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MABC swimming program builds fitness, achievement and community

Regulars to at Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Aquatic Centre may have noticed poolside signs allotting lanes for “Squads”. But have you stopped to think that you – or your children – could also be a part of the magic happening in those lanes? Squads are often thought of the domain of swimmers with their eyes on […]

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Regulars to at Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Aquatic Centre may have noticed poolside signs allotting lanes for “Squads”. But have you stopped to think that you – or your children – could also be a part of the magic happening in those lanes?

Squads are often thought of the domain of swimmers with their eyes on medals. But at Manly the program is as much for those who swim for fun and for fitness, as those who swim to compete and together they make a tight-knit swimming community,

The program stretches from those in the Junior Squads – young swimmers focused on improving their technique or school carnival success – through to older swimmers in the Fit You Squads, with an eye on the Bold and Beautiful swim at Shelly Beach. 

In between are the elite athletes – swimmers, triathletes, surf lifesavers and water polo players. You might even spot an Olympian, national champions and representative team members and a few members of the Aussie junior swim team.
Plus the club swimmers – who as part of the Manly Swim Club based at the pool – are vying for spots in State and National championship teams. 

Head Coach Justin Rothwell – with an impressive resume of coaching accolades including Commonwealth Games – has built an expert team of trainers and performance coaches dedicated to helping squad members achieve their potential.  

The magic works: with over 80 sessions across morning and afternoon, the Squad program has grown from just 40 swimmers 8 years ago to over 300 hundred swimmers pounding the lanes each week. 

It’s also built an inclusive community. Younger swimmers train with different age groups and weekend club races give parents a shot at racing their kids.  Former Junior Squad swimmers now teach the current crop of wannabees.

The Centre’s facilities are also a great reason the program has been able to thrive: an 25-metre indoor pool and both 50 and 25-metre outdoor pools.  

With opportunities for all swimmers and families to build skills and friends, visit our website for details of levels, try outs, and times as well as to book an assessment.

 



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2025 All-County Boys’ Outdoor Track and Field | Sports

Athlete of the Year Kenai Black, Bohemia Manor, Junior Finished the spring with seven top-three finishes at championship meets in the distance events. Won Class 1A East Region titles across 1,600 meters (4:36.26) and 3,200 meters (10:05.74). Finished third in the 3,200 (9:49.21) and second in the 1,600 (4:31.48) at the Class 1A State Championships. […]

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Athlete of the Year

Kenai Black, Bohemia Manor, Junior

Coach of the Year

Evan Cohn, Bohemia Manor

Jared Adams, Elkton, Senior

John Amoretti, Rising Sun, Senior

M.J. Brusio, Rising Sun, Senior

Coumel Edwards, Perryville, Junior

Jakob Edwards, Rising Sun, Senior

Brenden Hampton, Perryville, Sophomore

Niklas Haraldsson, Rising Sun, Senior

Khalil Jones, Bohemia Manor, Junior

Jonathan Kristovich, North East, Sophomore

Dain Lenz, Bohemia Manor, Senior

Brady Martin, Perryville, Senior

Landen Milloway, Rising Sun, Senior

Jacob Seiple, Bohemia Manor, Senior

Gage Stefanick, Rising Sun, Freshman

Sebastian Pagliaro, North East, Senior

Cameron Washington, Perryville, Junior

Jason Wolfenden, Bohemia Manor, Senior

Honorable Mentions



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Three decades of serious fun at Smackfest coed tourney 

by Laura Garber “It’s Halloween, plus volleyball, plus drinking,” Redondo Beach resident Alex Waxenbaum said in describing the 30th annual Smackfest Beach Volleyball tournament, held last Saturday at the Hermosa Beach pier. The tournament was presented by Smack Sportswear and Michelob Ultra, and featured over 170 coed teams. According to Bill Sigler, the event’s organizer […]

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by Laura Garber

“It’s Halloween, plus volleyball, plus drinking,” Redondo Beach resident Alex Waxenbaum said in describing the 30th annual Smackfest Beach Volleyball tournament, held last Saturday at the Hermosa Beach pier. The tournament was presented by Smack Sportswear and Michelob Ultra, and featured over 170 coed teams.

According to Bill Sigler, the event’s organizer and long-time Hermosa Beach volleyball coach, the event is the largest coed 4’s tournament in the country. 

Divisions included pro and fun teams in costumes that included Playboy Bunnies, bananas and Italian chefs. 

Team Top Golf, featuring local volleyball stars Riley Norman and Travis Hannemann, claimed the pro division title and a $4,000 prize, defeating Mommies.

“It’s becoming a family event. The kids who won this year’s pro division are the children of the pro division winners 15 years ago,” said Sigler speaking about Kevin Norman and Chris Hannemann’s 2008 win. 

In the fun division, The Average Joes defeated Polynesian Punch, a team that included AVP legends Albert Hannemann and Brent Doble.

