Today’s Long Beach CIF-SS Playoff Schedule – The562.org
Today kicks off the busy stretch of the Spring playoffs, with eight Long Beach teams in action including beach volleyball, boys’ volleyball, and boys’ lacrosse. Tuesday, April 29 Beach Volleyball Division 2: Millikan vs. San Clemente (@ LBCC), 2pm Division 2: Wilson at Santa Barbara (Wednesday), 3pm Division 3: Long Beach […]
Today kicks off the busy stretch of the Spring playoffs, with eight Long Beach teams in action including beach volleyball, boys’ volleyball, and boys’ lacrosse.
Tuesday, April 29
Beach Volleyball
Division 2: Millikan vs. San Clemente (@ LBCC), 2pm
Division 2: Wilson at Santa Barbara (Wednesday), 3pm
Division 3: Long Beach Poly vs Laguna Blanca (@ LBCC), 3:30pm
Who should we have picked as SW FL Female Athlete of the Year
Video as 2025 SW FL Sports Award winners receive their prizes on stage The 2025 Southwest Florida High School Sports Award ceremony was held Thursday, May 29 at Suncoast Arena. The News-Press and Naples Daily News held their annual Southwest Florida Sports Awards Show on May 29 at Suncoast Arena on the campus of Southwest Florida State College. […]
Video as 2025 SW FL Sports Award winners receive their prizes on stage
The 2025 Southwest Florida High School Sports Award ceremony was held Thursday, May 29 at Suncoast Arena.
The News-Press and Naples Daily News held their annual Southwest Florida Sports Awards Show on May 29 at Suncoast Arena on the campus of Southwest Florida State College. During the show, we announced First Baptist’s Zara Stewart as our 2024-25 Female Athlete of the Year.
Did we get it right?
Here’s a chance to have your say. Here are all of our female athletes of the year for the 2024-25 high school sports year. Who would you select to be the Southwest Florida Female Athlete of the Year?
Previously: Who should be the Southwest Florida High School Male Athlete of the Year
The poll will remain open at news-press.com and naplesnews.com until 10 a.m. on June 13.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE POLL AND VOTE. You can also scroll down to the bottom.
Here are the nominees:
Zara Stewart
First Baptist, Volleyball, Senior
The senior did virtually everything for the Lions, leading the team in kills, aces, and digs. Stewart had a kill percentage of 38.6 percent and a hitting percentage of .273, as First Baptist advanced to its first state semifinal since 2020.
Madison Bates
Naples, Swimming and Diving, Senior
In diving, Bates captured district and regional titles before finishing as a state runner-up in Class 2A with a dive score of 384.25.
Eva Lye
First Baptist, Golf, Senior
Lye shot 68-73 at the Class 1A state championships to place eighth overall, the best two-round score for any Southwest Florida area golfer at states. She also finished fourth at the Private 8 tournament, second at districts, and 11th at regionals.
Masha Dorofeev
Fort Myers, Cross Country, Senior
Dorofeev pulled off a clean sweep heading into the Class 3A state meet, winning the LCAC, District 3A-6, and Region 3A-3 championships. At state, she ran a personal best of 18:05.5 to claim the 3A title.
Brooke Pabst
Cape Coral, Bowling, Senior
Pabst led the Seahawks to a district title and an eighth-place finish at state. She won the district championship and finished in the top 100 at state.
Nalah Smith
ECS, Basketball, Junior
Smith averaged 12.4 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game on the Sentinels’ run to the Final Four. She recorded eight double-doubles and a triple-double with points, rebounds, and blocks in the team’s regional final victory.
Hannah Busenbark
North Fort Myers, Soccer, Junior
The Florida Dairy Farmers Class 5A Player of the Year could not be stopped this season, leading all of Southwest Florida with 57 goals and 12 assists. Committed to Eastern Kentucky, Busenbark’s 57 goals ranked third statewide, as she led the Red Knights to the Final Four.
Imani Greaves
LaBelle, Weightlifting, Senior
Greaves finished her career with a Traditional state title and a bronze medal in Olympic lifts in Class 2A. She was the Region 2A-4 champ in both and was the Traditional Top Lifter at the meet, and did the same in District 2A-13.
