UM’s Noel wins women’s singles tennis title
Alexa Noel is bringing the NCAA Singles Championship trophy back to the University of Miami after a three-set thriller at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
For the third time in program history, a Miami Hurricane has earned the NCAA Singles title (Audra Cohen in 2007 and Estela Perez-Somarriba in 2019). Noel secured the honor after a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory against No. 70
Anastasiia Lopata from Georgia.
“I’m so proud of the tournament that Alexa played,” said head coach
Paige Yaroshuk-Tews. “She showed uncompromising poise and the toughness of a champion. She’s a special young lady.”
Lopata was first to notch a game before Noel answered right back to tie it up and secure the break point to go up 2-1. The Bulldog didn’t waver from it, as she took the next break point against Noel to lead 3-2. In a tight point to give Lopata the possible advantage, Georgia led
4-3, hoping to go up with only one more game to claim the set. Noel persevered to take the game and tied it up at 4-4. Lopata continued to do what she did and kept the game at her pace, leading to a 6-4 set win for Georgia.
Set two started the same way, with Lopata taking the lead and earning the 2-0 advantage. Noel didn’t stray away from fighting to cut the deficit, as she came up big with a break point to make it 3-2 and ultimately tie it at three-all. The remainder of the set mirrored the same way, until Noel took the lead on break point, 6-5, for her first lead since the first set at 2-1. The Hurricane went on and took the set, 7-5, to even the match.
The first five games were back-and-forth on ties and leads. Noel started to pull away after a 3-2 lead, pushing it to 5-2. Lopata went on to take her last game of the set, before Noel claimed the set, 6-3.
The accolade marks Yaroshuk-Tews’ third career NCAA Singles Champion and second in the past five tournaments.
MURRAY DIES A DAY AFTER WITHDRAWING FROM TOURNAMENT
PGA Tour member Grayson Murray has died at age 30, commissioner Jay Monahan announced Saturday, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge at Fort Worth, Texas.
No cause of death was given.
Murray withdrew late in Friday’s second round citing illness.
“We were devastated to learn — and are heartbroken to share — that PGA TOUR player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words,” Monahan said in a statement Saturday. “The PGA TOUR is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same. We mourn
Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.”
Monahan said he reached out to Murray’s family to offer condolences and his parents requested that this weekend’s tournament continue as scheduled.
“The PGA TOUR has grief counselors available at both tournament sites, as well as virtually for those not in the field,” Monahan said. “I am en route to Ft. Worth and will share more information when we can.”
Murray shot a 68 in Thursday’s opening round at Colonial Country Club. He played 16 holes Friday before he withdrew.
Murray won this year’s Sony Open in January at Honolulu. It was his second career victory after coming out on top at the Barbasol Championship in 2017 at Nicholasville, Ky.
In 2021, Murray revealed on social media that he was receiving treatment for alcoholism. He was also open about his mental health struggles after winning in January.
“Yeah, my parents have been through, you know, hell and back basically for the last six years with me fighting some mental stuff,” Murray said at the time. “It’s not easy on me, and the people around me that love me, they don’t like to see me down. They’ve been my No. 1 supporters. There’s a few friends as well that have been there and it makes these moments a lot more special.”
Murray gained his PGA Tour card for 2024 by winning twice on the Korn Ferry Tour last season.
A native of Raleigh,
N.C., Murray was a threetime winner of the Callaway Junior Championships. He attended both Wake Forest and Arizona State, playing in the U.S. Open for the first time in 2013 as an amateur.
His best result in a major was a tie for 22nd at the 2017 PGA Championship.
ETC.
NFL: Former firstround
A draft pick
Price announced his retirement from the NFL due to the potential of complications from a blood clot. Price, a center, last played in the league with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2022 season. Price played in 69 career games (45 starts) with the Bengals, New York Giants and Cardinals since being selected by Cincinnati with the 21st overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. With the Buckeyes, he won the Rimington Trophy, which honors the nation’s top center, in 2017 . ... Maxx Crosby, the Las Vegas Raiders’ star defensive end, will make an additional $6 million next season, ESPN reported. Per the report, the Raiders won’t add any years to his contract and will also move $1.2 million into his contract for the 2025 season. Crosby, 26, is a three-time Pro Bowl selection who signed a four-year extension with $95 million in new money and more than $53 million guaranteed in March 2022.