The 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials continue this evening from Victoria, with just three events on the schedule: the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 200 IM for both men and women. We’ll also see para events unfold, including the 50 butterfly (S5–S7) and the 100 freestyle (S3–S13). The session is expected to take less than two hours.
Stay up to date with live recaps below, and tune in to watch the action live courtesy of CBC Sports on YouTube, embedded below.
The women’s 50 freestyle saw 2016 Olympic champion in the 100 free, Penny Oleksiak, post a personal best of 24.89 to win gold, her first time breaking the 25-second barrier.
Oleksiak, who trains under Jeff Julian, narrowly missed the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut of 24.86 for the World Championships in Singapore this summer. However, she comfortably cleared Swimming Canada’s secondary qualifying standard of 25.11, placing her in Priority 3 for selection. While her spot won’t be officially confirmed until the conclusion of the meet, she’s now in strong contention to be named to the Canadian Worlds roster.
After her swim, Oleksiak reflected on the result with a smile. “Yeah, I’m pretty happy with that. I’ve never really been a 50 freestyler, so I’m happy to be in the mix a little bit there.”
Looking ahead to the rest of her schedule, she added, “100 free tomorrow. That was kind of a warm up, so hopefully that’ll help that.”
Racing at Victoria’s Commonwealth Pool brought back some strong memories for the Canadian star. “Oh, pretty crazy. Pretty good memories from last time. It’s definitely way more packed, but it’s nice to be here.”
And with her first-ever sub-25 clocked, she was asked what’s next in the 50 free. “Hopefully racing in our worlds and being faster.”
The 24-year-old was closely followed by Taylor Ruck, coached by Herbie Behm, who notched a sub-25 swim of her own with a 24.96. Ruck, 25, who holds the Canadian record at 24.26, is already qualified for Worlds thanks to her runner-up finish in the 100 back earlier in the week.
Sarah Fournier rounded out the podium, clocking 25.17 to secure bronze. Her time was a five-hundredth improvement over her previous best of 25.22, set just last month.
Florida Gator and Olympic silver medalist in the 100 butterfly, Josh Liendo, claimed the men’s 50 freestyle title with the only sub-22 performance of the field, clocking 21.88. 22-year-old Liendo, who holds the Canadian record at 21.48, won the event by nearly two-tenths over two-time Olympic bronze medalist Ilya Kharun, who touched in 22.06, a lifetime best but just shy of the 22.05 ‘A’ standard.
Kharun, 20, had out-touched Liendo in the 100 fly the night before, 50.37 to 50.46. Tokyo Olympian Ruslan Gaziev, returning after an 18-month suspension for whereabouts failures, rounded out the podium with a 22.23 for bronze, just off his 22.21 best time from the prelims.
Liendo was asked what draws him to the 50 free and responded by saying, “It’s short, you know. It’s also a lot of fun to train for. And it’s just fun to work on those details, trying your stuff out. I just like, I like the explosiveness and the speed of it. That’s one of my favorite things for sure.”
Reflecting on last summer in Paris, where he finished 9th in the semifinals of the 50 free, then got scratched into the final and placed 4th, he said the experience gave him confidence going forward. “I think it showed me that, you know, even… I didn’t have the best of the morning but I was able to put together a good race in the final.”
Looking ahead to the World Championships in Singapore, he noted a few key areas of focus with his coaches. “Yeah, 100%. Also want to get some more power off the block, you know, dive, stuff like that. And once you get to those big meets, it’s just racing. So just be ready to race when the time comes.”
In the women’s 100 breaststroke, 2023 world champion Alexanne Lepage took gold with a time of 1:06.87. Lepage’s career best is 1:06.58, and after finishing 5th at Olympic Trials last summer despite posting that PB just months earlier to win the World Junior title, tonight’s swim marked a redemption of sorts.
On equaling the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard and securing a spot on the Worlds team, she said, “I’m super happy to be on. The first day was good, but I’m happy to make the team.”
She added, “Yeah, you know, I love racing these girls and it’s always fun to be in the ready room with them and everything, so I’m just happy to be able to have gotten my hand on the wall first.”
When asked if she could tell where she was in the race while swimming straight ahead, she replied, “Not really. It was just head down and go for it.”
Sophie Angus, 26, and a three-time World Championships relay bronze medalist , earned silver with a 1:07.27. Bronze went toShona Branton, who finished in 1:07.79. Angus’s personal best stands at 1:06.66, while Branton has been as quick as 1:06.59.
After defending his 200 breast title earlier in the meet with a new 15-17 Canadian age record, 17-year-old Oliver Dawson made it two-for-two on the week with a win in the 100, upgrading from 5th last year. He set a lifetime best of 1:00.73 as the only man under 1:02 in tonight’s final. While he was well shy of the 59.75 ‘A’ cut and the Canadian secondary standard of 1:00.35, he came close to breaking the 15-17 Canadian age record of 1:00.69 set by Gabe Mastromatteo in 2019, a mark to watch as the summer progresses.
When asked about the swim, Dawson said, “Yeah, that’s what I was aiming for, right? Yeah.”
Dawson’s newly minted best time of 1:00.73 cracks the top ten all-time Canadian rankings, placing him 8th. Asked if he’s happy with that time, he replied, “I think it could be faster. Always can be faster, right?”
Silver and bronze swapped spots from the 200 breast behind Dawson’s win.Apollo Hess took silver with a clocking of 1:02.12, while Justice Migneault earned bronze in 1:02.24. Hess’s personal best is 1:00.99 from placing 2nd at last year’s Trials, and Migneault’s best stands at 1:01.42 from 2023.
Summer McIntosh has done it again, clocking her fifth career long course world record with a sensational 2:05.70 in the 200 IM. The swim erased Katinka Hosszu’s 2:06.12, the final world record held by the Hungarian legend.
McIntosh, who won gold in this event along with the 200 fly and 400 IM in Paris, turned at 1:35.75 through 150 meters, sitting a tenth behind Hosszu’s pace heading into the freestyle leg. She closed in 29.95 to pull ahead and post a time nearly half a second under the old mark.
The biggest key to McIntosh’s swim tonight was the backstroke leg, where she delivered a blistering 30.80 to reach the halfway mark in 57.99, a full second faster than the 31.80 she produced in her previous personal best and Canadian record outing of 2:06.56. She had opened in 27.19 compared to her usual 26.8-range speed, but the controlled start clearly paid off.
Splits Comparison:
McIntosh’s New World Record
McIntosh’s Previous Best Time
Hosszu’s Former World Record
Fly
27.19
26.80
27.30
Back
30.80
31.80
31.64
Breast
37.79
37.53
36.70
Free
29.95
30.43
30.48
Total
2:05.70
2:06.56
2:06.12
Speaking about her strategy, McIntosh said, “Yeah, I mean, breaststroke’s always been my weakest. So in that 50, it was just about trying to get to the wall, knowing I’d be really strong in the last 50 because my first half has been great here so far. So overall, really happy with that time. I’m always just trying to keep pushing forward. I’ll have to look over my splits and see where the breaststroke was, but I’m happy with it.”
On captured this particular world record, she said, “Yeah, I mean, it’s awesome. The 200 IM is my main race out of my top five or six events where I really have to execute perfectly. There’s no room for mistakes and it’s kind of a sprint event for me. So yeah, overall, really happy with that. It gives me a lot of confidence heading into Singapore.”
Asked how she bounced back after swimming an 8:05 in the 800 free last night, McIntosh said, “Just recovering, sleeping as much as possible, eating a lot and always staying hydrated. Making sure I get my warm downs in and things like that. Also mentally calming myself down and taking one race at a time is really important. I’ve had a lot of practice with that these past few years, so every meet I just try to focus on the moment.”
Not to be lost in the mix was Mary-Sophie Harvey, who claimed silver with a 2:08.78, a significant drop from her previous best of 2:09.57 set at last summer’s Olympic Trials. Her time also easily cleared the Worlds ‘A’ cut of 2:12.83 in this race.
After winning the 200 breast on the opening night, Harvey looks poised for a drop in the upcoming 400 IM, where a time in the 4:33 to 4:34 range appears to be well within reach.
Ashley McMillan rounded out the top three, touching in 2:12.08, just over a second off her career best of 2:11.00.
Finlay Knox, who has been battling a back injury over the past few months, continued his domestic reign in the men’s 200 IM. He notched a winning time of 1:57.25 to clear the field by just under a second. Tristan Jankovics, who swims for Ohio State University, logged 1:58.01 for his first time under 1:59 and well under the Worlds cut of 1:59.05. Michigan freshman Lorne Wigginton, the 2023 World Junior bronze medalist in the 400 IM, touched in 2:00.59, about a second off his 1:59.44 personal best.
After the race, Knox said, “Not gonna lie, it was a little bit of a mentally challenging day today. A little disappointed in the 50 back yesterday, but had the 100 breast this morning. It was my first 200 back since the Olympics. So it was just a lot of things going on and I just had to trust myself, just execute a solid race and that’s what I did tonight. So how special.”
Knox is best known for his standout performance in the 200 IM at the 2024 World Championships, where he closed strong on Carson Foster in the last 50 meters to claim his first world title and reset the Canadian record with a time of 1:56.64. He then lowered that record to 1:56.07 at the Canadian Olympic Trials, a time that ranked him 6th in the world for the year. At the 2024 Olympics, he finished 8th in the 200 IM in 1:57.26.
Knox has been Canada’s top IM swimmer since 2021, when he first broke the national record at the Olympic Trials with a 1:58.07. He made his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, placing 17th with a time of 1:58.29.
Para Swimming – Finals
Para swimming is open to athletes with physical disabilities such as dwarfism, amputation/limb loss, blindness/visual impairment, spinal cord injury/wheelchair-users, cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke, cognitive impairment, and Les autres.
Para athletes are classified into categories based on the nature and severity of their impairments: physical (S1-S10), visual (S11-S13), and intellectual (S14). This classification system ensures a level playing field by grouping athletes with similar impairments, allowing for fair competition. To learn more about Para Swimming, including how the points system determines winners rather than time, click here.
Key Highlights:
Danielle Dorris, classified S7, swam 34.25 in the 50 butterfly finals to score 1014 points. She opened the racing in prelims with a slightly faster 34.23, earning 1015 points. While a strong showing, neither swim was a personal best, as Dorris entered the meet with a 32.99.
In the men’s 50 fly finals, Sebastian Massabie, classified S5, broke his prelims national record by swimming 35.84 for 842 points. He first set the record in prelims with a career best of 36.59, which earned 811 points.
World record holder in the S10 classification, Aurelie Rivard posted a mark of 1:02.06 in the women’s 100 freestyle, scoring 965 points. Rivard, who announced she would not be competing at the Para-Worlds this summer, is instead focusing on her pursuit of a law degree for the remainder of the year.
Reid Maxwell broke his own Canadian s8 para record in the men’s 100 free final with a time of 59.59, scoring 991 points and going under one minute for the first time.
The Fenton boys soccer team was No. 4 on our Tri-County Top 10 Fall Teams list. Photos: David Troppens
When it comes to the tri-county’s most dominant sport in the 21st century, the list of contending sports is very short.
But one of the serious contenders on that short list is cross country.
Cross country teams have dominated the tri-county fall landscape ever since this editor has been in his chair. One of the few team state championships that have happened over the last 25 years was provided by a cross country team (2008 Linden boys), and plenty of other squads have finished in the top five at state meets as well. They’ve also won plenty of regional titles and Flint Metro League crowns. Yes, the sports staff knows running 5K races isn’t as glamorous and fan friendly (to some) as maybe going to a Friday football game with a band and cheerleaders adding to the atmosphere, but when it comes to honors cross country is king.
The 2025 Tri-County Top 10 Fall Sports Teams reflects that point. Three cross country teams made the top 10 list and another earned honorable mention status. Of the three that made the top 10, two will be in this final installment of our list.
A couple of other sports that have had successful runs in the 21st century are soccer and cross country. Today’s top four include squads in those sports. But, cross country remains king of the fall sports season.
