Bee's Best: 2024-25 girls basketball All-Stars and Players of the Year
Standing at 6-foot-3, she was an imposing figure and a force.
She was continually relied on when the Golden Eagles needed short buckets.
Swillis finished her career with 1,266 points, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
Swillis averaged 15.2 points per game, 8.9 rebounds and was the Tri-River Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
'Coaches and teammates pushing me,' said Swillis, who acknowledged after last season she needed to be more physical.
'I'm almost probably the biggest person in the Valley (among high school girls basketball players). Just using that to my advantage.'
Her leadership helped the Golden Eagles to another Tri-River Athletic Conference and Central Section Division I championship.
Swillis is The Fresno Bee's Player of the Year.
'She's a 6-3 post player, but she's so much more than that,' Clovis West coach Craig Campbell said. 'She's an athlete, so coachable — I mean, there's everything. Her growth this last year has been tremendous to see when she got healthy and cleared and started playing for us now. We've really pushed her.'
Despite the loss to Archbishop Mitty, where the Golden Eagles almost pulled it out, Swillis was happy that her teammates fought hard until the final buzzer sounded.
The loss didn't define the season. Clovis West still finished 33-1, but she hopes the season continues to set the standard.
'We had a big senior class,' Swillis said. 'I feel like all of us stepped up and just felt like showing the freshman class how we basically do it. It was fun.'
Swillis will play college basketball at UNLV.
There is no denying what Campbell and Almeida have done for their respective teams.
This season was historic for both. Clovis West was on an undefeated run. Caruthers had another state title on the mind.
Campbell knew there was noise prior to the season that this could be a down year for Clovis West.
Not even close.
The Golden Eagles put up a memorable season, but still fell one game short.
Campbell was still proud of his team.
'Each team has their own journey, their own path,' Campbell said. 'We lost a couple talented seniors in Athena (Tomlinson) and Ariyah (Smith) last year. We knew we were going to have a lot of senior leadership. We have four college-bound seniors in this class. The maturity, we're a little different than the past.
'I never thought we'd be 33-0 or whatever we were heading into our last game. We figure we'd have four or five losses in the process. We beat two of the top teams out of Oregon. We beat the Nevada state runner-up and one of the top teams out of Florida.'
Almeida, meanwhile, wanted another state title.
Her Blue Raiders won their first in 2019. Then Caruthers returned to Sacramento in 2024 and won.
This year? No problem for Caruthers.
The Blue Raiders defeated Rancho Bernardo 56-37 in the CIF Division II state title at the Golden 1 Center.
'They all wanted it,' Almeida said. 'It took a lot of learning curve by the girls. All of them wanted to say that they were going to be state champions.'
Almeida saw a look into her players where they had 'more focus' this season than they had before.
Her players answered the call.
For that, she earned another Coach of the Year.
'It's a testament, to the community that supports us and all the coaches that support me,' she said. 'Not just my staff, but my coaching village who I get the opportunity to work alongside.'
Sin powered the Cougars to a 25-9 overall record and 7-3 in the TRAC.
She was the go-to player for the Cougars, averaging 17.5 points per game while shooting 56% from the field.
Sin has always been a key player for Clovis, where she often finds a way to get to the basket with her quick awareness.
Jackson led the way for the Golden Bears, averaging 14.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in helping Sierra Pacific to a 50-43 victory over Monache in the Central Section Division II championship.
In that game, she finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
Whether it's from her mom or something else, Almeida is another coach on the court for the Blue Raiders. She did that by leading by example.
She helped Caruthers to back-to-back state championships, scoring 21 points in the final this year.
For the season, she averaged 12.4 points and 6.9 assists per game.
Apajok Ayuen, Jr., Sierra Pacific
Aleeawa Badoni, Sr., Sierra
Kyah Bartlett, Jr., Monache
McKenzee Batemon, Sr., Hanford West
Jaelyn Bourdeau, Sr., Coalinga
Laniece Brinston, Jr., Hanford West
Brooklyn Davis, Jr., Coalinga
Rian Jones-Dillihunt, Sr., El Diamante
Jalissa Espirito, Dinuba
Sienna Evans, Sr., San Joaquin Memorial
Janessa Garza, Sr., Farmersville
Jennifer Gonzalez, Sr., Strathmore
Nyleigh Gregory, Soph., Roosevelt
Sanai Herod, Jr., Bullard
Jadyn Johnson, Sr., Yosemite
Bethany Mendoza, Sr., Firebaugh
Lali Maciel, Jr., Coalinga
Keegan Medeiros, Sr., Clovis West
Natalie Membreno, Jr., Mendota
Izabel Mendez, Sr., Caruthers
Jaylee Moore, Soph., Caruthers
Vivian Moore, Sr., Central
Melanie Navarro, Sr., Lindsay
Alexa Perryman, Sr., San Joaquin Memorial
Milly Rojas, Jr., Monache
Jilari Sandoval, Jr., Mendota
Ava Schletewitz, Jr., Immanuel
Saiya Sidhu, Sr., Clovis
Kayla Silva, Sr., Hanford West
Gi'Anna Smith, Fr., Buchanan
Gia Souza, Soph., San Joaquin Memorial
Keira Thomas, Fr., Immanuel
Mia Va'asili, Sr., Caruthers
Riley Walls, Sr., Clovis West
Caris Williams, Sr., Bullard
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New York Times
a day ago
- New York Times
Crystal Palace, UEFA and CAS: What now for the club, the manager and players?
