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Connor Ohl, Newport Harbor girls shine at Sunset League swim finals

Connor Ohl sprinted into history on Friday at Golden West College. Before he even looked up at the scoreboard for his time after swimming the 50-yard freestyle at Sunset League finals, the Newport Harbor High junior heard the crowd cheering. “I knew right then that I went 19 [seconds],” Ohl said. “When I looked up, […]

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Connor Ohl sprinted into history on Friday at Golden West College.

Before he even looked up at the scoreboard for his time after swimming the 50-yard freestyle at Sunset League finals, the Newport Harbor High junior heard the crowd cheering.

“I knew right then that I went 19 [seconds],” Ohl said. “When I looked up, it was just the icing on the cake.”

With his time of 19.79 seconds, he became the second-fastest high school swimmer in the event in Orange County history. The county record is a 19.69 by Olympian Michael Cavic of Tustin, set in 2002.

Los Alamitos won the boys’ Sunset League swimming championship, while Newport Harbor’s girls used their depth to capture their third straight league crown.

Newport Harbor girls wait for the start of the 50-yard freestyle during the Sunset League swim finals on Friday.

Newport Harbor’s Kennedy Fahey, Madison Mack, Emerson Mulvey and Ariana Amoroso, from left, stand side-by-side as they wait for the start of the girls’ 50-yard freestyle during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

There were plenty of fast swims at the six-hour meet. Fountain Valley set five league records, with sophomore Alyssa Ton and junior Peter Vu setting two each in their individual events.

Ohl was electrifying, splashing the water after seeing the time and clasping the hand of senior teammate James Mulvey to his right.

Ohl, Mulvey and Dash D’Ambrosia swept the top three spots in the event for the Sailors.

“One-two-three is just incredible,” said Ohl, who also repeated as the boys’ 100 free champion in 44.86 seconds. “The fact that it’s three water polo guys and not trained swimmers, it’s even more incredible.”

He added that he would be gunning for Cavic’s county-record mark at next week’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 championships.

“I never thought I’d ever be reaching levels like this,” Ohl said. “It’s unbelievable. … First it was breaking the Newport record, then it was breaking 20 [seconds] and now it’s breaking this next record. It’s just this progression of going faster and faster.”

Members of the Newport Harbor girls' swim team celebrate after winning the Sunset League title on Friday.

Members of the Newport Harbor girls’ swim team celebrate after winning the Sunset League title on Friday.

(Matt Szabo)

Newport Harbor’s girls had lost by four points to Fountain Valley in a league dual meet, but won going away at league finals for their third straight crown.

Senior Ariana Amoroso finished second in the 50 free and third in the backstroke to pace the Sailors. Amoroso is going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which announced in March that it would be cutting its swimming program, though the school’s swimmers are scrambling to raise money to try to save it.

“I’m happy to end on a win senior year,” said Amoroso, adding that it was bittersweet that the CIF finals would likely be her final swim meet. “I’m happy to see improvements in my times after recently switching club teams, too.”

Fountain Valley's Kaitlyn Nguyen swims the girls' 200 yard individual medley to first place.

Fountain Valley’s Kaitlyn Nguyen swims the girls’ 200 yard individual medley to first place during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Caitlyn Stayt finished third in the 200 individual medley and fourth in the backstroke for the Sailors girls, who also got a pair of ‘A’ finals appearances by freshman Vivian Muir.

Stayt is one of two seniors who came out for swimming after helping the Sailors make the CIF Southern Section Open Division title match in water polo, along with Harper Price.

“The senior leadership has been amazing,” Newport Harbor coach Kevin Potter said. “They came back and just really stepped up. Harper swam the breaststroke. Last time she swam breaststroke was freshman year at league finals, and this year, we needed a breaststroker. She stepped in and scored huge points for us in that ‘A’ final.”

The versatile Ton won the girls’ 200 freestyle in 1:44.50 and backstroke in 53.68, each time a personal-best. She said she enjoyed the fact that her events were spaced apart, which allowed her to cheer for her teammates.

Newport Harbor's Aidan Arie reacts to dominating the boys' 100 yard butterfly at Golden West College on Friday.

Newport Harbor’s Aidan Arie reacts to dominating the boys’ 100 yard butterfly during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“There’s still some things to work on, but I’m really excited heading into CIF,” said Ton, a CIF champion in the 200 freestyle last year.

