As Michigan became the latest program to extend a scholarship Wednesday morning, Barbara Curtis got a text from one of her son Jareds former youth coaches, Jayson Bybee. It read, He makes us all so proud but none of us are shocked. Hes always been the hardest worker on the team.

That hasn't changed now, even though Jared Curtis a 2026 prospect out of Nashville (Tenn.) Christian High might just be the best in America in his class. He has always loved the process and putting in the work.

He would always be outside, the elder Curtis said with a laugh. I have videos, hes always be outside working in the garage. Have a ladder in the front yard for footwork, My husband (Jesse) made a rope off the tree and knotted it for him to climb and build upper body strength. Net after net, hour after hour, wed make him come in at 10 p.m. Enough is enough.

Hes always worked hard.

That hard work is certainly paying off as the Wolverines join an offer list that already included two-time defending National Champion Georgia, fellow SEC powerhouse Alabama, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, Penn State, Mississippi State and of course local Vanderbilt whos scholarship in January kind of opened the floodgates.

An All-State selection and Mr. Football finalist as a freshman, Curtis threw for 2,766 yard and 34 touchdowns displaying easy arm talent, the ability to escape pressure and make plays and impressive anticipation with accuracy to all levels of the field.

Hes got the world by the tail right now, Nashville Christian head coach Jeff Brothers said.

His instincts are just for a guy that young for a little bit of experience is off the charts. Much of what he does nobody has more fun playing the game than he does and thats fun watch. Very natural mechanics, just a very gifted passer of the football and he has tremendous arm strength but at same time throws a very catchable ball. No matter the talent of the receiver or skill of the DB, he can zip a ball into a window and its not overwhelming for the guy to catch it.

Just the way he handles all the things are going on around him. Hes immensely talented, hes extremely humble and at the same time extremely confident which I appreciate. He remains true to his core values and beliefs which is impressive for 16-year old that (again) has the world by the tail right now.

Curtiss athletic career actually began in competitive cycling where at four-years old he was beating kids two and three years older than him. Hes played everything from basketball to wrestling and he currently works out with the track team, but football has his devotion and college coaches are buzzing about him behind the scenes on the trail.

Im telling you man, hes legit, Thomas Morris of QB Country in Nashville said. Never seen a freshman that big and strong before. Big, strong, physical kid. Already a man. Rocket launcher for an arm. Great stroke. Can move. Chance to be special. Has that little it factor.

Curtis has already been up to Alabama a couple times and over to Georgia, out to Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech among other places. A busy summer is scheduled with Texas locked in the first weekend of June. From there theyll return to Alabama and Georgia, get out to LSU with plans to also see Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Those are on our map in June for now, Barbara said.

With college coaches on the road right now recruiting, theyre making their way over to see Curtiss coach letting him know how much of a priority Jared is going to be the next several years.

Get offseason and recruiting intel on your favorite college team for $1 for first month.

He has the heart and tenacity to be that guy, Ramon Robinson of RR Elite Quarterback Academy said. I think a lot of people underestimate his size and athletic ability. His arm strength is up with some of the best quarterbacks in any class in the country right now.

I think what makes him special man is his whole work ethic, just able to learn and grasp the information to make his game better. Hes always willing to learn, calling and texting, very inquisitive about how he makes himself better in being the best Jared Curtis he can be. Thats the thing I love about him, the work ethic, everything he displays he wants to be better. Hes hungry and a sponge to make himself better.

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2025 DL Dilan Battle talks LSU offer and motivation to be great - 247Sports

Gustav Iden insists he is not motivated by the online haters who say he should stick to long distance triathlon.

The Norwegian superstar has secured two Ironman 70.3 world titles and an Ironman World Championship crown in a prolific yet young career.

Despite entering the sport via short course racing, he has enjoyed much less cruces and yet is opting to step back from the long stuff in a bid for glory at Paris Olympics next year.

Speaking to the Short Chute Show: Face-To-Face Podcast for Super League Triathlon, Iden admitted to reading online comments, but claimed most of them are stupid and that he is not motivated by a desire to prove people wrong.

He said: If I wanted an easy way out, I could just keep on doing Ironman and win every single world championship for the next 15 years. Thats a bit exaggerated, but I do enjoy the struggle to a certain degree.

I havent won every single short course race Ive ever done, but I feel like I have something that I havent shown yet and I really wanted to show it for myself. And Im not like a guy who wants to prove the haters wrong, but I do of course read the forums and the comments that say like, you should just take the long course racing.

