Myers Park Hoofprint

The Myers Park High School Newspaper

Sports

Pro Golf

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Golf is unlike any other sport played, particularly at the professional level. The main distinction between pro golf and other professional sports is that in pro golf earnings are performance based (for most pros). In the NFL players are signed to a contract and have some degree of guaranteed money even if the player plays badly and loses the game. In golf, If a player shows up and plays poorly odds are they probably are not going to be walking away with a sustainable paycheck. The effect of this is it makes it practically impossible to be successful, which is what makes the stories of the ones who do so much sweeter.

Only 125 of all professional golfers in the world have full status on the PGA Tour. The others are battling and grinding it out to get there on feeder tours such as the Korn Ferry Tour, and the Americas Tours. Lesser golfers fight to compete on mini tours and in Monday Qualifiers with opportunities to obtain starts in larger events (with bigger purses). But as I mentioned earlier it is all on the players, if they play well they are going to be rewarded with better status and lofty paychecks, but if they do not play well it is hard to stay afloat as a pro golfer. This narrow line professional golfers walk is what makes the sport so riveting and engaging and part of why it is worth following. The stories of Chris Kirk and Max Homa are some of the best in golf, and embody why the sport is so great. 

Chris Kirk: In the first week of 2024,  Chris Kirk won one of the biggest tournaments there is, the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Not only did Kirk set his future by earning status overtime but he also brought home 3.5 million dollars with the win. However, Kirk has not always had this success at the pro level. In May of 2019, Chris Kirk announced he was taking a leave from pro golf to deal with alcohol abuse and depression. Kirk was out of the game for 7 months and returned in November of 2019, he returned with a world golf ranking of 303 but was stronger than he had ever been mentally. Chris Kirk is now ranked as the 25th best golfer in the world and secured the first win of the 2024 season because of his hard work and dedication to the game. 

Max Homa: Homa won the NCAA individual men’s national championship in 2013 but his game did not transition at the pro level. Max Homa secured his PGA Tour card for the 2017 season but only made 2 of 17 cuts and earned $18,000 throughout the entire season. His world ranking dropped as low as 1261 in 2018. But Homa did not give up, in an interview with No Laying Up, Homa spoke about his struggles, “I had to lie to myself and tell myself todays the day dude, today’s the day we go shoot 65 and everything kind of breaks apart, and this starts to go the right direction but every time I thought I hit rock bottom I found a shovel and dug a little deeper”. Although Homa continued to struggle he finally had his day in Charlotte when he won the Wells Fargo tournament in 2019. Today he is ranked the 7th best golfer in the world. His story is a true testament to the power of hard work and resilience. 

Pro golf does not have nearly as many followers as the NFL or NBA but in my opinion, it should. Sports are about the underdog stories, the grinders, the power of hard work, and not one sport encompasses those principles more than professional golf. 

Name, Image, Lunacy

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In the 118-year history of the NCAA, there have been many challenges and changes to college sports, yet none compare to the difficulties that Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals pose to the college sports landscape. NIL deals were first approved in 2021, allowing players to earn sponsorships and money from their celebrity as college athletes. This new system has dramatically changed collegiate sports that have historically profited from the performance of their amateur players. Proponents have heralded the movement as a way for athletes to earn their fair share of the huge sums of money that universities have profited from, expanding athletes’ rights. However, even with its benefits to players, many have criticized the system as having degraded the quality of college sports and being too wide-reaching. As colleges and universities continue to adapt to the environment of NIL, it has been clear that the movement has significantly hurt the quality of college sports by expanding the disparities that already exist between rich and poor schools.

One of the biggest criticisms of NIL is how it has turned college sports into a minor sports league. Schools use NIL and the transfer portal as the equivalent of NFL free agency, which creates a constant round-about of players between teams and increases the prevalence of older players transferring into major programs. This is especially true in college basketball because of the conditions facing athletes. Some have the opportunity to go professional and earn a respectable salary if they are a top twenty pick. Others have to decide between going pro and fighting for a rooster or staying put, allowing them to make a similar amount of money while having greater opportunities in the future, with many choosing the latter. This reality isn’t inherently bad, but it has shaken up the game in two significant ways. First, as college players stay in school, the average age of college players increases, making the sport look more like the NBA’s defunct G-League Ignite. It also makes it so that players are incentivized to move around through the transfer portal for money and opportunities, which makes the sport have less recognizable stars and a shifting moral compass. Former Alabama Coach Nick Saban recently told ESPN that part of the decision for his retirement was that 70 to 80 percent of his roster was focused on demanding more money or transferring right after the conclusion of the 2023 season. This direction isn’t necessarily a good one for college sports and could create many more problems as NIL expands.

