By LARRY VAUGHT

Sophie Galloway was a four-time Gatorade Kentucky Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year who won eight Class 3A state championships, including the long jump, triple jump and 100-meter hurdles her senior season at Marshall County.

She dreamed of potentially being an Olympian in the heptathlon but her collegiate career had an unexpected bumpy start because after she committed to Tennessee the coach who recruited her left and she had to quickly make a decision to attend Arkansas. That didn’t work well and she transferred to Kentucky for the spring semester of her freshman year.

Despite battling a hamstring injury and fractured bone in her foot, she set a UK freshman record in the outdoor triple jump at 42 feet, 9 1/2 inches and qualified for the NCAA National Track and Field Championships with an eight-place finish at the NCAA East Prelims.

Galloway admits she thought that would be the start of a sensational career. She never imagined she would not be going back to the national championships again until this season where she will compete Saturday in the triple jump after placing sixth in the East Prelims with a leap of 41-1/4.

“I am thrilled to be going back. I know it means a lot to everyone and it is exciting but it is also a relief,” said Galloway. “It has been a really tough last two year. I felt I would never get out of my slump. I am really proud of the way I was able to stick with it.”

Her sophomore indoor season she was battling an injury when UK coaches decided to shut her down hoping her Iliotibial (IT) injury would loosen on its own. The injury causes pain on the outside of the knee or hip and most commonly occurs from overuse or an injury. The IT band is a strong band of tissue that starts at the hip and runs along the outer thigh that can tear. The band works with your thigh muscles to provide stability to the outside of the knee during movement.

“It got to be August, the injury was no different and I had surgery. But I still dealt with the issue my entire junior year, too,” Galloway said.

Now she’ll end her collegiate career in Eugene, Ore., in the NCAA Championships and plans to make sure she savors the experience.

“The first time I went I thought I had been on stages that big and places just as large like Nike Nationals until I got there and realized I was a freshman, age 19 and not as in shape as these other people,” Galloway said. “To be honest, I sucked when I got there. I blew it. I was so nervous. I had never felt so unprepared for something in my life and most of it was my own doing.

“Now I know I am not going to win. God would have to force me to jump 47 feet for that to happen. I think I need to be proud I went there. It is only my second outdoor season and I deserve to be there again and I have to remember that. I have to be not just proud and happy to be there but I have to understand that I worked so hard the last four years to get here.”

Galloway has learned difficult lessons the last four years she’ll never forget. She says she is a lot smarter and lot less egotistical than when she left high school.

“I was humbled so many times (in college). Out of high school I had so much pride. Everywhere I went I would get a PR (personal record) or jump a huge number and rank No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation. Success just happened and I got to college and just expected it to keep happening,” Galloway said.

“I have trained as an Olympian since eighth grade with my coach out of Nashville. I expected a 19-6 long jump in high school to transition to 21 in college and a 42-foot triple jump to  be 45 or 46 in college. When it didn’t happen and I was not making finals and was hurt all the time even when I was giving everything, it was so hard. I have learned an immense amount about myself and a lot about the sport.”

Former Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a historic season for the Oklahoma City Thunder to get his team into the NBA Finals where he has a chance to add even more to his legacy.

One of Gilgeous-Alexander’s biggest supporters for years has been Canadian Steve Nash, a two-time NBA MVP and eight-time all-star player as well as a NBA coach. Nash ranks as one of the top players in NBA history in career 3-point shooting, free-throw shooting, total assists and assists per game. In 2018, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gilgeous-Alexander admits it would be “amazing” to win a NBA championship like Nash did.

“Steve obviously is a pioneer for Canadian basketball. He started the whole thing, I guess you can say. From the way he plays, to the way he carries himself, to his approach to the game, like, I learned so much from Steve being a 17-year-old kid in two weeks of time that helped me get here,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

“The things he’s done with Canada basketball as a whole and just pushing the culture forward is just amazing. To win a title on top of everything that happened this year would be special.

“I said this so many times, I don’t play for the individual stuff, I don’t play for anything else besides winning. I never have in my whole life. When I was nine-years-old I played to win an OBA championship. When I was 20 years old, I played to win the SEC championship. Now I’m 26, I want to win the NBA championship. It’s always about winning for me.

