Sports
Gophers men’s track and field set records and place second at the Big Ten Championships – The Minnesota Daily
The Gophers walked away with 10 medals between the men and women, sending 39 athletes to the NCAA West Regionals. The men’s team tied with Wisconsin, both earning 81 points. The men’s track and field team jumped around the top ten of NCAA national rankings all season. They peaked at number two in early April, […]

The Gophers walked away with 10 medals between the men and women, sending 39 athletes to the NCAA West Regionals. The men’s team tied with Wisconsin, both earning 81 points.
The men’s track and field team jumped around the top ten of NCAA national rankings all season. They peaked at number two in early April, but at the time of the meet were ranked sixth.
Day 1 of the championships ended with the Gophers leading in points. The men had 4 events: hammer throw, pole vault, javelin and the 10,000-meter run.
The men’s Gophers took home first and second in the hammer throw, as well as second in the pole vault.
Senior Jak Urlacher earned the silver medal with the best pole vault performance by a Minnesota pole vaulter in 28 years, moving him to No. 2 in Gophers history.
The meet was Urlacher’s last Big Ten Championship, but when asked about the pressure of performing well in his final year, he said he was not worried about it.
“I like pressure, personally,” Urlacher said. “I typically jump better at championship meets, the goal for me is just to go out and put together my best meet, and be able to jump what I’m capable of.”
On Day 2, the men competed in the long jump, high jump, decathlon, shot put and 3000-meter steeplechase.
The standout performance for the Gophers was sophomore Charles Godfred.
Godfred’s first jump attempt was ruled illegal but the jump, he said, would have likely beaten the meet record.
“I knew I was supposed to do that for my first jump,” Godfred said. “I was shocked when they raised the flag. I was just a pinch away. I think the jump was about 8.20 something.”
The meet record is 8.13 meters, set in 1935 by Jesse Owens. Godfred broke that record at other meets, but has yet to do it at the Big Ten Championships.
Godfred came in first for the second year in a row, despite not using all of his jump attempts. He said he chose not to use them due to injury risk.
“Due to the rain and bad weather, the board was a bit slippery and I didn’t want to take the risk,” Godfred said.
The rest of the track events were done on the final day of competition. The final meet record for the Gophers came from the men’s 4×100 meter relay team.
The team consisted of juniors Zion Campbell and Aaron Charles, senior Devin Augustine, and graduate student Kion Benjamin broke their own meet record they set in 2023.
Benjamin spoke about his expectations for the meet, especially because this is his final year with the Gophers.
“We came into the meet having the meet record already. So, the goal was to break the meet record on Hayward Field,” Benjamin said. “We had one job, and that was to come home with the gold medal. I just wanted to leave (my teammates) with a bang. I think that’s exactly what we did.”
Augustine put up the most individual points for the men, with 18. Augustine competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100 meter relay. He placed third in the 200-meter and seventh in the 100-meter.
Senior hammer thrower, Kostas Zaltos, was also awarded the Big Ten Men’s Field Athlete of the Championships.
The Gophers had six athletes on the men’s All-Big Ten First Team, the most in the Big Ten.
Sports
Stingers into Quarter Finals After Topping Group Stage
The Ord Minnett Australian Women’s Water Polo team has topped their group at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, with a dominant 15-6 win overnight against Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in the final preliminary match. The Paris Olympic silver medalists remain undefeated in the opening stages of their 2025 World Aquatics Championships campaign with wins […]

The Ord Minnett Australian Women’s Water Polo team has topped their group at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, with a dominant 15-6 win overnight against Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in the final preliminary match.
The Paris Olympic silver medalists remain undefeated in the opening stages of their 2025 World Aquatics Championships campaign with wins over Italy, New Zealand and hosts Singapore.
Finishing top of the group automatically qualifies the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers through to the quarter finals which will be held on Saturday 19 July.
The team will now wait to see who they meet in the quarter finals following Thursday’s cross over stages.
Dual Olympian and New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Bronte Halligan has stepped into the role of captain, leading her team from the front. She said her side will carry a lot of confidence into the quarter finals after topping the group stages.
