Everyone at Hawthorn agrees: it doesnt matter where the premiers finish, if they dont lift their game, there will be no historic fourth-straight AFL flag.Coach Alastair Clarksons message was as abrupt on the final whistle of their win against North Melbourne.It was a victory that ensures the Hawks head into round 22 on top of the ladder.Given the leagues tightness, they could still finish as low as seventh.Friday nights blockbuster against West Coast - a replay of last years grand final - could determine whether the Hawks hit their long-held target of finishing in the top four.Greater Western Sydneys surprise last-gasp loss to the Eagles means four more premiership points seal the top-four deal for Hawthorn.But theres a greater issue at stake for Clarkson; lifting their form.We need to play better, he said.I dont think (the form shown against North Melbourne) is going to win us a key final or a grand final.Its a long campaign. Our goal all along the way is to add up the wins, hopefully finish top four and then make sure we try to play our best footy in September.One area where Hawthorn need to find improvement is up front.Clarksons side have reached triple figures just twice in their last eight matches.Luke Bruest says the Hawks would need to get close to the 100-point mark to stay in contention for the history-making premiership.Youre going to have to kick that against good defences like Sydney (Swans) and those sort of teams, he told radio station 3AW.The confidence is there that come September if we need to kick 100 points in a game we can still do that.Given all the talk of September, defender Grant Birchall admitted he was keen to get into the finals.But the Tasmanian said the Hawks didnt need to go far back in the memory for a reminder of their fallibility.Were keen to get to finals but weve got two important games, he said.We cant afford to take the eye off the footy or it will happen like it did last week (against Melbourne). Jordan 13 China Wholesale .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Jordan 13 Cheap China . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. http://www.cheapairjordan13.com/ . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Wholesale Jordan Retro 13 . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. Jordan 13 For Sale Cheap . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Olivia Nelson-Ododa was content building sand castles in the long-jump pit, oblivious to her mom and big brother running laps on the track.And then she wasnt.Barefoot, the 8-year-old Olivia ditched the sand castles to run with her mom, Heather, and Alonzo, who was 15. Of course, she couldnt keep pace.She lapped us more than once, said Heather, still amazed by the memory. She just came out of nowhere and passed us by. Pretty soon, [Alonzo] got tired, but she kept sprinting.Her brother, by the way, is 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds. He just finished his collegiate basketball career at the University of Pittsburgh.Their father, Sebastian, who is 6-7?, is a native of Kenya who played basketball for Huntington University and for the Kenyan national team.We attributed Olivias ability to run fast and barefoot to Sebastian being from Kenya, Heather said.Kenya has a proud tradition in long-distance running. Sebastian attributed it to Olivia eating Ugali (a cornmeal-based dish popular in Kenya and other African nations).Seven years after that day on the track, Olivia, 15, is still leaving her competition in the dust, although its now on the basketball court.She is in Zaragoza, Spain, representing Team USA in the U17 world championships.Playing for Team USA means everything to me, Nelson-Ododa said from Spain, her first trip abroad. Ive worked really hard for this opportunity. And now that its here, Im so excited.A 6-foot-4 forward, Nelson-Ododa is the No. 13 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Terrific 25 for the 2018 class. She averaged 16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks as a sophomore this past season for Winder-Barrow (Winder, Georgia), making first-team Class 5A All-State.She can handle the ball like a guard -- right hand, left hand, between the legs, behind the back, Winder-Barrow coach Brandon Thomas said. She has amazing agility and skill level for someone her size.That was evident in a state semifinal this past season against Brunswick. Nelson-Ododa had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks, leading Winder-Barrow to a 65-52 win and the first girls basketball state final in the 60-year history of the school.The Bulldogs lost the state final 49-48 to powerhouse Southwest DeKalb. Nelson-Ododa had 13 points and 19 rebounds. Her team was doomed by 27 turnovers, but the Bulldogs graduated just one senior from their rotation.This was the Bulldogs first trip to the 32-team state tournament in 22 years, and Nelson-Ododas carefree spirit helped define their run.On the morning of their first game, assistant coach Kimberly Garren went to get Nelson-Ododa, only to find her star player shooting 3-pointers in the school gym wearing a Snuggie adorned with a bears head.And when Garren laughed and snapped a quick photo, the teams third ritual was born.A spaghetti dinner the night before games, new T-shirts made up before each round and a goofy photo of Nelson-Ododa (the selections include one on a swing, another in a bumper car and another in a 4-foot-tall dollhouse).Nelson-Ododas mother said she could barely stop laughing when she saw the first photo of her daughter in a Snuggie that fit three years ago but now only came up to her knees.She said she wanted to be comfortable for the three-hour bus ride [to the game], Heather said. For her to be so relaxed and self-assured before a biig game was great.ddddddddddddThen again, sports have always come easy to Nelson-Ododa -- no need to stress.Track and field was never a serious consideration, although she did win an eighth-grade county championship, with little practice, in the high jump.When she was 6, she attended a University of Georgia womens basketball game with her family. Her parents had no idea she was absorbing the game so thoroughly until they found out she had memorized all the players names and positions.The next year, she asked for season tickets for Christmas.Basketball has always been her passion. And although she has that goofy side -- she once used a toe-print instead of a fingerprint to access her phone -- Nelson-Ododa is fiercely serious about her sport.For six weeks prior to USA Basketball trials in Colorado Springs, Nelson-Ododa took her training to new heights. Among other things, she trained with an elevation mask that restricted her oxygen intake and prepared her for Colorados thin air.Matt Huddleston, her AAU coach, also brought in training partner Kelley Cain, a 6-6, 220-pound professional center who played in Poland this past season and has appeared in the WNBA, as well as leagues in Italy, South Korea and Turkey.Cain, who is 12 years older and 70 pounds heavier than Nelson-Ododa, said she was impressed.As good as she is now, she has potential to get even better, Cain said. Whenever we showed her something, she picked it up in one second.She doesnt realize she is decently strong, and she still hasnt figured out how to use her height. I looked her dead in the eyes, and Im 6-6, so I think shes taller than 6-4.Nelson-Ododa, who has a 3.8 GPA and aspires to be a surgeon, hasnt come up with a list of college finalists yet, but she said she likes South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia Tech and Georgia so far.Cain said Nelson-Ododa is one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet, but she is competitive, too.I blocked her shot a few times, Cain said. That was to help her learn that there are women out there who are her size. But it also taught her that if she can score on me, she can score on just about anyone.In addition to having her work against Cain, Huddleston also brought in a 5-9, ultra-quick male player to give Nelson-Ododa experience at defending a skilled perimeter scorer.The young man we brought in to work with her has been on the mens practice squad for the [WNBA] Atlanta Dream. He pushed Olivia to work on her ball handling and her ability to attack the rim from the perimeter.All of that work has paid off. Through Team USAs first five games, Nelson-Ododa is averaging 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. She is shooting a team-high 56 percent from the field. Team USA plays Australia Friday in the semifinals. The medal games are scheduled for Saturday.Shes a walking legend in our school, Garren said. Shes the best player ever on our campus. Yet shes very humble, and her teammates love her.We were in a summer tournament [last week] in South Carolina, traveling in a van, and every time I looked up, the girls were Face-timing Olivia from Spain.The girls are very happy for Olivia. 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