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High School Sports

Kimberly's Sprangers, Neenah's Gentile capture gold at WIAA Division 1 state track and field meet

AI-assisted summaryKimberly’s Hunter Sprangers won the Division 1 boys shot put title with a throw of 61 feet, 3.5 inches.Neenah’s Celia Gentile won the Division 1 girls triple jump with a jump of 40 feet, 2.5 inches.Little Chute’s Calvin Van Rossum earned silver in the Division 2 boys high jump.Appleton North’s Brooke Waddell took silver […]

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Kimberly's Sprangers, Neenah's Gentile capture gold at WIAA Division 1 state track and field meet


AI-assisted summaryKimberly’s Hunter Sprangers won the Division 1 boys shot put title with a throw of 61 feet, 3.5 inches.Neenah’s Celia Gentile won the Division 1 girls triple jump with a jump of 40 feet, 2.5 inches.Little Chute’s Calvin Van Rossum earned silver in the Division 2 boys high jump.Appleton North’s Brooke Waddell took silver in the Division 1 girls pole vault, setting a school record.LA CROSSE − A little self-reflection and alone time went a long way for Hunter Sprangers on June 6 at the WIAA Division 1 state track and field championships at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.

The Kimberly senior took home the state title in the shot put with a toss of 61 feet, 3.5 inches, but not before he had some quiet moments to himself before the meet to focus and prepare.

Sprangers was one of two state champions for the Post-Crescent area on the first day, with Neenah’s Celia Gentile taking home gold in the Division 1 girls triple jump.

“I ain’t doing nothing without the man upstairs,” Sprangers said of his reflection time. “I mean, it’s just the mentality coming in. I need to get away from everybody and I have to figure it out just on my own — mental reps.”

Sprangers, who has been one of the top throwers in the state all season, hit his eventual title-winning toss on his third attempt.

He had supreme confidence he would win the event, even though the group of throwers was a formidable bunch. That included De Pere senior Connor Fontaine, who finished just behind Sprangers for second (60-10).

“I knew before I threw that I was taking home gold. I was so focused, I was so dialed in,” Sprangers said. “The mental reps were on point. I knew I was ready and I came to put on a show.