No. 4 – Fenton boys soccer: What a season it was. It was a season that began with adversity.
Since the end of the Matt Sullivan era, the squad has seen its share of coaches, and there was another coaching change in the fall of 2025. Michael Gilmour took over as the head coach. The season started with two losses in the Tigers’ first three games, making one wonder if the squad could recover from a losing record in 2024. The answer to that question was they 100% could.
The Tigers went on to go unbeaten over their next 10 games (nine wins and one tie). The Tigers were a complete team, dominating on both sides of the pitch. They outscored opponents 59-9 during that run, earning shutout wins in each of the final five wins in that stretch. Wins against Goodrich and Flushing down the stretch earned the Tigers a co-Flint Metro League crown. The only reason it was a co-title had to do with the team that they drew — Brandon. Both of those teams ended up atop the standings.
When the state tourney series began, life got super exciting. The Eagles defeated area rival Linden 5-0 in the opener and then defeated the Goodrich Martians one more time, with a 3-2 shootout victory. The district title match-up was against the fellow co-Metro champs Brandon. In that game, the Tigers won a thrilling 2-1 overtime session against the Blackhawks.
The season wasn’t over. The Tigers hosted the regional tourney and defeated Bay City John Glenn with a 5-1 verdict, setting up a regional championship game against Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood. Unfortunately, that’s when the run ended as the Tigers lost 2-0, the only time Fenton was shutout the entire season. The Tigers final record was 15-4-1. It was a great year.
The boys cross country team was No. 3 on our list.
No. 3 – Fenton boys cross country: This was one of the strangest Flint Metro League seasons in cross country history.
It was a super competitive battle between two tri-county rivals — Fenton and Holly. Both had reason to feel good about the season once it ended.
Fenton won the first jamboree relatively easily (44-89) against the second-place Bronchos. It became evident that the top two teams were going to be the rivals.
The second jamboree saw almost a complete reversal. The Bronchos were healthier and dominated it by beating second-place Fenton 47-71. That meant the final meet was going to decide not only the Flint Metro League champion but which was the Stripes Division champion. It was assumed the same team would win both titles, but that wasn’t what happened.
In the final meet, the Bronchos won the outright Flint Metro League title (55-57) by beating the other 11 teams at the event. However, when taking into account just the six Stripes Division squads, the two teams tied at 37 points. That meant a sixth-man tiebreaker would decide the Stripes portion of the race, and Fenton won it. Therefore the Tigers were not the FML champs, but were the Stripes Division champs.
Fenton followed that meet with their biggest highlight, capturing a Division 2 regional title. The Tigers scored 54 points, winning the regional crown by seven points. The Tigers probably hoped for a slightly better performance at the D2 state meet, but finishing 14th in state was a solid way to end the season.
The Linden girls cross country team was No. 2.
No. 2 – Linden girls cross country: Look at that, another cross country squad. The Eagles have traditionally been one of those elite teams that make cross country such a dominant sport in the tri-county area, so their inclusion at this point isn’t that much of a shock.
In recent seasons, the three-time defending Metro League champions Goodrich has had a hammerlock on the league title so could anyone be blame when one thought that may be the case in the fall of 2025 as well? Probably not. And after the first Metro jamboree, it looked like Linden may be a strong runner-up, finishing second to Goodrich by a 43-68 margin.
The league race changed at the second jamboree which was hosted at Linden’s home course. The Eagles won it with 46 points to Goodrich’s 62, almost the opposite of the first Metro event. That meant the league champion would be determined at the third league meet. It ended up being a close event between the two leaders, but the Eagles ended up winning not only the Flint Metro League Stripes Division title, but also the outright league championship. It was their first league title since 2015.
The regional meet was also held at Linden’s home course and the Eagles finished second with 57 points, 15 behind regional champion Pinckney, but easily ahead of third-place Marian (101). The top three teams qualify for the state meet. While at Michigan International Speedway, the Eagles finished with a strong ninth-place performance.
It’s time to honor the top team on our 2025 Tri- County Top 10 Fall Sports Teams list. Our No. 1 squad is the Lake Fenton volleyball team (above). The Blue Devils advanced to the state quarterfinals.
