Welcome to The Chief Brief!

Happy Thursday Seminole!

Here’s what we’ve got as we head firmly into the offseason of all sports:

⚾ FSU Baseball's Season Ends at CWS
Florida State's impressive season concluded with a 7-2 loss to No. 1 Tennessee at the College World Series. Despite the loss, FSU celebrated a 26-win improvement and remarkable player performances, setting the stage for future success.

🏌️‍♂️ Cristobal Del Solar Qualifies for 2024 Olympics
Cristobal Del Solar makes history as the first FSU Men's Golf Olympian, set to represent Chile at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. His stellar career at FSU and professional achievements on the Korn Ferry Tour highlight his journey.

🏃‍♂️ Adriaan Wildschutt Qualifies for 2024 Olympics
Adriaan Wildschutt will represent South Africa in the 2024 Olympics, following record-breaking performances in the 10,000 and 5,000 meters. His exceptional track record at FSU underscores his athletic prowess.

🏊‍♀️ FSU's Maddy Huggins and Logan Robinson Shine at U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials
Maddy Huggins and Logan Robinson excelled at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, showcasing personal bests and advancing to the semifinals, promising bright futures in swimming.

🏀 Seminole Hall of Famer Sam Cassell Wins Fourth NBA Championship
Sam Cassell celebrated his fourth NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics, marking his first title as an assistant coach. His illustrious career and coaching journey continue to inspire.

🏈 Elite 11 Finals Day 1 Recap: Key Recruiting Updates
Day 1 of the Elite 11 Finals highlighted top quarterbacks, including FSU commit Tramell Jones Jr., who reaffirmed his commitment despite ongoing recruitment from other schools. Key updates on potential targets like Luke Nickel and Vernell Brown III were also featured.

🏈 Four-Star RB Byron Louis Set for FSU Official Visit
Top running back prospect Byron Louis prepares for his official visit to FSU, sharing insights on his development goals and decision timeline, marking a crucial recruitment for the Seminoles.

🏈 Top Recruits Visit FSU for Official Tours
FSU hosts top-200 prospects JaDon Blair, Jared Smith, and Ben Hanks for official visits, each exploring different facets of the program. Their insights and interests highlight the Seminoles' strong recruitment efforts.

⚾ FSU Baseball's Season Ends at CWS ⚾

Season Recap: No. 8 Florida State concluded its impressive 2024 campaign with a 7-2 loss to No. 1 Tennessee at the College World Series (CWS). The Seminoles finish the season with a 49-17 record, marking a 26-win improvement from last year and securing their first national semifinal spot since 2012.

Game Highlights:

• Early Scoring by Tennessee: The Volunteers scored three runs in the first inning, adding runs in the second, fourth, seventh, and ninth.

• FSU's Offense: Florida State’s best chance came in the third inning, but they were unable to capitalize. In the seventh inning, back-to-back home runs by Daniel Cantu and Alex Lodise offered a brief comeback.

• Pitching Efforts: Freshman John Abraham started the game, followed by strong relief performances from Brennen Oxford and Joe Charles.

Scoring Summary:

• T1: Tennessee 3, FSU 0

• T2: Tennessee 4, FSU 0

• T4: Tennessee 5, FSU 0

• T7: Tennessee 6, FSU 0

• B7: FSU 2, Tennessee 6 (Home runs by Cantu and Lodise)

• T9: Tennessee 7, FSU 2

Notable Achievements:

• Home Run Streak: FSU hit 131 home runs this season, tied for the second-most in program history, with a home run in 19 consecutive games.

• Player Performances: Max Williams extended his hitting streak to 11 games and on-base streak to 21 games. Jaxson West and Marco Dinges also maintained impressive streaks.

• Career Highs: Brennen Oxford and Joe Charles set career highs in pitches and strikeouts, respectively.

Season Highlights:

• Overall Record: 49-17, most wins since 2012.