Nick Mingione was not ready for the 2025 season to be over when Kentucky blew a five-run lead in the eighth inning to West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament but it didn’t take him long to make it clear he was already excited about the 2026 season with young players like freshmen Tyler Bell, Hudson Brown, Nate Harris and Ryan Schwartz returning.

“Unfortunately with the transfer portal we have already started having meetings with players (about next year). We have been forced to prepare for next year,” Mingione said after the season-ending 13-12 loss to West Virginia.

“I’m really excited about next year’s team. I think if guys continue to grow and develop and we bring all of this back. Depending on what happens with the draft, if you told me we were a preseason Top 10 team in the country, I could believe it. That’s how highly I think about the guys we have coming back offensively. I really believe, depending on how all of this works with the portal, we have a chance to be special next year.”

Junior second baseman Luke Lawrence hit .306. Bell, the starting shortstop, finished the season with a .296 batting average and was second on the team with 10 homers. Schwartz hit .317 and knocked in 15 runs in 23 games. Brown hit .265 with three homers in 43 games.

Junior Carson Hansen became the team’s starting center fielder in the second half of the season and hit .283 with seven home runs. Sophomore Kyuss Gargett hit .266 and stole eight bases.

Freshman Nate Harris had an outstanding first season for the Cats. He was the Friday night starter for the back half of the season and went 5-2 with a 4.70 ERA. Harris was the winning pitcher in UK’s NCAA Regional win over No. 11 Clemson.

“Look at what Nate Harris did. Look at Ben Cleaver,” Mingione said. “And we’ve got a couple of other guys that as they continue to progress and get back, there’s a really strong foundation.”

Sophomore Ben Cleaver, a southpaw, became the staff ace and went 6-3 with a 3.25 ERA. He struck out 92 batters in 83 innings. Harris went 5-2 with a 4.70 ERA and was the winning pitcher in UK’s NCAA Regional win over No. 11 Clemson.

Hall of Fame college basketball analyst Dick Vitale recently ranked his top 12 teams for the 2025-26 season and he put Kentucky 11th.

“Mark Pope reloads again, folks. Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison will be looking to lead an incredible group of transfers, including Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Mouhamed Dioubate. The Wildcats are roaring loud in Lexington,” Vitale posted on ESPN.com.

However, Vitale’s preseason pick to win the Southeastern Conference is Florida, the defending national champion that lost to UK last season to open SEC play. He has the Gators ranked No. 3 behind Purdue and Houston.

Vitale is not the only one high on the Gators. College basketball analyst CJ Moore of The Athletic put Florida no. 5 in his preseason top 25 poll. He has UK ninth and Auburn 10th.

Moore found a lot to like about Florida coach Todd Golden’s team coming off a national championship season.

Florida’s frontcourt, featuring Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, was highlighted as a potential matchup nightmare. Also, the Gators added two major transfers in guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee.

Head coach Todd Golden’s ability to reload after a national championship run was also commended. Moore emphasized the Gators’ up-tempo offensive style and potential for further growth from players like Haugh and Condon as central to Florida’s championship hopes.

The Gators are the highest-ranked SEC program in the rankings, ahead of teams like the Kentucky Wildcats (No. 9) and Auburn Tigers (No. 10). Moore likes Florida’s “positional size and elite paint protection” going into the season.

“Florida could play a giant lineup that features Thomas Haugh (6-9), Alex Condon (6-11) and Rueben Chinyelu (6-10) up front. Those three played together only three possessions last season, per CBB Analytics, but it’ll be hard to justify bringing one of them off the bench, considering Haugh’s performance in the NCAA Tournament and the inexperience of the other wing options,” Moore wrote. “That big lineup could also help mask some defensive limitations of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee.

“Florida’s up-tempo style should help Fland prove he can be a more efficient player than he was under John Calipari. The Gators will contend for another title if Fland and Lee are productive and if Haugh and Condon continue to gain confidence in their playmaking and scoring abilities.”