Kiera Partello
Barron Collier, Wrestling, Junior
Partello went 40-4 in the 100-pound weight class, capturing district and regional championships. At the state tournament, she came in second place.
Gabby Dwyer and Ashlee Tenkley
Fort Myers, Beach Volleyball, Seniors
Dwyer and Tenkley were the area’s most dominant pair, finishing 17-1 on the No. 1 court, helping the Green Wave advance to their first Final Four. Dwyer, who signed with Tulane, and Tenkley, who signed with North Florida, didn’t concede a set to any opposing pair all season until the state semifinal round against Gulf Breeze.
Lila Dinkel
Bishop Verot, Flag Football, Junior
Dinkel led Verot on both sides of the ball, catching 40 passes for 586 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing 25 times for 182 yards with three touchdowns. The junior finished with 67 flag pulls, 13 sacks, and six interceptions, all of which were team highs for the Vikings, who won the Class 2A-District 13 title in their first season as a program.
Stella Lynch
CSN, Lacrosse, Senior
The midfielder had her best season yet with the Seahawks, netting 43 goals while adding 35 assists, 42 ground balls, and 25 caused turnovers, which was a team high. The Denver signee helped CSN advance to its first Final Four since 2021.
Abby Hynes
North Fort Myers, Softball, Senior
Hynes led a high-powered North Fort Myers offense with more than 53 hits, including 22 for extra bases, finishing the season with an OPS of 1.864. The second baseman’s 13 home runs led Southwest Florida and ranked in the top 10 statewide.
Chelsea Casapu
Barron Collier, Tennis, Sophomore
Casapu helped lead the Cougars to Collier County Athletic Conference, district, and regional championships and a runner-up finish at the Class 2A state championships. At No. 1 singles and doubles, she finished the season with a combined 17-3 record.
Ava Heskett
Gulf Coast, Track & Field, Senior
Heskett swept regionals and districts in the 800 and 1600-meter races. At the Class 3A state meet, she finished first in both events and contributed to Gulf Coast’s runner-up performance in the 4×800 relay.
Ciara McCloskey
Gulf Coast, Scholar-Athlete, Senior
McCloskey earned Southwest Florida All-Region honors in cross country, lacrosse, and track. She placed 47th at the state cross country meet and won the Class 3A gold medal in the 3,200 as a senior. She was a four-year lacrosse letter winner. She plans on majoring in computer science at Notre Dame.
Andy Yamashita: UW Huskies ‘well positioned’ after House settlement final approval | Seattle Times Sports
Jun. 7—Joe Knight has spent nearly eight months preparing for this. On Friday evening, U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken granted final approval for the NCAA’s settlement of three antitrust lawsuits — known colloquially as the House settlement — paving the way for universities to share revenue directly with student-athletes under a new enforcement system, along with […]
Jun. 7—Joe Knight has spent nearly eight months preparing for this.
On Friday evening, U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken granted final approval for the NCAA’s settlement of three antitrust lawsuits — known colloquially as the House settlement — paving the way for universities to share revenue directly with student-athletes under a new enforcement system, along with several other changes.
It’s the moment Knight, the executive director of Dawgs Unleashed, has been waiting for since he was hired in October 2024.
“This is our proactive reaction to what we knew was coming,” Knight said.
The settlement contains three main parts: approximately $2.8 billion in back pay for former student-athletes who participated in NCAA sports between 2016-24, a revenue-sharing system with an enforcement entity for current student-athletes and roster limits in place of scholarship limits.
Dawgs Unleashed is Washington’s internal name, image and likeness (NIL) and influencer marketing division, one of the most notable new additions to the UW athletic department, formed in preparation for the settlement’s approval. Knight described Dawgs Unleashed as an internal NIL collective, seeking opportunities for student-athletes to earn money off their NIL with local businesses.
“UW and Seattle, there’s nothing like it,” Knight said. “We’re so inextricably married. The corporations and the student body within Husky athletics, there’s such a unique opportunity for us to really do this in an effective way.
“I don’t think anyone is as well positioned as the Huskies in this new era.”
Starting July 1, Washington and other universities around the country can share up to $20.5 million with their student-athletes.
UW athletic director Pat Chun reiterated Washington’s intention to “distribute maximum allowable revenue share” in a statement Friday evening. In a letter to Husky fans Saturday, he requested donations to UW’s Go Big campaign to help offset some of the costs of revenue sharing.
“Our campus and athletic leadership have prepared for today’s outcome for months,” he wrote. “UW remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting our athletic programs at the highest level and shaping the future of college athletics. With the leadership of our University, the dedication of our donors, and the passion of Husky Nation, we are well positioned to elevate the student-athlete experience and showcase Washington on the national and global stage.”
Dawgs Unleashed isn’t involved in revenue sharing. Instead, Knight’s group will deal with the additional changes related to student-athlete compensation.
Along with laying the groundwork for revenue sharing, the settlement created a new enforcement entity to bring some order to the NIL landscape. The College Sports Commission — a non-NCAA entity run by Bryan Seeley, a former assistant U.S. attorney who spent more than a decade as MLB’s vice president of investigations and deputy general counsel — will ensure universities stay under the revenue-sharing cap.
It’s also charged with monitoring NIL deals through a Deloitte-run clearinghouse called NIL Go. Student-athletes must report any agreements worth $600 or more to the technology platform, which determines if the deal provides reasonable compensation for the job offered. Knight said he believes creating rules for the NIL space is essential to creating a more level playing field in college athletics.
NIL Go potentially rules out charitable donations, the most-common contributions received by Montlake Futures, UW’s official third-party NIL collective, and places emphasis on corporate sponsorship.
“As an employee of the UW, as an alum, as a fan of the UW,” Knight said, “I think Washington succeeds in a model in which there are rules, and there’s enforcement of those rules.”
That’s where Dawgs Unleashed comes into play. Knight’s group hopes to help UW student-athletes navigate NIL Go and connect them with corporate sponsorship opportunities. Knight said Dawgs Unleashed will serve as representation for any student-athletes who don’t already have agents, particularly those who play Olympic sports.
He also stressed that, as an internal division of UW athletics, Dawgs Unleashed has direct access to Seattle’s business network and the Tyee Club. Knight added UW’s new multimedia rights deal has emphasized creating NIL sponsorship opportunities for student-athletes instead of simply creating corporate partnerships for the athletic department.
“In Seattle, on Montlake, there are true NIL corporate sponsorship opportunities for all student-athletes,” he said.
Knight, who graduated from UW in 2016, and the Husky athletic department started seriously preparing for the settlement’s approval in August 2024. Knight previously served as director of corporate sponsorship and development at Seattle U. He returned to his alma mater in 2021 to work as a major gifts officer in UW’s fundraising department.
Since becoming the Dawgs Unleashed executive director, Knight has focused on building his department’s infrastructure. He hired two NIL analysts, Derek Sullivan and Cody Scott, who will serve as operations managers, too. Knight also added creative content specialist Nicole Sasu-Twum and director of digital and NIL strategy Sam Schwartz. Knight said having a team already in place has been extremely helpful, especially as final approval of the settlement dragged into June.
Additionally, Dawgs Unleashed has spent the past several months integrating into the athletic department. Knight said they’ve met with each of the varsity coaches and programs at UW to explain what they can offer student-athletes. They’ve worked with Cameron Foster, UW’s newly hired senior director of contracts and cap management, to look through agreements and make sure they’re prepared for NIL Go’s scrutiny.
Finally, Knight said Dawgs Unleashed is closely tied to Boundless Futures, the leadership and professional development program run by student-athlete academic services. Through Boundless Futures and Amy Landram, UW assistant athletic director of student-athlete development, Knight said they want to teach financial literacy and responsibility.
Some of their work has already started showing results. Dawgs Unleashed helped facilitate corporate sponsorships with CVS Pharmacy, Adidas, Starbucks, Gatorade and Simply Seattle among others, Knight said. He added it’s just the beginning now that the settlement has been approved.
“Who knows what the next big domino to fall is, or the next big hill to climb is,” he said. “But I do feel confident that we’ve established the structure — the bones — here on Montlake to right the ship through any storm.”
