JONESBORO, Ark. – The Arkansas State University Red Wolves beat the Texas State University Bobcats on Allison Field at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. The Red Wolves won 77-31 making them bowl eligible.
A-State running back Red Wolves Ja’Quez Cross runs the ball against Texas State Bobcats on Allison Field at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark., Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.
PHOTO GALLERY
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Atsuki Ohbuchi | 大渕 純暉 is a junior in the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at: atsuki.ohbuchi@smail.astate.edu
JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro on Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.
Red Wolves’ Izzy Higginbottom (23), left, drives the ball through Huskies’ Tara Stauffacher (21) during the game at First National Bank Arena. Higginbottom piled up 31 points and eight rebounds – both career highs – and handed out six assists to one turnover with four steals. A-State (1-1) outscored the Huskies (0-1) 44-29 in the second half after being behind 33-31 at intermission.
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JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.Red Wolves’ Izzy Higginbottom (23), left, drives the ball through Huskies’ Tara Stauffacher (21) during the game at First National Bank Arena. Higginbottom piled up 31 points and eight rebounds – both career highs – and handed out six assists to one turnover with four steals. A-State (1-1) outscored the Huskies (0-1) 44-29 in the second half after being behind 33-31 at intermission.JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves women’s basketball team play against Northern Illinois University at First National Bank Arena Thursday, November 9, 2023. The Red Wolves beat the Huskies 75-62 during the MAC-SBC Challenge.
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Ibuki Hinohara | 日野原 伊吹
Ibuki Hinohara | 日野原 伊吹 is sophomore in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Arkansas State University. He can be reached at ibuki.hinohara@smail.astate.edu
JONESBORO, Ark. – A-State women’s soccer squared-off against the Appalachian State Mountaineers for a matchup at A-State Soccer Park on Senior Day, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023. The Red Wolves were defeated 2-1 during their last home match. The team will travel to Mobile, Alabama Thursday to face off against the South Alabama Jaguars for their last game of the season.
A-State Red Wolves’ Phoebe Harpole (13) moves the ball down field against the App State Mountaineers during the first half of an NCAA women’s soccer match at A-State Soccer Park in Jonesboro, Ark., Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023.
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Atsuki Ohbuchi | 大渕純暉
Atsuki Ohbuchi | 大渕 純暉 is a junior in the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at: atsuki.ohbuchi@smail.astate.edu
JONESBORO, Ark. – Nettleton’s offensive trio helped edge Batesville as the Raiders beat the Pioneers 34-20 Saturday night at Raider Stadium.
Quarterback Maddox Hampton, running back TJ Brown and wide receiver Curtez Smith combined for four of the five Raider touchdowns.
Nettleton Head Coach Steven Hampton discussed his offensive trio and their performance.
“They ran hard, they ran great tonight and Maddox throwing the ball as well. We feel like we have some weapons and we just have to figure out ways to utilize them,” Hampton said.
“They ran hard, they ran great tonight and Maddox throwing the ball as well. We feel like we have some weapons and we just have to figure out ways to utilize them,” Hampton said.
Nettleton Head Coach Steven Hampton
After Nettleton failed to execute on their second drive of the game, they were forced to punt but recovered a fumble by the returner to put the Raiders at Batesville’s 20-yard line.
Brown converted on third down to put Nettleton in a goal-line situation. Smith then punched in a rushing touchdown to tie the game at seven early in the second quarter.
On Batesville’s next drive, they took advantage of the Raiders’ penalties allowing them to drive down the field . Running back Owen McLaughlin scored his second rushing touchdown for 15 yards as the Pioneers led 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
Batesville’s Owen McLaughlin (7) runs the ball against Nettleton during first-half action in Jonesboro, Friday, September 22, 2023.
Hampton connected with Smith for a 10-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14 late in the second quarter.
Right before halftime, Batesville found a way to kick a field goal to put them up 17-14.
The Raiders came out with a bang in the second half, with Hampton throwing a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Quordarius Thompson. Hampton ended the drive with a goal-line touchdown to put Nettleton up 20-17.
After the Raider defense stopped the Pioneer offense, a string of short plays for Nettleton resulted in another goal-line situation where Brown scored a rushing touchdown on a wildcat formation to increase Nettleton’s lead 27-17.
