The Rams will hold a top-30 visit with Texas WR Isaiah Bond in the next month. More recently, they conducted a virtual meeting with Auburn Tigers RB Jarquez Hunter, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network. The senior back is ranked No. 25 among RBs on ESPN’s 2025 NFL Draft board.
Hunter played for the Tigers from 2021 to 2024, recording 3,378 rushing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 68 receptions for 558 yards and four touchdowns over 49 games played with 27 starts. His best season occurred last year when he rushed 187 times for 1,201 yards, the second highest in the SEC, averaged a conference-high 6.4 yards per attempt, and scored eight touchdowns. For his efforts, Hunter was named first-team All-SEC in 2024 and was a second-team All-SEC selection in 2023.
Auburn RB 27 Jarquez Hunter is another prospect that has caught my eye tonight. He’s a hard runner that is tough to bring down. Competed at the Senior Bowl this year and checked in at 5’9″ and 212 pounds. He ran for 1200 yards and 8 touchdowns this season. pic.twitter.com/FukSgrBG3a
The 5-foot-9, 204-pound back ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash. He is a strong runner after contact, possesses a good vision for locating running lanes, and provides versatility as a kick returner with experience on special teams.
Hunter played high school football at Neshoba Central High School in Mississippi and was named Mr. Football for the state during his Senior year. He was the 44th ranking back in the nation and chose to play at Auburn over Mississippi State and Iowa.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion’s epic title reign screeched to a halt earlier this month at UFC 313, as Pereira finally met his match in Magomed Ankalaev. The fight, which ended in an Ankalaev unanimous decision, represented Pereira’s fourth title defense in less than one year.
Appearing Wednesday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” in his first interview since UFC 313, Pereira acknowledged it wasn’t his finest night, but said he still believes he did enough to win.
“It definitely was not my best performance,” Pereira said through his translator and longtime coach, Plinio Cruz. “It was not an on day, it was more like an off day, like I didn’t feel right.
“At the same time, these few weeks, I tried stay out of it for a little bit so I can rest and absorb everything. But I saw things that I agree [with], things that I don’t [agree with]. For example, the decision.”
Pereira and Cruz both argued their belief that the ex-champ won the first, third and fifth rounds against Ankalaev. All three cageside judges awarded Pereira the first round and two judges awarded Pereira the fifth round; the third round, however, unanimously went to Anklaev on the three official scorecards.
Going into the title fight, one of the biggest questions was how Pereira would handle Ankalaev’s vaunted grappling game. Although “Poatan” may have underperformed in the bout and ultimately lost, he surpassed expectations in the wrestling department, defending all 12 of Ankalaev’s takedown attempts.
Still, Pereira’s striking output was noticeably lower against Ankalaev than his usual offensive attack. Pereira wouldn’t say definitively, but he believes him throwing fewer punches than usual may have been a natural result of the takedown threat presence. Either way, Pereira doesn’t have any regrets.
“It makes me happy because people always criticize me,” Pereira said of his takedown defense. “I’m a kickboxer, training such a short [time] in grappling, [always hearing] that these guys are going to be too experienced for my grappling, then I go and I show it. So it’s satisfying to me to show my evolution in the game.
“[I have] a few things, of course, to adapt. I’m a guy that I want to stand up with this guy, and this guy tried to take me down. It created awareness where you got to fight at different distance [to account for the threat]. So the thing I had to adapt was not to win points, but I still think that was a good fight.”
In the aftermath of the bout. Ankalaev’s coaches accused the former two-division GLORY Kickboxing champion of greasing for the fight. Pereira strongly rejects that accusation.
“I absolutely didn’t put anything on my body,” Pereira said. “The way that his coach is putting all this sounds a bit like he’s trying to make an excuse, looking for an excuse to justify the fact that he trained a guy to take me down, but the guy got stuffed on [all] 12 of his takedown attempts.
“You mess up, you don’t do what [you’re] supposed to do, then you try to make excuses to justify that. Absolutely [I] didn’t put anything on my body.
“You also got to ask his coach if we put oil on the mats too,” he added. “Is that why Ankalaev fell on his back? Because he got taken down like that.”
The loss represented Pereira’s first as a light heavyweight in the UFC — a run which dates back to April 2023, when “Poatan” lost the middleweight title to his old rival Israel Adesanya then moved up in weight.