Three months after winning the FA Cup, Crystal Palace finally know which European competition they will play in this season. Confirmation came just before 11:30am on Monday morning, but it was not good news. Palace will be in the Conference League. After UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) ruled Palace were in breach of multi-club rules and demoted them from the Europa League, for which they had qualified courtesy of that FA Cup win, the club appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). But after a hearing last Friday, CAS communicated on Monday that they had upheld the original decision. Advertisement With that news came anger and fury from the Palace supporters, and bitter disappointment for those at the club. The initial decision had felt, chairman Steve Parish said, 'a terrible injustice'. This, too, will feel that way. Less than 24 hours earlier, they had celebrated winning a second trophy in three months after defeating Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley. This was a brutal return to earth with a bump. Regardless, the ramifications of the UEFA and CAS rulings could be far-reaching across the club. First, it's worth clinging to a small positive. While they will not be admitted to the Europa League, it should not be forgotten that Palace will still be embarking upon their first campaign in European competition. Amid all the understandable doom and gloom and disappointment, that is a small chink of light for all involved. They have not yet given up on this case, either. Not necessarily in the hope they could yet secure a reprieve and a return to UEFA's second competition, but they might explore suing their former major shareholder, John Textor, who has since sold Eagle Football's 43 per cent stake in the club to Woody Johnson. If that were to happen, they would seek to recoup their extensive legal costs and look to claim damages for the difference in prize money between the Europa League and Conference League. Roughly speaking, the overall prize pot for teams competing in the Conference League (€285m; $330m) is around half that of clubs in the Europa League (€565m). It should also be noted that Palace would have qualified automatically for the group stage of the Europa League. By dropping down into the Conference League, they must now beat either the Norwegian side Fredrikstad or Denmark's Midtjylland — currently going head-to-head to reach the Europa League — in the Conference League play-off round to reach the group stage. Their opponents are likely to be Fredrikstad, who are 3-1 down from their home leg. Their point of contention is primarily that Textor did not act when UEFA's email was received by Lyon and missed by Palace. Had he done so, Palace argue, he could have placed his shares into a blind trust ahead of the designated deadline of March 1, and both sides would be competing in the Europa League. Advertisement Textor is relaxed about any legal action that may come his way, but, regardless of the success, it demonstrates the strength of feeling around the situation and reiterates that sense that everyone around this situation feels as if they have been wronged. 'I remain stunned by UEFA's decision to ignore all of the evidence and the on-pitch result to demote Crystal Palace from the Europa League,' he told The Athletic. 'The rule is clear: a (blind) trust is only needed if there is decisive influence. If I had decisive influence, then you would have already seen Eagle Football players on the ground at Selhurst Park, but after four years of ownership, there is not one example of multi-club collaboration on the Palace roster. 'Unfortunately, the insanity at UEFA will be resolved, and we will come to learn of their remedy as the 'Crystal Palace rule' in 2026, but that will be tragically late for a community that deserves better.' That the final outcome came after winning the Community Shield is all the more galling. UEFA's ruling was delivered two months after the FA Cup victory — a period that should have been one of celebration, but which became sullied by the anxious realisation that there could be an issue just days after that success. Palace deserved to have been able to enjoy their outstanding achievements for longer and without the next chapter being shaped by decisions made in a courtroom rather than on the pitch. There is also a sense of deja vu to all this. After finishing third in the top flight in 1990-91, they were denied what they thought would be a UEFA Cup place in the final weeks of the campaign. English clubs had been banned from European competition following the Heysel disaster in 1985, with Liverpool handed an extended ban. However, Liverpool's ban was lifted a few weeks before the end of the campaign, meaning Palace missed out. Advertisement This time they will compete in a lesser competition than the one they had anticipated — if they emerge successfully through the qualifier — but it is still almost as agonising. Palace will, eventually, seek to draw a line under this saga, however hard that may be, and move on with Johnson as the fourth principal owner, and look to be strong on the pitch across four competitions. For some of Palace's key players who have been in demand this summer, playing in a third-tier European competition may not be especially attractive. Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in particular is eager to play in the Champions League, while it could now prove more difficult to keep hold of Eberechi Eze and captain Marc Guehi, both of whom are likely to feel they should be showcasing their talents in Europe's most prestigious competition. Glasner did not rule out the departure of either player this summer in his pre-match Community Shield press conference, while Parish conceded after the game that they might have to sell Guehi, who is out of contract next summer. The CAS ruling will not help their cause in that respect. 'We'd have to,' Parish said when asked if they would sell Guehi should an acceptable offer be made. 'For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it's a problem. We had one bid (last summer), but Joachim (Andersen) went (to Fulham instead) and we couldn't afford to lose both defenders. 'We had another bid in January, but that was a difficult situation as well. The player had a point of view on that one. We'll have to see what happens, but it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.' That said, no Palace player has as yet walked into the club and demanded a move on the back of the CAS decision. Palace would play an additional six games, guaranteed, if they emerge through their Conference League play-off fixture, but travel is likely to be more onerous, with trips to distant parts of Europe due to the calibre of teams involved. Chelsea, last year's winners, took an inexperienced squad to Almaty, Kazakhstan, last December for a group game against Astana in the competition. But even they found recovery time and performances affected back in the Premier League. Palace, in contrast, boast a far thinner squad, and the extra travelling may put significant extra pressure on their Premier League performances. If they enjoy a run deep into the Conference League, which is plausible, that additional load will surely take its toll. Glasner has called for at least two more signings after a 'passive' window, and, while he is content to work with a smaller squad, it does feel as though Palace require further reinforcements to provide proper strength in depth — and should any important players leave, then it will become even more essential. Advertisement 'It helps if players are in early when you start pre-season because you have time to train,' Glasner said on Friday. 'After this, training has more or less stopped, and it's just games. It makes it harder to integrate players. This is what we missed (by not making early signings). But I never complain, it's in the past, I can't complain. 'We definitely need two more players. One at the back, one in attack. We have good numbers, good quality, good competition. Challenging players for the top level is what we need.' Palace's transfer activity has been hindered by all the uncertainty this summer. Prospective signings would have sought clarity and certainty before committing. Their financial position is also awkward, with Parish saying the club is still paying off transfer fees for players signed in previous seasons, cautioning against lofty expectations for a host of new arrivals as a result. It seems clear that Glasner will have to work with only a small number of additions to his existing squad. 'If we had four more players, I don't know what we could achieve, but it's not as simple as that,' Parish said. 'We have a lot of outgoings this year because we're paying a lot of transfer fees for players we already have. We'll do whatever we can. 'At some point, you have to recycle your squad or you're pushing off problems. We'll do everything we can in the next few weeks to give ourselves the best chance. I'm aware we're in four competitions and it's not going to be easy. 'Maybe Ismaila (Sarr) will go to the Africa Cup of Nations (in December). We're trying to cope with all those things. But the amount of money we have isn't infinite.' Glasner's approach to management is focused. He tries to stay in the moment and avoids looking too far back or ahead, preferring instead to scrutinise variables he and his team can control. That will be the way forward for him now. There will no doubt be disappointment, particularly given he won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022. He has a track record in that competition, but he is extremely ambitious and has belief in his staff and his players. His mindset will now be on trying to win the Conference League and improve on last season's 12th-placed Premier League finish. It may be more challenging now for Palace to convince players to join, particularly if they are competing for those players with teams in better competitions. But there are still draws, with Glasner as good a sales pitch as any, and the excellent spirit within the dressing room that has been cultivated since his arrival. Advertisement Given that Palace are generally targeting younger talents with a view to developing them, that calibre of player may still be enticed by the opportunity to compete in Europe, even if it is in the Conference League. Despite the disappointment, Palace will be one of the strongest teams in the Conference League and among the favourites to win it. To go all the way, lift another trophy, and qualify for the 2026-27 Europa League would be the perfect response to being denied what they believe was their rightful place. Nothing, surely, would stand in their way. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Notable Eagles players who are 25 and under heading into the 2025 NFL season
