Local indoor track and field athletes rang in the new year with the third installment of the PVIAC meets at Smith College’s Indoor Track and Tennis Facility on Friday.

Amherst and Northampton were featured in the early wave, which began at 10 a.m., while Frontier, Hampshire, South Hadley and Holyoke partook in the late wave, with events beginning at 2 p.m.

The Hurricanes and Blue Devils split the head-to-head matchup as the Amherst boys won 53-24, but the Northampton girls were victorious with a score of 46-32.

Four ‘Canes finished in first in their events. Owen Platt won the boys 600-meter run in one minute, 31.45 seconds, Nico Lisle comfortably took the boys 1,000 in 2:35.55, Genevieve Dole grabbed first in the girls mile with a time of 6:03.90 and Claire Fortin was the best in the girls long jump with a leap of 15 feet, 3.25 inches.

Other top-five finishers for Amherst: Daniel Nunez Saravia (second) and Kyrief Johnson (third) in the boys 300; Maeve Fitzgerald (second) in the girls 600 and girls long jump (fifth); Alhassan Abdel-Maksoud (third) and Elias Katsaros (fifth) in the boys 1,000; Claire Kennedy (fifth) in the girls 1,000; Marit McDonald (fourth) in the girls mile; Wesley Dunford in the boys high jump (second); Tansy Warwick (second), Genevieve Dole (third), and Juliana Albo (third) in the girls high jump; Justin de Alba (fifth) in the boys shot put; Claire Fortin (fourth) in the girls 55-meter dash.

Amherst’s 4×800 relay teams also did well as the girls quartet came in second place in 10:56.68 while the boys crew crossed the finish line in 9:18.02 for fourth place.

The Blue Devils got great performances from four individuals who won events. Maddalena Figueroa-Starr won the girls 600 in 1:43.96, Mairead O’Neil cruised past the competition in the girls 1,000 in 3:14.57, Charlie Sidoti secured first in the boys 2 mile in 10:48.50 and Allie Sullivan claimed the girls high jump with a winning height of 5-0.

Northampton’s girls 4×800 relay squad also won after chasing down Amherst, which held the lead for the majority of the relay, earning a winning time of 10:55.66. Its boys 4×800 relay managed fifth place.

Other top-five finishers for the Blue Devils: Ella Hoogendyk (second) in the girls 300; Liam Hoogendyk (third) and Quinn Allen-Brezsnyak (fifth) in the boys 600; Eliana Kumar (second) in the girls 1,000; Rosalind Stracco (third) and Mia Levy (fifth) in girls mile; Shea O’Neil (second) in the boys 2 mile; Maya Zink (second) in the girls 2 mile; Allie Sullivan (third) in the girls long jump.

The late wave saw Hampshire collect four first-place finishes, including both 4×800 relays.

Kathleen Barry crushed the competition in the girls 2 mile for the Raiders, finishing more than two minutes faster than the next closest runner with a time of 12:10.65. Oscar Schiff won the boys mile with a sub-five minute time of 4:50.87. Charlotte Letendre (girls 1,000) and Caitlyn Packey (girls shot put) registered runner-up finishes in their respective events.

Hampshire’s boys 4×800 relay bunch recorded a time of 8:38.58 while the girls were done in 10:39.93.

Yasani Thompson was Holyoke’s top athlete, nabbing a pair of first-place finishes in the girls 55-meter dash, as well as the girls 300, Thompson’s speciality. The Purple Knight won the straighaway sprint event in 7.34 seconds and took the 300 in 42.48 seconds. Ryan Kennedy earned second-place honors in the boys 300 for Holyoke.

South Hadley’s Ben Gillis won the boys high jump to serve as the highlight of the meet for the Tigers. Gillis jumped 5-10 to seal the victory. Mikayla Weaver ran to a second-place finish in the girls 600 as South Hadley’s best performer on the girls side.

