Tag Archives: new york

National Lacrosse League Returns to Montréal for its First Regular Season Game in Québec Since 2002

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), North America’s premier professional lacrosse league, today announced the first-ever NLL UnBOXed™ Series marquee event game scheduled for Friday, February 16, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET in Laval, Québec, outside of Montréal. The League’s newest tentpole showcase features the NLL’s two largest markets as the Toronto Rock and New York Riptide will clash in a pivotal midseason showdown.

Place Bell, home of the Laval Rocket, the AHL affiliate of the NHL Montréal Canadiens, will host the 2024 NLL UnBOXed Series, marking the first regular season game in Québec since 2002 when the NLL Montréal Express played its final game at the then-Molson Centre.

Tickets for the 2024 NLL UnBOXed Series will officially go on sale on November 16th at noon ET at evenko.ca.

Today’s announcement follows last week’s unveiling of the NLL’s new multi-national grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed, including the launch of its Montréal area-specific programming under the “Castors de Montréal” brand.

“Interest in box lacrosse, from the grassroots to the professional level, continues to skyrocket in Québec, and we are proud to be able to take this next step in bringing the NLL and our elite athletes to Laval and the greater Montréal area,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood. “We are thankful to the leadership of the Canadiens, especially France Margaret Bélanger, in working with us to host the game at Place Bell, and to both the Riptide and the Rock for their enthusiasm to move to a neutral site so that we can expand our regular season audience in Montréal for the first time in more than 20 years.”

The NLL UnBOXed Series event platform will also include additional local activations throughout Montréal leading up to the game in Laval, including instructional clinics for young boys and girls, parents, and coaches, and gameday interactive fan experiences at Place Bell. Specific details will be announced at a later date.

“We are delighted to be working with the National Lacrosse League to bring the best in professional box lacrosse to Laval in February,” said Groupe CH president, sports and entertainment, France Margaret Bélanger. “The sport has a deep history in our province, and hosting this game is a great way to honor the past while looking to the future, as we give our fans a chance to see the Rock and Riptide play in an important regular season game at Place Bell.”

The inaugural NLL UnBOXed Series also will feature the first in-game use of the NLL’s new French-language brand identity unveiled this past July, further symbolizing the League’s long-term commitment to growing box lacrosse in Montréal, throughout Québec, and with all Canadians.

For fans outside of the greater Montréal area, the NLL UnBOXed Series game will be the nationally broadcast “NLL Game of the Week on TSN” throughout Canada, with French-language coverage available on RDS. ESPN+ will stream the game in the U.S.

Professional box lacrosse has had two franchises play in Québec in its history: the Montréal Quebecois played in 1974 and 1975 in the original NLL, followed by the Express in 2002. In recent years, Toronto hosted successful preseason games at Centre Bell in Montreal against the Rochester Knighthawks in 2012 and 2014.

The 2023-24 NLL season will commence with NLL Faceoff Weekend the first weekend of December.

Beat the Streets Raises Record $1.3 Million with Annual Benefit, Final X

Beat the Streets New York raised more than $1.3 million with its 13th Annual Benefit on Saturday at Prudential Center. BTSNY also set an attendance record for its Annual Benefit and Final X with more than 8,000 fans.

For a second straight year, Final X served as BTSNY’s benefit with 29 athletes claiming a spot on Team USA for the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 16-24.

Among the men’s freestyle winners were 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (97 kg), and 2020 Olympic champions Gable Steveson (125 kg) and David Taylor (86 kg), and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and four-time World champion Kyle Dake (74 kg). Two notable upsets occurred as Zane Richards (57 kg) topped 2021 World champion and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Gilman, and Chance Marsteller (79 kg) dethroned 2016 Olympic champion and six-time World champion Jordan Burroughs.

In women’s freestyle, 2020 Olympic silver medalist and six-time World champion Adeline Gray (76 kg) won just 10 months after giving birth to twins. World champions Jacarra Winchester (55 kg), Dominique Parrish (53 kg) and Amit Elor (72 kg) also claimed victories.

Two 2020 Olympians led the 10 Greco-Roman winners, as Ildar Hafizov (60 kg) and Alejandro Sancho (67 kg) emerged victorious.

“Moving our benefit to Prudential Center was a big factor in making this our largest event, with $1.3 million raised,” said Brendan Buckley, Executive Director of Beat the Streets New York. “The funds raised during this event enable our programs to operate year-round and continue to make a lifelong impact through wrestling on New York City student-athletes.”

It is the second time the benefit has been held in New Jersey after a virtual event in 2020 in Hoboken. BTSNY held its Annual Benefit at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in 2019 and 2022, and previously at other historic New York locations. The benefit events help BTSNY raise at least $1 million each year to support youth wrestling programs that empower young people in New York City. To provide contributions to BTSNY, visit btsny.org/donate.

For full match results, visit https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/June/10/Final-X-results.

image: Kamal Bey (credit: Robbert Wijtman)

NY Regulator Expects To Clear 2022 Sports Betting Targets

Since launching Jan. 8, New York sportsbooks have already handled more than $9.7 billion on sports wagers statewide, a figure that cements the Empire State as the nation’s capital of sports betting. Online wagering has already generated more than $368 million for New York state tax coffers, an astounding figure considering that only four states across the nation have eclipsed the $100 million threshold since the U.S. Supreme Court’s repeal of PASPA in May 2018.

The explosion of sports betting leaves New York State Gaming Commission Executive Director Rob Williams optimistic that the state could generate $500 million in tax revenue from online sports wagering in the first year of the market. For context, when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo reversed course on sports betting in 2021, his administration projected that the state would not clear that figure until Fiscal Year 2026, at the earliest. The numbers are astounding when you consider that more than two other dozen states have generated around $1.31 billion in combined tax revenue from legal sports wagering since May 2018.

“We’re very pleased with the overall success of the mobile sports wagering industry in New York. We are very cognizant that we’ve reached those great numbers without going through a football season,” Williams told Sports Handle last week on the sidelines of the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga.

The nation’s capital for sports betting

From the outset, there were clear indications that New York appeared poised to shatter national records, based on the sheer volume of activity in certain sports-crazed neighborhoods of Manhattan. New Yorkers placed more than 300,000 wagers over the first hour of legal sports betting in the Empire State, and a total of 17.2 million over the first weekend on Jan. 8-9, according to Vancouver-based geolocation provider GeoComply. For the Super Bowl, New York activity represented a whopping 25% of the company’s U.S. sports betting traffic, ranking first.

Consequently, there are strong indications that New York will surpass $2.3 billion in handle for the upcoming NFL season. Of the seven states that provide a breakdown for revenues by sport, wagering on the NFL last year represented about 18-20% of their overall handle, according to Sports Handle internal research. The figure jumped to 27.6% in Mississippi for retail sports wagers (the state only accepts online sports bets inside casino properties). One outlier is Nevada, where NFL wagers represent about 37% of the state’s overall handle on a historical basis, according to the UNLV Center For Gaming Research. Last year, NFL wagering represented 33.4% of the handle statewide.

New York launched online sports betting one day before the final Sunday of the 2021-22 NFL regular season.

When you toss in betting on college football, New York appears on track to clear $500 million in tax revenue. As a point of comparison, Colorado handled more than $158 million in college football wagers in 2021, on top of the $689.1 million state sportsbooks handled on the NFL. Although the Colorado figures contain wagers in several offseason months, the bulk of wagering occurred in the four months during the season. The population in New York outranks Colorado by a factor of 3.4x.

“There’s no doubt that as we go through this upcoming fall football season with both college and professional football that we will exceed the initial revenue numbers that we were aiming for,” Williams said. “It has been a wonderful success without what everyone concedes is the most important season to benefit sports wagering, so we’re very bullish on the market.”

At a hold of 8%, New York sportsbooks could generate more than $180 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR) from the NFL alone. Given the explosion of single-game parlays, it stands to reason that the hold this fall could be considerably higher. For those attempting to forecast the NFL hold in New York, trends on the hold from parlays in Illinois might be instructive:

New Zealand’s Tucker Brothers Collide In Major League Rugby Final In New Jersey Saturday

The season-long quest for the Major League Rugby (MLR) shield culminates this weekend, as Rugby New York battles the Seattle Seawolves in the Championship Final. The winner will be decided Saturday, June 25, 2022, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

New Zealand-born Brothers Brad Tucker, who plays for Seattle, and William Tucker of Rugby New York, will collide for family bragging rights, along with the championship.

Three locals will showcase their talents for Rugby NY: Connor Buckley hails from Rockaway Beach (Queens), John Powers is a product of  Rockaway Park; and Nick Civetta from Scarsdale, NY in Westchester.