Back-to-back-to-back turnovers occurred on three straight drives between the two offenses, as Batesville eventually got the ball midway through the fourth quarter.
After a fourth down conversion by the Pioneers, their offense could not get anything else going as they had to settle for a field goal. Batesville minimized Nettleton’s lead 27-20.
The Pioneers were forced to kick an onside kick late in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders recovered at Batesville’s 45-yard line.
Running back Xavier Harrell sealed the win with a 22-yard rushing touchdown, putting Nettleton up 34-20 with about a minute left in the game.
Coach Hampton shared his positive takeaways from the win.
“The first half was about as ugly as it could be. There were not any pointing fingers, it was a lot of pulling together. There were a lot of guys saying hey we got this and we just need to clean it up. That is the biggest takeaway, it is just the mindset. If our guys can grasp a hold of that and come together as a team, I think the sky is the limit for this group,” Hampton said.
Nettlelton looks to get their second-straight conference win next game, as they travel to play Brookland.
JONESBORO, Ark. – The rushing attack helped Heber Springs dominate in Westside’s senior night massacre as the Panthers defeated the Warriors 42-8.
All seven of the Panthers’ touchdowns were rushing by four different players.
On the Panthers’ first drive of the game, they scored on three plays consisting of runs by running back Weston Warden, fullback Eli Buffalo and running back Parker Brown capping off the drive with a red zone touchdown.
The Warriors’ second drive was also a string of run plays that ended on a turnover on downs around the goal line to give the Panthers the ball back.
Heber Springs took advantage of Westside’s turnover on downs with an 82-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Liam Buffalo, to put the Panthers up 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Westside’s Colton Carter (19) looks for an opportunity to pass the ball against Heber Springs during first half action in Jonesboro, Friday, September 15, 2023.
Westside Head Coach Bobby Engle discussed his thoughts on the defensive side during the first half.
“On defense, we have got to tackle better. We put ourselves in the right position, we just did not make the tackles,” Engle said.
“On defense, we have got to tackle better. We put ourselves in the right position, we just did not make the tackles,”
Coach Bobby Engle, Warriors Head Coach
Turnovers were also another issue for Westside with a fumble and interception on back-to-back drives.
Running back Dakota Neely fumbled at the 20-yard line with the Panthers recovering in excellent field position. Heber Springs would go on to score another rushing touchdown from running back Eli Buffalo.
Warriors quarterback Colton Carter rolled out of the pocket throwing an interception, while the Panthers once again took advantage of the Warrior turnovers with Liam Buffalo scoring his second rushing touchdown and a 28-0 lead late in the second quarter.
Heber Springs would eventually get the ball back before halftime, as Eli Buffalo scored a 62-yard rushing touchdown.
“We have got to play a complete game. We have not done that in three weeks in three games and we have lost. It shows. When we put it together and we do things right then we will win football games,” Engle said.
Not much scoring happened in the second half, but Warden found his way into the endzone to join the four-player touchdown club as the Panther’s domination continued with a 42-0 lead.
The Warriors scored their one and only touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Carter connected with tight end Jordan Hall to get Westside in scoring position, then running back Gavin Nets finished the drive off with a rushing touchdown.
Both teams will be on the road for their first conference matchups, as Westside will play Trumann and Heber Springs will play Cave City.
Coach Engle had some words for their upcoming game against Trumann.
“The game plan is to do what we are coached to do. That is something we have to do,” Engle said.
JONESBORO, Ark. – DeSoto Central capitalized on Jonesboro’s turnovers and penalties with multiple scores to give the Jaguars a 29-13 victory over the Golden Hurricane Friday night at Cooksey-Johns Field.
Jonesboro quarterback Terrance Brown threw two costly interceptions to give DeSoto Central the ball in excellent field position throughout the game.
Jonesboro’s Chris Stacy (3) makes a touchdown after catching a pass during first-half action against DeSoto Central on Friday, September 8, 2023. Atsuki Ohbuchi
Brown’s first interception and a team fumble resulted in the Jaguars scoring twice as well as a two-point conversion to give them a 15-0 lead before halftime.
With 11 seconds remaining in the first half, Brown rolled out of the pocket and redeemed himself with a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Stacy for a 15-7 score.
DeSoto Central’s starting quarterback Eric Perry Jr. was injured in the first half and replaced by Jaden Norwood. Perry Jr. then returned for the second half of play.
