Sports
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men


MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines.
Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation’s second-most popular sport after soccer.
Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places.
There also are no men.
“In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,” said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. “This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.”
In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn’t play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia’s National Kickball League.
Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people.
“When you’re a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,” Whea said.
Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league.
The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war.
The league was set up “to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia,” Whea said. “We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered … So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.”
Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women’s sports often are underfunded.
Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete’s salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are “not even near” what male athletes earn, she said.
In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men from the coaches to the referees and league officials.
The league encourages women but they really don’t want to be coaches, Whea said.
“Their husbands might have a problem with them working full time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,” he said
Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said.
“They are not going to play kickball for now,” she said. “But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.”
For the moment, kickball remains a women’s game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance.
“They don’t know the techniques of the game,” she said. “So we always win.”
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Sports
Track & Field Teams Claim 19 Top-10 Finishes
Men’s Track & Field | 12/6/2025 7:48:00 PM
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> The Saint Francis track & field teams opened its indoor season at the Bison Opener.
>> Saint Francis compiled 19 top 10 finishes.
>> The Red Flash faced the following colleges: Shippensburg, Lock Haven, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Lincoln (Pa.), West Chester, Millersville, Mount St. Mary’s, Penn State, Bloomsburg, and Indiana (Pa.)
FLASH WOMEN NUGGETS
The women’s team accumulated seven top 10 performances.
Olivia Renk finished second in the 200-meter and fourth in the 60-meter on the women’s side. The sophomore clocked in a time of 25.46 in the 200-meter and a 7.72 time in the 60-meter.
In the women’s long jump, Taylor Foster finished in fifth place in the event with a jump of 5.29m. Foster also claimed eighth place in the women’s triple jump with 10.63m.
Aubrie Wells and Karsyn Ford both finished with 3.25m to tie for eighth place.
Rounding out the top 10 finishes was Rylee Nicklas taking 10th in the women’s weight throw with a toss of 14.22m.
FLASH MEN NUGGETS
The men’s team registered 12 top 10 finishes on the day.
1-weight throw,
Jayden Foster took eighth place in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 22.81. Meanwhile, Tyler Craft claimed the ninth spot with a time of 37.08 in the 300-meter. Craft jumped his way into second place in the long jump with 6.94m.
Staying in the meter dashes, James Parmelee (1:10.38) took third and Holden Schreier finished seventh (1:12.90) in the men’s 500-meter.
Two more Red Flash placed top 10 in the high jump, Ayden Martinage (8th, 1.85m) and Braydon Beach (10th, 1.80m).
Running over to the pole vault, Dylan Andrews finished with a jump of 4.25 to give himself seventh place.
Clark Gulycz took fourth in the men’s shot put with a mark of 17.07m.
Saint Francis took another two top 10 finishes, this time in the men’s triple jump. Nehemyah Williams gained third place with a leap of 14.35m. Ian Conway was not far behind him in seventh with 12.54m.
Vincent Franco finished out the Red Flash in sixth place with a time of 15.94m.
NEXT UP FOR FLASH
Track & field will next compete at the Wagner College Seahawk Shootout hosted by Wagner College on Friday the 12.
Sports
PHOTO: Nebraska volleyball showcases grit in a sweep against Kansas State | Unlimited Sports
The Nebraska Huskers showed up to battle and proved their grit and capability, adapting to Kansas State’s style of play on Dec. 6, 2025, at John Cook Arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska continued its dominant postseason run and swept Kansas State (25-17, 25-21, 25-16) in front of 8,601 fans. With the win, the No. 1 Huskers advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Nebraska controlled the match, out-hitting Kansas State, .253 to .118, and extending its streak of out-hitting opponents by at least .100 for seven consecutive matches. Nebraska was still tested in many areas throughout the game and had to overcome and adapt under pressure.
“You know, they really challenged us in a lot of areas and thought this was one of the first matches in a while,” said coach Dani Busboom Kelly. “We had to gut it out with our serve and pass and floor defense, which is kind of like classic Nebraska volleyball. And I felt like we handled it really well.”