• Historic Turnaround: The 26-win improvement is the best year-over-year in program history.

• CWS Appearance: FSU made its 24th trip to the CWS, finishing tied for third nationally.

From the NCAA:

• MCWS Record: 32-48 all-time.

• NCAA Tournament Record: 206-134 in 60 appearances, second-most wins in NCAA history.

Despite the season-ending loss, Florida State showcased a remarkable turnaround and set the stage for future successes under head coach Link Jarrett. The Seminoles will look to build on this season’s achievements and aim for a national title in the coming years.

Read more here

🏌️‍♂️ Cristobal Del Solar Qualifies for 2024 Olympics 🏌️‍♂️

Historic Achievement: Florida State Men's Golf Alum Cristobal Del Solar has made history as the first FSU Men’s Golf Olympian, qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Representing Chile, Del Solar finished 46th among the 60 qualifying golfers based on the Olympic Golf Ranking.

Olympic Qualification: The top-15 world-ranked players are eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players per country. Beyond the top 15, eligibility is based on world rankings, with a maximum of two players per country not already represented in the top 15.

Professional Success: Del Solar has had a successful run on the Korn Ferry Tour, boasting five Top 10 finishes in the 2023-24 season, and making 11 cuts in 14 events. He recently finished third at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, shooting 19-under. Del Solar also made the cut at the PGA TOUR’s Mexico Open, tying for 48th.

FSU Career Highlights: During his time at FSU from 2013-17, Del Solar was a third-team All-American in 2017 and won the Irish Creek Collegiate. He holds a career stroke average of 72.10, ranking seventh all-time among FSU players who competed all four years. Del Solar also has 11 career Top 10 finishes in college and is known for shooting the lowest professional golf round in history, a 57, during the Korn Ferry Tour's Astara Golf Championship.

Olympic Tournament Details: The Olympic golf event will take place at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, near Paris, from Aug. 1-4. The tournament will follow a four-round, 18-hole stroke-play format, with the top three finishers receiving gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Return of Olympic Golf: Olympic golf returned in the 2016 Rio Games and was also featured in the 2021 Tokyo Games, following a hiatus since the 1900 and 1904 Games.

Cristobal Del Solar’s participation in the Olympics marks a significant milestone for FSU Men’s Golf, highlighting the program's excellence and the achievements of its alumni on the global stage.

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🏃‍♂️ Adriaan Wildschutt Qualifies for 2024 Olympics 🏃‍♂️

Olympic Qualification: Adriaan Wildschutt has been selected to represent South Africa in the 2024 Olympic Games, with track and field events scheduled from August 1-11 at Stade de France.

Record-Breaking Performances: Wildschutt secured his spot by breaking his own South African national record in the 10,000 meters at The Ten in California, clocking 26:55.54 in March 2024. He also set a national record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 12:56.67 at his first Diamond League meet in May 2024.

International Representation: Wildschutt competed in the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, placing 18th in the 5,000 meters in 2022 and 14th in the 10,000 meters in 2023. He also finished fifth in the 10,000 meters at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

FSU Achievements: During his tenure at Florida State (2021-22), Wildschutt earned seven All-American honors and was named the ACC Performer of the Year in 2021 for cross country. He won the ACC and NCAA South Region titles and placed sixth at the NCAA Championships. Wildschutt also set FSU records in the 10,000 meters (27:38.54) and indoor 5,000 meters (13:09.30), the latter being the second-fastest time in NCAA history.

Olympic Legacy: Wildschutt is the 56th FSU track and field athlete to compete in the Olympics and the first to represent South Africa. FSU has had a representative in every Olympic Games since 1972.

Read more here

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🏊‍♀️ FSU's Maddy Huggins and Logan Robinson Shine at U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials 🏊‍♂️

Maddy Huggins:

• Advanced to the semifinals of the women’s 200 breaststroke, placing 12th with a time of 2:29.43.

