NORMAN – Oklahoma track and field junior and NCAA discus champion Ralford Mullings was named a semifinalist for the prestigious The Bowerman, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Thursday. The honor is bestowed to collegiate track and field’s top male and female athlete for the year.

Semifinalists are determined by members of The Bowerman Advisory Board, who have produced watch lists throughout the season and have provided a ranked-ordered list of 10 athletes who they believe had the most outstanding season. The list of semifinalists represents the group’s consensus.

Mullings is the first Sooner in men’s program history to be named a semifinalist for the prestigious award. Prior to Mullings, women’s thrower and four-time NCAA champion Tia Brooks (2010-13) was Oklahoma’s only semifinalist, having earned the selection in back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013.

Mullings, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, claimed the NCAA Outdoor Championships discus throw title June 14. He tossed the discus for a PR of 69.31m (227’5.00″) to shatter a 33-year-old meet record and surpass world record holder Mykolas Alekna of California. Mullings’ improvement cements his status as the No. 2 performer in collegiate history, his 69.31m (227’5.00″) mark sits ninth on the all-time collegiate chart. He is the first Sooner in program history to earn a national title in the discus throw and earned Oklahoma’s first individual outdoor championship since 2009. 

On Monday, Mullings was named the NCAA Division I National Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA. He becomes the first discus thrower to win the national award since Ryan Whiting in 2010 and is the first Sooner in men’s program history to be named national athlete of the year.

The junior bolstered his impressive season with the SEC Outdoor Championships discus title and three facility records at Baylor, Kentucky and Texas. Mullings currently holds two of the top-10 farthest throws in NCAA history.

The Bowerman Advisory Board will assemble to deliberate who will be named finalists and will announce the three honorees July 8. The winners are chosen by voters and are set to be announced at the USTFCCCA Convention in Grapevine, Texas, December 18.

 

Men’s Semifinalists

Mykolas Alekna, California (Discus)

Jordan Anthony, Arkansas (Sprints)

James Corrigan, BYU (Mid-Distance/Steeple)

Nathaniel Ezekiel, Baylor (Sprints/Hurdles)

Ishmael Kipkurui, New Mexico (Distance)

Carlie Makarawu, Kentucky (Sprints)

Ralford Mullings, Oklahoma (Throws)

Brian Musau, Oklahoma State (Distance)

Ethan Strand, North Carolina (Mid-Distance/Distance)

Ja’Kobe Tharp, Auburn (Hurdles)

CONNECT WITH THE SOONERS

For more information on Oklahoma Track & Field, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Track) and like Oklahoma Sooners Track & Field and Cross Country on Facebook.

 

...MINOR COASTAL FLOODING DURING HIGH TIDE THIS WEEK...

.Peak monthly high tides combined with water levels that are
running higher than predicted will lead to minor flooding along
the shoreline and in low-lying coastal areas. Coastal flooding is
expected around the daily peak tide this afternoon.

...COASTAL FLOOD STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Isolated minor coastal flooding.

* WHERE...Portions of Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai,
Niihau, Oahu and the Big Island.

* WHEN...Through this afternoon.

* IMPACTS...Flooding of beaches that are normally dry, minor
coastal erosion, and saltwater inundation.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Avoid driving through flooded roadways. If you are forced to
drive through salt water, be sure to rinse your vehicle with
fresh water. Move electronics, vehicles or other valuables to
higher ground. Monitor vessels to ensure mooring lines don't get
too tight and watch out for overwash around boat ramps. Secure
canoes or other watercraft stowed on beaches.

&&

Submit your coastal flooding photos to the University of Hawaii;
Sea Grant College Program's Hawaii and Pacific Islands King;
Tides Project at:;

PacificIslandsKingTides.org

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – On the heels of a historic season, Colorado State thrower Mya Lesnar has been named one of 10 finalists for The Bowerman Award – the top honor in collegiate track and field.
 

Beginning in 2009, The Bowerman – named after legendary track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Bill Bowerman – is bestowed to collegiate track and field’s top male and female athlete of the year. The Bowerman Advisory Board, and ultimately, The Bowerman Voters, are instructed to consider performances inclusively from the collegiate indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons only.
 
Lesnar has produced a resume worthy of being considered among the top 10 women for the prestigious award, becoming the first Ram from either CSU program to be named a semifinalist.
 
The crown jewel of her 2025 campaign was the dominant performance that won the NCAA outdoor shot put national championship two weeks ago at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Entering the meet as the heavy favorite, Lesnar surpassed 19 meters on her first attempt (19.01) – a mark only she was able to reach across the entire outdoor season – and secured the second national title of her career. Lesnar’s second-best attempt of 18.87 would also have put her atop the podium.

 

Add to the list a fourth-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships, a pair of First Team All-America honors, two conference shot put gold medals, and the fifth-best outdoor shot put throw in NCAA history (19.60/64-feet-3.75 on May 3) and Lesnar’s case becomes even stronger.

