After the extremely successful singles tennis tournament, RA Ryan Biddle decided to host another tournament after the scholars expressed interest in playing and watching tennis. This time, instead of a singles tournament, Biddle maximized participants by making it a doubles tournament. On Saturday, 45 teams and a total of 90 competitors geared up to play! With the same one set match and no ad scoring, the tournament demanded precision from the teams if they wanted to make a deep run. Reigning singles champ Megan Null and Kate LeBuhn were contested favorites along with Rowan McCollum and Emma Wright. The two favorites cruised their way to the final four along with Hewett Lessenberry and Zach Hall, and Sawyer Cannon and Teddy Sizemore. Megan and Kate advanced to the finals with ease as they discombobulated Sawyer and Teddy 6-1 . Rowan and Emma had a tougher time with Hewett and Zach but held on to win in a 7-6 fashion, setting the stage for the highly anticipated matchup of the favorites in the final. As the finals rolled around, max capacity was exceeded at the courts, causing a large number of spectators to stand or climb in nearby trees to view the match. Rowan dominated with his powerhouse serve and Megan showed her typical finesse on her backhands. Rowan and Emma pulled away early and claimed a 6-2 win to earn the honor of holding the invisible doubles cup trophy. With Rowan and Emma standing atop the imaginary podium and Megan and Kate just below them, Hewett and Zach were able to take the third place spot leaving Sawyer and Teddy in fourth place. The end of the doubles tournament signifies the end of the tennis hype on the Centre Campus which correlates perfectly with the end of our time here at GSP. With the final creating more hype than ever, it inspired our very own Noah Francis to create a College GameDay style set up along with Brendan Pineda to cover the final. This includes pre and post-game interviews as well as fan interviews that can be found below. by Tony Phillips, Noah Francis, & Ethan Schuff
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The first two weeks of the Governor's Scholars Program just seemed to be missing something. Of course, everyone was ecstatic and excited to meet new people and make the most of their experience. However, the late-night yard games weren't complete until Family Day on July 4th, when some scholars spent the day at their homes and brought back with them two slabs of wood and a couple bags. The traditional, backyard game of cornhole simply means more for a select few scholars. When others lined up to play spikeball or to toss a frisbee, these scholars introduced corn hole to the slate of late night activities for the GSP community. Pictured below are Parker Cruz, Bryce Imel, Ben Gloyd, Kaden Fergerson, and Jonah Ferguson. Even while watching the NBA Finals or Home Run Derby in their dorm rooms, the corn hole connoisseurs would play the game we love on commercial breaks and miss some of the action to spend time with the community. by Noah Francis & Tony Phillips The UEFA EURO is a soccer tournament that happens every four years. While competition is limited to European countries, the tournament spanned almost the entirety of our five week stay here at Centre. This came as a travesty to many scholars as they were desperate to watch the Finals, which began on July 11th, but were unable to do so--until RA Zach Budd created a watch party for the championship game.
Attendees packed the lecture classroom in Young Hall as England faced off against Italy. The match lived up to the hype as the game went into extra time with both teams knotted up at 1-1. With both teams unable to bring home the winning goal they headed into the deciding factor: penalty kicks. Then, the scholars split up into two sides of the room. England fans composed one side and Italy fans were on the other. Hype man Brendan “Hollywood P” Pineda was on the side of The Blues (Italy) and riled up the Italian fans with many cheers, while Jackson Baird used his Great Britain flag to do the same for The Three Lions (England) section. In the end, Italy won the shootout in a score of 3-2, allowing Brendan Pineda and his Italian fan club to celebrate and watch their team lift the trophy in the late English nighttime. Cheers of “Football’s coming Rome” could be heard all throughout Young 113 and are still echoing through the Centre Campus today. by Tony Phillips Photo Courtesy of Google Images. Tonight brings Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are currently up 2-1, as this is the last home game the Bucks will play until Game 6 (if necessary). This is a must win for the Bucks, as a loss would put the team down 3-1 going into Game 5, which will be played at the Suns home court. This game will lay heavily on big-time players from both the Suns and the Bucks.
