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No. 10 Gators spoil Rob Evans career-high 12 strikeouts, defeat No.17 Miami 8-4.

Zach Cohen
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No. 10 Gators spoil Rob Evans career-high 12 strikeouts, defeat No.17 Miami 8-4.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Miami reliever Ryan Bilka thought he escaped the jam with a tie ballgame still intact as center fielder Mikey Torres recorded the final out of the inning.

But just as he crossed the first baseline to head back to the Hurricane dugout, the umpires gathered on the mound and called a balk on Bilka, negating the final out and pushing forward all the runners 90 feet — giving the Gators a one-run lead they’d ride the momentum into a 8-4 win.

The call sent Canes fans into a fury as boos and expletives rained down on Mark Light Field, overshadowing a spectacular night of baseball from both sides from start to finish.

In the bottom of the first, with two outs and runners on the corners courtesy of multiple errors, senior outfielder Derek Williams pimped a three-run shot to left-center field for the first runs of the game.

The blast marked Williams’ fifth homer on the young season, combining his power output with an impressive .550 average.

But Florida (11-1) did not waste any time coming back. 

In the second inning the Gators put up four runs on five hits, with three consecutive hits to start the inning. 

However, the inning marked the only hits Miami starter Rob Evans would give up during his outing.

Making his second start this season, the lefty racked up 12 strikeouts through six innings with seven of those coming in a row between the third and fifth innings.

Every time he left the bump after an inning of work, he looked towards the Miami bullpen and let out an infectious roar. 

One thing is clear, rivalry games mean more. 

On the other side, Florida’s Aidan King didn’t have the same success. The sophomore righty only went 2.1 innings after being pulled in the third with a presumed hand injury. The ball was turned over to relief arm Ricky Reeth who calmly worked through the fourth.

Torres’ speed paid dividends in the fifth. 

David Lebowitz, Photo Editor/ Sophomore Outfiled Micahel Torres runs towards first base against Florida on Febrauary 27, 2026.

After whacking a double down the left field line, Torres advanced to third on a passed ball. Now standing 90 feet from home, Cuvet hit a shallow fly ball to center field. Florida center fielder Kyle Jones threw a dot to the catcher but Torres’s speed was no match as he slid into home head first safely tying the score 4-4 through five innings of play.

Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga let Evans go to work to start the seventh with his pitch count at 87. After a walk and a hit by pitch to start the inning, Arteaga turned to Richmond transfer Ryan Bilka.

Evans walked off the mound to a standing ovation from 3,555 fans in attendance, the second sold out crowd this weekend.

Through the controversial balk call in the seventh inning, Bilka remained in the game for the eighth inning.

With two runners on, he gave up a two-run home run to Ethan Surowiec, extending the Gators’ lead 8-4.

And just like last night, the Hurricanes bats could not mount a late inning comeback as the flamethrowing Joshua Whritenour closed the game for the blue and orange. 

Florida now has won six straight series against the Hurricanes and has not lost a series at Mark Light Field since 2014. Miami (10-2) will look to spoil a potential Gators sweep and get back in the win column on Sunday. The game is slated to start at 1 p.m. and will air on ACCNX.

Tricanes hosts UM’s first triathlon event on campus

Layla Fessler
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Tricanes hosts UM’s first triathlon event on campus

The University of Miami’s triathlon club, Tricanes, hosted its first ever on-campus triathlon. A total of 120 students participated in Sunday’s Try-a-Tri event.  

Participants swam in the University Center outdoor pool for the swimming portion, rode spin bikes at Lakeside patio for the bicycle portion and ran from the intramural fields to the Fate bridge for the running portion.   

Tricanes President Sally Work talks about the noticeable energy that took over campus that day. 

“If you were walking anywhere on campus from 7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. on Sunday, it would be impossible not to have heard the try-a-tri DJ on the Lakeside stage, or the loud cheers and music from our volunteers posted around the IM fields cheering on the runners,” she said. 

