Sports

McDaniel Announces Incoming Swimming Class

Published

6 months ago

June 13, 2025

By: Sam Boender

GOLDEN, Colo. – Fifteen new Orediggers are coming to Colorado School of Mines this fall to join the men’s and women’s swimming team thanks to the recruiting efforts of Head Coach Claire McDaniel and her staff.

The incoming class features eight men and seven women with 14 true freshmen and one transfer. Twelve states and one Canadian province are represented by the newcomers including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Ontario, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. The most represented area was Texas with three competitors featuring prep experience in the Lone Star State. Two more signees arrive in Golden by way of Virginia. At least one new Oredigger is a legacy meaning one of their parents graduated from Mines. The lone transfer is coming from the University of Tennessee.

“This group of incoming freshmen and transfer Charlie Krone are all-around exceptional people,” said Coach McDaniel. ” We are excited for what each person will add to our program. I am certain this group will build upon our continued success in the classroom, and they will make significant contributions in the pool as well – breaking program records and qualifying larger squads to the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships. Most importantly, this group will do all the above with great character, respectfulness, and gratitude. We cannot wait to get them on campus.”

Below is a snapshot of the incoming class:

Evan Angeline | 6-0 | Maple Valley, Wash. | Tahoma HS

Fausto Angelone Lopez | 6-2 | Jacksonville, Fla. | The Bolles School

Dan Berke | 6-1 | Vernon Hills, Ill. | Vernon Hills HS

Anna Bream | 5-10 | Lawrence, Kan. | Tomball HS (Texas)

Willow Coburn | 5-10 | Waterloo, Ontario | École Secondaire David Saint-Jacques

Samantha Crane | 5-8 | Broken Arrow, Okla. | Cascia Hall Preparatory School

Kaya Flaherty | 5-5 | Maple Grove, Minn. | Maple Grove Senior HS

Mary Flikkema | 5-8 | Cedar Falls, Iowa | Cedar Falls HS

Jack Fulham | 6-1 | Clifton, Va. | Robinson Secondary School

Mikaela Khan | 5-4 | Spring, Texas | The Woodlands HS

Charlie Krone | 6-0 | Indianapolis, Ind. | University of Tennessee | Zionsville Community HS

Nathan Moss | 5-5 | Houston, Texas | Stratford HS

Michelle Murphy | 5-6 | Lemoore, Calif. | Lemoore HS

Jackson Steider | 5-7 | Annandale, Va. | Falls Church HS

Reid Wilkerson | 6-2 | Roswell, Ga. | Roswell HS

Evan Angeline – 6-0 – Career Top Times
Maple Valley, Wash. – Tahoma HS – Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Earned four varsity letters swimming at Tahoma High School in Washington … Focused mostly on the breaststroke and individual medley … Took down school records in the 200-IM, 500-free, 100-breast, and as part of the 200-medley and 400-freestyle relays … Qualified for futures in the 400-IM, 200-IM, 200-breast, and 100-breast … Also qualified for Summer Junior Nationals in the 200-breast … Was First-Team All-League in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 … Selected as team MVP in 2023 and 2024 … Served as Tahoma HS team captain as a senior … Competed as a part of THS’ state team all four years of high school … Club competition came under the banner of the Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club where he was named Swimmer of the Year in 2022 and 2024 … Academically earned all-America stats in 2024 and appeared on the NISCA All-America team in 2025 … Earned North Puget Sound League Academic All-League each year of his prep career … Brought home the WIAA Academic Award four times as well … Became a member of the National Honor Society in 2024 … Plans to major in electrical engineering at Mines.

Fausto Angelone Lopez – 6-2 – Career Top Times
Jacksonville, Fla. – The Bolles School

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Competed for the swim team at The Bolles School in Florida … Helped his prep team win Florida’s 1A state title … Served as team captain … Won the Steven Gold Varsity Swimming & Diving Award … Also won the Bulldog Award … Final prep appearances include the FLA SRA SwimRise IMX/IMR Challenge where he finished second in the 100-breast, fifth in the 100-free, and ninth in the 200-free … Also notable in the pool were a pair of silver medals in the 50-breast and 100-breast at the GA ASL Southeastern Meet of Champions along with a bronze in the 200-free … Claimed gold in the 500-free at the FL BSS February Classic and another gold in the 100-free at the FL RAFC Winter Classic as well … In the classroom, earned First Honors with at least an A- in normal courses and a B+ or more in honors and AP courses … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines.