But thats not what I want to do. I want to prove to myself what I can do. So its more like an ego thing.

I realise most people dont understand anything. Most people online, theyre so stupid. They dont understand triathlon, really. They might understand bits, but top performance triathlon is so different than just finishing an Ironman. And they dont understand also the level of short course racing. The amount of talent and hard training it requires now to win the World Series or Olympic games is insane.

SoI dont pay too much attention to the comments. I just have to realise that they have a normal life and a normal job, and they cannot dedicate their life to triathlon as I do. So of course they dont understand the sport at the same level as I do either.

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Gustav Iden: I Am Not Motivated By The Online Haters - Super League Triathlon

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is weighing in on street takeovers after more took place this past weekend, saying that part of the problem is the amount of money participants have the opportunity of making from the illegal activity.

The department says auto repair and tire shops get paid sometimes thousands of dollars, under the table, to stay open all hours of the night to service vehicles that are involved in street takeovers. "It's not going to stop. I'm 40 years old and they've been cruising Crenshaw since before I was born," said Jaaye Person-Lynn of Compton.

The department also says that people who record videos and post the takeovers online make money as well.

"Getting likes and retweets sharing that content from these illegal street takeovers are creating revenue for those participants. The spectators who are there recording and filming these acts are also making revenue and money out of these street takeovers, which is why it keeps happening," said Miguel Meza of the LASD.

The LASD says it has undercover detectives working with CHP and LAPD to stop the incidents in the future.

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Los Angeles County street takeovers keep happening because people make money off of them, sheriff's department says - KABC-TV

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) When the Rochester Knighthawks face the Buffalo Bandits in the first round of the NLL Playoffs, the pride of Western New York Lacrosse will be at stake.

The 7 p.m. tilt will be the third of the season, with each team beating the other during the regular season. Only this time, the winner moves on, and the losers season is over.

The Knighthawks come in after a horrendous loss to the Philadelphia Wings. Despite the final score of 14-11 looking close, Rochester once trailed by nine goals.

Its a bit of a reset after that last one, said head coach Mike Hasen. Playoffs is a new animal. Its a new beast. Its a new situation and I think the situation itself is enough motivation for these guys that theyre going to be ready to play this week.

This is the first time the Knighthawks have made it to the playoffs since their current franchise took shape in 2019.

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Rochester Knighthawks: Motivation high for playoff clash with ... - News10NBC

Colorados Jaylyn Sherrod (00) drives the ball past Dukes Shayeann Day-Wilson (30) during the second half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Monday, March 20, 2023, in Durham, N.C. (AP Photo/Karl B. DeBlaker)

There were a lot of factors involved with Jaylyn Sherrods decision on whether or not to return to the Colorado womens basketball team for a fifth and final season.

Attending the womens Final Four in Dallas just one week after she helped CU to its first Sweet 16 in 20 years may have sealed the deal, however.

It drove me and it also just showed me the capabilities and how opportunities like that come once in a lifetime, the Buffs point guard said. For me itll be my last go-round anyway so, yeah, it was a great atmosphere and for a player like me it just gets you hungry to want to experience it for yourself.

Sherrod and the Buffs werent far off this past year. Under the direction of head coach JR Payne, CU has dramatically improved over the past several years, with Sherrod being the catalyst. After ending a nine-year NCAA Tournament drought in 2022, the Buffs (25-9) won a game in the tourney for the first time in 20 years in 2023, and then won another. An 87-77 loss to eventual runner-up Iowa ended the run.

Last season was Sherrods fourth at CU, but the NCAA granted all players from the 2020-21 campaign an extra year of eligibility and she chose to take advantage of it.

Its a great opportunity, she said. This is another chance for me to go out there and do what I love and be with the people I love and play the game with a team that has pretty much become family to me. Im excited to see how next years gonna go.

Academically, the decision was a slam-dunk for Sherrod. She graduated with her bachelors degree in three years and then added a masters in organizational leadership this year. Coming back gives her an opportunity to obtain a second masters degree, either in forensics or criminology.

Sherrod has thoughts of coaching, but is also interested in criminology.

Im always thinking about whats next and always thinking about just putting myself in the best position to be successful in whatever I do, she said. I kind of wanted to do different things and both have been a huge interest of mine since I was a kid. I just like to give myself options so Im never just stuck on one thing and just different avenues to go.

While setting herself up for post-graduate success, Sherrod also isnt done on the court.

This past season, she averaged a career-best 11.3 points per game and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. She was also on the Pac-12 all-defensive team for the second time. She added career highs in total assists (167), steals (78), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.88), field goal percentage (.409) and 3-point percentage (.309).

Sherrod is one of only five players in CU history with at least 1,000 points (1,047), 450 assists (473) and 200 steals (201).

Adding to her individual totals doesnt matter much to Sherrod, though. Shes eager to make another NCAA Tournament run with almost the same core of players. CU returns four starters and eight of the 10 players from the rotation this past season. Each of the top five scorers are back.

Last year was a great year for us, Sherrod said. We took a huge step for the program, but I feel like theres so much more were capable of, what we can do, so I was like, why not come back to see if we can go even further? The goal is to go further and set new standards and set new achievements.

After CUs loss to Iowa, Sherrod took about a week off, but was right back in the gym after the Final Four.

You get out of shape faster than you get back in shape, so I like to keep moving, she said.

Sherrod has learned how to take care of her body, but said working on her body to stay healthy is her top priority this offseason. She also hopes to improve her shooting and leadership skills for a team that will welcome six newcomers.

Im excited, she said. Its a lot of new faces, a lot of new things, but we also got our core of veterans thats been here and thats been through it all, so Im really excited.

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Womens basketball: Jaylyn Sherrod motivated to help CU Buffs take next step forward - Longmont Times-Call

Declan Rice has told talkSPORT why he felt extra motivation to perform against Manchester United.

Rice starred in a 1-0 win for West Ham at the London Stadium, lifting his side seven points clear of the relegation zone with three games to play.

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The result was one of the greatest of the season in a difficult campaign for the Hammers in which their league form has dropped off a cliff from last terms seventh place.

And captain Rice said he felt some extra pressure due to the opposition.

When you play against Manchester United you really want to play well because theyre the biggest club in the world, he said in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT's Jim White.

Everyone watches Man United and you want to stand out. Thats what I try to do every game.

But when you play against the big teams youve got that extra fire in your belly to perform.

Rice has long been linked with a move up the table to United, Chelsea, and more recently Arsenal.

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With a contract that expires in 2024, West Ham may have to consider letting their star leave before his value drops dramatically.

The 24-year-old England regular has reportedly had his price tag set at 100million, while January reports claimed Arsenal ended their interest in Brightons Moises Caicedo to save funds for the Hammers superstar.

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West Ham star Declan Rice reveals extra motivation against biggest club in the world Manchester Uni... - talkSPORT

To the Editor:

It is head-spinning for island taxpayers to watch and try to understand what is happening within the MVRHS school committee regarding spending on the artificial turf lawsuit, and what will happen next. This is particularly true since their three meetings in the past eight days have been held mostly behind closed doors.

Here is a review of the volatile one-year timeline on the turf lawsuit spending issue:

May 2022: High school committee voted 5-4 to impose a cap on turf lawsuit spending to $30,000 from the FY23 budget;

April 3, 2023: High school committee voted 5-4 to lift the cap on turf lawsuit spending from the FY23 budget, thereby removing all limits and accountability as the legal case proceeds;

April 11, 2023: West Tisbury voted at town meeting to deny the MVRHS FY24 budget assessment and to demand zero spending on the turf lawsuit;

April 24, 2023: Chilmark voted at town meeting to deny the MVRHS FY24 budget assessment and to demand zero spending on the turf lawsuit;

April 25, 2023: Tisbury voted at town meeting to pass the MVRHS FY24 budget, but demanded by resolution zero spending on the turf lawsuit;

May 1, 2023: MVRHS school committee met and, after a closed door session, announced that they have asked the lawyers to engage with Oak Bluffs planning board to discuss resolution of the lawsuit;

May 5, 2023: MVRHS school committee met and, after a closed door session:

(1) announced again that they have asked their lawyers to engage in settlement discussions with opposing counsel;

(2) passed unanimously a motion to establish a new cap on the turf lawsuit spending to all the money left in the FY23 legal budget line; and

(3) passed in a 5-4 vote to cap the FY24 budget spending on the turf lawsuit at ZERO;

May 8, 2023: MVRHS school committee met and, after they emerged from another closed door session, Susan Murphy, the chair of the Chilmark finance committee, asked pro-turf members why they had opposed zero-capping the FY24 budget at their May 5th meeting. They declined to explain their reasons.

We dont want to tell you and we dont have to, was essentially their response to Susans question.