“I mean, it was close. It was a game of inches. I was pretty confident. I had a pretty good throw and if anybody was going to beat me, it was going to be a PR.”Sprangers wanted to go for his own Kimberly school record, but fell a few feet short of the mark.“But hey, we took home gold and we can’t be mad about that,” he said.Kimberly's Hunter Sprangers won the Division 1 state shot put title June 6 at the WIAA state track and field championships.Neenah’s Gentile captures gold in triple jumpIt was an interesting hour or so as Neenah’s Celia Gentile was seemingly all over the main track area.The uber-talented Rockets sophomore was leading the D1 girls triple jump event when the call went out for the 400 relay teams to assemble for the prelims. Gentile raced over to her spot as anchor and then helped the relay team qualify for the final.As soon as the race was over, Gentile celebrated with her teammates briefly before heading over to the triple jump pit to compete in the finals. She ended up recording her best jump of the afternoon — a leap of 40-2.5 — to win the title.”I mean, I just left it all out there,” Gentile said. “It was the last meet of the year for the triple. Knowing that I could leave it all out and jumping 40 on my last jump was great.”Gentile, who also qualified for the 100-meter dash finals earlier in the day, said her personal-best jump was 40-4. She added being the leader throughout the triple jump event wasn’t necessarily ideal.”I’d rather be chasing,” she said. “But knowing that I can have the last jump and leave it all out — I like having the last jump — but knowing that someone can pass you is very stressful.”Neenah's Celia Gentile won the Division 1 state triple jump title June 6 in La Crosse.North’s Waddell, Little Chute’s Van Rossum earn silverLittle Chute junior Calvin Van Rossum took home the silver medal in the Division 2 boys high jump and also set a goal for next season.“I really want to tap into that 6-8, 6-9 height,” he said. “And I feel like next year I really have a good chance of making a run.”Van Rossum placed second in the event with a leap of 6-6. Edgerton’s Breck Anderson won the title with a jump of 6-9.“I was going for 6-7,” Van Rossum said. “I had some really good looks and I could have given extra effort to give the first-place guy a run for his money.”Van Rossum’s goal heading into the meet was to finish in the top three.“I felt like I met my expectations,” he said. “First place was just out of reach.”Waddell set the school record for the pole vault, finishing with a leap of 12-6 to tie her with Arrowhead’s Elise Schroeder and Sun Prairie East’s Alexa Wornson.Little Chute's Calvin Van Rossum placed second with a leap of 6-6 in the Division 2 high jump June 6.Waddell took second with Schroeder eclipsing the 12-6 mark in fewer attempts to take the gold.”I felt really good,” Waddell said. “My coaches were telling me the whole year that there were a lot of signs and that I was going to PR at state, and it happened. I felt really good during warmups. I got on my biggest pole and just did it.”Waddell, who’s heading to UW-La Crosse to compete in track in college, said the fact that it was her final high school meet was on her mind.”I just wanted to give it all I had and knew that it was my last high school track meet and wanted to put my school record as high, that way my name could stay up at my school for longer,” she said.The top three finishers attempted 12-9, which would have tied the D1 record.”Two of my attempts were really close,” Waddell said. “And it kind of sucked, but I’m close. I knew I could do it. I have four years left.”Neenah’s Olkowski leads third-place finishersNeenah senior Mazie Olkowski admits she’s a little “salty” about not having a faster time in the D1 3,200 girls run.But she did end up finishing third, which wasn’t so bad. Especially after she placed fifth in the same event last season as a junior.”Coming into the meet my PR had me ranked second in the state so I was really kind of hoping for that win,” Olkowski said. “But I’ll take it. It’s been kind of a long day, so I’ll take the third place.”Appleton North’s Nora Waddell placed second in the Division 1 pole vault June 6 in La Crosse.Olkowski finished with a time of 10:45.68 for her third-place finish. Muskego’s Ella Anschutz placed first in 10:33.91.”The time is just off my PR, so I’m a little salty about that,” Olkowski said. “But I’ll take it. Happy to be third. Better than last year.”Waupaca’s Owen Lencki was third in the D2 boys 1,600 with a time of 4:17.07. Jack Hefty of Whitewater won the event (4:13.78) with Notre Dame’s Joseph Hunt second (4:15.74).WIAA state track fourth-place finishersLittle Chute’s girls 3,200 relay team of Ashley Wilson, Campbell DeBoth, Sami Miller and Lauren Wegand placed fourth in Division 2 with a time of 9:26.89.Also taking fourth in the 3,200 was St. Mary Catholic in D3 with the team of Audrey Wanless, Maria Marti, Lauren Ripley and Claire Higgins (9:51.69).Manawa’s Olivia Santos was fourth in the D3 discus (129-3), as was Wrightstown’s Cailey Peterson in the D2 pole vault (11-9).Winneconne’s Grant Wenzelow was fourth in the D2 800 (1:54.48) with Hortonville’s Hailey Falbo fourth in the D1 3,200 run (10:50.35).Neenah’s Emma Severson, a freshman, was fourth in the D1 discus (135-9).WIAA state track podium finishersFifth-place finishers included Winneconne’s Hudson Samolinski in the D2 shot put (54-9.25) and Weyauwega-Fremont’s Broc Billington in the D3 high jump (6-4).Sixth-place finishers included Xavier’s Caroline Basehoar in the D2 pole vault (11-6) and Appleton North’s D1 3,200 relay team of Eva Busch, Ava Helmbrecht, Sophie Busch and Elise Brazzale (9:13.52).

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High School Sports

2025 Home Run Derby Highlights

MLB All-Star festivities continued Monday evening with the 2025 Home Run Derby at Truist Park in Atlanta. Raleigh, 28, is the first Mariners player to win the derby since Ken Griffey Jr. won it back-to-back in 1998-99. Live Coverage for this has ended 10:53p ET Finals 10:29p ET Semifinals 9:55p ET First Round 8:16p ET […]

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2025 Home Run Derby Highlights

MLB All-Star festivities continued Monday evening with the 2025 Home Run Derby at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Raleigh, 28, is the first Mariners player to win the derby since Ken Griffey Jr. won it back-to-back in 1998-99.

Live Coverage for this has ended

10:53p ET

Finals

10:29p ET

Semifinals

9:55p ET

First Round

8:16p ET

Participants and odds

6:55p ET

A family affair for Cal Raleigh

Live Coverage for this began on 10:56p ET

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College Sports

Timmins athlete wins gold at provincials – TimminsToday.com

TIMMINS – Athlete Chris Exel is a man of his word. Ahead of the Special Olympics Provincial Summer Games, the 25-year-old said he wanted to bring gold medals back to the City with a Heart of Gold. He’s returning home with two golds and a bronze medal.  SEE: ‘Gotta bring back the gold’: Timmins athlete competing […]

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Timmins athlete wins gold at provincials - TimminsToday.com

TIMMINS – Athlete Chris Exel is a man of his word.