For Work the event was about more than just racing and promoting the growing Triathlon Club. She feels that the triathlon brought the UM community together. According to Work, undergraduates, alumni, and faculty all participated in the event, and it was fulfilling to see how far the club had progressed. 

“Seeing this event come to fruition in the form that it did has been the most rewarding project I have worked on in my time at UM,” Work admits. 

Having the university host a triathlon has been a long-standing goal for Work. She had seen other campuses, like the University of Florida, host similar events and thought it was a “super cool premise.” The Tricanes would participate in the Gainesville triathlon every year. 

However, the club faced a multitude of obstacles when trying to plan their own triathlon. Work noted that campus being in an urban area proved difficult to plan courses for the biking and running sectors.  

Additionally, there was originally not much traction or interest surrounding the club, noting that when she became a member of the Tricanes, there were only a handful of students involved.

 “When I first joined as a freshman, there were only four of us, and this year we have over 20 active freshmen,” Work said. 

This year, the club has 60 active members, which is double the number from last year. This spike in interest is part of the reason that the triathlon was even possible. 

“With the growing ‘trendy-ness’ of triathlons and ‘hybrid athletes,’ I knew there was a general interest in the student body to participate in the triathlon,” Work explained. “Coupled with the rapid growth of our own team, [I] realized it may actually be possible to host our own triathlon on campus.” 

Work proposed the idea of a triathlon – with distances aligning to half of a traditional sprint triathlon – to the Director of Club Sports on Jan. 20, and by Feb. 22, the club had 120 people signed up. 

While the club had overcome the hurdle of getting people interested in trying out a triathlon, the planning of the event was far from easy. 

Over the next month, extensive preparation went into coordinating the event, from obtaining the proper equipment to ordering the correct amount of medals and shirts. 

Thanks to the communication and teamwork of everyone involved, the 2026 Try-a-Tri ran smoothly. Work shares her gratitude with all the people who helped make the event possible. 

“Staying organized and having such an engaged team and responsive executive board, made everything so much better. We all put 100% effort into planning this event, and it would not have been possible without such an amazing team.”

Short-term, Work considered the Try-a-Tri was a success, but she hopes to see this event become an exciting campus tradition.

Greek Week fosters community and philanthropy across UM chapters

Ariana Glaser
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Greek Week fosters community and philanthropy across UM chapters

The University of Miami’s Greek Week celebration is a week-long fundraiser that brings together all 33 Greek organizations on campus to raise money for a cause through friendly competition and social events. 

This year, chapters raised funds for the Dolphins Cancer Challenge in partnership with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

After taking a gap year in 2025, Greek Week got a complete makeover. UM’s Greek board tested a new structure this year by offering new events that have never been done in this particular format. 

The week opened with Greeks Got Talent, an event at Lakeside Patio that welcomed more than 800 attendees. Then, a Market & Field Day invited several vendors to the Foote Green, where sellers donated their proceeds to the cause. Friday saw the grand finale: Battle of the DJ’s, hosted at The Rock Plaza, showcased greek life’s best music-makers. 

Parker Osth, chair of the Association for Greek Letter Organizations (AGLO), remembered participating in Greek Week in 2024, and it gave him a glimpse at how vast UM Greek life truly is.

“[At UM], Greek life … is just small enough to be familiar with people in every chapter but just large enough where it would be impossible to know everyone,” said Osth. “That makes UM Greek Week special in that it has a sense of broader community that might not exist at larger universities.”

Jordan Chiarelli, the assistant director of Greek life at UM, guided student leaders to plan and execute the schedule. She supports risk management, logistics, budgeting and communication across chapters. Chiarelli describes Greek Week as “a high energy, campus wide celebration of service, spirit and community.”

“[Greek Week] is intended to create shared experiences across chapters and councils that might not otherwise interact as often,” said Chiarelli. “For the University of Miami community, it strengthens unity within Greek life while also demonstrating our collective commitment to service and philanthropy. It shows that Greek organizations can come together for something bigger than themselves.”

According to Chiarelli, UM’s individualized focus on collective impact sets their Greek Week apart from other universities. While other universities may compete solely to achieve a title for their own chapter, UM places a strong emphasis on teamwork.

