Orlando

Orlando Pride Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris, Ali Krieger win CONCACAF 2016 Honors

Published

9 years ago

January 18, 2017

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and defender Ali Krieger were all awarded 2016 CONCACAF end-of-year awards, it was announced today. Morgan won Female Player of the Year; Harris won Female Goalkeeper of the Year; and Krieger was named to the Best XI squad.

Morgan, 27, earns the honor for the second time after leading the U.S. Women’s National Team with 17 goals, including six against the world’s top-10 teams. The forward was named captain for the Pride’s inaugural season, scoring four goals and one assist, including a highlight-reel 79th minute game-winner against Western New York on May 14. That goal, as well as her Sept. 7 tally at Sky Blue, would go on to win NWSL Goal of the Week.

Morgan is currently playing with French club Olympique Lyonnais and tallied an assist last week in her 72 minute debut for the Division 1-leading side. She will rejoin the Pride following the conclusion of Lyon’s season.

Harris, 31, earns her second 2016 Goalkeeper of the Year recognition after enjoying an outstanding year for Orlando Pride and the USWNT. The 30-year-old made 62 saves, posted a goals-against-average of 1.33 and four clean sheets in 15 appearances for the Pride to earn NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year. Harris also won NWSL Save of the Week nine times and also became the first member of an expansion team to win an end-of-year league award.

The Satellite Beach, Fla., native made three starts for the U.S. WNT and earned her third career clean sheet on Sept. 15 against Thailand. Harris was an alternate on the U.S. WNT Rio Olympic team and was on the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning squad.

Krieger, 32, was acquired by the Pride in November in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Spirit. The veteran defender led Washington to its third straight postseason appearance, eventually falling to Western New York in penalty kicks in the NWSL Championship match. Krieger played in 15 matches last season, scoring a goal during the regular season and another in the Spirit’s semi-final victory over the Chicago Red Stars.

On the international stage, Krieger made her Olympic debut with the U.S. WNT on Aug. 6 in the team’s 1-0 win over France. The D.C.-area native has 96 international caps on her resume, making 15 appearances in the red, white and blue last year.

The CONCACAF Awards honor players and achievements in CONCACAF-sanctioned tournaments and competitions involving the Confederation’s national teams at all levels, including FIFA World Cups and World Cup qualifying. Performances also eligible for recognition include those achieved in professional club football leagues under CONCACAF’s stewardship in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, as well as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

Voting on these awards was cast by Member Associations’ men’s and women’s national team coaches and captains, media and fans. Harris and Krieger were previously named winners for the same awards in the fan-only vote.

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

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.

NFL

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

Published

2 years ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

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.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

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.