“It’s so exciting to top our group stage here in Singapore, it was our first goal coming into the World Championships,” Halligan said. “The girls put in really good efforts, it’s very hot here in Singapore but we just stuck to our game plans and came away with three from three wins… I’m really proud of the girls.
“It’s tough here at the World Championships… it’s not like an Olympic Games where there are 10 teams, here there are 16 teams all vying for that spot on the podium. From the top eight through anything can happen so I’m excited to get to that part of the tournament and see what we can and hopefully get to that podium spot.”
NSWIS athlete Sienna Hearn was named Player of the Match.

The team includes multiple NSWIS scholarship holders such as Hayley Ballesty, Sienna Green, Bronte Halligan, Sienna Hearn, Dani Jackovich, Tilly Kearns, Alexie Lambert, Gen Longman, and Olivia Mitchell, as well as NSWIS staff – Senior Sports Physiotherapist Bernie Petzel and Sport Performance Analyst Joshua Dipple.
The Aussie Stingers now have a three day break while they wait to see who they’ll face off in Saturday’s quarter final.
The Ord Minnett Australian Men’s Water Polo Team, the Aussie Sharks, continue their World Championships campaign tomorrow, Wednesday 16 July, in a must win match against Japan at 12:35pm AEST.
The World Aquatics Championships are live and free on 9Now.
Waterpolo Australia
Sports
Group stage of Women's Euro 2025 sets attendance records
The group stage of Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland was the highest-attended in the tournament’s history, breaking the previous record from 2022. UEFA confirmed that a record-breaking 461,582 people attended the 24 games, surpassing the 357,993 that watched in England three years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 24 matches were held across eight different cities, […]

The group stage of Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland was the highest-attended in the tournament’s history, breaking the previous record from 2022.
UEFA confirmed that a record-breaking 461,582 people attended the 24 games, surpassing the 357,993 that watched in England three years ago.
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The 24 matches were held across eight different cities, with 22 of the games sold out, while the average attendance was 19,233 spectators per match.
UEFA confirmed some other records broken across the two weeks include:
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Highest attendance at a group stage match not involving the host nation (broken twice): 29,520 Spain vs Portugal in Bern; 34,165 Germany vs Denmark in Basel.
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Most fans at a women’s football match in Switzerland: 34,165 Germany vs Denmark in Basel.
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Most away fans at a Women’s Euro match: More than 17,000 from Germany in the stands to see their team defeat Denmark.
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Most fans at a Switzerland women’s national team match: Switzerland vs Norway in Basel on the opening day, 34,063.
On the pitch, the 89 goals scored was also the highest ever in the tournament’s group stage, surpassing the 78 scored in 2022.
Spain matched England’s group stage record of 14 goals, a feat the Lionesses achieved in 2022, where they went on to win the tournament.
Wales and Poland made their Euro 2025 tournament debuts, with Wales’ Jess Fishlock making more history in the process by becoming the oldest goalscorer in Women’s Euro finals history at 38 years and 176 days.
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UEFA’s women’s football director Nadine Kessler said: “If it was not clear before, it is undeniable now – women’s football is unstoppable and here to stay.
“Before a ball was even kicked, over 600,000 tickets were sold – a record-breaking milestone that speaks volumes about the growing passion for the women’s game.
“Nearly every match has been a sell-out, with electric atmospheres and fans turning out in unprecedented numbers. Millions more are following the action around the world through social media and live broadcasts.
“This is more than a tournament; it’s a movement, and the response from across Europe and beyond proves that women’s football is not only here to stay – it is setting the new standard.”
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Condensed Game
Sports
Who was the Zeeland West top athlete of the quarter century?
With the century a quarter done, the Holland Sentinel is selecting its top 25 athletes from the past quarter century. We will start with the top 25 from each school and move on to the top 25 overall male and female high school athletes from the past 25 years. Athletes must be graduated to be […]

With the century a quarter done, the Holland Sentinel is selecting its top 25 athletes from the past quarter century.
We will start with the top 25 from each school and move on to the top 25 overall male and female high school athletes from the past 25 years.
