Latest news with #USCA
Hans India
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
29th US Nationals Carrom Championship 2025 Concludes with Grand Success in New Jersey
The 29th US Nationals Carrom Championship 2025, held in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, was a resounding success, organized by MATA, USCA, and USAF. Over 150 players from 30 states competed in Singles, Doubles, and Juniors categories—marking the first Juniors Nationals. The event featured high-energy matches, including a thrilling Doubles Final with over 60 teams. Distinguished guests and sports leaders presented $10,000 in cash prizes and mementoes. Guests praised the initiative for promoting community and recreational sports. The tournament reflected growing enthusiasm for carrom in the U.S. and highlighted the importance of youth participation in traditional games.
Hans India
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Carrom Shines in the U.S.: 29th Nationals Championship 2025 Sets New Benchmarks in Participation and Prestige
Held in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, the tournament received overwhelming participation. Over 150 players from 30 states took part in the championship. Key figures such as MATA founder Srinivas Ganagoni, co-founder Pradeep Samala, President Kiran Duddgagi, Sports Director Suresh Khajana, General Secretary Vijay Bhaskar, Honorary Advisors Raghu Ram Veeramallu, USCF volunteer Sri Charan Khajana and team, USCA President Atul Bhave, and Shakeel played crucial roles in the success of this event. The tournament commenced with a grand kick-off event and concluded successfully with a grand finale. Competitions were held in Doubles, Singles, and Juniors categories. Notably, Carrom competitions were held in the Juniors category for the very first time. The Doubles event was a major success, with over 60 teams participating, including national-level players. Every team competed enthusiastically. The Doubles Final, Singles Final, and Juniors National Final were held successfully, with athletes participating with great enthusiasm and demonstrating their talents. The Juniors Carrom Nationals received an unexpected and overwhelming response. USCA President Atul Bhave and former Treasurer Mandar Ashtekar served as commentators for the Doubles Finals. The winners were honored with mementoes and awarded prizes, including first, second, and third place in each category, along with special prizes. In total, $10,000 in cash prizes was distributed among the winners. Distinguished guests like Middlesex County Commissioner Shanti Narra, NJ Board of Public Utilities Commissioner Dr. Upendra Chivukula, Jersey City Council candidate Shahab Khan, Jersey City Mayor candidate Mussab Ali, and Edison Council President Nitesh Patel attended and presented awards to the winners. They emphasized the importance of promoting recreational sports and encouraged everyone to make sports a part of their lifestyle.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
USCA LIFE program to graduate its first cohort
AIKEN, Sc. (WJBF)- USCA LIFE. Learning Is for Everyone. These 13 students, who have intellectual disabilities get the opportunity of a lifetime. To Graduate. And their parents get to see them. I asked, 'Who's coming to your graduation?' 'My dad, my mom, my stepdad, his roommate and myself. That's it,' said graduate, Amelia Carpenter. Once students with intellectual disabilities leave K-12 schools, about 18% of them get a job, making less than $11,000 a year. This makes the USCA LIFE program important. 'To be a productive member of society, we have to be able to regulate emotions and solve problems and talk to individuals and communicate and pay our bills and manage our money. And so all of those daily living and soft skills and job skills are so important because it helps them become more independent. Helps them get a job. Helps them keep a job once they have that job. And then it helps them live by themselves,' said director of USCA LIFE, Melissa Martin And over the past two years they have shown themselves to be ready for LIFE. ' I just think our students just really, truly show that every day that they can do the same things as everybody else and they can be your friend just as well as anybody else,' said mentor, Skylar Shirey. 'And this program is very great. And if you want to join it, you should because you can get a lot of good experience from it. Yeah,' said Carpenter. The doors open at 5 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 6 p.m. at the Convocation Center on USCA campus. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
USC Aiken announces hire of new women's basketball head coach
Apr. 10—USC Aiken, in conjunction with Director of Athletics Todd Wilkinson, announced Thursday the hiring of Brittany Batts as the head women's basketball coach. "We are excited to welcome Brittany Batts to USCA as the next head coach of women's basketball," Wilkinson said in a press release. "Coach Batts brings a dynamic blend of leadership, experience, and a relentless commitment to excellence. Her passion for developing student-athletes and her competitive spirit are exactly what this program needs to be a force in the PBC and the Southeast Region. We believe she will build a culture of toughness, unity, and pride that our university and community will rally behind." Advertisement "I am honored and excited to be the head women's basketball coach at USC Aiken. I am grateful to Director of Athletics Todd Wilkinson and Chancellor Heimmermann for believing in my vision and providing me with the responsibility to lead the Pacer women's basketball program," Batts stated. "It is something I will cherish and put my best effort forward with every day. "I look forward to joining the USCA community and developing relationships with everyone involved in the women's basketball program. We will be relentless in our pursuit to put a product in the classroom, in the community and on the court that our alumni and fans will be proud of. Go Pacers!" Batts, the 2023-24 WBCA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year at Gannon, comes to USCA with impressive credentials. While working in the PSAC at Gannon and Shepherd, she coached 11 all-league performers. Additionally, she coached the 2023-24 National Player of the Year, Sam Pirosko. While