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Jason Mackey's mailbag

May 1—Hello, yinz crazies. Welcome to Jason Mackey’s mailbag, where the Post-Gazette columnist alternates between this and a chat on Thursdays. If you have a question or comment, drop him a line at jmackey@post-gazette.com. Passable array of questions this week. Let’s get started. STATZ N’@ (@STATZ_N_AT): Do you find your approach to writing/reporting is impacted […]

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Jason Mackey's mailbag

May 1—Hello, yinz crazies. Welcome to Jason Mackey’s mailbag, where the Post-Gazette columnist alternates between this and a chat on Thursdays. If you have a question or comment, drop him a line at jmackey@post-gazette.com. Passable array of questions this week. Let’s get started.

STATZ N’@ (@STATZ_N_AT): Do you find your approach to writing/reporting is impacted by covering a winning or losing team? All major Pittsburgh teams are in such a weird position. I can imagine that can be intriguing but potentially dismal.

Jason Mackey: This is a great question … and something I love to discuss with journalism students.

Short answer is that it has zero impact. As Gene Collier taught me long ago, “They win, we write. They lose, we write.” Now, there are also tradeoffs with that.

If you have a losing team, everybody is usually upset and less willing to chat. You’re probably not going to unearth much detail-wise because the answers are short. You’ll also sift through less fluff, and there’s usually more good emotive reaction.

If you have a winning team, everyone is more participatory. There are naturally more storylines to pursue. It’s easier to do any job when those in your workplace — for us, locker rooms — are in a good mood, right? Again, tradeoffs.

Readership-wise, the upside to a winning team is that people get really into a topic, and interest builds. I think about the Penguins during their 2017 Stanley Cup run, the catfish that was thrown on the ice and what that became.

The upside to covering a bad team is that things can come apart, controversy will likely ensue, more news will break, and those things have never been bad for business.

I think about it this way: When I chose to leave the Penguins beat in May 2019 and move over to Pirates, a lot of people thought I had lost my mind or had been demoted.

These days, as a columnist, I fight the perception that I’m a baseball/Pirates-only guy.

Covering a bad team actually helped my career in a big way because I broke news, found stories, owned another beat, etc. That’s this job. We’re not fans of teams. We root for stories and the stuff to chronicle — good and bad.

——

LetsGoPens (@LetsGoPens4Life): Do you think the Penguins parting ways with Mike Sullivan was essentially about [president of hockey operations Kyle] Dubas feeling they will a bottom-feeder team for the next season or two and Sully not wanting to go lower before going higher?

Jason Mackey: A few different aspects to this storyline — and thanks for the awesome, non-baseball question.

Dubas firing Sullivan — let’s be honest — was never about the coach’s unwillingness to endure a few tough years. The discrepancy likely involved how many of them.

My sense is that Sullivan wanted to prioritize winning sooner, while Dubas has talked about taking longer to build something more sustainable.

There’s also a larger, societal issue here: It’s no one person’s fault, while multiple things can be true at the same time. Sullivan’s a very good coach, one of the best in the NHL. At the same time, things had run their course.

It’s a great time for him to enter the pool of coaching candidates in the NHL. If I had to pick, I’d predict he ends up with the New York Rangers.

Given the number — and quality — of openings, Fenway Spots Group and Dubas might’ve actually done Sullivan a favor. Dubas also likely saw that he could use more of a development-focused coach.

Sullivan will always be a legend here and should be treated as such. The needs for the Penguins and Dubas also no longer aligned with his strengths.

——

Tim Wright (@tawpsu): Going into the season, why did you insinuate the Pirates would be even remotely close to contending in 2025? Was that your personal thought, or were you just instructed to share Bucs propaganda by Travis Williams, Bob Nutting and Ben Cherington?

Jason Mackey: Ah, expressing fan frustration by questioning the credibility of those of us who write about the team. One of my favorite traditions of Pirates baseball.

Look, quibble with my assessment all you want. I predicted the Pirates would win 84 games, and they still could — if they make some changes and do some things (within their grasp) better. My basis has been a pitching staff that has actually been pretty good; they’re tied for the second-most quality starts in the National League (13) and overall have the 12th-lowest FIP (3.77).

The issues, of course, have been offense and poor fundamentals.

It’s possible to for someone to be wrong without being “instructed to share Bucs propaganda” by those in charge. I’ve also spoken to Bob Nutting for a grand total of about 60 seconds in the past year — since the Sheetz announcement. Gimme a break.

For what it’s worth, the Pirates should’ve been about an 84-win team last year. They finished with 76. With some combination of an OK offense, better managerial decisions and bullpen execution, they could’ve turned a 10-game losing streak into 3-7 or 4-6.

