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Daily Hampshire Gazette – MIAA volleyball: Granby grinds out 5-set win over Keefe Tech in state opener (PHOTOS)

GRANBY — Trailing 8-6 in the fifth and final set of Thursday’s MIAA Division 2 preliminary round match against No. 34 Keefe Tech, No. 31 Granby had to turn it around in a hurry if the Rams wanted to continue their season into the weekend. A Broncos service error put the ball in Daniel Santiago’s hands, […]

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GRANBY — Trailing 8-6 in the fifth and final set of Thursday’s MIAA Division 2 preliminary round match against No. 34 Keefe Tech, No. 31 Granby had to turn it around in a hurry if the Rams wanted to continue their season into the weekend. A Broncos service error put the ball in Daniel Santiago’s hands, and he rifled an ace to tie the set at eight apiece.

Behind Santiago’s strong serve, Granby rattled off the next four points to jump ahead 12-8 and put itself in the driver’s seat to advance. However Keefe Tech battled back and eventually knotted it up at 14. The Rams clawed back in front 16-15, and on the ensuing point, Brandon Chatel sent the ball over to Keefe Tech’s side. It deflected off a Broncos player’s hands and landed on the Granby gymnasium hardwood – clinching a 3-2 victory for the Rams.

Their 21-25, 25-15, 25-22, 23-25, 17-15 victory sent them through to the Round of 32, where No. 2 Westfield is waiting. That match is scheduled for Saturday at noon at Westfield High School.

“We just needed to play with confidence,” Granby head coach Chad Gagnon said. “They’re really good players when they play with confidence. If they don’t believe in themselves, then they start to not want the ball and struggle. But as long as they play with confidence they are great. You don’t have to play above your ability, you just have to play to what you can do. And they did that in the fifth set to help us close this one out.”

It was the Broncos who brought the energy off the bus ride from Framingham, as they raced out to an early 1-0 lead following a 25-21 first-set victory. For most of the frame, Granby played a bit timid – perhaps the nerves of a state tournament match getting to them.

That quickly went away over the next two sets. Chatel recorded an ace to clinch set No. 2 and tie the match at one, and in the third set, Keefe Tech went for a kill down 24-22 and it sailed out of bounds to put the hosts in front 2-1. During those two sets, Gagnon witnessed the team he has become accustomed to seeing this season.

“They always start slow,” Gagnon said of his bunch. “We’re a slow-starting team. They have to have a couple good plays to kind of get themselves rolling. Once that happens, you saw what can happen in set two. That’s the team that I know we are. We have the ability to have nice, smooth offense because we have good passing. When you play tight and tense, that passing starts to fall apart.”

Granby was led by Braeden Gallagher on Thursday, as the junior put down a whopping 18 kills and added 15 digs and an ace. Any time the going got tough and the Rams needed a point, they would dial up Gallagher on the outside – who time and time again put down a monster kill. Nathan Walsh (30 assists) set him up perfectly on a number of occasions.

Gallagher does a little bit of everything for Granby, and the team needed every bit of it to sneak out a preliminary round win.

“He gives us stability,” Gagnon said of Gallagher. “He’s always solid, he’s always a good player no matter what you’re asking him to do – whether it’s from the service line, the hitting line or defensively, where he’s rock-solid. He passes perfect almost all the time. When you have that, it’s nice to be able to lean on it. That’s why he’s a captain.”

Chatel added seven kills, 10 digs, one block and one ace, Santiago dug up 10 balls and put down three kills while recording a match-high six aces thanks to his powerful serve and Durant Garden had four kills in the Granby win.

The Rams have been without perhaps their best player in Jake Gagnon for over a month, as he suffered a season-ending injury earlier this season. Granby had high hopes of repeating as Western Massachusetts Class C champions, but were unable to do so this spring.

Earning a state tournament win and seeing several Rams players step up in the absence of Jake Gagnon is exactly what Chad Gagnon, Jake’s dad and head coach, hoped would occur.

“We’ve had a lot of guys step up and play better and better and better, every game,” Chad Gagnon said. “They’re filling in the roles of their jobs better, because they’re not leaning on a guy like Jake. They’re all stepping up and it’s great to see at this point in the season.”

Granby (13-6) has won five of its last six and eye an upset over powerhouse Westfield this weekend.

