Racer Nation,
 
Over the past year, Murray State Athletics has experienced one of its most successful seasons in program history driven by our collective commitment to competitive excellence.
 

From Baseball’s historic run to the College World Series, to Women’s Basketball capturing both conference titles and only the second NCAA Tournament berth in school history, our programs have risen to new heights. Rifle extended its dominance with a fifth-straight league crown and another NCAA appearance, Tennis added a conference title, and Men’s Golf and Women’s Track & Field were represented on the national stage. We also welcomed new Men’s Basketball Head Coach Ryan Miller, who has already made a strong early impact with a talented staff and an exciting roster of new student-athletes.
 
Amid these accomplishments, college athletics is entering a transformational era. On July 1, 2025, the House v. NCAA settlement will officially take effect, creating a new national model that directly impacts all Division I programs—including ours.
 
What This Means for Murray State:
 
Revenue Sharing Implementation
Murray State will participate in the new revenue-sharing structure beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Our focus remains on building a program that can consistently compete for and win championships. Oversight and compliance will be managed through CAPS (Cap Management System), led by LBI—the same group that supports professional leagues.
 
Transition to Roster Limits
The current scholarship model will be replaced by sport-specific roster limits. While some current roster sizes will be grandfathered in, this change may impact overall participation. We are working closely with our coaches to manage this transition thoughtfully.
 
NIL Oversight Through “NIL Go”
All third-party NIL agreements valued at $600 or more will require pre-approval through a new national clearinghouse, NIL Go, managed by Deloitte. This system ensures legitimacy by reviewing each agreement’s purpose, activity, and funding. We’re partnering with the Blue & Gold Standard to help our student-athletes navigate this process and continue building strong NIL opportunities across all programs.
 
These historic shifts are significant, but they also present a powerful opportunity. We’re embracing the future with clarity, preparation, and confidence with determination to maintain our edge in the Missouri Valley Conference and on the national stage.
 
TOGETHER, we’re building something remarkable. Thank you for standing with us as we elevate Murray State Athletics in this new chapter.
 
Go Racers!
 
Nico Yantko
Director of Athletics
Murray State University
 

BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana State University Billings and Director of Athletics Michael Bazemore have announced the selection of Scott Keister to become the next head coach of the MSUB volleyball program.

“Please join me in welcoming Scott and his family to the Yellowjacket Community,” said Director of Athletics Michael Bazemore. “With over 25 years of experience at multiple levels, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge in the sport and a hunger and desire to bring his skill set to MSUB. We look forward to supporting Scott and our student-athletes in this next era of Yellowjacket Volleyball.”

Keister has been named the 15th head coach in the program’s history, bringing more than 25 years of coaching experience, including 22 years at the collegiate level. Keister was most recently at Northwest College (Wyoming) from the 2020-2024 seasons where he held an 87-63 (.580) record.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity I’ve been entrusted with to lead the MSUB volleyball program,” said Keister. “Athletics Director Michael Bazemore and his entire staff have been so kind and welcoming throughout this process and I’m excited to work with them all as we strive to build the program moving forward. I’m excited to be a part of the MSUB and Billings community, and I’m excited to work with the Yellowjacket student-athletes.”

Prior to Keister’s time at Northwest College, he spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Salt Lake Community College. During his time with the Bruins, he helped guide them to three NJCAA National Tournament appearances, while winning two region titles and coaching five All-Americans. In 2013, Keister was named the AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year after one of the most successful seasons in SLCC history.

Almost 15 years later, Keister and his family are set to make their way back to big sky country. In 2010, Keister was named an assistant volleyball coach for Sara Schaub’s staff at Montana State University, where he spent two years in Bozeman. Schaub, the Bobcats’ head coach from 2008-2011, was the head coach of the Yellowjackets for the 2007 season before departing for MSU and eventually hiring Keister.

Keister was also part of the University of Utah and Westminster (UT) volleyball programs and has coached throughout various club programs in Utah and Montana. He has spent time in the USA Volleyball pipeline serving as a director of High Performance for Intermountain Volleyball.

Keister is from Evansville, Indiana, and made his way to Rexburg, Idaho to play collegiate volleyball at Ricks College while earning an associate degree. He then received an undergraduate degree from Weber State, in an integrated studies program that combined coaching, physical education, and history.

For more information on Yellowjacket Volleyball, including information on the upcoming 2025 season, please visit www.msubsports.com.

EUGENE, Ore. – Pete deJonge, Jacques Guillaume, Nathan Kent, Murphy Smith and David Walker each garnered All-America honors to close out the 2025 season for the Navy men’s track and field team at the NCAA Outdoor Championship on Wednesday night at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
 
“It wasn’t the day we wanted, obviously, but I’m really proud of the team,” said director of track and field Jamie Cook. “The ability to get here and perform on this stage is still an impressive accomplishment because not many people make it this far. I’m proud of these guys and the program. We’re going to learn from this and move on to get better.
 
