Sports
Montana St. tops Illinois St. in wild FCS title game
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Montana State finally found a way to answer when it mattered most for the program’s first national championship since 1984.
A year ago, Montana State missed winning its first title in 40 years when a slow start doomed it in a shootout loss to North Dakota State. Two years ago, the Bobcats’ season ended in Bozeman in the quarterfinals on a blocked extra point in overtime against the Bison.
Montana State started this season losing its first two — at Oregon and in double overtime at home versus South Dakota State.
So, when Myles Sansted‘s extra point went through the uprights in overtime for a 35-34 victory over Illinois State on Monday night in the Football Championship Subdivision title game, the Bobcats chucked helmets in the air while sprinting around with a heavy contingent of Montana State fans celebrating with them.
“To be able to clear that hurdle and know that, yes, this ’25 group accomplished what hadn’t been done in a long time …,” said Bobcats coach Brent Vigen, who’s already thinking ahead with a young, Montana-laden team featuring only nine seniors. “You know, we’re building for more.”
The Bobcats (14-2) capped a campaign that featured two wins over in-state rival Montana across a four-week span. Beating the Grizzlies in the semifinals put Montana State back into the FCS title game for the second straight season and for the third time in five years under Vigen. It was the school’s fourth berth overall in the championship tilt.
Montana State topped those accomplishments with its 14th straight win in a thrilling finish in the first overtime in the 48 years of this title game. The Bobcats led 21-7 at halftime and 28-14 in the third. They needed Jhase McMillan‘s block of Michael Cosentino‘s 38-yard field goal attempt with 57 seconds left in regulation to keep it tied at 28.
In overtime, Montana State’s Hunter Parsons blocked the extra point attempt after Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Lord to give Illinois State its only lead at 34-28 to open overtime. Justin Lamson tied it for the Bobcats with a 14-yard scoring pass to Taco Dowler on fourth-and-10.
Stansted’s extra point started the celebration of the end of a long title drought. Along with the 1984 Division I-AA championship, Montana State also won the 1976 NCAA Division II title and the 1956 NAIA championship.
“What a hard-fought game, and these things aren’t supposed to come easily, I guess,” Vigen said.
Lamson, who didn’t join the Bobcats until June, said Montana State’s overtime touchdown was the result of a great playcall.
“Taco was wide open,” Lamson said. “I got hit, so I was just trying to give him a chance, and the rest is history — and Myles did his thing and that was the game.”
Illinois State (12-5) already had made history as the first FCS team to win four straight road games to advance through the playoffs to this championship contest. That included a win over this postseason’s No. 1 seed in North Dakota State — winners of 10 of the past 14 FCS titles, including last year.
It was the Redbirds’ first time in FCS championship game since 2014, and they left empty-handed.
“Just couldn’t find one more play,” Illinois State coach Brock Spack said. “We needed to make one more play to win. When you look at a game that’s a one-point loss like that, there’s probably 10, 15, maybe 20 plays in the game if you make just one of them, you win. Wasn’t able to do that, and we came up short.”
Lamson finished with 280 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also ran for two scores. Dowler had eight catches for 111 yards.
Rittenhouse registered 311 yards passing and four TDs. Lord collected 13 catches for 161 yards and two TDs, and Victor Dawson ran for 126 yards.
ISLAMABAD: Eight Pakistani officials have been appointed to key committees of the International Tennis Federation and the Asian Tennis Federation for the 2026–2027 term, marking a significant achievement for Pakistan’s tennis community.
The appointments are being viewed as a recognition of Pakistan’s growing role in the development and governance of tennis at both regional and international levels.
Representation in ITF Committees
Pakistan’s top tennis player and President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, has been selected as a member of the ITF Athlete Commission.
