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Miami Herald
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Miami players help USA Football's 17U flag football win gold. Plus Bobby Curtis tennis and OT7 football
USA Football's 17U boys' national flag football team won the gold medal during the 2025 Junior International Cup in Los Angeles. Five Miami residents made the 12-athlete roster for Team USA, including Britton Bayag (Westminster Christian), Luc Carroll (Gulliver Prep), Champ Smith III (Gulliver Prep), Colton Smith (Ransom Everglades), and quarterback Anthony Vera (Westminster Christian). They played integral roles in the team's first place finish in the three-day tournament, which featured teams from Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, South Korea, and America. Team USA defeated Team Canada 38-19 in the gold medal game. Carroll, who is the son of former Miami Hurricanes national champion wide receiver Wesley Carroll, earned MVP honors in the gold medal game. He played on both sides of the ball, catching three passes on offense and registering two flag pulls and an interception on defense. Vera, the quarterback, completed 17-of-25 passes for four touchdowns and three extra point conversions in the finals. Bayag made a long reception for more than 40 yards on offense and pulled five flags on defense. Champ Smith III contributed four flag pulls, and Colton Smith had one catch for eight yards and a flag pull. The 17U boys' team also defeated Canada in pool play 38-6, Australia 65-13, South Korea 59-6 and 54-6, and Team Azteca (from Mexico) 46-32. NOTE: Bayag was named MVP in last year's event, after leading USA Football's 15U boys' national flag football team to the championship. Vera was part of that team, too. Carroll and Champ Smith III played for the USA Football's 17U boys' national flag football team which placed third last year. Colton Smith was an alternate on the 17U team. U.S. NATIONAL TEAM TRIALS This year 40 boys competed for the initial 18 roster spots on the 17U flag football team at the U.S. National Team Trials in March in Charlotte. There were 160 total athletes at Junior National Team Trials (40 each for the 15U and 17U boys' and girls' teams). The roster of 18 was invited to U.S. National Team Training Camp at the Minnesota Vikings' Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in April. The final 12-man roster and six alternates were announced after the event. The final 12 attended a final training camp in May in Charlotte alongside the U.S. men's and women's national teams to continue building chemistry and prepare for the Junior International Cup. BIO ON THE LOCALS Luc Carroll Carroll won a bronze medal at the 2024 Junior International Cup in Los Angeles with the 17U U.S. Boys' National Team and a gold medal at the 2023 Junior International Cup in Charlotte with the 15U U.S. Boys' National Team. Carroll plays tackle football for Gulliver Prep and club flag football for RYAN Football. He began playing flag football at just four years old, giving him 13 years of experience in the sport. One of Carroll's favorite flag football memories was securing a Beast of the East tournament championship and MVP with a game-winning touchdown catch. Carroll also runs track. He competes in the 100m, 200m, 4x100 and 4x400, qualifying for FHSAA regionals in each event. Carroll won all his events at the FHSAA District 16-2A meet, except the 200m, which he finished second. Luc's father, Wesley Carroll, was the 42nd overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft and spent three seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Saints and Bengals. Carroll played his college ball for the Miami Hurricanes, winning a National Championship in 1989 and leading the team in receiving yards in 1990. Britton Bayag Bayag won gold medals with the 15U U.S. Boys' National Team at the 2023 and 2024 Junor International Cups in Charlotte and Los Angeles. He was named MVP of the Gold Medal Game in 2024. Bayag plays safety and slot receiver for Westminster Christian School in addition to 7-on-7 for the Miami Immortals and flag football for RYAN Football. He has been playing flag football for nine years. Bayag earned All-Dade Honorable Mention honors from the Miami Herald in 2024. He's also had success in club flag football. In 2022, he and U.S. National Team teammate Anthony Vera won the NFL Flag National Championship. Bayag runs track, competing in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and long jump. He won the 200m in 2025 at the FHSAA District 16-2A meet in addition to finishing second in the 100m and third in the 4x100m, qualifying for regionals. Anthony Vera Vera won gold medals with the 15U U.S. boys' national team at the 2023 and 2024 Junior International Cups in Charlotte and Los Angeles, making him one of the sport's most decorated junior athletes. Vera plays quarterback for Westminster Christian School's tackle football team. He also