De Smet Jesuit’s Tim Haffner was named Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.

The Spartans ended a 34-1 season by winning the state boys volleyball championship. De Smet swept St. Louis University High in straight sets 25-14, 25-19, 25-19 at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

It also was Haffner’s 200th victory with the program.

This was the first state-recognized championship for De Smet. Last season was the first year the Missouri State High School Activities Association officially recognized volleyball as a sport for boys.

Haffner took over the De Smet program in 2016. He led the Spartans to the 2023 state championship with a record of 35-1. It was still a club sport then and not sanctioned by the MSHSAA.

Haffner, who teaches at Cor Jesu, was named the girls Class 5 Coach of the Year by the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association after guiding the Chargers to the state championship in the 2021 season.

He’s the first coach to lead a girls and a boys team to a state volleyball championship.

 Haffner has won with Cor Jesu in 2021 and with De Smet in 2023 and 2025.

 “All three teams shared the same thing – a large senior class that really embraced what it meant to be a good teammate,” Haffner said.

NIL Store Athletes to Earn +10% to Celebrate #NILDay (July 1)

CHICAGO (June 30, 2025) – UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Duke’s Cooper Flagg were the NIL Store’s Top-Earning Female and Male Athletes of 2024-25, while UConn was named School Partner of the Year in the 2025 NIL Store Awards.

The awards come a day in advance of the NIL Store’s 4th annual celebration of #NILDay, recognizing the passing of NIL legislation on July 1, 2021. In celebration, athletes will earn an extra 10% on all NIL Store sales on July 1.

More: nil.store/pages/awards

Bueckers was the top-selling overall athlete on the entire NIL Store platform, which includes more than 25,000 athletes from more than 100 institutions nationwide. It was Bueckers’ second straight year as the top-earning female athlete (Purdue’s Zach Edey was top earning overall last year).

UConn was the top-selling school on the NIL Store platform for the 2024-25 academic year, buoyed by the success of its National Champion women’s basketball program.

Full list of award winners below.

School Partner of the Year

• WINNER: UConn

• Finalists: DePaul, Florida, Louisville, Marquette

Top-Earning Female Athlete

• WINNER: Paige Bueckers (UConn Women’s Basketball)

• Finalists: Azzi Fudd (UConn Women’s Basketball), Flau’jae Johnson (LSU Women’s Basketball), Sarah Strong (UConn Women’s Basketball), Hannah Stuelke (Iowa Women’s Basketball)

Top-Earning Male Athlete

• WINNER: Cooper Flagg (Duke Men’s Basketball)

• Finalists: Dylan Harper (Rutgers Men’s Basketball), Ashton Jeanty (Boise State Football), Braden Smith (Purdue Men’s Basketball), Cam Skattebo (Arizona State Football)

Top-Earning Female Athlete (Olympic Sport)

• WINNER: Lexi Rodriguez (Nebraska Volleyball)

• Finalists: NiJaree Canady (Texas Tech Softball), Jordan Chiles (UCLA Gymnastics), Nora Hayd (Boise State Beach Volleyball), Karlyn Pickens (Tennessee Softball)

Top-Earning Female Athlete (Olympic Sport)

• WINNER: Wehiwa Aloy (Arkansas Baseball)

• Finalists: Kuhio Aloy (Arkansas Baseball), Kade Anderson (LSU Baseball), Trey Augustine (Michigan State Ice Hockey), Red Savage (Michigan State Ice Hockey)

Merch Moment of the Year

• WINNER: Derik Queen (Maryland) – “I’m From Maryland, That’s Why”

• Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) – The Boogeyman

• Johnny Kinziger (Illinois State) – Victory Runs Red

• Jack Sawyer (Ohio State) – Scoop and Score

• St. John’s Mania – Official BIG EAST Championship gear

NIL Director of the Year

• WINNER: Ben Chase (Florida)

• Finalists: Logan Hittle (Ohio State), Zack McKay (Louisville), Haneen Rashwan (Baylor), Terrell Smith (Duke)

Licensing Director of the Year

• WINNER: Larry Birkett (Marquette)

• Finalists: Lindsay Martin (DePaul), Kyle Muncy (UConn), Jeri Thorpe (Arkansas)

