Sports

USA Volleyball Announces 2025 Women’s VNL Roster

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 8, 2025) – A dynamic mix of athletes, including three Olympians, comprise the 30-player long-list roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team as it prepares for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the world’s premier annual international tournament. The VNL brings together the world’s top 18 teams for three action-packed weeks of […]

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1 month ago

May 8, 2025

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 8, 2025) – A dynamic mix of athletes, including three Olympians, comprise the 30-player long-list roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team as it prepares for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the world’s premier annual international tournament.

The VNL brings together the world’s top 18 teams for three action-packed weeks of preliminary play, with each team competing in four matches per week. Only the top eight teams will earn a spot in the Final Round, where a VNL title will be on the line.

From the long list, U.S. coaches will select 14 athletes to compete at each of the three preliminary round stops: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 4-8), Belgrade, Serbia (June 18-22), and a highly anticipated home appearance in Arlington, Texas (July 9-13). The Final Round is set for July 23-27 in Łódź, Poland.

GET TICKETS TO WATCH THE U.S. WOMEN COMPETE JULY 9-13 IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS!

“We’ve had an incredible group of athletes in the gym so far — they’re bringing great energy, a strong work ethic, and a real commitment to getting better every day,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Erik Sullivan said. “This roster brings together a lot of exciting skill sets, and it’s been fun to see how quickly they’re connecting and pushing each other. Our more experienced athletes have done a great job setting the tone and sharing their experience, which has been huge for our younger athletes. As we head into VNL, I’m looking forward to seeing this group grow and take on the challenge of international competition together.”

Three players return from the 2024 team that won silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: setter Jordyn Poulter, who also won gold with the team in 2020; outside hitter Avery Skinner and middle blocker Dana Rettke.

Ten athletes on the roster have competed in previous VNLs including setter Jenna Gray, liberos Morgan Hentz and Zoe Jarvis (previously Zoe Fleck), outside hitters Ali Frantti, Roni Jones-Perry and Khalia Lanier, middles Brionne Butler and Asjia O’Neal, and opposites Danielle Cuttino and Madisen Skinner.

Several athletes have competed for the senior U.S. National Team in NORCECA events, including libero Lexi Rodriguez, opposites Olivia Babcock, Taylor Mims and Stephanie Samedy, setter Ella Powell, outside hitters Logan Eggleston and Sarah Franklin, and middle blockers Serena Gray, Amber Igiede, Molly McCage and Tia Jimerson.

Six athletes have yet to compete for the senior U.S. National Team: setters Rachel Fairbanks and Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres, middle blocker Anna Dodson, outside hitter McKenzie Adams, opposite Logan Lednicky and libero Lauren Briseño.

Sullivan, who is in his first year coaching the U.S. Women’s National Team, is assisted by Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Brandon Taliaferro and Mike Wall.

The U.S. Women are the reigning Olympic silver medalists and ranked No. 3 in the world. They have won the VNL three times (2018, ’19, ’21) since its inception in 2018. In 2024, they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Olympic champion Italy.

U.S. Women’s Preliminary Roster for 2025 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)
5 Ali Frantti (OH, 6-1, Spring Grove, Ill., Penn State, Great Lakes)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
11 Taylor Mims (Opp, 6-3, Billings, Mont., Washington State, Evergreen)
10 Jenna Gray (S, 6-1, Shawnee, Kan., Stanford Univ., Heart of America)
13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Delta)
14 Anna Dodson (MB, 6-5, Fort Collins, Colo., UCLA, Rocky Mountain)
15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
17 Zoe Jarvis (previously Fleck)(L, 5-6, Granada Hills, Calif., UCLA and Univ. of Texas, Southern California)
18 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
19 Khalia Lanier (OH, 6-2, Scottsdale, Ariz., Univ. of Southern California, Arizona)
20 Danielle Cuttino (Opp, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind., Purdue, Hoosier)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
23 Lauren Briseño (L, 5-7, San Antonio, Texas, Baylor, Lone Star)
24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
25 Tia Jimerson (MB, 6-3, Sugar Hill, Ga., Ohio University, Southern)
27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)
28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
30 McKenzie Adams (OH, Schertz, Texas, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, Lone Star)
32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
34 Stephanie Samedy (Opp, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Univ. of Minnesota, Florida)
43 Serena Gray (MB, 6-2, Temple City, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

