Spartanburg, S.C. – Western Carolina University was well represented on the 2025 Spring Southern Conference Academic All-Conference team as the league announced its spring semester academic awards list today with 42 Catamounts earning placements. The spring honorees join the 46 student-athletes who collected Fall Academic All-SoCon accolades back in January for the Fall of 2024.

A combined 500 student-athletes across the SoCon’s 10 full-member institutions and nine affiliate members were named to the spring academic all-conference list which included representation from men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, rifle, wrestling, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, and softball. 

To be eligible, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average at the end of the semester of competition and have completed at least three semesters academically. The student-athlete must have also competed in at least one-half of the team’s competitions. 

The Catamount baseball team led the way in total representation with nine players earning Academic All-SoCon. Led by Taylor Waitley’s 4.0 GPA, the softball team was second with eight honorees, followed by the women’s track and field team that placed seven on the prestigious academic list.  

Six of the eight members of the 2024-25 Catamount women’s tennis team landed on the Academic All-SoCon team, the top mark in terms of team percentage. Men’s track and field earned four honors, three of which came from the Catamount multi’s squad, while the women’s golf team earned three spots. The men’s golf team and women’s basketball team both earned two nods each, with the men’s basketball team closing out the Catamount academic honorees with Marcus Kell.  

Additionally, on Tuesday, the Southern Conference announced its 2024-25 Academic Honor Roll recipients, with 202 Western Carolina student-athletes earning the academic plaudit. Of the 202, 57 Catamounts earned the prestigious Commissioner’s Medal, with 25 of those boasting an annual 4.0 GPA.

The Southern Conference had 288 student-athletes record a GPA of 4.0, and 846 received the Commissioner’s Medal for the 2024-25 academic year. The conference also had 2,734 student-athletes earn placements on its honor roll, the highest total since the academic honor was first distributed in 1989.

Through 2024-25, a total of 42 Catamount student-athletes collected College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors this year, with three women’s golfers – Annalee Caveney, Elizabeth Lohbauer, and Sadler Miller – each earning WGCA All-American Scholars accolades. Naya Marcil and Isabella DeMarco both collected United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-South Region plaudits back in the fall.

2025 Commissioner’s Medal Recipients (* – 4.0 Student-Athletes):

Becca Campbell * – Women’s Soccer – English Education and English 

AC Carter * – Women’s Basketball – Sport Management 

John Davis * – Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field – Electrical Engineering/Philosophy 

Bethany Dobias * – Softball – Integrated Health Sciences 

Madelynn Duffield * – Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field – Masters in Business Admin 

Erika Gariepy * – Women’s Soccer – Engineering 

Jade Groen * – Women’s Tennis – Criminal Justice 

Bailey Hartsough * – Women’s Volleyball – Integrated Health Sciences 

Ollie Henderson * – Women’s Volleyball – Elementary Education 

Matthew Keener * – Football – Integrated Health Science 

Sara Klemm * – Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field – Elementary Education 

Hannah Kline * – Women’s Track & Field – Psychology 

Hannah Kliner * – Women’s Track & Field – Integrated Health Sciences 

Makenzie Martin * – Softball – Integrated Health Sciences 

Rylie Niemeyer * – Women’s Soccer – Integrated Health Sciences 

Madison Schwarz * – Women’s Tennis – Communication 

Halley Tang * – Women’s Volleyball – Integrated Health Sciences 

Leanne Trudel * – Women’s Soccer – Emergency Medical Care 

Reagan Trumm * – Women’s Basketball – Communication Science Disorders 

Samantha Vibberts * – Women’s Soccer – Integrated Health Sciences 

Jennifer Wagner * – Women’s Track & Field – Elementary Education 

Taylor Waitley * – Softball – Biology and Forensic Science 

Samantha Whitaker * – Women’s Soccer – Finance/Accounting 

Bennett Whitefield * – Men’s Track & Field – Biology 

Trevor Williams * – Men’s Track & Field – Integrated Health Sciences 

Lily Bell – Softball – Business Admin & Law and Marketing 

Andrew Korytoski – Men’s Golf – Integrated Health Sciences 

Courtney Marks – Softball – Management and Marketing 

Avery Mays – Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field – Elementary Education 