Once Pereira captured the 205-pound championship in late 2023, he essentially launched on a mission to rack up as many title defenses as quickly as possible, making him one of the most active UFC titleholders in recent memory. However, with great activity comes higher risk for injury.
Pereira, 37, became the subject of whispers this past week when UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed on his podcast that Pereira came into the Ankalaev fight with a broken hand and norovirus. There’s at least some truth to those rumors, as Pereira confirmed he dealt with injuries, but he declined to go into detail.
“I’m not going to take anything from Ankalaev,” Pereira said. “Many people try to do that type of thing. I’m not that type of guy. Everybody goes through problems. I’m sure he had his own problems too. I had mine. My hand is fine but it did happen with a lot of things, but I don’t want to use that as an excuse.
“I don’t want to make excuses or use this as leverage for anything. My moment is going to come to win the belt [back], then I’ll disclose anything for you guys.”
According to Pereira, the hindrances affecting him in the lead-up were severe enough that he considered withdrawing from the bout. But despite the outcome of his decisions, “Poatan” is content.
Alex Pereira is motivated to regain the UFC light heavyweight title. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Jeff Bottari via Getty Images
“I conquered a lot,” Pereira said. “I’ve been motivating a lot of people. Anytime I pushed through things, I was able to overcome. That’s our story. Many times [it] worked. This time was not my moment, but I have no regrets.”
Pereira’s entire MMA career thus far has been almost exclusively loaded with accomplishments of the highest order. It took him just three UFC wins before he earned his first middleweight title shot, which saw him end the aforementioned reign of Adesanya via fifth-round stoppage. One year later, he became a champion in the weight class above that, further solidifying an increasingly remarkable legacy.
The light heavyweight division isn’t exactly flush with compelling top contenders, and Pereira’s résumé is enough to warrant an immediate rematch with Ankalaev. All parties, including UFC CEO Dana White, have already voiced a desire to run the fight back; therefore, it’s just a matter of where and when.
Ankalaev claimed on social media that he’s already received a fight offer for the Pereira rematch in August. Pereira is currently taking a small break, but he fully expects Ankalaev to be next for him.
“Nothing got to me yet [in regards to an official offer], but August is a good date,” Pereira said. “As soon as the contract gets in, I’m signing.
“It doesn’t have to be a knockout [in the rematch], but I feel that I have enough game to do whatever I want with this guy.”
Mileage tends to vary when it comes to veteran fighters nearing their 40s. With just 15 MMA fights overall, Pereira’s UFC career is still relatively young. As a combat athlete overall, however, he’s been around the block a time or two, fighting 40 times in kickboxing matches on record. So, how much is left?
Ultimately, Pereira isn’t sure, but he hopes it’s longer than expected.
“I don’t know [about fighting past 40]. I would like to, but I don’t know,” he acknowledged.
“It got me thinking, right? When I lost to Israel Adesanya, there were a few things I had to reevaluate in my personal life,” Pereira added of his latest loss. “Things to get better, things to get worse. It’s the same right now. Reevaluate, get better from there. Not too much in training, but overall in life.
“If it was my choice, I wouldn’t have defended the belt after this [Ankalaev] fight [had I won]. I would have went to the heavyweight division or to boxing. It would have to be a big fight, like a superfight or for a belt. They’re still goals.”
Notre Dame football has started its spring practices and lucky for us, a portion of it was open to the media.
Many went to social sites to share what they saw, as we already highlighted running back Jeremiyah Love getting some reps with the wide receivers. This is the kind of tinkering that you love to see from Notre Dame, as they try to get the ball in the hands of its best playmakers.
They are also figuring out which offensive line combination will work the best for this coming season, along with which true freshman and transfers can make a mark. Check out below some of the practice footage that was shared on social media.
Transfer safety Devonta Smith
Quick look at Notre Dame nickel Devonta Smith, who spent quality time with senior defensive analyst Andy Buh during the early portion of practice. pic.twitter.com/whVj3keX0k
You have to believe that the Alabama transfer will get plenty of opportunities to crack the starting lineup. Getting extra work with one of the coaches show that the Irish are high on Smith and believe he can make an impact this fall.
Charles Jagusah repping at guard
Joe Rudolph feels Charles Jagusah, widely viewed as Notre Dame’s present and future at left tackle, can be one of the best interior OL in CFB.