“Greek Week reflects many of the core values we see year-round within our Greek community, including service, leadership, philanthropy and friendship,” said Chiarelli. “While Greek Week is concentrated into one high energy week, the collaboration, charitable efforts and sense of belonging mirror what our chapters work toward throughout the academic year.”

Florida takes all-time series lead against Miami, defeats UM 7-2

Brendan Cafferty
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Florida takes all-time series lead against Miami, defeats UM 7-2

Miami sophomore right-hander AJ Ciscar grinded through seven innings of work, determined to give his offense a chance to win.

But on a full count to Florida’s designated hitter Jacob Kendall to lead off the eighth, Ciscar hung a slider he wished he could’ve had back. 

Kendall launched a go-ahead solo shot into the parking lot in right field, which sparked a five-run rally for Florida to take the series opener 7-2.

The late inning dramatics were fitting for the atmosphere at Mark Light Field — a sold-out affair with 3,555 fans in attendance on their feet the whole night. More than 600 of those fans were students who crowded into the student section and wherever there was space.

Both teams came into this game tied at 136 wins a piece, with the winner taking the opener of the series and all-time bragging rights.

Friday starter Ciscar took the mound for the third time this season aiming for another impressive outing.

But UF had other plans for the Fort Lauderdale native, as Florida shortstop Brendan Lawson launched a solo homer in the first inning.

The draft-eligible sophomore was named Baseball America’s top prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft following his Freshman All American season last year and finished the night 3-3 with two RBI’s.

Despite the first inning shell-shock, Ciscar would settle down, getting out of the inning and through the next two scoreless with four strikeouts.

David Lebowitz, Photo Editor/ Sophomore Right-handed Pitcher AJ Ciscar watches his pitch on Friday, February 13, 2026.

However he was equally matched by Florida’s starter Liam Peterson. The flamethrowing righty had Miami guessing at the plate early, striking out six in his opening three innings.

Lawson would haunt the Canes again in the top of the fourth, leading off the inning with a two-strike single to right field. The Canadian native would come around to score on a sac fly by right fielder Cash Stayer, giving UF an early 2-0 lead.

Ciscar again bounced back with another scoreless pair of innings, but this time the offense had his back.

Jake Ogden began the bottom of the inning with a checked-swing double down the right field foul line, followed up by a Mikey Torres single to put runners on the corners.

Peterson then sat down third baseman Daniel Cuvet and catcher Alex Sosa on three straight pitches, looking like the Canes would once again be left scoreless again.

But the red-hot Derek Williams would break the offensive lull and shutout simultaneously however, with a weak grounder down the third base line that just stayed fair for an infield RBI single.

Peterson would subsequently be taken out of the game for sophomore relief pitcher Jackson Barberi, but this wouldn’t stop the Canes rally, as West drove a grounder through the third base gap for another Miami run, tying the game at 2-2.

A scoreless seventh followed before the aforementioned Kendall homer broke the game open for UF.

Ciscar was pulled from the game following an error from Ogden on a fly ball in shallow left field.

Over seven innings, Ciscar tallied seven strikeouts with three earned runs, and was replaced by fifth-year reliever Packy Bradley-Cooney.

Bradley-Cooney walked the first batter he faced, immediately replaced by the left-handed Jake Dorn to face the dangerous bat of Lawson on the same side of the plate. 

Ultimately the switch was in vain, as Lawson continued to prove himself uncontainable, shooting a ball on the ground past the outstretched glove of West for an RBI single, putting the Gators up 4-2.

The Canes then saw their third pitching change in the eighth as Lazaro Collera took over on the mound to try and limit the damage.

After a walk to load the bases, Collera battled to a 3-2 count where the resulting pitch was returned Cuvet’s way as a chopping grounder. Cuvet would make a play to home, where an outstretched Sosa reigned in his wild throw to keep a run from scoring.

Despite getting the crucial out, Collera couldn’t keep UF at bay, walking a man on to score a run and giving up a sacrifice fly to score another.

