No funding, no problem: ASU Overwatch stuns esports elites without university’s financial backing

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Overwatch Esports. 950 words.
  • One photo available.

Sammy Nute
Cronkite News

TEMPE — Grand Canyon University showed off its multi-million dollar esports facility in mid-March by hosting the Western Cactus League 2024, the first in-person esports competition to host all four major Arizona universities.

GCU, which has been at the forefront of investing in the Valley’s esports scene, opened its doors to Arizona State, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University at the 3,200-square-foot Esports Arena. Built in 2019, the facility houses more than 70 personal computers and multiple consoles.

However, it wasn’t the host team that dominated the event that weekend.

Arizona State Overwatch stole the show en route to a tournament victory, adding to a stellar year of rapid growth. ASU climbed the Overwatch College Rankings into the nation’s top 10 without significant financial support from the school as a club sport. The program’s potential was on display amid its rise in the rankings, despite a decision by ASU’s student government to withdraw critical financial support this spring, according to the team.

Continue reading “No funding, no problem: ASU Overwatch stuns esports elites without university’s financial backing”

CORRECTION to April 22 story about Catalina Foothills High tennis

by Julia Thompson

EDS: Clients who used the Cronkite News story slugged Sports-Catalina Foothills Tennis that moved Monday, April 22, under a TUCSON dateline are asked to run the following correction. The error occurred in the byline. A corrected version of the story has been posted here.

TUCSON – An April 22 Cronkite News story about Catalina Foothills High tennis had an incorrect byline. The story was written by Brett Lapinski.

Cronkite News Digest for Tuesday, April 23

by Paola Boivin

Here is your Cronkite News lineup for Tuesday, April 23. If you have questions on news stories from the Phoenix bureau, please contact Managing Editor of Digital Julia Thompson at 602-496-5050 or julia.thompson.1@asu.edu, while questions about stories from our Washington bureau should go to Steve Crane at 202-684-2398 or steve.crane@asu.edu. Sports story questions can be directed to Paola Boivin at paola.boivin@asu.edu. Clients who want to use Cronkite videos should contact Allysa Adams at 480-580-5502 at aadams1@asu.edu for clean versions. If not linked below, stories promised for today, along with photos and links to multimedia elements, will post to our client site at cronkitenews.jmc.asu.edu/clients. Continue reading “Cronkite News Digest for Tuesday, April 23”

Supreme Court turns down Lake, Finchem suit to ban electronic vote tallies

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Lake Denied,600 words.
  • File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Martin Dreyfuss
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down an appeal from Kari Lake and Mark Finchem, apparently ending their two-year bid to block the use of electronic voting tabulation in Maricopa and Pima counties.

Lake, the failed GOP nominee for governor in 2022 who is now running for U.S. Senate, and Finchem, the failed 2022 Republican nominee for secretary of state, had claimed in court filings the tabulating machines were susceptible to hacking.

But a district court judge rejected those claims as highly speculative, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed. That set up their appeal to the Supreme Court, which declined without comment to hear the case. Continue reading “Supreme Court turns down Lake, Finchem suit to ban electronic vote tallies”

Valleywise Health opens a new medical center in Phoenix to ‘serve the underserved’

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: BC-CNS-New Valleywise Health Center. 850 words.
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Brenna Gauchat
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Valleywise Health refers to its health care system as a safety net for the community and prides itself on serving the Valley’s underserved.

On April 3, Valleywise Health hosted an opening ceremony for its new medical center on E. Roosevelt Street in Phoenix. This center replaces the previous building, which served the public for 53 years.

Standing 10 floors high and sprawling over 673,000 square feet, the new Valleywise medical center features upgraded facilities to provide specialized care to the community. The original hospital in that location was known as the Maricopa County Integrated Health System, renamed Valleywise in 2018.

Continue reading “Valleywise Health opens a new medical center in Phoenix to ‘serve the underserved’”

‘We’re not in this alone’: How an Arizona program gives support, mentorship to dads

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Dad Together. 790 words.
  • 4 photos, video story available.

By Naomi DuBovis
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Lord Washington became a father, he looked everywhere for other dads to connect with. Nothing he found gave him what he needed.

“There wasn’t much out there at all,” he said. “You can get links, but there was nothing that was meeting face-to-face, and there was nothing that was local to me at that point in time.”

But then he found Dad Together, a program where dads of all backgrounds and stages meet up, share their experiences and support each other through their parenting journeys. It offers one-on-one mentoring, discussions and a 13-week course, called Nurturing Fathers, that teaches dads the fundamentals of parenting and nurturing.

Continue reading “‘We’re not in this alone’: How an Arizona program gives support, mentorship to dads”

Game of Thrones: Kings, queens of Tucson Catalina Foothills High tennis seek another crown

by Paola Boivin

EDS: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect byline. The story below has been corrected to reflect it was written by Brett Lapinski, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

  • Slug: Sports-Catalina Foothills Tennis, 1,260 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Brett Lapinski
Cronkite News

TUCSON – The 2024 AIA Division II Team Championship tennis playoffs begin with first-round matches Tuesday for the girls and Wednesday for the boys.

