Latest from Nicholas Hodell
Who needs a beach? College sand volleyball thriving in Arizona, with GCU leading way
PHOENIX – Arizona’s climate makes beach volleyball a viable year-round sport. Three major colleges have taken advantage to build sustainable programs, making the state one of the best non-coastal states in the country for the sport.
Even resilience can’t help GCU overcome Gonzaga in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
DENVER – The Grand Canyon men's basketball team ran out of gas against Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament. However, Friday night marked another building block for the program’s young history and it came with strong fan support.
Pac-12 marks Title IX anniversary with first all-female Hall of Honor class
LAS VEGAS – The Pac-12 Conference celebrated the 50th anniversary of Title IX with its first all-female Hall of Honor class. The event’s success sparked possibilities for more female representation in future years.
Wildcats letdown: UCLA knocks Arizona out of Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament
LAS VEGAS - After a competitive first half between the fourth-seeded University of Arizona and fifth-seeded UCLA, the Bruins pulled away in the second half to beat the Wildcats 73-59 in the quarterfinal of the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament.
ASU’s resilience in Pac-12 women’s tournament exemplifies response from season-long adversity
LAS VEGAS – Though Arizona State was knocked out of the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament in the first round Wednesday, the team displayed the resilience it had all season long.
Clutch time: GCU women’s basketball adds offense to defensive focus in pursuit of WAC championship
PHOENIX – Under coach Molly Miller, GCU women’s basketball has fallen short of making the NCAA tournament despite making the WAC tournament final the last two seasons with an improved defense. The team has improved its offense this season in search of an elusive WAC championship.
GCU upset of Tennessee marks another milestone in rapid ascension of Lopes baseball
PHOENIX – GCU baseball has made tremendous progress over the last five years, earning WAC championships as well as two straight NCAA tournament appearances, including an at-large invitation last year. An upset win over Tennessee gave GCU even more national exposure.
Calmer conditions lead to lower scoring at WM Phoenix Open in round two
SCOTTSDALE – After a windy and difficult first round at TPC Scottsdale, calmer conditions Friday led to lower scoring, setting up a possible battle for world No. 1 on a star-studded leaderboard.
NFL Green brings Arizona community together for ‘Green Week’
PHOENIX – NFL “Green Week” continued on Thursday with an event that aimed to make a larger impact on the community than only the environment. Students led the way to donate over 25,000 items to underserved communities.
TCU’s poise amid Fiesta Bowl theatrics sends Horned Frogs to championship
GLENDALE - A calm demeanor guided No. 3 TCU through the craziness of the highest-scoring Fiesta Bowl ever and into the College Football Playoff national championship game after a 51-45 win over No. 2 Michigan.
Desert duel: Michigan, TCU set for battle in CFP semifinal at Fiesta Bowl
SCOTTSDALE – Michigan and TCU, two programs with vastly different preseason expectations, prepare to compete on college football’s biggest stage at the College Football Playoff at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Derrick Michael Xzavierro’s history-making odyssey lands him at GCU
PHOENIX – Derrick Michael Xzavierro’s journey to GCU has led him across the world from his home of Indonesia. Though he is taking a redshirt year this season, Xzavierro has already made an impact and history as Indonesia’s first Division I basketball scholarship player.
Last-second miss: GCU men fall to North Texas in Jerry Colangelo Classic
PHOENIX – GCU came up just short against North Texas in the Jerry Colangelo Classic, named after the former owner of several Arizona teams and the namesake of GCU’s business school.
Top dogs: Cynosport World Games brings together dog agility trainers in Scottsdale
SCOTTSDALE – Scottsdale hosted the Cynosport Dog Agility World Games last weekend. The sport has seen exponential growth and a big evolution in the last three decades, according to two local pioneers of dog agility.
Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series brings social justice issues, HBCUs to the forefront
PHOENIX – Arizona and Arizona State’s basketball programs are getting a chance to learn more about historically Black colleges and universities through a partnership between the Pac-12 and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Australian sisters strengthen family bond while running at NAU
PHOENIX – Sisters Nikita and Keira Moore reunited at Northern Arizona this year after a year spent apart. The Australians have adjusted to living in the U.S. while running cross country and track for the Lumberjacks.