Athletes must be graduated to be eligible.
Today: Zeeland West
Merritt Alderink
Class of 2024
Was a Mr. Basketball finalist as a senior after multiple all-state seasons for the Dux. Led Zeeland West to the state semifinals as a senior, the best finish in program history. Went on to play at Indiana State.
Kaylee Bakker
Class of 2020
An elite two-sport athlete, Kaylee Bakker was a force at the net in volleyball and under the net in basketball. She earned all-state honors in volleyball as a senior, powering a Dux resurgence. Meanwhile, she was all-state honorable mention in basketball multiple years and plays basketball at Grand Valley State.
Danny Bauder
Class of 2014
One of the fastest athletes in area history, Danny Bauder made his speed known on the football field and the track. Bauder earned all-state honors as a running back, leading the Dux to the football state championship with four touchdowns in the title game. He was then all-state in multiple track and field events to lead the Dux to another team state championship.
Ethan Brooks
Class of 2021
One of the most elegant athletes in the area, Ethan Brooks soared to a state championship in the hurdles, helping the Dux dominate for a state championship. He was an all-state performer in multiple events for multiple years, continuing the dominating legacy of the Dux on the track.
Jordan Bullock
Class of 2012
One of the best water polo players in state history, Jordan Bullock claimed all-state honors three years in a row, also sweeping Sentinel Water Polo Player of the Year honors. She was also an all-state swimmer all four years and earned an NCAA Division I scholarship to swim at Bowling Green.
Morgan Bullock
Class of 2016
Swimming for Zeeland, Morgan Bullock claimed the Division 1 state championship in the 100 butterfly as a senior. She was an all-state performer all four years in swimming and earned all-state water polo honors as a senior. Bullock went on to swim at West Virginia and was an All-American honorable mention.
Micah DeJonge
Class of 2016
Continuing his family’s legacy in the pool, Micah DeJonge was a distance specialist. He won the Division 1 state championship in the 500 freestyle and was all-state all four years in multiple events. He also earned all-state honors in water polo before heading to swim at Oakland University.
Josh Geschwendt
Class of 2009
Won the Division 1 state championship in the 100 butterfly as a senior to lead Zeeland to the team championship. Went on to swim at Michigan State where he excelled at the Big Ten level.
Keaton Hendricks
Class of 2025
Broke the state record for most touchdowns in a state championship game to lead the Dux to the state title his senior year. He was first-team all-state and was also a multi-state qualifier in track and field. He will play football at Hope College next year.
Parker Holman
Class of 2023
Was first-team all-state in football as a junior running back before a knee injury cut short his senior season. Still was named honorable mention all-state and was a multiple state qualifier in track and field.
Haley Hoogenraad
Class of 2016
One of the most well-rounded athletes in history, Haley Hoogenraad made her mark in several sports. She was a state meet qualifier in both cross country and track and field. She also was one of the top basketball players in the area during her career. But her best sport was softball. She was all-state for the Dux and ended up at the University of Michigan as a starting outfielder. But her four-sport legacy at Zeeland West lives on.
Carson Gulker
Class of 2021
One of the greatest football players in area history, Carson Gulker was a sensational quarterback who led the Dux to multiple deep runs in the playoffs. He earned all-state first-team honors as a senior and was honorable mention as a junior. Gulker was also the top player on the basketball team, earning honorable mention all-state., and played baseball. He went to Ferris State to play both sports.
Jordyn Klaasen
Class of 2025
One of the most versatile and successful athletes in area history, Klaasen earned all-state honors during her career in soccer, cross country, basketball and was a state qualifier in track and field. She will play Division I soccer at Ball State next year.
Phoebe LaCroix
Class of 2017
One of the most important and magnificent leaders in Holland area history, Phoebe LaCroix became one of the top soccer players as well. She earned all-state honors because of her incredible vision and passing ability from the midfield. She went on to play at Cornerstone University where she also was a captain and an All-American.
Jill Pastunink
Class of 2009
Perhaps the best tennis player in area history, Jill Pastunink was all-state on the court for multiple years and was a two time Sentinel Player of the Year before heading to play at Western Michigan.
