OWEGO, NY (WBNG) — A staggering 20 student-athletes signed their National Letter of Intent at Owego Free Academy on Thursday.

Isabella Silvestri will be playing Flag Football at Marymount University and shares her feelings about playing at the next level.

“I’m so excited,” said Silvestri. “And I just feel so lucky and grateful to have the opportunity to do this. I feel like I’m able to help pave the way for other female athletes that might want to have a career in flag football in their future, and I’m very grateful for that opportunity.”

Ashleigh Steele will continue her field hockey career at Misicordia University and shares what made her decide to play for the Cougars.

“It was a great campus,” said Steele. “The coach showed me around and she was very sweet, all of them were. And I just really love the campus and I’m very excited to be going there in the fall.”

Owego River Hawks Senior Signings:

Elijah Lewis – Herkimer College – Baseball

Conlan Taylor – Binghamton University – Baseball

Jack Buchsbaum – Alfred University – Football

Adam Arbal – Alfred University – Football

Evan English – SUNY Cortland – Football

Madison McEvoy – SUNY Oswego – Basketball

Collin Monell – SUNY Oswego – Wrestling

Kaelyn Katchuk – Boston University – Diving

Zyir VanScoy – Nazareth College – Soccer

Alexis Cheeseman – Hartwick College – Field Hockey/Flag Football

Ashleigh Steele – Misericordia University – Field Hockey

Logan Georgia – SUNY Potsdam – Volleyball

Ava Leonard – SUNY Delhi – Softball

Isabella Silvestri – Marymount University – Flag Football

Antoni Talarico – Tompkins Cortland Community College – Lacrosse

Aaron Brainard – Tompkins Cortland Community College – Lacrosse

Vasil Brich – Herkimer College – Soccer

Jaxson Belokur – Elmira College – Soccer

Billy Huddleston – Mansfield University – Football

Carson Morris – SUNY Morrisville – Football

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Soccer was what kick-started Julieta Peralta Acosta’s academic life at Seattle University.

Originally from Mexico, Peralta Acosta—who has been playing soccer since she was 10 years old—got recruited to play for the Redhawks.

“This has been one of the best soccer teams I’ve been on with the most chemistry,” she says. “Being here allowed me to find my love of soccer again. We all care for one another and are committed to the same goal.”

While her love of soccer proved pivotal in attending a college in the states, she was equally lured by the opportunities she saw at Seattle University to getting a top-notch education in her chosen field of study: Cell and Molecular Biology. She also found a real sense of inclusiveness and belonging, something that was evident upon meeting the soccer coaches and her teammates upon arrival.

“I was worried about what people would think of me but all of those worries went away after I met with my team,” she says. “It was made very clear that before being a student or an athlete, you are seen as a person.”

This fall Peralta Acosta is headed to the University of Toronto to start graduate school, looking to earn her PhD in Molecular Genetics. Her interest in an undergraduate degree in biology was lit when she took her first introduction to the major in her first quarter at SU.

The self-professed “big bio nerd” credits faculty like Professor Brett Kaiser, PhD, for making the discipline interesting and showing the breadth of possibilities that the field affords.

“The professors are so human and amazing and easy to talk to,” says Peralta Acosta, who is the 2025 recipient of the John Ju Excellence in Science Award. “My favorite professor is Dr. Brett Kaiser, who was my first biology professor. He made me realize how much my passion is for molecular biology.”

Important to immersing herself in the College of Science and Engineering was research, something she participated in during her first year with the support of Dr. Kaiser. And it has continued over the past three years with the focus of the research on BREX, a bacterial defense system that protects bacteria from viral infections. Conducting research in a lab not only mimics a real-world, hands-on setting but also opened doors for Peralta Acosta from speaking at national conferences to a widening range of graduate schools.