For the Bucks, they will need a complete game from their supporting cast: Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. In Game 2, two time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had posted an INSANE stat line of 42 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. As impressive has his stat line was, the rest of the team couldn't contribute. Co-stars Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton "sold" the game, as Holiday had 17 points on 33% shooting from the field and three, while Middleton had 11 points on 31% shooting from the field and 16% from three. This truly cannot happen if the Bucks even want a chance to win a game. It does not matter how bad the Suns play, they will never win with stat lines like that. Now, Game 3 showed that the Bucks can help support Giannis' big games. Giannis had 41 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists as the Bucks cruised to cut the lead down to 2-1 in Game 3 by winning 120-100. The supporting cast was the difference between their Game 2 loss and Game 3 win. Jrue Holiday had 21 points and 9 assists on 57% shooting from the field and 50% from three. Khris Middleton had 18 points on 43% from three point territory. The differences in Giannis performances are slim to none, but the supporting cast of the Bucks were night to day. Bottomline, the Bucks must need a good supporting cast for Giannis to have a chance to win the NBA Finals. For the Suns, a win in Milwaukee will ultimately win them the series. Only one team in NBA history has overcame a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals (2016 Cleveland Cavaliers), and the majority of the Cavaliers' success then could be attributed to injuries of their opponent. In Game 2, the Suns starting 5 DOMINATED from start to end. Chris Paul had 23 points and 8 assists on 50% shooting from the field and 60% from three, while Devin Booker had 31 points on 48% shooting from the field and 58% from three. Simultaneously, Miles Bridges had himself a night with 27 points and 7 rebounds. Even Jae Crowder had 11 points and 10 rebounds. The only weak spot was Ayton, as he "only" had 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks. This dominating performance won them Game 2 118-108, and showed what a true complete game was for them. Game 3 was a different story. All starters struggled, as Chris Paul was the leading scorer with 19 points. The only bright spot for the Suns was DeAndre Ayton, has he had 18 points on 9 rebounds. Devin Booker, who is the Suns go to scorer, had only 10 points on 21% shooting. This is unacceptable, as the Suns will need all the firepower to help stop the on fire Giannis. Keys Players for Game 5: DeAndre Ayton (Suns) This is an obvious choice. When Ayton is playing well under the basket and cleaning boards, the Suns are a much better team. Ayton's scrappiness will lead to fast break opportunities, more open shots for the Suns, and a rim protector on the defensive side of the floor. Khris Middleton (Bucks) This is also another obvious choice. When Middleton plays and shoots well, the Bucks are unbeatable. When Middleton isn't on, he overshoots and ultimately costs the Bucks the game. The Bucks need Middleton to shoot well tonight to tie up the series at 2-2. Cameron Johnson (Suns) Off the bench, Johnson has proven himself to be 3-and-D player. When he can come off the bench and shoot 50% from three and lockdown defense, the Suns use this boost and typically go on runs when Johnson is in the game. Pat Connaughton (Bucks) Connaughton's playing time in the playoffs and off the bench has sky rocketed due to injuries. The Bucks need Connaughton's shooting off the bench to help produce when Middleton is on the bench rather catching a break or just not hitting anything. by Kaden Fergerson & Noah Francis In the wake of the tennis club starting its own singles tournament, the sport has caught fire here at GSP in 2021. Thirty-two scholars competed over the three day span to become the singles champion. The matches were decided in a one set competition with no ad scoring, meaning that there would be little room for error. The tournament was a great place for participants to display their skills, as well as giving other scholars the opportunity to form a tennis community. The tournament concluded on July 12th when Megan Null and Nathan Quach went head-to-head in the championship game. Scholars filled the stands and Hollywood P took the role of ball boy for the match. There was a tentative feel in the air, as the rain that had delayed previous matches was falling on the morning of the match once again. Fortunately, the rain stopped long enough before their match, allowing the courts to dry and the competition to continue. Null jumped out to an early lead and never relinquished it as she cruised to a 6-2 win over Quach. She celebrated her win by lifting up the invisible singles cup trophy and even signed our showcase writer Ethan Schuff’s arm before leaving. Due to the overwhelming support for the singles tournament, the doubles tournament hopes to exceed expectations as it kicks off on Thursday, July 15th. With even more teams competing in this tournament, it is sure to draw more scholars to the Centre courts and the game we have all come to love. by Tony Phillips & Noah Francis Every Saturday morning at Centre College, GSP scholars have gathered together to play a soccer game on the turf field at James Farris Stadium. Each team has 11 players and wears either blue or gray shirts for two 35-minute halves. While the weather in Danville has consistently been hot and humid over our first three weeks, this past week featured a bout of drizzles and downpours. Saturday, July 10th seemed to be an exception—until it wasn't.
