WATERVILLE — The University of Maine at Farmington men’s track and field team dominated the competition on Friday and Saturday, capturing the 2025 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship. The win marks the Beavers’ first NAC Championship in program history.

The Beavers left no doubt, earning 227 points — 78 more than the runners-up from Thomas College. In total, the Beavers won nine events, including both relays, en route to the monumental victory.

The event kicked off Friday afternoon with two events: the pole vault and the high jump. Farmington got off to a fast start as Seamus Reeve (Kittery, Maine) scored ten huge points by earning the NAC title in the pole vault. Reeve cleared the 3.35-meter mark to capture first place, becoming the first Beaver in program history to win the pole vault at the NAC Championship. First-year Owen Booker (Lisbon, Maine) finished just behind Reeve, placing second overall after clearing the 3.20-meter mark on his first attempt.

In the high jump on Friday, Ben Vachon (Portland, Maine) set a program record and qualified for the New England Championship after clearing 1.90 meters. Vachon claimed second overall, earning eight big points. Booker placed sixth overall in the event after clearing the 1.80-meter mark.

Senior Justin Castaldo (Scarborough, Maine) earned a pair of victories on Saturday, winning NAC Championship titles in both the 1,500 and 800 meters. Castaldo ran away from the rest of the field in the 800 meters, finishing with a time of 1:58.17 — six seconds faster than the second-place finisher. In the 1,500 meters, Castaldo finished two seconds ahead of teammate Ethan Linscott (Lakeville, Maine), who took home second place. Castaldo posted a time of 4:10.21. As a team in the 1,500 meters, Farmington had four of the top six finishers: Castaldo (1st), Linscott (2nd), Alexander Gagnon (Goffstown, N.H.) (5th), and Jimmy Reel (Nashua, N.H.) (6th).

Linscott and Connor Freeman (Bath, Maine) also scored meaningful points in the 800 meters. Linscott finished third with a time of 2:07.77, while Freeman was fifth with a time of 2:11.41.

Farmington scored massive points in the 5,000 meters, with five of the six scoring runners being Beavers. Andrew LaFlamme (Nashua, N.H.) finished first with a time of 16:16.15, a second and a half faster than David Hileman of Husson, who placed second. Gagnon placed third (16:23.81), Reel was fourth (16:43.05), James Riley finished fifth (16:55.56), and Samuel Perkins (Jay, Maine) was sixth (17:19.54). In total, the five Beavers combined to earn 23 points in the event.

Nate Trussell (Berwick, Maine) had a strong day for Farmington, earning 26 individual points. He placed first overall in the 110-meter hurdles, second in the 100 meters, and second in the 400-meter hurdles. Trussell finished the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.11 seconds to take first place. He posted a time of 11.75 in the 100 meters to earn second place, and in the 400-meter hurdles, he finished just 0.11 seconds out of first, clocking in at 1:02.60.

Logan Burns (Islesboro, Maine) and Reeve placed third and fourth, respectively, in the 100 meters, combining for ten more points for Farmington. Burns finished with a time of 11.88 seconds, just ahead of Reeve’s 11.92-second finish.

Farmington’s distance runners continued their outstanding performance in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, sweeping the top three spots. LaFlamme finished first (10:58.45), Freeman was second (11:03.22), and Perkins third (11:08.09).

After his second-place finish on Friday, Vachon returned Saturday with two more strong performances. He placed second in the long jump (6.46 meters) and third in the triple jump (12.14 meters).

Burns and Booker also scored points in both the long jump and triple jump. Burns placed third in the long jump with a jump of 6.38 meters, and Booker was fifth at 6.30 meters. In the triple jump, Burns placed fifth (11.98 meters) and Booker was sixth (11.95 meters).

In the throws, sophomore Alex Crews (Winslow, Maine) had an impressive day. Crews was crowned NAC Champion in the shot put and took second in the hammer throw. His winning throw in the shot put measured 13.68 meters — more than six feet further than any other competitor. In the hammer throw, Crews’ best attempt was 40.85 meters.

The Beavers also dominated both the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays. In the 4×100, the team of Trussell, Burns, Reeve, and Vachon posted a time of 44.41 seconds, over a second faster than Thomas College. In the 4×400, Burns, Booker, Linscott, and Castaldo posted a time of 3:41.46 to earn the top spot.

The Beavers will enjoy this historic win as they prepare for the New England Championships next weekend at the Coast Guard Academy.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

The Maple Mountain boys volleyball team was invited to the inaugural First Point High School Boys Invitational in March, competing at the Austin (Texas) Sports Center against some of the top teams in the country.

The Golden Eagles, who won the first-ever Utah 5A boys volleyball title last spring, represented the state well. They finished second in the Legacy Division, losing just one match to No. 1 seed Windward (Calif.).

Maple Mountain has been one of the most dominant programs in the state the past two seasons and has won 36 consecutive matches against Utah competition. The Golden Eagles continued the streak on Tuesday, moving to 23-1 overall and 10-0 in Region 7 play with a sweep (25-17, 25-16, 25-18) of Springville.

The First Point tournament showcased just what kind of boys volleyball is being played in Utah.

“It was cool to see the players from all the states there, even those states that don’t have high school volleyball,” Maple Mountain senior Trey Thornton said. “I know a bunch of the kids playing. Volleyball isn’t the biggest sport right now but it’s growing. So it was cool representing Utah. It’s a great state to represent.”

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

Maple Mountain also got some cool uniforms from the First Point Tournament, designed exclusively by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Slunks, a popular volleyball apparel company.

“Everyone got custom uniforms to represent their state,” Maple Mountain coach Napoleon Galang said. “It was a great honor. They look cool and the boys love them, but it really means more than that. It’s really for them to pioneer, leave a legacy and represent Utah in a positive way. And there’s no better team, in my opinion, to represent Utah in that tournament.”

Galang is in his first year as head coach for the Golden Eagles after spending the past two as an assistant. The team is built around the 6-foot-7 Thornton, who has signed with BYU, 6-6 senior middle blocker Manase Storey and 6-7 junior setter Taft Hillman, all of whom played a big part in the team’s state title last season.

Thornton, who moved to Utah from Alabama last season, quickly became on of the Beehive state’s premier players. As a junior, he finished with 429 kills (4.6 per set) and hit .364, sweeping the state’s Mr. Volleyball and the Daily Herald’s Offensive MVP awards.

Thornton’s numbers are soaring again this season. He’s already totaled 300 kills (4.3 per set) and has raised his hitting percentage to .472 against defenses designed to stopping him.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

“This year, he’s trying to be a more cerebral player,” Galang said. “In whatever situation we’re in, he’s such a smart player. He’s focused on less errors this year, and it’s reflected in his numbers. He’s focusing on his passing, making good, smart plays and bouncing it when it’s the right moment. He’s improved his volleyball IQ, which was already high, and he’s making everyone around him better.”

Thornton’s totals would be even higher but for the dominance of the Golden Eagles, who have claimed 19 of their 23 victories in straight sets, including the past six matches in a row. He pounded out 27 kills against Skyridge in a five-set win earlier this season and had 25 in a five-setter against 4A No. 1 Orem.

On Tuesday against Springville, Thornton had 13 kills on 19 swings with just three errors for a hitting percentage of .526.

“I’ve been working with my setter (Hillman) and trying to ID the ball earlier, seeing whether it’s inside or outside,” Thornton said. “I’m working and trusting my teammates that they’re going to give me a good set and it’s going to work.

“One of our greatest strengths is we have great bench players. We can practice a championship game in our gym, which not many people can say they can. And we have great support from the community.”

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

Thornton said he plans on playing his freshman season at BYU before serving a church mission. The Cougars would do well to keep an eye on Hillman as well, the son of former BYU standout Joe Hillman, who is an assistant coach at Maple Mountain.

Galang has plugged in two freshmen — outside hitter Kimball Olsen and libero McKay Beattie — and credits the leadership of Thornton and Storey in the Golden Eagles 2025 success.

“They (the freshmen) are some of the hardest working players I’ve seen,” Thornton said. “They want it. They want to play college, they want to win, they want to do all the big things, and they’re doing the right things for sure.”

Maple Mountain will likely hold on to its No. 1 RPI spot and be the top seed when the 5A state tournament begins at Utah Valley’s UCCU Center on May 9.

“From the beginning, the players knew what the goal was, and that is to win state again,” Galang said. “Every day in the gym we give the players challenges. We have to keep them challenged in every aspect of the game. They know they have to stay on top of it, because everybody is after us. As long as we play our game, play consistently and clean, and win the serve and pass game, it’s going to be ours to lose.”

Thornton added, “Every point is a mini game. We win our mini games, we win the game. We just need to stay hungry every point, locking in on doing what we need to do in practice and that will reflect on the court.”

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the Live Oak boys volleyball program restarted but had minimal success on the court. In the spring of 2022, the Acorns were just 1-11 overall, 1-8 in league.

The next two years brought some progress but now the Acorns have really put it together. From the cellar to the penthouse. It has been an incredible 2025 to this point, as Live Oak is 17-6 overall and in first place at 12-0 in the Blossom Valley Athletic League, West Valley Division.

“Three years ago, I was a freshman on the team and we won just one match,” said senior libero Ignacio Macias, after Live Oak beat Overfelt April 10. “We have come so far. Then we won seven, then eight, and this year, we have won 13 with eight matches left.”

In the past two weeks, four more victories have increased the total to 17. In league play, the Acorns have a two-game lead over Mt. Pleasant, with four league matches remaining.

“The one thing that stands out to me is how hard they work year over year and I am so proud of them,” coach Jens Wagner said. “I’ve got quite a few seniors and juniors. They’ve played together for multiple years.”

This season, early  results produced a 3-5 record but toughened the team against strong opponents. The wins came against Rancho San Juan, Kelseyville and Skyline. League play commenced and the Acorns are dominating. The 12-0 mark includes nine sweeps.

“I have two of the best in the league,” Wagner said. “Joel Nogueda is the best setter in the league. And Gabe (Castellanos) is one of the two or three best outside hitters. He does everything, from blocking and defense to hitting and tipping.”

The basketball backcourt of Devon DeHaro and Ethan Estrada Sanchez are a formidable pair of middle blockers. Other contributions in the middle come from Luke Miller, also a Live Oak basketball player, and Cruz Pate.

The power at the net beyond Castellanos features the strong attack of Tobyn Ngen, along with contributions from sophomore Cash Parker and junior Isaiah Flores.

“I try to establish a strong middle attack,” Nogueda said. “Then it builds up my outside hitters and they don’t know where to block us. I love my middles.”

 Castellanos knows from where it all starts—in the back.

“The key to our success, 1,000%, is defense and passing,” Castellanos said.

That comes with the athletic play and team leadership of Macias. The cool senior digs and passes with precision. That enables Nogueda to utilize various options for attacks. Other teams in the league cannot match the pair of Macias and Nogueda.

At the Overfelt gym, Live Oak pulled ahead early in the first set and fended off the Royals to win 25-20. However, in the second set, the home team rebounded and a late charge gave Overfelt the set and tied matters at one apiece.

Wagner tightened his rotation thereafter but primarily it was exemplary play by a focused group of Acorns that then made the difference. In the third set, DeHaro belted three early kills and Ngen smashed two more as Live Oak bolted ahead 12-3. The bench led the on-court players in the “Tobyn-ator” cheer after Ngen’s blasts.

A rattled Overfelt team made mistakes. When they hit the ball wide or long, the Acorns joked in unison, “There’s no court there.” Live Oak was in control and everyone in the gym knew it.

“We brought more energy in that third set,” Nogueda said.

