LOS ANGELES – Sophomore Roman Martin of UCLA Softball has been selected the Student-Athlete of the Week for competitions held between May 20-26.
 
The sophomore delivered a standout performance at the plate, propelling UCLA to a dominant regional victory this weekend. The third baseman homered in each of the first two contests, including a pivotal grand slam that ignited the Bruins’ explosive seven-run second inning against Arizona State. Across the weekend, Martin hit .400 (6-for-15), driving in eight runs and scoring five. Defensively, he was rock-solid, handling every chance flawlessly without committing an error.
 
Martin secures his first-career UCLA student-athlete of the week award.
 
Also Nominated

Gabriel Clement II, M. Track & Field; Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck, W. Track & Field
 
Previous Winners
Aug. 21 – Bridgette Marin-Valencia, W. Soccer; Aug. 28 – Lilly Reale, W. Soccer; Sept. 4 – Cheridyn Leverette, W. Volleyball; Sept. 11 – Ryder Dodd, M. Water Polo; Sept. 18 – Bode Brinkema, M. Water Polo; Sept. 25 – Sofia Cook, W. Soccer; Oct. 2 – Pablo Ereño, M. Golf; Oct. 9 – Quincy McMahon, W. Soccer; Oct. 16 – Jose Contell, M. Soccer; Oct. 23 – Ethan Garbers, Football; Oct. 30 – Grayce Olson, W. Volleyball; Nov. 6 – Carson Schwesinger, Football; Nov. 13 – Quincy McMahon, W. Soccer; Nov. 20 –  Maggie Boyd/Sally Perez, Beach Volleyball; Nov. 27 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; Dec. 4 – Carson Schwesinger, Football; Dec. 11 – Ryder Dodd, M. Water Polo; Dec. 18 – Tyler Bilodeau, M. Basketball; Dec. 24 – Kiki Rice, W. Basketball; Jan. 1 – Eric Dailey Jr., M. Basketball; Jan. 8 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; Jan. 15 – Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics; Jan. 22 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; Jan. 29 – Aday Mara, M. Basketball; Feb. 5 – Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics; Feb. 12 – Taylor Tinsley, Softball; Feb. 19 – Mulivai Levu – Baseball; Feb. 26 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; March 5 – Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics; March 12 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; March 19 – Jordan Woolery, Softball; March 26 – Chae Campbell, Gymnastics; April 2 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; April 9 – Megan Grant, Softball; April 16 – Megan Grant, Softball; April 23 – Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics; April 30 – Omar Morales, M. Golf; May 7 – Jeremy Zammit, M. Track & Field; May 14 – Spencer Johnson, M. Tennis; May 21 – Jordan Woolery, Softball; May 28 – Jordan Woolery, Softball

Troy, NY – The Liberty League announced its major award winners for Outdoor Track and Field on Wednesday morning as Vassar College Women’s Track and Field sophomore Haley Schoenegge was named the league’s Track Athlete of the Year along with junior Jahmilia Dennis earning the conference’s Field Athlete of the Year. This marks the second major track and field award for each this season as Schoenegge was named the Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and Dennis was tabbed an Indoor Co-Field Athlete of the Year.

Schoenegge put together another record-breaking day at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as she earned back-to-back outdoor national crowns in the 1500 meters as she outpaced the next closest finisher by almost three seconds and tallied a 67 second final lap to pull away for her second national title. The sophomore continued her illustrious career with First Team All-American honors in the 5000 meters with a time of 16:36.19 to finish fifth overall on the track at SPIRE Institute. Schoenegge now holds three total national championships after securing the Mile national crown at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Schoenegge also earned her third USTFCCCA Regional Track Athlete of the Year last week and the sophomore earned her second straight conference titles in the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters to earn her second straight Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet honor at the Liberty League Outdoor Championships.

Dennis put together an impressive performance at her first NCAA Outdoor Championships as she placed 12th overall with a top leap of 11.86 meters to take home Second Team All-American honors and the second All-American honor of her career. The junior cracked the top-22 in Division III this season with a new school record and personal-best mark of 12.01 meters to score the regional triple jump crown at the AARTFC Outdoor Championships in early May.