 

The Bowerman will announce its three finalists for the award on July 7, with the winner announced on Thursday, December 18 at the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Convention in Grapevine, Texas.

 

Allstate Sugar Bowl Recognizes State Champs in a Pair of Sports

NEW ORLEANS (June 26, 2025) – The Slidell volleyball team, which became the first public school to win the Division I state title since 2011, have been selected as the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Outstanding Prep Teams from the Greater New Orleans area for 2024-25.

The New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, has selected Sugar Bowl Athletes of the Month and each year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl Sports Awards Banquet presented by LCMC Health on August 2. Honorees are currently being announced, wrapping up with the New Orleans’ Outstanding Girls Prep Team of the Year were Haynes Volleyball and St. Scholastica Swimming. Haynes came together behind sisters Virginia and Marilyn Voitier to upend top-seeded Hannan to capture the LHSAA Division III state championship in the school’s first-ever trip to the state title match. St. Scholastica’s swimming dominance continued as the Doves used a balanced effort to tally 365 points, 91 points ahead of second-place to win their 14th straight Division II team title at the LHSAA state swim meet.

The other finalists for the Jimmy Collins Awards: Brian Marelo, Hahnville

Hank Tierney, Archbishop Shaw Football

Courtney Ward, Sacred Heart Basketball

My-Anh Holmes, Willow Tennis

Kade Anderson, LSU Baseball

Edna Karr Football

Slidell Volleyball

Eddie Robinson Award – July 7 (Monday)

Corbett Award – Female: July 9 (Wednesday)

Shan Foster, Basketball, Bonnabel HS/Vanderbilt/NBA, 2001-13
Joe McKnight, Football, John Curtis Christian School/USC/NFL, 2004-16
www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.

CLEVELAND – LMU Athletics has earned the school’s highest finish in the annual LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Division I Final Standings.
 
LMU placed 94^th overall among Division I schools, surpassing 2024’s previous high mark of 115^th in the nation. Additionally, the Lions placed 7^th among DI non-football schools. This is the first time that LMU has finished inside the top 100 overall and inside the top 10 among non-football schools.

“Achieving our best-ever finish in the Directors’ Cup truly reflects the relentless dedication and hard work of our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff,” said LMU Athletic Director Craig Pintens. “We are eager to keep raising the bar, with the goal of becoming the top Division I-AAA athletic department in the nation still clearly in our sights. This milestone marks yet another step on our journey.”

The Lions earned 200 points, based on the postseason successes of Beach Volleyball, Women’s Volleyball, and Women’s Water Polo. All three teams earned automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament after winning their conference last season.

 

Beach Volleyball earned 90 points, the most-ever in program history, by virtue of advancing all the way to the National Championship dual. The program finished second in the nation this season and extended their NCAA Tournament appearances to five consecutive.

Women’s Volleyball returned to the postseason for the 16^th time after winning their first West Coast Conference Title since 1996. The Lions advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Washington in five sets in the opening round to earn 50 points in the Director’s Cup Standings.

Women’s Water Polo earned the university 60 points as well after returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 and playing in the quarterfinal round against No. 2 UCLA. This spring’s return marked the 10^th NCAA Tournament appearance for Women’s Water Polo.  

 

SCORING REMINDER

Overall, 19 sports are counted in the final DI standings, five of which must be women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and baseball. The next highest (1 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.

The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships.

Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, please visit www.thedirectorscup.com and follow us on Twitter @ldirectorscup.

About Learfield: Learfield is a media, data, and technology services leader in intercollegiate athletics. The company unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. Learfield services include licensing and collegiate sports properties’ multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics and insights; ticketing software; and ticket sales, premium seating, and fundraising services; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for NACDA’s acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, recognizing athletic departments across all divisions.

 

The Fordham Rams men’s water polo team, fresh off their historic season, has announced their highly competitive 2025 schedule. This season includes 13 matches against top-ranked opponents, including four NCAA Championship competitors. The season kicks off with the Bruno Classic featuring MIT and Harvard, followed by a significant showing at the Princeton Invitational where they face defending champs UCLA. The Rams aim to continue their dominance in the MAWPC as they pursue their fifth consecutive championship.

By the Numbers

• 13 matches against 2024 poll-ranked opponents.
• 4 contests versus teams that participated in the National Collegiate Championship.

State of Play

• Season opener at the Bruno Classic on August 30-31 in Rhode Island.
• Key matches include UCLA and Stanford; Rams also host MAWPC championship in November.

What’s Next

The Rams will focus on their initial matchups in August, which set the tone for their season. Following the early tournaments, they anticipate fierce competition in the MAWPC league play, with pivotal contests against other top teams ahead of the championship.

Bottom Line

The Rams’ ambitious 2025 schedule aligns with their aspirations for defending their title, showcasing their commitment to maintaining a high level of competition throughout the season. Key matchups will be crucial for their quest for a fifth consecutive MAWPC title and NCAA Championship berth.