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Author: Dave Riggert

Northwest track and field impressive in indoor debut

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Senior Megan Elder finished first in the pole vault while sophomore Eli Smith captured a runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash and helped lead the 4×300-meter relay team to a school record for the Northwest Missouri State track and field teams Friday at the Cyclone Holiday Preview.

Elder broke her own personal best mark with a jump of 11-05.75 (3.50m) to finish first in the pole vault. Her mark also now gives her the third and fourth best indoor pole vault marks in the Northwest record books.

Smith picked up where he left off after a stellar freshman season racing to a runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash. Smith’s time of 48.86 was just behind first place Michael Ashley of Lincoln who clocked a time of 48.44. Smith’s mark was also the best of his career and now stands as the fourth best mark on the all-time list at Northwest.

Smith also teamed with Porter Groves, Zach Dixon and Kellen Schroeder to record a top 10 finish in the 4×300-meter relay. The relay team tied the school record in the 4×300-meter relay that Smith was a member of and set last December with an identical mark of 2:23.94. Their time was five second off the pace of first place Iowa State.

On the men’s side a pair of pole vaulters also recorded high marks as Will Haer finished fourth and Kemper Kellerstrass checked in at eighth. Haer’s mark of 15-11.00 was the second best of his career and moves into the No. 6 spot on the Northwest indoor records. Kellerstrass narrowly missed his personal best, which is also the 10th best mark on the all-time list at Northwest.

For the Bearcat women, Ashton Nibert claimed a personal best in the 400-meter dash with a third place finish. Nibert raced to a time of 57.10, which ranks as the third best time in the Northwest record book.

Also with top 10 finishes for the Northwest women were Audrey Bolinger and Emilee Messer. Both finished sixth in their respective races.

Bolinger’s time of 1:29.57 placed her just seven seconds behind first place Donnise Powell of Iowa State in the 600-yard run. Messer’s sixth place finish came in the 1-mile run as she finished with a time of 5:28.69.

Northwest continues action this weekend at the Nebraska-Kearney Pre-Holiday Invitational where several Bearcats raced in preliminary events on Friday. The finals at UNK will conclude on Saturday from Kearney, Neb.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Chiefs, Hunt Family establish trust for Zoey Belcher

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The Kansas City Chiefs organization is pleased to announce the formation of the Zoey Michelle Belcher Irrevocable Trust.

The trust, established through contributions from the Hunt family, as well as Chiefs players, coaches and staff, will be located at UMB in Kansas City. UMB will act as corporate trustee and work in conjunction with Zoey’s legal guardian to ensure that the money is used for her benefit.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and everyone affected by the heartbreaking events of last Saturday,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. ”As we continue to struggle with the emotional pain from the tragedy, the Chiefs family is focused on helping 3-month-old Zoey Michelle Belcher as she faces the challenge of growing up without the support of her parents. Zoey will always be a part of the Chiefs family, and we hope that this trust will help to ensure she has the resources necessary as she grows up.”

Anyone wishing to contribute to the Zoey Michelle Belcher Irrevocable Trust may do so. Those interested in contributing are encouraged to consult a tax adviser, as donations to the trust are generally not tax deductible.

Contributions may be sent to:

Zoey Belcher Trust
UMB Bank – Attn: Trust Division
P.O. Box 419226
Kansas City, MO 64179

Any checks should be made payable to:

UMB Bank, N.A., Trustee of the Zoey Michelle Belcher Irrevocable Trust

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Kansas State’s Klein, Brown named Walter Camp All-Americans

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Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein and linebacker Arthur Brown added to their postseason honors Thursday as both were named Walter Camp All-Americans, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards Show.

Klein and Brown, who were named to the second team, picked up All-American honors from the foundation for the first time in their careers. They became the ninth and 10th Wildcat players to pick up Walter Camp accolades overall, while K-State has had four in the last two years as Tyler Lockett was a first-team kick returner and Nigel Malone was a second-team defensive back last season.

A product of Loveland, Colo., Klein has also been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year by both the Associated Press and league’s coaches in addition to being named the 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner. While leading K-State to the third conference championship in school history, Klein rushed for 22 touchdowns to rank second nationally and first among quarterbacks, while he accounted for 37 touchdowns this season. The senior, who has rushed for 890 yards, has completed 180-of-272 passes for 2,490 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Brown, a native of Wichita, Kan., has led the Wildcats in tackles this season with 91 – a year after 101 stops – with six tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches, Brown’s picks came in consecutive weeks as he ended West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith’s then-NCAA record for consecutive passes without an interception before returning a pick for a score to seal a victory over Texas Tech. With nine tackles against Oregon in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Brown would become the first Wildcat defender since Josh Buhl (2002 and 2003) to tally 100 or more stops in consecutive seasons.

Fifth-ranked Kansas State will take on No. 4 Oregon in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, January 3, 2013, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game, which will be televised by ESPN, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (CT).

— KSU Sports Information —

MWSU baseball hitting camps set for December & January

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14th Annual Missouri Western Baseball Hitting Camps are being offered during the months of December and January.  The 3 day camps are for ages 9-13.  To maintain a high quality of instruction, there will be only 4 campers per session.  There are many hitting sessions offered.

You may download a Hitting Camp registration form at GoGriffons.com and Click Baseball under men’s sports or simply print the attached PDF Western Baseball Camps registration form and mail in.

Sessions are arranged by age, so call for details, session times, age availability, and general information.  Cost is $69.00 per camper, per session.  Camps are held at the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex Batting Cages.

For information and reservations, call Coach Verduzco at   816-271-4484.  Please leave your name and best return phone number.

Hitting Camp #1
December  23, 26, 27  2012
Available sessions offered from 5 pm-8 pm

Hitting Camp #2
January  2, 3, 4  2013
Available sessions offered from 1 pm-4 pm

Hitting Camp #3
January  7, 8, 9, 2013
Available sessions offered from 5 pm-8 pm

— MWSU Sports Information —

Chiefs place Bailey on IR; sign LB Leon Williams

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The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Thursday that the club has placed defensive lineman Allen Bailey on injured reserve and signed linebacker Leon Williams to the team’s 53-man roster.

Bailey (6-3, 288) has played in 26 games (one start) in two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He has recorded 12 tackles (eight solo), 1.0 sack, six pressures, two fumble recoveries and two passes defensed. Bailey originally entered the NFL as the second of two Chiefs third-round picks (86th overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Sapelo Island, Ga., native played in 50 games with 27 starts for Miami (Fla.). He prepped at McIntosh County Academy in Darien, Ga.

LB Leon Williams (6-3, 248) joins Kansas City after stops with the Cleveland Browns (2006-08) and Dallas Cowboys (2010). He spent training camp with the Chiefs in 2012 before being released on Aug. 31. He has played in 57 NFL games (12 starts) with 154 tackles (113 solo), 5.0 sacks (-24.0 yards), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and six passes defensed. He was a fourth-round selection (110th overall) of Cleveland in the 2006 NFL Draft when Crennel was the head coach. Williams played in 47 games at the University of Miami (Fla.). A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Williams was the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New York at Canarsie High School.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Griffons lose MIAA opener to Truman State, 71-69

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The game remained close throughout the first half with neither team taking a big lead. The Griffons jumped ahead midway through the first half as James Harris hit Alfreeman Flowers in mid-air, and Flowers slammed the alley-oop home to give Missouri Western a 25-21 lead. The dunk came just seconds after the Griffons took the lead for the first ime in the game as Reed Mells nailed a mid-range jumper with 8:38 to play in the first half.

Truman took a 36-34 halftime lead behind Isaac Garnder’s performance off the bench. Gardner scored nine points, three from downtown, and grabbed three rebounds to put the Bulldogs ahead.

The Griffons were led by Alex Tuluka-Mfumupembe, who scored eight points — including back-to-back 3-pointers. The big difference in the first half was the 3s, as Truman went 8-from-19 from the 3-point line, and the Griffons were 3-of-12.

Truman cooled off in the second half, and the Griffons were able to use that to take a 54-48 lead with just more than 10 minutes to play. But after a 12-3 run, the Bulldogs pulled ahead to take a 60-57 lead with 7:56 to play.

The score remained tight from there as the Griffons trailed 61-60 and then 65-64. Truman’s Cole Myers knocked down a rare 3 in the second half, as Truman was just 4-for-18 in the frame, but the 3-pointer gave the Bulldogs a 68-64 lead with 26 seconds to play.

TSU finished the win off 71-69 to win the conference opener. Cedric Clinkscales finished the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double this season. Dzenan Mrkaljevic ended the night with nine points and eight rebounds.

Next up for the Griffons play Fort Hays State Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Bearcats outlast Lindenwood in OT to remain unbeaten

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Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team never trailed in its MIAA opener against Lindenwood Wednesday evening at Bearcat Arena.

That must have meant the Bearcats breezed past the conference newcomer. That is a wrong assumption.

Despite an 18-point lead in the second half, Northwest needed overtime to pull out a 73-66 victory.