Another significant issue with NIL is the disparities that it creates between schools as gaps in resources and legal abilities cause some schools to have competitive disadvantages. There are many examples of this currently, with some schools like Arkansas using a five-million-dollar NIL fund to attract players, which many schools cannot afford to compete with. Additionally, some schools are handicapped by the various laws that exist, since there is no single set of laws governing NIL on a national scale. This has made the NIL era almost like the Wild West, with few restrictions and minimal regulators, allowing some programs to abuse the system in the new environment that is emerging. Without proper regulations, schools may be put at a near-permanent disadvantage because of NIL.

NIL has significantly harmed the structure of college sports, making what was once an amateur game into a money-oriented business. This shift harms the spirit of what college sports were meant to be, degrading the experience of everyone involved. While athletes earning their fair share is important, we need to consider the implications of the current system that is developing in college sports. As the sport shifts from personal achievement to financial achievement, it threatens to redesign the sport in an unfriendly way. Name, Image, and Likeness is here to stay, but the NCAA must focus on preserving the integrity of the shining moments of the sport.

Lost In Translation

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An hour east from Tokyo lives the Kamagaya Stadium, the home of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. The star pitcher on this team was Shohei Ohtani, who made history as “the next Babe Ruth” and in 2016 was named the NPB Pacific League’s best pitcher and designated hitter. From his outstanding skills and one of a kind stats, many scouts believed he was more than ready to join a Major League Baseball team and make history.

At 16, Shohei Ohtani was pitching 90 mph, soon reaching 99 mph. When it was time for him to graduate, instead of going international, he shocked the world by playing baseball for the Nippon-Ham Fighters. This was risky for the team, as taking him as a first round pick was an unpredictable move. After dominating Nippon Professional baseball  (NPB) in both earned run average and fielding independent pitching, Ohtani moved on to Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2017 and made his debut for the Los Angeles Angels. 

From 2017 to 2023, Ohtani led the Los Angeles Angels, and in those six years gained the title of two-time AL MVP. In 2017, the Angels signed Ippei Mizuhara to be Ohtani’s personal interpreter. In an interview with AP News, after Ohtani announced his departure from the team, Angels general manager Perry Minasian said,“It’s somebody that I have a huge amount of respect for personally, the organization loved having,” he added, “He’s one of the best players that’s ever played for this organization, and we understand that, but life goes on. We’re going to take the rest of the offseason and work as hard as we can to put a really competitive team on the field.” Ohtani decided to move 50 miles up Interstate-5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers and bring his best friend and interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, with him. 

In 2021, Mizuhara apparently met Southern California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer at a poker game in San Diego, where he allegedly he started placing bets, but claimed to make none specifically on baseball. By early 2023, he had reached about four million dollars in debt and asked Ohtani for help. His name is shown on two transfers equalling one million dollars, and the recipient of both wires is Bowyer. Nine transactions of $500,000 later, Mizuhara had paid his debts, and Ohtani had no clue these wires were going to the bookmaker. 

The MLB has a strict legal policy that prohibits players and team employees from placing bets on baseball. Specifically, these rules prohibit betting on any sport at all through any illegal bookmakers. By the end of 2023, federal agents had raided Bowyer’s home and Ohtani signed a $700 million contract with the Dodgers- the largest contract in MLB history. On March 18, 2024, Mizuhara was sat down for a 90-minute interview with ESPN. In that interview, Mizuhara claims he was placing bets through the DraftKings Sportsbook. “I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting,” he says according to ESPN. “I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting again.” Soon after the Department of Justice gets involved, he admitted to gambling, Dodgers fire Mizuhara as Ohtani’s translator. 

