South-Carolina
Men’s Tennis Falls in SEC Title Match
Baton Rouge, La. – No. 24 South Carolina men’s’ tennis fell to No. 4 Kentucky 4-2 in the SEC Tournament title match on Sunday. The Gamecocks fell in a tight doubles point and were bested by three singles wins.
In doubles, Kentucky took the first match with Taha Baadi and Jack Loutit defeating Jelani Sarr and Lucas Andrade da Silva 6-3 from the No. 2 position. Just minutes later, South Carolina evened the decision with a 6-4 win from the No. 3 position where Casey Hoole and Sean Daryabeigi defeated Jaden Weekes and Eli Stephensen 6-4.
The decision fell to the top court where Toby Samuel and James Story were battling the nation’s No. 7 pair of JJ Mercer and Joshua Lapadat. The Gamecocks fell a break early but broke back immediately for 2-2. Both pairs then held serve for the remainder of the match, forcing the decision to a tiebreaker.
In the breaker, the Gamecocks took the opening point but weren’t able to get much else going, falling 7-6(2) for Kentucky to take the doubles point.
Play transitioned to singles where No. 15 Samuel was quick to even things up for the Gamecocks. He defeated No. 35 Baadi 6-4, 6-2 to even things at 1-1.
It wasn’t long after the Daryabeigi gave South Carolina the 2-1 lead, defeating Weekes 6-4, 6-1.
Kentucky then took the next two points to flip the lead in their favor with Da Silva falling 7-5, 6-3 and Story falling to No. 97 Lapadat 6-4, 6-1.
The two remaining courts remained in play on opposite sides of the facility with Sarr battling in a third set on Court 5 and Carter Morgan fighting in his second set on Court 6.
Sarr took his first set 6-3 but his opponent Loutit claimed the second 6-4. The final set was a close battle with both players holding serve but the decision was left unfinished as the Wildcats clinched the victory on Court 6.
The historic run was South Carolina’s first ever trip to the SEC Tournament title match and set a new SEC record for lowest seed to ever advance to the title match as the No. 11 seed.
The Gamecocks now awaits the NCAA selection show that will take place on April 29 to determine their fate for the remainder of the season.
For all the latest South Carolina men’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockMTennis).
#4 Kentucky 4, #24 South Carolina 2
Doubles (order of finish: 2, 3, 1)
- #7 JJ Mercer/Joshua Lapadat (UK) def. Toby Samuel/James Story (SC) 7-6 (7-3)
- Taha Baadi/Jack Loutit (UK) def. Jelani Sarr/Lucas da Silva (SC) 6-3
- Casey Hoole/Sean Daryabeigi (SC) def. Jaden Weekes/Eli Stephenson (UK) 6-4
Singles (order of finish: 1, 3, 4, 2, 6)
- #15 Toby Samuel (SC) def. #35 Taha Baadi (UK) 6-4, 6-2
- #97 Joshua Lapadat (UK) def. James Story (SC) 6-4, 6-1
- Sean Daryabeigi (SC) def. Jaden Weekes (UK) 6-4, 6-1
- Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Lucas da Silva (SC) 7-5, 6-3
- Jack Loutit (UK) vs. Jelani Sarr (SC) 3-6, 6-4, 4-3, unfinished
- Eli Stephenson (UK) def. Carter Morgan (SC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Advocates, caregivers, patients, and community leaders gathered at the South Carolina State House on Friday for the inaugural South Carolina Sickle Cell Day.
Organizers said the event focused on raising awareness of sickle cell disease.
The South Carolina CBO Collective Caucus hosted the event at 10 a.m., coinciding with World Sickle Cell Day and Juneteenth.
Organizers said the gathering brought together healthcare professionals, legislators, advocates, and supporters from across the state to discuss education, support, and action related to sickle cell disease.
The program is designed to amplify the voices of individuals and families impacted by the disease and encourage conversations about healthcare access, advocacy, research, and community support, organizers said.
Attendees heard personal stories and learned about challenges faced by those living with sickle cell disease.
“World Sickle Cell Day is a powerful call to action for all of us,” said founder and CEO of The B Strong Group Brenda Green. She said the collaboration expands support, strengthens community response, and stands with affected families.
The B Strong Group, founded in 2017 and based in Columbia, is a nonprofit organization focused on sickle cell awareness, advocacy, and caregiver support.
The group organizes blood drives, caregiver workshops, and awareness campaigns under the motto “Educate, Advocate, Empower.”
An 87-year-old businessman in Columbia, South Carolina says he has no plans to retire.
Leonard Fabrizio works as a retailer at Brittons of Columbia, a locally-owned men’s clothing store.
“I’m not the type of person who can sit around by myself,” said Fabrizio. “I just enjoy the interaction and that’s the big thing, is the interaction with people. It’s always been the drive in this business for me, said Fabrizio.
Fabrizio’s retail career began as a college student when he worked at J.C. Penney. He has watched Columbia grow and has owned a store and managed several others.
His advice is to “Be patient. It takes time to build a business. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s rewarding. It’s fun. But you have to have compassion for the business.”
Fabrizio recently celebrated another birthday alongside those who have supported his career.
(WPDE) — June 9 marked International Batten Disease Awareness Day, shining a light on a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder.
It primarily affects children and causes harmful waste material to build up inside the cells of the brain and nervous system.
One South Carolina family used the day to raise awareness as their 2-year-old son, Sam Stockton, lives with CLN2 Batten disease.
Sam was diagnosed at 16 weeks old, and his family says they travel every other week for enzyme-replacement therapy while also searching for clinical research opportunities.
Through Hope for Sam, the family is working to spread information about Batten disease and support other families facing rare diseases.
“Just the more you know about rare diseases, I never knew that over 300 million people worldwide live with rare diseases. And that means there’s less access to care because people aren’t researching it and not as many people have it. So the more information that’s out there, we feel is the better,” Jordan Stockton said.
There are 13 known types of Batten disease, and there is no cure. Researchers estimate the disease affects about two to four out of every 100,000 births in the United States.
The Stockton family says they have found support through the Batten Disease Support, Research and Advocacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families navigate the disease while providing resources.
More information and donation details are available at this link.
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