While soccer and her major have consumed the bulk of her time over the past four years, Peralta Acosta has carved out space to give back, serving as a tutor the past two years and sharing her passion for science with younger students, imparting on them how “life changing” science can be—something she can attest to firsthand. 

“I really enjoy tutoring and mentoring underclassmen and sharing my experiences. And one of my favorite things about my job is getting to know people.” 

Educating the whole person—the foundation of SU’s Jesuit mission—is meaningful to Peralta Acosta as she believes the university truly walks the talk. “I feel it’s very present, from the courses to the professors to the Core Curriculum. It’s also about social justice—and recognizing injustice—in the world around us.”

As she nears the completion of her time at SU, Peralta Acosta reflects on the past four years and what—besides her degree—she will take with her from her time here.

“I’m so thankful and grateful for the whole SU community. Everyone here is very supportive and they help you embrace who you are and who you want to be. And my professors have been amazing mentors and little by little helped me find my way.”

And what would she tell incoming students? “In terms of academics, I’d say your first year is very important. One of the biggest struggles from high school to college is how independent you now are so make sure you have your priorities set,” she says. “In terms of … more life advice, I’d tell them to be open, to expect anything. I came here without a plan, except for soccer. Be flexible. Try a class that you might not think you are interested in.”

While her immediate focus post-commencement is grad school, looking ahead when she contemplates a dream job she’s employing that same flexibility and open-mindedness that she encourages in those coming behind her. Though her main options as of now are to stay in biotech and either going the corporate route or working in academia—the latter perhaps providing more of a directional pull.

“Heart of my heart I’d like to stay in academia, being a university professor or doing academic research,” she says. “My professors are superheroes!”

Some of Julieta’s favorites…

• Favorite spot on campus: The fourth floor of the Sinegal Center and the little green park in front of the Quad.
• Favorite spot in Seattle: The parks—Gas Works and Volunteer Park—and the Washington Arboretum. I enjoy being outside.
• Favorite food/restaurant: Momiji for sushi or, if on a budget, Peloton.
• Favorite music/band/artist: Bad Bunny
• Favorite book/author: I really like Breaking Through: My Life in Science by Katalin Karikó.
• Favorite TV show last binged: I have been binging The Last of Us and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

The House vs. NCAA settlement is finally approved, and college football’s operating structure is forever transformed.  

Schools will pay athletes directly with most Power Four football programs expected to distribute at least $14-16 million annually. There are new roster caps. There’s now a clearinghouse responsible for determining fair market value with NIL deals.

The changes are designed with the intent to bring stability and circumvent future lawsuits. So, no more chaos, right?

Right …?

RIGHT!?

The bad news 

If you believe that I have some oceanfront property in Arizona that you can get for a great deal. College athletics may be entering a new era, but the same issues that have caused anarchy in college football over the last half decade are foundational elements of the sport’s governing structure.

The NCAA still lacks an anti-trust exemption.

The NCAA nor its member schools collectively bargain with their athletes.

Lacking one or both of those elements means any changes that come with House are stopgap measures — flimsy walls constructed to stem a tide of change that continues to erode the old structure of the sport.

“All these rules are … very arbitrary and are not bargained with the players,” said Darren Heitner, a sports attorney with a large presence in the NIL space. “Until the NCAA decides to treat the players as employees or a unit to bargain with, they’re going to be stuck with challenges on their anti-trust law.”

I’ll see you in court

Remember, those lawsuits — from states and athletes alike — are the mechanisms that pushed the NCAA further and further away from its amateurism North Star.  

The NCAA didn’t allow athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness. So, California passed a law that made it legal for colleges in that state to pay their athletes. That piece of legislation set off dominoes nationally and eventually forced the NCAA to adopt similar rules.

When the NCAA attempted to enforce its rules surrounding NIL — like boosters striking a deal with an athlete or a collective negotiating with an athlete before he enrolled — a state government once again enacted pressure. 

