• Slug: Sports–Sports and Religion, 650 words.
• Photo available.
• Video available (Video by Deron Orr Jr./Cronkite News)

By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Terry Shoemaker’s trip to a Baltimore cemetery inspired his research on sport and religion for years to come.

Shoemaker, a research scholar and religious studies professor at Arizona State, recently published his book “Religions and Sports: The Basics,” which covers the connections between religious and sporting activities.

“To study these two things, either comparatively or as if they’re overlapping, gives us a sense of what humans do and why they do it,” Shoemaker said in an interview with Cronkite News. Continue reading “Arizona State researcher Terry Shoemaker explores how sports and religion share common ground”

• Slug: Sports–NFL Prospect Arizona Colorado, 880 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Saleh Awwad
Cronkite News

TUCSON – The Arizona Wildcats’ showdown against the Colorado Buffaloes and Deion Sanders in Tucson quickly turned into a lopsided dud Saturday, but for NFL fans watching, the game featured a surplus of names expected to be called at the 2025 draft.

Across the two teams, five projected 2025 first-round NFL Draft picks took the field at Arizona Stadium, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft.

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea and Arizona defensive back Tacario Davis matched up against Colorado’s two-way phenom Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Continue reading “Arizona, Colorado put future NFL draft picks to the test in Tucson with swarm of scouts in attendance”

• Slug: Sports–Bisbee Great Stair Climb, 970 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

BISBEE – Once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco with a population of about 23,000 people in the early 1900s, this once-booming mining community has transitioned into what today is a quirky artists enclave and tourist attraction.

But the town of about 5,000 tucked into the Mule Mountains not far from the U.S.-Mexico border still celebrates its rich history each year through the equally quirky Bisbee 1000: The Great Stair Climb.

It is a foot race (or walk) over a 4.5-mile course that winds through town and incorporates nine of the community’s many staircases, requiring contestants to climb more than 1,000 stairs along the way. Continue reading “The Great Stair Climb: Bisbee 1000 pays tribute to mining town’s boom days”

• Slug: Sports–Suns Season Preview, 800 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić invites teammates to his summer training spot in Split, Croatia, the typical response is a sarcastic, “Yeah, I’ll be there” – the kind of response one would give to politely decline.

Not from coach Mike Budenholzer, though.

“I didn’t doubt it,” Nurkić said of Budenholzer accepting his invitation this past offseason. “But also, it’s the NBA. People say a lot of things that you want to hear. When I came to (training) camp, he was all about his words. Continue reading “For Mike Budenholzer and Phoenix Suns, talk ‘really doesn’t matter’ ahead of 2024-25 NBA season”

• Slug: Sports–GCU MBB Preview, 1,200 words.
• 2 photos available.
• Video available.

By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Maybe not older, but wiser.

That might be the best way to describe Grand Canyon’s men’s basketball team. Half the roster is made up of underclassmen, but there also is a wealth of experience as the Lopes chase a fourth – and final – Western Athletic Conference basketball championship.

GCU has four true freshmen on the roster this season, including the program’s first top-100 signee in forward Sammie Yeanay, who comes to the Lopes as ESPN’s highest-ranked player in the top 100 to choose to play outside a Power 6 basketball conference. Continue reading “GCU men’s basketball balances experience, youth in final WAC championship pursuit”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Dillingham Kickers, 740 words.
• 4 photos available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

CINCINNATI – After calling Arizona State’s kicking game “atrocious” in the wake of a 24-14 Big 12 loss at Cincinnati Saturday, Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham continued to walk back his criticism of kicker Ian Hershey during his Monday press conference.

Dillingham opened the media session by apologizing for his comments immediately after the game, when he said he would hold open tryouts for a kicker and invited ASU students to email him if they have kicking experience.