Running back/kick returner Lenden Fairley returned a kick for 80 yards to put the Jaguars in the red zone. Running back Jordan Cannon capped off the drive with a goal-line rushing touchdown, DeSoto up 22-7.
The Hurricanes responded with their own long kick return by Avion Jones right at the 50-yard line, but the next play was a fumble recovered by the Jaguars.
DeSoto’s next drive ended quickly with a botched snap, giving them a fourth and long situation and a punt back to Jonesboro.
The very next play that the Hurricanes got the ball back, Brown threw his second interception of the night.
Perry Jr. then led his team down the field with Cannon scoring another goal-line rushing touchdown, DeSoto up 29-7 in the third quarter.
Stacy caught his second receiving touchdown but this time it was from backup quarterback Asa Myers to minimize the Jaguars’ lead 29-13 late in the fourth quarter, but not enough time left to come back for a miracle win.
The Hurricane will play its fourth straight home game against Cabot for the team’s first conference matchup of the season while DeSoto Central travels to Malvern in a non-district matchup.
JONESBORO, Ark. – Defense and special teams dominance helped the Valley View Blazers to victory over the Forrest City Mustangs on homecoming at Central Dealerships Stadium on Friday night.
Valley View had three defensive touchdowns in the first quarter and two special teams touchdowns in the first half.
Blazers Head Coach Sean Cockrell addressed his thoughts on the defense and special teams in the first half in the 54-20 win.
“It was awesome. I thought we played well on all sides of the ball, but to get three defensive touchdowns in the first quarter is crazy. Kickoff return was great, the overhead punt getting out of the endzone. We scouted really well and had a great gameplan. The kids executed it,” he said.
Forrest City fumbled on their first drive of the game with Valley View linebacker Brian Huff recovering for a 25-yard touchdown with eight minutes left in the first quarter, taking a 14-0 lead.
Valley View’s Zane Guthrie (9) tries to shake Forrest City’s Lee Smith (28) during first half action in Jonesboro, Friday, September 29, 2023.
The Mustangs responded back with a 73-yard touchdown pass, for their first of three touchdowns of the game.
The very next kickoff, Blazer kick returner/wide receiver TJ Starks scored on an 81-yard return. Forrest City got the ball back and fumbled again, while Valley View free safety Laird Cullen recovered. The Blazers once again had great field position.
Valley View capitalized with a 17-yard rushing touchdown from running back Zane Guthrie, leading 28-6 midway through the first quarter.
The Blazers added two special teams touchdowns back-to-back punts. Linebacker Jayde Taylor recovered and scored the first, while cornerback Kenneth Robinson scored the second.
The score was 48-6 at halftime, so it was time to take the starters out.
“We wanted to take them out and did in the second quarter. They scored a couple late in the second half and we got kind of nervous. We had a lot of guys play tonight, probably about 70 guys so we are excited about that,” Cockrell said.
“We wanted to take them out and did in the second quarter. They scored a couple late in the second half and we got kind of nervous. We had a lot of guys play tonight, probably about 70 guys so we are excited about that.”
– Sean Cockerel, Blazers Head Coach
Valley View went on to score only one touchdown in the second half but ran the ball majority of the time to drain the clock while leading big. Forrest City fought hard for their two touchdowns in the second half but did not have enough time on the clock to complete a comeback.
The Blazers will travel to play Wynne next Friday at 7 p.m. Coach Cockrell gave his thoughts on how to relay this win to next week’s conference game.
“We said we wanted to be 2-0 (in conference) and we are. We know Wynne has so much tradition and they are a really good football team. It is going to be tough so we know we are going to have to focus next week to go down there and try to get a win,” he said.
JONESBORO, Ark. – Lake Hamilton Wolves’ air-raid offense attack helped defeat the Jonesboro Hurricanes 27-20.
Lake Hamilton’s Derryn Owens (3) shakes Jonesboro defender Christian Taylor (21) during first half action on Friday, September 1, 2023. Photo by Terrance Armstard
The Wolves’ quarterback Easton Hurley had two first-half touchdown passes of 49 yards or more. His first touchdown pass was a connection to Derryn Owens for 55 yards, giving Lake Hamilton a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Before Hurley’s second touchdown pass, Hurricane wide receiver Chris Stacy recovered a muffed punt by the returner to put Jonesboro at the 28-yard line at the beginning of the second quarter. Running back Markevious Pickett capped off the drive with a goal-line touchdown to tie the game at seven.
