We all have our favorite sports to watch on television. Some of us have our friends over to watch the baseball, others practice their punches in private with the boxing on in the background, and some prefer the more sedate games like poker or darts. Whichever sport you’re into, it always makes it way more interesting if you can cheer on someone from your hometown. This Autumn there are so many talented Marylandians competing in the sporting world that we couldn’t possibly list them all. However, this is a small selection of some of the sports stars that really deserve your cheers at this time of year.
Poker Pro, Anthony Gregg
Some people consider poker a game rather than a sport and whilst that might strictly be the case when you see the grueling training regime that goes into making it to the top of the poker league tables, you might reconsider.
As it happens, there are a handful of Maryland residents who make the world league tables, but there’s one in particular who could be in for a brilliant Fall. One of our own Marylandians could be in for a career first this Autumn. Anthony Gregg is currently the 70th highest earner in the all-time poker winnings charts. Though he has lately been playing the majority of his poker online, the return of the World Series of Poker this year is likely to be a big event for him. The WSOP is made up of a number of different tournaments, all culminating in one game to see who the best poker player in the world really is. Of course, Gregg will be setting his sights on the main prize, just as anyone with a competitive spirit would be, but even if he doesn’t take home the overall championship, his presence guarantees some exciting games in the early stages.
Perfect Pitcher, Daryl Thompson
Us Marylandians love baseball, so much so that it is the single most popular sport in the state. The team you support can be a divisive issue, but this Fall we’re placing the spotlight squarely on Daryl Thompson of the Blue Crabs. He’s made headlines already this year and with less than a couple of months of the baseball season left, it doesn’t look like he’s slowing down.
At 6 feet tall and 175lbs, he is one of the slighter pitchers for the Crabs, but this doesn’t seem to slow down his bowls; he made 162 strikeouts in 2019 alone. Thompson is particularly notable because not only does he call Maryland his full-time home, but he’s been loyal to the team for coming up to ten years. He won the 2019 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year, and it would be great to see a true hometown sports star achieve that again in 2021. Look out for him in upcoming games against the Lancaster Barnstormers, the High Point Rockers, and the Lexington Legends.
Marathon Man, Stephen Schreurs
Finally, a man who is famous throughout Maryland, but at the same time something of a man of mystery: Stephen Schreurs. Many of us know him as the marathon-running Santa Claus, thanks to his quirky costume choice for his many marathons over the years. For Schreurs it doesn’t matter what time of year it is, if he’s undertaking a superhuman feat, he’ll be doing it in a Santa costume. He’s raised enormous amounts for local charities over the years and this fall is set to be no exception.
If you’d like to actually see him in action, then you can start your marathon training now. The Western Maryland Rail Trail is taking entries for both the 10k and Half Marathon length races. If you put in the practice now, you might be able to finish a marathon by Christmas and if you’re really lucky you might get to do it with Santa Claus by your side.