Dan Berke – 6-1 – Career Top Times
Vernon Hills, Ill. – Vernon Hills HS – RISE Aquatic Club

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Two-sport athlete at Vernon Hills High School in Illinois, competing in swimming and water polo … Was a four-year varsity swimmer resulting in four letters … Focused sprint events in competition … Finished 12th in the state in the 50-free as a junior … Was fourth in the state in the 50-free as a senior … Also helped his 400-freestyle relay team take sixth in the state … Earned All-Conference status four times in the Central Suburban League South … Qualified for the Illinois State Championships three times … Other awards included First-Team All-Sectional and First-Team All-State … Raced for RISE Aquatics on the club circuit where he became a club record holder and qualified twice for the NCSA Meet … Academically earned Scholar Athlete and AP Scholar honors … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines.

Anna Bream – 5-10 – Career Top Times
Lawrence, Kan. – Tomball HS (Texas)/Lawrence Free State HS – Ad Astra Area Aquatics

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Started her prep career at Tomball High School in Texas, racing at the 6A level … Earned two varsity letters before moving to Kansas and graduating from Lawrence Free State High School … Time in the Lone Star State resulted in team MVP honors as a freshman and High Point distinction as a sophomore … Competed for multiple clubs including Ad Astra Area Aquatics, Magnolia Aquatic Club, and Firbank Aquastars … Club honors qualifying for nationals in the 200-breast with a 2:13.00, qualifying for Winter Junior Nationals in the 100-breast, qualifying for Futures in five events, and qualifying for Australian age nationals … Broke two school records at Tomball High School and was a Missouri Valley LSC Sectional winner in the 200-breast … Her 2:13.00 would have been good enough for First-Team All-America status at the 2025 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships … Also would have been First-Team All-America in 2025 with her 400-IM time from Speedo Winter Junior Championship West … Boasted a fast enough 100-breast time that would have earned an invitation to the DII national meet as well … Academically worked her way to USA Swimming Scholastic All-American honors, Missouri Valley All-Academic team, and was an AP Scholar with Distinction … Plans to major in quantitative biosciences and engineering at Mines.

Willow Coburn – 5-10 – Career Top Times
Waterloo, Ontario – École Secondaire David Saint-Jacques – Club Warriors

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Competed in swimming for École Secondaire David Saint-Jacques in Canada, focusing primarily on the individual medley and the breaststroke … Raced to an OFSSA gold medal in the 200-IM and OFSSA bronze in the 100-breast … Was the top performing girl and top overall performer on the school’s swim teams … Named the school’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2024 … Added Kitchener Athlete of the Year in 2024 and a club title for girls age 15-17 as well … Her career-best 400-IM time would have earned an invitation to the 2025 DII national meet too … Claimed status as Ultimate Athlete-Elite group in 2024 … Profiled by Waterloo magazine in 2023 … Also recognized as the most improved swimmer in 2023 … Brought home an Award of Merit from Club Warriors in 2022 … Dominated in academic competition as well with top-finisher status in Zone01 at the 2023 Robotics Ontario-wide competition after placing third at the same competition in 2022 … Twice earned High School Academic Achievement and touted the top mark in biology as a junior and as a senior … Was a District 8 All-Star as well … Plans to major in mining engineering at Mines.

Samantha Crane – 5-8 – Career Top Times
Broken Arrow, Okla. – Cascia Hall Preparatory School – Trident Aquatics

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Raced freestyle for Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Oklahoma … Won five individual state titles at the 5A level during her prep career … First state gold was in the 200-free in 2023 … Also won the 200-free in 2024 and 2025 … Topped the 5A podium in the 100-free in 2024 and 2025 as well … Performance in the pool led to status as Tulsa World All-World Finalist and two Tulsa World First-Team awards … Competed club under the Trident Aquatics banner … Classroom work resulted in an AP Scholar Award, Gold Honor Roll distinction, and membership in the National Honor Society … Plans to major in nuclear engineering at Mines.