Dennis also defended her triple jump crown with her third straight outdoor title and sixth career title with a facility record leap of 11.44 meters at the Liberty League Outdoor Championships.

ABILENE – Abilene Christian volleyball finalized its roster for the 2025 campaign with a pair of signees from the high school and college ranks. Outside hitter and right side Hadlee Welch joins the Wildcats from Frenship High School in Lubbock, Texas, while setter Becca Siedenburg heads to ACU after three seasons at Gardner-Webb in the Big South Conference.

Welch closed out her high school career with District 2-6A Offensive Player of the Year honors and earned a spot on the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team. She was named the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Player of the Year after leading the Lubbock area with 531 kills at a .312 hitting percentage with 79 blocks and 50 aces.

“We are so excited to be adding Wildcat legacy Hadlee Welch,” head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup said. “Hadlee will immediately add height to the team, having proven to be a formidable block as well as offensive player on both pins. Hadlee has the potential to make an immediate impact on the floor at either the right side or outside position.”

Welch powered the 29-15 Tigers to a District 2-6A co-championship in 2024 as Frenship reached the second round of the state playoffs for the first time since 2016. Welch comes from Wildcat roots, as her mother, the former Misti Germany, played volleyball at ACU, while her father, Duane, was a pitcher on the baseball team.

Misti was a three-time All-Lone Star Conference South Division First Team honoree from 1999 to 2001, pacing the Wildcats in kills in each season as an outside hitter.

Siedenburg appeared in 51 matches and 160 sets across three seasons at Gardner-Webb, amassing 502 assists and 235 digs. The Wales, Wis. native competed in 26 of the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ 28 matches last year, including 10 starts, and finished second on the team with 262 assists. Her 149 digs ranked fourth, while her 2.01 digs per set were third.

“From my first conversation with Becca, she seemed like the perfect fit,” Moronu Alstrup said. “She contributed well at GWU as both a setter and a defensive specialist. Her previous coaches praised her for her competitiveness and her willingness to contribute wherever possible. Becca will complete our setting duo and I know the two Wisconsin natives will compete well for the starting setter position, making our program better.”

Siedenburg tallied 219 assists as a sophomore in 2023 to rank third for Gardner-Webb, doing so in 42 sets for a team-high 5.21 assists per set. On the defensive end, she added 71 digs. Siedenburg’s career-best performance came in a 3-2 win over Charleston Southern on Oct. 20, 2023 with 52 assists, 16 digs, five aces and 7.0 points.

Welch is the second freshman on the Wildcats’ 2025 roster, joining Abilene native and early enrollee Aliyah Jowers. Siedenburg is ACU’s fourth addition through the transfer portal alongside Brennan Ramirez (Texas), Aubrey Beaver (Cal State Fullerton) and Erika Gustafson (Montana State).

ACU opens the 2025 regular season with the Wildcat Classic at Moody Coliseum on Aug. 29-30, taking on Missouri State, Incarnate Word and Oklahoma.

The stage is set for the LA28 Paralympic Games, with many iconic stadiums and locales set to host the world’s best para athletes under the venue plan approved by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board on Tuesday, 3 June.

“The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport, but brings it to the next level,” said LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover.

With the most medal events ever contested in Paralympic history, the LA28 Games are set to mark a historic milestone for para sport.

“The Paralympic venue plan ensures that Los Angeles’ first-ever Paralympic Games will take place in incredible existing stadiums and arenas across the region while creating the best possible experience for athletes and fans across the 560 events with accessibility top of mind.”

Designed to fit the needs of athletes and adhere to the requirements of each sport, the plan aims to minimise travel and maximise the use of existing venues around the City of Angels.

Therefore, all competitions during the LA28 Paralympic Games will take place within a 35-mile (56-kilometre) radius, with para athletes housed in a single Paralympic Village for the first time since Rio 2016.

