A top young athlete in China has been admitted to the prestigious Peking University, earning her admiration for her ability to balance academic studies and sport.

Liu Xiajun, a 20-year-old sprint athlete from China’s national team, has been dubbed “track and field sweet sister” for her good looks.

She has spent most of her time training since she achieved a record result in the 100m in her hometown of Ziyang, southwestern Sichuan province in 2018, reported the mainland news outlet The Cover.

As a result of her time spent on sport, like other athletes, Liu’s academic scores lag far behind those of elite students.

Last year, Liu was offered a place at Fudan University in Shanghai, also a top school in China. But she declined without explaining why.

Following discussions with her family, Liu decided to study for another year to prepare for this year’s national college entrance exam, also known as gaokao in China.

Her goal is to be admitted to Peking University, which is ranked higher than Fudan University, as a student with special sporting talent.

To achieve this, Liu had to score at least 460 out of 750 in the exam.

ROCK SPRINGS — A familiar face is back on the Rock Springs High School volleyball sideline. Casey Rood, a former multi-sport standout and collegiate volleyball player, has been named head coach of the Lady Tigers, taking over the program following the retirement of coach Wendy Bider.

Rood, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Lady Tigers during a three-year stretch that included a conference title and three straight state tournament appearances, most recently worked at Green River High School. There, she helped guide the Wolves to a second-place conference finish and a state tournament berth.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity and working with these athletes,” Rood said. “I’m very passionate about volleyball, and it being a tool to help these young women gain invaluable life skills and lessons. I hope we can build a program and culture that carries its strength and values from season to season.”

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Rood said her time coaching in both Rock Springs and Green River has been invaluable.

“I’m incredibly grateful to have been a part of both Rock Springs and Green River’s volleyball programs,” she said. “I’ve gotten to work alongside some incredible coaches like Jessica Demaret, Shawn Pyer, Jordan Christensen, and Jenna and Abby, who I now have as assistants. Each of these women have taught me so much about the game of volleyball, how to coach, and how to strengthen a program. I cherish every season I’ve gotten to be a part of in Sweetwater County.”

Bider’s tenure as head coach, which spanned nearly three decades of coaching in Sweetwater County, left a lasting mark on the program. While Rood never coached alongside her, she said Bider created “space for her athletes to be passionate,” adding, “I think that speaks volumes. I hope this coaching staff we’ve got now can continue to foster an atmosphere of excitement for these girls.”

Rood’s coaching philosophy centers on “process over outcome” and focusing on what can be controlled. “Wins and losses are an outcome, so I tend not to focus on that,” she said. “I want my team to be disciplined and be able to walk off the court proud of the effort they gave, no matter the outcome.”

That approach translates directly into her practice structure.

“A drill or skill we struggle with? Well, get comfortable because we are going to finish it,” she said. “Volleyball is a unique sport in that you can’t just ‘run out the clock,’ so we’ve got to be mentally tough enough to control the game and physically disciplined enough to trust our training.”

Leadership, accountability, and resilience are key pillars in her program.

“I think the small details over time become the big ones, so I want my athletes to also focus on the small things,” Rood said. “We are attentive and present during meetings, practices, and games. I want a high level of communication and understanding of the game, and that comes from being educated myself and then educating my players.”

The Lady Tigers finished last season with a postseason push that saw them take a set off top-seeded Evanston before falling 3-1 and then battling Jackson in a tight third set before being eliminated in straight sets. Rood sees potential to build on that competitive fight.

“It’s still early, but from what I’ve seen over the summer we’ve got a lot of potential,” she said. “They seem hungry and ready to work hard. We are really going to work hard on mental toughness and grit, being able to shift momentum when things aren’t in our favor.”

Short- and long-term, Rood’s goals remain consistent: building confident, skilled athletes from the freshman level through varsity. “I hope we can get to a point long term where each incoming class contributes to that culture, and we are strong year after year,” she said.

Above all, Rood hopes her players leave the program with life skills they can carry well beyond the court.

“I hope my girls learn the value of hard work, dedication, discipline, teamwork, and communication,” she said. “At the end of the day volleyball is just a game, but it’s a game that can teach us so much about ourselves. I want them to be proud of the effort they gave to their team. I hope they come away from the program knowing they were cared about as a student, athlete, and a person.”

In a world obsessed with scale, we often forget the power of one: one individual, one spark, one drop creating ripples across a lake.