Brad Tucker

Dallen Stanford and Mike Petri will serve as commentators for the nationally-televised match on FOX at 12pm EST.

The Seawolves defeated the Houston Sabercats last Saturday to secure the Western Conference, after strong offensive showings from both sides. Meanwhile, Rugby New York upset the New England Free Jacks on Sunday in a tight match to claim the competitive Eastern Conference.

“As Major League Rugby wraps up an action-packed fifth season, we are excited to see Rugby NY and the Seattle Seawolves battle it out this weekend at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey,” said MLR Commissioner George Killebrew.

“It’s been a tough road for these players to get here. They’ve taken – and handed out – some punishment over the course of 16 games in the 18-week season. Each player on these teams proved they deserved to be here, and it will be an absolute honor to watch these elite athletes do what they love on Saturday.”

Tickets for the MLR Championship are to the public on MLR’s official website and Ticketmaster, and the S. Marcus Callowa Communit Impact Award recipient will be recognized at halftime.

Beat the Streets Raises $950K with Annual Benefit, Final X New York

Fourteen athletes punched their ticket to the 2022 Senior World Championships in front of a lively crowd of 3,000 wrestling fans at the 12th Beat the Streets Annual Benefit on Wednesday at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

As great as it was for spectators and athletes, it was an even better night for Beat the Streets, which raised more than $950,000 to help in its efforts to make a lifelong impact on New York City student-athletes through the benefits and skills acquired through wrestling.

Olympic champions Jordan Burroughs (74 kg men’s freestyle), Helen Maroulis (57 kg women’s freestyle) and David Taylor (86 kg men’s freestyle), Olympic bronze medalists Sarah Hildebrandt (50kg women’s freestyle) and Kyle Dake (74kg men’s freestyle) and World bronze medalist G’Angelo Hancock (97kg Greco-Roman) were among the winners. The victors of each Final X New York Championship Series will represent the Team USA at the Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 10-18.

“This was a great night for wrestling, in large part because of the support and generosity of our community,” said Brendan Buckley, Executive Director of Beat the Streets. “They were treated to a night of exciting matches, newly crowned champions and a celebration of everything that the sport can be, and the best part is that the real winners are the many kids that will benefit from our programs year-round because of it.”

Wednesday represented the first in-person Beat the Streets benefit event since 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic safety guidelines prohibited spectators in 2020 and 2021. Beat the Streets hosted a virtual benefit on the banks of the Hudson River in 2020 in Hoboken, New Jersey. The 2019 Benefit was also held at the Hulu Theater, and previous benefits have been at other historic New York locations such as Times Square, Grand Central Terminal and South Street Seaport. These unique and electrifying annual events help Beat the Streets New York raise millions of dollars to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City. To provide contributions to Beat the Streets, visit http://btsny.org/donate.

For the full results, visit https://go.teamusa.org/3MtX4ah.

Ones Basketball League Crowns New York Regional Champion and Awards $10,000 First Prize

Ones Basketball League (OBL) — the first-ever elite competition that celebrates the most skilled one-on-one players on the planet and created by Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady — crowned its fourth Regional Champion at Major R. Owens Community Center in Brooklyn on Saturday and Sunday. A total of 28 top area and national-level basketball players squared off in spirited action, and it was Isaiah Brown (Queens), Zach Radz (Troy, N.Y.) and Darien Davis (Coram, N.Y.) who took the top three places in a weekend filled with close contests and spirited play across the board.

The sharpshooting lefty Brown, seeded at #2 after a perfect 7-0 qualifying round on Saturday, defeated Radz, 9-5, in the final game to claim the winner-take-all prize of $10,000. Davis, from Dowling College (Long Island), took out Joe Nickerson, also by a 9-5 count, to grab third place. All three now advance to the OBL Finals in Las Vegas this summer (dates and location TBA).

“New York came to play this weekend for sure,” said McGrady. “We had our biggest and loudest crowd so far in Brooklyn, and the level of play continues to be high as we get closer to the OBL Finals in Las Vegas.”

Brown, 25, played at SUNY Potsdam. He’s a basketball content creator and a proud girl dad. He has the nickname “Leaky Roof” because one uses buckets to fix them.