No. 1 – Lake Fenton volleyball: The Blue Devils were a team of perseverance this fall. Here they are, at the No. 1 spot. And yet, if this poll was done let’s say two weeks before their regular season was over, the squad didn’t really have that “best area fall sports team vibe.”
One of the team’s first highlights was a home game against Goodrich on the football field, but the Martians actually won that contest in five sets, which meant for most of the Flint Metro League Stars Division season, the Blue Devils were in second place, waiting for that second chance to play Goodrich. When they did it was another five-set match, but this time won by the Blue Devils. The teams ended up tied for the Stars Division title, but the Blue Devils ended up being the division representative in the Flint Metro League championship match for the fourth straight season. This time the Blue Devils played Linden for the title. As had happened each of the previous three seasons, the Blue Devils lost that title match in four sets. Considering the two rivals would probably collide in the district tourney as well, it felt like Lake Fenton’s season would end without a district crown as well.
But, that wasn’t the case at all. The team was led by a prideful senior class that wanted to end their careers with a bang, and they did.
The Blue Devils defeated Corunna in a district opening contest and then faced Linden for the district title match. Lake Fenton swept that match 25-22, 25-22, 26-24 avenging the Metro title defeat.
The next step was regional action. Lake Fenton just kept getting better. The Blue Devils defeated Frankenmuth 25-16, 25-11, 25-19 in the regional semifinal, and then beat rival Goodrich 24-26, 25-19, 25-14, 25-17 to win the regional championship.
That placed the Blue Devils in the Division 2 state quarterfinals against the top-ranked team in the state, Detroit Country Day. The Blue Devils battled hard against Country Day, losing a 25-17, 23-25, 25- 14, 26-24 verdict in what was probably their best season performance despite the loss. The Blue Devils finished with just a 26-16 record, but no tri-county team progressed from day one to the end of the season like they did, creating the most memorable postseason run of the fall. And that helped the Blue Devils earn our No. 1 spot.
Youngstown State begins a busy January and resumes Horizon League play by hosting Oakland on Monday inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. Tipoff against the Golden Grizzlies is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, 570 WKBN and iHeartRadio.
Gameday Info
Youngstown State vs. Oakland
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
Tickets | Gameday & Parking Information | Visitors Guide | Promotional Schedule | YSU Mobile App – iOS – Android
Advance tickets for Monday’s game are available online through YSUsports.com and at the Stambaugh Stadium Athletic Ticket Office. The ticket office and gates inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center will open 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
Promotions
Game Preview
The Penguins enter a nine-game month and a three-game week after winning their final three contests of December. YSU earned big wins over UMass and Cleveland State away from Youngstown to bookend the holiday break, and it finished its nonconference slate with a 97-20 win over Division II Salem University on New Year’s Eve. The 77-point win over the Tigers was the second-largest margin of victory in program history, and the Penguins set a new program record for fewest points allowed in a game. YSU improved to 10-4 overall, and it looks to build on its 3-1 start to Horizon League play with three straight conference games on Rosselli Court during this four-game homestand.
Eight different Penguins scored at least six points in Wednesday’s nonconference finale, and bench players contributed 52 of the team’s 97 points. Hayden Barrier scored a career-high 18 points, and Paulina Hernandez was in double figures for the second straight game with 15 points. The junior forward averaged 16.5 points and shot 65% from the field in two games last week, and she leads the Horizon League with 1.9 blocks per game. Erica King was the top-scoring starter against the Tigers with 16 points, and the sophomore guard ranks second on the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game.
Sixth-year senior Casey Santoro continues to lead the Penguins in scoring with 12.9 points per game from the point-guard position, and she is 11-for-23 on 3-point attempts in the last three games. The other three starters — Sophia Gregory, Danielle Cameron and Sarah Baker — average between 8.1 and 10.3 points per game as Youngstown State continues to showcase a balanced attack in an improved offense that ranks among the top three in the Horizon League in scoring, field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and assists. Gregory, a Preseason First-Team All-Horizon League selection, is the only one in the group who started more than eight games last season.
