Sports
PANORAMA: Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State share athlete pay plans; Hill runs 10.15 in first 100 in 12 years!
★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★ ★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★ ≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡ ● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese inserted himself into the endless discussion […]

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese inserted himself into the endless discussion about venue selection for the Brisbane 2032 Games, saying on the “Two Good Sports” podcast on Friday that rowing could be moved to Sydney and tennis to Melbourne:
“I’ve been meeting with [Brisbane 2032 chief] Andrew Liveris as well as with the Queensland Premier [David] Crisafulli about where it goes.
“For example, are we really going to do rowing in Rockhampton on the Fitzroy River when there are some pretty good facilities at Penrith [in Sydney]?
“There’s a debate over tennis and what’s needed there in Brisbane as well.”
The Queensland government is having none of it; a spokesman said Friday, “we are working with all levels of government to implement the 2032 Games Delivery Plan, which will see Rowing in Rockhampton and Tennis played at the upgraded Queensland Tennis Centre.”
● NCAA ● Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said last week that the $20.5 million distribution to its athletes will send $18 million to players in four sports only: football, men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball (despite a record of 14-16; average attendance: 3,518 this past season).
The remaining $2.5 million will be used to fund 91 new scholarships across all sports; Ohio State sponsors 36 teams in total.
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said last Thursday that revenue-sharing will be distributed to football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and women’s gymnastics, all of which had significant on-field success this season.
Observed: Note that both Ohio State and Oklahoma announced distributions to an equal number of men’s and women’s sports, a direct nod to Title IX in view of actions already filed, which are primarily about the unequal amounts of money to be paid … which were not announced.
Oklahoma State took what appears to be an interesting alternate path, with the “seven ticketed varsity sports” – football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball, women’s soccer and men’s wrestling – to receive funding. A post from athletic director Chad Weiberg noted “Others will get additional scholarships.”
● Anti-Doping ● A Bolivian physician who asked to have the banned diuretic furosemide to be added to a custom supplement to given to Bolivian swimmer Maria Jose Ribera – who then tested positive – has been banned for six years for “administration and complicity.”
The International Testing Agency reported the suspension period from from 12 June 2025 until 11 June 2031.
● Athletics ● With Betsy Saina now pregnant, USA Track & Field named Jessica McClain to replace her on the American World Championships team for Tokyo in September.
McClain will be a first-time U.S. national team member, and was fourth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2024. She ran seventh at the 2025 Boston Marathon in 2:22:43.
● Shooting ● Interesting agreement by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) to share resources, best practices and cross-promotion ideas, with a special focus on medical issues, safeguarding and integrity.
Their first together was to “co-finance the attendance of legal delegates to the IOC Medical Conference and Prevention of Competition Manipulation Workshop in 2025.”
It would not appear that these federations would have much in common, so it will be fascinating to see what comes out of the agreement.
● Skiing ● U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the third class of Stifel Award winners, given to athletes and staff on six teams, in multiple categories.
“Athlete of the Year” honors went to Lauren Macuga (alpine skiing), Jessie Diggins and Gus Schumacher (cross country), Alex Hall and Rell Harwood (freeski), Chris Lillis (freestyle aerials), Jaelin Kauf (freestyle moguls) and Saylor O’Brien (para alpine).
≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
● Judo ● Japan struck early and hard at the IJF World Championships in Budapest (HUN), which will continue through 20 June, winning three of the first four weights and winning a medal in all four.
Paris 2024 bronze medalist Ryuju Nagayama won his first men’s 60 kg title – after two bronzes – over Romain Valadier-Picard (FRA) and new star Takeshi Takeoka won the 66 kg class against Nurali Emomali (TJK). Two-time Olympic champ Hifumi Abe was defeated in the quarters, but came back to win a bronze medal.
Younger sister Uta Abe, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ at 52 kg, won her fifth Worlds gold, defeating Tokyo 2020 48 kg winner Distria Krasniqi (KOS) in the final. Italy’s Assunta Scutto finally moved up to gold in the women’s 48 kg division, taking Worlds bronzes in 2022 and 2023, then silver in 2024 and now gold in 2025, over Abiba Abuzhakynova (KAZ). Japan’s Wakana Koga won her third career Worlds medal with a bronze.
On Sunday, France’s 2024 Olympic silver star Joan-Benjamin Gaba won his first Worlds gold, in the 73 kg class, defeating 2022 Worlds bronzer Daniel Cargnin (BRA) in the final. Georgia’s Eteri Liparteliani won the women’s 57 kg class, her first individual Worlds medal; she defeated two-time Worlds medal winner Momo Tamaoki.
● Sailing ● Spain’s Jordi Xammar returned to the podium at the 470 World Championships, this time in the mixed-crew event introduced at the 2024 Olympic Games, teaming with Marta Cardona to win off Gdynia (POL) with 48 net points, the same as Germany’s Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort.
The tie was broken by the Spanish finishing fourth in the final, medal race, ahead of the Germans in fifth. In all, the Germans won four races to Spain’s two. Barely behind with 49 net points was Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris, who finished third in the medal race and would have won if they had been second!
It’s the second straight Worlds win for Xammar, who had Nora Brugman on board in 2024.
≡ HIGHLIGHTS ≡
● Artistic Swimming ● At the World Aquatics World Cup Super Final in Xian (CHN), China’s Haiyan Xu won the women’s Solo Technical, and then teamed with Yanjun Lin to win the women’s Duet Technical and the Duet Free.
Belarus’ Vasilina Khandoshka, the 2024 Worlds Solo Free bronzer, competing as a “neutral,” won the women’s solo Free, with Xu third.
Spain’s Dennis Gonzalez and Mirela Hernandez won the Mixed Duet Technical and the Mixed Duet Free. Mexico’s Diego Villalobos won the men’s Solo Technical, followed by Muye Guo (CHN) and Guo came back to take the Solo Free. China also won the Team Acrobatic, Team Technical and the Team Free.
● Athletics ● Great run from Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill at the Last Chance Sprint Series meet at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California on Friday, winning heat five of the men’s 100 m in 10.15 with a +1.2 wind reading.
That brings him into a tie at 114th in the world for 2025, and is a lifetime best. Now 31, his last recorded 100 was way back in 2013, running a very-wind-aided 9.98 (+5.0) for second in the National Junior College Championships. His prior legal best was 10.19 from 2012!
So Hill feels more confident than ever to try and race World Champion Noah Lyles, who hasn’t run a 100 m this season. However, Lyles hasn’t run as slow as 10.15 in a 100 since 2022, in a season opener in Florida. In fact, Lyles hasn’t run that slow after 1 May since he was in high school in 2016.
So, when’s the race and what are the stakes?
¶
Former Oklahoma State All-American Alex Maier is having a big year, winning the U.S. Half Marathon title in March, runner-up at the USATF 10-Mile Champs in early April, the Dusseldorf Marathon in late April (2:08:33 lifetime best) and now the USATF National 4-Mile Championships in Peoria, Illinois!
He ran away from Casey Clinger and Biya Simbassa, 18:03 to 18:06 to 18:07 in the final half-mile, for his third career USATF title.
