Mangold came within one lift of a sliver medal before settling for fifth place in the +75 kg event at the Pan-Am Games in Toronto.
She lifted a combined total of 239 kilograms in the snatch and clean and jerk. Yaniuska Espinosa of Venezuela took gold with a 263 total.
Dictating against an even more competitive showing were Mangold's wrists. One had required surgery after being broken, then re-injured during the London Olympics. The other she sprained only recently.
Watched closely by Olympic coach Zygmunt Smalcerz and his staff, Mangold was directed to stay conservative.
“They purposely had her open (at a low weight) and made her stay low to track the progress on her surgically repaired wrist,” Vern Mangold, Holley’s dad, said following the competition.
The coaches played it safe because they were looking ahead to the U.S. Championships in Dallas and the World Championships in Houston over the next few months, then the Olympic trials next March.
“She gave it a run for the money,” Vern said. “Her last lift of 154 kg would have bagged her silver, but even though she cleaned it smooth as butter she simply couldn’t lock it out.”
Mangold fell while attempting to complete her last lift, but while there was no silver medal, maybe there was a silver lining.
“The good news is both wrists are in great shape and she now can focus on training for Dallas and Houston,” Vern said. “And Coach Zygmunt is very happy with her progress and her path to the 2016 Rio Games.”
Oh, so that’s why Ohio State mauled Alabama
Nick Saban still can’t believe his Alabama team lost to Ohio State in the semifinals of the inaugural College Football Playoff last season.
At least that's what it sounded like from the coach's statements Wednesday at SEC media days when he claimed the Tide's chemistry was off because too many of his players were daydreaming about the National Football League.
He said six juniors learned what the NFL thought of them during the period between the SEC championship game and the national semifinal against the Buckeyes.
The remarks were part of Saban’s campaign to have such evaluations pushed back, which probably makes some sense. But they came off more like sour grapes.
“So we’re trying to get ready for a game,” Saban told reporters, “and all of a sudden a guy finds out he’s a first-round draft pick or a guy that thought he was a first-round draft pick finds out he’s not a first-round draft pick, and we’re trying to get ready to play a playoff game.”
Saban was quick to point out he wasn’t using this as an excuse for Ohio State 42, Alabama 35, but that’s what everyone says when what they’ve just said sounds like an excuse, right?
He realized it sounded bad, then tried to clarify. Too late.
Ohio State puts as many players in the NFL as anyone, don’t forget. Starting quarterback Cardale Jones faced a decision on his future, yet he stepped up with one of the great efforts imaginable in a big game.
Donlon (20 losses last year) rolls the dice
The upcoming season is likely to make or break Wright State men’s basketball coach Billy Donlon.
So it’s no surprise he’s pulling out all the stops in recruiting.
The latest addition apparently will be former University of Rhode Island guard DeShon "Biggie" Minnis, who plans to spend his fifth and final college season with the Raiders.
WSU will be the third school in five years for the 6-foot-3, 200-pound redshirt senior with the great nickname. He played as a freshman for Texas Tech, then packed up and left for Rhode Island and the Atlantic 10. NCAA transfer rules say he is immediately eligible at WSU because he has graduated.
Donlon is not shy about accepting transfers. Minnis would be the second to sign this offseason, joining Brandon Neel (South Plains College), who inked a national letter of intent in April.
Transfers can be risky, but any coach coming off a 20-loss season can’t be faulted for rolling the dice. That’s true even in the case of Minnis, whose other suitors were Iona, Long Island University and Dickson College.
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