Kaya Flaherty – 5-5 – Career Top Times
Maple Grove, Minn. – Maple Grove Senior HS – NHCP Tuna Swim Club

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Part of the swim team at Maple Grove Senior High School in Minnesota, notching races in all high school sanctioned events … Earned a varsity letter each year of her prep career … Finished fifth at AA state in the 100-fly in 2023, was seventh in the 100-fly in 2024 … Won a bronze medal along with a fifth-place finish, and two eighth-place finishes at AA State Relays … Broke the school record in the 100-fly at 56.36 and as part of the 200-medley relay … Also broke the pool record at her home pool in the 100-fly with a time of 57.39 … Voted team Rookie of the Year in 2021 and won three straight awards as the Most Dedicated team member … Raced to All-Conference status in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 … Was All-State in 2021, 2023, and 2024 … Her career-best 100-fly would have nearly qualified her for the 2025 DII national meet … On the club circuit, raced for NHCP Tuna Swim Club where she was on the Elite and National Team and qualified for Futures … Academically, appeared on the A Honor Roll each year of high school and brought home four academic letters … Also earned Science Student of the Year in 2024 … Plans to major in environmental engineering at Mines.

Mary Flikkema – 5-8 – Career Top Times
Cedar Falls, Iowa – Cedar Falls HS – Black Hawk Area Swim Team

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Prep swimmer for Cedar Falls High School in Iowa, earning four varsity letters while focusing on the butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle … Won back-to-back regional titles in the 100-back … Produced five top-eight finishes at the state championships between the 100-fly and 100-back … Won a state title and broke the school record as the leadoff on the 200-medley relay … Performance in the pool led to Hall of Fame status, three Second-Team All-Mississippi Valley Conference honors, seven First-Team All-Conference awards, two distinctions as Honorable Mention All-State, and one First-Team All-State award … Competed under Black Hawk Area Swim Team’s club flag and was a member of their national team while participating in sectionals twice and qualifying for futures … In the classroom, worked her way onto the Honor Roll twice, earned two Gold Scholar awards, was two-time Academic All-Conference, and won the Senor Scholastic Award … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines with a focus in nuclear energy.

Jack Fulham – 6-1 – Career Top Times
Clifton, Va. – Robinson Secondary School – Nations Capital Swim Club

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Competed for the boys swim team at Robinson Secondary School in Virginia with a focus on freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke sprint events … Won two Virginia State Championships and was Virginia State Runner-Up two other times … Was an eight-time Occoquan Region champion … Finished his prep career as the Occoquan Region, Patriot District, and Robinson Secondary School record holder … Raced to seven NISCA All-American finishes … Earned the Ram Booster Award for character … Named to the All-Metro team … Served as a team captain … Was personally recognized by the Fairfax County Virginia Board of Supervisors for the state title … Raced for the Nations Capital Swim Club and was a NCSA Junior National medalist and finalist … Academic work and recognition included Scholastic All-American status, IB Diploma candidacy, the IB MYP Award, and membership in both the National Honor Society and Rho Kappa Honor Society … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines.

Mikaela Khan – 5-4 – Career Top Times
Spring, Texas – The Woodlands HS – The Woodlands Swim Team

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Swimmer for The Woodlands High School in Texas with four varsity letters … Top time in the 200-fly was 2:01.30 … Best 200-IM was 2:03.82 … Posted a personal record of 4:26.28 in the 400-IM … Won a state title in 2024 … Was a state finalist in 2024 and 2025 … Qualified for both Summer Juniors and Winter Juniors … Had All-American swims in the 200-IM and 500-free in 2024 and 2025 … Her career-best time in the 200-fly would have given her First-Team All-America status at the 2025 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships … Her best 200-IM time would have slotted Second-Team All-America at the 2025 DII national meet … She also would have earned an invite in the 500-free as well … Her current personal best in the 200-fly is near five seconds faster than the current Mines record and she would also own the unadjusted program record in the 400-IM … Club racing was for The Woodlands Swim Team where she was a member of the National Team … Classroom work led to Academic All-State in 2024 and 2025, all-America scholar status in 2025, and membership in the National Honor Society … Plans to major in chemical engineering at Mines.

Charlie Krone – 6-0 – Career Top Times
Indianapolis, Ind. – University of Tennessee – Zionsville Community HS – Zionsville Swim Club

2024-25 (at Tennessee): Received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in May 2025 … Top times from the season included a 1:38.88 in the 200-free, 4:25.08 in the 500-free, and 49.97 in the 100-fly … Had season-best times in the 200-free and 500-free at UT’s last chance meet … Raced to silver in the 200-free at a 1:39.64 clip at the TNAQ January Invite … Started the season against Louisville with two individual events and a relay appearance.

