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Orlando City SC Trades 2017 MLS SuperDraft Pick for Defender Donny Toia

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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) By Orlando City – Orlando City SC has acquired fullback Donny Toia from Atlanta United FC in exchange for City’s natural first-round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, pending International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Toia was selected by Atlanta with the first pick in the 2016 MLS Expansion Draft on Tuesday afternoon.

Additionally, Atlanta selected Orlando’s defender Mikey Ambrose in the fourth round of the Expansion Draft.

“We are happy to acquire Donny,” Assistant General Manager Niki Budalic said. “He’s an athletic fullback with MLS experience that will fit into Jason (Kreis’) style.”

Toia joins Orlando City after spending the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Montreal Impact. The 25-year-old defender was a fixture in the Impact lineup, making 44 starts among 48 regular season appearances and notching a goal and two assists. Previously, Toia played 2,240 minutes in 27 appearances for Chivas USA.

Toia came up through the Real Salt Lake Academy and became the first Homegrown player to be signed to a professional contract by RSL in March 2011, while current Lions coach Jason Kreis was with RSL. The Tucson, Ariz., native has made four appearances for the United States youth national teams.

Ambrose, 23, joined Orlando City B ahead of its 2016 United Soccer League (USL) expansion season and was signed to an MLS contract on Aug. 4. Ambrose made four starts among five MLS appearances for City.

“We wish Mikey the best of luck in Atlanta. He is a young, talented player with a bright future and we know he will do well wherever he ends up,” added Budalic.

TRANSACTION: Orlando City SC has acquired fullback Donny Toia from Atlanta United FC in exchange for a City’s natural first-round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, pending ITC.

Name: Donny Toia
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 160 lbs.
Birth Date: May 28, 1992
Birthplace: Tucson, Ariz.
Citizenship: USA

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

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NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

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UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

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Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

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