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Emeralds General Manager Allan Benavides to leave team for new California baseball team

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Emeralds General Manager Allan Benavides to leave team for new California baseball team


After spending 15 seasons with the Ems, Allan Benavides will now take on the role of GM for the Ontario Baseball Club.


EUGENE, Ore. – Allan Benavides, who has been the General Manager for the Eugene Emeralds for 15 seasons, is leaving the team to become General Manager for a new baseball team based in Ontario, California, Emeralds officials announced on April 30.

Benavides’s final game with the Emeralds will be May 21, 2025. Emeralds officials said Benavides has been with them since 2010, and has played a crucial role in the team’s growth and evolution. Benavides has been an advocate for the team and the community for the entirety of his tenure, guiding the Emeralds to several awards and championships and volunteering with numerous non-profit organizations throughout Lane County. Benavides said he never thought he would stay a full 15 seasons with the organization, but he fell in love with community and the area.

“And frankly man, to be honest, I literally thought I would be here five years max you know, mostly because of family but I just ended up falling in love with this place,” Benavides said. “We made a lot of great friends, we were doing really good work in the community.”







Seasons of memories

Benavides said there are countless memories that he will cherish during his time in Eugene. 


During those 15 season with the Emeralds, he has helped the organization revitalize their brand and create a championship winning franchise.

“I’ve poured my heart into this team and this city for 15 years,” said Benavides in a written statement. “It’s been a privilege to be part of what we’ve built here. I’m proud of the success we’ve had on and off the field, but what stands out most is the growth of our staff – seeing so many go on to lead in this industry and beyond. This new role is a rare opportunity to help launch a franchise with the team I grew up rooting for, the Los Angeles Dodgers. It also gives me the chance to return home to Southern California and be closer to my family – that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”







Allan Benavides, the general manager for the Eugene Emeralds

Allan Benavides, the general manager for the Eugene Emeralds, at a Eugene City Council work session.


Benavides is leaving to join a new professional baseball team in Ontario, California, a community near Los Angeles. The team is a Minor League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.







New opportunity

Benavides will be serving as the General Manger for the Ontario Baseball Club, a brand-new team that will be a LA Dodger affiliate. 


Benavides will continue in an advisory role with the Elmore Sports Group to help support the Emeralds’ relocation efforts. Emeralds officials said an announcement about Benavides’s successor would be made in the next few days. Benavides said that his time with Emeralds is not entirely over because of the need for a new home.

“I’m not leaving, my chapter with the Emeralds is not done, I’m staying on as a consultant to find its forever home,” Benavides said.

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Hall, McFadden Garner WAC Track Athlete of the Week Accolades

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ARLINGTON, Texas – Abilene Christian swept the first Western Athletic Conference weekly track honors of the indoor season, the conference announced on Wednesday. Miguel Hall was named the University Credit Union Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, while Madelyn McFadden earned Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above Women’s Track Athlete of the Week accolades.

It’s the first conference recognition of both student-athletes’ careers after they competed at Texas A&M’s McFerrin 12 Degree Invitational last week. The Wildcats got their season started with two victories and eight top-three placements at the Fasken Indoor Track & Field in College Station, Texas.

Hall began his junior campaign with a third-place performance in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, clocking in with a time of 8.03 seconds, only a few fractions off his personal best. He completed the event just five hundredths of a second off of first place. Hall’s performance ranked 37th in the nation through the first week of action.

McFadden, a freshman competing in her first collegiate meet, landed in the top three in both events she participated in. The Franklin, Texas product finished in second place amongst 12 student-athletes in the women’s 600-meter, recording a time of one minute and 35.12 seconds. McFadden was one of two Wildcats in the top three, as Jalyn Childers came in at 1:36.23.

McFadden later capped ACU’s 4×400 relay that placed second in 3:50.94. She completed her split in 58.24 while teaming up with Anna Vyn, Emma Santoro and Gracee Whiteaker. The relay’s time is the 40th-best in the country.

The Wildcats return to action in 2026 at the Corky Classic, hosted by Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas on Jan. 16-17, 2026.



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John Cook Arena renderings reveal game-changing amenities for Nebraska volleyball fans

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LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Husker Athletic Fund released renderings and additional details Wednesday ahead of the planned expansion of the John Cook Arena in the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The arena will undergo its first-ever full reseating and parking process in Nebraska Volleyball program history in 2026. It is timed to coincide with a renovation of the arena to increase overall capacity to 10,000.

According to the athletic fund, the renovation will enhance Nebraska’s home-court advantage, modernize amenities and provide new premium and general seating options. This includes adding:

  • New and improved seats with cupholders in each seat.
  • A new centralized student section.
  • New and improved courtside seating with both end court and side court locations available. The Courtside Lounge offers access pre-game and during intermission and includes private restrooms, televisions, and all-inclusive gourmet food, beverage and alcohol.
  • New Loge Box seating with hospitality lounge with access pre-game and during intermission, including access to private restrooms, televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food and beverage with a cash bar.
  • Libero Club seating replaces the VIP seats. Located in the back row of the 100 level, seats include access to the Libero Club Lounge pre-game and during intermission complete with televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food and soft drinks with a cash bar.
  • Additional ADA seating with new vantage points and easier access from around the concourse.

Reseating and parking process

The Husker Athletic Fund announced the first-ever reseating and parking process in October.

The selection position will be determined through donation and Nebraska Athletics’ five levels of giving.

2025 Nebraska volleyball season ticket holders, including those who are Husker Athletic Fund members, can upgrade their membership level up until the March 18, 2026, lock date.

Fans will be notified in April of their 2026 volleyball reseat selection date and time. During the selection process, fans will have a five-minute window to view a 3D map and choose their seats.

Nebraska Athletics noted some changes for certain membership levels, such as limiting the ticket maximum for the Nebraska Leadership Society to six tickets.

Nebraska Athletics believes the new process will bring an estimated $8 million in revenue, compared to a projected $4.5 million for the 2025 season.

For more information about the reseating process, click here.

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Rowan Women’s Indoor Track and Field opens season in New York – The Whit

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The Rowan Profs traveled to New York on Friday to make their season debut at the Armory Collegiate Distance Carnival in New York City and the Fasttrack Season Opener in Staten Island. There was no team scoring at either meets, but the events allowed to get some competition in early.

The team’s season opener welcomed two first-place finishes and two second-place finishes, but head coach Shedrick Elliott III says this first meet was just to get the team warmed up. 

“Overall, it was a good opportunity for them to get their feet wet through the indoor oval,” Elliott III said. “It was an opportunity for them to… hopefully give them motivation through winter break, because this is the most difficult point.”

The team had a handful of standout performances at the Fasttrack Meet. Freshman Naa’ilah Munson from Cinnaminson, New Jersey, made her collegiate debut this past week. The walk-on hit a new PR of 11.16 meters in the triple jump, landing her in fourth place. The Prof was later named the New Jersey Athletic Conference’s (NJAC) Rookie of the Week. 

“Talking her out of high school, that young lady has really worked really hard just for this opportunity … she’s taking advantage of the opportunity. So I was extremely impressed, and hopefully it builds her confidence,” Elliot III said. 

Nyla Jones, the sophomore, took home a first-place finish in the 300-meter dash, defeating the 32 athletes competing against her. The Prof finished the race with a time of 40.69. Jones went on to take the second-place spot with a time of 8.93 in the 60-meter hurdles.  

Jones’ success doesn’t surprise Elliot III. 

“I’m not surprised. Nyla is gonna be one of the best in probably ever, in Division three,” Elliott III said.

Another standout was junior Ava Rizzo. Rizzo got a first-place finish with her 1:38.68 time in the 600-meter race, followed by Lisa O’Sullivan with a time of 1:39.57.

With winter break on the horizon, the team isn’t expected to compete until mid January. The break may be filled with holiday cheer and time with family, but Elliott III hopes his team will continue to focus on running and progressing over their month-long break.  

“Hopefully this year, they all decide to really work out, but I’m definitely nervous,” Elliott III said. “Because it’s outside my control. There’s nothing I can do other than give them what to do, and then they got to go do it.”

