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Low Scores Expected at Travelers

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CROMWELL – The Travelers Championship’s defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, is also the World No. 1, reigning FedExCup Champion and 16-time PGA TOUR winner. Scheffler is in search of his fourth victory of the season (THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday).

Scheffler posted 65 or better in all four rounds en route to victory in 2024 (65-64-64-65).

New England favorite son, Keegan Bradley won the 2023 Travelers Championship and is making his 15th career appearance this week. He owns three Top-10s (T8/2017, T2/2019, Won/2023 at TPC River Highlands.

As a Signature Event, the tournament grants four sponsor exemptions to PGA TOUR members:

  • Luke Clanton: PGA TOUR rookie owns two Top-25 finishes in six starts this season
  • Rickie Fowler: Four top-25s in seven career starts at the Travelers Championship (T13/2010, T13/2013, T13/2023, T20/2024)
  • Tom Kim: Making third consecutive appearance in the Travelers Championship; T38/2023, lost in playoff-P2/2024)
  • Gary Woodland: Four-time PGA TOUR winner making his seventh career start in the Travelers Championship with his best finish being a T20 in 2015

All prior Signature Event winners this season are in the field: Hideki Matsuyama (The Sentry), Rory McIlroy (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am), Ludvig Åberg (The Genesis Invitational), Russell Henley (Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard), Justin Thomas (RBC Heritage), Sepp Straka (Truist Championship), Scottie Scheffler (the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday).

World No. 3 Xander Schauffele has 66 consecutive made cuts on TOUR, the longest active streak and sixth-longest streak in TOUR history (Tiger Woods/142, Byron Nelson/113, Jack Nicklaus/105, Hale Irwin/86, Dow Finsterwald/72).

International players have won 15 of 27 events this season: Hideki Matsuyama/Japan, Nick Taylor/Canada, Sepp Straka/Austria/(twice), Rory McIlroy/Northern Ireland/(3x), Thomas Detry/Belgium, Ludvig Åberg/Sweden, Karl Vilips/Australia, Viktor Hovland/Norway, Min Woo Lee/Australia, Garrick Higgo/South Africa, Ryan Fox/New Zealand/(twice).

Lakers for Sale: Pricetag = $10B

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – For the first time since 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers will not have the Buss family as a majority owner. According to ESPN, the Buss family has entered into an agreement to sell majority ownership of the franchise to Mark Walter, CEO of diversified holding company TWG Global. The Lakers’ sale will be for a reported $10 billion.

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While Walter, who has been a stakeholder in the Lakers in 2021, will own the majority stake, Jeanie Buss will reportedly continue to serve in her role as the team’s governor.

One of the franchise’s all-time greats, Magic Johnson, said the team’s fans should be thrilled by the sale.

“Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark — he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike – they are competitive people, have big hearts, love to give back, and both prefer to be behind the scenes. This makes all the sense in the world. I am so so SO happy and excited for @Lakers fans all over the world!”

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Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, a deal that also included the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the Los Angeles Forum. At the time, the Lakers were valued at $67.5 million. The Lakers won 11 of their 17 NBA championships under Buss family ownership.

The team’s ownership was passed on to Buss’ children when he died in 2013, with Jeanie taking over the responsibilities as team governor.

Walter will now step in as majority owner, although exact details of the agreement were not yet reported. That said, ESPN and The Athletic reported that the valuation of the deal is in the neighborhood of $10 billion — which would be the largest sale of a professional sports franchise in the world.

The Boston Celtics were sold for $6.1 billion earlier this year, the previous high for an NBA franchise.

Walter has investments in several other professional sports organizations, including the Los Angeles Dodgers of MLB, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and professional soccer.

–Field Level Media

Jalen Rose Wins Impact Award

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SPRINGFIELD – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and popular rap star, film producer and actor, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the BIG3 basketball league, Ice Cube, have announced that former player, TV analyst, and philanthropist Jalen Rose will be honored with the 2025 Ice Cube Impact Award.

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with the Ice Cube Impact Award,” said Jalen Rose. “Cube is family, and we share an unwavering dedication to giving back to the communities that raised us. Basketball created opportunities for us in different ways and has allowed both of us to make a lasting impact beyond the court. I’m grateful for this recognition and proud to be celebrated in the Hall’s museum.”

