Belen Jesuit's water polo team is the Leo Suarez-Walter Krietsch Courage Award recipient
Sophomore Lucas Osuna, 15, died suddenly on March 28 during a tournament at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove.
Osuna's death, which was later reported as having been caused by a spontaneous rupture of the aorta potentially linked to an undiagnosed genetic condition, shook not just the Belen community, but the South Florida water polo community as a whole.
Many rallied to show their support for the Wolverines as they tried to move forward.
Belen's team found the resilience to not just cope with its immeasurable loss, but to play on and complete their season.
Every season, the Miami Herald salutes an individual or individuals in the South Florida high school sports community, which shows extraordinary courage in the face of adversity with its annual Leo Suarez/Walter Krietsch Courage Award.
This year's recipient is the Belen Jesuit water polo team.
The award is named in honor of two former Miami Herald editors, who passed away before their time, but showed extraordinary courage in the face of adversity.
Such as the case with the Wolverines, who roughly a week after Osuna's death, returned to the pool at nearby Gulliver Prep School.
'We got together with the kids and asked them what they wanted to do,' Belen coach Jimmy Aguilera said at the time. 'Did they want to honor [Osuna] by playing or some other way? We were going to proceed the way they felt was right. They decided to keep going as far as we can make it. Right now, it's not about the results of the games. It's about being there for each other.'
Belen met as a team and chose to continue its season.
The Wolverines honored Osuna's memory prior to, during and after their first game back.
Belen players wore his name and No. 19 on their competition swim caps during the match.
Their reserve players held a picture of Osuna as they cheered their teammates in the pool during the match. Coaches and parents wore yellow T-shirts with Osuna's name and swim cap painted on the back as well as caps with the No. 19 on them.
A moment of silence was held just prior to the match starting. Osuna's name was displayed on the scoreboard on the far side of the pool.
The team posed for a picture in front of the scoreboard with a sign filled with written tributes and the number 19 written large in the middle. They presented Osuna's parents, Mike and Jeanette, with a pair of framed collages with pictures of their son and his swim caps.
And in that game, they scored 19 goals in a shutout win over Coral Gables.
In their next game, Belen again scored 19 goals and won its district championship after a 19-18 win over Ransom Everglades.
The Wolverines' season would finish a week later in the regional semifinals after a 16-15 overtime loss to Ransom.
But what mattered most to them was playing on to honor Osuna's memory.
'The whole situation put life into perspective,' Belen athletic director Laz Fernandez said in April. 'These kids' willingness to keep playing demonstrates their desire to fight for Lucas and that's very resilient and very admirable.'
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Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
NCAA fines Michigan millions, adds game suspension for Moore over sign-stealing scandal
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The NCAA fined Michigan tens of millions of dollars Friday and suspended coach Sherrone Moore for a third game as punishment for a sprawling sign-stealing scandal that has loomed over college football's winningest program for nearly two years, including its national championship season in 2023. The NCAA said it had 'overwhelming' and concerning evidence of a cover-up by Wolverines staff and noted there were 'sufficient grounds for a multiyear postseason ban' against a program now considered a repeat violator. But the governing body stopped short of program-crippling punishments, saying a two-year postseason ban 'would unfairly penalize student-athletes for the actions of coaches and staff' who are no longer there. 'The panel concluded that an elaborate, impermissible scouting scheme was embedded in the Michigan football program over the course of three football seasons, 2021, 2022 and 2023, and this occurred under former head coach Jim Harbaugh's oversight,' said Norman Bay, chief hearing officer for the Division I Committee on Infractions. 'What makes this case even more serious, in addition to the clear intent to impermissibly gain a substantial competitive advantage, is the elaborate effort to obstruct the investigation.' Moore, who is facing a school-imposed two-game suspension this season, will also sit out the first game of the 2026-27 season for a total of three games. Moore received a two-year show-cause order, but will be allowed to fulfill coaching commitments under the NCAA order. The biggest blow came from the financial penalties, which are expected to exceed $20 million. They include a $50,000 fine, a 10% fine on the football program's budget, a 10% fine on Michigan's 2025-26 scholarships and a fine equivalent to the anticipated loss of postseason revenue for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The program also faces a 25% reduction in official recruiting visits during the upcoming season and a 14-week prohibition on recruiting communications during its four-year probation period. Harbaugh, a former Michigan quarterback and now the coach of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, faces a 10-year show-cause order following the conclusion of