Defense in overtime keyed the Bearcats seventh win in seven games. Northwest held Lindenwood scoreless in the first four minutes of overtime.

Meanwhile, the Bearcats opened overtime with a three-pointer by senior Alex Sullivan.

Sullivan, who finished with 18 points, said the defense and focus were the reasons Northwest succeeded in overtime.

“Going into OT after 40 minutes of play, everybody is worn down and tired and that’s when everybody needs to lock down and focus, which we did,” Sullivan said.

Offense from two different areas also helped.

Junior Dillon Starzl followed Sullivan’s trey with a turnaround shot in the paint to give Northwest a 65-60 lead.

“I was proud of myself a little bit,” said Starzl, who finished with 13 points. “I got a lucky bounce.”

Although the Bearcats let a huge lead at home slip away, they showed grit by pulling out the win when one of their top players, DeAngelo Hailey, fouled out just before overtime.

Northwest built a 69-63 lead in overtime when Lindenwood made one last push on a three-pointer by Alex Bazzell.

Junior Bryston Williams put the game away with four free throws in the final 30 seconds.

“I knew we would step up and hit free throws late and Bryston stepped up,” Starzl said.

In the first six minutes of the second half, the points were coming a little too easy for the Bearcats. Hailey, who finished with 18, was knocking down three-pointers. Sullivan hit one that gave Northwest a commanding 51-33 lead.

The outcome appeared obvious.

Doubt entered the picture when the Bearcats scored just a point over the next 7 minutes, allowing Lindenwood to creep back in. Northwest lead slipped to 52-42.

The three-pointers stopped falling and evening a couple of layups failed to drop.

“We definitely had a couple of rough rounds when we were missing some shots,” Sullivan. “We need to move on to the next play and not dwell on the misses or turnovers.”

The drought finally stopped for the Bearcats when Kyle Schlake grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed layup and scored. The bucket gave Northwest a 54-42 lead with 7:30 left. Schlake finished with a game-high 10 rebounds.

The 12-point cushion wasn’t enough to prevent Northwest from coasting home.

Lindenwood closed to seven at 54-47 on a three-point by Darris Smith. It was the closest the Lions were to Northwest since the first minute of the second half.

The Bearcats showed they know how to respond to a bit of pressure. Sullivan quickly answered Smith’s trey with a trey.

But Lindenwood would not go away. They wasted little time cutting into a 10-point deficit. A three-pointer by Bazzell helped the Lions close to 59-54 with 2:45 left. Thirty seconds later, Bazzell scored on a layup, shrinking Northwest’s lead to 59-56.

With 12.7 seconds left, Lindenwood forged the first tie of the game at 60-60 on two free throws by Bazzell.

Northwest failed to get a good shot off in the final seconds which forced overtime.

“We need to maintain and not get content when we do have the lead and get comfortable,” Sullivan said. “Once we get them down, we got to keep them down and work on that.”

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Western women hang on to defeat Truman for fourth straight win

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The Missouri Western women’s team defeated Truman State Wednesday night at MWSU Fieldhouse 71-64. The Griffons improved to 8-1 and 1-0 in conference play. It was Truman’s first loss of the season to drop the Bulldogs to 5-1.
Heather Howard led the way with 13 points and seven rebounds. After a slow start, the Griffons regrouped to close the first half strong.

The Griffons outscored the Bulldogs 16-10 in the paint and had eight second chance points claiming a 35-28 halftime lead over undefeated Truman State. The Griffons used a 16-8 run in the final 8:29 of the first frame which was led by eight points from Howard to claim the lead. Howard finished with 10 points in the first half.
The Bulldogs controlled the first 12 minutes of the game behind 10 points from Jennifer Conway. TSU led by as many as four points four different times which included the last time at 18-14 with 9:53 to play in the frame.
MWSU gained control the rest of the half shooting 51.6-percent (16-31) from the field and making 3-of-6 three point shots. The Griffons forced 10 Bulldog turnovers and had six offensive rebounds. Truman shot 63.2-percent (12-19) from the field and made 3-of-4 long range shots. They struggled from the foul line make just 1-of-7 free throws.

The Griffons built momentum in the second half, and took a commanding 42-33 lead with 16:51 to play off of Brittany Griswold’s layup. Their lead hit double-digits nearly 10 minutes later when JaQuitta Dever knocked down two free throws to give Missouri Western a 56-45 lead with 6:57 to play.

The Bulldogs closed within six with less than a minute to go after Becka McHenry nailed a 3-pointer. Truman then missed a 3 with 27 seconds to play down 70-64, giving the ball back to the Griffons who finished off the victory.