Yes, you heard right, our elected representatives on a public board refused to explain their positions on an issue of pressing island-wide significance. Despite their protestations to the contrary, it is precisely their job to make decisions on islanders behalf and then tell us why. This is how representative government works, as we learned in high school civics class. That is how voters know if our representatives are reflecting our values so we can decide whether to reelect them, or not. Their positions on important matters are supposed to be public not secret. Our democratic process requires them to explain themselves, it does not shield them from accountability.

This is particularly true at this moment.

Aquinnah voters in the dark about what the school committee will do, or not do, moving forward must go to town meeting tonight to decide whether to join West Tisbury and Chilmark to vote down their budget assessment for the FY24 MVRHS budget. If they do so, the budget goes back to the high school committee for amendment and recertification in accordance with the issues raised by four towns. If Aquinnah does not vote down the high school budget, we will have to wait until town meetings next spring to have our voices heard. By then it will be too late as we may well have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the lawsuit.

Thank you,

Vicki Divoll

Chilmark

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Aquinnah voters in the dark on school committee motivations - Martha's Vineyard Times

Including brand new songs Acting Different featuring Netflixs Rhythm & Flow contestant Beanz as well as The Bunker, public speaker turned Hip-Hop spoken word artist Mister Motivation delivers the Deluxe Version of his Summer 2022 body of work The Audio Collection. Written and composed by M.M., Keith Jones, Joshua Beltre, and Sir Dominique Jordan, the project was productions duties were handled by Blair The MACHINE and fellow Pennsylvania based creative Terian Mack.

A dedicated husband, father, and active member of his community, M.M.s philanthropic endeavors has earned him mentions on CBS News, The New York Post, and USA Today. With the prestige those respected media looks bring they pale in comparison to being commended by former First Lady of The United States Michelle Obama for his work with Teach For America.

From his humble beginnings in the heart of Barbados to the mean streets of Brooklyn, where he would later join the military, Shaun T. Murphy pka Mister Motivation is perseverance personified. Despite the amazing growth he gained from his service in the Army, within three months of transitioning to the civilian world and beginning his new life as a Veteran, he found himself homeless, broke and having the need to make another massive move in his life before it was too late. Thus began Shauns transformation into M.M., and the creation of the 5Ms that have not only changed his life, but has also impacted the countless lives of those who have heard him speak and taken his five-week Wake The Beast course.

His high-level energy and stylish presentations uniquely combine his music and spoken word poetry into his motivational speeches, leaving crowds of all sizes cheering and shouting for more. During his motivational speeches he shares his story, along with the steps, systems and strategies he used to wake up, rise up, and level up in life. Today, Shaun owns several very successful businesses, releases motivational music, and has collaborated with top curriculum experts to develop an online personal development curriculum.

Experience the Deluxe Version of The Audio Collection on your DSP of choice via United Masters below and purchase it directly on M.M.s website.

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Mister Motivation Unveils Deluxe Version of 'The Audio Collection' - Substream Magazine

One month before winning the St. Louis Marathon, Steven Stallis was in Japan running the Tokyo Marathon as part of his goal to finish all six of the worlds major events.

It was just weeks earlier that St. Louis womens champion Sadie Smith ran in a marathon in North Carolina as part of her incessant pursuit of new goals in all 50 states.

The two local runners have different approaches to an often lonely sport but have achieved significant levels of success beyond their first wins in last weekends Go! St. Louis race.

Smith will continue to run marathons at least once a month. Smith won the St. Louis Marathon womens race in 2 hours, 58 minutes, 29 seconds.

Stallis, who won the St. Louis Marathon in 2:32:35, could be done with competition for the year.

But they remain driven by the big picture of their running pursuits.

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Sadie Smith crosses the finish line Sunday to complete her first Go! St. Louis Marathon win.

The blueprint for Smith started with the goal of doing a marathon in every state and then continued to expand.

I think there are two camps, she said. There are runners who train hard for one or two races a year and some who run a marathon every month. Its a lot more motivating for me to have a race every month to look forward to. Its what keeps me going. You keep finding new goals.

After completing the 50 states, she sought to break four hours in every state. Then came running the Boston Marathon womens qualifying time (3:40) in every state, breaking 3 hours, hitting the mens Boston qualifying time (3:10), and finally breaking three hours.

She has endured the massive volume to run 92 marathons in nine years.

