Sports
Suffered Horrific Crash, 6x Paralympic Medalist Recalls Gruesome Memory That Turned Into …
When Susannah Scaroni was just five years old, a car crash changed everything. The impact left her paralyzed, forcing her into a wheelchair and into a life she never asked for. But what could’ve ended her story before it began instead became the fire that fueled it. Scaroni didn’t just survive. She discovered a new […]

When Susannah Scaroni was just five years old, a car crash changed everything. The impact left her paralyzed, forcing her into a wheelchair and into a life she never asked for. But what could’ve ended her story before it began instead became the fire that fueled it. Scaroni didn’t just survive. She discovered a new way to thrive. She found freedom, speed, and power not in spite of her wheelchair, but through it. And with every race, every grueling mile, she proved that being paralyzed didn’t mean standing still.
Her words say it best. “But what I was able to think about was how awesome and what a blessing it is to be alive and to get to be on a start line next to all the people whom I love being around.” That gratitude, rooted in something so painful, has shaped a marathon career marked by grit and grace. After all, who else can go from a bronze at the 5000m T54 to a triumphant victory at the Boston Marathon even after a mid-race setback? With this, she once showed the world what true resilience looks like.
In a race that’s been making history since 1970, Susannah didn’t just join the legacy. She became one. USA Track and Field posted a YouTube video highlighting Susannah Scaroni’s Paralympic journey in wheelchair racing, where she shared her life-changing experience. Susannah mentions, “When I was five years old, my mom, oldest brother, and I were in a car wreck. We slid on black ice into an oncoming vehicle, and I ended up sustaining a T12 complete spinal cord injury, which basically means right where my legs start, I have no sensation.”
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She further emphasizes the implications of her injury, saying, “I cannot use them at all.” This was the moment that changed Scaroni’s life forever. A tragic accident took away her ability to walk, but it did not take away her determination. Instead, it became the starting point of a story that would inspire athletes and dreamers alike. As she recalls, “I went back home to a very awesome community. And they’re so awesome because they just integrated me immediately into daily life.”

It’s this sense of community and acceptance that sparked something deep within her. Scaroni never saw her disability as a barrier. In fact, she took to it with the same spirit that drives every athlete to push beyond the limits. Scaroni’s perspective was shaped early on, as she recalled, “I think back to how lucky I was because when my classmates were rolling down our hill at recess, on their bodies, I was doing the same thing.”
Instead of seeing a barrier, she saw an opportunity to adapt and thrive. Scaroni’s ability to look at the world through a lens of possibility instead of limitation became her secret weapon. That mindset propelled her forward, not just to compete, but to conquer. From her Boston Marathon victory to standing on the podium in 2023, she’s rewritten what’s possible in wheelchair racing. Scaroni’s commitment to returning, despite the challenges, is a testament to the unwavering resolve that defines her career.
Susannah Scaroni’s strength shines through support
Despite facing a tough setback that led Susannah Scaroni to withdraw from both the 2024 Boston and London Marathons, the incredible support she received from the athletic community shows the deep bonds of camaraderie and resilience that run through sport. Paralympian Tatyana McFadden, with her remarkable twenty medals from multiple Summer Paralympic Games, shared her wisdom with Scaroni.
She quoted, “I know this choice wasn’t easy, especially in the moment, but in the long run you will come back stronger.” This heartfelt message of hope was echoed by Danelle D’Aquanni Umstead, a distinguished American alpine skier, who reassured her, “Sorry you have this setback. Remember, setbacks only lead to comebacks, girly. Heal fast and come back stronger.”
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The love and support kept flowing from all corners of the sporting world. Mary Wittenberg, a respected American sports executive, sent her well wishes, saying, “We’ll miss you, @suscaroni. Sending fast healing vibes,” while Rhonda M. Vetere, a globally respected C-suite technology executive, expressed heartfelt concern, “So sorry to hear this… Please rest. You will be missed.”
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Colombian wheelchair racer Francisco Sanclemente also offered encouragement, reminding her, “You’ll come back stronger for the Paralympics; good recovery.” These messages of support show that in sport, it’s not just about winning races. It’s about the strength and unity shared in the face of challenges. Even through her struggles, Scaroni’s spirit remains unshaken.
Having already secured her place on Team USA for the Paris Paralympics, she expressed the depth of her gratitude, “What a blessing it is to be alive and to get to be on a start line next to all the people who I love being around.” Her words reflect the heart of a true champion, someone who continues to rise, not just for herself, but for the community that has always supported her.
