Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrestlers honor fallen coach Chris Hixon
Students of the Stoneman Douglas wrestling team, which was coached by Stoneman Douglas shooting victim Chris Hixon, left his funeral service Wednesday and headed straight to a match at Coral Springs High School. According to ESPN, the 13 wrestlers on the Stoneman Douglas team were greeted by spectators’ applause as they entered the gym before the match. One of those 13 students was Sara Ochoa, the only female on the team, who pinned her first-round opponent in 16 seconds and later stated, “That was for Coach Hixon.” Ochoa and other members of the team wore white t-shirts honoring Hixon, who was named Broward County’s Athletic Director of the Year in 2017.
Dawn Staley sues Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk for defamation
South Carolina women’s basketball Coach Dawn Staley is suing Missouri Athletic Director Jim Sterk for defamation after Sterk made comments to a Missouri radio station alleging Staley encouraged an “unhealthy atmosphere” at South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena during a game against the Missouri women’s basketball team. Sterk claimed that South Carolina fans spit on Missouri players and called them the “N-word” and said of Staley, “Unfortunately, I think Coach Staley promoted that kind of atmosphere, and it’s unfortunate that she felt she had to do that.” In response to Sterk’s refusal to retract his original statements, Staley’s attorney said in a statement to USA Today Sports, “Coach Staley was left with no choice but to respond to his attack on her character, reputation and integrity by holding him accountable for his disappointing and false statement.”
Conor McGregor says he will fight again, ‘Period.’
In an Instagram post on Feb. 22, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor said, “I am fighting again. Period. I am the best at this,” according to USA Today Sports. Calling out the UFC, McGregor said he told them he wanted to replace Max Holloway in a fight against former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar after Holloway injured his leg, but McGregor “was told there wasn’t enough time to generate the money the UFC would need.” McGregor further said in the post, “It is on them to come and get me. Because I am here.” McGregor’s post came hours after UFC President Dana White announced McGregor would soon be stripped of his lightweight champion title, as he hasn’t fought in the UFC since November of 2016.
Tiger Woods meets Stoneman Douglas student and survivor
At the Honda Classic on Wednesday, Tiger Woods met Marjory Stoneman Douglas sophomore Kevin Shanahan after Woods’ caddie heard Shanahan was volunteering at the event. According to USA Today Sports, Woods said of the meeting, “Meeting him brings you right back to reality, thinking about what he has to deal with and what he’s seen and things he has to deal with the rest of his life … it was nice to help him enjoy being out here.” Shanahan later said of the encounter, “It really felt like he talked from the heart. It didn’t feel scripted. It felt like it really came from him being sincere … and it made me feel awesome.”
USA women’s ice hockey team takes gold from Canada
The U.S. women’s hockey team broke Canada’s stranglehold on women’s Olympic hockey after a stressful match which went to overtime, according to CNN Sports. This victory was meaningful to the team since the women’s hockey team hadn’t won gold since the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The match ended with a shootout score of 3-2 with forward Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scoring the winning goal who later stated the she was “digging the new necklace.” The women’s team also celebrated a victory off the ice after winning a fight for better pay.