“My whole family came out to see me play, I can’t describe the feeling,” said Brown. “One on one basketball, for us, this is our style of basketball. I didn’t have a specific strategy going in, but the shots were there so I took them and fortunately hit them.”

Radz, who came down from the Albany are but stayed with a friend in New York during the competition, made a strong run from the #8 seeded position, needing to defeat the #9 seed Josh Treadwell (Newark, N.J.) in the “out bracket” game before two other wins propelled him into the Finals, including a two-pointer with time running down for a 9-8 upset win over previously unbeaten #1 seed Eugene Lawrence (Brooklyn).

“The last eight people down here, I knew they were tough competitors, obviously, anybody that makes it to this point,” said Radz, 25, who played at Sacred Heart University. “It was a matter of just putting it all out there and playing with all your heart.”

After a successful debut event in Houston (April 30-May 1) and follow-ups in Atlanta (May 7-8), Chicago (May 21-22) and New York, OBL’s next regional event is Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5, in the DMV (The St. James, Springfield, VA). The regular season concludes in Los Angeles (site TBD).

The winner of each regional tournament will take home a $10,000 cash prize along with an invitation to the OBL Finals, which will see 18 players (the top three from each region) compete for a chance to win a $250,000 grand prize and be crowned “Ruler of the Court.”

OBL media partners include SHOWTIME Sports, SLAM Media, Playmaker, and Heart and Hustle Productions.

Follow Ones Basketball League at https://www.oblhoops.com/.

Lineups Set for Final X New York/Beat the Streets on June 8 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden

The field has been finalized for Final X New York. presented by Tezos, on Wednesday, June 8 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Athletes qualified for Final X New York either by winning a 2021 World medal, or based upon their placement at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Coralville, Iowa, May 20-21.

The winner of each Final X Championship Series will represent the Team USA at the Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 10-18.

Final X New York. presented by Tezos, will serve as the 12th Beat the Streets Annual Benefit. These unique and electrifying annual events help Beat the Streets New York raise millions of dollars to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City.

The lineup in New York is loaded, featuring three Olympic champions, 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs (74 kg men’s freestyle), 2016 Olympic champion Helen Maroulis (57 kg women’s freestyle) and 2020 Olympic champion David Taylor (86 kg men’s freestyle).

The field includes four World champions who have won a combined 12 World titles: Burroughs (5x), Maroulis (3x), Taylor plus three-time World champion Kyle Dake (74 kg men’s freestyle).

It also features five Olympic medalists who have won six Olympic medals: Maroulis (2x, 2016 gold and 2020 bronze), Dake (2020 bronze), Burroughs (2012 gold), Taylor (2020 gold), plus 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Sarah Hildebrandt (50 kg women’s freestyle).

There will be nine World medalists who have won a combined 26 World medals: Burroughs (8x), Maroulis (5x), Dake (3x), Hildebrandt (2x), Taylor (2x), two-time World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kg men’s freestyle), two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe (50 kg women’s freestyle), 2021 World silver medalist Kayla Miracle (62 kg women’s freestyle) and 2021 World bronze medalist G’Angelo Hancock (97 kg Greco-Roman).

There are nine Olympians with a combined 11 Olympic appearances: Maroulis (2x), Burroughs, Taylor, Dake, Miracle, Hildebrandt, Hancock, 2008 and 2020 Olympian Ildar Hafizov (60 kg Greco-Roman) and 2020 Olympian Alejandro Sancho (67 kg Greco-Roman). Hafizov competed for Uzbekistan in 2012 and the USA in 2020.

The event will include 14 World Team members who have been on a total of 51 World Championships teams:

Maroulis (9x), Burroughs (8x), Hafizov (5x, 3x for Uzbekistan and 2x for USA), Lampe (5x), Gwiazdowski (4x), Hancock (4x), Hildebrandt (4x), Dake (3x), Taylor (2x), Miracle (2x), two-time World Team member Dalton Roberts (60 kg Greco-Roman), Kamal Bey (77 kg Greco-Roman), Yianni Diakomihalis (65 kg men’s freestyle) and Alan Vera (87 kg Greco-Roman).