2023-24 (at Tennessee): Appeared on the Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll and the Dean’s List … Posted a season-best of 1:35.15 in the 200-free, a 4:21.46 in the 500-free, a 48.40 in the 100-fly, and a 1:48.78 in the 200-fly … Raced four events during the Tennessee Invite in November … Season started with a LCM dual meet against #12-ranked Louisville where he appeared in two races.

2022-23 (at Tennessee): Best times from the season included a 21.95 in the 50-free, a 46.00 in the 100-free, a 1:37.94 in the 200-free, a 4:28.04 in the 500-free, a 48.87 in the 100-fly, and a 200-fly of 1:49.32 … Advanced to the “B” finals in the 200-free and the 200-fly at the Tennessee Invitational in November … Collegiate debut was against UNC Wilmington … Raced at seven meets during the season.

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Swimmer for Zionsville Community High School in Indiana where he earned four varsity letters … Was a sectional champion and state runner-up … Earned the Leadership Award … Set the national record in the 400-free for boys age 15-16 … Member of the Zionsville Swim Club National team … Best times from his prep and club career included 47.93 in the 100-fly, a 200-fly of 1:49.96, a 4:32.02 in the 500-free, and a 9:27.26 in the 1000-free … Raced to bronze in the 100-fly at the Indiana state championships.

Nathan Moss – 5-5 – Career Top Times
Houston, Texas – Stratford HS – Dad’s Club Swim Team

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Two-sport athlete at Stratford High School in Texas, earning four varsity letters in swimming and four more in water polo … Broke the school record as part of a 400-freestyle relay time that posted a 3:05.05 … Was a UIL 6A Texas State Finalist in the 500-free, finishing 11th, and as part of the 400-freestyle relay team … Also qualified for the UIL 6A Texas State Championships in the 200-free where he finished 19th overall … Served as co-captain of both the swim team and the water polo team … Named the swim team MVP as a senior … Won the Captains’ Award as a sophomore … Claimed Rookie of the Year as a freshman … Also earned Team MVP in water polo … Additional water polo accolades include Second-Team All-Region and First-Team All-District as a senior, First-Team All-District as a junior, and Hardest Worker Award as a junior … Club races took place with Dad’s Club Swim Team where he served as co-captain of the national group … Broke the club record in the men’s 17-18 800-meter freestyle at a clip of 8:28.48 … Ranks top three all-time in the club for the 17-18 1500-meter freestyle, 1000-free, and the 1650-free … Named Hardest Worker in the national group as a junior … Academically was a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, earned AP Scholar with Distinction, and was a five-time Stratford Honor Student Award recipient … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines.

Michelle Murphy – 5-6 – Career Top Times
Lemoore, Calif. – Lemoore Middle College HS/Lemoore HS – Tule Nation Tritons

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Attended Lemoore Middle College High School in California while competing in swimming for Lemoore High School … Earned four varsity letters over the course of her prep career … Broke six school records including the 200-IM, 200-free, 500-free, 100-free, 50-free, and 100-fly … Also broke the West Yosemite League (WYL) record in the 200-IM … Named LUHSD Athlete of the Month in May of 2024 … Finished fourth in the 200-IM and fifth in the 100-fly at the 2025 CIF Central Section DI Championship … Club racing was for Tule Nation Tritons … In the classroom, earned associate’s degrees in liberal arts and in math and science … Appeared on the Honor Roll … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines.

Jackson Steider – 5-7 – Career Top Times
Annandale, Va. – Falls Church HS – Machine Aquatics

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Swimmer at Falls Church High School in Virginia, earning four varsity letters while competing primarily in the middle distances and the individual medley … Top times from his junior season include a 1:41.04 in the 200-free, 51.33 in the 100-fly, and 1:52.55 in the 200-IM … Raced to First-Team All-Patriot League status … Was First-Team All-Occoquan Region … Earned First-Team All-State status at the 6A level … Won gold medals at the district and regional meets … Finished fourth in the 200-free at the 6A state championships … Raced under Machine Aquatics’ flag on the club circuit … In the classroom, earned STEM Student of the Month, Overall Student of the Month, appeared on the All “A” Honor Roll, and was STEM Student of the Year … Recipient of the Harvey Scholarship at Mines … Plans to major in mechanical engineering.