With 15 minutes left in the second half, the score was tied and the sun was still shining very bright. All of a sudden, the sky shifted from pure sun to predominant cloudiness. To Camryn Lagrange, a Western Kentucky University soccer commit, "It was hot and then it just got really cold and dark. [The rain] started as a sprinkle and then turned to a downpour really fast." While many ran for cover underneath the gym, her first instinct was to find the four balls she brought with her to the game. Nothing speaks greater volumes for bonding as a community than having a teammate collect your own wet shoes in the chaos to find cover away from the barrage of rain. Many clothes were wet and scholars were soaked, but no one was harmed in this GSFlood. Despite the match ending in a draw, most scholars took the experience as a win and a memorable part of their GSP life. In fact, the limited activity outside has sparked creative card games inside, such as Mao and Poker. Overall, scholars have not let weather interrupt the camaraderie in the community. by Noah Francis Photo Courtesy of Google Images. As a brief member of The GSPaper, I am continuing the UFC series I have started on the Centre Central. For fight predictions this past week, I was correct on 3 out of 5 fights.
For the start of the main card, I had predicted that "Suga" Sean O'Malley would have won by TKO. I ended up standing correct on my prediction, as O'Malley knocked out UFC new comer Kris Moutinho. As O'Malley landed 230 total strikes, he completely dominated the fight. However, Moutinho had won the fans respect through his toughness and his will not to give up. He was even knocked down at one point, and when official Herb Dean had to put an end to the contest, he was confused on where he was at. He still fought and traded blows with O'Malley all fight. This won the respect and hearts of almost the whole UFC fanbase, as social media was in awe of how tough of a late replacement Moutinho had been. In typical O'Malley fashion, he called out many of the UFC Men's Bantamweight top contenders, such as Cody Garbrandt and former champion Petr Yan. The end of the fight came with some controversy as official Herb Dean was called out for an early stoppage; however, the stoppage easily saved some years for Moutinho's career. Overall, this was by far the most interesting fight of the main card. What's next for both fighters: "Suga" Sean O'Malley As I see this and his previous fight boosting O'Malley into the top 15 contenders for Bantamweight, an intriguing matchup with Cody Garbrandt would be a very fun and beneficial fight for both fighters. This matchup could easily co-headline a major UFC card, as O'Malley and Garbrandt's major popularness within the MMA community would be a dream match up for fans. A matchup with Rob Font would also be another intriguing option for O'Malley. Kris Moutinho An instant fan favorite, Moutinho should be awarded a guaranteed UFC contract by Dana White. I feel as Moutinho needs to be challenged by any new comer in the UFC, as giving him a full training camp will allow him to top his performance against O'Malley. The next fight of the main card was a Women's Bantamweight fight between Irene Aldana and Yana Kunitskaya. I was wrong on my prediction, as I had previously picked Kunitskaya to win by decision. Irene Aldana won the fight 4 minutes and 35 seconds into the first round by punches. Aldana, who previously lost to top contender Holly Holm, came back by dominating all realms of MMA over Kunitskaya. She out struck Yana, as well as out controlling her on the ground as well. What's next for both fighters: Irene Aldana This win has helped put Aldana into the title conversation. Before a fight for the championship belt is awarded, a rematch with Holly Holm would help boost her stock to the next in line. Yana Kunitskaya As this loss breaks Yana's 2 fight win streak, this fight will push her track to a title shot just a bit back. The next matchup for Yana needs to be a top 10 fighter to help push her back into the top 5 conversation for Women's Bantamweight division. The battle of the heavyweight sluggers, Tai Tuivasa and Greg Hardy, was the next match. I again had predicted this fight wrong, as I had predicted Greg Hardy would win by knockout. Tuivasa proved me wrong, as he knocked out Hardy cold with a counter hook one minute and seven seconds into the fight round. This cemented Tuivasa's place in Heavyweight, as this win puts Tuivasa on a 3 fight win streak. As the knockout was a highlight among itself, that wasn't what had social media popping off about Tuivasa. His pre-fight walk, he came into