Coronado volunteers coming together to make the Coronado Fourth of July a day to enjoy and remember! Sponsorship from groups like the amazing Coronado Woman’s Club makes our big day possible. Pictured (L-R) Bridgette Jorgenson (CFOJ), Debbie Quigley (CWC), Emily Williamson (CWC), Jamie Hartnett (CFOJ), Ana Magdaleno (CWC), Kathy Fink (CWC), Virginia Bayer (CWC), and Debbie Balsley (CFOJ).

VOL. 115, NO. 24 – June 11, 2025

QUINCY — The confidence the Club Four Volleyball Club’s 14 Boost players gained from a successful showing at the 2024 USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship at the 13U level has helped them earn to a return trip to nationals this year.

All but one of the players on this year’s roster was on the team last season that finished third after not earning a bid, but applying for an at-large bid.

“It definitely boosted our confidence because going into it, we were like, ‘Oh, we didn’t get a bid. All these teams got bids,’” said Paisley Patterson, a right side who attends Barry Western. “There were people like, ‘Oh, you’re paying to go?’ Then we came out and got third, and that drove us this year. We want to do even better this year.”

The tournament will be played June 25-28 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, the same location as last year’s 13U national tournament.

Morgan Mueller, an outside hitter and incoming freshman at Quincy Notre Dame, said last year’s team had plenty of butterflies ahead of their trek to Dallas. 

Mueller expects a different mentality from her and her teammates this time around.

“I feel like we’re not as nervous this year, and we’re more excited,” Mueller said. “Last year was our first year playing together, and this year, we’re better friends and used to the place, so I feel like we’re going to do well this year.”

Sarah Janes, the 14 Boost coach, anticipates the same thing.

“Last year, they went in and were a little bit timid, but I think they’re going to kill it this year,” Janes said. “At least I expect them to.”

This Club Four team earned a bid to the national tournament by finishing seventh in the Donna Mayer Gateway Big Event in St. Louis in April. The club went 5-2 in the three-day tournament.

“We’re definitely playing with a lot of confidence at these tournaments this year,” said Cadence Smith, a middle blocker and incoming sophomore at QND. “We just keep working harder and harder, and it keeps getting higher and higher. Every time we do well in tournaments, it just gets better.”

The 14 Boost team will not be Club Four’s lone representative in Dallas, though. The 16 Boost team also qualified for the national tournament by winning the the Show Me Qualifier on April 14.

“A lot of us were emotional,” said Leah Knudson, the team’s libero and an incoming junior at Quincy High School. “Winning a qualifier was one of our goals at the beginning of the season.”

Knudson’s QHS and 16 Boost teammate, Madison Loos, missed the first day of that qualifier — Quincy’s prom was the same day — but she and her family left in the wee hours of the morning on April 13 to make it to Kansas City in time.

“It was tough, but energy drinks got me through,” Loos said. “I did sleep on the way there.”

Loos got enough rest to help her team reach Monday’s championship game against the KC Voltage.

“We walked up to our court for the championship game and there were these two huge girls,” Loos said. “We never thought, ‘Oh, we don’t have a chance,’ but we just went out there and gave it our all.”

Club Four was not intimidated. It won 26-24, 25-20, punctuating a bid to nationals.

“I was just so proud of everybody, and I started sobbing,” said Kate Gramke, an outside hitter from QND. “I was so excited.”

Like the 14s, the players on the 16 Boost roster have been to nationals, as well, having gone last year. Josie Stanford, who coaches the 16 and 18 Boost teams, said that experience along with scrimmages against some of the 18 Boost players leading up to the tournament have prepared her players for what lies ahead.

“We’re doing everything in this gym to make us ready for Dallas,” Stanford said. “Last year, we prepared, but we weren’t as prepared as we’d like to be.”

That has changed this year.

“We’re trying to prove ourselves and show who we are,” Gramke said. “Not many people know of us, so we have to make a good impression.”

EUGENE, Ore. — Buoyed by top performances in the hammer throw, high jump and 400 meters, the Georgia women’s track and field squad distanced itself from the opposition and cruised to its first outdoor national championship Saturday.

Georgia lapped the field with 73 points ahead of runner-up USC (47) and third-place Texas A&M (43). Fourth-year Bulldogs coach Caryl Smith Gilbert won national titles at USC in 2018 and 2021.

Olympic gold medalist Aaliyah Butler and Dejanea Oakley took the first two spots in the 400 meters with Butler posting a 49.26 and Oakley a 49.65. Butler’s time was the fifth-best all time for a collegian, and Oakley’s was eighth.

The Bulldogs expanded their lead when Elena Kulichenko won the high jump after tying for the title last year. The Odessa, Russia, native won with a jump of 6 feet, 5 inches.

Michelle Smith, a freshman, finished third in the 400-meter hurdles at 55.20 to clinch the team title. Skylynn Townsend took sixth in the triple jump at 44-4¼.

Georgia ended the night by finishing first in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:23.62 as Butler took the lead in the final leg.

The Bulldogs entered competition Saturday in the lead with 26 points after Stephanie Ratcliffe won the hammer throw Thursday with a nation-leading distance of 234 feet, 2 inches.

Washington and USC shared the lead earlier Saturday night after Washington’s Sophie O’Sullivan won the 1,500 meters and USC’s Samirah Moody won the 100, but Georgia got 18 points from Butler and Oakley and never looked back.

Georgia also got points in the javelin with a second-place finish from freshman Manuela Rotundo and a fourth-place finish from Lianna Davidson. Senior Keslie Murrell-Ross finished sixth in the shot put.