Paddy McGonigal – Baseball – Management 

Sadler Miller – Women’s Golf/Track & Field – Interior Design 

Anne Perreault – Women’s Soccer – Management 

Erin Stack – Women’s Basketball – Elementary Education 

Peri Subat – Women’s Volleyball – Accounting and Finance 

Steven Hamby – Football – Integrated Health Science 

Andrea Redondo – Women’s Tennis – Marketing/Sport Management 

Emma Soucy – Women’s Soccer – Integrated Health Sciences 

AJ Colombo – Football – Finance  

Kaden Fuller – Baseball – Integrated Health Sciences 

Natalie Henry – Softball – Marketing and Management 

Bella Hilleary – Women’s Track & Field – Communication 

Sydney Lowe – Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field – Biology 

Peyton Skoglund – Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field – Electrical Engineering 

Lucie Bertrand – Women’s Soccer – Marketing 

Carson Brown – Men’s Basketball – Integrated Health Sciences 

Miranda Watts – Women’s Track & Field – Integrated Health Sciences 

Mabry Bumgarner – Football – Integrated Health Sciences 

Landey Green – Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field – Psychology 

Jasmine Greene – Women’s Track & Field – Integrated Health Sciences 

Christian Roberts – Men’s Track & Field – Construction Management 

Chloe Schwarz – Women’s Tennis – Integrated Health Sciences 

Griffin Guinther – Baseball – Construction Management 

Shaneil Lysight – Women’s Track & Field – Engineering 

Ava Robitaille – Women’s Soccer – Art-Graphic Design 

Sydney Dirks – Softball – Psychology 

Marissa Watts – Women’s Track & Field – Biology 

Eda Yalcinkaya – Women’s Volleyball – Business Administration & Law 

Academic All-Southern Conference Winter/Spring Honorees (by sport):

Baseball: 

Owen Austin – Business Administration and Law 

Hayden Friese – Business Administration and Law 

Griffin Guinther – Construction Management 

Brandon Langley – Psychology 

Cannon Pickell – Health Sciences 

Dusty Revis – Management 

Jack Spyke – Finance 

Wyatt Stanley – Health and Physical Education 

Trent Turner – Finance 

Men’s Basketball: 

Marcus Kell – Construction Management 

Men’s Golf: 

Jace Butcher – Management and Finance 

Andrew Korytoski – Integrated Health Sciences 

Men’s Track & Field: 

Dakota Braucher – Integrated Health Sciences 

Colby Capps – Construction Management 

Austin Cline – Management 

Ethan Hibberts – Construction Management 

Softball: 

Lily Bell – Business Administration and Law 

Sydney Dirks – Psychology 

Natalie Henry – Marketing 

Makenzie Martin – Integrated Health Sciences 

Mattie Mentel – Natural Resource Conservation Management 

Tate Stewman – Business Administration and Law/Marketing 

Taylor Waitley – Forensic Science 

Becka Wonsick – Integrated Health Sciences 

Women’s Basketball: 

Tyja Beans – Biology 

Reagan Trumm – Communication Science Disorders 

Women’s Golf: 

Elizabeth Lohbauer – Nutrition/Dietetics 

Sadler Miller – Interior Design 

Kaitlyn Wingnean – Chemistry 

Women’s Track & Field: 

Leah Butler – Integrated Health Sciences 

Bella Hilleary – Communication 

Shaneil Lysight – Engineering 

Toria Roundtree – Political Science 

Millie Simmons – Psychology 

Raelyn Vadala – Criminal Justice 

Jennifer Wagner – Elementary Education 

Women’s Tennis: 

Jade Groen – Criminal Justice 

Angela Perez – Sport Management 

Andrea Redondo – Marketing and Sport Management 

Isabella Sambola – Psychology 

Madison Schwarz – Communication 

Chloe Schwarz – Integrated Health Sciences 

KANSAS CITY, MO. – Kansas City Volleyball strengthened its numbers in the offseason as the Roos welcome in 10 new faces ahead of the 2025 season. Included in that group are seven true freshmen as well as two juniors and one graduate student that were added in the transfer portal. To go along with the Roos seven returning players, Kansas City aims to have a strong core of newcomers and familiar faces that are ready to compete in 2025. Single game and season tickets are available now! 