“The first-ever Paralympic Games in Los Angeles will showcase the world’s top talent and provide an opportunity for L.A. to improve inclusive accessibility citywide,” commented City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “The legacy of these Games will be imprinted on our city forever – proliferating beyond the boundaries of these venues to better all of Los Angeles.”

Split between three main venue clusters – the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Carson – para athletes will be treated to a buffet of world-class sporting cathedrals.

The LA Memorial Coliseum, USC Sports Center, Peacock Theater, Arena in Downtown Los Angeles and Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles will all double-up on their Olympic duties, hosting a wide array of sports in the heart of the city.

Likewise, Carson’s fields, Velodrome and Tennis Center will welcome para archery, para track cycling and wheelchair tennis for a second round of action during the LA28 Paralympic Games.

Long Beach’s Marine Stadium will provide the stage for para canoe and para rowing, while the sandy shores of Alamitos Beach will provide the ideal backdrop for blind football set to utilise the temporary venue created for beach volleyball during the LA28 Olympic Games.

The Convention Center and surrounding areas will host para climbing, para swimming, shooting para sport and sitting volleyball.

Venice Beach, which featured in a video played during the LA28 handover segment of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games closing ceremony, will serve as the start line for para athletics marathon, as well as host to the para triathlon competition.

Para Equestrian events will be held at Santa Anita Park, the same iconic venue that hosted the equestrian events at the Olympic Games in 1984 and will once again take centre stage for both the LA 28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The LA28 Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place between Tuesday 15 August to Sunday 27 August 2028.

Over the weekend, from May 28 to May 31, six Villanova track and field athletes participated in the NCAA Track and Field East Regionals in Jacksonville, FL. 

Three Wildcats punched tickets to the National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, starting on June 12. Senior Sadie Sigfstead earned tickets to Nationals in both the women’s 10K and the 5K – the first Wildcat in six years to qualify for two events at the outdoor NCAA Championships.

Graduate Liam Murphy – the 1500-meter college record holder – and junior Marco Langon were the two men who also secured spots at the National Championship in the 1500-meter and 5000-meter, respectively.

The NCAA Regional events kicked off on Wednesday, May 28, and were immediately hit with a five-hour rain delay a few hours into the day. It resulted in the first round of track qualifying events, which included Murphy’s race, being moved to a 10 p.m. start.

Murphy ran a 3:40.00 in the 1500-meter to easily qualify for the quarterfinals.  It was his eighth race of his career with a time of 3:40 or below.

In the quarterfinals on Friday, Murphy ran a 3:44.83 in the 1,500-meter quarterfinal heat alongside the fastest mid-distance runners in the East region. Murphy finished fourth in the heat to punch a ticket to the National Championships for the third consecutive season.

This upcoming NCAA National Championships will be Murphy’s final one as a collegiate athlete.

On Thursday, Sigfstead raced in the preliminary heat of the 10K. Earlier this season, she won the 10K at the Penn Relays, which was the only other time she raced that distance this season. Sigfstead ran a personal best of 32:39.54 at the Penn Relays, which is the second fastest time in school history.

With only the top 12 finishers making Nationals, she finished 10th with a time of 32:56.98 to qualify. It was the third time in her career she ran the 10K distance in under 33 minutes and the second consecutive season punching a ticket to Oregon.

Sigfstead followed up her 10K performance with the 5K the following night. She shaved 10 seconds off her personal best to run a 15:33.68 and qualify for Nationals. It is the second fastest women’s 5K time in program history.

Her previous personal best was 15:44.11, set on Feb. 9, 2024, during the indoor season.

The final Wildcat to reach the NCAA Championships was Langon. He decided to focus his time on the 5K distance despite having the second fastest 1500-meter time in collegiate history, only behind his teammate Murphy.

Langon distanced himself from his entire qualifying heat as he took on the bell lap of the 5K, except one other runner – North Carolina’s Ethan Strand. Langon has shared the track many times with Strand, and so has Murphy.

