No. 4 Nicholls Knocks Off No. 2 SFA for First Ever Tournament Title
“This was a complete buy-in from this team,” Nicholls head coach DoBee Plaisance said. “They’re my warriors.” Barrios again led the Colonels’ charge with 22 points and five boards, joined by three teammates scoring in double figures. Williams finished 4-for-8 from three-point range while Barrios went 3-for-4. A game that saw five fourth-quarter lead changes fell in favor of Nicholls as sharp shooting and defense down the stretch proved the difference maker. The Colonels finished .511 from the field (24-47) while holding the Ladyjacks to .397. With Marina Lilly hitting two free throws with eight minutes to go in the game, the Colonels nabbed their first lead of the game, 56-55. SFA would regain it at the 5:58 mark with a Taylor Jackson triple before Airi Hamilton put Nicholls back up two at the final media timeout. Nicholls opened the third quarter with a Tykeria Williams three to bring the team back to within single digits at 40-31. Another three from her with 7:22 to go in the third closed the gap to the closest since SFA’s opening score at six points. In fitting fashion, she again drained back-to-back threes to make it a two-point ball game at 50-48 with 2:04 on the clock. The Colonels got off to a dreadfully slow start, not scoring until a Cassidy Barrios jumper just three minutes in to make it 7-2. SFA would push the lead to 13-2 at the first media timeout. Led by eight points from Imani Johnson, the Ladyjacks would take a 23-11 after the first quarter. The Colonels weren’t done with their run, as a Barrios trey pulled her team to 55-54 entering the fourth quarter. Williams would ice it at the free throw line as the No. 4 Colonels earned their first ever Southland tournament championship..@Nicholls_WBB claims their first @SouthlandSports championship. pic.twitter.com/oh1BKVn0pD— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 11, 2018 Nicholls began to hit its stride through the second period, using a 6-2 run to pull the score to 25-17. The two sides would trade baskets while SFA allowed the Colonels to stay just within striking distance. A comfortable lead remained in the No. 3 seed’s hands however, as Kellogg’s side entered halftime up 40-28. With the score 62-60 in favor of Nicholls with 4:41 to play, Riley Harvey put up a three-pointer and layup back to back to pull SFA back within one with just under 2:00 to go. The Colonels endeavored to slow the game down and another Hamilton layup put them up 68-65, forcing Kellogg to call a timeout with 24.5 to play. “We knew they would come barreling back,” Plaisance said of the game’s back-and-forth runs. “We knew we had to amp it up and keep the pedal to the floor down the stretch.” The 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship bracket will be announced tomorrow on ESPN at 6 p.m. CT. A victorious comeback was not to be though, as the ‘Jacks missed two threes in a row in an effort to tie the game. A near turnover resulted in a foul on Nicholls, giving SFA possession for one last shot with 4.8 seconds to go. However, a five-second violation on the inbound gave the ball right back. “The third period was the difference for us,” SFA head coach Kellogg said. “We lost a bit of our identity after halftime.” “We pride ourselves on those after-timeout plays,” said Kellogg. “We simply didn’t execute on that one when it mattered.” “From the beginning of the season, we had a motto: ‘We’re all we got,” Barrios said. “We knew we were the number one team, and we proved that today.” SFA got three huge performances out of Chanell Hayes (17 points), Imani Johnson (13 points) and Riley Harvey (16 points), but was unable to sustain their lead after halftime. The Colonels put up 26 points in another huge tournament third quarter and held SFA to 15 in the same span. The Player of the Year was off and running yet again, with 20 points to her name after three periods. Led by Williams, the Colonels were a combined 6-for-7 from behind the arc in the third period alone. Box Score | Photo Gallery | CBSSN Replay | HighlightsKATY, Texas – Nicholls women proved that they were not a one-off spoiler team in the 2018 Southland Conference Basketball Tournament. The Colonels capped a huge tournament run with a 69-65 win over No. 2 Stephen F. Austin, earning their first ever NCAA Tournament bid. At the intermission, SFA’s Chanell Hayes led all scorers with 13 while Barrios registered 12 for Nicholls. “It’s another game on the schedule,” said Plaisance. “Let’s check the box. We’ll be warriors and we’re going to fight.”ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMCassidy Barrios, Nicholls (MVP)Stevi Parker, Stephen F. AustinChanell Hayes, Stephen F. AustinTykeria Williams, NichollsImani Johnson, Stephen F. Austin
FRISCO, Texas – Northwestern State’s Hannah Brister and Stephen F. Austin’s Madelynn Miller are the Southland Volleyball Players of the Week, the league announced Monday. All weekly awards are presented by MidSouth Bank.Brister’s latest accolade comes on the shoulders of a productive weekend for Northwestern State (6-5) in which she was named an all-tournament selection in College Station at the Texas A&M Invitational. In addition to an impressive 56 kills at the invitational, the junior also served up four aces en route to her second weekly honor of the season. The Lady Demons will have another full slate this week, beginning with a match at home against Prairie View A&M Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT.Miller claims her first weekly award after pushing SFA (9-1) to a 2-1 record at the Arkansas State Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark., this past weekend. The junior helped the Ladyjacks topple a previously unbeaten Rice squad in five sets Saturday afternoon. Miller produced 62 digs over three games, while helping SFA limit opponents to a .185 hitting percentage. The Ladyjacks are back in action this weekend at the Maverick Invitational in Arlington, Texas, beginning with Prairie View A&M Friday at 4 p.m.Offensive Player of the Week: Hannah Brister – Jr. – Outside Hitter – Paincourtville, La.Brister earned her third-straight all-tournament selection this past weekend at the Texas A&M Invitational. The junior hammered 56 kills in four matches for the Lady Demons, averaging 4.7 kills per set and a .299 hitting percentage. Brister recorded her third 20-kill performance against UTRGV on Thursday and also extended her streak of matches with double-digit kills (19) with 12 against Texas State on Friday.Honorable Mention: Abbie Harry, Abilene Christian; Lucie Porkona, New Orleans; Ann Hollas, Stephen F. Austin; Madison Green, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.Defensive Player of the Week: Madelynn Miller – Jr. – Libero – Lorena, TexasMiller averaged 5.17 digs per set at the Arkansas State Invitational, pushing SFA to a 2-1 record on the weekend and a 9-1 overall mark for the season. The junior concluded the weekend with a team- and season-high 29 digs in the Ladyjacks’ five-set victory over previously undefeated Rice. Her performance against the Owls helped Miller eclipse the 1,000-dig mark for her career, placing her at 1,005 career digs just 10 games into her junior campaign.Honorable Mention: Mackenzie Harris, Abilene Christian; Emily Doss, Central Arkansas; Erin Pequeno, Lamar; Carissa Barnes, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.
Agapito Delgadillo55 13% 13 1 8 24 17% Mike Smith64 $1,091,911 2nd $587,067 48% SADLER ‘HAPPY’ WITH GIFT BOX FOR SANTA ANITA HANDICAPJust about a year ago John Sadler was celebrating Accelerate’s victory in the Santa Anita Handicap, the trainer’s first ever in the track’s historic race. Now he is poised to win it again with Gift Box, who worked six furlongs Friday in 1:14 for the mile and a quarter classic next Saturday, March 9.“He looked good, went out in 27 (1:27 for seven furlongs),” Sadler said of the gray sonof Twirling Candy formerly trained by Chad Brown. “We had to move his work up a day because of the rain, but we got the work in, so I’m happy.