Head Coach: Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors: William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV.
(All times PDT)

Week 1: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

June 4 at 10 a.m. vs. Italy
June 5 at 5 p.m. vs. Brazil
June 6 at 5 p.m. vs. Czechia
June 8 at 1 p.m. vs. Korea

Week 2: Belgrade, Serbia

June 18 at 11 a.m. vs. Serbia
June 19 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Poland
June 21 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Netherlands
June 22 at 7:30 a.m. vs. France

Week 3: Arlington, Texas
July 9 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Thailand
July 10 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Dominican Republic vs. USA
July 12 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Canada vs. USA
July 13 at 5 p.m. vs. China

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Secret royal swimming pools – including Princess Kate and Prince William’s heatwave haven

The UK is currently bracing for the first heatwave of the year, with temperatures already beginning to soar. Understandably, the heat makes many of us want to plunge into the nearest body of water accessible – but for those of us who can’t just rock up to the nearest river, lake, or beach, it’s a […]

Published

15 minutes ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The UK is currently bracing for the first heatwave of the year, with temperatures already beginning to soar.

Understandably, the heat makes many of us want to plunge into the nearest body of water accessible – but for those of us who can’t just rock up to the nearest river, lake, or beach, it’s a little more complicated.

While the British royal family also don’t have that luxury, many of them have got their own heatwave havens a little closer to home, in the form of private swimmings pools.

From an indoor pool at Buckingham Palace to a breathtaking outdoor pool in Montecito, find out all the details about the private royal swimming pools you probably didn’t even know existed, and will soon wish you had to yourself…

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s outdoor pool in Montecito

harry meghan pool — Prince Harry and Meghan’s property boasts a spectacular outdoor pool

An outdoor swimming pool is one of many highlights at Prince Harry and Meghan’s family home in Montecito, Santa Barbara. Previous listing photos taken before the family moved into the property in 2020 showed the pool lined with sun loungers, parasols and secluded by hedges.

It leads up to their home via a set of stone stairs and would be a great spot for Harry and Meghan to swim and splash about with their children Archie and Lilibet.

King Charles’ private pool at Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace gardens — Buckingham Palace has a secret underground swimming pool

The monarch has a private indoor swimming pool at Buckingham Palace, which has long been a favourite spot for the entire royal family. It was originally commissioned by King George VI in 1938, who wanted to ensure the privacy of his daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, who had been having swimming lessons at the Bath Club.

Sophie Winkleman, wife of Lord Frederick Windsor and star of noughties sitcom Peep Show, confirmed the Buckingham Palace pool was very much still in use when she told Tatler that the late Queen Elizabeth II insisted she use the pool to recover from a car accident injury.

After admitting to the late Queen her physiotherapy wasn’t working, the monarch replied: “We can’t have that. You have to go in the water.”

Sophie continued: “She told us that when horses had broken backs, they swam, and so she let me use her pool at Buckingham Palace. That’s the reason I got better. It was so typically thoughtful.”

Although the pool is often used by senior royals including Prince William and Kate, it can also be used by members of the Staff Sports Club, provided it doesn’t clash with one of the royals’ swims.

Prince William and Kate’s family swimming pool at Anmer Hall

rince William warms up as he makes his water polo debut for the Scottish National Universities Squad i — Prince William was water polo captain at university, and is a keen swimmer

The Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly have a swimming pool at their country retreat, Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate. The facility is ideal for the family to swim with their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – when they visit at weekends and in the holidays.

They are also reportedly frequent visitors to the swimming pool at Buckingham Palace when they are in London, and it is where the children had swimming lessons when they were younger.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s swimming pool at Royal Lodge

Royal Lodge Windsor has been the official home of Prince Andrew since 2004, and he has spent a reported £7.5 million on renovating the property, with an indoor swimming pool among the additions he has reportedly made to the home.

While the pool is yet to be seen, it is no doubt a hit with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who could take their children Sienna, August and Ernest to swim in the family pool.