Her Barons senior teammate, USC-bound Kaitlyn Nguyen, won the 200 IM (1:59.76). Nguyen was second in the breaststroke to Corona del Mar sophomore Sofia Szymanowski (1:00.97), who placed second in the IM.

“I think Sofia’s got a really good chance of winning [CIF] next week [in the breaststroke], and I think Kaitlyn can also win it,” said Fountain Valley coach Nathan Wilcox, who coaches both in club swimming for Irvine Novaquatics. “It’s just going to come down to who wants it more. … I definitely think those girls are both top three next week.”

Corona del Mar's Micah Grantham swims during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday.

Corona del Mar’s Micah Grantham breaks the surface on the first lap of the boys’ 200 yard freestyle during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Fountain Valley’s girls’ 200 medley relay, featuring Ton, Nguyen, freshman Audrey Prall and senior Leyna Nguyen, also won in a meet-record time of 1:44.00.

Among other top girls’ swimmers, CdM senior Nikki Lahey became a three-time league champion in both the 50 free (23.42) and 100 free (50.38).

“It’s really focusing on the little details and improving those next week,” said Lahey, bound for San Jose State. “I feel like I’m in a pretty good place with my times right now.”

Edison senior Gaby Kelly became a four-time league champion in the 500 free, winning it in a school record time of 4:52.27. Kelly never lost the race in a league meet during her entire high school career.

“I was really stoked about it,” said Kelly, who placed second in the 200 free. “Especially with all of the new teams coming into the league, I was a little nervous, but I was really stoked with how I went. Being able to have that achievement is really nice.”

Fountain Valley's Alyssa Ton swims the girl's 200 yard freestyle at Golden West College on Friday.

Fountain Valley’s Alyssa Ton swims the girl’s 200 yard freestyle during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

On the boys’ side, Fountain Valley’s Vu claimed the 200 individual medley (1:48.77) and breaststroke (54.62).

Newport Harbor senior Aidan Arie blasted to a school-record 48.28 in the butterfly, and also won the 500 free in 4:36.93. He celebrated wildly after winning the butterfly, as he said he earned a Summer Junior Nationals cut.

Add Arie to the list of those incredulous at what Ohl is doing.

“At this point, if he told me he was going 18 [seconds], I’d believe him, the way he’s dropping,” he said. “It’s crazy. It’s not normal.”

Edison’s Holden Lee won the backstroke (49.88) and was third in the butterfly.

Isaac Squires, a talented water polo player, helped Huntington Beach win the medley relay and also was an individual champion in the 200 free, touching in 1:42.91.

“If I can’t beat them in water polo, it’s nice to beat them here in swim,” Squires said. “It’s fun, because it’s competitive, but it also helps because you get faster and you’re always conditioned.”

Isaac Squires of Huntington Beach swims the boys' 200 yard freestyle to victory during at Golden West College on Friday.

Isaac Squires of Huntington Beach swims the boys’ 200 yard freestyle to victory during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Most of the league’s top swimmers will compete in the Division 1 meet, which will have preliminaries at 9 a.m. Thursday at Mt. San Antonio College and finals at noon on Saturday.

Fountain Valley looks to excel. Ton is seeded first in the girls’ 200 free, while Nguyen and Vu are seeded first in 200 IM for both genders.

Vu is also seeded first in the boys’ breaststroke, and Szymanowski and Nguyen earned the top two seeds in the girls’ breaststroke.

Ohl and Arie are seeded first in the boys’ 50 free and butterfly, respectively, with Ohl seeded second in the 100 free. Lahey earned top-four seeds in each of her sprint freestyle events, and Kelly is seeded third in the girls’ 500 free.

Edison’s Lee is seeded third in the boys’ backstroke.

Wilcox said he’s looking for a top-three finish at CIF for Fountain Valley’s girls, who finished fifth last year.



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Harvard Athletics Takes Home Eight Academic All-Ivy At-Large Nods

Story Links CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University has earned eight Academic All-Ivy At-Large Selections, the Ivy League announced today.   Academic All-Ivy At-Large selections are open to one student-athlete from each institution’s non-Ivy League sponsored sports – women’s archery, women’s equestrian, sprint football, women’s gymnastics, women’s lightweight rowing, women’s rugby, coed sailing, women’s […]

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University has earned eight Academic All-Ivy At-Large Selections, the Ivy League announced today.
 
