SEARCY — Harding University women’s track and field high jumper Kiera Blankinship has been named to the College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-America, recognizing her exceptional achievements both on the track and in the classroom. It was her second career Academic All-America honor.

Blankinship, a senior athletically and a graduate student academically, maintained a perfect 4.00 undergraduate grade-point average as a psychology major and is now seeking a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy.

In the 2025 outdoor season, Blankinship, a native of Chickasha, Oklahoma, and  2021 graduate of Amber-Pocasset High School, placed second at the Great American Conference Championships with a season-best height of 1.72m (5-7.75). She advanced to the national meet, where she earned Second Team All-America honors with a 10th-place finish, clearing 1.68m (5-6).

Blankinship’s honor is the 16th for the Harding women’s track and field program since Dawn Mason became the first Lady Bison to earn the award in 1987. She is one of eight women’s athletes at Harding to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors in her career.

MOREHEAD, Ky. — Two talented sports medicine professionals have joined the Morehead State Sports Medicine department. The Eagles welcome Skylar Carmichael, ATC and Isabella Polash, ATC.

Carmichael will work directly with the soccer and cheerleading programs, while Polash will serve as the athletic trainer for volleyball, beach volleyball and softball. Jordan Kelley, ATC, heads the MSU department.

Carmichael has a Master’s Degree from the University of Kentucky and earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Wilmington College in Ohio. She is a native of Winchester, Ky. Carmichael has gained clinical experience with the Kentucky men’s soccer program (two different stints), Kentucky football, Lexington Sporting Club soccer, Asbury (Ky.) University, Tate’s Creek High School and the Lexington Fire Academy.

She has also been a physical therapy technician at UK’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Drayer Physical Therapy and at Baptist Health Lexington as well as serving as football manager at her high school alma mater, George Rogers Clark.

She holds memberships in the Kentucky Athletic Trainers’ Society, Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Society and National Athletic Trainers’ Society. She has also been awarded the SEATA Memorial Scholarship, Quaker Impact Award as well as her major’s award (exercise science, pre-athletic training).

A former student-athlete as a softball player at Kean (N.J.), Polash comes to MSU after a one-year tenure at New Mexico Highlands. She served as head athletic trainer for softball, women’s volleyball, wrestling and women’s soccer.

Prior to that, Polash worked at RWJ Barnabas Health at the Morahan Center in New Jersey.

During the 2023 season, she worked with Kean’s football program. She also has clinical experience at Carteret and Union High Schools in New Jersey. She served as a sports medicine intern for the Dairyland Collegiate Baseball League in 2023. She served as treasurer for the Iota Tau Alpha Athletic Training Education Honor Society.

Polash earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Kean in 2024.

NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference announced Tuesday the addition of Louisiana Tech University into the league after a unanimous vote of the Sun Belt CEOs. Louisiana Tech will join the Sun Belt Conference no later than July 1, 2027. 
 
Louisiana Tech and the Sun Belt Conference will host a joint press conference on Wednesday, July 16, at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT in the Davison Athletics Complex, which will include Louisiana Tech President Dr. Jim Henderson, Louisiana Tech Athletic Director Ryan Ivey and Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill. The press conference will also be streamed at http://www.youtube.com/latechathletics. 
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Louisiana Tech University to the Sun Belt. Geographically situated within the current Sun Belt footprint, the addition of Louisiana Tech reunites a number of long-standing regional rivalries under the conference banner,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “I am grateful to President Dr. Jim Henderson and Athletic Director Ryan Ivey for their leadership during this process. I’d also like to thank the CEOs and athletic directors of our Sun Belt member institutions for their continued commitment to the premier FBS non-autonomy conference in the country. The Sun Belt Conference is RISING and our best days are ahead.” 
 
The addition of Louisiana Tech will bring the number of Sun Belt members to 14 with the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters joining current members App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss and Troy. 
 
“The Sun Belt has remained steadfast in its commitment to regional rivalries, geographic alignment and competitive excellence,” said Georgia Southern and Sun Belt Board of Directors President Dr. Kyle Marrero. “When it came time to add a new member to the Sun Belt Conference, it became clear that Louisiana Tech was the right fit. This addition renews long-standing rivalries, enhances our divisional structure, strengthens the competitive profile of the league across multiple sports and eases travel for fans and teams. We’re excited to welcome the Bulldogs to the Sun Belt!”
 

