Victoria Cameron wasn’t supposed to be here.

At least, that wasn’t the plan initially, with the Tarleton State University sophomore hardly envisioning a future at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships coming out of Stephenville High School.

Didn’t matter that Cameron came up just seven-hundredths of a second short of Sha’Carri Richardson’s Class 4A 100 meter record at the UIL State Outdoor Championships in May of 2023. Nor did it matter that anyone with eyes could see she had an innate ability to run fast.

Cameron had already committed to play soccer at Tarleton State, just a couple miles down the road from where she grew up.

And two years ago, she was committed to it.

But then, maybe a month before her college start – or maybe as she put her hands on the fence overlooking the pasture at home where her family’s favorite cow grazed – things flipped.

“I realized I couldn’t really leave track,” said Cameron, who lives about four miles from her college campus, in a town of just over 20,000. “Like, there was this attachment to it.”

What a decision that turned out to be.

Victoria Cameron Emerges Over The 2025 Track Season

As Tarleton State made its full-fledged transition to the NCAA Division I in July of 2024, Cameron exploded as a track athlete in 2025, reaching indoor nationals in March before another national qualification came in May.

“(I) just want to put my hometown college on the map,” she said.

Cameron enters the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon with the eighth-fastest wind-legal time in college at 11.01 seconds, securing that effort at the NCAA Division I West First Round in College Station.

Still, there’s a star quality that seems to encircle her.

Take a moment from regionals, for instance. Cameron was recognized inside a restaurant …in College Station, Texas.

“It just makes me happy to have seen that,” she said. “Like, if my name’s out there, my college’s name is out there.”

Tarleton State’s Talented Athlete Is Biding Her Time

That being said, Cameron currently splits her time between two sports.

This fall, she logged 230 minutes in 18 games with the Tarleton State’s women’s soccer team, scoring a goal and generally cutting her teeth in the collegiate game. A few years ago, University of Kentucky track and field legend Abby Steiner did the same.

On the track, however, Cameron is an exceptional sprinter.

From her first outing at 100 meters at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in March to her most recent performance at the Regional Championships – a timeline spanning six meets – Cameron only got better with time, clocking progressive performances of 11.33, 11.25, 11.05 and 11.01 over her last four meets.

In the same venue where she won a state-championship winning 100 meter time of 11.35 seconds in 2023, Cameron ripped off a wind-assisted 11.09 inside Mike Myers Stadium. A few weeks later, in Denton, Texas, she ran a wind-legal 11.22.

“I love seeing my times go down over time,” she said. “Nothing feels better than having a PR so, I don’t know, my love for the sport just kind of helps put everything in place.”

In May, Cameron was named the WAC Conference’s women’s track athlete of the year. This weekend will mark the first time over the outdoor season she will race outside Texas.

The bigger question lies in wake: Will she be able to break 11 seconds?

Victoria Cameron Is Moving Closer To History

Cameron is on the cusp of a barrier that few women in college history have ever reached. Her career best 11.01 is 71st in U.S. history and she’s just outside the NCAA’s top 25 all-time performances.

“As soon as I got to the line, I had an overwhelming feeling of just being able to lock in,” Cameron said of her race. “And then when I came out of the blocks, I kind of knew I was behind, but the biggest key to that race was just having patience throughout it all.”

That being said, the college sophomore isn’t perfect. In the prelims at indoor nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a poor start hindered her first 20 meters and she suffered at the line, running 7.38 seconds–a little over two-tenths off of her career-best 7.14.

Cameron said her focus this spring has been about fixing those issues. She’s been working on block starts and her reaction time.

While the first variable is physical, the second is in some ways mental.

“My reaction time over the season has proven to be a hit or miss – either I’m last out of the blocks, or I’m right up with everyone,” she said. “So I could definitely improve.”

Can The College Sophomore Win An NCAA Title?

It would be unfair to say that Cameron is the favorite heading into nationals.

Four women enter NCAAs with season bests under 11 seconds – TCU’s Indya Mayberry, LSU’s Tima Godbless, Ohio State’s Leah Bertrand and Florida State’s Shenese Walker – while Cameron would have to secure two nearly perfect races across two rounds to claim victory.

But there’s no doubt she’s chasing the moment.

On Thursday, she’ll bring the Tarleton logo to Tracktown, a revered site for track and field greatness.

“As my coach would say, ‘I don’t want it to be a ‘Tarleton-Question-Mark,’ I want it to be a ‘Tarleton-Exclamation-Point,’” Cameron said. “That’s the goal here.”

