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Sports

Gritty hitting duo brings big-time experience, chemistry to Capital1

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Vanie Gandler (left) and Erika Santos will bring their solidpartnership to the Solar Spikers.

Vanie Gandler (left) and Erika Santos will bring their solid partnership to the Solar Spikers. —MARLO CUETO

Towards the end of Cignal’s amazing run in the PVL All-Filipino Conference last month, Erika Santos and Vanie Gandler took pride in how they always had each other’s backs.

The Super Spikers are no more, their tenure coming to an end after their franchise took a leave of absence.

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But the duo remains inseparable.

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“I’m also thankful because Vanie is still with me,” Santos said after joining Capital1 for the next PVL season. “During the past conferences, we really had each other’s backs and shared the responsibilities together.”

They have a different task now. Once the spearhead of a tireless Cignal offense, the two will add much-needed experience to an attack that features perhaps the best hitter in the league today, young star Bella Belen.

But the former 1-2 punch of Cignal, both Most Valuable Player winners, will approach the task with the same mentality.

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“The experience and momentum we’re bringing into this new team [will be] a big factor,” Santos said, adding that she is eager to share “the experience and lessons that Vanie and I gained” with their new teammates.

Integrating into the Solar Spikers’ system should not be a problem for the two, who joined Capital1 alongside former Nxled setter Jaja Maraguinot. After all, they’ve gone through so much together that they function almost like a single entity.

“That’s a huge thing for me because of the chemistry we already built both inside and outside the court,” Santos, a former PVL On Tour MVP, said. “We have open communication and no matter what happens, we know we can always talk to each other properly.”

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Gandler, the most recent All-Filipino Conference MVP, was grateful for the chance to compete beside Santos.

“The connection we built both on and off the court really took time, patience, and conscious effort from both of us,” the former Ateneo standout said. “We made it a point to constantly communicate, call each other out when needed and talk not just about volleyball but also about our work ethic and mindset.”

“That’s why I’m really grateful Erika is still with me because she understands how I work, knows how to call me out when needed and it’s the same the other way around.”

Santos transferred from PLDT to Cignal last year and came out of her shell, rising as the first PVL on Tour MVP. She emerged as one of the league’s top opposite hitters and an All-Star starter.

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But the former La Salle stalwart had to embark on a new journey after Cignal’s sudden leave.

“It wasn’t an easy decision because we really had to process everything that happened. It wasn’t a small decision to make. I had already become attached to my teammates and to the system we had, so starting a new journey again is definitely challenging. But now, we’re here with Capital1,” she said.

On May 30, Santos will be crowned as the season’s Most Improved Player in the 2nd PVL Press Corps Awards Night at Novotel, where Creamline’s Alyssa Valdez will receive the Miss Quality Minutes trophy and Kianna Dy of PLDT will be named as the Comeback Player of the Year.

Santos is expected to make an immediate impact for the Solar Spikers, who haven’t reached the semifinals since joining the league two years ago.

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“There are a lot of expectations and adjustments along the way. It won’t be easy, so we’ll really work hard,” Santos said.

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Sports

Smithsburg boys are 1A West champs, dozens of county athletes shine

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4 minutes ago

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16 May 2026

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The Smithsburg boys track & field team won the MPSSAA Class 1A West region championship on its home track on Friday, May 15.

Washington County’s seven public-school track & field teams have participated across four region championship meets this week. As of Friday evening, only 3A West still had to be completed. The second day of the 3A West meet is Saturday, May 16, at Frederick.

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Smithsburg’s boys are attempting to complete a year-long sweep of the 1A state titles, having captured the cross country crown last November and the indoor track & field title last February.

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Here are Washington County’s top-three region finishes this week (with Day 2 of 3A West to be added Saturday evening):

Clear Spring's Daniel Apiou won the 1A West boys 110 hurdles (14.98), high jump (6-4) and triple jump (45-1 1/2).

Clear Spring’s Daniel Apiou won the 1A West boys 110 hurdles (14.98), high jump (6-4) and triple jump (45-1 1/2).

Region champions

  • Daniel Apiou, Clear Spring, 1A West boys 110 hurdles, 14.98, high jump, 6-4, and triple jump, 45-1 1/2

  • Chloe Gietka, South Hagerstown, 4A North girls triple jump, 37-6

  • Dylan Herbst, Smithsburg, 1A West boys 800, 1:56.70, and 1,600, 4:25.41

  • Skyla Mastronardi, Smithsburg, 1A West girls high jump, 5-2

  • Torin Sitter, South Hagerstown, 4A North boys 400, 49.74

  • Byron Snyder, Williamsport, 2A West boys long jump, 22-3

  • Sidney Turner, Boonsboro, 1A West girls discus, 119-4

  • Michael Wynkoop, Smithsburg, 1A West boys 3,200, 9:50.30

  • South Hagerstown, 4A North boys 4×200 relay (Myles Clottey, Jameir Simms, Clinton Otinkorang, Torin Sitter), 1:28.99

  • Smithsburg, 1A West boys 4×800 relay (Camilo Mellott, Gavin Gross, Dylan Lowe, Dylan Herbst), 8:13.54

1 / 25

Smithsburg boys are 1A West champs, dozens of county athletes shine

Clear Spring’s Daniel Apiou won the 1A West boys 110 hurdles (14.98), high jump (6-4) and triple jump (45-1 1/2).