A Win Would…
Give the Penguins an 11-4 record, which would be their best mark through 15 games since the 2021-22 team started 14-1. YSU would be 11-4 or better for the seventh time in the last 14 seasons.
Improve the Penguins’ all-time record against Oakland to 22-15 and be their seventh straight win over the Golden Grizzlies.
Improve YSU’s home record to 5-1 this season.
Give YSU at least four wins in its first five Horizon League games for the fifth time in program history.
Give head coach Melissa Jackson her 95th career win, her 23rd at Youngstown State, and her fourth career victory over Oakland.
Milestone Watch
Hayden Barrier needs three points to reach 100 for her career. She has 84 points this season after scoring 13 points as a freshman.
Sophia Gregory needs two blocks to reach 50 for her career.
Paulina Hernandez is 15 points shy of 200 in her career. She has scored 99 of her 185 career points this season.
Casey Santoro is closing in on 300 career assists, needing 15.
A Glimpse at the Guins
Team Notes
YSU is in its second season under head coach Melissa Jackson. The Penguins are 10-4 overall and 4-1 at home. YSU is 6-3 away from home, which is already three more wins than it had in 2024-25.
The Penguins posted an incredible 3.86 team GPA in the fall semester. YSU has had one of the top 25 GPAs in the country in 14 of the past 15 seasons.
While 73% of YSU’s roster consists of returners, only Sophia Gregory and Erica King played in more than 10 games and averaged at least 14 minutes per game for YSU in 2024-25.
YSU has used the same starting lineup of Gregory, King, Sarah Baker, Danielle Cameron and Casey Santoro in every game. Gregory is the only one in the group who started more than eight games last season.
The Penguins didn’t get their eighth Division I victory until their 26th game on Feb. 22 last season, and they are 8-4 against Division I opponents in 2025-26.
The Penguins are shooting 45% from the field, which is second in the league and 7.2% better than last season. YSU is also second in the HL in 3-point percentage at .340, up from .283 in 2024-25. The Penguins are averaging 70.0 points, up from 59.7.
Player Notes
Sarah Baker is averaging 10.3 points, which ranks third on the team, and Danielle Cameron is averaging 8.1 points. Baker missed YSU’s final 22 games of 2024-25, and Cameron missed the last 29… Both have earned Horizon Freshman of the Week honors this season… Sophia Gregory was the Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2024-25 and was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team. She ranks second in the HL with 8.1 rebounds per game, and she’s sixth with 3.0 assists per game… Paulina Hernandez leads the Horizon League and ranks 29th in the nation with 1.9 blocks per game… Erica King is averaging 5.1 more points than last season, and she has already surpassed her freshman totals in assists, steals and rebounds… Bella Samz is the longest-tenured Penguin in her third season with the program… Casey Santoro, a sixth-year senior transfer point guard, is the team’s leader in points, assists, 3-pointers and minutes.
Scouting Oakland
Oakland is 4-10 overall and 1-3 in Horizon League play coming into Monday’s contest. The Golden Grizzlies ended December with an impressive 61-58 win at Robert Morris, and they fell 84-64 at home against Purdue Fort Wayne in their most-recent game on Friday.
Cali Denson is Oakland’s top scorer at 12.2 points per game, and she leads the team with 24 3-pointers. She has been out the last four games. Angie Smith also averages double figures with 10.1 points per game, and Layla Gold is the top rebounder with 5.0 per contest.
The Golden Grizzlies average 6.4 3-pointers per contest, which ranks sixth in the conference. Oakland is third in the league with 3.4 blocks per game, but opponents have been able to shoot 44.9% from the field against the Golden Grizzlies so far this season.
Oakland has played its last 13 games against Division I opponents, including three against Big Ten opponents. Keisha Newell is in her first season as Oakland’s head coach.
Youngstown State holds a 21-15 edge in the 36-game history of the series that dates back to the 1998-99 season. Oddly, each team has a better record on the road in the series than on their respective home floors. YSU is 10-9 against the Golden Grizzlies at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center and 10-6 on the road in the series. The Penguins have won seven straight meetings at the OU Credit Union O’rena dating back to Feb. 1, 2018.
