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Boys track and field Top 20, May 1: North Jersey schools rise following Penn Relays

Penn Relays is officially over. But the new postseason schedule means that teams and athletes have a quick turnaround for championship season, which includes a slate of county relays, county/conference championships, and other invitationals. We are officially three days into “championship season” and we’ve already seen some teams make their mark with team titles at […]

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Penn Relays is officially over.

But the new postseason schedule means that teams and athletes have a quick turnaround for championship season, which includes a slate of county relays, county/conference championships, and other invitationals.

We are officially three days into “championship season” and we’ve already seen some teams make their mark with team titles at championship meets.

Our latest rankings factor in recent relay meets, including Penn Relays, and early championship results. Check them out below.

Penn Relays 2025, Day 2

Nasir Jackson (center) of Toms River North starts the High School Boys’ 4×100 Northeast race at the Penn Relays, Friday, April 25, 2025 in Philadelphia. North finished 4th.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

1-Toms River North

Last week’s ranking: No. 1

The Mariners maintain their position at the top of the rankings as they enter May. They delivered an impressive performance at the Penn Relays, standing out among schools from the Garden State by qualifying for the 4×400 Championship of America. The team shattered the Shore Conference record twice, initially in the heats with a time of 3:13.16, and then in the C of A with a remarkable 3:11.95, which ranks seventh in N.J. history. Additionally, TRN set a new 4×100 Shore Conference record with a time of 41.63, securing fourth place in the Northeast Final.

Up next: Ocean County Relay Championships, 5/2

Penn Relays 2025, Day 2

CBA’s (l to r) Ryan Schmitt, Ethan Fianko, Wyatt Falkowski, Joe Barrett hold up championship wheel they earned after winning the High School Boys’ Distance Medley Championship of America at the Penn Relays, Friday, April 25, 2025 in Philadelphia. Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

2-Christian Brothers

Last week’s ranking: No. 2

Competing in honor of Alex Kemp, the quartet of Ryan Schmitt, Ethan Fianko, Wyatt Falkowski and Joe Barrett won the DMR Championship of America race at Penn Relays on Friday (9:59.17). The time ranks ninth all-time in state history and resets their own Shore Conference record. CBA also had a terrific team effort at the Holmdel Twlight Series on Tuesday, with Gavin Schmitt (9:09.65), Ryan Collins (9:10.97), Sean Galvin (9:23.74) and Thomas Field (9:24.55) all placing within the Top 15.

Up next: Monmouth County Relay Championships, 5/1

3-St. Peter’s Prep

Last week’s ranking: No. 4

St. Peter’s Prep demonstrated its prowess in the sprints at the Penn Relays, with their team of Neko-Luzzi Liggins, Jevon Ledgister, Darryl Coleman, and Hunter Watson clinching victory in the 4×100 Northeast Final with a time of 41.42 seconds. This time not only surpassed the previous Hudson County record of 41.65 set by the Marauders in 2019 but also became the ninth-best time in state history as well. Additionally, the squad’s 3:19.64 in the 4×400 heats ranks fifth in N.J. this season.

Up next: Puma East Coast International Showcase, 5/3

4-Demarest

Last week’s ranking: No. 3

Demarest sent Liam Paneque and its 4×800 relay to Penn Relays last week. Paneque secured eighth place in the long jump, qualifying for finals but missing out on a medal (21-11). Amadeo Bonde, Ivan Timochko, Luke Davis, Alec Stratton ran 8:02.29 in the 4×800 to finish 43rd overall.

Up next: Big North Championships (Freedom & National), 5/2

Penn Relays 2025, Day 2

Dominic Bassey (center) crosses the finish line to give Winslow the victory in the High School Boys’ 4×400 Philadelphia Area race at the Penn Relays, Friday, April 25, 2025 in Philadelphia. Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

5-Winslow

Last week’s ranking: No. 5

Winslow showcased its resilience and determination at the Penn Relays, overcoming the setback of losing star runner Jayden Poteat to injury during the 4×400 heats. The squad bounced back to win in the Philadelphia Area 4×400, clocking an impressive New Jersey No. 2 time of 3:16.12. Additionally, they posted a 41.86 in the 4×100 heats. Their strong performance at the Penn Relays followed a dominant showing at the Woodbury Relays, where they clinched the Division 3 team title.