Of the three transfer additions, Chloe Kaminski leads the pack in experience, coming in as a graduate student with two years left of eligibility. Kaminski is a 5’9 libero/defensive specialist who hails from Blue Springs, Mo. and previously played at Oklahoma. The former Sooner racked up 21 service aces in 42 matches played in Norman. 

The Roos were able to poach away junior transfer Alaina Larson from Summit League foe Oral Roberts. Larson is a 5’8 libero/defensive specialist from Hudson, Wisconsin. As a Golden Eagle, Larson recorded 51 service aces and 172 digs in 47 matches played. In 2024, Larson ranked 25th in service aces throughout the whole Summit League with 20 in 24 matches.  

Rounding out the Roos transfer portal additions for 2025 is Lyla Jones who arrived in the spring and has been practicing with the team throughout the offseason. Jones is a 5’7 junior setter who last played at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. In two seasons with the Golden Lions, Jones posted 434 assists and 23 service aces in 42 matches played. 

The Roos will have an influx of young talent coming through the pipeline in the form of seven true freshmen with six different states representing the Roos new first year players. Starting with the lone in-state recruit, Megan Lawson. The 5’5 freshman libero/defensive specialist is from O’Fallon, Mo. and attended St. Dominic High School. 

Moving to the Roos six out-of-state recruits, Clarke Henry comes in as a 6’0 freshman outside hitter from Charlotte, North Carolina. At Independence High School, Henry was the 2024 SWA4A Player of the Year, a two-time SWA4A All Conference athlete and the Independence Volleyball MVP. Henry averaged 3.9 kills per set and a .259 hitting percentage in her high school career. 

Narrowing back in on the Sooner State, Emry Brown arrives as a 6’0 freshman outside hitter from Bartlesville, Okla. and attended Bartlesville High School. Brown was a three-time All Conference First Team member and an All Conference MVP her senior season at Bartlesville. Brown holds her schools record for most career kills, aces and digs. 

Traveling in from the same state, Ashley Nielsen joins the Roos as a 5’9 freshman libero/defensive specialist from Bixby, Okla. Nielsen was a volleyball team captain at Bixby High School and played for two club teams including Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club and Oklahoma Charge Volleyball Club. 

Hailing from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Mia Weaver joins Kansas City as a 6’0 freshman outside hitter from Minnetrista, Minn., who attended both Minneapolis Southwest High School and Mound Westonka High School. Weaver racked up over 1,000 career kills and was an All State player her senior year. Weaver also led her team in aces and kills all four years of high school. 

Joining the Roos front line in 2025 will be 6’2 freshman middle blocker Stella Smith. The Davenport, Iowa native attended Pleasant Valley High School where she was a MAC Second Team member and helped the Spartans claim the 2024 5A State Championship. Smith is also the younger sister of former Roo standout Raina Smith, who played for KC from 2018-22. 

Adding once again to the front line, the Roos picked up Natalie Ptacek, a 6’0 freshman opposite hitter from Prescott, Wis. Ptacek attended Prescott High School where she racked up over 1,000 kills and 700 digs in her career. Ptacek was also a two-time All-Conference and a team captain for two years as well. 

Kansas City serves up the 2025 campaign on August 29 by taking on Marshall in the Radford Invitational.

>> Watch 10 a.m. Rutgers University Press Conference

Rutgers President William F. Tate IV today appointed Keli Zinn, a collegiate athletics leader with 20 years of power conference experience and a proven track record of transforming championship-level programs, as director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Rutgers-New Brunswick.

