MHS names new track and softball head coaches

Published 2:51 pm Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Madras High School recently announced the hiring of new head coaches for two spring sports programs. Mario Mendoza will head up track and field operations, and Bailey Daniels is the new head coach of the MHS softball team.

Mario Mendoza

Mendoza has been a volunteer coach for MHS track the past several years and has helped young runners as a leader in the Madras Runners Club as well. A world-class ultra-distance runner in his own right, Mendoza has for several years been sponsored by Brooks running shoes.

In November, Mendoza won the 100-kilometer Ultramarathon Guatemala, which he indicated may be his final major race.

Mendoza replaces Mike Dove, who retired following the end of the 2025 season.

Growing up in California, Mendoza became a standout distance runner after an injury kept him from playing soccer and prompted him to the track to rehab the injury. He fell in love with running and became a standout distance runner in college, graduating from St. Mary’s College of California.

“My first goal is always that we become better people and better athletes,” he said. “We can win districts, and we can take the whole team to state, so I have a goal of that. I know that with patience and trust and discipline, I just think there’s a lot of talent in this team and in the coaches, and I think a lot of cool stuff can happen.”

Bailey Daniels

Bailey Daniels 

Daniels, a physical education health teacher at the Jefferson County Middle School, replaces Shawna McConnell, who retired following last season as well. McConnell had led the program for 17 years. Daniels was the lead assistant and junior varsity coach last year.

Growing up in Roseburg, Daniels played high school and travel softball. She became a Division 1 athlete as a member of the rowing team at Oregon State University.

Daniels praised McConnell for her long dedication to the program and all that she shared with her that has helped Daniels prepare to take over. Daniels is also eager to put her own stamp on the program.

“I’m looking forward to bringing fresh ideas, a competitive mindset and a clear vision for what Madras softball can become,” said Daniels.

Information for this story was provided by 509J School District Communications Director Joey Pretchl.

The Long Beach State men’s volleyball program lives by the slogan “expect greatness.” So when they took the court against UCLA in the NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship, they expected nothing less.

Featuring two of the top teams in the nation in a rematch of last year’s national championship, the match was expected to be intense and tightly contested. But the Beach put on a performance nothing short of greatness, avenging their championship loss with a commanding sweep over the Bruins at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Beach won 25-17, 25-23, 25-21.

It marks a fourth national championship in program history and the first since the Beach went back-to-back in 2018-2019. Head coach Alan Knipe has been a part of each national championship with the program, one as a player in 1991 and now his third as a coach here in 2025. Knipe later announced his retirement in 2025, finishing his legendary career on top.

“It’s incredible. The feeling absolutely never gets old,” Knipe said. “I’m so proud of the guys and everything they did all season long. With what we went through with our lineups and our roster, and pretty much a brand new team at the beginning of the year, losing three starters along the way, and changing guys’ positions. [These guys] handled it so well and I’m so proud of them.”

The match started and ended in the same way, and it’s the same way it’s been all season: Moni Nikolov. The National Player of the Year opened the match with his first of four aces and swung on an overpass for a kill at match point to seal the win. He finished the match with six kills on .300 hitting and had a match-high 27 assists.

“It’s such a relief. I wanted this win more than anything else,” Nikolov said. “I’m so glad that I got to share these emotions with our coaches in the whole team. It was the first time I actually started crying tears of joy so it truly meant so much to me.”

The fourth NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship comes in the Beach’s 11th championship appearance in program history, in what was a dominant season through and through. The Beach was ranked No. 1 in the nation for the last 14 weeks. It’s their third men’s volleyball championship in the last seven years, but it’s the first for Bobby Smitheran as athletic director.

“I’m so happy for the young men in our program because they’ve represented Long Beach and Long Beach State,” said Smitheran. “They’ve done it with heart and with class I’m just so proud of the way they’ve competed. To be the number one ranked team for as long as they have, that’s difficult to give that kind of bullseye on your back and to finish it off the way they did I’m just so happy for them.”

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PEUERBACH, Austria – Sophomore Aneta Kucerova of the UNC Asheville cross country/track and field programs represented Asheville and Czechia by competing in the Run of the Aces International Road Race. 

The Run of the Aces originated as the “Run of Champions” at the New Year’s Eve Run in the summer of 1989. Olympic champions, world champions, European and African champions, as well as countless national champions from more than 30 nations, have attended the International Raiffeisen New Year’s Eve Run ever since. The “Run of Champions” is the sporting showdown of the international stars of the running scene – world-class running up close.

Kucerova ran the 5,100m race in 17:50.23 and finished in 14th. 

The official results are available here. 

Kucerova and the Bulldogs officially open indoor track and field season on Saturday, Jan. 10, in the UNC Asheville Collegiate Opener at Tryon International. 