Final X will have two sessions. The first match of the best-of-three championship series in each event will be held during the first session. The second (and third match if necessary) for all 15 weight classes will be conducted in the second session. The weight class order will be the same for both sessions. Session times for Final X New York are 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

There are a variety of ticket options available for Final X New York, beginning at $65 so you don’t miss the first in-person Benefit since 2019. Purchase your wrestling-only event tickets on Ticketmaster (https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/3B005C8B9CD81033). For information on Benefit tickets and sponsorship packages (wrestling event and exclusive after party access) that also provide the best wrestling-event seats, visit give.btsny.org/benefit (https://give.btsny.org/event/annual-benefit-2022/e396736) or email Fund Development Manager Kerry Doyle at [email protected].

FloWrestling will serve as the host broadcasting partner for both Final X Stillwater, presented by Tezos, and Final X New York, presented by Tezos.

The weight classes for Final X New York (by style) are:
Men’s freestyle: 65 kg, 74 kg, 79 kg, 86 kg, 125 kg
Women’s freestyle: 50 kg, 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 72 kg
Greco-Roman: 60 kg, 67 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg, 97 kg

Final X New York Lineup (Listed in Bout Order)
Bout 1 – 77 kg GR – Britton Holmes (Army WCAP) vs. Kamal Bey (Army WCAP)
Bout 2 – 72 kg WFS – Skylar Grote (Beaver Dam RTC/NYAC) vs. Amit Elor (NYC RTC/TMWC)
Bout 3 – 65 kg MFS – Evan Henderson (Ohio RTC/TMWC) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat/TMWC)
Bout 4 – 87 kg GR – Alan Vera (NYAC) vs. Timothy Young (Illinois)
Bout 5 – 125 kg MFS – Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC – RTC) vs. Nick Gwiazdowski (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC)
Bout 6 – 67 kg GR – Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP) vs. Alston Nutter (Sunkist Kids)
Bout 7 – 53 kg W – Felicity Taylor (Bearcat RTC/TMWC) vs. Dominique Parrish (Sunkist Kids)
Bout 8 – 60 kg GR – Dalton Roberts (Army WCAP) vs. Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP)
Bout 9 – 62 kg WFS – Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids) vs. Jennifer Rogers (NLWC/TMWC)
Bout 10 – 97 kg GR – G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids) vs. Braxton Amos (Wisconain RTC)
Bout 11 – 50 kg WFS – Sarah Hildebrandt (USOPTC/NYAC) vs. Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids)
Bout 12 – 74 kg MFS – Kyle Dake (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC) vs. Jason Nolf (NLWC/TMWC)
Bout 13 – 57 kg WFS – Helen Maroulis (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alexandra Hedrick (USOPTC/TMWC)
Bout 14 – 79 kg MFS – Jordan Burroughs (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids) vs. Chance Marsteller (TMWC)
Bout 15 – 86 kg MFS – David Taylor (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids)

Hildebrandt Accepts Final X Berth, And Will Compete For U.S. World Team Spot In New York On June 8

2020 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC/USOPTC) has officially accepted her 50 kg women’s freestyle berth in Final X

Hildebrandt will battle for a spot on the 2022 U.S. World Team in Final X New York. presented by Tezos, on Wednesday, June 8 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Hildebrandt won a bronze medal at 50 kg at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She boasts a pair of Senior World silver medals, claimed in 2018 and 2021. Hildebrandt has dominated her continent, winning the 2019 Pan American Games gold and claiming five Pan American Championships titles. She won U.S. Open titles in 2018 and 2020. She was a two-time NCWA women’s college national champion and four-time finalist for King University. A native of Granger, Ill., Hildbrandt competed for Penn High School.

This will serve as the 12th Beat the Streets Annual Benefit. These unique and electrifying annual events help Beat the Streets New York raise millions of dollars to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City.

There are a variety of ticket options available for Final X New York, beginning at $65 so you don’t miss the first in-person Benefit since 2019. Purchase your wrestling-only event tickets on Ticketmaster (https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/3B005C8B9CD81033). For information on Benefit tickets and sponsorship packages (wrestling event and exclusive after party access) that also provide the best wrestling-event seats, visit give.btsny.org/benefit (https://give.btsny.org/event/annual-benefit-2022/e396736) or email Fund Development Manager Kerry Doyle at [email protected].”

The Final X series will determine the 2022 U.S. Senior World Teams in men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling which will compete in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 10-18.

The Team Selection procedures for the U.S. World Teams in each style allows for 2021 Senior World medalists and 2020 Olympic medalists to advance directly to Final X at a specified weight class. Hildebrandt has met this requirement and accepted her qualification.

