Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig’s NFL draft stock continues to soar as the Colorado Buffaloes strong safety builds an impressive resume in his second season in Boulder. At 5’11 and 185 pounds, Silmon-Craig may be considered undersized by traditional standards, but his on-field impact defies those metrics. A team captain and defensive leader, he wears the “L” on his jersey for leadership, embodying the “dawg mentality” that Deion Sanders, values in his players.

Silmon-Craig’s journey began at Trinity Christian High School, where he caught the eye of Sanders, linebackers coach Andre’ Hart, and cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis. Despite being overlooked by many programs, the trio recognized Silmon-Craig’s physicality, ball-hawking skills, and leadership potential. Initially committed to Florida Atlantic University, Silmon-Craig decommitted to follow Sanders to Jackson State. The move paid off, as he earned All-SWAC First Team and HBCU All-American honors during his sophomore season, solidifying himself as a standout in the conference.

When Sanders and his coaching staff transitioned to Colorado, Silmon-Craig followed, making the leap to Power Five football. In his first season at Colorado, he tied with Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter for the team lead in interceptions (three) and finished sixth in tackles (44). This year, he’s elevated his game further, leading the team with 76 tackles, including three double-digit tackle games and a career-high 14 against Baylor. While he has yet to record an interception this season, his ability to track the ball and disrupt passing lanes suggests it’s only a matter of time before he adds to his turnover tally.

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If Silmon-Craig remained at Jackson State, his draft prospects might have been limited to a late-round selection or even undrafted free agency. However, his success at Colorado demonstrates his ability to compete and excel at the highest level of college football. Comparisons to NFL safeties like Jimmie Ward of the Houston Texans and Jordan Poyer of the Miami Dolphins highlight his versatility as both a box defender and a coverage safety. His leadership qualities, physicality, and football IQ make him a strong candidate for a mid-round selection in the upcoming NFL draft.

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With at least two games left in the regular season and potential postseason appearances, Silmon-Craig has an opportunity to surpass 100 tackles, a milestone that will further cement his NFL readiness. His combination of skill, tenacity, and leadership ensures he’ll not only be drafted but also become a cornerstone for an NFL defense in the years to come.

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) – Ahead of their show over the weekend, a Ukrainian ballet group had to deal with a major set-back.

The Grand Kyiv Ballet had been passing through Colorado, performing shows and enjoying the mountains.

“Colorado is kind of a new adventure,” said Natan Lubow, a performer from Washington who joined the group. “The mountains are beautiful. The people seem very nice, that we’ve met.”

On Sunday, the group had been preparing to perform in Pueblo at the Memorial Hall after having a day off Saturday. They were set to perform the Nutcracker.

Before the performance, though, the group made a startling discovery.

“We came here for rehearsal,” said Lubow, “and that’s when we were into some of our own issues, with the [trailer] stolen. It was a big surprise for us.”

One of their two trailers was missing. The trailer in question was props and costumes for their production of the Snow Queen, as well as the belongings of many of the performers, including Lubow.

“That’s some serious aggravation, of course, because, you know, we’re constantly moving, and it’s hard to find time to do these things,” said Lubow, referring to the process of finding replacements for what was missing.

11 News reached out to Grand Kyiv Ballet’s founder and artistic director, Oleksandr Stoianov, after getting a tip about the missing trailer. He said that trailer had about $20,000 worth of equipment.

Soon after the phone call, Stoianov shared a Facebook post with 11 News. It was from someone claiming to have found a missing trailer. Just a little later, with help from police, he said they found the missing trailer.

But as they went through it, they found a lot of what was inside had been stolen.

This included clothing for dancers and pointe shoes, something the Grand Kyiv Ballet describes as essential in a ballerina’s performance.

Performer Marta Kalyandruk described this as a major setback.

“How much are pointe shoes?” Lubow asked Kalyandruk while speaking to 11 News.

“Like, $100,” Kalyandruk responded.

“$100 and even more,” Lubow said. He confirmed another performer lost three pairs of these shoes in the theft.

The group is working to move on after this loss, but that comes with tremendous pressure, they said.