As the first 25 years of the century come to a close, let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable moments, plays, seasons and achievements in Georgia athletics from 2000 through this year. There are far more than 25 worthy of remembering and relishing — a list of 100 certainly would have been possible — but below are 25 spread across all of the Bulldogs’ sports.

These aren’t ranked, just listed randomly, and quite a few humdingers, from Sony Michel’s game-winning touchdown run to win the Rose Bowl to a multitude of Olympic moments of glory by former Bulldogs, were left off to whittle the list down to 25. And at the rate that current and former Georgia student-athletes and teams are achieving great things, the list for 2050 is going to be spectacular.

25 Moments From The Past 25 Years

Football: Ringo Seals 2021 National Championship With INT

Let’s start with the one that probably comes to mind first for many Georgia fans. On Jan. 22, 2022, the Georgia football team captured its first national championship since 1980 with a 33-18 win over Alabama in Indianapolis. It was cornerback Kelee Ringo’s 79-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the game that sealed the victory — Georgia trailed 18-13 with 10:14 left in the game — and secured the Bulldogs’ long-awaited national title.

Equestrian: Program Makes Its Debut In 2002, Many Championships Follow

Georgia’s equestrian team didn’t have to wait long for its first national championship. The program was founded in June of 2001 and began competing in 2002 under the only head coach it has ever had, Meghan Boenig. The Bulldogs won the national title in their first two seasons and have added six more, including in 2025.

Baseball: 2008 Bulldogs Win All Major SEC Awards, Reach CWS Final

The 2008 season was a special one for Georgia baseball, with Gordon Beckham being named both the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Joshua Fields named SEC Pitcher of the Year, and David Perno named the SEC Coach of the Year. The Bulldogs advanced all the way to the College World Series finals that season for the second-best finish in program history, and Beckham and Fields were later selected in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft.

Softball: Puailoa Walk-Off Blast Beats No. 1 Florida, Sends Bulldogs to 2016 WCWS

On the other diamond, Georgia’s softball team advanced to the Women’s College World Series in dramatic fashion in 2016. Facing No. 1 Florida in Gainesville in the Super Regional, Kaylee Puailoa sent the 16th-seeded Bulldogs to Oklahoma City with a pinch-hit walk-off home run. Georgia won the first game in the series and was down 2-1 and down to its final strike against the two-time defending national champs when Puailoa hit a two-run blast over the wall in center field.

Men’s Tennis: Boeker Captures Triple Crown in 2001

One of the greatest players in Georgia tennis history, Matias Boeker not only led the Bulldogs to the 2001 NCAA team title, he also won the NCAA singles and doubles (with partner Travis Parrott) championships, In the modern era of NCAA men’s tennis, since 1977 when the team tournament was added, only two players before Boeker had ever achieved the triple crown — and nobody has done it since. Boeker won the NCAA singles title again in 2002, and he was inducted into the ITA Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017.

Track and Field: Women and Men Win NCAA Titles in 2018

It’s fair to say that 2018 was the best year ever in the long history of Georgia’s men’s and women’s track and field programs. At the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, the women’s team captured the program’s first national championship. In June, the men’s team won its first national title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. At the Indoors, Georgia went 1-2-3 in the long jump, with Kate Hall winning the title, Keturah Orji placing second and Tara Davis third, and Orji won her third straight triple jump title, to help propel the Bulldogs to the championship. At the Outdoors, Denzel Comenentia won the hammer throw and the shot put to help put Georgia on top.

Gymnastics: GymDogs Send Yoculan Leebern Out With Fifth Straight Title

The most accomplished program in Georgia history is gymnastics, which has won 10 NCAA team championships. On April 17, 2009, legendary coach Suzanne Yoculan Leebern ended her career with a fifth straight national title. From 1984-2009, Yoculan Leebern built Georgia into the gold standard of success, with 10 NCAA titles and 16 SEC crowns. The 2009 team featured five All-Americans, a record of 32-1, and a trio of individual NCAA titles for Courtney Kupets Carter (more on her later).

Swimming and Diving: Shealy, Kowal Lead Bulldogs to Second Straight NCAA Title

In 1999, Kristy Kowal won a pair of NCAA breaststroke titles to help lead the Georgia women’s program to its first national championship. The following year, the Bulldogs made it two in a row, with Kowal winning two more breaststroke titles and the 200-meter individual medley, as well as teaming up to win the medley relay. Courtney Shealy joined her on that winning relay squad and also won individual titles in two freestyle events and the 100 backstroke. The Georgia women made it three straight in 2001 and have added four more NCAA team titles since.

