Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer
Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer
Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer
All content by Courtesy of CWRU Athletics
(Left to right) Fourth-years Ben Martin, Ajay Mahenthiran, Casey Hishinuma and Ansh Shah celebrate Senior Day on the men's tennis team as well as the team's double victory against Otterbein University and Trinity University.

[Photo] Men’s tennis celebrates senior day while sweeping Otterbein and defeating Trinity

Abhishek Nambiar, Staff Writer
April 11, 2025
Second-year Nate Arterburn locks eyes with the pitcher as he steps up to the plate. The Spartans came out strong in their series against the Eagles, taking three of four games.

[Photo] Baseball claims eighth consecutive UAA with 3-1 series victory over Emory

Darcy Chew, Sports Editor
April 11, 2025
Graduate student second baseman Franco Alonso prepares to swing during the Spartans' weekend matchup. The team holds a 14-8 overall record and is 3-1 in conference play.

[Photo] Baseball secures first UAA series of the 2025 season 3-1 against No. 24-ranked WashU Bears

Ellie Palaian, Copy Editor
April 4, 2025
Graduate student KaiLi Gross has been an integral part of the Spartan softball team this season with a .511 hitting average and 4 home runs.

[Photo] Softball to open conference play 9-5 after busy regular season, Gross tops program career hits

Darcy Chew, Sports Editor
March 21, 2025
Senior Day celebrated the 18 fourth-years on the men's swimming and diving team. Fourth-years Peter Meng, Nico Billoni and Alex Waltman took home wins against Kenyon University.

[Photo] Swimming and diving upsets Kenyon on men’s Senior Day

Darcy Chew, Sports Editor
February 7, 2025
Left to right: First-year Siena Kanneberg, second-year Sarah Ball, first-year Riley Friedman and third-year Melanie Taylor broke the Spartans' record in the 4x200-meter relay with a time of 1:49.14.

[Photo] Track and field dominates at Fighting Scots Invitational

Darcy Chew, Sports Editor
January 31, 2025
Despite their loss at the NCAA Tournament last Thursday, the CWRU volleyball team had a great season, taking pride in their tremendous growth as a team over the last few years.

[Photo] Volleyball falls in first round of NCAA Tournament

Darcy Chew, Sports Editor
December 6, 2024
Third-year Lauren Iagnemma (right) and fourth-year Aidan Nathan (second from right) qualified for the DIII NCAA Championship after the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, with other successful performances from (left to right) second-year Jacob Slater, first-year Donovan Crowley and third-year Ashley Novak.

[Photo] Football concludes season with thrilling Homecoming game, falling to Carnegie Mellon 30-37

Abhishek Nambiar, Staff Writer
November 22, 2024
The men's cross-country team competed in the UAA Championship this past weekend in Attleboro, MA. They scored 144 points overall, beating Rochester and Brandeis by 48 and 98 points, respectively.

[Photo] Cross country UAA championship recap: Crowley earns UAA Rookie of the Year, Nathan and Iagnemma receive All-UAA honors

Darcy Chew, Sports Editor
November 8, 2024
Third-year Aidan Gassel kicks off the 2024-25 wrestling season at the Adrian Invitational on Nov. 2, placing first in the 197-pound bracket.

[Photo] Spartan wrestling places third in season opening invitational

Abhishek Nambiar, Staff Writer
November 8, 2024
On Mar. 18, third-year Ajay Mahenthiran was named UAA Men's Tennis Player of the Week after going 7-1 in singles matches during the CWRU's men tennis team's spring break trip.

[Photo] Men’s tennis goes 8-3 during spring break

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
March 22, 2024
The CWRU men's basketball team finishes the UAA season tied for first place with New York University, winning the UAA title for the second year in a row.

[Photo] TWO IN A ROW!

Marvin Lee, Staff Writer
March 1, 2024
In CWRU men's basketball game against the University of Rochester, third-year forward Umar Rashid contributed 8 points, 1 assist and 7 rebounds, allowing the Spartan team to win 99-70.

[Photo] Undefeated weekend lifts men’s basketball to 20-4, No. 5 in DIII ranking

Marvin Lee, Staff Writer
February 23, 2024
Determined to remedy their previous losses against WashU and UChicago, the CWRU men's basketball team went all out and defeated both universities in a gratifying weekend.

[Photo] Fans propel men’s basketball to undefeated weekend and No. 10 ranking

Marvin Lee, Staff Writer
February 9, 2024
The CWRU women's soccer season comes to a close with a 0-1 loss to John Carroll University.

