PROVO — Only a few dozen medals were awarded, but multiple state records weren’t safe on the first day of the 5A and 6A state track and field meet at BYU’s Clarence F. Robison Track Complex.
Timpview star Jane Hedengren broke her own state record in the 5A girls’ 3,200-meter run in 9 minutes, 48.73 seconds, while Mountain Ridge’s Kinzlee Riddle tied the state record in a 6A girls’ 200-meter qualifying heat in 23.30 seconds.
It’s one of several rewritten records by Hedengren, who held the previous state record set last year in 9:52.96. The senior who has signed with BYU also holds state records in the 800 meters (2:05.96), 1,600 meters (4:32.61), and was part of the 5A-record relay teams in the 4×400 and 4×800-meter squads set last year en route to winning Ms. Track honors by the Deseret News.
“It’s bittersweet being (the last 3,200) with this team,” Hedengren said after the race. “I’m kind of sad it’s the last one, but I’m really excited to get to do it with these ladies today.”
The previous Ms. Track honoree, Fremont’s Amare Harlan who currently runs and jumps for Michigan, also saw her state record time of 23.30 in the 200 tied in Thursday’s 6A girls’ qualifying heat. Riddle, who also ran the fastest qualifying time in the 100 meters in 11.81 and second-fastest in the 400 in 56.17, will have a shot at the record in Saturday’s final — as well as the state 400 record held by Provo’s Meghan Hunter (52.59).
Riddle set the 6A record in the event earlier this month when she ran a 53.01 at the PACS BYU Invitational back on May 2.
American Fork leads the 6A boys’ meet with 50 points, ahead of Herriman (41), Lone Peak (26) and defending champion Corner Canyon (25). Maple Mountain and Viewmont are tied atop the 5A boys’ leaderboard with 33 points, just two ahead of Springville and three more than Woods Cross.
The Vikings got a boost from Hayden Arbuckle, who won the 5A 3,200-meter race 9:07.86 before setting a new 5A record in the 4×800-meter relay with teammates Talmage Bruschke, Ben Hyde and Bryce Arbuckle in 7:42.55.
The Cavemen also lead the 6A girls’ meet by a tighter margin, 34.5 to 31 over second-place Riverton, with Herriman (30), Lone Peak (28) and Layton (23) just behind.
Two-time defending champion Timpview is two points behind Spanish Fork in the 5A girls’ meet with 30 points, ahead of Cedar Valley (18.5) and Box Elder (16).
Full results are available at SportTrax.
6A boys’ track and field
3,200 meters — 1. Jackson Spencer, Herriman, Jr., 8:56.43; 2. Kaden Evans, American Fork, Sr., 9:00.08; 3. Ryker Bement, American Fork, Sr., 9:07.29; 4. Micah Tang, Herriman, Sr., 9:08.55; 5. Carter Moore, American Fork, Sr., 9:08.83; 6. Austin Plewe, American Fork, Jr., 9:10.51; 7. Jonah Tang, Herriman, Sr., 9:13.38; 8. Jonathan Thornley, Layton, Sr., 9:15.51.
Pole vault — 1. Kaleb Allen, Taylorsville, Sr., 13′06.0; 2. Jackson Barney, Cedar Valley, Sr., 12′06.0; 3. Ben Anson, Clearfield, Jr., 12′03.0; 4. Colton Reid, West Jordan, Jr., 11′00.0; 5. Joshua Downs, Box Elder, So., 11′00.0; 6. Brett Johnson, Salem Hills, Sr., 11′00.0; 7. Nathan Call, Salem Hills, Jr., 10′06.0; 8. Brody Jex, Box Elder, Jr., 10′06.0.
Timpview’s Lily Alder and Jane Hedengren compete in the girls 3200m run during the 5A high school state track meet at the Clarence F. Robison Outdoor Track and Field in Provo on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Hedengren won and Alder placed second. (Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – For the second time in school history, the Kentucky volleyball Wildcats will be playing for a national championship, when UK faces Texas A&M on Sunday.
Kentucky coach Craig Skinner won the 2020 NCAA championship, a first at UK.
The Wildcats and the Aggies met back in October, in College Station, with UK rallying from a set down to win the match, 3-1.
“I think it’s important just to treat it like every other game we’ve played in the last 30,” libero Molly Berezowitz said on Friday.
Kentucky, a number one seed and the number two seed overall, defeated Wisconsin on Thursday, 3-2, to advance to the final match.
“We’re at the pinnacle of our sport,” coach Craig Skinner said on Friday. “It’s a great opportunity for Kentucky volleyball and our fans to be in this moment.”
Sunday’s championship match marks just the seventh time two teams from the same conference will play for a title.
First serve in the national championship match is set for 3:30 p.m.
Texas A&M fell to the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Volleyball Tournament semifinals last month, but the Aggies have since fought their way to the top of NCAA competition.
The Aggies swept top-seeded Pittsburgh in the Final Four on Thursday, solidifying their matchup against No. 2 Kentucky in the NCAA volleyball title game Sunday in Kansas City, Mo. It’s the team’s first appearance in a national semifinal or final.
