Sports

Pride 2025 – Aidan Walsh of Sporting Pride

Published

6 months ago

June 23, 2025

When Aidan Walsh stepped away from swimming and water polo as a young man, he didn’t see anyone who represented him in sport. The locker room culture, casual homophobic language dismissed as “banter,” and complete absence of visible LGBTQI+ role models created an environment where he couldn’t bring his full self to the activities he loved.

Fast forward to today, and Aidan is at the forefront of transforming Irish sport as a key figure with Sporting Pride, an organisation now in its ninth year of creating safer, more inclusive spaces where everyone feels they belong. Their work spans awareness campaigns, community outreach, and partnerships with Sport Ireland, national governing bodies, and local sports partnerships.

During our conversation, Aidan unpacks two groundbreaking initiatives making a real impact across Ireland. The “Let’s Get Visible” campaign encourages clubs and organisations to visibly demonstrate support during Pride Month through rainbow laces, inclusive signage, and participation in Pride events. Meanwhile, an innovative advocacy programme with Clare Sports Partnership is training local LGBTQI+ advocates to be voices for inclusion within their clubs.

We explore the power of allyship in challenging locker room culture and how having visible supporters within sports clubs creates safe spaces for LGBTQI+ athletes. Aidan emphasises how important it is for teammates to speak up when they hear homophobic language: “It’s constantly people standing up and saying that wasn’t the right thing to do.”

The conversation also highlights the thriving network of over 45 LGBTQI+ sports clubs across Ireland that provide welcoming environments where people can connect with others like themselves while enjoying the physical and mental health benefits of sport. Many of these clubs offer pathways back into sport for those who stepped away due to feeling unwelcome.

Looking ahead, Aidan envisions a sporting landscape where every young LGBTQI+ person sees someone like them in sport, whether playing, coaching, or leading, and where inclusion is embedded in how clubs operate year-round, not just during Pride Month.

Ready to become a better ally? Visit sportingpride.ie to find resources for making your sports organisation more inclusive and welcoming for all.

Digital Infrastructure Event

An event with leaders in the field looking at how Irish sporting organisations and sponsors can play at the top of their game in the Digital world. Scheduled for August 29th. Let us know below if you are interested and we will be in touch.

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Further Reading for Sport for Business members:

Check out more of our Sport for Business coverage of Inclusion

WHAT’S UP NEXT?

Sport for Business is in planning for major events bringing together leaders in Irish Sport and Business across a range of subjects in the second half of the year.

On Thursday, August 29th we will host a special event looking at Digital infrastructure including the use of AI in sport..

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Sports

Ugolini Named AVCA All-Region – America East Conference

Published

9 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

<br /> Ugolini Named AVCA All-Region – America East Conference <br />

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BOSTON – After claiming America East Player of the Year honors, Bryant’s Arianna Ugolini has been named Honorable Mention All-Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Ugolini led the conference in kills (419), service aces (43), and points (476.5) while helping Bryant claim a share of its first-ever regular season title. She is Bryant’s first-ever Player of the Year in volleyball and was a First-Team All-Conference selection.

ABOUT AMERICA EAST

Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.

– America East Conference – Where Champions Rise –

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Sports

Behrend sprinter wins at Houghton December Classic

Published

25 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ERIE, Pa. — Penn State Behrend runner Carter Tobin won the 60-meter dash at the Houghton December Classic. He finished in 6.85 seconds — a qualifying time for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference.

Tobin, a sophomore from Irwin, placed third in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 22.22 seconds.

Lee Qualk, a freshman from Coal Center, placed third in the triple jump, clearing a distance of 7.13 meters.

In the women’s events, the 4×200 relay team — Anna Buck, Caroline McDevitt, Abigail Falk and Ruby Lormejuste — placed third, finishing in 1:54.41.

Behrend’s basketball, swimming and diving and wrestling teams also were in action last week. Here are the scores and highlights:

Men’s basketball

Penn State Behrend 69, Carlow 53
Penn State Behrend 75, La Roche 71

Jacob Dunkle, a freshman from Washington, scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds against La Roche. Dolan Waldo, a senior from Pittsburgh, scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Women’s basketball

Penn State Behrend 94, Carlow 38
La Roche 68, Penn State Behrend 64

Alaina Fabin, a sophomore from Indiana, scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against La Roche. Emma Marsteller, a sophomore from Sandy Lake, scored 21 points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against Carlow.