competes in 7-on-7 and plays flag football for the RYAN Football program. Vera earned All-Dade Honorable Mention honors from the Miami Herald for his play at quarterback. He's also found success in flag football, winning an NFL Flag National Championship in 2022 alongside U.S. national team teammate Britton Bayag. When asked what it means to see so many Miami locals coming through the U.S. Junior National Team program, Vera said: 'I like it because we get to represent Miami here and all around the world. It makes me happy to see my friends and I succeed.' Champs Smith III Smith won a bronze medal at the Junior International Cup in 2024 with the 17U U.S. boys' flag football national team. Smith competes in varsity tackle football, basketball and track & field for Gulliver Prep. Smith and Gulliver Prep won the district championships in football in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He also won a district championship in basketball in 2023. Smith is half Greek and comes from a large family. Colton Smith Smith was an alternate on the 2024 17U U.S. boys' national team. Smith plays varsity tackle football and runs track for Ransom Everglades High School and competes for club teams Miami Immortals and Checkmate in 7-on-7. He has been playing flag football for 12 years. He also has a background in baseball, soccer, basketball, and wrestling. Smith credits flag football with helping him practice his skills in a quicker environment to make him a stronger tackle player. Smith has won more than a dozen championships combined across his time in flag football and 7-on-7. He entered high school after a decorated youth career, earning All-Dade Youth Football honors three times. Smith was a Class 2A All-State selection for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) in 2024 and was All-Dade Honorable Mention for the Miami Herald. Smith was on the silver medal winning 4x100 relay team at the 2016 AAU Nationals in track. His speed has translated to high school as he was on the third place 4x100 relay team at the Falcon Relays Invitational Track Meet in March. He said: 'I am an ambassador at the WOW Center, a forever school for adults with developmental disabilities, which allows me to give back to adults with unique abilities. It's seriously the best place to go when I need a moment to feel good. They're the best people.' OT7 football Raw Miami and SFE (South Florida Express) competed in the OT7 football playoffs at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Davie. During the four-day event, Raw Miami went 3-3 and SFE was 2-2. Head-to-head, SFE beat Raw Miami 38-21. SFE also beat (Arizona) Tucson Turf 31-28 but lost to (Atlanta) C1N 38-17 and (Houston) RG3 Takeover 42-24. Raw Miami beat (Florida) 24k 28-14 and (Los Angeles) Trillion Boys twice (28-21 and 21-14). Raw Miami lost to SFE and (Utah) Cold Hearts 28-7. With a 3-2 record, Raw Miami advanced to the quarterfinals where they were eliminated by (Las Vegas) Lo-Pro in a close battle 36-35. Lo-Pro eventually won the tournament, finishing undefeated at 7-0. Dia Bell (Plantation American Heritage), Tre Bell (Barbara Goleman), Trezevant Boyd (Booker T. Washington), Jermiyah Douglas (St. Thomas Aquinas), Zayden Gamble (St. Thomas Aquinas), Samari Howard (St. Thomas Aquinas), Tromon Isaac Jr. (Chaminade-Madonna), Jaylyn Jones (McArthur), Josh Joseph (Jackson), Tedrick Lee (South Dade), Nick Lennear Northwestern), Quartavious Lyons (South Dade), Karon Maycock (Central), Robert Ortega Jr. (Western), Calvin Russell (Northwestern), and Amir Sears (West Broward) were members of Raw Miami. Jabari Brady (Monarch), Kareem Brown (True North), Jaden Carey (St. Thomas Aquinas), Kenton Dopson (Norland), Tedarius Hughes (South Dade), Neimann Lawrence (Ransom Everglades), and Tari Miller (Southridge) played for SFE. On the sidelines leading squads of electrifying athletes featured NFL QB Geno Smith, RGIII, Cam Newton, Torrey Smith, all bringing their elite experience to coach the next generation of playmakers. Also Shedeur Sanders supporting RGIII, Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Patrick Peterson in the booth calling the games. The OT7 Championship was sponsored by adidas, Advance Auto Parts, Gatorade, State Farm, Subway, and Invisalign. Games are also distributed on the NFL Network and NFL+. Overtime's football league, OT7, is a content-first, fast-paced, helmet-off football league that spotlights the electric personalities and insane athleticism of 400-500+ of the best football players in the country. OT7 gives teams the opportunity to play against the best teams and athletes from across the country instead of just those in their state or region. In 2024, OT7 social media channels generated 890MM views, marking a third consecutive year of growth since launching in 2022. Follow OT7 on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and to keep up on the latest happenings. Bobby Curtis Tennis Robert Bouzi of Miramar