LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State Athletics is excited to welcome Jennifer Chow who will be joining the department in a new position as the Associate Athletic Director of Marketing Strategy and Fan Engagement.
 
A proven leader in college athletics marketing bringing over a decade of experience from both Power 5 and Mid-Major Universities, Chow has a deep understanding of fan experience, storytelling and brand strategy.
 
Most recently leading the Stanford fan experience unit as its senior director, Chow played a major role in numerous noteworthy projects, including a victory celebration celebrating Women’s Basketball Head Coach Tara VanDerveer’s record breaking 1,203rd victory.  Managing a large budget and a high performing team, her efforts enhancing in-game production and elevating fan experience with the Cardinal since 2021.
 
Prior to her time at Stanford, Chow was the Director of Marketing and Fan Experience at Washington State, working primarily with Football and Men’s Basketball, where she won a Single-Game Sales Campaign award for her efforts supporting the jersey retirement of Klay Thompson. She also has Big West experience as a director, working for three seasons at Cal Poly, managing all marketing and fan experience efforts for the Mustangs.
 

This position marks a return to her start in collegiate athletics professionally, as Chow worked with Long Beach State Athletics while earning her Master’s Degree in Sport Management. After her graduation, she went on to work as an intern for the NCAA in Championships & Alliances in Indianapolis before joining Louisiana State as an Assistant Director of Marketing, where she spent two years.
 
“Her career has been marked by innovation, collaboration and results,” said Gladie Jaffe, Deputy Athletics Director. “She’s produced game-changing campaigns, record-breaking celebrations, and unforgettable moments across multiple sports. I’m thrilled she’s returning home to lead us into a new era of engagement, revenue generation, brand advancement, and community connection.”
 
“I’m incredibly honored and proud to return to Long Beach State—a university that played a pivotal role in shaping both my personal and professional journey,” said Chow. “Stepping into this role truly feels like coming home. With a renewed perspective and deep sense of purpose, I’m committed to elevating our rich traditions, amplifying the voices of our student-athletes, and advancing the Long Beach State Athletics brand with creativity, integrity, and passion. I am excited for the opportunity to contribute and grow—Let’s Go Beach!”
 

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (theACC.com) – After two days of the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the Louisville women and Duke men sit atop the leaderboards. The Duke men hold a 16-point advantage over second-place North Carolina, while Louisville boasts a much slimmer two-point lead over California. Throughout the first two days of the ACC Championships, 13 total Kentner Stadium facility records have fallen.
 
Notre Dame’s Jadin O’Brien became a four-time ACC Champion by winning the heptathlon with an ACC Championship record of 6,220 points. The senior won all seven events over the course of two days and broke the 10-year-old meet record by 163 points. O’Brien, who was the national runner-up in 2024, was joined on the podium by her teammate Alaina Brady and Louisville’s Lucy Fellows, who finished in second and third, respectively. O’Brien also became the first Notre Dame student-athlete to ever win the ACC title in the heptathlon.
 

NC State’s Angelina Napoleon set the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championship record in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase on Friday, crossing the finish line in 9:27.85. Napoleon shattered the previous record by more than 13 seconds on her way to victory. Louisville’s Layla Roebke finished second (9:54.20), while North Carolina’s Sydney Masciarelli took third (9:57.75) with all three podium finishes being personal bests.
 
Louisville’s Paul Kallenberg won his second ACC decathlon championship on Friday, while his teammate, KJ Byrd, finished second. The 2023 ACC Champion logged a personal-best 7,944 points on his way to earning the gold medal. Byrd finished with 7,849 points, while North Carolina’s Max Stakun-Pickering logged 7,596 points for a third-place finish.
 

In the women’s long jump, Stanford’s Alyssa Jones became the Cardinal’s first-ever ACC outdoor track & field gold medalist, with a jump of 6.54 meters (21-5.5). Her mark was just two-hundredths of a meter shy of the meet record. Louisville’s Synclair Savage captured second, while Jones’ Stanford teammate Teagan Zwaanstra finished in third place.
 
A pair of freshmen claimed the top two spots on the men’s long jump podium with NC State’s Tyson Adams claiming the crown. The Wolfpack newcomer posted a mark of 7.69 meters (25-2.75) to sneak past Cal’s Trevor Rogers (7.66m/25-1.75). Duke’s Maxwell Forte was the bronze medalist with a 7.52-meter (24-8.25) mark.
 