with the Golden Knights, the program sported a record of 116-22. During the last four seasons, Batts led the program to a pair of Elite Eight appearances (2024-25) and four NCAA Tournaments. During the four years, the program captured two PSAC Tournament Championships (2022, 2024) and two regular-season PSAC-West Championships (2023-24). Advertisement The 2024-25 campaign saw Gannon become the lone program to reach the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons. The Golden Knights finished No. 11 nationally with a 28-7 record while Batts worked with the post players after primarily coaching the guards during her first three seasons. In the 2023-24 season, Batts helped guide the team to an impressive 35-3 record, winning both the PSAC and Atlantic Regional Championships, and advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight as the No. 1 seed. Gannon was ranked as high as No. 2 in the WBCA Division II Top 25. As an assistant coach, Batts focused on the development of the team's guards, contributing to their success both on and off the court. She also played a key role in supporting student-athletes' academic progress and community engagement. Batts attended the 2025 Next Generation Institute for aspiring head coaches. The program focuses on the CEO attributes needed to lead a program and be a problem solver in the ever-changing landscape of higher education and the enterprise of intercollegiate athletics. Advertisement Batts began her coaching career after completing her playing career in 2015 and has experience at the Division I, Division II and Division III levels. She spent time as an assistant coach at Division I Chicago State for the 2020-21 campaign. There, Batts assisted with the development of perimeter players. In addition to her recruiting efforts, she assembled scouting reports and enhanced team and player performance through film breakdown. Prior to that, she was a member of the Shepherd coaching staff from 2018-20. Batts helped Shepherd rebound from an 11-18 record in 2018-19 in the Mountain east to post a 21-9 mark in 2019-20 in its first season of competition in the PSAC. While finishing with a 14-8 record in the PSAC East in 2019-20, three Rams earned all-PSAC East honors while Abby Beeman was also named PSAC East Freshman of the Year. Advertisement Batts joined the Shepherd program after serving as an assistant coach at Bridgewater College (Va.). She helped lead the Eagles to a 13-13 mark while one student-athlete garnered all-ODAC second team honors for the Eagles. Before coaching at Bridgewater, Batts served as a graduate assistant at Castleton University (Vt.) from 2015-17. The Spartans posted a 38-21 mark over two seasons. She was a four-year student-athlete and three-year starter for the Golden Knights from 2011-15, appearing in 125 career games with 92 starts. Batts averaged 9.2 points over her career and finished with 1,152 points, currently good for 20th in career scoring. Known for her 3-point shooting, she holds the top two season figures for 3-pointers made with 102 in 2012-13 and 93 in 2013-14. She ranks second in career 3-pointers made (286) and attempts (688) and is fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.416). Advertisement Batts helped lead the Golden Knights to a 102-24 record and four NCAA postseason appearances, including winning the Atlantic Regional in 2013 to earn a berth in the Elite Eight. The 2012-13 Gannon squad finished with a 31-5 record. She was a three-time PSAC scholar-athlete, a second team all-PSAC West Division choice in 2013, and a first-team CoSIDA academic all-district selection at Gannon. A native of Loudoun County, Va., Batts is Loudoun County High School's all-time leading scorer with 2,039 points. A three-time All-Region and two-time All-State selection for the Raiders, Batts guided the program to a state championship in 2009. In 2022, she was inducted into the Loudon County H.S. Hall of Fame. Batts graduated from Gannon University with a degree in Sports Management with a minor in Advertising Communication. She earned her Masters in Athletic Leadership from Castleton University in 2017. USCA will host an introductory press conference for Batts in the Convocation Center Lobby on at 11:30 a.m. on April 17. Fans are welcome to attend.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
USCA announces new Dean of School of Education
AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF) – A new dean for University of South Carolina Aiken's School of Education has been announced. Dr. David G. Buckman has been named the dean of USC Aiken's School of Education, starting effectively on July 1st, according to USCA administrators. 'We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Buckman to our academic leadership team,' said USCA Provost Dr. Phillip Bridgmon. 'His expertise in educational leadership, his demonstrated success with external partnerships, and his passion for advancing the teaching profession will help propel our School of Education into its next phase of growth and impact.' ALSO ON WJBF: Piedmont employees receive temporary housing during Masters week According to the press release, Buckman served as the associate dean for education partnerships in the College of Education and interim chair of the Department of Sports Management, Wellness, and Physical Education at University of West Georgia, and previously, he held leadership roles at Augusta University and Kennesaw State University. 'As a native of Johnston, South Carolina, and a proud alumnus of the University of South Carolina, I'm honored to return home and serve the Aiken community,' Buckman said. 'USCA has a strong tradition of preparing educators who make a difference in classrooms and communities. I look forward to working alongside faculty, students, and district partners to advance that mission and support the next generation of teachers and leaders.' According to the press release, Buckman earned his Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina, where he also completed his educational specialist, master's, and bachelor's degrees, and he is a recipient of the National Education Finance Academy's 2023 Research and Practice Fellowship and the 2020 Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award from Kennesaw State University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