Finally, after weeks of silence, Shohei Ohtani delivered a statement to the media that explained his feelings and the facts behind it all. “Just to go over the result, Ippei has been stealing money from my account, and has told lies…In conclusion, I do want to make it clear I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker. To summarize how I’m feeling right now, I’m beyond shocked. It’s hard to verbalize how I’m feeling at this point.” 

As of April 11, 2024, Mizuhara has been charged with bank fraud for allegedly stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani. “Mr. Mizuhara stole this money largely to finance his voracious appetite for illegal sports betting,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. Prosecutors say Ohtani is a victim and had no prior knowledge of the gambling or the theft. According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, on April 12th Mizuhara voluntarily surrendered to authorities,followed by a hearing which he was then released on a $25,000 bond. Any contact with Ohtani is forbidden and he cannot leave the central district of California.

Women’s College Basketball: Making Herstory

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Women’s College Basketball will forever be changed after this season. From Caitlin Clark dominating the league with her logo threes to the University of South Carolina being crowned two-time National Champs after an undefeated season, the 2023-2024 season shattered the stigma that surrounded women’s sports.

The excitement was not reserved for the final championship game. All season, players like Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Kamilla Cardoso drew millions of eyes to women’s basketball in numbers that had never been seen before. For the first time, more viewers tuned into the women’s tournament championship game than the men’s, peaking at 24 million viewers.

On April 5th, the Final Four battled it out. Historic powerhouse and three-seed UConn faced one-seed Iowa in a neck-and-neck game that ended in a close score of 69-71, advancing Iowa to the final championship. The final score was determined by a controversial offensive foul call on UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards with 3.9 seconds remaining. Fans tore the referees apart for the skepticality of this call, claiming the outcome would have been different in the absence of the call. Despite the controversy, Iowa advanced to the final. 

Iowa’s final opponent was determined by the face-off of the Carolinas. South Carolina and NC State battled it out hours away from home, after State’s unpredicted tournament run. However, despite their success earlier in the season, the Wolfpack remained the underdogs to undefeated South Carolina. Kamilla Cardoso was an unstoppable force and claimed the Gamecocks’ spot in the final after beating  NC State 78-59. 

On April 7th, undefeated South Carolina faced off against the Hawkeyes in the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. At the end of the first quarter, Iowa led 27-20, but their lead didn’t last. The following three quarters were won by South Carolina, ending in a Gamecock victory of 87-75, and solidifying their undefeated season. 24 million viewers watched both teams make history, shattering the men’s championship game’s viewership of 14.82 million. 

One of the most notable attractions of viewership was Iowa’s prodigious point guard, Caitlin Clark. All season long, Clark made her presence on the court known with her three-pointers from behind the arc, naming her the leading scorer across the entire NCAA. 

Even with the fame, Clark has remained focused. In a post-game press conference, Clark said, “I don’t want my legacy to be, ‘Oh, Caitlin won X amount of games,’ or ‘Caitlin scored X amount of points.’ I hope it is what I was able to do for the game of women’s basketball.” The predicted first-round draftee led her team through a remarkable season to the final championship, but they weren’t powerful enough to stop undefeated the powerhouse of USC.

South Carolina is only the tenth team and fifth women’s team to go undefeated for an entire season and bring home the NCAA championship trophy. Head coach Dawn Staley led the team to never ending success, defeating every opponent that stood in their way. The Gamecocks have held a record of 109-3 over the past three seasons. 

The hype isn’t just for the collegiate level. With the recent WNBA draft, anticipation for the upcoming season is building. Clark was the number one overall pick, selected by the Indiana Fever, who have built an entirely new WNBA stadium in preparation for the predicted masses of fans coming to watch Clark play. LSU’s Angel Reese and USC’s Kamilla Cardoso changed from rivals to teammates after both being drafted by the Chicago Sky. 

This past season will go down in history as the most influential not only women’s basketball- but women’s sports as a whole. From leading scorers to record-breaking viewership, the popularity of women’s sports is just beginning. 

Are American Sports Going International?

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When it comes to sports in America, there are 3 that come to mind. The MLB, NFL, and NBA are the powerhouses of American sports, but they are also beginning to have a growing international presence. With such a large potential for market expansion overseas, is it time for the quintessential American sports to go international? 