Sports
Privateers Haul in Points and Qualifiers on Day Two of the Southland Outdoor Championships
Story Links NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans men’s and women’s track and field squads captured three top-10 finishes and had athletes qualify for four more finals events on Saturday on day two of the 2025 Southland Conference Outdoor Championships in Houston. The Privateer men got six points thanks to a third-place finish […]

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans men’s and women’s track and field squads captured three top-10 finishes and had athletes qualify for four more finals events on Saturday on day two of the 2025 Southland Conference Outdoor Championships in Houston.
The Privateer men got six points thanks to a third-place finish in the long jump by Christopher Murphy, while pulling in three points on the women’s side after Oxana Bonjorn-Giros finished 7th in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase and Helen Baumgarten’s 8th-place finish in the Heptathlon.
Madonna Favour, Taj Morris, Baumgarten and Annika Metzger all advanced to finals races on Saturday with standout qualifying performances. Favour will race in the men’s 100m final to go with his 200m qualification from Thursday. Metzger will compete in the women’s 1500m and 800m races, while Morris qualified for the men’s 110m hurdles and Baumgarten in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Murphy cleared 7.51m in the finals of the long jump competition, taking third place even though he and Northwestern State’s Roy Morris had identical marks. The tiebreaker came on Murphy’s second-best jump, where he cleared 7.48m earlier, besting Morris’ 7.45m in the first round.
Bonjorn-Giros capped New Orleans’ night with a strong run in the Steeplechase, clocking in with a time of 11:26.09 to earn two points for the Privateers.
Baumgarten set a new personal record in the women’s heptathlon, finishing 8th with 4,657 points, a mark that places her ninth all-time in Privateers history.
Baumgarten finished 3rd in the long jump with a mark of 5.62m. She hit her best mark on her first try in the javelin, clearing 34.17m and claiming 4th place. After closing the Heptathlon 13th in the 800m at 2:54.95, Baumgarten hit the track again and finished 2nd in her heat and 4th overall in 14.04 seconds to qualify for the women’s 100m hurdles finals, while Olga Skolasinska finished 11th in 14.46 seconds.
Favour topped the charts in the second heat of the men’s 100m prelims, with his time of 10.40 seconds 2nd-fastest overall in the prelims. Murphy finished 12th in 10.66 seconds, Daryl Bachmann 23rd in 10.86 seconds and Tshilidzi Netshiombo 29th in 11.18 seconds.
Metzger qualified for Saturday’s women’s 800m finals after finishing second in the race’s opening heat, crossing the line in a time of 2:13.61 which was 5th best overall.
Morris had the 3rd best time in the opening heat of the men’s 110m and 7th best time overall with a time of 14.53 seconds to advance to Saturday’s final.
Layden Jack finished 10th in the women’s 400m prelims with a time of 55.67 seconds. Darryl George Jr. finished 10th in the men’s 400m with a time of 47.44 seconds, followed by Travian Johnson in 16th in 48.16 seconds and Jameel Williamson in 18th in 48.42 seconds.
In the field, Christina Davis finished 21st in the women’s shot put with a toss of 10.02m, while Raven Murphy was 25th in the women’s long jump, clearing 5.04m.
NEXT UP
The Privateers will wrap up the 2025 Southland Conference Championships on Saturday at Wendel D. Ley Track & Holloway Field in Houston.
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Sports
No. 17/13 Track and Field’s Nina Ndubuisi makes history at SEC Championship
Story Links LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nina Ndubuisi won No. 17/13 Texas Track and Field’s first-ever SEC track and field title on Friday in record breaking fashion on the second day of the Outdoor Championships. The Longhorn men sit sixth in the standings with 16 points after seven scored events, while the women […]
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nina Ndubuisi won No. 17/13 Texas Track and Field’s first-ever SEC track and field title on Friday in record breaking fashion on the second day of the Outdoor Championships. The Longhorn men sit sixth in the standings with 16 points after seven scored events, while the women are seventh with 23 points after eight.
Ndubuisi claimed the lead and Texas program record on her third attempt that went for 18.74m (61-5.75). She later improved her lead and the new UT record with a personal best throw of 18.91m (62-0.50) on her fourth attempt to claim the SEC title. Her title is the first SEC title, indoor or outdoor/men or women, the Longhorns have won. The throw also took down the late Eileen Vanisi’s 25-year record of 60-0.50 set in 1994.
Brock Lewis recorded six personal bests in the decathlon to finish fifth overall with a personal best score of 7,259 points. After the first five events, the sophomore was seventh overall, but after a weather delay in the morning, Lewis returned to the track to run the 110-meter hurdles in 14.94. He later threw for 37.59m (123-4) in the discus, cleared a personal best bar of 4.65m (15-3) in pole vault, threw a personal best mark of 49.50m (162-5) in javelin and ran the 1500-meter in 4:36.39. The Boerne, Texas native’s fifth-place finish gave Texas four team points.