Other Pakistani officials appointed to ITF committees include:
Sara Mansoor – ITF Coaches Commission
Syed Muhammad Ali Murtaza – ITF Juniors Committee
Pakistani Officials in ATF Committees
Several Pakistani representatives have also been appointed to committees of the Asian Tennis Federation:
Salim Saifullah Khan – Finance Committee, Development Advisory Group, Legal, Constitution & Ethics Committee
Ziauddin Tufail – Junior and Coaches Development Committee
Rashid Malik – Marketing and Sponsorship Committee
Shehzad Akhtar Alvi – Tournament Officiating Committee
Sara Mansoor – ATF Advantage All Committee
Muhammad Khalid Rehmani – Senior, Wheelchair and Beach Tennis Committee
Recognition for Pakistan Tennis
Speaking on the occasion, Salim Saifullah Khan said the appointments demonstrate the trust of international tennis bodies in Pakistani officials to contribute to the global development of the sport.
PTF President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi also described the development as a proud moment for Pakistan, saying it will strengthen the country’s role in international tennis and open new opportunities for the sport’s growth in the region.
PTF Secretary General Ziauddin Tufail congratulated the appointed officials and expressed confidence that they would represent Pakistan effectively at the international level.
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Aaron Judge wasted no time clubbing his first World Baseball Classic homer.
Judge, the Team USA captain, hit a first-inning two-run home run, while Brice Turang had three hits and four RBI to lead Team USA to a whopping win over Brazil in its World Baseball Classic opener Friday night.
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Cal Raleigh #29, Byron Buxton #25, and Roman Anthony #3 of the United States celebrate after scoring from an RBI double hit by Brice Turang #13 of the United States in the fifth inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between the United States and Brazil at Daikin Park on March 6, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
There was one out and one on in the first when Judge, the first player to commit to the team last April, connected off Bo Takahashi at Houston’s Daikin Park.
Lucas Ramirez homered twice for Brazil with his father, 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez, in attendance. He cut the lead to 2-1 with his leadoff homer, and his solo shot in the eighth got Brazil within 8-5.
Aaron Judge #99 of the United States celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between the United States and Brazil at Daikin Park on March 6, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
At 20 years, 49 days, he became the youngest player in WBC history with a multi-homer game.
Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch in the fifth to push the Americans’ lead to 4-1. Turang cleared the bases with his double to left field two pitches later to make it 7-1.
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Brice Turang #13 of Team USA hits a three-run double in the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Team Brazil at Daikin Park on Friday, March 6, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Brazil is in the WBC for just the second time and first since 2013. The team fell to 0-4 all-time in the tournament after losing to Japan, Cuba and China in 2013.
Another highlight for Brazil came when 17-year-old high school senior Joseph Contreras got Judge to ground into a bases-loaded double play to end the second inning. Contreras, the youngest player in the WBC this year, is the son of pitcher José Contreras, who played 11 MLB seasons.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Luis Díaz scored one goal and made another as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-1 on Friday to extend its lead at the top of the Bundesliga to 14 points over second-place Borussia Dortmund.
With Harry Kane injured, Nicolas Jackson started in the centre-forward position for Bayern, one of seven changes to the side that beat Dortmund in Der Klassiker last weekend.
But it was Colombian Díaz who started the rampage.
He opened the scoring after 33 minutes with a crashing volley and then turned provider 12 minutes later when his clever pass set up Konrad Laimer to make it 2-0.
Bayern’s task was made easier when Rocco Reitz was sent off for rugby tackling Jackson 10 minutes into the second half.
Stefan Matzke – sampics/Getty Images
Jamal Musiala dispatched the resulting penalty to score his first goal of the season and Jackson celebrated his return to the side by adding a fourth 11 minutes from time.
Wael Mohya, 17, grabbed a consolation goal for Gladbach in the dying moments, becoming the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer.
The only disconcerting note for reigning champion Bayern was the withdrawal at halftime of Manuel Neuer. The Germany goalkeeper had returned after missing two games through injury. The extent of his complaint was not immediately apparent.
Gladbach remains in 12th place with 25 points, only three clear of the relegation zone.
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