This was one of the players that many wondered where he would land, and although Jagusah is considered an offensive tackle, the Irish won’t be afraid to move him to the interior like they did in the Orange Bowl. Now is the perfect time to see if Jagusah has what it takes to play guard on a full-time basis.
Building cohesion on the line is extremely important, and while it can be done during the season, during the spring is the more ideal timeline. Communication between the line is huge, if it’s picking up a blitz or knowing when to disengage from a double-team and getting to the second level. There is no doubt in my mind that Notre Dame will once again have an impressive offensive line unit.
Tight ends are just as important as the offensive line when it comes to blocking, and it looks like this Irish group has what it takes to help open holes for the backs and protect the quarterback.
The most highly anticipated spring competition is all about this group, as whoever will take the reins will have massive expectations. In my eyes it’s a two person race, with CJ Carr and Steve Angeli being the top options. You can’t discount Kenny Minchey either, but regardless of who wins, they’ll have an elite offensive line and running backs to help ease the transition from Riley Leonard.
This is a perfect headline, as every Marcus Freeman led team has shown plenty of grit, along with resilience. The 2025 Notre Dame team should be in contention for another berth into the College Football Playoff. Those are now the base expectations for the Irish.
Chris Beard of Ole Miss shared some high praise for Michigan State and the Spartans head coach Tom Izzo ahead of their clash in the Sweet 16 this week.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports caught up with Beard ahead of the Spartans-Rebels matchup in the Sweet 16 this week, and asked him about the opportunity to face Izzo. Beard joked that the game won’t be between him and Izzo, but did acknowledge that it’ll be a battle for his team to come out on top in this matchup against Izzo’s Spartans.
“Whenever you have the opportunity to compete against the best, it’s an opportunity for your program. It’s more than a game — how can we stack up with these teams that are programs, not just teams,” Beard told Rothstein. “Coach (Izzo) is one of the best that has ever done this, he’s on my Mount Rushmore.”
Beard got the best of Izzo in their first meeting in the 2019 Final Four, when his Texas Tech Red Raiders bounced Michigan State in a tight game. That loss is still one that many Spartans (including myself) think about as that may have been the closest Izzo has truly came to winning his second National Championship.
Tip off between Michigan State and Ole Miss is scheduled for 7:09 p.m. ET on Friday. The game will be played in Atlanta, and televised on CBS.
Check out the complete response from Beard in the post below:
“It’s not gonna be me and Coach [Izzo] playing. If we played 1 on 1 at the top of the key, that’d be a different deal.”
Chris Beard tells @JonRothstein it’ll be the players that make the difference when Ole Miss faces off against Michigan State on Friday.
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 26, 2025
Additionally, you can see the whole interview with Beard in the embedded video below:
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Alexandra Eala is only the third wildcard to reach the Miami Open semi-finals [Getty Images]
Five-time major champion Iga Swiatek was on the end of a monumental shock as Filipina teenager Alexandra Eala continued her dream run to reach the Miami Open semi-finals.
Second seed Swiatek, playing with increased security in Miami after being verbally abused by an “aggressive and taunting” fan, was completely out of sorts as she lost 6-2 7-5 to the world number 140.
The 23-year-old’s serve was broken eight times as she continually struggled to hold serve, while her baseline game was shaky and led to a host of forehand errors.
Eala, 19, remained composed and focused as she completed the biggest win of her career.
“It might be one of the biggest upsets I’ve been on the side of the court for,” said former British number one Tim Henman, who was watching in his role as a Sky Sports analyst.
Poland’s Swiatek recently spoke out about the emotional toll she has faced in recent months, having served a one-month ban for a doping offence and not wanting to “step on the court” as a result.
This defeat means she has not reached a final since winning the French Open in June.
Eala, who was given a wildcard to play in Miami, will face Britain’s Emma Raducanu or American fourth seed Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals.
Next week she will break into the world’s top 100 for the first time.
“My mind is really blank, I don’t think I’ve processed what I’ve just done,” Eala told Sky Sports afterwards.
“In the end I’m still the same player I was two weeks ago.”
From student to master – trailblazer Eala graduates against Swiatek
Coming from a country with little tennis pedigree, Eala is already accustomed to being a trailblazer for the Philippines – even though she is still a teenager.