Academic All-Ivy At-Large selections are open to one student-athlete from each institution’s non-Ivy League sponsored sports – women’s archery, women’s equestrian, sprint football, women’s gymnastics, women’s lightweight rowing, women’s rugby, coed sailing, women’s skiing, men’s skiing, men’s volleyball, women’s water polo, men’s water polo.

Harvard’s honorees include: Quincy Donley, Charlotte Paley, Carly Lehman and Heidi Heffelfinger on the women’s side, while Matt Ryan, Mitchell Callahan, Logan Shepherd, and Tyler Zarcu took home honors among the men’s teams. 

 

Criteria for the award includes that the student-athlete must be in good academic standing at the institution, the recipient must be a starter or key reserve on your roster, and the student-athlete cannot be a first-year student-athlete.

WOMEN’S

Quincy Donley | Senior | Women’s Nordic Skiing | Anchorage, Alaska

  • 2025 NCAA Qualifier
  • 2025 CSC Academic All-District
  • Two-time Team Captain (2023-24, 2024-25)
  • Two-time Team MVP (2023-24, 2024-25)
  • Four-time USCSCA All-Academic Ski Team

Charlotte Paley | Junior | Women’s Lightweight Rowing | Miami Beach, Florida

  • Member of the first varsity eight the past three seasons
  • IRA silver medal in 2025
  • IRA bronze medal in 2024
  • Team CMO
  • 2nd overall at 2025 Eastern Sprints

Carly Lehman | Senior | Women’s Rugby |  Shaker Heights, Ohio

  • Two-time national champion in NIRA 15s
  • Key starting player the past two seasons
  • Team captain 2024
  • ROTC member

Heidi Heffelfinger | Junior | Women’s Water Polo |  Lafayette, Calif.

  • Helped lead the Crimson to its first-ever CWPA Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament 
  •  Finished with 57 goals and 26 assists in a career-best year.
  • Second on the team in shooting percentage

MEN’S 

Matt Ryan | Senior | Men’s Alpine Skiing | Duxbury, Mass.

  • 2022 NCAA Qualifier
  • 2025 CSC Academic All-District
  • 2024-25 Team Captain
  • 2024-25 Coaches Award Winner
  • 2023-24 Team MVP
  • Four-time USCSCA All-Academic Ski Team

Mitchell Callahan | Junior | Sailing | Miami, Fla.

  • Named 2025 ICSA All-America Open Skipper
  • Helped team win 2025 ICSA Open Team Race National Championship
  • Guided team to fifth-place finish at 2025 ICSA Open Fleet Race Championship

Logan Shepherd | Senior |  Men’s Volleyball | Cave Springs. Ark. 

  •  Two-time team captain (2024, 2025)
  • Second Team All-EIVA
  • Led the team in kills with 169 total (2.28/set)
  • Led the team in aces with 26 total
  • Led the team in digs with 122 total (1.65/set)
  • Finished career ninth in career digs with 450 total

Tyler Zarcu | Senior | Men’s Water Polo | Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

  • Senior captain
  • Helped lead the Crimson to its 10th consecutive season with 20+ wins. 
  • Netted 12 goals and added 22 assists in 2024. 

 
 
 
 



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Good Luck draws crowd at ideas forum

Much about the Good Luck Fund—a private foundation with lofty public goals—remains uncertain. How will it select businesses for the properties it buys? Can those enterprises succeed in a market in which labor is scarce and housing expensive? Will residents open their wallets to support the fund, which could quickly burn through founder Chris Hulls’s […]

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Much about the Good Luck Fund—a private foundation with lofty public goals—remains uncertain. How will it select businesses for the properties it buys? Can those enterprises succeed in a market in which labor is scarce and housing expensive? Will residents open their wallets to support the fund, which could quickly burn through founder Chris Hulls’s initial $15 million donation?

For all the questions surrounding the enterprise, one thing is crystal clear: Point Reyes Station residents want it to succeed. 

Last Wednesday, about 250 of them packed into the former Station House Café building and cheered on Mr. Hulls as he sketched out his vision for the fund, whose mission is to preserve historic downtown properties, attract and retain key businesses and sustain the community’s 20th-century ranch-town vibe.