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s beautiful outdoor pool at Highgrove House

man walking in garden at highgrove — King Charles in the gardens at his Highgrove home

The monarch and his wife Queen Camilla have an outdoor swimming pool of their own to enjoy during their visits to their country home, Highgrove House.

Beautifully positioned within the garden of the house, previous photos from when Prince William and Harry were young showed it lined with a white picket fence and colourful flowerbeds.

LISTEN: The Princess of Wales’ absence from Ascot

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Local Surfers Aggressively Crashed a German Surf Contest in France

Local surfers gave university competitors at the German contest a course in localism. Photo: Screenshot French freesurfers ignored lifeguards’ commands and paddled out into the middle of Germany’s official university surfing championships in Seignosse, France. A video posted by German surfer Maya Sauer shows one of the freesurfers dropping into her wave and forcefully pushing […]

Published

32 minutes ago

June 21, 2025

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Freesurfers Aggressively Crashed a German Surf Contest in France

Local surfers gave university competitors at the German contest a course in localism. Photo: Screenshot

French freesurfers ignored lifeguards’ commands and paddled out into the middle of Germany’s official university surfing championships in Seignosse, France. A video posted by German surfer Maya Sauer shows one of the freesurfers dropping into her wave and forcefully pushing her down.

According to Sauer, the local municipality fully sanctioned and permitted the event. Even so, disgruntled locals paddled out to interrupt it.

“The event was fully approved by the city and paid for,” Sauer wrote on Instagram. “All the necessary licenses were in place for that stretch of beach, flags were up, and lifeguards on scene.”

“But still, a big group of freesurfers deliberately paddled out in the contest area,” she added. “They dropped in on us on purpose, yelled at us, insulted us, and got physically aggressive. The lifeguards tried getting everyone out of the water, but they didn’t listen at all.”

Sauer explained that the French surfer pictured in the video refused to apologize after they approached him, while also acknowledging that it can be difficult to watch your local surf spot undergo drastic change.

“The guy from the video who pushed me off the wave seemed to be proud of what he had done, showing no remorse after being confronted,” she said. “And let’s not forget: the contest had official permission for that stretch of beach, and the freesurfers had no right to be in the water during contest hours. On every other day, they’re the locals and may control the lineup, but not then.”

“I totally understand that it’s frustrating when your home spot feels more crowded every year. I’ve been coming to Hossegor for 11 years now, and I’ve seen how the vibe in the water has changed,” she added. “There’s a lot of tension, and learning to deal with that can be tricky. But there’s a line. And violence, especially against women, should never, ever be part of surfing. It breaks my heart to see things heading in this direction. Surfing is supposed to bring people together. We’re all out there because we love the same thing. I hope we don’t lose sight of that.”

Sauer received a flood of support in the comment section of her Instagram post. German Olympic surfer Tim Elter chimed in and said, “I was about to write a book. But I chose not to. We love you, Maya.”

The event website says (via Google Translate) that the festivities include “surfing, a surf flea market, beach volleyball and spikeball tournaments, live concerts, and parties in a bungalow village right behind the dunes.”

The German university surfing championships, which run from June 14 to 21, are open to students of any state-recognized university in Germany. This year marks the 20th edition of the event.

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With a heat wave June 21-22 here’s where to swim in, around Green Bay

The greater Green Bay area is expecting a heat wave. Temperatures will peak in the mid-90s June 21 and 22, and in the low 90s on June 23, according to the National Weather Service in Green Bay. The heat index — what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with […]

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52 minutes ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The greater Green Bay area is expecting a heat wave.

Temperatures will peak in the mid-90s June 21 and 22, and in the low 90s on June 23, according to the National Weather Service in Green Bay. The heat index — what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature — will be between 95 and 105 degrees June 21 and June 22, the NWS said.

Those looking to cool off with a weekend swim day in or around Green Bay have several options, both chlorinated and non-chlorinated.

Here’s our list of pools, splash pads, ponds and lake beaches, along with their weekend hours where applicable.

