Back in August, St. Joseph-Ogden basketball standout Taylor Wells announced her plans to continue her academic and athletic career at Mount Mercy University. The senior, who is making waves with the Spartan volleyball team this fall, joined the basketball program at the private institution of about 1,488 students.
The Mustangs are members of the Heart of America Athletic Conference and have made NAIA national tournament appearances six times since 1991. In the previous season from November through February during the Coronavirus pandemic, the program played 20 games and finished 7-13 overall.
On September 12, teammate Payton Jacobs announced on Twitter that she will pursue her dream to play college basketball at Illinois Wesleyan University. She is no stranger to the Shirk Center or the Bloomington-Normal area where she has played basketball at the State Farm Holiday Classic.
Late last week, a third Spartan announced a verbal commitment continue their basketball career. Senior Ella Armstrong join the Truman State University program in 2022. Located in Kirksville, Mo.. The Bulldogs finished the 2020-2021 season with a record of 17 wins and 5 losses. The Bulldogs are members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
The Urbana cross country team finished the Richard Spring Invitational with 1,453 points in the 63-team invitational meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria on September 18.
Celia Barbieri led the Tigers to a 53rd overall team finish completing the course in 20 minutes and 2.4 seconds. The senior finished 185th overall.
Ten runners later Urbana's Abby Fairbanks crossed the finish at 20:11.1 followed by freshman Mia Nicholson 142 runners later at 21:46.6. Ellie Scully and Brianne Wefel rounded out the top five finishers with times of 23:51.6 and 24:10 respectively.
The three-mile varsity race was won by York with 93 points. Prospect finished in second place and Hinsdale Central in third.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.
This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.
Join us on October 5th, as our program raises money to continue Coach Duval’s legacy and passion for the success of student-athletes.@SagesAthletics @SJOsports #MakeItCount #DoItForDuval pic.twitter.com/HnuQwWqmXu
— SJO Volleyball (@SJOVolleyball) September 9, 2021
With top tier reporting, free and paid gaming, Yahoo Sports offers sports lovers unique opportunities to immerse themselves in the fan-powered betting experience.
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Do your research. Before initiating any bets, be sure you understand basics like how to place bets and how your payout is processed. You should also get familiar with the laws about sports betting in your state. Go into your bets well-informed about the predictions and how the teams are performing.
With totals, or over/unders, you're betting on whether the combined team scores will be over or under a predicted score. Parlays are another type of bet that let you combine multiple bets into one wager to minimize your risk with a maximum payout. The more bets you combine, the bigger the payout; however, if you lose one bet, you lose them all.
Set aside money for betting. Sports betting can become an expensive hobby, and with the unpredictability of the sports world, you can never count on a win. That's why it's important to only place bets with money you can afford to lose. Plan a sports betting amount as part of your regular budget that won't affect your ability to cover your bills or other financial obligations.
Take advantage of easy-to-use tools. For players new to sports betting, there are resources that can help you get up to speed. One example is Yahoo Sportsbook's How-To Guide, which includes information like terminology and how to calculate odds. For example, if you're not sure how your bet might pay out, a tool like the Bet Calculator can help you test different wagers. You can choose the amount you want to bet, select the odds you've been given or test to see the potential payout with the current odds and stake.
Know your limits. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement, so be sure to set a spending limit before you even look at the available bets or odds. Two good rules of thumb are to avoid putting too much into any single game (many experts recommend sticking to 1%-3% of your total budget, 5% being the maximum you should bet) and to limit your bets to sports you know. Betting without any knowledge of the game, the teams or their players' abilities is not a sound strategy.
Get in on the game with more tips at sports.yahoo.com/sportsbook.
With veal as your main ingredient like in these Veal Tex Mex Stuffed Shells, you can have a quick and easy to make dinner perfect for hectic weeknights that you and your family will enjoy. Requiring just over half an hour in the kitchen, load jumbo pasta shells with taco-flavored ground veal and melted cream cheese topped with your favorite taco sauce to make even your midweek meals special.
Try this exciting mouthwatering recipe to add to your regular family menu while also providing nutrition; a 3-ounce serving of veal includes 27 grams of protein, which is more than half of the daily value for a 2,000-calorie diet.
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Discover more quick and easy recipe ideas at Veal.org, funded by Beef Farmers and Ranchers.
In the so-called Before Times, sitting shoulder to shoulder inside a stadium with tens of thousands of boisterous spectators — after a few hours of pregame tailgating — was a highlight of many fans' autumn. But with covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths soaring from the delta variant, many fans are wondering if that is a wise idea.
KHN talked to seven health experts to get their takes.
1. Is it safe to go to a packed stadium even if you are vaccinated?
Six out of the seven public health experts that KHN spoke to from big football states were adamant in their response: No way. Not now.
"I am a die-hard sports fan," said Jason Salemi, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida in Tampa. "But I would not go to these events right now."
Salemi said that with covid cases at their highest level since late January — with the seven-day average case count rising to just over 149,000 as of Monday — and hospitals filling up around the country, there is too much risk even for people who have been fully vaccinated against covid.
While outdoor events are less likely to lead to infection because the air circulation is greater, sitting within just a few feet of 10 or 20 screaming fans watching football, baseball, soccer or an auto race at a stadium reduces that safety margin, he said.