With the preparation for the second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, we're looking at Philadelphia's notable talent under 25. The Eagles have a loaded roster and one of the NFL's youngest, with the average age under 24 and getting younger, with the franchise in possession of 13 NFL draft picks in 2026. With the preparation for the second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, we're looking at Philadelphia's notable talent under 25. LB Jihaad Campbell: 21 Campbell has been lauded for his pass rush prowess, but his ability at linebacker and his penchant for bringing the ball carrier down are most exciting. Pro Football Focus said Campbell amassed a 5.9% missed tackle rate, totaling 30 coverage stops. DB Cooper DeJean: 22 DeJean logged 51 tackles (38 solo) as a rookie, including 0.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries across 16 regular-season games in 2024. DeJean's biggest and best moment came in Super Bowl LIX against the Chiefs, when he picked off Patrick Mahomes for a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown on his birthday. LB Smael Mondon: 22 Another Swiss army knife, the former Track and field star was a three-year starter at Georgia and played inside linebacker, outside linebacker, and slot CB. Like Campbell, Mondon Jr. is an elite tackler with a 7.8% missed tackle rate at Georgia. DB Andrew Mukuba: 22 C.J. Gardner-Johnson made his name in New Orleans and Philadelphia by displaying elite versatility at all three levels, while Mukuba presents a more hybrid and athletic model. According to Pro Football Focus, Mukuba earned an excellent grade in coverage (89.7). He forced an incompletion on 26.1% of his targets and allowed a 12.1 passer rating last season in coverage. RB Will Shipley: 22 The former Clemson star running back will battle A.J. Dillon for the backup role behind Saquon Barkley. As a rookie, Shipley rushed 30 times for 82 yards (2.7 YPC) across 16 regular-season appearances with the Eagles in 2024. He also secured all four targets for 35 yards and compiled 173 yards as a kick returner. Shipley, a 2024 fourth-round pick, logged a 77-yard run and a score, the first of his career, on just four carries versus Washington in the NFC Championship Game. LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.: 22 As a rookie in 2024, Trotter recorded 25 tackles (nine solo), including 0.5 sacks, and one pass defense while appearing in all 17 regular-season games. He added five stops (four solo) across four postseason games. WR Darius Cooper: 23 A player to watch, the St. Louis, Missouri native joins the Eagles from Tarleton State, where he earned first-team Associated Press FCS All-America honors in his senior season. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound receiver is athletic and finished second in Division I in receiving yards with 1,450 (the second most in single-season school history) and sixth in touchdowns with 14 (the third most in single-season school history) in 2024. In 48 career games, Cooper accumulated 164 catches for 3,185 yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 19.4 yards per catch. OL Myles Hinton: 23 Hinton is the son of a former NFL star. His father, Chris, was a seven-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman after the Denver Broncos drafted him in the top five of the 1983 NFL Draft. During his time at Stanford, Hinton would play 22 games with 16 starts in three seasons with the Cardinal before entering the transfer portal and landing with the Michigan Wolverines. He was a partial starter after opening the 2023 season in the lineup for the National Championship run in 2023 before returning for 2024 and logging 10 starts. DB Mac McWilliams: 23 McWilliams is 5'10" and 181 pounds and compensates for his lack of elite size with quick footwork, aggressiveness, and clever play in coverage. McWilliams' versatility and athleticism give him the potential to contribute as a backup cornerback and special-teams standout. DT Moro Ojomo: 23 Ojomo returns to his home country just weeks after the Eagles' 40-22 win over the Chiefs, which secured their second-ever championship title. Ojomo significantly contributed to the Eagles' victory, logging a sack. Philadelphia didn't land Walter Nolen and waited until Round 4 to land Ty Brown out of Nebraska. Even with the pick, Ojomo still maintains his role as a pass-rushing defensive tackle, who can play on the edge in specific situations, and potentially replace Milton Williams's pass-rush prowess. OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.: 23 The Hokies' pass rusher was named a 2nd team All-American last season after logging 16 sacks and ranked second in the ACC with 19 tackles for a loss. RB ShunDerrick Powell: 23 Powell rushed for over 4,000 yards in his collegiate career with 42 total touchdowns. He had eight 100-yard games in 2024. The two-time FCS All-American is a three-down running back and potential special-teams standout. CB Eli Ricks: 23 The former Alabama cornerback is solid and looking to maintain a roster spot in year three. CB Kelee Ringo: 23 The Eagles lost Darius Slay (Steelers), James Bradberry (free agent), Avonte Maddox (Lions), and Isaiah Rodgers (Vikings) in free agency and signed Adoree' Jackson. Even with those moves, Philadelphia didn't draft a cornerback until the fifth round when they selected Mac McWilliams out of UCF. Williams (5-10, 191) will add some depth on the