“I’m not kidding,” Dillingham said at the time. Continue reading “Dillingham apologizes, ASU football looks to bounce back after kicker controversy”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Beach Volleyball Event, 670 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Shouts of excitement and bursts of sand filled the air at the Sun Devil Beach Volleyball Facility. The Arizona State beach volleyball season might not begin until February, but the athletes didn’t need competitors on the other side of the net to help push their sport last Wednesday.

As Sun Devils junior Tori Clement tossed volleyballs to her teammate Samaya Morin, Kastyn Hoffman helped an assembly of kids with their serving technique during a session of “Building Brilliant Futures,” a program created by Beach Nation Volleyball to reach out to underprivileged youth in multiple communities throughout the U.S.

“I hope that by being a role model for the kids here right now, they can follow by example and fill in those shoes when they get older,” Clement said. “These sessions help hone their skills, and learn about teamwork. The lessons learned can apply this to many different aspects of their life. They can really grow their game, make themselves better athletes, better friends and better leaders.” Continue reading “ASU beach volleyball serves up skills for local youth through ‘Building Brilliant Futures’ in first Tempe event”

• Slug: Sports–Marvin Harrison Jr. Past, 2,500 words.
• 4 photos available.

By Grace Del Pizzo
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – On every level, Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has taken the game of football by storm. He famously excelled at Ohio State, winning the 2023 Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding receiver in college football. Before that, he was a three-time state champion at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia.

Oh, and his father – and namesake – happens to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Expectations have never been anything less than sky-high for Harrison. Now the world is watching as he makes his mark in the NFL, bringing his track record of success with him. Continue reading “‘He’s only scratching the surface’: Former coaches say Marvin Harrison Jr. will bring his winning tradition to Cardinals”

• Slug: Sports–Arizona Women’s Hockey, 1,200 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — When Caitlin Hogan, a lifelong hockey player and Division I standout, saw that the University of Arizona was building a women’s hockey program, she reached out to offer her expertise to the burgeoning team in any way she could.

By the time Hogan contacted the school to extend her services, its national search for a hockey coach was already underway. But after Troy Vaughn, the director of campus recreation, and Chad Berman, the men’s ice hockey coach, met with Hogan, the hunt was over.

“She (Hogan), by far and away, rose to the top,” Vaughn said. Continue reading “Caitlin Hogan leads Arizona Wildcats’ revival of women’s hockey in Tucson”

• Slug: Sports–Fantasy Football Old School, 860 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Dane Palmer
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The first sign of this fantasy football league’s uniqueness is the walk commissioner Mark Armijo makes to his mailbox every August. Inside sit the $75 entry fee checks required of each participant. Venmo? PayPal? In this league, that’s blasphemous.

Fantasy football – a game in which members are general managers of teams they’ve drafted, often for money – has become a way to unite friends and family, as well as claim glory by way of bragging rights or prize. One group of friends with connections to the Arizona Republic have done just that for 46 years in the most old school of ways: no apps, no fantasy programs, just old-fashioned pen, paper and emails. Lots of emails.

“I still have a flip phone, I’m still living in the 20th century,” said Mark Armijo, commissioner of the Republic Football League. “I’m so attuned to our league that I don’t understand any other fantasy apps.” Continue reading “Snail mail, checks and flip phones: This journalists’ fantasy football league is keeping it old school for 46 years”

• Slug: Sports–Phoenix Rising FC, 740 words.
• Photo available.

By Sebastian Mondaca Sepulveda
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – After suffering its third straight loss last Friday, Phoenix Rising FC’s season was in jeopardy. Interim coach Diego Gómez was unable to propel his team to a needed victory, and everything looked dim for the club.

Despite the loss to Monterey Bay FC in front of Rising’s dejected but loyal fanbase, Gómez had a couple of words to share heading into Wednesday’s crucial matchup on the road against rival New Mexico United.

“Win,” Gómez said. “We need to win on Wednesday. We need to shake it off and push. The most important thing right now is our mentality and continue to work after this.” Continue reading “Phoenix Rising FC faces tough road ahead on cusp of USL postseason berth”