Louisiana Tech University, founded in 1894 and located in Ruston, La., is an R2 Research Institution that supports a student population of over 12,000. The school has won seven national championships—three in College Division (1972) or NCAA Division II football (1973 & 1974), three in AIAW (1981) or NCAA Division I women’s basketball (1982 & 1988) and one individual title in track & field. The football program has appeared in 14 bowl games all-time, with an 8-5-1 record, while the softball program has appeared in three NCAA Women’s College World Series (1983, 1985 & 1986). 

 

“The storied legacy of our Bulldogs and Lady Techsters, long an integral part of the Louisiana Tech experience, will be advanced with this move,” said Louisiana Tech President Dr. Jim Henderson. “The invitation from the Sun Belt Conference affirms the quality of our athletics programs. Joining the conference will guarantee regular competition with regional rivals, new and old, creating a more logistically sound experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans.”

 

Louisiana Tech sponsors 16 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Women’s sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Louisiana Tech participates in every sport sponsored by the Sun Belt Conference except beach volleyball, men’s soccer, men’s tennis and women’s golf. The Sun Belt Conference sponsors every sport in which the Bulldogs compete except women’s bowling. 

 

“Through all the uncertainty surrounding college athletics, we are pleased that Louisiana Tech has found its rightful home as a member of the Sun Belt Conference,” said Louisiana Tech Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey. “The opportunity for more fan engagement, reduced travel burden, and the renewal of storied rivalries will allow our student-athletes to pursue excellence in sport and in the classroom. Our coaches, student-athletes, alumni, and fans share in our excitement for the future of Bulldogs and Lady Techsters athletics. We appreciate Commissioner Keith Gill and the board for their confidence in our athletics department and look forward to elevating the conference through competition.”

 

Louisiana Tech was a previously a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 1991-2001 and enjoyed success in a wide range of sports. The women’s basketball team won nine-straight Sun Belt regular-season titles from 1993-2001 and seven conference tournament championships, including six-straight from 1996-2001. The men’s basketball team won a pair of Sun Belt regular-season crowns (1992 & 1999), while the men’s indoor (1999), women’s indoor (2000) and women’s outdoor (1999) track & field programs each claimed a conference title. 

 

The Sun Belt Conference, which sponsors 19 NCAA sports, was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. The conference owns a .571 bowl winning percentage during the College Football Playoff era, trailing only the SEC (.578). Since expanding to 14 football-playing members in 2022, the Sun Belt has led non-autonomy conferences in bowl representation in each of the past three seasons and has been a multi-bid league in eight different sports.

By: Michael Love


Tuesday, July 15, 2025 | 1:34 PM

The Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its all-state boys teams from the 2025 season, and the WPIAL was well represented on the Class 3A and Class 2A lists.

Junior outside hitter Will Robertson earned first-team laurels in Class 3A after helping North Allegheny to another WPIAL championship and a PIAA runner-up finish.

Seneca Valley finished second to NA in the WPIAL tournament and qualified for the state playoffs. Senior middle hitter Jordan Hoover’s efforts for the Raiders were recognized with a spot on the first team.

North Allegheny senior outside hitter Matthew LaMay, Pine-Richland junior outside hitter/middle hitter Doolin Stober and Seneca Valley senior setter Abheed Nelikil were named to the all-state second team in Class 3A, while Latrobe seniors Eric Bisignani (setter) and Owen Ward (outside hitter), North Allegheny junior middle hitter Peter Bratich, Penn-Trafford senior middle hitter Owen Gisi and Pine-Richland senior opposite/setter Matteo Rotelli were honorable mention selections.

Three players earned first-team honors in Class 2A.

Ambridge senior outside hitter Karson Merlina was named a first-team honoree after helping the Bridgers to a WPIAL runner-up finish and spot in the PIAA quarterfinals.

A pair of Mars standouts — seniors Derek Piatek (outside hitter) and Kyler Robinson (setter) — also earned spots on the first team.

Second-team selections in Class 2A were North Catholic senior outside hitter Drew Palmer, Shaler senior setter Aiden Smith and South Fayette senior outside hitter Travis Potteiger.