Here’s everything you need to know:
How to watch Texas volleyball vs. Kentucky: See date, start time, TV channel, streaming
Last-minute madness: 79-yd TD pass sends UW-River Falls to DIII title game
Dec. 20, 2025
Tied late in the 4th quarter, University of Wisconsin–River Falls QB Kaleb Blaha connected with Blake Rohrer for a game-winning 79-yard touchdown in the final minute, stunning Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, 48-41, and punching the Falcons’ first trip to the Stagg Bowl.
Addison Lucht ended her volleyball career at Cissna Park in the best way possible: As a state champion. Lucht, who finished as the program’s all-time kills leader, produced 202 digs and 48 aces to go along with her team-high 339 kills this fall in leading the Timberwolves to the Class 1A volleyball state championship this season.
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
Follow us on TikTok
To subscribe, please click here
Want a copy of today’s edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations
CISSNA PARK — Anyone who knows Addison Lucht wouldn’t be surprised by how she reacted to winning The News-Gazette’s All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year honor.
“It’s a reflection of our whole team and what we were able to accomplish in this amazing season,” Lucht said. “I wouldn’t have been able to get that award or do what I’ve done without the team, how close we are and how much we push each other every day in practice. We’re in there grinding and making each other better. Even the people who don’t get the time on the court, they’re on the bench cheering us on really loud every game and working us really hard in practice on the other side of the net. I’m really excited and honored to receive this, but it goes right back to my teammates. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”
Same humble nature she’s always had, redirecting all the praise despite deserving every bit of it. Just once, you might expect her to give herself some props. Maybe even brag a little. She’s earned that.
But take it from senior teammates Sophie Duis.
“She won’t,” Duis said with a smirk.
Lucht just wrapped up her final volleyball season at Cissna Park and couldn’t have ended it any better. She led the Timberwolves to a program-record 40 wins and a Class 1A state championship, the first state title for the school in any sport. She earned a third consecutive All-State First-Team honor and was the 1A state finals MVP. She totaled 202 digs and 48 aces to go along with her team-high 339 kills, which brought her to 1,359 for her career to become the program’s all-time kills leader.
The argument that Cissna Park doesn’t reach three straight state tournaments without Lucht is a valid one. Although, Duis and Josie Neukomm — both All-State Second-Team selections and All-Area First-Team picks in their own right — among other strong talents, might prove that theory wrong. Regardless, it’s never been about the individual accolades for Lucht. All she cared about was the team, which is why the team was so successful.
“Having had a month to reflect on it, it’s beginning to set in how big of a thing we just accomplished,” Lucht said. “It keeps getting cooler and cooler by the day. To know we did that and were able to end our last game and my volleyball career on a win on the biggest stage is amazing.”
Cissna Park’s Addison Lucht (9) reacts to her medal in the Class 1A volleyball championship at CEFCU Arena in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
It’s one of the many reasons she’s so popular among her teammates. She’s one of the best athletes in Illinois, an All-State talent in four different sports, but she wants no part of the spotlight. Ironic that the biggest moments are when she shines brightest.
“She’s very humble, and everything she does goes unnoticed,” Neukomm said. “She’s been working her butt off since day one. Everything she has coming is extremely deserved. I don’t think there’s a single thing she doesn’t deserve. She’s just an amazing person, and seeing the path she’s going on is really exciting.”
As if all her athletic abilities weren’t enough, Lucht is also the valedictorian of her class at Cissna Park.
“A lot of people look at her and think it’s just a lot of natural talent,” Duis said. “Obviously, there is a lot of that, but a large part of it is the hard work she puts in behind the scenes. She’s a really good on- and off-the-court leader, and she’s super fun to have as a friend and teammate.”
And for Cissna Park volleyball coach and athletic director Josh Landon, “I could just say ‘Ditto.’
“I could go back and say it started in kindergarten watching them in PE,” Landon said. “I had all these girls from kindergarten through fourth grade for elementary PE, and you could see a little bit of that competitiveness happening. You’d have tears from some people because we weren’t winning or others weren’t trying as hard. You could see all this happening. There is the God-given talent, but you also have to buy in to reach that success.”
This is actually the second All-Area Player of the Year honor Lucht has earned, but the first was for basketball after leading the Timberwolves back to CEFCU Arena and winning their second 1A third-place trophy in as many seasons.
Two days after winning the volleyball title on Nov. 15, Lucht and Co. played their first basketball game, a 64-14 win against St. Thomas More. Lucht put up 20 points, seven steals and four assists in the winning effort, and she hasn’t needed to knock off any rust in another strong start to that sport.
Neither are Lucht’s top sport, however. While simultaneously placing fifth and eighth in last spring’s 1A state triple jump and long jump competition, she batted .579 with seven home runs for the Milford/Cissna Park co-op softball team. She signed her letter of intent to continue her softball career at Northwestern on Nov. 12.