At 17, I split my time between two close-knit mountain communities: Vail, Colorado and South Lake Tahoe, California. These towns constantly remind me of the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” In both places, nature humbles us, and the people around me consistently model what it means to care. These communities understand fire, not just how quickly it can ignite and spread, but how much it can take from us. Yet, they also understand spark: how passion and purpose can carry like embers, igniting something much greater.

Over a year ago, my brother and I launched Smokey Spice which is sold at the Fallen Leaf Lodge Store. Our company is inspired by our love for outdoor grilling and our deep respect for the forests we’ve grown up exploring. From the start, our mission was clear: elevate outdoor cooking while helping to prevent wildfires that on average in California spread from 300 – 500 acres and each can cost up to $10 million – $100 million. For that reason we donate our profits to local fire departments because protecting this land isn’t just a tagline, it’s personal. My family and I are stewards of this land. Our cabin sits on Forest Service property and we live with the memory of the Caldor Fire that scarred the community around us.

This past weekend, our local Fallen Leaf Lake Fire Department held its annual fundraiser. Standing beside the Smokey Spice auction table, I shared my story, and connected with neighbors who share my bond with the forest. With each spice pack purchased in support of the department, my gratitude grew. That night reminded me that people do care when given the opportunity. It made the impact tangible: the support, the community, the ripple effect. A single donation won’t solve all the damages a forest fire may bring, but one spice tin might spark awareness. The Fallen Leaf Lake Fire Department responds to 12 major fires per year, with nearly half their resources going to Rescue and EMS, as they respond to over 28 serious calls annually. A small gift won’t change everything, but one act of generosity can reduce cost, prevent fatalities, and protect the environment. Scale isn’t the point, intention is.

Now, as a senior in high school, I see how my generation is stepping up. We’re not waiting, we’re leading. We want more than success, we want significance. We aim to shape the future, not just benefit from it. We’re not only building companies; we’re building communities through a commitment to social entrepreneurship. Charles Dickens once wrote, “A day wasted on others is not wasted on one’s self.” That’s the mindset I strive to embody: giving back isn’t a side project, it’s at the heart of who I want to be.

Like the wake of a boat across a mountain lake, every action ripples outward. Maybe someone hears about Smokey Spice and chooses to support their local fire department. Maybe a camper remembers our story and thinks twice before lighting an illegal fire. Small actions begin where we are, with what we have, and carry forward not like the wildfires we fight so hard to prevent, but like a purpose igniting our community.

Grant Iverson currently works at the Fallen Leaf Lodge Store. For more information on Smokey Spice, visit smokeyspice.com.

There are several members of last year’s AC/GC Chargers volleyball team that will be returning this season, with many starters taking the court once again as well.

One major returner is Stella Largent, who was number three last season in Class 2A for kills per set with 5.4. She led the team in kills with 443, kill errors with 201 and kill attempts with 1080 for a kill efficiency of .224. Largent started all matches and sets for the team last season, and will be an important leader for the team coming into the season as a junior, helping the seniors and coach to also develop the talent in the underclassmen on the team.

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By Ty Bartell

AUSTINTOWN OH-  Entering her third season at the helm of Austintown-Fitch volleyball, head coach Kylee Herberger has built a program that’s as close-knit as it is competitive. With six seniors and a core group that has been with her since she took over, the Falcons return a roster rich in varsity experience, trust and familiarity.

Herberger’s tenure has already produced a 38-12 record and back-to-back All-American Conference championships. This fall, she believes that bond between coach and players will help the Falcons push their game to newer heights.

Leading the way is senior setter Rylie Simons, the program’s steady cornerstone who enters the season with 2,590 career assists. Her high volleyball IQ, smooth hands and decision-making give Fitch stability and poise, even in chaotic moments. Around her, a wealth of offensive firepower returns, including outside hitter Kylie Folkwine, opposite hitter Morgan Roby and the athletic Kaliana Ray!

Herberger is balancing refinement of proven systems with expansion into more complex offensive sets. The Falcons’ schedule is designed to challenge them early, with non-conference matchups against perennial powers such as Archbishop Hoban, Masillon Jackson and top-tier competition at the two-day Avon Lake tournament.

The AAC race, however, will be as challenging as ever. Herberger points to Canfield’s young but battle-tested hitters and a dangerous Boardman squad as the toughest conference threats. Fitch will aim not just to defend its crown, but to improve in key areas such as consistency and pace of play, lessons learned from fast-tempo opponents last season.The Falcons’ identity this year centers on their competitiveness. Even with many multi-sport athletes who may not pursue volleyball at the next level, Herberger says this group knows when to rise to the moment.