In 2023, the MLB averaged its lowest average viewership of the World Series ever, down nearly 2.5 million viewers since 2022. Viewership has been steadily declining since 2016, and the MLB has started to try to reverse the trend of their quickly declining fanbase. Other than the pitch clock, which was introduced in the major league last season, the MLB is growing its international fanbase. This has included the establishment of MLB International, which broadcasts games to international markets, and the scheduling of 4 international games during the 2024 season. Games have already been played in the Dominican Republic and Seoul, with scheduled games in London and Mexico City. The potential for market expansion in Japan, with Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) averaging around 28.7 million total attendees over the course of a season, and a massive interest in baseball from the whole Japanese population. 

The NBA is also trying its hand at finding a market internationally. Apart from the Toronto Raptors, 2 games last season were played internationally, in Mexico City, Mexico, and Paris, France. There were also 2 preseason games in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Similar to baseball and Shohei Ohtani, the NBA is also parlaying its success through foreign players. “They’re driving such significant interest in their home countries and around the world. Last season, we saw TV viewership grow in several European countries, and it’s no surprise that those countries are consistent with where we’re seeing the great European players playing and driving interest in their region,” said Samantha Engelhardt, the NBA’s senior Vice President of Global Strategy and Innovation. With the momentum heading in the right direction, what is the NBA’s plan to capitalize on its newfound international success? According to Engelhardt, there are three parts. Global outreach to kids, more accessible live games, and sharper market focus. These strategies, paired with the star power they already have playing for them should, in theory, be a recipe for success. 

In the 2024 NFL season, 9 games will be played overseas, including the NFL’s first matchups in South America and Spain. One market, however, is still vacant from the 2024 schedule. Australia and New Zealand are now among the select few areas of the world that will not have an NFL game. “At this time we do not have plans to play a game in Australia but are firmly committed to finding more ways to serve our passionate and growing fanbase in Australia and New Zealand,” said NFL COO Damani Leech in an interview with Sports Business Journal. The Canadian Football League (CFL) has never found success in the US, but the Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell thinks it might not be the same for the NFL. “I’m from Western New York and I spent a lot of time in Canada as a young kid. I have nothing but admiration for Toronto, I think it’s a great city. It continues to evolve; it continues to grow. It certainly could be a great city for an NFL team.” Although the awareness of football grows internationally, there are still a lot of hurdles for a potential expansion team. A lack of international athletes, time change issues, 4 different expansion teams required to maintain divisional equity, financial issues, and no international football culture all mean that the chances of a successful international team in the near future are slim. 

Three of the biggest American sports leagues are trying to go international. More international matchups, players, and maybe even teams seem to be on the horizon. If this trend continues, where will fans draw the line between a classic American league and an International powerhouse?

The Dark Side of Women’s Basketball

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Louisiana State University, A college known for sports, tailgates, and an upbeat student life, has had one of our generation’s most historic sports seasons. With women’s basketball becoming increasingly popular, it’s no wonder their talented, renowned players are being praised for their intricate skills and innovative techniques that make women’s basketball so popular. However, good things do bring issues. Recently, Louisiana women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey has been under fire for making many irresponsible coaching decisions, and repeatedly tone-deaf comments about her players. Due to this, the bad side of women’s basketball has come to light. One of the main comments that has put Mulkey under fire was her many homophobic comments about former Baylor University basketball player Brittney Griner. Lsureveille.com states, “Griner said she felt that Mulkey wouldn’t have approved if she had publicly come out as gay. She also said that Mulkey required her to cover up her tattoos by wearing long sleeves under her jersey. Both Griner and a Baylor teammate sourced in the article said Mulkey and the coaching staff thought that having an openly gay player would look bad for recruiting.”. Although these comments were sourced back to 2013, Mulkey works very closely with LGBTQ+ players, with almost 22.7% of the WNBA being members of the lesbian community. It is hard to be comfortable with a coach who doesn’t respect who you are, or recognize your community as valid. Many players believe that she ‘went after’ gay players, making comments about their clothes, and singling them out for their sexuality. Basketball player Kelli Griffin (Baylor) made many comments about her frequent targetting. This was due to Mulkey drawing attention to Griffin’s clothes and issuing a suspension that ultimately ended the player’s career. Griffin believes it started after Mulkey found out she was gay. 