Quote of the Week: “Kentucky’s always home for me. There’s always love. That’s the school I went to, the jersey I put on. They gave me the opportunity to reach one of my goals and dreams in life to play college basketball, and play on one of the biggest levels for one of the best schools in the country, and a good opportunity to go to the league. So yeah, I’m definitely coming back,” former UK basketball star John Wall talking about his UK roots on ESPN Radio.

Quote of the Week 2: “The program means the world to me. I have been committed since 2018. It taught me to be the best teammate I can be. It has made me a better person. This guy (UK coach Nick Mingione), I respect more than anybody I know. Super thankful he gave me a shot and I was able to represent this university,” senior pitcher Evan Byers after UK’s season-ending loss.

Quote of the Week 3: “A good locker room is a good locker room. Sometimes it doesn’t meet that standard and it could be fractured and splintered very easily. We’re much more intentional and force-feeding that. Having the right guys helps that. That’s what gives me excitement about what we’re doing right now,” coach Mark Stoops on resetting the UK football culture this year.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State head volleyball coach Kristen Kelsay announced the Spartans’ 2025 non-conference schedule Monday. 

With the announcement, MSU’s full 2025 schedule is now set and can be viewed digitally HERE.

NEW SEASON TICKET MEMBERSHIPS | SEASON TICKET RENEWALS

MSU’s 10-match non-conference slate features five home matches and includes the third annual Kathy DeBoer Invitational presented by Auto-Owners Insurance. The Spartans’ first two home matches will be played at the Breslin Center, while Jenison Field House will host the 2025 edition of the Kathy DeBoer Invitational, marking the first volleyball matches in the facility since 2021. 

The Spartans’ 2025 non-conference opponents combined for three regular-season titles, two conference tournament crowns and a pair of NCAA Tournament First Round appearances in 2024. 

“We’re beginning this fall with a diversity of opponents, leading into an always-competitive Big Ten schedule,” said Kelsay. “Our schedule is unique in that we’re playing a number of weekday matches, often similar to our Big Ten schedule, and several weekday matches on the road.” 

MSU kicks off 2025 action at home on Aug. 30 against Merrimack and hosts defending Northeast regular season and tournament champion Chicago State on Aug. 31. Four-straight road contests and a neutral site match then await the Spartans, beginning with midweek tilts at Evansville on Sept. 3 and Southern Indiana on Sept. 4. 

An in-state matchup against 2024 NCAA Tournament participant and MAC Tournament champion Western Michigan is set for Sept. 8 in Kalamazoo. MSU then travels to Kennesaw, Georgia, for the Kennesaw State Invitational, taking on the host Owls on Sept. 11 before a neutral-site matchup against Appalachian State on Sept. 12. 

In honor of alumni weekend, the Spartans will return to Jenison Field House for the first time in four seasons to host the 2025 edition of the Kathy DeBoer Invitational presented by Auto-Owners Insurance. Action begins on Sept. 18 against 2024 American East regular season champion Binghamton and continues Sept. 19 against defending MAC regular season champion Bowling Green. MSU concludes the Kathy DeBoer Invitational and non-conference play against SIUE on Sept. 20. 

“I’m fired up to welcome our alumni back into Jenison Field House this fall,” said Kelsay. “Our program value of our Spartan Family will be on display as we welcome these incredible women back into the arena they once played in. It’s important for our student-athletes to understand the foundation these women laid for the success that is to come. I hope everyone can join us back in a weekend at Jenison to close out our non-conference.” 

MSU’s 20-match Big Ten schedule begins Sept. 25 at Minnesota. 

Times and television designations will be available at a later date.  

It’s no secret that Coronado is a water polo town. The sport is etched deep into the fabric of the city’s rich history, with a number of the town’s most notable athletes going on to represent Team USA on the Olympic stage. 

And while many of those names have hung up their caps and chosen to exit from competing in international competition, there are those in this new generation who hope to find themselves in that Olympic setting soon. Representing both country and this small 32.5 square mile plot of land many of us call home. 

One of those hopeful young water polo players is Coronado local Audrey Roberts. This past month, Roberts received an incredibly well-earned invitation to train with the Team USA water polo developmental team this summer. 

“I am so honored to have been picked and given this opportunity to work with Team USA, and I am going to go out there and make the most of it,” said Audrey Roberts.