Taylor Roe, the 2022 NCAA Indoor 3,000 m winner for Oklahoma State, took the women’s title for her third 2025 USATF gold, winning both the Half Marathon and 10-Mile. In Peoria, she crushed the field in 19:40, with Amanda Vestri a distant second in 20:02. Molly Born was third in 20:11.
● Canoe-Kayak ● Familiar faces on the podium at the ICF Slalom World Cup in Pau (FRA), with superstar Jessica Fox (AUS) taking the women’s C-1 final in 107.62 (2 penalties) over Gabriela Satkova (CZE: 110.89/0). Evy Leibfarth of the U.S. was sixth (114.97/2).
German Ricarda Funk, the Tokyo 2020 women’s K-1 winner, won her 12th career World Cup title in 102.0 (0), trailed by Eva Pietracha (FRA: 103.22/2), with Paris 2024 bronze winner Leibfarth in fourth (104.19/0).
Britain’s Ryan Westley got his first career World Cup win in the men’s C-1 in 97.74 (0) over Yohann Senechault (FRA: 98.13/0). German Noah Hegge, the Paris Kayak Cross bronze medalist, won the men’s K-1 in 91.48 (0), beating Anatole Delassus (FRA: 92.70/0).
Spain’s Pau Echaniz took the men’s Kayak Cross final, and teammate Miren Lazkano won the women’s Cross title.
● Cycling ● Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar, winner of four of the prestigious spring one-day races, prepped to defend his Tour de France title at the eight-stage Criterium du Dauphine in France, winning the first stage, then falling as low as ninth by the end of stage three.
But when the mountains came, so did Pogacar, winning stage six by 1:01 and re-taking the lead, then taking stage seven by 14 seconds over two-time Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and maintaining a 1:01 lead into Sunday.
The 133.3 km finale had a challenging uphill finish, won by France’s Lenny Martinez, with Pogacar keeping close to Vingegaard, both 34 seconds behind, with Vingegaard second. That gave the race win to Pogacar by 59 seconds in 29:19:46, with Vingegaard second (+0:59) and Florian Lipowitz (GER: +2:38) in third. Matteo Jorgenson was the top U.S. placer, in sixth (+7:28).
¶
Swiss Marlen Reusser won the first stage of the Women’s World Tour’s Tour de Suisse and nursed just a three-second lead into Sunday’s fourth stage over Dutch star Demi Vollering.
The hilly final day was a showcase for Reusser, who attacked with 9 km left and rode away to a 3:19:36 victory on the 129.4 km route in and around Kussnacht. She won by 28 seconds over Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) and Vollering and took the overall race title in 13:03:00, 36 seconds ahead of Vollering and 1:56 up on Niewiadoma in third.
¶
The three-venue, six-race UCI BMX World Cup opened in Sarrians (FRA), with home favorite Arthur Pilard (FRA) winning by daylight over 2024 World Cup champ Izaac Kennedy (AUS), 31.105 to 31.564, with France’s Olympic silver winner Sylvan Andre third (31.65) and American Cameron Wood fourth (32.304).
Andre returned the favor on Sunday, winning stage 2 in 31.668 over Pilard (31.822) and Kennedy (32.405).
The Saturday women’s race was for Swiss two-time Worlds runner-up Zoe Claessens, winning easily in 34.156 over Olympic champ Saya Sakakibara (AUS: 35.084); American Payton Ridenour was eighth (37.387).
Canadian Molly Simpson, the 2023 Pan Am Games runner-up, won Sunday’s race in 34.555, ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ Bethany Shriever (GBR: 35.146) and 2024 Worlds bronze winner Delany Vaughn of the U.S. (35.765).
● Diving ● At the American Cup in Morgantown, West Virginia, 13-year-old U.S. national women’s 10 m champion ElliReese Niday scored a silver medal behind Japanese veteran Rin Kaneto, 354.45 to 326.40.
The men’s 3m went to American Max Weinrich at 437.80, ahead of teammate Carson Tyler (432.00) and Joshua Hedberg of the U.S. won the 10 m at 434.95.
Japan’s Haruki Suyama and Senri Ikuma won the men’s Synchro 3 m at 352.28, and Tyler combined with Hedberg to win the Synchro 10 m, scoring 430.29.
Canada’s Mia Vallee was a clear winner in the women’s 3 m with 315.50 points, and American pairs won both Synchro events. Anna Kwong and Sophie Verzyl won the 3 m at 277.56, and Bayleigh Crawford and Daryn Wright scored 268.65 as the only entrants in the 10 m.
● Football ● The 18th CONCACAF Gold Cup opened on Saturday in group matches with Mexico edging the Dominican Republic, 3-2 before 54,309 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and will continue through 24 June. Playoff matches begin on 28 June.
The U.S. dominated its opener in Group D against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday in San Jose, California.
The Americans, losers of four straight, were on offense from the start, and finally got a goal in the 16th, as forward Malik Tillman scored off a left-footed cross by forward Jack McGlynn, which he brought down at the far post and then smashed into the near edge of the Trinidad & Tobago goal for a 1-0 lead.
After three more saves by Trinidad & Tobago keeper Marvin Phillip, a slow backwards pass by defender Alvin Jones was intercepted by U.S. forward Diego Luna, who sprinted toward the T&T goal and sent a perfect cross to an onrushing Tillman in front of the net, and he slammed it into the net with his right foot for the 2-0 lead in the 41st.
Minutes later, Luna again found himself with the ball, running again down the left side in the 44th and all alone. He then dribbled toward the middle and smashed a hard shot toward goal that deflected off the foot of striker Patrick Agyemang and into the net for the 3-0 halftime lead.
The U.S. had 77% of possession and a 13-0 shots lead in a game which could have been 5-0 but for sharp work by Phillip.
The second half was not as consistent or sharp for the U.S., but sub forward Brenden Aaronsen got a fourth goal, with a seeing-eye shot under Phillip from the left side of the box in the 81st. Then, in the 84th, sub striker Haji Wright got a one-on-one situation against a defender in the box, dribbled to the middle of the box and sent a right-footed laser into the net for the 5-0 final.
The U.S. finished with 71% possession and a 21-3 edge on shots. The next U.S. game is Thursday in Austin, Texas vs. Gold Cup guest team Saudi Arabia.
¶
The FIFA Club World Cup, controversially expanded to 32 teams, opened on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida, with a 0-0 tie between Inter Miami (MLS) and Al Ahly (Egypt) in front of 60,927. Group play will continue to 26 June, with playoffs starting on 28 June.
● Gymnastics ● At the Pan American Championships in Panama City (PAN), American women scored a 1-3 in the All-Around, with Jayla Hang winning at 55.300 and Hezly Rivera third (52.667), behind Canada’s Lia Fontaine (53.966). Dulcy Caylor of the U.S. was fourth (52.600).
The American women won the team title by 164.765 to 151.633 over Canada, with Brazil third at 151.466.
In the individual finals reported Sunday, Panama’s Karla Navas won on Vault (14.334) with Hang third at 13.850. Gabrielle Hardie of the U.S. won on the Uneven Bars at 13.600, with Hang second at 13.533.
Canada’s Felix Dolci won the men’s All-Around at 80.150, ahead of Joshua Karnes of the U.S. (79.900), with Troy Christopulos fifth at 78.250. The U.S. men won the team title, scoring 238.800 to 233.500 for the Canadians.
