Wichita State's men's hoops team visited the White House Wednesday and met President TrumpWICHITA STATE UNIV.
The Wichita State men's basketball team on Wednesday toured the White House and had a "surprise meeting" with PRESIDENT TRUMP, "courtesy of an invitation" extended by Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO. WSU was in DC ahead of a game in Annapolis. Trump shook hands with the team and "briefly chatted them up about their season before posing for a team picture." WSU coach GREGG MARSHALL said that the team was also "slated to take part in a special dinner" with Pompeo and his wife, SUSAN, who "worked diligently" with WSU Dir of Basketball Operations DOMINIC OKON to schedule Wednesday's events. WSU even "purchased suits with yellow ties for all of its players for the White House visit" (KANSASCITY.com, 11/8).
TECH SPECS: Georgia Tech recently wrapped up its inaugural GT Sports Innovation Challenge. The on-campus event invited innovators to accept challenges of transforming ideas for sports tech into reality. Twenty-four teams comprised of 130 total participants competed. A panel that included men’s basketball coach JOSH PASTNER and AMB Sports & Entertainment VP/Technology, Data & Analytics KARL PIERBURG judged the submissions (GT).
THE GOOD STUFF: Mets P STEVEN MATZ was at Bowlmor Lanes in Times Square on Thursday night, serving as the "star attraction at 'Strikes with Steven' for his Tru32 program, which is in honor of New York City first responders and the military." Matz drew 350 people for an event that "raised scholarship money for children of NYPD and FDNY members who died in the line of duty" (NEWSDAY.com, 11/8)....The Bears announced five recipients for the $813,850 that was donated primarily by players in the fight for social justice, with matching grants from the Bears, Bears Care and NFL Foundation. By the Hand Club for Kids, Kicks 4 the City, SAGA, YWCA Lake County and My Block, My Hood and My City will each receive separate donations out of the total allotment (Bears).
NAMES: Former Islanders Owner HOWARD MILSTEIN has been named a Trustee for PGA Reach, the foundation of the PGA of America (PGA of America)....VENUS WILLIAMS “will be the guest speaker at the annual WIN for KC Women’s Sports Awards Celebration on Feb. 8” (K.C. STAR, 11/9)....KEVIN GARNETT recently “dropped a major hint that he’s working with” ADAM SANDLER on his "latest movie project, ‘UNCUT GEMS,’” from Netflix (BOSTON HERALD.com, 11/8)....DWYANE WADE and wife GABRIELLE UNION “announced the arrival of their daughter.” She was “born Wednesday via a surrogate” (MIAMI HERALD, 11/9).