Duke’s Simen Guttormsen swept the ACC pole vault championships, winning both the indoor and outdoor titles on the year. The 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field national champion cleared 5.50 meters (18-0.5) on Friday to win the gold medal. Louisville’s Lucas Couron, California’s Tyler Burns and Virginia Tech’s Conner McClure all finished tied for second, clearing 5.31 meters (17-5) on their second attempts.
 
Facility records fell in several preliminary events on the track, including the men’s and women’s 100-meter dash, women’s 100-meter hurdles, women’s 400-meter dash and men’s pole vault. North Carolina’s Makayla Paige also tied the facility record in the women’s 800-meter run.
 
 
Top-Three Event Finishers
Women’s Heptathlon

1. Jadin O’Brien, Notre Dame, 6220 points [MR, FR]
2. Alaina Brady, Notre Dame, 5751 points
3. Lucy Fellows, Louisville, 5603 points

 
Men’s Decathlon

1. Paul Kallenberg, Louisville, 7,944 points
2. KJ Byrd, Louisville, 7,849 points
3. Max Stakun-Pickering, 7,596 points

 
Women’s Long Jump

1. Alyssa Jones, Stanford, 6.54m (21-5.5) [FR]
2. Synclair Savage, Louisville, 6.41m (21-0.5)
3. Teagan Zwaanstra, Stanford, 6.26m (20-6.5)

 
Women’s Shot Put

1. Jayden Ulrich, Louisville, 17.56m (57-7.5)
2. Lucija Leko, California, 16.80m (55-1.5)
3. Caisa-Marie Lindfors, California, 16.67m (54-8.25)

 
Men’s Shot Put

1. Tommy Kitchell, North Carolina, 20.18m (66-2.5)
2. Noah Koch, Louisville, 18.44m (60-6)
3. Nicholas Bodbehere, California, 18.21m (59-9)

 
Men’s Long Jump

1. Tyson Adams, NC State, 7.69m (25-2.75)
2. Trevor Rogers, California, 7.66m (25-1.75)
3. Maxwell Forte, Duke, 7.52m (24-8.25)

 
Men’s Pole Vault

1. Simen Guttormsen, Duke, 5.60m (18-4.5) [FR]
2. Lucas Couron, Louisville; Tyler Burns, California; Conner McClure, Virginia Tech, 5.31m (17-5)

 
Women’s 3000m Steeplechase

1. Angelina Napoleon, NC State, 9:27.85 [MR]
2. Layla Roebke, Louisville, 9:54.20
3. Sydner Masciarelli, North Carolina, 9:57.75

 
Men’s 3000m Steeplechase

1. Brett Gardner, NC State, 8:40.55
2. CJ Singleton, Notre Dame, 8:42.41
3. Declan Rymer, Virginia Tech, 8:42.65

 
MR – Meet Record
FR – Facility Record
 
Women’s Team Scores (7 of 21 events scored)

1.	Louisville	44 points
2.	California	42
3.	Notre Dame	38
4.	Virginia Tech	31
5.	Virginia	20
6,	Stanford	18
7.	Duke	16
8.	NC State	15
9.	North Carolina	13
10.	Florida State	9
11.	Pitt	7
T-12.	Georgia Tech	4
	SMU	4
	Syracuse	4
T-15.	Clemson	3
	Wake Forest	3
16.	Miami	2
17.	Boston College	0

 
Men’s Team Scores (8 of 21 events scored)

1.	Duke	57 points
2.	North Carolina	41
3.	Louisville	37.33
4.	California	34.83
5.	Virginia Tech	27.33
6.	NC State	24
7.	Notre Dame	17
8.	Stanford	15.5
9.	Virginia	13
10.	Syracuse	12
11.	Miami	10
12.	Florida State	9
13.	Pitt	7
14.	Wake Forest	4
15.	Georgia Tech	3
T-16.	Boston College	0
	Clemson	0

 
 

~LongBeachBuilt~

LIVERMORE — Twelve scholar-athletes from Livermore and Granada high schools will be recognized at the Olympian Scholarship Awards banquet on May 19 at Granada High. Four finalists will receive $2,500 scholarships each, and eight will receive $750 scholarships. The winners will be announced at the banquet.

