Gabby Douglas is officially back.

Whether the gymnastics star’s return to the sport carries all the way to the Paris Olympics remains to be seen.

Douglas, who became the first Black woman to win the Olympic all-around title when she triumphed in London in 2012, competed for the first time in eight years on Saturday at the American Classic.

The 28-year-old looked rusty in spots and promising in others while posting a score of 50.65 in the all-around. Douglas qualified in multiple events for the U.S. Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, next month. She will get another chance to qualify for the all-around competition at nationals when she takes the floor at the the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 18.

Minnesota native Sunisa Lee also competed at the meet. Lee, who has dealt with kidney-related health issues the last two years, put together a dazzling bars routine to win easily with a score of 15.200.

Football

Former Gophers find way to NFL after draft ends

Former Gophers tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford was not selected in the final rounds of the NFL draft on Saturday, but the St. Cloud native signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys.

Gophers receiver Corey Crooms also signed with the Cowboys, while defensive tackle Kyler Baugh signed with the New Orleans Saints.

Spann-Ford, who attended the Senior Bowl and the scouting combine, and Baugh were considered possible late-round picks. Safety Tyler Nubin ended up being the U’s only draft pick this year, going to the New York Giants in the second round with the 47th overall pick on Friday night.

Receiver Chris Autman-Bell has been invited to the Giants and Jets rookie minicamps, according to KPRC-TV in Houston.

— Andy Greder

355-pound right tackle from UTEP joins Gophers

The Gophers gained a commitment from Texas-El Paso transfer offensive lineman Aluma Nkele on Saturday.

Nkele, who is listed at 6-foot-6 and 355 pounds, has two years of eligibility remaining for the U.

“B10 BIG DREAMS,” Nkele posted on social media.

Nkele played 252 snaps at right tackle across 10 games for UTEP last season. He played 16 snaps at right tackle across three games in 2022

The Gophers aalso added to their 2025 recruiting class with Avon, Ind., defensive end Enoch Atewogbola on Saturday.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound, three-star player had offers from Boston College, Marshall, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois.

— Andy Greder

basketball

Former Lynx headline women’s basketball HOF

Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus gave the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony a huge Minnesota feel.

Moore and Augustus helped the Lynx win four WNBA championships in their time with the team.

The pair also led the U.S. to Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, while Augustus was also part of the 2008 team.

Other inductees included former players Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who played her final two years with the Lynx, and Rita Gail Easterling; former official Violet Palmer, the first woman to referee an NBA game; and coaches Sue Phillips and Roonie Scovel.

Golf

Former BYU teammates lead PGA in New Orleans

Former BYU teammates Patrick Fishburn and Zach Blair shot a 12-under 60 in better-ball play Saturday to take the third-round lead in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA Tour’s only team event.

At 23-under 193, Fishburn and Blair had a one-stroke lead over Luke List and Henrik Norlander, with the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry — tied for the lead after each of the first two rounds — two strokes back.

Fishburn and Blair, both winless on the PGA Tour, have been playing golf together since their junior high school days in Ogden, Utah.

Kim, Green tied for LPGA lead

Grace Kim stumbled to a 5-over 76 on Saturday in the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship — and still held onto a share of the lead.

Four strokes ahead entering the day after rounds of 64 and 66, Kim was tied with fellow Australian Hannah Green, the defending champion who saved par with a 12-footer on the par-3 18th for a 70. They were at 7-under 206.

Maja Stark was a stroke back with Jin Hee Im, the South Korean player who had a back-nine 30 in a 63 for the best round of the day, and Germany’s Esther Henseleit (71). Nasa Hataoka of Japan was 5 under after a 64.

Steele leads LIV Adelaide by one stroke

Three-time PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele shot an 8-under 64 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the LIV Tour’s Adelaide tournament at The Grange Golf Club.

The 41-year-old Steele’s last PGA Tour victory came in 2017 when he won his second Safeway Open. He lost in a playoff to Australian Cameron Smith at the 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii.

Danny Lee was a stroke behind after a 67, followed by Carlos Ortiz (68) and Mito Pereira (67) in a tie for third.

Motorsports

Kyle Busch wins NASCAR Dover pole

Kyle Busch turned a fast lap of 162.191 mph on Saturday and won the pole for the NASCAR Cup series race at Dover Motor Speedway.

Busch earned his first pole win of the season and No. 34 overall in 689 NASCAR Cup Series races. Busch is winless in 10 Cup races this season.

Busch is joined by Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney on the front row for Sunday’s 400-mile race on the concrete-mile track.

Briefly

Tennis >> Rafael Nadal beat 11th-ranked Alex de Minaur 7-6 (6), 6-3 at the Madrid Open on Saturday.

— From news services