What if they also played fundamentally sound baseball? Obviously they didn’t do that. But going from 76 to 80 or 84 wins isn’t insane when you consider Paul Skenes, Jared Jones (he was healthy when I made the prediction), Mitch Keller and Andrew Heaney, plus the changing of a hitting program that limited the effectiveness of several young guys.

——

Aileen Bowers (@AileenBowers20): Oneil Cruz seems to be to the Pirates what George Pickens is to the Steelers: young, blessed with a boatload of talent, and yet they both make some dumbfounding plays. Who is working with Cruz on learning to play center field?

Jason Mackey: Thank you for the question, Aileen. Hope you’re doing well. The short answer is Tarrik Brock. But I think the larger comparison is interesting.

Cruz and Pickens are definitely different people. They also struggle with different stuff in-game. With Pickens, it can be letting his emotions getting the best of him, whether that manifests with caring more about fighting in the back of the end zone (versus a Hail Mary), pouting on the sideline or quitting on routes/blocking because he’s ticked about something. It’s obviously not good and needs to change.

With Cruz, it’s more a lack of awareness or focus. If Cruz has had some sort of emotional freakout, I haven’t seen it. He’s a fun-loving guy and pretty chill most times. You could say sometimes he’s a little too relaxed.

(I also think some of his center-field issues stem from a lack of confidence or uncertainty, though that’s not absolving him from the effort- or focus-oriented stuff.)

The upside of both is obviously incredible, which may be why they frustrate us so much, because we get glimpses of what they can do at their best. We also need to remember that they’re young.

I know I wasn’t a finished product in my mid-20s, and I think we need to extend that sort of grace for these guys, as well.

——

Bill (@BV1387): When do you think Nutting will realistically have had enough and dismiss Cherington and Shelton?

Jason Mackey: I can’t give you a magical answer, Bill. But I do think it’s probably worth having a discussion about sample size.

Two months is often viewed as the first real marking point of a major league season. For our purposes, let’s circle May 27, which would mean 56 games or 35% of the season. I also think that’s a little much.

By then, I’d really worry about irreparable damage. I also can’t imagine Nutting wants to experience 25 more games like this.

It’s just one example, but the Rockies in 2009 fired Clint Hurdle after 46 games (18-28 start).

In 2003, Jack McKeon took over the Marlins following a 16-22 start, which gives us another data point at 38 games.

The Brewers fired Ron Roenicke after 25 games in 2015, and the Reds switched from Bryan Price to Jim Riggleman after 18 games three years later. But the Phillies waited 51 games to fire Joe Girardi in 2022.

I think it’s one of those things where you know when you know. And, as I wrote the other night, I do think we’re at the point where it’s no longer just a slow start; it’s what you’ve become. Which should be concerning.

——

Dan Byers (@DByers21): Any alternatives to Tommy Pham on the horizon? What’s the May-June outlook for players returning from injury, especially Nick Gonzales, Endy Rodriguez and Johan Oviedo?

Jason Mackey: There may be some alternatives, Dan. I’ll get to those shortly. But there’s something we need to remember here, as you weren’t the only one asking about Pham.

I get it. He’s hitting .170 with a .460 OPS. That’s not good enough. However …

Pham’s on a guaranteed $4,025,000 contract. You can hate that, but it’s money the Pirates have already spent. They can’t save anything by designating him for assignment. They’re going to try and salvage this.

Also, the Pirates struggle every year to attract quality free agents. Cutting bait on a veteran after 28 games won’t sit well with others considering Pittsburgh as a potential destination. Not saying Pham gets endless opportunities, but he’ll get more than 105 plate appearances.

Now, if they do ultimately go in another direction, the candidates I see include:

—Jack Suwinski has two home runs and a 1.192 OPS in five games since returning to Triple-A.

—Billy Cook has struggled this season (.185 average and .556 OPS) but has played major league outfield before.

—Nick Solak has played 255 MLB games, including 127 with the Rangers in 2021, and has been really good in Triple-A. Small sample size — five homers and a 1.070 OPS in 20 games — but he’s in the mix.

—Ji Hwan Bae could get another shot, but I think we’ve seen what he is (and isn’t) at this point.

Injury-wise, Nick Gonzales is out of his walking boot and will begin minor agility work by the end of the week. He’s still a ways off. Rodriguez will need another week with his right index finger immobilized. Couple weeks total there.

Maybe when Gonzales returns, Adam Frazier plays more outfield. They could use Jared Triolo there when Spencer Horwitz gets back (roughly two more weeks), if his bat warrants it, but I think you’re going to see the Pirates continue to give Pham opportunities to get right.