“The 12 finalists represent the best of the best in our community,” Livermore-Granada Booster co-president Lora Silva said. “We are so honored to be able to showcase their talents. They are truly the highlight of the evening.”

Founded in 1949 by a group of former Livermore High athletes, students and local business owners, the Livermore-Granada Boosters were created to foster and encourage the combination of scholarship and athletics as part of the high school culture. The first boosters believed that academic achievers and sports enthusiasts make for future community leaders and good citizens.

In 1958, the Boosters instituted the Olympian Award to honor male scholar-athletes from Livermore High. Then in 1966, the award was expanded to include the newly opened Granada High. The evening, hosted by the Boosters, will include team awards and the induction of two graduates into the Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees are Granada graduate Maryann Gong (2013) and Livermore graduate Jason Knight (1993).

“The Olympian Awards Banquet is a unique and special event,” Booster co-president Vern Chase said. “It brings the two Livermore high schools together to celebrate the students’ athletic accomplishments and to support the Olympian Finalists.”

This year’s 12 finalists:

DELANEY AUMUA – A Granada senior with a weighted GPA of 3.5, Aumua has played four years of varsity softball, earning multiple accolades, including first-team All-League in 2022 and 2023, and North Coast Section player of the year in 2023. In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Aumua has served as class president for three years. She plans to continue her softball career at Auburn University while pursuing a degree in business.

SOPHIA BERTOLO – A senior at Granada with a weighted GPA of 4.09, Bertolo has participated in track and field, basketball and flag football, earning seven varsity letters. She also received the Livermore Granada Boosters’ award for flag football and is a standout 300-meter hurdler. Bertolo plans to study kinesiology with a minor in nutrition at a four-year university.

KAITLYN BRONGIEL  – A Granada senior with a weighted GPA of 4.1, Brongiel participated in basketball for four years, track and field for three years and flag football for one year, receiving a total of eight varsity letters. She was selected first-team all-league in basketball in 2025, second-team all-league in flag football in 2023, all-league in track and field and placed third in the East Bay Athletic League high jump. Brongiel plans to attend either UC Santa Cruz or Cal Lutheran University, study education and play basketball.

SOPHIA GEROCHI – A Livermore senior with a weighted GPA of 4.35, Gerochi has played varsity softball for four years, helping her team win EBAL championships in 2022 and 2024 and reach the NCS Division 2 championships in 2023 and 2024. She earned first-team all-league honors in 2024 and second-team all-league in 2022. Her awards include offensive player of the year in 2024 and defensive player of the year in 2023. She has been an NCS scholar athlete all four years, achieved the principal’s honor roll and is an AP scholar with distinction. Gerochi plans to continue her softball career at the University of Illinois while pursuing a degree in kinesiology.

MALANA ISLAND – A senior at Livermore with a weighted GPA of 4.4, Island earned eight varsity letters in water polo and swimming. Her team awards include best defensive player in 2022, best offensive player in 2023 and team most valuable player in 2024. She has been selected to all-EBAL teams three times. Her academic awards include NCS scholar athlete and principal’s honor roll. She plans to attend UC Berkeley and study industrial or chemical engineering.

GABRIELLE MCCLUNG – A Livermore senior with a weighted GPA of 4.44, McClung has earned eight varsity letters in water polo and lacrosse. She earned first-team all-EBAL lacrosse honors in 2024 and second team in 2023 as goalie. She helped lead her water polo team to the second round of the NCS playoffs. Her team awards include defensive player of the year in 2022 and 2024. Her academic awards include principal’s honor roll, AP scholar distinction award, and the Presidential Award in academic excellence. McClung plans to attend George Fox University in Oregon and study civil engineering.

GABRIEL BENITEZ – A Granada senior, Benitez has a weighted GPA of 3.69. He was on the swim team for four years and received four varsity letters and the team coach’s award. By the end of the 2025 season, Benitez figures to be a 10-time EBAL competitor and three-time NCS qualifier. Benitez also served as ASB president, vice president, treasurer and liaison. He plans to attend California Lutheran University and compete on the school’s swim team.

NOAH BLAKE – A senior at Granada with a 4.05 weighted GPA, Blake wrestled and played football all four years and received five varsity letters. He was first-team all-EBAL as a running back and was an EBAL silver medalist in wrestling. Blake has coached children at Kidstrong, served as a CYO basketball referee and as a Granada Little League umpire. He plans to transfer to Cal Poly in 2026 to pursue a degree in finance.