The Washington Post has also accused Mulkey of continuing to accept interviews even though she was suspected to have COVID-19, they state “In November, she told reporters after a road game that they could blame her if they were sick at Thanksgiving. ‘I ain’t a sissy,’ she said, holding a tissue and choking back sniffles. ‘I’ve got some kind of cold. It might be covid, but I ain’t testing.”. This controversial attitude has put Mulkey under fire and made LSU as an educational institution seem uninterested in their students’ safety. Additionally, Mulkey’s explosive and fiery attitude over basketball has also bled into many of her interviews. Recently told journalists in an after-game press conference that she plans to seek legal action against The Washington Post. This was due to their article which criticizes Mulkey’s dismissive attitude amongst her LGBTQ+ players. 

Mulkey is an exceptional coach. She led the team to win their first-ever championship in 2023, challenging players like Caitlin Clark, and devising winning plays is the sole reason the team was able to win with a score of 102-85. Her flashy outfits and unique reactions in the game were also one of the reasons why women’s basketball has become so increasingly popular. Mulkey needs to work on the way she treats her players, but not how she treats the game. It’s clear she has just gotten out of touch with the challenges of being a collegiate athlete and additionally needs to educate and open her mind about the LGBTQ+ community. 

MLB Pitcher Injuries

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It’s early May, The MLB season is just getting started, the World Series is still months away. Yet already in 2024 there have been enough pitcher injuries to make you think it would be late August. Spencer Strider, the ace of the Atlanta Braves, is out for the year, reigning Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara is out for the year, Shane Beiber is out for the year, and Gerrit Cole got hurt early in his spring training starts. All of these pitchers are out for one all too familiar reason that has been taking over the MLB in the last few years, injuries to the elbow or shoulder. Over the last few years, there have been more and more headlines about career-altering injuries to pitchers to the point that it has become a serious issue for Major League Baseball, one that needs to be addressed. 

While there are many different conclusions on why there is this spike in injuries, there is one common theme, the hunt for velocity. In 2002, Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics built a team based on analytics and baseball was forever changed, it became less of a game and more of a math problem. Players were turned into numbers and stats and  pitcher injuries could be one consequence of the analytical side of baseball. In a February interview, just a few months before he went down with a season-ending elbow injury, Spencer Strider addressed what MLB front offices are looking for, “front offices are paying for strikeouts and home runs”. Front offices are no longer looking for good pitchers or good fits for their team, they are looking at the numbers, who will get the most strikeouts, who throws the hardest, and who spins it the most”. In 2007 the average MLB pitcher velocity was 91.9 and it is now 94.2. Front offices are looking at the analytics, and the analytics say to find the hardest throwing guys.. However, analytics do not take into account just how well a player will hold up. In a recent thread on X, Oakland A’s pitcher Alex Wood talked about the rise in pitcher injuries, “When I first came into professional baseball in 2012 as soon as the season ended I usually wouldn’t touch a baseball until December…. If you told a young player today that they had to take 8-10 weeks off throwing in the offseason and couldn’t touch a mound until at least the middle of January they would think you’re crazy.” Wood makes a good point here, not only has velocity increased since 2012 but competition within the game as well. Pitchers have gotten so good that essentially if you take time off then you could be risking your job. Justin Verlander went as far as calling the pitcher injuries a “pandemic” in one of his early-year interviews. It is very clear that Major League Baseball has a problem, and the question is how do they fix it. 

If MLB pitcher injuries continue to rise then there are a number of things that can happen, the first is the product on the field gets worse. People pay to watch the best of the best duel it out and if the best pitchers are sidelined due to injury such as Spencer Strider and Shohei Ohtani then it hurts the product and MLB as a whole. It also could affect the pitching market as a whole. Currently, in the NFL, running backs are being severely underpaid and are being signed to very short contracts because of how common injuries are. If injuries continue in the MLB something like this could happen to the market for pitchers and pitchers will not be paid what they are worth. While the solution might not be known, it is clear the MLB is facing a pandemic and one they need to fix for the health of their players for the good of the game.

Spring Sports Special

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Photo contributed by Myers Park Softball

As the flowers bloom and the sun shines longer and brighter, spring sports come into the light and shine through the school year. Myers Park is known for our sports team, most notably our basketball team, but this season is for spring sports. Spring sports at the park offer an array of different events that are for everyone. From traditional favorites like baseball and track to sports like girl’s flag football, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! As winter comes to a close and the weather starts to get warmer, more athletes emerge to prepare themselves for the next exciting season ahead and that season is spring sports season. At the crack of a bat, our baseball and softball teams take off to a good start of the season.

Well, let’s take a look at the track, where Senior Ryann Smith takes over the track and dominates her events in every meet. I spoke with her to ask about her excitement and motivation for the spring season. I asked her “ Why did she choose track?”  “I chose track because I’ve always loved running and felt pretty fast. I knew it wasn’t an easy sport but I felt like it was something I could do well in. Maybe even go to college for it.”-Smith.  I followed up the question with “What motivates her to strive on the track and succeed?” “Family and my teammates is what motivates me to strive on the track and succeed. I want to be able to say that my family is proud of me not only for my academic achievements, but also for my ability to balance athletics as well. I would also love to be that person that my teammates can look up to and remember how hard to work once I graduate.”-Smith. Finally, I asked about her opinion on spring sports at the park and how it affects her as an athlete. “Honestly I love all things spring. I think it’s a great time to play any sport. For me, I feel happier and more energized in during the time of spring sports. Like it’s literally just a whole new atmosphere that I would hope most athletes, including myself, can thrive in.”-Smith. Let us take a sprint from the track and onto the field, where senior Chassidy Long will take over the field as she prepares to take on the flag football season on our most recently added girl’s flag football team. I spoke with her about this upcoming season, what motivates her, and how she feels about spring sports at the Park. I started off the interview with asking about her thoughts on the spring season of flag football: “As a senior, this season is a little nostalgic for me because this is my second year participating and I’m really enjoying the bonding and new experiences but a little sad I’m going to be leaving my teammates behind.”-Long After this I asked her why she chose flag football? 

“I chose women’s flag football because it piqued my interest as a male sport, but specifically for women, and I wanted to try something new to jump out of my comfort zone.” I followed up with asking her about what motivates her,  what keeps her going and striving on the field, “Knowing that I have a whole team and supportive coaches that have my back on and off the field motivates me.” Long.  Track, flag football, baseball, and softball are not the only spring sports this season; at the park, we also have golf, girls’ and boys’ lacrosse, soccer, and tennis. Sports and opportunities for students to strive and break through traditional sports like baseball and soccer and persevere through sports like flag football and golf. There is something for everyone here at the park!

Winter Sports Recap

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Photo contributed by Dimitri Katsanos

After an impressive fall sports season, the Mustangs backed it up with a jaw-dropping winter season. Multiple sports made the State playoffs, led by the Women’s swim team, who won the state championship, and the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams who both made it to the 4th round of the State Playoffs. Additionally, Mary Bonner Dalton helped lead the women’s track and field team to a 10th-place finish at States.

The Myers Park Seastangs Swim and Dive team had an excellent season under first-year head coach Ben Sharrer. The win by the Women’s team was the third consecutive State Title for the program. The Men’s swim team also had a solid, 6th-place finish. The Dive team also had an outstanding performance led by Sophomore Nate Robinson who won 4th place overall. Seastang Kayman Neal also received the NCHSAA Sportsmanship Award at States.

The Men’s Basketball team had a dominant season and was nationally ranked, being as high as the number 3 team in the country. They lost to North Meck in the 4th round of the State playoffs, but went undefeated in conference play and won the conference tournament, finishing the season with a 27-3 record and were the highest seed in the 4A West. The team won their first-ever John Wall Holiday Invitational Championship and won both of their games at the City of Jasper Holiday Classic. Also, the players were not short of individual accolades, with Seniors Sir Mohammed and Bishop Boswell, accumulating over 1000 points. Junior Sadiq White also accomplished the feat this season, achieving it in just 3 years. White’s dominant play also earned him the honors of SoMeck Conference Player of the Year. He made 1st team all district along with Mohammed and Boswell, who both received the honor for the second year in a row.

