Latest news with #Creighton
Chicago Tribune
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
‘There's really no stopping' Creighton commit Ava Drehs, the 2025 Naperville Sun Softball Player of the Year
Ava Drehs had recently moved from Aurora to Naperville when she and her father, Wayne, started exploring their new environs. She was about to begin first grade when she first saw Neuqua Valley. 'I had just started softball, so I wanted to see the schools,' Drehs said. 'Me and my dad drove past the Neuqua fields, and it was like, 'Oh, look at the awesome softball field.' 'I thought, 'Wow, if I could play softball for Neuqua, that would be amazing. It would be so cool if I could even make the varsity team one day.'' Drehs not only made the varsity team. She made history. 'She's amazing,' Neuqua Valley coach Danielle Asquini said. 'She's just gotten better every school year, and you can see that in her stats and the success that she's had. 'It's been amazing to watch her, and we're definitely going to miss it.' Drehs, the 2025 Naperville Sun Softball Player of the Year, was better than ever this season. The senior pitcher went 16-6 with a 1.54 earned-run average and a 0.87 WHIP for the DuPage Valley Conference champion Wildcats (17-15, 12-3). In 154 1/3 innings, Drehs struck out 278 and walked just 27. The Creighton recruit broke her single-season program record for strikeouts and also set the career strikeout mark with 670. Those records had been held by Hannah Meeks, who was the player of the year in 2021 and 2022 and pitches at Illinois State. 'She was super talented, and when she was a senior, I was a freshman, so I always looked up to her,' Drehs said. 'So to be able to know that I competed with the records that she held means a lot.' Drehs, the DuPage Valley Conference pitcher of the year and an all-state second-team pick, competed hard every time she played, never easing up. 'Ava is always ready to go and up for a challenge,' Asquini said. 'Even in relief, she's warmed up and ready. We can exchange a glance and know that her time might be coming. 'She is so excited, so hyped up every single time she's stepping in the circle.' Drehs didn't only overpower hitters. She also outsmarted them. 'Something that's really special about Ava is that she's constantly adjusting,' Neuqua Valley senior catcher Krista Waldusky said. 'So if she sees they're gonna chase that outside pitch, then she's like, 'I'm gonna push them further and further and further off the plate. I'm not gonna give them a good pitch to swing at because I know that they're gonna chase it.' 'If the first rise ball doesn't really break as much as she'd like it to, the next one will. She is constantly making those adjustments to make herself the hardest pitcher to hit.' Drehs did it with pinpoint control. She never walked more than two batters in any outing, so if she got ahead in the count, hitters always seemed to chase. Drehs is always chasing greatness by thinking ahead. 'This year, one big example of that is in our regional semifinal game against Oswego East,' she said. 'We won, but I wasn't really proud of the way I pitched. I feel like they were making a lot of contact, and I wasn't too happy about it 'So before our next game, I talked to coach, and we figured out some adjustments. When I brought that to Krista, I said, 'Look, I think we should try this.'' Drehs broke out a two-seam fastball and pitched a six-hitter with no earned runs in the Wildcats' 6-0 loss to Oswego, which won the state title on June 14. 'I had seven strikeouts, and five of them were on that new pitch,' Drehs said. 'So we're constantly adjusting what we're doing. It's never the same.' Indeed, Drehs is never standing still. She knows she will have to improve at Creighton, and Asquini doesn't doubt she will. 'As she gets older, I think she's going to get stronger,' Asquini said. 'That's what she wants, and when someone is as motivated as she is, there's really no stopping her at that point.' Drehs will major in elementary education and wants to return to Naperville as a first grade teacher. It would be a full-circle moment for someone who may already have inspired someone who could try to break her records. Drehs' sister Zoe, who will begin sixth grade in the fall, plays softball and soccer. 'I'm so excited,' Drehs said. 'I've always wanted to be a teacher. I have a little sister who is seven years younger than me, and I used to prop her up on chairs and teach her like we were in school.'
Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
William Creighton knows there's no room for error at Donegal International Rally
Moira man Creighton and his Belfast co-driver Liam Regan have landed a starting place for the fourth round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris Rally2 thanks to ongoing support from sponsors and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. The pair tackled the event 12 months ago, albeit on opposite sides of the car and purely for fun, but this time around, they return expecting to challenge many of the top Rally2 seeds, including defending Champion Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), the Moffett brothers — Sam and Josh — and Jon Armstrong, who arrives fresh from a podium finish in Poland as part of his FIA European Rally Championship campaign. Added spice comes in the form of New Zealander and two-time FIA European Rally Champion Hayden Paddon, who is deputising for Matt Edwards in a C&M Motorsport-run Hyundai i20 N Rally2. 'The pace at the front of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is very strong,' said Creighton, who makes his first competitive outing as a driver on Irish soil since the West Cork Rally last March. 'There is no room for error, and it is important to find a good rhythm from the beginning of the rally — but that is what makes the Donegal Rally such a brilliant challenge. 'This is a rally that I have always wanted to contest in a Rally2 car — it is such a special event for Irish rallying, and the atmosphere is second to none. To be competing on such an iconic event, on home ground, with the support of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and in the Castrol GR Yaris really means a lot. 'I think Donegal will be a huge test, not just because of the pace of the competition, but the intensity of the rally and how much the local knowledge comes into play. I did the rally last year, but in the co-driver's seat of Liam's Skoda — this will be a world away from that. Either way, I am really looking forward to enjoying the weekend and putting on a show for the fans.' Creighton's appearance at the Letterkenny-based event is also going to serve as a useful warm-up for the next asphalt round of the Probite British Rally Championship, which the 27-year-old has made winning the priority this season. After the first three rounds, he provisionally leads the way with Castrol MEM Rally team-mate Meirion Evans. Next up in the BRC is August's Grampian Forest Stages Rally before the action switches to Rali Ceredigion in Wales. 'This is a great opportunity for me, both in terms of contesting such an iconic rally and in staying sharp during the gap in the BRC schedule,' was Creighton's assessment. 'Three days in Donegal offers very useful seat-time ahead of our next asphalt BRC round at Rali Ceredigion later in the summer. 'It is a huge boost to be back behind the wheel and to do it on Irish soil, I am grateful to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and the team for making it happen.'