Juniors Andi Jackson and Harper Murray led the way with 10 kills each, with Jackson having a .533 hitting percentage on 15 swings. Nebraska’s balanced attack featured eight kills from senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair, seven from freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano and six from senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick, while junior outside hitter Bergen Reilly was a huge threat on offense with 34 assists.
Defensively, the Huskers fulfilled their high postseason standard. Nebraska totaled 48 digs, led by Olivia Mauch’s 13 and Laney Choboy’s 12, limiting Kansas State to only 27 kills. Nebraska placed their serves well, which brought them seven aces.
“Our defense hung in there, and just we were ready for long rallies. So, I was really proud of us even when it didn’t feel super clean, like we still we’re just playing Nebraska volleyball,” said setter Bergen Reilly.
Nebraska will next host No. 16 Kansas in a regional semifinal on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, at 8:30 CST at John Cook Arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
The Nebraska Huskers huddle together before taking on Kansas State on Dec. 6, 2025, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Nebraska Huskers claimed a 32-0 overall record after beating Kansas State.
Sports
Hayes, Covington power North Park Track & Field to strong season-opening start
KENOSHA, Wis. – North Park Track & Field opened their indoor season on Saturday afternoon, competing at Carthage’s Forever Red Alumni Classic. Senior sprinter Riana Hayes was the lead story for the Vikings, earning first-place finishes in the 55m and 200m.
Hayes reeled in 10 points for North Park by crossing the line at 7.25 in the 55m, followed by a personal record, sixth-place finish for senior Julia Klein (7.60). Freshman Chloe Chesser also made it to the finals in her first collegiate event, marking a time of 7.69. Klein was also the top vaulter of the season-opening meet, turning in a personal record of 3.40m to finish first in the Pole Vault.
Hayes enjoyed another first-place in the 200m, beating the next-best finisher by nearly two-tenths of a second with a top time of 26.36. Sophomore sprinter Kimoria Oliver was top-10 in the event with a time of 28.34 to finish 8th of 26.
For the men, senior Ali Karatas placed third in both the 800m (2:09.08) and Mile (4:38.27) to give the Vikings 12 points. Freshman Leonardo Gonzalez was a few strides away from Karatas in the 800m, placing fourth (2:12.54) and earning NPU four points.
Richard Covington brought in the most points for the North Park men, placing second in the Shot Put with a PR toss of 13.38m and earning another PR in the Weight Throw (15.01m) to collect 14 points.
What’s Next?
North Park heads to DePaul’s Blue Demon Holiday Invite on Friday, December 12.
Sports
Barrera sets school mark, Champagnie wins triple jump in first indoor meet
BISMARCK, N.D. – The Valley City State Track and Field teams were in Bismarck to begin the Indoor season at the Mike Thorson Open. Freshman Frida Barrera set the school record in the mile and junior Cameron Champagnie won the triple jump.
All totaled, Valley City State had 30 top eight finishes. The Men placed fourth as a team with 91 points. The Women placed third with 59 points.
For the men, in the field events, Champagnie won the triple jump with a jump of 13.58 meters. Zeke Barnick was second in the high jump with a jump of 1.90 Meters. In the long jump, the Vikings took four of the top eight spots. Aaron Cutshall (4th), Porter Granger (5th), Jeffry Rosinski (6th), and Makana Taylor (8th) all picked up points for VCSU. Zac Kuznia was fifth in the shot put and Arie Bratrud was sixth in the weight throw.
In the track events, Jordan Mount was second in the 400m, and Zach Baumgartner was second in the mile run. Titus Dolo was fourth in the 60m and seventh in the 200m. Tate Minnihan and Mason Brehmer finished third and fourth respectively in the mile. Gage Gunther was third in the 800m while Parker Jacobson was fifth in the 60m. In relay’s, the team of Brock Norton, Jeffry Rosinski, Zeke Barnick, and Jordan Mount took third in the 4×400.
On the women’s side, the Vikings were led by Barrera whose 5:21.61 time in the mile set the record that was set last season by Jasmine Barnes. Barrera beat the record by 4.67 seconds. She also took second in the 800m with a time of 2:26.69 which is the second fastest 800 in school history. Billie Maye Pohlkamp was third in the 800m. In the 200m, Ava Krier was sixth and Jonica Taylor was seventh.
