Latest news with #NCAA-best
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texas Tech player signs landmark $1M NIL deal
When NiJaree Canady stepped off the mound after blanking Arizona in the Big 12 championship game, she wasn't just holding a trophy—she was holding history. The Texas Tech ace didn't just dominate the circle in Oklahoma City; she redefined what's possible for women in college sports. In early 2025, Canady signed a groundbreaking $1 million NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal with The Matador Club, a content and athlete marketing platform. The deal shattered records, becoming the richest NIL agreement ever for a college softball player. But for Canady, the real win came after the headlines. Advertisement 'I feel like it was all worth it, and there's no place I'd rather be right now than with Texas Tech,' Canady said after securing both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles—firsts in program history. After transferring from Stanford—where she twice led the Cardinal to the Women's College World Series semifinals and earned USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year honors—Canady embraced the weight of expectations that came with both her talent and her price tag. And she delivered. Her 2025 numbers are nothing short of elite: a 26-5 record, NCAA-best 0.81 ERA, and 263 strikeouts over 181 innings. She's also crushing it at the plate, hitting .309 with 8 home runs and 30 RBIs—something she never got the chance to do at Stanford. Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady© Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images But the pressure was real. 'A whole lot of pressure was put on her,' said her father, Bruce Canady. 'It got to the point where we thought we had had a stalker.' Advertisement Through it all, Canady's faith, family, and fierce competitiveness guided her. She's become more than a star pitcher—she's a trailblazer. This NIL milestone isn't just about money—it's about momentum. In a sport where athletes have long been undervalued, Canady's deal signals a shift. With her arm and influence, she's proving that softball can command headlines, investment, and respect. As the Red Raiders head into NCAA Super Regional play, all eyes are on Canady—and not just because of the zeroes in her contract. She's pitching for more than wins. She's pitching for the future of women's sports. Related: Big Ten coach calls NIL spending 'insanity' — but sees opportunity Related: NFL QB sends strong message after losing NIL millions
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florida State's Mirabel Ting wins Annika Award as top NCAA DI women's player
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Mirabel Ting wasn't sure if she'd win the Annika Award. With an NCAA-best five individual titles this season, plus no finishes worse than sixth, Ting was the unquestioned top-ranked player in women's college golf. But the player-of-the-year honor, which is presented by Stifel Financial and voted on by players, coaches, SIDs, media members and former Annika recipients, had two other worthy candidates any other year in Oregon's Kiara Romero, who had just won Big Tens and her NCAA regional, and Ting's teammate and world No. 1 Lottie Woad, who only boasted two wins but didn't have a finish worse than third entering the NCAA Championship. Advertisement But when Ting, the lovable junior from Malaysia, was officially presented with the honor at Omni La Costa, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face. She joins past Annika winners such as Rose Zhang, Leona Maguire, Maria Fassi and last year's recipient Ingrid Lindblad. 'Everyone on this trophy, they're all pretty successful and on the LPGA tour, and I'm just hoping to be like them one day,' said Ting, who came runner-up to Arkansas' Maria Jose Marin in the NCAA individual competition, which wrapped Monday. Ting's transformation has been remarkable. She was a 17-year-old freshman at Augusta University when two months into her college career she learned of the death of her father, Thomas, from a heart attack. Ting left school twice that fall to return home, not playing until the spring, where she won once and posted five more top-7 finishes. Advertisement When she transferred to Florida State that summer, she was then ruled ineligible due to her missing the deadline by a day. The news devastated the already shy and immature Ting, but by the spring, she was cleared and over the past year-plus Ting has blossomed both on the golf course and off it. Her sense of humor is unmatched at this level, and that self-deprecating nature has proven that she's now more confident than ever. That's translated to what Florida State head coach Amy Bond has called the 'season of a lifetime.' 'When I first stepped into the U.S., it was kind of scary because I was all alone, my parents were half a world away,' Ting said. 'But I just told myself that if I could just practice hard and be successful, one day I'll be able to help out my family, help out my friends and that's what I'm trying to do, make everyone proud at home.' Ting added that Bond has pushed her further than she'd ever thought. Having Woad on her team certainly has inspired her practice. And a switch last winter to instructor Kris Assawapimonporn, who works with LPGA star Jeeno Thitikul and has totally revamped Ting's putting. Advertisement 'She's always been a naturally gifted ball-striker, probably the best I've ever seen,' Bond said of Ting. 'And now, she's making the putts on top of it. I mean, holy cow.' After a television interview with Golf Channel and some photos with her new hardware, Ting was asked to write a letter to herself in 10 years and slip it into the Annika trophy, which doubles as a time capsule. In true Ting fashion, she revealed, 'I did that two months ago.' 'That's Mirabel,' Bond said, laughing. But there were still two more surprises. First, the major invitation into this summer's Evian Championship. Upon hearing about the exemption, Ting, who plans to turn pro after NCAAs, started balling. Bond quickly walked over and wrapped her arms around Ting, then she said, 'Mirabel, you still have to play golf today.' Ting wiped her tears and smiled. Then came the final gift: A two-liter bottle of Coke. Knowing Mirabel, that might've been the greatest of all.