Miami’s fourth pitching change of the inning followed as freshman left-hander Jack Durso entered the game for the final out of the eighth.

A line drive would score one, but a laser from Dylan Dubovik in left field ended the inning at the plate.

In need of a miracle down five, the Canes couldn’t make it happen during the final two innings at the plate, suffering their first loss of the season.

Miami (10-1) will look to even the series tomorrow night against Florida (10-1) at 6:30 p.m at Mark Light Field.

Miami men’s tennis suffers heartbreaking 4-3 Loss to Louisville

Nathan Rafal
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Miami men’s tennis suffers heartbreaking 4-3 Loss to Louisville

The University of Miami men’s tennis team fell to the Louisville Cardinals 4-3 at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center in Louisville on Friday afternoon.

The match started off with a nailbiter doubles point. The Cardinals cruised at court three, as Hamza El Amine and Pedro Cressoni took down Miami’s Nacho Serra Sanchez and Saud Alhogbani 6-1.

The Hurricanes responded well on the other courts. At court two, Jules Garot and Rafael Segado defeated Louisville’s Matei Onofrei and Russell Lokko 7-5 after a late break. 

The doubles point came down to a tiebreaker at the top court. The Hurricanes’ Jakub Kroslak and Antonio Prat were able to rally and defeat the Cardinals’ Walid Ahouda and Andre Steinbach 7-5 in a thrilling tiebreak, giving the doubles point to Miami.

The Hurricanes were initially able to carry over the momentum into singles. Sanchez won emphatically over El Amine 6-0, 6-1 at court two. Garot also dominated, beating Lokko 6-1, 6-2 at court six to give UM a 3-0 lead.

Shortly after, everything started to go downhill for Miami.

Prat fell 6-2, 6-2 at court one to Ahouda, who played an incredible all-around match. At court three, Kroslak came up short against Steinbach 6-4, 6-4 narrowing the Hurricanes’ lead to 3-2.

No. 4 Segado had a strong 7-5 win in the first set, but was unable to sustain his play. Onofrei cruised in the next two sets, 6-1 and 6-2, tying the match at three points each.

The match came down to court five. The match was close the entire way through. Alhogbani was able to win the first set 6-4 before dropping the second 6-4. The third set was a nailbiter until Cressoni was able to break late, winning 6-4 and giving the Cardinals the 4-3 victory.

This was a gut wrenching loss for Miami, dropping its first match of ACC play. The Canes look to bounce back in South Bend on Sunday against Notre Dame. After that, UM returns home next weekend against Wake Forest and NC State.

Miami senior Martin Katz prepares to strike the ball during his doubles match against UCF at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center on Feb. 7, 2025. Photo Credit: Staff Photographer | Marra Finkelstein

Bryan Pata murder trial nears end after almost 20 years

Madison Block and Brendan Cafferty
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Bryan Pata murder trial nears end after almost 20 years

The trial of Rashaun Jones for the alleged murder of his former UM football teammate, Bryan Pata, is coming to a close nearly 20 years after Pata was killed. 

The trial continued on Wednesday, Feb. 25, starting with testimony from Sgt. Sergio Cremisini, current supervisor of the Homicide Intelligence Department for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office  homicide unit.

The prosecution argued that jealousy drove Jones to kill Pata. They cited circumstantial evidence, including Jones’ behavior and phone records from the night of the murder, while the defense asked the court to dismiss the charges and not give the case to the jury.

“There is no way the jury could find that Mr. Jones committed this crime beyond a reasonable doubt,” said defense attorney Sara Alvarez.

Cremisini reviewed cell phone records for the defendant, Rashaun Jones, including date, time, duration, and approximate location of calls made or received through local cell towers.

The prosecution asked Cremisini about Jones’ calls on the night of the murder between Jones and his ex-girlfriend, Sherry Abramson, who had called Jones repeatedly after she found out about the incident.