Ahead of the Special Olympics Provincial Summer Games, the 25-year-old said he wanted to bring gold medals back to the City with a Heart of Gold. He’s returning home with two golds and a bronze medal. 

SEE: ‘Gotta bring back the gold’: Timmins athlete competing at provincials

In soccer, the Timmins team also won the silver medal in their division.

Exel won first in the 50-metre race with a time of 7.91 seconds, and in shot put, his gold-medal winning throw was 8.53 metres. He took bronze in javelin, where he threw 16.78 metres.

This was the first time 25-year-old Exel competed at the provincial games, which were held July 10-13 in Brantford. The Special Olympics committee will let the athletes who are moving on to the 2026 nationals know later this year. 

As for the next provincial games, those will be a little closer to home for Timmins athletes next time, with the event being held in North Bay.

Watch Exel’s gold-medal race below: 

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High School Sports

Big guys revel in their chance to shine in the sun

Zack Jacobs got up, moved out from underneath comfort of the shade tent, stood in the sunlight and looked around. What Jacobs saw brought a big smile to his face. Everywhere the offensive line coach for the Tigard High School football team looked, he saw linemen. And those linemen were running, jumping, lifting, flipping tires […]

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Big guys revel in their chance to shine in the sun

Zack Jacobs got up, moved out from underneath comfort of the shade tent, stood in the sunlight and looked around.

What Jacobs saw brought a big smile to his face.

Everywhere the offensive line coach for the Tigard High School football team looked, he saw linemen. And those linemen were running, jumping, lifting, flipping tires and more.

It was all a part of the Metro Area Lineman Challenge, held Saturday under warm, sunny skies at Hare Field in Hillsboro.

“Honestly, it’s for linemen, by linemen,” Jacobs said. “Coach (Ian) Reynoso has a lot of experience doing this, and it’s the one thing that gets the big boys together. I know our guys love it, I love it, all these teams love it. It’s just a day to come out here and compete, not necessarily worrying about football.”

The event featured such events as the 40-yard dash, the shuttle run, vertical jump, standing broad jump, bench press, farmer’s carry, tractor tire flip, two-man blocking sled relay and the team tug of war.

“Oh, it’s awesome,” Sherwood senior-to-be Isaac Bean said. “I love coming out here and being able to compete. It’s a lot more fun than 7-on-7, in my opinion. It gives the big boys a chance to show their athleticism, and, also, in some ways, their physicality, with the strength events.”

Sprague claimed the team championship at the lineman challenge.

“It really shows that linemen are appreciated,” said Sprague junior-to-be Ayden McVey.

This year’s event marked the 15th year for the Metro Area Lineman Challenge, which was started by, and run by, Reynoso, who also is the head football coach at Glencoe. And, like in previous years, this year’s competition seemed to be one of the highlights of the summer for many of the high school linemen who were at the event.

“It’s definitely a big part of our culture at Tigard,” said Tiger senior-to-be Mason Gilliland, who took first place in the heavyweight division in Saturday’s competition. “We really love this challenge. Our linemen, all we do is talk about it until it happens. We love it.”

Jacobs is probably a big reason for that. The 2016 Tigard graduate, who went on to play on the offensive line at Linfield University, fondly recalls his days competing as a Tiger at the Metro Area Lineman Challenge.

“I remember beating (Tigard teammates) Conner (Crist) and Derek (McMurray), those big guys, I beat them in the farmer’s carry,” Jacobs said. “I remember that it was such a fun day. It was great being out here with your best friends, competing and hyping each other up. That’s why I love it. Now, I get to relive it.”

While Jacobs wasn’t out there seeing how many time he could bench press 185 pounds, or how fast he could run the 40-yard dash on Saturday, he did seem to revel in his chance to coach the Tigers at the competition that he once shined in.

“It’s definitely different, but it’s the same thrill,” Jacobs said. “Obviously, my time is done, and I’d give anything to be in these kids’ shoes. But it is so awesome to transfer what I’ve learned, and the experience and the fun I’ve had, and give it back to these kids, who are going through it for the first or second time.”

Looking around the sun-drenched Hare Field turf on Saturday, there certainly didn’t seem to be any lack of fun.

“This is my second year, and I love it,” Lake Oswego junior-to-be Dylan Marquez said. “This shows some love for the linemen, and you get to see everybody compete. It’s good to see your friends from other schools, and get to hang out with your team.”