© 2025 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit www.post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships: Schedule, location, TV channels, history

Over 250 NCAA member institutions sponsor Division I track and field teams, and each year, these teams hope to compete in the championship meet. With over 20 events for both men and women, the championship meet will cap off an exciting outdoor season.  LIVE UPDATES: Click or tap here to follow along for live updates from […]

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Over 250 NCAA member institutions sponsor Division I track and field teams, and each year, these teams hope to compete in the championship meet. With over 20 events for both men and women, the championship meet will cap off an exciting outdoor season. 

LIVE UPDATES: Click or tap here to follow along for live updates from the first round through the championship

The final site championships are from June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon.

Here’s all you need to know about the 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships.

Where are the 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships?

The 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. It will be the 16th time the outdoor championships have been held in Oregon.

You can purchase tickets to the 2025 championships here.

When are the 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships?

The 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships are from Wednesday, June 11 through Saturday, June 14. Both the men’s and women’s championships are held simultaneously.

MORE: Here’s how the outdoor track and field championships work

What is the schedule of events?

The NCAA has announced the 2025 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships schedule of events. Times are subject to change.

schedule of events

Click or tap here for the schedule of events in pdf form

How to watch the 2025 NCAA DI outdoor track and field championships

The 2025 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships will air on the ESPN family of networks.

2025 NCAA DI Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field championships
Round Date Time (ET) Site Network
Men’s Day 1 Wednesday, June 11 7:00 PM Hayward Field  ESPN
Women’s Day 1 Thursday, June 12 7:00 PM Hayward Field  ESPN
Men’s Day 2 Friday, June 13 8:30 PM Hayward Field  ESPN2
Women’s Day 2 Saturday, June 14 6:00 PM Hayward Field  ESPNU

* All broadcast times and networks are subject to change.

Click or tap here for the latest updates to broadcast information including how to watch combined events.

When is the championship field selected?

The 2025 DI men’s and women’s outdoor track and field final site selections will be announced on Tuesday, June 3.

First round selections

Qualifying performances for the 2025 first rounds can begin March 1. The qualifying window closes for every meet that isn’t a conference championship on Sunday, May 18. The qualifying window closes for conference championship meets on Monday, May 19.

Athletes accepted into the first rounds will be announced on Thursday, May 22.

Selections for the first round were May 22. Click or tap here to view the selections.

Championship selections

Combined event athletes (heptathlon and decathlon) accepted into the championship meet will be announced on Thursday, May 22.

The top 12 competitors from each individual event and the top 12 teams from each relay event advance from each first round. The list of qualifiers from each event contested in the first rounds will be announced by 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 1. The final list of the championship competition participants will be announced by 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 3.

Click or tap here to view the selections

How are championship participants selected?

The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country Committee will select and announce the participants for the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The top 48 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the first-round competitions for each individual event. The top 24 declared relay teams will be accepted into the first-round competitions for each relay event.

Combined events do not attend the first round. For combined events (Heptathlon and Decathlon), the top 24 declared student-athletes in each event based on their position on the national descending-order list will be accepted directly into the Championships. 

There are two first rounds, one for the east region and one for the west region. The qualifiers out of these two regions will compete in the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

🏆: Here are the DI track and field teams with most NCAA championships

When are the 2025 NCAA first rounds?

The NCAA first rounds run Wednesday, May 28, through Saturday, May 31. Both the DI men’s and women’s first rounds are held simultaneously.

Click or tap here to recap first round action

Where are the 2025 NCAA first rounds?

The meets will be held in two locations for the east and west regions. The NCAA East first round will be located in Jacksonville, Florida, with North Florida serving as the host school. The NCAA West first round will be located in College Station, Texas, with Texas A&M serving as the host school.

🗓: Here are the future dates and sites for DI outdoor track and field through 2026

What is the schedule of events for the first rounds?

You can find the schedule of events for the 2025 NCAA East and West first rounds below:

  • East: May 28-31
  • West: May 28-31

What are the current outdoor track and field rankings?

Click or tap here to view the latest men’s track and field USTFCCCA rankings. Click or tap here to view the latest women’s track and field USTFCCA rankings. Both will be updated throughout the season.

Who are the past outdoor track and field team champions?

Here are the previous winners of the NCAA outdoor track and field championships. The women’s championship began in the 1982 season while the men’s championship began in the 1921 season.