Tennessee’s attorney general sued on behalf of the Nico Iamaleava and the Vols, who were under NCAA investigation for rule violations dating back to Iamaleava’s recruitment. That suit was successful and essentially broke the NCAA’s NIL enforcement mechanism, rendering the association almost powerless to control the obvious rule breaking that continues to occur.  

Athletes pushed the NCAA through the courts, too.

Lawsuits shifted the NCAA’s transfer rules, creating an environment where players can change schools as often as they’d like in their careers. Challenges to the NCAA’s eligibility rules from those like Diego Pavia have shattered the NCAA’s long-held stance that players only receive four seasons of eligibility across five total years.

Legislation aimed at the NCAA’s potential anti-trust violations has been successful again and again this decade. 

The House Settlement isn’t going to stop athletes from attempting to force change in the courtroom. 

The House Settlement puts an annual cap on how much schools can pay their athletes via revenue sharing. The settlement also attempts to dictate who determines fair market value on NIL deals. Athletes will almost assuredly test those restrictions in court. 

“There will definitely be more lawsuits on that issue,” said attorney Mit Winter, a lawyer who works heavily in the NIL space. “The rules that are coming out of the House Settlement don’t have any anti-trust protections.”

It only takes one desperate school to push the boundaries of fair market value. If you don’t think a school will get creative — i.e. break the rules — to find an extra $500,000 for a five-star recruit, you are probably one of those people who believes wads of cash show up in a McDonald’s bag during a recruiting trip by accident.

Schools do whatever it takes to get an edge. If their mechanism for landing a high-profile recruit is limited by a pseudo salary cap, you can bet a lawsuit won’t be far behind attempting to bust that rule.

The NCAA doesn’t have an anti-trust exemption that protects it from those challenges. Artificially placing a cap on someone’s salary is generally considered anti-competitive in America. That won’t change under the rules of the House Settlement even if a governor on compensation makes sense for the overall competitiveness of the sport.

In fact, several states, like Tennessee and New Jersey, have enacted state laws that prevent the NCAA from penalizing its schools for paying NIL to its athletes. 

Eligibility lawsuits won’t stop either. Even if the NCAA at some point allows players five full seasons of eligibility, what prevents a player who just had his eligibility expire under the old rules to sue for the ability to return to the sport for another year?

There will be probable challenges on the grounds of Title IX, especially when you consider the large majority of schools participating in the House Settlement will funnel the majority of their rev share money to men’s sports. 

That’s the thing about the House Settlement. Yes, it transforms the way college athletics operates and pushes it toward a near professional model. But the key word there is “near.” The NCAA is still operating a business based on the principle that its labor force isn’t technically labor. Athletes are not employees of the school. They lack the ability to collectively bargain.

The House Settlement does nothing to change that. If anything, it might embolden further challenges to the rules given how successful that strategy has proven over the last few years. 

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Pilots Men’s Soccer announced on Thursday a sterling addition to the class of 2025, bringing in transfer forward David Ajagbe from Ohio State.

“We are thrilled to welcome David back to the Pacific Northwest and think he will be a great addition to our culture and campus community as he’s a high energy team first guy,” Carlin-Voigt said. “David is a humble competitor who has enormous potential and unrealized talent that excites everyone who works with him. He had a great freshman year for Big Ten Champions Ohio State and their coaching staff should great a ton of credit for developing him last year. He can play anywhere along the front line and will be an absolute handful for any opponent as he’s big, powerful, fast and can cause problems and create advantages against any defender in the country. I know our fans will be excited to see David on Merlo Field here in Soccer City USA.

Ajagbe joins the Pilots as a sophomore after a stellar first year in Columbus. The 6-1 forward was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2024 as well as the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI Second Team after scoring seven goals and adding two assists. His goal total ranked second among the Buckeyes and second among all freshmen in the Big Ten. He played all 22 games and added 15 starts as well for an Ohio State team that earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Ajagbe hails from British Columbia, coming originally from the Vancouver Whitecaps academy. He was the leading scorer for the U-19 squad in the 2023-24 season. Ajagbe led the Athlete Institute to a League 1 Ontario Reserve Division Championship in 2022 with a goal and assist in the final. TopDrawerSoccer ranked Ajagbe as the 25th best freshman in all college soccer last season.