People spilled out of the building’s dimly lit interior and into the courtyard, where the garden was abloom. Mr. Hulls, a 41-year-old tech entrepreneur whose style is straightforward and self-deprecating, was startled by the size of the crowd.

“We were expecting maybe a couple dozen people,” he said. “I just started preparing for this about five minutes ago, so I’m kind of winging it. The idea was just to get people together and get feedback.”

A procession of people came forward to ask questions and share their ideas for transforming two of the fund’s recent purchases—11180 Highway 1, the former home of the Station House Café, which moved across the street—and the Inverness property that housed Vladimir’s Czech Restaurant, which closed two years ago. 

Attendees’ ideas ran the gamut, from restaurants to a community theater to a plant nursery.

“I have some personal ideas about what to do with Vladimir’s, but not everybody agrees with them,” said Tom Pillsbury, an Inverness resident. “Some of my friends would like it to be a breakfast spot, but I think it would be a perfect Mexican restaurant. That’s my two cents.”

Rich Clarke of Point Reyes Station proposed a community swimming pool, a place that could unite West Marin’s burgeoning elderly population with younger community members. 

“The kids could learn to swim and play water polo, and the adults could do water aerobics,” he said. “The health of our community, at this point in our lives, is dependent upon how active we stay and how much we put into taking care of ourselves.”

Mr. Clarke’s suggestion was greeted with boisterous applause. 

Other people proposed installing a mix of businesses at the former Station House, which sits on a large lot. Lynette Le Mere, who owns a Santa Barbara catering business and recently moved full time to Inverness Park, said the space was big enough to accommodate a variety of food-oriented enterprises.

“For this place, and Vladimir’s, a lot of people with good ideas for food and cooking could come together and participate in community,” she said. “We have lots of delicious ideas.”

Amid all the brainstorming, people also raised questions and concerns.

Michel Venghiattis, a professional food consultant from Nicasio, stressed that small, start-up enterprises might need some sort of economic boost to succeed.

“I’ve been an entrepreneur all my life,” he said. “I went bankrupt once, so I know how tough business can be. I think what you’re doing is wonderful, but I think it’s important to remember that this is a small town, and the amount of income that can be generated from any business is very limited. Somehow, a structure needs to be built so that rents are reasonable so that folks with local businesses can make it.”

Mr. Hulls said the fund would take a businesslike approach to selecting prospective tenants, examining business plans to ascertain their strength and sustainability. While the fund would seek enterprises that could support themselves over the long haul, it might subsidize rents up front. 

Cas Adler-Ivanbrook, an Inverness Park resident, inquired about the structure of the fund and the procedures it would follow moving forward.

“You’ve told us that you’re going to seek out proposals, get feedback and make decisions,” he said. “What is the decision-making process? Who gets a say in what the decision process is going to be? Do you have a structure in mind for that? Would it be just one person or a group of people?”

For now, Mr. Hulls said, the fund is operating as a private foundation in which one person can make quick decisions, but its procedures could evolve moving forward. In addition to soliciting community business proposals, it plans to appoint citizen committees to review ideas that come in, drawing on local expertise to assess them. The details will be ironed out as events unfold.

“My model is, you jump of a cliff, and you build the plane on the way down,” said Mr. Hulls, who grew up in Point Reyes Station and is the founder and C.E.O. of the location-sharing app Life360. “We really don’t have too much of a plan. We’re figuring it out as we go. It’s going to be a little chaotic and messy, but we’re just going for it.”

Other audience members pointed out that the lack of affordable housing has made it difficult for existing businesses to staff their operations, with many employees driving from Petaluma or Santa Rosa. 

Buddy Faure, 23, who grew up in Inverness and would like to spend his life here, asked whether Mr. Hulls had considered building affordable housing.

“It’s important is to recognize how many people end up growing up here and then end up leaving and never coming back,” he said. “It upsets me, you know. I want to stay here my whole life, but it’s very hard to see a way forward.”

Mr. Hulls suggested that housing could possibly be built in conjunction with an enterprise at the former Station House site, which has ample septic capacity and a substantial parking lot out back. But he said that the local community land trust is better equipped to take on housing challenges while the foundation focuses on attracting suitable businesses.

Mr. Hulls said the fund has no fixed notions about what those businesses should be, but he did offer ideas about general characteristics they might have. He pointed to the Old Western Saloon, another fund acquisition and a classic dive bar that caters to ranchers, construction workers and landscapers as wells as the tourists who pass through town.