his previous four-year order effective Aug. 7, 2028. Connor Stalions, a former low-level staffer who ran the scouting and sign-stealing operation, was issued an eight-year show-cause order, which effectively bans a person from college athletics for the period handed down. Michigan said it would appeal the decision. '(R)espectfully, in a number of instances the decision makes fundamental errors in interpreting NCAA bylaws; and it includes a number of conclusions that are directly contrary to the evidence – or lack of evidence – in the record,' the school said. Athletic director Warde Manuel added that 'a postseason ban should never have been a consideration in this case. I fully support the university's decision to pursue an appeal.' The scheme Harbaugh has always maintained he knew nothing about the scheme. NCAA investigators were clearly skeptical. 'Aspects of the record suggest that there may have been broader acceptance of the scheme throughout the program,' the report says. 'At a minimum, there was a willful intent not to learn more about Stalions' methods. However, the true scope and scale of the scheme -- including the competitive advantage it conferred -- will never be known due to individuals' intentional destruction and withholding of materials and information.' The NCAA does not have rules against stealing signs, but does prohibit schools from sending scouts to the games of in-season opponents and using electronic equipment to record another team's signals. The scheme run by Stalions, the NCAA said, was elaborate and detailed – in fact, the NCAA said, Stalions described it as 'counterintelligence' and his network of helpers was referred to as the 'KGB,' a nod to the Soviet-era spy service. During the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons, 'Stalions directed and arranged for individuals to conduct off-campus, in-person scouting of Michigan's future regular season opponents,' the NCAA report said, noting that he bought their tickets and saying he spent some $35,000 in 2022 alone. 'While in attendance, they filmed the signal callers on the future opponents' sidelines and then provided that film to Stalions. Using the footage they collected, Stalions then deciphered their signals. Additionally, on one occasion, Stalions personally attended a future opponent's contest. In total, 56 instances of off-campus, in-person scouting of 13 future regular season opponents occurred across 52 contests.' When asked about Stalions' devices, accounts and documents, the NCAA said, 'multiple members of the KGB stated that Stalions gave them access to his hard drives and Google drive to review videos and assist in identifying signals.' Stalions, a Naval Academy graduate, was a volunteer for Michigan's football program for years, including when he was stationed in San Diego and slept in his car while renting his house, until Harbaugh hired him 2022. The retired captain in the Marine Corps was an analytics assistant for the Wolverines when he was suspended in October 2023, a day after the school disclosed it was under NCAA investigation. Stalions later resigned. 'If I'm a bad guy, then everyone in football is a bad guy,' Stalions said in a recent Netflix documentary. Stalions, who did not participate in the NCAA investigation, recently said he knew almost every signal opponents used in seven games over two seasons. The NCAA said the efforts to cover up the scheme included Stalions and other Michigan employees. 'Stalions himself described smashing his phone into 1,000 pieces and throwing it into a pond, providing false and misleading information during interviews, telling a potential witness to lie when interviewed, and some staff members, most notably Harbaugh not participating in interviews at all,' Bay said. 'Moore deleted his entire 52 message text thread with Stalions from his personal phone. Harbaugh failed to cooperate by refusing to provide necessary records or participating in interviews with NCAA enforcement staff.' The coaches In a notice sent to the school last year, the NCAA alleged that Moore violated rules as an assistant under Harbaugh. The text messages with Stalions were recovered and provided to the NCAA. Harbaugh, who left the Wolverines after they won the 2023 national championship, served a three-game suspension in exchange for the Big Ten dropping its investigation into the allegations after the two ended up in court. The NCAA also noted unrelated recruiting violations were part of the mix, violations that got Harbaugh that initial show-cause order. The NCAA said those involved lower-level staffers communicating with four recruits. 'The scouting scheme and recruiting violations in the football program demonstrate that Harbaugh violated the principles of head coach responsibility,' the NCAA said. 'Harbaugh did not embrace or enforce a culture of compliance during his tenure, and his program had a contentious relationship with Michigan's compliance office, leading coaches and staff to disregard NCAA rules.' The Wolverines open the season on Aug. 30 at home against New Mexico State and then play at Oklahoma, where Moore was an offensive lineman, on Sept. 6. 'I am glad that this part of the process has been completed,' Moore said in a statement issued by Michigan. 'I greatly respect the rules governing collegiate athletics and it is my intent to have our program comply with those rules at all times.' ___ Carey reported from Tampa, Florida. ___ AP college football: and
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Were the Michigan punishments for Connor Stalions case enough?