The prosecution highlighted Jones’ use of *67, a feature that hides the caller’s phone number from recipients, displaying the name as “unknown.” Although the recipient will not see the caller’s name, cell records still reflect the caller’s ID.

Records show Jones used *67 several times to call Abramson, while the prosecution argued and questioned why he specifically used *67 on the day of the homicide.

“Why would you call your girlfriend from a blocked number?” said state attorney Cristina Diamond. “The records speak for themselves.”

The prosecution also pointed to Jones’ cellular connection to different cell towers, specifically tower 142, a tower located near Pata’s apartment.

“Are the records consistent with someone who was home all night?” the prosecution asked.  

“No,” Cremisini answered.

Defense attorney Christian Maroni heavily questioned Cremisini during the cross-examination.

“You can’t testify at all ― you have no knowledge ― none of this information that you’ve testified about sheds any light on where Mr. Jones’ phone was at the time the homicide occurred, correct?” Maroni asked.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Cremisini said.

Following Cremisini’s testimony prior to closing arguments, Dr. Emma Lew, the former chief medical examiner for Miami-Dade County, testified that Pata died of a gunshot wound to the head.

“The manner of death was homicide,” she testified.

Closing statements followed at 3:46 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, meaning that the verdict will be announced at sentencing upon the jury’s decision.

The prosecution discussed Jones’ character, reminding the jury of difficulties Jones faced and the complicated relationship he had with Pata, who they argued was thriving. 

“Bryan has everything the defense wants, and he chooses to let jealousy overtake him and kill Bryan Pata,” Pata’s legal team argued. 

They touched on what the prosecution described as Jones’ “unimpressive” collegiate career, despite being a promising high school recruit.

Prosecutors noted that this affected Jones’ mindset, worsening what they claimed was an already existent distaste for Pata.   

“That dream [of playing in the NFL] ended because of the jealousy of the defendant,” said state attorney Cristina Diamond.

The prosecution then discussed the victim, Bryan Pata, and his character.

Diamond cited Pata’s ambitions for the NFL, his relationship with his girlfriend, Jada Brody, and his successful car-detailing work as reasons for Jones’ jealousy.

Among teammates, coaches and detectives, the case centered around an eyewitness account from Paul Conner, a former UM English teacher, who was “90% certain” he saw Jones leaving Pata’s residence after hearing a gunshot.

Pata’s attorney used this alleged sighting as proof that Jones was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

However, the defense’s responding statements said otherwise.

Defense attorney Sara Alvarez questioned the validity of Conner’s statement, citing evidence that Conner was proven to have poor eyesight and that the murder occurred at night. 

Conner was presumed to be deceased, but was found alive and living in Louisville, Kentucky. He was determined unable to testify in person by the judge as a “result of significant memory issues.”

The defense also argued that the quality of Jones’ reference photo was inadequate, suggesting that Conner’s selection of Jones from a lineup of potential suspects was unreliable.

“Even if the evidence is viewed in a light most favorable to the state, it is entirely insufficient to support a conviction in this case,” said defense attorney Sara Alvarez.

The jury has not reached a verdict after hours of deliberation, and were told to return on Monday, March 2.

Miami WBB wins fourth straight, takes down Pitt 79-58 on Senior Night

Vivian Amoia
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Miami WBB wins fourth straight, takes down Pitt 79-58 on Senior Night

Honoring its seniors at the Watsco Center Thursday night, the Miami Hurricanes women’s basketball team turned its four-game losing streak into a four-game win streak after crushing the Pittsburgh Panthers 79-59.

The Lady Canes fourth straight victory now makes them 16-12 overall and 8-9 in ACC play.

Ra Shaya Kyle shined on her senior night, scoring a career high 36 points. On the other side of the ball, she brought in 13 rebounds, marking her 19th double-double of the season. 

Other notable performances include Gal Raviv with 14 points and Amarachi Kimpson posting 10 on the offensive side. Also, sophomore Ahnay Adams had 10 rebounds, which was a career high. The Canes have continued consistency over the past four games on both ends of the ball.