DI women’s track and field championship history

YEAR CHAMPION   COACH POINTS RUNNER-UP POINTS   SITE
2024 Arkansas Chris Johnson 63 Florida 59 Oregon
2023 Texas Edrick Floréal 83 Florida 51 Austin, Texas
2022 Florida Mike Holloway 74 Texas 64 Oregon
2021 Southern California Caryl Smith Gilbert 74 Texas A&M 63 Oregon
2020 Canceled due to Covid-19
2019 Arkansas Lance Harter 64 Southern California 57 Austin, Texas
2018 Southern California Caryl Smith Gilbert 53 Georgia 52 Oregon
2017 Oregon Robert Johnson 64 Georgia 62.2 Oregon
2016 Arkansas Lance Harter 72 Oregon 62 Oregon
2015 Oregon Robert Johnson 59 Kentucky 50 Oregon
2014 Texas A&M Pat Henry 75 Texas 66 Oregon
2013 Kansas Stanley Redwine 60 Texas A&M 44 Oregon
2012 #LSU Dennis Shaver 76 Oregon 62 Drake
2011 Texas A&M Pat Henry 49 Oregon 45 Drake
2010 Texas A&M Pat Henry 72 Oregon 57 Oregon
2009 Texas A&M Pat Henry 50 Oregon 43 Arkansas
2008 LSU Dennis Shaver 67 Arizona State 63 Drake
2007 Arizona State Greg Kraft 60 LSU 53 Sacramento State
2006 Auburn Ralph Spry 57 Southern California 38 1/2 Sacramento State
2005 Texas Bev Kearney 55 South Carolina, UCLA 48 Sacramento State
2004 UCLA Jeanette Bolden 69 LSU 68 Texas
2003 LSU Pat Henry 64 Texas 50 Sacramento State
2002 South Carolina Curtis Frye 82 UCLA 72 LSU
2001 Southern California Ron Allice 64 UCLA 55 Oregon
2000 LSU Pat Henry 58 Southern California 54 Duke
1999 Texas Bev Kearney 62 UCLA 60 Boise State
1998 Texas Bev Kearney 60 UCLA 55 Buffalo
1997 LSU Pat Henry 63 Texas 62 Indiana
1996 LSU Pat Henry 81 Texas 52 Oregon
1995 LSU Pat Henry 69 UCLA 58 Tennessee
1994 LSU Pat Henry 86 Texas 43 Boise State
1993 LSU Pat Henry 93 Wisconsin 44 New Orleans
1992 LSU Pat Henry 87 Florida 81 Texas
1991 LSU Pat Henry 78 Texas 67 Oregon
1990 LSU Pat Henry 53 UCLA 46 Duke
1989 LSU Pat Henry 86 UCLA 47 BYU
1988 LSU Pat Henry 61 UCLA 58 Oregon
1987 LSU Sam Seemes 62 Alabama 53 LSU
1986 Texas Terry Crawford 65 Alabama 55 Indianapolis
1985 Oregon Tom Heinonen 52 Florida State, LSU 46 Texas
1984 Florida State Gary Winckler 145 Tennessee 124 Oregon
1983 UCLA Scott Chisam 116 1/2 Florida State 108 Houston
1982 UCLA Scott Chisam 153 Tennessee 126 BYU

#Participation in the championships vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions
History of scoring in championships—1982-84 (15-12-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1); 1985-present (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1).