YSU has won six straight meetings overall in the series since Oakland eliminated the Penguins from the Horizon League Tournament in 2022, and the Penguins are 12-4 since 2018.
The programs were both members of the Mid-Continent Conference for three seasons from 1998-99 through 2000-01, and they have been members of the Horizon League together since 2013-14. YSU has an 18-9 record in the series since Oakland joined the league.
Last Time vs. Oakland
Jewel Watkins scored 11 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter, and Youngstown State made the final defensive stand to secure a 52-51 win at Oakland on Feb. 22, 2025. Watkins scored the Penguins’ final 11 points and drilled a key 3-pointer with 2:40 left to give YSU a four-point cushion. Oakland closed to within one in the final minute, but the Penguins forced a turnover on the Golden Grizzlies’ last possession.
Sophia Gregory posted 16 points and 11 rebounds for her third straight double-double while tying the program’s freshman blocks record with her 30th of the season. Haley Thierry added 11 rebounds as YSU won the glass 39-31. The Penguins led for more than 30 minutes.
Recapping Salem
Game Summary
Youngstown State set a program record for the fewest points allowed in a game Wednesday, defeating Division II Salem University 97-20 at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins held the Tigers to 11.9% shooting, breaking a defensive record that had stood since 1990. Despite a 90-minute delay due to Salem’s travel issues, YSU opened the game with a 16-0 run and led 59-9 at halftime.
Sophomore guard Hayden Barrier scored a career-high 18 points to lead the offense, while Erica King and Paulina Hernandez added 16 and 15 points, respectively. YSU’s bench provided a significant lift, outscoring Salem’s reserves 52-0.
Notes
YSU won its 32nd straight contest against non-Division I opponents.
Youngstown State shot 59.1% from the field, and it was shooting 60% until a miss on its final attempt of the game. The Penguins had shot 60% or better from the field just six times previously in school history.
All 11 Penguins scored at least four points, and each starter scored at least six points. No Penguins played 21:05.
The 59 points in the first half were the second-most the Penguins have ever scored in an opening half. The 32 points in the second quarter tied for the sixth-highest total in a quarter, and it tied for the highest-scoring second period.
The Penguins’ 26 assists were the most in a game since they had 31 against WVU Tech on Dec. 6, 2022.
While the offense certainly had a good performance, it was the defense that had a record-breaking day.
The 20 points allowed broke the previous record low of 25 scored by Malone on Dec. 29, 1990. YSU had allowed fewer than 30 points just four times previously. Salem’s nine points in the first half were the second-fewest allowed by the Penguins, behind Detroit Mercy’s eight on Jan. 13, 2007. The 11 points in the second half tied for the fifth-fewest allowed.
Youngstown State also limited Salem to 11.9% shooting from the field as it got work in with its man-to-man and zone defenses. The Tigers went 1-for-20 from 3-point range.
Brooke Adkins played a career-high 26 minutes.
Hayden Barrier scored a game- and career-high 18 points, going 7-for-13 from the field overall and 4-for-9 from 3-point range.
Sophia Gregory surpassed 400 career points, going 4-for-4 in an eight-point effort.
Paulina Hernandez scored 15 points and blocked at least three shots for the sixth time this season.
Dacia Lewandowski set new career highs with seven rebounds and four assists.
Bella Samz set a new career high with six assists.
Casey Santoro made multiple 3-pointers for the third straight game. She is 11-for-23 from long distance in her last three contests.
Ashlynn Van Tassell set new career highs with seven points, four rebounds, an assist and 12 minutes.
Up Next
Youngstown State will continue its four-game homestand on Thursday by hosting Northern Kentucky. The game will begin at 7:17 p.m. as part of a special promotion with 7 17 Credit Union. More details on the promotion can be found here.
AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — Funeral arrangements were announced for a 15-year-old girl killed in Amarillo on New Year’s Day.
Visitation for Brynlee Hampton’s family will be from 5-6 p.m. Monday at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, at Hillside Christian Church.
Hampton and seven other people were on their way home from a party when she was shot around 1:10 a.m. Thursday.