Freshman Meagan Humphries was fifth in the women’s heptathlon scoring a personal best 5,452 points. Her score moved her to No. 4 on the UT All-Time list. Her final three events saw the California native jump for 6.13m (20-1.50) in long jump, record a personal best in javelin with a heave of 32.59m (106-11) and finish the 800-meter in 2:24.19.
The long jumpers also got points on the board when the men scored seven team points led by Solomon Washington’s fourth-place finish. He equaled his personal best jump of 7.88m (25-10.25) on his last attempt. Kelsey Daniel was seventh with his third-round jump of 7.68m (25-2.50). Aaliyah Foster finished fourth on the women’s side with a mark of 6.17m (20-3) to score five points.
Logan Patete was the final scorer after finishing sixth in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:54.59.
Four Longhorns also advanced to Saturday’s finals led by Kendrick Smallwood who posted the fastest qualifying time in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.25. In the women’s 100m hurdles, Akala Garrett qualified for her second final with her time of 13.11. Elizabeth Stockman also advanced to the 1500-meter final with her time of 4:18.86. Kenondra Davis also reached her second final after reaching the 100-meter final with the time of 11.21. It was the second fastest time of the day.
Texas Scorers:
Nina Ndubuisi – Shot Put (1st) – 10 pts
Aaliyah Foster – Long Jump (4th) – 5 pts
Solomon Washington – Long Jump (4th) – 5 pts
Eva Jess – 10K – (5th) – 4 pts
Brock Lewis – Decathlon – (5th) – 4 pts
Meagan Humphries – Heptathlon – (5th) – 4 pts
Logan Patete – 3K Steeple – (7th) – 2 pts
Isaac Alonso – 10K – (7th) – 2 pts
Kelsey Daniel – Long Jump (7th) – 2 pts
Sports
MacLean, Rubio & Wang Qualify For NCAA Outdoor Championships
MacLean, Rubio and Wang each qualified for the championship. Story Links Audrey MacLean, Emily Rubio and Zoe Wang of the Middlebury women’s track and field squad have qualified for the 2025 NCAA Championship. The top-22 in each event punched their ticket to the event that begins on Thursday, May 22 from.the SPIRE […]

MacLean, Rubio and Wang each qualified for the championship.
Audrey MacLean, Emily Rubio and Zoe Wang of the Middlebury women’s track and field squad have qualified for the 2025 NCAA Championship. The top-22 in each event punched their ticket to the event that begins on Thursday, May 22 from.the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio.
MACLEAN’S HIGHLIGHTS
- MacLean has picked up where she left off after a stellar rookie campaign, qualifying for the NCAA Championship for the second-consecutive season and fourth overall. She also made the national finals for cross country in each of the last two campaigns.
- The Panther punched her ticket to the Buckeye State in the 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000-meter run. MacLean comes into the championship with the fastest time in Division III for the steeplechase (16:36.94) clocked during the NESCAC Championship and is ranked 12th in the 5,000 at 10:21.15.
- Her time in the 5,000 is less than 20 seconds from the top performance in the Mideast Region that was clocked by Vassar’s Haley Schoenegge (16:17.29).
- MacLean won the steeplechase at the conference championship and claimed second at the Aztec Invitational that featured competitors from all three NCAA Divisions.
- In the 5,000, the Panther has finished as the runner-up in three-consecutive meets and comes off her career-best time from the Farley Inter Regional Extravaganza hosted by Williams.
- At last season’s NCAA Championship in South Carolina, MacLean claimed All-American honors with her sixth-place showing in the steeplechase.
RUBIO’S HIGHLIGHTS
- Rubio makes her second-career appearance in the NCAA Championship after claiming 21st place in the heptathlon at the 2023 version as a rookie.
- In the high jump, Rubio sits tied for 19th in the country with a career-best leap of 1.67 meters recorded during the Carla Coffey Invitational.
- The Panther tallied an All-American nod during the winter championships, placing 12th in the pentathlon.
- Rubio is a four-time USTFCCCA All-Region honoree.
WANG’S HIGHLIGHTS
- Wang makes her initial NCAA postseason appearance.
- The senior comes off a program-record pole vault performance at the MIT Final Qualifier, clearing a height of 3.83m. That mark is fourth regionally and tied for 19th in Division III.
- Wang has claimed top-five finishes in four appearances this spring.
