What will No. 7 Oregon do to build on its stellar Big Ten debut? ‘Double down'
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Winnipeg Free Press
30 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hamilton's Sharp teeing up at Women's Open a 20th time as youth movement sweeps in
MISSISSAUGA – Alena Sharp isn't done just yet. The 44-year-old is playing in her 20th CPKC Women's Open this week at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. Although Sharp has been through some rough seasons the past couple of years, she feels her time on the LPGA Tour isn't over. 'I thought maybe this would be my last year. Well, I don't want to end like this, but I still have a few events left,' she said at a news conference on Wednesday, noting that next year she would qualify for the senior tour. 'I want to get better every day. I still love the game. Maybe don't love the travel as much as I used to because it tires me out more, but I still love to play. 'I think you get a sign and I'm just not ready to go done yet.' Sharp made her Women's Open debut 21 years ago at Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls, Ont., and she still remembers playing a practice round with World Golf Hall of Famer Juli Inkster of the United States and getting to play alongside Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Gail Graham of Vanderhoof, B.C. 'I played the Epson Tour a few week ago and it was an event with the senior tour and Epson,' said Sharp. 'Again, played a practice round with Juli Inkster, saw Gail Graham, saw a lot of people that as a rookie I was playing with. 'They looked like they were having fun. Didn't look as cutthroat, playing 6,000 yards, probably can't hit driver very much. It's a nice option to keep things light.' Although Sharp says she doesn't really feel her age, being around 'all the young kids' on the LPGA Tour sometimes underscores how long she's been playing. There are 16 Canadians in the field at this year's national open, including 10 amateurs either trying to reach the NCAA or already playing U.S. collegiate golf. Sixteen-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver will be in a group with Sharp on Thursday and Friday. Huang turned pro in January. Twenty-three-year-old Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is the second-highest ranked Canadian on the LPGA Tour this season. She's 137th on the tour, behind No. 53 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I think we're really lucky with the support we get from Golf Canada,' said Grewal. 'We have a great program and I'm excited to see so many up and coming amateurs and young pros now. 'I think Canadian golf is headed in a great direction, so definitely excited to see more Canadians come out and I hope in the future we will have some more girls on the LPGA.' Sharp, Huang, Grewal and Henderson will be joined by fellow pros Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont. Amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Calgary's Aphrodite Deng, Toronto's Vanessa Borovilos, Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Joline Truong of Mississauga, Calgary's Tillie Claggett, Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Ruihan Wang of Markham, Ont., and Celina Yeo of London, Ont., are also in the field. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Washington is hoping to take a step forward in the Huskies' second Big Ten season
SEATTLE (AP) — Getting some strong quarterback play out of Demond Williams Jr. would go a long way as Washington looks to improve upon the 6-7 record it posted in its first Big Ten season. Williams, who appeared in 13 games for the Huskies as a freshman and completed over 78% of his passes, drew praise from first-year offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty at the beginning of fall practice, not just for his passing abilities, but also his attention to detail. 'Demond only had one interception on over 100 attempts,' Dougherty told reporters in July. 'If we can keep that ratio going, we're going to do a lot of good things in the passing game.' During head coach Jedd Fisch's first year at the helm, Washington did a solid job airing it out even before Williams took over for the final two games of the season. The Huskies ranked 32nd among FBS teams in passing yards per game (261.7), but struggled to consistently establish a run game. Washington running backs combined for 128.8 yards per contest, good for 100th in the country, though Jonah Coleman was a steady contributor by rushing for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns. With Williams and Coleman back in Seattle, as well as wide receiver Denzel Boston, who had 63 catches for 834 receiving yards in 2024, the Huskies have a trio of offensive weapons that can stack up with plenty of others in the conference. But, as Fisch noted, competition will be stiff in a conference that produced four College Football Playoff teams a year ago. 'We have a really, really good conference with really, really good coaches,' Fisch said. 'We have really good teams. We have a lot of big-name programs that have spent years and years building up rosters, coaching staffs, facilities, fan base, etc., to be able to prepare themselves to play in the Big Ten.' Shutdown secondary The Huskies will be hard-pressed to do much better in the secondary than they did in 2024, when they ranked second in the country with the fewest passing yards allowed per game. Washington returns cornerback Ephesians Prysock and has added fellow 6-foot-4 cornerback Tacario Davis to the mix. 'Obviously having 6-4 corners is something that not a lot of NFL teams can say,' first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said. 'So, it allows you to be aggressive at the line of scrimmage. And, hopefully, those guys can make it hard for those guys on the outside.' Slotting in While Boston returning for a fourth season bodes well for the Huskies' passing game, questions persist about who will most frequently line up at slot receiver. Following Washington's final open practice of fall camp, Fisch sang the praises of freshman Braiden Vines-Bright, as well as Kevin Green Jr., who missed last year due to injury, and Penn State transfer Omari Evans. Left guard up for grabs From Fisch's perspective, it's an ongoing competition between John Mills and Paki Finau to see who will start at left guard for Washington in 2025. Finau, a redshirt freshman, and Mills, a freshman, don't bring much experience to the table, but both were highly regarded recruits. 'Those two guys continue to battle it out,' Fisch said. '…I would expect alternating in some regard. But, really good job by Mills stepping in as a true freshman, and Paki keeps getting better.' The schedule The Huskies open at home against Colorado State on Aug. 30 and visit rival Washington State on Sept. 20. Washington's first conference game comes at Husky Stadium against Ohio State on Sept. 27. The Huskies' longest road trip is Oct. 4 at Maryland. Washington also travels to Michigan on Oct. 18 and Wisconsin on Nov. 8. The Huskies conclude their season at home against rival Oregon on Nov. 29. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Toronto Star
6 hours ago
- Toronto Star
After delaying their NFL dreams, No. 2 Penn State's stars are chasing an elusive national title
FILE - Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws for a touchdown during the first half of the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Notre Dame, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File) ML flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
