Sports
Dragovic Selected to Represent Montenegro at U20 World Championship
Story Links Watch all the games live on YouTube ZAGREB, Croatia — After a standout freshman season for the UC Santa Barbara Men’s Water Polo team in the fall, Danilo Dragovic is heading to the world championships this summer. The attacker from Budva was […]

ZAGREB, Croatia — After a standout freshman season for the UC Santa Barbara Men’s Water Polo team in the fall, Danilo Dragovic is heading to the world championships this summer. The attacker from Budva was named to Montenegro’s team for the World Aquatics U20 World Championship in Croatia ahead of the competition’s opening round this week. He becomes the second Gaucho to receive an international call up this year after Dom Brown made his senior debut for Team USA at the World Cup back in January.
Dragovic and Montenegro will face Team USA at this year’s tournament, but first they will square off with reigning champions Hungary in their opening match on Saturday, June 14 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time. They will then take on hosts Croatia on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time before rounding out the group stage against the United States on Monday at 8:30 a.m. Pacific. Playoff rounds will run from June 17-20, with the finals being played on Saturday, June 21. All games will be held in Zagreb and will be live streamed on the World Aquatics website and YouTube.
Dragovic earned All-America Honorable Mention in his first season of collegiate water polo this fall, pairing an aggressive defensive style with the ability to both set up teammates or score for himself in the attack. Despite being a rookie, he led all outfield players in The Big West with 34 steals on the season while also providing 35 goals and 35 assists, making him the Gauchos’ third-highest scorer by total points on the season. Plenty capable against top-level competition, Dragovic recorded a goal and two assists against eventual national champions UCLA in his first ever NCAA game, and by the end of the year he had accumulated nine total points across four contests against the elite trio of UCLA, USC and Stanford.
For updates and coverage throughout the U20 World Championships, fans can follow World Aquatics on social media at @world_aquatics on Instagram and @worldaquatics on X and check their website, worldaquatics.com.
Sports
Men’s Basketball Set to Battle Minnesota at Sanford Pentagon
Story Links *release by Sanford Sports* SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Minnesota Golden Gophers will play the University of San Francisco Dons in men’s basketball at the Sanford Pentagon in a nonconference matchup on Nov. 22. The on-sale date for tickets will be announced later. “This matchup provides both teams the opportunity for […]

*release by Sanford Sports*
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Minnesota Golden Gophers will play the University of San Francisco Dons in men’s basketball at the Sanford Pentagon in a nonconference matchup on Nov. 22. The on-sale date for tickets will be announced later.
“This matchup provides both teams the opportunity for a quality non-conference win at a true neutral site, which will be a valuable addition to their resume,” said Jesse Smith, vice president of operations for Sanford Sports. “We are excited for fans in the region to not only watch Minnesota play on Heritage Court but to also see such a storied program in San Francisco.”
Minnesota basketball ushers in a new era this coming season as Nico Medved takes over as head coach of the Gophers. Medved, who earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Minnesota, returns to his alma mater after a seven-year head coaching stint at Colorado State. It marks the second time Medved has been a coach at Minnesota, as he was an assistant coach during the 2006-07 season.
“We’re really excited to play in Sioux Falls and at the Sanford Pentagon this season,” Minnesota head coach Niko Medved said. “The venue and location give fans a great regional opportunity to watch the Gophers play, and we look forward to growing this partnership for future events there.”
San Francisco finished the 2024-25 season with a 25-10 record, including a 13-5 showing in the West Coast Conference. The Dons advanced to the second round of the NIT. San Francisco returns seven student-athletes from last year, including All-West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman Team selection Tyrone Riley IV and the 2023-24 WCC Freshman of the Year Ryan Beasley. Entering his fourth year as head coach, Chris Gerlufsen guided the Dons to 20-plus wins in 2024-25, the eighth time in the last nine seasons the program has reached the 20-win mark.