Here’s where to find pools in Green Bay, De Pere

Colburn Pool, 1025 S. Fisk St. in Green Bay, has open swim from noon to 6 p.m. on weekends. It offers concessions, diving board, lap swim area and water basketball.

Joannes Aquatic Center, 1430 W. Walnut St. in Green Bay, has open swim from noon to 6 p.m. on weekends. It offers zero-depth entry, a diving board, two slides, a tot sand play area, volleyball and concessions.

Resch Aquatic Center, 1058 Reed St. in Green Bay, has open swim from noon to 6 p.m. on weekends. Swimmers can enjoy a climbing wall, drop slide, diving board and a whirl cove area. Other amenities include zero-depth entry, concessions and a sand play area.

The VFW Aquatic Facility, 730 Grant St. in De Pere, is open from 1 to 6 p.m. on weekends and offers a tot play area with zero-depth entry and a lily pad water walkway, basketball hoops, diving boards, a drop slide, rock climbing wall, two body slides and concessions.

The Legion Pool, 1212 Charles St. in De Pere is also open 1 to 6 p.m. on weekends and has a large main pool with diving boards, as well as a zero-depth entry toddler pool. Concessions also are available.

Here’s where to find splash pads in Green Bay

Green Bay’s splash pads are free for the public to use and are located at the following parks from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The city’s wading pools, open noon to 6 p.m. on weekends, are located at:

For more information, visit wi-greenbay.civicplus.com.

Here’s where to find man-made beaches in Ashwaubenon, Howard, Seymour

Ashwaubomay Lake, in Ashwaubomay Park at 2881 S. Broadway in Ashwaubenon, is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. The lake offers a sand beach, diving boards, tube and toddler slides, floating rafts, water basketball, playgrounds on the sand and water and beach volleyball court. For more information, visit ashwaubenon.gov.

Duck Creek Quarry beach in Howard is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Swimming is free for Howard residents, who must pick up a wristband at the Public Works Department, 1336 Cornell Road. Office hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 to 10 a.m. Friday.

Seymour Lake Park, 1200 Lake Road, Seymour, has a beach where you can play in the sand or go swimming. There is no fee to swim and it is at your own risk, as there are no lifeguards on duty. There’s also a public restroom available.

Here’s where to swim in Lake Michigan, bay of Green Bay, other naturally occurring waters

Crescent Beach, 1025 Lake St. in Algoma, is open from dawn to 11 p.m., and visitors can swim, play volleyball or launch a kayak from the beach. A changing station is located on the northern end of the boardwalk.

Oconto City Park, 5182 Oconto County N, is a 24-acre park on the shore of the bay of Green Bay. It offers restrooms, two pavilions, playground equipment, horseshoe pits, two sand volleyball courts and fire pits.

Oconto Falls East Side Beach, 631 N. Main St. in Oconto Falls, does not offer lifeguards but does offer access to the large Oconto Falls pond. Bathrooms are available, but non-resident parking is $5 per day or a season pass is available at City Hall for $25. You can also access the pond from Oconto Falls West Side Beach, 307-399 N. Flatley Ave., which has pavilions and picnic areas.

Shawano Lake County Park, W5791 Lake Drive in Shawano, is a 30-acre site that has 800 feet of shoreline and a campground. Visitors have access to a playground, public beach and camp store. There also are restrooms and showers available.

And let’s not forget that not far away, Door County has more than a dozen beaches spread across the peninsula. To find one you’d like to visit, visit the county’s website: doorcounty.com.

Larry Gallup contributed to this report.

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Princeton University

PRINCETON, N.J. – Brad Hunt was named Assistant Coach of the Year in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Awards, the organization announced Friday. It is Hunt’s second time earning the title this year after winning the honor during the indoor season. Hunt, in his ninth year […]

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1 hour ago

June 21, 2025

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PRINCETON, N.J. – Brad Hunt was named Assistant Coach of the Year in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Awards, the organization announced Friday.

It is Hunt’s second time earning the title this year after winning the honor during the indoor season.

Hunt, in his ninth year as assistant coach at Princeton, mentored Mena Scatchard through an outstanding outdoor season that saw the senior break program records in the 800m, 1500m, and 5000m.

