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After embarrassment, Magnussen wins at Comm Games

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Renowned for his bravado, world 100-meter freestyle champion James Magnussen didn’t try to conceal his glee at reasserting his supremacy against a great rival in the pool on Sunday.

“I feel loved again,” Magnussen said after leading home an Australia 1-2-3 to win the Commonwealth title, a podium sweep that strengthened the country’s hold on top spot in the Glasgow Games medals’ standings.

Back in April, Magnussen was mortified to be beaten by Cameron McEvoy to the Australian title at the Commonwealth trials — especially having boasted he would break the world record that day.

“The trials hurt a bit,” Magnussen said. “It was probably that initial embarrassment of losing.”

But “The Missile” is firing again, giving McEvoy the early edge to save himself for the final 25 meters and clock 48.11 seconds to beat his rival by 0.23. Tommaso D’Orsogna was third.

Magnussen’s next target is the Pan Pacific Championships in August on Australia’s Gold Coast.

“It takes a weight off the shoulders, having lost at trials,” Magnussen said. “I just wanted to get the win tonight to reaffirm to myself I have still got it. I am still going good. Now I can focus on getting my quickest race I can against the Americans in the Pan Pacs.”

Away from the Tollcross Swimming Centre in Glasgow, the athletics competitions began. Here are the highlights from the fourth day of the games.

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STREAK OVER: New Zealand’s 30-game unbeaten Commonwealth Games run in rugby sevens is over. The four-time gold medalists’ domination of the sport stretching back to its games debut at Kuala Lumpur in 1998 was ended by South Africa.

“As a country we have a lot of chances to win medals but as a New Zealand rugby player it is disappointing to come second,” New Zealand captain D.J. Forbes said.

A 17-12 loss left the All Blacks with silver medals at Ibrox, the home ground of Scottish football side Rangers.

“Pressure builds and you just have to play to your best ability, but it’s disappointing,” Forbes said. “For maybe 10 or 11 minutes of that 20-minute final we were just a little bit off pace.”

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MARATHON MOMENT: Australian success came early on Sunday as Michael Shelley upgraded his Commonwealth silver medal from 2010 for gold in the marathon, running 2 hours, 11 minutes, 15 seconds through rainy Glasgow. Shelley passed the leading group of runners with four kilometers (2.5 miles) to go, leaving Stephen Chemlany of Kenya to finish second and Abraham Kiplimo of Uganda to earn the bronze.

There was a Kenyan one-two in the women’s marathon, with Flomena Daniel winning in 2:26:45 and Caroline Kilel 25 seconds behind.

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HAMPDEN HERO: One of the most memorable moments at Hampden Park on the first day of athletics competition came from a runner far from the podium.

Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku of Kenya won a 5,000 meter-race missing injured Olympic champion Mo Farah in 13 minutes, 12.07 seconds. But Britons like a plucky loser, and it was Rosefelo Siosi, who finished almost four minutes adrift, the crowd cheered loudest for. The 17-year-old Solomon Islands athlete was lapped three times before crossing the line in 16:55.33.

The highlight of Sunday should have been Usain Bolt in the 100 heats, but the Jamaican is only taking part in the relay at the end of the week following injury. Instead, Adam Gemili advanced to the semifinals as the fastest qualifier, with the Englishman clocking 10.15. Kemar Bailey-Cole, Bolt’s Jamaican compatriot, was second fastest overall, only 0.01 behind Gemili.

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OVERCOMING ILLNESS: On the final day of action in the velodrome, double Olympic champion Laura Trott of England defied a kidney infection to win a duel with Elinor Barker of Wales in the women’s points’ race. Gold was secured in a photo finish after winning the last sprint.

“I’ve had such a bad week of it with the kidney infection,” Trott said. “It really set me back and knocked my morale a bit. I’ve hardly eaten for two days, I’ve been living off porridge and I don’t like porridge.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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