San Francisco leads the all-time series 1-0. Their last meeting was a 76-58 Dons victory at the Chase Center on Nov. 26, 2023.
This is the sixth NCAA Division I event at the Sanford Pentagon announced for the 2025-26 season. Iowa State plays Mississippi State in men’s basketball on Nov. 10. Nebraska will face Oklahoma in men’s basketball on Nov. 15. The Nebraska women’s basketball team will take on North Dakota State on Nov. 16. The South Dakota State women will face against Gonzaga on Nov. 20 and South Dakota State will match up against Wyoming in men’s basketball on Dec. 15.
About Sanford Sports
Sanford Sports is the modern athletics arm of Sanford Health, the premier rural health system in the United States. Rooted in science and health care, Sanford Sports offers a combination of programs, services, events, facilities and partnerships intended to make active lifestyles accessible and rewarding for people of all ages and abilities. Based on the 500-acre Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Sanford Sports has been changing the way athletes play for 25 years. With operations in three states, more than one million athletes use Sanford Sports facilities each year. Visit sanfordsports.com for more information.
Sports
Men’s Water Polo Announces 2025 Schedule
Story Links DAVIS, Calif. – Head coach Daniel Leyson enters year 13 for the UC Davis men’s water polo team in 2025, with seven top 10-ranked clubs from last season on the docket, the team announced Wednesday. The season kicks off in full force with back-to-back tournaments, starting with the Triton Invite […]

DAVIS, Calif. – Head coach Daniel Leyson enters year 13 for the UC Davis men’s water polo team in 2025, with seven top 10-ranked clubs from last season on the docket, the team announced Wednesday.
The season kicks off in full force with back-to-back tournaments, starting with the Triton Invite hosted by UC San Diego from Aug. 29-31. Then, the team will return to Schaal Aquatics Center as they host the annual Aggie Round Up on Sept. 6, facing off against former No. 5-ranked Stanford at 9:30 a.m. PT and capping off the day against San Jose State at 3:30 p.m. PT.
After a quick trip to Berkeley, the team will face off against Pacific on Sept. 14, followed by a matchup against the Aggies Alumni Club. The Aggies will then travel down the coast the following weekend for the MPSF Invite from Sept. 19-21, hosted by last season’s national champions, the UCLA Bruins.
After going on the road against Santa Clara on Sept. 27 and hosting last year’s national runner-ups, USC, on Sept. 28, the team will then travel to San Jose for their final tournament of the season at the SJSU Tournament on Oct. 4. Big West conference play begins on Friday, Oct. 10 against UC Irvine.
In the last half of the season, the high level of competition continues for the Aggies, with a rematch against Stanford (Oct. 19), a matchup against UC San Diego, the team that knocked the Aggies out of last year’s Big West Tournament (Oct. 25), and the home finale against the Alumni Water Polo Club (Nov. 15).
The 2025 Big West Conference Championships will be hosted in Irvine, Calif. from Nov. 21-23.
The full schedule can be found below:
2025 UC Davis Water Polo Schedule
- Aug. 30-31 at Triton Invite
- Sept. 6 Aggie Round Up
- Sept. 13 at California, 1:00 p.m.
- Sept. 14 vs. Pacific/Alumni, 1:00 p.m.
- Sept. 19-21 at MPSF Invite
- Sept. 27 at Santa Clara, 1:00 p.m.
- Sept. 28 vs. USC, 12:00 p.m.
- Oct. 4 at SJSU Tournament
- Oct. 10 at UC Irvine*, 6:00 p.m.
- Oct. 11 at Biola, 11:00 a.m.
- Oct. 17 vs. Cal State Fullerton*, 6:00 p.m.
- Oct. 19 at Stanford, 1:00 p.m.
- Oct. 25 at UC San Diego*, 12:00 p.m.
- Oct. 26 at Golden West, 9:00 a.m.
- Oct. 26 vs. Whittier, 1:00 p.m.
- Nov. 1 vs. UC Santa Barbara*, 10:00 a.m.