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Rose’s impact extends well beyond the basketball court through his unwavering commitment to education and community development in his hometown of Detroit. In 2011, he founded the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy (JRLA), an open-enrollment, tuition-free public charter high school focused on academic excellence and family. JRLA prides itself on being a 9-16 model, to and through college, and offers AP courses, college tours, summer programs, and dual enrollment opportunities. Rose remains hands-on as the president of the Board of Directors and is actively fundraising to bridge the funding gap, raise dollars for college scholarships, and support a $20 million capital campaign to expand the school. Jalen also has a scholarship endowment at the University of Michigan.

Beyond education, Jalen serves as a volunteer Board Member for the National Basketball Players Association Foundation and partners with New Era Detroit, a community organization that focuses on community engagement, resource distribution, and safety initiatives. His dedication to Detroit and beyond is reflected in the time, resources, and leadership he continues to invest in the city where he was raised.

“Throughout his entire career, Jalen has consistently been a force for good,” said Ice Cube, who was recognized last year with the inaugural award. “Not only does he give back to his communities through fundraising, education, and, most importantly, through basketball, but he leads by example, championing the exact values this award was created to celebrate. His impact can be felt deeply in Detroit, and his commitment to building up the next generation is inspiring. I could not be more honored that we have named Jalen Rose this year’s Ice Cube Impact Award recipient and thank him for his tireless dedication to lifting up communities through the beautiful game of basketball.”

The Ice Cube Impact Award was created in 2024 to recognize individuals making substantial contributions to their communities through basketball. As the eponymous recipient, Ice Cube was honored with the inaugural award for his creation of the BIG3 basketball league alongside Jeff Kwatinetz in 2017. The league plays the premier global version of professionalized 3-on-3 basketball and is committed to increasing the opportunity, entertainment, diversity, and growth of the 3-on-3 game. The Ice Cube Impact Award is permanently housed in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s museum and recognizes honorees through a dedicated exhibit and in-depth storytelling.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see Ice Cube and the Hall of Fame come together for something this impactful,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Ice Cube’s influence goes way beyond entertainment—he’s a cultural icon who’s using his platform to uplift communities through education and philanthropy. This partnership represents a modern, meaningful opportunity for the Hall to celebrate not just basketball excellence, but the power of the game to drive real change. Jalen Rose is a remarkable selection for the Ice Cube Impact Award, embodying the values this honor was created to recognize.”

The Ice Cube Impact Award will be presented to Jalen Rose at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame during Enshrinement Weekend festivities on Saturday, September 6, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Reinhart’s Four Goals Clinch The Cup

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SUNRISE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Florida’s Sam Reinhart scored four goals to help the Florida Panthers clinch their second straight Stanley Cup Final with a 5-1 victory against the visiting Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 on Tuesday night in South Florida.

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Reinhart scored on all four shots he took to become the first player with four goals in a Stanley Cup Final since Montreal’s Maurice “Rocket” Richard in 1957. Reinhart finished with seven goals in the last four games of the series.

Matthew Tkachuk also scored for the Panthers, who are the third team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in the past 10 years.

Sergei Bobrovsky came within 4:42 of his fourth shutout of the 2025 playoffs before Vasily Podkolzin scored for the Oilers. Bobrovsky finished with 28 saves.

Stuart Skinner made 20 saves for the Oilers, who also lost to the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final last season.

A team from Canada has not won the Cup since 1993.

The Panthers scored the first goal for the fifth straight game.

Edmonton was outshooting Florida 5-0 when Reinhart stole the puck from defenseman Evan Bouchard at his own blue line. He then juked past Mattias Ekholm at the top of the right circle before scoring over Skinner’s glove for a 1-0 lead at 4:36.

The Panthers added to their lead in the final minute of the opening period. Eetu Luostarinen pulled up above the right circle in the Edmonton zone off a rush and waited for Tkachuk, who had just jumped onto the ice.

After receiving Luostarinen’s pass, Tkachuk brought the puck to the high slot before hitting the top right corner of the net with a wrist shot, giving Florida a 2-0 lead with 47 seconds left in the period.