“I also want to give special thanks to coach Aaron Lanzel for doing a great job, our operations coordinator Austin Balen and our athletic trainer Kayla Ruszin for going above and beyond to make everything smooth for these guys.”
 
Kent led the Mids when he earned Second-Team All-America honors in the 400m for the second-straight season. The rising senior from Rocklin, Calif., clocked the fourth-fastest time in program history (45.46) to place third in his semifinal heat and 10^th overall.  He made a valiant push in the final 100m but came up just short of qualifying for the finals by two-hundredths of a second.
 
“It was a good effort by Kent today,” said Cook. “He really pushed himself in the final 100 meters. Obviously, we’re all a little disappointed that he just missed qualifying for the finals, but he still ran a great race.”
 
Smith made his NCAA Championship debut by placing 13^th in the 10,000m final to earn Second-Team All-America honors.  The recent graduate recorded the 10th-best time in Navy history with a clocking of 29:18.39.
 
“Murphy [Smith] ran a tough last mile and posted a sub-14-minute split in the second half of the 5,000m, which was a really impressive performance,” said Cook.
 
The 4x400m relay semifinals closed out the first night of the championship. The team of 2025 graduate Guillaume, rising junior Walker, recent graduate deJonge and Kent recorded the fifth-fastest time in school history (3:06.81) to finish in seventh place in the heat and 20th overall.  The quartet, which earned Honorable Mention All-America recognition Wednesday night, has now combined to set five of Navy’s all-time top-10 4x400m relay times.
 
“We fell short of where I thought we could be in the 4x400m relay. It just wasn’t our night,” Cook added. “But that’s still a special group, and it’s a big accomplishment to fight and reach this stage.”
 
Kent totaled three All-America honors in his career, while deJonge, Guillaume, Smith and Walker all earned the accolade for the first time.
 

Butler alumna and former Bulldog volleyball player Kelly (Kyle) Kidd was recently named to the USA Deaf Women’s volleyball team. She previously competed with the Deaf National Team, from 2013-2019, before Covid and pregnancy prevented her from competing in 2020. This year, she will make her comeback and become a Deaflympian as the women, who earned silver at the recent World Deaf Championships, will be traveling to Japan for the Deaflympics this November. 
 
Kidd competed for Butler for three seasons, from 2011-2013. The Crawfordsville, Indiana, native was named to the 2011 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.
 

EUGENE, Ore. – Coming into his final attempt in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Wisconsin men’s track and field standout Jason Swarens knew he needed a huge throw. 

The NCAA leader in the event with a PR of 70 feet, 1 ½ inches (21.37m), Swarens had led the competition through the opening round but several clutch marks by other competitors had moved the Badger down to fourth heading into his final toss. 

Swarens delivered on his final attempt at Hayward Field as the senior won the national title in the shot put thanks to a heave of 69-8 (21.23m).

“At our home meet I threw 21.37 meters there and I knew it was going to take 21 to win today,” Swarens said. “I wish I had done that a little earlier but I’ll take it.”

Swarens becomes the first Badger male to win a national title in the shot put and the first male thrower to win a NCAA title since Michael Lihrman won consecutive indoor weight throw titles in 2014 and 2015. 

“​​Jason earned this one,” UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. “He’s been close a few times and he never quit on himself. To hit that monster throw on his last time in the circle as a Badger with the national title on the line speaks volumes about his character as an athlete. 

“The minute the shot left his hand you just knew it was a huge throw.”

The Terre Haute, Indiana native posted an unforgettable senior season with a sweep of the Big Ten indoor and outdoor shot put titles. He placed third in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships, earning All-America honors and proved himself among the nations best. Swarens cemented his status as a Badger great, setting school records in both the indoor and outdoor shot put, marking the end of a decorated collegiate career. 

“I’ve always wanted to solidify myself as one of the greatest shot putters at Wisconsin,” Swarens said. “Today was the icing on the cake.”

Fellow senior Joseph White wrapped up his time competing for the Cardinal and White, etching his name in the history books and placing ninth in the shot put at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a throw of 63-4 (19.30m). 

In just one year, the senior became the school record holder in the discus, climbed to No. 2 all-time in the outdoor shot put and earned First-Team All-America honors in the shot put along with Second-Team All-America honors in the weight throw at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships. The Kenosha, Wisconsin native claimed silver in the discus at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.  

Spencer shines in 1500 semifinals

Spencer showed why he is one of the favorites for the title in the 1500 meters on Wednesday as the senior ran the fastest time in the event to automatically advance to Friday’s final.

After starting the race in the middle of the pack, Spencer took control of the race midway through and cruised to a time of 3 minutes, 41.67 seconds to win his section of the event. 