- Nov. 2 vs. West Valley, 10:00 a.m.
- Nov. 2 vs. UC Merced, 12:00 p.m.
- Nov. 8 at Long Beach State*, 12:00 p.m.
- Nov. 15 vs. Alumni Water Polo Club, 12:00 p.m.
- Nov. 21-23 at Big West Conference Championships
Home Games in BOLD
* Denotes Big West Conference matchup
Sports
Destini Smith takes championship, medals in triple jump, high and triple
PhillyBurbs picks its best graduation photos of 2025 from Bucks County Did we capture your graduate from the Class of 2025 in Bucks County? Destini Smith has broken records, won championships and the sky is the limit for one of the most decorated athletes in Pennsylvania High School Track and Field. This 2025 Souderton Area […]

PhillyBurbs picks its best graduation photos of 2025 from Bucks County
Did we capture your graduate from the Class of 2025 in Bucks County?
Destini Smith has broken records, won championships and the sky is the limit for one of the most decorated athletes in Pennsylvania High School Track and Field.
This 2025 Souderton Area High School graduate picked up her diploma last month with her gold medals proudly displayed around her neck, a testament of how far she’s come, how high she’s jumped and how fast she’s ready to make her mark as collegiate athlete.
Smith has had a remarkable high school career for long jump, triple jump, and high jump. As a 5-time state champion, 11-time state medalist, 3-time All American and National Champion, she is recognized as a top athlete in the nation and is gearing to take her winning ways to Kansas State University this fall.
But she’s no overnight success. Smith’s storied dominance in track and field started at a very young age, when her family lived in Florida and Georgia. Her family moved to Pennsylvania before her 10th grade year, landing her in suburban Philadelphia.
“I was in first grade. I was running up a grade because I was taller than all the other first graders, so I had to run with the second graders. I was still cooking them in the 100 [meter] and stuff like that. So it was pretty fun. Even though they were older than me, it still felt better than if I was running against my own age,” said Smith, who now stands at 5 feet 9 inches tall.
Smith started her track career as a sprinter, then gradually moved to the jumping events as she got older. By the time of her junior year in high school, Smith locked in on the jumping events.
“I was a sprinter at first, I have long legs, that’s what I was really into. And then ninth grade is when I started high jump, and I kind of hated it, because I was like, ‘they just took me right out of the sprinting as soon as I started high jump,’” Smith said.
Junior year consisted of sprints and jumping, while senior year she pulled back on sprints to focus on her jumping events, dominating in the high, long and triple jumps.
Smith credits her success to technique, her consistent work ethic, and natural ability.
“It was a whole lot of everything. High jump, I’m tall in general, it just kind of felt natural — not going backwards, like over a bar. It didn’t feel natural at all. Actually, I was scared to do it at first, but it just came like, it became second nature to just do high jump,” Smith said.
Smith has only been long jumping and triple jumping for about a year and a half. She won the national championship at Nike Nationals U20 in the Triple Jump at Oregon with a jump of 42 feet 7.5 inches.
To win the Girls 3A PIAAA championship, she cleared 5 feet 7 inches in the high jump and the long jump with a fifth attempt at 19 feet, 11.50 inches.
“When it came to triple and long, honestly, it was a hard transition from going to vertical jumps to horizontal jumps. It was pretty tedious, the training and all that, and the weight training was way different. I was used to plyometrics and all that. So like, just increase my vertical to weight training and trying to lift as heavy as possible,” Smith said.
When jumping during track meets, Smith credits her mental toughness and focus over her reliance on physical abilities.
“It’s a lot of mental, you got to know what you can do, going into long and triple. I know what I can do. And I just know that nobody’s topping me. But when it comes to high jump, you truly don’t know. So you get in your head so much to, like, second guess yourself, and it eventually can affect, what you actually put out on the field that day,” Smith said.
It’s al working for Smith, who broke the state record in triple jump this season.