Frontier managed one event winner as Ezra Rich took first in the boys shot put with a toss of 42-11. Emmanuelle Flagollet (girls 55 hurdles), Luke Howard (boys 1,000), Liv Christensen (girls 2 mile), Louise Flagollet (girls high jump) and the girls 4×800 relay team all received second-place finishes in their events.

Boys basketball

Hopkins 46, Smith Academy 39 — The Golden Hawks won their first game since Dec. 15 in the victory against the Falcons.

Chace Earle and Matt Vassallo each slotted 11 points, with the duo combining for five 3-pointers, in the process.

Harry LaFlamme produced 15 points for Smith Academy as the game’s top scorer.

Amherst 68, Taconic 61 — A strong second half helped the Hurricanes secure the road victory.

Amherst trailed by 10 points (36-26) at halftime, but outscored the Thunder 20-2 in the third quarter to flip the momentum in this one.

Mitchell Carey scored 24 points for the Hurricanes while Sam Woodruff deposited 19 as Amherst’s two top scorers.

Frontier 70, Gardner 63 — The Redhawks (6-1) went on the road and picked up an independent win over the Wildcats.

Alex Ellis the the way with 20 points for Frontier. Max Millette (14 points), Garrett Dredge (11 points) and Rowan Modestow (12 points) all reached double-figures for the Redhawks.

Girls basketball

Smith Voc 62, Putnam 44 — The Vikings moved to 4-0 following the victory over the Beavers.

Mallory Radwich and Sofia Zina combined for more than 30 points for Smith Voc, which went ahead, 39-21, at the half.

Frontier 76, Lenox 31 — The Redhawks won their fifth-straight game after a 45-point drubbing of the Millionaires at Goodnow Gymnasium in Suburban league play.

The Redhawks spread out the scoring, with Addie Harrington and Harper Modestow both scoring 19 points. Whitney Campbell (15 points) and Skyler Steele (16 points) also reached double figures for Frontier. Steele had six steals in the game.

Harrington filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds, six assists and four assists. Campbell added four assists.

Swimming

Amherst 86, Agawam 76 (boys) — Lewin Halasz and Soren Castenson powered the Hurricanes in the dual meet victory.

Halasz won the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke while Castenson took first in the 500 free as Amherst pocketed its first win of the season.

Amherst 112, Agawam 55 — The ‘Canes remained undefeated in its huge win against the Brownies.

Teagen Demers (100 free, 200 IM), Rowan Albertson (100 butterfly, 50 free), Emory Albertson (500 free) and Lily Wambura (100 breaststroke) all won events for Amherst.

The Hurricanes’ 400 free relay team, which consists of both Rowan and Emory Albertson, Teagen Demers and Finnley Chambers, qualified for the state meet with a time of 4:01.82.

Ball State vs. Trine University
Last Meeting: Ball State 3, Trine 0 (1/5/2025)
Series History: Ball State leads the series 2-0
Match History – Trine
These teams met for the first time in 2024 as the Cardinals swept the Thunder (25-16, 25-20, 25-19), holding them at a .077 hitting percentage. In 2025, Ball State completed a sweep once more (25-13, 25-13, 25-13) and held Trine to a .085 hitting percentage. Patrick Rogers led the effort that afternoon, leading the team in kills (10), aces (3) and blocks (2).
Scouting Trine
Trine concluded the 2025 season 15-9 overall, including a record of 5-3 in the MCVL (Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League). The Thunder made it to the semifinals of the MCVL Tournament, falling 1-3 against eventual tournament champion Mount Union.
 
SETTING THE SCENE
HEAD COACH IANDOLO: Mike Iandolo was officially named the Cardinals’ head coach on Dec. 16, removing the interim label he had held since last June. After joining Ball State as an assistant coach prior to the 2022 season, Iandolo helped the men’s program to a 23-4 record, MIVA regular season and tournament titles, and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002, earning the No. 2 seed and a semifinal bye. Since 2022, Iandolo assisted the Cardinals to three 20-win seasons from 2022-24 and three MIVA regular season championships. His promotion ahead of the 2026 season marks the second head coaching role of his career, following a three-year stint at the University of Charleston (W.Va.).
 