The 9th Annual Smacktoberfest will be held at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach on either Saturday, Sep. 27; or Saturday, Oct. 11. It includes beer and wine concessions. Last year’s Smacktoberfest sold out in five minutes, Sigler said. ER



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Track and Field: True finishes career as national champion – Brainerd Dispatch

WAVERLY — Emma True ended her career as a national champion. The former Brainerd Warrior and Wartburg College senior won the national title in the hammer throw at the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships with a throw of 59.21 meters. True is the first hammer throw national champion in Wartburg history. She earned first-team […]

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WAVERLY — Emma True ended her career as a national champion.

The former Brainerd Warrior and Wartburg College senior won the national title in the hammer throw at the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships with a throw of 59.21 meters.

True is the first hammer throw national champion in Wartburg history. She earned first-team All-American honors for the second time in her career.

True went into the national championships ranked third in the event.

“The weather was kind of icky throughout the week, so I was a little nervous that the weather wasn’t going to cooperate, but come the day of the competition, it ended up being fine,” True said. “It was my last meet with a lot of girls I’ve competed against since I was a sophomore. I was really excited.”

True had been building toward a national title since her freshman year. She competed for Brainerd in high school, but never reached the state tournament. When she went to Wartburg to start throwing the hammer things started to click.

“I have always dreamed of becoming a national champion,” True said. “Prior to this year, my highest place at a national meet was third. I knew it was possible, but I never really expected it. I was ecstatic.”

When True arrived on campus at Wartburg, throws coach Seth Roberson sparked the idea of her throwing the hammer.

“He requires every freshman to try out weight throw and hammer throw,” True said. “I just picked it up and practiced it and I happened to find a liking to it.”

Emma True

Wartburg’s Emma True throws the hammer in a competition.

Wartburg College

True owns the school records in both the hammer throw and the weight room at Wartburg College.

“I kind of joined the track team just to do it,” True said. “I enjoyed the sport. I didn’t really realize that I could become a national champion until my sophomore year. I started showing more distance and things clicked for me. I just worked as hard as I could to perfect my skill. But high school Emma had no idea that this would happen.”

True qualified for her first national championships in her sophomore year at Wartburg in the weight throw. She placed fifth to earn first-team All-American honors.

“It really pushed me to want to do better,” True said. “My junior year I threw my personal best of 59.88 meters and at the time that put me eighth all time for Division III.”

True is staying in Waverly, Iowa, to teach sixth grade special education. She graduated in the spring. She will also volunteer as a throws coach at Wartburg College.

The highlight for True during the national championships was to get a slow clap on her last throw of her career when she already had the national title in hand.

“I made a deal a couple of months ago with my coach, who hates slow clapping,” True said. “It’s a common thing to take place in field events, but he never lets up slow clap for events. I made a deal with him that if I were in the situation where I knew I was winning the national meet on my last throw he would initiate a slow clap. It was a really special moment where it really clicked in my head that I won a national meet.”

CONRAD ENGSTROM may be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.

Conrad Engstrom

Started at the Dispatch in June of 2019.





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Over 70 youth enjoy volleyball camp — Tippecanoe Gazette

How things have changed for the Tippecanoe volleyball program over the years when it comes to their summer youth camp. Coach Howard Garcia noted there was a time period where they celebrated 30 campers in the gym looking to improve their game during the summer. Now as the campers at the 2025 youth camp wrapped […]

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How things have changed for the Tippecanoe volleyball program over the years when it comes to their summer youth camp.

Coach Howard Garcia noted there was a time period where they celebrated 30 campers in the gym looking to improve their game during the summer. Now as the campers at the 2025 youth camp wrapped up for another year, over 70 future athletes from the community enjoyed the Red Devils camp.

“I like the attendance because we are getting kids in eighth grade down to third grade, so that means that volleyball is out there,” Garcia said. “It could have been much more, but you have kids who are playing AAU basketball or summer softball, but those kind of numbers means the program is in a good place.” Garcia and his coaching staff, along with the high school players, teach the youth different aspects of the game based on their grade level, which helps all of them progress in their game. “For the younger ones, it’s about the feeling of touching a volleyball and trying to do it correctly, even though sometimes they struggle with it because they don’t have the knowledge yet,” he said. “For the older kids, we try to teach them the fine skills and teach them a little bit to do that. Sometimes you get these younger kids who catch on pretty fast and we can move them over to the older court even if they are physically not ready.”

While teaching the game is a huge premise of this camp, it also allows the older middle school kids to get a feel of what is soon to come. “We have some eighth graders here who have some potential with some height and athleticism who know this will be their last middle school season, and they know they will come back next year into high school, the pressure will be on,” Garcia said. 