and Melanie Constandache of Coconut Creek were big winners during the 2025 Bobby Curtis Junior State Championships for 12s and 14s at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona/Orlando. USTA Florida's most prestigious junior tournament drew hundreds of athletes. ▪ BOYS: 14s: Championship: Robert Bouzi (Miramar) d. David Bender (Indian Harbour Beach) 6-0, 6-4 Third/Fourth Place: Nikola Bogojevic (Lake Worth) d. Geet Pondala (Pembroke Pines) Wo. Fifth/Sixth Place: Oliver Zinaja (Bradenton) d. Andreas Paun (Hallandale Beach) 6-3, 2-1 Ret. Consolation Final: Patricio Zarazua Tascon (Boca Raton) d. Matues Barbosa (Boca Raton) 7-6, 6-2. ▪ GIRLS: 14s: Championship: Melanie Constandache (Coconut Creek) d. Annalyn McKee (Clermont) 7-6, 6-3 Third/Fourth Place: Saraswati Gowda (Boynton Beach) d. Amey Brielle (Boca Raton) 6-3, 7-5 Fifth/Sixth Place: Sofija Dimitrievic (Sarasota) d. Addyson Munroe (West Palm Beach) 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 Consolation Final: Sophie Zakrzewski (Naples) d. Sienna Somrock (Delray Beach) 6-4, 3-6, 10-6. ▪ BOYS: 12s: Championship: Daniel Levine (Wellington) d. Maxim Kerbikov ( Satellite Beach) 6-2, 6-2 Third/Fourth Place: Miguel Valencia (Pinecrest) d. Zachary Burunov (Hollywood) 6-1, 6-2 Fifth/Sixth Place: Ethan Kim (Wesley Chapel) d. Keanu Agbulos (Port Saint Lucie) 6-1, 6-4 Consolation Final: Alexander Ligman (Gainesville) d. Daniel Brik (Boca Raton) 6-3, 6-3. ▪ GIRLS: 12s: Championship: Emma Dobrean (Palm Beach Gardens) d. Sophia Ikwueme (Delray Beach) 6-1, 7-5 Third/Fourth Place: Abigail Sewell (North Palm Beach) d. Vasiana Christopoulos (Tampa) 6-3, 7-6 Fifth/Sixth Place: Vihana Thasen (Weston) d. Reese Gluck (Miami) 6-3, 6-3 Consolation Final: Lauren Chang (Winter Park) d. Nevette Turner (Wellington) 6-1, 7-5. Send sports results For high school and middle school athletes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have summer sports results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@ They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online. New athletic directors, coaches For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new sports administration and/or coaching hires to announce, email hssports@ --- Compiled by Jim Varsallone jvarsallone@
New York Times
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Ki'Lolo Westerlund, 17, is America's flag football star of the future
Ki'Lolo Westerlund knew she had a starring role in an NFL Flag 50 commercial promoting flag football that would air during Super Bowl LIX. She knew she'd be appearing alongside past and present NFL players such as Myles Garrett, Justin Jefferson and Marshawn Lynch. She just hadn't seen it. It aired on millions of screens worldwide right after halftime, but the 17-year-old flag football star was actually at the game in New Orleans with her father. Advertisement Westerlund was a standout receiver and defensive back at Liberty High School in Las Vegas. She also helped the U.S. Girls' Junior National Team win gold medals in the 15U and 17U groupings of USA Football's Junior International Cup each year from 2022 to 2024. Last year, she became the first recipient of a Division I flag football scholarship, and before enrolling at Alabama State this fall, she'll try out for the 2025 U.S. Women's National Team later this month. But while Westerlund's phone blew up with notifications, she eagerly awaited the chance to witness the Super Bowl ad for herself. Once the third quarter ended, it played on the screens at the Caesars Superdome. Essentially, Westerlund played herself, but with the clock wound back 40 years to 1985. She played a high schooler who, despite being doubted by her male counterparts, thrived on the gridiron, juking and dodging defenders. The climax was a scene in which she mimicked Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley's gravity-defying backward hurdle to embarrass an opponent who questioned her skills. Leave the past behind. Let's make girls flag football a varsity sport in all 50 states. #NFLFlag50 #SBLIXhttps:// — NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025 Westerlund was sitting — well, standing — in the Eagles fan section at the Super Bowl when the ad played, and the Bird Gang faithful surrounding her, already ecstatic as they witnessed the Eagles' beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs, went nuts. 'It was really an honor,' Westerlund said recently in a phone interview. 