She also was the Gatorade Player of the Year for Girls Track and Field in Pennsylvania in the 2024-2025 season, and broke every single Souderton school record for all three jumps — records that have been standing for over 40 years.
She did it all while having a 3.97 GPA in the classroom. Her athletic and academic success made her a top recruit for colleges. Smith’s recruitment started to pick up and gain traction at the end of her junior year.
With schools like Indiana, Texas Christian University (TCU), and many more knocking at her door, Smith found a home at Kansas State and will begin her collegiate career as a Wildcat.
“I’m really firm in K-State. Out of all the coaches that reached out to me, I feel like that connection was just that, like an unbeatable connection,” Smith said
With college on the horizon, the training doesn’t stop and Smith’s work ethic is carrying her as she practices with her track team along with training with her designated jumping coach, and does even more training out of the state.
“I know what I want, from myself, and I know what I can do. So it’s like, I might as well put in that same work to show everybody else what I can do … I want to go out there every time and show people that I know what I’m doing,” Smith said.
There to help Smith in her journey is Souderton Area High School Coach Anthony Pace.
Pace has been at the helm for three years, leading the team to their first-ever title win in the 2025 PIAA Class 3A state championship. He understands what type of player and talent he has on his team and is incredibly grateful for the opportunities Smith brings Souderton.
“She’s given so many more opportunities I would have never expected, her putting us on the map. It’s like, OK, we’re traveling to Oregon, we’re traveling to Virginia, we’re traveling to Boston. All these extra things that probably would not happen without an athlete like her,” Pace said.
“She won every single event throughout the entire season, whether it’s dual meets, invites, leagues, districts, states. She finally finished second in the Triple Jump at New Balance nationals, but that was a day and a half after winning the Nike U20 Nationals,” Pace said.
Smith had a veteran presence for the rest of the girls on Souderton’s track team.
“She’s selfless. She cares about everyone else. She’s making other people involved. She’s taken freshmen and sophomores underneath her wing. She’s never shying away from them training with her. Even though, like a lot of her stuff, would be isolated, just with the dedicated training that she would need,” he said.
Through it all, Smith stays humble as she defines greatness.
“It really just depends on, not only the person that’s doing it, but how they act when they’re doing something great,” she said. “I feel like a lot of people just look at it as doing something that nobody else is doing. I feel like it really depends on the attitude they have with that.”
Sports
Social media saves North Central’s football and volleyball seasons
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Sports
Scripps Sports announces new broadcast team for Griz football
Scripps Sports today announced a new on-air talent lineup for its TV coverage of Montana Grizzly football this fall. In the booth for the Griz this season will be respected play-by-play announcer Trey Bender, joined by former Montana defensive All-American Jordan Tripp who will serve as analyst. Kyle Hansen will once again report from […]

Scripps Sports today announced a new on-air talent lineup for its TV coverage of Montana Grizzly football this fall.
In the booth for the Griz this season will be respected play-by-play announcer Trey Bender, joined by former Montana defensive All-American Jordan Tripp who will serve as analyst. Kyle Hansen will once again report from the sidelines as well.
The on-air coverage update follows a five-year renewal for the Big Sky Conference and Scripps Sports announced earlier this year, extending their relationship through at least the 2029-30 academic year, and comes as the company’s sports portfolio continues to grow, including with a multi-year media rights extension with the WNBA announced in June.
Bender has called both college and professional sports for more than two decades, primarily on ESPN platforms, the Pac-12 Networks and FOX Sports. He has also called NCAA events in football, basketball, baseball, softball, water polo, soccer, swimming, diving and beach volleyball. Past work includes the NBA Summer League, WNBA contests and Arena Football as well. No stranger to Montana, Bender has called several football games for ESPN in Missoula, most recently the 2019 FCS Playoff win over SE Louisiana and the frigid 2013 playoff game against Costal Carolina.
