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Golf, baseball, swimming, no matter — Mississippians make their marks on international sports stage

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2 years ago

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They come mostly from small towns, but Mississippi athletes made a huge impact around the globe this past weekend. Let’s take a look:

In women’s golf, Fulton’s Ally McDonald Ewing tied for sixth in the last major tournament of the year, the AIG (British) Women’s Open at Walton Heath Golf Club near London.

Ewing, a 30-year-old former Mississippi State All American, earned $278,545 and moved to nearly $4 million in career professional golf earnings. Her finish at Walton Heath followed a ninth place finish in last week’s Scottish Open and greatly enhanced her chances of being selected to the U.S. Solheim Cup team. She is now the No. 39 ranked women’s golfer in the world.

Rick Cleveland

“You finish in the top 10 in a major, you are playing some great, great golf,” said Jim Gallagher, the former touring pro and Golf Channel announcer, who closely follows the LPGA Tour. “What Ally did at Walton Heath doesn’t surprise me. She’s a great player who is playing some of her best golf right now.”

Ewing seems likely to be a captain’s pick for the Solheim Cup, which matches the best U.S. women’s players against the best from Europe, much like the Ryder Cup for men.

“It would be surprising if she didn’t make it,” Gallagher said. “She’s playing really well, she’s got international experience and she is so well-liked by the other players. Team chemistry is so important in these international matches.”

It would be a third Solheim appearance for Ewing. Stacy Lewis, a 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour, is the U.S. captain for the matches that will take place Sept. 22-24 in Finca Cortesin in Andalusia, Spain.

Austin Riley, from Southaven, blasted two more home runs for the Atlanta Braves in a four-game series at the New York Mets. For the season, Riley is hitting .280 with 28 home runs and 75 runs batted in for the Braves, who have the best record in baseball.

Austin RIley

Riley, who was offered football and baseball scholarships to Mississippi State before he signed a $1.6 million contract with the Braves straight out of Southaven High, ranks fifth in the National League in home runs, fifth in runs scored, and ninth in runs batted in. What’s more, he fields exceptionally well at third base, where he makes plays that remind this observer of Brooks Robinson or Clete Boyer in their prime. 

At 26, Riley has become, without question, one of the best third basemen in the sport.

Swimmer Julia Dennis of Oxford, competing for Team USA in the LEN European U-23 Championships in Ireland, won gold and silver medals in freestyle sprints for the victorious U.S. team. The 19-year-old was a freshman All American at Louisville last spring and already has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2024.

Julia Dennis

She won a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle and a gold in the 4×100 mixed (men and women) relay team.

Dennis is the granddaughter of Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer Mike Dennis, the former Ole Miss and NFL football star. But she has more than bloodlines going for her. It takes a lot more than the right gene pool to compete on the world stage.

“You can’t believe how hard Julia works at it,” said Mike Dennis. “I mean, for the last five or six years or so she has worked so hard to achieve what she has. We’re just so proud of her.”

Wilson Furr

Meanwhile, Jackson’s Wilson Furr finished in 20th place at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Pinnacle Bank Championships at Omaha with rounds of 64, 70, 70 and 71. Furr ranks No. 46 on the Korn Ferry points list. The top 30 on the points list will automatically advance to the PGA Tour in 2024. The top 75 retain full Korn Ferry Tour status. Former Ole Miss golfer Jackson Suber of Tampa is 19th on the Korn Ferry list. Both Suber and Furr will play in this week’s Magnit Championship in New Jersey, the last event before the Korn Ferry playoffs begin.

Meanwhile, former Jackson State Tiger Tim O’Neal, a persevering 51-year-old rookie on the PGA Champions Tour, tied for ninth in the Boeing Classic in Snoqualmie, Washington. It was O’Neal’s best finish yet on the senior tour and moved him to 43rd on the tour’s points list.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.biloxinewsevents.com/?p=276921

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

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20 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

  • Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

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Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

22 hours ago

on

April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

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Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

22 hours ago

on

April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.

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