No. 28 Frontier 3, No. 37 Lynn Voc Tech 0 — A grueling regular season schedule has the Frontier boys volleyball team prepared heading into the state tournament. 

Of the Redhawks’ 20 regular season matches, 15 opponents qualified for either the Div. 1 or Div. 2 state tournament while nine of those teams earned top 10 seeds, showcasing the level of opponent Frontier played throughout the season. 

Hosting 37th-seeded Lynn Vocational on Thursday in the Div. 2 preliminary round, 28th-seeded Frontier looked like a team ready for the tournament. 

Frontier pulled away in the first set, grinded out a victory in the second and got going late in the third set to walk away with a 3-0 sweep over the Tigers at Goodnow Gymnasium. 

“We had a loaded schedule,” Redhawks coach Courtney Parent said. “We played veteran teams that have been around for a long time, much like our girls’ team. We get to a point where we have to remind them that this is just our fourth year having a team and they’ve come so far in those four seasons. I do think to a point our schedule makes us better but it’s hard to keep the morale.” 

For Frontier (8-13) on Thursday, it was about focusing on themselves and performing their best regardless of the opponent. 

“We talked a lot about error management and keeping our side together,” Parent said. “We wanted to control what we can control on our side of the court and the rest will come together if we keep our serves in, keep our unforced errors low.” 

Tegan Dexter was a force all night long for the Redhawks as Frontier tried to get the ball to him early and often. 

Dexter smashed four kills early that helped the Redhawks build a 10-6 lead in the opening set. Frontier pulled ahead 21-12 after Dexter and Will Reading put down kills and the Redhawks went on to earn a 25-16 win to take a 1-0 lead. 

Frontier led 22-16 in the second set but Lynn Vocational (16-5) rallied, cutting the lead to 24-22. The Redhawks held on and scored on a Dexter kill to earn a 25-22 set win to go up 2-0. 

Leading 14-13 in the third, Frontier scored 11 of the final 16 points to seal the win with a 25-18 set win. 

Dexter led the way with 20 kills and 12 digs, Tavo Vincent-Warner distributed 37 assists, Nate Rivera put down nine kills to go along with 11 digs, Reading finished with nine kills and seven digs and Will Petrin added two kills, two aces and five digs in the winning effort. 

It’ll be a familiar opponent for the Redhawks in the Round of 32, as they go on the road to take on No. 5 Chicopee Comp on Saturday at a time to be determined. The Colts beat Frontier, 3-0, earlier in the season. 

“I’m excited to see them again,” Parent said. “They are a top 10 team and competed well in Western Mass. A lot of their guys play in the offseason. They’ll be a team to reckoned with and it’ll take a lot if we want to beat them Saturday.” 



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Mountaineers Cap Competition at the USATF U20 Championships

Story Links EUGENE, Ore.  – Nine Mountaineers represented App State at the USATF U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday and Friday. The Mountaineers tallied a trio of top-five finishes on the week.    “It was a great learning experience for the U20 athletes to come out here to historic […]

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EUGENE, Ore.  – Nine Mountaineers represented App State at the USATF U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday and Friday. The Mountaineers tallied a trio of top-five finishes on the week. 
 

“It was a great learning experience for the U20 athletes to come out here to historic Hayward Field,” said director of track & field/cross country Damion McLean. “For those who may qualify next year, it will be a different story for them, but this meet is a great opportunity for our newcomers who qualify to build excitement to compete in the Black and Gold and be part of the Mountaineer family.”   
 
Rising sophomore Henry Stark finished fourth with a time of 8:30.53 and fellow rising sophomore Memphis Rich placed fifth with a time of 8:32.46 in the men’s 3,000 meters. The pair moved to fourth and fifth in the App State all-time list for the event. In the men’s 1,500 meters, incoming freshmen Bryant Young and Tate Shore placed fourth (3:55.31) and sixth (3:55.86), respectively.
 
Incoming freshman Allie Kinlaw placed eighth in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:15.71. Rising sophomore Thomas Wlazlowski also finished eighth in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, clocking a time of 9:18.80. He remains 10th in the App State all-time list in the event with a personal best of 9:03.65, which he set at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships (May 8-10). 