The individual finals reported on Sunday had American Junnosuke Iwai taking the Floor Ex at 14.033, and Brandon Dang and Karnes going 1-2 on Pommel Horse at 13.500 and 13.267. Argentina’s Daniel Villafane won on Rings at 13.700, with Christopulos sixth at 13.033.
● Rowing ● Great Britain scored three wins in the Olympic classes at the World Rowing World Cup I in Varese (ITA), taking the men’s and women’s Eights, plus a gold for Lauren Henry in the women’s Single Sculls (7:13.54).
Italy took wins in the men’s Quadruple Sculls and by Laura Meriano and Alice Codato in the women’s Pairs (6:54.18).
Simon van Dorp edged Jacob Plihal of the U.S. in the men’s Single Sculls, 6:43.01 to 6:45.05, and Switzerland won the Double Sculls (6:11.81). New Zealand’s Oliver Welch and Benjamin Taylor were clear winners in the men’s Pairs (6:17.87), while Australia won the men’s Fours, with the U.S. in fifth place (5:53.51).
China’s Yunxia Chen and Ling Zhang won the women’s Double Sculls (6:43.24), with Katheryn Flynn and Grace Joyce of the U.S. fourth (6:51.42). The Dutch won the women’s Quadruple Sculls (6:20.27), but the American quartet of Camille Vandermeer, Azja Czajkowski, Teal Cohen and Kaitlin Knifton won the Fours in 6:21.50.
The U.S. women’s Eight, which included all of the crew from the winning Four, was second to Britain, 6:01.56 to 6:03.50.
● Shooting ● China dominated the ISSF World Cup for Pistol and Rifle in Munich (GER), winning four events and taking seven total medals.
Kai Hu won the men’s 10 m Air Pistol title, giving him a third straight World Cup gold, after taking the events in Buenos Aires (ARG) and Lima (PER). France’s Jean Quiquampoix, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ, won the 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol.
Russian “neutral” Ilia Marsov and Norway’s Jon-Hermann Hegg traded places in the rifle events, with Marsov winning the 10 m Air Rifle over Hegg and Hegg taking the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions.
The women’s pistol winners included Inder Singh Suruchi (IND) in the 10 m Air Pistol event, beating Olympic silver winner Camille Jedrzejewsji (FRA), and China’s Yujie Sun on the 25 m Pistol final, ahead Paris Olympic champ Ye-jin Oh (KOR).
The 10 m Air Rifle went to China’s 2024 World Junior Champion Zifei Wang, and Norwegian star Jeanette Hegg Duestad won the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions gold, with American Sagen Maddalena in fourth.
Hu and Qianxun Yao teamed to win China’s fourth gold, in the Mixed Team 10 m Air Pistol, while India’s Arya Borse and Arjun Babuta took the Mixed Team 10 m Air Rifle final.
● Skateboard ● At the World Skate Tour: Street in Rome (ITA), Japan’s 2023 World Champion, Sora Shirai was the winner in a tight men’s final battle with countrymen Toa Sasaki – the 2024 World Champion – and Ginwoo Onodera, 188.07 to 187.93 to 187.16.
The women’s final went to Australia’s 2022 Worlds silver medalist, Chloe Covell, at 181.38 in a rout. Second was Funa Nakayama (JPN: 16.00) and Ibuki Matsumoto (JPN: 159.00) finished third.
● Sport Climbing ● Britain’s Erin McNeice, 21, scored a dominating win at the IFSC World Cup in Bouldering in Bern (SUI), winning the final with 99.5 points, easily ahead of American Annie Sanders (84.4) and Japan’s Tokyo 2020 Combined silver medalist Miho Nonaka (84.3). It’s McNeice’s third win of the season and her first in Boulder.
China’s Yufei Pan won his first career World Cup gold, in the men’s Boulder final, scoring 84.2 to edge France’s Mejdi Schalck (84.1), the 2023 Worlds runner-up. Japan’s Sorato Anraku was third (83.7), his fifth straight Boulder World Cup with a medal this season. American Colin Duffy was seventh.
● Swimming ● The Australian Team Trials in Adelaide concluded on Saturday, with the meet producing three world-leading performances:
● Men/50 m Free: 21.30, Cameron McEvoy
● Women/200 m Free: 1:54.43, Mollie O’Callaghan
● Women/200 m Back: 2:04.47, Kaylee McKeown
There were also four more swims now ranked no. 2 in the world for 2025, including Sam Short in the men’s 400 m Free (3:41.03), Lani Pallister in the 200 m Free (1:54.89) and Pallister in the 1,500 m Free (15:39.14, no. 3 performer all-time), plus Alex Perkins in the 50 Fly (25.36).
The on-fire Pallister also won the 800 m Free in a fabulous 8:10.84, moving her to no. 3 all-time, but also no. 3 on the world list for 2025 behind historic swims from Katie Ledecky of the U.S. and Canada’s Summer McIntosh.
¶
France scored a 1-2 in the men’s World Aquatics Open Water World Cup III in Setubal (POR), with Rio 2016 Olympic bronzer Marc-Antoine Olivier near the front throughout and then sprint to the touch in 1:53:28.1 to 1:53:29.8 for Sacha Velly. Germany’s Oliver Klemet won the bronze in 1:53:33.6. Dylan Gravely was the top American, in 12th (1:53:40.2).
Australia’s Moesha Johnson, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, took the women’s 10 km race in 1:53:39.6, clearly ahead of Paris bronze winner Ginevra Taddeucci (ITA: 1:53:41.4) and France’s Carolina Laure Jouisse (1:53:43.1). Brinkleigh Hansen of the U.S. was 20th (1:57:57.4).
In the 3 km Sprint racing (1,500 m-1,000 m-500 m), Hungary’s David Betlehem won the men’s final in 6:12.0 over Logan Fontaine (FRA: 6:12.9), and Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto won the women’s final in 6:41.6, over Jouisse (6:43.5).
● Water Polo ● After a 13-12 win over Australia in the opener of a three-game series, the U.S. men’s National Team lost, 13-12, to the Aussies on Wednesday (11th) in San Juan Capistrano, California.
Australia had a 7-6 lead at the half and 12-11 at the end of three, with Luke Pavillard scoring with 4:41 to go for the 13-11 lead, which proved to be the winning goal. Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic each scored four for the U.S.
On Friday at Chapman University in Orange, California, Australia won 14-11, despite four goals each from Daube and Nicolas Saveljic. The U.S. had a 7-5 halftime lead and the game was tied at 9-9 entering the fourth, but the Aussies put up five goals to one for the U.S. to take the victory.
● Wrestling ● The U.S. Freestyle teams for the 2025 UWW World Championships were mostly set at the Final X matches in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, with some familiar names and a shocker among the results.
Paris Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee won the men’s 57 kg final over Penn State frosh Luke Lilledahl, 7-2 and 6-0, while Zahid Valencia, the 2023 Worlds bronzer at 86 kg, defeated four-time World Champion Kyle Dake, 4-1 and 5-3.
Rio 2016 Olympic 97 kg champ Kyle Snyder swept his matches against Hayden Zillmer, 8-0 and 8-2. In the 125 kg class, NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson – who defeated Tokyo Olympic champ Gable Steveson in the NCAA finals this year – defeated Trent Hillger by 10-0 and then 20-14 in a wild second match.