Up next: NIKE: SJTCA Elite T&F Meet, 5/1

6-North Brunswick

Last week’s ranking: No. 7

North Brunswick made history on Tuesday by winning its first-ever Middlesex County Relays title, scoring 85 points. Beating out teams like Edison (65) and South Brunswick (64), North Brunswick won the 4×400 with a N.J. No. 3 time (3:16.74), along with the triple jump relay, long jump relay and pole vault relay. Isaac Gaston (13-0) and Kyal Vreeland combined to go 1-2 in the pole vault relay, while Quincy Pearson and Zachary Jefferson leaped 47-0 and 44-2 to place first and third in the triple jump, respectively.

Up next: GMC Championships, 5/6-5/7

7-Bergen Catholic

Last week’s ranking: No. 6

Bergen Catholic’s quartet consisting of Nicholas Shortridge, Aiden Talley, Xavier Jackson, and Andrew Jermiah Boayke, finished third in the 4×100 Northeast Final with a time of 41.60. The time surpassed the team’s previous Bergen County record of 41.69, which they set with a win the 2023 Meet of Champions. Additionally, Texas commit Benjamin Shue clinchef a third-place finish in the discus championship, delivering a final throw of 198-11.

Up next: Puma East Coast International Showcase, 5/3

NJSIAA Group Track and Field at Franklin: Groups 1, 4 and Non-Public A

Noah Cooper of Union Catholic competes in the Non-Public A boys long jump during the NJSIAA Group Track and Field Championships at Franklin, Groups 1, 4 and Non-Public A in Somerset, NJ on 6/10/23.Chris Faytok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

8-Union Catholic

Last week’s ranking: No. 8

Union Catholic competed in three different meets over the last few weeks. At the Trotter’s Track Carnival on Friday, UC got a 1-2 finish in the long jump from Jalele Williams (22-7.5) and Noah Cooper (22-0.5). At Penn Relays a week later Union Catholic competed in the 4×100 (43.35), 4×400 (3:21.61) and 4×800 (7:51.97), while Noah Cooper finished 16th in the triple jump. On Tuesday, the Vikings competed at Holmdel Night of 3200s, with Danny Kuran placing seventh (9:15.73).

Up next: Union County Conference Championships, 5/1-5/2

Penn Relays 2025, Day 2

“Sniped” said Luke Pash of Ridgewood as he lays on the infield of Franklin Field after he finished third in the High School Boys’ 3000m Championship at the Penn Relays, Friday, April 25, 2025 in Philadelphia. Pash was leading on the final lap but could not hold on to win.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media

9-Ridgewood

Last week’s ranking: No. 9

Ridgewood’s performance at the Penn Relays was marked by Luke Pash’s impressive run in the 3,000-meter championship. The North Carolina commit secured third place with a time of 8:17.51, setting a significant personal record and marking a notable improvement from his 9:01.90 finish in 22nd place in 2023. The Maroons are set to compete for the Big North Freedom Division title on Friday.

Up next: Big North Freedom & National Division Championships, 5/2

Indoor Track: North 2, Grps 4 Sectionals

Ryan Daly of Westfield competes in the boys 1600 during the North 2, Grps 4 Sectionals in Toms River, NJ on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Duncan Williams | For NJ Advance Media

10-Westfield

Last week’s ranking: No. 10

Competing in the DMR Championship of America race at Penn Relays, Westfield finished eighth with a time of 10:13.62. They also fielded 4×100 (44.19) and 4×400 (3:34.86) relays at Franklin Field.

Up next: Union County Conference Championships, 5/1-5/2

11-Elizabeth

Last week’s ranking: No. 11

Elizabeth had a few athletes deliver solid individual performances at the Penn Relays. Maximus Bonilla secured a 12th-place finish in the 3,000-meter run championship with a time of 8:32.81. Meanwhile, Jayden Cadet achieved 14th-place in the triple jump a mark of 44-9 on his second attempt. The team is set to compete in the Union County Conference Championships on Friday.

