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Tag: Katie Priefer

  • Remembering Mike Nugent’s game-winning field goal against Marshall

    Remembering Mike Nugent’s game-winning field goal against Marshall

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Twenty years ago Ohio State almost lost to Marshall, but Buckeyes kicker Mike Nugent saved the day with a 55-yard, game-winning field goal.

    It’s something that Nugent continues to reminisce on.

    What You Need To Know

    • Former Buckeyes kicker Mike Nugent saved the team from a loss against Marhsall 20 years ago 

    • Nugent hit a 55 yard field goal with time running out to secure the win

    • It’s a memory he thinks about when thinking about his time spent as a Buckeye

    “When you have a game like Ohio State against Marshall, people are automatically going to assume we’re looking past them to our first Big 10 game next week,” he said. 

    Nugent explained he and his teammates treated the game like they would any other, because he knew Marshall was working just as hard as the Buckeyes.

    “We were very focused on that game and just, coming into it, you could just tell they just had sort of a vibe, Marshall did, that they were just ready to go,” he said. 

    Nugent was a senior when he hit the game-winning field goal. The game was tied 21-21, and there was 2 seconds left in the game when Nugent lined up the kick and made it as the time ran out.

    “Right when we got the ball in that series thinking to myself, this could be that opportunity that I get out there, but if its a 60-yard field goal or 20 just hit it the same it because it’s, again, one of those days where the ball is flying well, it’s a good day, it’s not windy, it’s not wet outside, so you just hit your regular ball, and it should go in,” he said. 

    The final score was 24 to 21, and Nugent said people began to thank him after making the field goal, but Nugent said it was his fellow teammates and coaches that people should have thanked.

    “Don’t thank me for doing anything, for playing the 6, 7 plays that I played, like you guys did all of this,” he said. “I was just glad that I was there to help out.”

    Nugent now works and lives in the Columbus area after several years playing in the NFL, but he still thinks about that game winning field goal every now and again. 

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    Katie Priefer

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  • Cleveland Air Show hosts the Blue Angels

    Cleveland Air Show hosts the Blue Angels

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    CLEVELAND — Most people know about the pilots who fly the Blue Angels, but they wouldn’t be able to do their jobs without the team of people who work on the ground.

    One of them is Grant Causey, who is on the Blue Angels’ Life Support team.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Cleveland National Air Show is Labor Day weekend at Burke-Lakefront Airport 

    • The Blue Angels will be doing their flight demonstration, and there’s a lot of moving parts to make it happen

    • There are the pilots, but also many team members doing work behind the scenes to make sure the planes do what they need to do and keep the pilots safe

    “I maintain and repair the systems that support the life of the pilot during normal and emergency situations,” he said.

    He is the first responder if anything were to happen to the aircraft and even has the control over the ejection seat.

    “They trust me to make sure they get out of the jet safely if anything is to happen. So that’s very important to me and obviously to the pilots and their families as well,” he said.

    Lt. Commander Natalia Luchetti has been in the Navy for 23 years and now works for the Blue Angels as an assistant maintenance officer.

    “I never thought I would be this far in my career in the Navy,” she said.

    Luchietti communicates with the jets throughout their flight demonstration. She’s excited to be a part of the Cleveland National Air Show.

    “So being able to be here and then just showcase what my brothers and sisters in arms do on a daily basis is just a huge honor,” she said.

    Causey explained how special the air show is for him, especially since he’s from Ohio.

    “It gives me goosebumps. We’re in the birthplace of aviation as everyone knows and being able to showcase to Cleveland what the Navy does,” he said.

    Causey said his favorite part of the air show is seeing kids reactions to the Blue Angels.

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    Katie Priefer

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  • Seven players crowned hall of famers

    Seven players crowned hall of famers

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    CANTON, Ohio — Seven retired players were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday afternoon. Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, Dwight Freeney and Patrick Willis are the legends who get to experience the honor. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Seven retired players were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday

    • Many of them thanking their friends, family, former coaches and teammates 

    • The seven inductees now have a permanent place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame where their legacy will live on 

    Many of them thanked their family and friends and all those who helped them along their journey to the Hall of Fame. Andre Johnson gave a lot of credit to his teammates as the reason why he’s able to put on the famous gold jacket.