Leaving her indoor performance behind her, Cameron insists anything can happen this weekend in Eugene. The first objective is reaching the final. The second will be to give herself a shot to win it.

“I believe really anything is possible within track and field due to the fact that it’s not a very forgiving sport,” she said. Indoors, the girl with the fastest time ended up false starting, so anything can happen. So you just gotta give it your all and believe that you’re going to win it before you run it.

What To Know Ahead Of The NCAA Outdoor Track And Field Championsnhips

Nationals begins on Wednesday starting at 1:30 p.m. at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. You can follow live results here. Men’s and women’s competition will alternate days, with the men’s first round action beginning on June 11, the women’s first round following on June 12 and then men’s and women’s finals taking place on June 13 and June 14. The women’s 100 meter first round will kick off at 5:15 p.m. PST on June 12. In the men’s competition, Minnesota is looking to win its first national team title since 1948.

Marshall Volleyball Championship Fund 
 
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Volleyball unveiled its 2025 schedule on Tuesday featuring 10 home matches for the first season under Head Coach Heather Stout.
 

The Herd opens its schedule with the team’s Green & White Scrimmage on August 16 with its first regular-season home match coming against EKU on September 9.
 
In Sun Belt Conference action, Marshall is set to host Coastal Carolina (September 26-27), ULM (October 16-17) and Old Dominion (October 31 and November 1) before closing the home portion of its schedule against App State (November 6-7).
 
MU opens the season at the Radford Tournament (August 29-30) and then heads to the Michigan Invitational (September 5-6), Virginia Tech Tournament (September 11 and 12) and closing non-conference play at the Wofford Invitational (September 19-20).
 
2025 Marshall Volleyball Schedule
Aug. 16 Green & White Scrimmage (Fans First)
Aug. 22 at Ohio (Exhibition)
Radford Tournament
Aug. 29 vs. Kansas City
Aug. 29 vs. EMU
Aug. 30 at Radford
Michigan Invitational
Sept. 5 vs. FAU
Sept. 6 vs. SIU
Sept. 6 at Michigan
Sept. 9 EKU
Virginia Tech Tournament
Sept. 11 at Virginia Tech
Sept. 12 vs. Robert Morris
Sept. 12 vs. UMES
Wofford Invitational
Sept. 19 vs. NAU
Sept. 19 at Wofford
Sept. 20 vs. Gardner-Webb
Sept. 26 Coastal Carolina*
Sept. 27 Coastal Carolina*
Oct. 3 at Georgia Southern*
Oct. 4 at Georgia Southern*
Oct. 9 at James Madison*
Oct. 10 at James Madison*
Oct. 16 ULM*
Oct. 17 ULM*
Oct. 24 at Georgia State*
Oct. 25 at Georgia State*
Oct. 31 ODU*
Nov. 1 ODU*
Nov. 6 App State*
Nov. 7 App State*
Nov. 13 at Southern Miss*
Nov. 14 at Southern Miss*

To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall volleyball, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall volleyball team.

 

To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.

 

—HerdZone.com—

 
 

THE STARTING GUN
Wednesday, June 11
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Decathlon • 12 p.m. • Men’s 100m Semifinals • 5:25 p.m. • Men’s 200m Semifinals • 6:29 p.m.
Hayward Field • Eugene, Ore.
Live Stats • ESPN+ • 12 p.m. • ESPN • 4 p.m.
 
Thursday, June 12
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Decathlon • 9:45 a.m.
Hayward Field • Eugene, Ore.
Live Stats • ESPN+ • 9:45 a.m. • ESPN • 4 p.m.
 
Friday, June 13
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Heptathlon • 11:45 a.m. • Men’s 100m Finals • 5:52 p.m. • Men’s 200m Finals • 6:37 p.m.
Hayward Field • Eugene, Ore.
Live Stats • ESPN+ • 11:45 a.m. • ESPN • 5 p.m.
 
Saturday, June 14
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Heptathlon • 3:30 p.m.
Hayward Field • Eugene, Ore.
Live Stats • ESPN+ • 11:45 a.m. • ESPN • 5 p.m.
 
Long Beach State sends three competitors to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week. ESPN+ streams every event of the meet. ESPN provides four hours of coverage on Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. and four hours again on Thursday from 4-8 p.m. Linear coverage shifts to ESPN 2 on Friday from 5-8 p.m. before the championship wraps up on ESPN 2 from 6-8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
 
Tristyn Flores qualified for nationals in the 100m and 200m during the May 31 NCAA West First Round. Flores broke his own school record in the 100 meters, clocking 10.05 seconds in the second of three heats. His time is the 17th fastest in Division I this season and is a new Big West record. He became the first Long Beach State sprinter to advance to the NCAA finals in the men’s 100 since Brent Gray in 2008.
 