DI men’s track and field championship history

YEAR SCHOOL COACH SCORE RUNNER-UP SCORE SITE
2024 Florida Mike Holloway 41 Auburn 40 Oregon
2023 Florida Mike Holloway 57 Arkansas 53 Austin, Texas
2022 Florida Mike Holloway 54 Texas 38 Oregon
2021 LSU Dennis Shaver 84 Oregon 53 Oregon
2020 Canceled due to COVID-19
2019 Texas Tech Wes Kittley 60 Florida 50 Austin, Texas
2018 Georgia Petros Kyprianou 52 Florida 42 Oregon
2017 Florida Mike Holloway 61.5 Texas A&M 59.5 Oregon
2016 Florida Mike Holloway 62 Arkansas 56 Oregon
2015 Oregon Robert Johnson 85 Florida 56 Oregon
2014 Oregon Robert Johnson 88 Florida 70 Oregon
2013 Florida, Texas A&M Mike Holloway, Pat Henry 53 Arkansas   Oregon
2012 Florida Mike Holloway 50 LSU 48 Drake
2011 Texas A&M Pat Henry 55 Florida State 54 Drake
2010 Texas A&M Pat Henry 55 Florida 54 Oregon
2009 Texas A&M Pat Henry 48 Oregon, FSU, Florida 46 Arkansas
2008 Florida State Bob Braman 52 LSU, Auburn 44 Drake
2007 &Florida State Bob Braman 54 LSU 48 Sacramento State
2006 Florida State Bob Braman 67 LSU 51 Sacramento State
2005 &Arkansas John McDonnell 60 Florida 49 Sacramento State
2004 &Arkansas John McDonnell 65 1/2 Florida 49 Texas
2003 Arkansas John McDonnell 59 Auburn 50 Sacramento State
2002 LSU Pat Henry 64 Tennessee 57 LSU
2001 Tennessee Bill Webb 50 &TCU 49 Oregon
2000 Stanford Vin Lananna 72 Arkansas 59 Duke
1999 Arkansas John McDonnell 59 Stanford 52 Boise State
1998 Arkansas John McDonnell 58 1/2 Stanford 51 Buffalo, N.Y.
1997 Arkansas John McDonnell 55 Texas 42 1/2  Indiana
1996 Arkansas John McDonnell 55 George Mason 40 Oregon
1995 Arkansas John McDonnell 61 1/2 UCLA 55 Tennesse
1994 Arkansas John McDonnell 83 UTEP 45 Boise State
1993 Arkansas John McDonnell 69 Ohio State, LSU 45 New Orleans
1992 Arkansas John McDonnell 60 Tennessee  46 1/2  Texas
1991 Tennessee Doug Brown 51 Washington St.  42 Oregon
1990 LSU Pat Henry 44 Arkansas 36 Duke
1989 LSU Pat Henry 53 Texas A&M 51 BYU
1988 UCLA Bob Larsen 82 Texas 41 Oregon
1987 UCLA Bob Larsen 81 Texas 28 LSU
1986 SMU Ted McLaughlin 53 Washington State 52 Indianapolis
1985 Arkansas John McDonnell 61 Washington State 46 Texas
1984 Oregon Bill Dellinger 113 Washington State 94 1/2 Oregon
1983 SMU Ted McLaughlin 104 Tennessee 102 Houston
1982 UTEP John Wedel 105 Tennessee 94 BYU
1981 UTEP Ted Banks 70 SMU 57 LSU
1980 UTEP Ted Banks 69 UCLA 46 Texas
1979 UTEP Ted Banks 64 Villanova 48 Illinois
1978 UCLA, UTEP Jim Bush, Ted Banks 50     Oregon
1977 Arizona State Senon Castillo 64 UTEP 50 Illinois
1976 Southern California Vern Wolfe 64 UTEP 44 Penn
1975 UTEP Ted Banks 55 UCLA 42 BYU
1974 Tennessee Stan Huntsman 60 UCLA 56 Texas
1973 UCLA Jim Bush 52 Oregon 31 LSU
1972 UCLA Jim Bush 82 Southern California 49 Oregon
1971 UCLA Jim Bush 52 Southern California 41 Washington
1970 BYU, Kansas, Oregon Clarence Robison, Bob Timmons, William Bowerman 35     Drake
1969 San Jose State Bud Winter 48 Kansas 45 Tennessee
1968 Southern California Vern Wolfe 58 Washington State 57 California
1967 Southern California Vern Wolfe 86 Oregon 40 BYU
1966 UCLA Jim Bush 81 BYU 33 Indiana
1965 Oregon, Southern California William Bowerman, Vern Wolfe 32     California
1964 Oregon William Bowerman 70 San Jose State 40 Oregon
1963 Southern California Vern Wolfe 61 Stanford 42 New Mexico
1962 Oregon William Bowerman 85 Villanova 40 Oregon
1961 Southern California Jess Mortensen 65 Oregon 47 Penn
1960 Kansas Bill Easton 50 Southern California 37 California
1959 Kansas Bill Easton 73 San Jose State 48 7/10 Nebraska
1958 Southern California Jess Mortensen 48 6/7 Kansas 40 3/4 California
1957 Villanova James Elliot 47 California 32 Texas
1956 UCLA Elvin Drake 55 7/10 Kansas 51 California
1955 Southern California Jess Mortensen 42 UCLA 34 Southern California
1954 Southern California Jess Mortensen 66 17/20 Illinois 31 17/20 Michigan
1953 Southern California Jess Mortensen 80 Illinois 41 Nebraska
1952 Southern California Jess Mortensen 66 7/12 San Jose State 24 1/3 California
1951 Southern California Jess Mortensen 56 Cornell 40 Washington
1950 Southern California Jess Hill 49 1/5 Stanford 28 Minnesota
1949 Southern California Jess Hill 55 2/5 UCLA 31 Southern California
1948 Minnesota James Kelly 46 Southern California 41 1/2 Minnesota
1947 Illinois Leo Johnson 59 2/3 Southern California 34 1/4 Utah
1946 Illinois Leo Johnson 78 Southern California 42 17/20 Minnesota
1945 Navy E.J. Thornson 62 Michigan 52 3/5 Marquette
1944 Illinois Leo Johnson 79 Notre Dame 43 Marquette
1943 Southern California Dean Cromwell 46 California 39 Northwestern
1942 Southern California Dean Cromwell 85 1/2 Ohio State 44 1/5 Nebraska
1941 Southern California Dean Cromwell 81 1/2 Indiana 50 Stanford
1940 Southern California Dean Cromwell 47 Stanford 28 2/3 Minnesota
1939 Southern California Dean Cromwell 86 Stanford 44 3/4 Southern California
1938 Southern California Dean Cromwell 67 3/4 Stanford 38 Minnesota
1937 Southern California Dean Cromwell 62 Stanford 50 California
1936 Southern California Dean Cromwell 103 1/3 Ohio State 73 Chicago
1935 Southern California Dean Cromwell 74 1/3 Ohio State 40 1/5 California
1934 Stanford R.L. Templeton 63 Southern California 54 7/20 Southern California
1933 LSU Bernie Moore 58 Southern California 54 Chicago
1932 Indiana Billy Hayes 56 Ohio State 49 3/4 Chicago
1931 Southern California Dean Cromwell 77 1/7 Ohio State 31 1/7  Chicago
1930 Southern California Dean Cromwell 55 11/35 Washington 40 Chicago
1929 Ohio State Frank Castleman 50 Washington 42 Chicago
1928 Stanford R.L. Templeton 72 Ohio State 31 Chicago
1927 *Illinois Harry Gill 35     Chicago
1926 *Southern California Dean Cromwell 27     Chicago
1925 *Stanford R.L. Templeton 31     Chicago
1924 —————–          
1923 Michigan Stephen Farrell 29 1/2 Mississippi State 16 Chicago
1922 California Walter Christie 28 1/2 Penn State 19 1/2 Chicago
1921 Illinois Harry Gill 20 1/4 Notre Dame 16 3/4 Chicago

