MM 10.11: Former Terps Thea LaFond-Gadson and Alyssa Thomas named homecoming grand marshals

This is a Maryland Minute, a short story followed by a roundup of Terps-related news.

Former Maryland track and field star Thea LaFond-Gadson and Maryland women’s basketball star Alyssa Thomas will be the school’s homecoming grand marshals, it was announced Thursday.

LaFond-Gadson won gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in triple jump, while Thomas helped Team USA take home gold in women’s basketball. LaFond-Gadson graduated from Maryland in 2015 and Thomas, a five-time WNBA All-Star for the Connecticut Sun and three-time ACC Player of the Year in College Park, graduated in 2014.

LaFond-Gadson and Thomas will help lead activities on Oct. 18 and will be honored on the field Oct. 19 when Maryland football takes on USC for the homecoming game. Thomas will also be inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame that weekend.

In other news

Maryland women’s soccer parted ways with head coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer with just over two weeks remaining in the season after an 0-6-1 start in Big Ten play. Ben Messinger had the story.

Maryland women’s soccer lost to No. 20 Penn State, 5-0, in the team’s first game this season without Ryan Nemzer at the helm. Messinger recapped the game.

Matt Germack took a look at Maryland football wide receiver Tai Felton’s time spent training in Florida this past summer, and how it changed his approach to the game.

Ryan Alonardo previewed Maryland football’s Friday night matchup with Northwestern.

Max Schaeffer previewed No. 9 Maryland men’s soccer’s trip to Seattle to play Washington on Friday.

No. 6 Maryland field hockey plays Michigan State and American this weekend. Nolan Rogalski looked ahead to the games.

Maryland baseball practiced ahead of its fall ball schedule, which begins Oct. 20 at Virginia