South-Carolina
South Carolina 2024 NPR Tiny Desk submissions you need to watch
South Carolina has historically been a hotbed for cultivating amazing musical talent, from James Brown Lee Brice, Dizzy Gillespie, Toro y Moi, and Darius Rucker just to name a few.
Several representatives of the Palmetto State have taken a chance to further cement their legacy by submitting their videos to the 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Competition. South Carolina Public Radio took the opportunity to speak with four artists who submitted their work.
AP & Soulful Touche’
Midlands
AP & Soulful Touche’ are comprised of like-minded creative South Carolinian residents who came together in 2022 and decided multiple artistic brains are better than an individual one.
The group knows what a large platform that a Tiny Desk performance provides would do for their careers.
“It’s age-defying,” said AP. “We have fun because we love being able to perform because it furthers our goal of making this our long-term careers.”
“My eventual goal is to continue to perform live, while holding festivals, television program placements, film scores, and other things of that nature.”
Jael B. Gadsden
Charleston
Motivated by the careers of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Yolanda Adams, Jael B. Gadsden creates R&B tunes that feel like Sunday morning service.
Gadsden knows that her winning the Tiny Desk competition would be huge for the state.
“It would mean the world to me to represent S.C. in the Tiny Desk Contest because it’s where I was born and raised,” Gadsden said. “It would be my way of giving back to the community that has supported me and aided in my growth as an artist and a person. I would be truly honored and grateful.”
Gadsden explained Her Tiny Desk Submission, “You are a Winner,” is a way to create more positivity in the world and for people to hear her meaningful words and put them into action.
“I want people to believe in themselves and never give up on your dreams, even if it means just taking one tiny step at a time. And If you are trying, you are already a winner!”
Mike Kaufman
Mt. Pleasant
Kaufman grew up listening to Peter Seeger and the members of the “folk scare” – as well as acoustic pop folks like James Taylor, Livingston Taylor, and David Wilcox whose sounds helped inspire his musical career.
His Tiny Desk submission, “Song in a Dream,” was inspired by a dream he had.
“In my dream I heard YoYo Ma (one of my music heroes) playing a bassline on his cello that suggested the progression,” Kaufman said.
He says that South Carolina is filled with talented musicians, and although Kaufman knows it is a long shot for him to win the contest, he just wants to bring light to the South Carolina music scene.
Kae Glass
Mt. Pleasant
Kae Glass has spent her entire life singing. She says she knows representation matters, so an opportunity to be showcased on Tiny Desk would help break the traditional standards of people who look like her.
“I don’t like stereotypes and you know, being Keisha, a big Black female, like a lot of stereotypes come with that and to be honest, my music goes way beyond just being a large Black female,” Glass said.
Glass wants to bring back the essence of what good music from South Carolina which is why her music is unique.
“I’m not just some girl, I don’t have this specific message, it is different, I know it is,” she added.
The deadline for the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest is Thursday, Feb 21 at 11:59 p.m.
You can watch the full list of South Carolina submissions here.
All that separated Connor Doyal from the biggest win of his amateur golfing career was 5 feet of perfectly manicured green on Hole No. 18 at Naples National Golf Club. That plus a super-sized case of the yips.
“My hands were shaking uncontrollably,” said the 26-year-old mid-amateur from Charleston, South Carolina. “But I’ve had some moments like this before, and I think I’ve just learned to let it happen and not fight it. I knew it wasn’t going to be the best stroke of my life, but in the moment, I just had to trust myself to make the putt.”
Advertisement
Just as he had for much of the third and final round of the 30th annual Terra Cotta Invitational, Doyal delivered, dropping in the putt to win the event by one stroke over 17-year-old junior golfer Dawson Lew of Toronto, Canada.
Connor Doyal, a 26-year-old mid-amateur golfer from Charleston, S.C., celebrates with the trophy after winning the 30th annual Terra Cotta Invitational on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Doyal, who entered the day two shots behind co-leaders Giuseppe Puebla of Royal Palm Beach and University of Florida senior Parker Bell, shot 5-under 67 to finish 12-under, two shots off the low-scoring record for the 54-hole tournament.
“Honestly, I just hit the ball fantastic start to finish,” Doyal said. “I hit a ton of greens and then the putter started heating up. I woke up feeling good this morning, and I knew I had it in me.
Advertisement
“Coming down the stretch, I had to battle. I’m just glad it’s over. I mean, the heart rate is still extremely high right now.”
Doyal had seven birdies in his final round, the best of which came on the par-4 No. 14. He used his six-iron to blast his second shot 220 yards to within inches of the cup, setting up a short putt that gave him a one-shot lead over Bell.
Doyal followed with a birdie on No. 15 to up his lead to two strokes, but made things interesting by shorting a putt on No. 17 for bogey.
Playing in a group just ahead of Doyel, Lew missed a 35-foot try for birdie on the par-5 No. 18 a smidge left to finish at 11-under after a final round 68.
Advertisement
Clinging to that one-shot lead on No. 18, an admittedly amped-up Doyal nearly overshot the green on his third shot from about 80 yards out, the ball settling on the back fringe. He followed with a deft chip, setting up his tournament-winning putt.