Reid Wilkerson – 6-2 – Career Top Times
Roswell, Ga. – Roswell HS – Swim Atlanta

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Earned four varsity letters as a swimmer at Roswell High School in Georgia, competing in all events … Best times for his career include 49.88 in the 100-back, 1:50.22 in the 200-back, 50.62 in the 100-fly, and 21.61 in the 50-free … Climbed the podium three times at the high school state championships … Raced to silver at the state meet in the 100-back … His 100-back performance also netted First-Team All-State at the 5A level thanks to a time of 49.88 … Club team was Swim Atlanta where he posted a AAAA national age group motivational time cut … Classroom work put him on the Principal’s Honor Roll … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines.

Fans can keep up with Mines swimming on “X” (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram at @MinesSwimming. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, “X”, and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.

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910Preps Fayetteville’s high school volleyball all-stars 2025

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1 hour ago

December 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dec. 23, 2025, 4:03 a.m. ET

Gray’s Creek’s Taylor Baggett’s senior season was one for the record books.

The Bears’ outside hitter and defensive specialist capped her high school career with a dominant final season that helped Gray’s Creek get to put together a ground-breaking year as the first high school volleyball team in school and county history to make it to an NCHSAA Final Four.

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St. Olaf records second-highest fall finish in Learfield Directors’ Cup

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2 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CLEVELAND, Ohio – St. Olaf College recorded its second-highest-ever finish in the fall standings of the Learfield Directors’ Cup by placing 15th out of 429 NCAA Division III institutions, as the standings were announced on Tuesday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

St. Olaf accumulated 241.0 points – its second-highest total ever in the fall – to rank 15th out of the 178 NCAA Division III institutions who earned points this fall. The initial release of the standings included all of the fall results except for the championship game of the NCAA Division III Football Championship. Neither of the institutions competing in the football title game can surpass St. Olaf regardless of the outcome of that game.

The Learfield Directors’ Cup is a program that honors institutions maintaining a broad-based athletics program, awarding points based on each institution’s national finishes in the NCAA Championships. This fall, St. Olaf’s men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s soccer, and women’s volleyball teams contributed to St. Olaf’s point total.

Men’s soccer earned 83 points by advancing to the national semifinals for the second time in program history. Men’s cross country collected 63 points thanks to its 13th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. Volleyball added 50 points with its second-round appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship, while women’s cross country picked up 45 points after placing 29th nationally.

This year marked the sixth consecutive fall that St. Olaf has finished among the top 30 institutions in NCAA Division III, with the 15th-place finish being one spot shy of the t-14th finish in 1996-97 for the highest in school history. It was also St. Olaf’s sixth top-20 and eighth top-25 fall finish in the history of the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which first included NCAA Division III in 1995-96.

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Spencer McLachlin Named Women’s Volleyball Head Coach

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2 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego Director of Athletics Andy Fee has announced the hiring of Spencer McLachlin as the Tritons’ new women’s volleyball head coach. McLachlin becomes the eighth head coach in program history. The 2026 season will mark UC San Diego’s final in The Big West before the program transitions to the West Coast Conference prior to the 2027 campaign.

“Spencer brings exactly what we need at this moment. He’s helped build winning programs, developed All-Americans, and knows how to compete at the highest level,” Fee said. “His playing career at Stanford and coaching experience at Hawaii, Cal, UCLA, Indiana, and USC give him a deep understanding of what championship volleyball looks like in major conferences. But what really stood out was his approach to the whole scholar-athlete experience. He gets what we’re building here at UC San Diego as we establish ourselves in Division I and look ahead to the West Coast Conference. Our scholar-athletes are going to love playing for him, and I’m confident he’ll have this program competing for championships.”

McLachlin recently completed his third season as an associate head coach for the USC women’s volleyball program. He helped lead the Women of Troy to 25 wins, a fourth-place finish in the ultra-competitive Big Ten, and an NCAA second round appearance. The 2025 team placed six on all-conference teams. In 2024, the Trojans advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year and finished 22-10 overall with a 13-7 mark in the Big Ten (tied for sixth). Setter Mia Tuaniga was named to the AVCA All-America third team. In his first season with the Women of Troy, McLachlin helped USC go 19-13 with a 12-8 mark in Pac-12 matches for a fifth-place finish. Outside hitter Skylar Fields was honored with AVCA All-America first-team recognition.