'That's kind of when it all hit me. I was emotional. And I was like, 'Wow, this is actually happening. This is crazy.' All the people around me were like, 'Wait, that's you!'' NFL Flag 50 is a campaign that the league started to push for girls flag football to become a sanctioned varsity high school sport in all 50 states. There are currently 14 states that have sanctioned it, Louisiana recently gave it conditional approval and 18 additional states have started pilot programs. The NFL Flag program has provided opportunities for youths of all genders to learn and play the sport since the 1990s. If you're wondering why the NFL would put together a two-minute commercial to air during an event where a 30-second commercial reportedly cost around $8 million, the popularity of flag football — and the league's investment in the sport — has exploded in recent years. GO DEEPER Why flag football's Olympics inclusion has been 'rocket fuel' for growth, especially among women Flag football will debut as an Olympic sport in a five-on-five format at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The NFL changed the Pro Bowl to a flag football format in 2023. While it's uncertain if NFL players will participate in the 2028 Games, it's something league officials and USA Football (the governing body for American football in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee) are discussing. Advertisement In the last five years, flag football has become a collegiate sport at the NAIA, NJCAA and the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. Earlier this month, the sport got a recommendation to join the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, which would allow schools in all three NCAA divisions to make a deeper commitment to the sport and one day potentially submit it for consideration for championship status. Alabama State, an FCS program, became the first DI school with a women's flag football program in April 2024. This past offseason, it became the first DI school to hand out a scholarship in the sport. It went to Westerlund. When Alabama State coach Jennifer Constuble received approval to offer a scholarship, she knew she wanted to use it on someone who would be not only a game changer on the field but a trailblazer off of it. 'It was honestly a no-brainer,' Constable said recently. 'She was my No. 1 pick to do that. … She's going to be that person that kids are going to look up to.' Westerlund is excited to compete at the collegiate level, but her larger goal is to compete in the 2028 Olympics and, more broadly, to continue to grow the game. 'Absolutely,' Westerlund said when asked if she believes people are becoming more accepting of girls and women playing football. 'They are coming around and trying to understand it. 'And for those that still don't, they will soon.' Boredom led Westerlund to flag football. Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced shutdowns worldwide, she was a volleyball and rugby player with no intention of playing flag football. But during a period of inactivity in 2020, she decided to try out for Apex Predators, a youth flag football club in Las Vegas. 'I was actually really bad,' Westerlund said, but she made the team alongside future U.S. Women's Team member Maci Joncich and others. They started to play games against boys' teams. And while Westerlund gradually improved, the team wasn't faring well. Advertisement 'We were constantly getting beat and whupped and made fun of, which I think brought us a lot closer as a team,' Westerlund said. 'And it just pushed us to keep fighting.' As the Apex Predators developed better chemistry, they began to talk about how they wanted to play against other girls at some point. So they worked to promote the game both locally and in other states as they traveled to play contests to garner interest. Nevada had already sanctioned flag football as a varsity high school sport in 2016, so Westerlund was able to start playing when she enrolled at Liberty High in 2021. That was also the first year USA Football held tryouts for its national teams. The process of making the junior national team was an eye-opening experience for Westerlund. 'There were so many girls out there. And just before trials even started, seeing (all of the) like-minded people, it made me want to just keep going,' Westerlund said. 'It made me realize that it's bigger than just what we had in our little league in Vegas.' Unlike her flag football predecessors, Westerlund had others she could look up to as role models. The biggest was Ashlea Klam, who at 19 became the youngest player to make the U.S. Women's National Team in 2023. Her former teammate, Joncich, who broke Klam's record in 2024, was another. Meanwhile, Westerlund started to develop a reputation in her own right. While coaching a club team in the Los Angeles Open — a flag football tournament — several years ago, Constuble was short a player and found herself looking for an extra body. Constuble happened to be friends with an aunt of Westerlund, who was in town and signed up for the squad. The team went on to win the tournament. 3x gold medalist Ki'Lolo Westerlund joins us after starring in the @NFLFLAG 50 commercial during #SuperBowlLIX and discusses becoming the 1st flag football player to receive a NCAA D1 flag football scholarship 🙌@TheRokuChannel | Check local listings — Good Morning Football (@gmfb) February 10, 2025 As much as Westerlund's skills stood out, so did her infectious personality. 