outside and in the slot, but he was a fifth-round pick for a reason. Ringo is losing his competition with Adoree Jackson. DT Jalen Carter: 24 After finishing with 4.5 sacks and a team-high 45 pressures, Carter was named second-team All-Pro in just his second season in the NFL. At 23 years old, he also became the youngest defensive tackle to make the Pro Bowl in franchise history. DT Gabe Hall: 24 A rugged and versatile player at Baylor, a rookie free agent out of Baylor last season (6-6, 295 pounds), was on the practice squad for the entire season. He'll need a decisive training camp, but he can rush the passer and bring athleticism to the defensive tackle position. OLB Jalyx Hunt: 24 Hunt, who offers elite athleticism, is likely to replace Graham. Viewed as a developmental prospect with a high ceiling, the Eagles selected him out of Houston Christian in the third round. During the first 10 games of his rookie season, Hunt played 42 snaps. Down the stretch with Bryce Huff on injured reserve, Hunt played under 30 snaps per game, logging 31 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles during the final seven regular-season games and the playoffs run. CB Quinyon Mitchell: 24 According to PFF, Mitchell was one of just three qualified cornerbacks, along with DeJean and Christian Benford, to post at least a 75.0 in both categories last season. Mitchell ranked 3rd among NFL CBs with 16 forced incompletions, trailing only Zyon McCollum (17) and Denzel Ward (17). He was 3rd among CBs in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.8) behind Pat Surtain (0.6) and Derek Stingley (0.7) (min. 600 coverage snaps). DT Ty Robinson: 24 In 2023, Robinson was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Conference after playing in all 12 games with 11 starts (29 tackles, 4 TFLs with one sack, 6 PBUs). In 2024, during his final season with the Huskers, Robinson was named Third-team All-Big Ten Conference after starting all 13 games (37 tackles, 12.5 TFLs with seven sacks, 4 PBUs, FF). OLB Nolan Smith: 24 Out of 72 edge rushers who played at least 500 snaps last year, Smith's 74.0 Pro Football Focus run defense grade ranked 13th. The dynamic pass rusher is a star in the making. WR Johnny Wilson: 24 Wilson, whom the Eagles selected in the sixth round of last year's NFL Draft, made 16 regular-season appearances during his rookie season in Philadelphia. Wilson finished with five catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. He played on more than 50 percent of Philadelphia's offensive snaps just three times last season, and will look to carve out a role in 2025. DB Sydney Brown: 25 The hard-hitting safety currently has the edge in the safety competition with rookie Andrew Mukuba. DT Jordan Davis: 25 The former Georgia All-American had his fifth-year option exercised, and he'll look to dominate in year four. WR Jahan Dotson: 25 Dotson caught 19 of 33 targets for 216 yards in 17 regular-season games with the Eagles in 2024 after being acquired in a trade from Washington. He also rushed once for 13 yards. Despite his struggles, Dotson played 649 offensive snaps during the regular season for Philadelphia, working as a No. 3 receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. OL Cam Jurgens: 25 Jurgens is a Pro Bowl center and Jason Kelce's hand-picked successor. QB Tanner McKee: 25 The third-year quarterback led the Eagles to a 34-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, going 20-of-25 for 252 yards and three total touchdowns. OL Tyler Steen: 25 The third-year right guard is finally hitting his stride and will earn a starting role for 2025.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Vote in the Marion Star 2025 Girls Tennis Preseason Player of the Year Poll
With girls tennis starting its 2025 season, it's time to give fans a voice. The Marion Star is offering a poll to pick the Marion County preseason player of the year. It will be open at and its app now through early Friday morning on Aug. 15. Fans are encouraged to vote as often as allowed. Girls Tennis 2025: Answering the questions about Marion Harding, River Valley, Pleasant College Notebook: Marion-area weight throwers enjoy big track and field results in 2025 Here are the nominees: Marion Star 2025 Girls Tennis Preseason Player of the Year Poll Leslie Bailey, senior, Pleasant, fourth at third singles at Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament, honorable mention MOAC. Keira Camp, senior, Marion Harding, third at first doubles at Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. Abigail Hanke, senior, Marion Harding, third at first doubles at Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. Macey Harper, junior, Marion Harding, second doubles last year, honorable mention Mid Ohio Athletic Conference. Sarah Jordan, junior, Pleasant, 4-7 last year, fourth at second doubles at Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. Elise Osborne, senior, River Valley, 9-8 last year at first and second singles, second-team Mid Ohio Athletic Conference. Keya Patel, junior, Pleasant, 6-9 last year, fourth at second doubles at Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. Kennedy Rensch, senior, River Valley, 14-5 last year at first doubles, honorable mention Mid Ohio Athletic Conference. rmccurdy@ 419-610-0998 X @McMotorsport Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Vote: Marion Star 2025 Girls Tennis Preseason Player of the Year Poll
