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Ahye beats Fraser-Pryce in Glasgow GP 100m

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Michelle-Lee Ahye cemented her burgeoning sprinting reputation by winning the 100 meters at the Glasgow Grand Prix on Saturday.

Although the 24-year-old Trinidadian fell to the Hampden Park track seemingly in disbelief, the winning feeling is becoming very familiar.

A time of 11.01 seconds secured a ninth unbeaten final in 2014 for the year’s fastest woman. Ahye finished 0.09 seconds ahead of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Jamaican sprinter stepping up her recovery from a left leg injury.

While the injury is restricting Fraser-Pryce to the relay race back here later this month at the Commonwealth Games, Ahye will return to Glasgow as a gold medal contender.

“It’s a lot of pressure on me but I’m getting used to it now,” Ahye said. “It was shocking to me at first but I know what kind of potential I have so I’m working harder.”

As for Fraser-Pryce, finishing second with a season-best time exceeded her expectations.

“It’s has been a rough two months but I’m really pleased I executed it,” she said. “It felt good as coming back has been a slow, long process.”

Still, though, Fraser-Pryce isn’t fully fit.

“It’s not how I want to feel but it’s not something that’s troubling me or puzzling me,” she said. “But is says to me ‘I’m getting better’ and for that I’m grateful. I’m progressing.”

Fraser-Pryce’s smooth race was in contrast to fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake who pulled up during the men’s sprint on Friday night clutching his thigh and leaving the track in a wheelchair. Despite fears of a fresh hamstring injury, the sprinter’s manager allayed fears on Saturday.

“It seems to be initially cramp. The doctors here in Glasgow were excellent,” said Blake’s manager, Cubie Seegobin. “They did an ultra-scan, and it showed no damage.”

Blake had already ruled himself out of returning for the Commonwealth Games, but many competitors were using this Diamond League meet as preparation for the July 23-Aug. 3 event.

After winning the 800-meter title at the 2012 London Olympics, David Rudisha is on course to add Commonwealth gold to his collection after showing he has overcome recent knee troubles to win here in 1:43.34. The 25-year-old Kenyan was more than two seconds faster than Andre Olivier of South Africa.

“This year has been a tough year, a struggle for me coming back from injury,” Rudisha said.

Isaac Makwala of Botswana maintained his strong progress by winning the 400 in 44.71, and Silas Kiplagat crossed first in the 1,500 in 3:32.84.

There was an American one-two in the women’s 100 hurdles as Queen Harrison was a tenth of a second ahead of Lolo Jones. Compatriot Ajee Wilson emerged victorious in the 800, but Californian Allyson Felix had to settle for second place behind Dutch runner Dafne Schippers in the 200 sprint.

An injury in the warm-up on Saturday prevented Greg Rutherford competing in the long jump, which was won by Jeff Henderson with a leap of 8.21 meters.

“I’m not really too satisfied with how I jumped but it is all about achieving the win,” the Arkansas-native said.

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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