NEW-LOOK COACHING STAFF: Head coach Iandolo is joined on the coaching staff by newly acquired assistant coaches Brian Hogg and Charles Norman who were announced to the program in August of 2025. Hogg comes to Ball State after earning two-straight IVA (Independent Volleyball Association) titles and IVA Coach of the Year honors as head coach at Lincoln Memorial from 2024-25, totaling a record of 45-6. Prior to Ball State, Norman helped the women’s team at Barry University to a 24-5 record in 2024 and led the men’s program during its inaugural season in 2025, ranking fourth in the nation in blocks.
 
NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES: The 2026 roster brings 11 well-known returners and seven exciting new additions. Ball State returners include team captains Griffin Satterfield, Wil Basilio, Patrick Rogers and Eyal Rawitz, as well as impactful standouts such as Lucas Machado, Ryan Louis, Braydon Savitski-Lynde, Will Patterson, Marty Canavan, Peter Zurawski and Jason Harris. Entering their first seasons with the program are freshmen Tyler Windt, Adir Ben Shloosh, Daniel Günther and Dante Cayaban as well as transfers Nicholas Everett, Jacob Surette, and 2023 national dig leader (3.56 per set) Victor Scherer.
 
2025 SEASON: The Cardinals finished 2025 with a record of 17-13 along with a 9-7 mark in conference play, ranking fifth in the MIVA. The men ranked third in the conference in blocks with 2.36 per set and points with 16.00 per set. The 2025 season saw Ball State record notable victories over ranked opponents, including #13 Stanford (3-0, Jan. 10), #14 Lewis (3-1, Feb. 13), #16 Ohio State (3-2, Feb. 27), #19 Penn State (3-2, March 15), and #10 McKendree (3-1, March 29). The season concluded as the Cardinals fell 3-2 to #4 Lewis in the MIVA Quarterfinals (April 19).
 
PRESEASON All-MIVA: Outside hitter Patrick Rogers and setter Lucas Machado earned 2026 Preseason All-MIVA honors, with Rogers leading conference voting to be named MIVA Preseason Player of the Year after recording a team-high 363 kills in his second season with the Cardinals while averaging 3.18 per set on a .271 hitting percentage, adding 65 total blocks and a team-leading 33 service aces. Following the 2025 season, Rogers was named All-MIVA first team and an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, then spent the offseason with the U.S. National Team, winning gold at the 2025 NORCECA Final Six and earning tournament MVP honors, as well as capturing silver with the Men’s U23 National Team at the 2025 NORCECA Men’s U23 Pan American Cup. Machado totaled a team-best 771 assists in 2025, averaging 8.38 per set, posted a career-high 54 assists against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 26, reached 40 or more assists seven times, and added 117 digs, 49 total blocks and 22 service aces.
 
AVCA PRESEASON POLL: Ball State enters the 2026 season ranked #16 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll with a total of 144 points. The Cardinals will match up against seven other ranked opponents in the season, including #1 UCLA, #7 Loyola Chicago, #9 Stanford, #12 Lewis, #14 Ohio State, #15 McKendree, and #19 George Mason.

This volleyball skills program is geared towards providing a safe environment where young athletes can develop their skills in volleyball! 

We will also work on the importance of sportsmanship and how to behave in a team environment. The goal of this program is to prepare our athletes to compete at the highest level all while making it affordable and creating the best experience for our participants.