“I was thinking about the win last year on a sloppy track, but hopefully we’ll get some good weather this week.”Gift Box won the Grade II San Antonio Stakes Dec. 26 in his first start for Sadler, who conditions the five-year-old full horse for principal clients Kosta and Peter Hronis.Should Sadler win the Big Cap two years in a row, he would join the distinguished company of seven other trainers who have accomplished the feat: Bob Baffert (Game On Dude, 2013 and 2014); Doug O’Neill (Lava Man, 2006 and 2007); Bobby Frankel (Milwaukee Brew, 2002 and 2003); Richard Mandella (Siphon and Malek, 1997 and 1998); Charlie Whittingham (Lord At War and Greinton, 1985 and 1986); Ron McAnally (John Henry, 1981 and 1982); and Tom Smith (Kayak II and Seabiscuit, 1939 and 1940).Joel Rosario, who rode the gray son of Twirling Candy to his half-length score at 6-1 in the San Antonio, will be back aboard for the Big Cap.Fans will be treated to five stakes Saturday, greatest interest focusing on the Grade II, $500,000 San Felipe Stakes expected to match Bob Baffert’s two leading undefeated Triple Crown contenders, champion Game Winner and Improbable in the Grade II test offering 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner.Additionally, the prestigious Frank E. Kilroe Mile with Grade I status will be showcased on turf; the Grade II San Carlos Stakes will attract sprint stars going seven furlongs; and for good measure, three-year-old fillies will vie in the $75,000 China Doll Stakes at a mile on grass.First post time on Big ‘Cap Day will be 12 noon.VICTORY PUTS ROADSTER ON PATH TO TRIPLE CROWNPrior to Friday’s feature race at Santa Anita, Bob Baffert was sitting pretty with three top echelon Triple Crown candidates in Game Winner, Improbable and Mucho Gusto.Move over, boys: Roadster just joined the team.The gray son of Quality Road won yesterday’s eighth race at a mile by 2 ½ lengths under Mike Smith, his first start since last Sept. 3 when he was third to championGame Winner in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity.“He’s back on the Derby trail,” Baffert said of Roadster after the victory. “That was quite a performance off a layoff.”As to whether one of Baffert’s Fab Four wins the 145th Run for the Roses on May 4, that remains to be seen. If so, it would give the two-time Triple Crown winner his sixth triumph in the first jewel of the Triple Crown.“I’m just so happy with the way he ran,” said Smith, who swept the Triple Crown for Baffert last year with eventual Horse of the Year Justify. “His mechanics, his breathing, everything was smooth.“In the Del Mar Futurity, he struggled, so they did minor surgery. Today, he was loving it. The track is great. It’s got a lot of cushion. They’re just floating over it. This colt loved it.”LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:Ack works 4 furlongs (O’Neill)-3/01/19Enaya Alrabb works 6 furlongs (O’Neill)-3/01/19 10% Tyler Baze178 $664,991 17 $1,211,473 21 57% 51% 33% 45 19 42% Simon Callaghan30 41% 21 Heriberto Figueroa162 36% 12 20% 2nd 15% 10 Geovanni Franco166 10 16 24 J. Keith Desormeaux52 10% 8 12 $929,799 3rd 3 14 $1,103,457 19 40% 13 11 Edwin Maldonado62 12 ITM% 26 2 9 23 26 15 8 $1,037,586 47 27% $2,383,086 Philip D’Amato87 Steve Knapp47 Mario Gutierrez91 9 14% 14% 18 Tiago Pereira136 $302,832 $243,390 14 26% 14 10 3rd $1,039,378 3 4 Drayden Van Dyke126 12 7 63% $307,251 25 18 TONSILS GONE, BEJARANO IS DUE BACK SHORTLY 46% Kent Desormeaux86 26 49% 7 1st 5 34 $853,137 SADLER EYES BACK-TO-BACK BIG CAP VICTORIES 13% 17 Richard Baltas102 33 25 6 24% 12% 30 $778,253 Ruben Fuentes80 Jerry Hollendorfer82 8 16 $245,730 31% Mark Glatt60 John Sadler68 19% 67% 26% 16% 38% 17% 12 18 13% 8 William E. Morey54 $373,127 52% 13% ITM% 19% 9 $442,830 9 Money Won Bob Baffert56 10 10 19% Doug O’Neill154 Richard Mandella38 $988,204 11 44% Dream Tree works 6 furlongs (Baffert)-3/01/19Much Better works 6 furlongs (Baffert)-3/01/19Omaha Beach (Inside) works 5 furlongs (Mandella)-3/01/19Bellafina works 4 furlongs (Callaghan)-3/01/19Kanthaka works 6 furlongs (Hollendorfer)-3/01/19Shedrow Stroll: Lava Man (O’Neill)Quick Questions With Jockey Joseph Talamo La Force works 6 furlongs (Gallagher)-2/28/19Mucho Gusto (Outside) works 4 furlongs with Honeyfromthesouth (Baffert)-2/28/19Instagrand preparing for San Felipe Stakes Mar. 9 (Hollendorfer)-2/25/19Improbable