Roster limits
The final piece that held up the settlement’s approval involved roster limits. Teams are no longer restricted to a set number of scholarships. Instead, every sport has a specific number of players who can all receive athletic financial aid at the program’s discretion.
Walk-ons were severely affected, with many schools cutting their roster spots in preparation for the settlement’s approval. However, Wilken directed these players, now known as designated student-athletes, be allowed to return or play for a new school without counting against the roster limits.
Here are the scholarship limits for UW’s varsity sports:
Top Moments: Daily Bruin Sports recap UCLA Athletics’ 2024-2025 season highlights
UCLA Athletics’ first year in the Big Ten didn’t affect its ability to win conference – and national honors. Whether it was individual accolades or program banners, the 2024-2025 campaign was full of bright moments. Daily Bruin Sports shines a spotlight on the best moments from the year. Gymnastics wins Big Ten championshipsHannah Westerhold, Daily […]
UCLA Athletics’ first year in the Big Ten didn’t affect its ability to win conference – and national honors. Whether it was individual accolades or program banners, the 2024-2025 campaign was full of bright moments. Daily Bruin Sports shines a spotlight on the best moments from the year.
Gymnastics wins Big Ten championships Hannah Westerhold, Daily Bruin Contributor
UCLA gymnastics celebrates after winning the Big Ten tournament as junior Jordan Chiles holds the trophy. (Brianna Carlson/Daily Bruin senior staff)
“Ten, ten, ten!”
The chants from the crowd, coaches and teammates after Brooklyn Moors steps off the floor are almost as expected as the graduate student’s precise execution of her choreography.
But the judges never answered the chants. That is, until it mattered most.
UCLA headed to Ann Arbor on March 22, where Moors and junior Jordan Chiles brought UCLA’s inaugural Big Ten Championships to a poetic close, securing victory with a tandem of perfect scores. They weren’t the first Bruins to reach perfection that night – junior Ciena Alipio started the wave of 10s with the first perfect score of her career on beam.
But Michigan State, Minnesota and Michigan prevented a clean sweep for UCLA. Despite owning the Big Ten regular season title, the Bruins stood in second place for the first two rotations of the Big Ten championships – even after tying their season-high 49.350 on vault.
Heading to beam, UCLA needed to narrow the margin. And it delivered – recording five scores of 9.925 or higher. The Bruins notched a season-high beam total of 49.750, raising their old record by .125.
The Bruins approached the floor, still trailing the Spartans. Sophomore Katelyn Rosen led the rotation with a 9.875 mark, boosting the Bruins’ momentum. With each routine, UCLA matched or raised the previous mark.
UCLA’s 198.450 was over 1.000 above its season average and marked UCLA’s fourth-highest score in school history. The Bruins set a standard of excellence in their new conference, earning the highest team score in Big Ten championships history.
Men’s water polo wins NCAA championship Una O’Farrell, Daily Bruin senior staff
UCLA men’s water polo celebrates by jumping in the pool after winning the 2024 NCAA championship. (Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
UCLA men’s water polo entered the 2024 season with something to prove.
After securing a perfect preseason and conference record in 2023, MPSF and NCAA titles seemed inevitable for last year’s squad.
But after narrow one and two-point defeats in the MPSF semifinal and the NCAA final, respectively, the Bruins fell short.
With a revamped roster, UCLA entered 2024 with renewed potential. The return of veteran contributors and the arrival of Olympic-level talent positioned the team as a top contender from the outset.
Freshman attacker Ryder Dodd joined the team after competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he and Team USA won bronze. Redshirt junior attacker Chase Dodd also returned to the roster after taking the 2023 season off to train with the national team and compete in the Olympics.
But after a close loss in the 2024 MPSF final, it seemed the Bruins would repeat history.
But this time, UCLA finished the job.
The Bruins defeated USC 11-8 in the NCAA championship game at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center, clinching their 13th national title in program history and UCLA’s 124th NCAA championship overall.
The victory also marked coach Adam Wright’s fifth NCAA championship with the men’s program and his second national title in the 2024 calendar year, having led the women’s team to a championship in May.