Stallis ran his first marathon in 2017 and quickly adopted a plan to run in the six majors, which include Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, Tokyo and London. The latter remains his last pursuit.

This became the big focus. Jumping in, the first couple I didnt run fast or well, he said. Then I ran well in New York and was 92nd, and I thought This is cool to be top 100 in a world major. So I thought, can I do it in Boston and Tokyo? Instead of just running them, it became how well I could do.

Stallis ran a personal record of 2:24:48 in Tokyo. He now awaits the dumb luck of a lottery to get into the field for London.

The experiences described by both runners about the St. Louis race were remarkably similar for two people who didnt run together and dont know each other.

The course was more difficult than might be imagined. Running with the lead was a challenge without knowing what was happening behind you. Other than the lack of scenic terrain, there was a complete absence of fans along most of the course.

And as leads dwindled for Smith and Stallis, both found that they were not finishing at their best.

I kind of fell apart pretty bad, Smith said.

I was falling apart a little bit, Stallis said in a separate conversation. Being in your own head for 20 miles is grueling.

Smith said she fully expected to be passed, ultimately seeing a 3 -minute lead shrink to less than a minute at the end. Stallis led for 20 miles and was equally uncertain, seeing a 2 -minute lead dwindle to 40 seconds.

Now, he must wait. He qualified for the first five majors he ran, but London fills the field with a lottery. Hes entered the lottery every year since 2018 and is contemplating other goals while he waits.

He would like to break the 2:20 mark. He talks with restraint about the Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:18.

Ive dropped 15 minutes, so Im close to 2:20, he said. The Trials qualifier would be crazy. I dont know if realistically I can do that, but its something to think about. Six minutes is a chunk of time (to improve). Its a huge stretch.

At 31, Stallis doesnt believe he has peaked. Smith, 44, is of the same belief.

She has raised the bar for herself with each accomplishment reached. She achieved her goal of breaking 3 hours in every state last year.

There are states she will need to repeat to break three hours in all 50, a feat she has realized in 18 states so far. She has been able to get under that time by adding strength training and working with a personal coach.

When I just do my thing, Im pretty consistent, she said. I was a really consistent 3 -hour marathoner and made changes two years ago and became consistent around 2:58. I can come within five minutes of that on any course.

Neither runner has moved into the world of ultra running yet, although Smith said she will run her first 50K at the end of April. Stallis said longer distances could be in his future, but for now, hell stick to his maintenance training, doing around 90 miles per week.

Im on a good trajectory, he said. I keep getting faster, so Ill train and see where it takes me.

A nightly look at the day's top sports stories, and a first look at the topics St. Louis fans will be talking about tomorrow.

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St. Louis marathon winners Steven Stallis, Sadie Smith motivated by ... - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Walt Hunting and Marv Heikkinen were legendary coaches and teachers at Denfeld High School.

Thats why their names are on the proposal to rename Public Schools Stadium to Walt Hunting Stadium Marv Heikkinen Field.

Hunting was a WWI veteran, who coached from 1927-1955.

Joe Vukelich, Denfeld alum, historian, and member of the Re-Naming Committee, explained, One day, in 1935, they came running out. And somebody yelled, here comes Huntings hunters. And thats how the Hunters came to be.

Hunting died in 1957.

Heikkinen, who is 85, is tied with Hunting as the All-Time Winning Coach. He was also an innovative teacher.

He created two curriculums that are still taught here, and hes been retired for 30 years, explained Vukelich.

More importantly, historians said, they were and are wonderful and humble role models who cared about their players and the students.

But the renaming is just the start, with plans to honor other athletes and people whove made an impact at Denfeld.

Stadiums are a meaningful thing for a lot of people. We understand that. We know people are going to want to have a voice, shared Tim Doyle, another Denfeld alum and member of the Re-Naming Committee.

Doyle said theyve worked with the district and current Denfeld students on this project. Plus theyve reached out to Morgan Park and Central alumni as well.

Four schools used to play at PSS: Denfeld, East, Central, and Morgan Park. But now, with Central and Morgan Park closed, and East having its own field, its Denfelds main home now.

If you want to reach out about people youd like to see honored, please email:

heritageofpss@gmail.com

You can submit name ideas to the school district through April 10th. After that, the Business Services department will review all name change submissions and make a decision on which name to move forward. Then they would create a naming rights agreement that would be sent to the School Board as a recommendation for approval.Its expected to be in front of the school board in May.

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The motivation behind renaming Public Schools Stadium in Duluth - WDIO