Florida outscored the Oilers 13-4 in the opening period during the series.

Florida made it 3-0 at 17:31 of the second.

Carter Verhaeghe took a wrist shot from along the boards and above the right circle that hit Skinner in the chest. The rebound came out diagonally to Aleksander Barkov cutting through the left circle, and his feed to Reinhart cutting to the opposite post went off his left skate blade and into the Edmonton net.

The Oilers pulled Skinner with about seven minutes left and Reinhart scored into the empty net for a 4-0 lead with 6:24 remaining, giving him the first playoff hat trick in Panthers history.

He wasn’t finished, as Edmonton pulled Skinner again and Reinhart scored into the empty net to make it 5-0 with 5:05 left.

–Field Level Media

Sox Turn to Crochet in Rubber Game

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SEATTLE – (Wire Service Report) – Thanks to batterymates Cal Raleigh and Bryan Woo, the Seattle Mariners will have a chance to win their three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox.

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Raleigh hit his major-league-leading 27th homer of the season, a grand slam, and added a two-run double while Woo pitched seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball as the Mariners leveled the series with an 8-0 victory against the Red Sox on Tuesday night.

The series’ decisive game is set for Wednesday afternoon, when Red Sox ace left-hander Garrett Crochet (6-4, 2.24 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (4-4, 3.29).

Raleigh snapped out of a 4-for-27 slump when he singled in the first inning, then belted a slam against Walker Buehler in a five-run second inning. He doubled home two more runs in a three-run fourth.

The homer moved Raleigh above the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge for the top spot in the majors.

“What can you say about Cal … he’s been incredible,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “And caught a shutout to boot.”

Woo, who was 0-3 in his previous four starts, gave up only a leadoff single to rookie Marcelo Mayer in the fifth. He walked two and fanned six while again pitching at least six innings, something he has done in all 14 of his starts this season.

“He’s that stopper when we need a big game from our starter,” Raleigh said of Woo. “And he’s showing up every time — Mr. Consistent.”

As for Raleigh’s own accomplishments?

“It’s great, but you know, just trying to keep the head down,” Raleigh said. “The minute you look up and start to admire (it all), that’s when the game will come around and put you in your place.”

Despite winning six of their past seven games, the Red Sox haven’t scored more than four runs during any contest in that stretch. Their offensive output doesn’t figure to improve after trading disgruntled slugger Rafael Devers, a three-time All-Star, to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

“(The lineup) feels good,” Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran said. “We won (2-0 Monday), and (Tuesday) was just one of those days where you run into a great pitcher and he does his thing.

“I don’t think anybody is thinking too much about (Devers). We’re just focused on the team we have now, and we’re going to keep rolling.”

Crochet didn’t get a decision on Friday against the New York Yankees in a game the host Red Sox won 2-1 in 10 innings. He allowed one run on four hits in 8 1/3 innings, with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Crochet, who had won his previous two starts, is 0-2 with a 4.96 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) vs. Seattle. He lost to the visiting Mariners on April 24 after permitting four runs on five hits and five walks with nine strikeouts in five innings.

Castillo is winless in four starts since May 19, though he is just 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in that span. He didn’t get a decision in Seattle’s 7-2 victory against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Friday despite allowing just two runs on three hits over six innings. He walked three and logged a season-high seven strikeouts.

Castillo is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in four lifetime starts against Boston.

–Field Level Media

SPORTS BIZ: Secret to a Great Summer

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By JAMES GUMINA

MOUNT VERNON, NY – One of the great opportunities of this  summer has been working as an intern for  Westchester SC at home games. For anyone not familiar, Westchester SC is a first year expansion club in USL League One that holds the record for quickest turnaround from franchise announcement to fielding a team on opening day, and it’s already one of the fastest growing professional clubs in the United States. They compete in USL League One, a professional league two tiers below MLS, as well as in multi-league tournaments like the Jägermeister Cup.

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Home games are played at Mount Vernon’s Memorial Field. Don’t let the number of multipurpose lines on the field fool you, the stadium and club are run extremely well and quite professionally. Easy entry, musical bands, numerous concession stands, and food trucks from across the local community make taking in Westchester games a great experience for the family.