“To be honest, a little rough and tumble and weird is something I want to preserve,” he said to applause. “It seems like there’s been a lot of support for that. The eccentrics and weirdos make this town.”

Some of the ideas put forward at the meeting would duplicate or compete with existing businesses in town, including new restaurants, a gallery, a nursery and a performance space. Giving the newcomers subsidies could put longtime establishments at a disadvantage, Ken Taymor, an Inverness Park resident, pointed out. “How are you going to make sure you don’t cannibalize existing businesses?” he asked.  

Mr. Hulls said he had conferred with local business owners, some of whom were nervous about the prospect of new competition, but he found that most of them welcomed the fund’s efforts. “The general theme I’ve heard is that vibrancy builds vibrancy, and having half a downtown dead is bad for everybody,” he said.

For more information or to submit ideas, go to https://goodluckfund.org



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Kain Salmond finding success in chuckwagon seat

Salmond will be racing at the Yorkton Exhibition this week. YORKTON – It was been a great season to-date for Kain Salmond in terms of chuckwagon racing. Heading into a huge week where he is scheduled to run three days at the Yorkton, then heading down the road to race Saturday and Sunday in Sheho, Salmond […]

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Salmond will be racing at the Yorkton Exhibition this week.

YORKTON – It was been a great season to-date for Kain Salmond in terms of chuckwagon racing.

Heading into a huge week where he is scheduled to run three days at the Yorkton, then heading down the road to race Saturday and Sunday in Sheho, Salmond was leading the season results in the Eastern Professional Chariot & Chuckwagon Association.

“Last year I was running pretty tough,” he told Yorkton This Week before the first heats in the city Wednesday. “I was sixth overall last year.”

This season Salmond, who hails from the Bertwell area in Saskatchewan, made a change to the team he runs on the wagon.

“I changed one horse. That really set me up,” he said.

Salmond, 22, explained that the new horse is his right lead horse, which of course is a key member of a team, in part because of its ‘smarts’.

“You can get by with a dumb one on the pole. . . A lead horse has got to be a little smarter,” he explained.

The new horse is the final cog in the engine one might say.

That said Salmond noted the other three horses he runs were with him last year, and that means they have experience, and that plays into a solid running team.

“Three of the four are the same . . . they know each other better,” he said.

Familiarity means cohesion in the traces.

Of course once on top the goal is staying there, which Salmond said will not be easy.

“Anyone can beat anyone,” he said.

For Salmond the top spot in the standing is another step in a driving career that was near destiny given his family lineage. His dad Clint has been driving chuckwagons since he turned 16 – the minimum age to drive.

“Grandpa Wayne was driving horses back in the bush logging when he was 11 or 12,” said Kain, adding he has raced for years.

The family experience is something he draws on too, adding he and his Dad often discuss “who we’re hooked up against, or what the track conditions are like.”

A couple of his horses come from Grandpa too.

Salmond said he certainly wouldn’t be at the level he is today without the help and support of what is a very extensive racing family – he expected 10 would race in Yorkton.

It’s the same with sponsors, another key partner in success, said Salmond.

“We wouldn’t make it down the road without them,” he said.

So Kain grew up around race tracks and horses.

“Every summer I travelled with Dad and Mom,” he said, adding he developed an interest at a young age “and here we are I guess.”

Kain started out driving chariots – as most drivers do – and still runs those too. In fact he often runs two teams, using the spare horses he carries on a second hitch as a way to keep them in shape should they be needed on his main chariot or the wagon.

Interestingly his first wagon run came in Yorkton back in 2021.

“Obviously there were more nerves,” he said, adding he just wanted to “get around the track.”

After the race the excitement manifested.

“I’d been waiting a long time to get in the wagon box,” said Salmond.



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Josh Hejka closes out a three

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North Jackson alum Haynes named Chiefs head volleyball coach | Sports

The North Jackson volleyball program is technically under new leadership, but that new leader is a familiar face at the school. Arielle Haynes, a former three-sport standout and 2022 North Jackson graduate, was recently named the school’s new head volleyball coach. She will be the head coach for both the Chiefs’ varsity and junior varsity […]

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The North Jackson volleyball program is technically under new leadership, but that new leader is a familiar face at the school.