* Unofficial championship
& Participation in the championships vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.



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Shelby County volleyball holds first youth camp – Shelby County Reporter

Shelby County volleyball holds first youth camp Published 11:13 am Wednesday, June 11, 2025 By DANIEL LOCKE | Staff Writer Columbiana – Summer break is in full swing and over 40 students ranging from kindergarteners through eighth graders dedicated some of their time to developing their volleyball skills. The SCHS Kiddie Camp took place at […]

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Shelby County volleyball holds first youth camp

Published 11:13 am Wednesday, June 11, 2025

By DANIEL LOCKE | Staff Writer

Columbiana – Summer break is in full swing and over 40 students ranging from kindergarteners through eighth graders dedicated some of their time to developing their volleyball skills.

The SCHS Kiddie Camp took place at Shelby County High School from June 9-11. Head varsity coach Stacy McGehee is pleased with the turnout.

“We got 42 campers this year,” McGehee said. “We were really expecting about 20 so this camp is going beyond our expectations of what it was going to be.”

The camp is an attempt to increase volleyball’s presence in the community, something McGehee believes is vital in building up a successful program.

“We’re trying to increase volleyball in the Columbiana area because we haven’t had one of these before,” McGehee said. “We’re trying to build on the success of the city league that we have a couple of teams in.”

There was a significant amount of interest in a volleyball camp around the community, leading to McGehee’s decision to hold one and do his best to shape the future of the game in Columbiana.

“We had some people in the community reach out and just ask if we would have a camp and just help work on the fundamentals and teach them about the game so maybe we could grow our city league program or just have a little bit more interest in volleyball in our community as well,” McGehee said.

While the high school players are not focused on getting better themselves during the camp, this event has still played a large role in building team chemistry and allowing them to learn how to work together.

“I really think this helps to maybe teach a little bit of leadership for the girls since they’re instructing the camp,” McGehee said. “It builds a little camaraderie with our players as they work together and have fun with each other while we’re still doing the camp as well.”

Teaching the skills to the campers allows the older players to gain some additional practice through mental reps.

“It just reinforces in their mind some of the things that we’re trying to teach them as well,” McGehee said. “What we’ve taught them or are trying to get them to do, they’re telling the campers how we’d like them to play volleyball.”

McGehee said interacting with younger athletes and building up their volleyball skills will pay off in the future as they will be prepared to join the high school roster in the years to come.

“It’s just going to create more interest and hopefully it will peak the curiosity of some of the better athletes growing up,” McGehee said. “This might be a sport that they like and want to play as they get into middle school and on up into high school.”

The main thing McGehee hopes the camp is able to accomplish, however, is strengthening the bond between the program and the community.

“I’m hoping that doing this will bring more people to the games and make them aware that we do have a volleyball program in our community that wants to share with the community,” McGehee said. “Just building up a relationship with them to where they would want to be more supportive of our program.”



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19 Gators set to begin NCAA Championship this Week

EUGENE, Ore. (WCJB) – Florida Gators Track and Field will compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning Wednesday at one of the sports’ most iconic venues. At Hayward Field, Gators have been entered a total of 19 times for this week, including eight men’s and 11 women’s events. The men, returning to […]

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EUGENE, Ore. (WCJB) – Florida Gators Track and Field will compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning Wednesday at one of the sports’ most iconic venues.