Location: Biltmore Hills
 Date: Mondays and Wednesdays
Time: 7:30 – 8:45 p.m.
Ages: 10 – 14
Cost: $225 Monthly Fee / $30 Drop In
Register on RecLink

Creighton volleyball added an outside hitter from the transfer portal.Trinity Shadd-Ceres has joined the Bluejays after helping Wisconsin to the Final Four last season.Shadd-Ceres played in nine matches with Wisconsin, totaling 12 kills, six digs, four assists, and two blocks.Eight of the Ontario, Canada, native’s kills came during the NCAA Tournament.The 5-foot-11 outside hitter is Creighton’s third high-profile transfer, joining Ayden Ames from Texas and Katie Dalton from Kansas.”Everyone we have talked to about Trinity says she is the best teammate and hardest worker, so she is going to fit right in here at Creighton,” said Creighton head coach Brian Rosen. “She may also be the best overall athlete in any sport to come through! Trinity is so explosive off the floor, has a great arm, and ability to play six rotations. With experience in the Final Four this season, she can handle the big moments. With Angie’s training, there is no limit to her potential and we are all so excited to get her in the gym this spring!” The Bluejays finished the 2025 season with a 28-6 record with their 14th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, 12 consecutive Big East regular season title, sixth Big East Tournament title, and second straight Elite Eight.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

NORTHAMPTON — The Pioneer Valley Regional and Greenfield track and field teams faced off at Smith College in a Valley South matchup on Friday morning. The Green Wave boys delivered a 66-8 win over the Panthers. The Pioneer girls took a 46-41 win over Greenfield.

Pioneer’s Carter Berthiaume scored points for Pioneer and was first overall (5-8.0) in the high jump.

Mason Youmell grabbed a second place overall (8.33, PR) in the 55-hurdles for the Green Wave. Youmell took second overall (5-6.00) in the high jump as well. Youmell took the day off from the 600-meter event to participate in the relay. Shaving some seconds off his overall time in the 600-meter is a personal goal.

“I am really hoping to get 1:27 by the end of the season,” Youmell said. “That seems like a realistic goal. I’ve cut off seconds from all of my personal records. I’ve been doing better.”

In another personal best performance, Ryan Spofford placed second overall (2:57.35) in the 1000-meter.

For context, the overall winner (1:31.45) of the 600-meter event was Owen Platt of Amherst. Alex Scotera placed second overall (1:33.72) in the 600-meter for the Green Wave. The performance was a personal record for Scotera.

Dylan Breiwick placed fourth overall (3:05.23) in the 1000-meter for Greenfield. Breiwick also was fifth overall (5:07.87) in the mile for the Green Wave.

For the Pioneer girls, Harper Hake’s performances in distance events helped fuel the win over the Green Wave. In the mile, Hake scored and took seventh overall (6:29.79).

“I like where I am right now,” Hake said. “I am truing to get a sub six in the mile. I want to get a better time in the two mile too.”

To improve her time in distance events, Hake relies on good nutrition and does runs that are longer than her events. Hake was 10th overall (2:02.32) in the 600-meter. The performance was a personal record for the freshman. In the 2-mile, Hake placed third overall (14:30).

Kyra Tamsin led the charge for the Green Wave in the girls’ events. In the 55-hurdles, Tamsin took first overall (10.48, PR) for Greenfield. Tamsin set another personal record in the 300-meter, placing eighth overall (48.62.)

“My 300 and my 55 hurdles were good,” Tamsin said. “I want my numbers to improve. But as of right now they aren’t bad.”

Lucianne Burnap established a personal record in the 55-hurdles, finishing sixth overall (11.46) for the Panthers. In the field events, Gabby Warriner-Cardin scored points and placed eighth-overall (21-08.50) in the shot put for the Panthers.

Burnap and Addison Chapin both finished tied for fifth (4-4.0) in the high jump for Pioneer.

In the long jump, Holly Babineau scored points and placed eighth-overall (13-09.75) for the Green Wave.

Boys track & field

Athol 27, Commerce 23 — The Bears downed the Raiders in Valley South competition. Elijah Etienne scored points and placed tied for seventh (32-10.50) in the shot put for the Bears.