One of the biggest things Garcia and his staff get to enjoy is watching their high school players interact with the future players. And just as important, it helps build their leadership skills as role models for the younger players. “It is a big thing,” Garcia said. “One thing, a lot of our incoming freshman who are here can relate to some of those incoming seventh and eighth graders. Then you have the younger players who get to look up to, for example Savannah Clawson, who is a two-time state award varsity player. She is here on the floor helping the kids. It is big because these high school players are giving back, when once upon a time, somebody gave back to them. These younger kids are excited to see them.”

Next week, the story continues as I spoke to Garcia about the season ahead and the magic that could happen with so many returning players from last year’s regional semifinal team. 



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Penn State track coach John Gondak announces hire of Darrell Hill, an Olympian | News, Sports, Jobs

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State track and field head coach John Gondak has announced the hiring of Darrell Hill, class of 2015, a three-time All-American Penn State alumnus and 2016 Olympian, as assistant coach. Hill returns to his alma mater to coach the throws group. Hill returns to his alma mater after spending the last […]

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UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State track and field head coach John Gondak has announced the hiring of Darrell Hill, class of 2015, a three-time All-American Penn State alumnus and 2016 Olympian, as assistant coach. Hill returns to his alma mater to coach the throws group.

Hill returns to his alma mater after spending the last two years on staff at Delaware, including serving as associate head coach for the 2024-25 season.

Players traveling

Four Penn State student-athletes are among the contingent of students traveling to Greece as part of Harvard’s Sport and Education Program. The student-athletes participating in the trip are wrestling’s Hayden Cunningham, women’s lacrosse’s Abby Baker, and track & field’s Madeleine Soderqvist and Gabriella Recce.



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U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Starts 2025 Dutch Tournament with Two Wins

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 4, 2025) — The U.S. Women’s Sitting National Team began play at the 2025 Dutch Tournament with two wins on Friday in Assen, Netherlands. The U.S. defeated Italy, 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22) and then swept France, 3-0 (25-17, 25-5, 25-14). MATCH STATISTICS VS. ITALY vs. ITALY The U.S. began the […]

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 4, 2025) — The U.S. Women’s Sitting National Team began play at the 2025 Dutch Tournament with two wins on Friday in Assen, Netherlands. The U.S. defeated Italy, 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22) and then swept France, 3-0 (25-17, 25-5, 25-14).

MATCH STATISTICS VS. ITALY

vs. ITALY

The U.S. began the tournament with a thrilling four-set win over Italy in which no set was decided by more than three points. The U.S. finished with advantages in kills (47-40) and blocks (17-14), while Italy led in aces (20-15).

Nicky Nieves led three U.S. players in double figures with 17 points on 12 kills, two blocks and three aces. Whitney Dosty totaled 15 points on eight kills, four blocks and three aces. Raelene Elam totaled 13 points on five kills, four blocks and a team-best four aces.

Tia Edwards had five kills, adding three blocks and an ace for nine points, while MaKenzie Franklin also scored nine points with seven kills, a block and an ace. Setter Kaleo Kanahele Maclay contributed eight points on five kills, a block and a pair of aces. Outside hitter Emma Schieck added five kills.

vs. FRANCE

The U.S. controlled the first half of the opening set, taking a 16-9 lead. Back-to-back aces completed a 7-3 France run that cut the lead to three points, but the U.S. scored six of the final seven points, culminating with a Dosty ace.

Setter Gia Cruz, making her 2025 debut with the team, served the U.S. to a 7-0 lead in the second set. Outside hitter Courtney Baker recorded a kill and consecutive aces to put the U.S. ahead 11-2. From there, France only scored three points the rest of the set.

Two aces in a row by setter Annie Flood gave the U.S. a 5-1 lead in the third set, but France used a 9-4 run to take a 10-9 lead. After a service error evened the score, Franklin served for 11 consecutive points, including a stretch of five serves in a row that France did not return over the net. Not even a moment of levity when the French coach gave the line judge a hug or a timeout stopped the run.

Roster

No  Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif.)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla.)
10 Kari Ortiz (L, 5-6, Washington, D.C.)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
13 Gia Cruz (S, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Oklahoma City, Okla.)
15 Kendra Hall (5-7, Westfield, Ind.)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla.)
17 Jessie West (OH, 5-8, Edmond, Okla.)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky.)
21 Annie Flood (S, 5-7, Salem, Ore.)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)
24 Raelene Elam (OH, 6-1, St. George, Utah, Northern California)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Grace Campbell
Performance Analyst: Jeff Hicks
Athletic Trainer: Samantha Carter
Mental Performance Coach: Brooke Lamphere
Strength and Conditioning/Physical Therapist: Bobby Moore
Dietitian: Jacque Scaramella

Schedule

July 4
USA def. Italy, 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22)
USA def. France, 3-0 (25-17, 25-5, 25-14)

July 5
USA vs Netherlands, 1:45 a.m.
USA vs Canada, 5:15 a.m.

July 6
Playoff matches



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