HAYDEN HOBBS – A senior at Granada with a 4.14-weighted GPA, Hobbs participated in football for four years, baseball for three years, and track and field for one year while earning three varsity letters. He was named the EBAL’s defensive player of the year and all-league first team his senior year, as well as second-team all-league his junior year. Hobbs has also done a great deal of volunteer work. He plans to attend Cal Poly and study business, with an emphasis in information systems and finance.

MATTHEW BENSON – A Livermore senior with a weighted GPA of 4.04, Benson earned six varsity letters in football, soccer and track and field. An all-league football selection, he won the green-collar award for hard work in football and the coach’s award in soccer. He has earned multiple NCS scholar-athlete awards and has been on the principal’s honor roll all four years. Benson plans to attend San Diego State and study political science, as well as pre-law.

CHANDLER SMOAK – A Livermore senior, Smoak has a weighted GPA of 4.14 and has earned seven varsity letters in football and track and field. He earned first-team all-EBAL in the discus, and in football, captured first-team All-EBAL honors on the offensive and defensive lines as a senior, as well as second-team distinction as a junior. His academic honors include NCS scholar athlete and principal’s honor roll all four years. Smoak plans to continue his track career and major in mechanical engineering at Colorado State.

DIEGO VALVERDE  – A senior at Livermore, Valverde has a weighted GPA of 4.2 and has earned four varsity letters in football and track and field. He earned second-team all-league honors in football and helped his team advance to the NCS playoffs. In track, he was one of the top high jumpers in the EBAL. His academic honors include principal’s honor roll all four years. Valverde plans to attend San Jose State University and major in statistics and applied mathematics.

Men’s Outdoor Track and Field | 5/17/2025 8:25:08 AM

The 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships qualifiers were announced on Friday, May 16 with a total of 29 student-athletes from the Empire 8 Conference qualifying to compete for national titles. The three-day meet will run from Thursday, May 22 to Saturday, May 24 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, OH. Live video of the meet will be available at NCAA.com.

A total of five Empire 8 institutions have at least one student-athlete who qualified and are entered in the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Empire 8 Champion SUNY Geneseo has a total of 21 student-athletes competing. SUNY Brockport has four student-athletes competing, St. John Fisher University has a pair of student-athletes in competition, while Nazareth University and Houghton University each have one student-athlete competing.

There are 17 E8 women’s student-athletes competing in a combined 15 different events (13 individual and two relays). SUNY Brockport senior Rebecca Heuler is the defending national champion in the javelin, while Penelope Greene is a returning All-American in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meters. Brynn Mooney of Geneseo, who won the indoor 400-meter national title, is competing in four separate events (200-meters, 400-meters, 4 x 100-meter relay and 4 x 400-meter relay), while teammate Jillian Ambler of SUNY Geneseo is competing in three separate events (100-meter hurdles, long jump and 4 x 100-meter relay).

On the men’s side, 12 different student-athletes are competing in nine events (eight individual and one relay). Jacob Miller of SUNY Geneseo is set to compete in both the 400-meter dash and 4 x 400-meter relay, while teammate Ryan Hagan will compete in the 1,500- and 5,000-meters and fellow Geneseo standout Charlie Wilson is competing in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races.

For each men’s individual event contested, including the decathlon, the top 22 declared student-athletes were accepted into the championships.  For each women’s individual event contested, including the heptathlon, the top 22 declared student-athletes were accepted into the championships. For each relay event contested, the top 16 declared relay teams, one per institution, were accepted into the championships.  

 

Below is a complete list of the Empire 8 student-athletes who received a bid to the NCAA Championship with their national rank and their seed time/mark.

 

WOMEN

200-Meter Dash (Prelims, Thursday, May 22, 6:55 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 3:50 p.m.)

17. Brynn Mooney, So., SUNY Geneseo – :24.20

400-Meter Dash (Prelims, Friday, May 23, 3:15 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 2:20 p.m.)

6. Brynn Mooney, So., SUNY Geneseo – :54.45

800-Meter Run (Prelims, Friday, May 23, 4:15 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 3:00 p.m.)

