Connect with us

Colorado

Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder dies in single-car crash at age 23, police say

Published

on

Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder dies in single-car crash at age 23, police say


BOULDER, Colo. (AP) – Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder died early Sunday morning in a single-car crash, police said. He was 23.

Ponder was driving a 2023 Tesla when he lost control on a curve and hit a guardrail, according to the Colorado State Patrol. The car struck an electrical line pole and rolled down an embankment.

Ponder was pronounced dead at the scene in Boulder County. Police said a preliminary investigation “shows that speed is suspected as a factor.”

FILE – Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder (22) warms up before an NCAA college football game Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo.(Source: AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Ponder played in two games for the Buffaloes last season, going 0-for-1 passing and carrying the ball twice for a loss of 4 yards. The 6-foot-5 sophomore from Opa Locka, Florida, began his collegiate career at Bethune-Cookman before transferring.

Advertisement

The Buffs were slated to begin spring practice on Monday.

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders posted on X. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1.”

Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion reposted Sanders’ statement and called Ponder a joy to be around and coach.

“Getting that call from his dad today didn’t feel real,” Marion posted. “Love you Dom! God cover his family & our team, especially our qb room!”

Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo said Ponder “epitomized the values of passion, enthusiasm, leadership, toughness, and intelligence that were revered by his teammates and coaches alike.” The athletic department said it would make counseling resources available to players and staff.

Advertisement

Fellow Colorado quarterback Colton Allen also paid tribute to Ponder on Instagram.

“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”

The Big 12 Conference extended its condolences in a post on X.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and apnews.com/hub/college-football

Advertisement

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.





Source link

Colorado

Dog reunites with owner after 43 days lost in the mountains

Published

on

Dog reunites with owner after 43 days lost in the mountains


play

A dog named Rocky was rescued and reunited with his owner after surviving 43 days alone in Summit County, Colorado.

Advertisement

Rocky, age 10, had gone missing in late December after escaping from a pet sitter while his owner was traveling.

According to local media, volunteers from Summit Lost Pet Rescue and members of the local community helped search for the dog for weeks, eventually locating and capturing him using a tip from a homeowner who spotted the dog on her Ring camera and a trap set with the owner’s scent.

According to Summit Daily, Rocky had gone from 50 pounds to 28 pounds during the time he was lost.

Video posted by Summit Lost Pet Rescue shows the heartwarming moment Rocky is reunited with his owner, Steven Maa.

“It takes partnership, a village, and donations to save lost pets,” the organization wrote on social media.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Colorado

Greer, Wooten combine for 20, Colorado women advance in Big 12 Tournament with 55-48 win over Kansas

Published

on

Greer, Wooten combine for 20, Colorado women advance in Big 12 Tournament with 55-48 win over Kansas


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Logyn Greer and Desiree Wooten both scored 10 points in No. 6 seed Colorado’s 55-48 win over No. 11 seed Kansas on Thursday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

Greer shot 4 for 7 from the field and drained both her attempts from 3-point range from the Buffaloes (21-10). She had six rebounds and four blocks. Wooten added four assists.

Colorado was in foul trouble early, racking up seven fouls in the first quarter. A 9-0 run in the second quarter broke the game open for the Buffaloes and they entered halftime up 26-18. Their defense held Kansas to 36% (19 of 53) from the field and 15% (2 of 13) from 3-point range.

Kansas (19-13) was led in scoring by S’Mya Nichols, who put up 14. Her and Sania Copeland scored the only 3-pointers for the Jayhawks.

Advertisement

Colorado: Will play No. 3 seed Baylor on Friday. The Lady Bears are ranked No. 20 in the country.

Kansas: Will wait for an invitation into a postseason tournament.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Colorado

Deen: Avalanche Solve Roster Needs. What’s Next? | Colorado Hockey Now

Published

on

Deen: Avalanche Solve Roster Needs. What’s Next? | Colorado Hockey Now


The trade deadline is less than 24 hours away and the Avalanche have already made the three moves that had been clear-cuts needs for the team.

They needed to improve their third pair. They did that by swapping Samuel Girard for Brett Kulak.

They needed to replace the recently departed Ilya Solovyov with a more capable No. 7 option on the blueline. That was accomplished with Wednesday’s trade for Nick Blankenburg.

Most importantly, the Avs needed a third-line center. On Thursday, they paid a hefty price to acquire Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Advertisement

These are all things that had to be done. Now? They have nearly $7 million in available cap space (with Logan O’Connor on LTIR), with an opportunity to improve on the roster they have. This is the part of the trade deadline where general manager Chris MacFarland can bolster the team, find those luxury additions, and maximize his team’s chances and winning a Stanley Cup.

So what could that look like?

Most of the season has seen Ross Colton, Victor Olofsson, and even Gavin Brindley occupy the wings on the third line. With Roy expected to settle into that 3C role, there’s an opportunity to build on the wing. Elliotte Friedman mentioned last week that the Avs could move on from Colton. If so, that would give them a lot more cap space and a valuable asset they can use on the trade market to bring in a solid middle-six winger. Perhaps someone like Blake Coleman.

Olofsson has chemistry with Roy dating back to last season with Vegas, but you have to wonder if they’d be looking to upgrade on his position, too.

That leaves Jack Drury on the fourth line, centering Parker Kelly and Joel Kiviranta. Brindley slots down to the No. 13 forward (when everyone is healthy), while Zakhar Bardakov is the 14th option.

Advertisement

If O’Connor returns before the postseason, he instantly rejoins the fourth line. That would push Kiviranta out, and he’d be the 13th forward just like he was last year. Even in that scenario, I do wonder if the Avs decide to improve on Bardakov. He’s a young centerman who has impressed in limited minutes but has struggled to gain the full trust of the coaching staff.

There’s also the option to add another depth defenseman. Right now, an injury to Kulak or Devon Toews would again force Colorado to have five right-shot defensemen in the lineup. Blankenburg, who also shoots right, would be an ideal fill-in if an injury were to strike on the right side.

But what about another depth option? Colorado won the Cup in 2022 with both Ryan Murray and Jack Johnson on the outside looking in. After Girard’s injury, Johnson stepped in. But it didnd’t hurt to have multiple depth options just in case.

Could the Avs target another depth blueliner? If so, will they go for a bigger body? I’ve seen the name Urho Vaakanainen floated around. He would be the type of left-shot defenseman who could fill that role as an extra. Albeit his $1.55 million cap hit might be too large to take on without retention for such a limited role.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending