2025 Empire 8 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship to Take Place May 2-3 at SUNY Brockport
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field | 4/30/2025 9:15:49 AM
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2025 Empire 8 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship Central
Alfred University, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, Hartwick College, Houghton University, Nazareth University, Russell Sage College, St. John Fisher University and Utica University will […]
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field | 4/30/2025 9:15:49 AM
Alfred University, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, Hartwick College, Houghton University, Nazareth University, Russell Sage College, St. John Fisher University and Utica University will compete at the 2025 Empire 8 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3 at Bob Boozer Field at Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium on the Campus of SUNY Brockport. Action begins at 1:30 p.m. Friday and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday. Nazareth will look to win its third straight Empire 8 Outdoor Championship. SUNY Geneseo emerged victorious at the 2025 E8 Indoor Championships in February.
2025 Empire 8 Team Capsules (Order Based on 2024 Championship Finish)
Nazareth is looking to earn its third straight E8 outdoor crown in 2025. Graduate student Lea Richard is the three-time defending Empire 8 Champion in the hammer throw, also ranked in the top-50 nationally this season. Isabel Morse is the defending E8 Champion in the pole vault. Isabel Morse and Kiara Tornusciolo are the top-two pole vaulters to date in the E8 this season. Morse is also ranked 17th nationally in the event and was the league champion in 2023. Samantha Luba is the defending Empire 8 Champion in the 110-meter hurdles. Ella Impaglia, Kennedy Doran, and Kelsey Fahy will compete in distance events, while sprinters Alaina Morley and Alexis Lasher will look to earn valuable points in the sprint events. Nazareth’s 4 x 100-relay team enters as the defending E8 Champions. Morley, Luba, Katie Jacques, and Jasmine Kendrick will vie for points in both the high, long, and triple jump events. Jacques enters as the top triple jumper in the league to date this season. Morley and Kendrick are both in the top-50 nationally in the long jump. Emily Rollnice will also contend in the shot put, while Abbey Conquest is a contender in the javelin throw.
Utica is looking to claim its second E8 title this weekend, having also won in 2018. Senior sprinter Mackenzie Mix, the 2022 E8 Rookie of the Year and 2022 and 2024 E8 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, completed the E8 Championship sprint trifecta in the 100-, 200- and 400-meters in 2022 and 2024. Classmate Jade Dening was the E8 Champion in both the 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2022 and enters this year’s meet as a contender in the 800-meters. Marlo Townsend and Catherine Manna will represent the Pioneers in distance events. Utica’s relays teams will also compete for league titles. Hannah Allison is the defending E8 Champion in the high jump and is currently second in the league heading into the weekend. Nora Devitt is also ranked second in the league in the triple jump, while Riley King is a stronger contender to medal in the hammer and shot put. Stefania Grimaldi enters the weekend ranked third in the E8 in the heptathlon and will look to score in the javelin as well, while Cassondra Wood will look to medal in the pole vault.
St. John Fisher, the 2021 and 2022 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, has a host of student-athletes set to contend in several events. In sprint events, Abigail Dorunda and Makenna Manson, along with Grace Wright and Sophia Leach are poised to earn top finishes. Caitlin Voloshen is among the top middle-distance runners in the league, entering the meet ranked third in the 1,500-meters and fourth in the 800-meters. Riley Jameson and Audrey Carragher will look to contend in the grueling 10,000-meter run. Ciarra Franz is a two-time E8 Champion in the 100-meter hurdles and enters the meet ranked second in the conference this season. As always, St. John Fisher’s relay teams will compete for league titles. On the field side, Veronica Duell competed in the long jump at the 2022 and 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships and will look to earn that distinction again in 2025. Duell is currently ranked 19th nationally in the event and is the defending E8 Champion. Anna Steed is ranked second in the hammer throw, while Erin McGuiness is ranked second in the discus and seventh in the shot put. Sierra Myers will also look to contend for the top spot in the javelin and Victoria Rogoyski is ranked fifth in the league entering the weekend in the heptathlon. Kathryn Hillard will contend for medals in both the high jump and pole vault.