“I’ve always loved every single sport I’ve been in, and what sport I’m in, that’s my favorite at the time,” Lucht said. “Being able to have these special seasons and do it with these girls is amazing. I’m not going on to college to play those sports, and I’m going to miss them a lot, but I’m excited to get up to Evanston and excited for this spring at Milford.”
Cissna Park’s Addison Lucht (9) as Cissna Park won the 1A state volleyball championship at CEFCU Arena in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2025.
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
Amber McKean won the All-Area Player of the Year award back in 2003 for the Cissna Park/Crescent-Iroquois co-op, and she went on to have a successful volleyball career at Olivet Nazarene. Landon said nobody believed anyone like her would come through their town of fewer than 800 again.
Plenty of talented athletes have played for Cissna Park since then but none quite like Lucht. Not with the same level of ability, passion and dedication to that many sports. And certainly not with the same level of care off the court. She was already a champion. Now, she has the trophy to go along with it.
“I hope we’re just getting started,” Lucht said. “I’m in the thick of it right now, and I’m so locked in and focused that I don’t think it’s ever going to end. It’s tough to realize these are some of the last games I’ll get to play in a Cissna Park jersey. It’s kind of surreal. I’m really fortunate that our volleyball season ended in the best way possible, and I’m hoping the same for basketball and the spring sports. I’m happy to get off to a really good start. Hopefully, it can end strong, too.”
The halls at Jackson County High School are growing busier each year, and so is the volleyball court.
As the county’s population surges, more students are filling classrooms, lockers and tryout lists. The squeak of sneakers and the thud of volleyballs echo through the gym as coaches call out drills, a reflection of how fast the community and its competition are growing.
With more players trying out than ever, coaches and athletes have had to adjust to a more selective environment that’s reshaping team dynamics. As the Panthers close the book on their season, which included a second-round playoff run for the second straight year, Laura Keefer is already reflecting on what she learned in her first year leading the program.
“So when I came for tryouts in May, we had 72 girls here for tryouts, and that was a lot,” Keefer said. “I’ve been at a smaller private school for the past nine years, but even when I talked to other friends in public high schools and I told them how many girls we had, they said that’s a really big number, too.”
Over the past decade, Jackson County has been one of Georgia’s fastest-growing areas. The high school, which opened in 2021 to accommodate the surge in population, has already hit capacity. Public development director Jamie Dove said the county’s growth is fueled by its location and livability.
“There are just a lot of things to drive people here,” Dove said. Jackson County is an interstate drive away from Atlanta and Greenville, S.C., “and I’m a day trip to the beach and a two-hour drive to the mountains. So it’s a gem of a location.”
Jackson County’s population jumped from 75,907 in 2020 to an estimated 93,825 in 2024, according to the development department.
For two years in a row now, we have been the fourth-fastest-growing county in the country,” Dove said.
At Jackson County High, that growth has led to what students call “learning cottages,” temporary classrooms used to handle overflow. Siena Berthold, a senior at Jackson County and member of the volleyball team, mentioned this.
“They’re called learning cottages,” Berthold said, “but they’re not learning cottages — they’re trailers.”
SOURCE: Georgia High School Association, ghsa.net. (Graphic/Ellie English)
Keefer brought two decades of experience from smaller schools and club teams to Jackson County High’s volleyball program. Now that the season is over, Keefer said the tryout and cut process is still on her mind, especially as she thinks ahead to next year.
“The positive side of that is I had a lot of talent in the gym to choose from,” Keefer said. “The hard part is I don’t think everybody realizes it’s truly a gut-wrenching process for me. I had to cut a lot of talent.”
For players, the population boom means that earning a jersey is no longer guaranteed. The competition drives everyone to push harder and succeed.
“It’s just a great group because everyone wants to play volleyball,” Berthold said. “You have more competition, so everyone wants to play better.”
The volleyball team’s rise mirrors growing community pride. Home matches now draw bigger crowds. Jackson County Schools have also made athletic and academic expansion a strategic priority.
“Our board of education does a great job of letting us hire earlier than other school systems,” Hooper said. “It’s a daily tracking of enrollment, and for human resources, it’s a daily tracking of students.”
So far, the volleyball program has not faced gym or scheduling conflicts with other sports. Keefer said the athletic department’s collaboration has been essential to that success.
Our administration does a fantastic job and really all of our teams together,” Keefer said. “We support each other.”
As Jackson County prepares to open Hoschton High School in 2027 to accommodate population growth, the volleyball program at Jackson County High School may eventually face a split, with players and families drawn toward the new school. This shift could reshape existing rivalries and create new opportunities for athletes across the county.
After one season coaching in Jackson County, Keefer said she now better understands how deep that talent pool runs, and how a future school could split and reshape it.
“I imagine most of the upperclassmen would stay and want to finish out and graduate where they’ve been,” Keefer said. “As far as the long term, obviously the pool of talent like we’ve had these huge numbers coming in right, that’s going to be divided now.”
Ellie English is a student in the undergraduate certificate program at the Carmical Sports Media Institute at UGA.
