Gainesville is home to many professional athletes who stay in town for the first-class training facilities and stellar coaching talent.
Read More »‘Prove everybody wrong’: Williston senior looks to change his narrative on the basketball court
Williston point guard Greg Maxwell is determined to prove his doubters wrong. “They think everything is going to be given to me because of my last name,” he said. Greg is the nephew of two-time NBA champion Vernon Maxwell. Yet, he wants people to know that he’s worked hard for …
Read More »French game of pétanque finds a home in Gainesville
Sarah Lauerman took an interest in French culture and was intrigued by the sport of pétanque. She wanted to learn how to speak French and engage with the culture further, so she started a club around the sport. Now Lauerman is the president of Gainesville Pétanque, a club she started in 2017 with informal meetings. It has since grown to include 50 members and is played at two public courts in north Gainesville. And she had the sport included in the Gainesville Senior Games.
Read More »Alachua County Sports and Events Center will open in 2023
The Alachua County Sports and Events Center at Celebration Pointe will open on Jan. 13, 2023, for the Jimmy Carnes Indoor Track and Field Invitational. The center will remain temporarily open through the track season for several tournaments and will close in mid-February to finish the facility’s multipurpose flooring. It …
Read More »After a low turnout last year, Special Olympics Florida had over 400 athletes participate in the Race for Inclusion
After crossing the finish line with aching muscles and a rapid-beating heart, Chris Nikic knew he had proven himself yet again. The 23-year-old athlete with Down syndrome was the first Special Olympics Florida athlete to complete the second annual Race for Inclusion at Flavet Field Saturday. Special Olympics Florida collaborated …
Read More »Longboarding and skateboarding competition challenges competitors at Boulware Springs Park
Miami Ultraskate record-holder Neena Beena hosted a longboard and skateboard event Sunday at the Boulware Springs Park trailhead with “awesome prizes,” competitors said. The free seventh annual Briefcase Push Race challenged riders in a 10K race and 2-mile race on the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail, and a dizzy race, freestyle competition …
Read More »Gainesville bars receive unexpected boost from World Cup watchers
Casey Foran went to class from 10:40 to 12:35, then at 1:30, she headed over to The Swamp Restaurant to watch the United States take on Iran in the final game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage. She cheered for the US alongside 500 fellow UF students for …
Read More »Charges against Jalen Kitna spotlight the problem of child pornography in Florida, nationally
The arrest and charges against University of Florida back-up quarterback Jalen Kitna are a reminder of the dark problem of child pornography in Florida and the nation, law enforcement and other experts said. “It is a super serious issue,” said civil attorney Trip Green of Ocala. “You can be charged …
Read More »UF backup quarterback played season while secretly under investigation in child pornography case
The University of Florida’s backup quarterback played his whole season in the shadows of struggling starter Anthony Richardson — and now, it turns out, a sensational child pornography investigation, too. The criminal investigation, which began in June and unfolded slowly over five months during a disappointing 6-6 season, has redirected national attention on the Florida Gators – under new head coach Billy Napier – and quarterback Jalen Kitna, 19, of Burleson, Texas. Kitna was released from jail on an $80,000 bond late Thursday, after his first court appearance in a case involving five felony counts of possessing and distributing child pornography online.
Read More »Hornets’ state semifinal playoff game remains in Hawthorne despite safety concerns
The state semifinal playoff game between the Hawthorne Hornets and Blountstown Tigers will remain in Hawthorne on Friday, Dec. 2, despite complaints from the Pahokee Blue Devils about crowd control and inadequate security. Former Hawthorne Mayor Matt Surrency hoped the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) would see the complaints …
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