- The Panther has earned All-NESCAC recognition twice and tallied two all-region honors in the event over her career for Middlebury.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
- There will be a new champion in the 3,000 steeplechase as Central’s Megan Johnson graduated.
- Calvin’s Sophie Bull is the lone returner who finished in the top five during last year’s championships. The Knight is right behind MacLean, stopping the clock at 10:24.32 during the WashU Distance Carnival on March 27. Keira Rogan of Hamilton (10:27.88), Central’s Peyton Steffen (10:33.21) and Ann Brennan of SUNY Geneseo (10:33.41) sit third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
- Faith Duncan, who won the 5,000 in her rookie campaign, will not return to the field for Wilmington (Ohio). Vassar’s Haley Schoenegge claimed bronze last season and comes into the championship seeded third with a clocking of 16:17.29.
- The reigning high jump champion, Sara Hoskins from Loras, has graduated. Hailey Carolan of Cornell College is the lone returner from the top five a year ago. Allie Wildsmith, who claimed a share of 13th last season for Coast Guard Academy, leads the country with her clearance of 1.78m.
- Washington University-St. Louis’ Yasmin Ruff returns to the field looking to defend her pole vault title. The senior cleared 4.06m last year and enters the championship leading the country with her showing of 4.17m. Runner-up Gracie Holland sits third in the country after clearing 4.05m at last month’s Meet of Champions hosted by Augustana.
CHAMPIONSHIP INFO
- Location: Geneva, Ohio
- Host Site: SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field Facility
- Schedule (Event times are approximate and subject to change)
- Thursday, May 22
- 12:30 p.m. – Pole Vault (final)
- 7:35 p.m. – Steeplechase (opening round)
- Friday, May 23
- 11:30 a.m. – High Jump (final)
- 4:55 p.m. – Steeplechase (final)
- Saturday, May 24
- 4:25 p.m. – 5,000 (final)
- Thursday, May 22
- Championship Central
- Live Results
The three-day NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship runs from May 22-24 at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track and Field Facility in Geneva, Ohio.
Sports
A Rabbit’s Foot The Plague review—Lord of the Flies meets Water Lillies
What distinguishes great water polo from a good water polo? The most skilled play happens beneath the surface. Olympians shave their pubes off so opponents don’t tug them off. Others, having smoothing down their regulation fingernails, bite them before play, creating a sharpness that allows them to scratch under water. This is something the menacing […]

What distinguishes great water polo from a good water polo? The most skilled play happens beneath the surface. Olympians shave their pubes off so opponents don’t tug them off. Others, having smoothing down their regulation fingernails, bite them before play, creating a sharpness that allows them to scratch under water.
This is something the menacing Jake (Kayo Martin) tells Ben (Everett Blunck) early on in Charlie Pollinger’s The Plague. The film, premiering as part of Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival—follows Ben’s arrival in 2003 for a summer at the Tom Lerner Water Polo camp. Rather than a central part of the drama, water polo is only the mise-en-scène for a thrillingly controlled tale of social contagion, violence and pubescent masculinity which translates European arthouse sensibility stateside.
Ben is a slightly awkward boy who has recently moved to the West from Boston is keen to fit in. His teammates, a Greek chorus of 12 and 13 year-old boys with Jake as their bully-in-chief, play explicit rounds of ‘would you rather’ and reel over phallic humour. Their Beta coach (Joel Edgerton)—Daddy Wags—fails to command too much authority. It’s a confident move from Pollinger to keep Edgerton’s role firmly on the sideline—or poolside—allowing the excellent performances of the child actors to shine both as a collective, sportive body and as matching individuals—Lord of the Flies-style.
At his first lunch, Ben is quickly given the nickname ‘Soppy’ after he is marked out as being unable to pronounce the ‘t’ in ‘stop’. But the real horror lies on the table beyond. Eli, a less athletic, stranger boy—arguably just daring to be himself—is outcast, leper-like, by his peers for having ‘the plague’, his long-sleeves covering a rash across his torso.
Sports
Filias & Swann Earn Spots In NCAA Championship Field
Dave Filias and Xander Swann will represent Middlebury at the NCAA Championships. Story Links Dave Filias and Xander Swann have been selected to represent the Middlebury men’s track and field team at the NCAA Championship. The top-22 athletes in each respective event garnered a spot in the outdoor meet to be held […]

Dave Filias and Xander Swann will represent Middlebury at the NCAA Championships.
Dave Filias and Xander Swann have been selected to represent the Middlebury men’s track and field team at the NCAA Championship. The top-22 athletes in each respective event garnered a spot in the outdoor meet to be held in northeastern Ohio.
