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A review of the 2024 athletic achievements of the Natural State
Little Rock, Arkansas – For the second time ever and the first time in ten years, the Arkansas Razorbacks and Arkansas State Red Wolves both won bowl games this week.
Their triumphs marked the end of an exciting sporting season in the Natural State that gave Arkansans a lot of hardware at the collegiate and professional levels. Here are a few of the state’s most notable sporting accomplishments from 2024.
John Calipari takes over as head coach.
The rumors that Hall of Fame coach John Calipari might be leaving Kentucky to coach the Razorbacks when Eric Musselman left were one of the top sports stories in the Natural State in April. Coach Cal started working on creating his staff and roster as soon as the school officially announced it on April 10.
The Kentucky Derby goes to Mystik Dan.
Mystik Dan was successful in May after he won the 150th Kentucky Derby. In a three-horse photo finish, Mystik Dan, who was trained by Kenneth McPeek, a native of Arkansas, won the renowned event by a narrow margin.
The 2024 Texas League Championship is won by the Arkansas Travelers.
The Arkansas Travelers won their seventh Texas League championship and their first in sixteen years on September 25 at Dickey-Stephens Park after defeating the Midland Rockhounds in game three of the Texas League Championship series. The team also revealed that they would be renaming their stadium field in collaboration with CHI St. Vincent.
Marquesha Davis and Gavin Stone win their first professional titles.
Within ten days of one another, Arkansas natives Gavin Stone and Marquesha Davis each took home their first professional sports titles in October. Davis became the first Arkansan to win a WNBA championship on October 20 after she and the New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx in five games. Stone became the fourth native of Arkansas to win a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers after they defeated the Yankees in five games on October 30.
Four Arkansans were eliminated in the initial round.
Four Arkansans were selected in the first round of the drafts for their respective sports in 2024. The Denver Broncos selected Bo Nix 12th overall in the NFL selection, the Miami Heat selected Kel’el Ware 15th overall in the NBA, the Arizona Diamondbacks took Slade Caldwell 29th overall in the MLB draft, and the New York Liberty selected Marquesha Davis 11th overall.
Olivia Chambers won gold at the Paralympics.
Olivia Chambers, a resident of Little Rock, earned a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the Paralympic Games in Paris this summer. She also won silver in the 100-meter breaststroke and 200-meter medley.
The wrestlers from UA Little Rock advance to the NCAA championships.
Following an outstanding season, UA Little Rock made its second appearance in the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship in program history in March when five of its wrestlers qualified.
The legendary UA Little Rock women’s basketball coach retires, while the men’s coach triumphs. Coach of the Year
In terms of basketball, the Trojans had a memorable 2024 when Darrell Walker, the men’s basketball coach, shared the regular season championship and went on to win the OVC Coach of the Year award. In July, 21-year-old women’s basketball coach Joe Foley announced his retirement from the sport. In the state of Arkansas, Foley is the most successful women’s college basketball coach.
The Cody Rhodes theme song will be performed by the UAPB band at the WWE event.
In August, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff band started playing professional wrestler Cody Rhodes’ theme song during a football game versus the Arkansas Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium. Rhodes invited the band to play the song live at the WWE’s Bad Blood event in October in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena after watching the viral video.
The capital city hosted the Simmons Bank Championship.
The inaugural Simmons Bank Championship, which included PGA legends from all over the world, was held in the capital city in October as well. The Pleasant Valley Country Club hosted the competition, which Irish golfer Pádraig Harrington won.
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