Up next: Union County Conference Championships, 5/1-5/2

12-Haddonfield

Last week’s ranking: No. 12

Haddonfield won the DMR in the Division 2 race at Woodbury Relays (10:52.50), and also snagged second in the 4×800. In the DMR Championship of America race at Penn Relays, Haddonfield placed seventh (10:13.01) and was the third-fastest N.J. school in the relay. They also competed in the 4×400 (3:33.89)

Up next: NIKE: SJTCA Elite T&F Meet, 5/1

Track & Field: Bergen County Relays, April 12, 2025

Aidan Morrow of Hasbrouck Heights competes in the boys 4×800 meter relay during the Bergen County Relays NJSIAA Track and Field Meet at River Dell High School in Oradell, NJ on Saturday April 12, 2025. Duncan Williams | For NJ Advance Media

13-Hasbrouck Heights

Last week’s ranking: No. 16

Hasbrouck Heights solidified its status as one of the top teams in the state this spring after securing its 16th-consecutive NJIC Divisional title. The Aviators showcased their dominance with eight event winners, with five athletes claiming two or more titles. Michael Napolitano stood out by winning three events and breaking his own school record in the 100 with a time of 10.87 seconds.

Up next: Bergen County Championships, 5/9

Track: Somerset County Championships

Brenden McMahon, Ridge in the 1600 during the Somerset County Track Championships in Hillsborough , NJ, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Ed Murray| For NJ Advance Media

14-Ridge

Last week’s ranking: No. 18

Ridge claimed its fourth straight Somerset County title on Tuesday in dominant fashion, scoring 102 points in the competition. Senior Brenden McMahon cemented himself as one of the most decorated athletes in county history by winning his fourth straight title in the 1600 (4:16.51), while also claiming second in the 3200 (9:24.82).

Up next: Skyland Conference Championships, 5/6

Penn Relays 2025, Day 1

Jonathan Harris of Delsea placed 8th in the High School Boys’ Shot Put event at the Penn Relays, Thursday, April 24 2025, in Philadelphia.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

15-Delsea

Last week’s ranking: No. 14

Delsea delivered strong field performances at the Penn Relays. Henry Cifaloglio tied for 13th place in the pole vault, successfully clearing 14-2.5. Meanwhile, Jonathan Harris secured eighth place in the shot put with a throw of 60-6.5 on his fifth attempt. Delsea is set to host the Nike SJTCA Elite Meet on Thursday and the SJTCA Open on Saturday.

Up next: NIKE: SJTCA Elite T&F Meet, 5/1

16-Camden

Last week’s ranking: No. 15

Camden finished second to Woodstown in the Division I team standings at the Woodbury Relays. They pulled off an impressive trio of wins, capturing the 4×100 (42.68), 4×110 hurdles (1:02.77), 4×200 (1:29.02).

Up next: NIKE: SJTCA Elite T&F Meet, 5/1

Track and FIeld: NJSIAA Central Groups 2 and 3 meet

Hunter Celkupa (l to r) and Colts Neck teammates Jay Adimala and John Shapiro placed 1-2-4 in the Group 3 Boys 3200 meter run, Friday, May 31, 2024, at Jackson Liberty High School.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

17-Colts Neck

Last week’s ranking: No. 13

Colts Neck’s DMR quartet, consisting of John Shapiro, Joe Louro, Kyle Schandall, and Jay Adimala, competed in the DMR Championship at the Penn Relays, securing a 13th-place finish with a time of 10:21.59. Adimala delivered an impressive performance on the 1,600-meter leg, clocking in at 4:15.28. In the week prior to Penn, Colts Neck hosted the Colts Neck Spring Invitational, where Adimala triumphed in the 800 with a time of 1:55.08.