Men’s tennis wins Big Ten tournament title Chloe Agas, Daily Bruin Staff
UCLA men’s tennis players celebrate on the court after clinching the Big Ten tournament title over Ohio State. (Nicolas Greamo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Ohio State hadn’t lost since 2022 Big Ten title match.
Just a few weeks before the 2025 conference title contest, the Bruins fell to the Buckeyes in a 4-0 sweep on the latter’s home courts. But instead of breaking them, the loss became a turning point as they finished out the season.
Riding a seven-match winning streak and seeded at No. 2 for the Big Ten tournament, coach Billy Martin’s squad found themselves back on the red and black courts in Columbus – in a battle for the program’s first Big Ten title.
With the April 27 match tied at 3-3, senior and captain Alexander Hoogmartens delivered a three-set win against Jack Anthrop, handing the Buckeye his first loss since Feb. 14. All eyes turned to Emon van Loben Sels and Buckeye Alexander Bernard facing off in the deciding match.
The Bruins – who suffered defeat earlier in the season – now had a chance to write a new ending. All of the losses, doubts and close calls stacked up as van Loben Sels carried a potential Big Ten title for the Bruins on his shoulders.
The redshirt sophomore entered this year with just eight singles match appearances from the 2023-24 season. He finished the 2024-25 season with 28 match appearances – 17 on court two – and a 14-4 singles record.
Van Loben Sels stepped up to the baseline to serve for the match point. Both players shuffled at the net, as both teams stood on either side, spectating the ongoing rally. Then, Bernard struck a forehand that went out of bounds upwards into the air.
And in that moment – time stood still.
After a three-and-a half hour battle, van Loben Sels dropped his racket, raised his fists and collapsed to the ground as his teammates surrounded him and cheered.
In their first ever appearance at the tournament, they won it all.
Now, the team that began the season as underdogs hoisted the trophy.
Women’s basketball makes first Final Four since 1978 Ava Abrishamchian, Daily Bruin Staff
UCLA women’s basketball celebrates as confetti falls down after they won the Elite Eight matchup to advance to the Final Four. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
UCLA women’s basketball etched itself into Westwood’s history books in a year filled with both milestones and heartbreak.
Under coach Cori Close’s leadership, the Bruins roared through their inaugural Big Ten season, rattled off 23 straight wins and held the No. 1 national ranking for 12 weeks – both program records.
However, claiming the Big Ten tournament title was not the Bruins’ only historic feat.
It was UCLA’s Final Four appearance – the school’s first during the NCAA era – that will define the legacy of the 2024-2025 squad.
The Bruins’ tournament run was powered by a deep bench, the interior dominance of junior center and 2025 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Betts, the leadership of junior guard Kiki Rice, and the breakout performances of transfers like Timea Gardiner and Janiah Barker.
In the Elite Eight, UCLA avenged its 2024 March Madness loss to LSU with a 72-65 win, showcasing poise and grit when it mattered most. It was junior guard Gabriela Jaquez who stepped up for the Bruins, shooting 80% from beyond the arc to help punch the team’s ticket to Tampa.
But a dynasty – led by the soon-to-be No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Paige Bueckers – awaited UCLA in Florida. UConn, under the purview of coaching legend Geno Auriemma, dismantled the top-seeded Bruins 85-51 in a semifinal that hurt to watch. It was the largest loss in Final Four history and a brutal punctuation on an otherwise extraordinary campaign.
Still, the Bruins didn’t let the scoreboard define the team’s legacy. And they shouldn’t.
The season was about more than one night in March. It was about the program rising to the occasion and rewriting its own ceilings. Though it left Tampa without a trophy, UCLA set a new standard for itself – a standard it will undoubtedly be looking to exceed next year.
Men’s tennis defeats USC in super regional Kai Dizon, Daily Bruin Senior Staff
It wasn’t just rough sailing for coach Billy Martin’s relatively young and inexperienced crew to begin 2025.
It was a nosedive.
UCLA’s 4-3 Feb. 22 loss to USC completed an early four-match losing streak and a 2-6 start to the 2025 campaign – UCLA’s worst ever under Martin.
But the Bruins turned things around in conference play, firing off six straight wins before heading to the other side of Los Angeles.
With UCLA up 3-2 April 1 at David X. Marks Tennis Stadium, it seemed all but certain that the Bruins would get their revenge after falling in Westwood.