    “What we miss about the game is not playing, it’s the locker room. You don’t understand, the bus rides, the plane rides, just going out to eat, things of that nature. People don’t understand that. That you spend more time with your teammates more than you do your family,” Johnson said.

    Julius Peppers shared in the sentiment by expressing his thankfulness for the people who played alongside him.

    “You guys are the reason that I worked so hard and a big part of the reason that I’m standing up here today. You motivated me, you inspired me and we held each other accountable,” Peppers said.

    Randy Gradishar thanked his wife, his church, and former coaches. He also took the time to thank those who helped put the entire Hall of Fame week together. 

    “I want to thank you, the prep team, for your tireless work, which you gave me and everyone a fantastic week this week,” Gradishar said.

    Football legends, fans, family and friends came together in the birthplace of the NFL to celebrate the new hall of famers. 

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    Katie Priefer

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  • The process of making the court for the Women’s Final Four

    The process of making the court for the Women’s Final Four

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    CLEVELAND — The Women’s Final Four is coming to Cleveland this weekend and the excitement around the city is growing for the big event.

    Although the court inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse looks seamless, getting it there takes some effort. The Women’s Final Four court comprises 262 panels that weigh over 42,000 pounds in total.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Women’s Final Four is returning to Cleveland for the first time since 2007

    • The four teams will play on a court made by Connor Sports

    • The court brings in the ties that Cleveland has to music 

    Connor Sports is the company responsible for the Women’s Final Four court and has been doing that for almost 20 years. Zach Riberdy, the marketing director for Conor Sports, explained that the company is based out of a small town in Michigan.  

    “Where our mill is and where we’re located is a very small town in Upper Peninsula, Michigan. Most people drive through it and don’t even realize where it’s at. So to know that my team of everybody at the mill, about 125 employees or so, working night shift, day shift, a combination of both, has some piece of this puzzle put together for us, is huge,” he said.

    The court took approximately two hours to lie down in Cleveland, but making it started over a year ago, Riberdy explained.

    “Initial panels were put together to make up the actual grid work of the floor itself,” he said. “From there, the panels were stacked and banded, sent by truck to our finishing partners in Ohio. They got to work on all the graphics and paint.”

    Connor Sports makes courts for many games in different cities, but they try to make each court unique to each city. Riberdy said for the Women’s Final Four courts, they wanted to tie in Cleveland’s music connections. This is why the logo for the Women’s Final Four is shaped like a guitar pick and there are small details on the exterior of the court as well.

    Riberdy explained that he knows how big women’s basketball is this year.

    “I can say for the first time in my lifetime, I’ve actually paid closer attention to the women’s tournament than the men’s,” he said.

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    Katie Priefer

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  • ACT scores on the decline

    ACT scores on the decline

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    CLEVELAND — ACT scores in Ohio have been on the decline. In 2014, the average composite score was 22, but in 2023 it was 19.2. Now, some universities aren’t even looking at ACT scores anymore for their applicants.

    Adam Smith, the vice president of enrollment for Ohio Wesleyan University, said that OWU doesn’t require applicants to submit their test scores.

    What You Need To Know

    • ACT scores across the state are on the decline

    • Some universities are “test optional,” meaning they don’t require an ACT or SAT scores for admission 

    • Some people believe that taking the exam can give students an advantage

    “We do the holistic approach where we do take the time, we’ll read the application, we’ll read the essays, the letters of recommendation,” he said.

    Smith said that the school stopped requiring an ACT or SAT scores back in 2014.

    “We really just wanted to take into consideration the student as a whole and we wanted to take their work outside of the classroom,” he said.

    Cathy Graham, who works for College Now of Greater Cleveland, explained that she believes every student should take the ACT.

    “These tests create opportunities and I don’t think students are aware of it,” she said.

    College Now helps prepare students for the ACT and SAT. The group that administers the exam said that ACT scores across the country have reached the lowest levels in over 30 years. Graham expressed that she thinks part of the reason is because students don’t care as much about their scores anymore.

    “Because of COVID so many schools have moved to test-optional, the stakes of taking this test have decreased for students so a lot of them are like ‘eh I’ll just try it and if I do okay I do okay and if I don’t it won’t matter,’” she said.

    Graham said that the test is not the end all be all, but that it does give students an advantage.

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    Katie Priefer

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