Up next: Monmouth County Relay Championships, 5/1

18-South Brunswick

Last week’s ranking: No. 17

South Brunswick ran one of the fastest 4×400 relays statewide at Penn Relays, as the quartet of Jason Keiser, Anshul Jha, Jaylen Brundidge, Bryant Williams finished in 3:21.07. They managed to go even faster at the Middlesex County Relays (3:18.98) in a second-place effort. At that meet, they finished third overall with 64 points. The Vikings claimed wins in the 4×800 (8:11.50), 4×1600 (18:28.19) and 4×400 (54.47)

Up next: GMC Championships, 5/6-5/7

Penn Relays 2025, Day 1

Peter Donini of Delbarton placed 4th – the top American finish – in the High School Boys’ Shot Put event at the Penn Relays, Thursday, April 24 2025, in Philadelphia.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

19-Delbarton

Last week’s ranking: No. 19

Peter Donini led Delbarton’s performance at the Penn Relays, earning Top American honors in the shot put. The Michigan commit achieved a throw of 63-11.5 on his fifth attempt, securing fourth place in the event. Delbarton is set to compete for a county relay title at the upcoming Morris County Relay Championships this weekend.

Up next: Morris County Relay Championships, 5/1

20-Cherokee

Last week’s ranking: No. 20

Cherokee sent both its 4×100 and 4×400 relays to Penn Relays. In the 4×400, the quartet of Mateo Rosario, Colin Feehan, Dom Pileri, Tate Midora finished in 3:36.92.

Up next: NIKE: SJTCA Elite T&F Meet

Bakari Tice and Corey Annan can be reached at btice@njadvancemedia.com and cannan@njadvancemedia.com.

Follow them or send them a message on X at @BakariTice and @coreyannan360.

The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now!

Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)





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Schedule, all results, scores and standings

Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 – schedule, results and scores All start times listed in local time Preliminary round week 1 (11 – 15 June) 11 June 2025 Pool 1 in Quebec City, Canada (EDT, GMT-4) 11:00 – Bulgaria vs Italy 16:30 – Argentina vs France 20:00 – Germany vs Canada Pool 2 in […]

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Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 – schedule, results and scores

All start times listed in local time

Preliminary round week 1 (11 – 15 June)

11 June 2025

Pool 1 in Quebec City, Canada (EDT, GMT-4)

  • 11:00 – Bulgaria vs Italy
  • 16:30 – Argentina vs France
  • 20:00 – Germany vs Canada

Pool 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (BRT, GMT-3)

  • 14:00 – Ukraine vs USA
  • 17:30 – Brazil vs Islamic Republic of Iran
  • 21:00 – Slovenia vs Cuba

Pool 3 in Xi’an, People’s Republic of China (CST, GMT+8)

  • 13:30 – Poland vs Netherlands
  • 17:00 – People’s Republic of China vs Japan
  • 20:30 – Serbia vs Türkiye

12 June 2025

Pool 1 in Quebec City, Canada (EDT, GMT-4)

  • 16:30 – Germany vs Italy
  • 20:00 – Argentina vs Canada

Pool 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (BRT, GMT-3)

  • 17:30 – Brazil vs Cuba
  • 21:00 – USA vs Islamic Republic of Iran

Pool 3 in Xi’an, People’s Republic of China (CST, GMT+8)

  • 17:00 – People’s Republic of China vs Serbia
  • 20:30 – Poland vs Japan

13 June 2025

Pool 1 in Quebec City, Canada (EDT, GMT-4)

  • 16:30 – Bulgaria vs Argentina
  • 20:00 – France vs Italy

Pool 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (BRT, GMT-3)

  • 17:30 – Ukraine vs Cuba
  • 21:00 – Islamic Republic of Iran vs Slovenia

Pool 3 in Xi’an, People’s Republic of China (CST, GMT+8)

  • 17:00 – Japan vs Serbia
  • 20:30 – Netherlands vs Türkiye

14 June 2025

Pool 1 in Quebec City, Canada (EDT, GMT-4)

  • 16:30 – Canada vs France
  • 20:00 – Bulgaria vs Germany

Pool 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (BRT, GMT-3)

  • 10:00 – Ukraine vs Brazil
  • 13:30 – USA vs Slovenia

Pool 3 in Xi’an, People’s Republic of China (CST, GMT+8)

  • 15:00 – People’s Republic of China vs Netherlands
  • 19:00 – Türkiye vs Poland

15 June 2025

Pool 1 in Quebec City, Canada (EDT, GMT-4)