In 2021, she became the first Filipina to win a WTA Tour match and first to win a junior Grand Slam crown with the 2022 US Open title.
The New York triumph even led to the teenager gracing the cover of Vogue back home.
Now Eala has announced herself to a wider global audience, having beaten some of the biggest names on the WTA Tour to reach the last four.
A graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy, she had only won two main-draw matches before her stunning run on the Miami hard courts.
Three of her four victories at the WTA 1000 event – the tier of tournaments below the Grand Slams – have come against major champions.
A second-round win over 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was followed by a seismic win over world number five Madison Keys – who won the Australian Open in January – in the third round.
Eala received a walkover in the fourth round when Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa withdrew injured, but showed again why she is regarded as an emerging star in Wednesday’s quarter-final.
Fearless, ferocious and hitting a flurry of winners, Eala produced a quality performance in her first career match against Swiatek.
However, they had met previously when Swiatek, along with 22-time major champion Nadal, presented Eala with her graduation certificate two years ago.
“It’s so surreal,” added Eala, who had Nadal’s uncle, and former coach, Toni, with her team against Swiatek.
“I’m so happy and so blessed to be able to compete with such a player on this stage.
“My coach told me to run, to go for every ball, to take all the opportunities I can, because a five-time Slam champion is not going to give you the win.”
Top seed Zverev out of men’s singles
In the men’s singles, German top seed Alexander Zverev was knocked out by France’s Arthur Fils in the fourth round.
Zverev lost 3-6 6-3 6-4 to 17th seed Fils, leaving only Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic as the remaining top-10 seeds in the last eight.
Djokovic, seeded fourth, plays his quarter-final against American 24th seed Sebastian Korda later on Wednesday.
The winner will face Bulgarian 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov, who produced a remarkable mental and physical effort to beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.
Dimitrov, 33, could not convert any of seven set points in the first set, and looked exhausted in the latter stages, before securing a 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) win.
Moments after victory he was breathing heavily and assessed by a doctor on his chair.
British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool reached the men’s doubles semi-finals with a 7-6 (7-1) 3-6 10-8 win over India’s Yuki Bhambri and Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
PHOENIX — The Chicago Cubs understand what is at stake.
In a loaded National League, the path to the postseason likely runs through the Central division, where the Cubs haven’t been able to take command since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. After dropping the two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series last week, the Cubs kick off their domestic opener Thursday against the Diamondbacks in Arizona to begin a pivotal season for the organization.
“In the National League, teams keep pushing each other,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said before their opener in Tokyo. “I’ve had American League executives that have commented on it, like, the talent keeps going to this direction, and those things are cyclical. Five years from now, it might be very different, but right now, it’s a really hard league.
“When you look at our schedule, there’s not a lot of easy series or a series off. And it’s good for baseball because it’s real parity. But, yeah, the National League is really difficult.”
How the Cubs win the division/make the playoffs
The NL Central is there for the taking by the Cubs.
On paper, the Cubs are the best team in the division following key offseason additions of star right fielder Kyle Tucker, left-hander Matthew Boyd, reliever Ryan Pressly and catcher Carson Kelly. The Cubs have both the veteran experience and upside on the roster to take advantage of a division that didn’t see significant upgrades to the other four teams. The Milwaukee Brewers, winners of four of the last five division titles, shouldn’t be overlooked, but the Cubs are positioned well.
“I think over time that your talent and your depth really pays dividends,” Hoyer said. “And I think we’re deep, and hopefully that does pay dividends as we start the season.”
An X-factor for the Cubs is their young core of first baseman Michael Busch, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, catcher Miguel Amaya and third baseman Matt Shaw. They need quality production and ideally at least two of them to take significant steps forward in their development to bolster the lineup offensively.
“Ultimately, it’s really about having guys outperform their expectations, I mean, if we want to be as good as we think we can be, you’re going to have to have some exceptional seasons and all those guys individually have the ability to do that,” Hoyer said.
A healthy Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner up the middle, after both had surgery in October to fix issues that impacted them most of last year, should make a difference, especially if they tap into more power. Seiya Suzuki, if he can stay healthy, gives them a top-15 hitter in the league who should be able to replicate his 2024 production. Ian Happ in the leadoff spot again gives them an ideal mix of on-base ability and slug.