In the women’s triple jump, incoming freshman Alana Braxton recorded a leap of 12.24m (40′ 2″) to place eighth overall. Braxton went on to place 11th in the women’s long jump with a leap of 5.55m (18′ 2.5″), while fellow incoming freshman Kelly MacBride took 12th with a leap of 5.25m (17′ 2.75″).

 

 



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Thomas records runner-up finish at USATF U20 Championships

Story Links Results USA Track & Field Statement on Pan American U20 Championships EUGENE, Ore. – North Dakota track and field thrower Ethan Thomas competed in the shot put at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships on Friday night and finished […]

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EUGENE, Ore. – North Dakota track and field thrower Ethan Thomas competed in the shot put at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships on Friday night and finished as the runner-up with a toss of 68-7 3/4 (20.92m). With that throw, Thomas currently ranks No. 9 in the United States all-time with the 6kg shot put weight. His second-place finish was also the best by any individual at the meet in UND’s Division I history.

In the shot put on Friday, Thomas recorded the runner-up finish with his opening throw of 68-7 3/4 (20.92m). Jackson Cantwell was the only competitor with a better mark than Thomas and won the crown with a toss of 69-8 (21.23m). Historically, both Thomas and Cantwell would have advanced and competed for the United States in the Pan American U20 Championships in July, but USA Track & Field announced 10 days ago that they would not be fielding a team for the meet due to logistical concerns. The Pan American U20 Championships will take place from July 11-13, in Villavicencio, Colombia.

Thomas also took part in the discus on Thursday evening but did not record a mark in the event. He is the first North Dakota student-athlete to compete in both the shot put and discus at the USATF U20 Championships in UND’s Division I era.

At the Triton Invitational at the beginning of April, Thomas qualified for the USATF U20 Championships with a shot put throw of 63-7 3/4 (19.40m) in the elite section and captured the title. With that throw, he obliterated the previous program record of 58-10 (17.93m), which was set by Chris Evenson at the 2021 Mizzou Spring Opener.

During the final week of the regular season, Thomas also qualified for the meet in the discus with a mark of 181-3 (55.24m) at the NDSU Tune-Up and won the crown. That throw currently sits No. 2 in UND history.

Most recently, Thomas finished 35th in the shot put with a throw of 57-11 1/4 (17.66m) at the NCAA West Preliminary Round. His throw gave him the longest throw at the NCAA West Regional in program history. By throwing the shot at the regional, he became just the fourth UND student-athlete on the men’s side to compete in the event at the meet in program history.

At the Summit League Outdoor Championships, Thomas was a two-time All-Summit League performer and was named the Newcomer of the Championship at the conclusion of the meet. He was the silver medalist in the javelin (201-10, 61.53m) and earned the bronze medal in the shot put (58-0 1/4, 17.68m).

During the regular season, Thomas set the school record in the shot put (63-7 3/4, 19.40m), is No. 2 in UND history in the discus (181-3, 55.24m), No. 5 in the javelin (201-10, 61.53m) and No. 10 in the hammer throw (175-8, 53.54m). He won nine event titles during the season, highlighted by four shot put crowns.

For more information on North Dakota track & field, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDtrackfieldXC.





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Best beaches in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie: Blind Creek nude beach

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, South Causeway, Jetty Park, Avalon, Gulfstream, John Brooks, Frederick Douglass, Kimberly Bergalis top the list. Let’s go to the beach — in Fort Pierce and near Port St. Lucie. These are the best beaches in the area, either popular and packed with people or lesser-known with small parking lots to […]

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Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, South Causeway, Jetty Park, Avalon, Gulfstream, John Brooks, Frederick Douglass, Kimberly Bergalis top the list.

Let’s go to the beach — in Fort Pierce and near Port St. Lucie.

These are the best beaches in the area, either popular and packed with people or lesser-known with small parking lots to keep crowds away.

This list includes whether these beaches have restrooms and outdoor showers, as well as other amenities such as picnic pavilions and sand volleyball courts. All have parking lots, some paved and others not.

No lifeguards are on duty unless otherwise noted. All are free except state parks. No pets, alcohol, fires, camping or fireworks are allowed at beaches in Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County — with the exception of Walton Rocks Beach in Jensen Beach, which allows pets.

Here are the 16 best beaches in Fort Pierce and near Port St. Lucie, from north to south in St. Lucie County.

