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Russell Report: SEC Football Media Days end with Florida being picked to finish 12th in the league
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - One of golf’s major tournaments, the Open, is now in the books and it was a great event for former Gator golfer Billy Horschel who played so well in the tournament. After seizing the lead after three rounds, he chose to look back at the Memorial Tournament he played in just about a year ago, saying his confidence was about as low as it had ever been on tour after he shot a 12 over par 84 in the first round there. And how here he was with a chance to win a major championship. He knows how to win; he is an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, but all that success seemed to melt away after hitting rock bottom in that Memorial event. But he worked, he didn’t quit, and he put himself in position to win a major championship. Always great to see athletes come back from adversity and do well again and that’s exactly what Horschel did in this tournament. Nice to see.
Florida Football QB Graham Mertz has been embracing his leadership role
Florida quarterback Graham Mertz is embracing his role as a team leader heading into the 2024 season. The sixth-year senior wasn't necessarily a fan favorite when it was announced he would be transferring to Florida from Wisconsin, but his overall play, combined with his grit and determination, quelled most fear Gator fans may have had.
Gainesville Police Department asks for help after shots fired outside liquor store
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The Gainesville Police Department is asking the public for information after shots were fired at the Dee’s Liquor store at 1030 SE 4th Ave on July 12th. Police say numerous shots were fired at a group of people outside the liquor store around midnight, and...
Pastor accused of raping juvenile girl
Christopher Robin Whitehead, 35, was arrested yesterday morning and charged with sexual battery on a victim between the ages of 12 and 18. The post Pastor accused of raping juvenile girl appeared first on Alachua Chronicle.
Blue-chip safety recruit to make verbal commitment this weekend
The coming weekend is another big one for the Florida football program as four-star safety Lagonza Hayward out of Lyons (Georgia) Toombs County in the 2025 cycle gets set to make his verbal commitment. The 6-foot-1-inch, 200-pound defensive back made an official visit with the Gators in mid-June and is zeroing in on his final decision. “On my birthday, July 27, between Florida and South Carolina,” Hayward revealed as his decision date after his Florida OV. However, he has changed things a bit since that announcement. “The offers came in, I had a lot of choices and I had to make a tough decision....
Can Florida football get more consistent play from its linebackers in 2024?
Florida football will bring back a pair of veterans and add some promising newcomers to its linebacker position group in 2024. There's also a new coach — Rob Roberts — who will primarily work with linebackers as Florida Gators co-defensive coordinator with Austin Armstrong., Roberts, the defensive coordinator at Auburn last season, replaced...
Florida football staffer seeks greener pastures with sports agency
The Florida football program recently has seen some shifting off the field with its staff, including the recent departure of the assistant for college personnel and on-campus recruiting Chase Clark. According to a report from Gators Online’s Keith Niehbur, Clark is leaving the Gators to pursue a career as a sports agent with the William Morris Endeavor after five seasons in Gainesville. He first arrived in the Swamp in 2019 under Dan Mullen as an assistant director for player personnel and represents one of the few members of the program to have still been with the program since turning the page to...
'This has to be the best year yet': Johnson embracing critical role ahead of 2024 season
Florida didn't necessarily have trouble generating momentum in 2023. Sustaining it, though, was a different story. After winning five games in a seven-week stretch to open their season, the Gators stumbled across the finish line with five-straight losses, a slide that sticks with Montrell Johnson — Florida's senior running back and head coach Billy Napier's longest-tenured player — when he thinks back on his second year in Gainesville.
Off-field staffer returns to Florida after brief stint at TAMU
Off-field staffer Joe Hamilton has returned to the Florida football program after a brief stint with the Texas A&M Aggies. The former Gators analyst had accepted a position in College Station back in February, but reported back in his previous office in Gainesville, according to a Swamp247 report. Hamilton joined...
Going Gator opens pathways from community colleges to UF
While community colleges have opened the door to higher education for many by providing a lower-cost entry to a more advanced four-year degree, the path forward is not always clear — a hurdle the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida is working to remove.
Elite WR Vernell Brown III commits to Florida Gators
One of the top pass catchers in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Vernell Brown III, has committed to the University of Florida over fellow finalists Florida State, Miami and Ohio State on Sunday. Although he’s a legacy recruit, academics and a strong development program at his position made Florida the pick...
The Swamp ranked No. 20 in ESPN's Top 25 college football stadiums
While Florida fans may consider Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to be one of the nation's most daunting venues in college football, a handful of analysts from ESPN aren't necessarily as high on the home stadium for the Gators. ESPN polled its 14 college football analysts for their list of college...
New principal takes over St. Patrick Interparish School in Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Dr. Christine Higgins has taken over as the new principal at Saint Patrick Interparish School. Higgins assumed the role of principal on July 1. The principal will be tasked with cleaning up the school’s image and reassuring parents after a scandal involving inappropriate touching of students and the failure of administrators to act.
Professional Development Scholarship Fund Now Open Until Aug. 19
July 22, 2024 – The Professional Development Scholarship Fund (PDSF) program at Santa Fe College is now accepting applications until Monday, Aug. 19 at 11:59 p.m. This program includes the UF/SF Employee Exchange Program (UF Waiver) and the Professional Development Scholarship Reimbursement Program. The UF/SF Employee Exchange Program (UF...
UF Board of Trustees set to meet Tuesday after Sasse resignation
Three days after UF President Ben Sasse abruptly resigned, the university’s board of trustees quietly scheduled a meeting for Tuesday. No details were included in the meeting’s agenda, but the board is expected to name an interim president before Sasse steps down July 31. Sasse’s predecessor, Kent Fuchs,...
Gainesville Teen Charged in Hit-and-Run that Seriously Injured 8-Year-Old Girl
A Gainesville teenager is now facing charges after his car smashed into an apartment building, seriously wounding an 8-year-old girl, and then fleeing the scene. Erickson Mondesir, 19, has been charged with hit and run, and serious injury by vehicle following the incident, which occurred at Lenox Park Apartments on Tuesday. As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, authorities surmise the collision was inadvertent, yet they condemn Mondesir's choice to evade the scene without providing assistance to the injured child.
Paul Finebaum Names Best Freshman Quarterback in College Football
Things are not looking good for the Florida Gators and head coach Billy Napier. After consecutive losing seasons, Napier could be on the hot seat if there isn't significant improvement this season. Napier inherited a program with two losing seasons since 2014, with one in 2021, the year before he ...
Keep Alachua County Beautiful names new executive director
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Gainesville resident Carlos Gonzalez was named the executive director of Keep Alachua County Beautiful (KACB). This announcement comes after the organization re-located in April, and kicked out their former director Tyler Smith. KACB moved into an office after the city kicked them out of their previous...
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