There’s also plenty of camaraderie to go with all of that fun.

“For sure, there’s a brotherhood,” McVey said. “Teams are teams, and, obviously, you want to beat the guy across from you, but as a whole, we’re linemen, we’re unappreciated, and we need to stick together.”

“The unique thing about linemen is that it’s such a niche group, and that there’s love for everyone,” Jacobs said. “You’re six inches from a kid’s face every play. It’s some kid you don’t know, then you come out here on days like this and you get to know the guys. You work hard, they work hard and it’s a good bonding experience.”

But, don’t get the linemen wrong. Even with all of that camaraderie and brotherhood, the competition on Saturday was very much present.

“We just want to compete,” Marquez said. “We love being out here, we love seeing other teams’ linemen, but we want to win.”

“We’re all rooting for everybody to do well, to do their best,” said Bean, who claimed the lightweight championship. “But we want to do our best, and do it better than all of them.”

When it came to team competition, it was Sprague that did it better than all the rest. The Olympians took the title with a score of 60 points, edging second-place Sunset by just one point.

“This was awesome, it couldn’t have been better,” McVey said.

Senior-to-be Bohdi Jones helped the Olympians claim the team crown, as he finished in fourth place, individually, in the lightweight standings. Sprague junior-to-be Emmett Hunsaker finished in a tie for first place in the heavyweight tire flip event with 12 flips.

Flynn Collins of Jesuit, Braden Krizan of Tigard, Glencoe’s Brock Sahlfeld and Tripp Johansen of Willamette also tied for first place in the heavyweight tire flip competition, each also with 12 flips.

Also in the heavyweight division, Sunset’s Alex Esuk had the fastest 40-yard dash with his time of 5.11 seconds. Esuk also triumphed in the farmer’s carry with a distance of 120 yards. Nelson’s Porter Maciag and Tony Cumberland of Willamette tied for first place in the shuttle run, each with a time of 4.49. Lake Oswego’s Josh Christensen had the top mark in the vertical jump with a leap of 31 inches. Sahlfeld topped the field in the standing broad jump with a distance of 101.5 inches, and he tied Jesuit’s Cooper Wright and Sunset’s Tony Semchuk in the bench press, each lifting 185 pounds 26 times.

In the lightweight division, Sunset’s Justin Duchek had the fastest 40-yard dash with his time of 4.98. Glencoe’s Alex Flores triumphed in the shuttle run with a mark of 4.51. Sherwood’s Charlie Moore had the day’s top vertical jump at 34 inches, and he tied teammate Andres Hernandez for the top mark in the tire flip, each with 12. Nelson’s Eli Escobar had the top distance in the standing broad jump with 109 inches. Eli Escobar was victorious in the bench press with 25 lifts and, in the farmer’s carry, Glencoe’s Porter Braun and Hernandez tied for the top spot, each with 105 yards.

In the team events, Sprague took first place in the two-man blocking sled relay race in a time of 1:12.

Jesuit turned in an impressive performance in winning the team tug of war title, topping Willamette in the bracketed finals.

Rounding out the top 10 team scores in the 27-team,18-school event, Sherwood finished in third place with 48 points, Lake Oswego was fourth with 45, Jesuit was fifth with 42, Willamette was sixth with 29, Sandy was seventh with 21, Oregon City was eighth with 19, Liberty was ninth with 16 and Tigard finished in 10th place with 14 points.

And, at the end, as the competitors were munching on hamburgers while sitting in the shaded grandstands at Hare Field, there were plenty of smiles, and looks of accomplishment, to be seen.

“This day was absolutely the best,” Jones said. “It was amazing.”

“This is really fun,” Gilliland said. “It’s fun to compete. It’s great to be out there with everyone. And there’s just love in the end.”

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High School Sports

Ntekpere Selected Second Team Academic All

Story Links AUSTIN, Texas – Central Washington University sophomore track and field athlete and three-time national champion Emy Ntekpere has been named Second Team Academic All-American selected by the College Sports Communicators, recognizing her exceptional achievements both on the track and in the classroom. “A mentor of mine used to say that these two awards (All-American, […]

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Ntekpere Selected Second Team Academic All

AUSTIN, Texas – Central Washington University sophomore track and field athlete and three-time national champion Emy Ntekpere has been named Second Team Academic All-American selected by the College Sports Communicators, recognizing her exceptional achievements both on the track and in the classroom.
 
