Vote for top seniors in this week's The Tennessean Student of the Week poll
The Tennessean asked Middle Tennessee schools to nominate seniors who have made fantastic contributions to their school community.
After a weeklong nomination period, The Tennessean received five responses from guidance counselors, coaches, teachers and principals. Polls are open now and will close at noon on May 15. Vote in the ballot at the end of this article.
These are the nominations:
Gatlin Dunn: Stewart County High School
Dunn comes to school each day with a positive attitude towards students and staff. He is the type of student that, if all were as good as he is, would put all principals out of business because he is that outstanding! Dunn is the most respectful student I have ever encountered. A truly Outstanding Senior!
Braden Cole: Beech High School
Cole is an exceptional young man and student. Due to his outstanding character, school spirit, reputation, and work ethic, Cole was chosen as the student body president for his senior year. He has taken part in a variety of activities such as serving on student council his sophomore year, working as a Beech Patrol leader and a DECA member. As a DECA member, he also competed at the state level where he won all 3 years and earned a bid to Nationals. He has been an integral part of their Shackle Island community and will be greatly missed when he graduates.
Jennifer Gomez Ceba: Pearl-Cohn High School
Gomez Ceba exemplifies academic excellence as the valedictorian and a distinguished Bell Tower Scholar. Beyond her achievements, she consistently supports her classmates and fosters a positive, peaceful environment throughout the school. Her leadership, kindness, and dedication make her an outstanding choice for this honor.
Cleveland Fuller: Pearl-Cohn High School
Fuller is a well-rounded student who shines both in and out of the classroom through his involvement in football, e-sports, and yearbook. He consistently stays on top of his assignments and demonstrates strong responsibility and dedication. With his infectious school spirit and positive attitude, Cleveland is truly a joy to work with and a perfect choice for this honor.
Joshua Sims: Pearl-Cohn High School
Sims is the definition of a gentle giant — bringing intensity and focus to the football field while remaining quiet and respectful in the building. He maintains straight A grades and leads by example, consistently motivating both his teammates and fellow seniors. His balance of strength, humility, and academic excellence makes him an outstanding choice for this honor.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessean Student of the Week celebrates seniors. Vote now
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Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Savannah Bananas come to Chicago for the 1st time: ‘It's the hottest sporting event you can go to'
The Chicago White Sox stadium will be filled this weekend, but not because of Luis Robert Jr. and company. You won't see black jerseys but a splash of yellow instead. The Savannah Bananas come to Rate Field on Friday and Saturday for a pair of sold-out games as part of their 2025 Banana Ball World Tour. It's the first time the viral, groovy baseball team will play in Chicago. 'Chicago is actually (on our) top-five list of interests from fans,' team co-owner Emily Cole said. 'It's a very highly anticipated city for us. The White Sox have been wonderful to work with.' The games start at 7 p.m., but game day can be an all-day affair. Fans can meet players, mascots and team officials at 2 p.m. at the 'pregame plaza' located in the parking lot north of 35th Street. The 'Before the Peel' show begins at 3, and those with tickets to the game can get autographs from players, sing karaoke or dance to the Banana Pep Band and a DJ. Fans can choose their own adventure, and Cole believes they get their money's worth. 'It's the greatest show, the greatest party and the hottest sporting event you can go to,' she said. 'It will bring family and friends together so that they can all enjoy something at the same time.' Bananas games are competitive and unscripted — this weekend's games are against the Firefighters, one of three touring partner teams — but they look different from what baseball fans are used to. The teams play by Banana Ball rules, which have a goal of keeping fans entertained. A prominent one is the two-hour time limit. When the Bananas began in 2016 as a wooden-bat college summer league team, Cole and her husband and co-owner, Jesse Cole, put cameras on fans to track behaviors: when they left for the bathroom, when they looked at their phones, etc. They realized when fans zoned out and wanted to minimize fans leaving early. 'If we start at 7 p.m., we were shown that folks got up to leave at around 9 p.m.,' Cole said. 'Fan habits were showing us that two hours was about the limit.' Among the other rules: Cole sees these as an 'evolution' of baseball. 'Look at the game of baseball, what parts don't add excitement? Let's do the opposite,' Cole said. 'We're developing Banana Ball behind closed doors, working toward it and twisting it around.' In the development of Banana Ball, there are no bad ideas. Jesse Cole — perhaps while wearing his yellow tuxedo — has thrown some wild pitches in brainstorming sessions. 'The wildest idea that I continue to shoot down is that Jesse would like all of our players to skydive to a position,' Emily Cole said. 