Junior Brittany Dashiell is Florida's first ever Tewaaraton Award finalist. (Photo courtesy of UF Communications) With a program this young, history is easy to make for the Florida lacrosse team. In the Gators’ three seasons, they’ve had plenty of firsts. But even that already impressive list stands to expand. The top-seeded Gators (19-2) face No. 4 Syracuse in the NCAA Final Four today in Stony Brook, N.Y. The winner advances to face either Northwestern or Maryland in the championship on Sunday. Florida’s run is its farthest ever for the program, but it doesn’t come as a surprise. The Gators reached plenty of milestones in their second season last year, including winning their first American Lacrosse Tournament regular-season title and becoming the fastest program ever to ... Continue reading →
UF kicker Caleb Sturgis was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2011. (Orlando Sentinel file photo) Our football position analysis concludes today with the Florida specialists. You can check the previous breakdowns of the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers , tight ends/fullbacks, the offensive and defensive lines, linebackers and the secondary. Top players: Caleb Sturgis (RSr., 5-11, 187), Andre Debose (RJr., 5-11, 186), Kyle Christy (Soph., 6-3, 200) Strengths: Heading into his final season, Sturgis gives Florida a big advantage on special teams. A finalist for the Lou Groza Award last season, Sturgis returns as one of the top kickers in the country. Sturgis returned from a back injury in 2010 to make 22-of-26 field goals in 2011 with a long of 55 yards. ... Continue reading →
Ron English and Eastern Michigan are No. 80 in our College Football Countdown. (Photo courtesy of EMU Athletics) The Orlando Sentinel has ranked all 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff will take a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 120 to our projected No. 1 team. We will not be including the four teams the NCAA lists as still reclassifying to the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Today at No. 89: Eastern Michigan Coach: Ron English (8-28, fourth season) 2011 record: 6-6 (4-4 in Mid-American Conference, tied for fourth in West Division) Look back: It’s been quite a turnaround for the Eastern Michigan program in the past three seasons. Under Ron English, the program as gone ... Continue reading →
Sometimes a player knows when it’s best to move on. Today we begin a five-day series looking at five players who transferred to another school that will make an impact for their new teams in 2012. Today we feature: Ryan Williams Former Memphis QB Ryan Williams will compete for the starting job in Miami this fall. (Mark Weber/Commerical Appeal/via commercialappeal.com) RYAN WILLIAMS Position: QB Current school: Miami Former school: Memphis Buzz: Ryan Williams is probably very familiar with the University of Miami football program. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound transfer from Memphis, attended high school at Miramar High, which is located in South Florida. His decision to come back could be a huge blessing for a program that has been looking for some stability at the quarterback ... Continue reading →
Senior Jackie Coward is one of 14 UCF athletes competing at the NCAA preliminary meet. Credit: Gary W. Green / Orlando Sentinel. The No. 14 UCF women’s track and field team is off to a strong start at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville. The Knights sent a school-record 14 athletes to the meet. The qualifying rounds began Thursday and the meet ends Saturday. The top 24 performers in each event advance to the NCAA outdoor track and field championship in Des Moines, Iowa, June 6-9. UCF junior Sonnisha Williams and senior Jacquelyn Gilchrist finished in the top 10 in the long jump, qualifying for the NCAA Championships. UCF’s elite lineup of sprinters, including sophomore Aurieyall Scott, freshman Octavious Freeman and senior Sheila Paul ... Continue reading →