Instead, the Trojans took the final two singles courts, defeating the Bruins 4-3 yet again.
However, after a 4-0 loss to Ohio State the following match, UCLA returned to where they were before USC – the win column.
The Bruins rattled off five more wins to close out the regular season, won three straight in the Big Ten tournament – including a 4-3 upset of the No. 1 seed Buckeyes in Columbus to secure the conference crown – and after narrowly missing out on hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, secured a spot at super regional after upsetting No. 11 seed California in Berkeley.
For the third time that season, the Bruins had a date with the Trojans – this time, hosting their first-ever super regional at the Los Angeles Tennis Center with a chance to reach the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 2018.
This time, UCLA wouldn’t disappoint.
Despite dropping the doubles point on a court-three tiebreaker, the Bruins stormed back with four wins in singles.
And with the match tied at 3-3, sophomore Spencer Johnson – who missed the two previous crosstown bouts due to injury – delivered the final blow, defeating Volodymyr Iakubenko 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4 and securing UCLA its spot in Waco, Texas.
Women’s basketball defeats USC in Big Ten finals Noah Massey, Daily Bruin staff
UCLA women’s basketball celebrates with the trophy after winning the Big Ten tournament over crosstown rivals USC. (Darlene Sanzon/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Only one team had managed to best an otherwise undefeated Bruin squad – it’s crosstown rival.
And they had already done it twice.
To make matters worse, USC stole the Big Ten regular season title in its final matchup with UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.
So when the Bruins trailed by 13 points in the third quarter of the Big Ten tournament championship, it appeared that the Trojans would solidify themselves as the Bruins’ Achilles’ heel.
In their two victories, the Trojans strung together lengthy fourth-quarter scoring runs to extinguish the Bruins’ chances of emerging triumphant.
This time, it was the Bruins who went on a late run.
UCLA outscored USC 20-13 in the fourth quarter, turning a two-point deficit at the start of the fourth into a five-point advantage.
The Bruin defense clamped down on the Trojan offense, limiting guard JuJu Watkins to nine fourth quarter points.
UCLA held on to its narrow lead for the remainder of the contest to win the Big Ten tournament in its inaugural season – its first conference tournament victory since 2006.
With the victory over the Trojans boosting their resume, the Bruins earned the top seed in the NCAA tournament and went on to make a run to the Final Four – their deepest tournament run in program history.
Men’s basketball and football hit transfer jackpot Ira Gorawara, Daily Bruin senior staff
UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin (left) stands on the sideline and yells to the court. UCLA football coach DeShaun Foster stands and looks onto the field. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
If college sports had a version of free agency, UCLA played it like the Los Angeles Lakers.
Because by the end of the respective transfer portal windows, both the Rose Bowl and Pauley Pavilion had new headliners.
DeShaun Foster – the charismatic leader, culture-setter and technical maestro that he is – landed Nico Iamaleava, the top prospect in the portal and highest-ranked quarterback in program history. A Downey, California, local, Iamaleava ensured his homecoming was both a reunion and a revival.
For him, a return to roots. For Westwood, a jolt of swagger, a swelling sense of renewal and a beast under center.
But the Bruins didn’t stop there. Nico Iamaleava’s younger brother, Madden Iamaleava, joined him from Arkansas, while sophomore playmakers like wide receiver Mikey Matthews and running back Jaivian Thomas turned UCLA’s backfield and pass catching room into an engine potentially built for prime time.
Meanwhile, the no-nonsense mind of Mick Cronin spared no hesitation in reshaping his roster.
In his biggest pull, Cronin also enticed the best player in the transfer portal to Westwood. Donovan Dent – the 2024-2025 Mountain West Player of the Year who averaged 20.4 points a game through the year – will take over the now-departed Dylan Andrews, whose impact had all but faded by season’s end.
And after helping his team to the Big Ten regular season championship, 6-foot-11 sophomore forward/center Xavier Booker – once a top-20 recruit – will be the imposing presence Cronin lost with center Aday Mara’s departure.
The Bruins’ unflinching architect also created homes for senior guard Jamar Brown, who can create shots at will, and junior center Steven Jamerson II.