The Cubs might not possess the traditional No. 1 ace on the pitching staff, but their rotation — Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Boyd and Ben Brown — has a mix of consistency, experience and upside that should keep them in plenty of games. The bullpen remains one of their biggest question marks, and the Cubs hope they have assembled a group that can stay healthy and avoid the late-inning woes that plagued them early last year.
How the Cubs miss the playoffs
The Cubs’ schedule the first month of the season is a gauntlet.
They play 13 of their next 19 games on West Coast time and in the first four weeks will face only one team that finished below .500 last year. By the end of the month, they will have completed their season series against three of the projected top teams in the NL: the Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks.
The Cubs are well aware of the tough slate ahead, and finding a way to avoid a deep hole in the first month will be paramount. This is a big test that could make the rest of the season an uphill climb.
“We’ve got to go play the games and we’ve got to live with the results, and there’s going to be a game the next day,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters. “No matter who you’re playing or who’s pitching, we’re going to try to win that game. … The great thing about the schedule now is it really is the same for everybody. When you play teams, you’ve got no control over, and who’s hurt and all that stuff. But the schedule’s the same for everybody now, and I think that’s a good thing.”
Beyond the challenging schedule to begin the year, injuries to key players are always a potential deterrent to a successful season. The Cubs largely avoided significant injuries in 2024 and while the organization is confident in the depth they’ve built — and injuries are unavoidable over a 162-game season — some players would be much harder to replace than others, most notably Tucker, Imanaga and Steele.
If the Cubs fall short of the playoffs, the always-volatile bullpen would likely play a role in that shortcoming.
Wrigley Field was a haven for pitchers and a nightmare for hitters during 2024 — the second-most-oppressive offensive environment in the majors. Ballpark factors are difficult to predict year to year, but trends suggest Wrigley won’t be so extreme this year. Cubs pitchers benefitted from last year’s environment as much as it hurt their hitters, setting up a likely regression on the pitching side, a potential challenge for fly-ball pitchers like Imanaga, while the lineup should get a boost. Limiting walks will be important for the pitching staff.
The weight of expectations can be difficult to quantify, but undeniably, there is pressure on this group to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020 and secure their first division title in a full season since 2017. The aggressiveness of the front office as the summer progresses will be an intriguing subplot. With Hoyer not under contract beyond this season nothing is guaranteed, but winning and taking advantage of the team’s best roster in years always helps job security.
Anything less than a playoff appearance would be a failure and could result in leadership changes by ownership.
Boston mayor Michelle Wu speaks during a ceremony at the world figure skating championships on Wednesday to honor the victims of the American Eagle flight 5342 crash on 29 January in Washington DC.Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The lights dimmed, the arena fell silent and a sport took a collective breath. On Wednesday night at TD Garden, the world figure skating championships paused between events for something far more profound than medals or scores: a solemn tribute to the 28 members of the skating community who died in January when American Eagle flight 5342 crashed into the Potomac River.
Held after the women’s short program and before the start of the pairs’ short program, the ceremony honored the skaters, coaches and parents who were returning from a development camp held in conjunction with the US figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas.
Flight 5342 had lifted off from a wintry runway in southeast Kansas, carrying dozens of young skaters, their coaches and parents who had just attended a US Figure Skating development camp following nationals. Many had posted about what they’d learned – new jumps, spins, friendships. They never got the chance to bring that energy home. On final approach to Washington DC, the regional jet collided with a military helicopter, killing all 67 people aboard.
Schedule
All times EST.
Wed 26 Mar
• Women’s Short, 12.05pm (Peacock)
• Women’s Short, 3pm (USA Network)
• Remembrance Ceremony, 6.15pm (Peacock)
• Pairs’ Short, 6.45pm (Peacock)
Thu 27 Mar
• Men’s Short, 11.05am (Peacock)
• Men’s Short, 3pm (USA Network)
• Pairs’ Free, 6.15pm (Peacock)
• Pairs’ Free, 8pm (USA Network)
Fri 28 Mar
• Rhythm Dance, 11.15am (Peacock)
• Rhythm Dance, 3pm (USA Network)
• Women’s Free, 6pm (Peacock)
• Women’s Free, 8pm (NBC/Peacock)
Sat 29 Mar
• Free Dance, 1.30pm (Peacock)
• Free Dance, 3pm (USA Network)
• Men’s Free, 6pm (Peacock)
• Men’s Free, 8pm (NBC/Peacock)
Sun 30 Mar
• Exhibition Gala, 2pm (Peacock)
How to watch outside the US
United Kingdom
As of last year, Premier Sports holds the broadcasting rights for the World Figure Skating Championships in the UK, with coverage extending until 2028. To watch the championships, you’ll need a subscription to Premier Sports, which offers live coverage of the events. You can subscribe through their official website or via certain TV providers that include Premier Sports in their packages.
