Fairfax, VA – Here is a look of the action to come this week for La Salle Athletics, brought to you by Hershey’s Ice Cream.
 

The La Salle men’s and women’s track & field teams are set to compete in the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday and Sunday at George Mason Stadium.
 
The meet, hosted by George Mason, will begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday with the 1500-meter trials. Day 2 will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday with the women’s triple jump.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS (WOMEN)

• The last time the team competed was last weekend, when it took part in the Penn Relays.
• At the meet, the women’s 4×100-meter relay team won the preliminary event of the College Eastern event last Friday with a time of 47.35.
• On the next day, the same team of Adaugo Ilonze, Soleil Morrison, Marionna Logan, and Nevaeh Davis won the finals event to get gold, finishing in 48.09.

SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS (MEN):

• La Salle men’s track & field also competed in the Penn Relays last weekend, with entries in the 1500-meter, 10k, and the 4×400-meter College Eastern events.
• Callum Murray placed 28^th with a personal best time, finishing in 3:48.5 in the 1500-meter event. His time is sixth fastest in the conference, and his performance earned him conference Rookie of the Week honors.
• Finn Birnie got 12^th in the 10k with a time of 30:26.97.
• To conclude the weekend, the men’s 4×400-meter relay team of Evan Dias, Gavin Andrews, Justice Quainoo, and Hamidou Samasa placed fourth with a time of 3:22.6.

BarcelonaThere will be a Catalan derby in the final of the women’s water polo Champions League. Astralpool CN Sabadell and CN Sant Andreu will face each other at the Petros Kapagerov swimming pool in Piraeus, the venue for the final four. The Vallecas team got the job done first, defeating the hosts, Olympiakos (13-15), while the Barcelona team prevailed over Ferencváros (10-7). It will be the first time that Sant Andreu will play in the match for the top European club title, quite the opposite for Sabadell, the reigning champions and vying for an eighth crown.

The ambition of the Sabadell team has overcome the pressure from the Greek public. CN Sabadell had asked European Aquatics to host the finals, but the federation chose the Olympiacos pool instead. The pool is always packed at these events with the cheerleading teams that usually attend the men’s football and basketball matches, creating an atmosphere not usually seen at a women’s water polo competition.

It was a very close match that wasn’t resolved until there were a couple of minutes left. The Vallès team started well with a 3-1 lead that the Piraeus team managed to equal. In fact, for many minutes the Greek players held the lead, but never by more than a goal. Sabadell’s advantage returned in the final quarter. The effectiveness of Van de Kraats (5 goals), Bea Ortiz (3), and Steffens (3) was key to reaching the grand final and aspiring to equal Orizzonte Catania’s eight titles, the team with the most in women’s competition. The Sicilians are also the only team to have won the Champions League three times in a row, which could also equal the team coached by David Palma.

Sabadell’s experience contrasted with that of Sant Andreu, who were barely playing their second season. final four. But the Barcelona team was facing an opponent, Hungarian side Ferencváros, who were making their debut in this competition. The match started with a perfect script for Sant Andreu, who were already winning 4-1 in the first quarter. It was supposed to be a cakewalk, but their offensive projection stalled and the Hungarians narrowed the gap and had a chance in the final quarter, trailing by just two. When it came down to it, Catalan ambition prevailed and Queralt Anton, with four goals, led the team to a final they face with sky-high morale: they have faced and won in the last two editions of the Copa de la Reina.

CN Sabadell, on the warpath

The final arrives with CN Sabadell, the continental dominator of the last decade, on the warpath against European Aquatics. The federation announced an agreement with Wood Nest Sports to become the official sponsor of club competitions starting next season, which includes an increase in the prize money for the winners of continental competitions. The winner of the men’s Champions League will receive €125,000, while the winner of the women’s championship will receive six times less, €20,000.

“We want to express our strongest disagreement with the economic distribution that Euroaquatics has proposed, in a regrettably incomprehensible manner, for the men’s and women’s Champions League competitions. […] It is a lack of respect for the players and the clubs that, like us, have been committed to women’s sport for years,” and “we deport.” “It’s very sad. It’s difficult for women to grow in water polo like this. We are more united than ever to fight for what we have earned,” says Bea Ortiz, awarded as the best water polo player in the world. CN Sant Andreu has preferred not to make any statement on the matter.