For Roberts, it’s fair to say that water polo runs in the family. Her mom, Devon Roberts, a current teacher at Village Elementary, is quite the accomplished water polo player herself. Playing four years for Coronado High School before going on to play at the NCAA level for the UCLA women’s water polo program.

“I love being able to talk to her about the sport, because we both have such a passion for it,” said Roberts. “We watch games together of the national team, and it’s a really great way to bond with her.”

Roberts has starred for her travel team, the San Diego Shores, serving as the team’s main offensive facilitator as a driver and an attacker. Her play there, along with her body of work throughout her young career, earned her an invitation to the 2025 Girls NTSC (National Team selection camp tryouts). Shortly thereafter, she competed in the 2025 Girls ODP National Championships.

There, she played for the Pacific Southwest zone team. By the play’s end, her performance at the tryouts, combined with her play in the championships, had earned her a spot on the developmental team. 

“When I found out, I was actually out to dinner with my family, and my mom pulled a joke on me and said, ‘Yeah, you didn’t make it,’” laughed Roberts. “But then she told me she was just kidding, and that I had made it, and I was just really excited. I couldn’t believe it, I almost started crying.” 

While Roberts has already accomplished a notable feat by earning a roster spot on the developmental team, she still has goals ahead of her that she hopes to achieve this summer.

“The first week of the summer, I will be at June camp, which is basically a chance to try out for the travel team,” said Roberts. “If I do well there, I will get to go with the travel team to Brazil for a week to play and compete.” 

Along with the opportunity to possibly be on the travel team, Roberts is also excited for the opportunity to play alongside girls from around the country, learn from, and gain new perspectives from Team USA’s coaches. 

“I love being able to be around other girls and coaches I haven’t met and talking to them about the sport and maybe learn things I haven’t tried or thought of,” Roberts said. “My coaches that I play for here in San Diego have also been really amazing.”

While she is already an extremely highly touted driver, Roberts is eager to continue improving her game to become the best player she can be. In fact, she already has a few things in mind she hopes to improve upon this summer while with the developmental team. 

“I love facilitating and setting my teammates up for success, and I’d really like to work on the accuracy of my passes because sometimes they miss their marks,” Roberts said. “I know as a left-handed attacker, my passes need to be spot on.” 

When the summer does conclude, and the 2025-2026 school year begins, Roberts won’t be going anywhere. The Coronado local, who will be an incoming freshman at the start of the school year this fall, is set to attend Coronado High School. She is excited to play for CHS Head Coach and five-time Olympian Jesse Smith, and to wear the same color cap that her mom did. 

“I cannot wait; I am so excited to play for Coronado in high school and meet all these new girls and develop these bonds with my teammates. It’s going to be amazing,” said Roberts. “I am really excited to learn from Coach Smith, hear his perspective on the sport, and learn new things from him.”

VOL. 115, NO. 23 – June 4, 2025

Springfield, Mass. – June 9, 2025 – The New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) recently announced Spring Academic All-Conference Teams and 122 Springfield College student-athletes were honored for their efforts in the classroom. 

Honorees must have met the following criteria: earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 scale or 4.35/5.0 scale after the 2024 fall semester, achieved second year academic status at their institution, and been a member of the varsity team for the entire semester.

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy.

Baseball
Ryan Baker
Tyler Casey
JP Catellier
Jarrad Coyne
Adam Crocker
Ryan Delaney
Luke DiMauro
Ryan Duffy
Jack Dunaisky
Antonio Fusco
Brock Goodwin
Nate Kelleher-Mochak
Sean Lengyel
Michael Lepere
Aaron Little
Nicholas Lloyd
Jack Richburg
Liam Skribiski-Banack
Andrew Sweet
Jacob Wagner
Jack Woodward

Men’s Lacrosse
Zach Barden
Nicholas Belvedere
Gavin Carzello
Conor Connally
Ian Cote
Jaiden Gaudet
Jackson Lane
Michael Manning
Mason Nocito
Colin Norred
Toby Oliveira
Kaden Quirk
Zachary Rabin
Nicholas Savastano
Vincent Scialdone
Sam Serrano
Brady Soldo
Trevor Stringer
Kevin Tierney
Troy Van Orden
Reece Whitney