working 6 furlongs (Baffert)-2/25/19Game Winner (outside) works 6 Furlongs with Dr. Dorr (Baffert)-2/25/19FINISH LINES: Joel Rosario, who enjoys a 47-45 lead over Flavien Prat in the Santa Anita jockey standings, rides at Gulfstream Park today. Chief among his four stakes engagements is the Bill Mott-trained Hidden Scroll, the 9-5 morning line favorite in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes, final major prep for the Grade I Florida Derby on March 30 . . . Rafael Bejarano had tonsillectomy surgery Wednesday but is expected to resume working horses by Tuesday, according to his agent, Tora Yamaguchi . . .With a dearth of longshots Thursday, chalk players were in heaven as favorites won all eight races, to wit: Sugary ($3.80) in the first; Dr Wysong ($4) in the second; Cajun Treasure ($4.60) in the third; Sergio ($4.40) in the fourth; Smoovie ($4.40) in the fifth; Time for Suzzie ($3.80) in the sixth; Rocky Rogue ($4.60) in the seventh; and You Must Chill ($4.20) in the eighth. On Santa Anita Handicap Day Saturday, THOROUGHBREDS Club members will receive a free Santa Anita hat, courtesy of San Manuel Casino, with paid admission while supplies last, one hat per paid admission. Also Saturday, Santa Anita presents the annual Big Cap Beer and Cider Festival featuring live music, craft brews and food trucks. Tickets are on sale at santaanita.com/events . . . Milestone for the ages: Yesterday marked the 50thanniversary of Tuesdee Testa becoming the first female jockey to win a race at Santa Anita. Testa, who was 27 at the time, had worked as an exercise rider prior to obtaining her jockey’s license. On March 1, 1969, she rode an eight-year-old full horse named Buz On to victory. Entered for a $4,000 claiming tag, Buz On, who was trained by E.W. King,won by a neck and paid $9.20 while covering six furlongs over a “heavy” track in 1:13 4/5. JockeyMts 8 11% 58% 9 40% 20 Win% 18% 57% $1,074,074 50% 17% THE RICH GET RICHER: ROADSTER ON DERBY TRAIL 9 Assael Espinoza108 Win% 35% 9 $970,415 Money Won 35 17% 40% Peter Eurton42 24% 11 14 Aaron Gryder54 TrainerMts 41% 10 17% 6 11 18 39% 18 $1,305,536 $455,238 $1,070,197 10 $343,458 16 Jeff Mullins47 $433,887 $764,428 10 Rafael Bejarano133 4 53% 21 39% 49% 10 33% $486,837 Joel Rosario200 16 22 8 12 1st $199,324 (Current Through Friday, March 1) 43% 7 16 Joseph Talamo122 20 59% 40% 37% $1,317,970 6 19 10 6 23 15% 15% 22 Peter Miller98 Flavien Prat170 7 $2,702,456 $855,913 12% 11 19% SANTA ANITA STATISTICS 9 55% 8 $481,198
Me after paying for a ticket to watch Tottenham Hotspur play Red Star pic.twitter.com/HrTl7gmjiu— K i e r a n (@kjtailor) October 20, 2019 TOTTENHAM’S new stadium will have stacks of empty seats for their Champions League clash against Red Star Belgrade tonight.The North Londoners are in the midst of a crisis and have struggled to shift tickets for the game despite it being in Europe’s most prestigious competition.1 Crisis-hit Tottenham have struggled to sell tickets for the Champions League game against Red Star BelgradeTickets have been available to season ticket holders since September 30 but a visit to a ticket website today shows vast areas of the stadium with tickets still available.Their Serbian visitors will have just 200 away fans in attendance due to a Uefa ban stopping tickets being sold to most of their supporters after they were found guilty of racist chanting.Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been in abysmal form since the start of the season which many suspect is the reason fans are staying away.Champions League TableSee More Tables See Full TableTottenham’s last Champions League encounter was the 7-2 home humiliation by Bayern Munich where ex-Arsenal man Serge Gnabry stole the show with a hat-trick.Spurs fans had to register for tickets for tonight’s game as the club did not put them on general sale to ensure they were not bought by Red Star fans.But given the lack of interest in the fixture, the club allowed season ticket holders to purchase up to three additional seats.Tottenham vs Red Star Belgrade FREE – Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and betting odds for Champions