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Clemson's Kier Meredith and the rest of the school's spring sports student-athletes will now officially get a year of eligibility back after the spring sports season was cancelled due to the coronavirus.

NCAA to give athletes in spring sports extra year of eligibility
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Local Sports

The Wilson Hall girls shooting team of, left to right, Samantha Richards, Madisen Galiano and Ann Weathers Blankenship pose with their SCISA scholastic shooting state championship trophies after the trio swept all three shooting championships.

Young Wilson Hall girls shooting team sweeps SCISA championships

The Wilson Hall girls scholastic shooting team may be young, but they've got some girls that are making a big splash. The Lady Barons' 3-person squad of Ann Weathers Blankenship, Samantha Richards and Madisen Galiano wasn't even sure if it was …

Members of the Sumter P-15's congratulate each other during a game last season. The American Legion baseball season is still planning to start on its regular schedule despite the threat posed by the coronavirus.

American Legion baseball season still on

American Legion Post 15 athletic director Bill Lyons said as of now the American Legion baseball season is still a go in the face of the threat of the coronavirus. "The season is still on," Lyons said. "We won't be starting until the end of May …

Joshua Long

Sumter High's Long to coach USC Sumter women's soccer program

The University of South Carolina Sumter has officially announced the reboot of its women's soccer program, and in so doing announced that Sumter High School boys soccer head coach Joshua Long will be its head coach. "We're excited to bring back …

SCHSL, SCISA yet to call spring sports seasons

With the announcement by Governor Henry McMaster on Tuesday that all South Carolina public schools will be closed through April 30 due to the coronavirus, that doesn't mean the high school springs sports seasons will be shut down at this …

New York Yankee pitcher Jordan Montgomery smiles during a spring training workout. Montgomery, the former Sumter High, Sumter P-15's and University of South Carolina standout, had plenty to smile about this spring as he earned a spot in the rotation after recovering from Tommy John surgery. The start of the Major League Baseball season has been delayed because of the coronavirus.

Yankees' Montgomery feeling good while waiting for season to start

Jordan Montgomery literally came out of nowhere in 2017 to earn a spot in the New York Yankees starting pitching rotation. He went to big league camp as a non-roster invitee, earned the No. 5 spot and went on to win nine games. It's been slow …

From the Wire

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced on Thursday that the NFL Draft would happen as scheduled in April.

NFL keeping its draft in April as scheduled

NEW YORK - Commissioner Roger Goodell told NFL teams on Thursday that the draft will go on as originally scheduled for next month. The draft will still take place April 23-25. It was originally scheduled for a big outdoor production in Las Vegas, …

Members of the 1993 North Carolina poses with the national championship trophy after defeating Michigan 77-71 at the Superdome in New Orleans. At far right is coach Dean Smith.

AP Was There: North Carolina beats Michigan for '93 title

EDITOR'S NOTE - A panel of Associated Press sports writers voted in March 2020 on the top 10 men's basketball games in the history of the NCAA Tournament. They are being republished because the sport has been shut down because of the coronavirus …

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is excited to be a starter again, this time for the Carolina Panthers.

Bridgewater ready to be a starting QB again in Carolina

Teddy Bridgewater can't throw passes yet with his new Carolina Panthers teammates. He can't even meet them because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the Panthers' new $63 million quarterback is trying to get to know the tendencies of guys such …

Clemson's Bryce Teodosio throws the ball during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in Clemson, S.C.

NCAA weighs more eligibility for sports cut short by virus

The NCAA Division I Council is scheduled to vote Monday on whether to allow another year of eligibility for spring sport athletes such as baseball, softball and lacrosse players, who had their seasons wiped out by the coronavirus …

Los Angeles Dodger outfielder Mookie Betts may never play a regular-season game for the Dodgers as a new deal being negotiated by the MLB commissioner's office and the players association would count the 2020 season toward players' service time even if the season isn't played.

New MLB proposal would let Betts, Bauer go free in fall

NEW YORK - Mookie Betts and all the players set to be free agents after the 2020 season would still get that chance if there is no baseball this year, part of a broad deal being negotiated by the commissioner's office and the players' …

Prep Sports

TSA baseball opens season with 6-5 walk-off victory over Dillon Christian, fall in Game 2

Thomas Sumter Academy’s varsity baseball team opened their season in dramatic fashion on Thursday, rallying for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for a walk-off, 6-5 victory over Dillon Christian. Dillon Christian won game two of the doubleheader 5-2.

Saints stomp Richard Winn, advance to Saturday's title game

Clarendon Hall’s varsity boys basketball team punched their ticket to Saturday’s SCISA 1A state championship game with a 72-43 victory over Richard Winn Academy on Thursday night at Wilson Hall’s Nash Student Center.

Sumter's Justus Boone commits to Florida

Sumter High School defensive end Justus Boone announced a commitment to the Florida Gators on Wednesday on Twitter.

Lady Barons season ends in loss to Cardinal Newman

The Wilson Hall varsity girls basketball team faced an uphill climb going into its SCISA 3A state tournament quarterfinal game against Cardinal Newman on Tuesday, having lost to the Lady Cardinals 63-23 in a regular-season meeting.