Missouri Western finished 11-of-13 from the free-throw line, all in the second half.

Dever added 12 points, and Alicia Bell helped the Griffons out on defense with three steals.

The win was just the Griffons second home opening victory in the past six years. The Griffons continue MIAA play this Saturday when they host Fort Hays State at 1:30 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Northwest women use big second half to rout Lindenwood

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Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team made one subtle change in the opening minutes of the second half and that helped the Bearcats pull away from Lindenwood.

The Bearcats started scoring some easy baskets inside and that turned a close game into 69-40 rout over Lindenwood Wednesday evening at Bearcat Arena in the MIAA opener.

“It is very big, especially with this team,” said senior point guard Ashley Thayer about winning the conference opener. “We weren’t ranked very high. We want to show we are a team to be reckoned with.”

Northwest went into halftime with a slim, two-point advantage. They were infatuated with the three-point shot. It was hard passing up the shot.

“They were daring us to shoot threes,” Northwest coach Mark Kellogg said. “They weren’t even guarding us. We knew if we were going to score in the paint we needed to do it early in the offense.”

Even though three points is worth more than two, it is usually easier to score a few feet away from the basket as opposed to 20 feet, 6 inches.

The Bearcats used that simple logic and pounded the ball inside to sophomore Annie Mathews early in the second half and after a few baskets, everything opened up for Northwest.

“We were everywhere in the first half trying to see what worked,” Thayer said. “When we finally kind of settled in and doing what we were supposed to do and got it in, it worked for us.”

Perhaps, the key moment came with 15:40 left in the second half. The shot clock was clicking down. Thayer drove into the lane and delivered a beautiful bounce pass to Mathews who had an easy layup.

“I’m new at the point guard,” Thayer said. “I have never been a strong driver so I’m working on that. I just have to have the confidence to see the open player and get it to her.”

The play gave Northwest a 34-26 lead and all the momentum. Less than a minute later, Mathews received another nice pass inside. This time she was guard so she kicked it back out to Thayer who was wide open beyond the arc.

“It is playing off each other,” Thayer said. “You have to trust your teammates, knowing you give it to them, they are going to give it back to you. We definitely worked well as a team.”

A three-pointer is an easy shot for college players when it is unguarded. Thayer proved that by drilling the trey that increased the Bearcats lead to 42-28.

Several minutes later, Northwest built a 20-point advantage and was well on its way to winning its sixth game in eight contests. They have already matched their win total of last season.

“It is invaluable. We need every win we can get,” Northwest coach Mark Kellogg said. “I don’t want them to be satisfied either. That is the message I keep telling them.

“Someone came to me today and said if you win you’ve matched last year’s win total. I’m not comparing it to last year. We don’t want six wins. We want 20 wins or more. That is what we are trying to get to here.”

The Bearcats return to action with another conference game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Bearcat Arena against Nebraska Kearney. After nine days off, Northwest plays its final game of 2012 at home on Dec. 17 against Midland Lutheran.

“We were talking that this is a mini season before break,” Mathews said. “We want to go out winners. It is easier to go on break as a winner. I think it is a big game, definitely.”

Early in the game against Lindenwood, the Bearcats looked like they could beat Lindenwood with the outside jump shot. Junior guard Monique Stevens started the game with a three-pointer. Northwest held that lead until Lindenwood went in front 7-5.

Northwest didn’t regain the lead again until it was 16-14 on a field goal by Thayer. Lindenwood, though, went back in front because the Bearcats had a hard time getting into an offensive flow. The three-pointers just weren’t falling.

Mathews put Northwest ahead 24-22 late in the first half on an inside bucket and the trend for the second half started to develop.

The Bearcats went into halftime ahead 26-24 and never trailed again.

Mathews finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. Thayer scored 12 points and had four assists and freshman Tember Schechinger added 10.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Western’s Tom Smith to retire at end of the 2012-2013 season

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After a legendary head coaching career spanning 38 years, including 25 years at Missouri Western, Tom Smith has announced his retirement as Head Men’s Basketball Coach. Smith’s retirement will be effective following the 2012-2013 season.

Smith became the third head coach in Griffon Basketball history in April of 1988 coming to St. Joseph from Division I Valparaiso.  He quickly resurrected the winning tradition for Griffon Basketball as he led the Griffons to the finals of the District 16 playoffs in his first year at the helm which was MWSU’s final year of NAIA membership.  The following year, Griffon Basketball became a player on the NCAA national scene as in the first year of Division II membership; the Griffons won the MIAA Regular Season and Post Season Championships and advanced to their first NCAA National Tournament.