School Activation of the Year

• WINNER: Louisville – NIL In-Venue Installation & Promo at KFC YUM! Center

• Baylor – We Pay Players

• DePaul – City Edition Jerseys and Student Section Takeover

• Illinois – Butkus/100th Season Collection

• WKU – Big Red Collection

Philanthropic Spirit Award

• WINNER: Blake Shapen (Mississippi State) – Blake’s Bulldogs

• Sam Leavitt (Arizona State)

• Sitori Tanin and Parker Van Buren (Loyola Chicago)

• UConn Women’s Basketball

Most Innovative Design Collaboration

ABOUT CAMPUS INK AND THE NIL STORE

Backed by Mark Cuban, Campus Ink expanded into the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) space in 2021 and launched the NIL Store which serves as a merchandising solution for student-athletes and schools across the country. The NIL Store operates with the firm belief that every student-athlete has an opportunity to capitalize on their NIL and should earn industry-leading payouts. Campus Ink was founded in 1947 on the campus of the University of Illinois and was reimagined in 2015 with an office in downtown Chicago and a production facility in Urbana, Ill., where the company handles all of its own production and fulfillment.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Olympic City USA is getting set to celebrate some of America’s greatest athletes this week!

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum Festival kicks off Thursday night and runs through Sunday. The festival features free events, including a movie night at multiple locations, free entry to the museum on Saturday and Sunday, a new interactive exhibit, the chance to meet Hall of Famers, and much more!

THURSDAY MOVIE NIGHT (July 10):

-Weidner Field – Blades of Glory (PG-13) Doors open 8 p.m. with a start time of 8:30 p.m. CLICK TO REGISTER FOR WEIDNER FIELD.

-Fort Carson, Iron Horse Park – Miracle (PG) Doors Open 8 p.m. with a start time of 8:30 p.m. This event is open to the public. Patrons without active installation access credentials are encouraged but not required to apply for a pass online to speed up processing. Once approval is obtained from the online pass, patrons can enter at any gate with a valid license and the approval text message. Those who do not pre-register must visit the Fort Carson Visitor Center. Valid photo IDs are required for anyone 15 years old and older. All vehicles are subject to search.

-Lulu’s Downtown – The Fire Inside (PG-13) Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a start time of 7 p.m. CLICK TO REGISTER FOR LULU’S DOWNTOWN

-University Village – The Boys in the Boat (PG-13) Doors open at 8 p.m. with a start time of 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM FAN EXPERIENCE (July 11):

From 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday July 11, the public is invited to the Museum plaza with live music from Spinphony and Patrick & The Las Vegas Band, plus a comedy set by Joe Hill. There will be food trucks, activities and a chance to meet Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Afterwards, the museum will open its doors for free access to immersive exhibits and athlete stories at about 9:30 p.m.

SATURDAY (Free entry to the Museum all day July 12):

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. you can go behind the scenes at the Training Center and explore where champions train. Then head to the Museum for a full day of athlete appearances, interactive exhibits, and Olympic-themed activities.

SUNDAY (Free entry to the Museum all day July 13):

Wrap up the weekend with another chance to meet legendary athletes and explore the Museum’s world-class galleries—for free.

On Saturday, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will be recognized:

2004 U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team
The U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team delivered a defining moment at the Paralympic Games Athens 2004, capturing the program’s first gold medal in 16 years.

2010 Four-Man Bobsled Team
Nicknamed “Team Night Train,” the 2010 U.S. four-man bobsled team made history at the Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010 with a gold-medal performance.

Allyson Felix
Across five Olympic Games—from Athens 2004 to Tokyo 2020—Allyson Felix won 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold, the most ever by a female track and field athlete.

Anita DeFrantz
Anita DeFrantz made history at Montreal 1976 as a member of the first U.S. women’s rowing team, helping Team USA capture the bronze medal.

Bode Miller
A six-time Olympian and six-time Olympic medalist, Bode Miller is one of the most accomplished and unconventional alpine skiers in U.S. history.

Flo Hyman
Flo Hyman helped lead Team USA to a silver medal at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984, the first Olympic medal ever won by the U.S. women’s volleyball team.

Gabby Douglas
Gabby Douglas made history at the London 2012 Olympics as the first Black woman to win the all-around gymnastics title and also the first American to win all-around and team golds during the same Games.