In an era where going to see a pro sports game has become financially burdensome, local professional teams like this are a breath of fresh air. Ticket prices start at $15, and you can get a full, delicious meal and drinks from a food truck for under $20. Add in free parking, and you’ve got a proposition that’s hard to beat. This isn’t your local rec league. These are professional players, many with long careers in academies and clubs both in the U.S. and abroad.

WSC may be new to the league, but its roster is anything but inexperienced. The team pulled on local pipelines and talent to form a dynamic and competitive squad in its inaugural season. From MLS Veterans like Andrew Jean-Baptiste, to USL League one standouts like Steven Payne, to dynamic young goal scorers like JC Obregon, the roster spans experience levels and makes the product on the field a treat to watch.

From the way this team is run, you would have no idea it was a first year club. The stadium experience is smooth and seamless, with a European-style “Ultra” section, dubbed the 914th Infantry, leading chants and energizing the crowd.

I spent a long time in the stands prior to the recent game against AV Alta FC asking where people were from and what brought them to the stadium. As to where people were from, I heard just about every town within a 30 minute drive and a number of people who made the trip up from New York City. With free parking across the street and just a 15-minute walk from Metro-North train line, Westchester SC has drawn fans from across the region.

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Where there was a wide variety of answers to the first question, nearly everyone had the same answer to the second; community.

From members of the 914th infantry, to kids who had heard about the team from one of their friends at school, to family of the players and employees of the team, WSC has made strong inroads into the fabric of the local community. It’s a community of people that love sports, especially soccer, and with the New York City professional teams being hard physically and financially to access, Westchester SC can capitalize on the shortcomings of the more established teams and Westchester can better serve the fans.

Between all these facts, and the raucous 2,000+ person crowd against AV Alta FC, it was easy to forget that the team has only been in existence for closer to 10 months, rather than 10 years. This season is only the beginning for this franchise, and what a well executed start it has been. I look forward to attending more games over the course of the summer of 2025 and to watching the team grow, develop, and prosper within the Westchester community.

Rafael Devers, Meet Luka Dončić

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Considering the major difference of a trade in MLB with no Salary Cap and the NBA with significant trade restrictions from the long-standing cap (maximum team salary), the recent trade of Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants reminds this columnist of the decision by the Dallas Mavericks to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers this past winter.

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They’re both trades that shocked their respective leagues and fan base. They are both trades that left fans scratching their heads and wondering, ‘Why?”

They are both trades that left critics thinking, “They could’ve gotten more in return for such superstar players, as Doncic was an All-NBA player who led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals when they lost to the Boston Celtics and Devers is a Top 10 hitter in all of Major League Baseball.

The Mavericks received once All-NBA center Anthony Davis along with Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick.

The Lakers received Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks. There was also some collateral swappings with the Utah Jazz.

With the Devers trade to San Fran, the Red Sox received pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks, along with outfield prospect James Tibbs and minor-league right-hander Jose Bello.

In both cases, the GMs of each team (Dallas (Nico Harrison) and Boston (Craig Breslow) dealt with – pretty much – just one opponent to come to terms on a deal. The shock value of the trades had much to do with the fact nothing leaked from Dallas-LA nor Boston-SF.  There was one report that Boston bounced an idea or two off the Atlanta Braves, but nothing came of it.

That left the dealmakers – so let’s look a bit deeper into these two trades?

For the Mavericks, there was trouble with Doncic’s injury history, namely lower body strains that kept him on the NBA’s Injured List from Christmas to the trade date of February 2, 2025. Although Doncic led an upstart Mavericks club to the NBA Finals, there was some belief his weight and lack of conditioning might catch up with him sooner than later. In addition, he might simply walk from the Mavs when he was eligible for free agency,

For the Red Sox, the spring of 2025 saw Devers head south when the team went south for spring training. Boston obtained golden glove third baseman Alex Bregman and it prompted the Sox to ask Devers to switch to be their Designated Hitter for the current season. Devers went to the DH role reluctantly.