“The atmosphere at Merlo Field was electric and I want to be part of bringing that Merlo magic back,” Ajagbe said. “It also feels good to be closer to home. Most importantly, I have a lot of trust in Coach Nick. He’s developed top players who’ve played in my exact position, and I believe he can help take my game to the next level.”

This past season, the Pilots finished at 7-4-7 overall and 4-0-4 in WCC play, ending the year on a 10-game unbeaten streak that was the longest on the West Coast and the third longest in the country. They earned four wins over teams that finished in the top 35 in RPI this season as well. They have achieved a top 10 ranking nationally in each of the last three seasons and led the country in goals scored between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Pilots made the Elite Eight in 2022 for the first time since 1995 and have posted a top 10 home winning percentage since the 2021 season. Between 2021 and 2024 Portland posted a 30-game home unbeaten streak, the second longest unbeaten streak at home in modern college soccer history.

The Pilots have also had 12 players move on to play in MLS since Nick Carlin-Voigt took over as head coach in 2016. Eight players have been drafted, with Paul Christensen, Rey Ortiz, Kevin Bonilla, Jacob Babalai and Buba Fofanah all being taken in the MLS SuperDraft. Efetobo Aror and Nick Fernandez were taken in the first and second round in this year’s SuperDraft as well, with Fernandez signing with the San Jose Earthquakes in February. Benji Michel and Kris Reaves each signed homegrown contracts with Orlando SC and FC Dallas respectively back in 2018 while Delentz Pierre and Brandon Cambridge each signed with Real Salt Lake and Charlotte FC in 2022 and Tommy Musto signed with LAFC in 2024. 

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Kierston Russell, the twin sister of University of Alabama freshman quarterback Keelon Russell, has died just days after the siblings graduated from high school, police confirmed in a statement on Thursday. She was 18.

The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Kierston’s passing in a statement, adding that the investigation into her death is “ongoing.” 

“There has been considerable media attention concerning a death investigation that occurred (in Tuscaloosa) on June 4, 2025,” Capt. Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit said in a statement obtained by Tuscaloosa News.

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“After speaking with the family, and in an attempt to quell media inquiries, they have given permission to confirm the death of Kierston Russell… The investigation is ongoing pursuant to the procedures mentioned above, and at this time appears to be non-criminal in nature.  Therefore, at this time no other information will be released.” 

Kierston played basketball at Duncanville High School in Texas. According to ESPN, she was due to join her brother at Alabama in August. The twins graduated last month. 

COLLEGE SOCCER PLAYER CHASE STEGALL, SON OF FORMER NFL WIDEOUT MILTON STEGALL, DIES ‘UNEXPECTEDLY’ AT 20

Keelon, a five-star recruit who enrolled early and attended Alabama’s spring training, shared photos of the two together and shared a prayer to his Instagram Stories on Thursday. 

“Dear god, Thank You that every good and pleasant gift is from above. You are the source of every blessing in my life-my health, my work, my relationships, and the strength to face each day. Even my ability to work and create comes from You. I acknowledge that all I have is a gift from Your generous hand,” he post read. 

“As James 1:17 says, ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’ You are faithful, and I am grateful.” 

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Kierston’s basketball team also shared a statement on X following the news of her death. 

“With shattered hearts, we mourn the loss of our sister & teammate, Kierston Russell. A fierce competitor with a heart of gold – her light, love & legacy will live on. We love you, KRuss. Always.”