The shocker came at 70 kg, where 2022 Worlds silver winner Yianni Diakomihalis was defeated by Minisink Valley (State Hill, New York) High School senior P.J. Duke, on hi way to Penn State in the fall. Diakomihalis won the first bout by 10-0, but Duke fought back for a 17-10 win in the second. Duke then won by pin in 4:07 in the third match to earn a Worlds team berth.
Four more first-time U.S. Worlds team members won places, with Real Woods (65 kg), David Carr (74 kg), Levi Haines (79 kg) and Trent Hidlay (92 kg) all winning. The 61 kg class final has been postponed to July due to injury.
The women’s team similarly has five veterans and five newcomers. Rio 2016 Olympic champ Helen Maroulis made her 15th U.S. team, this time at 57 kg with two pins of Amanda Martinez. Jacarra Winchester, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, advanced at 59 kg over Abigail Nette, losing the first match, but then winning by 9-7 and 10-0. Paris Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades won at 68 kg with 10-4 and 5-2 wins over Brooklyn Hays. Two-time Worlds medal winner Macey Kilty swept her matches at 65 kg and 2024 Worlds bronzer Kylie Welker defeated Dymond Guilford by 2-1 and 9-1.
Newcomers to the U.S. Worlds team will be Adaugo Nwachukwu at 62 kg, defeating two-time Worlds silver winner Kayla Miracle, 14-8, 3-4, 8-4; Audrey Jimenez (50 kg), Felicity Taylor (53 kg), Cristelle Rodriguez (55 kg) and Alexandria Glaude (72 kg). Glaude won by walkover, as Olympic 68 kg champ Amit Elor withdrew.
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Sports
Water polo giants Serbia, Spain aim to end world championship title drought
SINGAPORE – Serbia’s water polo gold rush at the Olympics began in Rio 2016, followed by triumphs in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Last August, their three-peat sparked celebrations in the Paris La Defense Arena, when the coaching staff celebrated with the players by leaping into the pool fully clothed. The water polo giants will […]

SINGAPORE – Serbia’s water polo gold rush at the Olympics began in Rio 2016, followed by triumphs in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Last August, their three-peat sparked celebrations in the Paris La Defense Arena, when the coaching staff celebrated with the players by leaping into the pool fully clothed.
The water polo giants will be hoping for more scenes of joy when the action kicks off at the World Aquatics Championships at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 11, with the women’s tournament, followed by the men a day later.
While Serbia have dominated at the Olympics, top honours at the world event has been elusive of late.
Since winning the world title in 2015 and earning bronze in 2017, their results have steadily declined: two fifth-placed finishes, fourth, and most recently, sixth in Doha in 2024.
On the hunt to end their decade-long drought, the team chose not to refresh their squad after the end of the Olympics, with nine members of the Paris Games champions among their 15-man team in Singapore.
Strahinja Rasovic, 33, a key member of the team here, has two Olympic golds (2020, 2024) but no world championship medals.
In 2017, when Serbia won bronze at the World Championship, he was injured and not selected.
Rasovic told the World Aquatics website that the absence of medals at World and European championships rankles.
“When you are playing for Serbia, expectations are always the highest. I miss medals from World and European competitions; I hope and I believe that I will win them with my friends,” said Rasovic, who plays for Serbian club Radnicki Kragujevic.
Serbia are in Group A alongside Italy, Romania, and South Africa.
He added: “Like always, the preparation period is so intensive. We’re in a good atmosphere and doing hard work, so we are getting ready for Singapore.”
Beaten finalists in Paris, Croatia are also out for redemption after losing 13-11 in a tightly contested final battle with the Serbs.
Afterwards Croatia veteran Maro Jokovic told reporters he felt “a huge emptiness”, and that “all I know is that this defeat will be in our minds for a long time”.
Revenge could be a dish best served cold in the Singapore heat. The defending champions are in Group D with Montenegro, Greece and China.
Croatia captain and goalkeeper Marko Bijac said at the World Aquatics Championships press conference on July 10 that his team are very motivated.
He added: “This (World Championships) is, with Olympics, the biggest competition, that a water polo player can be part of, so motivation for sure will not be a problem here.”
Other teams who are in the mix include Spain, who won the 2025 Water Polo World Cup in April, perennial contenders Hungary and Paris Olympics bronze medallists United States.
The 16 teams have been split into four groups of four for the preliminary round, with group winners advancing to the quarter-finals while the second and third teams enter the play-off with another chance to qualify for the last eight.
In the women’s tournament, other nations are also aiming to end their title droughts.
Spain, who claimed their first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s water polo at Paris 2024, are aiming for their first world title since 2013.
Heading into the Lion City with a fresh world No. 1 ranking, they will face Britain, South Africa and France in Group D.
Spanish water polo star Bea Ortiz told the World Aquatics website that winning the Olympic gold was the highlight of her career, and that she was thrilled to see Spain’s success recognised in the world rankings.
Ortiz, 30, said: “Women’s water polo is developing rapidly around the world, and there are so many strong teams in competition, so to be ranked above all of them is a great honour. This will motivate us to try and maintain top spot, beginning at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.”
Also out for redemption are the US women’s team, who had a disappointing campaign in Paris as the three-time Olympic champions finished outside the medals for the first time. Winner of five of the last six world titles, for the Americans a sixth victory here will go some way to soothing their Paris pain.
But the teams should watch out for other contenders like Greece – who won the World Cup in April – Australia and the Netherlands, who won the silver and bronze respectively at the Olympics.
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Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports journalist at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news.
Sports
“I’m incredibly proud of my body”
Body confidence from the early years The confidence that Paula Leitón has in her body stems from her childhood. Other members of her family are also tall and similarly built, so that type of physique was “always treated as completely normal”. Leitón remembers one episode in particular: “I was 10 years old and couldn’t buy […]
Body confidence from the early years
The confidence that Paula Leitón has in her body stems from her childhood. Other members of her family are also tall and similarly built, so that type of physique was “always treated as completely normal”.
Leitón remembers one episode in particular: “I was 10 years old and couldn’t buy clothes in the children’s section. Now I know where to shop, where to find what I need. But back then, I remember telling my mum, ‘I don’t get it. Why can’t I wear that?’ And she would calmly say, ‘They just don’t have what you need here. We’ll find it somewhere else, don’t worry’. She made it feel normal: ‘If not here, then somewhere else. It’s not your fault’. That attitude meant everything.”
While Leitón has learned to embrace her shape since she was a child, the athlete notes that she was not completely immune to all body-related insecurities. If the negative comments she got after Paris 2024 had come 10 years earlier, Leitón said, they would have affected her differently.
It was her family’s support and the extensive mental work she did to become a stronger athlete and individual that have helped her to deal with the body shaming as lightly as she did, but Leitón is well aware other people may need extra support.
Given how important her own childhood was in building the body confidence she has now, it is not surprising that the Olympic champion aspires to work with children when she retires from competitive sport. Leitón is working towards a teaching degree and is in her second year of studies, soon to start a practicum at a school.
“Teaching is my calling after water polo,” she said. “I’d love to work in education, especially in sport, to share how I learned to love it. And I know I can pass on values like teamwork, camaraderie, sacrifice…Everything sport has taught me in the pool, why not pass that on in the classroom too?”