[Photo] Women’s soccer postseason ends in second-round loss to John Carroll

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
November 17, 2023
The CWRU women's basketball team starts their season strong with a 69-49 win against Waynesburg University.

[Photo] Women’s basketball opens season 1-1

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
November 17, 2023
The CWRU swimming and diving teams' meet against the University of Rochester saw many great achievements, including Head Coach Doug Milliken's 100th win with the team.

[Photo] Swimming and diving teams defeat Rochester to improve to 3-0

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
November 10, 2023
Fourth-year Vishwa Aduru (left) and graduate student Diego Maza (right) win the ITA Central Regional Doubles Championship, qualifiying for the 2023 ITA Cup in Rome, Georgia.

[Photo] CWRU men’s tennis sweeps the ITA Central Regional Championships

Sidharth Ranga, Staff Writer
October 13, 2023
Third-year wide receiver Noah Coyne accounts for two touchdowns in the domination of the Bethany Bison.

[Photo] Spartans pummel Bethany College 34-12, improves record to 3-1

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
October 6, 2023
Second-year Alexis Sassower scores her first career goal in opening UAA game against NYU on Sept. 30.

[Photo] Women’s soccer opens UAA play with 1-0 win over NYU

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
October 6, 2023
During ITA Central Regional Championship in St. Louis this past weekend, third-year Hannah Kassaie places second in the women's open singles.

[Photo] Women’s tennis update—Kassaie qualifies for ITA Cup

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
September 29, 2023
On Friday, Sept. 1, CWRU's women's soccer team started their season off strong with a 2-1 win against John Carroll University on DiSanto Field.

[Photo] Women’s soccer kicks off season 2-0

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
September 8, 2023
The CWRU football team returns to the field on Sept. 2 to play Thiel College in Greenville, PA.

[Photo] Football kicks off the new season

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
September 1, 2023
CWRU’s softball team was lucky enough to make their fourth appearance in the NCAA tournament.

[Photo] Softball ties program win record, falls in second round at NCAA tournament

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
September 1, 2023
Second-year Hannah Kassaie fights valiantly during her quarterfinal match, but falls short to Babson University's Olivia Soffer.

[Photo] Kassaie makes program history at 2023 NCAA tournament

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
August 25, 2023
A. CWRU's men's tennis team celebrates a historic 2023 NCAA DIII Championship win. B. CWRU's men's tennis team celebrates victory in a heartfelt team huddle.

[Photo] NATIONAL TEAM AND DOUBLES CHAMPIONS!

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
August 25, 2023
CWRU's track and field teams took home the victory this weekend in the Marv Frye Invitational, with the men's and women's teams earning 193 and 170 points, respectively. Pictured are fourth-year sprinter/jumper Keith Cartwright and first-year jumper Layla Seaton (above), who each contributed to their respective teams' success.

[Photo] Track and field teams win Marv Frye Invitational

Tanishka Mhaskar, Staff Writer
April 14, 2023
Third-year sprinter Brett Callow earned a fourth place finish in the 200-meter dash and a seventh place finish in the 100-meter dash in a daring performance at the Carnegie Mellon University Invitational.

[Photo] Men’s and women’s track and field finish top five at CMU Invitational

Tanishka Mhaskar, Staff Writer
March 31, 2023
Abigail Wilkov breaks program records with three All-America honors and a top eight finish at the 2023 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships, held March 15-18.

[Photo] Abigail Wilkov excels on and off the diving board

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
March 31, 2023
Third-year guard Luke Thorburn scored a layup in a hard-fought loss against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the last match in the best tournament run in the history of CWRU men's basketball.

[Photo] Men’s basketball season ends in second round loss to Wis.-Whitewater 75-78

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
March 24, 2023
Third-year KaiLi Gross was one of several key players in the CWRU softball team's 14 consecutive wins.

[Photo] Softball sets program record with 14 straight wins

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
March 24, 2023
In CWRU's most recent game against CMU, fourth-year guard/forward Isabella Mills broke 1,000 career points and the program record for most 3-point shots made in a season.

[Photo] Women’s basketball ends season 15-10 following 79-69 loss to CMU

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
March 3, 2023
Because they won their conference, the CWRU men's basketball team secured a spot at the NCAA DIII Championship where they will face Arcadia University in the first round.

[Photo] Men’s basketball secures NCAA tournament berth with 95-91 win over CMU

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
March 3, 2023
After phenomenal performances by several of the men's tennis players, the team was named ITA Indoor National Champions.

[Photo] BACK-TO-BACK ITA CHAMPIONS!

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
March 3, 2023
An integral part of the men's basketball team, graduate student Danny Frauenheim recently surpassed 1,000 career points and 500 assists.

