WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Coaches’ Poll, marking their bid to return to the top of the league for the first time since 2015. The Sharks earned 111 points and five first-place votes in the poll, which was conducted by the conference’s 11 head coaches.

Simmons is coming off an 18-4 season (10-2 GNAC) that saw the Sharks claim the No. 3 seed in last year’s GNAC Tournament before advancing to the championship game, where they fell to Johnson & Wales (then a GNAC member).

New England College was a close second in the poll with 110 points and three first-place votes. The Pilgrims posted a 16-4 overall record (10-2 GNAC) and earned the No. 2 seed in 2024, claiming the head-to-head tiebreaker over Simmons before falling in double overtime to the Sharks in the semifinals.

Colby-Sawyer College collected 98 points and two first-place tallies to take the third spot, followed by Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, which garnered 83 points to land in fourth. Under the direction of first-year head coach Theresa Arsenault ’14, the Monks went 10-11 overall and 7-5 in GNAC play last fall, earning the No. 5 seed in the tournament. After knocking off No. 4 Colby-Sawyer in the quarterfinals, SJC fell to eventual champion Johnson & Wales in the semifinals.

Lasell University rounded out the top five with 74 points and one first-place vote.

The University of Saint Joseph (72), Dean College (56), and Rivier University (54) claimed the next three spots, while Regis College (35), Albertus Magnus College (18), and Elms College (13) closed out the rankings.

The 2025 GNAC Field Hockey season begins Friday, August 29 with non-conference action, while league play opens Saturday, September 6. Teams will compete in a 10-game, single round-robin schedule, with the top eight programs advancing to the GNAC Tournament. The postseason begins with the quarterfinals on Saturday, November 1, continues with the semifinals on Wednesday, November 5, and concludes with the GNAC Championship on Saturday, November 8. The winner will earn the conference’s automatic qualifier to the 2025 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship.

 

2025 GNAC Field Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll

1. Simmons – 111 (5)
2. New England College – 110 (3)
3. Colby-Sawyer – 98 (2)
4. Saint Joseph’s (Maine) – 83
5. Lasell – 74 (1)
6. University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) – 72
7. Dean – 56
8. Rivier – 54
9. Regis – 35
10. Albertus Magnus – 18
11. Elms – 13

 

Wildcat Nation lost one of its greatest over the weekend.

Former UA pitcher James Farris, who was part of the 2012 baseball team that won the school’s fourth national title, passed away on Sunday following a battle with liver cancer. He was 33.

Farris played for the Wildcats from 2011-14, appearing in 48 games with 47 starts. That includes in the championship-clinching win over South Carolina at the College World Series in 2012 when he threw 7.2 scoreless innings in a 4-1 win.

A native of Arkansas, Farris graduated from Highland High School in Gilbert before coming to the UA. He was drafted twice, passing on being a 15th-round selection of the Houston Astros in 2013 before the Chicago Cubs took him in the 9^th round in 2014.

Farris reached Triple-A in 2017 in the Colorado Rockies organization but was unable to crack the majors, retiring from baseball after that and entering private business. He married his wife Madeline in 2022 and leaves behind a 2-year-old son, Gatlin.

A GoFundMe page started by a family friend in May remains active, with donations going toward Farris’ family.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan gymnastics team finished the year with the second-highest GPA in the sport after posting a 3.8880, while all 20 members of the team earned Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Individual Academic Honors.

The Broncos jumped from 44th last year to second this season after posting its sixth-highest team GPA since 2015. Western Michigan has been in the Top 5 of the sport’s GPA list in sixth of the last 11 years. 

“Our Bronco gymnasts inspire me every day with their work ethic. To achieve a 3.888 team GPA with 21 student-athletes is an incredible accomplishment, and I’m so proud of how they represent our program and our university. Finishing second in the nation is a direct reflection of the culture our team has built—one where excellence is expected in every area. Our athletes push each other to be their best in the gym and in the classroom. I’m so proud of their hard work and grateful for the support of our academic staff who help make achievements like this possible.”

Booke Gelesko, Julie Korfhage, Patricia Mills, Sarah Moravansky, Reese Samuleson, and Kyler Webster led the way for Western Michigan, all with 4.00 GPAs. Every member of the team at least had a 3.50, while 12 had a 3.80 or higher. 

 

The chirps start each morning when Adam Fantilli arrives at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.

They come from one of Fantilli’s teammates and best friends in Zach Werenski.

If it were a buddy cop movie, Werenski would be the grizzled but decorated veteran, Fantilli the talented, hotshot youngster.

As such, It’s only natural for Werenski – the Norris Trophy runner-up a season ago, a U.S. national team veteran and alternate captain for the Blue Jackets – to give his younger counterpart the business during their offseason training sessions.

“I think it’s fun for me to be hard on him, just being an older guy,” Werenski said. “I always give him a lot of crap, and I’m sure he’ll say that. But it’s more in good fun.”

