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Personal Briefing

🌅Personal Briefing - Friday, April 17, 2026

Good morning. NCAA gymnastics crowned its individual champions in Fort Worth last night, the Irish women's lacrosse team demolished Louisville 18-3 to close the regular season, and Idaho declared a statewide drought emergency. Spring games and fan days all around tomorrow. Here's your Friday read.

🏃Training

🏃Today's Plan

🏃 Today (Friday): rest · rest · stretch if you feel like it Friday rest day - full rest, recharge for tomorrow's long run.

Best window: Evening - 51°F, sunny, wind 9 mph

📊This Week

Sat: 20-min easy run · optional 5-min abs · 8-min stretch - long run day - 20 min easy Sun: 10-min easy run · 10-min abs · 5-min stretch - keep the easy base going

This week: 2 runs · 2.1 mi · 16 min Zone check: 33% easy - ⚠️ below target. Your easy days are still too fast, RT. Slow down to 9:30+/mi on easy days.

Recent runs:

  • Wed 04-08 · 1.1 mi · 9 min · 8:17/mi (Z3)
  • Thu 04-09 · 1.1 mi · 9 min · 8:16/mi (Z3)
  • Sat 04-11 · 2.3 mi · 21 min · 9:06/mi (easy)
  • Mon 04-13 · 1.1 mi · 9 min · 8:09/mi (Z3)
  • Tue 04-14 · 1 mi · 7 min · 6:59/mi (Z5)

✓ 6 family walk(s) this week - keep it up, those matter too.

☘️Notre Dame Sports

🥍Lacrosse

Women's regular season is done - and they finished strong. Notre Dame routed Louisville 18-3 yesterday at Arlotta Stadium, with freshman Grace Maroney exploding for a career-high six goals. Emma Murphy opened the scoring with 2 goals and an assist in the first 2:08, Charley Bacigalupo added a hat trick, and seven different Irish players found the back of the net. The defense forced nine turnovers and held Louisville to their lowest scoring output of the season. Notre Dame played without Tewaaraton Award nominee Kate Timarky and still dominated - a good sign heading into the postseason.

The ACC Tournament bracket dropped today: No. 6 Notre Dame (12-4, 6-4 ACC) draws No. 3 Clemson (13-4, 7-3 ACC) in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, April 22, at 8:00 PM ET in Charlotte at American Legion Memorial Stadium. All games on ACC Network.

Men's still No. 1 - and heading to Durham tomorrow. No. 1 Notre Dame (8-1, 1-1 ACC) travels to No. 15 Duke on Saturday at noon ET on ESPNU. The Blue Devils always make it physical, and with all five ACC members ranked in the top 15, every conference game matters for seeding.

Upcoming:

  • Men's: at #15 Duke - Sat, April 18, 12:00 PM ET (ESPNU)
  • Women's: vs. #3 Clemson (ACC Tournament QF) - Wed, April 22, 8:00 PM ET (ACCN)
  • Men's: vs. Syracuse - Sat, April 25, 12:00 PM ET (home, ACCNX)

Last Results:

  • W (Women's): W 18-3 vs. Louisville (April 16) - regular-season finale
  • M (Men's): W 10-5 vs. #1 North Carolina (April 11) - vaulted to No. 1

🏀Women's Basketball

Three days until the portal window closes - and still no decision from Audi Crooks. The April 20 deadline is when players must enter the portal, not when they have to commit, so this could drag past the weekend. The social-media tea leaves haven't changed: Crooks still follows ND's WBB account, Niele Ivey, Hidalgo, and Bransford on Instagram. An On3 report continues to deny ND interest, but SI and others keep calling the Irish a realistic threat. One SEC program reportedly values Crooks in the $450K-$500K NIL range, with Crooks herself asking "well north of half a million." If NIL offers don't materialize, Crooks - who's draft-eligible - could skip college altogether and enter the WNBA Draft.

Meanwhile, Hannah Hidalgo is officially back for her senior year after her historic tournament run (31-point triple-double with 10 steals against Vanderbilt, NCAA single-season steals record). Cassandre Prosper went 19th overall to the Washington Mystics.