Men’s swimming and diving

Penn State Behrend 129, Allegheny 70

Behrend’s 200 medley relay team — Nevin Rutherford, Evan Tritt, Nicolin Pierce and Michael Kali — won, finishing in 1:45.52. Isaac Stoeckle, a sophomore from Pittsburgh, won the 1,000 freestyle, finishing in 10:57.86. Kyle Malec, a freshman from Edinboro, won the diving events; he earned 198.35 points in the 1-meter event and 195.25 points in the 3-meter event.

Women’s swimming and diving

Penn State Behrend 154, Allegheny 106

Kaitlyn True, a freshman from Denton, Texas, won the 100 freestyle (59.42) and the 100 breaststroke (1:14.31). Izzy Sheridan, a senior from Orefield, won the 100 backstroke, finishing in 1:07.79. Rylee Ondrejko, a freshman from Washington, won the diving events; she earned 139.80 points in the 1-meter event and 150.20 points in the 3-meter event.

Wrestling

Fifth (of 14 teams) at the RIT Invitational

Mason Savitz, a freshman from Corry, won the 165-pound weight class. He finished the tournament 5-0, with one fall and two major decisions.

Scores, updates and video links for Penn State Behrend athletics are posted at psblions.com.

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Big West Trio Lands on AVCA All-Pacific Region Listings

Published

26 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Representing three member-institutions, a trio of Big West women’s volleyball players have been announced as American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) All-Pacific Region honorable mention student-athletes.

Big West Player of the Year Jade Light helped UC Davis to their first regular-season Big West title while pacing the Aggies and the conference in both kills (4.01) and points (4.52) per set in 2025. Posting consecutive seasons of 400+ kills, the outside hitter from Sloughhouse, Calif., has tallied 1,162 career strikes and is just the 13th UC Davis player to reach the four-digit plateau. Light stands as the first – and only – Aggie to earn Player of the Year honors in UC Davis’ last season of league membership while also earning first-team All-Big West distinction.

UC Santa Barbara redshirt sophomore Eva Travis claimed a first career All-Region distinction after trailing only Light in both kills (3.93) and points (4.42) per set to lead the Gauchos back to The Big West postseason finishing the year tied for second in the conference standings. The product of Aliso Viejo, Calif., finished the year with six 20-point games reaching double-figures in all 28 matches played and started, earning All-Big West second-team honors.

Finally, Cal Poly middle blocker and Big West Championship Most Valuable Player Chloe Leluge made the listings after a stellar sophomore campaign. The powerful net play provided by the Bend, Ore., native has resulted in 126 total blocks, or 1.02 per set, along with 2.30 kills per set while sporting an efficient .383 hitting percentage for The Big West champions. Leluge and the Mustangs upended No. 5 seed BYU and knocked off host and No. 4 seed USC last weekend to advance to the regional semifinals of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. Cal Poly is set to square off with No. 1 seed Kentucky in the Round of 16 on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. PT.

Last year, the AVCA instituted a new 10-region alignment based upon state lines rather than conference alignment. In the new configuration, the Pacific Region consists of the states of California, Hawai’i and Arizona.

Regardless of various regional changes throughout the years, The Big West has enjoyed at least one All-Region/All-District selection every season, since 1986. Dating back to the 2015 season, this marks the ninth set of All-Region listings to include at least three Big West performers.

AVCA All-Pacific Region

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Frantzich and Nemecek land MIAC Athlete of the Week accolades

Published

41 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – First year Svea Frantzich and senior Lance Nemecek of the St. Olaf College women’s and men’s track and field teams were named one of the two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Athletes of the Week in their respective sports on Tuesday.

Frantzich was chosen as the MIAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week, while Nemecek collected MIAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors, with both Oles landing the first MIAC Athlete of the Week accolades of their careers.

Frantzich recorded the fifth-highest pentathlon score in NCAA Division III this season with 3,005 points in her collegiate debut at the M City Classic on Friday. Frantzich posted top-10 all-time performances on St. Olaf’s indoor list in the 60-meter hurdles (9.47) and long jump (5.44m) on her way to compiling the No. 8 pentathlon score on the Oles’ all-time performers’ list.

Nemecek ran the second-fastest 800-meter time in NCAA Division III this season with a meet record time of 1:54.02 at the M City Classic on Friday. Nemecek’s time ranks third on both St. Olaf’s all-time performers’ and performances lists. He also led off the first-place 4×400-meter relay that won the event in a meet-record time of 3:21.77, which ranks fifth nationally and second on both St. Olaf lists.