Darius Perisee
Class of 2016
One of the best running backs in the history of the area, Darius Perisee earned all-state honors for Zeeland West led by his speed and ability to make tacklers miss. He also ran track and was part of both programs’ state championship runs.
Sam Plaska
Class of 2015
A blue-collar worker, Sam Plaska made his mark on the track. He won the state championship in the 800 meters as a senior and as a junior, helped lead the Dux to the team state championship. He was a multiple all-state relay performer and also was a standout football player, helping both teams earn a state title.
Jeremy Sall
Class of 2008
Swimmer was a state champion and multiple state-runner-up finisher, earning multiple all-state honors each year for Zeeland. Went on to swim at Ohio State.
Rachele Schulist
Class of 2012
One of the most dominant athletes in local history, Rachele Schulist was an all-state cross country performer all four years, leading the Dux to a state title. On the track, she claimed the state championship in the 1,600 meters and was all-state in multiple events all four years for the Dux, leading them to a runner-up finish as a senior. She went on to run at Michigan State and was an All-American.
Carly Sleeman
Class of 2024
Was named Division 2 Miss Softball as a senior after setting most of the Zeeland West records. She was all-state three times and Sentinel Player of the Year twice. She went on to play at Central Michigan where she was All-MAC.
Trey Sloothaak
Class of 2025
Was named Division 3 Football Player of the Year by the Michigan sportswriters association after leading the Dux to the state title. Was two-time Sentinel Player of the Year and top safety in area history. Was also all-state in the long jump multiple times. He will play football at GVSU next year.
Rylee Smith
Class of 2024
Was the Holland Sentinel Golfer of the Year all four years and was twice the Bowler of the Year. She was a state qualifier on the golf course and led the bowling team to a state championship and was a standout soccer player.
Owen Stevens
Class of 2025
Stevens finished his stellar swimming career with five individual state championships, tied for the second-most in area history. He was a three-time Sentinel Swimmer of the Year and will swim at Louisville next year.
Jason Tran
Class of 2014
Another multi-sport star, Jason Tran won the state championship in the 110-meter hurdles as a senior, leading the Dux to the state championship. He was a multi-event all-state athlete on the track and was also a strong football player, helping the Dux win the state championship during his career as well.
Jordan VanDort
Class of 2014
Perhaps the most dominant lineman in area history, Jordan VanDort sparked multiple Zeeland West football state championships. He was an all-state lineman and ended up playing at Western Michigan, Hope and GVSU. VanDort also broke the Zeeland West career scoring record in basketball and was an all-state performer in the shot put.
Zach VanValkenburg
Class of 2016
On the football field, there was no escaping Zach VanValkenburg. He was going to bring you down. Same thing in wrestling. It added up to a spectacular career at Zeeland West where he was an all-state performer in both football and wrestling. He ended up playing football at Iowa, was All-Big Ten and signed a free agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this year.
Abby Winn
Class of 2022
The most recent stellar multi-sport star for the Dux, Abby Winn saved her best for her senior year. She was honorable mention all-state in volleyball, before earning all-area basketball honors. In the spring, she was a state qualifier in track and field all while earning first-team all-state honors in soccer, leading the Dux to their first regional final. She played soccer at GVSU.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
Sports
UNC women's sports nominated for 3 ESPYS, win 2024
Chloe Humphrey — Best Breakthrough Athlete After missing the 2024 season with an injury, Humphrey burst onto the scene for her redshirt first-year season with the Tar Heels. The first-year attacker won the 2025 Tewaaraton Award, given to the best player in women’s college lacrosse every year. Humphrey scored the most goals in a single season […]


Chloe Humphrey — Best Breakthrough Athlete
After missing the 2024 season with an injury, Humphrey burst onto the scene for her redshirt first-year season with the Tar Heels. The first-year attacker won the 2025 Tewaaraton Award, given to the best player in women’s college lacrosse every year.
Humphrey scored the most goals in a single season in UNC’s women’s lacrosse history with 90, passing the previous mark set by Jamie Ortega at 82. In the NCAA tournament semifinals game against Florida, the Connecticut native notched a single-game career high with seven goals to lead the Tar Heels to a resounding 20-4 win.