League clashMOST READ IN FOOTBALLTHROUGH ITRobbie Keane reveals Claudine’s father was ’50-50′ in coronavirus battleTOP SELLERGavin Whelan has gone from League of Ireland to David Beckham’s InstagramExclusiveRIYAD RAIDMan City’s Riyad Mahrez has three luxury watches stolen in £500,000 raidPicturedAN EYEFULMeet Playboy model and football agent Anamaria Prodan bidding to buy her own clubI SAW ROORodallega saw Rooney ‘drinking like madman’ & Gerrard ‘on bar dancing shirtless’NEXT STEPJonny Hayes set to move to English Championship having been let go by CelticREF RELEASEDChampions League ref Vincic released by cops after arrest in prostitution raidKEANE DEALEx Man United youth ace David Jones says Roy Keane negotiated a contract for himThe 200 Red Star fans in attendance all have category one tickets and will be sat in hospitality areas of the stadium rather than the traditional away end.Spurs sit third in Champions League Group B with just one point from two games.And after another unconvincing Premier League performance in the 1-1 home draw with Watford on Saturday, Pochettino admitted he could lose his job but he won’t go grey worrying about it.Manchester City Champions league tickets against a mediocre opponent on the half way line, £25Tottenham champions league ticket against a mediocre opponent on the half way line, £233.50Levy’s Tottenham— Christian (@Christianjw92) October 19, 2019 Mauricio Pochettino admits he could get Spurs axe… but he won’t go grey worrying about it
NORTH LONDON rivals Arsenal and Tottenham have reportedly joined Chelsea and Manchester United in the transfer chase for Philippe Coutinho.Barcelona are looking to sell the Brazilian – who they bought for £142million from Liverpool in 2018 – to raise funds for re-signing PSG superstar Neymar.1 Arsenal and Tottenham have reportedly joined Chelsea and Manchester United in the transfer chase for Philippe CoutinhoCredit: AFP or licensorsThe playmaker is on loan at Bayern Munich, though the German champions are said to be uninterested in making the move permanent at the end of the season.According to The Mirror, Arsenal and Spurs are monitoring Coutinho’s situation in Munich but face competition from Chelsea and United.Bayern paid Barca £7m to loan the ex-Anfield hero for the season and despite nine goals and eight assists in 32 appearances, the Bundesliga champions are not willing to meet the £100m asking price to sign him.Reports in Spain are claiming Chelsea now lead the race to secure Coutinho’s signature next season, having held initial talks with Barca.It is thought United have also spoken with the LaLiga champions over a potential deal.But Blues boss Lampard is said have also been contact with Coutinho personally in a bid to convince him to steer towards a Stamford Bridge switch.Chelsea are in the market for new attacking midfielders this summer despite already landing Hakim Ziyech from Ajax.Transfer news Live Blogblues newsChelsea news LIVE – Latest updates from Stamford BridgeLive Blogunited newsMan Utd news LIVE – Latest updates from Old TraffordLive BlogGunners newsArsenal news LIVE – Latest updates from the EmiratesGossipGOING DUTCHChelsea ‘to grab Mbuyamba on free deal’ with defender set to leave BarcelonaDEPAY CHARTMan Utd flop Memphis used computer data and analytics to quit Old TraffordLive BlogBLUES NEWSChelsea news LIVE: Latest updates and transfer gossip from Stamford BridgeGossipFIT IN HIS BELEArsenal turn attention to Lyon striker Dembele as Lacazette replacementGossipGUNNER MAKE A MOVEArsenal weighing up transfer move for Barcelona star RafinhaGossipNO BALE OUTGareth Bale’s Real Madrid future in limbo with NO firm transfer offers yetGossipJOR BLIMEY!Jorginho’s agent says Chelsea ace is being chased by two top European clubsArsenal and Spurs both registered interest in Coutinho in the summer, before he moved to Bayern.But in a blow to Tottenham, the Brazilian previously rejected a loan to the North London side last summer.The Gunners also decided against moving for Coutinho, instead signing Nicolas Pepe from Lille in a club record £72m move.Man United pair Lingard and Pereira’s futures hang in the balance with Solskjaer drawing up plans for next season