After winter break, the team will travel back to New York to compete in the Gotham Cup on Friday, Jan. 16.

For comments/questions about this story, DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email [email protected]



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Kerrigan Habing Named AVCA DII All-Americans Honorable Mention

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LEXINGTON, KY. – Southern Connecticut volleyball standout Kerrigan Habing was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II All-Americans Honorable Mention team, as announced by the AVCA on Wednesday, Dec. 10. The AVCA selects All-Americans which include 42 players—14 on the first, second, and third teams—from 29 schools, and 117 honorable mention selections. This is the first time that a SCSU Volleyball player has received AVCA All-American Honorable Mention since Alyssa Gage earned the honor in 2018 and Leanna Jadus earned the honor in 2017. This comes after just last week, Kerrigan Habing earned the AVCA DII East Region Honorable Mention. 

Kerrigan Habing had an impressive first-year with the Owls. Habing earned All-NE10 Second Team honors for her outstanding play with Southern as she played and started in all 24 matches. In the NE10, Habing ranked third in kills with an average of 3.13 kills per set and ranked fifth in points with an average of 3.48 points per set. She was in the top five of digs, assists, service aces and blocks for the Owls.

Habing led the Owls with 275 kills, had a total of 182 digs, 37 assists, 28 blocks and 14 service aces. In addition, she had the most double-doubles on the team, with six. Habing recorded the second-most kills recorded in a single-match in SCSU Volleyball history with a career-best of 24 kills and a career-best of 14 digs in a 3-2 victory over Pace. She notched back-to-back double-doubles in one day, with 12 kills and 10 digs against Jefferson and 19 kills and 13 digs in a 3-2 win against Millersville.

 



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Volleyball Ends Postseason Award Run with Two Earning AVCA Honorable Mention All-American Honors

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Wheeling, W. Va. – With the 2025 NCAA DII Volleyball National Championship coming up this weekend, the postseason awards for the 2025 season wrapped up on Wednesday. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released their annual All-America teams and the Wheeling University Volleyball team had two players earn honors. Junior Katie Wilking and freshman Camryn Matus each earned Honorable Mention All-American honors after both led the Cardinal’s offensive push throughout the season. 

The Wheeling Volleyball team continued their winning ways after a tough non-conference schedule to start the year. The Cardinals finished the regular season 16-13 overall, including a 10-4 mark in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. It was enough to earn them a share of the MEC North Division title, splitting the crown with West Liberty and Fairmont State, and the Cardinals entered the MEC Volleyball Tournament as the #3 seed from the North. Their run would come to an abrupt end, falling to the eventual MEC Champions the University of Charleston 3-2 in the Quarterfinals, but their postseason award run has been a successful one. The Cardinals had four players earn a spot on the annual All-MEC lists, and added two more honorees on the AVCA’s All-Region list. Despite falling short of the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championships, the young Cardinals got good experience that they can build off of on the court. 

The first honoree was junior Katie Wilking, who is taking home the first All-American honor of her career. The junior middle blocker earned First Team All-MEC honors for her work on the Cardinal front line, and coupled that with an Honorable Mention All-Region award. Wilking was one of the most efficient hitters in the conference this past season, sitting third in the conference with a .325 mark, knocking down 257 kills on 622 total attacks, while finishing with just 55 attack errors. Her season-best effort would come against CAL-U on September 20th, when she knocked down 18 kills on 27 total attacks to put together a .556 hitting percentage. Along with her success on the offensive side of the ball, Wilking was one of the team’s premiere defenders, leading the way with 82.0 total blocks. She finished with 14 solo and 68 assisted, ranking 10th in the conference in both total blocks and solo blocks, while sitting eighth in block assists. 