NBC Sports
20-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Florida State's Mirabel Ting wins Annika Award as top NCAA DI women's player
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Mirabel Ting wasn't sure if she'd win the Annika Award. With an NCAA-best five individual titles this season, plus no finishes worse than sixth, Ting was the unquestioned top-ranked player in women's college golf. But the player-of-the-year honor, which is presented by Stifel Financial and voted on by players, coaches, SIDs, media members and former Annika recipients, had two other worthy candidates any other year in Oregon's Kiara Romero, who had just won Big Tens and her NCAA regional, and Ting's teammate and world No. 1 Lottie Woad, who only boasted two wins but didn't have a finish worse than third entering the NCAA Championship. But when Ting, the lovable junior from Malaysia, was officially presented with the honor at Omni La Costa, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face. She joins past Annika winners such as Rose Zhang, Leona Maguire, Maria Fassi and last year's recipient Ingrid Lindblad. 'Everyone on this trophy, they're all pretty successful and on the LPGA tour, and I'm just hoping to be like them one day,' said Ting, who came runner-up to Arkansas' Maria Jose Marin in the NCAA individual competition, which wrapped Monday. Ting's transformation has been remarkable. She was a 17-year-old freshman at Augusta University when two months into her college career she learned of the death of her father, Thomas, from a heart attack. Ting left school twice that fall to return home, not playing until the spring, where she won once and posted five more top-7 finishes. When she transferred to Florida State that summer, she was then ruled ineligible due to her missing the deadline by a day. The news devastated the already shy and immature Ting, but by the spring, she was cleared and over the past year-plus Ting has blossomed both on the golf course and off it. Her sense of humor is unmatched at this level, and that self-deprecating nature has proven that she's now more confident than ever. That's translated to what Florida State head coach Amy Bond has called the 'season of a lifetime.' 'When I first stepped into the U.S., it was kind of scary because I was all alone, my parents were half a world away,' Ting said. 'But I just told myself that if I could just practice hard and be successful, one day I'll be able to help out my family, help out my friends and that's what I'm trying to do, make everyone proud at home.' Ting added that Bond has pushed her further than she'd ever thought. Having Woad on her team certainly has inspired her practice. And a switch last winter to instructor Kris Assawapimonporn, who works with LPGA star Jeeno Thitikul and has totally revamped Ting's putting. 'She's always been a naturally gifted ball-striker, probably the best I've ever seen,' Bond said of Ting. 'And now, she's making the putts on top of it. I mean, holy cow.' After a television interview with Golf Channel and some photos with her new hardware, Ting was asked to write a letter to herself in 10 years and slip it into the Annika trophy, which doubles as a time capsule. In true Ting fashion, she revealed, 'I did that two months ago.' 'That's Mirabel,' Bond said, laughing. But there were still two more surprises. First, the major invitation into this summer's Evian Championship. Upon hearing about the exemption, Ting, who plans to turn pro after NCAAs, started balling. Bond quickly walked over and wrapped her arms around Ting, then she said, 'Mirabel, you still have to play golf today.' Ting wiped her tears and smiled. Then came the final gift: A two-liter bottle of Coke. Knowing Mirabel, that might've been the greatest of all.
