams in a brand-new expanded bracket. A total of eight U.S. teams and four international teams are going for the title.

LLSWS TEAMS

Central: Daniel Boone Little League (Columbia, Mo.)

For the second straight year, Daniel Boone represents the Central Region. The team placed third last year and looks this year to become the first team from Missouri to win the tournament.

Mid-Atlantic: Delmar (Md.) Little League

A newcomer, Delmar recorded 48 runs across four games in the the first-ever Mid-Atlantic Region tournament. The defending state champion is the only team from Maryland to make it to the LLSWS.

Northwest: Issaquah (Wash.) Little League

Issaquah features a one-two punch in star pitchers Shaelyn Erickson and London White. The team went undefeated in its regional tournament to reach the LLSWS for the seventh time.

Southwest: Midway Little League (Hewitt, Texas)

A three-time LLSWS champion from Texas, Midway nearly missed the tournament after losing to Louisiana early in the Southwest Region tournament. The team rebounded in the championship game and aims to win the World Series once again.

North Carolina (Host): Pitt County Girls Softball Little League

Pitt County beat two-time LLWS champions Rowan to claim the first spot in Greenville in early July.

New England: Milford (Conn.) Little League

Another team with a dominant pitching duo, Milford went 4-0 in the first-ever New England Regional softball tournament. With 18 strikeouts over four victories, the team allowed just three earned runs.

Southeast: Chesterfield (Va.) Little League

This year’s appearance from Chesterfield marks the seventh time a team from Virginia will make the tournament. It’s the second-straight trip to the LLSWS for Chesterfield, which went 3-0 in the regional tournament, including a 4-3 against Rowan (N.C.) in the championship game.

West: La Verne (Calif.) Little League

The 22nd team from California to make the tournament, La Verne scored 30 runs in the West Region tournament and allowed just one. Pitcher Katie Coldiron has been outstanding in the circle, recording 44 strikeouts since the start of district tournament play.

Asia-Pacific: Negros Occidental Little League (Philippines)

The Asia-Pacific champion is trying to become the first team from its region to win the LLSWS.

Latin America: Guayama (Puerto Rico) Softball Little League

Guayama makes its first-ever appearance at the LLSWS and is the first Puerto Rican team to represent the Latin American Region since 2017.

Canada: St. Albert Softball Little League

The Canadian team did not drop a game in its regional championship run and has won 38 total gamest this season compared to just six losses. St. Albert logged two double-digit run games in the regional tournament.

Europe and Africa: Emilia Romagna Little League (Italy)

Emilia Romagna becomes the first Italian team in the tournament since 2019. The group is looking to be the first international team to win the tournament since 2001.

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BOB ADAMS APPOINTED AS COMMISSIONER FOR USA SOFTBALL OF ILLINOIS

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OKLAHOMA CITY – USA Softball, a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization announced today that Bob Adams (Peoria, Ill.) has been appointed as Commissioner for USA Softball of Illinois. Adams will assume the role following the retirement of Commissioner Don Brewer. 

“I’m honored to be selected as the Commissioner for USA Softball of Illinois and I appreciate the leadership Commissioner Don Brewer has provided during his tenure,” said Adams. “I’m looking forward to working with this talented and dedicated staff to continue to build the USA Softball of Illinois program while giving our adult and youth teams the experience they deserve.”

Adams steps into the role of Commissioner for USA Softball of Illinois after holding the title of Junior Olympic (JO) Commissioner for the last 21 years, having previously served as both District and Deputy JO Commissioner for the state of Illinois. Adams has been a member of the USA Softball National Council since 2000 and has assisted in running 13 National Championships for the organization. A recipient of the Team Registration Award in 2001, Adams has played a huge part in the growth of softball in his home state and looks forward to increasing participation across all levels of the sport in Illinois.

Before diving deeper into the administrative side of the game, Adams got his start as a player in men’s fast pitch and slow pitch with a career that spanned 15 years. He then transitioned into a coaching role where he also sponsored his teams through his company, Melton Electric Co. Inc. Under his direction, the Melton Outlaws girls’ fast pitch team won 11 Illinois USA Softball State Championships, seven Region 10 Championships and participated in 23 USA Softball National Championships. In 1997, Adams was inducted into the USA Softball of Illinois Hall of Fame as a Manager/Sponsor/Commissioner.

For more information on USA Softball of Illinois, please contact Bob Adams at rjadams1947@gmail.com.

CATARINA MACARIO, CHLOE KIM AND MORE: 20 FEMALE ATHLETES TO KNOW IN 2022

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As 2021 comes to an end, it’s time to look forward to the year ahead in sports.

With the Winter Olympics in February, March Madness on the calendar and a landmark NWSL season to come, women’s sports fans are in store for an exciting year.

Here are the 20 athletes to know or get reacquainted with in 2022: 

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