I'm thrilled to announce that next week, I'll be starting my new role as the South Carolina athletics beat writer for
@GreenvilleNews
, focusing on women's basketball and football. I can’t wait to start and join everyone in the
@USATODAY
South Region!! More thoughts below.
Inbox per ESPN: “Hootie in the House – Longtime GameDay supporter, USC alum and famed musician Darius Rucker – who served as guest picker in Sept. 2023 when South Carolina faced UNC in Charlotte – will join the show and offer a special performance from his alma mater.”
"I was really proud to be inspired by (Wilson) and I wanted to show that," Jordan told me.
She’s in 4th grade, she has dyslexia and came to school dressed as A’ja for Dyslexia Awareness Month.
A’ja Wilson just signed a multi-year contract with Gatorade. Her basketball accolades are endless. The 2x MVP is an icon, an All Star.
I spoke with three girls inspired by A’ja, especially after she opened up about her dyslexia.
Read their stories here:
I'm excited to announce that I’m starting a new job at The Ringer
@ringer
! I have so many people to thank and so many things to be grateful for. I feel nothing but excitement and gratitude heading into this new chapter 🥳
A bit of ~personal~ news. I will be interning with Sports Illustrated
@SInow
this summer!
I am beyond excited and so thankful for this opportunity. I can’t wait to get started 🥳
Today marks my last game in Mullins. I’ll save the tears for later but I want to say a massive thank you to UMass athletics, the staff inside Mullins, my fellow student reporters and
#umasstwitter
for supporting my work. Mullins will always be home.
A year ago I wrote about being the only woman in the sports section of the Collegian. Now, a year later the sports section is back with an entire special issue featuring six female writers. Proud is an understatement. Check it out here ⬇️
I am so incredibly grateful to be the next Sports Editor. The Collegian means so much to me and I can’t wait to work alongside so many talented, intelligent and kind people next year 🥳
We couldn’t be happier to announce
@LuluKesin
as the Sports Editor for
@MDCollegian
next fall!
Lulu has done great things in her time with the sports section and will continue to push the section in the future!
I've covered UMass women's bball for three years now. The win the Minutewomen just pulled out over Fordham is easily one of the best games I've seen in my time on the beat. Huge win, great basketball from both teams. FINAL: 80-79, Ber'Nyah Mayo game winner and 29 points.
Markeshia Grant came back to South Carolina women’s basketball with a love for team building. Dawn Staley trusted her, and it paid off as South Carolina won the 2024 national championship, never losing a game.
My story on Grant here:
Graduation brings so many emotions but I’ll say I’m incredibly grateful for all this school has given me. Cheers to the class of 2023 and everyone I’ve met along the way. All love 🫶🏼🎓🌷💌
Tory Verdi is a family man. He cares about others. On the court, he demands excellence. He craves opportunity. My feature on UMass women’s basketball’s program builder:
To everyone who has supported my beat coverage of UMass wbb these last three years, I want to say a massive thank you. My final gamer for the Collegian here:
My final Collegian byline and probably the most personal thing I’ve ever written. It’s way too hard to say goodbye but never too hard to say thank you.
@MDC_Sports
changed my life. Read how here:
Started off the season driving to Tennessee together, finishing off the season on TV. Excited to join
@nathanpstrauss
on NESN+ tomorrow as UMass WBB takes on GW on senior day! Tune in at 4
Kya Thames said goodbye to cheerleading, her first love, and welcomed Theo, her forever love, to the world on Feb. 13. My story on Kya and Noah Fernandes’ journey to parenting:
My sweet papa passed away last week. I love this picture because of his big smile and the newspapers next to him. I lived with him this summer and can say that 21 years later, the smile was just as big and the newspapers were read.
From the little girl playing on the court and on the field, to the young woman with a microphone in front of the camera, and now with a pen and paper on the sidelines.
I am grateful for all the places this industry brings me. Happy
#NGWSD
to all my heroes, past and present.
UMass will hold its Pride Day game on October 8, when Liberty comes to Amherst. It will be the first of many Pride Day celebrations on campus, as UMass football will make the celebration an annual event. My story below:
Ber’Nyah Mayo just won the A-10 Championship in front of her friends and family.
Check out my story where I detailed the Delaware native’s championship performance:
UMass women’s basketball just completed an insane run. Drake did not score a single point in OT. Minutewomen score 100 points, went on a 17-0 run in extra minutes. Four players in double figures. Just incredible basketball and fight for
@UMassWBB
.