“A mentor of mine used to say that these two awards (All-American, Academic All-American) are what we should all pursue,” CWU Head Track & Field Coach Jonathan Hill said. “These are the highest recognitions of our job as a coach. Great students, great athletes, great people. These awards represent excellence. To be the top of her field in athletics and academics is a tremendous accomplishment. Special people do special things and Emy is as special as they come. She works hard to achieve her goals and it’s wonderful to see her recognized for her efforts.”
 
Ntekpere, a sophomore from Vancouver, Washington, owns a 3.55 GPA in Biochemistry. She’s had a season for the ages during 2024-25 earning three national championships: indoor triple jump, outdoor high jump, and outdoor triple jump, becoming the first woman in GNAC history to win multiple national championships in field events. She earned four First Team All-Americans and won six GNAC Championship events this year on top of beign named the GNAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships Athlete of the Year and the GNAC Female Athlete of the Year.
 
View the full CSC Academic All-American teams HERE
 

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High School Sports

RGV Vipers Host Exciting Back To School Expo Amidst Sports Highlights

Table of Contents RGV Vipers Gear Up for Annual Back to School Expo The Rio Grande Valley is buzzing with excitement as the RGV Vipers prepare to host their fifth consecutive annual Back to School Expo. This much-anticipated event is set to provide students with essential school supplies, vaccines, and sports physicals, ensuring they are […]

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RGV Vipers Host Exciting Back To School Expo Amidst Sports Highlights

Table of Contents

RGV Vipers Gear Up for Annual Back to School Expo

The Rio Grande Valley is buzzing with excitement as the RGV Vipers prepare to host their fifth consecutive annual Back to School Expo. This much-anticipated event is set to provide students with essential school supplies, vaccines, and sports physicals, ensuring they are ready for the upcoming semester. The event, open to the public and free of charge, will take place on July 23rd from 3 PM to 7 PM. Attendees are encouraged to secure their spot through a QR code available on the screen, promising a seamless experience for families in need.

Club World Cup Final: Chelsea Triumphs Over PSG

In a thrilling display of soccer prowess, Chelsea emerged victorious in the Club World Cup Final held at MetLife Stadium. Facing off against PSG, Chelsea quickly established dominance, thanks to Cole Palmer’s remarkable performance, scoring two goals within the first half-hour. Pedro added another goal before halftime, leading Chelsea to a triumphant victory, clinching the 2025 Club World Cup title.

NBA Summer League: Notable Performances

The NBA Summer League continues to captivate fans as the Rockets took on Detroit. Reed Shepherd, last year’s number three overall pick, showcased his skills with an 18-point performance, hitting 6 out of 19 from the field. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have decided to play it safe with their number one overall pick, Cooper Flag, shutting him down for the remainder of the summer league after an impressive 31-point effort against San Antonio.

Historic MLB Draft Night

The Washington Nationals made history during the 2025 MLB Draft by selecting 17-year-old high school shortstop Eli Willits from Oklahoma as the first overall pick. This selection marks a significant milestone as Willits becomes the youngest player ever to be chosen number one overall in baseball history, surpassing the previous record set by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1987. Baseball enthusiasts eagerly await Willits’ debut in the major leagues.

MLB Showdowns: Astros vs. Rangers and Dodgers vs. Giants

In Major League Baseball, the rivalry between the Astros and Rangers continued as they faced off for their third and final game of the series in Houston. The Rangers took an early lead with four runs in the initial innings, while Zach Short responded with a solo shot for Houston in the sixth. However, the Astros couldn’t muster more offense, and Texas claimed victory in the final game of the series. These two teams are set to meet again on September 5th.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers and Giants engaged in a low-scoring pitching duel on the West Coast. After a grueling match that extended into extra innings, the Dodgers triumphed, thanks to the clutch performances of Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani, who scored three runs in the 11th inning to secure the series win.

Additional Resources

RGV Vipers Official Website

Major League Baseball Official Website

National Basketball Association Official Website

RGV Vipers Host Exciting Back to School Expo Amidst Sports Highlights
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High School Sports

WNBA 2025 Highlights

July 15, 2025 07:59 AM Catch up on all the best moments from Monday’s WNBA games, where the Mercury fended off the hungry Valkyries down to the wire, and Napheesa Collier’s 29 points lifted the Lynx over the Sky. 1

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WNBA 2025 Highlights

July 15, 2025 07:59 AM

Catch up on all the best moments from Monday’s WNBA games, where the Mercury fended off the hungry Valkyries down to the wire, and Napheesa Collier’s 29 points lifted the Lynx over the Sky.

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