The roll continued and Live Oak extended the lead to as much as 14 points. Estrada Sanchez was particularly dominant in the middle, but contributions came from all over. As is the Acorns’ usual formula for success, serve receive and digs were solid. LOHS won the set 25-13. 

“We brought all our energy,” Macias said. “They are our rivals in the league and this meant a lot for us.”

Live Oak continued strong in the fourth set and the Royals had no answer. Nogueda, superb at setting all night, also contributed two big blocks in an early run. 

DeHaro and Estrada Sanchez put balls down from the middle. Castellanos added three kills and Ngen rejected an overpass and whipped a bullet cross-court for another point. Two Overfelt timeouts could not stem the tide as the Acorns built a lead of 19-3 on their way to the 25-13 victory that closed the night.

“It’s a really good feeling,” Castellanos said. “We took a little while to adjust to the environment here and then we were good. We have high expectations this season. We want to qualify for CCS.”

A league title is within their sights now. That would advance them into a CCS play-in game against the second-place team from the higher Santa Teresa Division. That CCS opener would likely be May 12, with the remaining playoff games to follow quickly, concluding with CCS finals May 17.

For a program that was only 1-11 just three years ago, it is quite an accomplishment to be on the verge of a league title and potentially an unbeaten league season. Going from one win all season to as many as 21.

It is even more notable to see the success in comparison to the earlier years. From 2011-12 through the pandemic, Live Oak struggled. In the past nine years, the Acorns’ cumulative record was 21-74 and just 19-63 in league play. Only one year had more than three wins. 

Live Oak won zero or just one league game in five of the nine seasons and only one year had more than three league victories.

The view today comes from the top of the BVAL West Valley Division. It bears the fruit of hard work and a dedicated staff and team. From recent struggles all the way to a 17-6 overall record, 12-0 in league play. There is more work to do this season, but a CCS play-in game is on the horizon, with perhaps more playoff games to follow.

HONOLULU – The Hawai’i women’s track and field team will head back to Southern California for one final tune-up before postseason action at the Steve Scott Invitational Friday and Saturday at UC Irvine.
 
The action gets underway at 9 a.m. HT on Friday and 8 a.m. HT on Saturday as a group of 27 Rainbow Wahine athletes will compete in the final regular season meet of the outdoor season.
 

The Rainbow Wahine currently hold six Big West top-three marks highlighted by Tara Wyllie’s conference-leading triple jump mark. Wyllie earned Big West Field Athlete of the Week honors following the Stanford Invitational after posting a league-best jump of 12.93m (42-5.25) to also improve upon her No. 2 mark in school history.
 
Lucy Milliner has gotten her collegiate outdoor career off to a blazing start, setting the program record in the 1500m each of the last three times out. Milliner is currently third in the Big West in the 1500m with a time of 4:21.11 and third in the 800m at 2:07.05.
 
Helen Hoadley comes into the week third in the conference in the pole vault with a school-record mark of 4.18m (13-8.5) while freshman Lindsey Koch is close behind in fifth in the Big West at 3.83m (12-6.75).
 
The 2023 Big West high jump champion, Lilian Turban, is currently third in the conference with a mark of 1.76m (5-9.25) while Maya Holman is third in the javelin at 43.28m (142-0).
 
Following this weekend’s action, the Rainbow Wahine will get set for the Big West Championships, starting with the multi events May 9-10 followed by the full meet May 16-17 in Long Beach, Calif.
 

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The University of Hawaii at Manoa is parting ways with its beach volleyball head coach.

Acting athletics director Lois Manin announced Wednesday that Evan Silberstein’s contract ends on May 31 and will not be renewed.

“We have decided to move in a different direction with our beach volleyball program,” Manin said in a statement. “We appreciate everything Evan has given to this program as both an assistant and head coach and we wish him well.”

Silberstein has been head coach for the last four seasons, and has a 89-59 record.

Last year, the ‘Bows won the Big West Conference, but this season, the team was seven games below .500 and missed the NCAA tournament.

Assistant coach Nick Castello will serve as interim head coach until a new coach is hired.

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