At the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Scatchard earned All-America honors after placing ninth in the 1500m final.

Scatchard won Ivy League titles in the 1500m and the 4×800 at Outdoor Heps, before moving on to set a new personal best and program record in the 1500m at NCAA East Regionals.

That Tiger 4×800 squad of Stella Vieth, Hannah Riggins, Olivia Martin and Scatchard set a new Heps record as they clocked in at 8:27.31 to win the gold.

Hunt’s athletes also boasted the top-two times in the 800m in the Mid-Atlantic Region, with Scatchard’s 2:00.81 and Riggins’ 2:02.95.

In addition to serving as an assistant coach for the track program, Hunt is also the head coach of the Tigers’ cross country team. Winning the cross country championship in the fall, Hunt laid the groundwork for Princeton achieve a historic third Ivy League Triple Crown when they won the Outdoor Heps title in the spring.

With Hunt’s athletes combining for 55 points, and the Tigers scoring in 19 of 22 events, Princeton clinched the Outdoor Ivy title with a score of 202.5 – the most points ever scored by a women’s team and the first time a team has broke the 200-point threshold.

Hunt and the Tigers now look back on an outstanding outdoor season that saw Princeton win six individual Ivy championships, set a new 4x800m Ivy Championship record, qualify 16 for regionals and have three athletes earn All-American honors at NCAAs.

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Marshall closes freshman season with 11th-place finish at 2025 USATF U20 Championships

Story Links EUGENE, Ore. – Indiana State freshman thrower Olivia Marshall wrapped up her debut season as a Sycamore Friday, placing 11th in the shot put at the USATF U20 Championships. Marshall recorded a top throw of 13.61m (44-8) in Friday’s competition, which also closed the 2024-25 season for […]

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1 hour ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, Ore. – Indiana State freshman thrower Olivia Marshall wrapped up her debut season as a Sycamore Friday, placing 11th in the shot put at the USATF U20 Championships.

Marshall recorded a top throw of 13.61m (44-8) in Friday’s competition, which also closed the 2024-25 season for Indiana State. The Sycamores had four freshmen – Marshall, Gnister Grant Peyton Smith and Emma Yoder – earn spots at the U20 Championships.

The 2024-25 season was a strong one for Marshall, as she placed in the top 10 in the MVC in four of the five events she competed in between the indoor and outdoor conference championships. She finished in a scoring position for the Blue and White in the shot put at the indoor championships, and placed in the top 10 in both the shot put and hammer throw at the outdoor championships.

With the 2024-25 season coming to a close Friday, the future for Sycamore Track and Field remains extremely bright. More than 80 percent of the Sycamores’ scoring from their MVC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship came from freshmen and sophomores, while nearly 60 percent of the Sycamores’ 200-plus points in the MVC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship came from underclassmen. Indiana State also had six program records, including one MVC record, and 45 program top-10 marks set during the 2025 outdoor season.

Follow the Sycamores

For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field and Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.

– #MarchOn –

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San Diego High’s Jasir Fontenot leads All-CIF boys track and field team

2025 All-CIF San Diego Section boys track and field team Track Athlete of the Year: Jasir Fontenot, San Diego A freshman, Fontenot took the track world by storm. He posted the third-fastest mark all-time and a California record in the 100 hurdles, running a time of 13.31 seconds in the state meet Prelims. He won […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

2025 All-CIF San Diego Section boys track and field team

Track Athlete of the Year: Jasir Fontenot, San Diego

A freshman, Fontenot took the track world by storm. He posted the third-fastest mark all-time and a California record in the 100 hurdles, running a time of 13.31 seconds in the state meet Prelims. He won the state meet with a 13.21, but the mark was wind-aided. He won the CIF San Diego Section championship with a wind-aided 13.40. He also won at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays after placing second at the Arcadia Invitational.

Field Athlete of the Year: ZeShaun Daley, El Camino

A senior, Daley placed sixth in the state in the triple jump with a season best 47 feet, 10 ½ inches. He was the San Diego Section champion, jumping 47-9 1/4 at the section championships and placing fourth in the long jump with a mark of 22-10 1/4.