  • 11:00 – Argentina vs Italy
  • 14:30 – Germany vs France
  • 18:00 – Bulgaria vs Canada

Pool 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (BRT, GMT-3)

  • 10:00 – Brazil vs Slovenia
  • 13:30 – Ukraine vs Islamic Republic of Iran
  • 17:00 – Cuba vs USA

Pool 3 in Xi’an, People’s Republic of China (CST, GMT+8)

  • 11:30 – Netherlands vs Japan
  • 15:00 – People’s Republic of CHina vs Türkiye
  • 19:00 – Poland vs Serbia



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UCLA’s Ryder Dodd Wins 2025 Men’s Cutino Award

Courtesy: UCLA Athletics SAN FRANCISCO — The Olympic Club announced late Saturday night that UCLA freshman attacker Ryder Dodd (Long Beach, Calif./JSerra Catholic HS) has been named the 2025 Peter J. Cutino Award winner. The Cutino Award is an iconic honor in NCAA water polo that recognizes the best men’s and women’s players each year. Dodd became the first Bruin to […]

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Courtesy: UCLA Athletics

SAN FRANCISCO — The Olympic Club announced late Saturday night that UCLA freshman attacker Ryder Dodd (Long Beach, Calif./JSerra Catholic HS) has been named the 2025 Peter J. Cutino Award winner. The Cutino Award is an iconic honor in NCAA water polo that recognizes the best men’s and women’s players each year.

Dodd became the first Bruin to claim the prize since attacker Nicolas Saveljic was awarded the trophy in 2021 for the 2020 season, which like the 2024 campaign, culminated with a National Championship win over USC. He is also just the fourth different Bruin and the fifth overall winner on the UCLA men’s side, joining Garret Danner who won the award in 2016, and Sean Kern, who claimed the title in 1998 and 1999, the first two Cutino Awards ever presented.

Dodd helped the Bruins (26-2) win the 2024 NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championship, the 13th in UCLA’s storied history. Named a First-Team All-American in 2024, he scored twice in the NCAA Championship game, the Bruins’ fourth win of the season over the Trojans.

The win also marked the fifth NCAA Championship for UCLA Head Coach Adam Wright while in charge of the Men’s Water Polo team, with all five titles coming against USC. It is Wright’s ninth NCAA title overall, as he also won two as a player at UCLA (1999 and 2000), one last year with the women’s program (2024), and one more as an assistant coach with the women’s team in 2009.
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Dodd wrote himself into the MPSF record books this past season when he scored a league-record 102 goals. It was also a UCLA freshman record and the second-most goals scored in school history. He also added 32 assists to lead the MPSF in scoring with 134 points. He also led the MPSF in sprints won (46) while finishing second on the Bruin squad in steals (32) and field blocks (11), and third in drawn exclusions (30). Named the ACWPC National Player of the Year, he also was chosen as the MPSF Player and Newcomer of the Year, the first person in league history to earn both honors in the same season.

Dodd, who was named the MVP of the NCAA Championship, scored in all 28 games of his rookie season, with multiple goals in all but one. A four-time MPSF weekly award honoree, earning Delfina MPSF West Player of the Week and S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week twice each, he scored a career-best eight goals in an 18-12 win at then-No. 7 Pepperdine (Oct. 12). Dodd, the only freshman on the Delfina All-MPSF First Team, is UCLA’s sixth all-time MPSF Player of the Year recipient (Rafael Real Vergara-2023, Garrett Danner-2015-16, Scott Davidson-2009, Sean Kern-2000) and is the fourth Bruin to earn MPSF Newcomer of the Year (Ben Liechty-2023, Makoto Kenney-2020, Garrett Danner-2013).

The other two finalists on the men’s side included Max Miller (USC) and Mihailo Vukazic (Pacific).





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Vanderbilt Ready to Lead in New Model for College Sports

On June 6, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement—launching a new era for college athletics. This ruling creates a foundation for greater stability, fairness, and opportunity for student-athletes—and affirms what we at Vanderbilt have long believed: transformation, when grounded in mission and […]

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Vanderbilt Ready to Lead in New Model for College Sports

On June 6, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement—launching a new era for college athletics.