Coach Dave Rennie says the Chiefs intend to stick to the high speed, open game they’ve used successfully in their Super 12 season.But says he’s well aware of the way the Lions defence strangled the attacking flair out of the Maori All Blacks in their 32-10 victory in Rotorua on Saturday.”We like to use the ball. We try and play a high tempo, high skill game of footy and the Lions have been excellent at choking teams from doing that so we’ve got a few challenges ahead of us.”Lions coach Warren Gatland says he’s expecting an open, attacking game from the Chiefs and the game is a chance for his midweek team to build on the Rotorua victory.He says a number of combinations still need to be settled for Saturday’s All Black test and he’s picking a competitive edge to his mid-week players tonight.”If you look back to the 2013 tour in Australia we made nine changes between the three tests.Players have to stay on form, be confident and these players are up for it.”Gatlands comments have been echoed by the Lions captain for tonight’s game Irish hooker Rory Best.Best said with injury cover and bench spots up for grabs, there will be no drop off in intensity.”We have a chance to build momentum into the weekend and we have a chance to get excited about playing for the Lions against a top side.”Gatland, who played 140 games for Waikato and also helped coach the Chiefs, said taking the Lions to Waikato stadium tonight will be a special moment on this tour.”If you cut me open I’d probably bleed red, yellow and black.”I’m very proud of my roots and looking forward to what will be a great occasion.” Photo: PHOTOSPORT Chiefs coach Dave Rennie
The winger has shrugged off the comparison, saying he is lucky to be playing outside some gifted playmakers that make his job easier. Remarkably, Nightingale’s nine tries this year mean he hasn’t crossed the stripe once this year outside his three hat-tricks (the others were against Wests Tigers in Round 5 and Melbourne in Round 9).Even more bizarrely, had his team not pulled off a remarkable second-half fightback two of those three hat-tricks would have come in losing efforts following a high-scoring 34-22 loss to the Storm.Speaking after the game, Nightingale said he was happy to bring up his 100 NRL try milestone at his favourite rugby league ground in Kogarah.”I love playing [at UOW Jubilee Oval], it’s my favourite ground to play rugby league at and a lot of friends and family in the crowd and fans that have been part of my journey for a long time so I’m very excited to bring it up here at home and get a win along with it as well,” he said.”I scored [a hat-trick] earlier this year against Melbourne [in a loss]; little individual highlights like hat-tricks don’t feel like anything if you go on to lose the game so very excited to play the way we did in the second half and get that first half behind us because there were some nervous moments in the sheds at half-time.”Of his tendency to score tries in bunches, he said the games where the Dragons’ left-edge attack clicks can allow him to take advantage of the momentum created.”It’s strange, when we’re going on the left edge we seem to exploit teams really well. [Left-edge back-rower] Joel [Thompson] got across the line too. “Gareth [Widdop] being back has really helped open things up so very excited to be on the end of [Tim] Lafai and ‘Gaz’ (Widdop) and their try-assisting ability.”McGregor had plenty of praise for the milestone man after the game.”He’s been outstanding, like a bottle of red wine, he keeps getting better with age,” McGregor said.”He’s always a guy that goes out there and plays to his potential. He’s a big metre-eater at the back of the field, he knows how to get to the try-line and the boys really like his leadership. He’s a pleasure to coach.”Nightingale laughed off the wine comparison but was pleased to be thought of as someone who consistently delivers his best.”I pride myself on my consistency and I think that fluctuates with the way the team’s going throughout the year, it’s much easier when you’ve got a good bunch of guys going forward,” he said.