Sixteen teams are vying for the championship in each bracket, but 15 of the schools in each bracket will be trying to do something no boys team has done since 2013 and no girls team has pulled off since 2018.

That’s taking down the tennis juggernaut that is Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson.  Continue reading “Game of Thrones: Kings, queens of Tucson Catalina Foothills High tennis seek another crown”

Photo essay: Mexican fighters take center stage at Top Rank Boxing in Glendale

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Photo Essay: Top Rank Boxing, 450 words.
  • 12 photos available.

By Joseph Eigo
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – The pageantry and build-up for a boxing match is unlike anything in sports.

For Top Rank’s latest event in Arizona, the intensity began to build during the Wednesday press conference before the March bout at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Phoenix.

In the main event, former two-division world champion Oscar Valdez took on Australia’s Liam Wilson for the WBO interim junior lightweight title. In the co-main event, four belts were on the line in the minimumweight title unification bout between Seniesa Estrada and Yokasta Valle.  Continue reading “Photo essay: Mexican fighters take center stage at Top Rank Boxing in Glendale”

Cranks, bugs, hurlers and short scouts: Arizona Vintage Base Ball League celebrates sport’s history in yearly tournament

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Arizona Vintage Baseball League, 1,600 words.
  • 4 photos available.

By Aaron Decker
Cronkite News

BISBEE – In this historic mining town tucked into the Mule Mountains in southeast Arizona, time travel really is possible.

At picturesque Warren Ballpark, the town’s baseball field, a man wearing a top hat calls a strike, the players on the field catch the ball with bare hands, and pitchers throw underhand. The fans in the bleachers cheer and boo for teams with names like the Mesa Miners, Maricopa Maidens, Bisbee Black Sox and Higley Haymakers.

These teams play in the Arizona Vintage Base Ball League, a local league that plays a throw-back version of baseball, or rather base ball – two words, like the olden days – using rules from 1863. Continue reading “Cranks, bugs, hurlers and short scouts: Arizona Vintage Base Ball League celebrates sport’s history in yearly tournament”

‘Most painful decision in my life’: Meruelo, Bettman respond to criticism about Arizona Coyotes departure

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Coyotes Owner NHL Commissioner Speak, 1,300 words.
  • Photo available.

By Zach Mott
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A week of unbearable silence for Coyotes fans ended Friday with a spirited media session featuring two key players involved in the team’s relocation to Salt Lake City.

“I’ve been presented with the most painful decision in my life, in my 40 years of business,” Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo said. “My family and I are devastated.”

Meruelo and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media on the heels of Thursday’s announcement that the Coyotes would become inactive and that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group would purchase team operations for $1.2 billion. Continue reading “‘Most painful decision in my life’: Meruelo, Bettman respond to criticism about Arizona Coyotes departure”

Walk of shame: ASU football slapped with probation, scholarship reductions due to violations during Herm Edwards era

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-ASU NCAA Infractions, 660 words.
  • Photo available.

By Maxwell Williams
Cronkite News

TEMPE – As Arizona State prepares to shift from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big 12, it will do so with significant baggage.

On Friday, the NCAA Infractions Committee announced the athletic department faces four years of probation, scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions for violations that occurred during Herm Edwards’ tenure as football coach.

The Level I violations also include fines, a 2023 season self-imposed football postseason ban, a vacation of records for contests that ineligible student-athletes competed in and the dissociation with an involved booster for five years. Continue reading “Walk of shame: ASU football slapped with probation, scholarship reductions due to violations during Herm Edwards era”

‘We want to win a ring’: Phoenix Suns close out regular season strong, begin championship quest

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Suns Playoff Preview, 1050 words.
  • Photo available.

By Mason Byers
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns have been consistently inconsistent throughout the regular season, but the team hopes it has figured out the championship formula as the 2024 NBA playoffs get underway.

The Suns (49-33), struggling to string together a stretch of wins during many points this season, earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference with three straight victories and help from other teams to avoid the play-in game. Phoenix’s postseason starts Saturday on the road against a tough Minnesota Timberwolves, who the Suns beat 125-106 at the Target Center last Sunday to close out the regular season.

Despite a favorable matchup against Anthony Edwards & Co., the Suns’ standing is a long fall from preseason expectations, which predicted the talented trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal would contend with the Denver Nuggets for the West crown. Continue reading “‘We want to win a ring’: Phoenix Suns close out regular season strong, begin championship quest”

ASU women’s golf carries momentum into final Pac-12 title run, NCAA championships

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Women’s Golf, 840 words.
  • 4 photos available.

By Brevan Branscum
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Arizona State women’s golf is hungry for more.

Already leading the NCAA in national championship wins, the team begins its quest to win a ninth NCAA title in school history, starting Sunday in the 2024 Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship in Pullman, Washington.

The Sun Devils, ranked No. 12 in the nation by Spikemark’s national rankings, last won the Pac-12 championship in 2009. This season will mark their last shot at capturing conference gold ahead of next year’s move to the Big 12. Continue reading “ASU women’s golf carries momentum into final Pac-12 title run, NCAA championships”

Driven: Sun Devils baseball recruit Cody Kiemele excels on diamond, oval

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Pitcher Race Car Driver, 1,200 words.
  • 2 photos available.