Hurley then responded with a 49-yard touchdown to running back Coy Autrey on a play-action wheel route to put the Wolves up 13-7 with less than three minutes until halftime.
Jonesboro Head Coach Tyler George praised Lake Hamilton’s quarterback and discussed Autrey’s touchdown reception from lost coverage.
“We got lost in coverage right there. We knew their quarterback could throw it. I talked to their head coach before the game about how their style of offense with the type of quarterback they have, is hard to prepare for,” George said.
“We got lost in coverage right there. We knew their quarterback could throw it. I talked to their head coach before the game about how their style of offense with the type of quarterback they have, is hard to prepare for,” George said.
–Jonesboro Head Coach Tyler George
To start the second half, Jonesboro quarterback Terrance Brown connected with wide receiver Kelen Smith for 46 yards, but fumbled the ball with Lake Hamilton recovering.
The Wolves capitalized on the fumble recovery with a 65-yard rushing touchdown by Hayden Barton to give Lake Hamilton a 21-7 lead with a little less than five minutes left in the third quarter.
Jonesboro responded with a 40-yard pass from Brown to Stacy to put them in Wolves’ territory. Even with the long connection, the Hurricanes were unable to score and turned the ball over.
“We have to be able to score the ball more and we will. We will continue to get better. We got stuck in the joy of last week. Again, it starts with me,” George said.
Jonesboro eventually got the ball back and took advantage with a long reception to tight end Myreion Taylor at the one-yard line. Pickett finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown, minimizing Lake Hamilton’s lead 21-13 early in the fourth quarter.
Hurricane defensive end K.J. Anderson came up with a clutch third down sack, to put the Wolves in a fourth and 23 situation.
After the sack, Brown threw an interception to lose all of Jonesboro’s hope.
On Lake Hamilton’s next drive, Autrey punched in a goal-line touchdown to put the nail in the coffin 27-13 late in the fourth quarter.
Brown bounced back with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Stacy to put the game within reach at 27–20.
Lake Hamilton was able to run the clock out on their next drive to defeat the Hurricanes for the second-straight year.
Despite the loss, Stacy won player of the game with well over the century mark for receiving yards along with a touchdown reception.
Stacy’s coach had positive words for his performance.
“I don’t know what his stat line was tonight but he proved that he has arrived. His performance was really well and it can’t just be him. It has to be everybody and we have talent to get it done. We just fell short tonight,” George said.
Jonesboro looks to bounce back in week three while staying at home in a non-conference matchup against DeSoto Central. Lake Hamilton will attempt to continue their winning ways while traveling to play Little Rock Christian Academy in a conference matchup.
JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves fell to the OSU’s Cowgirls at A-State Soccer Park on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. The Red Wolves will take on the James Madison Duke Dogs next Friday, Sept. 15 at home.
Red Wolves Emma Riley (6) kicks the ball away from OSU’s Nicole Ray (12) during first-half action at A-State Soccer Park in Jonesboro, Ark. on Sept. 7, 2023. Red Wolves fell 0 to 1 against the Cowgirls. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi.
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Atsuki Ohbuchi | 大渕純暉
Atsuki Ohbuchi | 大渕 純暉 is a junior in the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at: atsuki.ohbuchi@smail.astate.edu
Brookland’s Sinquan Spratt (6) runs the ball against Westside during Friday night’s game. Spratt scored two touchdowns in the Bearcats’ 39-0 victory over the Warriors.
JONESBORO, Ark. – As the Brookland Bearcats dominated the Westside Warriors right from the get-go, with the help of explosive plays, they were able to shutout the Warriors 39-0.
On the Bearcats’ first drive of the game, sophomore quarterback #11 Hayden Elder scored a 70-yard rushing touchdown. The Warriors were then held to a three-and-out, resulting in Elder connecting with sophomore wide receiver #16 Garrett Mays on a 68-yard pass to put Brookland in the red zone.
Junior running back #28 Malachi Stinett rushed for an eight-yard touchdown to give the Bearcats a 12-0 lead along with their first two drives resulting in scores.