Flores returned for the 200-meter quarterfinals at the NCAA West First Round and tied Gray’s 2007 school record of 20.46. He placed second in his heat to automatically qualify. Flores joins Gray (2007, 2008) and Jaime Barragan (1995) as the only Long Beach State athletes to qualify for nationals in the 200 since Andy Sythe took over the program in 1990.
 
The 100m semifinals are set for Wednesday at 5:25 p.m. If Flores advances to the finals, he will run Friday at 5:52 p.m.
 
Ryan Gregory qualified for the decathlon by scoring a school-record 7,898 points at the Big West Championships May 16-17. Finishing second at the Big West Championships, Gregory broke the previous school record of 7,644 points, set by Aaron Booth in 2021. He enters the national championships with the seventh highest score in Division I this season.
 
Here is Gregory’s Decathlon schedule.

Wednesday	12 p.m.	100m
Wednesday	12:40 p.m.	Long Jump
Wednesday	1:55 p.m.	Shot Put
Wednesday	3:10 p.m.	High Jump
Wednesday	6:43 p.m.	400m
Thursday	9:45 a.m.	110m Hurdles
Thursday	10:35 a.m.	Discus
Thursday	11:45 a.m.	Pole Vault
Thursday	2:15 p.m.	Javelin
Thursday	6:43 p.m.	1500m

 
Claudine Raud-Gumiel earned her way into the national championships by breaking the school record and winning the heptathlon at the May 9-10 Big West Championships. Raud-Gumiel’s 5,698 points broke the previous school mark of 5,671, which Riley Hooks set in 2017 when she became the last Long Beach State entry to win the Big West heptathlon that same year. Her 5,698 point performance is the 16th best in Division I during the 2025 campaign.
 
Here is Raud-Gumiel’s Heptathlon schedule.

Friday	11:45 a.m.	100m Hurdles
Friday	12:45 p.m.	High Jump
Friday	2:45 p.m.	Shot Put
Friday	6:43 p.m.	200m
Saturday	3:30 p.m.	Long Jump
Saturday	4:45 p.m.	Javelin
Saturday	7:43 p.m.	800m

 

~#LongBeachBuilt~

 
 
 

Abraham Johnson stared at the scoreboard in disbelief.

The Eastern Illinois freshman had qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a personal-best triple jump of 16.10 meters at regionals in College Station, Texas.

When the announcer called his name, the weight of the moment finally hit him.

“I ultimately couldn’t cry because I was still processing,” Johnson said. “But then once I heard my name over the intercom I had to run over to coach [James Gildon and Riley Baker] and let the emotions out. I had been chasing this exact moment and this exact number all season, and to finally achieve it was a blessing.”

Johnson had just accomplished a goal he set long before he ever stepped onto a collegiate track.

“It means a lot,” he said. “I remember before I started competing collegiately, I would always see those boards that said ‘ticket punched’ and I said I was gonna get one of those one day.”

Now he’s one of just 24 triple jumpers in the country heading to the NCAA championships, and one of only four freshmen.

“It’s crazy in my opinion,” Johnson said. “It kinda felt like an underdog story. I was able to pull through, even with the troubles of my spikes almost getting me disqualified.”

That near disqualification came just 20 minutes before regionals.

Johnson said he was on his phone when he came across a post showing banned spike models, and the ones he had worn all season, Nike Triple Jump Elite 2, were on there.

Director of Track & Field James Gildon explained that the responsibility for knowing which spikes are legal lies with the coaches and athletes, not the officials inspecting them. He said there was some confusion because Nike produces several different models.

“The sole was, I think, three millimeters over what it needs to be,” he said, “And the Nike Threes are compliant.”

Luckily, Johnson had other cleats with him. But he had to quickly adjust to competing in Adidas cleats instead of his usual spikes.

For the upcoming competition, Johnson will be competing in the Nike Triple Jump Elite 3, according to Gildon.

Even before that moment, Johnson had been battling what he called the biggest challenge of his season: minor injuries, which included knee pain.

“I have never had knee pain before, but as soon as it came around it messed with me mentally,” he said.

The day before his competition, Johnson said the pain was the worst he had ever really felt before, so he turned to prayer.