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BROOKINGS, S.D. — As the 2025-26 academic year draws closer, the South Dakota State women’s soccer program has continued to add to its roster for this fall’s team. The Jackrabbits have welcomed two student-athletes with college experience to their squad with the transfer additions of graduate student Renny Buchanan and senior Taylor Thomas. 
 
“We’re excited to add Taylor and Renny to our team for the fall,” SDSU head coach Brock Thompson said. “They both have immense experience from college soccer as well as their pre-professional teams. More important, they’re great people who value the culture that we have created here and are excited to add to it.” 
 
Renny Buchanan | Defender | Graduate Student | Brentwood, Calif. | Heritage HS | John Brown
Renny Buchanan brings a standout resume to Brookings from the NAIA level as a graduate student from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark. 
 
Buchanan played four seasons for the Golden Eagles and earned numerous awards her final two seasons earning back-to-back all-conference recognition for the perennial NAIA national contender. She became a regular starter as a junior in 2023 starting all 22 matches. Buchanan played a team-high 1,858 minutes, including all 90 minutes in 16 matches, for a team that went 18-3-1. She was honored as the Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year as John Brown went 18-3-1, won its conference and advanced to the NAIA National Championship tournament. 
 
The Brentwood, Calif., native continued her strong play in 2024 as she logged 1,798 minutes on the pitched averaging 82 minutes per game. She anchored a defense that conceded just 0.83 goals per game and 6.7 shot attempts per match. Buchanan helped lead the Golden Eagles to another conference title and a trip to the quarterfinals of the NAIA national tournament, the farthest the program has ever advanced. 
 
Buchanan was a Third Team NAIA All-American in 2023. She topped the accolade with Second Team All-America honors in 2024. In all, Buchanan has played in 73 matches during her college career and made 58 starts. That stretch saw her score three goals and dish out 14 assists. She re-joins John Brown teammate Lauren Walter who signed with the Jackrabbits in January and competed with SDSU during the spring semester. 
 
“I feel so blessed to be joining this program and get to use my fifth year as a Jackrabbit,” Buchanan said. “God has truly guided this transition and I couldn’t be more at peace. As someone who’s repped blue and yellow since high school, I’m thrilled to finish out my college career with the same colors and a team that shares my values. Go Jackrabbits!”
 
Taylor Thomas | Midfielder | Senior | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s | FGCU
A local product returns to South Dakota as Sioux Falls native Taylor Thomas joins the Yellow and Blue for her senior season. 
 
Thomas has spent her first four years of her college career with a pair of seasons spent at Dayton and Florida Gulf Coast. She played three matches as a freshman for the Flyers before a redshirt season used during the 2022-23 academic year. Thomas transferred to FGCU ahead of her redshirt sophomore season and played in 10 matches for a team that won the Atlantic Sun tournament championship and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Last fall, Thomas played in all 19 matches and started 11 for the Eagles. Thomas played in over 1,000 matches for a FGCU squad that went 11-6-2 and advanced to the 2024 ASUN Tournament title game. 
 
Thomas has spent her summer months playing for the Sioux Falls City Football Club which is currently a member of the USL W League. The squad features fellow current Jackrabbits in Mia Bosch and Hailee Christiansen.
 
Prior to her collegiate career, Thomas spent her prep tenure at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota. Her parents, Emily and Eric, were both student-athletes during their college careers at Augustana. 
 
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to return home and join the Jackrabbit family,” Thomas said. “Being part of such a respected program is a true honor, especially representing a community that has shaped who I am. I look forward to embracing this journey, building deep connections with my teammates and coaches, pushing myself to grow both on and off the field, and contributing wholeheartedly to the legacy of SDSU.”
 
The 2025 Jackrabbits return to action beginning on July 31 with the team’s annual Blue vs. Yellow Scrimmage at Fishback Soccer Park. Season tickets for the 2025 South Dakota State soccer season are scheduled to go on sale on June 10. You can purchase tickets by visiting JackrabbitTickets.com. 
 

-GoJacks.com-