So in an era of frequent roster turnover and rapid reinvention, UCLA dominated the portal.
Two major programs, two rebuilds and one overarching warning to the rest of the Big Ten: Westwood’s reloaded.
Gymnastics places second at Final Four Hannah Westerhold, Daily Bruin contributor
UCLA gymnastics poses for a photo after placing second at the NCAA championship. (Zimo Li/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Fourth time’s the charm for UCLA when it comes to its former Pac-12 rival.
After the Bruins took last place at their Jan. 4 season opener, they conquered every squad on the road to the national championships – except for one familiar foe.
Utah defeated UCLA three times in the 2025 season – at its regular season dual meet, the second round of the regional and at the regional final. Including the 2025 defeats, the Red Rocks dominated every dual meet for the past six years.
For the Bruins, beating the Red Rocks seems to be a key ingredient for postseason success – 2019 marked the last time UCLA defeated Utah in a dual meet and the last time they reached the NCAA Final Four.
While the Bruins didn’t clinch the 2025 regular season win, a second-place finish in the regional final launched the No. 5 seed to the national championships in Fort Worth, Texas – giving UCLA a fourth chance at redemption April 19.
UCLA started on floor – their highest nationally ranked event – tying No. 2 seed Oklahoma for the lead, with No. 4 seed Utah and No. 7 seed Missouri not far behind. The Bruins then moved to the vault, where they dropped to second place.
Meanwhile, the Red Rocks’ meet took a turn for the worse. An uncharacteristic fall from senior Grace McCallum widened the margin between the Bruins in second and the Red Rocks in third. With Utah out of contention, it was between UCLA and Oklahoma for the national title.
UCLA ended on beam, with .3375 standing between them and the lead. Seniors Emily Lee and Emma Malabuyo bookended the rotation with marks higher than 9.900, but the Bruins still counted their lowest beam total since March 2. Oklahoma ended on bars with their lowest event total since Jan. 24 – but it was not enough for a UCLA victory.
Even though the Bruins fell short of the national title, the squad jumped 15 spots from their national finish last season. UCLA also landed its best finish since 2018, ending its season of redemption on a positive note.
Warner Bros. Discovery and the French Tennis Federation extend broadcast agreement for Roland-Garros in Europe until 2030
Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director, WBD Sports Europe [L] and Gilles Moretton, French Tennis Federation president [R] Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and the French Tennis Federation (FFT) have extended their agreement that will see Roland-Garros continue to be broadcast on its channels and platforms on a pan-European basis including the UK and Ireland (excluding […]
Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director, WBD Sports Europe [L] and Gilles Moretton, French Tennis Federation president [R]
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and the French Tennis Federation (FFT) have extended their agreement that will see Roland-Garros continue to be broadcast on its channels and platforms on a pan-European basis including the UK and Ireland (excluding France) until at least 2030.
The new deal, which will extend WBD’s relationship with the FFT to over 40 years, was signed on Sunday 8 June by French Tennis Federation president, Gilles Moretton, and resident and managing director, WBD Sports Europe, Andrew Georgiou, ahead of the afternoon’s men’s singles final at Roland-Garros.
Eurosport, which first broadcast Roland-Garros in 1989, will continue to show the tournament on its linear channels across mainland Europe with TNT Sports the exclusive broadcaster in the UK and Ireland. Coverage of every court will remain available to watch live on its streaming platform HBO Max from 2026**.
TNT Sports and Eurosport’s exclusive live coverage of every match at Roland-Garros is complemented by its commitment to content and telling every story on and off the court across all platforms. Its 360-degree tennis ecosystem expands the storytelling beyond the live action, and its localised social media and digital platforms including TNT Sports and Eurosport – which serve up content in 19 languages across Europe – have amassed in excess of 620 million video views with close to 30 million social media engagements so far at Roland-Garros in 2025.
Whether it’s match reports, highlights, engaging player-led short formats or exclusive bonus content featuring an unrivalled cast of tennis legends and on-air presenters, this immersive and comprehensive approach to storytelling brings fans closer to the action and players competing and plays an integral role in attracting new fans to the sport.