[Photo] Danny Frauenheim continues to excel on the court at CWRU

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
February 24, 2023
Pallavi Goculdas wins at sixth singles against the University of Mary Washington, helping CWRU to their sixth straight win of the spring season.

[Photo] Women’s tennis blasts to 6-0 start in spring season

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
February 24, 2023
Third-year Isabella Mills defends against second-year guard Izzy Munson in CWRU's Feb. 12 match against Emory University.

[Photo] Women’s basketball improves to 15-9 overall, 6-7 in UAA

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
February 24, 2023
Alumnus Mark Termini, previously a member of CWRU's men's basketball team, has since founded his own sports agency and represented a plethora of professional players.

[Photo] CWRU renames men’s basketball locker room after Mark Termini

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
February 17, 2023
Second-year guard/forward Lucy Vanderbeck scores 11 points, helping CWRU secure a long-awaited victory against the University of Rochester

[Photo] Women’s basketball defeats Rochester, falls to Emory

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
February 17, 2023
Graduate guard Mitch Prendergast scored a season-high 29 points in a game against Emory, helping him earn recognition as the UAA Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week.

[Photo] Men’s basketball soars to No. 1 in UAA rankings

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
February 17, 2023
Fourth-year Isabella Mills broke the women's basketball program record for number of 3-point shots in a game and set her career-high of 36 points during the game against WashU.

[Photo] Isabella Mills is the leader the women’s basketball team needs

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
February 10, 2023
Senior guard/forward Isabella Mills scored 30 points against Brandeis to lead the Spartans to victory.

[Photo] Women’s basketball splits road games, stands 3-4 in UAA play

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
February 3, 2023
Third-year guard Luke Thorburn helped bring the Spartans to victory in a close game against NYU.

[Photo] Men’s basketball sweep Brandeis, NYU on the road

Paola Van der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
February 3, 2023
Although both the men's and women's swimming and diving teams lost to Kenyon College, the Spartans spent time honoring the graduating seniors.

[Photo] Swimming and diving teams split 2023 openers

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
January 27, 2023
In CWRU's victory against WashU, second-year forward Umar Rashid (pictured) breaks the program record with nine blocks.

[Photo] Men’s basketball defeats WashU, falls to UChicago

Paola Van Der Linden Costello, Staff Writer
January 27, 2023
CWRU first-year Jacob Gregg grapples with his opponent during the Jan. 14 Claude Sharer Duals.

[Photo] Wrestling goes 6-2 to start 2023

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
January 20, 2023
Fourth-year forward Cole Frilling scores 16 points in a game against Carnegie Mellon University, reaching 1,000 career points and becoming the 20th player in CWRU's history to achieve such a milestone.

[Photo] Men’s basketball 11-game win streak ends in UAA play

Paola Van Der Linden Costello, Contributing Writer
January 20, 2023
Team captains Lexi Gomez, Anika Washburn, Merry Meyer and Elizabeth White (left to right) hold up their NCAA National Runner-up trophy after a season full of new records and accomplishments.

[Photo] Women’s soccer falls to JHU 2-1 in NCAA DIII championship game, concluding historic season

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
December 9, 2022
CWRU graduate student forward Camryn Hartman lead the Spartans with the highest number of shots during the Spartan's Nov. 19 game against Loras.

[Photo] Women’s soccer advances to NCAA Semifinals

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
December 2, 2022
In their final game of the season, the CWRU football team honored its 17 seniors and their families before kickoff.

[Photo] Football drops regular season finale 20-7 to undefeated CMU

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
November 18, 2022
Graduate student Danny Frauenheim shoots a layup in CWRU's match against Oberlin on Nov. 11.

[Photo] Men’s basketball starts season 3-0, wins Bill Sudeck Tournament

Jack Martin, Staff Writer
November 18, 2022
The women's soccer team poses triumphant at the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship, after defeating Ithaca College.

[Photo] Women’s soccer rolls to Round of 16

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
November 18, 2022
On Saturday Nov. 5, third-year linebacker Sean Torres was one of many CWRU defensive players who faced-off against Westminster's offense.

[Photo] Football comeback falls short, drop 14-13 to Westminster in nail-biting defensive showdown

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
November 11, 2022
The CWRU women's soccer team poses after their 1-0 win against CMU on Saturday Nov. 5.

[Photo] Women’s soccer crowned UAA champions

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
November 11, 2022
Fourth-year Joe Jaster has had a monumental impact on CWRU's cross country team since his first year in 2019, when he was among the team’s top seven finishers on four occasions.