At Hayward Field, Gators have been entered a total of 19 times for this week, including eight men’s and 11 women’s events. The men, returning to Eugene after claiming the last three national titles. The Gator women look to return to the top of the Collegiate ranks after finishing second at each of the previous two NCAA outdoor championships.

The Gators last competed at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminaries, advancing eight entries in men’s events and 11 entries on the women’s side.

Further, Anthaya Charlton set the program record in the 100m dash at 11.05 in the first round and 11.01 in the second. The previous record set back in 1992.

The Gators also saw personal bests from Alyssa Banales, Gabrielle Matthews, and Gracelyn Leiseth that allowed them to qualify.

Live results can be found here and the event will be streaming on ESPN+ in addition to some on ESPN and ESPN2.

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Gators unveil 2025 nonconference volleyball schedule

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Florida volleyball announced its 2025 nonconference schedule on Tuesday, marking the first season under head coach Ryan Theis. The schedule includes ten different matchups held in Florida and through the midwest. The Gators will open the 2025 season against Stanford and Pittsburgh at the AVCA First Serve in Lincoln, NE on […]

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Florida volleyball announced its 2025 nonconference schedule on Tuesday, marking the first season under head coach Ryan Theis.

The schedule includes ten different matchups held in Florida and through the midwest.

The Gators will open the 2025 season against Stanford and Pittsburgh at the AVCA First Serve in Lincoln, NE on August 22 and August 24. Following, they open play at the O’Dome on August 31 before welcoming Norfolk State.

RELATED: Florida volleyball adds Milica Vidačić

Florida hosts Baylor on Sunday, Sept. 14, the Bears make their first appearance in Gainesville since 2021.

Florida fans will have the opportunity to cheer for the Gators in Tampa on Sunday, Sept. 2 when UF takes on South Florida and the Gators will also host North Florida.

Television times for the following schedule are set to be announced at a later date with 2025 season tickets going on sale on Thursday, June 12.

2025 Gator Volleyball Schedule

Date Opponent Location
Aug. 17 Orange & Blue Scrimmage Gainesville, FL
Aug. 22 Stanford Lincoln, NE
Aug. 24 Pittsburgh Lincoln, NE
Aug. 31 Norfolk State Gainesville, FL
Sept. 2 South Florida Tampa, FL
Sept. 7 Ohio State Columbus, OH
Sept. 9 North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC
Sept. 14 Baylor Gainesville, FL
Sept. 19 Marquette Madison, WI
Sept. 21 Wisconsin Madison, WI
Sept. 26 Mississippi State Gainesville, FL
Sept. 28 Alabama Gainesville, FL
Oct. 3 Auburn Gainesville, FL
Oct. 5 Louisiana State Baton Rouge, LA
Oct. 10 Missouri Gainesville, FL
Oct. 12 Vanderbilt Gainesville, FL
Oct. 15 Tennessee Knoxville, TN
Oct. 19 Kentucky Lexington, KY
Oct. 22 Oklahoma Gainesville, FL
Oct. 26 Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
Oct. 31 Georgia Athens, GA
Nov. 2 South Carolina Columbia, SC
Nov. 7 Texas Gainesville, FL
Nov. 12 Texas A&M Gainesville, FL
Nov. 14 Mississippi Oxford, MS
Nov. 21-Nov. 26 2025 SEC Tournament Savannah, GA

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Lodge Named Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Women’s Track & Field Performer of the Year; Deal Awarded Honor on All-Area Team

Story Links PHILADELPHIA — Molly Lodge has been voted the 2025 Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Women’s Track & Field Performer of the Year. Joining Lodge on the Academic All-Area Women’s Track & Field Team for the third consecutive year is teammate Izzy Deal as a total of 10 student-athletes were honored. The […]

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PHILADELPHIA — Molly Lodge has been voted the 2025 Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Women’s Track & Field Performer of the Year.

Joining Lodge on the Academic All-Area Women’s Track & Field Team for the third consecutive year is teammate Izzy Deal as a total of 10 student-athletes were honored.

The team is selected by the sports information directors of 30 institutions in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area. To be eligible for Academic All-Area honors, an athlete must be in at least his or her second year at the institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or better.

Lodge was a two-time NCAA Division III Outdoor All-American in the 400-meter hurdles (2024, 25), capping her senior campaign with a series of standout performances. She was named a 2025 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-Region honoree in four events (200 meters, 400 meter hurdles, 4×100 relay, 4×400 relay) and earned Indoor All-Region honors in the 4×400 relay as well.

She was named the Outstanding Track Athlete at the 2025 NJAC Indoor Championships and captured the 2025 NJAC Outdoor title in the 200 meters. She also set school records in the 100 and 400 hurdles this season.

