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England wins gold medal race at Commonwealth Games

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS PASSA
AP Sports Writer

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — After her country was usurped in the gold medal race by England, Australian pop star Kylie Minogue closed the Commonwealth Games on Sunday as Glasgow passed the baton to the Gold Coast.

Australia missed out on top spot in the medal standings for the first time since 1986, but will be hoping for better things in four years when Queensland hosts the multi-sports event that attracts athletes from countries aligned with the former British Empire.

Hampden Park was transformed from a track and field arena into a music venue, with athletes filling a field scattered with tents to recreate a festival vibe.

“The games have made us all very proud and truly brought our family together,” Commonwealth Games Federation President Prince Imran Tunku of Malaysia told the 40,000-strong crowd. “Scotland, and Glasgow, you really have delivered in every aspect the best games ever.”

Here is a look at the highlights of the 11th and final day of competition:

ENGLISH SUCCESS: The first gold Sunday went to English cyclist Lizzie Armistead in the road race, and the country ended the day with another in badminton to increase its total to 58, nine clear of second-place Australia.

Armitstead, who finished second in the London Olympics road race and at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, led an England one-two finish in the 98-kilometer (61-mile) race on the wet streets of Glasgow.

“Now I can call myself a champ, not a runner-up,” Armitstead said. “It was special, something I’ve always dreamed about.”

She finished the seven-lap course in 2 hours, 38 minutes, 43 seconds. Her teammate Emma Pooley, the silver medalist in the time trial on Thursday and who said she plans to retire from cycling, was 25 seconds behind.

Ashleigh Pasio of South Africa took the bronze in a photo finish with Australia’s Tiffany Cromwell. Both finished 1:11 behind Armitstead.

Linda Villumsen of New Zealand, the gold medalist in the time trial, was fifth.

“It was a great course,” Armitstead said. “I won the national championships here last year, so I was prepared. I definitely had an advantage knowing the track.”

And the rain, which hit the course on several occasions to make conditions slippery for the riders, helped Armitstead.

“As soon as it started to rain, I knew that was an advantage, because when you’re solo you can keep going fast in the wet,” she said.

WELSH TRIUMPH: In the 12-lap, 168-kilometer (104-mile) men’s race held through mostly steady rain, Geraint Thomas of Wales, who won bronze in the time trial here and was 22nd in this year’s Tour de France, overcame a punctured tire with just under seven kilometers (4.3 miles) remaining to win gold.

Thomas, who led by about 50 seconds when his tire needed to be replaced by his crew, finished in 4 hours, 13 minutes, 5 seconds. Jack Bauer of New Zealand and Scott Thwaites of England had a sprint finish for second, with Bauer edging ahead on the line for silver. Both Bauer and Thwaites were 1:21 behind Thomas.

“It was such a grim day, I felt terrible at the start,” Thomas said. “And when I had that puncture, I thought, ‘what do I have to do’? But I had a decent enough gap to stay out in front.”

AUSTRALIA STREAK: Australia beat India 4-0 to win its fifth consecutive men’s field hockey gold. England beat New Zealand 4-2 in a penalty shootout to take the bronze medal after the teams were level 3-3 after regulation time ended. Australia has won 29 of its 30 matches at the Commonwealth Games, only losing a pool match against South Africa 3-2 in 1998.

NETBALL GOLD: Australia easily beat defending champions New Zealand 58-40 for gold in netball; Jamaica beat England 52-48 for bronze.

FAMILY FIRST: In the all-England mixed team badminton final, the husband-and-wife team of Chris and Gabrielle Adcock won the gold medal, beating Chris Langridge and Heather Olver. Michelle Li of Canada won the women’s singles gold, beating Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland. Kashyap Parupalli of India won gold in men’s singles, beating Derek Wong of Singapore.

___

AP Sports Writer Rob Harris contributed to this report.

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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