“It was a little bit nervy there, but I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Doyal said. “I’m always going to be able to look back at that up and down on 18 and be like I have what it takes when the pressure is on.”
Widely regarded as one of the best amateur events for junior golfers in the country, the Terra Cotta’s field included nearly the entirety of the top 25 in the Rolex American Junior Golf rankings. That included Luke Colton of Frisco, Texas, who was gunning for an unprecedented third consecutive Terra Cotta championship. The 18-year-old Vanderbilt commit came up short in his quest, finishing 3-under and in a tie for 21st place.
“I started off pretty bad, just kind of had a weird first day,” said Colton, who opened with a 2-over 74. “Nothing was going my way. But I was pretty happy with the way I ended it.”
Advertisement
Colton said the Terra Cotta is one of his favorite events of the season.
“You’ve got a great field and obviously an amazing course,” he said. “I think that’s why everybody wants to come and play at this tournament.”
Another top junior was a late and unreported entry to the Terra Cotta. Charlie Woods, son of golfing great Tiger Woods, got off to a rough start with an opening round 79, but shot a 3-under 69 in the final round to finish in a tie for 42nd place with a 3-over 219.
Among the five Naples-area competitors, former Gulf Coast High School standout and current University of Florida golfer Noah Kent had the best showing. The 20-year-old finished with a 2-over 218 for the tournament, placing him in a tie for 34th. The other local entrants were Spencer Ives (220), Brian Bassett (222), Jack Ryan Donovan (224), and Kaden Latrielle (229).
Advertisement
Contact Sports Reporter Dan DeLuca at ddeluca@usatodayco.com. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Connor Doyal wins Florida amateur event, Charlie Woods ties for 42nd
Columbia, Mo. — The South Carolina softball team (25-21, 4-13) dropped the second game of its series at Missouri (24-23, 7-10) 5-0 Saturday night (Apr. 18).
Kai Byars led the Gamecocks with a pair of doubles on the night. It was her second multi-hit game of the season and her first game with multiple extra base hits.
The Tigers scored a run in the third inning without the aid of a hit. They would extend the lead and add four more in the fourth.
Carolina’s best opportunity for a run came in third. Byars doubled to lead off the inning and Shae Anderson followed with a bunt single. A double play on a potential sacrifice fly ended the rally.
Emma Friedel (8-4) took the loss, allowing one run on no hits in 3 1-3 innings. She struck out six and walked three.
The rubber game of the series will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.
Audi Crooks on being in the transfer portal
USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg catches up with college basketball star Audi Crooks, who is still looking for her next team.
Sports Seriously
Jordan Lee entered the transfer portal after a breakout season at Texas and the junior guard isn’t going too far. She’s staying in the Southeastern Conference.
Lee announced on Instagram Friday that she’s transferring to South Carolina to play for Dawn Staley after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at Texas under Vic Schaefer. Lee captioned her Instagram post, which featured a video montage of her visit to Columbia, South Carolina, “Feeling cocky.”
Lee was one of four players from Texas to enter the transfer portal after the Longhorns’ second consecutive trip to the Final Four ended in a devastating loss to UCLA. She was named to the All-Region team in the Fort Worth 3 bracket in this year’s NCAA Tournament following her Sweet 16 and Elite Eight performance, where she recorded 22 points, six assists, three rebounds and four steals while also providing strong defense.
After being limited to five starts her freshman year, Lee slid into the starting lineup last season and started a career-high 38 games. She also averaged career highs in points (13.2), assists (2.5), rebounds (2.5), steals (1.5), field-goal percentage (42%) and free-throw percentage (75%), while shooting 34% from 3-point range.
Texas’ Aaliyah Crump, Justice Carlton and Aaliyah Moore also entered the transfer portal. On Friday, Crump announced she’s transferring to Duke, citing her connection with head coach Kara Lawson.
“For me, choosing Duke University goes far beyond one sentence. The moment I connected with Kara Lawson and her coaching staff, I knew I was exactly where I belonged,” said Crump, who averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game her freshman season at Texas.
Crump continued: “Their dedication and vision for the program is truly special, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of it. The connection Coach Lawson and I have built is one of a kind, and I fully trust in her plan for the success of this program. I can’t wait to be coached by genuine people who support my growth not only as a basketball player, but as a person as well.”
Three-time All-American Madison Booker and junior starting forward Breya Cunningham are expected to return to Texas.
Contributing: Mitchell Northam
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
-
Politics3 seconds agoSupreme Court weighs phone searches to find criminals amid complaints of ‘digital dragnets’
-
Sports12 minutes agoRyan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies
-
World24 minutes agoSchools, shops shut in northern Israel to protest the Lebanon ceasefire
-
News54 minutes agoCommunities launch cleanup after severe weather and tornadoes churn across Midwest
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoGame 21: Tigers at Red Sox, Garrett Crochet battles both Detroit and the weather
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoWhy do gray whales keep dying in San Francisco’s waters?
-
Dallas, TX3 hours agoDallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoDefense dominates, Mensah flashes in Miami’s spring game – The Miami Hurricane