This morning the students each wrote a story based on watching an event last night. Below are excerpts from each story:

Reasons it Might be Time for the Cardinals to Restart by Johnathan

Lack of starting pitching and starting pitching depth
Currently, the Cardinals are posting an overall ERA of 4.39, which is slightly below average in the National League. This doesn’t represent the overall pitching staff, however; the Cardinals only have one starting pitcher that posts an ERA under 4.00, while the next best starter in Dakota Hudson has an ERA of 4.22. After these two players, the next best starter, Miles Mikolas, has an ERA of 4.76, which is too low to be acceptable in a contending team. The Cardinals currently have two pitchers that are statistically meeting satisfactory standards, while all others are failing to meet them. Some fans believe that the Cardinals can overcome the current unsatisfactory starting pitching, stating that the Cardinals have a high amount of depth on their roster as far as pitching is concerned; however, the organization itself doesn’t seem to believe so. Rookie Genesis Cabrera will be making his first appearance today as the starting pitcher for the Cardinals; he has posted an ERA of 6.35 in AAA-Memphis this year…

What Makes Usain Bolt So Fast? by Eddie

Obviously the most noticeable difference is that Usain Bolt’s body is incredibly different from everyone else’s. traditionally the thought was that a short, muscular body was the best body type for a short distance runner. So, short muscular people are the primary demographic of 100 meter races, but Usain bolt is the complete opposite. Usain Bolt is 6’5″ and weighs 207 pounds. Now people have researched why is he able to run so much faster than everyone else if doesn’t have the right body? These studies have shown that runners can get an extraordinary speed from having longer legs.

Another factor contributing to Usain Bolt’s fascinating speed is his genetics. Typically the best runners come from similar demographics. America and Jamaica often have the best runners as well as a mix of African and few European countries. America is a large country that promotes athletics much more than many places in the world so it is understandable to see Americans in these races, and the same could probably be said for European countries. Why do African countries and Jamaica have such success? It is likely due to their genetics. Studies have shown that Jamaicans have higher amounts of “fast twitch muscles” and have symmetrical knees. These two features can be seen in Usain Bolt and likely greatly help his running…

 

NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship by Ben

ACC Regular-Season champs, check! ACC Tournament Champions, check! National champions, check! The Virginia Cavaliers coached by Lars Tiffany in his third season as their head coach, lead a team of relentless warriors through championship weekend, ultimately beating the defending champs, the Yale Bulldogs for the 2019 NCAA Men’s National Championship. This win ended the hopes for the Bulldogs to win back-to-back nattys. Even with the new addition of the stud face-off man TD Ierlan, who leads the country in face-off percentage during the regular season (73%), the Bulldogs could not handle Virginia’s young team, featuring sophomore stud, Matt Moore. Matt Moore lead this outstanding Virginia team to their sixth title overall in men’s lacrosse and their first since 2011…

Nike EYBL Dallas: Standout Performances (May 24-26) by Hagan

The Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) is a high-level basketball circuit comprised of the best national talents from ages 15 to 17. The best travel teams in each state will gain sponsorships from Nike, allowing them to compete against teams on the elite circuit, and gain the attention of college coaches nationwide. The most recent EYBL session took place during the weekend of May 24-26, in Dallas. Each session is an opportunity for players to make a name for themselves and gain the attention of many high-major colleges. Here are some of the best performers from this weekend.
Sharife Cooper: This isn’t a new name for anyone who follows high school hoops. Cooper has been dominating the basketball world all year and has gained lots of deserved recognition as a result. In Dallas, he led the AOT Running Rebels to a 4-1 weekend. He is 5th in the circuit in scoring, at 25.5 points. He is also 2nd in assists, at 8. Cooper is known for his smooth game; he effectively handles the ball against all defenses and is a dangerous slasher when playing off the ball. This weekend, he showcased his improved shooting ability, going 5-11 from three in one game. Cooper can get his shot at will, whether showcasing his diverse array of finishes or by stopping for 15-foot pull ups. His performance this weekend should reassure any doubters that this kid is a legit prospect, and that he is ready for the college world.
Offers: Kentucky, UCLA, Auburn, NC State, Florida, Alabama

A Record-Breaking Afternoon from Both Teams Leads to a Yale Victory and Chance to be the First Repeat Champion Since 2014 by Kavin

Confidence, Calmness, and Collectiveness are words Yale’s Coach Andy Shay always uses to describe the nature of his team. But it may have been Yale’s experience in championship weekend that got them out to a hot start. Ierlan would win the opening faceoff, and Yale was on the move. Yale would score in the settled offensive possession, finding a look for Jackson Morrill, a senior attackmen leading his team out of the gate. Yale would not look back, and neither would Ierlan. Ierlan would win the ensuing 4 faceoffs and Yale continued to torch the Penn State defense, keeping the high powered Penn State offense without the ball, and jumped out to a 10-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the Second Quarter Penn State would prove why they were there, as their offense started to get going. Behind a couple goals and assists of star attackmen and Tewarraton award finalist, Grant Ament, Penn State would start to comeback. Grant would find cutters and spot shooters like Mac O’Keefe, in order to cut into the Bulldog’s lead. In addition, Freshman Sensation, Matt Brandau rolled his ankle in the second quarter and would eventually return, But Ierlan would continue his dominance at the faceoff dot and Yale would maintain a steady lead of 12-9 going into the half. Penn State’s Coach Tambroni talked about how his strategy for Ierlan would be to wear him out, and eventually Tambroni felt Ierlan would crack, and Penn State would be able to give their high-powered offense the ball.