“As soon as I got back to the hotel, I pleaded to God to give me a sign that he would be there with me during competition,” he said. “And all of a sudden I wasn’t experiencing any type of knee pain.”

Johnson credits God for his success.

“God has played the biggest part in my journey as a track athlete,” he said. “When I would think all would fail, God came and told and showed me something different.”

Now, with the NCAA championships in Eugene, Oregon, on the horizon, Johnson is sticking to what’s worked.

“I am just going to do what I always do,” he said. “Keep putting in that work and putting my faith in Jesus Christ.”

And Gildon said their approach to preparation won’t change much heading into the biggest meet of the season.

“We’re going to prepare like we’ve been preparing,” he said. “In terms of the X’s and O’s and the physical training of it.”

Gildon also emphasized the mental training for what he called the biggest meet Johnson’s ever competed in.

“There’s a lot of opportunity to be distracted with kind of the outside noise and venue,” Gildon said. “So just helping him, kind of staying focused on keeping the main thing the main thing.”

Gildon believes Johnson’s experience will help. Saying Johnson has competed well at championships throughout the year, and Gildon is confident he’ll be locked in when it matters most.

“By the time Friday comes, I’d like to think he’ll be dialed in and ready to go, hopefully being All-American,” he said.

Johnson is the second straight Panther to qualify for the NCAA outdoor championships, following Ramsey Hunt’s runner-up long jump finish last year.

Gildon said the accomplishment reflects the program’s competitive ability and commitment to development.

“It kind of highlights our ability to compete at a high level,” he said. “So hopefully this kind of radiates throughout our region into recruiting and such that you can do it here. And that’s one thing that I want all our student athletes to buy into is that you can do it here at Eastern Illinois University with the coaches, the resources that we have, we can compete at a very high level,” he said.

The championships start Wednesday afternoon at the University of Oregon. The men’s triple jump competition will begin at 5:10 p.m. on Friday. Johnson will compete in flight one. The competition will be broadcast on ESPN+.

---

The Panthers dropped a 26-24, 16-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-12 showdown against familiar foe North Allegheny on Tuesday in Bellefonte.

The 2025 Central York boys’ volleyball season came to a dramatic but heartbreaking conclusion Tuesday evening, as the Panthers dropped a five-set battle to North Allegheny in the PIAA Class 3A semifinals at Bald Eagle Area High School in Bellefonte.

A 26-24, 16-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-12 setback finished Central York’s spring with an 18-4 record. The Panthers shared the York-Adams League’s regular-season title, took silver in the YAIAA and District 3 tournaments and swept a pair of state playoff showdowns.

District 7 champion North Allegheny advanced to face District 3 gold medalist Cumberland Valley in the championship match Saturday in Penn State’s Rec Hall. The unbeaten, top-ranked Eagles — who previously beat Central York in the district final June 1 — earned a four-set triumph over Governor Mifflin later Tuesday night.

All-state seniors John He and Lance Shaffer didn’t go down without a battle. He finished with 28 kills and 10 digs, while Shaffer dished 51 assists and 12 digs across five frames. Central’s offense received 11 kills from sophomore Ian DeVos, 10 from senior Patrick Siewert and eight from senior Aden Thompson. Sophomore Shivesh Jethwa added 24 digs.

Shaffer was on the floor for the Panthers’ last two semifinal setbacks. Central was swept by Shaler in 2023 and Parkland in 2024 — those two programs met in both finals, with Parkland taking the first bout and Shaler winning last year — before making a much stronger run Tuesday. But the quest for an eighth PIAA title and 14th championship match remains in progress.

The 2023 Panthers, who also entered the state bracket as the District 3 runner-up, beat North Allegheny at home in a five-set, first-round classic. That knockout officially ended the Tigers’ reign of four consecutive state titles (2018-22) and eight finals in 11 seasons. North Allegheny also dropped its opening tilt against Warwick in 2024. This year’s Tigers returned to the top of the WPIAL in May before marching back to championship Saturday.

Central York has reloaded from one generation to the next, almost without pause, for four-plus decades. This year’s seniors were the last to have played under beloved longtime coach Todd Goodling, who died in January 2023. John Feldmann, who has served as a co-head coach since that season, played at Central under Goodling and takes pride in passing down the lessons he learned from the school Hall of Famer. Those lessons will continue in 2026 and beyond.

This story will be updated.

EUGENE – Arkansas assistant coach Bryan Compton will retire upon the conclusion of his 26th year with the Razorback women’s track and field program following the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships being held this week at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.