Westside’s head coach Bobby Engle had positive remarks despite the loss, along with wanting better awareness from his players.
“The stuff we saw tonight that went wrong, we can fix. We came out flat and stayed flat. Got our butts handed to us,” Engle said.
“The stuff we saw tonight that went wrong, we can fix. We came out flat and stayed flat. Got our butts handed to us.”
– Westside HS Head Coach Bobby Engle
With ticks remaining in the first quarter, junior wide receiver/running back #6 Sinquan Spratt improvised finding an open lane halfway across the field scoring a 68-yard rushing touchdown increasing Brookland’s lead to 18-0.
The Warriors offense unfolded in the first half, with multiple false start penalties and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that set them in poor field position.
“You cannot be undisciplined and get unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. I do not even know how many penalties we had, but we had way too many. We have to get that stuff fixed,” Engle said.
The Bearcat defense opened the second quarter by recovering a fumble straight at the 50-yard line to set the offense up with another opportunity to score. On the next drive, Elder scored his second touchdown of the game with a 10-yard rush on a read-option play to give Brookland a 24-0 lead.
Westside’s offensive struggles continued with back-to-back three-and-outs. While the Warriors struggled for points, the Bearcats scored two more touchdowns before halftime.
Spratt scored a 40-yard rushing touchdown, as well as contributing to the next drive with a 29-yard rush to put Brookland at Westside’s four-yard line. Elder then threw a four-yard passing touchdown to junior wide receiver #18 Barrett Cunningham, increasing the lead to 39-0 at halftime.
Brookland head coach Mark Hindsley has previously stated that a lot of the offense starts in the backfield, and that was evident in their performance.
There were a total of five touchdowns scored in the first half alone by the duo of Spratt and Elder, along with a touchdown run by Stinnett.
The second half was quiet with nobody scoring and lots of rushing plays to drain the clock out.
Hindsley’s offensive plan of run and play-action worked the entirety of the first half.
Engle plans to stick with the same offensive scheme despite the shutout.
“We do not change our system because it is what we run. We just have to do a better job executing,” he said.
In week two, Brookland will travel to Gosnell in a non-conference game, while Westside will travel to Hoxie in a non-conference game as they seek to avenge themselves in non-conference play.
JONESBORO, Ark. – After nearly a week of competing, four local Jonesboro residents get to say they competed in a national competition, with three winning ribbons or medals in table tennis last month during the 2023 National Seniors Games.
The competition was held in Pittsburg, Pa., and featured competitors from all over the country.
Anthony “Tony” Tsui, a Bay High School teacher who competed in the events said just being able to meet new friends at the games was a highlight.
“We met a lot of new friends from different states,” Tsui said. “I saw a guy that inspired me to play in 2017. I recognized him and we got on the phone later on. Just meeting friends along the way, playing and practicing with them, was great.”
Fellow competitor Jianfeng “Jay” Xu, Ph.D., research professor at the Bioscience Institute at Arkansas State University, stated that his confidence only increased during the event.
“At the beginning when I found the tournament sheet, I thought that there was no way for me to beat them,” Xu said. “But I thought that we had a chance to beat them when we played in doubles. We still had a chance to beat those [at a higher level].”
Guolei “Jason” Zhou, Ph.D., a professor of cell biology at A-State, said that the chemistry between the four teammates gave them an edge.
“We felt we had a chance as have we played and practiced together, so we felt we had some existing chemistry,” Zhou said. “In some cases, most people find a partner on the same day of the tournament.”
Yanhua “Jennifer” Xie, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical and anatomical sciences at the New York Institute of Technology at A-State, would win gold as a women’s doubles champion. She would also add on a silver and bronze medal competing in singles and another doubles competition paired with Zhou.
On what it was like winning gold, Xie recalled feeling intimidated however, she had confidence in her own game.
“The entire stadium heard me,” Xie stated. “One of the players in the doubles we were playing against was the champion of the women’s singles. We felt a little bit intimidated, but eventually we won.”
The four intend to compete in the games moving forward, with Tsui explicitly wanting to see newfound friends again.
“To see people coming back and to meet old friends, I hope we can do that again down the road,” he said. “I think in 2025, in Iowa, we will make plans to go.”
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NOTE: Featured Photo – From left: Anthony “Tony” Tsui, Yanhua “Jennifer” Xie, Guolei “Jason” Zhou and Jianfeng “Jay” Xu display awards they received while competing in table tennis during the National Senior Games last month.