Avalon State Park

  • North State Road A1A, 4 miles north of Fort Pierce Inlet State Park or 9 miles south of Vero Beach
  • Open 8 a.m. to sunset daily
  • $2 per vehicle, pedestrians and bicyclists (use honor box to pay fees; correct change required)
  • Includes 1.7 miles of beach, restrooms, showers, water fountains, picnic pavilions, paved parking, nature trail
  • Popular surf spot for beginner and intermediate surfers

Pepper Park Beachside

  • 3302 N. State Road A1A, Fort Pierce
  • 52-acre park next to National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum
  • Open 24 hours daily
  • Lifeguards on duty during day
  • Includes restrooms, showers, water fountains, picnic pavilions, grills, sand volleyball court, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball court, paved parking
  • Popular beginner surf spot and snorkeling spot because of shallow reefs about 100 yards offshore and Urca de Lima shipwreck, the state’s first underwater archeological preserve located in about 20 feet of water

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park

  • 905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce
  • Half-mile of dune, coastal hammock and pristine beach
  • Open 8 a.m. to sunset daily
  • $6 per vehicle up to 8 people; $4 single-occupant vehicle; $2 per pedestrian, bicyclist, extra passenger
  • Includes restrooms, showers, water fountains, picnic pavilions, hiking trails, bicycle path, paved parking
  • Popular experienced surf spot and snorkeling spot because of rocky jetty to see snook, lobsters, sea turtles, nurse sharks, tropical fish, jacks and the occasional hogfish

South Causeway Beach

Jetty Park Beach (Fort Pierce Beach)

  • Seaway Drive and State Road A1A, Fort Pierce
  • Open sunrise to sunset daily
  • Includes restrooms, pavilions, deck, bike rack, paved parking lot
  • Walk along the South Jetty to see manatees and dolphins when conditions allowed and watch kite surfers on windy days fly across the water

Porpoise Beach

Gulfstream Beach

  • State Road A1A and Gulfstream Avenue, Fort Pierce
  • Open sunrise to sunset daily
  • Small paved parking lot

South Beach Park

Kimberly Bergalis Memorial Park

  • S. Ocean Drive and Melaleuca Drive, Fort Pierce
  • Open sunrise to sunset daily
  • Includes restrooms, showers, pavilions, grills, paved parking lot
  • Named after 23-year-old woman who died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1991 after she was infected with HIV by a Jensen Beach dentist

Surfside Park

Coconut Drive Park

Blue Heron Beach

John Brooks Park Beachside

  • 3300 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
  • Open sunrise to sunset daily
  • 226-acre upland and wetland preserve with 2 miles of beachfront dunes
  • Includes wooden ramp dune crossover with covered viewing area, small unpaved parking lot
  • Named after environmental activist John Brooks
  • Only beach that allows horseback riding tours

Frederick Douglass Memorial Park

  • 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
  • Open sunrise to sunset daily
  • Includes restrooms, pavilions, picnic tables, unpaved parking lot
  • Named after the famous African-American abolitionist, editor and author

Middle Cove Beach

Blind Creek Beachside

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm’s entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.



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Bunco For A Cause | Coronado Island News

Wednesday, June 25, Coronado Fire Station Venue (126 Orange Ave) You’re invited to an evening of fun, community, and purpose as we come together to support the Alzheimer’s Association in the heart of Coronado. Enjoy a lively cocktail hour starting at 5:00 p.m., followed by a spirited game of Bunco from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Whether you’re a seasoned Bunco […]

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Wednesday, June 25, Coronado Fire Station Venue (126 Orange Ave)

You’re invited to an evening of fun, community, and purpose as we come together to support the Alzheimer’s Association in the heart of Coronado. Enjoy a lively cocktail hour starting at 5:00 p.m., followed by a spirited game of Bunco from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Whether you’re a seasoned Bunco pro or brand new to the game, it’s all about rolling the dice for a cause that matters.

Enjoy raffles, prizes, signature cocktails, light bites, and surprises throughout the night. All proceeds benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

Bring your friends, your lucky dice, and your heart for giving. Let’s roll for awareness, support families, and raise critical funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. For more information and to purchase your ticket, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1393131938129?aff=oddtdtcreator.