Men’s Tennis
Ethan Gomulka
Angelo Guzman
Tatsuya Kimoto
Tim Norin
Marc Villanueva Abad

Men’s Track and Field
Charles Botelho
Tyler Fabbri
Isaiah Hannah
Colin Hansen
Justin Jordaens
Connor Joyce
Daniel McGlashan
Ricky Perruzzi
Michael Scott
Avlok Sharma
Jeremiah Singer
Christopher Vayda
Harry Yablon

Softball
Amelia DeRosa
Lyndsay Donston
Sarah Falcone
Taylor Falotico
Callie Gendron
Kate Katsetos
Lily McCauliffe
Carissa Pecchia
Michaela Ponticello
Rachel Powers
Lucy Puskas
Emilia Santiago
Tessa Spingola

Women’s Lacrosse
Kyana Alvarado
Hailey Gaydos
Hannah Hibbert
Izzy Lalancette
Danielle Malpica
Isabella Mazzi
Liz Neri
Sarah Newton
Abby Taylor
Emma Unverzagt
Kristyn Vasselin
Lindsay Vogt

Women’s Tennis
Alysa Elliott
Ramida Manataweewat
Natalia Peyon
Kapom Vettayawaikoon

Women’s Track and Field
Jillian Barry
Julia Brillo
Mirabel Brunell
Sierra Bryte
Leah Castle
Grace Conan
Meghan Conway
Maeve D’Arcy
Katherine DeFosse
Taylor Desmarais
Kaitlyn Doherty
Brooke Ferrare
Charlotte Gerow
Taylor Gibson
Riley Hanover
Kayleigh Jensen
Kristina Kyle
Jillian LaBonte
Elizabeth Lewelling
Hannah McCarthy
Bailey McDevitt
Madison Mulas
Elina Olmedo
Samantha Paul
Jillian Scott
Maddie Shea
Ella Smith
Summer Sobieski
Katie Spaner
Maggie Stevens
Meghan Sullivan
Katelynn Taylor

For the latest on Springfield College Athletics, follow the Pride on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  Be sure to tune into all Springfield College Athletic events by subscribing to FloSports.

New roster limits have been established after the House settlement was granted final approval by Judge Claudia Wilken late on Friday evening.

The official roster limits, along with details surrounding the new NIL Go clearinghouse and when athletes will be required to begin reporting their deals, were released in an NCAA Q&A document obtained by SwimSwam.

ROSTER LIMITS

Effective 2025-26

ROSTER LIMITS VS PREVIOUS ROSTER SIZES/SCHOLARSHIPS

Data Courtesy of Business of College Sports

The document confirmed that the roster limits will become effective for the 2025-26 academic year, and also detailed how anyone identified as a “designated student-athlete” won’t count against roster limits:

A current or incoming student-athlete may be identified as a “Designated Student-Athlete”, if they were removed from the roster, or would’ve been removed, for the 2025-26 academic year, due to the implementation of roster limits.

Schools will have to identify their designated student-athletes within 30 days of June 6. If a student-athlete receives the designation at one school, they’ll have it at any school if they end up transferring.

NIL REPORTING NOTES

• Student-athletes will be required to report any third-party NIL deals over $600 to NIL Go, the new independent NIL clearinghouse. Any deal signed after June 6, 2025, must be reported to NIL Go. Additionally, deals signed before June 6 but have payments after July 1, 2025, must be reported.
• NIL Go is expected to launch this week (week of June 9), and the compliance office will educate student-athletes on the submission and review process, according to the document.
• NIL Go reviews “whether the ‘Payor’ of the NIL deal is an ‘Associated Entity’ or ‘Associated Individual’, the compensation is within an acceptable range of compensation, and whether the NIL activity is for a valid business purpose to promote goods or services that are available to the general public (for profit).”
• Read more on the NIL Go review process here.
• The College Sports Commission, which recently hired MLB executive Bryan Seeley as CEO, has been launched to address issues related to third-party NIL deals, revenue sharing, roster limits, and violations to any of the House settlement rules.