This will be the last Champions League final for Mati Ortiz, the Sabadell native’s dozen. “I don’t usually get nervous, but I am a little now. It’s not a final four Furthermore, we can equal Orizzonte and I see the team with a lot of desire,” says the captain of the Vallesans.

The Hope College men’s track and field team struck gold on the final day of the MIAA Outdoor Championships, winning six events on Friday at Alma College.

Sprinter Liam Danitz led the haul with three gold medals, including two individual and one relay. 

Runners Erickson Kunzler, Ian Petruska and Dylan Terpstra all clocked first-place performances for the Flying Dutchmen, who finished the two-day, seven-team meet in third place after scoring 171 points.

“It’s fun to win events, and we won a lot of events,” head coach Kevin Cole said, referring to the men’s and women’s teams, who combined for 11 gold medals. “We placed really high in a lot of different things. I’m most excited for the seniors to go out with some victories. We didn’t quite have the depth to take the championship this year, but that happens. I think the team is looking really good now and in the future.”

Danitz (West Branch, Michigan / Ogemaw Heights HS) became the eighth Flying Dutchmen sprinter to win the 100- and 200-meter runs in the same MIAA Outdoor Championships.

In the 100, Danitz clocked a first-place of 10.68 seconds, 0.13 ahead of runner-up Zion Jackson from Trine University. Danitz is Hope’s ninth MIAA champion in the event.

In the 200, Danitz recorded a winning run of 20.94 seconds, 0.45 ahead of the second-place Jackson and ranking the junior third in the nation this season. Danitz is Hope’s 11th MIAA champion in the event.

Junior Nolan Sanders (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow) finished sixth at 22.19.

In the 400, Terpstra (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) clocked a first-place time of 48.67 seconds, edging Calvin’s Koby VanderWoude by 0.06. 

Terpstra is Hope’s third 400-meter MIAA champion, joining Elliott Barney (2010) and Phil Cratty (1992).

Senior Joshua Ennen (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland West) took sixth with a PR 49.70.

In the 1,500-meter run, Petruska (Fort Collins, Colorado / Fort Collins) crossed the finish line first at 3:53.08, 0.15 ahead of runner-up Max Van Huis from Trine. It marked the fifth consecutive time a Flying Dutchmen runner won the event and the 19th time overal. and the 

Three of Petruska’s teammates also scored in the race: senior Connor Vachon (Jenison, Michigan / Jenison) in fourth at 3:53.87, freshman Elias Kretchmar (Granville, Ohio / Granville) in fifth at 3:57.23 and senior Tyler King (Villa Park, Illinois / Willowbrook) in seventh at 3:59.18.



The 4×400 relay of Terpstra, Ennen, freshman Gavin Bush (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan / Birmingham Seaholm) and Danitz raced to a winning time of 3:16.81, topping runner-up Calvin by 1.69 seconds. It’s Hope’s third title in the event.

Hope earned silver medals in three more events.

In the javelin, sophomore Matthew Bir (Wenatchee, Washington / River Academy) finished runner-up with a PR toss of 52.10 meters (170 feet, 11 inches).



Junior Wil Pinkerton (Ann Arbor, Michigan / Pioneer) placed fourth with a throw of 50.92 meters (167-0).



In the 5,000 meters, junior Carston Cole (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) finished runner-up at 14:52.01, second to Calvin’s Thaine Nedeverld (14:50.32).



Two of Cole’s teammates also earned points. Freshman Logan Begeman (Portage, Michigan / Portage Central) took fourth with a PR 14:55.69. Petruska was sixth at 15:08.89.



In the 4×100 relay, Hope posted a runner-up effort as Sanders, Terpstra, Danitz and Trumble clocked a time of 41.50. Trine won at 41.17.



Hope scored in four more events on Saturday.



In the 110-meter hurdles, freshman Logan Lipka (Frankenmuth, Michigan / Frankenmuth) posted a fifth-place run of 15.58.



In the men’s triple jump, Lipka recorded a sixth-place leap of 12.65 meters (41-6). 



In the 400-meter hurdles, senior Samuel Miller (Zionsville, Indiana / Zionsville) finished runner-up after a PR run of 55.15, trailing only Calvin’s Bob Horton (53.34). 



Lipka placed fourth at 58.98. Freshman Kevin Barifagok (Las Vegas, Nevada / Cristo Rey Saint Viator) was eighth with a time of 58.98.