The other Cardinal honoree was freshman outside hitter Camryn Matus, who wrapped up a big award season with the an Honorable Mention All-American honor. Matus was named the 2025 MEC Freshman of the Year this past season, while also taking home both First Team All-MEC and AVCA All-Regional honors. She led all freshman in the MEC with 297 kills on the season, while sitting fourth overall in the conference in kills. She would add to that a .220 hitting percentage, having only 126 errors in 778 attempts, while finishing tied for third on the team with 59 assists during the season. She put together a historic night in an October 7th match-up with Frostburg State, where she picked up the first triple double in over a decade for the Cardinals. She would finish with 10 kills and 10 digs, while being the team’s top setter with 23 assists in the effort. Matus would finish with 18 double digit kill efforts on the season and looks to continue building her success on the court. 

The 2025 AVCA All-Americans list included 42 players – 14 on the first, second, and third teams from 29 schools. The list would also include 117 Honorable Mention selections, with two programs having three players on those teams. The MEC had six honorees on the list, with all six earning spots on the AVCA Honorable Mention team. Fairmont State led the way with three honorees, followed by Wheeling with two, and Charleston with one. The 2025 All-America selections are made by the AVCA DII All-America Committee, consisting of head coaches from across the country. 

The Wheeling University Volleyball team continues their off-season push as they make preparations for the 2026 season. 



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Wright Steps Down As Head Beach Volleyball Coach

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After four seasons at the helm of North Florida Beach Volleyball, Doug Wright has stepped down from the program. 
 
“It has been an honor and privilege to lead this program and represent the University of North Florida,” Wright said. “The championship culture we built and the milestones we reached are a direct result of our student-athletes’ hard work and our staff’s dedication. This was an extremely difficult decision, but it is the right one as I prioritize what is best for my family. While the timing is not ideal, I believe there is never a wrong time to do what is right. I am deeply grateful to Nick Morrow for the opportunity to lead this program and for all the moments I was able to experience along the way. I care deeply about the coaches and players in this program, and I am confident they will continue elevating it to new heights.”
 
Doug Wright has been an incredible coach for the North Florida Beach Volleyball program, and his impact on our student-athletes and the entire Osprey community cannot be overstated,” Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Nick Morrow added. “While we are saddened by his decision to step down, we respect his choice and are deeply grateful for the difference he has made in our program. Doug leaves behind a new standard of excellence that will continue to guide us. We wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter.”
 
Wright compiled a 100-48 record at North Florida, the fastest to reach the 100-win milestone in program history. 
 
Wright led North Florida to a program-record 26 wins in 2025 that culminated in the program’s second-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship, which have both occurred in the last two seasons under Wright, after it added its sixth and second-straight Atlantic Sun Conference Championship title. North Florida earned a program-best No. 12 seed after it secured the No. 16 seed in 2024. ?
 
For three-straight seasons under Wright, North Florida secured the most combined selections between the ASUN Conference First and Second Team in 2025. With the six selections in 2025, North Florida collected 26 honorees under Wright and the most in the conference in his tenure. North Florida was a top-three seed at the ASUN Championship each season under Wright. He coached four Ospreys to All-Freshman team honors, including 2023 ASUN Freshman of the Year Madison Espy
 
In addition to a program-record win total, North Florida earned its highest ranking in program history at No. 14 in the final AVCA Collegiate Beach Coaches Poll in 2025. The Ospreys were ranked in each installment of the poll in 2025 for the first time in program history.
 
Wright recorded the program’s first-ever win at the NCAA Championship against No. 17 seed Chattanooga on May 3, 2024. In 2024, North Florida became the first team in ASUN Conference history to sweep the entirety of the ASUN Championship without giving up a single match point. 
 
Wright coached two pairs in Mariana Feliciano Sanchez and Madison Espy in 2025 and Iris Fletcher and Katie Camp in 2024 to ASUN Pair of the Tournament. He developed six pairs to ASUN All-Tournament Team honors. North Florida had two ASUN Scholar Athlete of the Year honorees under Wright. 
 
Wright guided Presley Murray and Mackenzie Murphy to AVCA Top Flight Pair 1 honors in 2025. He coached four AVCA Top Flight pairs at the helm of North Florida. 
 
Wright was named 2023 ASUN Coach of the Year and won at least 24 matches each of his four seasons.
 
A national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.



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