“I’m burning that midnight oil, you know,” said Lubow. “That I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting getting some serious jobs done. I mean, we all are. Everyone’s pulling a lot of of weights.”

The group is performing as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. Kalyandruk said things back in Ukraine are in turmoil, bringing extra pressure for groups like Grand Kyiv Ballet to bring positive representation from their country to the world.

“My friends, especially for working in national group Ukraine, at another theaters of Ukraine, they are really very tired about it every day,” she said.

“There’s a lot on our shoulders, lot of expectations. We want to fill those seats,” Lubow said.

Through ballet, they said, they can bring that positive representation for Ukrainian culture to people around the world.

“Yes, love will save the world, they say. Right?” Lubow said.

“Yes, exactly,” Kalyandruk confirmed.

More so, they both said they want to carve a name for themselves in the world of theater and ballet, saying it can be hard as an international group to become well-known.

They added how crippling it is to lose a trailer full of their things, but said the show will go on, nonetheless.

“It’s not a one man job, you know, it’s like, it takes all hands on deck, you know,” Lubow said. “It takes people talking about it. It takes efforts of of people wanting to convey their own expression of what they experienced in the arts to somebody else, like their neighbor or something like that.”

If you would like to donate to the group, you can do so here.

You can also donate to their cause for restoring the main ballet college of Ukraine, the Kyiv State Choreographic College, here.

You can find more on the group and their performances here.

Copyright 2024 KKTV. All rights reserved.

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Sprinter Riley Mills has announced that she will be joining the tribe at William & Mary beginning in the fall of 2025.

“I chose W&M because of their strong family-like dynamic. I knew when I first got to campus that it was home. The team welcomed me with open arms and day one made me feel as though I was a part of the tribe. The coaching staff is a tight-knit and powerful group who make their swimmers better in and out of the water. The swimmers not only strive to be their best in the pool, but shoot for excellence in the classroom. Every single individual brings something valuable to the team and they are recognized. I cannot wait to call W&M my home, team, and family.”

Mills, hailing from Denver, Colorado is currently a senior at St. Mary’s Academy. Earlier this year, she helped St. Mary’s claim the Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA)  Girls 3A State Championship title, contributing individual victories in both the 100 butterfly (55.70) and 50 freestyle (23.74) en route to scoring a perfect 48 points. At that competition, she also was a member of St. Mary’s winning 400 freestyle and 200 medley relays, playing a pivotal role in her school’s victory.

At the club level, Mills represents the University of Denver Hilltoppers, where she holds USA Swimming Futures cuts in both the SCY and LCM editions of the 100 butterfly and the 50 freestyle. A proud member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Mills was also selected to participate in USA Swimming’s 2023 National Diversity Select Camp alongside some of the top swimmers in the country.

Best Times (SCY):

• 100 butterfly: 55.70
• 50 freestyle: 23.69
• 100 freestyle: 52.74
• 200 freestyle: 1:54.69

With her times in the 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle, Mills will be right in the mix when she arrives at William & Mary. In the 100 butterfly, her best time of 55.70 would rank her 4th on the roster this season. The Tribe currently have one of the best 100 butterfliers across all of the Division I mid-majors in freshman Lindsay Juhlin, so Mills will have ample opportunity to train with top performers. In addition, Mills’ time in the 50 freestyle would rank her 3rd on the roster at William & Mary this season, making her a valuable addition to the 200 freestyle relay as well. For her third event, Mills could target the 100 freestyle, giving her even more relay potential in the 400 free and 400 medley down the road.

At the 2024 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championships, the Tribe women finished 3rd with a total of 1107 points. Despite loosing many top recruits when the team was cut and then later reinstated back in 2020, the program has bounced-back in recent years. At the 2024 Championships, junior Ellie Scherer won 3 events to lead the Tribe women, with the women’s 400 medley relay also taking home a gold medal.

With her commitment, Mills is set to join Sammy Randell, Abby Emrich, Haley Lehman, Charlie Scogna, and Sara Wells in William & Mary’s class of 2028.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected]. 

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