Ocala is the unlikely hometown of three Winter Olympians vying for another chance to compete on the world’s biggest stage, this time at the 2022 Games in Beijing next month. Each is the No. 1 ranked skater in their respective events – 1,500 meters for Joey Mantia, 35; 1,000 meters …
Read More »Meet Joyce Nieves, the Ocala businesswoman behind 12 Rounds Boxing Inc.
12 Rounds is the only woman-owned boxing gym in the city. People who train there say Nieves offers local young people something to look forward to regardless of their history or finances.
Read More »New UF coach’s contract: $51.8 million, bigger bonuses, planes, cars
Florida’s new football coach, Billy Napier, will be eligible for bigger bonuses than his predecessor – up to $1.5 million – and receive two luxury cars, a stadium suite and personal use of the university’s planes under his nearly $52 million salary, seven-year contract. The contract also requires Florida to …
Read More »Buchholz High School football team aims for state championship
The Buchholz High School football team travels to Ft. Lauderdale to take on St. Thomas Aquinas for a berth in the state championship game.
Read More »A look into the mental health of student athletes
Only 10% of student athletes living with mental health issues seek professional help, according to Athletes for Hope.
Read More »Former NFL, Gators running back faces assault case in Gainesville
A former University of Florida star running back who signed to play in the NFL is accused of brandishing an assault rifle during a road-rage incident earlier this month. It’s the second criminal case alleging the player was violent in recent weeks. Mark Anthony Thompson, 26, is facing felony assault …
Read More »Gainesville Regional Soccer League looks forward to Forrest Park renovations
The Gainesville Regional Soccer League is among the most vocal in the community deciding how best to spend its $2.1 million renovation budget on Forrest Park.
Read More »Florida hires Louisiana-Lafayette coach Napier to replace Mullen
The Gators hired Louisiana-Lafayette’s Billy Napier on Sunday, ending a quick process that landed them their top target a week after firing Dan Mullen.
Read More »Gators part ways with Dan Mullen
Dan Mullen is out and Greg Knox is in for now. Knox served as the special teams and running backs coach. He will serve as the interim head coach for the Florida Gators.
Read More »Ocala’s Faith ‘Golden Girl’ Mendez competes in Junior Pan American Games
When she was 7 years old, well before moving with her family to Ocala two years ago, Faith Mendez wanted to become a boxer. No, her father told her. Carlos Mendez tried to put her in any other sport: basketball, swimming, tennis. She never quit asking. So one day five …
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