Gibson's buzzer-beater sends Scott's Branch boys to Lower State title game

SUMMERTON -- R.J. Gibson scored 10 of his team-high 18 points, including a game-winning layup as time expired, in the fourth quarter as the Scott's Branch High School varsity boys basketball team punched its ticket to the 1A lower state championship game with a thrilling 55-53 victory over Military Magnet Academy on Tuesday at Jones Gymnasium.

CLEMSON

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawerence was given special permission from the NCAA on Tuesday to raise money for coronavirus patients and their families.

NCAA says Clemson's Lawrence can resume coronavirus fundraising

CLEMSON (AP) - It turns out Trevor Lawrence and his girlfriend didn't do anything wrong when they were trying to help coronavirus victims and their families. What sounded like a noble effort but might have been an NCAA violation is OK after …

Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins catches a pass while running drills during the Tigers' pro day on Thursday in Clemson.

Clemson LB Simmons, WR Higgins show off for NFL personnel at pro day

CLEMSON - As Clemson's pro day unfolded, NFL head coaches like the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin and the Detroit Lions' Matt Patricia chatted with Clemson's Dabo Swinney. And it never took long, Swinney said, before the Tigers' versatile …

Clemson's Al-Amir Dawes (2) shoots while defended by Florida State's RaiQuan Gray during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Clemson, S.C.

Dawes leads the way as Clemson edges Miami 69-64 in ACC Tourney

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Clemson Tigers began attacking the hole, then charged into the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Struggling from 3-point range, the eighth-seeded Tigers used strong drives and 18-of-19 shooting from the free-throw line - all of …

The Item's Wednesday Watch 3.11.20

1. Gamecock women win SEC tourneyLast week’s ranking: #3 The top-ranked South Carolina women’s basketball team defeated No. 9 Mississippi State 76-62 on Sunday to win the SEC …

Clemson's Trey Jemison (55) scores against Virginia Tech's Isaiah Wilkins during the Tigers' 70-58 loss on Wednesday in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Horne, Hokies snap skid with 70-58 win over Clemson

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Virginia Tech coach Mike Young gave a simple explanation for why his team played much better Wednesday night than it had in the past five weeks when it had lost nine of the past 10 games. "When that thing goes in the basket, the …

More Clemson sports

USC

South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley was named The Associated Press coach of the year on Monday.

Gamecock's Staley named AP women's coach of the year

Dawn Staley helped guide South Carolina to No. 1 and has now earned coach of the year honors from The Associated Press for the first time. The veteran Gamecocks coach received 20 votes from the national media panel that selects the Top 25 poll …

South Carolina guard Tyasha Harris (52) won the Dawn Staley award named for her coach on Friday.

South Carolina's Harris wins award named for her coach

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina point guard Tyasha Harris is this year's recipient of the Dawn Staley award. The Phoenix Club of Philadelphia made the announcement Friday. Harris became the second Gamecock, joining Tiffany Mitchell in 2013, …

South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, left, was named to The Associated Press All-America second team on Thursday. Her teammate, Tyasha Harris, was named to the third team.

USC's Boston, Harris selected to All-America teams

NEW YORK - South Carolina may have finished with the No. 1 ranking in women's college basketball this season, but it didn't have a first team All-American. However, the Gamecocks do have one on the second and third teams, respectively. USC …

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, center right, is among the women's college basketball coaches that were disappointed that she and her team didn't spend Monday night watching the NCAA tournament bracket reveal.

Women's basketball coaches deal with reality of no NCAAs

NEW YORK - South Carolina coach Dawn Staley knows that Monday was supposed to be the night that women's basketball got put in the national spotlight with the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal. She was set to watch the selection show with her team …

The South Carolina women's basketball team, seen here celebrating its SEC championship, received the best consolation prize it could hope for after the NCAA tournament was cancelled, as the Gamecocks finished the season No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in program history.

South Carolina finishes No. 1 in AP women's basketball poll

NEW YORK - Dawn Staley and South Carolina are No. 1 in the final Associated Press women's basketball poll for the first time in school history. The Gamecocks received 26 first-place votes from the national media panel in voting released Tuesday. …

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Outdoors

Lee Reich via AP A red currant espalier grows on a fence in New Paltz, New York. Red currant plants are especially easy to train and prune as decorative (and edible) espaliers.

Espalier: how to train plants for the tracery of branches

Espalier is a way of training and pruning plants so their branches lie in an orderly and ornamental two-dimensional form. The beauty comes from the tracery of the branches. Espalier is a way to create a living border in a garden, or decorate a fence …

Opening day

My wife Ginger asked, with just a trace of delight and a smirk in her voice, "have you ever missed an opening day?" I was huddled under a blanket on the couch, looking up with my most practiced pitiful expression. My truthful answer to her was a …

PHOTO BY BASS Bassmaster Elite Series angler Rick Clunn

Bassmaster legend Clunn covers hot trends, historic records

FROM B.A.S.S. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Bassmaster Elite Series angler Rick Clunn, of Ava, Missouri, is a sportfishing icon, winning four Bassmaster Classic titles and 16 Bassmaster tournaments. Most recently, Clunn took home the 2019 Bassmaster …

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Extras
Columbia's Pridgeon continues his professional win streak

Sitting backwards on a chair, one arm stretched out in front of him, Jaylon Pridgeon watches his trainer wind gauze around his hand. Next comes the tape, between the fingers and then around the wrist …

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