'Her personality, her presence, her leadership qualities — she blended with a group of girls she had never met before so instantaneously,' Constuble said. 'They all became friends. 'Her play ability speaks for itself,' Constuble continued, 'but beyond her play ability, it's her work ethic and her genuine desire and determination to be better and uplift everyone around her. That (is) such a pivotal role as a true ambassador for the sport and really somebody that young girls can look up to. It goes beyond athleticism. She's just a genuine person who is humble hearted and has a mindset of, 'I can do this, you can do this and we can do this better together.'' Advertisement Westerlund was constantly dancing and couldn't stop running her mouth — whether it was talking trash to the opposing teams, complaining to the referees about calls or encouraging her teammates. She backed it up with her athleticism and competitiveness. 'I think it's just my confidence — that's what makes me stand out,' Westerlund said. 'My passion for this game is just so strong. It's more than just football. It's everything that goes into it. I always want to play for a bigger purpose and a bigger reason. I always want to set a great example for other players, young or older.' As Westerlund prepared to transition into college, Alabama State became the easy choice. It's an HBCU, which appealed to her with her Black and Samoan heritage. It would allow her to major in fire science, which she hopes to use to become a firefighter. Given the program just started last year, it provided her an opportunity to help build something. 'It meant the world to me,' Westerlund said. 'Five years ago, I couldn't see myself in this situation because I didn't know anything about flag. I'm seeing the growth and knowing that I'm making an impact. And this is just a bigger step to open windows for so many young women.' To Constuble, it isn't even a question that Westerlund's flag football career will extend far beyond Alabama State. 'I think she's already been on that radar to make that Olympic team in 2028,' Constuble said. 'If there went on to be a professional, NFL flag football program and it was all men, she'd probably make that, too. Her work ethic and her drive are far superior to most people her age — and even people older than her. She does everything with such a passionate heart that the only limitations are going to be the ones she gives herself.' Constuble began coaching flag football in 2003 when she and her husband at the time started an NFL Flag program in Victorville, Calif. She coached at the club and high school levels, then worked in the Los Angeles Rams' youth engagement and football development program before she was hired as Alabama State's coach last November. Across her long journey in flag football, the sport has made plenty of strides. Advertisement There are now over 100 countries where flag football is played. From 2014 to 2023, the number of children who played flag football in America increased by 38 percent (according to USA Football) to over 1.6 million. During that same time frame, the number of girls participating in flag football increased by 44 percent to upwards of 230,800. GO DEEPER NFL and flag football: Why the league has taken interest, invested heavily in it 'I've invested in this for over 20 years, so, to me, it's been a long time coming,' Constuble said. 'The sport has taken over the hearts of so many young ladies. And these young ladies who've probably grown up watching old highlight films of their dads or being on the sidelines watching their brothers or cheering on their cousins in the stands have developed a true love for the game. And now we're seeing so many of those girls having an opportunity to actually play it for themselves.' Still, there was grassroots-level work to be done when she started at Alabama State last November. This January, Constuble held an open tryout for her inaugural team. She landed on a group of 26 women, none of whom intended on playing flag football when they enrolled at the school. 'Ninety percent of them have never played flag football,' Constuble said. 'They just genuinely have a love for football and knew that they wanted to be a part of something special.' Westerlund is expected to lead that charge moving forward. If she makes the 2025 U.S. Women's National Team later this month, she'll compete in the 2025 IFAF Americas Flag Football Championships, which decides who will qualify for the 2026 world championships and The World Games in August. 'And then I also strive to make the Olympic team, which would be amazing. I absolutely love representing my country,' Westerlund said. 'After that, I just want to constantly make an impact, whether I'm coaching or playing. I do want to be a firefighter, but I would make time for football, of course. 'My goal is just to stay dedicated, stay consistent and inspire others.' (Top photo courtesy of USA Football)