Getting a sneak peek at Paula Leitón the teacher, the Olympic champion offered this advice to young girls: “If you enjoy something and it makes you happy, then keep doing it. That’s the most important thing. Don’t let what others say affect you, just enjoy what you do and make sure you’re doing it for yourself. And if you find something that truly fulfils you, especially in sport, it will be an incredible journey.”
Leitón will next compete at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore where she will try to win the last title still missing from her name, that of world champion.
Sports
Breaking down the 2025 DI wrestling brackets
All 330 NCAA wrestling championship qualifiers learned their seed on Wednesday afternoon, eight days before they all take the mat in Philadelphia to compete against one another for championship honors under the bright lights of the Wells Fargo Arena. Here’s what you need to know about leaders of each weight class, their path to success […]

All 330 NCAA wrestling championship qualifiers learned their seed on Wednesday afternoon, eight days before they all take the mat in Philadelphia to compete against one another for championship honors under the bright lights of the Wells Fargo Arena. Here’s what you need to know about leaders of each weight class, their path to success and under-the-radar names to watch next week.
CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE PRINTABLE BRACKETS
125 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, No. 2 Matt Ramos, No. 3 Eddie Ventresca, No. 4 Vince Robinson, No. 5 Richie Figueroa
All-American sleeper: No. 27 Tristan Daugherty
The 125-pound weight class, as usual, is chaos. No athlete enters the NCAA tournament undefeated, and only one athlete — 2023 NCAA finalist and Big Ten bronze medalist Matt Ramos — comes in with just one loss. Ramos is currently seeded No. 2 after falling to Penn State’s No. 1 seed Luke Lilledahl in the Big Ten semifinals. Lilledahl then went on to win the conference tournament over No. 9 Caleb Smith of Nebraska 4-3. Smith and Lilledahl could rematch in the quarterfinals if the first round goes chalk and Smith beats No. 8 Sheldon Seymour of Lehigh.
Richard Figueroa, last year’s national champion at the weight, comes in as the No. 5 seed following a loss to North Dakota State’s Tristan Daugherty at Big 12s. Meanwhile, Daugherty comes in as the No. 27 seed after posting a 10-14 record on the year. His record may not suggest that he could be in the mix for All-American honors, but his win over Figueroa this point in the season immediately elevates him into this conversation.
The only other returning All-American in the bracket is South Dakota State’s Tanner Jordan, who will, much like last year, attempt to make the podium from a 20+ seed. This year, he’s seeded No. 23 with a first-round match against in-conference foe Stevo Poulin. Jordan is 0-2 against Poulin, most recently losing to the Northern Colorado star 14-6 in last year’s dual. The winner of Poulin vs. Jordan will take on the winner of No. 7 Troy Spratley of Oklahoma State, who has been ranked as high as No. 2 this year, and No. 26 Keyveon Roller of Virginia.
133 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Lucas Byrd, No. 2 Drake Ayala
All-American sleeper: No. 26 Kai Orine
For most of the year, the 133-pound weight class was led by Lehigh’s Ryan Crookham, a sophomore who finished third last season and started the 2024-2025 season with a 5-0 record. After Crookham announced his decision not to compete in the postseason due to injury, Iowa’s Drake Ayala slotted into the No. 1 spot, only to be leapfrogged by Illinois’ Lucas Byrd several days later after Byrd topped Ayala in the Big Ten finals by fall.
Byrd, a two-time All-American for the Illini, now comes into the NCAA tournament as an undefeated No. 1 seed with Ayala sitting at the No. 2 seed. Ayala’s only other loss this year came against No. 13 Tyler Knox who sits on Byrd’s side of the bracket and will take on No. 20 Blake Boarmann of Chattanooga in the first round. This doesn’t mean that the Hawkeye has an easy path back to the finals, though, as his first match will come against Missouri’s No. 31 Kade Moore, who has career wins over All-Americans Evan Frost and Sam Latona. The winner of that match will face the winner of No. 15 Anthony Noto, a former All-American at 125 pounds, vs. No. 18 Julian Farber of Northern Iowa.
All-Americans Nasir Bailey, Dylan Shawver and Kai Orine and will also be in the mix, seeded No. 3, No. 10 and No. 26 respectively. One first-round match to circle is Orine vs. Ohio State’s No. 7 Nic Bouzakis. Both of these wrestlers are wild and put on a show. There’s nothing predictable about the outcome of that match.
141 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Brock Hardy, No. 2 Beau Bartlett, No. 3 Jesse Mendez, No. 4 Josh Koderhandt, No. 5 Cael Happel, No. 6 Vance Vombaur, No. 7 Tagen Jamison, No. 8 Andrew Alirez
All-American sleeper: No. 14 Sergio Lemley
Nebraska All-American Brock Hardy blew up the 141-pound bracket last weekend when he beat 2024 NCAA champion Jesse Mendez and All-American Vance Vombar in his conference semifinals and finals respectively to win Big Tens and earn the No. 1 seed. Jesse Mendez, who won the NCAA tournament last year in a short-time takedown against Bartlett, meanwhile lost to Bartlett for the second time this year in the consolation finals, to earn the No. 3 seed while Bartlett is at the No. 2.
The Big 12 conference results created similar disruption in the national seeds, with Oklahoma State’s Tagen Jamison beating 2023 NCAA champion Andrew Alirez, only to fall to Northern Iowa’s Cael Happel in the finals. Happel now leads that group as the No. 5 seed, followed by Jamison at the No. 7 and Alirez at the No. 8 seed. Navy’s Josh Koderhandt, who won the EIWA tournament, comes in at No. 4. Of this group, Jamison, Happel and Koderhandt are all looking for the first All-American honors of their career. Happel and Jamison though could both hit All-Americans in their second matches if the bracket goes chalk, with Happel set to No. 12 Sam Latona of Virginia Tech if Latona beats No. 21 Dylan Chappell, and Jamison likely to wrestle No. 10 CJ Composto if both of these athletes win their first round matches against No. 26 Eligh Rivera of Princeton and No. 23 Josh Edmond, respectively.
149 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Caleb Henson, No. 2 Ridge Lovett, No. 3 Shayne Van Ness, No. 4 Paniro Johnson, No. 5 Kyle Parco
All-American sleeper: No. 11 Sammy Alvarez
Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson is back to defend his crown. The 2024 NCAA champion junior earned his No. 1 seed with an 18-0 record, including a 2-0 performance at the ACC championships, where he claimed his second title. Now he’ll have the benefit of being the opposite side of the bracket of two Big Ten foes — No. 2 Ridge Lovett and No. 3 Shayne Van Ness — after Lovett, Van Ness and Iowa’s No. 5 Kyle Parco battled each other out at their conference tournament. Henson’s reward for his strong performances thus far this year will be a first-round match against the winner of the pigtail battle between No. 33 Teague Travis and No. 32 Wynton Denkins, the former of whom finished in the Round of 16 last year and was a late addition to the Oklahoma State lineup in place of Carter Young. Lovett, meanwhile, will have No. 31 Sam Cartella of Northwestern.