Two from the WPIAL — Seton LaSalle sophomore setter/opposite Hakeim McKenzie and Shaler junior opposite Adam Hoffman — were honorable mention selections.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Forest, Va. — FloSports and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) have entered into an exclusive five-year media rights agreement that will begin in the fall of 2025, bringing the conference’s 14 member institutions to the FloCollege platform. Through the agreement, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 1,500 regular-season and postseason events annually. The partnership further reinforces FloSports commitment to Division III athletics – adding an eighth conference to the portfolio – bringing the total to 18 conferences across all NCAA levels in the Fall.

The ODAC, headquartered in Forest, Virginia, stands as the second-largest multi-sport NCAA Division III conference in the country. It has gained national attention hosting NCAA Division III championships in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, football, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming & diving, and women’s volleyball.

The ODAC’s full-time member of 14 schools includes Averett University, Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite University, Guilford College, Hampden-Sydney College, Hollins University, University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, Randolph-Macon College, Roanoke College, Shenandoah University, Sweet Briar College, Virginia Wesleyan University, and Washington and Lee University. The ODAC also features five associate members in five sports.

“This agreement reflects a thoughtful next step for the ODAC in how we tell the stories of our outstanding student-athletes,” said ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston. “As technology and fan engagement habits evolve, we have a responsibility to adapt while staying true to our mission. FloSports provides a reliable and forward-looking platform that helps us deliver a consistent, quality experience for our teams and fans. Most importantly, this partnership enables us to highlight the achievements of our athletic programs across our wide sports offering – at a level they deserve and with the reach they have earned.”

FloCollege will deliver live and on-demand coverage for the ODAC full sports calendar across 21 sports. Beyond live competition, FloSports will also invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of ODAC student-athletes and institutions. The ODAC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and a primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.

Michael Levy, FloSports SVP of Global Rights & Acquisition, added, “The ODAC has an impressive roster of schools across Virginia and North Carolina – a hotbed region for collegiate sports. We’re looking forward to showcasing its schools and athletes on a national platform as we increase the reach of DIII athletics.”

FloSports has committed to investing more than $50 Million to support the FloCollege platform and contribute to rights fees, production, content, product technology, and marketing. The direct investment in conference rights helps member institutions apply funding towards their own broadcast and production capabilities to further enhance the quality of coverage across all sports, ensuring parity and inclusivity.

FloCollege is available via web, mobile apps (iOS and Android), and streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. The FloSports app will be pre-installed on most top-selling Smart TVs in the U.S. this year, making it easier than ever for fans to watch. Subscription options include both monthly and annual plans, with special pricing available to users with a .edu email address. For more information, visit www.FloCollege.com.

Any questions or concerns that are not answered in the FAQ linked above, please contact athletics@lynchburg.edu for more information.

About the ODAC

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) began competition with eight charter members in the 1976-77 academic year, making 2025-26 its 50th year of operation. From its initial year of competition through the 1981-82 academic year, the ODAC sponsored competition in 10 men’s varsity sports. The ODAC announced the inclusion of women’s athletics prior to the 1982-83 academic year, which also introduced three new members to the league. Today, the ODAC has grown to sponsor championships in 26 sports (13 men and 12 women, 1 co-ed) with its full-time membership composed of 11 co-educational institutions and three single-gender schools. The 2025-26 season marks the 34th year that the ODAC and the City of Salem, Va., will partner to host NCAA Division III championships. Since the Stagg Bowl in December 1993, the two entities have co-hosted 87 Division III championship events with four more championship events adding to that history this year.

About FloSports

Founded in 2006, FloSports is a global sports media company delivering live and on-demand event coverage, award winning original content, always-on social experiences, and comprehensive sports data solutions to passionate and underserved sports fans. Its portfolio covers more than 25 different sports categories and includes the top destinations for avid fans seeking unmatched coverage for the sports they love: motorsports (FloRacing), hockey (FloHockey), wrestling (FloWrestling), Jiu-Jitsu (FloGrappling), Track & Field (FloTrack and MileSplit), cheer (FloCheer and Varsity), a variety of NCAA sports (FloCollege), and more. Strategic partnerships with NASCAR, USA Wrestling, High Limit Racing, Varsity Spirit, the American Hockey League (AHL), Wanda Diamond League, Tour de France, 18 NCAA Conferences, and others, fuel more than 40,000 live events streamed annually across the globe and accessed via monthly or annual subscriptions. For more information, please visit: flosports.tv.