This ruling creates a foundation for greater stability, fairness, and opportunity for student-athletes—and affirms what we at Vanderbilt have long believed: transformation, when grounded in mission and values, creates opportunity.

As we continue to build the great university of the 21st century, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a championship-caliber student-athlete experience that integrates academic and athletic excellence and strengthens our One Vanderbilt community.

The newly formed College Sports Commission, led by Bryan Seeley—former MLB executive and a respected voice in sports law—and its partners, Deloitte and LBi Software, will be responsible for ensuring compliance and supporting institutions through this transition.

While the settlement offers a clearer, more structured path forward, we will continue to work with our legislative partners on potential federal solutions that can bring long-term stability and consistency to the college athletics landscape.


Key pillars of the new model include:

Revenue sharing: Beginning with the 2025–26 academic year, SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten institutions may share up to 22 percent of defined athletics revenue with student-athletes—estimated at up to $20.5 million per school.

Scholarship expansion: With scholarship limits removed, universities now have more flexibility to offer educational opportunities to a broader range of student-athletes across sports. Removing scholarship limits gives schools the flexibility to better support student-athletes and their education, while supporting the long-term success of broad-based sports programs. Current and immediately incoming student-athletes who may have been adversely impacted by roster limits will still have the opportunity to earn a roster spot.

NIL conditions: The new NIL Go platform, managed by the College Sports Commission and its partners, Deloitte and LBi Software, will streamline the reporting and approval process for third-party NIL agreements—enhancing transparency while protecting student-athletes’ eligibility.

Our recent launch of Vanderbilt Enterprises and the appointment of Markus Schreyer as CEO underscore our readiness to embrace innovative models that support excellence in education, research, and athletics.

We are also preparing for the financial responsibility that comes with this new model and remain focused on driving strategic initiatives like Vandy United and advancing the mission of Vanderbilt Athletics. With your support, we will continue to set the standard in this new era.

This is a defining time for college sports. Though much is changing, the essence of what athletics represent—community, growth, discipline, excellence—remains firmly intact.
We are ready to lead. And together, we will succeed.

Anchor Down!

Daniel Diermeier
Chancellor

Candice Storey Lee
Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director

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The growth of esports at UW–Madison

Students compete in Valorant, a multiplayer video game, in the Esport Lounge at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center, Photo by Xiaomeng Shen/UW–Madison While esports isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think of athletics, there are a lot of skills that you need to be a good esports athlete. “There […]

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The growth of esports at UW–Madison

Photo of students competing in Valorant, a multiplayer video game, in the Esport Lounge at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center, Photo by Xiaomeng Shen/UW–Madison

Students compete in Valorant, a multiplayer video game, in the Esport Lounge at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center, Photo by Xiaomeng Shen/UW–Madison

While esports isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think of athletics, there are a lot of skills that you need to be a good esports athlete.

“There is a big mental aspect of esports, but part of it is just mechanical skills, like how well you aim and stuff,” says UW sophomore Arsalan Ahmad, an officer for the Madison eSports Club. “Genetics plays a huge role in other sports, a lot of times it’s just ‘oh are you tall enough to play basketball.’ With esports there is a lot of adaptation, it’s not only that you have to grind, but you also have to adapt to changing metas (most effective tactics available) like traditional sports.”

Ahmad, who’s studying computer science and data science, competes on the club’s top team for Valorant.

Esports, or playing video games competitively, has grown rapidly into a global industry. Games like League of Legends, Valorant, Apex Legends and Counter-Strike have become some of the most popular, with their top athletes being treated like celebrities, complete with dedicated training facilities and top tier sponsorship deals.

UW–Madison has also started providing more opportunities and spaces for esports on campus. While UW doesn’t have a varsity-level esports team like some universities, student-led groups such as the Madison Esports Club offer competition across multiple games.

The Madison Esports Club first started off as a group of students who gathered to play popular games such as DOTA, Starcraft and Hearthstone. In early 2020 the organization was adopted under the University Recreation and Wellbeing as a Sports Club, bringing it more funding and opportunities to compete against other teams.