Alfred enters the 2025 Empire 8 Championship looking to improve off a fourth-place finish in 2024 and has enjoyed a strong spring season to date. Senior Anne Spila is the current Empire 8 leader, ranked inside the top-25 nationally in the heptathlon with a score of 4,341 points. She is also the defending E8 Champion in the heptathlon and contender to medal in the javelin, high jump and 100-meter hurdles this weekend. Annabelle Townsend will look to contend in both the 400-meters and 400-meter hurdles. Alfred’s 4 x 400- and 4 x 800-meter relay teams are the defending E8 Champion. Bri Dorr is a top contender in the discus throw, while Natalya Rickman and Meridian Bremel are also set to compete in various throwing events.
Houghton will look to earn a top-three team finish in 2025. Sophomore Victoria Brewster, the 2025 NCAA Indoor National Runner-up in the 60-meter dash is among the national leaders in the 100-meters with a time of 11.97 seconds. She is also ranked fourth in the conference entering the meet in the 200-meters. First-year Alexa Belanger, an Honorable Mention All-American in the high jump during the indoor season, the current E8 leader in the event on the outdoor side, also ranked tied for sixth nationally. Junior Noelle Linenfelser is a contender in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter events and is the defending E8 Champion in the 5,000-meters, while Gwenna Haas, Kyra Binney, and Jenna Binney will look to score points in the middle-distance events. Abigail Nuzzo will contend in the javelin and is the 2023 league champion in the event. Jenna Fischer will look to compete in the shot put, discus and javelin.
Russell Sage will look to continue to make strides as a track and field program. Alexius Smith will look to compete in the high jump, while Sarah Armenia will contend in the shot put and Hannah Maxson and Sarah Armenia will attempt to earn points in the javelin. The Gators enter with the eighth best 4 x 100-meter relay time in the league as well.
Hartwick will look to improve on last season’s seventh place finish. Sophomore sprinter Pepita Graham will look to earn points in the 100-meters, while classmate Brynita Haas and first-year Julia Weinschreider will represent in the long-distance events. Molly Corbett will represent Hartwick in the hurdles, while Giovanna Wall will compete in the shot put and Maiya King will vie for points in the pole vault.
Empire 8 newcomer SUNY Brockport will contend for the Empire 8 Championship as host in its first season as a league member. Senior Rebecca Heuler is the defending NCAA Champion in the javelin throw. She is the top-seed in the event this weekend, ranked 16th nationally in the event. She is also the E8’s top seed in the discus throw. Lexi Rodriguez and Marissa Wise are both nationally ranked in the 400-meter hurdles. Wise is also a top contender in both the 200- and 400-meters. Ethne Degan, Mia Vizcaino, and Jaylah Cossin will contend for medals in the middle-distance events, while Julianne Wilson is a contender in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Michaela Levesque is ranked third in the high jump, while Sasha Schramm will contend for medals in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump. Isabel Swyers is ranked third in the pole vault entering the weekend. Savana Henry will also contend for a medal in the discus.
SUNY Geneseo enters its first Empire 8 Outdoor Championship after winning the 2025 E8 Indoor title. The Knights are ranked fourth nationally in the latest USTFCCCA Rating Index. The Knights have re-written the Empire 8 record book this spring with nine new marks set. Brynn Mooney, the 2025 E8 Indoor NCAA Champion in the 400-meters, is current the E8 leader in the 100-, 200- and 400-meters. She is also ranked sixth nationally in the 100-meters, eighth in the 200- and 11th in the 400-meters. Sierra Doody and Janelle Eckl are the top two contenders in the 800-meters, both ranked inside the top-10 nationally. Doody is also the E8 leader in the 1,500-meters. Penelope Greene and Lilly Fowler-Conner lead an incredibly deep group of Geneseo distance runners. Greene is ranked second nationally in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meters, crushing the Empire 8 record in both events. Fowler is also ranked seventh in the 10,000-meters, while Gabriella McCarthy is ranked 16th. Ann Brennan is ranked ninth nationally in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Isabel Marzec, Jillian Rourke, and Ari Reback are also top contenders in the steeplechase. Jillian Ambler is the E8 leader and nationally ranked in the 100-meter hurdles, while Ava Bagley is the E8 leader in the 400-meter hurdles. Geneseo’s 4 x 100- and 4 x 400-meter relay teams are Empire 8 record holders. On the field side, Ambler is the E8 leader and ranked inside the top-15 nationally in the long jump. Lanna Wandy is ranked third in the long jump, is also a contender in the high jump and will contend for the E8 Heptathlon Championship. Zoe Connor is the E8 leader and nationally ranked in the hammer throw. She is also the current E8 leader in the shot put. Lauren Jaklitsch and Payton Mehalick are also top contenders in the event. Skyler Klimow and Mehalick will compete for the E8 title in the javelin, while Elyse Klump is a top contender in the triple jump.
Current 2024 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Top Performances
100-meter dash – Brynn Mooney, SUNY Geneseo – :11.76 – (6th in Division III)
200-meter dash – Brynn Mooney, SUNY Geneseo – :24.20 – (8th in Division III)
400-meter dash – Brynn Mooney, SUNY Geneseo – :55.53 – (11th in Division III)
800-meter run – Sierra Doody, SUNY Geneseo – 2:08.09 – (5th in Division III)
1,500-meter run – Sierra Doody, SUNY Geneseo – 4:33.11 – (30th in Division III)
5,000-meter run – Penelope Greene, SUNY Geneseo – 16:12.88 – (2nd in Division III)
10,000-meter run – Penelope Greene, SUNY Geneseo – 33:42.16 – (2nd in Division III)
100-meter hurdles – Jillian Ambler, SUNY Geneseo – :14.27 – (17th in Division III)
400-meter hurdles – Ava Bagley, SUNY Geneseo – 1:02.72 – (17th in Division III)
3,000-meter steeplechase – Ann Brennan, SUNY Geneseo – 10:46.82 – (9th in Division III)
4 x 100-meter relay – SUNY Geneseo – :47.48 – (33rd in Division III)
4 x 400-meter relay – SUNY Geneseo – 3:48.13 – (12th in Division III)
High Jump – Alexa Belanger, Houghton – 1.68 meters (5’6”) – (6th in Division III)
Long Jump – Jillian Ambler – 5.86 meters (19’2.75”) – (14th in Division III)
Triple Jump – Katie Jacques, Nazareth – 11.39 meters (37’4.5”)
Pole Vault – Isabel Morse, Nazareth – 3.81 meters (12’6”) – (17th in Division III)
Shot Put – Zoe Connor, SUNY Geneseo – 12.16 meters – (39’10.75”)
Discus Throw – Rebecca Heuler, SUNY Brockport – 42.44 meters (139’3”) – (46th in Division III)
Hammer Throw – Zoe Connor, SUNY Geneseo – 52.51 meters (172’3”) – (16th in Division III)
Javelin Throw – Rebecca Heuler, SUNY Brockport – 41.23 meters (135’3”) – (16th in Division III)
Heptathlon – Anne Spila, Alfred – 4,341 points – (24th in Division III)
For the most up to date information on this year’s championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on X (@Empire8).
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.
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Safety improvements at Eugene’s Prefontaine Memorial complete Some of the changes include adding a railing to protect visitors from the road, along with an expanded sidewalk and a viewing area. Register-Guard Oregon’s Olympic gold medalist is coming home. Cole Hocker, in his first race at Hayward Field since his thrilling and unexpected victory in the […]
Safety improvements at Eugene’s Prefontaine Memorial complete
Some of the changes include adding a railing to protect visitors from the road, along with an expanded sidewalk and a viewing area.
Register-Guard
Oregon’s Olympic gold medalist is coming home.
Cole Hocker, in his first race at Hayward Field since his thrilling and unexpected victory in the men’s 1,500-meter final in Paris last summer, is among the headliners in a stacked field of competitors entered in the Bowerman Mile – the signature event in the annual Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet at Hayward Field July 5.
The former NCAA champion and a two-time U.S. outdoor champion, had an Olympic- and personal-record finish in Paris with his win in 3 minutes, 27.65 seconds to take down a field that also included Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who was fourth in the 1,500 final but won gold in the 5,000, and American Yared Nuguse, who claimed bronze.
Nuguse is also entered in the Bowerman Mile, but Ingebrigtsen – who won three straight Bowerman Miles from 2021-23 – has recently pulled out of the meet.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Bowerman Mile, named in honor of legendary former Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman in 2000.
Ingebrigtsen is the meet record-holder from his 2023 win in 3:43.73, which is also a Diamond League record. The slowest winning time since 2000 is 3:51.84.
The 16-man field also includes 2024 U.S. Olympian Hobbs Kessler, who was fifth in the Paris final, and Grant Fisher, who became the first American to medal in the 5,000 and 10,000 at the same Olympics when he won bronze in both last summer.
Also entered are 2024 Olympic 1,500 finalists Niels Laros (sixth) and Stefan Nillessen (ninth) of Netherlands, Neil Gourley (10th) of Great Britain, and Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot (11th), who was the silver medalist in Tokyo in 2021 and the 2019 world champion.
Here’s a look at the other Pre Classic men’s events as of July 1, keeping in mind the list of entries are fluid and the participants could change right up to the start of the meet.
Prefontaine Classic men’s program
100 meters – Kishane Thompson won silver in Paris after missing out on gold in a photo finish with Noah Lyles. The Jamaican will bring a PR of 9.79 to Hayward Field, making him second-fastest among entries to American Trayvon Bromell, who has run 9.76. Great Britain record-holder Zharnel Hughes is also entered, as is American Christian Coleman.
200 meters – Letsile Tebogo, the 22-year-old sprinter from Botswana who was once committed to running collegiately for Oregon, is the reigning Olympic champ. American Kenny Bednarek is the reigning Olympic silver medalist and Diamond League champion. They’ll go head to head for the eighth time on Saturday. Also entered is former Duck Kyree King.
400 meters – American Quincy Hall returns to Hayward Field as the Olympic champion and will face a field that will also include Paris bronze medalist Muzala Samukonga of Zambia and Grenada’s Kirani James, a three-time Olympic medalist and one of the event’s all-time greats.
International mile – Current Ducks Simeon Birnbaum and Elliott Cook are entered in this mile race, as is former Duck Sam Prakel.
10,000 meters – American Conner Mantz, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials winner in 2024 and U.S. half-marathon record-holder, is entered in a 20-man field that includes 14 Kenyans in a race that is doubling as the Kenyan national championships.
400-meter hurdles – Five-time Olympic medalist and American record-holder Rai Benjamin is the headliner. Benjamin already has two wins this season at Diamond League meets and has won 11 straight 400 hurdles races beginning with his victory during the Diamond League final in Eugene in 2023 and including the Olympic final in Paris. His competition will include Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos, the Paris bronze medalist.
Para 100-meter mixed classification – Reigning Paralympics gold medalist Noah Malone is entered. The American is a five-time Paralympic medalist and the 2023 Pre Classic champion.
Para 200-meter T62/T64 – Hunter Woodhall is a three-time Paralympic medalist in the 400, including gold in Paris in the 400 T62. He is also the American record-holder in the 100 T62 and 400 T62.
Shot put – Oregon native, three-time Olympic champ and world record-holder Ryan Crouser was expected to compete but has pulled out of the meet. Fellow American, three-time Olympic silver medalist and four-time Pre Classic champion Joe Kovacs is entered, however, as is Olympic bronze medalist Rajindra Campbell of Jamaica.
Discus – World record-holder and Paris silver medalist Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania will get another chance to defeat Roje Stona, who made history last summer when he won Jamaica’s first Olympic gold in the discus. Also entered is reigning world champion Daniel Stahl of Sweden.
Hammer – Canada’s Ethan Katzberg has been a big-meet performer the past two years, winning Olympic gold in 2024 and World Athletics Championship gold in 2023. Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine was the bronze medalist in Paris.
Pole vault – Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, the U.S.-born sensation who competes for his mother’s native Sweden, first broke the world record in 2020 and has since reset that mark 11 times. Two of those have come at Hayward Field – during the World Athletics Championships in 2022 and during the 2023 Pre Classic. Among those trying to top him this weekend are American Sam Kendricks, who won Olympic silver in Paris, and Renaud Lavillenie of France.
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG
Digital ads extend lead over traditional media, set to hit Rs 728 billion in 2025: MAGNA
Digital advertising (51% share) overtook traditional advertising in 2024. In 2025 Digital adex will rise +12%, INR 728 billion ($8.4 billion) while traditional media revenue is forecast to increase by +3.4%, INR 643 billion ($7.5 billion), as per MAGNA. Social advertising is advancing to be the largest format and is expected to overtake Television in […]
Digital advertising (51% share) overtook traditional advertising in 2024. In 2025 Digital adex will rise +12%, INR 728 billion ($8.4 billion) while traditional media revenue is forecast to increase by +3.4%, INR 643 billion ($7.5 billion), as per MAGNA. Social advertising is advancing to be the largest format and is expected to overtake Television in the next 5 years.
Hema Malik, Chief Investment Officer, IPG Mediabrands India, said: “MAGNA predicts above average ad spend resilience in 2025 neutralizing the impact of ad spend on cyclical events in 2024 led by National Elections & T20 World Cup. In 2025 MAGNA expects dynamic ad spend in Finance, Media, Pharma, Technology, Gaming and Retail, while Automotive and Electronics might lag. The trio of Video, Social and Retail will once again lead the Adex growth. Live sports, which were the only Linear TV mainstays, have been upended with more people streaming sports content. Ad-supported streaming experience rapid growth in access, consumption, and advertising sales, as nearly all streaming TV platforms offer more affordable ad-supported plans. Long-form video is growing at a blistering pace of over +25% and is 6% of the total video forecast, estimated to gain double digit share in the next three years.”
Overall, India’s economic outlook remains positive, with robust growth potential supported by a combination of domestic demand, government investment, and a thriving services sector. In a high-stake election year (2024), the market grew +6.5%. IMF in its April 2025 report, projects a slight contraction in activity with a growth forecast of +6.2% in 2025 and a marginal recovery with +6.3% expansion in 2026.
Monetary tightening of the past is now being rolled back by the central bank, paving way for recovery. With the inflation cooling from 4.7% in 2024 to estimated 4.2% in 2025 and 4.1% in 2026, central bank is signalling staunch support for economic revival with front loading interest rate cuts and injecting liquidity into the market.
Evolving global trade landscape is expected to influence India’s growth trajectory and potential trade headwinds could have an impact on the economy. However, India is well placed to manage the effects of trade disruptions because of domestic growth drivers and low dependence on exports. Nonetheless, the key sectors that drive both trade and domestic adex such as CPG, Auto, Textiles, Electronics & Tech face challenges and India maintains an extremely cautious stance.
The Media Owners revenue outlook in 2025 is positive across both linear and digital formats. 2025 H1 will see an increase of +6% and the latter half of the year will grow +9%. Any impact of trade is likely to be felt in the second half of the year and though our full-year forecast accounts for this challenging environment, the situation is still forming shape and there is uncertainty.
An, YOY growth of +7.8% in 2025 with total revenue increasing by INR 99 billion taking the total adex from INR 1272 billion ($14.7 billion) to INR 1371 billion ($15.9 billion). Digital Pure Player formats valued at INR 680 billion ($7.9 billion) are driving the advertising economy, which is estimated to grow at +11.4%. Video (INR 413 billion, $4.8 billion) which is the second largest format is estimated to grow +4%. While Digital Video growth is +17%, overall video spends are weighed down by linear television which is forecast to grow +2.5%. Digital Pure Play and Video accounts for 80% of the total adex. Publishing (INR 205 billion, $2.4 billion) will grow +3.5% with the digital version of the format growing at twice the rate. Audio & Experiential, which is 5% of the adex, will be growing at +5.9% and +12.9% respectively. In 2026, the growth is expected to be +7.7%.
USF prepares for more scholarships, revenue opportunities after NIL settlement
Following the House v. NCAA settlement, programs across the country are preparing to enter a new era of college athletics. ORACLE GRAPHIC/NATHAN POULETTE As universities began directly paying athletes on Tuesday as part of the House v. NCAA settlement, increased scholarships and revenue opportunities will become the norm under the landmark NIL ruling. Former USF […]
Following the House v. NCAA settlement, programs across the country are preparing to enter a new era of college athletics. ORACLE GRAPHIC/NATHAN POULETTE
As universities began directly paying athletes on Tuesday as part of the House v. NCAA settlement, increased scholarships and revenue opportunities will become the norm under the landmark NIL ruling.
Former USF Athletic Director Michael Kelly told The Oracle that the settlement also paves the way for another opportunity for USF to be invited to a power conference.
Per the settlement’s ruling on June 6, universities are now allowed to pay athletes directly. It includes a multitude of guidelines for revenue sharing, including a spending ceiling of $20.5 million.
The American Athletic Conference, of which USF is a member, is the only conference to implement a revenue-sharing floor. Each school, except for Navy and Army, must allocate $10 million in athlete compensation through 2028.
With the increase in scholarships, per Kelly, the settlement could also pave the way for USF toward an opportunity to join a major athletic conference.
Related: Kelly says USF will be an ‘aggressive’ House v. NCAA settlement adopter
USF finds itself in the Group of 5 conference. G5 schools are smaller athletics schools, typically with less funding than Power 4 schools.
“You can see a huge wave of momentum going in the direction of being much more like a Power 4 than not,” Kelly said.
Kelly cited USF’s strong athletic performances in track and field over the years, as well as its introduction to the Association of American Universities in 2023.
USF men’s track and field brought home their second straight conference title in 2025. The Bulls also brought home an individual national title for the 4×400-meter relay.
A conference like the Big 12 generates an average of $77 million in revenue per school, per year. In contrast, the AAC — in which USF resides — averages just $13 million of revenue per school, according to the NCAA.
Still, USF generates over $20 million in revenue, placing it only second in the AAC behind Memphis.
Kelly said he believes that Power 4 conferences will look at revenue when realignment comes to the table.
But USF has received the call before. Just last year, the Bulls turned down an opportunity to join the PAC-12, a power conference, and reaffirmed their commitment to the AAC.
“Over the next four or five years, there’s going to be a lot of looking in on who’s making the investments,” Kelly said.
Related: USF men’s basketball rounds up roster with latest commits
Yet, the settlement doesn’t just give USF a leg up in realignment talks. Almost every single NCAA sport, men’s and women’s, will see an increase in the number of allowed scholarships.
For a sport like track and field, the old limit sat at 12.6 scholarships allowed per school. Now, the NCAA permits schools to grant up to 62, according to the NCAA.
“It’s over 100 new scholarships that are going to USF student athletes that didn’t exist before,” Kelly said.
While other universities, such as Washington State, have consolidated their Olympic sports because of the change, Kelly affirmed that no sports would be dissolved at USF.
But with the new settlement, Kelly said that paying international athletes could be tricky.
As the scholarship limits increase, international athletes have a greater chance to be on an even playing field in terms of compensation, even if they can’t directly receive pay, Kelly said.
“Even if they’re not eligible for revenue sharing, giving [the program] a deeper part of the roster to be able to support either full scholarships or greater percentage scholarships makes them much more competitive.”
As USF navigates uncharted territory, Kelly said the Bulls are in good hands when it comes to dealing with change as it arises in the future.
“If things change in the next couple of months, USF will be really well equipped because of the structure we have in place,” Kelly said.
Cuban women’s volleyball team denied U.S. visa to compete in Puerto Rico
HAVANA, Cuba (AP) — The Cuban women’s national volleyball team was denied a chance to play in a tournament in Puerto Rico following the new visa restrictions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Cuban Volleyball Federation said last week that the team, comprising 12 athletes, a referee, and several coaches, had their visa request […]
HAVANA, Cuba (AP) — The Cuban women’s national volleyball team was denied a chance to play in a tournament in Puerto Rico following the new visa restrictions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Cuban Volleyball Federation said last week that the team, comprising 12 athletes, a referee, and several coaches, had their visa request denied and will be unable to attend the tournament later this month.
“The disappointment is huge because I train every day, every hour of training is leading up to this and dedicate myself to it,” national team player Laura Suarez told The Associated Press. “It’s really disappointing not to be able to participate in the competition, which is what I’ve been preparing myself for.(asterisk)
Cuba was scheduled to play in the NORCECA Women’s Final Four tournament in Manatí, Puerto Rico. The tournament includes the host nation, Mexico and Costa Rica and it awards ranking points toward qualification for the Volleyball Nations League.
“We were focused on the competition because it’s right there,” said Dayana Martínez, another player. “Arriving at the embassy and being denied the visa affects us a lot because that competition gives us points to improve our ranking,”
The Cuban team’s coach, Wilfredo Robinson, said the decision means his team is likely to miss out on the Nations League.
“The competition grants points for each match and at the end it all adds up,” Robinson said. “In September we have another tournament and if we get there needing to achieve 80 or 100 points we are not going to be able to do it.”
The United States added Cuba to a list of 12 countries with restrictions for entering the U.S. or its territories, effective from early June. It includes nationals from Afghanistan, the Republic of Congo, Iran, Venezuela, and other nations.
“Denial of visas is part of a racist and xenophobic list of visa restrictions,” Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez wrote on his X account.
In a message sent to The Associated Press, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba stated that, according to its privacy policies, it could not comment on specific cases but that directives were being implemented to secure the borders and protect U.S. communities and citizens.
The Cuban women’s national team won back-to-back world championships in 1994 and 1998. It also won three Olympic golds in a row in Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
The U.S. measures are likely to impact many more Cuban athletes who depend on international competitions, including some on American soil to qualify for major championships and the next Olympics scheduled to be played in Los Angeles in 2028.
Four track and field athletes get reduced three-year ban for evading dope tests
Image used for representation | Photo Credit: Reuters The four-year bans on track and field athletes Pooja Rani, Kiran, Pankaj and Chelimi Pratyusha for evading dope tests has been reduced by one year after they accepted their offence within 20 days of being charged. The quartet was among several athletes who were suspended by the […]
Image used for representation
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The four-year bans on track and field athletes Pooja Rani, Kiran, Pankaj and Chelimi Pratyusha for evading dope tests has been reduced by one year after they accepted their offence within 20 days of being charged.
The quartet was among several athletes who were suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) earlier this year under Article 2.3 of the anti-doping rules, which deals with “evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection by an athlete” without compelling justification.
The maximum ban period for a first offence is four years, but Article 10.8 of the NADA Rules provides for “results management agreements” under which athletes can get reduced punishment based on early admission and acceptance of sanction.
Article 10.8.1 allows athletes charged with a four-year ban to benefit from a one-year reduction if they admit the violation and accept the penalty within 20 days of being charged.
Article 10.8.2 provides an opportunity for the athlete to enter into a Case Resolution Agreement with NADA and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) in which the applicable period of ineligibility can be agreed upon based on the facts of the case.
Pooja Rani’s three-year ban period has already begun from August 13, 2024, the same as that of Kiran and Pankaj. Chelimi Pratyusha’s three-year ban period, however, began from February 6 this year.