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No. 3 Volleyball lands four on AVCA Southwest Region Team

Published

42 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

AUSTIN, Texas – No. 3 Texas Volleyball landed four on the AVCA Southwest All-Region Team, led by Torrey Stafford who was named AVCA Southwest Region Player of the Year.

Stafford became the fifth Longhorn to earn the award, which marked the seventh overall award joining Chiaka Ogbogu (’17), Micaya White (’18), Logan Eggleston (20-22) and Madisen Skinner (’23). Stafford leads the Longhorns with 488 kills, has totaled 4.74 kills per set, is hitting .359 and leads the team with 32 aces.

Stafford was also named to the All-Region Team along with freshman Cari Spears, sophomore Ayden Ames and senior Emma Halter.

Spears was also tabbed as the AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the year. Texas has now won the award three-straight seasons following Ames and Ella Swindle.

Texas is set to host #15 Indiana on Dec. 12 at 11 a.m. CT at Gregory Gym in the Sweet 16.

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ACC Announces Week 1 Indoor Track & Field Performers of the Week

Published

57 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – A pair of standouts from Louisville led the way for the Atlantic Coast Conference’s first Performers of the Week of the 2025-26 Indoor Track & Field season. Louisville’s Alba Cuns Iglesias was named the ACC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week, while Elsingi Kipruto was tabbed the ACC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Week. Virginia’s Gary Martin earned ACC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors, while North Carolina’s Vera Sjöberg was named the ACC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week. Virginia Tech’s Maddox Hamm was selected as the ACC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week, while Clemson’s Kimeka Smith garnered ACC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Week honors.

ACC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Gary Martin, Virginia, Sr. (Warminster, Pa.)

Posted a 13:05.57 in the men’s 5,000-meter run at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston, Massachusetts.

Shattered his own school record in the 5,000-meter by more than 25 seconds.

Broke the ACC record, previously held by Florida State’s Adriaan Wildschutt since 2022.

Clocked the sixth-fastest time in NCAA history.

His time ranks first in the ACC and third nationally.

ACC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Maddox Hamm, Virginia Tech, Jr. (Scottsboro, Ala.)

Finished first in the men’s pole vault at the Liberty Kickoff in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Posted a career-best 5.70m (18-8.25) in the event.

Broke the Virginia Tech program record.

His mark leads both the ACC and NCAA this season.

ACC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Week
Elsingi Kipruto, Louisville, Fr. (Mosoriot, Kenya)

Opened his indoor career with a win in the men’s 5,000-meter open section on the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston.

Finished with a time of 13:29.37, breaking the Louisville program record.

His time ranks fourth in the ACC and 13th nationally.

His time is also the fastest 5K nationally by a freshman.

ACC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Vera Sjöberg, North Carolina, Fifth-Year (Stockholm, Sweden)

Posted a time of 8:43.06 in the women’s 3,000-meter run at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston.

Ran the eighth-fastest 5K time in NCAA history.

Broke a 22-year-old school record by 17 seconds.

Her time is the fastest in the ACC and second-best nationally.

ACC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Alba Cuns Iglesias, Louisville, R-Jr. (Negreira, Spain)

Won the women’s triple jump at the Commonwealth College Opener in Louisville, Kentucky.

Her mark of 13.25m (43-5.75) leads both the ACC and NCAA and broke the program record.

Also posted a 5.87m (19-3.25) in the women’s long jump, which ranks sixth in the ACC this season.

ACC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Week
Kimeka Smith, Clemson, Fr. (St. Catherine, Jamaica)

Won the women’s shot put at the Clemson Opener in Clemson, South Carolina, with a mark of 15.06m (49-5).

Set the Clemson freshman record and ranks seventh on the Tigers’ all-time performance list.

Her mark leads the ACC and ranks 11th nationally.

ACC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Dec. 9 – Gary Martin, Virginia

ACC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Dec. 9 – Maddox Hamm, Virginia Tech

ACC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Week
Dec. 9 – Elsingi Kipruto, Louisville

ACC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Dec. 9 – Vera Sjöberg, North Carolina

ACC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Dec. 9 – Alba Cuns Iglesias, Louisville

ACC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Week
Dec. 9 – Kimeka Smith, Clemson