 

The Rutgers Board of Governors approved the appointment of Zinn, currently the executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Louisiana State University. Zinn begins her tenure at Rutgers on August 6, 2025.

 

“Keli Zinn brings the strategic drive, operational excellence, and championship pedigree we need right now for Rutgers Athletics,” Tate said. “Her leadership style resonates deeply with Rutgers’ mission – competitiveness on the field, integrity in our practices, and excellence in the student‑athlete experience. She will guide Rutgers into a new era, with forward-looking leadership, tapping into the Rutgers Edge. We are thrilled to welcome Keli and her husband, Nate, to the Scarlet Knights Family.”

 

At LSU, Zinn helped lead the Tigers to unprecedented success: four national championships (gymnastics, women’s basketball, and baseball twice), multiple SEC titles including in women’s track & field and women’s gymnastics, and a top‑10 finish in the Director’s Cup—a measurement of the overall competitiveness of an athletic department—for the first time since 2009. During her tenure, LSU football posted a dominant 10‑win season and won a Western Division title during one of the fastest turnarounds in college football history. She has celebrated 15 national championships and 34 conference championships over the course of her remarkable career.

 

Zinn’s leadership in two power conferences – the Big 12 at West Virginia University and the SEC at LSU – has uniquely prepared her to lead within the Big Ten. At West Virginia, she served as interim athletic director in 2015, becoming the first woman to helm the department, and guided the university through the transition into the Big 12.

 

“I am honored to join Rutgers at this exciting juncture, and I want to thank President Tate and the Board of Governors for this incredible opportunity,” Zinn said. “Where there are challenges, there are also opportunities, and I look forward to working with our campus leaders, student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors, and fans to build on Rutgers’ strong tradition, amplify opportunities to support our athletic programs, maintain top‑tier compliance, and pursue excellence both on and off the field. We will compete with the nation’s best and we will represent the university with integrity and pride in all we do.”

 

Zinn was instrumental in advancing LSU’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) strategy, forging a partnership to produce The Money Game—a documentary series following Tigers student‑athletes, launched on Amazon Prime Video. Her innovative approach secured NIL agreements and fund‑raising growth across multiple sports, positioning LSU as a national NIL leader.

 

“Keli Zinn is a dynamic leader who brings a powerful combination of competitive excellence, strategic acumen, and deep integrity to this role. Her experience operating at the heart of major collegiate athletics, commitment to student-athletes, and proven ability to elevate programs make her the right leader at the right time for Rutgers Athletics,” Board of Governors Chair Amy L. Towers said. “We are excited to welcome Keli and her husband Nate to the Banks and look forward to partnering with her as we build on Rutgers’ proud legacy and drive toward even greater success in the Big Ten and beyond.”

 

Zinn began her career as a compliance assistant in the Big East before gaining progressive experience in compliance, governance, and sport administration at University of Maryland and later serving in multiple senior executive roles at West Virginia University.

 

“With experience in the Northeast, in the SEC, and at land-grant universities like Rutgers, Keli understands the values, mission, and regional pride that defines our community,” said Hollis Copeland, chair of the Board of Governors athletics subcommittee and a standout former basketball player and member of the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame. “Keli will help us build a winning tradition that the world will know, and we welcome her and Nate.”

 

 
Rutgers’ Division of Intercollegiate Athletics is comprised of 24 men’s and women’s varsity sports serving more than 730 student-athletes competing in the Big Ten Conference.  
 

Rutgers is The Birthplace of College Football – Rutgers defeated Princeton 6-4 on Nov. 6, 1869, in New Brunswick. The Scarlet Knights have captured numerous team and individual championships. In addition to consecutive bowl berths in football and recent NCAA tournament bids in men’s basketball, Rutgers has won Big Ten team championships in men’s and women’s soccer and field hockey, while individuals have earned both national and Big Ten titles in track & field and wrestling.
 