The energy in Watsco center was electric following tipoff, sending Miami on a 13-2 run over the Panthers in the first two minutes. They were able to extend this lead to 17-4, working hard to put up points and block. 

However, the momentum fell slightly, giving the Panthers an opportunity to score, and they took it. They went 7-0 to close the quarter, wrapping up the quarter at 17-11 Miami. 

The Hurricanes needed the second quarter to build up this momentum and they did so despite pressure from Pittsburgh. It wasn’t until after the first timeout that Miami turned a 3-point deficit into a 33-21 lead. They outscored the Panthers 16-10 in the second quarter, with eight points from Kyle and five from Kimpson.

Photographer Bella Ochoa // Sophomore guard Gal Raviv in the paint against Pittsburgh on Feb. 26, 2026 at Watsco

After the half, Miami went on a 7-0 run, scoring 75 percent from the field. Overall, the Canes shot 47.8 percent from the field, demonstrating their determination on offense in the third quarter. 

This sent Miami into a 40-21 lead, forcing a timeout by Pittsburgh. The break only gave Miami more momentum, adding six more points to the board and leaving the Panthers scoreless for almost three minutes. 

In the third quarter Kyle went five-for-five and recorded 12 points in the quarter, adding to her 36 point total. The Hurricanes had 23 points in the period, stretching their lead to 56-38 heading into the fourth. 

Miami showed off their physicality in the last 10 scoring 16 of its points in the paint, led by Kyle with 10 and Kaviv with four. They also controlled the glass, outrebounding the Panthers by 6.

The final regular-season home game ended in a 79-58 victory for the Canes.

The Hurricanes face off against Georgia Tech in their last regular season game in Atlanta on Sunday. Tipoff is at 2 p.m.

HUGE RIVALRY WIN: Are the Canes Now a Lock for March Madness?

Liam Hickey and Zach Cohen
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Men’s Basketball is coming off a rivalry win against the Florida State Seminoles, while Baseball gears up for a rivalry series against the Florida Gators.

Liam and Zach recap Basketball’s recent success and break down Baseball’s historic weekend against the Lafayette Leopards.

Luke Chaney also joins the duo from CaneSport to analyze Miami Basketball’s talent and resurgence.

Listen on Spotify

Grove Festival Highlights, Voodoo Doughnuts Review and Miami Music Week Announcements

Emil Salgado Vazquez
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This week on Eye of the Hurricane, we’re breaking down the biggest Arts and Entertainment stories around Miami.

We start in Coconut Grove, where the 62nd annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival brought nearly 300 artists to South Florida for a weekend of live music, culinary vendors, and vibrant artwork, filling the streets with thousands of visitors.

Next, we head to Wynwood, where Portland-based Voodoo Doughnuts has officially opened its doors. With Miami-inspired flavors, its iconic Voodoo Doll doughnut, and a bright pink, photo-ready interior, our Arts & Entertainment Editor, Samantha Rodriguez, gives her verdict on whether it’s worth the 30-minute drive from campus.

Then, we look ahead to Miami Music Week as the Winter Music Conference announces its second wave of programming. With new artist speakers, major label executives, and a three-day pool party series, WMC continues to position Miami as a global hub for electronic music, industry networking, and cultural influence.

We close out with an Opinion shoutout highlighting coverage of the Winter Olympics and the overlooked dominance of Team USA’s women athletes.

All that and more — right here on Eye of the Hurricane.

‘Son of Hamas,’ New Provost Initiatives and Updates on Rashaun Jones Trial

Sophia Metzner
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This week on Catch Up Canes, we’re breaking down three major stories shaping conversations on campus and beyond.

First, Mosab Hassan Yousef, author of “Son of Hamas,” drew a sold-out crowd at a Student Support Initiative event. Yousef, the son of a Hamas co-founder who later became an informant for Israel’s Shin Bet, spoke about his personal journey, extremism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His appearance sparked strong reactions, with supporters praising the event as a platform for dialogue and critics raising concerns about its political implications.