It’s fair to say that Fantilli – someone who also could be in line to be win major NHL trophies, become a national team stalwart and wear a letter on his chest at some point in Columbus – doesn’t mind it.

“It’s all in good fun,” Fantilli said. “He does it just to keep me in line as a young guy and to make jokes, make conversation.

“I love being here with him. It’s great to have a teammate here, especially him. The guy is the best player on our team. You want to try to be with him and to work out and train with him. It’s really helpful.”

And to hear Werenski tell it, it’s not like Fantilli needs the extra push going into his third NHL campaign. The league’s youngest 30-goal scorer a season ago didn’t get where he is by taking days off, and Fantilli has already earned the respect of the nine-year NHL veteran at the top of his game.

“I think I’m not even really showing him the way,” Werenski said. “He has a lot of guys to look up to, and he already knows the way. He’s a great worker, and he knows what he needs to work on in the summers and he does it. He comes in every day and grinds.

“I love having him here. … He’s a hell of a hockey player, and he’s always pushing me to get better and hopefully I can do the same for him. I think it’s great for me. It’s something I wish I had when I was his age. It’s just going to benefit him more and more every year.”

Though he hails from the Greater Toronto Area, Fantilli chooses to get much of his pre-training camp work done in Plymouth, a short 15-minute drive from where he burst onto the scene at the University of Michigan, winning the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey as a freshman before becoming the third overall pick in the NHL draft.

The 20-year-old center has settled on spending a lot of summer in the Detroit suburbs for a few reasons. Being close to his college town and having U-M buddies to hang out with – including his brother, Luca, a Michigan defenseman – helps, as does the high-level competition he can sharpen himself against during daily workouts and summer skates.

The Hughes brothers – Jack, Quinn and Luke, all young NHL standouts in their own right – are often present, and when BlueJackets.com visited earlier this month for a summer check-in, a bevy of NHLers were in and out of the facility. Fantilli first got the invitation to join during COVID times, when he was still a year or two away from his Michigan exploits or becoming an NHL star but still was making a name for himself in the hockey world.

“I got on the ice and I was so nervous to be around the guys and everything,” Fantilli said. “I was so happy to get on the ice with them for that duration of time. And then slowly as the years go on, I feel like I fit in more and more and actually push the group. … They’re my buddies now.”

The scenes in the gym and on the ice aren’t necessarily dramatic – there’s no ear-splitting music in the gym, no screaming strength coaches getting in the faces of the players – but the intensity is real when you’re working with the best of the best.

The on-ice session was split into drills and mini-games, and the competitiveness among the high-level athletes is palpable. While there are light moments like stick taps for a player who loses an edge and slips to the ice, each 3-on-3 game ends with joyous winners celebrating and losers who start moving nets and pucks into place for the next battle.

Through it all, Fantilli – who has often talked about learning and getting better every day of his NHL career – is a keen observer of what’s going on around him.

“It’s all All-Stars out there,” he said. “You’re going against guys that are the best in the league in a lot of senses. I can take from a lot of guys’ games. You have Jack and Quinn out there that are two of the most shifty guys in the NHL, and that’s something I want to add to my game as well. Cole (Caufield) is such a great shooter. Usually Kyle Connor and (Dylan) Larkin are out there, and those are both world-class forwards as well.

“They’re guys I want to take from their games. Learning from them every day has been really beneficial.”

And then, of course, there’s the presence of Werenski, a fellow Michigan Man who speaks often about how much Fantilli’s work with such decorated pros will help him in his development. This is the second straight year the two have worked together for a significant part of the offseason, and Fantilli sees the benefits of keeping one of his CBJ leaders in close proximity during the summer.

“He’s a great role model,” Fantilli said. “Not only that, I’ve become close with him. He’s a really good friend now. It’s great to be around him. He works so hard. He grinds. It’s a great example for me as a young guy. As a leader in Columbus, he’s a guy that I look up to a lot throughout the season, and being able to have him here in the offseason is just as helpful. It’s great.”

In Fantilli, Werenski sees a player who not only can help take the Blue Jackets to the next level but also someone who has become an indispensable part of its core in just two seasons.

“He’s a guy that’s a leader on this team and is going to be a leader in Columbus for a long time,” Werenski said. “It’s nice to have a young guy like that that understands what it takes to be great in this league.”

And it all starts on warm summer days in suburban Detroit.

Pittsburgh, Pa. – Twelve Centenary gymnasts were named WCGA Academic All-Americans for the 2024-25 academic year by the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA), the organization announced on Monday.

Centenary also finished 70th nationally in team grade-point average (3.49) and three Ladies earned a perfect 4.0 GPA and all 12 had a 3.50 GPA or above.

The University of Alaska-Anchorage, Western Michigan University and Texas Woman’s University posted the top three team grade-point averages (GPAs) for the 2024-25 academic year based on data submitted to the WCGA.