Tripp was a Grizzly letterman from 2009-13 and former #37 who went on to a four-year NFL career after being and selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He was a two-time first team FCS All-American and remains seventh in Montana history in total tackles with 335 as a Grizzly with 29.5 tackles for loss. He also holds the school record for career fumble recoveries with 10 and is second all-time in fumble recoveries with 10. He’s a Missoula native and graduate of Big Sky High School.
Scripps Sports currently airs Big Sky games throughout the league’s footprint, with markets in Montana, Idaho, Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah. This fall, Scripps Sports will televise 13 Big Sky Conference football games and six non-conference games featuring 10 games for the University of Montana. The season will once again culminate with the 124th Brawl of the Wild, which drew nearly 130K viewers across Scripps stations last year.
Additional details about this fall’s Big Sky Conference broadcast coverage will be announced in the near future.
About Scripps Sports: Scripps Sports serves professional and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market depth and national broadcast reach. Scripps Sports currently has partnerships with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, the new Utah Hockey Club, the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA and the NCAA’s Big Sky Conference. Scripps Sports is a division of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), a Fortune 1000 American media company.
Sports
Temple University
ESPN+ will stream 300+ live BIG EAST events annually ESPN and the BIG EAST Conference have announced a new six-year digital media rights agreement, adding hundreds of live BIG EAST events to ESPN’s robust college sports portfolio. A minimum of 75 women’s basketball and 200 Olympic sports events will stream on ESPN+ annually beginning in […]

ESPN and the BIG EAST Conference have announced a new six-year digital media rights agreement, adding hundreds of live BIG EAST events to ESPN’s robust college sports portfolio. A minimum of 75 women’s basketball and 200 Olympic sports events will stream on ESPN+ annually beginning in the 2025-26 academic season. This deal will also include a minimum of 25 non-conference games annually for BIG EAST men’s basketball.
“We’re pleased to welcome the BIG EAST back to ESPN,” said Nick Dawson, ESPN senior vice president, programming & acquisitions. “This agreement returns one of the country’s premier conferences and its tradition of excellence to ESPN platforms. We look forward to this new chapter in our relationship with the BIG EAST.”
“This exciting partnership with ESPN reinforces our commitment to placing BIG EAST teams front and center on the leading digital sports platform,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. “Streaming on ESPN+ gives all 22 of our sports — especially women’s basketball and Olympic sports — the visibility they’ve earned and the access our fans expect. We look forward to delivering elevated coverage and a streamlined viewing experience to fans and family members who want to follow BIG EAST action across our wide array of sports offerings.”
ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer offering, which is inclusive of ESPN+, is scheduled to launch in early fall.
ESPN and the BIG EAST Conference have a relationship that spans more than three decades. The BIG EAST signed its first national television deal with ESPN in 1980, beginning a partnership that ran through 2013. Since its reconfiguration that year, the BIG EAST has maintained its stature as one of the preeminent conferences in college sports, boasting four national championships in men’s basketball and additional national crowns in women’s basketball, field hockey, men’s soccer, men’s lacrosse and women’s cross country.
Benjamin Freeman of Proskauer represented the BIG EAST in the digital media rights negotiations.
About the BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The BIG EAST-sponsored athletic programs of our institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,800 student-athletes on over 200 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in eight of the country’s top 36 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.
About ESPN
ESPN is the leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand that features seven U.S. television networks, the leading sports app, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, leading social and digital platforms, ESPN.com, ESPN Audio, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the No. 1 sports streaming platform, serving fans in the U.S. with exclusive access to more than 32,000 live sports events each year, an unmatched library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content, and premium written articles by the top reporters and analysts from ESPN.com. Fans sign up for ESPN+ at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or in the ESPN App on mobile and connected devices. For more visit the ESPN+ Press Kit
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Media Contacts:
ESPN
Colin Bradley: colin.bradley@espn.com
Amanda Brooks: Amanda.D.Brooks@espn.com
ESPN+
ESPNPlusPR@espn.com
BIG EAST
Kevin Ivany: kivany@bigeast.com
Jackie Eddy: jeddy@bigeast.com
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