UMass just played astonishing basketball in the overtime period as the Minutewomen defeated Drake 100-83 after being down as many as 10 in the third. My game recap here:
The Collegian changed my life. I graduate in May and all I want is for the next wave of sports reporters to have the same opportunities we had this year. The future is so bright, help us ensure these young writers cover some big games and support student journalism 🫶🏼😇
📰 Staff Spotlight: What do your donations mean to us?
❤️ The Daily Collegian appreciates any support we receive. Please consider making a contribution to our free and responsible press and help amplify student voices!
🌐 Donate to our MinuteFund today:
I’ve always been in sports, just switched up my job title over the years 😉. I love what I do, who I do it with and what I do it for. Happy
#NGWSD2023
from me to you 🥳🫶🏼
ROLL CALLLLL! You know since it’s National Girls & Women in Sports Day, we have to show off our childhood sports pics. Gather the pics and let’s see a little you doing what you love 🥹🫶🏾
I’ve spent three years on the beat, I’ve covered three A10 championships and today was the most thrilling final by far. UMass came up short to a tough, talented Saint Louis team in overtime. I detail the game here:
thinking about how some dude in my sports journalism class hit me with the “I’d like to see the facts on that” then proceeded to use incorrect facts to disagree with what I said.
I am SO proud of all the writers who wrote incredible pieces in this special issue. The sports section works so hard 24/7 and are deserving of all your appreciation and praise. Please check it out! It’s been one hell of a year and MDC sports has covered it all!
Today we release our 2022 Winter Sports Special Issue. Over the last week, we released feature stories written by winter beat writers, and now the issue is published in full. Check out our work below.
I am beyond proud of the work we did this year. The Collegian means so much to me and I’m so grateful for the stories I get to write, the people I get to work with and the time I’ve spent with the paper in 2021. Please give this thread a read. Cheers to 2022.
BREAKING: I've confirmed that the South Carolina women's basketball team has accepted an invitation to appear at the White House on Sept. 10 to celebrate its 2024 national championship.
The UConn men's team will also be honored on Tuesday
Story here:
My internship at SI shaped my career for the better. Everyone was so kind, so intelligent. A company filled with brilliant journalists, artists and people. My heart breaks for everyone.
It’s game day for UMass. Unfortunately we couldn’t make it to Oklahoma for the game but
@araujo_michael_
@DilucaJames
and I have worked so hard on the beat all season long so we’d appreciate if you could read our stories while we cover from the 413!
UMass is set to face Notre Dame on Saturday and will look to play true Minutewomen basketball for all 40 minutes. I preview the matchup here and narrow in on some specifics before the big game ⬇️
South Carolina assistant coach Lisa Boyer told me Kamilla Cardoso has a gift. Just four days from the WNBA draft, read my latest on Cardoso here where I detail that gift, work ethic and more⤵️
Good morning (ish) from Mullins. Rumor has it, there should be 4,000 kiddos in the building today to watch UMass wbb take on VCU. Tip off is scheduled for 12. Follow along for updates/game coverage
Two of the kindest, most hard working individuals I know. Their last game in Mullins but not the last of them as reporters. Their future is so bright and I’m so grateful I got to witness their magic in Mullins these past few years.
Hello and good morning! So much has happened this fall sports season and I am beyond impressed by the work that the sports section has done so far
@MDC_Sports
This past weekend was FILLED with UMass sports content so ICYMI, let me fill you in:
Thread: I want to give another huge shoutout to the incredible
@colinmccarth_DC
@kaygregoire
and
@sophieewellerr
who were amazing on the hockey beat this year. Kayla, only a freshman proved how bright the future of the Collegian is. Confident and a brilliant writer. So proud 🥳
Down goes No. 1 in the A-10 Rhode Island. UMass picks up massive win on the road: 78-57. That is 11 straight wins for the Minutewomen. Stories to come for
@MDC_Sports
A little less than 10 min till tip-off here in Rhode Island. Game of the year for both teams. UMass (21-4) vs URI (21-3) . Follow along for
@MDC_Sports
coverage
Hi! On a personal note, a lot happened in 2022. Good, bad, challenges, success and I am grateful for it all. Indulge me as I take a little trip down memory lane with this thread
I've put this off for too long, but Saturday was my last day at the Gazette. It's been an unforgettable almost eight years. Western Mass and that paper made me the writer and the person I am. Thank you everyone for letting some guy from Colorado be apart of your sports scene