There are 15 weight classes contested in Final X New York, five in each discipline. The weight classes assigned to the Final X New York are:

  • Men’s freestyle: 65 kg, 74 kg, 79 kg, 86 kg, 125 kg
  • Women’s freestyle: 50 kg, 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 72 kg
  • Greco-Roman: 60 kg, 67 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg, 97 kg

The Final X opponent for Hildebrandt will be determined at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, set for Coralville, Iowa, May 20-22.

The Beat the Streets Annual Benefit, a fan-favorite, is a major showcase of the best of international wrestling. These competitions have been at iconic locations across New York City.

This will be Hildebrandt’s first Beat the Streets Benefit event

In addition to Final X New York, Final X Stillwater will be held Friday, June 3 at Gallagher-Iba Arena on the campus of Oklahoma State University. There will be 15 other weight classes contested in Stillwater.

FloWrestling will serve as the host broadcasting partner for both Final X Stillwater, presented by Tezos, and Final X New York, presented by Tezos

FINAL X NEW YORK, presented by Tezos

At Madison Square Garden Hulu Theater, Wednesday, June 8

Declared Qualifiers to date

Women’s freestyle 50 kg – Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC/USOPTC) vs. winner at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

Men’s Freestyle 74 kg – Kyle Dake (Ithaca, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC) vs. winner at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

Men’s Freestyle 86 kg – David Taylor (State College, Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC) vs. winner at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

Greco-Roman 97 kg – G’Angelo Hancock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) vs. winner at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

Women’s Freestyle 57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Sunkist Kids) vs. winner at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

Men’s Freestyle 79 kg – Jordan Burroughs (Philadelphia, Pa./Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC) vs. winner at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

SARAH HILDEBRANDT

Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo.

Club: New York AC

College: King Univ.

High School: Granger, Ind. (Penn)

Born: Sept. 23, 1993

  • 2020 Olympic bronze medalist
  • 2018 and 2021 World silver medalist
  • Four-time World Team member (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021)
  • 2019 Pan American Games champion
  • Five-time Pan American Championships champion (2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021)
  • Two-time Final X champion (2018, 2019)
  • 2018 and 2020 U.S. Open champion
  • Two-time WCWA national champion and four-time finalist

Maroulis Accepts Final X Berth, And Will Compete For U.S. World Team Spot In New York On June 8

2016 Olympic champion and three-time World champion Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Sunkist Kids) has officially accepted her 57 kg women’s freestyle berth in Final X

Maroulis will battle for a spot on the 2022 U.S. World Team in Final X New York. presented by Tezos, on Wednesday, June 8 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Maroulis is a history-maker for Team USA in women’s wrestling. She became the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling with her victory at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She became the first U.S. women’s wrestler to win two Olympic medals with her bronze medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Maroulis has won three World gold medals (2015, 2017, 2021) and boasts five Senior World medals. Maroulis also won three Junior World medals. She was a four-time WCWA college national champion, winning three titles for Simon Fraser and one for Missouri Baptist. Maroulis is a native of Rockville, Md.

This will serve as the 12th Beat the Streets Annual Benefit. These unique and electrifying annual events help Beat the Streets New York raise millions of dollars to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City.

There are a variety of ticket options for Final X New York, with prices beginning at $65. Purchase your wrestling-only event tickets on Ticketmaster (https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/3B005C8B9CD81033) or Benefit tickets with access to Final X New York and the Benefit celebration (after party) tickets at btsny.org (https://give.btsny.org/event/annual-benefit-2022/e396736), so you don’t miss the first in-person Benefit since 2019. For more information on Benefit tickets and sponsorship packages that also provide the best seats for watching the wrestling, email Fund Development Manager Kerry Doyle at [email protected].

The Final X series will determine the 2022 U.S. Senior World Teams in men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling which will compete in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 10-18.

The Team Selection procedures for the U.S. World Teams in each style allows for 2021 Senior World medalists and 2020 Olympic medalists to advance directly to Final X at a specified weight class. Maroulis has met this requirement and accepted her qualification.

There are 15 weight classes contested in Final X New York, five in each discipline. The weight classes assigned to the Final X New York are:

  • Men’s freestyle: 65 kg, 74 kg, 79 kg, 86 kg, 125 kg
  • Women’s freestyle: 50 kg, 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 72 kg
  • Greco-Roman: 60 kg, 67 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg, 97 kg

The Final X opponent for Maroulis will be determined at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, set for Coralville, Iowa, May 20-22.