The organization hosts teams for specific games, such as League of Legends, Valorant and Call of Duty. But students in the club don’t have to compete on a team — they can just find groups of other students to play games for fun.

Since COVID, gaming and video games has become one of the largest entertainment industries in the world,” said club president Eddie Kustner. “It’s good to have more opportunities for people who enjoy video games to go out and meet other people who enjoy video games.”

The Madison Esports Club competes in a variety of collegiate competitions locally and on a more national scale, including the Big Ten league and the Wisconsin Esports Conference, which includes other colleges in Wisconsin. The Big Ten is offering competitions in Super Smash Bros and Overwatch for the Spring 2025 semester, and the Madison Esports team is competing in both.

Outside of the team itself, the Bakke Recreation and Wellbeing Center has opened up a dedicated Esports lounge fitted with computers optimized for gaming. Esports has also been offered as a part of intramural sports, with semester-long competitions and shorter tournaments.

“Fostering local competition is really good. Also just connecting with other students on campus,” says Arsalan Ahmad. “It’s a great way to socialize with other students, just like it is with other intramural sports.”

Kustner would like to see esports grow here. “We have an esports room and it’s great that we have that, that’s a great first step,” he says.

It can be difficult to convince up-and-coming esports athletes to compete on a collegiate level because the prime age for gaming is on the younger side. Most talented players make their professional debut before they even graduate from high school.

“The long-term goals are to support the team and to provide more opportunities for the community to grow. The most successful esports communities in college have a very strong social scene and they have physical areas where people want to come, which fosters community” Kustner says.


Written by Serena Wang

Link to original story: https://news.wisc.edu/the-growth-of-esports-at-uw-madison/

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For-Profit College Sports Commission Gives Nonprofit Web Impression

What’s in a (domain) name? Within an hour of Judge Claudia Wilken having granted final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement, the newly established College Sports Commission’s website went live, featuring a homepage headline declaring “a new day in college sports” beside a picture of female water polo players. The commission, which was established […]

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What’s in a (domain) name?

Within an hour of Judge Claudia Wilken having granted final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement, the newly established College Sports Commission’s website went live, featuring a homepage headline declaring “a new day in college sports” beside a picture of female water polo players.

The commission, which was established by the NCAA’s Power Five conferences—the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Pac-12—to police college athlete NIL transactions, registered as a Delaware limited liability company in April, as Sportico was first to report.

This sets the College Sports Commission (CSC) apart from the numerous nationally recognized “commissions,” many of which are government agencies—such as the FEC, FTC, FCC and the other SEC—or federally recognized nonprofit organizations exempt from income tax.

Aside from a small number of postseason football bowl games, the CSC is also unique in being the only for-profit governing body, association or multi-school organization in college sports. That means unlike the NCAA, its member intuitions and major conferences—all of which are federally registered 501(c)(3) organizations—the commission is not legally bound to operate for exclusively charitable purposes; does not have to publicly disclose its annual tax return (that includes financial details such as its annual legal expenditures or the compensation of its new CEO, Bryan Seeley); and faces no restrictions on its involvement in political campaigns.

However, the CSC’s website lends a different impression, starting with its URL: www.CollegeSportsCommission.org. Although any entity can register or use dot-org domain extensions, they typically and historically are associated with nonprofits. Notably, if paradoxically, all but one of the P5 conferences (BigTen.org) now employ dot-com domains for their official sites (SECSports.com, Big12Sports.com, theACC.com and Pac-12.com) even though each of the leagues are 501(c)(3) charities.

In an email, a commission spokesperson told Sportico that despite its legal structure, it is “not intended to be a for-profit company.”

The CSC obtained its website’s URL on April 2—a week-and-a-half before its Delaware LLC was formed. Simultaneously, as confirmed by the spokesperson, it also obtained a dot-com version. Nevertheless, CollegeSportsCommission.com is currently a parked domain that does not redirect to the active, dot-org site.