“The first heat went out so slow,” Spencer said. “It’s a real relief when they go out slow because then all you have to do is run faster. It was kind of nice to see. I was pretty shocked that some pretty big names missed out on the final but I was trying not to focus on that too much and instead focus on getting the job done and getting to the final.”

Spencer will race for a NCAA title on Friday at 7:12 p.m. CT live on ESPN2. 

Williams wraps up junior campaign 

Jalen Williams capped off his junior campaign by placing 16th in the 400 meters with a time of 46.06 seconds, competing among the fastest athletes in the country at Hayward Field. 

Williams made his mark early in the outdoor season, delivering consistent performances that culminated in a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships in the 400 meters. But perhaps the defining moment of his season came when he shattered the Wisconsin school record in the outdoor 400 with a time of 45.49, setting a program-best mark that cemented his name in the Badger history books.

Hooper concludes Badger career 

Badgers Cole Hooper closed out his collegiate season with Second-Team All-America honors thanks to a 16th-place finish in the hammer throw. The senior launched the hammer 216-6 (65.98) in his NCAA Outdoor Championships debut. 

Hooper wrapped up his career with the fifth-farthest throw in school history in the hammer throw, a personal best he nearly matched during his performance on Wednesday. He entered this week with the eighth-best indoor weight throw mark in UW program history.

Hilby, Casey capture honorable mention All-America accolades

Freshman Patrick Hilby led the Badgers on Wednesday evening in the 800 meters, as the freshman turned in a time of 1:48.39 in his first NCAA Outdoor Championships. Hilby tallied a 19th-place finish, garnering Honorable Mention All-American honors. 

In his second-straight NCAA outdoor championship appearance, Andrew Casey was cut off heading into the homestretch and ultimately finished in 21st overall with a time of 1:52.44. 

Up Next: A trio of Badgers will be in action on Thursday for the Badger women. Chloe Lindeman will lead things off with the women’s hammer throw at 3:30 p.m. CT. Taylor Kesner will compete in the women’s javelin at 7:15 p.m. CT and Emma Kelley will race in the women’s 800 meters at 7:58 p.m. CT. Thursday’s track events will air live on ESPN while all the events can be seen online through ESPN+. 

2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon

400 Meters

16. Jalen Williams, 46.06

800 Meters

19. Patrick Hilby, 1:48.39

21. Andrew Casey, 1:52.44

1500 Meters

1. Adam Spencer, 3:41.67 Q

Shot Put

1. Jason Swarens, 69-8 (21.23m)

9. Joseph White, 63-4 (19.30m)

Hammer Throw

16. Cole Hooper – 216-6 (65.98)

Determination and dedication pay off.

To most people, volleyball is a fun, competitive sport. To Savannah Griffith, it’s life. 

At just 18 years old, the Strawberry Crest High School graduate received a scholarship to play volleyball with the Florida College Lady Falcons.

Griffith’s journey began at age 11, when she first stepped onto a volleyball court at Marshall Middle School. What started as an after-school activity quickly evolved into an all-consuming passion. By high school, she was playing competitively year-round, participating in both school and club tournaments. While she is largely successful now, Griffith’s journey was not always easy.

Despite a challenging start where her team lost every set across five matches in her first season, Griffith remained undeterred, maintaining an unwavering commitment to improvement. This resilience and dedication to growth shaped her development as a player, eventually leading to remarkable progress in her performance. Her talent and determination did not go unnoticed, particularly catching the eye of Joseph Smith, a volunteer scout for a recruiting company. While her impressive hitting percentage spoke to her technical abilities, Smith was most captivated by her natural leadership qualities and commanding presence on the court.

“She’s always interacting on the court,” said Smith. “Her ability to have good vision, to see where to hit it, and always have that strike…that’s her greatest ability.”

With every challenge, Griffith kept one thing centered in her life: God. 

“Faith had pushed me to get better and given me a drive for something other than myself and my family to work for. God has really shown me the things I should work for, not only in myself but in volleyball,” Griffith said. 

Looking ahead, Griffith has committed to Florida College on an athletic scholarship, where she’ll join one of the state’s top volleyball programs while pursuing a degree in Pre-Health Sciences. Her ultimate goal is to become a small animal veterinarian, combining her passion for athletics with her love for helping animals. The rigorous academic program, coupled with her athletic commitments, will present new challenges, but Griffith’s determination and work ethic suggest she’s more than ready for what lies ahead.

In the fall, Griffith is excited to meet her new teammates and begin this next chapter of her journey. She looks forward to growing not only as an athlete and student but also strengthening her relationships with her family, boyfriend, and God. Her support system has been crucial in getting her to this point, and she knows they’ll continue to play an important role in her future success. As she prepares for the summer’s end and the beginning of her collegiate career, it’s clear that for Savannah Griffith, volleyball isn’t just a sport—it’s a calling that has shaped her path and will continue to influence her journey forward.

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