The Beat the Streets Annual Benefit, a fan-favorite, is a major showcase of the best of international wrestling. These competitions have been at iconic locations across New York City.

This will be the seventh time that Maroulis has competed in a Beat the Streets Annual Benefit event, and she is undefeated in her previous Beat the Streets matches. Her first came in 2012, where she beat U.S. wrestler Ashley Hudson. Her most recent came in 2108, with a victory over Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria.

In addition to Final X New York, Final X Stillwater will be held Friday, June 3 at Gallagher-Iba Arena on the campus of Oklahoma State University. There will be 15 other weight classes contested in Stillwater.

FloWrestling will serve as the host broadcasting partner for both Final X Stillwater, presented by Tezos, and Final X New York, presented by Tezos

FINAL X NEW YORK, presented by Tezos

At Madison Square Garden Hulu Theater, Wednesday, June 8

Declared Qualifiers to date

Women’s Freestyle 57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Sunkist Kids) vs. winner at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

Men’s Freestyle 79 kg – Jordan Burroughs (Philadelphia, Pa./Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC) vs. winner at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

HELEN MAROULIS

Residence: Rockville, Md.

Club: Sunkist Kids

College: Simon Fraser Univ., Missouri Baptist

High School: Marquette, Mich., Rockville, Md. (Colonel Zadock Magruder)

Born: Sept. 19, 1991

  • 2016 Olympic champion (first U.S. woman to win an Olympic wrestling gold medal)
  • 2020 Olympic bronze medalist (first U.S. woman to win two Olympic medals)
  • Three-time World champion (2015, 2017, 2021)
  • 2012 World silver medalist
  • 2014 World bronze medalist
  • Three-time Junior World medalist (2008, 2010, 2011)
  • 2011 Pan American Games champion
  • Four-time WCWA women’s college national champion (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013)

Maroulis Beat the Streets Annual Benefit History (6-0 record)

2012: Ashley Hudson (USA), 4-0, 2-1

2014: Marcia Andrades (Venezuela), Fall

2015: Yamilka del Valle Alvarez (Cuba), 10-0

2016: Samantha Stewart (Canada), Fall

2017: Yuzuru Kumano (Japan) 7-4

2018: Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria), 4-1

NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon Signs Multi-Year Agreement With adidas as Footwear and Apparel Partner

NYCRUNS, one of the fastest-growing endurance event businesses and the organizer of the 2022 NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon & Half Marathon, today announced that adidas has joined on as the first-ever official Footwear and Apparel Partner for the event, which will be held in Brooklyn on April 24th. With an expected sold-out field of more than 20,000 runners, the 2022 race will rank as one of the largest and most expansive running events in the United States this year.

“We are proud to have adidas, one of the world’s most respected and innovative brands, joining us in this partnership as we continue to establish the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon & Half Marathon as an iconic athletic event that serves our communities well beyond race weekend,” said Steve Lastoe, Founder and CEO of NYCRUNS. “We looked for a partner who wanted to be embedded within the culture of Brooklyn year-round, and we found that in adidas – a company with deep ties to the sports and cultural foundation of this incredible community.”

adidas will create footwear and apparel available to all race participants, volunteers and NYCRUNS staff members, and will be the presenting sponsor of the race Expo. The brand will also provide race shirts for participants in the NYCRUNS Prospect Park 5K & 10K Benefiting CAMBA on April 16.

“At adidas, we are always looking for opportunities to expand our outreach and engagement in the communities we serve and we are proud to partner with NYCRUNS to support the running community in Brooklyn,” said Ernesto Bruce, Senior Director of adidas Running, North America. “It’s bound to be a really incredible race weekend, with a size and scope that hasn’t been done in decades.”

Currently on track to sell out, the 2022 NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon & Half Marathon will be one of the biggest running events in New York City and one of the largest running events nationwide. An epic tour of Brooklyn, the race also strives to serve and support the residents and communities that make up the borough. This exciting new partnership is an important step in achieving that mission.

cover image credit: Keith Montero

FanDuel Group Bringing America’s #1 Sportsbook to New York

oday, FanDuel Group announced its industry-leading Sportsbook is coming to the State of New York. Per the New York State Gaming Commission, launch of FanDuel’s mobile sportsbook app is scheduled for Saturday, January 8. FanDuel’s retail Sportsbook at Tioga Downs Casino Resort has been open since 2019.