“I am thrilled to join UC San Diego as the Head Coach of the women’s volleyball program,” McLachlin said. “This is an incredible opportunity for my family and me to be part of an historic and beautiful university and build a program with great potential. I want to thank Andy Fee for trusting my family and me with this role, for his commitment to supporting the future of Triton athletics, and for his vision of the volleyball program specifically. His leadership and commitment to excellence make this an exciting time to be part of the UC San Diego athletic department. Go Tritons!”

Previously, McLachlin served as the associate head coach at Indiana in 2022 where he was responsible for coordinating the defense and blocking. The Hoosiers were 16-16 and went 9-11 in the Big Ten to finish eighth in the conference standings. IU’s nine conference victories were its most since 2010 and the team had its highest finish since the Big Ten expanded to 14 teams (2014).

Prior to Indiana, McLachlin was an assistant coach for the UCLA men’s volleyball program for four years, from 2018-2021. He has also had experience coaching at the international level with the U.S. men’s national team where he was on staffs for squads which competed in the Pan American Cup and NORCECA Champions cup.

Before he joined the UCLA men’s program, McLachlin spent two seasons (2016-17) as an assistant coach at California for the Golden Bears’ women’s team. In 2017, he was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 list, an honor presented to up-and-coming coaching talents across all levels of volleyball. McLachlin got his start in coaching as an assistant for the men’s volleyball program at Hawai’i. During his time with the Warriors, the team earned a bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 13 seasons.

As a student-athlete, McLachlin competed at Stanford from 2008-11 as an outside hitter. He won a national championship with the Cardinal in 2010 and finished his career among the program’s all-time leaders in kills with 1,288. McLachlin was a senior captain, an All-MPSF second team selection, and received MPSF all-academic team recognition three times.

McLachlin graduated from Stanford with a degree in political science in 2011 and completed a Master of Education in 2012 while serving as a club coach for the Bay-to-Bay Volleyball Club.

As a professional athlete, McLachlin was an outside hitter for Mas NIKI Aiginio in Greece for three years from 2012 to 2014.

McLachlin and his wife Diane have three children: daughters Leila and Malia, and a son, Koa.

About UC San Diego Athletics

After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.

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Hawaii men’s volleyball ranked No. 2 to start season

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2 hours ago

December 24, 2025

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JAMM AQUINO / APRIL 26

Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade guided the Rainbow Warriors to 27 wins and a Big West Conference championship last season.

The Hawaii men’s volleyball team will open its 2026 season in 10 days ranked No. 2 in the country according to the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll released today.

The Rainbow Warriors, who finished 27-6 last season and won a Big West championship before losing in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship, received seven of 25 first-place votes and was eight points behind No. 1 UCLA, which ended Hawaii’s season in a three-set sweep in Columbus, Ohio in May.

Defending national champion Long Beach State received five first-place votes and is ranked No. 3 going into the season, ahead of Pepperdine and No. 5 Southern California, which earned the final first-place vote.

The other Big West teams in the top 20 include No. 6 UC Irvine, No. 10 UC San Diego, No. 11 Cal State Northridge and No. 17 UC Santa Barbara.

UH’s nonconferene schedule includes home matches on Jan. 6 and 8 against No. 7 Loyola Chicago and road trips at No. 9 Stanford and No. 13 Penn State.

Hawaii also hosts the fourth-ranked Waves and will play No. 12 Lewis and the top-ranked Bruins in the Outrigger Invitational.

A four-team NIL Tournament in currently scheduled for Feb. 19 and 20 in the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and will feature four of the top five teams in the poll.

Hawaii lost starters Kurt Nusterer and ‘Eleu Choy to graduation last season but return its top four leaders in kills as well as junior setter Tread Rosenthal.

Rosenthal was named to the All-Big West first team along with returning sophomores Adrien Roure and Kristian Titriyski.

UH opens the season against NJIT on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

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Wisconsin lands at No. 8 in Fall Learfield Directors’ Cup

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3 hours ago

December 24, 2025

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MADISON, Wis. – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and LEARFIELD released its Fall Division I Learfield Directors’ Cup standings this Tuesday, with Wisconsin placing eighth after a another successful fall season.

The Badgers finished the season with 236.00 points, within 10 points of Georgetown, Colorado and BYU who finished in seventh, sixth and fifth, respectively. North Carolina finished as the top program with 359.00 points.