According to court documents obtained by ABC 7 News, Jeremiah Matthews, 17, was waving and gun around in the car and pointing it at the faces of other passengers. The gun went off and shot Hampton through the front passenger seat.
Landrey Matthews, 17, is accused of taking the gun from Jeremiah after the shooting and throwing it down the street.
Brynlee’s Obituary
Brynnlee Elizabeth Hampton, 15, of Amarillo, Texas passed away on January 1, 2026.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 P.M. – 6:30 P.M., Monday, January 5, 2026, at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home, 2800 Paramount Blvd. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at Hillside Christian Church. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, Amarillo.
Brynnlee was born in Childress, Texas on February 18, 2010, to Emmalee Dawn Melton and Justin Paul Hampton.
She was a sophomore at Tascosa High School, where she played volleyball and was a proud member of the National Honor Society. She also played competitively for AEV Volleyball. Deeply rooted in her faith, she spent time each day journaling and reflecting, and she was known for sending Bible verses to her family as a source of encouragement and love. Her Bible, well-worn and lovingly highlighted, was a reflection of the faith that guided her life. She had a strong and kind spirit that touched everyone who knew her. She was deeply loved and will be deeply missed.
She is survived by her parents, Emmalee and Jess Yap of the home, parents, Justin Hampton and Stephanie Arbogast; grandparents, Gordon and Cindy Melton, Lonnie and Gerelene Hurd, Annie Hampton, Aaron Lopez, Thess Yap; great-grandparents, Elvira Yap, Pina Lopez, Doris Melton; and her brothers, Preston Yap and Dawson Yap.
When watching St. Thomas More’s volleyball team play, it’s hard not to notice Eleanor Guidry.
As the Cougars’ libero, Guidry wears a different uniform color than her teammates, but that’s not the only reason the defensive specialist stands out.
Guidry often makes difficult digs look routine and has established herself as the anchor of the Cougars’ defense.
“She’s so consistent and she has great range,” coach Jessica Burke said of the 5-foot-6 senior. “She has great platform awareness, can put the ball and manipulate the ball how she wants. She takes up a lot of space in serve-receive and defense, so that helped take the pressure off some of our kids that were new to the passing unit.”
Guidry finished last season with 651 digs, 42 aces, 42 assists and a 2.23 pass rating on 802 attempts this past season.
“El makes the hard things look easy and that’s the mark of a really good player,” Burke said. “She’s not flashy. She doesn’t do more than she needs to do. She reads extremely well, so she is in the right place at the right time. She has great range, so if she is hitting the floor then she is making a big play. It’s a play that most liberos wouldn’t even get to.”
In 2025, Guidry helped lead the Cougars to a 41-5 record and a fifth consecutive Division II state championship. For her efforts, she was named the Acadiana Advocate volleyball team’s Most Valuable Player.
“I think it is well deserved,” Burke said. “This kid works so hard all of the time. She takes zero days off and she has zero quit. Anything I ask her to do, she does it. Any adjustments I ask her to make, she makes them. It’s hard sometimes for people to recognize the libero because they’re just first contact. They don’t get the big kill or they’re not running the offense as a setter, but they’re so integral to a great team.”
COMMERCE – East Texas A&M University men’s basketball player Josh Taylor and women’s basketball player Nina Horvath are this week’s Dixie Turman State Farm Agency Student-Athletes of the Week.
Taylor (Wollongong, Australia) appeared in all three games last week, averaging 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds, which included 17 points and six rebounds off the bench at Nicholls. The Lions play at New Orleans on Monday before returning home to host UTRGV on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Horvath (Oberwart, Austria) guided the Lions to a 2-1 week, starting all three games and averaging 12 points per game as well as 2.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. In the win at New Orleans, she led all scorers with 24 points. The Lion women play both their games at home this week, hosting A&M-Corpus Christi for Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. and UTRGV on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The Dixie Turman State Farm Agency Student-Athletes of the Week is awarded by Lion Athletics each week during the academic year in partnership with Dixie Turman State Farm Agency.
2025-26 DIXIE TURMAN STATE FARM STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