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Region second-place finishers

  • Naythan Bwana, Boonsboro, 1A West boys 100, 11.18, and triple jump, 40-8

  • Austin Dinsmore, Boonsboro, 1A West boys shot put, 46-8 3/4

  • Hadley Elwood, Clear Spring, 1A West girls high jump, 5 feet

  • Emily Franko, Boonsboro, 1A West girls 3,200, 12:30.88

  • Lilian Hade, Smithsburg, 1A West girls pole vault, 9 feet (tied)

  • Dylan Herbst, Smithsburg, 1A West boys 3,200, 9:55.85

  • Trevor Jessup, Smithsburg, 1A West boys discus, 136-5

  • Sarah Mohler, Boonsboro, 1A West girls shot put, 35-1 1/2, and discus, 117-2

  • Clinton Otinkorang, South Hagerstown, 4A North boys 200, 23.12

  • Harley Paugh, Boonsboro, 1A West boys pole vault, 12 feet

  • Caroline Philp, North Hagerstown, 3A West girls 3,200, 10:55.24

  • Audrey Roberts, Clear Spring, 1A West girls pole vault, 9 feet (tied)

  • Byron Snyder, Williamsport, 2A West boys 100, 11.16

  • Jacob Tyler, Smithsburg, 1A West boys high jump, 6-2

  • Boonsboro, 1A West boys 4×100 relay (Nathan Bosnick, Nikita Khyzhniak, Naythan Bwana, Wyatt Hegedus), 44.67

  • Smithsburg, 1A West girls 4×100 relay (Acasia Todd, Melyssa Bard, Lilian Hade, Skyla Mastronardi), 50.13

  • Smithsburg, 1A West girls 4×200 relay (Acasia Todd, Lilian Hade, Skyla Mastronardi, Melyssa Bard), 1:46.77

Region third-place finishers

  • Ish Badaki, Boonsboro, 1A West boys 300 hurdles, 43.29

  • Naythan Bwana, Boonsboro, 1A West boys 400, 51.87

  • Dean Edwards, Clear Spring, 1A West boys pole vault, 11-6

  • Abigayle Fluharty, Boonsboro, 1A West girls 200, 26.32

  • Odyssey Herron, Williamsport, 2A West girls 100 hurdles, 17.81

  • Juliet Hodge, Clear Spring, 1A West girls 400, 1:00.32, and 800, 2:22.86

  • Clinton Otinkorang, South Hagerstown, 4A North boys 400, 51.12

  • Mackenzie Philp, North Hagerstown, 3A West girls 3,200, 11:06.54

  • Rittenhouse Shuster, Smithsburg, 1A West boys triple jump, 40-6

  • Byron Snyder, Williamsport, 2A West boys 200, 22.93

  • Sidney Turner, Boonsboro, 1A West girls shot put, 35 feet

  • Kareem Walton, South Hagerstown, 4A North boys high jump, 5-10 (tied)

  • Grayson Wynkoop, Smithsburg, 1A West boys 3,200, 9:59.51

  • North Hagerstown, 3A West girls 4×200 relay (Dayanah Brunson, Anna Chamberlin, Annabelle Schaberl, Taraji Nartey), 1:47.77

  • Smithsburg, 1A West boys 4×400 relay (Dylan Lowe, Camilo Mellott, Dylan Herbst, Jacob Tyler), 3:35.99

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County track & field athletes shine in MPSSAA region meets

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Jasprit Bumrah’s captaincy begins with control

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16 May 2026

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IPL 2026: Jasprit Bumrah's captaincy begins with control

Jasprit Bumrah (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

DHARAMSHALA : Jasprit Bumrah’s first outing as Mumbai Indians captain felt less like a temporary fix and more like a glimpse of a possible future.MI won, Bumrah sounded astute and unruffled, and the franchise may have found its steadiest leadership option for next season if the “uncertainty” surrounding Hardik Pandya remains and Suryakumar Yadav’s batting continues to be iffy.One game is too small a sample to draw sweeping conclusions as far as Bumrah’s captaincy for MI is concerned. But as subplots go, this one has a compelling beginning.Bumrah had waited a long time for this leadership opportunity. He became MI captain only in his 157th IPL appearance, an almost absurdly late handover for a cricketer who joined the franchise in 2013 and has since become one of its defining figures. At the toss, Bumrah joked: “I didn’t expect to be a Test captain before I became the captain of Mumbai Indians,” a line that carried both humour and a touch of disbelief.That remark also captured the central oddity of Bumrah’s leadership arc. India trusted him before Mumbai did. He has already captained India in Tests and T20Is, winning one Test, losing two, winning two T20Is and seeing one wash out. He first led India in the rescheduled Edgbaston Test in 2022 when Rohit Sharma was ruled out with Covid, then guided the T20I side to a 2-0 series win in Ireland in 2023 and later stood in during the Perth Test in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where India won.What stood out in Dharam-sala was not just the result but the manner. Bumrah came across as composed, concise and in control, the kind of captain who does not try to dominate a room so much as steady it. He said he welcomed responsibility, called it a new challenge and spoke of enjoying the final stretch of the season rather than merely surviving it.That tone matters for a team that has spent the season searching for balance. With Hardik unavailable and Surya not always able to offer continuity with the bat, Bumrah offered MI a simpler cent-re of gravity. He does not need to prove his value for the franchise; every spell already does that. His captaincy has the feel of a problem-solver, not that of a showman.Shardul Thakur, who returned with figures of 4/39 against Punjab Kings on Thursday, framed the larger picture neatly. “I have my comfort level with him (Bumrah). We had lots of discussions rather, and I don’t know much about the other bowlers, but of course he’s never shy of sharing his ideas,” Thakur said after the match. “He is definitely a bowler’s captain.”Thakur added that each of MI’s three captains this season — Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Bumrah — brought “different sets of ideas,” and insisted there is no fixed formula for success. He also argued that players make captains look good, praising the experience and match-winning ability of all three.“As a captain, you need to read game situations better than others, put in your best effort and need to keep the team always above you,” Thakur said.