A graduate student in Computer Science, Lodge is a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection, a USTFCCCA Division III All-Academic Athlete, and received NJAC All-Academic Honorable Mention honors.

Deal, who is earning her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, scored a pair of All-American honors for the second year in a row in both the javelin and shot at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The graduate student earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors in the two events (javelin, shot) as well as being named the 2025 USTFCCCA Metro Region Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. Deal was also selected the NJAC Outstanding Field Athlete at NJAC Championships for the second year in a row after winning the javelin and shot.

She is a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection as well as a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma (national student-athlete honor society) and is a Rowan Scholar of Distinction.

The team is consisted of Widener seniors Gabby Nye and Kayla Robinson; Haverford’s Olivia D’Aulerio; Temple’s Amira Green; West Chester’s Annika Hummell; Holy Family’s Ocelia Jones; Adria Retter from Villanova; and Hailey Shreffler from Eastern.

 



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Young U.S. Men’s Squad Opens 2025 VNL with Loss to Ukraine

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 11, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s National Team opened the 2025 Volleyball Nations League with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23) loss to Ukraine on Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The U.S. (0-1) will face Iran on Thursday, June 12, at 5 p.m. PDT. Watch the match live on VBTV. Ukraine […]

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 11, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s National Team opened the 2025 Volleyball Nations League with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23) loss to Ukraine on Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The U.S. (0-1) will face Iran on Thursday, June 12, at 5 p.m. PDT. Watch the match live on VBTV.

Ukraine is in its first year in VNL and thus picked up its first-ever win against the young U.S. team. First-year head coach Karch Kiraly started 2024 Olympian Jeff Jendryk at middle blocker, Andrew Rowan at setter, Cooper Robinson and Jordan Ewert at outside hitter, Gabi Garcia at opposite, Merrick McHenry in the middle, and Kyle Dagostino at libero. Rowan, Robinson and McHenry were all making their VNL debuts.

From the beginning of the match, Ukraine used a strong serve to keep the U.S. off balance. That, along with several U.S. errors in set one, gave Ukraine the advantage it needed to win 25-22. Robinson led the U.S. in the set with six points on five kills and a block.

The U.S. kept with Ukraine in set two, down just one at 15-14, but Ukraine went on a 10-5 run to win 25-20. Kiraly spoke about his team’s performance in an interview with VBTV after set two.

“We’re just making not smart plays,” he said. “You got a little setter and a big middle, and we hit at the big middle instead of the little setter; pretty simple geometry there. [We have to] clean up our reception game a little, too, and keep the ball on our side of the net more. We’ve got some good hitters to set, but if we’re getting aced or passing over, that doesn’t help us at all. I can’t say I like a lot right now. but this is a part of the process. Everybody’s got to have their first VNL match, and it’s not always going to be pretty. That’s the beauty of the process. There’s lots of ugly and lots of struggle.”

The team responded in set three with better overall play, and jumped out to an early 10-5 lead. Ukraine began to crawl back, scoring four straight to make it 10-9. No one could grab the edge the rest of the match, until Ukraine broke the 23-23 deadlock for a 25-23 win.

Garcia and Robinson both finished the match with 13 points. Garcia had 10 kills, two blocks and an ace, and Robinson had 12 kills and a block. Ewert had seven kills; and McHenry had six points on three kills, two blocks and an ace. Champlin scored four points (one kill, two blocks, one ace), and Rowan had a block.

Ukraine led the U.S. in kills (40-33) and aces (5-3), but the U.S. held the edge in blocks (8-6).

U.S. Men’s Week One Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
6 Quinn Isaacson (S, 6-2, Plainfield, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
10 Kyle Dagostino (L, 5-9, Tampa, Florida, Stanford Univ., Florida)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California)
17 Andrew Rowan (S, 6-7, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
18 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
19 Patrick Gasman (MB, 6-10, Clovis, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Northern California)
23 Nolan Flexen (OH, 6-9, Rio Rancho, N.M., UC Irvine, Southern)
24 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
28 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)

Head Coach:  Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coach: Luka Slabe
Assistant Coach: Javier Weber
Performance Analyst: Nate Ngo
Physiotherapist: Aaron Brock
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach: Tim Pelot
Senior Sports Dietitian: Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker
Team Manager: David Dantes
Consultant Coach: Chris McGown
Consultant Coach: Marv Dunphy
Team Doctors:  Eugene Yim, Mark Hutchinson, Michael Shepard, Warren Young

U.S. Men’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV, CBS Sports Network and Big Ten Network

(All times PDT)
Week 1: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 11: Ukraine def. USA, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23)
June 12 at 5 p.m. vs. Iran
June 14 at 9:30 a.m. vs. Slovenia
June 15 at 1 p.m. vs. Cuba



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