Kerri Walsh Jennings
Kerri Walsh Jennings redefined excellence in the sport of beach volleyball, winning three consecutive gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012) and a bronze in 2016.

Marla Runyan
Marla Runyan, the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics, broke barriers with a career that includes six Paralympic medals—five of them gold.

Mike Krzyzewski

Mike Krzyzewski served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team, guiding them to gold medal victories at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016.

Phil Knight
Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike and a lifelong champion of innovation and athlete empowerment, has transformed global sport through his enduring support of Team USA and the Olympic and Paralympic movements.

Serena Williams
With four Olympic gold medals and 23 Grand Slam singles titles, Serena Williams stands among the most iconic athletes in sports history.

Steve Cash
Steve Cash made his Paralympic debut at the Torino 2006 Games, later becoming a Paralympic gold medalist and legend sled hockey goaltender, redefined excellence in adaptive sport.

Susan Hagel
Susan Hagel, a six-time Paralympian, competed in wheelchair basketball, Para archery, and Para track and field between 1976 and 1996, earning four gold and two bronze medals.

____

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TRENTON, N.J. – The State College Spikes extended their lead in the race for the MLB Draft League’s first-half title, plated a franchise record 12 runs in the eighth inning and notched their most lopsided win ever as they defeated the Trenton Thunder, 18-0, on Sunday afternoon at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

The Spikes (14-10) now lead second-place West Virginia (13-11) by a full game with five games remaining on the first-half schedule for all six MLB Draft League teams. The Black Bears, who defeated Williamsport on Sunday, do hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against State College with a 2-1 advantage in their first-half matchups.

State College extended what was a 4-0 lead on Trenton (14-13) entering the eighth by bringing 18 batters to the plate.RBI singles from Harrison Didawick and Ryan Rivera combined Landen Johnson’s two-run single to get the inning going before six walks and two hit batsmen with the bases loaded kept the onslaught going.

The dozen runs in the frame bettered the Spikes’ previous record, a 10-run inning against the Batavia Muckdogs in the third inning of a July 4, 2013 matchup at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. State College’s 18-0 margin was also the largest for any game in franchise history stretching back to 2006.

The Spikes also drew a total of 20 walks for the game, breaking their own franchise record and MLB Draft League record of 17 set back on June 25.

Johnson knocked in a total of four runs, while Rivera extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a 2-for-4 performance that included three walks.

Amidst the offensive explosion, four Spikes pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout. Starter Bobby Olsen (2-0) allowed just two hits, one walk and two hit batsmen while striking out five batters over five innings to earn the win. Brett Dunham then yielded one hits and three walks over two scoreless innings before Ethan Storm and Landon O’Donnell pitched an inning apiece to complete the whitewash.

Trenton starter Joe Ariola (0-1) was forced to depart the game due to an apparent injury after 1 1/3 innings and took the loss.

After an off day on Monday, the Spikes enter the home stretch of their first-half MLB Draft League schedule with a five-game homestand stretching from Tuesday through Sunday. State College will face the Frederick Keys for the opener of a three-game series at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday.

Fans and their four-legged friends can enjoy Dugout’s 2nd Birthday Paw-ty at Tuesday’s game, as Dugout the Baseball Dog celebrates his 2nd birthday at Bark in the Park II. Dugout, the Spikes’ newest Labrador Retriever mascot, is from the same family tree as the late, great Bob the Baseball Dog, and with his birthday falling on Monday, we’ll get the favors ready for all the humans and canines celebrating with him on Tuesday.

Plus, it’s a Walking Taco Tuesday presented by Bigfoot Country Legends with half-price Walking Tacos at the Salsa concession stand in right field throughout the game.

The Spikes will meet Frederick on Wendesday and Thursday as well before the Williamsport Crosscutters visit on Friday and Saturday. All five games in the homestand begin at 6:35 p.m.

Highlights of the remainder of the week include appearances from the Pirate Parrot, the Pittsburgh Pierogies and the Bucco Brigade at BuccoMania on Friday, July 11, and FIREWORKS on Cancer Survivors Night presented by Penn Highlands Healthcare during the first-half finale on Saturday, July 12.