1 - The Independent Florida Alligator

A week after winning the SunTrust Gator Invitational last weekend, sophomore Sierra Brooks carded the only under-par score for Florida in the first round of the Evans Derby Experience in Auburn, Alabama.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Florida women’s golf struggles after tournament win

By Chris O'Brien | Mar. 18, 2018

Last week, the Florida Gators women’s golf team won the SunTrust Gator Invitational while setting a tournament record by shooting even par. The week before, it ran away with a win at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship. This week at the Evans Derby Experience in Auburn, Alabama, however, an entirely different narrative was written.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

GPD: UF student accessed child porn from UF printing lab

By Meryl Kornfield | Mar. 18, 2018

A UF student was charged Friday with possessing child pornography, which investigators said he accessed once from a UF printing lab IP address, Gainesville Police said.

Police vehicles surround the Windsor Terrace apartments on Southwest 20th Avenue following a shooting at the apartment complex Sunday afternoon.

METRO

GPD: Suspected shooter at Windsor Terrace apartments arrested near Southwest 20th Avenue

By Robert Lewis | Mar. 18, 2018

Following a four-hour standoff with police officers, a Gainesville man was arrested for allegedly shooting at a man he knew Sunday afternoon.

The Winn-Dixie at 2002 SW 34th St. is one of 94 underperforming stores under the parent company Southeastern Grocers that will be closed as the company prepares to file for bankruptcy at the end of March.

METRO

This Winn-Dixie is closing in Gainesville

By Christi-Anne Weatherly | Mar. 18, 2018

Parker Kaleo goes to Winn-Dixie every other week to pick up milk because the 2002 SW 34th St. location is conveniently close to where he lives at the Ridge Apartments.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Start taking care of yourself. Really, do it. It’s time.

Mar. 18, 2018

We all have our breaking points. We all have a threshold that, if crossed, will cause us to feel overwhelmed and defeated.

OPINION | COLUMNS

When teachers speak, we need to listen

Mar. 18, 2018

Lots of news can get lost in the shuffle these days, but I hope this piece won’t. Beginning late last month and stretching past the first week of March, teachers across West Virginia went on strike to demand better salaries, benefits and a stop to charter-school expansion, among other demands.

Freshman McCartney Kessler continued her winning streak with the clinching match against Tennessee on Friday.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

UF women’s tennis defeats Tennessee in Knoxville

By River Wells | Mar. 18, 2018

In the Gators’ match against Georgia on Friday, freshman McCartney Kessler watched the rest of her team lose after scoring the lone point for Florida. Against Tennessee on Friday, she made sure it didn’t happen a second time.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The negative mental health effect of an unwanted pregnancy is worse than that of an abortion

Mar. 18, 2018

A new landmark study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shows that abortions in the U.S. are safe and have few complications. It examines the four major methods used for abortions in this country, as well as women’s care from before the procedure through follow-up care.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Are alligators more dangerous than you think?

Mar. 18, 2018

In 1947, Dr. Ross Allen, founder of The Reptile Institute at Silver Springs, donated an alligator nicknamed “Albert” to the University of Florida. Before kickoff of every home football game, Albert was strapped to a leash and would lead the team onto the field. He was then kept on the sidelines for the rest of the game. A chain-link pen was even built near Century Tower to keep the gator.

Despite a ninth-place finish at the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational Coach J.C. Deacon is optimistic about his team's potential. “We have obviously not had our best stuff, but we have been extremely resilient,” Deacon said in a release. “Once we figure it out, we are going to be a top team.”

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators finish sixth at Schenkel after recovering on final two days

By Sam Campisano | Mar. 18, 2018

It was damage limitation mode for the No. 8 Florida men’s golf team after a brutal opening round at the Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, Georgia.

Guard Chris Chiozza ended his senior season with a pair of all-conference honors before a loss in the Round of 32 against Texas Tech on Saturday.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Chiozza era comes to close with Gators’ elimination from NCAA Tournament

By Benjamin Brandt | Mar. 18, 2018

The Florida men’s basketball team has unlaced its dancing shoes.

METRO | POLITICS

Who will win the upcoming city elections? Here’s what former Alachua County politicians think

By Amanda Rosa | Mar. 18, 2018

An online panel of Alachua County and Gainesville politicians and political experts predicted City Commissioners Charles Goston and Harvey Budd will be re-elected in Tuesday’s municipal election.

Senior attacker Shayna Pirreca celebrated senior day with her team and classmates at Dizney Stadium on Saturday. Pirreca scored three goals in Florida's 23-3 victory over Butler.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS LACROSSE

Gators lacrosse team survives close call at Vanderbilt

By Tyler Nettuno | Mar. 18, 2018

Florida’s lacrosse team hadn’t lost a regular season conference game since falling to Connecticut 11-10 on April 18, 2015.

Florida pitcher Tyler Dyson pitched five innings against South Carolina on Sunday. He allowed two runs on two hits and struck out five Gamecock batters.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Behind strong pitching, Florida’s baseball team claims SEC-opening series over South Carolina

By Ethan Bauer | Mar. 18, 2018

The ball rocketed off Jacob Olson’s bat like a satellite designed for orbit.

Southwest 20th Avenue is closed as police negotiate with shooter inside Windsor Terrace apartments.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Southwest 20th Avenue closed as police negotiate with shooter inside Windsor Terrace apartment

By Meryl Kornfield | Mar. 18, 2018

Updates:

Right fielder Wil Dalton registered the game-winning RBI in UF's 7-6 win over Georgia on Friday night.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gamecocks wallop Gators pitchers for 15 runs on Saturday

By Morgan McMullen | Mar. 17, 2018

Gamecocks designated hitter Noah Campbell stared down the barrel of a 6-foot-6 human cannon and didn’t blink. On a 2-2 pitch to lead off the first inning, Campbell took a 94-mph fastball from Florida starting pitcher Jackson Kowar deep to right-center field.

Junior Kelly Barnhill pitched 2+ innings and allowed three runs (one earned) in Florida's worst loss since 2011.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Gators mercy ruled by Georgia in worst loss since 2011

By Mari Faiello | Mar. 17, 2018

The luck of the Irish, green baseball hats and green stirrups weren’t enough for the Florida softball team to hold off Georgia in Game 2 of a three-game series.

Guard Jalen Hudson elected to return to school for his final year of eligibility.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators basketball notebook: Bucking trends vs. Texas Tech

By Andrew Huang | Mar. 17, 2018

The numbers don’t tell the whole story, but it’s hard to deny that there are certain box score benchmarks that are typically associated with a victory for the Gators men’s basketball team.

Coach Mike White has recruited the current No. 4 class in the country for the UF basketball program in 2019.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators level of passion needs to be evaluated when reflecting on this season

By Benjamin Brandt | Mar. 17, 2018

We saw it all on Saturday night. The runs and droughts, the jaw-dropping heroics and equally shocking mistakes. Everything that defined the Florida men’s basketball team’s season made an appearance in its disappointing finale.

Gregg Troy retired from being head coach of UF Swimming and Diving after spending 20 years in the position. “I’ve experienced countless memorable moments here at Florida," Troy said.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

Gators women’s swimming & diving team closes NCAA Championships with quiet day

By Sam Campisano | Mar. 17, 2018

From start to finish, it was a largely uneventful showing for the No. 17 Gators at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

El Caimán