On its FAQ page, the CSC describes itself as “the organization overseeing the new system that allows schools to share revenue directly with student-athletes and ensures that NIL deals made with student-athletes are fair and comply with the rules.” While it distinguishes itself from the NCAA, the current version of the site offers little clarity about who controls the commission or how it is structured. Notably, its official legal name—College Sports Commission LLC—does not appear anywhere on the site, including in the “Terms of Service” or “Privacy Policy.”

Meanwhile, the website for the NIL Go system, managed by Deloitte, uses a dot-com domain name. According to the CSC spokesperson, the domain was initially purchased by Deloitte on behalf of the joint NCAA/P5 settlement implementation committee, and is now in the process of transferring ownership to the commission. Meanwhile, the dot-com website for the College Athlete Payments (CAP) platform, developed by LBi Software and “overseen” by the commission, is owned by LBi.



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Aussie Stingers locked in for 2025 World Aquatics Championships

Water Polo Australia (WPA) is pleased to announce the Aussie Stingers for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Set to be held in Singapore from 11-24 July 2025, WPA has today announced a 14-strong women’s team to compete at the event. Headlined by 10 Paris Olympic silver medalists, with a number of New South Wales Institute […]

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Water Polo Australia (WPA) is pleased to announce the Aussie Stingers for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships.

Set to be held in Singapore from 11-24 July 2025, WPA has today announced a 14-strong women’s team to compete at the event.

Headlined by 10 Paris Olympic silver medalists, with a number of New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holders including Genenvieve Longman (main picture), Bronte Halligan (pictured below), Sienna Green, Tilly Kearns, Sienna Hearn, Danijela Jackovich, the Stingers squad for the World Championships is a great mix of youth and experience.

“Our team for the world Championships is a mix of athletes who have been around for numerous Olympic cycles, athletes who were part of our squad in the lead up to Paris, and some new players who have joined us for the new Olympic cycle,” said Head Coach Bec Rippon.

“It’s a nice, balanced team, who have been bringing some great energy to every session, and I look forward to seeing what we can produce in Singapore.”

Almost one year on since the historic silver medal performance in Paris, Rippon said it’s been great to have the majority of the team back together.

“It is nice having some of the Paris group back and to now see how they connect with the newer players that have been working hard in Australia and overseas,” Rippon said. “They bring with them some great experience and energy, as we approach the new Olympic cycle,” she said.

Currently in camp on the Gold Coast for three weeks, the Stingers will next head to Perth, where they will host the USA and Italian women’s teams for a training camp and official Test matches (details for tickets on sale will be available soon).

“It’s going to be a great opportunity to trial some new things that we’ve been working on, and to try things without being under the same pressure of being at a World Championships,” Rippon said.

Members of Team Australia pose with their silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“We are really happy to have both of those teams in Australia – we always have great battles with the US and such a strong history with them so it will be great to see how we’re matching up.

“And we will play the Italians at the World Championships, so it will be a really good chance to check in and measure up against each other before Singapore. “

The 2025 World Aquatics Championships will be held in Singapore from 11-24 July, with the Stingers set to play their first game on Friday 11 July against the host nation, Singapore.

Water Polo Australia would like to congratulate the following athletes on their selection:

Abby Andrews (QLD)

Charlize Andrews (QLD)

Hayley Ballesty (NSW)

Tenealle Fasala (QLD)

Sienna Green (NSW)

Bronte Halligan (NSW)

Sienna Hearn (NSW)

Danijela Jackovich (NSW)

Tilly Kearns (NSW)

Alexie Lambert (NSW)

Genevieve Longman (NSW)

Olivia Mitchell (NSW)

Gabi Palm (QLD)

Pippa Pedley (WA)

Alice Williams (QLD)

Reserves:

Claire Durston (NSW)

Jessica Emerson (QLD)

Nioka Thomas (NSW)

Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers Schedule:

Friday 11 July | Australia v Singapore | 9:10pm AEST

Sunday 13 July | Australia v Italy | 7:35pm AEST

Tuesday 15 July | Australian v New Zealand | 7:35pm AEST

Thursday 17 July | Women’s Crossovers Saturday 19 July |

Women’s Quarterfinals and Classification Monday 21 July |

Women’s Semi Finals and Classification Wednesday 23 July |

Women’s Medal Matches and Classification

Story Water Polo Australia



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