Vaccines greatly lower your risk of being hospitalized or dying from covid, but the dominance of the more transmissible delta variant is leading to increasing numbers of breakthrough infections, some of which do cause uncomfortable symptoms. Getting infected also increases the likelihood of passing the infection to unvaccinated people, who could become seriously ill.
Even some vaccinated fans — especially those who are older and frail or people with chronic medical conditions — should also realize they face higher risk from an infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not specifically have guidance about sporting events, but it recommends that anyone attending large gatherings in areas with high numbers of covid cases should "consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact" with others who are not fully vaccinated.
"A packed football stadium now is not a good idea," said Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, a professor of medicine and public health sciences at the University of Miami’s medical school. "When there’s a lot of shouting and yelling’’ without masks, “it means they’re spraying the virus."
Football stadiums, which are generally among the largest sporting venues in this country, are typically packed with fans cheering and high-fiving, making it impossible to physically distance from people who may be unvaccinated. Equally difficult is remaining apart from the unvaccinated in crowded concourses and restrooms.
Dr. Robert Siegel, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University, said that while the risk of dying or ending up in intensive care from covid after being vaccinated is "vanishingly small," he would prefer to even avoid a milder case so he doesn’t have to worry about long-term consequences of the disease. "It's not worth it to me, but if football is your life, you may have a different calculus," he said.
2. What can I do to reduce my risk at the game?
The first line of defense is being fully vaccinated.
If unvaccinated, don't go to the game, all seven experts strongly recommended.
Some colleges such as Louisiana State University are requiring fans to be vaccinated or to show a negative covid test to attend a game — and many players on teams are vaccinated to reduce their risk and stay in the game. But many stadiums will have no such restriction on fans.
Wear a mask except when eating or drinking.
Mask mandates vary by venue for both the NFL and college teams. Even if others around you are not wearing one, your mask will give you a level of protection from inhaling the virus. "It's best if all parties are wearing a mask, but wearing a mask is better than not wearing a mask," said Dr. Nasia Safdar, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Dr. Dale Bratzler, Oklahoma University's chief covid officer, said he would not tell vaccinated people to avoid going to football games. He does strongly advise, however, that fans consider double masking. He doesn’t plan to go to the OU games this fall, but it has nothing to do with covid. "It’s because of the traffic getting into and out of the stadium. I am fine watching at home on TV."
If you want to protect others, consider taking a home covid test the day of the game. If the test results come back positive, or if you feel any symptoms, even a runny nose, mild headache, or cough, don’t go to a game, Safdar said.
And the experts said to pay attention to the level of covid cases in any city to which you are traveling. The incidence could be high, and that should factor into your decision about attending a game.
3. What about tailgating for hours with friends before the game?
Most of the experts agreed tailgating with a few friends outdoors is a less risky part of the football game experience. But that’s only if you know the people you are eating and drinking with are vaccinated.
"It's also that party atmosphere, where people are generally not in a position to wear a mask and you are standing close to people," Safdar said. "It’s still a risk."
4. Millions of people have been attending baseball games, soccer games and other sports events all summer — without many outbreaks. Why worry now about football games?
There have been rare reports of outbreaks from major league baseball stadiums, which often pack in 40,000 fans. But that could be changing, too, because the more highly transmissible delta variant has been widespread only since July. Also, the experts said, it’s difficult to track how many fans get sick because the incubation period can last a week or more. People may not connect their illness to the game, especially if they assume outdoor activities are safe.
"Delta changed the entire equation of how we looked at the risk," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. "I do think there will be transmission in stadiums."
Health experts point to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota last month that has been linked to more than 100 infections.
5. Can I still get together with other vaccinated friends and family?
Even with the delta variant raging, health experts say people who are fully immunized can safely meet without masks with those they know are fully vaccinated.
"If you know with certainty that someone is vaccinated, you can safely get together for dinner and other activities," said Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, a specialist in infectious diseases at Ohio Health, a large, multihospital system based in Columbus.
And the risk of spread can be minimized at events such as an outdoor wedding if organizers include requirements for vaccinations, wearing masks and physical distancing for vulnerable attendees, experts say.
Subscribe to KHN's free Morning Briefing.
Esports is now the 10th activity offered by the IHSA. It joins joining bass fishing, chess, debate, drama & group interpretation, speech, journalism, music, and scholastic bowl as one of the IHSA’s total State Series offerings. The athletic association now administers 41 total sports and activities.
"It is exciting any time that we can expand the IHSA mission by offering another opportunity for students to represent their schools in competition," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson in a released statement back in August. "We appreciate the time and effort put forth by our staff and the committee members who helped get us to this point."
Anderson added, "Research shows that there are educational, mental, and social benefits to having students compete for their high school in any activity or sport, so we look forward to Illinois high school students who are passionate about esports being able to enjoy those benefits."
Esports is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Played in multiplayer online video game format. A growing number of professional and amateur competitions are broadcasted live with competitors earning significant prize money. Prize pools for international competitions have been as high as $34 million dollars.
If the IHSA had adopted Esports as a sport, then students would be required to follow the association’s amateur rule (IHSA By-law 3.080), which would limit any prizes a student could accept. With Esports classified as an activity, students who compete in high-level amateur or professional tournaments can keep prize earnings and retain still their eligibility to compete in the association's state series.
How can students start an esports club or team at their school? The first step would be to find other students interested in forming a team and then talk to their school's principal, athletic director or activity director to see how they can officially form the new club or team.