Trine captured its fifth consecutive MIAA championship by totaling 210 points, five more than runner-up Calvin. Hope finished ahead of fourth-place Albion College (104), The University of Olivet (68), Adrian College (35) and Alma College (20). 

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Track and Field will close their regular season with its sixth outdoor meet of the season on Saturday at the SMU Invite at the Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium.
 
The SMU Invite will be a one-day meet for the Texans to make their final pushes to get their best marks in ahead of the conference championships. The meet will start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning with the men’s and women’s 5000-meter runs. Then, the field events will take the main stage with javelin, hammer throw and high jump all scheduled to start at the top of the hour. The meet will mark the first home meet for the Mustangs since 1998.
 

The Texans will be competing in an 11-team field. Also joining the Texans in Dallas are: Oklahoma State, SMU, Missouri State (women only), Arkansas-Little Rock, Prairie View A&M, University of Texas at Dallas, North Texas at Dallas, Texas Wesleyan, Mississippi Valley State, Huston-Tillotson and Paul Quinn College.
 
A week after entering the Top 25 on the men’s side for the first time in program history, the Texan men improved their ranking to number 20 the following week. Tarleton State became the first WAC program since 2022 to reach the top 25 and now is the only program since the Texans joined the conference in 2020 to be ranked in the top 25 in back-to-back weeks. Tarleton is the highest ranked men’s program in the WAC currently, with California Baptist the next highest-ranked team at 49th.
 
Head coach Bobby Carter is in his first year as a collegiate head coach and his first season with the Texan program. Carter was hired on June 20, 2024 when he started building the foundation for this elite program. Carter is the only head coach in the top 25 that is in his first year as a collegiate head coach or in his first year with the program, a remarkable achievement.
 
The Texans are fueled to their top 25 ranking by one of the best jump squads in the nation. Tarleton State has three men ranked within the top six in the NCAA in either the long or triple jump. As an event group, the Texan long jump squad is the third best in the nation. The duo of Lokesh Sathyanathan and Sir Jonathan Sims lead the long jump squad. Sathyanathan notched an 8.14-meter leap two weeks ago to become the nation’s leader in the event. Sims ranks sixth in the country with a best jump of 7.94 meters also coming at the Michael Johnson Invitational. Sims also moved himself up the triple jump leaderboards climbing to 12^th in the nation. The Arizona transfer notched a 15.99-meter leap to claim second at the Joe Gillespie Invitational.
 
The Texans earned a trio of WAC weekly awards after their performances at the Joe Gillespie Invitational. After setting new school and facility records in the triple jump at the Joe Gillespie Invitational this weekend, Gabriele Tosti earned his second outdoor men’s field athlete of the week honor. He ranks third in the NCAA in the triple jump. His new personal best of 16.39 meters also leads the WAC and ranks third in the NCAA West Region. Ca’terrin Cox earned his first men’s track athlete of the week honor after turning the top qualifying time in the 110 hurdles at the Joe Gillespie Invitational. Cox ranks fourth in the WAC and 45^th in the West region with his season best time of 13.94 seconds.
 
Lauren Roy was the third Texan to claim a weekly honor. She earned the women’s track athlete of the week after becoming the first Texan in program history and the first woman in the WAC this season to run a sub-23 second 200 meters. Roy won the Joe Gillispie Invitational in 22.85 seconds and leads the WAC this season. The senior also set the Northern Ireland national record for the second time this year. She ranks ninth in the NCAA West Region and 16^th in all of the NCAA.
 
In total the Texans have seven athletes totaling eight top 20 event rankings in the nation. Along with Sims, tosti and Sathyanathan, Victoria Cameron, Prestina Ochonogor and the Women’s 4×100 relay team rank among the best in the nation. Cameron currently leads the WAC and ranks eighth in the country in the 100 meters. Her best time of 11.09 seconds came at the Texas Relays. Ochonogor earned silver at the Texas Relays where she jumped 6.48 meters to post the 12^th best leap in the nation. The freshman from Nigeria finished 12^th at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Texan women’s 4×100 meter relay team ranks 20^th in the nation with their best run of the season coming at the Michael Johnson Invitational. The squad ran in 43.70 seconds to set the new school record.
 
Tarleton State will have two weeks of rest before heading to the 2025 WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Arlington, Texas. The Texans will look to post their best finishes in program history after posting their best team finishes at the indoor championships earlier this year.