VOL. 115, NO. 25 – June 19, 2025



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Sports Production Innovation Summit 2025: Picture Gallery

SVG Europe together with event partner GRUP MEDIAPRO welcomed 200 people to Barcelona for last week’s inaugural Sports Production Innovation Summit. Attendees were treated to insights from leading figures at organisations including Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), International Sports Broadcasting (ISB) MotoGP, Hexagon Cup, SailGP, Telefonica Broadcast Services, GRUP MEDIAPRO and more, with topics discussed including […]

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SVG Europe together with event partner GRUP MEDIAPRO welcomed 200 people to Barcelona for last week’s inaugural Sports Production Innovation Summit.

Attendees were treated to insights from leading figures at organisations including Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), International Sports Broadcasting (ISB) MotoGP, Hexagon Cup, SailGP, Telefonica Broadcast Services, GRUP MEDIAPRO and more, with topics discussed including the latest innovations in AI-driven production, cloud-based workflows, content creation for emerging and challenger sports and the future of centralised and remote production.

SVG Europe’s Sports Production Innovation Summit took place in Barcelona with event partner GRUP MEDIAPRO

James Ransome of title sponsor Ross Video delivers his welcome remarks

Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) chief technology officer Sotiris Salamouris, in conversation with SVG co-executive director of editorial services Ken Kerschbaumer

Laura Llames, LiveU, Country Manager, South Europe, speaking as part of the Capturing the Action panel

Mads Astrup Rønning, Green Producers Club, Founder & Head of International Operations, Steve Knee, Cloudbass, Managing Director, Ursula Romero, ISB, Managing Director, Judith Fernandez, Grup Mediapro, Head of Sustainability speak about sustainability in sports production

Fernando Pinto Jez, TVU Networks, Head of Solutions, EMEA, speaks about how how Mediapro and TVU Networks helped CONCACAF centralise VAR operations

GRUP MEDIAPRO CEO and President Tatxo Benet welcomes attendees

SVG Europe’s George Bevir, with Victor Casanovas, SevenMila Sports Agency, General Manager, Jose Garnes, Hexagon Cup, Head of Content and Chris Carpenter, SailGP, Exec Producer speak about creating content for new and challenger sports

David Jaouen, Haivision, Senior Sales Director, Broadcast Europe, on innovation in cost-effective content creation

Moderator Paco Garcia with Laia Espuny Planelles, Automatic.TV (Part of Grup Mediapro), Product Manager Sergi Sendra, MotoGP, Head of Global Technology, Fernando Pinto Jez, TVU Networks, Head of Solutions, EMEA discuss innovation and AI in sports production

SVG Europe’s George Bevir with Ursula Romero, ISB, Managing Director, Greg Breakell, ISB, Senior Coordinating Producer / Director and Sofia Zhuang, ISB, Coordinating Producer The World Games speak about the upcoming World Games 2025

Emili Planas, Grup Mediapro, CTO and Operations Manager on a panel discussing remote production, along with Roberto Jimeno Jiménez, Telefonica Broadcast Services, CTO, Donald Sievewright, Matrox, EMEA Sales Director, Dirk Thometzek, LucidLink, Solutions Architect





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Canada loses 3-0 to No. 2 Brazil in women’s Volleyball Nations League action | National Sports

ISTANBUL – Canada’s women’s team lost its third match in three days with a 3-0 defeat to No. 2 Brazil in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League on Friday. VNL rookie Abby Guezen led the Canadians with 13 points, all off the attack. Nyadholi Thokbuom tallied 12 points — nine off the attack, two off blocks […]

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ISTANBUL – Canada’s women’s team lost its third match in three days with a 3-0 defeat to No. 2 Brazil in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League on Friday.

VNL rookie Abby Guezen led the Canadians with 13 points, all off the attack. Nyadholi Thokbuom tallied 12 points — nine off the attack, two off blocks and one off a serve.

Set scores were 25-20, 25-23 and 25-23.

Canada (2-5) also lost 3-2 to South Korea on Wednesday and 3-0 to host Turkey on Thursday.

The Canadians rank 15th in the 18-country round robin with five preliminary phase matches remaining.

Canada will have a day off before facing Belgium on Sunday.

“I’m very happy to see the team getting better each day,” head coach Giovanni Guidetti said. “Today we had a chance to win two sets against Brazil, that means the team is performing well because we played at the same level as Brazil, so we should be proud of that. We need to be better at the end of the sets, but again, we had a chance against Brazil, which is a good sign.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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