Mark Aston has kept the core squad together that have been a part of the last few European Championships and the players that qualified for the tournament last Autumn.The evergreen Liam Finn and Scott Grix lead the side as captain and vice-captain with over 20 years of experience now playing for Ireland.Irish-born NRL and Super League giant James Hasson leads an impressive pack that includes youngsters like Brad Singleton, the King brothers and Joe Philbin of Warrington who impressed in the qualifiers. Read more at rlwc2017.comIreland Rugby League World Cup 2017 squad: Liam Finn (c), Scott Grix (vc), James Hasson, Kyle Amor, Liam Kay, Will Hope, Oliver Roberts, Ed Chamberlain, George King, Toby King, Joe Keyes, Joe Philbin, Jack Higginson, Anthony Mullally, Tyrone McCarthy, Brad Singleton, Micky McIlorum, Louie McCarthy Scarsbrook, Api Pewhairangi, Matty Hadden, Shannon McDonnell, Casey Dunne, James Kelly, Alan McMahon, Mikey Russell (Travelling Reserve)
She entered the Rabaul District Games on the 9th of June 2014 where she won the 100 metres sprint competition, clocking 11.23 seconds, the 200 metres sprint with a time of 26.07 seconds and the 400 metres sprint in 48.23 seconds.With Geraldine as anchor, her team went on to win the 100 and 400 metre sprint relays. Kombiu LLG took home the 2014 Rabaul District Games trophy.Great, she thought, if Rabaul District organises good coaching, I could represent my country.But as it turned out, Geraldine, also known during the District Games as “Taxi bilong Kabiu”, had to give up her favourite sport. “There was just no communication or coordination and no specialised coaching for athletes at the Kombiu LLG level. Our training was general exercises and just running around the field,’’ she said.By the time the South Pacific Games finally came around, she had missed all available sport development programs. Geraldine completed Grade 9 at George Brown High School in 2009 but transferred to Kokopo Secondary School (KOSEC) for Grade 10 due to health reasons.At KOSEC, her family made her stop running in the sprints and other long distance track events, suspecting she had a weak heart. They were wrong and she amazed her family with her performances in the 2014 District Games.She now studies at the Kokopo Open Campus. The subjects that fascinate her are Biology and Chemistry.“I’m really fascinated with Chemistry, just interested in understanding various chemical reactions.’’Apart from studies, Geraldine lives with her father and stepmother, two sisters and a brother. Not yet interested in marriage and children, her life is occupied mainly with household chores, gardening, dishes, food preparation, cleaning and laundry. “I’m a laundry girl for now”.
PNG Commonwealth gold medalist Dika Toua ran the program, which closed on the 31st October, at schools in Port Moresby.Oceania Weightlifting Federation general secretary Paul Coffa was delighted about the interest of students in the region.Coffa said figures were much higher than 5039 but three Island countries who had already conducted the program had not sent in their entries on time.The program was implemented by OWF four years ago to identify talented students throughout the schools of the Oceania region, and in particular the Pacific Island nations.“The program has grown each year and it was rewarding to see so many of these students who have participated in the OTIP program competing in international events.“This is amazing in that such a short time, the national federations have been able to tap in on the work that they have done at the school level producing the next generation of champion weightlifters,” said Coffa.He thanked the weightlifting federations who took part in the program and the individual coaches, lifters and volunteers who took the time to go to the schools and successfully run the program.The training camp for the students selected by their national federation will be held at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia from the 13-20 December.