Launch of the FanDuel Sportsbook in New York comes on the heels of the Buffalo Bills designating FanDuel as its official mobile sports betting partner.

Ahead of launch on Saturday, sports fans can celebrate the arrival of the FanDuel Sportsbook in New York with $100 in site credit when they sign up early for a FanDuel Sportsbook account. For more information, including offer restrictions and terms, head to: https://www.fanduel.com/sportsbook-ny.

FanDuel Sportsbook, America’s #1 Sportsbook, is bringing its best-in-class online sports betting experience to the passionate sports fans of the Empire State who will now be able to place wagers anywhere in the state across professional and college football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, MMA, boxing, boxing, soccer, and tennis with a variety of betting and payment options available. The FanDuel Sportsbook app in New York is simple, secure, and convenient with a number of key features, including:

  • New Way to Parlay: FanDuel is the only U.S. sportsbook with Same Game Parlay Plus, where players can combine Same Game ParlayTM bets from one game with bets from other games.
  • An Innovative Spirit: FanDuel was the first U.S. sportsbook to offer Same Game ParlayTM bets, the first to offer live streaming of sporting events inside a betting app, the first to offer Bad Beat Relief and early payouts for championship teams, and the first to offer its crowdsourced Spread the Love promotion.
  • Absurdly Customer Focused:  FanDuel Sportsbook offers safe and secure banking, lightning-fast payouts, a Cash-Out early feature, and 24/7 customer service.
  • Responsible Gaming: FanDuel is the industry leader in promoting responsible play, including in-app tools that allow customers to set time, deposit, and wager limits, as well as its PlaySafe site where customers can find additional support services.
  • Sports Betting 101: FanDuel Sportsbook has an online betting guide to help customers learn the ins and outs of legal sports betting.

With tomorrow’s launch, New York becomes the thirteenth state in the United States where the FanDuel Sportsbook will be available for iOS and Android, including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Sports fans in New York can download the FanDuel Sportsbook app for iOS and Android., or visit https://www.fanduel.com/sportsbook-ny. For more on the FanDuel Sportsbook and sports betting content, follow @FDSportsbook on Twitter.

Cover Image: All-Pro Reels

FanDuel To Open Its First Sportsbook in New York State

FanDuel Group announced the grand opening of the company’s first retail sportsbook in New York State, located at Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Nichols, New York. The FanDuel Sportsbook will open to the public on Friday, July 19 at 2:30 PM ET, with New York Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo from NY District 123rd making the ceremonial first bet as part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“As we continue to expand our sportsbook operations across the U.S. the opening of our FanDuel Sportsbook at Tioga Downs Casino Resort is a history-making moment for the FanDuel Group,” said Keith Wall, Vice President Commercial Retail, FanDuel Group. “Jeff Gural has been an incredible partner in New Jersey, and joining forces with him and the team at Tioga Downs allows us to bring sports betting to New York sports fans while delivering new jobs and tax revenue to the Empire State.”

Tioga Downs’ sports betting retail location is one of four upstate New York casinos permitted to offer sports betting in the state of New York.

“Our partnership with FanDuel at the Meadowlands has surpassed expectations,” said Jeff Gural, Chairman of American Racing and Entertainment. “Now that legislation in New York has been passed, we look forward to bringing the fun and excitement of wagering on sports to the Upstate region.”

FanDuel’s new 2,600 square foot sports betting retail location will be conveniently located near the main entrance of the Tioga Downs Casino. The FanDuel Sportsbook will feature eight betting windows, 27 video displays including a large video wall, 14 self service betting kiosks from IGTPlayDigital, three sports tickers, 12 lounge seats, seven high tables, two drink rails, and seating for more than 50 customers. FanDuel will provide its first class risk and trading platform and manage the location in partnership with Tioga Downs Casino Resort and will leverage IGT PlayDigital’s retail sports betting technology. The FanDuel Sportsbook will feature bets on all major U.S. sports, including professional baseball, soccer, football, basketball, golf, boxing, motorsports racing, and more.

The FanDuel Sportsbook at Tioga Downs Casino Resort marks FanDuel Group’s fourth retail operation. The company opened the first-ever FanDuel Sportsbook located at New Meadowlands Racetrack last July, followed by a location at The Greenbrier in West Virginia last fall and most recently at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in Pennsylvania.