Last Result: Elite Eight - UConn 70, Notre Dame 52 (March 29)

🏈Football

Blue-Gold Game is one week out - Saturday, April 25, 2:00 PM ET on Peacock. Tickets start at $10. Spring practice is winding down, and the narrative hasn't shifted from yesterday: Notre Dame leads the country in returning production (67% offense, 77% defense), ESPN's latest way-too-early poll has the Irish at No. 4 behind Ohio State, Oregon, and Georgia, and CJ Carr remains the Heisman frontrunner.

On the portal front, Spencer Porath announced his commitment to Notre Dame after transferring from Purdue. And in the NFL Draft pipeline, former Irish RB Jeremiyah Love - the 2025 Doak Walker Award winner - is generating buzz as a potential No. 2 overall pick by the Jets.

Upcoming: Blue-Gold Game - Sat, April 25, 2:00 PM ET (Peacock) Season Opener: Sept. 6 at Wisconsin (Shamrock Series, Lambeau Field, NBC)

📋Around the Program

  • Baseball (17-15): Opens a three-game series tonight at No. 8 Florida State - Fri 6 PM ET, Sat 2 PM, Sun 1 PM at Dick Howser Stadium. FSU is 27-17 all-time against ND, including 16-7 at home.

🔴Utah Utes

🤸Gymnastics

The individual championships are in the books. All three Red Rocks competed in Fort Worth last night during Session II of the NCAA semifinals, but none came home with individual titles. The winners: Faith Torrez (Oklahoma) took the all-around, Keira Wells (Oklahoma) won vault, Riley McCusker (Florida) won bars, Brooklyn Rowray (Minnesota) won beam, and Jordan Chiles (UCLA) won floor - Chiles highlighting her night with a perfect 10. Avery Neff, Ana Padurariu, and Ella Zirbes all represented the program well on a national stage after the team's 49-year nationals streak ended at the Corvallis Regional Final.

Team finals Saturday, April 18 at 4:00 PM ET on ABC: Oklahoma vs. Minnesota and Florida vs. LSU in the semis.

🏈Football

22 For U Fan Day is tomorrow. Saturday, April 18, 4:30-6:00 PM at Spence Eccles Field House. Free admission, full team autographs, kids' zone with drills coached by the staff, and a live interview with head coach Morgan Scalley. More intimate than a spring game and better for kids.

Transfer portal additions continue to trickle in: RB Chavez-Soto from San Jose State (87 carries, 448 yards, 7 TDs as a freshman) and kicker Tanner Cragun from UTEP (6-for-8 on field goals). Mark Harlan is back on the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Upcoming: 22 For U Fan Day - Sat, April 18, 4:30-6:00 PM Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Idaho (home)

📋Around the Program

  • Lacrosse (8-3, 3-0 ASUN): Host Queens on Saturday at noon. Then the regular-season finale against Air Force (April 25) - a rematch of last year's ASUN Championship game. Ryan Stines (51 pts, 32 goals, 19 assists) and Nikko DiPonio continue to play after being drafted in the PLL Draft on Tuesday.
  • Men's Basketball: Portal rebuild under Alex Jensen continues - 10 players out, focus on PGs, interior defense, and perimeter shooting. Zati Loubaki (top JUCO transfer) remains the headline addition.

🌰Ohio State Buckeyes

🏈Football

Spring Game is tomorrow - Saturday, noon ET, Ohio Stadium, Big Ten Network. Tickets still available starting at $13, free parking. The format returns to a more traditional scrimmage this year. Jaxon Smith-Njigba - former Buckeye and Super Bowl champion - will ring the Victory Bell.

The big shift from yesterday: ESPN's latest preseason poll now has Ohio State at No. 1, leapfrogging Oregon, Georgia, and Notre Dame. Ryan Day finally has dedicated coordinators at every level, headlined by former NFL head coach Arthur Smith replacing Brian Hartline as OC.

Position watch for tomorrow: Julian Sayin is entrenched at QB1. Jeremiah Smith is "finding his voice more and more" entering Year 3, per Day. Ian Moore is making a strong case at left tackle with Austin Siereveld sidelined. Jaylen McClain is stepping into a vocal defensive leadership role. Eddrick Houston is reportedly "in a better place mentally" on the D-line. Earl Little Jr. (FSU transfer, No. 3 safety in the portal) remains a top player to watch.