FILIAS’ HIGHLIGHTS
- Filias is making his third-consecutive appearance at the national outdoor event.
- He qualified in the hammer throw for the second-straight spring.
- Filias is the three-time champion in the discipline at the NESCAC Championship, winning this year’s title with a toss of 57.47 meters.
- The senior is the school-record holder in the event, hurling the implement to a distance of 61.22m to secure the conference crown a year ago.
- Filias is ranked 11th coming into the national meet, just 2.21 meters out of the third spot. He posted his entry distance of 60.37m to claim first at the Julie LaFreniere Commonwealth Invitational.
- He finished 13th on the national stage last season with a toss of 57.41m. During his first championship two years ago, Filias claimed 15th with a heave of 55.74m.
- The Panther has won the event four times this spring, including at the Division III New England Championships and the conference championship for the second year in a row. His triumphs garnered him all-region and All-NESCAC accolades, respectively.
- He was tabbed the NESCAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week in back-to-back weeks after winning the crown at the Amherst Spring Fling and the Julie LaFreniere Commonwealth Invite title earlier this season.
SWANN’S HIGHLIGHTS
- Swann will appear in his first outdoor championship.
- He was recognized as the league’s Sabasteanski Award Winner, given to the top male and female performer during the conference championship.
- The senior qualified for the NCAA meet in the 400-meter hurdles. He is seeded sixth with a qualifying time and personal-best clocking of 51.96 during the NESCAC Championships. That effort was good for second place.
- The top-six competitors in the 400 hurdles are separated by 0.49 seconds.
- Swann’s time in the event is just 0.01 seconds off the school-record clocking of 51.95 by Kevin Bright in 2006.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
- In the hammer, there will be a new champion as last year’s title holder has graduated.
- Wilmington’s Nathen Borgan, who finished as the runner-up a year ago, leads the way this spring with a toss of 66.21m, while teammate JJ Durr (64.33m) and Yakob Ekoue from Wisconsin-Eau Claire (62.58m) are slotted second and third.
- The 400 hurdles will feature a new national champion following the graduation of Dubuque’s JoJo Frost (51.04).
- Susquehanna’s Ben Bulger boasts the nation’s fastest time this season, stopping the clock at 51.47 during the Landmark Conference Championship. He was 19th a year ago with a clocking of 54.40. Bethel’s Jayson Ekiyor (51.57) and Colin Scanlon (51.63) are seeded second and third, respectively.
CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
- Location: Geneva, Ohio
- Host Site: SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field Facility
- Schedule: (Event times are approximate and subject to change)
- Thursday, May 22
- 6:10 p.m. – 400 Hurdles (preliminaries)
- Saturday, May 24
- 1:45 p.m. – Hammer throw (preliminaries and final)
- 3:15 p.m. – 400 Hurdles (final)
- Thursday, May 22
- Championship Central
The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships are from May 22-24, 2025 at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio.
Sports
Govs Finish Second Day of ASUN Track and Field Championships
Story Links CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s track and field team concluded its second day at the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Friday, at Hodges Stadium on the campus of North Florida. The Governors began the Friday’s events with the discus toss, as Emma Tucker […]

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s track and field team concluded its second day at the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Friday, at Hodges Stadium on the campus of North Florida.
The Governors began the Friday’s events with the discus toss, as Emma Tucker set her second personal best in as many days with a 39.78-meter throw. Heading to the long jump, Amani Sharif earned a four-place finish with a personal-best 5.78-meter lead leap, which was just a centimeter off the third-place mark in the event.
A trio of Governors then competed in the 400-meter dash preliminaries, with all three – Taylin Segree, Mia McGee, and Alexis Arnett – posting qualifying marks and both Segree and Arnett posting the best marks of their careers.
In sprint events, Alijanae Cole and Seven Pettus both set personal records and Gabrielle Miller earning a qualifying time for Saturday’s finale.
In the Govs’ final event of the day, Shaye Foster broke program record – for the second time this season – in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:12.94, which bested her own record set at the Outdoor Music City Challenge
The Governors are back in action for the final day of the 2025 ASUN Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where Myra Eriksson will compete in the pole vault at 3 p.m. Emmani Roberts, Denim Goddard, Ja’Kyah Montgomery, and Eriksson then will compete in the triple jump at 4 p.m. Track events then will begin at 6 p.m. with the Govs’ competing in the the 4×100-meter relays
For news and updates throughout the Governors’ postseason stay, follow the Austin Peay track and field team on X or Instagram (@GovsXCTF) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com for the latest news and stories.
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