With 1,200 meters left in the race, Langon took the lead and held it for the remainder of the race while holding off Strands.

With around 50 meters left in the race, Langon and Strand were all alone as they reached the final straight. The trip to Oregon was already secured for both of them, but that did not mean the race was over for the two.

As the two flew across the line, Langon finished 0.01 seconds in front of the strand with a time of 14:06.40. Strand clocked a time of 14:06.41.

It marks the second consecutive season Langon will make an appearance at the NCAA Championships.

The three Wildcats who qualified for Nationals will now prepare for their final races of the collegiate season. The 2025 NCAA Track and Field Championships will take place from June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon, at Hayward Field on Oregon University’s campus. 

Sigfstead will race in the women’s 10K championships on Thursday, June 12, and then the women’s 5K championships on Saturday, June 14.

Murphy will run the men’s 1500-meter semifinal on Wednesday, June 11. If he qualifies for the final, he will run the championship on Friday, June 13. Langon will race in the men’s 5K championships on Friday, June 13

• Cranston East defeated Hendricken 3-0 to advance to the Rhode Island Division I boys volleyball state championship.
• This is the first time in program history Cranston East has reached the state finals.
• Cranston East will face either North Kingstown or La Salle in the championship game.

CRANSTON — Visions of Cranston East’s semifinal-falter last spring faded within minutes.

Cranston East likely feels they should’ve upset La Salle last spring. But the Rams survived in five sets and then captured their second straight crown. It was on Cranston East’s mind before facing another private school, Hendricken, in the penultimate round of the Division I playoffs.

But this isn’t last year’s group. This 2025 squad is the best team the program has ever had and Cranston East proved it on Tuesday night in front of a home crowd. No. 2 Cranston East dismantled sixth-seeded Hendricken, 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-21), to book the school’s first state championship appearance.

“It’s like a memory engrained every single time we play at a big point or a vital game of the season,” Cranston East’s Dennis Dixon said of last year’s semifinals. “We’ve learned from that and we took it here.”

Cranston East awaits the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between North Kingstown and La Salle. The championship will likely be on Sunday at Rhode Island College.

“It’s really big,” Cranston East’s Caleb Xum said of reaching the title game. “A lot of people look up to us as a sport at Cranston East. It’s going to be huge.”

“I think this is the greatest thing that we’ve had in our program,” Dixon said. “It sets the tone for what we are, how hard our coaches work and how hard our players work. The culture starts to set in.”

The Thunderbolts stormed to a 7-2 lead on three consecutive aces by Charles Pincince. Hendricken retied the game at 7-all, but the Thunderbolts finished off the frame and marched to a 14-7 lead in the second set. Behind Pincince (eight kills and six aces) and Dennis Dixon (seven kills and five blocks), Cranston East has plenty of power at the net and it’s no surprise the Thunderbolts are playing in June.

“Hard work, that’s the No. 1 thing,” Xum said. “We have to be prepared for anything. Even though we had a rough start to the season, we ended up being a better team and having a chemistry together.”

Cranston East added Aggerson Vetiaque and Darien Peterson made a jump in his senior season. It’s those building blocks that coach, Jhamal Diggs can rollover into next season. And up against the wall in the third set, Cranston East rallied down 7-3 and 21-18 against the Hawks. That championship-mettle is only going to help on Sunday.

“I think that coming into this game, we just had to be prepared well and mentally focused for anything,” Diggs said. “Not playing for three sets, expecting to go to five and it was super important for us to get back here.

“This is huge for the boys to get back. I told them at the end of the game that this is historic and they should enjoy this moment.”

Unless La Salle pulls off the upset of the spring, Cranston East will see North Kingstown for the fourth time this season. Odds aren’t in the Thunderbolts’ favor with three losses against the powerhouse program, but they’ve already broken through the semifinal wall.

“This moment, it feels amazing,” Xum said. “Compared to last year, this is a feeling that we’ll never forget. We’re going in hard into the finals, we’ll be ready.”