'Maybe it will happen, but that's a wild one. If that's our limit, then we've got a pretty wide berth of things we can do.' If you've been on TikTok, you've probably seen the Bananas dance numbers. In a 3-2-2 — third pitch to the second batter in the second inning — players and umpires will bust a move. On a scale of one to 10, Cole said the dancing will be at an 11. Bananas players put immense effort into the dances. Starting pitcher Ryan Kellogg said the team spends the hour before first pitch rehearsing, as well as sessions during the week. The team has danced to various artists such as Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift and Mariah Carey. Kellogg, who stands 6-foot-6, said he's improving at the dance breaks. 'I am not a good dancer,' he said, 'but I will say that I've gotten better.' The Chicago trip will find Kellogg in familiar territory. The 31-year-old was drafted by the Cubs in the fifth round in 2015 after a successful career at Arizona State. In six minor-league seasons he posted a 20-28 record, 4.12 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 316 strikeouts in 137 games. 'I'm very excited to be back in Chicago,' Kellogg said. 'My parents are there and it's always a good time.' Kellogg's major-league dreams were cut short when the Cubs released him in 2021. After one season in an independent league, he was without a team in 2023. While on vacation with his wife in Mexico, he contacted a friend to see if there was a baseball opportunity in that country. That's when he was pointed to Savannah, Ga., where the Bananas needed an arm. 'When the Cubs didn't renew my contract at the end of '21, I thought it was going to be the end of it,' Kellogg said. 'Having this opportunity now, I'm getting to do it in a fun way that brings the fun back to the game.' It required a slight transition to the new rules — especially the no-walks rule — but Kellogg was on board with the Coles' vision. While it's still competition, the emphasis on fun is a nice change of pace. 'Don't get me wrong, I love baseball, but this is a different way (where) not everything is about performance like it was in the minors or college,' Kellogg said. 'It frees you up a little bit and allows you to have fun and be a kid again.' Added Emily Cole: 'We're at a point now where people are choosing to play with us over other opportunities, and that speaks a lot to the idea that they just have fun playing Banana Ball. We got into baseball for the love of the game, but then it gets too competitive or it becomes a job and we lose some of that love. 'Our goal is to go out there and have fun (being) around the game we grew up loving. I wish everyone in the world could wake up and have a job they're excited to go to.' In the minors, players get fined for signing autographs during a game. The Bananas not only give out autographs, but also interact with the crowd in other ways. Fans should expect to be involved with the game, including dancing and even the chance to use a fan challenge to reverse a call. 'One of our main focuses is to break down that barrier between athletes and the fans,' Emily Cole said. 'So (these rules) are a great way to do that.' Jesse Cole was born about 25 miles south of Boston. He had a childhood dream of playing for the Red Sox, but a shoulder injury in college diverted his baseball path to coaching. He was sitting in a dugout when he developed an unexpected feeling. He was bored. Cole went to North Carolina to run the Gastonia Grizzlies — a team in the Coastal Plain League, a summer league for college players — and decided to shake things up. When Emily saw Jesse for the first time, she saw something she never had before. 'He's the general manager of the team, keep in mind,' Emily said in a '60 Minutes' interview. 'He's on the field teaching his players how to do the 'Thriller' dance.' They were married three years later. Together they launched a new Coastal Plain League team in 2016 in Georgia, naming it the Savannah Bananas. Concessions were all you can eat, and the focus was fun over competition. They won three championships in seven years but left the league in 2022 to pursue Banana Ball year-round. The Bananas have three touring partners — the Party Animals, Firefighters and Texas Tailgaters — and they sold out most of their 2025 tour, including some NFL stadiums. But popularity often comes with disdain. Some see Banana Ball as an embarrassment to baseball, a silly version of the sport. The Coles hear the criticism — but not over the love from the Bananas faithful. 'Whenever you do something different in life, society has taught you to look down on that thing,' Emily Cole said. 'There are a lot of people that don't agree, and that's OK. We are true to ourselves and we believe that there are plenty of people out there that want to be entertained like this.' This weekend's games will be full of home runs, dancing and a version of baseball Chicago will see for the first time. Kellogg said there's a 99.9% chance that fans will want to see the Bananas again. 'You will not be bored for any period of time while you're at the ballpark,' he said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Suns Reacts Survey: Who should start at the 4 this year?