The Women’s Basketball team had an equally impressive season, also going 27-3, earning the 4th seed in the 4A West division of the Conference. The team made it to the 4th round of the playoffs before losing to Watauga, who was the number one seed. The team went undefeated in conference play during the regular season and made it to the championship game of the conference tournament, narrowly losing 53-51 to Ardrey Kell. The team had many high-performing players, led by Senior Jerin Truesdale, who won her second consecutive SoMeck 4A Conference Player of the Year and received 2nd team all-district honors. She also scored her 1000th point and gathered her 500th rebound this year. On top of that, Freshman Amani Barner and Junior Chayla McDaniel were both selected for the SoMeck All-Conference team. Coach Barbra Nelson was named the SoMeck 4A Women’s Coach of the Year for the team’s outstanding season.

The Myers Park Indoor Track also had an excellent performance this year with Senior Mary Bonner Dalton leading the way. At States, she placed 1st in the 3200 Meter Race and 2nd in the 1600 Meter. In the Shot Put competition, Solomon Young finished 5th, and Mariama Hunt placed  6th in the Triple Jump. The women’s team had a standout performance, finishing 10th at the State Championship.

The impressive winter season will go a long way for the Mustangs as we compete for the Wells Fargo Cup in the 4A classification and for the Conference Cup. Both awards are given to the top overall performing school in their respective classification and conference. Points are earned based on the performance of each of the school’s eligible teams throughout the year. The top-ranked team in the State will receive a Silver Cup and Banner. The top team in each conference will receive a Silver Cup as well. After the winter season, the Mustangs are in. Congratulations to all of our athletes and coaching staff on a tremendous winter season.

The Future of High School Sports

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Photo contributed by NCHSAA

Spring sports are in the air, and so is the change coming to high school sports. In the next few years, we will see some of the changes coming to high school sports as they are significantly changed in the years to come. In the fall, our school will have a new conference rival, the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness deals (NIL), and shift the responsibility of the NCHSAA as it currently stands. In the future, we will see an expanded classification system with conference realignment in 2025-2026.

One of the most impactful changes will be the addition of a new conference opponent to our sports teams’ schedules as Ballantyne Ridge High School opens its doors in the fall. The athletic teams will be known as the Ballantyne Ridge Wolves, wearing orange, gray, and Carolina blue. Ballantyne joined the conference two years after Palisades, another relief high school, opened its doors. The Wolves will be the 7th team in the conference and intend to offer all sponsored CMS sports with both JV and Varsity teams. The school’s athletics will be led by newly hired athletic director Jeff Smith and will be hiring coaches in the coming months.  

Another change is the adoption of the NIL policy for private school athletes. The main governing body of independent high schools, the NCISAA, approved NIL deals for private schools athletes in February. Under the rules established, schools can not use NIL to recruit students, and students are prohibited from doing deals that promote certain activities such as alcohol, gambling, and cannabis. The approved proposal was similar to that of the public school body, the NCHSAA, who attempted to introduce NIL to public schools last year but was shut down by legislators. The recent move by the NCISAA has raised fears that private schools will be able to lure public school students looking to receive NIL money, creating an increasing gap between public and private schools.

NIL was not the only thing impacted by the legislature, as politicians in Raleigh passed a bill that dramatically reshaped the authority of the NCHSAA. The bill handicaps the ability of the Association to raise money and provide scholarships and would give much authority to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Catherine Truitt. The Association would have to work more closely with the Superintendent’s Office moving forward, with the full impacts not being for a couple of years. The most impactful implication is a potentially degraded championship experience, caused by the loss of corporate sponsorships. This could lead to games being moved from large venues to small school facilities which would create ticket crunches similar to last year’s regional game between Myers Park and North Mecklenburg.

While those impacts are still speculative, one of the most important changes is the expansion of the school classification system in North Carolina, moving from 1A-4A all the way to 8A, creating 4 additional classifications. The new classification would coincide with conference realignment in the 2025-2026 school year, and would provide room for growth for the NCHSAA as more schools are added. Hopefully this change will create a more even playing field between schools because schools would be placed according to average daily membership numbers, which correlates to school size. Some do fear that the new classification would disadvantage schools by taking away school performance as a factor in aligning the school, as was previously the case in the 1A-4A system.

Ultimately, high school sports will face many changes and challenges in the years to come. Regardless of these changes, one thing that will never change is how high school sports are such a significant part of the high school experience.  Our lives are forever touched by the experience of high school sports, whether we are athletes or spectators cheering on our teams.