Australia
SBS provides live and free coverage of the World Figure Skating Championships in Australia through SBS On Demand.
Among the victims were two young athletes from Boston – Jinna Han, 13, and Spencer Lane, 16 – their mothers, along with revered Olympic coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The tragedy cut across generations and geographies: 11 of the dead were skaters between the ages of 11 and 16. The city of Boston, long a historic hub for American skating, became its emotional epicenter.
“Someone once told me time is a great healer,” said International Skating Union president Jae Youl Kim during the memorial. “But for those who have experienced deep loss, we know that time does not simply erase pain. For many of us, it feels like we are frozen in time.”
Doug Lane, whose son Spencer and wife Christine were among those killed, stood before a hushed crowd of thousands at TD Garden and offered a message that blended grief with resolve.
“They haven’t really invented the vocabulary to talk about the grief that we’re all feeling,” Lane said. “So what I thought I would do with my time today is share a few thoughts of hope.”
He called on the audience to support the young skaters who are still here – those who are grieving and still lacing up their skates each day. “They’re hurting,” he said. “I hope we can support them in their skating journeys, but I also hope we can help them find paths of happiness and impact off the ice as well.”
Lane also addressed the systemic failures that may have led to the crash. “Even a layperson like me can easily identify the breakdowns that allowed this to happen,” he said. “But rather than look for blame, I hope we can work with our elected officials to make air travel safer for everyone.”
The 20-minute tribute included a video montage of the victims, poetry read by US Figure Skating’s interim CEO Sam Auxier, before concluding with live performance from Boston’s Coro Allegro Choir. Massachusetts governor Maura Healey and Boston mayor Michelle Wu both addressed the gathering. The audience, including many moved to tears, rose for a standing ovation when it finished.
At the renowned Skating Club of Boston, which produced such champions as Dick Button, Tenley Albright and Nancy Kerrigan and where the six local victims trained and taught, an impromptu memorial remains: two folding chairs that once belonged to Jinna Han and Spencer Lane are now covered in cards, flowers, photos, and stuffed animals. The space is roped off – not by the club, but by the skaters themselves.
“The kids insisted,” said Doug Zeghibe, the club’s chief executive. “It’s their way of keeping Spencer and Jinna close.”
Earlier this month, a gala tribute in Washington DC brought generations of figure skating stars together. Legacy on Ice featured performances by Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Amber Glenn and reigning world champion Ilia Malinin. Thirteen-year-old Isabella Aparicio skated in honor of her father and brother, Franco and Luciano, who were killed. Max Naumov – whose parents, Shishkova and Naumov, died in the crash – performed in their memory.
“They’re not here right now, but they’ll always be here,” Naumov told NBC Sports. “It’s not just me anymore. It’s our family. I have the strength of two other people with me forever.”
The Washington gala raised more than $1.2m for victims’ families and first responders. Malinin, too, has spoken openly about how the crash affected him. Several of the young skaters killed trained at the same rink as the 20-year-old US champion.
“Now I’ll always have them in my head and in my heart,” Malinin said. “This worlds, I really want to dedicate to everyone on that flight. I want to give my all in that performance and really make it special for them.”
Though grief was front and center on Wednesday night, the world championships now turn toward the ice. The event also serves as a critical qualifying step toward the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, with national quotas on the line and international rivalries heating up – even as one of skating’s most dominant nations remains sidelined. Russian skaters are still barred from international competition due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its third year.
Malinin enters as the overwhelming favorite in the men’s event. Known as the Quad God for his boundary-pushing jumps, he’s looking to defend his world title on home ice. His challengers include France’s Adam Siao Him Fa and Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama.