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When young first baseman Tristan Casas was injured and out for the season, the Sox asked Devers to consider a switch to first to give manager Alex Cora some flexibility and depth. From Devers there was more pouting and even an outburst to the media to communicate back to Cora and the Sox management team.

Also, Devers began the 2025 regular season in a ditch, but he recently broke from that slump in a big way and was among the American League leaders in walks, RBI, On Base Percentage, runs scored, doubles, extra base hits, home runs and total bases. After ending the slump in late April, Devers was batting .325, with 12 home runs, 33 base-on-balls, and was leading the majors with 43 RBI.

While his on-field performance was booming, Devers’ was clearly not rowing in the same direction as the rest of the organization in terms of introducing the three top prospects into active, everyday duty.

In a June 16 conference call with media, Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy and head of baseball operations Breslow expressed their disappointment in not getting on the same page with Devers and shared their point of view of frustration and ultimately the decision to move Devers, with the buzz words of “because they could not find “alignment” with their star.”

In the 24 hours after the trade rumors leaked and became fact, there was more talk of “alignment,” and lack thereof, than at every Town Fair Tires store in New England.

Of course, not hidden in the deal is the fact the Red Sox will save some $250 million over the next eight-plus years as they drop the weight of Devers’ ten year $313.5 million contract, of which two years of the deal was in the bank. For that reason, Red Sox fans and season ticket holders have little patience as ticket prices remain amongst the highest in MLB while stars such as Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Chris Sale were all shipped out of Boston in cost savings moves, each with little return of on-field run producers.

In the end, the Red Sox will speak of alignment while the Mavericks won the Lottery – literally – when they lucked into the rights to draft Duke University star Cooper Flagg next Wednesday night.

The Mavericks will be redeemed on June 25.

The Red Sox will remain in limbo.

PGA Tour Pros Await the Crowds

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CROMWELL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Scottie Scheffler needs no more reminders that his caddie, Ted Scott, was on Bubba Watson’s bag when he won the Travelers Championship three times.

“After a few holes, that can get pretty annoying listening to Teddy talk about when Bubba won,” Scheffler joked with reporters Tuesday about his practice rounds with Scott at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

How annoying?

“If you keep saying when Bubba won here, I’m going to hit you with my club,” Scheffler said with a laugh.

The top-ranked Scheffler is the defending champion this week at the Travelers Championship, where he defeated Tom Kim in a playoff last year. He is coming off a T7 finish at the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on Sunday and has won three of his last five events, including the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

In all seriousness, and even though Watson (Travelers champion in 2010, 2015 and 2018) is left-handed, Scheffler said Scott has helped him to put the signature event’s 6,844-yard, par-70 layout in perspective.

“What we talk about on that golf course is I think there’s a stigma around it that you have to make a ton of birdies, but it’s really about getting the most looks,” Scheffler said. “There’s certain holes where you have to play really conservative and play to the middle of the green and just get as many looks for birdie as possible.”

Scheffler shot 65-64-64-65 to finish 22 under par last year, then bested Kim on the first playoff hole with a par at the 18th.

“The Travelers is a great golf course in the sense you get very rewarded for good shots,” he said. “If you start hitting offline, you can be punished pretty severely. The closing stretch enhances that, and that’s why you have such great finishes there year after year.”

Scheffler, 28, said he appreciates the small-town atmosphere and friendly reception from the fans in Connecticut.

“I think playing in front of the crowds that we get out there is really fun for us. The crowd is always really, really good there,” he said.

“… It’s great. You get such a big crowd, and they’re always rowdy and they’re having fun, and it gets loud in there. You have those finishing holes like 18, the scene around 18 green every year is always so special for us.

“I always dreamt of winning that tournament. I remember Jordan (Spieth) hitting that bunker shot when I was in college (in 2017) and trying to become a pro. It’s just one of those golf courses where there’s really great opportunity for you to have a very special finish.”

–Field Level Media

OKC Takes Control of NBA Finals

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OKLAHOMA CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – OKC’s Jalen Williams scored 40 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-109 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

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The Thunder lead the series 3-2, moving themselves within a game of the franchise’s first NBA title since the team moved to Oklahoma City.

The series resumes Thursday in Indianapolis.

