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John Pudner

John Pudner

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Gunnar Kiel

College Football Fans Searching for Cinderella in Cleats

Devon Johnson (who we ranked the top player in our state-by-state rankings) smashed into the end zone to give Marshall their first victory ever against a Big Ten team and make Conference USA, the Mountain West, and the American Athletic conferences a combined 5-5 against Power Conferences (see scoreboard below).

Tra Carson Jordan Simone

Pac-12’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Weekend

Texas A&M ran No. 15 Arizona State off a neutral field as the Pac-12 imploded this weekend. The conference was projected to go 10-2, and instead went 7-5 with stunning losses to Hawaii, Northwestern, and non-FBS Portland State to fall to a distant fifth in the conference rankings.

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Ohio: Top 3 Student-Athletes from OSU Football

In 2016, Cleveland hosts the GOP Convention and the favorite to win an NBA title. Ohio boasts Anton Grady and Tyree Gaiter, two of the top basketball players in the Horizon League and D2, respectively, and the defending national champion football team.

Mike Fiers

Best Pitching Streak Since 1974 Orioles Snapped

The Astros 7-5 loss to the Twins on Sunday snapped an 11-game stretch during which they matched a feat last accomplished 41 years ago by the Orioles rotation of Mike Cueller, Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, and Ross Grimsley.

Jake Arrieta

Jake Arrieta Throws No-No as $300 Million Dodgers Hitless Again

The Los Angeles Dodgers managed zero hits for the second time in their nine days of existence as the first $300 million team in baseball history. At least this time a great pitcher, Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs, held them hitless. Arrieta lowered his ERA to 2.11 to no-hit the Dodgers nine days after Astros journeyman Mike Fiers managed the feat.

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North Carolina: UNC vs. Duke Hoops for Top Student-Athlete

Grayson Allen led Duke to the national basketball title and ranks as the top returning player. Megan Buckingham leads the greatest college sports program in history (UNC women’s soccer). The greatest upset unfolded on the Big Ten Network eight years ago when Appalachian State shocked the world.

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Alaska: Unique Sports, Current and Former Stars

Sarah Palin won a state basketball title, Mary Kakoona won an Eskimo-Indian Olympics event by skinning a seal in less than 2 ½ minutes, and Reggie Tougue intercepted 11 passes and ran for 932 yards at Lathrop High School before playing for Oregon State and the Oakland Raiders.

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ME, NH, VT: Dre Wills Best Athlete in Northern New England

Kevin Thomas of the Portland Press Herald reported on the great effort put up by Maine’s Shaun Lawton and Till Gloger to almost pull the upset, but Dre Wills showed why he is the best player in three states by hitting six of eight shots and adding three steals, six rebounds and five assists to rally Vermont 68-54 this past season.

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Washington: Student-Athlete Stars at 3 Colleges, Prep QB Top List

After skipping the NBA draft for a shot at the Final Four, All-American Kyle Wiltjer remains as the established top player on the top team in the state (Gonzaga). Taelor Ross, the sister of Terrence Ross of the Toronto Raptors, and her Seattle team enter this season as the player and team with the most to prove.

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Maryland/DC: Terps Go for Title, Hoya for All-American

With Diamond Stone choosing to join Melo Trimble and Jack Layman, the Terps hold the best chance for a basketball title in years. When you add D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera from just over the state line in Washington DC, some of the best basketball in the country continues to be played around the nation’s capital just like it has been from the careers of Elgin Baylor to Kevin Durant.

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Hawaii: Top Athletes Surf, Dive Off Cliffs

Tatiana Weston-Webb (pictured) of Haiku burst on the surfing scene last year at 17, and at 23 Andrew Agcaoili of Oahu and his friends produce the incredible cliff diving footage covered earlier this month by the Huffington Post.

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Rhode Island: Top Student-Athlete Back, Other Goes NHL

The Providence Friars boasted two winter superstars: hockey goalie John Gillies earned Most Outstanding Player distinction in delivering the school a surprise national title before signing professionally and Kris Dunn decided to hold off a year on an NBA contract to try to give Friars basketball a Big East title.

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Montana: Top Student-Athlete Left Due to Firing of Obama Brother-in-Law

The firing of President Obama’s brother-in-law cost Montana what the New York Times called the best basketball family in the country (pictured). The journalists we talked to said Tres Tinkle following his dad Wayne to Oregon State left baskeball center Martin Breunig as clearly the top student-athlete in the country.

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Mississippi: 25 Student-Athletes to Watch in 2015-16

In early October, CBS projected a BCS semifinal game of Mississippi vs. Mississippi State, only to have the best athlete in the state, Laquon Treadwell, tackled just short of the goal line against Auburn to create a fumble and injury that knocked him out for the season.

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Kansas: Top 20 Student-Athletes to Watch in 2015-16

Wichita State’s win over Kansas in March Madness to claim bragging rights in the basketball state featured all the best athletes in the Sunflower State. However, the greatest athletes ever were running star and Congressman Jim Ryun and baseball Hall of Famer George Brett.