In the women’s event, the Japanese star Kaori Sakamoto’s bid for a fourth straight world title hit a snag earlier Wednesday when she finished the short program in fifth place behind surprise leader Alysa Liu, back on the world championships stage following a two-year retirement. American Amber Glenn, who entered Boston undefeated this season, was ninth after falling on her opening triple Axel, but honored the crash victims by holding up a T-shirt emblazoned with their names during her post-skate interview.
The pairs field remains wide open, and in ice dance, Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates are seeking a third consecutive world title. That would mark the first three-peat at worlds in the discipline in 28 years.
Still, for many, these world championships will never be just about competition.
“The kids are back on the ice,” Zeghibe said. “But they’re skating with a deeper purpose.”
The lights came up harshly after the tribute. The music swelled and the competition resumed. But for those who lost friends, coaches and teammates this winter, the ice will never quite feel the same.
“February was hard,” as Zeghibe put it. “March has been a little better. And it’s all our hope that April will be better still.”
Los Angeles Angels pitching prospect Ryan Johnson has been called up to the big leagues — without ever playing in the minors. Johnson, a 22-year-old right-hander, has been named to the Angels’ Opening Day roster, heading straight to the majors after being drafted by the team in July.
Johnson was selected by the Angels in the second round of the 2024 draft, off a compensatory pick earned from losing Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency. He is the 24th player in MLB history to go straight to the majors.
Angels GM Perry Minasian told reporters on Tuesday that the team expects him to eventually become a starter. For now, though, Johnson said Tuesday that it has been “surreal” to have his career progress so quickly.
“Not even now do I really think it’s possible,” Johnson said. “There wasn’t really a point where I was just like, ‘I’m close, I think I’m almost there.’ It never even crossed my mind.”
Johnson played well for the Angels during spring training, pitching in 11 1/3 innings across six games and ending with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.059.
Before the draft, Johnson spent three season pitching at Dallas Baptist University, starting 16 games in his junior season while posting an ERA of 2.21 and a WHIP of 0.915.
Johnson’s promotion marks a trend of Angels players who have been fast-tracked to the majors after an unusually short amount of time. Recent players like shortstop Zach Neto and right-handed pitchers Chase Silseth and Ben Joyce were all called up from the minors after a year. First baseman Nolan Schanuel was brought up to the Angels’ major league roster after just 40 days in the minors.
Johnson will be the first MLB player to skip the minors since Garrett Crochet, who made his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2020, two months after being drafted. (Crochet was traded to the Boston Red Sox this offseason after four years in Chicago.) Prior to that, the only other player to skip the minor leagues in the past two decades was right-handed pitcher Mike Leake, who debuted for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010.
Los Angeles Angels pitching prospect Ryan Johnson has been called up to the big leagues — without ever playing in the minors. Johnson, a 22-year-old right-hander, has been named to the Angels’ Opening Day roster, heading straight to the majors after being drafted by the team in July.
Johnson was selected by the Angels in the second round of the 2024 draft, off a compensatory pick earned from losing Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency. He is the 24th player in MLB history to go straight to the majors.
Angels GM Perry Minasian told reporters on Tuesday that the team expects him to eventually become a starter. For now, though, Johnson said Tuesday that it has been “surreal” to have his career progress so quickly.
“Not even now do I really think it’s possible,” Johnson said. “There wasn’t really a point where I was just like, ‘I’m close, I think I’m almost there.’ It never even crossed my mind.”
Johnson played well for the Angels during spring training, pitching in 11 1/3 innings across six games and ending with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.059.
Before the draft, Johnson spent three season pitching at Dallas Baptist University, starting 16 games in his junior season while posting an ERA of 2.21 and a WHIP of 0.915.
Johnson’s promotion marks a trend of Angels players who have been fast-tracked to the majors after an unusually short amount of time. Recent players like shortstop Zach Neto and right-handed pitchers Chase Silseth and Ben Joyce were all called up from the minors after a year. First baseman Nolan Schanuel was brought up to the Angels’ major league roster after just 40 days in the minors.
Johnson will be the first MLB player to skip the minors since Garrett Crochet, who made his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2020, two months after being drafted. (Crochet was traded to the Boston Red Sox this offseason after four years in Chicago.) Prior to that, the only other player to skip the minor leagues in the past two decades was right-handed pitcher Mike Leake, who debuted for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010.