Gilles Moretton, French Tennis Federation president, said: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, whom we thank for their continued trust – demonstrated by the renewal of this agreement.
“The excellent audience figures for Roland-Garros in Europe are a testament to the FFT’s ability to organise an increasingly appealing tournament, and the ability of Warner Bros. Discovery to promote our tournament to our many European fans. This renewed partnership is a perfect illustration of our growing ambitions on the international stage.”
Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director, WBD Sports Europe, said: “We are thrilled that we will continue to broadcast a tournament that enjoys the prestige and heritage of Roland-Garros and we are delighted that we will continue to deliver live coverage of an event that engages and resonates with millions of viewers across Europe.
“There are not many partnerships in sport that span more than 40 years but, with this deal, we are proud to achieve that milestone and would like to thank the French Tennis Federation for their lasting trust and support for what we do to share the great stories of Roland-Garros with millions of fans each and every year.”
The new long-term agreement deepens WBD’s links with the FFT. In addition to extensive and widespread coverage in Europe, 2025 represents the first edition of Roland-Garros that will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the US, its streaming platform Max as well as TBC and truTV.
Warner Bros. Discovery registered record numbers in a host of countries – including Italy – after the first 12 days of competition in this year’s edition of Roland-Garros. Record audience numbers were reported in Italy, via Eurosport, owing to the success of local hero Jannik Sinner (record average audience numbers for his fourth round match) as well as the best quarter-final match ever as Sinner beat Alexander Bublik in straight sets. The UK, meanwhile – via TNT Sports – recorded its best ever women’s semi-final in terms of average audience numbers as Aryna Sabalenka defeated reigning champion Iga Swiatek.
On Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platforms, double digit increases in terms of unique video viewers have been reported in Italy (36%) and the Netherlands (+46%) with further increases in the UK (+7%) and Germany (+8%) after the first week of competition.
Watch final out of Luke Richards’ no-hitter for END baseball team Luke Richards talks about his no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Richfield Springs/ODY in a Section 4 Class D baseball quarterfinal May 23, 2025. Makenna Keough will compete in track and field at St. John Fisher University, while Luke Richards will play baseball at […]
Watch final out of Luke Richards’ no-hitter for END baseball team
Luke Richards talks about his no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Richfield Springs/ODY in a Section 4 Class D baseball quarterfinal May 23, 2025.
Makenna Keough will compete in track and field at St. John Fisher University, while Luke Richards will play baseball at Alfred State.
Madelyn Crossley committed to equestrian at Midway University, Zoey McClelland will play soccer at Keuka College, and Maggie Moore will compete in track and field at Allegheny College.
Elmira Notre Dame High School paid tribute to five seniors at its annual signing celebration June 5 at the school’s auditorium.
The signees:
Makenna Keough, St. John Fisher University for track & field: Keough recently broke her own outdoor school record in the 100-meter hurdles and won the hurdles and triple jump at this year’s Section 4 Class D meet.
During the indoor season, she took second in the 55 hurdles, long jump and triple jump at the Section 4 state qualifier.
In soccer, she was an all-state pick as a senior after helping the Crusaders win the Section 4 Class C title.
Luke Richards, Alfred State for baseball: Richards has eight career no-hitters, a school record, including one in this year’s Section 4 Class D tournament. He also holds the school record with more than 350 strikeouts.
Richards helped the Crusaders to the Section 4 Class D title this season and also played soccer and basketball at the school.
Madelyn Crossley, Midway University for equestrian: Crossley has committed to compete in Western riding at the Kentucky university and plans to study equine rehabilitation. She has been riding horses since she was 4 years old.
Midway’s team qualified for the International Horse Shows Association nationals this past season.
Zoey McClelland, Keuka College for soccer: McClelland was part of Notre Dame’s sectional championship in 2024. She was a four-year starter for the Crusaders and also competed in indoor and outdoor track & field.
McClelland was a captain for her Soaring Capital Soccer Club team for two years and part of a Thruway League championship.
Maggie Moore, Allegheny College for track & field: Moore took first place in the shot put in Division I at the Interscholastic Athletic Conference championships this spring. She placed fifth in the shot put at the Section 4 Class D championships. She also played basketball for the Crusaders.
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