For Herberger, volleyball has been a lifelong passion, nurtured from childhood by her mother’s own coaching career. After playing in college and stepping away to start a family, she returned to the sideline and found herself right back where she belongs, building a culture of hard work, positivity and pride in the Falcons’ tradition. Fitch opens the 2025 season at home on Aug. 15, looking to protect its AAC title and extend the winning standard that has become a hallmark of the program.

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“We all knew that when we found out, and it’s why we ended up, you know, certainly I can speak for myself why it’s like, okay, for a week I’m not sleeping because I know that we’ve got to get this right. I know we have to turn this around. I know we’ve got a hard road ahead now,” said Michael Johnson in one episode of Ready Set Go, while informing viewers of how their $30 million dreams were crushed. What went down?

Grand Slam Track launched with $30 million in investor commitments, faced a severe financial crisis when a major investor withdrew their promised funds after the inaugural meet in Kingston, Jamaica. This led to a $13 million debt, with athletes owed approximately $3 million in prize money from the Kingston event alone. The investor attended GST’s debut in Kingston and then reversed course, citing economic instability following a surprise tariff announcement by President Trump, diverting their funds elsewhere.

But what if Johnson had that $30 million? What if the LA Slam had never been cancelled? What if the athletes were paid on time? Would that have saved track and field? Well, this track and field coach disagrees.

Addressing the hate towards Grand Slam Track, track and field pundit, Coach Rob shared in his YouTube video that he was there to talk about how GST is no longer just an idea but a reality, and whether it will happen again. He pointed out, “Because track and field, and he (Michael Johnson) addressed this on the show, the sport itself has been in some form of crisis. Like I think it was Justin Gatlin who said it himself, that we all know that track and field as a sport needs a facelift. Noah Lyles said the sport doesn’t need to be saved, but we do need help.”

Gatlin has been vocal about track and field again and again over the years.

“We have a lot of people who believe that the sport needs saving, and it doesn’t so much need saving as much as it needs help,” Noah Lyles had said in an interview. Rob then went ahead to defend Johnson. “Michael Johnson dared to change the narrative. He invested real money, his own money, because people who call what his league has become ‘grand scam track.’ Like, it might sound cute and it might even make for a good thumbnail, but it’s just not accurate.”

Addressing the scam allegation, Johnson had said he was an investor in GST, putting in his own money, joking that this made him “the worst scammer ever.”

Even the track and field pundit said, “If he was a scam artist, scam artists do not set themselves up for failure.” He then stressed the two track and field legends’ conversation about how much money it takes to put on these events.

Rob talked about the prize money GST was offering, an amount that had never been offered in track and field ever. He added venue and broadcast costs to it and declared, “When you add up all the money, you do realize that $30 million does sound about right for what it was going to take to get them through a year. And $30 million does sound like $30 million.” And then he got to the part where he said that the $30 million might have also made no difference.

“But at the end of the day, Grand Slam Track is actually not in the track and field business. They are in the entertainment business. And that’s where track and field has struggled because nothing that we actually do in the sport functions as viable entertainment. Not only did it not function that way, it was never set up to be that.”

Johnson had mentioned in the past that the goal of the GST was to build a truly professional, commercially viable league for fans and top athletes, treating athletes as the product but packaging them in a way that entertains fans, just like every other professional sport, unlike track and field in its current form.

But why wouldn’t it work as entertainment?  Because, like he said in his video, “races really don’t have much consequence. I mean, yes, there will be winners and losers, but who cares? Because it’s all about championships anyway.”

In high school and college, the focus is on major championships, while other races are seen as practice. At the pro level, only the World Championships and Olympics matter, with Americans reaching them solely through national trials.

Michael Johnson recalls his track savior remark

The American track and field legend walked straight into fire when he said, “I think I can save track, I don’t think I can save track and field.” Olympic Champion Tara Davis-Woodhall simply put it out that the Field “does not need saving at all.”  Months have passed ever since, but has Johnson’s stance changed? No.

In the July 31 episode of Justin Gatlin’s Ready Set Go podcast, Michael Johnson addressed the controversy surrounding his statement. Gatlin posed a direct question about Johnson’s bold claim, and Johnson responded candidly. “People ask questions, and they don’t know the question that was asked to you. They understand your answer only.” He clarified that the original question was focused on whether he could save the entire sport. His answer? Honest and precise: Track, not track and field.

In the conversation with Justin Gatlin, he repeated the statement and said, “Look, I’m in the public eye. I have been for a very long time. If people want to say that I said I feel like I can be the savior, I mean, okay. I put myself out there. I have to take it, and I’ll take it.”