By Dorian Zavala
Cronkite News

AVONDALE – Even in these days of specialization, two-sport high school athletes who excel on the field and the track aren’t unusual.

Unless the track is a raceway and the athlete’s “other” sport is professional stock car racing.

Meet Cody Kiemele, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound highly touted left-handed pitcher from Arlington High School, in Riverside, California, who has verbally committed to Arizona State. Continue reading “Driven: Sun Devils baseball recruit Cody Kiemele excels on diamond, oval”

Sensory Friendly Job Fair paves the way for adults with autism to meet potential employers

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Sensory Job Fair. 780 words.
  • 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Annika Tourlas
Cronkite News

TEMPE – A Sensory Friendly Job Fair gave individuals with autism and autism spectrum disorder an opportunity to meet and be interviewed by more than a dozen potential employers on April 9 in Tempe.

The job fair was organized by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix and Rio Salado College. Timothy Stump, vocational rehabilitation employer liaison at the Arizona Department of Economic Security, organized the fair.

Continue reading “Sensory Friendly Job Fair paves the way for adults with autism to meet potential employers”

‘Combating this epidemic’: Native Americans gather to address suicide prevention

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Native American Suicide. 600 words.
  • File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Donovan Growney
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Belén Santistevan lost her brother to suicide when she was just a freshman in high school. Santistevan points to a lack of Indigenous community identity and resources as contributing factors to what happened to her brother.

“I find myself wondering, if my family didn’t struggle with historical intergenerational trauma, and if we grew up practicing our culture, my brother would still be here,” said Santistevan, who is a prevention coordinator at the Phoenix Indian Center and also helped to coordinate the 2024 Annual American Indian Suicide Prevention Convening.

Continue reading “‘Combating this epidemic’: Native Americans gather to address suicide prevention”

The Singletons provides financial, compassionate support to single-parent families battling cancer

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Singletons. 445 words.
  • 11 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
  • Video available.

By Vanessa Pimentel
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – What started as a tribute to a single mother of four has since grown into a support system for the many cancer warriors who have been in her shoes.

On Oct. 23, 2005, single mother Michelle Singleton lost her battle to cancer. Years later, a community exists to honor Singleton’s life. The Singletons, a nonprofit organization based in Phoenix, devotes itself to supporting single-parent families battling cancer.

Formerly known as Singleton Moms, the Singletons provide aid to many families, supplying them with groceries, household items and financial assistance. Marleah Nigro and her daughter, Marisa Nigro, found comfort in knowing they had the Singletons community to lean on.

Continue reading “The Singletons provides financial, compassionate support to single-parent families battling cancer”

Arizona Coyotes’ turbulent season, young talent lay groundwork for fresh start in Utah

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Coyotes Youth Movement Sale, 1,000 words.
  • Photo available.

By Zach Mott
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The action never seemed to dissipate for the Arizona Coyotes this season.

What turned into a whirlwind of a season – on and off the ice – began with one of the franchise’s best starts in the last decade. The high point came at the end of November and transitioned into early December, when the Coyotes beat each of the last five Stanley Cup winners in a row (Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, St Louis Blues, Washington Capitals). 

Heading into the All-Star break, the Coyotes sat firmly in contention for a postseason spot. But inconsistency followed an incredible stretch, as the Coyotes struggled to find their footing again. The season’s low point? A winless February, including a 14-game losing streak that hammered the team’s postseason hopes.  Continue reading “Arizona Coyotes’ turbulent season, young talent lay groundwork for fresh start in Utah”

It’s official: NHL approves Arizona Coyotes’ $1.2B Sale, relocation to Utah

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Coyotes Officially Gone, 620 words.
  • Photo available.

By Zach Mott
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The Mullett Arena crowd roared as the Arizona Coyotes scored five goals Wednesday in their season finale. The onslaught started just under three minutes into the first period, when forward Liam O’Brien ripped one past Edmonton Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard. The Coyotes would pile on four more goals in securing a 5-2 win.

It was a season-ending victory that would normally excite fans as a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season. But most everyone in attendance at the 5,000-seat arena – along with legions of fans who had followed the Coyotes in the desert for 28 years – viewed the game as an afterthought.

They were waiting on a definitive answer from the NHL about the team’s future. Continue reading “It’s official: NHL approves Arizona Coyotes’ $1.2B Sale, relocation to Utah”

4th annual American Indian Youth Disability Summit honors ASU student with Youth Tribal Leadership Award

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: BC-CNS-American Indian Youth Disability Summit. 900 words.
  • Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Brooke Rindenau
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The fourth annual American Indian Youth Disability Summit, held on April 13, awarded a Youth Tribal Leadership Award to a college student whose interest in learning disabilities and her own speech disorder led her to study speech and hearing sciences at Arizona State University.

The youth summit explored topics ranging from mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder to voting accommodations made for those with disabilities in Arizona.

Continue reading “4th annual American Indian Youth Disability Summit honors ASU student with Youth Tribal Leadership Award”