New York Post
07-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Kayvon Thibodeaux's advice to Giants rookie Abdul Carter amid number drama: ‘Fuel to your fire'
The spirit of generosity rubbed off on Kayvon Thibodeaux as he talked for the first time about the Giants drafting Abdul Carter into a suddenly crowded pass rush. In other words, the more the merrier. Thibodeaux expressed confidence Tuesday at the United Way's Gridiron Gala that the Giants will find ways to get him, Carter and Brian Burns on the field together even though only two of them technically will start in a 3-4 defensive alignment. 'That's the outside linebacker position, where we're those 'tweeners,' Thibodeaux told reporters. 'When you look at my skill set, Brian's probably better rushing inside than I am, but I can rush inside. Brian can rush inside. He can rush from depth. I can rush from depth. So can Abdul. So we'll see how they mix it up, but we'll definitely all be on the field at some point.' The Giants simultaneously drafted Carter with the No. 3 pick in the draft and exercised the fifth-year option on Thibodeaux's contract for 2026. That means that the trio will be together for at least two seasons under three of the Giants' nine biggest contracts. Carter's first two weeks in the NFL have been dominated by his jersey selection process, after he was respectfully rebuffed by Giants legends Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms when inquiring about unretiring their No. 56 and No. 11, respectively. Thibodeaux's advice for handling the noise is simple. 'I would say keep going, man. Let it be fuel to your fire,' Thibodeaux told The Post. 'Don't get distracted by it. I think this is just the start. There's a lot of ups and downs in this league.' Anyone who expected Thibodeaux — the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft — to feel threatened by Carter stealing away some of his playing time was wrong. Thibodeaux has logged 80 percent or more of the defensive snaps in 27 of his 43 career games. Kayvon Thibodeaux spoke to The Post on Tuesday night. New York Post Sports/X 'I'm happy about it,' Thibodeaux said. 'I'm inspired about it. I don't really care either way what they said or how they felt. But I'm super excited to have him and I think he's going to dominate.' Add in Dexter Lawrence and the Giants have three pass rushers who have had nine or more sacks in an NFL season, plus Carter coming off 12 (and a NCAA-best 23.5 tackles for loss) at Penn State last season. 'As great as you want be,' Thibodeaux responded when asked how great the defensive line could be. 'I think as long as we put our mind to it and we come together, and we're really cohesive in our rushing and our game plan, I think the sky's the limit.' Abdul Carter was taken by the Giants in the first round. Robert Sabo for NY Post Thibodeaux and Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor — a former Giant — were honored as Hometown Heroes by the United Way of New York City. Thibodeaux started the JREAM Foundation in his native Los Angeles to create educational, mentorship and career exploration opportunities for under-resourced youth.
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Raiders' Ashton Jeanty reveals he also received an NFL draft prank call saying he'd been traded
Shedeur Sanders wasn't the only rookie prank-called on draft night. New Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty shared a surprising twist that he also got pranked in a call that said he'd been traded to the Cowboys. In an interview with FanSided, Jeanty recounted how, shortly after being selected sixth overall by the Raiders, he received a call from someone posing as a Cowboys representative. Advertisement The caller informed him of a supposed trade, saying that the Boise Star star running back had been dealt from Vegas to Dallas. Ashton Jeanty poses after being selected sixth overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Getty Images Jeanty, recognizing the call as a prank, simply hung up and laughed it off. Advertisement This incident adds to a series of prank calls targeting NFL prospects during the draft. 'Some dude called me and was like, 'We just traded with the Raiders, and you're coming to the Cowboys,'' said Jeanty. 'And I just hung up bro.' Jeanty was far from alone. Running back Ashton Jeanty of the Boise State Broncos fires up the crowd prior to the start of the 2024 Mountain West Championship. Getty Images Advertisement Sanders, Mason Graham, Tyler Warren and Abdul Carter were all prospects who were also reportedly prank-called this past weekend during the NFL draft. For the Sanders prank call, the NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich a separate $100,000 after it was discovered his son Jax made the call. Jeanty will remain a Raider in an offense led by new head coach Pete Carroll and franchise quarterback Geno Smith. Jeanty, the Heisman runner-up of the 2024 season in college football, rushed for an NCAA-best 2,601 yards and scored 30 total touchdowns last year.