12. Sierra Doody, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:08.09

14. Janelle Eckl, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:08.89

5,000-Meter Run (Finals, Saturday, May 24, 4:25 p.m.)

1. Penelope Greene, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 16:12.88 !

10,000-Meter Run (Finals, Thursday, May 22, 9:15 p.m.)

1. Penelope Greene, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 33:42.16 !

6. Lily Fowler-Conner, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 35:04.34

17. Gabriella McCarthy, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 35:04.34

100-Meter Hurdles (Prelims, Friday, May 23, 2:30 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 2 p.m.)

13. Cierra Franz, Sr., St. John Fisher – :14.13

14. Jillian Ambler, So., SUNY Geneseo – :14.14

400-Meter Hurdles (Prelims, Thursday, May 22, 6:25 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 3:25 p.m.)

10. Lexi Rodriguez, Jr., SUNY Brockport – 1:01.36

3,000-Meter Steeplechase (Prelims, Thursday, May 22, 7:35 p.m.; Finals, Friday, May 23, 4:55 p.m.)

5. Ann Brennan, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 10:33.41

4 x 100-Meter Relay (Prelims, Thursday, May 22, 5:25 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 1:15 p.m.)

9. Sam Pynn, Sr., Brynn Mooney, So., Jillian Ambler, So., Kayla Anastasia, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – :46.33

4 x 400-Meter Relay (Prelims, Thursday, May 22, 8:15 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 5 p.m.)

15. Nicole Gretzinger, Jr., Janelle Eckl, Sr., Sierra Doody, Jr., Brynn Mooney, So., SUNY Geneseo – 3:46.26

High Jump (Prelims and Finals, Friday, May 23, 11:30 a.m.)

6. Alexa Belanger, Fr., Houghton – 1.71 meters

Pole Vault (Prelims and Finals, Thursday, May 22, 12:30 p.m.)

12. Isabel Morse, Jr., Nazareth – 3.89 meters

Long Jump (Prelims and Finals, Thursday, May 22, 5:30 p.m.)

13. Jillian Ambler, So., SUNY Geneseo – 5.90 meters

 

Hammer Throw (Prelims and Finals, Saturday, May 24, 11 a.m.)

21. Zoe Connor, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 52.51 meters

Javelin Throw (Prelims and Finals, Thursday, May 22, 3:30 p.m.)

22. Rebecca Heuler, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 41.23 meters ^

^ 2024 NCAA Champion

! 2024 NCAA First Team All-American

MEN

400-Meter Dash (Prelims, Friday, May 23, 3 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 2:10 p.m.)

17. Jacob Miller, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – :47.17

800-Meter Run (Prelims, Friday, May 23, 4 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 2:50 p.m.)

14. Matthew Sheehan, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:50.22

1,500-Meter Run (Prelims, Friday, May 22, 5:35 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 1:25 p.m.)

11. Jonathan Zavala, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 3:46.96

12. Ryan Hagan, So., SUNY Geneseo – 3:47.14

5,000-Meter Run (Finals, Saturday, May 24, 4 p.m.)

6. Ryan Hagan, So., SUNY Geneseo – 14:04.11

12. Charlie Wilson, Gr., SUNY Geneseo – 14:08.50

10,000-Meter Run (Finals, Thursday, May 22, 8:30 p.m.)

13. Charlie Wilson, Gr., SUNY Geneseo – 29:40.95

400-Meter Hurdles (Prelims, Thursday, May 22, 6:10 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 3:15 p.m.)

16. Ayden Grinion, Jr., SUNY Brockport – :52.62

3,000-Meter Steeplechase (Prelims, Thursday, May 22, 7:10 p.m.; Finals, Friday, May 23, 4:40 p.m.)

3. Pierce Young, So., SUNY Geneseo – 8:50.73

12. Emerson Comer, So., SUNY Geneseo – 8:54.32

4 x 400-Meter Relay (Prelims, Thursday, May 22, 8 p.m.; Finals, Saturday, May 24, 4:50 p.m.)

3. Arjun Ohja, Fr, Sam Belmont, So., Giancarlo Di Fava, So., Jacob Miller, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 3:09.30

Hammer Throw (Prelims and Finals, Saturday, May 24, 1:45 p.m.)

9. Brandon Kaplan, Jr., St. John Fisher – 60.87 meters

 

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE

The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.

 

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