conditioning. The defense had a co

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Virginia Thrasher went through a three-week spring whirlwind, winning three NCAA titles and a spot on the U.S. Olympic Shooting team.The precocious 19-year-old closed out the summer with her biggest surprise yet.Keeping her nerve on sports biggest stage, Thrasher on Saturday earned the first gold medal of the Rio Olympics, outlasting two-time gold medalist Du Li to capture the womens 10-meter air rifle title.This is beyond my wildest dreams, Thrasher said. I knew it was a realistic expectation for me to get into the finals and once you get into the finals, anything can happen. For me, this year has been incredible.Thrasher had a quick rise to the top.A figure skater growing up, she switched sports five years ago after a hunting trip with her family. Thrasher killed a deer with her first shot of her first hunting trip and has continued to hit the mark wherever shes gone.Thrasher was not expected to be among the top five scorers -- all that counts in NCAA competition -- at shooting powerhouse West Virginia, yet got better as the season progressed. She became the first freshman to win both NCAA rifle titles and led the Mountaineers to the team championship.Less than a month later, Thrasher won the U.S. Olympic Trials, earning a spot in Rio.She didnt flinch at the sports brightest spotlight -- or an air horn.Though not expected to be a medal contender, Thrasher finished a spot behind fellow American Sarah Scherer at sixth in qualifying to make the eight-person final.She opened the elimination finals -- a new format in this years Olympics -- with a perfect 10.9 and was in the lead after Scherer became the first shooter knocked out.Thrasher stayed in the top spot as her competitors fell off, consistently hitting 10s despite a fan blowing an air horn at random times.Thrasher entered the final with a 0.7-point lead and opened with a solid 10.5, which Li matched. Thrasher smiled after a 10.4 left a slight opening, but Lis 10.1 on her final shot sent Thrasher on a surprising trip to the podium.In the finals, about halfway through, it kind of became clear to me that I was in contention for a medal, Thrasher said. But I quickly pushed that thought away and focused on breathing, just taking one shot at a time.Thrasher pulled it off against two of the worlds best rifle shooters, Li and Yi Siling.Li won gold medals in air rifle in 2004 at the Athens Games and in 3-position rifle in Beijing four years later. She also competed in the 2012 London Games and pulled off a clutch shot in the Rio final, hitting 10.9 to stay alive in the second round.Yi took a similar path as Thrashers, earning air rifle gold at the 2012 London Games just three years after starting her international shooting career.Thrasher stood her ground against the two Chinese shooters in the medal eliminations, hitting nothing lower than 10.4. Yi went out after a 9.8 on her final shot to earn bronze and Thrasher finished with a cumulative score of 208.0 to beat Li by a point in front of a rowdy crowd.I heard the cheers and the horns and it was very disturbing, Yi said. But I just had to control myself. I also looked up and saw that Virginia and Du Li were doing well themselves.Thrasher ended up on top of the podium and her whirlwind will wind down soon; a biomedical engineering major, she starts classes again at West Virginia on Aug. 17.Im actually looking forward to getting back to school again, Thrasher said.She will have a new title when she returns: Olympic champion. Riley Ridley Youth Jersey . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. David Montgomery Bears Jersey . 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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Packers coach Mike McCarthy is confident that quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Green Bays struggling offense will get better.Two games into the season, the results have been uncharacteristically ugly.The Packers (1-1) are ranked 29th in the NFL in total offense and a 31st in passing. Rodgers and the rest of the offense looked out of sync in last weeks loss at Minnesota.I have great confidence in Aaron, McCarthy said before practice Wednesday when asked how his veteran quarterback bounces back from subpar games.Ive never trusted a quarterback or an individual as a player more than I trust Aaron Rodgers.His overall resume is outstanding. A two-time NFL MVP, Rodgers 103.8 career passer rating is the best in NFL history.But Rodgers hasnt had a passer rating over 100 since Week 6 last season. While Rodgers has still been good since that game last October against San Diego, the stats havent measured up to the high standards he has set since becoming the starter in 2008.In the 17-14 loss to the Vikings on Sunday, Rodgers was 20 of 36 for 213 yards with one touchdown, but his one interception came late in the fourth quarter to end the Packers hopes for a comeback. Rodgers also fumbled three times, losing one .Its a process. And hes no different than any other player, McCarthy said. Fundamentals (are) something youre always chasing as a football team, and its no different at the quarterback position.Rodgers anticipated the pointed questions that would come his way on Wednesday in the locker room. Yes, Rodgers said, he bears a lot of the responsibility. Hes especially frustrated by the uncharacteristic fumbles.As a leader you have to take the blame when is necessary and even sometimes when its not your fault, Rodgers said. I didnt play as well as I wanted to last week, and I turned the ball over twice, and I cant do that if were going to win the game. So Ive got to play better and Ive got to play more efficiently on ooffense.ddddddddddddHe indicated that timing was an issue. Connecting with receivers at just the right point when they make breaks on routes is essential to the Packers scheme. Proper timing cuts down on the need for the offensive line to hold blocks longer than expected.But one thing that Rodgers isnt worried about is the media scrutiny.This is not an end-of-the-world-type moment, like everythings coming down on top of us, Rodgers said. We appreciate what you do, but were not ultimately judged or worried about your opinions of us and your scrutiny of us.Hes more concerned about what McCarthy and his coaches have to say. So far, the boss likes the intensity that he has seen from his players.The work ethic is outstanding, for Aaron and our guys, and well improve off last week, McCarthy said. Im confident in that.INJURY REPORTMcCarthy pushed the practice schedule back Wednesday afternoon so his team could spend more time on strength and conditioning. The defense had a couple of notable injuries from the Vikings game, including a sore hamstring for safety Morgan Burnett.Burnett did not practice, along with LB Clay Matthews, who is nursing ankle and hamstring injuries. Both rode stationary bikes during the portion of practice open to media. DE/LB Datone Jones and DT Letroy Guion, who both have knee injuries, also missed practice.Three players sidelined the first two games of the season returned to practice: LB Jayrone Elliott, S Chris Banjo and CB Josh Hawkins. Each had hamstring injuries.QUOTABLEIm not reading or listening to the stuff thats being said. I know he has a very high standard for us and I dont think anyone will hold him higher than what he holds himself, -- WR Jordy Nelson about scrutiny on Rodgers.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '