STILLWATER – Oklahoma State men’s track & field athlete Ryan Schoppe was named College Sports Communicators (CSC) third team Academic All-American, the organization announced Wednesday.

This marks the second straight season Schoppe has been named to the CSC Academic All-America third team, becoming the fourth Cowboy track athlete to be named to the team on multiple occasions. Overall, Schoppe is the 132^nd OSU student-athlete to be named a CSC Academic All-American and the 25^th to be named to multiple teams.

On the track this season, Schoppe was a first team All-American as a member of the Distance Medley Relay indoors and helped the DMR run the second-fastest time in world history on tracks of legal length. He finished his track career as a two-time NCAA Champion as the DMR anchor in 2023 and 2024 and was a four-time Big 12 Champion.

Schoppe also scored the third most points in program history at the indoor conference meet with 41.5, finishing behind only Kirubel Erassa (2011-14, 59 points) and Alex Maier (2020-24, 54.75 points).

For more information on the Cowboys and Cowgirls, continue to check back with okstate.com. 

ABILENE – Abilene Christian will host the 2025 Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament at Moody Coliseum on Nov. 20-22, the league announced Thursday. It will mark the Wildcats’ first time hosting a conference volleyball tournament in 20 years and the first instance at the Division I level.

ACU previously hosted the Lone Star Conference Tournament in 2005, when it captured the second leg of back-to-back conference titles. At that point, it had also been 20 years since the LSC tournament was last played in Abilene in 1984 and 1985. Moody Coliseum’s capacity has since increased to 3,600.

“We are so excited to have the opportunity to host the last WAC championship this fall season,” head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup said. “ACU has done an amazing job behind the leadership of President Schubert that we have top-in-the-nation facilities here in Abilene, Texas. I’m really excited to showcase our amazing facilities and have a home atmosphere while we compete for the WAC Championship. Our team has had our eyes set on winning a WAC Championship since I’ve taken this position and the opportunity to win it at home for us is huge. We can’t wait for the Abilene community to come out and enjoy a great weekend full of high-level volleyball and to have their support in our pursuit of a ring!”

The WAC Tournament has been played at a different site in each of the past four seasons and was hosted by UT Arlington in 2024.

ACU kicks off its third season under Moronu Alstrup with the Wildcat Classic on Aug. 29-30 at Moody Coliseum, taking on the likes of Missouri State, Incarnate Word and Oklahoma. The Wildcats will play 11 regular season matches at home, including six WAC contests.

ACU will prepare for the regular season with the Purple and White Scrimmage on Aug. 15 at Moody Coliseum before meeting Angelo State in an exhibition match on Aug. 23 at the Dodge Jones Youth Sports Center (AYSA).

The Wildcats retain a strong core from the 2024 campaign, including four of their five leaders in kills. Avery Thaler returns to the court following her WAC All-Freshman Team selection, while Hannah Gonzalez and Abby Christian look to build upon sophomore seasons with over 230 kills and 200 digs, respectively. Gonzalez doubled as last year’s leading blocker with 73 denials.

BERLIN — Three different Toreros tallied seven kills on Wednesday, but San Diego volleyball dropped a 3-0 decision to Team Italy while representing the United States to begin play in the 2025 World University Games, falling by 25-20, 25-9, and 25-17 margins at the Horst-Korber Sportzentrum.

Nemo Beach, Izzy Clark, and Kennedy Osunsanmi led the charge for USD on offense, and were followed by Minnesota graduate transfer Kali Engeman, who added six kills of her own and paced San Diego/Team USA with a pair of blocks. Clark also did her part on defense, chipping in a match-high 11 digs.

USD/USA nearly stole the first frame, cutting an early deficit to just two when Maya Kitna notched a clutch block to make it 22-20, but her team got no closer.

The Toreros/Team USA never led in a one-sided second set, but bounced back in the third to make things interesting, keeping pace with the Italians early on before ceding the match on a service error.

From July 16-27, 2025, San Diego volleyball will join around 8,500 other student-athletes and officials from over 150 countries in competing for medals in 18 sports at the World University Games, one of the largest multi-sport events in the world. The Toreros will be representing the USA as the nation’s sole women’s volleyball team in the Games. 

Nevada State University President DeRionne Pollard is stepping down, telling The Nevada Independent that she is taking a new role leading a national community colleges organization just a month after her four-year contract was renewed.

Pollard’s last day as president will be July 31. Nevada State University (NSU) Chief of Staff and Strategy Amber Lopez Lasater will take over as the officer in charge. 

Pollard’s announcement comes about a month after the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) voted to renew her four-year contract and four months after former UNLV President Keith Whitfield announced he was stepping down. 

“It has been an honor and a privilege to have led this institution for four years, and to see that perhaps Nevada State University is no longer the best kept secret in Nevada,” she said in an interview. “It is an institution that is worthy of the recognition for the impact that it makes, the students it serves and most importantly, our future is so bright.” 

NSHE Chancellor Matt McNair said in a statement that Pollard’s leadership has “elevated the university’s role in the state and country.”

During a Monday interview, Pollard said she had not been hired for the position leading the American Association of Community Colleges when NSHE renewed her contract. She said she signed the contract for her new position Friday.

Pollard will be the first woman to lead the 105-year-old organization that advocates on behalf of more than 1,000 institutions and 10 million students across the country when she starts in September. 

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue a role that, I think, will have [a] very broad-based impact on the higher education space,” she said. “It’s an opportunity, I think, to advocate in a space that will also hopefully benefit Nevada as well as the rest of the country.” 

She also shared her concerns on how the Trump administration’s policies will affect the university and its students, as well as her hopes for NSU’s future as it looks to expand its footprint outside of Henderson. 

Pollard’s legacy

In 2021, Pollard became eighth president of Nevada State University, the Henderson-based institution founded in 2002 that serves more than 7,000 students. She became the first Black woman to permanently lead any institution within the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Pollard took over from Bart Patterson, the institution’s longest-serving president, who announced he would not seek a contract renewal after leading the college for nearly 10 years. Prior to coming to Nevada, Pollard led Maryland’s largest community college, Montgomery College, for about nine years. 

One of Pollard’s most notable accomplishments was successfully transitioning Nevada State from a college to university, but she said not much has changed for her students and staff since the conversion two years ago. 

She said the change was more about making sure Nevada State’s name reflected its mission as a four-year institution that offers more than 40 programs of study for undergraduates and graduate students and is engaged in workforce development. The change, she said, helped eliminate any confusion about the campus being seen as a two-year institution or private college but rather as a “mid-tier institution,” separate from the state’s community colleges and UNLV and UNR, both of which have been recognized as R1 institutions for their high level of research. 

“I think we used this as an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to the community in a way that was very intentional, and I’d like to say that it has resonated deeply,” she said. 

Trump administration

Earlier this year, the Trump administration cut about 40 grants totaling nearly $40 million at UNLV and UNR. 

A university spokesperson said in a statement that had a federal grant terminated resulting in the loss of one full-time position and an hourly position. 

“We will continue to evaluate the potential impacts of the most recent federal spending bill as well as other federal actions,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Pollard nonetheless said she’s worried about  how the administration’s recently approved spending bill, which included significant cuts to health care and nutrition programs, could affect the state’s ability to fund higher education.

“We know that that will trickle to the states, and oftentimes states, when they happen to make very difficult decisions around insurance for underserved or vulnerable populations … where they typically also have some concerns and look to draw money from would be from higher education,” she said. 

Historically, higher education budget cuts result in tuition increases, decrease in state and instructional financial aid for students and sacrificing support services such as food pantries, transportation and child care. 

NSU’s future

Nevada State University is embarking on a new chapter this year with the launch of its athletics department, which will include women’s flag football and men’s track and field — programs not currently offered in Nevada at the collegiate level. She said there’s a number of high schools in the area that already have girls flag football programs. The Scorpions will be able to cheer for their new teams as early as spring 2026. 

“We know our niche,” Pollard said. “We’re not going to be a D1. We’re not trying to replicate what you see at UNLV or UNR.” 

Leading the new department will be the university’s inaugural athletics director, Yvonne Wade, who served as an athletics director and assistant athletic director at the College of Southern Nevada and director of track and field and cross-country at UNLV. She started earlier this month. 

