Sports Illustrated - USA (2020-12)

Nikic, 21, became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman race,

finishing in 16:46:09 in Panama City Beach, Fla. He clocked in at 13 minutes and 51 seconds

under the 17-hour cutoff despite suffering fire ant bites at a nutrition stop. Through the

Ironman Foundation, he raised over $52,000 for charity, including the Special Olympics.

CHRIS NIKIC Sport: Triathlon Town: Maitland, Fla.

Alvarado, a senior goalkeeper for TCU, stopped three shots in a 1–0

defeat of West Virginia, leading the school to its first Big 12 title. A

member of Mexico’s 2020 World Cup qualifying team, she had seven

shutouts in nine starts and an NCAA-leading .925 save percentage.

EMILY ALVARADO Sport: Soccer Town: El Paso

Silver Gloves national titles in 2014,

the same year Michael opened

Lugo Boxing & Fitness in Marietta

and Elijah took up the sport. He saw

his brother bulk up from training

and wanted to be strong, too. Elijah

lost his first 13 fights, and Michael

questioned whether he was keeping

Elijah in boxing for his son’s benefit

or his own ego. Before Elijah’s

final bout of ’14, Michael gave him

two options: let his USA Boxing

membership expire and leave the

sport, or stick with it for one more

year. Elijah fought, won and decided

to stay. “It was after that fight that

his whole demeanor changed and he

became this hungry animal,” Michael

says. “And he never stopped.”

Since then Elijah has won two

Silver Gloves; Nathan has claimed

three Junior Olympics titles in four

years. Both will compete at the

national championships in December

in Shreveport, La., where Elijah hopes

to win the 165-pound division title

and follow his brother’s path to the

U.S. junior team. Nathan’s sights are

trained on qualifying for the 2024

Summer Games. —Donnavan Smoot

VOLLEYBALL

QUEEN’S

GAMBIT

WITH NO games

guaranteed, 6' 1 "

Brentwood (Tenn.)

High senior setter

Shaye Eggleston

(right) says she felt

“eternally grateful”

for the chance to

play this season

despite having been

sidelined by contact

tracing for two

weeks in September.

Once she returned

to the court, the

Lady Bruins, who

had claimed the last

seven Class AAA

titles, won 16 of their

next 17 regular-

season matches.

But one week

before the district

tournament began

Brentwood’s coach

of 33 years, Barbara

(Queen) Campbell,

suffered a stroke.

For 10 matches a

crown rested on her

empty chair. Then,

before the first

point of the state

final, Campbell, 69,

walked into the gym.

With the Queen

back on her throne,

Shaye racked up

21 kills in a 3–0 win

over Siegel High,

earning tournament

MVP honors. “I went

to hug [Campbell]

right after they

gave us the trophy,”

says Shaye, an

Alabama commit.

“Words weren’t

needed.” —D.F.

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