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Horse dies after race on Black-Eyed Susan Day ahead of Preakness Stakes

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16 May 2026

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A horse has died after a race on Friday as part of Black-Eyed Susan Day, an event that occurs in the run-up to the Preakness Stakes. Hit Zero, a three-year Maryland-based thoroughbred, died shortly after making his racing debut during the first race of the day.

Hit Zero was the favorite heading into the Maiden Claiming, which kicked off Friday’s events, but finished last. Shortly afterwards, Hit Zero started coughing, collapsed to his knees and died, per WBAL.

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Later on Friday, Hit Zero’s owner, Justin Horowitz, confirmed the horse’s death in a post on Instagram.

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“It is with deepest sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful horse, Hit Zero. After his debut race today at Laurel Park, he suffered a sudden medical event and passed away. What was supposed to be a dream-come-true day to kick off his career—on my son’s 6th birthday no less—ended in the tragedy that every horse lover fears,” Horowitz said.

In the post, Horowitz said that Hit Zero was named in honor of his 10-year-old daughter Bailey, with the horse named after a cheerleading term for a perfect routine. Per Horowitz, Bailey was at the race track on Friday to watch Hit Zero’s race.

Hit Zero was trained by Brittany Russell, a prolific trainer who had 11 horses compete on Black-Eyed Susan Day across a variety of events. Another of Russell’s horses, Bold Fact, ended up winning the race. In total, 14 races took place on Friday, including the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, the marquee race of the pre-Preakness event.

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Normally, both competitions are hosted at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. However, due to renovations at Pimlico this year, Black-Eyed Susan Day and the Preakness are both being held at Laurel Park, a race course southwest of Baltimore.

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Though the race is not taking place at Pimlico, fatalities at the track have been relatively rare over the past few years: Only two other horses have died at Pimlico since 2022, with no fatalities in either of the past two years.

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Nick Aldis announces current WWE champion isn’t cleared to compete; scraps match

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44 minutes ago

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16 May 2026

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Nick Aldis made a massive announcement ahead of tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown. This week’s edition of the blue brand will air live from the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

Aldis is the General Manager of SmackDown, and he made a huge announcement ahead of tonight’s show. WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth and Damian Priest were scheduled to battle Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga in a tag team match tonight, but that will no longer be the case.

The SmackDown GM revealed that R-Truth was not medically cleared to compete and would not be in action during tonight’s show. Aldis shared that instead of the planned tag team match, Damian Priest would be squaring off against Tama Tonga tonight in a singles bout. You can check out the veteran’s announcement in his post below.

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“Ladies and Gentlemen, R-Truth is not medically cleared to compete tonight, therefore Damian Priest will now go 1-on-1 with Tama Tonga. See you tonight on #SmackDown,” he wrote.

R-Truth and The Archer of Infamy won the titles by defeating JC Mateo and Tama Tonga in March on WWE SmackDown.

Popular WWE star reveals why he doesn’t like Damian Priest’s finisher

The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio recently shared why he didn’t like taking Damian Priest’s finishing move.

Priest used to be a member of The Judgment Day but was betrayed by the faction at SummerSlam 2024. Rhea Ripley was also kicked out of the faction at the PLE a couple of years ago. Finn Balor was also betrayed by the faction earlier this year and went on to defeat Dominik Mysterio last month at WrestleMania 42.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, the former Intercontinental Champion named Priest’s finisher as his least favorite because the bump is very high due to the 43-year-old’s height.

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“Probably Damian Priest’s South of Heaven. He’s just so tall, and he gets you even higher up there, so your bump is actually like 10 feet tall. So he’s just, it’s not a fun one for sure,” said Dominik Mysterio.

DAMIAN PRIEST WITH A SOUTH OF HEAVEN CHOKESLAM THROUGH TWO TABLES TO DREW MCINTYRE 🤯 #WWEBacklash

It will be fascinating to see if Priest can defeat Tama Tonga tonight on WWE SmackDown.