Smith’s style of coaching has consistently kept the Griffons among the top members of the MIAA and NCAA teams.  Smith’s teams have always been up-tempo, high-energy and full of talent throughout his years at Missouri Western. Smith has coached the Griffons to 11 NCAA Division II National Tournaments, five MIAA Regular Season Championships and four MIAA Postseason Tournament Titles. Smith has also been named the MIAA’s Coach of the Year twice during his tenure at Missouri Western and three times overall (once at UCM).

Smith has brought a number of talented players to St. Joseph throughout his career, including the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player, Lamont Turner during the 2001-02 season and the MIAA Postseason Tournament Most Valuable Player, Damon Bailey, during the 2002-03 season. Smith has also coached three All-America selections including Turner in 2002 along with Mike Cornelious (1990-91) and Darrol Wright (1994-95).  In all, Smith has coached 49 All-MIAA selections at MWSU (13 first team selections) and six All-Region/District selections.

‘”Tom has not only been an extremely knowledgeable coach, but he has been a much-loved father figure to literally hundreds of our basketball players over the past quarter of a century,” commented President Dr. Robert A. Vartabedian.

With the Griffons 81-63 victory at Emporia State on January 21, 1998, Smith became the all-time leader in wins in MWSU history surpassing legendary coach Gary Filbert’s previous mark.

Equally as impressive, Smith is the winningest basketball coach in MIAA history with 528 wins and in 37 seasons as a collegiate head coach at three different schools, Smith has compiled a 612-448 record, a .579 winning percentage that ranks him 3rd among active coaches at the Division II level.

“Tom Smith is a legend in the world of basketball coaches. He has meant so much to Missouri Western and the community of St. Joseph,” said Director of Athletics, Kurt McGuffin. “He will always be a teacher first. His positive relationships with former and current players proves he has coached for many years for the right reasons and in the right way. We are truly blessed to have him at Missouri Western for 25 years and thank him for so many memories.”

Smith coached his 1,000 career game on March 13, 2010 as the Griffons took on Central Missouri in the NCAA South Central Regional.

While the milestones and accomplishments over the years have been plentiful, maybe the most impressive came last season as he reached a pinnacle victory for collegiate coaches as he became just the 60th collegiate coach all-time to win 600 career games with the Griffon victory in the fieldhouse over Fontbonne on November 13, 2011.

“The best thing after 45 years of coaching is all the friendships and relationships I have built in the St. Joseph community and the coaching world with very few being enemies,” stated Head Coach Tom Smith.

Smith is a member of three Hall of Fame’s including; the Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, the Valparaiso Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 as an individual and as part of his 1989-90 team that was inducted in 2011.

Prior to coming to Missouri Western, Smith spent eight seasons as head coach at Valparaiso (Ind.) University.  Prior to that he spent his first head coaching stint at The University of Central Missouri from 1975-80 where he held a mark of 86-46 in five seasons. His 1979-80 team compiled a 26-2 record, and was the top-ranked team in the Division II poll for nine weeks. Smith received Coach of the Year honors in NCAA District V and the MIAA that season.

SMITH’S TEAMS BY THE NUMBERS AT MWSU

MIAA REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS
1989, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002

MIAA POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS
1990, 1995, 1998, 2003

NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES
1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2010

20+ WIN SEASONS
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003

MWSU MILESTONE VICTORIES UNDER SMITH

11/1988 – 1st career win at MWSU – MWSU 88 Park 55
1/1990 – Smith wins his 200th career game – MWSU 74 at Washburn 70
3/1990 – 1st MIAA Tournament Championship – MWSU 66 Central Missouri 63
3/1990 – 1st NCAA Tournament Victory – MWSU 73 West Texas A & M 71
11/1994 – Smith wins his 300th career game – MWSU 97 Evangel 69
3/3/1995 – 2nd MIAA Tournament Championship – MWSU 66 Washburn 58
2/18/1998 – Smith becomes all-time wins leader – MWSU 81 at Emporia St. 52
2/28/1998 – 3rd MIAA Tournament Championship – MWSU 65 Northwest Missouri St. 52
1/30/1999 – Smith wins his 400th career game – MWSU 66 at Truman State 42
3/9/2003 – 4th MIAA Tournament Championship in the inaugural MIAA Tournament in Kansas City – MWSU 75 Washburn 65
2/7/2004 – Smith wins his 500th career game – MWSU 85 Southwest Baptist 57
11/13/2011 – Smith wins his 600th career game – MWSU 69 Fontbonne 55

— MWSU Sports Information —

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