This is the third straight fall season where the Badgers have finished within the top-ten schools. UW also was the Big Ten’s top finisher, edging out Washington at No. 10 overall with 228.00 points

Wisconsin’s point total was bolstered this fall by a final four appearance from the volleyball team, led by AVCA All-American Mimi Colyer. The team made its third final-four appearance in the past five seasons, compiling a 28-5 overall record, including a 13-1 stretch in its last 14 matches. Wisconsin finished as the third-ranked volleyball team in Learfield standings, coming up with 83 points.

The men’s cross country team contributed the second most points with 55, after a third place NCAA regional placement led to a 19th place finish at the NCAA Championships in Columbia, Missouri. Liam Newhart led the team with 29:28.5 time at the 10K Gans Creek Cross Country Course.

The Badgers were rewarded 50 points from their women’s soccer team after clincing their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Wisconsin took down three top-10 ranked teams on its way to a 14-6-2 record, peaking with a 3-2 overtime victory over Western Michigan in NCAAs. The Badgers finished the season as the 17th ranked women’s soccer program in the standings.

Additionally, the women’s cross country competed at the NCAA Championships in their fifth consecutive appearance in the final meet of the season. The unit finished in 26th place, providing 48 points to round out the scoring for the Badgers.

The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships.

Wisconsin’s history in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup can be viewed here.

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Lauren Lee’s Volleyball Journey to 5,000-Assist Milestone Started at the Beach

Published

3 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Lauren Lee’s journey to an unprecedented 5,000 career assists for the Hope College volleyball team began on the beach.

The standout Hope setter often traveled to sandy courts with her family as a child. Lee did not need to look far for inspiration to pick up the sport — or to decide where she wanted to play.

“I started playing volleyball because my dad played at the University of Michigan. He was a setter on their men’s team,” Lee said of her father, Dr. Stan Lee, an orthopaedic spine surgeon at Lucent Spine, PLLC, Specialists in Spine Surgery, in the Detroit area. “I grew up watching him play beach volleyball with his friends. I became a setter because of my dad’s passion for the position and the game. He showed me all the tricky things you can do as a setter and how impactful the position can be.”

Lee, a biology major, closed an outstanding four-year career for the Flying Dutch that included numerous individual achievements:

5,001 career assists over 129 matches, a school record;

four All-America selections from the American Volleyball Coaches Association;

four All-MIAA First Team honors, including Most Valuable Player as a senior and Freshman of the Year in 2022;

one AVCA Freshman of the Year award.

Lee played a central role in an exceptional four-year stretch for Hope volleyball.

The Flying Dutch finished as national runner-up in 2023, reached the national semifinals in 2024 and advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2022. Hope earned three consecutive MIAA regular-season championships for the second time in program history and captured back-to-back MIAA Tournament titles for the first time.

Setting the Table

In all, Lee set the table for the Flying Dutch’s success, head coach Becky Schmidt said.

“I’m super proud of Lauren — 5,000 assists is absolutely huge,” Schmidt said. “She’s an incredible setter and just does so much for us. It’s been so much fun to watch.”

Schmidt believes Hope benefited greatly from Lee playing for the Flying Dutch.

“If she were four or five inches taller, she’d be playing in the Big Ten and doing really great things,” Schmidt said. “I am so thankful for her contributions over her four years. She has done really great things.”

Lee is grateful she chose Hope four years ago as well. While the team’s accomplishments have been rewarding and the individual accolades and milestones bring pride, she said they happened because of the people she played with.

“I am super proud of myself, but more importantly, I am thankful for the help of my team for the past four years,” Lee said. “The primary reason I have been able to reach 5,000 assists is because of the amazing hitters who have put the ball away, the passers who have handled serves and swings so that I can have full offensive autonomy, and the coaching staff who has helped us extend our season as long as possible every year.

“I am humbled and grateful to receive the credit and praise, but this milestone is truly a product of a team effort.”

The journey to 5,000 collegiate assists — and so much more — started with logging countless hours on the beach as a young fan.

Like her father, Lee has shown others how to set and assist teammates on the court. It’s a shared family passion.

“I just love the feeling of chasing down the ball and fixing plays,” Lee said. “When it’s perfect, I love setting others up for success because I know I can’t hit the ball as hard as Kamryn Burbridge or Ella Contant. It’s so awesome to see someone hit the ball as hard as possible.”

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