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz and Caroline Fenton react to the breaking news of the punishments handed down by the NCAA and what it means for the Wolverines moving forward. View more Video Transcript This is just the beginning of the tip of the iceberg on a lot of information. I'm gonna give it to you right now. According to multiple reports, it looks like the fine to Michigan is going to be at least $20 million from future postseason revenue. It looks like there is a 3-game suspension coming for Sharon Moore in total. Two games had already been offered up as a self-imposed ban by Michigan and then the NCAA is adding one additional game to that. So we know weeks 3 and 4 this year, Central Michigan and Nebraska, Moore will not be on the sideline. Already been offered up by Michigan as self-imposed, uh, punishment. They're also going to add one game in 2026. So Caroline, $20 million bucks, show cause, and, and Connor Stallion, that's all other stuff. This is just for the, university's portion in all of this role, $20 million bucks, three-game suspension for their coach. You showed them. Wow, good job, NCAA. I think that proves to the rest of college football that you really take these things seriously. No, I'm kidding. $20 million is a drop in the bucket. It sounds like a lot of money to you and to me, but to Michigan, that's less than two years of what they are paying. The Dynamo freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who's making $12 million a year. $20 million is nothing. I mean, Michigan has some of the richest alumni. Night and boosters and donators to donors rather to collectives and any other school in all of college sports and all of college football. Sharon Moore, three excuse me, two of those three games that he'll be suspended for are something that Michigan already self-imposed. Michigan said, hey, we'll set Sharon Moore on the sidelines for weeks 3 and 4, which is really smart and calculated by Michigan to say. Hey, sorry, we did it, but they're willing to sit Sharon Moore on the sidelines for the Central Michigan and Nebraska game. Now look, the Nebraska game is no easy out, but they conveniently said we will put Sharon Moore on suspension after Michigan goes to Norman, Oklahoma to play the Sooners. So the NCAA really all they're doing is saying Sharon Moore is suspended for one game in 2026. So next year, and a $20 million fine. This to me does not prove that the NCAA views what Connor Stallions did, or at least what Sharon Moore did in relation to Connor Stallions, you know, as dealing with it all with any level of seriousness. Another Connor Stallions and Jim Harbaugh case. Jim Harbaugh has been placed with a 10-year show cause by the NCAA. Connor Stallions got 8 years. My question is, because Jim Harbaugh has another job, you know, he's good, he's in the NFL. And which I think is damning evidence enough. What does the NFL do with Jim Harbaugh? Nothing? Do they feel the need to step in and have some sort of suspension or disciplinary action of their own? This will be hairy because all the way back in 2011 when Jim Tressel went to work for the Colts, they delayed his hiring because of the controversy that he had left Ohio State under. And at the time, Roger Goodell said in interviews that had that not happened, they would have suspended Jim Tressel. So I think there is a moment here where frankly, when you see a 10-year show cause for Harbaugh, it looks it can appear like he's basically left that behind to go to the NFL so he doesn't have to pay his punishment. Something that Roger Goodell was adamantly opposed to in 2011. Where does he stand on it now? And this, this also, by the way, more breaking news comes in. Ross Sweeney out that the NCAA has hit former Michigan staff member Denard Robinson with a three-year show cause order. So they're hitting everybody involved with this, all the coaches from a standpoint that, you know, is damning for each of the people involved. For Harbaugh, uh, for Denard Robinson, uh, for Connor Stallions. For any of them, if they choose to want to be, continue a career in college football, that just got much tougher. But Caroline, go all the way back to your original point. If I told every fan base in college football, if I told Texas right now, guess what, you can go out and you can get you a national championship by whatever means you need to go get you the natty. Now it's gonna cost you $20 million on the back end, and whoever your next coach is will have to face a 3-game suspension. They're taking that