Pooja, Kiran, Pankaj and Chelimi were also included in Monaco-based Athletics Integrity Unit’s (AIU) list of athletes sanctioned for doping and non-doping violations for the month of June.
AIU is the independent anti-doping watchdog established by World Athletics, the international governing body of the sport.
UND track and field slated to reload in offseason with high-level returners, incoming freshmen – Grand Forks Herald
GRAND FORKS — The UND track and field team will be losing arguably the best thrower in school history this offseason: Kenna Curry. Curry was named the Summit League Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, plastering her name throughout the Fighting Hawks’ records books in her final season. She holds the school record in the […]
GRAND FORKS — The UND track and field team will be losing arguably the best thrower in school history this offseason: Kenna Curry.
Curry was named the Summit League Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, plastering her name throughout the Fighting Hawks’ records books in her final season. She holds the school record in the indoor shot put (52-0), the indoor 20-pound weight throw (75-0.5), the outdoor shot put (53-8.25) and the outdoor hammer throw (223-7).
Typically, losing an elite athlete like Curry might be a blow to the overall talent pool of a team. But with a collection of top-end talent returning and a strong incoming class, Jim Vahrenkamp believes he’ll enter his fifth season as head coach with a team that’s just as gifted, if not more, than this year’s squad.
“We should have more talent on our team this coming year than we have ever had,” Vahrenkamp said. “Looking at who comes in, how fast their PRs are, what they’ve done.”
The Summit League Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, Jadyn Keeler, headlines the list of returning athletes. Like Curry, she boasts several school records, including the indoor mile run (4:44.03), the indoor 3,000-meter race (9:17.58), the indoor 5,000 (15:28.29), the outdoor 1,500 (4:20.03), the outdoor 5,000 (15:33.59) and the outdoor 10,000 (32:06.70).
“Jadyn and Kenna are consummate competitors,” Vahrenkamp said. “So much of what we do is predicated on buy-in, and those two have bought in and have done an incredible job.”
Grand Forks native Ethan Thomas will be a strong returner on the men’s side. He put together a stellar freshman campaign, capping it off with a second-place finish in the shot put at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships (68-7.75).
Thomas and Keeler’s continued progression, as well as the development of the team as a whole, play a large role in Vahrenkamp’s optimism about the coming season.
“We are maturing as a team,” Vahrenkamp said. “There are kids on the team that are doing stuff as good or better than some of the (athletes) that left as seniors. Everybody’s progressing.”
Some of the newcomers also seem poised to make a splash in their first season at UND. Gabriella Ruggeri, who’s from Toronto, has a personal record of 2:09.53 in the 800-meter dash. Mya Phippen, another incoming recruit from Canada, holds a PR of 2:11.46 in the 800.
For context, UND’s Brooklyn Brouse notched a time of 2:10.65 for first place at this year’s Summit League Indoor Championships.
Till Woldrich, who’ll make the trek from Dresden, Germany, has a personal record of 49.28 in the 400-meter dash and 1:49.76 in the 800. The best 400 time at the Summit League Indoor Championships was 47.23, while the best 800 time was 1:50.82.
Shewaye Johnson, a transfer from Texas A&M, finished 10th in the 10,000 at the 2025 SEC Outdoor Championships.
The group of incoming athletes hails from different provinces, states and even countries, but Vahrenkamp believes they all fit the program’s desired mentality,
“We want people who want what we have, who we don’t have to beg and convince and cajole to get here,” Vahrenkamp said. “All those people that are coming in are people that are excited about it. They’re not trepidatious.”
In Vahrenkamp’s mind, athletes like Curry, Keeler, Thomas and a bevy of others who’ve competed for the Hawks in recent years have played an essential role in making this coming crop of recruits possible.
“Everything we do is on the backs of the people that came before us,” Vahrenkamp said. “We are able to recruit the talent that we are recruiting because the people before them bought into the system and bought into what coaches have been able to do.”
– Shannon Sharpe | First Take