the octagon singing to Spice Girls. Thats not all, after his knockout on Hardy, he climbed onto the Octagon railing, and grabbed a shoe and a beer from popular social media star "Steve-will- do it", and chugged a beer out of his shoe. His post fight walk he was doing the same to everyone who gave him a shoe and a beer. The fight however was spectacular, as Hardy had rocked Tuivasa, Tuivasa remained composed as Hardy bull-rushed for the knockout. Tuivasa used a nice sweet counter to knock Hardy out cold. What's next for both fighters: Tai Tuivasa This fight will ultimately move Tuivasa into the top-15 contender for heavyweight. With his continued 3 fight win streak, a fight against 11th ranked Blagoy Ivanov will test how good Tai Tuivadsa can be. Greg Hardy As Greg Hardy took an extended break from MMA to work on his craft, which he looked more improved. As heeded rock Tuivasa, one punch took him from almost winning to knocked out cold. As Hardy is 2-3 in his last 5 fights, he needs to work back up his rankings by winning against unranked opponents, or he could find himself cut from the UFC. For the co-main event, it was for sure a chess match as I had predicted, but it surely didn't live up to the hype of the fight. As I predicted Gilbert Burns to submit fellow Welterweight Stephen Thompson, I was halfway correct, as Burns won by Unanimous Decision (29-28). As the first two rounds were split between the two, the third round started off in Stephen Thompsons favor. Thompson rattled Burns with a roundhouse kick to the head and a flurry of punches. While being rattled, Burns resorted to the advantage he had over Thompson, his Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). As the fight stats showed Burns out-struck Thompson by nearly double, most of the strikes came from small punches on the ground. Burns controlled Thompson on the ground for nearly half of the fight (7:13). His BJJ ultimately won Burns the 3rd round, as after escaping being rattled by Thompson, he controlled the rest of the fight on the ground. This fight was considered by most MMA fans (myself included) as a snooze fest. The fight also had its controversy, as Burns had struck Thompson on the back of the head (which is illegal in the UFC), but was not considered as an Illegal strike. What's next for both fighters: Gilbert Burns As he won the fight, he called out fan-favorites Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, and top contender Leon Edwards. As I feel the UFC is leaning towards an Usman Colvington rematch for the title, I feel as Burns vs Edwards would be the fight to make. A win for either two would easily make the winner next in line for a title shot. Stephen Thompson As fan favorite Thompson lost by a decision, I feel like this will be his last big fight and and ultimately his last chance to contend for the title. As Thompson is now 38 and is certainly aging, we could maybe see one or two more low profile fights for Thompson, even a retirement for Thompson could be an option as well. To say the main event got stole from everybody: both fighters, the fans, and the whole sports world in general is an understatement. With tensions ever so high between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, this led to an electric, fiery first round for both fighters. As McGregor started off hot on the feet and even attempting a guillotine submission, Dustin controlled the rest of the round on the ground. He controlled McGregor on the ground for 3 minutes and 18 seconds. As the fight towards the end of the round came off the ground, a mis step by McGregor would be the end of the fight. As I predicted Poirier would win by decision, I was certainly wrong by how he actually won. Poirier won by doctors stoppage, as McGregor's missed step snapped his leg in half. This was a nasty way to end the match, as the leg had a near Kevin Ware break to it. Even more interesting was the post fight interview from both fighters. Dustin had claimed he cracked McGregor's leg through a leg check, and that he legitimately won the fight. He also hurled a couple explicits towards an injured McGregor, and said that karma is a *****. When beloved UFC Commentator Joe Rogan reached McGregor, McGregor had a couple words of his own. He was going off about how he was dominating the ground with many explicits and how that "this is not over" with his rivalry and series with Poirier. The most famous comment was "Your wife is still in me DM's. Hey baby hit me up." This just created even more intensity and created an overall dangerous environment. And to top it off, McGregor was even willing to "fight him outside because