Big 12 champion Paniro Johnson will also be a name to watch at the No. 4 seed, as he seems to be hitting his prime here in the heat of the postseason. Johnson will take on No. 29 Jack Gioffe of Virginia in the first round, and, if he wins and the match above him goes chalk, he could see Ohio State All-American No. 23 Dylan D’Emilio in the second round.
157 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Tyler Kasak, No. 2 Meyer Shapiro
All-American sleeper: No. 22 Ed Scott
Injuries have defined the 157-pound weight class this year, but, as the athletes head into the final two weeks of the season, it’s Penn State’s Tyler Kasak, who emerges as the No. 1 seed. Kasak is 18-1 on the year, with his lone loss coming during his injury default match against Maryland’s Ethen Miller. Meanwhile, Miller, who earned the No. 1 seed at Big Tens, secured the No. 10 seed, giving him a first-round matchup with in-conference foe No. 23 Chase Saldate. Miller beat Saldate 4-2 in their last meeting.
On the opposite side of the bracket is No. 2 Meyer Shapiro of Cornell, who has had his fair share of injuries but will now look to string together five winning matches and compete for his first NCAA title. Shapiro finished third last year at 157 pounds, while Kasak took third at 149 pounds. Shapiro could have a tough second-round match on this side of the bracket, though. If he beats first-round opponent No. 31 Noah Castillo, he’ll face the winner of No. 15 Johnny Lovett and No. 18 Jacori Teemer. Iowa’s Teemer finished second at the weight class last year but has taken four losses this year after battling injuries most of the season.
The parity at this weight produced a number of elite first-round matches, including No. 19 Cobe Siebrecht vs. No. 14 Jude Swisher and No. 11 Matty Bianchi vs. No. 22 Ed Scott. Ohio State’s Brannon Cannon at the No. 5 seed will also be a name to watch as Cannon built a name for himself in his first Big Ten tournament by making the finals and will now chase his first All-American honors in Philly. His first round match will be No. 28 Chris Hamblin of Oregon State, with the winner facing the victor in the bout between No. 12 Caleb Fish and No. 21 Logan Rozynski of Lehigh.
165 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, No. 2 Peyton Hall, No. 3 Mikey Caliendo
All-American sleeper: No. 26 Paddy Gallagher
Heading into the Big Ten championships last weekend, Penn State’s No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink was the runaway favorite to win this weight class after finishing as a runner-up last year to Iowa State’s David Carr. Mesenbrink is still the top seed and the most likely title contender, but Iowa’s No. 3 Mikey Caliendo closed the gap and gave Mesenbrink a 4-1 match after being teched earlier in the season. For Caliendo to get another shot at Mesenbrink in the NCAA finals this year, though, he’ll need to go through No. 2 Peyton Hall of West Virginia, who won Big 12s last weekend and enters NCAAs with a 30-1 record, his lone loss coming against Terrell Barraclough earlier in the year. Barraclough is the No. 4 seed and in a position to earn All-American honors for the first time in his career for Utah Valley after spending the first four years of his career as a backup for Penn State.
The big problem for everyone in this bracket will be No. 5 Julian Ramirez, who won the Ivy League championships last weekend and already has wins over two NCAA champions in his career: David Carr and Shane Griffith. Michigan’s Beau Mantanona will also be a problem, as he’s a pinner and can put almost anyone on their back. Mantanona will have Tyler Lillard of Indiana first, an athlete he beat 8-5 earlier this year.
174 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Keegan O’Toole, No. 2 Levi Haines, No. 3 Dean Hamiti
All-American sleeper: No. 16 Lorenzo Norman
The top three in this weight could all win NCAAs on any given day. Missouri’s two-time NCAA champ Keegan O’Toole paces the group after earning sudden victory wins over No. 2 Levi Haines and No. 3 Dean Hamiti earlier this year. Haines won Big Tens and NCAAs last year at 157 pounds and just claimed another Big Ten title this year up at 174 pounds against No. 8 Lenny Pinto. His win, and his subsequent No. 2 seed, puts him in a good spot in the bracket, opposite Pinto, No. 24 All-American Lennox Wolak, No. 9 All-American Carson Kharchla, No. 13 All-American Cade DeVos and Cliff Keen runner-up No. 16 Lorenzo Norman.
Haines will still have a tough road, as he’ll be expected to meet No. 3 Dean Hamiti in the semifinals if both of them can survive their first three matches. Just to demonstrate the depth of the weight, Hamiti’s first-round match will come against All-American Jackson Turley of Rutgers. The winner will get the victor between No. 19 Jared Simma and No. 14 Matty Singleton.
184 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Carter Starocci, No. 2 Parker Keckeisen, No. 3 Max McEnelly
All-American sleeper: No. 15 Dylan Fishback
Not only does 184 pounds have two former NCAA champions in No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. No. 2 Parker Keckeisen, but Minnesota freshman Max McEnelly also inserted himself into the title conversation when he earned a takedown against four-time NCAA champion Starocci in the Big Ten finals. Starocci ended up beating McEnelly 8-5 in the conference finals, but McEnelly’s performance put the country on notice. He’ll be expected to meet Parker Keckeisen — who won his fifth Big 12 title — in the semifinals.
Starocci has a reasonably smooth path to the semifinals, though he does have three All-Americans that he could clash with, including No. 4 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State, No. 5 Bennett Berge of South Dakota State and No. 17 Gavin Kane of North Carolina. On the other side, McEnelly could see All-American No. 6 Chris Foca in the quarterfinals, while Keckeisen could meet with All-American Edmond Ruth of Illinois at No. 10.
This is Starocci’s weight until proven otherwise, but Keckeisen is in peak form, and McEnelly proved he can compete with the champ. Buckle up. The 184-pound bracket is full of storylines.
197 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Jacob Cardenas, No. 2 Stephen Buchanan, No. 3 AJ Ferrari, No. 4 Josh Barr
All-American sleepers: No. 14 Zach Glazier
Michigan graduate student Jacob Cardenas secured the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament with his first Big Tens on Sunday night. Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan, who lost to Cardenas in the finals, earned the No. 2 seed, while 2021 NCAA champion AJ Ferrari picked up the No. 3 seed. Buchanan losing the No. 1 seed to Cardenas sets up a potential rematch with Ferrari in the semifinals, and Ferrari has the last win over the Hawkeye back in 2022.
Cardenas doesn’t have an easy draw on his side either, though, as he’ll be expected to rematch No. 4 Josh Barr in the semifinals, an athlete he has split matches with thus far this year. All-Americans Trey Munoz and Stephen Little at the No. 13 and No. 12 spots, respectively, on Cardenas’ side of the bracket are also notable.
285 pounds
Title contenders: No. 1 Gable Steveson, No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson, No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet
Under-the-radar names to watch: No. 14 Gavin Hoffman
Heading into the season, two big questions surrounded 285 pounds: 1.) Can reigning NCAA champion Greg Kerkvliet challenge 2021 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson? 2.) What kind of jumps can All-American Wyatt Hendrickson make up new head coach David Taylor? The first question was answered at Big Tens, as Steveson beat Kerkvliet three takedowns to none with a score of 10-3 to claim his fourth Big Ten title. Steveson earned the No. 1 seed with that win, putting Kerkvliet at the No. 3. Big 12 champion Wyatt Hendrickson survived four-time All-American Cohlton Schultz to win his conference title, remain undefeated and position himself opposite to No. 1 Steveson at the bracket at the No. 2.