[Photo] Joe Jaster wins UAA Championship for cross country

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
November 4, 2022
First-year outside hitter Kalli Wall serves the ball during a match against Washington University in St. Louis, helping CWRU secure an upset against the fourth-ranked school.

[Photo] Volleyball sweeps third UAA Round Robin for 7 straight wins

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
October 28, 2022
Fourth-year James Hopper (center) and third-year Vishwa Aduru (right)—along with CWRU tennis alum Chaitanya Aduru (left)—pose with the winning ITA cup trophies.

[Photo] Hopper and Aduru crowned ITA Cup champions

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
October 28, 2022
First-year Michael Wojkowski falls on top of St. Vincent's Marvelle Cromerdie during the CWRU Homecoming football game.

[Photo] Spartan football dominates St. Vincent 45-21 over homecoming weekend

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
October 14, 2022
Fourth-year Jack Begley completed the 8K distance in 24:49.3 at the Mike Woods invite, his fastest time of the season and the third best of his career.

[Photo] Men’s cross country wins Mike Woods Invitational, women’s finish 3rd

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
October 7, 2022
Fourth-year midfielder Aniya Hartzler capitalized on a free kick to net the game-winning goal against Brandeis.

[Photo] CWRU soccer teams open UAA competition with a bang

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
October 7, 2022
As CWRU's volleyball team beats Kenyon, third-year libero Alyssa Blessinger serves the ball and leads the team in digs, continuing the Spartans' win streak.

[Photo] Volleyball rolls past Kenyon and Denison, improving to 11-3

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
September 30, 2022
Third-year Sahil Dayal was selected to the All-Tournament team for his stellar perforamance in singles (1-0) and doubles (5-2).

[Photo] Men’s tennis team opens with a strong start to the regular season

Kyle Grover, Staff Writer
September 23, 2022
Catching a deflected pass from Saxton, second-year wide receiever Noah Cohen's first career touchdown opened scoring in the first half.

[Photo] Spartan football upset Wash. & Jeff 14-10 with Saxton’s and Dahlem’s late-game heroics

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
September 23, 2022
Kicking off the new season, the CWRU men's soccer team secure a 3-1 victory against a previously undefeated Bethany College.

[Photo] Men’s soccer recovers from week 1 struggles, go undefeated at home

Ajeet Kalepu, Staff Writer
September 16, 2022
First-year Ashley Novak from Downers Grove, Illinois, recorded times of 18:08 in the three-mile and 18:49 in the 5K during the cross country season while in high school.

[Photo] Spartan track and field teams achieve in the postseason

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
September 9, 2022
In a heated attempt to block the Blue Jays' control of the football, second-year Dominic Sais (left) sacks first-year Carson Bourdo (right).

[Photo] CWRU football drops season opener 54-14 vs JHU

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
September 9, 2022
Graduate student Jonathan Powell won all but one of his matches in the last three regular season competitions.

[Photo] Spartan tennis teams head into UAA Championships with winning records

Kyle Grover, Staff Writer
April 22, 2022
Third-year first baseman Nick Talarico hit and scored in all three games, including a 3-run home run against Adrian College.

[Photo] CWRU Baseball puts on hitting clinic to win 3 straight and climb above 0.500

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
April 15, 2022
First-year pitcher Lexi Miskey was honored as the UAA Pitcher of the Week for allowing a batting average of just 0.157 against Washington.

[Photo] Softball splits against WashU 2-2

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
April 8, 2022
Fourth-year Chaitanya Aduru went 4-0 in his matches over the weekend, earning him the UAA Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week honor.

[Photo] Men’s and women’s tennis sweep weekend matches, tout eight-game win streaks

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
April 8, 2022
The doubles victories of second-year Sahil Dayal (above) helped the Spartans remain ranked No. 1 as the team continues to compete at a top level.

[Photo] No. 1 CWRU’s men’s tennis team extends its regular season DIII winning streak to 33

Kyle Grover, Contributing Writer
April 1, 2022
Decisive runs by second-year KaiLi Gross (above) buoyed the Spartans to victory in their matches with NYU, the latest in a series of victories for the softball team.

[Photo] Softball pushes win streak to 9 after going 4-0 against John Carrol, NYU

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
April 1, 2022
Fourth-year Willem Bouma (above) pitched in CWRU's decisive 12-3 defeat of Emory, delivering the Spartans the first UAA series of 2022.

[Photo] CWRU baseball begins season turnaround with 3-1 weekend series at Emory

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
April 1, 2022
First-year diver Abigail Wilkov becomes the first CWRU diver ever to earn First Team All-American honors after finishing seventh in the NCAA Division III Championships last Saturday.