Women’s Tennis: Bulldogs Win Two National Titles in 2025

Georgia’s women’s tennis program has been a national powerhouse for the past three decades, but the 2025 season was one of the best in school history. The Bulldogs captured the ITA National Indoor title in February, dropping just two matches en route to the championship, and followed that by winning the SEC tournament and then storming through the NCAA tournament. In six NCAA matches, Georgia won five of them 4-0, including the final against rival Texas A&M, which had knocked off the Bulldogs in the 2024 NCAA final.

Soccer: Bulldogs Win Program’s First SEC Tournament in 2023

It didn’t take long for Keidane McAlpine to lead the Georgia soccer team to its first conference championship. Hired in December 2021, McAlpine began a swift turnaround in 2022 that included a return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014. In 2023, the Bulldogs had their best season in program history, winning their first SEC East Division title and then winning the SEC tournament. Georgia rallied from deficits against Kentucky and Texas A&M to reach the title game, and then played stellar defense against Arkansas in the final to win 1-0. The Bulldogs went on to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for only the second time in program history.

Women’s Golf: Bulldogs Surge Past Duke For 2001 NCAA title

At the 2001 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships, Georgia trailed Duke by four strokes heading into the final round before mounting a big rally to win the program’s first national title. The Bulldogs got off to a hot start and had moved ahead by three strokes by the sixth hole, and Duke never got closer than two strokes the rest of the way. Four golfers finished among the top 20 on the individual leaderboard, with Reilley Rankin tying for 10th, Laura Henderson and Angela Jerman tying for 13th and Summer Sirmons tying for 18th.

Men’s Basketball: Bulldogs Win Wild 2008 SEC Tournament

The 2008 SEC men’s basketball tournament was unlike any other. The event was disrupted by bad storms in the Atlanta area, forcing the games to move from the Georgia Dome to Georgia Tech’s Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Georgia won four games in three days to win the title, beating Ole Miss in overtime in the opening round. Before the Bulldogs tipped off against Kentucky, a tornado hit the Georgia Dome, delaying the game a day and forcing the move to Tech’s arena. Georgia beat Kentucky and Mississippi State on the same day, and then knocked off Arkansas in the final.

Women’s Basketball: Nolan and Miller Twins Selected In First Round of 2001 WNBA Draft

On April 20, 2001, Georgia’s Kelly and Coco Miller and Deanna Nolan were selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft. Nolan went on to win three WNBA titles with Detroit and was the Finals MVP in 2006, while Kelly Miller won a title with Houston in 2007. In the finals of the 2001 SEC tournament, Kelly Miller hit a jumper with .8 seconds left to beat Vanderbilt, 62-60, and lift the Lady Bulldogs to their first conference tourney title since 1986.

Volleyball: Record Crowd of 8,719 Packs The Steg

Playing in front of a record crowd of 8,719 fans at Stegeman Coliseum on Oct. 17, 2025, the Georgia volleyball team earned a 3-2 win over Alabama. The huge turnout set a new program and NCAA volleyball state attendance record, topping last season’s record high of 8,376. As senior Estelle Haugen said after the match, five-setters take their toll physically and mentally. “We felt the crowd push us to that five-set” victory, she said.

Men’s Golf: Bulldogs Capture Program’s Second NCAA Title in 2005

In 2005, men’s golf won the program’s second NCAA title, and head coach Chris Haack was named the National Coach of the Year. That team featured numerous future PGA Tour winners in Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner and Brendon Todd. Those three, plus teammates Richard Scott and David Denham, were all named All-Americans.

Football: “Hobnail Boot” Play Beats No. 6 Tennessee in 2001

Any list of former Georgia radio legend Larry Munson’s greatest calls during his extraordinary career is going to include his classic play-by-play of Georgia’s 26-24 win at Tennessee on Oct. 6, 2001. After quarterback David Greene hit running back Verron Haynes in the end zone for a game-winning 6-yard touchdown with five seconds left, Munson produced one of the greatest lines ever: “We just stepped on their face with a hobnail boot and broke their nose — we just crushed their face!”

Men’s Tennis: Isner Leads Bulldogs To Undefeated Season In 2007

In 2006, the Georgia men’s tennis team was undefeated heading into the NCAA finals against Pepperdine. The Bulldogs came up short that day against the Waves, and star junior John Isner didn’t want to end his great Georgia career that way. Isner came back for his senior season rather than turning pro, and led the Bulldogs all the way to an undefeated season and the ITA National Indoor and NCAA team titles. Georgia was dominant throughout the 2007 season, going 32-0 despite playing 18 teams ranked in the top 25. Isner went on to a long pro career that included 16 tournament titles, reaching the finals of Wimbledon in 2018. and a career-high ATP Tour ranking of No. 8. Isner and legendary Georgia coach Manuel Diaz will be inducted into the ITA Hall of Fame in May 2026, when the NCAAs return to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Swimming and Diving: Bulldogs Take Gold, Silver In 400 IM at 2021 Olympics

Former Georgia swimming and diving head coach Jack Bauerle had countless special moments in his long career, but few rival what happened at the Tokyo Olympics. On July 24, 2021, former Bulldogs Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland finished first and second in the men’s 400-meter individual medley. Kalisz, the silver-medalist in the event in 2016 and the NCAA champion in 2013 and ’16, was the heavy favorite in the event and won in 4:09.42. Litherland rallied in the final leg to place second with a time of 4:10.28. Another former Bulldog, Hali Flickinger, won bronze in the women’s 400 IM that same day.