EUGENE, Ore. — FIU track and field’s Michaelle Valentin, competing in discus, earned the fifth All-American honor of her career as the Panthers wrapped up their week at the 2025 NCAA Championships, hosted by Oregon. 

Valentin closed her illustrious FIU career in style with her first-ever First Team honor, placing 8th-nationally in the women’s discus final. She is the first Panther to earn First Team All-America honors since Rhema Otabor finished fourth in the javelin in 2022. 

Valentin’s throw of 59.67 meters was the second-best in her flight and seventh-best in the opening round, qualifying her for the finals. The Haitian-national caps her FIU tenure with three outdoor All-American awards in Discus, adding the First Team accolades in 2025 to Second Team recognition in both 2023 and 2024. She was also an Outdoor Second Team honoree in the Hammer in 2024 and Indoor Second Team member in the weight throw this season. 

Arndis Oskarsdottir also competed for the Panthers at the NCAA Championships, participating in the women’s javelin final on Thursday. The freshman placed 19th with a throw of 49.96 meters, earning honorable mention All-America status. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIUTrackXC on Twitter, @FIUTrackXC on Instagram and @FIUTrackXC on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.

The spring sports season has come to an end for El Camino College. Here are the results of the Warriors’ teams.

Softball

The Warriors women’s softball team was the brightest spot out of all Warriors sports, finishing with an overall record of 39-9. At home, they protected their field with a record of 19-4.

They made it past the 3C2A SoCal Regionals before losing their last game in the 3C2A State Championships to the Palomar College Vikings 4-1, finishing in fourth place in the tournament.

Softball coach Jessica Rapoza earned her 300th win with the Warriors.

Pitcher Lexi Ramirez had a breakout year, earning numerous accolades.

Ramirez was named the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Cal-JC Pitcher of the Year and received the 2025 NFCA Cal-JC Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

Ramirez became the first Warriors player to ever be named the NFCA Pitcher of the Year and the second player to earn a Gold Glove award.

She also was part of the 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Team, was named the South Coast Conference Co-Pitcher of the year, and was selected to the All-SCC First Team.

Sophomores Ramirez, Cheyenne Navarro and freshman Savanna Kastigar were all named to the 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Team.

Baseball

The Warriors men’s baseball team finished with a record of 32-14 overall and a dominant 17-4 record at home.

They made it to the 3C2A SoCal Super Regionals before losing to the Glendale College Vaqueros 17-6.

Cameron O’Neil, Dylan Mares, Lucas Bonham and Slater Nunez were all named to the All-SCC First Team.

Matt Hammond and Tyler Tellenbach earned spots on the All-SCC Second Team.

Golf

The Warriors golf team finished their last game coming in ninth place in the OEC Conference Finals.

Freshman Aden Henry finished his season Monday, May 5, in the 3C2A Southern California Regionals hosted by Cypress College at the Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills.

Henry shot an 8-over 152 in 36 holes as he matched his career best round of 73 in round two. He came up just three strokes shy of qualifying for the 3C2A State Championships as an individual.

Tennis

The Warriors men’s tennis team and the women’s tennis team both made runs in the playoffs.

Women’s tennis made it all the way to the 3C2A State Championships but came up short.

The Warriors trio of Jhanine Estigoy, Robyn Wong and Karen Canela saw their seasons come to an end Thursday, April 24 on day one of the 3C2A State Championships.

In singles action, Estigoy fell 6-1, 6-3 to Victoria Silva of Solano College in the round of 128.

Wong went up against Maria Etrata of Porterville College and took an early lead as she won the opening set 6-4. But Etrata would take the next two sets 6-4, 6-2 to advance and bring Wong’s season to an end.

In doubles action, Estigoy and Canela came very close to advancing to the round of 64 as they played a tight contest against Cierra Ramirez and Josefina Aguilar of Reedley College.

Men’s Volleyball

The Warriors men’s volleyball team finished with a record of 5-17, losing their last game to Long Beach City College 3-0. The team has won five games or less for the past three seasons.

Badminton

The Warriors women’s badminton team ended their spring season with a record of 3-6-1. Their last season game ended in a draw 9-9 against San Diego City College.

Doubles duo Anya Gore and Montila Winyaworapon won the 3C2A State Championships consolation title Saturday, May 10, at City College of San Francisco.

Women’s Beach volleyball

The Warriors women’s beach volleyball team finished with a record of 11-11, shutting out College of the Desert in their last game 5-0.

Scheala Nielsen and Erica Griffiths lost in the 16th round of the 3C2A Pairs State Championships to duo pairs Shai Daniels and Viola Barrios of Ventura College.

Track & Field

Warriors track and field had great showings this spring with records being broken.

Freshman Tilliana Wakefield-Carl broke a 13-year-old college record Friday, April 4 at the Moorpark Open at Moorpark College.

Wakefield-Carl took first place at the competition with a mark of 3.68 meters (12 feet, 0.75 inches), breaking the ECC record set by Katrina Wilbanks (3.66m; 12 feet) in 2012.

Wakefield-Carl also joined Wilbanks as the only women in ECC history to complete a pole vault attempt of 12 feet or higher. She completed the feat on her first try at that height.

Gunner Perez and Laighton Scott both competed in the 3C2A State Championships Saturday, May 17, at the College of San Mateo.

Perez competed in the second half of the decathlon and finished in 11th place overall with 5144 total points. His best performance came in the 110 high hurdles where he placed third overall with a time of 15.58.

Scott participated in the discus final and logged a throw of 42.89 meters (140 feet, 8 inches). His throw was good enough to finish ninth overall in the competition.