CTV News
a day ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Creighton Mayor on when evacuees might return home
Regina Watch Creighton Mayor Bruce Fiddler on efforts to protect his community from wildfire and efforts to repatriate residents that have been evacuated.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
‘We want people back': Sask. mayor says officials working to return evacuees home
The mayor of a Saskatchewan town surrounded by an uncontrolled wildfire says officials are working on getting residents home as soon as possible. As the Wolf fire continues to burn on the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, Creighton Mayor Bruce Fiddler says firefighters have pushed the flames away from the community and no infrastructure has been lost. He said that while there is no immediate threat to the town, crews are still working to contain hot spots and flare-ups in the area. 'There is fire activity in the area, very close, but they do knock that down very quickly,' Fiddler said in an interview with CTV News. A mandatory evacuation order remains in place for Creighton and the nearby community of Denare Beach. Fiddler said town officials are focusing on restoring essential services, particularly medical support, before allowing residents to return. 'We're working very hard on it. We want people back just as badly as they want to come back, but we want to make sure it's a safe re-entry,' he said. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 13 active wildfires in Saskatchewan, including three that are uncontained. The Wolf fire is among those still burning out of control. On Monday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said it hoped to bring the remaining fires under control while weather conditions remain favourable. Crawford Luke, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said there is a chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorms in the Creighton area Tuesday afternoon. He notes there could be some more rain in the area this weekend. 'As we look to the weekend, there could be some reason to be optimistic in terms of rainfall on the way,' Luke said. 'Obviously, it's getting a bit further out, so the forecast could still change.' So far this year, there have been 256 wildfires in Saskatchewan — well above the five-year average of 156.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Celtics mock draft: Looking at 4 big men prospects who could fit Boston
The Celtics trade rumors are starting to heat up ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. There should be plenty of player movement coming in the next few weeks around the league. Teams are starting to prepare for what's predicted to be a busy offseason. On the Celtics' side, they're going to make some trades to shed salary from their payroll. On another note, they also have two picks going into the draft at No. 28 and No. 32 overall. The first round is set for June 25 while the second round will be on June 26. So, the C's have some options when it comes to who they add to their team. Advertisement MassLive already looked at four guards and four wings who the Celtics could potentially draft. Of note, the C's will have to make some decisions when it comes to their big man rotation this summer, a crucial part of next season. Now, here's a look at four big men who the Celtics could pick: Danny Wolf, Michigan 2024-25 stats: 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists in 30.5 minutes in 37 games. Shot 49.7% from the field and 33.6% on 3-pointers. Wolf, who started his collegiate career at Yale, is a tantalizing prospect. He starred at Michigan in one year where he showcased his talent. He was measured in at 6-foot-11 at the draft combine; his size and skill is what pops out immediately on his tape. Wolf took over games for stretches as his playmaking will draw parallels to Nikola Jokic. Advertisement It's unclear at what point Wolf will be taken in the draft, but he could be there for the Celtics at the end of the first. Wolf's shooting is still a question mark as he knocked in 33.6% of his 3-pointers and 59.4% on free throws. But in terms of prospects at this point in the draft, Wolf is a fun one even with some holes in his game. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton 2024-25 stats: 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists in 34.4 minutes in 35 games. Shot 65.3% from the field and 34.4% on 3-pointers. Kalkbrenner is another Creighton product, much like last year's first-round pick in Baylor Scheierman. The big man has spent the past five years in Creighton, so he comes into the draft at 23. While he's old for a draft prospect, that also translates to experience as he's a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year from 2022-25. Advertisement It's clear Kalkbrenner is a force defensively inside the paint, averaging 2.7 blocked shots per game last season. He was also efficient on offense, plus he showed some shooting touch. While he might not have the highest ceiling, he looks the part of an NBA center, measuring in at 7-foot-1 without shoes with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. Maxime Raynaud, Stanford 2024-25 stats: 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists in 33.4 minutes in 35 games. Shot 46.7% from the field and 34.7% on 3-pointers. Raynaud turned some heads this past season with impressive counting numbers, plus he expanded his game from deep. Not only did he shoot 34.7% on 3s, it was on 5.5 attempts per game. Raynaud measures in at 7-foot without shoes with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, so the size is certainly there. Advertisement Raynaud, a French national, doesn't pop off as much defensively as compared to some other prospects on this list. He's not particularly young at 22, but his offensive game coupled with his efficiency are a solid sign. He spent the past four seasons at Stanford, earning first-team All-ACC honors last season. Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State 2024-25 stats: 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists in 25.1 minutes in 29 games. Shot 61.1% from the field and 9.1% on 3-pointers. Niederhauser has turned some heads throughout the draft process and his measurables were certainly noteworthy. The big man came in at 6-foot-11 without shoes and a 7-foot-3 wingspan. He also featured a 37-inch max vertical leap, so he can get up there. The Swiss product played at Northern Illinois for two seasons before transferring to Penn State for a year, where he had a breakout season. Advertisement Niederhauser is still a raw prospect as he showed that throughout the past year. But he blocked 2.3 shots per game and looks physically the part of an NBA center. He turned 22 earlier this year, so not young, but still has room to grow on both ends of the court. Niederhauser also doesn't shoot much as he took 11 total 3-pointer last season. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