“It’s been a fun ride, and 26 years here for an assistant is a long time to stay at one place,” noted Compton. “That’s a sign of the stability this program has for all the coaches that have been here.

“I’m very fortunate to have 26 years with this program. When I arrived in 1998, we weren’t anywhere close to the top, and we’ve gotten to where we are now from the hard work of a lot of coaches and women who have built this program.”

Accolades that include coaching conference and national champions, World and Olympic medalists, as well as collegiate, international, and American records highlight an impressive and lengthy resume by Compton during his time with the Razorbacks.

Compton has been part of the Arkansas women’s program as it achieved nine NCAA team titles and 40 SEC team championships, which includes 14 SEC Indoor and 10 SEC Outdoor team titles.

“Ever since I joined the staff as a volunteer back in 2000 and then coming back in 2012, he’s been a mainstay with the program,” said Arkansas women’s head coach Chris Johnson. “His resume stands alone and we’re fortunate to have had him. He has a passion for the sport. It’s going to be very difficult to replace him if you will. I think he’s irreplaceable in terms of what he’s been able to do at the University of Arkansas.

“He helped Coach Harter develop the program to the point we have it, and when I took over he’s been a great help in pushing this program forward. Any time you get to coach for 40 years, with 26 of them being at the University of Arkansas, it’s impressive.”

Compton established an elite group of pole vaulters at Arkansas, and he also had a hand in developing athletes in multiple field events as well as combined events.

A total of 11 national champions, with nine attained in the pole vault, were coached by Compton. The two additional NCAA titles came in assisting with Taliyah Brooks, who won the 2018 NCAA Indoor heptathlon, and Rachel Glenn, who equaled the collegiate record of 6-6.75 (2.00) in winning the 2024 NCAA Indoor high jump.

Honors among the athletes coached by Compton include 93 All-Americans, a Bowerman semifinalist and finalist, five Olympians, and an Olympic silver medalist with Sandi Morris at the 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro.

Morris also claimed a pair of World Indoor gold medals in 2018 and 2022 while earning three silver medals at World Outdoor Championships in 2017, 2019, and 2022.

“You dream of it as a coach of having athletes in the Olympics,” said Compton. “The kids have a great talent, but to make a USA team is hard to do in any event.

“I’m very fortunate to have the Olympians and even the international kids like Tina Sutej and Makeba Alcide, who went on to compete in the Olympics and World Championships as well. It’s something I’ll always cherish.”

Compton managed to accomplish those impressive achievements at Arkansas from very basic beginnings.

“When I arrived in 1998, there were no pole vaulters and no poles,” Compton noted. “It was really just getting started. April Steiner was the first 13-footer in the SEC, and we really thought that was a big thing back then. Now, you don’t even place at conference with a 13-foot mark.

“April was the first of almost everything here. She wasn’t the first pole vaulter here, but she was the first All-American, the first SEC champion, and the first Olympian in Beijing. April was one that got it all kicked off for us and we kept it rolling from there.”

Early success drew interest in the program and the pole vault became a vital point-producing event for the Razorbacks on the conference and national level.

“Pole vault is one of those events that can collect talent,” Compton said. “Once you have a program it’s a lot easier to recruit. They hear about it and want to know what the coaching is like and plus the winning part of it. They gravitate to whatever program is doing well, and we were fortunate to have all the ones that came through here.

“I’ve got one son, and I have a ton of daughters I feel like. I get to watch them grow up, get married, and have kids. They come back and bring their kids to visit you. It’s really rewarding to be part of their life in some part, and they feel the same way.”

Five Razorback vaulters combined for nine national championships in the pole vault, and seven vaulters totaled nine silver medal finishes at NCAA Championships.

Claiming NCAA Indoor titles were Tina Sutej (2011, 2012), Sandi Morris (2015), Lexi Jacobus [nee Weeks] (2016, 2018, 2019), and Amanda Fassold (2023). NCAA Outdoor titles were attained by Jacobus (2016) and Tori Hoggard [nee Weeks] (2019).

On the conference level Arkansas has totaled 26 SEC titles in the pole vault, 12 at SEC Indoor and 14 at SEC Outdoor.

“At first you claw your way up to get the first SEC title, then you claw your way to get that first national title,” said Compton. “Then keeping it up there at a high level is such hard work for the girls, coaches, training staff, and everybody. It’s rewarding as well.”

Coaching honors for Compton include being named Indoor National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2019. He received three region Assistant Coach of the Year accolades in the South Central (2017, 2019) and Mideast Region (2005).