With each passing season, Dawn Staley adds to her status as a legend of college basketball.
On Sunday night, Staley led her South Carolina Gamecocks to a dominant 64-49 victory over Connecticut in the national championship game of the NCAA Women’s Tournament in Minneapolis. Staley joins an exclusive group of head coaches to win at least two national titles.
 The most impressive part about the resounding win was that it was a microcosm of South Carolina’s season. After building an early 18-point lead, Staley’s Gamecocks cruised. South Carolina was tabbed as the team to beat in the preseason, and it more than lived up to the hype.
She was an All-American point guard during her playing days at Virginia, reaching three Final Fours and the championship game. She was one of the best guards to ever play in the WNBA.
Staley has coached for more than two decades at Temple and South Carolina, respectively, and has known nothing but success.
She was inducted into the James Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and that was before the South Carolina program skyrocketed into national prominence.
 In addition to making South Carolina a perennial power, she was also head coach of the USA Olympic Team that breezed to another gold medal in Japan last summer.
When Staley led the Gamecocks to the NCAA title in 2017, she joined Carolyn Peck as the only African American women to lead their teams to the national title. Peck led Purdue to the championship in 1999. Now, Staley is the only Black woman to have two national championships.
“What I think is important as a Black woman and coach is the way you do it, like the example that you set for other coaches to follow,” Staley said after Sunday’s game.
“I just want to be a great example of how to do things the right way and keep our game in a place where the integrity is intact, because that’s the way we’ll grow.”
A native of Philadelphia, Staley is as tough and competitive as they come, but she is also as upbeat and relatable to the young ladies who come under her tutelage. She’s a great coach and leader of young women.
On a personal note, I have a 3-year old great niece who is the daughter of very tall parents. It remains to be seen whether she will ever pick up a basketball, but it really doesn’t matter. There are so many positive role models that I’m going to let her know about, and Dawn Staley is going to be right at the top of the list.
Brandon Miller wins national title
Former John Burroughs track and field star Brandon Miller added to his list of collegiate accomplishments by being name the Regional Male Athlete of the Year by the United States Track & Cross County Coaches Association.
Miller just concluded a successful indoor season at Texas A&M by winning the NCAA national championship in the 800-meter run. He became the first Aggie athlete to win the national title in that event. Miller’s winning time of 1 minute 47.19 seconds was not only a new school record, but also an American collegiate record.
Miller won a second national title by running a leg on the Aggies’ victorious 4×400-meter relay. He turned in a split of 45.45 seconds while running on the third leg. He also repeated as the Southeastern Conference champion in the 800.
As a freshman, Miller was the SEC champion in the 800 and the national runner-up in the event as the NCAA Outdoor Nationals. He also earned a spot at the USA Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Miller graduated from John Burroughs as the state record holder in the 800.
Antwon Hayden to Illinois
A top St. Louis area high school football prospect is headed to the Big Ten Conference. Standout linebacker of Antwon Hayden of Duchesne gave a verbal commitment to the University of Illinois last week.
A 6’3” 220-pound junior linebacker, Hayden helped lead the Flyers to a berth in the IHSA Class 6 state championship game last season. As a junior, Hayden had 78 solo tackles with 39 assists with five quarterback sacks and two fumble recoveries.Â