The other nominees for the award include Duke basketball player Cooper Flagg, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and rugby player Ilona Maher.
UNC 2025 Women’s Lacrosse — Best Team
The North Carolina women’s lacrosse team completed their undefeated season with a 12-8 national championship victory over Northwestern on May 25. During the NCAA tournament, UNC outscored their opponents by an average margin of more than nine goals per game.
The national championship win marked the fourth in North Carolina history, and the program’s second undefeated season in four years.
Out of the eight other teams nominated for the award, the Tar Heels were the only one to put up an undefeated season.
2024-25 Capital One Cup
On the backs of both national championships from women’s soccer and lacrosse, UNC’s women’s athletics was awarded the 2024-25 Capital One Cup. The honor is given out to the women’s athletic program that earns the highest number of points, factoring national championships and poll finishes. For winning the award, UNC will receive $250,000, which will be put toward athletic scholarships.
In addition to women’s soccer and lacrosse, field hockey boasted a successful season after securing the program’s 27th ACC championship. Of the 15 women’s sports, 14 qualified for NCAA postseason action.
“I’ve watched our female sports do so well — soccer, field hockey, tennis, us,” UNC women’s lacrosse head coach Jenny Levy said. “It’s been a powerhouse and the women here [are] extraordinary.”
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North Carolina will be recognized for the accomplishment Wednesday night at the ESPYS.
@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com
Brian D’Aguanno is the 2025 Summer Sports Editor and an incoming 2025-26 Assistant Sports Editor.
Sports
Women's Euros viewership nearly doubles from 2022, Fox Sports says
Television viewership of Euros group-stage matches has nearly doubled from the 2022 iteration of the tournament, Fox announced Tuesday, with an average of 306,000 people tuning in to those 24 matches this summer, compared to an average of 161,000 three years ago. The most-watched game so far has been France’s scintillating 2-1 victory over reigning […]


Television viewership of Euros group-stage matches has nearly doubled from the 2022 iteration of the tournament, Fox announced Tuesday, with an average of 306,000 people tuning in to those 24 matches this summer, compared to an average of 161,000 three years ago.
The most-watched game so far has been France’s scintillating 2-1 victory over reigning champion England on July 5. That game brought in 690,000 viewers, a 329 percent increase from the previous group stage.
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More recently, 2023 World Cup champion Spain’s 3-1 win over Italy on July 11 averaged 568,000 viewers, while an average of 486,000 tuned in for Sweden’s 4-1 victory over Germany on July 12. Both matches featured the winning teams coming back from a goal down to claim three points.
A Fox spokesperson also told The Athletic that England’s 6-1 win over Wales garnered around 151,000 viewers to FS1, while the Lionesses’ 4-0 rout of the Netherlands brought 120,000 to the same channel.
“UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 has surpassed all our expectations in setting a new viewership record for the group stage. Fox Sports is proud to see our commitment to both international soccer and women’s sports validated by +90% growth,” Fox Sports president of insight and analytics Mike Mulvihill said in a statement.
“With the knockout rounds starting Wednesday and matches the rest of the way airing on Fox, we’re confident the tournament will continue resonating with fans,” Mulvihill added.
This is Fox Sports’ first time broadcasting the women’s European championships. In addition to airing the matches themselves — not only on cable but on its main broadcast channel — the network has featured prominent pre-match coverage featuring a slate of retired international women’s football stars.
World Cup champions Carli Lloyd (who is also a National Soccer Hall of Famer) and Julie Ertz of the U.S. women’s national team, and four-time European champion Ariane Hingst of Germany composed the analyst team alongside Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden at the start of the tournament.
Norway and Italy will open the Euros’ quarterfinal stage when they face off on Wednesday in Geneva. Thursday’s quarterfinal features Sweden against England, followed by Spain vs. tournament host Switzerland on Friday and France vs. Germany on Saturday.
All matches kick off at 3 p.m. ET.
(Photo: Nick Potts / PA Images via Getty Images)
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