he does not give a bollocks." In the unthinkable ending to the "trilogy," a hope to a 4th fight is very well in the air. Poirier and UFC Owner Dana White has both said a rematch must happen due to the uncertainty of how the fight would've went. The first round was a very confusing one to score, as most fans rushed to social media to give their thoughts. The overall consensus was Poirier won the round on a close 10-9 call. Other fans also argued a 10-8 to Poirier and a 10-9 to McGregor. In all honesty, even while being a McGregor fan, it was a close 10-9 to Poirier. As Conor definitely won the battle on the feet and almost even submitted Poirier, Poirier recovered and dominated the ground game for the rest of the round. Now for the decision to give Poirier the win by TKO (Doctor's stoppage) was a very controversial decision that I will take a deep dive into. First though, we need to take a look into what illegal move Poirier moved to save the fight. While McGregor locked in a guillotine submission that even Poirier admitted was a very tight one that nearly put him out, he used the cage by interlocking his feet and toes on the cage to push off to gain top position. This move is an illegal move in the UFC rulebook, which can result in points taken away and even a disqualification. This move is very pivotal, as this allowed Poirier to gain control of the ground, which lead to him winning the first round. This should have been called, as this gave Poirier an illegal advantage that saved him from being submitted in the first round. Now for the ruling of the fight, it was a complete mind-boggling decision that confused me and many other UFC fans around the world. As always, decisions like these are a very popular argument on social media. Many fans argued both sides, as the decision was right as Poirier won the first round and *indirectly* made McGregor break his leg. They use this argument as McGregor was trying to push away from an attacking Poirier. The other popular side of the argument, which I totally believe should happen, is that the fight should be ruled a no-contest. The reasoning is there, as McGregor's leg was not broke from a direct attack of Poirier. It was a mis step that made McGregor break his leg. As Poirier didn't inflict any damage, and the doctor had to end the fight, a no contest call should've been made. This would allow for both sides to be happy, as McGregor doesn't get a loss notched on his record, and Poirier gets a true trilogy match. Even in an interview, he was disappointed on how the fight ended, as he wanted to make sure to prove he is the better fighters. What's next for both fighters: Dustin Poirier This is as obvious as it gets. He will get his title shot at current UFC Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Poirier resume and his overall growth as a fighter is evident to the whole world. He deserves this title fight more than anyone, as his road has been a hard earned story. He is undoubtably the best Lightweight in the UFC right now by far. Conor McGregor This is where things get interesting. With his current injury and his most recent surgery, it will be months of rehabilitation for McGregor to get into fighting shape again. The overall climate of the lightweight division will change, but as of right now, he mostly has two options. The most popular option would to take the fan favorite trilogy against Nate Diaz. This will undoubtably be the most paid PPV of all time, and a win against Diaz can help boost his stock and popularity back up. The other option could be fighting another lightweight contender such as Tony Ferguson or Michael Chandler. McGregor after a long hiatus has been thrown into the cage with the best Lightweight in the world, so a different level of high completion can help McGregor get back into the title picture and regain his confidence. Overall, the preliminary fights and the first 3 fights of the main card were fiery and great, exciting matches. However, the co-main and event didn't live up to par to the rest of the card. The co-main event was just a snooze fest, as the main event was ended in an upsetting way, as the first round showed a great rest of a fight coming in the later rounds. By Kaden Fergerson On July 1st, scholars lined up inside of the Campus Center to sign up for The Amazing Race, hoping they could lock in their team of four as one of twenty-five teams that would compete. While spots were limited, the scholars fortunate enough to claim a spot were excited for the upcoming Saturday. As July 3rd rolled around, racers prepared for the day by planning their strategy out to achieve greatness.
