🇬🇷SPORTS NEWS🇺🇸

The 95th Thanksgiving Day Winthrop Vikings vs Revere Patriots rivalry in Massachusetts is one of the longest in the nation. Longtime fans can recall some games that have been close, hard-fought battles with thousands of fans watching. The Vikings on Thanksgiving Day 2023 would win with a resounding score of 22-0. This year’s Viking team had played one of the toughest schedules in the state and finished with a very respectable 7-4. The Vikings had three very good talented and tough players that helped contribute to the team George Galuris, Demetri Koutsouflakis, and Vasili Tsiotos. The boys were thrilled with their teammates after winning on Thanksgiving Day and keeping the Thanksgiving Day Trophy at Winthrop High School.Winthrop’s George Galuris would be named Player of the Week by the Boston Globe Sports for his performance on Thanksgiving. 

Galuris and Koutsouflakis, both 5'10" and 190 lbs, excel as running backs. Senior Galuris boasts speed, power, catching skills, and is a strong defensive back. Junior Koutsouflakis is known for his power, leg drive, speed, and strong tackling as an outside linebacker. Vasili Tsiotos, a 6'0" 195 lbs center, demonstrated toughness, physicality, and intelligence to be able to adapt and make quick decisions under game pressure. He also saw action at nose guard on defense. These Spartan Warriors shined as Vikings. They are three sport varsity athletes and are very proud of their Greek heritage. 

University of Minnesota starting star Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis announced his intention to enter the transfer portal meaning his time with the Golden Gophers has ended. Kaliakmanis a sophomore started every game this year and the Golden Gophers had a 5-7 record in the Big Ten. Kaliakmanis threw 14 touchdown passes and completed 53.1 percent of his passing attempts this season.

Kaliakmanis on his social media post, thanked his Gopher teammates, coaches, and his loyal fans. Kaliakmanis finished his post by writing,"After several days of discussion with my family,I am announcing my intention to enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility left." Athan Kaliakmanis is from Antioch, Illinois. 

George Dristiliaris had a very good career at Lowell High School as a co-captain of the football team and graduated with High Honors with a 4.0 GPA. Dristilaris a hard-hitting 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive lineman attended Valparaiso and played well on the defense in 2022 with 9 tackles and one sack playing in all 11 games. Dristiliaris transferred to Butler where he is red-shirted and will lose no eligibility. The Butler Bulldogs are a Division 1 team and Dristillaris will add his defensive excellence to help the team next season. 

Ioanna Copulos had an outstanding volleyball career at Spanish River High School in Florida. Ioanna a National Honor Society member captained her 2019 team and was named AVCA Best and Brightest Top Team. Ioanna decided to take her volleyball talent to Emery University. The Eagles had an outstanding season this year 2023 with a 26-3 record in Division 3. Ioanna had a very good season and played extremely well when the Eagles competed in Boston. In a UAA Round Robin Tournament early in the season in October against Brandeis and the 12-ranked Wash University Bears, she was tremendous. Ioanna posted 46 assists,  a career-high 30 against Washington University and 16 against the Brandeis Judges. Ioanna would be named Athlete of the Week at Emory University.

The new film streaming on Neflix “Nyad” is the true story of athlete Diana Nyad who at 60 years old tries to achieve her lifelong ambition to swim from Cuba to Florida across 100 miles of ocean.  Nyad achieved national attention for her long-distance swimming around Manhattan in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan's 28 miles in record time. She then swam in 1979, from North Bimini, The Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Florida 102 miles. Diana Nyad had failed to swim from Cuba to Florida at age 28 in 1978, then failed two more times in 2011. 

Diana’s stepfather Aristotle Nyad told Diana at five years old while looking up in the dictionary the definition of  his last name Nyad. He read to the five year old Diana the first definition, “Nyad, Nymph, or Nύμφη in Greek mythology.  He described the nymphs that swam in the lake, rivers, ocean, and fountain to protect the Gods. " He then read the second definition from the dictionary, “a Nyad, in Greek is a girl or woman champion swimmer.” He then told Diana, “Oh my God, this is your destiny.”  

Congratulations Συγχαρητήρια to George P. Sakellaris recipient of the prestigious Alpha Omega Council’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. Sakellaris is a pioneer in renewable energy and green energy movement. Since 2000 he has built Ameresco as CEO to over 1,500 employees and 70 Global Offices. He is an established industry leader in sustainability. Amerisco is currently North America's largest energy service company.

Sakellaris enjoys sports very much. He is a very accomplished sailing helmsman and has met the challenge of competing in the Maxi72 class of racing yachts. Sakellaris and his team’s accolades deserve an olive victory crown. They have won some of the world’s finest epochal yachting competitions, including the 2012 and 2014 Newport to Bermuda Race, the 2014 and 2016  Caribbean 600, and the 2017 Corfu Challenge.  Sakellaris is from the historic village Vassara, Sparta. George Sakellaris is a devoted husband to his wife Cathy and children Christina and Peter.  

National Bowling Tournament

April 13-14  Town and Country Lanes Joliet, IL

National Golf Tournaments

April 17-21 2024 Lowes Ventana Canyon Tucson, Arizona

September 24-28 2024 Costa Navarino, Greece

Basketball Tournament

March 6-10 2024 AHEPA Bone Marrow Basketball Tournament Chicago, IL

HELLAS National Soccer team played No.2 in the world France to a 2-2 score and confident team Hellas secured a spot in the Euro 2024 playoffs. Hellas received one point for the tie. France had won all of its previous qualifying games. 

Scoring for Hellas was Tasos Bakasetas on a left foot rocket strike and Fotis Ioannidis scoring in close after a great attack from the left side by Dimitri Giannoulis. Hellas has a good chance to make the European Championship 2024 finals. Hellas will play Kazakhstan on March 21 and if they win will then play the winner of Georgia vs Luxembourg. 

Every Kuriakee, ON AIR WNTN Grecian Echoes 1550AM from Boston “ The Athens of America”  The one and only Greek-America Sports show “THE BENCHWARMERS” Hosted by Greek radio legend Ted Demetriades, Bill Galatis, Nick Ypsilantis, and Nick Markopoulos. They are serious and hilarious. They brilliantly discuss all sports along with the Three Stooges, the Koutala, and Pantofles.

The  94th NHIBT-National Hellenic Invitational Basketball Tournament will take place in Chicago on March 20-24th, for High School and Senior Divisions.

The  78th Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament has announced their tournament will take place April 5-7, at the Saint George Community Center in Lynn, Massachusetts.

The George Mougolias Memorial Basketball Tournament announced that the tournament will take place on April18-21,2024 in Chicago.  

The Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame was created in 1980 to honor former players, coaches, and administrators. Can you name the two Greek-Americans on the Wall of Fame? Answer-

George Saimes, defensive back, 5-time AFL All-Star, and Fred Smerlas, nose tackle, 5 times All-Pro. Both of these men had numerous Football Honors.

One Winner: Mike Pappas - Ohio

What Greek Sports star made more money than Babe Ruth 1914-1935 in the USA? Hard to believe but it’s true! Send your answers to greekamericansports@gmail.com 

Greek Idiom - αν σου πει καπιος "δεν μπορίες" πες του "κοίτα να μαθαίνεις" = if someone tells you "you can't" tell them "look and learn".

Greek Philosophy -The high-minded man must care more for the truth than for what people think. Aristotle  

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