In field events, Grace Backstrom and Emma Muggli were second and third respectively, Caitlyn Armbrust was fourth in the triple jump. Carlee Fuchs was third in the weight throw with Megan Lahtonen taking seventh. Kiana Hilary was sixth in the shot put with Rebecca Bohrer right behind in seventh.
Live results can be found here.
NEXT UP: The Vikings will be at the Bison Alumni Classic in Fargo on Thursday, December 11th.
Sports
Falcons Win Two Races at Season Opening Suffolk Relays
BOSTON, Mass. – Samantha Doran and Hannah Croteau won races for Bentley women’s track and field at the team’s first indoor meet of the season at the Suffolk Relays.
Doran, who competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships two weeks ago, won the 5000 meter race by more than 26 seconds with a time of 18:41.30.
Croteau won the 60 meter hurdles in 9.58
The one mile saw Bentley runners finish second and third. Lily Tedford, who also competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, was second (5:09.34) and Amelia Luetjen was third (5:36.20).
Molly Capece was third in the 3000 meter (10:45.56).
In the field events, Mia Bonner was third in the triple jump.
Sports
Devils Win SU Holiday Open for Third Straight Year
WINCHESTER, Va. – For the third straight season the Dickinson women’s indoor track and field team opened up their season by winning the Shenandoah University Holiday Kickoff Open inside the James Wilkins Jr. Athletics and Events Center.
Sprints
Erin Olsavsky finished off the Top-5 for the 60m dash with a time of 8.07. Angie Braun also earned a Top-10 slot clocking in at 8.18 for ninth. When hurdles were put in front of the athletes Sylvie McMaken-Marsh nabbed sixth by hitting the line in 10.63. Allison Edmands and Melina Gregory claimed ninth (11.16) and tenth (11.18) respectively.
Three Devils got inside the Top-10 during the 200m as Olsavsky won the event in 26.04, followed by Emily Chaine in eighth (28.55) and Gregory in tenth (29.08). McMaken-Marsh just missed the Top-10 claiming eleventh at 30.14.
Chaine just missed the podium for the 400m as her time of 1:06.37 was good for fourth.
Distance
The 800m was only made up of Dickinson runners with Sophia Kovalski winning the race in 2:27.33, while Lauren Scott (2:43.08), Margaret Randolph (2:59.95) and Leah Bell (3:01.77) took up spots two through four.
Meghan Higgins-Haas rounded out the Top-3 for the 5000m by hitting the stripe in 18:48.14. The group of Breanna Franchak (5th – 19:52.05), Ellie Drescher (7th – 21:48.86), Jenna Kerns (8th – 21:49.49), Emma VanMeter (9th – 21:49.63) and Emma Lewis (10th – 22:23.36) had a great showing all finishing inside the Top-10.
Bell was the lone Devil to compete during the mile run earning an eighth-place result with a time of 6:42.03.
Relays
Dickinson put two teams forward for the 4x400m with the team of Gregory, Olsavsky, Randolph and Scott claiming the victory with a time of 4:41.66, while the group with Chaine, Drescher, Franchak and Kovalski falling just off the pace of their teammates grabbing second at 4:45.82.
Field
McMaken-Marsh collecting second-place during the pole vault by clearing 2.45m.
Another Dickinson victory came in the high jump when Amanda Hoglund eclipsed 1.48m, followed by Edmands in sixth (1.30m). Braun earned seventh for the long jump with a mark of 4.59m, while in the triple jump Braun and Hoglund took up seventh (9.52m) and eighth (9.51m) respectively.
Two Devils took part in the weight throw with Sarah Glickson just missing the podium landing in fourth with a mark of 13.45m. Anna Purvis gave a good showing in her first meet taking 15th at 9.29m. Glickson collected sixth for the shot put by dropping down at 9.65m, followed by Purvis (12th – 7.36m), Hoglund (13th – 7.13m) and Edmands (15th – 5.84m).
Up Next
Dickinson will next compete after the New Year holiday when they take part in the Moravian University Indoor Meet in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Saturday, January 17th beginning at 10am.
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