Next, newly appointed Academic Provost Thomas LeBlanc addressed the Student Senate, promising to revamp career services. LeBlanc emphasized expanding internship pipelines, strengthening employer partnerships, and better aligning academic programs with career outcomes — signaling a shift toward more career-focused institutional priorities.

And finally, in the ongoing trial of Rashaun Jones, the lead detective in the Pata case took the stand this week. Testimony centered on investigative procedures and key evidence tied to the case, marking another significant development as proceedings continue.

That’s all for this edition of Catch Up Canes. Stay tuned for more updates on the stories impacting the U.

Therapy app leverages drunk shuttle crash in campus marketing scheme

Mel Tenkoff
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Therapy app leverages drunk shuttle crash in campus marketing scheme

The UM shuttle that crashed earlier this month due to an allegedly drunk driver is being used as a marketing technique for a therapy app. Lusaea, the app, is referencing the incident in posters across campus, claiming that it helped students who are suffering after the accident. 

The fliers, which were first seen near the front entrance of Ungar by Hurricane reporters, read, “Drunk bus driver put me in therapy. The ride ended. The anxiety didn’t — but Lusaea helped me out.”

Lusaea flyer posted up at Ungar on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Photo credit: Mel Tenkoff.

The messaging references an incident that happened on Monday, Feb. 16, when a RSMAS shuttle driver was arrested after crashing while allegedly driving under the influence with approximately 15 students in the vehicle. Two students suffered minor injuries from the accident. 

The shuttle driver is facing one charge of driving under the influence, two charges of DUI with damage to property or person and one charge of refusal to submit to a breath test. His license has since been suspended as a result of these charges.

A QR code on the flyers directs viewers to the App Store to download Lusaea, a “therapy companion app to make your therapy sessions more effective.”

The Hurricane contacted several students who were on the shuttle, all of whom said they were not contacted by Lusaea, have no affiliation with the app and did not ask for the incident to be referenced in promotional materials. 

Lusaea flyers posted up at Whitten Learning Center on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. Photo credit: Vivian Amoia.

“A number of my friends have sent me photos of those posters, and it’s been shared in the group chat,” said Alastair Shen, a student who was on the shuttle during the accident. “As far as I’m aware, the app or posters aren’t related or partnered or requested by any of us. All of us just laughed at the irony.”

Since Tuesday, Feb. 24, other versions of the flyers have been spotted around Dooley Memorial and Whitten LC. 

New flyers read, “This shuttle ride changed me. I got off the bus. The stress stayed — but Lusaea helped me out.”

It is unclear who put the fliers up around campus. Lusaea has no visible ties to UM, and the account is not following anyone and has no followers on Instagram. 

“Any posters not found to be in compliance with University policy will be removed,” the University said in a statement to The Hurricane. 

On Feb. 27th, Lusaea reached out to set up a meeting with The Hurricane. The Hurricane will be updating the article as soon as we receive more information.

Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend — Olympic gold is

Bella Armstrong
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Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend — Olympic gold is

I’m a retired elite athlete in the way some people were child actors.

At one point, my entire life revolved around wrestling and most other things seemed relatively insignificant in comparison. Daily strength training would lead into practice, which started in the afternoon and went well-into the evening, often followed by some endurance running. Weekends were for competing. 

And like most elite athletes growing up, the Olympics were a staunch motivator. I believed that if I simply trained harder, I could one day compete under the United States’ banner. A mid-match shoulder dislocation and labral tear — and the subsequent surgery afterwards — set those Olympic-minded thoughts on fire.

Now, my singlet is folded neatly in a box at the top of my closet, along with my plaques and medals, but one thing has remained: The Olympics are everything to me. 

For as long as I can remember, the even years held some of my most vivid memories, like sitting cross-legged in front of the TV at odd times, trying to teach myself a backbend as Simone Biles broke every record on Earth, Chloe Kim setting the standard for in-competition 1080s — and asking my mom why I never learned to snowboard. I sobbed when Helen Maroulis became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling. Like so many young athletes, the Olympics have always felt personal.