[Photo] Three Spartans shine at NCAA DIII Swimming & Diving Championships

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
March 25, 2022
Over spring break, men's tennis became the first CWRU athletic team to be ranked No. 1 nationally.

[Photo] No. 1 ranked men’s tennis team continues its strong performance on the road

Kyle Grover, Contributing Writer
March 18, 2022
The men's tennis team raises the ITA championship trophy after defeating the University of Chicago 5-1.

[Photo] Spartans men’s tennis reign supreme as 2022 ITA National Indoor Champions

Sidharth Ranga, Contributing Writer
March 18, 2022
Second-year forward Kayla Characklis tied for an impressive game-high 19 points in the Spartan's game against Rochester.

[Photo] Women’s basketball splits weekend against Emory and Rochester

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
February 25, 2022
Second-year Ethan Chuang (left) and third-year Ally Halsdorfer (right) were among some to achieve NCAA "B" cut times, totaling five for CWRU.

[Photo] Swimming & diving shines at UAA championships, earn 6th place

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
February 18, 2022
Graduate guard Mitch Predergast recorded a career-high 28 points against Brandeis to tie the program's record of 18 wins in a season.

[Photo] Men’s basketball wins 17th game, matches program record against Brandeis

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
February 18, 2022
Third-year forward Cole Frilling (pictured) scored a game-high 27 points, helping secure a victory for CWRU.

[Photo] Men’s basketball splits road games against familiar faces from previous weekend

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
February 11, 2022
Fourth-year forward Abbey Lawrence (pictured) scored a game-high 24 points against WashU.

[Photo] Women’s basketball falls to UChicago, defeats WashU in OT

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
February 4, 2022
Graduate guard Mitch Prendergast (pictured) led all players to a victory against WashU, scoring a total of 18 points with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

[Photo] Men’s basketball improves to 5-1 in UAA play, 15-2 overall

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
February 4, 2022
Second-year forward Hunter Drenth (pictured) helped CWRU redeem their recent loss, scoring 9 points against the University of Rochester.

[Photo] Men’s basketball win streak snapped by Emory, bounce back vs. Rochester

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
January 28, 2022
Second-year forward Kayla Characklis (center) lead the Spartans in their recent conference games, scoring 14 points against NYU and 15 points against Brandeis.

[Photo] Women’s basketball splits weekend vs NYU, Brandeis

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
January 21, 2022
Following their victory against NYU, the men's basketball team ranks first in the UAA standings, tying them with WashU.

[Photo] Men’s basketball win streak extends to 12 with blowout win vs. NYU

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
January 21, 2022
Second-year forward Preet Gill (center) scored 4 points and captured a career-high 10 rebounds in the Spartan's conference opener against Carnegie Mellon University.

[Photo] Women’s basketball falls to CMU in opening UAA matchup

Alyssa Zimmerman, Contributing Writer
January 14, 2022
Fourth-year forward Ryan Newton (above) secured a CWRU victory in the final seconds of their conference opener ending with a score of 89-88.

[Photo] Men’s basketball extends win streak to 11 after defeating Hilbert College, CMU

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
January 14, 2022
Third-year Maria Pritchett (pictured) competes in the Magnus Cup Invitational at Cleveland State University, joining a record-breaking lineup.

[Photo] Swimming, diving and wrestling teams earn mixed finishes

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
December 3, 2021
Third-year runningback Antonio Orsini (pictured) rushed for 111 yards and scored a touchdown on 15 carries during the Spartans' final game of the season.

[Photo] Football’s season ends with a 24-6 road loss to CMU

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
November 19, 2021
Jennifer Ngo (pictured above) and her teammates finish the season in 6th at the UAA Championship tournament, with an overall season record of 13-14.

[Photo] Volleyball goes 1-2 at UAA Championships, earn 6th place finish

Alyssa Zimmerman, Contributing Writer
November 12, 2021
Graduate student Griffin Kornaker led CWRU in assists, completing a total of 6, while also scoring 8 points and 5 rebounds.

[Photo] Men’s basketball opens season 1-1 after consolation win in Sudeck Tournament

Gaurav Hardikar, Staff Writer
November 12, 2021
UAA Athlete of the Week Alyssa Blessinger, a second-year defensive specialist, consistently led the team in digs throughout the tournament.

[Photo] Volleyball splits hometown tournament 1-2

Puneet Bansal, Sports Editor
September 10, 2021
CWRU's fourth-year quaterback Drew Saxton scans the field for an opening.

[Photo] Football triumphs over Rochester in season opener

Gaurav Hardikar, Reporter
September 10, 2021
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