Pollard said NSU leadership and alumni have long been asking for an athletics department. It also made sense to keep up with the rest of the region as it becomes more sports-centric. 

“If we were not active in sports, that means that we’re being left behind and we don’t want our students to be left behind,” she said. “We want to be an active participant in the economy of our region.”

Aside from sports, NSU is setting its sights on expanding its footprint and working to develop a three-story, 30,000-square-foot satellite campus in North Las Vegas’ downtown area.

The university is still deciding what programs will be offered there, but Lopez Lasater said the new building will include student support services such as financial aid, enrollment and tutoring. 

North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown said in a statement that the partnership “will leave a lasting legacy that will open doors for generations.”

The university is also partnering with the City of Las Vegas to establish a center in the medical district that would be focused on juvenile health care education and provide clinical services to youth. 

“We’re looking to continue all of the good work that has already been done, and then to build on it,” Lopez Lasater said. 

Updated at 12 p.m. on 7/16/25 to add statements from chancellor and North Las Vegas mayor and at 5:45 p.m. to note federal cut impact.

VESTAL, N.Y. (binghamtonbearcats.com) –  Binghamton Volleyball welcomes Jaidan Degear to the 2025 coaching staff, announced Head Coach Allie Yaeger Thursday afternoon. Degear joins Chris Weathers as the Bearcats’ assistant coaches for the 2025 season. 

“I’m excited to announce the addition of Jaidan to our coaching staff,” said Yaeger. “She will help assist in all aspects of our program, from on court instruction to team travel. It will be nice to have another voice in the gym and help towards our future success.”

Degear brings experience in collegiate and club volleyball to Vestal, with a strong emphasis on athlete development, team culture and strategic growth. 

She most recently served as a student assistant coach with the SUNY Cortland women’s volleyball team from 2022 to 2024. There, Degear played a key role in practice planning, skill development, and game strategy, helping guide the Red Dragons through multiple competitive seasons.

Additionally, Degear coached U16 and U18 teams at KODA Volleyball Club, leading high-level training sessions focused on technical skill advancement and fostering a positive team environment. Her experience also includes a stint as a student manager for the Alfred University women’s volleyball team in 2021.

A native of DeRuyter, N.Y., Degear received her Bachelor of Science in Coaching at SUNY Cortland in January 2025. She is certified as an Emergency Medical Technician and holds CPR/AED credentials.

For updates on all things Binghamton Volleyball, follow us on Instagram and X.

 

MIAMI — FIU Athletics announced its five members of the 2025 Hall of Fame Class on Thursday, welcoming Munga Eketebi ’88 (men’s soccer), T.Y. Hilton ’13 (football), Karl Kremser ’87 (men’s soccer), Tayna Lawrence ’98 (women’s track) and Cindy Russo ’93 (women’s basketball) into the second-ever induction class.
 
This year’s induction ceremonies will take place Friday-Saturday, Sept. 12-13, on campus, with the public welcome to attend. The induction banquet will kick off the weekend festivities on the evening of Sept. 12 from the Graham Center Ballroom before concluding with the class being recognized at the FIU football team’s game versus Florida Atlantic the night of Sept. 13.
 
Tables and individual seats are available to purchase for the induction banquet via FIUTickets.com. Tables seat eight (8) and are $800, while individual seats are $125. Attendees will receive a three-course dinner, drinks, will hear from all five inductees and can interact with FIU Athletics and University dignitaries.
 
“We are excited to celebrate the return of the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame with an extraordinary class,” said FIU Athletics Director Scott Carr. “These five individuals exemplify the highest standards of athletic achievement and Panther pride. Each has left a lasting legacy on their respective program and on FIU Athletics as a whole. It will be a pleasure welcoming them back to campus, and we’re looking forward to a fantastic weekend honoring them.”
 

Munga Eketebi ’88 – Men’s Soccer (1983-86)
Eketebi, a three-time All-American forward from 1984-86, enjoyed an incredible career on the pitch as a Panther, winning the NCAA Division II National Championship with FIU in 1984. Eketebi racked up 50 career goals and had 124 career points, graduating as the school-record holder in both categories.
 
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eketebi scored six postseason goals, helping FIU to the National Championship Game in both 1984 and 1985 under legendary head coach and fellow 2025 Class member Karl Kremser. The forward was honored with three-straight All-South selections and All-State honors in all four of his collegiate seasons. He also led the Panthers in points and goals in his final three seasons and is still the program leader for hat tricks with four in his career. 
 
Additionally, he served as a long-time assistant for the men’s soccer program for 18 years before being promoted to the head coaching role from 2007-11. During his time on FIU’s coaching staff, the Panthers went to five NCAA Tournaments, finishing as the Division I runner-up in 1996. The program had 16 players go on to play in MLS, four of whom were selected to the U.S. Men’s National Team.
 
Eketebi: “I am honored, grateful and blessed to be the first soccer player inducted in the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame. I would not have made it without my teammates, who became lifelong friends. The program was very successful before I got there and there are plenty of candidates who should have received this honor before me.”
 
T.Y. Hilton ’13 – Football (2008-11)
Hilton, a native of Miami Springs, electrified Panther Nation during his four seasons in Miami as a wide receiver and kick returner. Selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Hilton went on to star for the Indianapolis Colts, being named to four-straight Pro Bowls from 2014-17. The 5-10 wide receiver also led the NFL in receiving yards in 2016, racking up 1,448 yards. 
 
Hilton made an instant impact at FIU, scoring a touchdown on his first collegiate touch as a kick returner and earning 2008 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year honors. He was named First Team All-Sun Belt all four of his seasons as a Panther and was the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2010 after a stellar junior campaign. He had a career-high 11 total touchdowns that season; five receiving, four rushing and two kick-return. Hilton totaled 1,963 yards in 2010 with 1,130 from scrimmage and 833 return yards. 
 
For his FIU career, Hilton amassed 3,531 receiving yards and had 24 touchdowns, averaging 15.4 yards per catch and 70.6 yards per game. He also set several school records during his career, holding the marks for career receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Additionally, he established program single-game and single-season marks for receptions and receiving yards.
 
Hilton: “This moment means everything. Football is the game I loved. My teammates through my years here (at FIU) are bonds that will be forever kept, and being the first football player inducted to the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame at a prestigious college gives the journey a forever meaning.”
 
Karl Kremser ’87 – Men’s Soccer (Head Coach: 1980-2006)
Kremser built the FIU men’s soccer program into a national powerhouse, leading the Panthers to unprecedented success over his 27 years as head coach. He won two NCAA Division II National Championships in 1982 and 1984, which remain the only national titles in school history. 
 
In total, Kremser’s teams went to five National Championship games overall, including securing a runner-up finish at the 1996 NCAA Division I National Championship. He is the winningest coach in program history with 324 career victories and posted a winning record in 24-of-27 seasons on the sidelines. Under Kremser, FIU made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances and won five overall conference titles. 
 
Kremser’s reign produced many successful professional players with 43 going on to play in the professional ranks, including MLS legends Robin Fraser and Steve Ralston. Kremser was named Coach of the Year ten times during his tenure and helped the Panthers produce more than 70 all-conference players. 
 
Prior to his coaching career, Kremser was a standout collegiate soccer player at Army before becoming a decorated placekicker for the football team at the University of Tennessee. He went on to be drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1969 NFL Draft. Kremser then got his start in coaching soccer in the Sunshine State, first at Palm Springs Junior High School and then at nearby Miami Killian High School. He also earned a postgraduate degree at FIU, completing his degree in 1987 during his coaching tenure.
 
Kremser: “Though I am grateful and honored to be selected for induction into the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame, it is my personal belief that the great individuals and teams that enabled my success should have been honored before me.”
 
Tayna Lawrence ’98 – Women’s Track (1994-98)
Lawrence is FIU’s most-decorated Olympian in school history and enjoyed an illustrious collegiate and professional career as a world-renowned sprinter. While at FIU, the Jamaican and North Miami Beach native re-wrote the record books, graduating as the school-record holder in 10 different events.
 
Following her time as a Panther, Lawrence burst onto the international scene as one of the top sprinters in the world, representing Jamaica in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. At the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, she took the silver medal in the 100m and was a part of the silver-medal winning 4x100m meter relay team. In 2004, Lawrence’s Jamaican 4×100 meter relay team claimed gold in Athens, making history as FIU’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist.
 
Lawrence also claimed three medals on the world track circuit at the World Continental Cups, garnering silvers in the 4x100m meter relay in 1998 and in the 100m in 2002. As part of Team Jamaica, she also anchored the 2002 gold-medal-winning 4x100m relay team.
 
More than 25 years later, Lawrence still holds the FIU indoor records in the 60m, 200m and as part of the 4×400 relay team (list time). She also has the outdoor records in the 100m and was a member of the record-holding 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x400m relay teams.
 
Lawrence: “Being inducted into the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame is an honor that reflects not only my journey, but the incredible mentors, teammates and supporters who believed in me every step of the way. FIU helped shaped the athlete – and the woman – I became, and I carry this recognition with deep gratitude and pride. This moment belongs to everyone who lifted me up and reminded me that no dream is ever too big.”
 
Cindy Russo ’93 – Women’s Basketball (Head Coach: 1977-78, 1980-2015)
Russo established the FIU women’s basketball program as one of the nation’s best during her 36 years at the helm. The Panthers racked up a program-record 667 wins under Russo and had 18 seasons of 20-plus victories. In total, Russo accumulated 707 career wins, putting her in the top 50 all-time for coaching wins in the history of NCAA women’s basketball.
 
With a groundbreaking emphasis on recruiting international players, she led the Panthers to nine overall NCAA Tournament appearances and 15 conference titles. An eight-time Coach of the Year, Russo’s teams made a total of 16 postseason appearances and racked up an incredible 22 consecutive winning seasons.
 
Most notably, FIU’s historic 1997-98 campaign featured a 29-2 overall record as the Panthers secured both the regular-season and postseason titles. FIU then defeated Marquette, 59-45, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Russo coached the Panthers to three NCAA Tournament victories, defeating Old Dominion in 1995 and Creighton in 2002. The Panthers earned their highest-ever NCAA Tournament seed in 2002 under Russo, seeded fifth in their region.
 
She coached five student-athletes who went on to play in the WNBA and had seven players who earned Associated Press All-American honors. She was inducted into the ASUN Conference Hall of Fame in 2016. Prior to coaching, Russo played basketball at Old Dominion from 1972-75. During her FIU coaching career, Russo earned a postgraduate degree from FIU in 1993.
 
Russo: “I am deeply honored and incredibly excited to be inducted into the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame. When I began my journey as a very young head coach, FIU was also a young and growing university — we truly grew up together! I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the FIU administrators for their unwavering support of the women’s basketball program throughout my 36-year tenure. A special thank you to all my assistant coaches, and especially to Associate Head Coach Inge Nissen, for your dedication, loyalty and hard work over the years. I look forward to celebrating this special moment at the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on Sept. 12 on campus.”
 

This second FIU Athletics Hall of Fame class was voted in by a committee of five members who account for more than 125 years of FIU Athletics experience. None of the committee members are current FIU employees, and they range from former student-athletes to past faculty/staff members to distinguished alumni.
 
Each of the members of the 2025 Class were nominated – a requirement for all FIU Athletics Hall of Fame members – and accepted their induction. Nominations can be submitted by clicking here or the link at the top of this release. For a complete list of criteria, please review the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame Constitution by clicking here.
 
The Hall of Fame nomination form will remain available for submissions year-round on FIUSports.com, but the deadline for consideration to be voted into that year’s class will be Feb. 15.
 
Originally created in 2005, the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame welcomed its inaugural class in November of 2006, but since then has had no new members. Beginning with the 2025 Class, a new group will be voted in regularly to recognize those who have been instrumental in forging the history of FIU Athletics.
 
Class of 2006
Pat Bradley – Women’s Golf

• World Golf Hall of Famer, 6x LPGA Major Champion 

Mike Lowell – Baseball

• 4x MLB All-Star, 2x World Series Champion 

Andrea Nagy – Women’s Basketball

• 2x All-American, 2x NCAA Season Assist Leader 

Dwight Stewart – Men’s Basketball

• FIU’s Only 2,000-Point Scorer 

Judy Blucker – Coach/Administrator

• Established Women’s Athletics at FIU