Jacob Wicinski is a 2021 graduate of Florida State University with a bachelor’s in communication and is currently seeking a masters of science in mass communication with a specialization in journalism at Arkansas State University.
A-State Women’s Soccer vs Northwest Mississippi Community College
Delta Digital News Service
August 11, 2023
By Atsuki Ohbuchi 純暉 | Staff Photographer
JONESBORO, Ark. – Head Coach Brian Dooley and the Red Wolves defeated Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers 4-0 during an exhibition match at A-State Soccer Park in Jonesboro, Ark., Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The team will head to Fayetteville next Thursday for their regular season opener against the Razorbacks.
A-State forward Emma Riley (6) battles Raegan Tucker (20) of Northwest Mississippi Community College during an exhibition match at A-State Soccer Park in Jonesboro, Ark., Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The Red Wolves defeated the Rangers 4-0. Head Coach Brian Dooley and the team will head to Fayetteville next Thursday for their regular season opener against the Razorbacks. Photos by Atsuki Ohbuchi
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Atsuki Ohbuchi | 純暉
Atsuki Ohbuchi | 純暉 is a junior in the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at: atsuki.ohbuchi@smail.astate.edu
JONESBORO, Ark. – Although Paris will host the 2024 Summer Olympics, three northeast Arkansas educators will compete this week in the National Senior Games in Pittsburg, Pa.
The National Senior Games is an annual event pitting thousands of 50-year-olds and over against one another in over 20 different sporting events. Northeast Arkansans Jianfeng ‘Jay’ Xu, Ph.D., a research professor at Arkansas State University, Yanhua ‘Jennifer’ Xie, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute and The New York Institute of Technology on the campus of A-State, and Anthony Tsui, a Bay High School teacher, hope to bring in the gold for the table tennis, aka ping pong, category.
Xu, Xie and Tsui left Wednesday, July 12, to compete in the games. Before leaving the trio got in a few rounds of practice at the Red Wolf Center on the campus of A-State. In discussing their passion for the game at their age, Xu stated that even though he has been playing for years, his skills had started to improve just recently.
From left: Jennifer Xie, of Jonesboro left, Tony Tsui, of Bay and Jay Xu also of Jonesboro will compete in the National Senior Games in Pittsburg, Penn. this weekend. Submitted Photo
“I started playing ping pong in 2003,” Xu recalled. “My skills were poor, but I’ve made some pretty big progress over that time… I even have a ping pong machine at home to help me practice.”
Tsui, who started in 2016 also owns a ping pong machine but said that Xie really helped to get the group motivated to improve their skills.
“We actually improved during COVID,” he said. “Most of the time when Jennifer was practicing and practicing, she was just pushing us to improve. She was probably the last one to join us and she’s already passed us.”
Xie is team captain and displays a strong passion for the game. She said that her US Table Tennis rating is her inspiration for improving..
“Currently, I’m 1372,” she said. “The average rating for US Table Tennis is 1400 to 1500. I’m hoping to pass that by the end of this year.”
With the games bringing many athletes from all over the country, Xie often jokes with friends about their status in participating in the games.
“This is the first year for me to attend the [Senior] Olympics, as I wasn’t old enough” Xie said. “One of my friends was joking that we were the only Olympians that she knew.”
As the three look to grab gold, Tsui stated that it is much more than winning, at least to them.
“Everyone’s competing, but I don’t see the hostility side of things,” he said. “It’s also to keep us healthy. You see people at 100, or in their 80s and 90s are still competing because they want to stay healthy enough to keep going.”
Tsui believes that winning isn’t everything and that forming friendships is a part of the experience.
“A friendship is a friendship,” he said. “Winning is not the top thing for us. It’d be nice to win, but… we’re friendly and it’s so fun. What else could you ask for?”
The games began July 7th and will end on Tuesday, July 18th.
Jacob Wicinski is a 2021 graduate of Florida State University with a bachelor’s in communication and is currently seeking a masters of science in mass communication with a specialization in journalism at Arkansas State University.
NOTE: Featured photo – Jennifer Xie gets in some table tennis practice at the Red Wolf Center on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, July 18. Photo by Jacob Wicinski
Delta Digital News Service 