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Phoenix Suns fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Devin Booker and Jalen Green are set to take on guard duties, Dillon Brooks will be one of the wings and Mark Williams will start at center for the Phoenix Suns, but it remains to be seen who will be playing at power forward for them to begin games. With the starting lineup lacking a strong defensive presence, the two main candidates two take the four spot are Ryan Dunn and Royce O'Neale: Here are their two cases. The Case for Ryan Dunn Coming off an inconsistent rookie season, the University of Virginia alum should be seen as the favorite to secure the gig. He's already got experience guarding some of the Western Conference's best wings and his speed, agility, and nearly 7'1' wingspan give him the ability to hold his own on the defensive end. Starting Dunn would also be an extension of the youth movement that the Suns have taken this offseason. He started 44 games last season, and he averaged more points, rebounds and assists than he did coming off the bench. While he's definitely the best option to start from a defensive perspective, Dunn struggled to shoot from three on a consistent basis. He shot just 31.1% from deep on 3.6 attempts per game last year. Additionally, while he only shot 39 of them in his rookie campaign, he shot a poor 48.7% from the free throw line. The Case for Royce O'Neale O'Neale is definitely the safest, most reliable option to start. He was a starter on the No. 1 seeded Utah Jazz in the 2020-2021 season and has started for multiple teams for multiple seasons in his career. Also a solid defender, O'Neale averaged a career high 9.1 points per game last year and shot a career best 40.1% from deep. With Green and Brooks not elite shooters, O'Neale would help the floor spacing in a starting lineup that is projected to struggle from deep. While his production is likely to remain the same, O'Neale is 32 and doesn't project to be apart of the team's long-term plans, and may not provide them with enough in the present to justify him taking the spot over someone younger than him who is apart of the Suns plans. With three years left on his contract and a mid-sized salary, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Suns offload his contract, or trade him for someone younger during the season. That being said, while he's on the team, he could be someone that they rely on in late game situations because of his experience and ability to stretch the floor. He's a bit shorter than Dunn and his wingspan isn't as long, but with his playoff and career experience, he's got a lot of time under his belt guarding some of the best forwards in the NBA. The Case for the Others Rasheer Flemming and Nigel Hayes-Davis are the two other forwards on the team, but due to their inexperience and talent, they probably won't be starting for the Suns at the four spot on opening night. However, like the Suns did at times last season, could the team roll out some untraditional lineups next year and have one of them, or the team's other centers, start a contest alongside Brooks? Last year, when the team was shorthanded in an early-season contest against the Orlando Magic, the Suns rolled out a starting lineup with both Oso Ighodaro and Mason Plumlee in it. The Suns traded for Mark Williams at the same time they drafted Khaman Maluach, so the possibility of a world where they share the court together could be one they are looking to experiment with at some point during the season. Koby Brea is 6'6' and could play some small forward, but with his size and natural position, the two spot, it's unlikely to see him playing the four when he plays. Who do you want to see starting at the power forward spot for the Suns? Let us know. Listen to the latest episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. To stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, or Castbox. Please subscribe, rate, and review.


USA Today
6 days ago
- USA Today
Auburn basketball to face fellow Final Four team, Houston, in Birmingham this November
More of Auburn basketball's 2025-26 schedule has been released, including a return game against a fellow Final Four squad. The Tigers will face the Houston Cougars on Sunday, Nov. 16, at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, as part of the Battleground 2k25 event. The game against the Cougars is a return game from last season when Auburn defeated Houston, 74-69, at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl showed his appreciation to Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson for agreeing to schedule the series and feels that last season's early-season win launched Auburn's Final Four campaign. Pearl is also calling on the Auburn fanbase to create a home-like atmosphere in the Magic City. 'We look forward to playing Houston again this season in our backyard in Birmingham,' Pearl said in a press release. 'Last year's matchup of two Final Four teams was one of the most exciting games of our season, and we expect another great game in November. We want Legacy Arena to be filled with orange and blue by the Auburn Family to create an environment that feels like we are inside Neville Arena.' Auburn's sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford made a name for himself in last season's game at Houston by scoring 21 points and collecting three assists off the bench in the Tigers' win. Johni Broome recorded 20 points and nine rebounds while Chaney Johnson logged a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards. Auburn outshot Houston, 52% to 41% and outscored the Cougars in the paint, 36-28. Auburn's game with Houston is the sixth announced nonconference game of the season. The Tigers will face Oregon and Michigan at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas during the week of Thanksgiving, and will host NC State as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Tigers will travel to Indianapolis on Dec. 20 to battle Purdue in a rematch of a game played in Birmingham last season, and will close nonconference play in December by playing Queens University at Neville Arena. The Tigers will also play Oklahoma State and Memphis in exhibition matchups before tipping off the 2025-26 season. The challenging nonconference slate will prepare the Tigers for their grueling SEC schedule that begins Jan. 3, 2026, at Georgia. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__