B4 l Friday, April , laramieboomerang.com Laramie Boomerang Following their passion, women go far to play flag football FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — the program where I want it From a distance, it looks like to be and to have a winning college kids in sweat clothes program.” tossing a football around on a Florida has by far the most campus green space. girls playing flag football, fol- Draw closer, and it’s appar- lowed by Nevada (1,900) and ent this is no sandlot game. California (660), according A coach is explaining routes to the most recent participa- he wants receivers to run on a tion numbers provided to the play he calls “Bingo.” Then he National Federation of State tells his quarterbacks to make High School Associations. quicker decisions. Next he From 2013-18, high school demonstrates how a receiver participation increased 27%, in motion sets up as a blocker to more than 11,000. next to the center and the Midland is 4-7 after a 34-13 running back takes a hand- home loss to Ottawa Universi- off and heads for a hole that ty of Kansas last Friday, a bet- should open on the left side. ter showing than the 39-0 loss The women Jaison Jones is to the Braves a week earlier. coaching listen intently and Ottawa is 7-1 and among ask lots of questions. More the best of the new programs. than half showed up at Mid- Only one of the Braves’ 21 land University from faraway players is from Kansas, and places to continue playing the their coaches are former San growing sport of flag football Francisco 49ers assistant Katy at the 1,600-student school Sowers and her sister, head in a town of 26,000 nestled coach Liz Sowers. in the farmland of eastern The competitiveness of Nebraska. games varies. Ottawa beat Allison Maulfair and Spen- Milligan (Tennessee) 84-0 but cer Mauk were teammates at lost 26-25 to Keiser (Florida). their high school in Braden- Midland has won 88-0 and ton, Florida, a state where AP PHOTO lost 52-0. a nation-high 7,700 girls at Ottawa defensive end Jennifer Anthony, left, tackles Midland’s JaNasia Spand during an NAIA flag football game March 26 in Ottawa, Kan. The Midland receiver-lineback- 278 schools play varsity flag National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics introduced women’s flag football as an emerging sport this spring. er Casey Thompson, who football. grew up 30 miles away in Jones recruited them at and knew she wanted to be is achieved once there are 40 the Midland coach, played Omaha, played basketball two summer showcase, and after part of what was happening programs, a threshold flag small-college football in Kan- years at Midland before she Maulfair and Mauk made the at Midland, as did four other football could reach in two or sas and is defensive coordi- decided to try football for the 1,500-mile drive to Fremont players she competed against three years. nator for an Omaha women’s first time this spring. for a visit, they decided it was in high school. The National Junior College semipro tackle football team “You have some players where they wanted to be. “Once my mom saw Athletic Association recently in the summer. His day job who are high-level players,” “I’m just really passionate someone wanted me to play announced a similar part- is general manager for a pest she said, “and then there’s the about this sport,” Maulfair the sport I love, she was like, nership with the NFL and NAIA, but doesn’t include control company. other ones who aren’t quite up said. “I fell in love with it my ‘Go,’ “ Patterson said. “I took Reigning Champs and intend cost of scholarships. “The sport is going to flour- there.” freshman year of high school the chance and came out here. to start games in spring 2022. Midland offers 33 sports ish more than what people Thompson said she couldn’t and haven’t stopped loving I’d never heard of Midland The sport is played seven and more than 70% of its think,” Jones said. “I was in imagine doing what many of it. It doesn’t matter where University. I heard of Nebras- on seven on a field 80 yards students are athletes. The Tampa for a showcase about her teammates did — move I’m at. It just matters playing ka, I heard of Omaha. Not long and 40 yards wide. There Warriors have 14 flag football a month ago and there were across the country to attend the game with great people, Fremont.” are four 12-minute quarters. players, and all pay more about 1,500 girls there. You a small college, sight unseen really.” Women’s flag football is in It’s 20 yards instead of 10 for in tuition than they receive come back to the Midwest in most cases, and play flag E’leseana Patterson figured its first year of competition in a first down. All players are in scholarship aid. Athletic and people question you, like, football. she was done with flag foot- the National Association of eligible receivers. Players are director Dave Gillespie said ‘Girls play flag football in Maulfair, the receiver and ball after she quarterbacked Intercollegiate Athletics. The “tackled” when a defender he expects a strong return on college? Is that a thing?’ “ cornerback from Florida, her Las Vegas high school NAIA entered a partnership pulls one of the three flags investment. In addition to Florida and said the pull of the sport was team to a state championship with the NFL and Reigning attached to the ball carrier’s “You’re talking about kids Nevada, Jones recruited two too strong. Her parents and in 2019. Her plan was to stay Champs Experiences, which belt. who love playing the sport players from Alaska. Four siblings weren’t going to hold home, help her mom and take operates flag football pro- Midland and 12 other small and probably didn’t think they Nebraskans also are on the her back. classes at UNLV. grams across the country. schools received $15,000 in would have the opportunity team. “They didn’t know where On a lark, she went to a It’s classified as an emerg- seed money from the NFL. to combine it with getting a “There’s still work to be I was going to go,” Maulfair showcase in Vegas and ended ing sport, meaning there’s no That’s about half of what it college degree,” Gillespie said. done, a lot of work getting said, “but once they found out up impressing Jones. She NAIA-sponsored champion- costs per year to operate a “I think that’s a strong pull.” girls to come in,” Jones said. I was going to commit, they took a virtual campus tour ship. Championship status program, according to the The 40-year-old Jones, “It’s a continuous grind to get were stoked.” Larentowicz retires Hildebrand returning for Indy after 16 years in MLS 500, giving Foyt 4-car lineup INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A.J. Foyt still cherishes ATLANTA (AP) — Jeff his first Indianapolis 500 Larentowicz has retired after victory. a 16-year career in Major This May, he’ll celebrate League Soccer that included the 60-year anniversary with more than 400 appearances a new driver, JR Hildebrand, and championships in Colo- and a throwback car. rado and Atlanta. Foyt’s team announced The 37-year-old Laren- Thursday the California na- towicz closed out his career tive will drive the No. 1 ABC with Atlanta United, helping Supply Chevrolet, becoming the team win the MLS Cup the team’s fourth driver title in 2018, its second sea- attempting to qualify for son in the league. the Indianapolis 500. And United announced in the candy apple red nose, November that Larentowicz trimmed with black stripes would not be back after over a white body may look AP PHOTO his contract expired. After awfully familiar to longtime In this May 19, 2018, file photo, JR Hildebrand is in the pit area considering his options, race fans because it’s the during qualifications for the IndyCar Indianapolis 500 auto race at Larentowicz officially re- AP PHOTO same paint scheme Foyt had Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. Hildebrand has a new tired Monday in a statement In this May 19, 2019, file photo, Atlanta United midfielder Jeff on his winning car in 1961. team and an old-fashioned look for this year’s Indianapolis 500. released on social media. Larentowicz, left, keeps the ball away from New York Red Bulls for- “All the wins were great He also played for New ward Brian White during a soccer match in Harrison, N.J. races but the first one is a ning a livery honoring A.J.’s rookie in 2011 when he lost England, Chicago and LA special one that you can first win 60 years ago is just the lead after crashing on Galaxy during his MLS “To the fans of New before leaving to guide the never replace,” said 86-year- an incredible thing to be a the final turn of the race. career, finishing with 437 England, Atlanta, Colorado, Mexican national team. old A.J. Foyt, one of three part of,” he said. His damaged car skid- regular-season league ap- Los Angeles and Chicago, After playing his college four-time race winners. “I’ve tried to bring ded across the yard pearances — including 397 thanks for your heart,” soccer at Brown, Laren- ‘”The first time you do what a little history into at of bricks in second starts — as both a midfield- Larentowicz wrote in the towicz joined the New you’ve dreamed all your life, least some element of place, behind the late er and a defender.