Even without much offensive production from Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers cut what was an 18-point first-half deficit to two on Pascal Siakam’s 3-pointer from the wing with 8:30 remaining.

The Thunder immediately responded, though, with Cason Wallace grabbing the rebound on Williams’ missed layup and flipping it to Lu Dort, who found Williams for a 3-pointer.

Can’t Beat, “Beat the Streets”

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Guest Column, by James Gumina

One of life’s joys is being introduced to something new. This past weekend, that joy came in the form of professional wrestling, as I attended the FinalX and Beat the Streets World Championships qualifier at the Prudential Center in Newark.

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I was on hand for both the full slate of wrestling on Saturday and the press conference on Friday morning. As I helped athletes, media, and coaches check in for the press conference, I started to get a feel for the event. The word ‘community’ is often overused, but it truly captured what I felt when interacting with everyone on Friday. The athletes and coaches were friendly with us and one another, and the media members were all extremely passionate about the sport.

The press conference featured some of the athletes with the biggest names and resumes competing in the event, though not always the ones who found the most success on Saturday. They all stressed the importance of growing interest in the sport and being role models for the next generation of wrestling athletes.

“I particularly admired Wyatt Hendrickson’s viewpoint about how his life has changed since upsetting Gable Stevenson in “the biggest upset in NCAA history” this past March.”

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However intriguing the press conference was, it paled in comparison to the event itself.

The bouts started at 12:30pm (EDT) with third-place matches, and went all the way through 8:00pm. A raucous crowd of six thousand packed the lower bowl of the Prudential Center from the first bout to the final minute of the last match.

Chatting with people as I walked through the concourse, and noting the massive forearms and slightly cauliflower ears of the fans, it was clear this event pulled in wrestlers, young and old, from across the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tri-state area. The crowd brought energy, and the wrestlers fed into it, each one of them signing innumerable autographs and filling camera rolls with selfies. I even saw a few wrestlers giving away their shoes to some of the kids in the audience.

It was clear the crowd had some favorites, but the thing they were most loyal to was exciting takedowns. One of the crowd favorites was Yianni Diakomihalis, who cruised to a 10-0 victory in the first round of his best-of-three versus PJ Duke.

The favoritism turned out to be a fickle thing, however, when Duke upset Diakomihalis with a last-second throw in round two and then a pin in round three to elicit two of the loudest crowd pops of the event.

Hendrickson continued his run of greatness with a dominant win in round one, followed by a hard-fought victory in round two. Explaining his strategy after the match, he talked about how he wanted to be aggressive and put on a good show, following it up by saying, “I just love wrestling, I was born for this.”

Some familiar names fell short of qualifying for the world team. After moving to a new weight class, 34-year-old Kyle Dake lost to Zahid Valencia in an exciting match. Kayla Miracle, the 2017 and 2018 US Open champion and current high school teacher, also fell to Adaugo Nwachukwu.

On the other hand, there were a handful of teenagers and high schoolers with outstanding performances. The aforementioned PJ Duke upset Yianni and qualified for the world team, and 19-year-old Audrey Jimenez won her match to qualify for the worlds in Croatia as well.

It was not all wins for the youngsters, however, as 17-year-old Everest Leydecker, a student at the school Kayla teaches, lost in her match to Cristelle Rodriguez, and will now miss out on the chance to celebrate her 18th birthday in Croatia.

But the event wasn’t just about competition. It was also a fundraiser for Beat the Streets, and a successful one at that, raising nearly a million dollars. Beat the Streets is an organization that provides wrestling and educational opportunities to underserved students in the New York City area. It boasts a 100% graduation rate and enrollment rate into college or the military.

Throughout the event, different Beat the Streets students gave their testimonies about how the organization has supported them and will continue to do so. The conjunction of elite-level wrestling and charitable outreach symbolized the true community-first aspect of wrestling.

While I did not walk into the event with any wrestling experience under my belt, I walked out with a newfound appreciation for the athletes, fans, and, ultimately, the sport. It is a tight-knit community that loves the sport and has created a wonderful atmosphere and an impressive, world class event. I am looking forward to seeing the winner compete at worlds in September, and to following many of them on their path to the LA Olympics in 2028.