John Blanchard took 14th overall (2:02.36) in the 600-meter event.

Frontier 41, Mohawk 35 — Ezra Rich’s first place performance in the shot put helped the Redhawks get past the Warriors in Valley North play.

Luke Howard placed second (2:45.76) in the 1000-meter for the Redhawks.

Tanner Biagini placed first overall in the 300-meter for Mohawk. Biagini also scored and placed ninth (6.94) in the 55-meter for the Warriors. Rex Kuoppala placed fourth overall (5:02.19) in the mile.

Peter Healey (11:14.57, third) and Carson Richardson (11:34.70, fourth) impressed in the 2-mile for the Warriors.

Mahar 51, Southwick 22 — The Senators ran past the Rams in Valley North competition.

Danny Quigley was eighth overall (39.18) in the 300-meter for the Senators. Ronnie Stone scored points and placed 15th overall (4-10.0) in the high jump.

Girls track & field

Athol 52, Commerce 1 — In Valley South competition, the Bears cruised past the Raiders. Emily Abram snagged a personal record in the shot put, finishing sixth overall (22-3.25) for Athol.

Mahar 40, Southwick 22 — Stellina Moore helped the Senators to a win over the Rams in Valley North play.

Moore finished tied for fourth overall (14-03.5) in the long jump and tied for third (4-8.0) in the high jump. Moore added a third place finish (9.98) in the 55-hurdles.

Madilyn Moore scored in the shot put for the Senators, finishing seventh (25 feet) overall.

Frontier 78, Mohawk 13 —The Redhawks defeated the Warriors in Valley North competition.

Louise Flagollet placed third in the 300-meter for the Redhawks. Louise Flagollet also took second overall (4-10.0) in the high jump. Phoebe Radner was seventh overall (1:58.44) in the 600-meter. Liv Christensen placed (14:19.49) in the 2-mile for Frontier. Emmanuelle Flagollet took second (9.55) in the 55-hurdles and fourth in the long jump (14-03.50).

Virginia Krezmien scored some points and placed sixth overall (3:40.32) in the 1000-meter for Mohawk. In the mile, Krezmien placed second overall (6:05.67).

BATON ROUGE – LSU Beach Volleyball coach Russell Brock has announced the addition of two transfers – Emily Hellmuth and Zayna Meyer – who will join the Tigers for the upcoming season.

Hellmuth and Meyer come to LSU as grad transfers. The Tigers return 11 players from last year’s team. These two transfers join LSU in addition to six freshmen.

“Really excited about our two additions for this spring,” Brock said. “They are both athletic players with good size and great skills and are excited about the transition to beach. Both, are decorated indoor players who have been seasoned leaders for their teams. Their work ethic, positive attitudes and excitement will be fantastic additions to our culture and our team this year. Couldn’t be more excited to add them to our family.”

Hellmuth comes to LSU after a great four-year career playing indoor volleyball at Pepperdine and Texas A&M University. During her time playing indoor, she was a lethal outside hitter with over 1,000 career kills. Three of her four seasons she recorded at least 300 kills and during a match in her final season, she recorded a career high .667 hitting percentage.  As a senior last year, Hellmuth helped lead the Aggies to the NCAA National Championship Title with 72 digs, 45 blocks, 12 aces and eight assists.

“Emily has been tested as a passer and has great skills as a blocker and hitter. Her offensive ability will transition really well to the sand. She’s faced the biggest challenges under the brightest lights and has excelled in those moments.”

Meyer is coming to LSU following a four-year career playing indoor volleyball in which she finished her final season at UCLA with a total of 187 assists, 62 digs and 11 blocks. During the 2023 season, Meyer was named Big West Setter of the Year while playing indoor at Long Beach State and averaged 10 assists per set.

“Zayna is quick and springy. As one of the elite offensive setters in the country, she brings excellent control of the ball both as a setter and a hitter. Her ability to play above the net will also be a great asset defensively.”