Arielle Haynes, a former three-sport standout and 2022 North Jackson graduate, was recently named the school’s new head volleyball coach. She will be the head coach for both the Chiefs’ varsity and junior varsity teams.

“The goal is to build a competitive and respected program,” Haynes said. “Clear objectives have been set for this year’s team. Our focus this season is to strengthen team culture, establish a strong identity and develop leadership qualities. These goals will help us grow into a more competitive and successful team. I want these girls to succeed both as athletes and as students at North Jackson. I want them to hold each other accountable, compete in every set and take pride in wearing the NJ logo every match.”

Haynes was an all-county basketball player and a state champion softball player for the Chiefs before playing one season at Calhoun Community College. She served as the North Jackson junior high volleyball head coach last season — players from Bridgeport and Stevenson Middle Schools play together under the North Jackson banner at the junior-high level — as the Chiefs went 16-1 and won a Jackson County Tournament championship. 

Haynes also served as a varsity/junior varsity assistant for Melissa Brown, who stepped down as head coach last spring after two seasons. Haynes also is an assistant softball coach for the Chiefs.

North Jackson volleyball competes in Class 4A Area 16 with DAR, Madison County, New Hope and Plainview. 

Haynes said the Chiefs must “demonstrate discipline, consistency, energy and a coachable mindset” and being “team players” and working “well together under pressure” will be pivotal to their 2025 campaign and beyond.

Haynes said coaching at her alma mater is added extra motivation for her.

“Coaching at the school where I once played and graduated from carries a greater responsibility and a deeper emotional connection for me,” she said. “I’m now coaching in the same gym where I played, made mistakes and discovered who I was. Now I have the privilege of teaching and guiding the next generation through that same journey. I understand the culture of North Jackson and the expectations that come with it. I hold myself and this team to a higher standard so that the players can experience the pride and success I once did. I am not just here to coach this volleyball program. I’m here to build teams that stand for something greater. I’ve been blessed with this opportunity and can’t wait for the season to begin. I care deeply about these players, this school and this community and I’m ready to give back to all that North Jackson has given me.”



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Gauchos Historic 2024-25 Athletic Season Capped Off With All-Sport Trophy

Story Links CLEVELAND – UC Santa Barbara Athletics has won its first-ever Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) All-Sports Trophy, tallying 235.00 points to claim the prestigious title for the 2024-25 school year. “What an honor for our UC Santa Barbara campus and department to be recognized with the All-Sport Trophy […]

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CLEVELAND – UC Santa Barbara Athletics has won its first-ever Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) All-Sports Trophy, tallying 235.00 points to claim the prestigious title for the 2024-25 school year.

“What an honor for our UC Santa Barbara campus and department to be recognized with the All-Sport Trophy by the D1-AAA Athletic Directors Association,” said Arnhold Director of Athletics Kelly Barsky. “It is a reflection of the incredible efforts and grit showcased by our Gaucho Student-Athletes, the leadership and expertise of our head coaches, and the incredible service and care provided by our coaches, staff, and community across the board.”

 

According to the DI-AAA ADA, the All-Sports Trophy is awarded to the institution that has the highest point total in all sports in which at least 25% of the eligible I-AAA membership sponsor the given sport. In layman’s terms, this trophy is given to the best all-around Division-I athletics program that does not sponsor Football, of which there are 98 institutions. The 21 sports included in the points total are Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track, Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track, and Women’s Volleyball.

 

Three Gaucho programs finished atop the DI-AAA ADA standings in their respective sport—Softball, Women’s Tennis, and Men’s Outdoor Track & Field.

 

Overall, the Gauchos were lifted by having five conference-championship teams. Along with Softball and Women’s Tennis, Women’s Soccer, Men’s Swimming, and Women’s Swimming all claimed Big West titles; it was the first time since the 2004-05 school year that four women’s programs won conference championships. Men’s Soccer and Men’s Tennis also earned at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament.

 

“On behalf of our Association, I would like to congratulate UC Santa Barbara for capturing its first-ever DI-AAA All-Sports championship this year,” said Shaney Fink, DI-AAA ADA president and current vice president for athletics at Seattle University.

 

UC Santa Barbara edged out Pepperdine (212 points), Providence (202.5), Creighton (198), and the University of Denver (174.5). For more information about this award, visit nacda.com.

 



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