Propositions: Measures to limit ‘dark money’ and medical debt pass
PHOENIX – Proposition 211, the ballot measure requiring disclosure for political spending, has passed, according to the Associated Press.
Arizona men’s tennis hopes offseason work leads to an NCAA championship
PHOENIX – The Arizona men’s tennis team is staying sharp with two months of fall tournaments. The team hopes the match experience gained this fall will improve the team in order to accomplish big spring goals.
Mike Kraus adjusting well to college coaching in first year with GCU men’s soccer
PHOENIX – The GCU men’s soccer program continues to establish its same standard of success in 2022 under first-year coach Mike Kraus. The team’s chemistry and culture has already led to one major upset this season.
Footprint in the sand: AVP Tour makes indoor stop in Phoenix return
PHOENIX – The AVP Tour visited Phoenix for the first time since 2009. The tour’s indoor Phoenix Championships got a near-universal positive reception
In the cards: Arizona show puts blossoming collecting industry on full display
PHOENIX – Cole McAuliff’s vision for the collectibles industry in Arizona has turned into putting on big shows like the Arizona State Card Show. The growth of his organization, Collectibles on College, mirrors the rise of the collectibles industry since the coronavirus pandemic.
WAC championship rings represent a revival of GCU women’s soccer
PHOENIX – GCU women’s soccer transformed from an underachieving program with a bad culture to a WAC champion with expectations of defending its title in just two seasons.
Glendale’s Team Solitaire shows smaller, independent groups can thrive in Supercross
GLENDALE – Some teams are literally better equipped to succeed in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship than others. But that doesn’t mean that independent racing teams, like Glendale-based Team Solitaire, can’t be competitive and have an impact on the sport.
Young Scottsdale sisters honor Ukrainian mother gunned down in Bucha with 53-mile bike ride
FOUNTAIN HILLS - Carina and Ariana Dinu wanted to make an impact on Ukrainian refugees after hearing the story of a Ukrainian mother who died while riding home on her bike. The two each rode 26.5 miles on Sunday to honor her memory.
Helping women start journey of personal growth inspires Fountain Hills bike event
PHOENIX — Her experience in sports and leadership roles in business has inspired Liz Caracciolo to start Inspire Events, a company that is using a bike event to build a community of women looking to start their personal journeys.
Highway construction to close Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park after nearly four decade NHRA run
PHOENIX — The Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler is set to run its final NHRA event in 2023. The Wild Horse Park Development Authority says this is due to planned work on Interstate 10 near the area.
GCU swimming and diving program’s international culture fosters athletic, personal growth
PHOENIX - The Grand Canyon University swimming and diving program has built an international culture where athletes experience other cultures in addition to their own thanks to teammates.
Chase Briscoe fulfills dream with first NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway
AVONDALE - Chase Briscoe fended off multiple challengers in the final restarts to win Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Briscoe became the 200th Cup Series winner in history with his first career win in NASCAR’s top series.
NASCAR teams to gain real-race data in Next Gen car at Phoenix before November’s championship
AVONDALE – NASCAR makes its first stop at Phoenix Raceway this year. Teams and drivers have become increasingly comfortable with the new Next Gen car, but this weekend is significant with the challenge of Phoenix’s dogleg looming.
NHRA’s return to Wild Horse Pass concludes with end of Torrence family Arizona winning streak
CHANDLER – The NHRA missed coming to Arizona, as last year’s Arizona Nationals was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Steve Torrence missed the desert more than most with a winning pedigree.
Glendale’s Michael McDowell hopes to defend Daytona 500 championship with new team
PHOENIX – Glendale native Michael McDowell kicks off the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season with a chance to defend his Daytona 500 championship. He will have an entirely new team around him.
Dishing the dirt: Unique layouts, surfaces challenge Supercross drivers’ event preparations
GLENDALE - The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship presents unique tracks and dirt every single race. Drivers must prepare quickly and smartly on-site while also taking advantage of track maps.
Not just for seniors: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Phelps help spread pickleball fever
PHOENIX – Michael Phelps and Larry Fitzgerald competed with professional pickleball athletes in a special pro-am event on Friday as the sport continues to grow and receive more exposure.