Baseball: Condon Has Season For the Ages In 2024

In 2024, Charlie Condon had one of the best seasons ever, winning the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, the top awards in college baseball, and earning consensus National Player of the Year honors. He was the third player in NCAA Division I history to lead the country in batting (.433) and home runs (a school-record 37), and he led the nation in slugging percentage (1.009). And on July 14, he became the highest draft pick in program history when he was selected third overall by the Colorado Rockies.

Softball: In 2014, Georgia Won First SEC Softball Tournament Title

Entering the 2014 SEC softball tournament in Columbia, S.C., as the No. 5 seed, Georgia had to go through fifth-ranked Florida and sixth-ranked Alabama to advance to the title game. The Bulldogs blanked Florida 2-0 and knocked off the Crimson Tide 5-3, and then got a gem from pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson in the final against Kentucky. She struck out nine batters in the Bulldogs’ 5-2 win, while Geri Ann Glasco went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and two RBIs to help lift the Bulldogs to their first SEC tourney title.

Track and Field: Orji Caps Legendary Career With Bowerman Award

On Dec. 20, 2018, Keturah Orji capped one of the greatest careers in Georgia athletics history by becoming the program’s first winner of The Bowerman award, which is the top honor in track and field. She was also named the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year, and she helped the Bulldogs win the program’s first NCAA team title by winning the triple jump and placing second in the long jump. The most accomplished women’s field event student-athlete ever, she won seven NCAA triple jump titles (three indoor, four outdoor) and the outdoor long jump in 2018. Orji placed fourth in the triple jump in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, seventh at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and ninth in Paris in 2024.

Gymnastics: Kupets Carter Has Greatest Career In History

Courtney Kupets Carter is one of the greatest gymnasts in NCAA history. She won the Honda Award in 2007 and 2009, as well as the Honda Broderick Cup in 2009. A 2004 Olympian before she arrived at Georgia, Kupets Carter won NCAA all-around titles in 2006, ’07 and ’09, as well as the 2007 vault title, the 2009 floor title, and the bars and beam titles in 2006 and ’09. By the time Kupets Carter’s GymDogs career was over, she’d won three NCAA all-around titles (she missed one NCAAs with an injury), two bars titles, two beam titles, and one title each on bars and beam. She was also part of four straight national championship teams from 2006-09.

Swimming and Diving: Bauerle Leads US Women’s Team in Beijing Olympics

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, Georgia’s Jack Bauerle was the head coach of the U.S. women’s team — a team that saw former Bulldog Kara Lynn Joyce earn two silver medals and Allison Schmitt earn a bronze. The American women won 14 medals in Beijing, the most of any nation. Eight other Bulldogs also swam in the Games. Bauerle also served as an assistant coach on U.S. squads at the 2000, 2016 and 2020 Games, and was a personal coach in 2004 and 2012. In 2022, Bauerle retired after 43 years, having led the Georgia women’s team to seven NCAA team titles (1999, 2000, ’01, ’05, ’13, ’14, ’16).

Women’s Tennis: Vidmanova Completes Career Triple Crown

Dasha Vidmanova did it all during her extraordinary Georgia women’s tennis career. In 2025, she wrapped up her time with the Bulldogs by leading the team to the ITA National Indoor and NCAA championships. In 2024, Vidmanova won a pair of NCAA titles, first capturing the program’s first doubles title with partner Aysegul Mert in May and then winning Georgia’s fourth NCAA singles crown in November. At the 2025 NCAA Championships, Vidmanova went undefeated in singles and doubles to earn MVP honors. She also won the Honda Award for women’s tennis for the 2024-25 season.

Football: Bulldogs Make It Two In A Row

On Jan. 9, 2023, the top-ranked Georgia football team dominated No. 3 TCU 65-7 in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., winning the first back-to-back national titles in the CFP era and securing an undefeated season at 15-0. It was a fitting finale for quarterback Stetson Bennett, who was named the Offensive Player of the Game in all four CPF games during the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Against TCU, Bennett threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a pair of scores as the Bulldogs scored on their first six possessions to blow the game wide open from the outset. Defensive back Javon Bullard intercepted a pair of passes and recovered a fumble to earn Defensive Player of the Game honors.

Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.