Overall, 1,218 student-athletes earned a 3.5 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale, 76.8% of all reporting gymnasts, the most ever by total number and percentage (since available records in 2008). There were 302 (19.04%) student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA. This was the fifth year in a row with more than 1,000 Scholastic All-America winners, and two of the top five universities broke into the lineup for the first time ever! Across all gymnasts this year, the average GPA was a 3.6558 which is the highest (since available records in 2015), 69 institutions had a team GPA of a 3.5 or better, and in ten of the last eleven years, at least one institution each year has had 100% of its athletes qualify for this prestigious award.

“Women’s collegiate gymnasts embody everything that is great about collegiate athletics. Their ability to excel in the classroom while performing at the highest levels of athletic competition is nothing short of inspiring,” said Casey Jo MacPherson, Chair of the WCGA Board of Directors. “These young women are the epitome of the student-athlete ideal, demonstrating discipline, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence in all they do. We are proud to honor these outstanding teams and individuals for their continued efforts and success in the classroom!”

The University of Alaska-Anchorage posted the top team GPA with a 3.894. Their second consecutive year at the top of the list, the Seawolves earned the highest team GPA since available records in 2015. Head coach

Marie-Sophie Boggasch had 19 team members with a 3.5 or better GPA (95% of the team), and 11 of those gymnasts earned a 4.0 GPA.

Western Michigan University took the 2nd position with a team GPA of 3.888. This is the Bronco’s 6th year in the top 5 (since available records in 2015) and they return after being ranked 44th last season. With 100% of their team achieving a 3.5 or better, tied for best in the country, Head Coach Penny Jernigan had 7 of her 20 winners earn a4.0 GPA.

Also re-entering the top 5 this year was Texas Woman’s University, who came in at number three with a 3.8733 overall GPA. All 20 student-athletes earned over a 3.5 GPA, while 9 earned a 4.0 GPA. Head Coach Lisa Bowerman’s squad tied the nation’s best top percentage honors by having 100% of her team receiving Scholastic All-America status.

In fourth was the University of Arizona with a team GPA of 3.823. This was the first time for Head Coach John Court’s squad to make the top five after finishing 2024 in 8th place. 95% of his team earned accolades with 19 gymnasts earning above a 3.5, and seven with a 4.0 GPA.

Rounding out the top 5 was the University of Washington. Head Coach Jessa Hansen Parker’s team members earned top honors for the first time after finishing the 2024 season ranked 45th. The Huskies had fifteen gymnasts who posted a 3.5 GPA or better.

The complete list of the Ladies and their majors and GPAs is listed below:

About the WCGA

The Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association is a membership-led, professional association representing the

nation’s intercollegiate women’s gymnastics coaches within Division I, II & III of the NCAA and the NAIA. They work to promote and elevate the sport at all levels of collegiate competition.

The WCGA is THE ADVOCATE for women’s collegiate gymnastics.

#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The St. Anselm Hawks, defending NCAA DII National Champions, were selected by the league’s coaches to win the Northeast 10 championship in 2025.  The Assumption Greyhounds, who fell to the Hawks during their NCAA run after toppling them in the NE10 final, were selected second.

St. Anselm will look much different this fall after graduating nine starters including NCAA Championship hero Maddie Daivs, goaltender Sydney Falterer and 2023 NE10 Defensive Player of the Year Grace Michael.  St. A’s does bring back Millie Forster, a backbone of their roster who played the national title game with a broken bone in her hand.  Meghan Smith returns after scoring 19 points off the bench as a sophomore in 2024.  

Assumption is headlined by bringing back one of the top goalkeepers in the country in fifth-year Paige Gillette.  The top returning keeper in the conference and an NE10 Second Teamer in 2024, Gillette stopped more than 80% of shots she saw last fall.  The Greyhounds also bring back their leading scorer, Elle Murray, who found the cage 12 times last fall, including twice in the NE10 Championship Final.  Assumption tied with SNHU for the top defense in the league a year ago.

Following the Hounds and Hawks are recent staples near the top of the conference standings in Pace, Bentley and SNHU.  Pace and SNHU will have different looks this year replacing the last two Players of the Year in the league after the graduations of Annamartine Christis and Krista Dietz.

St. Thomas Aquinas ranked the highest of the league’s affiliate members, checking in 10th.  This fall marks the final season Mercy, Molloy and St. Thomas Aquinas will play in the NE10 with their home conference, the ECC, launching field hockey sponsorship in 2026, furthering the growth of the sport at the Division II level.

 

	Team	Votes	First Place
1	Saint Anselm	139	7
2	Assumption	132	5
3	Pace	111
4	Bentley	109	1
5	SNHU	104
6	Adelphi	100
7	Franklin Pierce	62
8	SCSU	60
9	American Int’l	53
10	St. Thomas Aquinas	47
11	Mercy	39
12	Saint Michael’s	37
13	Molloy	21

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ABOUT THE NE10

The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.

Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.