On the day of the race, twenty-five teams were called forward and given their first clue for the race. The ground seemingly shook as the teams broke off in a dead sprint to where their clue led them for their first of eight challenges. The challenges consisted of eating whipped cream and blowing a bubble, picking up spyglass noodles with a dry spaghetti string, solving riddles, and eating Oreo’s off of your own forehead. It was a fierce race to the end, but as in any race, only one team can prevail. Team 5, dubbed “Team Firework,” consisted of Ethan Roberts, Jackson Baird, Tony Phillips and Sawyer Cannon. At the end of the race, the fab five reached the top of the podium with a time of 27:28. In short, the team was ecstatic when they crossed the finish line. “I’m proud our hard work has paid off and it really shows how well we worked as a team because we needed everyone to carry their weight for us to achieve this," said Jackson Baird. Overall, The Amazing Race was a great event put on for the scholars, and was enjoyed by participants and spectators alike. by Tony Phillips & Noah Francis
For scholars at GSP, weekends are more than just minute breaks from classes. The two days, separating each week from the next, are full of activity and getting to know one another. On Saturday, June 26th, scholars used their weekend to participate in a night full of laughter, joy, and competition.
After choosing a theme during the first full week of classes, each team met at the Cowan Dining Center before walking to the South Campus Field, home of the women's field hockey team at Centre College. The event featured trivia, an egg race, a hula hoop game, singing, a water balloon toss, penalty kicks, and a dance party to wrap up this year's edition of the GSP Olympics. As always, I took the opportunity to film the night and made a video (linked below) to recap the excitement. Special thanks to the Pink Panthers for letting me document their journey. by Noah Francis As scholar Jackson Miller packed his bags for the five-week stay at Centre College, he did not forget his whiffle ball bat. In fact, he brought it with a purpose. When classes were over on Wednesday, June 23rd, a group of friends at the Governor Scholars Program set out to have some fun. Led by Jackson and Logan Purcell, the group met in the expansive field in front of the Northside dorms. The setting could not have been more perfect for the night. The sun was out, the grass was mowed, and a diamond-shaped field was available for the GSP community to use. The night began when scholars lined up to be counted off into four teams. After each team was formed, tournament-style play began. Teams Two and Three played each other, then Team One (self-named The Beer Belly Bombers) played Team Four. Each game consisted of three innings and the basic whiffle ball rules were applied. As the sun began to set, the quality of play intensified. The Beer Belly Bombers were playing in the highly-anticipated championship game. After working together to load the bases, the team had the perfect opportunity to win the game. It just so happened to be then and there that Jackson himself was up next to bat. With two outs and two strikes against him in the bottom of the third, Jackson "swung for the fences" and connected. When the ball left the bat with an astounding exit velocity, everyone knew where it was going: out of the park for a grand slam. The ball soared over the "Green Monster", where the towering trees acted as the left field wall. As Jackson rounded the bases to score the winning run and walk it off, the ecstatic community cheered and the night lived on. To recap the night, I had a live, post-game conversation with the game winner (see below). by Noah Francis |
AuthorNoah Francis |