Ahead of this year’s games, I couldn’t wait to watch my favorite events like Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Figure Staking, especially as Alysa Liu was returning after early retirement.

But if these Olympics have proved anything, it’s that women are already delivering gold — and our culture refuses to treat it like it counts.

This year, at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Team USA took home 33 medals — 12 of them gold. Eight of those gold medals belonged to women. 

It wasn’t a supporting role, nor a feel-good storyline. It was the headline. 

Through the 2026 Olympics, it was women setting the standard of excellence. Except, the conversation hasn’t really been reflecting that. 

I know what it feels like to win and still be treated like an afterthought. I’ve stood on podiums where the applause felt thinner than it did for the boys before me. I’ve been booed walking onto the mat. I competed against boys while fighting for girls’ wrestling to exist at all. I trained in rooms where their schedules came first.

So when women bring home the majority of the gold and still get treated like the B-story, I recognize the pattern. I don’t need it explained to me.

Instead of celebrating the amount of women who took home medals from Milan, the story on everyone’s lips is the American Men’s Ice Hockey team and its historic victory, and President Trump calling to offer congratulations — just to mock the Olympic champion Women’s Ice Hockey team in the same sentence.

“And you know, I have to invite the women’s team,” Trump said over speakerphone before the locker room erupted into laughter. “I fear I may be impeached if I don’t.” 

Although there were some outliers that seemed genuinely supportive of the women’s team’s win, one voice could be heard shouting “Absolutely!” and “2 for 2!” in the recording, those singular voices could not overpower the ‘boys-club energy’ radiating off the rest of his team. 

I’ve heard that laugh before — in wrestling rooms, around me at tournaments as I warmed up. It’s the kind of laugh that feels like casual cruelty. Not inherently personal, just how it’s always been. It still lands the same.

Some men’s hockey team members — like Jake Guentzel, Kyle Connor, Brock Nelson, Jackson LaCombe and Jake Oettinger — declined Trump’s invitation to the White House.

While this may be nice to hear, the rest of the men’s team paraded through the White House halls. Those few players’ actions were left reading more like a footnote than anything.

Amid the public backlash post-games, brothers and Team USA teammates Quinn and Jack Hughes seemed to double down on the matter. Sons of Olympic women’s team staff member Ellen Wienberg-Hughes, the Hughes’ response felt disrespectful and offhanded. 

“People are so negative out there and they are trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing,” Jack Hughes told reporters Monday night. 

Quinn Hughes shared that sentiment, saying that the team was “excited” to visit the White House and attend the State of the Union, sharing that it was going to be special for the team.

FBI director Kash Patel has also been berated in the headlines lately, downing beers and jumping up and down with players in the Team USA locker room, after having flown to Italy via American taxpayer dollars — something he has been ridiculed for in the past. 

When headlines focus on political figures laughing about “having to invite” the women’s team, or public officials celebrating men’s hockey all while women fight for visibility, it reveals something deeper than one moment of disrespect. 

It makes the value gap hard to ignore. 

Forget about the pay gap for a minute. Nearly 64% of the medals won this year by Team USA went home around the necks of female athletes — and yet, society is treating them like a sideshow. You cannot claim to support women’s sports while devaluing them in the same breath. 

We often celebrate excellence in theory. But we seem to hesitate when excellence belongs to women — unless it’s packaged as inspiration, overcoming adversity or a thoughtful human-interest feature narrated in a soft piano voice.

Gold, apparently, still needs a qualifier.

Women aren’t lacking results. They’re lacking recognition. The same people saying they want to ‘protect women’s sports’ don’t see the importance of women’s sports. When society doesn’t put female athletes on the same pedestal as male athletes, it signals to every young girl and woman that no matter what she accomplishes or how good she is at something, it will never be enough. 

Women aren’t asking to be celebrated for trying. They’re asking to be valued for winning.

Maybe “everyone watches women’s sports” is wishful thinking right now. And it shouldn’t be.

Our sisters and daughters don’t wait to be inspiring. They already have the gold. The real problem is that society is still unwilling to treat it like it counts.

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