deal 10 times out of 10, every single one of them. I think even if you bump that up to $200 million, there'll be some schools across the country that are saying, OK, fine, sign me up, because that is worth every single penny. So I don't trust the NCAA really to get anything right, so I shouldn't have trusted the NCAA to get this right. But quickly, before we gotta get out of here, Fitz, do you think that the NCAA got this right? No, I think all the NCAA did here is remind us all that the new money of college football makes it so hard to actually punish anybody. Uh, look, it might as well have just come out and said, hey, we realized they did it, we realized it stinks, but at the end of the day, we can't do anything about it. Close
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fired Michigan assistant Chris Partridge takes victory lap after NCAA clears him in sign-stealing scandal
All things considered, it was a decent day for Michigan athletics, which avoided a postseason ban when the NCAA finally delivered its ruling on the school's sign stealing scandal. It was an even better day for a coach the Wolverines once fired in relation to the same scandal. Chris Partridge, a former Michigan assistant and the only person to be let go by the program in the wake of the revelations around his former subordinate Connor Stalions, was all but exonerated in the NCAA's infractions report. Faced with three violations in the NCAA's notice of allegations, the organization cleared Partridge on each count and declined to penalize him personally: The NOA alleged additional violations for Partridge, including: (1) arranging and conducting impermissible tryouts with prospects; (2) providing an impermissible inducement to a prospect; and (3) failing to cooperate during and after his employment at Michigan. The recruiting allegations were presented as Level II. The failure to cooperate allegations were presented as Level I. Partridge disputed each of the allegations. The panel concludes that the case record does not demonstrate that these violations occurred. Partridge, who now works as the outside linebackers for the Seattle Seahawks, released a statement affirming his innocence and reiterating his support for Michigan: Partridge's statement: I am extremely grateful for the thorough investigation done by the NCAA Infractions Committee. For almost two years, I sat silently while many members of the mainstream media told lies about me and why I was wrongfully terminated by the University of Michigan. It means so much to me and my family to finally have my name cleared and reputation restored. My faith in the process never wavered, and through it all, I stayed true to who I am as a person and mentor. I remained steadfast in my passion for being part of a team and being lockstep with my fellow coaches to provide guidance to young men as they navigate the great sport of football. Much love to all the coaches and players from Team 144! Partridge was fired in Nov. 2023, with the university telling him it had received evidence he had not abided by a directive to not discuss the investigation with other members of the program. In its report, the NCAA said it found that a student-athlete spoke to Partridge about an upcoming interview for the investigation. However, the NCAA essentially found that Partridge's only advice to the student-athlete was to get a lawyer, as supported by an affidavit from another student-athlete in the room and camera footage from the football facility. It determined that there was "insufficient information to reasonably conclude that Partridge attempted to influence a student-athlete to lie about it to the enforcement staff." Partridge first joined Michigan in 2015 as director of player personnel and went on to work as a linebackers coach, safeties coach and special teams coordinator across two different stints with the program. While Partridge was spared further repercussions, four of his former co-workers received penalties from the NCAA. Current Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore received a one-game suspension, in addition to a self-imposed two-game ban, and a two-year show cause penalty, while former head coach Jim Harbaugh, former assistant Denard Robinson and Stalions were all hit with their own show-causes. Michigan itself is facing an eight-figure fine based on its football budget and two years of postseason compensation revenue, plus some smaller recruiting penalties. The school is appealing the decision, even though many observers believe they got off lightly.