• Set a personal best of 2:29.17 in the prelims, surpassing her seed time of 2:30.85.

• Also competed in the 100 breaststroke, finishing 27th with a time of 1:09.81.

Logan Robinson:

• Incoming freshman, reached the semifinals of the men’s 200 butterfly.

• Improved his seed time from 2:00.04 to 1:58.37 in prelims, and then to 1:58.08 in the semifinals, placing 13th.

Lleyton Arnold:

• Competed in the men’s 200 breaststroke, finishing 41st with a time of 2:15.18.

Upcoming Competitions:

• Mason Herbet in the 100 butterfly.

• Samantha Vear (3-meter) and Katrina Young (platform) at the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials.

Read more here

🏀 Seminole Hall of Famer Sam Cassell Wins Fourth NBA Championship 🏆

Sam Cassell, a Florida State Hall of Famer, celebrated his fourth NBA Championship as the Boston Celtics secured their 18th title. Cassell, a star guard at FSU from 1992-93, previously won two championships with the Houston Rockets (1994, 1995) and one with the Celtics as a player (2008).

Career Highlights:

• FSU Career: Averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists.

• NCAA Success: Led FSU to the Sweet 16 (1992) and Elite Eight (1993).

• NBA: Drafted by the Rockets in 1993, Cassell is one of three Seminoles to earn NBA All-Star honors.

Coaching Career:

• Assistant Coach: Hired by the Celtics in 2023, Cassell has also coached with the Wizards, Clippers, and 76ers.

• Celtics Victory: Boston defeated Dallas 106-88 in Game 5, marking Cassell's first NBA title as a coach.

Read more here

🏈 Elite 11 Finals Day 1 Recap: Key Recruiting Updates 🏈

The first day of the 2024 Elite 11 Finals saw 20 top quarterbacks begin their journey, including Seminole commit Tramell Jones Jr. and potential FSU target Luke Nickel. Here are the key takeaways:

Tramell Jones Jr. (FSU Commit):

• Committed to FSU for over a year but remains pursued by Florida.

• Jones asserts his solid commitment to the Seminoles.

Luke Nickel (Miami Commit):

• Though committed to Miami, Nickel revealed strong consideration for FSU.

• FSU has intensified its recruitment efforts, making a strong push to sway Nickel.

Vernell Brown III:

• Top 100 receiver Brown, attending Elite 11, has FSU among his final choices alongside Ohio State, Florida, and Miami.

• Gainesville's buzz suggests Florida leads, but FSU remains in contention.

Read more here

🏈 Four-Star RB Byron Louis Set for FSU Official Visit 🏈

Four-star running back Byron Louis from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage is among the 20 official visitors expected at FSU this weekend. Despite running back not being a primary need, Louis is a top target for the Seminoles.

Key Insights from Louis:

Questions for FSU:

• "How does Coach YAC [David Johnson] plan to develop me to be ELITE in college & the next level?"

Decision Timeline:

• "Probably early to mid-season, still undecided."

Louis’ visit and decision could play a significant role in FSU’s 2025 recruiting class.

Read more here

🏈 Top Recruits Visit FSU for Official Tours 🏈

Florida State's football program is hosting three top-200 prospects for official visits this week, each with unique interests in the Seminoles’ program.

JaDon Blair: The four-star defensive back, leaning towards Notre Dame, is exploring how he fits into FSU's defensive schemes and values the team’s brotherhood and energy.

Jared Smith: The highest-ranked visitor, this four-star defensive end from Alabama, wants to understand FSU's defensive plans and see the program from a player’s perspective.

Ben Hanks: This four-star defensive back aims to assess FSU’s facilities and build relationships within the program.

Read more here

And that’s a wrap!

As we celebrate the incredible achievements of our Seminoles, from record-breaking performances to international qualifications, we are reminded of the dedication and spirit that define Florida State University.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates and continue to support our teams as they strive for greatness.

Go Noles!