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national research university and the state of New Jersey’s preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. Established in 1766, the university is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the United States. More than 69,000 students and 27,000 faculty and staff learn, work and serve the public at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers University-Newark, Rutgers University-Camden and Rutgers Health. 
 

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07/30/2025 – 08:00 AM

25% YOY Growth in Impressions Served Through Magnite’s SpringServe Video Platform

NEW YORK, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnite (NASDAQ:MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, today announced strong momentum in its collaboration with FanDuel Sports Network. The network has seen a 25% year-over-year increase in total impressions served through Magnite’s SpringServe video platform as it accelerates its investment in live sports streaming.

As more viewers shift toward streaming live sports content, FanDuel Sports Network is leaning into Magnite technology to boost monetization of its high-value inventory and preserve the high-quality viewing experience that live sports audiences expect. SpringServe’s advanced ad serving, programmatic, and mediation capabilities help FanDuel Sports Network more effectively manage direct and programmatic demand, maximizing yield and helping advertisers reach engaged sports fans, while Ad Quality and Live Stream Acceleration tools help deliver smarter, more relevant ad experiences.

“Live sports are one of the most powerful formats for engaging audiences, but they also present unique monetization challenges. Magnite’s SpringServe empowers us with the sophisticated tools we need to stay ahead of audience expectations, and has been instrumental in our digital evolution,” said Kevin Connelly, Senior Director, Programmatic Sales and Business Development at FanDuel Sports Network. “FanDuel Sports Network is building a smarter, fan-first platform with unmatched scale and flexibility, and that requires ad tech partners who can move just as fast, and Magnite’s SpringServe is doing just that,” added Jim Keller, Executive Vice President, Head of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales at FanDuel Sports Network.

“As live sports consumption continues its rapid shift to digital, publishers need agile infrastructure purpose-built for streaming monetization,” said Chris Signore, Group VP, Business Development at Magnite. “FanDuel Sports Network is raising the bar for what innovative, data-driven sports streaming can look like, and we’re proud to continue helping power their growth as they expand their premium streaming footprint.”

“FanDuel Sports Network and Magnite have demonstrated through their collaboration that when biddable live sports is done right, we consistently see media contribute to positive business outcomes. We are constantly seeking out high-quality and direct supply, which the teams have built here,” said Gary Guarnaccia, Head of Investment and Ad Tech at Bayer Healthcare.

According to eMarketer, digital live sports viewership in the U.S. is projected to grow more than 14% in 2025, driven by cord-cutting and the rise of streaming as the primary destination for sports fans. FanDuel Sports Network’s collaboration with Magnite ensures they are well-positioned to capitalize on this momentum.

About Magnite
We’re Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising company. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The world’s leading agencies and brands trust our platform to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory and execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Anchored in bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, mile high Denver, historic London, colorful Singapore, and down under in Sydney, Magnite has offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

About Main Street Sports Group
Main Street Sports Group owns FanDuel Sports Network, the nation’s leading multiplatform provider of local sports, offering fans widescale availability and optionality to view their local teams. FanDuel Sports Network serves as the local media partner and home to select MLB, NHL and NBA teams and produces over 3,000 live sports events year-round. Main Street Sports Group harnesses its powerful partnerships, in-house direct-to-consumer streaming product and innovative strategies to reach audiences and deliver programming seamlessly across streaming platforms, connected devices and leading pay TV providers.

Its 15 owned-and-operated networks include FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, FanDuel Sports Network Florida, FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City, FanDuel Sports Network Indiana, FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, FanDuel Sports Network North, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma, FanDuel Sports Network SoCal, FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast, FanDuel Sports Network Southwest, FanDuel Sports Network Sun, FanDuel Sports Network West, and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin. Main Street Sports Group also has a minority interest in YES Network, the local destination for the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets.

Media Contact:
Purpose Worldwide
Alexis Gold
magnite@purposenorthamerica.com