Both Schultz and All-American Yaraslau Slavikouski could await Steveson in the second and third rounds of the tournament. Meanwhile, EIWA champion Owen Trephan sits at the No. 4 seed while Iowa’s Ben Kueter’s third-place Big Ten finish earned him the No. 5, an excellent position for the rookie big man. Kueter could have a rematch against All-American Nick Feldman in the second round, though Kueter has shown he can win that match.
One fun potential second-round match to watch is No. 7 Isaac Trumble vs. No. 10 Dayton Pitzer. Pitzer beat Trumble at ACCs, forcing Trumble to need a wildcard to make it into this tournament. A healthy Trumble is a dangerous thing for the weight, but Pitzer also made it clear that he’s not afraid to compete (and win) against the U23 gold medalist Wolfpack veteran.
Sports
Caitlin Clark rookie cards likely to break women's sports card record sale go to auction
Potentially the most expensive Caitlin Clark cards to date will soon hit the auction block. On Thursday night, her 2024 Panini WNBA Rookie Royalty Flawless patch autographed one-of-one rookie card will be up for sale through Fanatics Collect’s July Premier auction. And on Friday, Clark’s one-of-a-kind Immaculate patch autographed rookie card from the same set […]

Potentially the most expensive Caitlin Clark cards to date will soon hit the auction block. On Thursday night, her 2024 Panini WNBA Rookie Royalty Flawless patch autographed one-of-one rookie card will be up for sale through Fanatics Collect’s July Premier auction. And on Friday, Clark’s one-of-a-kind Immaculate patch autographed rookie card from the same set will go to auction with Goldin.
Both cards are expected to eclipse the March sale of a different one-of-a-kind Clark card, her 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl autograph rookie card, which went for $366,000 through Goldin Auctions. That sale set a record for the most expensive women’s sports card ever.
ARE YOU READY?!
This is THE CARD that @kengoldin was talking about yesterday in his video!
Presenting the Caitlin Clark Immaculate Logowoman 1/1 Signed, Inscribed “ROY 24” Rookie Patch Card!
This INCREDIBLE Collectible is coming to our July Elite Auction, Opening… pic.twitter.com/1D2DVvF3Kf
— Goldin (@GoldinCo) July 10, 2025
A few key elements set the Rookie Royalty one-of-ones apart from the Prizm card, though. The autograph on the Flawless and Immaculate cards are directly on the card — this is far more desirable to collectors than autographed stickers that are placed on cards, which is what the Prizm card has. In addition, the Flawless and Immaculate cards also feature the WNBA “Logowoman” patch from Indiana Fever jerseys. Even though they’re from jerseys that weren’t personally worn by Clark, league logo patches command a premium in cards. Clark also inscribed the Flawless card with “769 pts and counting.” This refers to how many points she scored during her 2024 campaign in which she won the WNBA rookie of the year award. The Immaculate card is inscribed with “ROY 24” to signify Clark’s rookie of the year honors.

Clark’s Panini Rookie Royalty Flawless 1/1 card. (Image: Fanatics Collect)
Kevin Lenane, Fanatics Collect’s vice president of marketplace, said the consignor pulled the Clark card from a 2024 Panini Rookie Royalty box sold privately, rather than an online live box break stream, which is how the Immaculate card was found.
“The story is really about women’s cards in the hobby. It’s just remarkable, the path of this,” Lenane said. “It’s without a doubt, the No. 1 card she has. Given that this (gold) vinyl sticker Prizm sold for $366,000, I am positive it will sell for more. How much? I don’t know. I would think it’s pretty hefty. And so it’ll just be a big moment for women in the hobby and women’s cards featuring women in the hobby. The trajectory of that has really been just buoyed by Caitlin Clark, to be frank.”
Lenane said he’s pretty conservative when giving estimates to potential consignors of cards, admitting he provided an estimate lower than the eventual $1.1 million price the 11-year-old boy landed for the Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch autographed one-of-one card from the 2024 Topps Chrome Update set.
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The fact he’s so bullish about this Clark card points to this being the biggest Clark card ever consigned to Fanatics Collect. Goldin Auctions seemingly owned the Clark secondary card auction market, having sold the top 10 most expensive Clark cards on the secondary market, according to Market Movers — an online card sales database.
The Flawless and Immaculate brands typically stand as two of Panini’s top high-end products, meaning the cards from those sets command some of the highest price tags for collectors to buy on the secondary market. Flawless and Immaculate have traditionally been a stand-alone sets, but Panini inserted the brands and other high-end company labels like National Treasures and Noir within the Rookie Royalty boxes. That means there is also a similar one-of-a-kind National Treasures Clark Logowoman autographed card in Rookie Royalty, too. This wasn’t the only part of the unusual set up.
Panini launched its Dutch auction for the boxes containing two cards starting at $30,000. Most boxes sold for around $4,000, though. Each box includes just two cards and is guaranteed to contain an on-card autograph of either Clark or Angel Reese and a Downtown or Kaboom insert of one of 12 players (including Clark and Reese).
Regardless of Panini’s methods for the Rookie Royalty boxes, the Clark one-of-a-kind Flawless and Immaculate cards would be two of the most sought after cards in any set in any sport this year.
“From our side, it’s just this amazing card,” Lenane said. “We’re auctioning it. I just think it’s really interesting and kind of like a moment. In the WNBA, it’s just the card everyone’s looking for.”
Clark returned to action Wednesday after missing the previous five games with a groin injury. She scored 10 points during the Fever’s loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday. This was Clark’s second extended absence this season after missing another five games in early June with a calf injury.
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(Top photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Sports
USD grads Chris Nilsen, Emily Grove prep for shot at World Championships – Sioux Falls Live
SIOUX FALLS — Less than a month remains until pole vaulters Chris Nilsen and Emily Grove will compete among the best in the nation, and for them, the focus has been on honing their best selves. The pair of University of South Dakota graduates are utilizing the many resources available to them at the Sanford […]

SIOUX FALLS — Less than a month remains until pole vaulters Chris Nilsen and Emily Grove will compete among the best in the nation, and for them, the focus has been on honing their best selves.
The pair of University of South Dakota graduates are utilizing the many resources available to them at the Sanford Fieldhouse in preparation for the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will take place July 31 – Aug. 3 in Eugene, Oregon. The primary objective for both athletes is the same — they hope to qualify for September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
A silver medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Nilsen has spent the 2025 season working through a pair of injuries, while Grove’s confidence has steadily been building since the start of the new year as the 32-year-old attempts to qualify for the World Championships for the first time in eight years.
Both Nilsen and Grove know that time and its inherent impact on their bodies continues to creep closer and closer to the forefront of their pole vaulting endeavors, but with their age also comes maturity, patience and understanding.
Over the years, the Sanford Fieldhouse has established a reputation of luring in professional, collegiate and high school athletes from all walks of life during the summer months. Most of those athletes have some sort of local tie. Some use it to simply remain in shape, while others use it to train far more intensively.
Nilsen and Grove, both of whom are currently in season, fall into the latter camp.
“It’s a good mix for our athletes that are doing their summer training and prepping for the school year that’s coming up,” said Jesse Haines, who has worked for Sanford for more than two decades and currently serves as manager of Sanford Sports Performance. “It’s great for them to see people who are professionals and are dedicated and the discipline they possess in their workouts.