Injuries: Bo Jackson (torn labrum, out until July), Austin Siereveld, Phillip Daniels all out. Legend Bey (hamstring) and Anthony "Turbo" Rogers both doubtful.

NFL Draft (April 23-25, Pittsburgh) - one week away. Five Buckeyes were invited and all five are projected first-rounders: Arvell Reese (favored for No. 2 overall to the Jets), Carnell Tate (unanimously top-15 in mocks), Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Kayden McDonald. If four land in the top 10, it would match or break Alabama's record. Daniel Jeremiah compared this draft class to early-2000s Miami.

Upcoming: Spring Game - Sat, April 18, 12:00 PM ET, Ohio Stadium (BTN) Season Opener: Sept. 5 vs. Ball State (home)

📋Around the Program

  • Men's Basketball: Portal additions Justin Pippen (Cal/Michigan guard) and Andrija Jelavić (Kentucky forward) committed Friday. Taison Chatman enters the portal after three seasons.

🏔️Treasure Valley

🍽️Food & Drink

Quiet week on new openings. Still worth checking out: Cadence Kitchen (Julian Ramirez's neighborhood sandwich spot, 5169 N. Glenwood), the sixth Paddles Up Poke at Ten Mile/Franklin in Meridian, and Yardarm back for the season in Garden City. Coming soon: Skosh Wine Bar on 27th Street in the West End, and Schnitzel Fritz (German deli) downtown.

🎉Events & Things to Do

  • Today (Fri 4/17): Grease at Morrison Center (runs through Sunday). Miles Minnick at Knitting Factory, 9th St. Parallel. Boise French Film Festival continues on BSU campus.
  • Sat 4/18 - Robie Day: Race to Robie Creek half-marathon, noon start - 48th running, sold out, "Mother of a Road" theme honoring Route 66's 100th anniversary. 8.5 mi up Rocky Canyon to Aldape Summit (4,797'), 4.6 mi down to Robie Creek. Good day to cheer from the sideline or just stay off Rocky Canyon Road. Also Sat: AC Boise vs. Westchester SC at Expo Idaho Stadium, 7 PM (KTVB/ESPN+) - the club's second home match after a 7,000+ sellout for the opener. Boise Farmers Market opens for the season, 9 AM-1 PM (Shoreline).
  • Sun 4/19: Grease matinee (final performance). AFI at Knitting Factory, 8 PM.
  • Tue-Sat 4/21-4/26: Les Misérables - Morrison Center, Broadway in Boise. Opens Tue at 7 PM. Audio description available Fri 4/25 at 1 PM. 2 hr 55 min, one intermission. Ages 12+.
  • Wed 4/22: Gimme Gimme Disco at Knitting Factory, 8:30 PM.

📰Local Headlines

  • Statewide drought emergency. Governor Little signed the declaration on April 13, covering all 44 Idaho counties. The trigger: record-low snowpack statewide as of April 1, the second-warmest winter since 1896, and the second-warmest March on record. Accelerated snowmelt started March 17, even above 10,000 feet. IDWR can now process temporary water rights modifications - point of diversion, place of use, and purpose of use - without the standard approval timeline. There's a 50% chance of irrigation shortages on the Boise and Snake Rivers this summer. This one will be a story all year.
  • Boise River flows still rising. The Army Corps bumped Lucky Peak releases to 1,500 cfs yesterday, up from ~1,000 cfs. The reservoir system is 91% full with snowpack at 58% of median for mid-April. Greenbelt users should expect higher, faster water - stay off the sandbars.
  • Shoreline Drive closed. ACHD's Americana/Shoreline/Eisenman project kicked off yesterday - Shoreline is closed between Fairview and Americana, and between 13th and Americana. One lane each direction on Americana stays open. Bike lane upgrades, protected intersection, APS-compliant signals. Expect the closure through fall.
  • Bank robbery suspect still at large. BPD continues to seek the suspect from Tuesday's afternoon robbery at Vista/Overland.

🔗Worth Reading

Generated on Friday, April 17, 2026

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