“I’m happy to have those athletes here so they can set the standard for the rest of the athletes and individuals in our building.”

Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Despite the many years they’ve spent in Vermillion, Nilsen and Grove are still relatively new to living in the Sioux Falls area — Nilsen moved to the city in the fall of 2023, while Grove settled in just several weeks ago — but the Fieldhouse has provided a vital hub for both athletes.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Grove occasionally utilized the facility. She was impressed by the variety of equipment that was available, as well as the length of the indoor track, which allows her to build speed and endurance in her training.
“They have plenty of Olympic platforms and machines if I need to use them on my day off, and they have a high bar. So we can use that for core type of stuff,” Grove said. “They really have everything we need, so it’s very well equipped. And it’s nice. It’s organized. The environment is great.
“Everybody is super friendly. I was a little intimidated walking in and realizing how motivated everyone is. … It’s just really cool to see everyone work hard to try and reach their goals.”
Meanwhile, Nilsen has been a regular at the Fieldhouse for about a year.
After moving to Sioux Falls nearly two years ago, he initially struggled to find a place to train that could meet the specificity of his needs as a pole vaulter. Eventually, though, he connected with Haines, a former multi-sport athlete at USD who offered Nilsen an opportunity to train at the Fieldhouse for free.
Chock full of athletic trainers and physical therapists, the Sanford Sports Performance team has provided Nilsen with a wealth of resources as he prepares for his trip to Eugene.
“I came in and was astonished at how awesome it is,” Nilsen said. “This isn’t the kind of facility you see in a smaller city like Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They have absolutely everything I need.”

Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Nilsen and Grove’s workouts are pre-planned by their longtime coach, Derek Miles, who has built USD’s vault program into a nationally recognized entity.
A three-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, Miles currently serves as associate director of track and field/jumps at USD, his alma mater. He has helped pave the way for more than 30 All-America honors at the Division I level, as well as much of Nilsen and Grove’s successes at the international level.
Last fall, Grove felt as if she began progressing in the right direction while working closely with Miles on her ground strike.
“I feel like it’s finally paying off because everything feels really natural and easy down the runway,” said Grove, a native of Pontiac, Illinois. “The hard part is just the timing, so I feel like I’m physically ready to go for a PR.
“Now, it’s just about putting the pieces together, which I think has been huge, and that’s helped my consistency in the meets I’ve been going to this year.”

Dan Musilek / Summit League
A six-time All-American and four-time Summit League champion, Grove has been competing internationally since 2017 when she graduated from USD, and in 2022, she cleared her personal best of 4.75 meters (15 feet, 7 inches).
Grove cleared 4.63 meters twice at overseas meets in May (Doha, Qatar) and June (Paris). She is currently ranked No. 14 in the latest women’s pole vault world rankings, which is the fourth highest among her fellow American competitors.
“I think the biggest part is I’m having fun with it,” Grove said. “I do feel confident. I’m running faster. I’m a little bit stronger, so right now, I’m just enjoying what I’m doing. I don’t have to pole vault anymore. I’m doing it because I want to, and to see my consistency has been a little bit of a relief because normally I’m not very consistent. This year, I feel like it’s been a huge success so far, and we’re not even into USAs yet, which is exciting to me.
“Whether or not I make the team, I feel like this season has been fun for the sheer fact of the consistency.”

Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Nilsen says the 2025 season hasn’t differed much from his others at the international level, but injuries have certainly stymied him.
The 27-year-old native of Kansas City broke his hand in February at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships before getting surgery in early March to repair it. Then, just last month, he sustained a tear in his hip adductor muscles while training.
Following the muscle tear, Nilsen visited with Dr. Marc J. Philippon at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, where he was given platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and anti-inflammatory injections in his hip.
With the trip to Eugene on the horizon, Nilsen is training as much as his pain will allow it. His current workout regimen consists of light jogging, light plyometrics and a heavy dose of physical therapy.
While the setback has been an annoyance, Nilsen feels as if he’s recovering more with each day that passes. He hopes that trajectory continues until Aug. 2, when he’s slated to jump in Eugene.
“I still come to Sanford every day,” said Nilsen, who’s ranked eighth in the latest men’s pole vault world rankings (second highest among Americans). “I train and do whatever I am able to do because I’d rather do that than just sit home and do nothing. It’s a part of the process.
“I’ve been very blessed with not really having any injuries throughout my entire career. This being the first and second one, it just happened to be in the same year. It’s a learning lesson, but there’s not much else you can do besides prepare and hope for the best.”
Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters
Nilsen set an indoor North American record on March 5, 2022, with a clearance of 6.05 meters (19-10 1/4) at the Perche Elite Tour in Rouen, France, and went on to claim a silver medal that year at the World Championships in Eugene. However, two years later, he came up short of reaching the final at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, settling for 26th place.
“It’s the first time I haven’t done well at an international championship, so I didn’t really know how to handle it. I just kind of stared at the wall for a few days,” said Nilsen, who is a four-time medalist on the world stage and was a seven-time All-American with the Coyotes. “With age, though, comes patience and the learning lessons, and I realized it was just a lot of external forces that were both being caused by me and by other external forces.
“You can’t go back and change the clock or change anything in the past, so you’ve just got to kind of learn from it. I feel like I have learned from it. It’s just my body is not letting me learn from it in that sort of way, so I’m glad that year is over. Now, we’re just focusing on trying to get back on the horse.”
For Grove, in-season training has consisted of light volume and high intensity. She spends her Mondays at the Fieldhouse working on fast and explosive short-distance sprints, while Tuesdays are devoted to core and recovery. On Wednesdays, she jumps with Miles before taking off the following day to compete on the weekends.
Grove and Nilsen both also help out as volunteer coaches in Vermillion, where Miles continues to elevate the next generation of USD vaulters.
“I had to work really hard to get myself to do a lot of these things, and I think learning through that process helps me to be able to coach the younger kids, too,” Grove said. “If they can’t quite get it, I understand. You have to try it a thousand more times before you can get your body to do what you’re trying to get it to do.”
Sports
Ethan Fang Earns Academic All-America Status
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State’s Ethan Fang has been honored for his work in the classroom as a 2025 Academic All-America at-large selection by the College Sports Communicators. A member of the Cowboy golf team, Fang was named a second-team selection. The rising junior is pursuing a degree in sports management and currently carries a 3.80 grade […]

A member of the Cowboy golf team, Fang was named a second-team selection. The rising junior is pursuing a degree in sports management and currently carries a 3.80 grade point average.
The honor caps an impressive season for Fang, who joined the OSU program this past year after competing as a freshman at California. The Plano, Texas native was tabbed as a first-team All-American and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after helping OSU to its 12th national title.
Fang finished the year with nine top-10 showings and tied for 15th place at the NCAA Championship.
He represented the United States earlier this summer at the Arnold Palmer Cup and most recently became the first Cowboy since 1967 to win The Amateur Championship.
With his selection, Fang became the fifth Cowboy to claim CSC Academic All-America honors, joining two-time selections Zack Robinson (2005, 2006 — First Team) and Pablo Martin (2006 — Second Team, 2007 — First Team).
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