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Top Seed Long Beach State Ready To Compete Against No. 5 Seed Pepperdine in the NCAA Final Four

#1 LONG BEACH STATE (28-3) vs. #5 PEPPERDINE (21-9) Date: Saturday, May 10 Time: 2:00 p.m. (PT) | 5:00 p.m. (ET) Arena (Capacity): Covelli Center (3,700) Location: Columbus, Ohio TV: ESPN+ Live Stats: OhioStateBuckeyes.com/sidearmstats/mvball Top Seed Long Beach State Ready To Compete Against No. 5 Seed Pepperdine in the NCAA Final Four No. 1 and top-seeded […]

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May 11, 2025

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#1 LONG BEACH STATE (28-3) vs. #5 PEPPERDINE (21-9)

Date: Saturday, May 10
Time: 2:00 p.m. (PT) | 5:00 p.m. (ET)
Arena (Capacity): Covelli Center (3,700)
Location: Columbus, Ohio
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: OhioStateBuckeyes.com/sidearmstats/mvball

Top Seed Long Beach State Ready To Compete Against No. 5 Seed Pepperdine in the NCAA Final Four

No. 1 and top-seeded Long Beach State brings a 28-3 record into the 2025 NC Men’s Volleyball Championship Semifinals as the Beach face No. 5 seed Pepperdine on Saturday, May 10. First serve is set for 2 p.m. (PT) / 5 p.m. (ET) at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. The winner of the match will advance to the Championship match on Monday, May 12 and face the winner of the No. 2 seed Hawaii-No. 3 seed UCLA match.

Catch All The Action

The 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship Opening Round, Quarterfinal, and Semifinal rounds will be broadcast live on ESPN+ . Fans can also follow all the action via live stats at NCAA.com or OhioStateBuckeyes.com/sidearmstats/mvball. The National Championship match will be televised on Monday, May 12 at 4 p.m. (PT) / 7 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2.

Staying Social

Follow Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball on X and Instagram at @LBSUMVB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on X. Be sure to “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don’t forget our hashtag #GoBeach.

In the Rankings

• Long Beach State has been ranked No. 1 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Poll for 14 consecutive weeks. In the most recent poll, the Beach garnered 451 total points and 14 first-place votes after boasting a 28-3 overall record.

• No. 5 seed Pepperdine finished the regular season ranked sixth in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Poll. With a 21-9 overall record, the Waves punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament by winning the MPSF Championship.

• The Big West is one of the most competitive Division I Men’s Volleyball conferences as all six Big West schools are nationally ranked, with three of them sitting in the Top 5.

• The season, Long Beach State has faced 11 nationally ranked opponents Overall, the Beach own a 15-3 record against nationally ranked opponents this season.

The Beach In The Postseason

• Top-ranked Long Beach State will make its 15th NCAA Final Four appearance.

• Overall the Beach’s NCAA Tournament record is 17-11.

• This season is the fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament in which the Beach has competed. In the last four years, LBSU has put together a postseason record of 5-3 for a .625 winning percentage.

• LBSU has been to the NCAA Tournament in eight out of the last nine seasons. During that span, the Beach captured two NCAA National Championships in 2018 and 2019.

• This is the second time in program history that Long Beach State will play in Columbus, Ohio for the postseason. The Beach previously competed in the NCAA Semifinals in Columbus in 2017 against BYU.

• In all, Long Beach State has won three NCAA National Championships (1991, 2018, 2019).

10-4

• Throughout program history, LBSU has seen action in in 15 Final Fours and owns a 10-4 record (.714) in the NCAA Semifinals.

• Overall, Long Beach State has seen action in 10 NCAA National Championship matches.

• In conference tournament history, Long Beach State has made 21 MPSF Tournament appearances and seven Big West showings.

• Since its creation in 2018, Long Beach State has been the regular season Big West Champion in six of seven seasons (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) as there was not a postseason tournament held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. LBSU owns an 8-5 Big West Championship record.

• The Beach previously won The Big West Championship in 2018 and 2024.

• Prior to The Big West, Long Beach State was part of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). In the MPSF, LBSU owned a tournament record of 18-21.

• In all, Long Beach State is 26-26 in conference tournaments.

About The Beach

• No. 1 Long Beach State has put together one of its most successful seasons to date as the Beach own a 28-3 overall record and won The Big West Regular Season Title with an 8-2 mark.

• The 28 victories for Long Beach State is tied for second place for most wins in program history. The 2025 squad’s 28 victories have equaled the win totals of the 1990, 2004, 2018, and 2019 teams, which trail only the 1991 team that won the program’s first-ever NCAA National Championship with 31 victories.

• Earlier this season, the Beach strung together 20-straight victories marking the team’s fourth-longest winning streak in program history.

• With 22 three-set wins this season, the 2025 Long Beach State team has set a new program record for most sweeps in a single season besting the 2017 squad’s 20 three-setters.

• In addition to setting the single-season record for most sweeps, the 2025 Beach team has served up a total of 227 aces which is also a new program single-season record. That mark is 10 service aces away from tying the NCAA single-season rally scoring aces record of 237 which was set last season by Saint Francis (Pa.).

• Individually, freshman setter Moni Nikolov has been superb this season from the service line. He set the Long Beach State program record earlier this season, before going on to set The Big West single-season record as he now has 97 aces on the year. He is just three away from tying the NCAA record.

• This season, Long Beach State went on an impressive 20-match winning streak that began with the season opener on January 10 with a sweep over Saint Francis (Pa.) and came to an end on March 28 with a straight-set loss to UC Irvine. That 20-match winning streak is good for fourth in program history. The 2025 team will go down in the annals behind the record holding 2018 team which strung together 24-consecutive wins. From 2018-19, LBSU won 23-straight matches and from 1991-92 the Beach put together a 22-match winning streak to round out the top three.

• Last night, Long Beach State had a pair of players win two major awards at the NCAA Social. Sophomore Georgi Binev became the first-ever Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball student-athlete to win the Elite 90 Award which is awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.

• The other major award winner at the NCAA Social was freshman Moni Nikolov who took home both National Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

• On Monday, the AVCA announced the All-America Team and Long Beach State boasted five All-Americans in Moni Nikolov (First Team), Sykler Varga (First Team), DiAeris McRaven (Second Team), Daniil Hershtynovich (Honorable Mention), and Kellen Larson (Honorable Mention).

• In addition to his First Team AVCA All-America selection, • Prior to the AVCA All-America Team announcement, The Big West announced the all-conference selections and Long Beach State dominated those awards as well with four players on the First Team, one Honorable Mention selection, and a pair on the All-Freshman Team.

• Earning All-Big West First Team accolades were Alex Kandev, DiAeris McRaven, Moni Nikolov, and Skyler Varga. Meanwhile, Daniil Hershtynovich claimed Honorable Mention status. Kandev and Nikolov also made the All-Freshman squad.

• Offensively, LBSU is led by Alex Kandev. The freshman outside hitter is averaging 3.07 kills per set to go along with a team-leading .451 hitting percentage (178-39-308). His attack percentage ranks him second in The Big West, while his kills per set average is sixth. Kandev also ranks in the conference top 10 in points per set (5th – 3.72) and aces per set (8th – 0.36).

• Junior outside hitter, and team captain, Skyler Varga has been an efficient and balanced asset to the squad this season. Varga ‘s .369 hitting percentage comes in 14th in nation and third in The Big West. His aces (0.35), assists (0.66), and points per set (3.51) are all good for top 10 in the conference.

• Leading the Beach to a nation-leading .395 attack percentage is freshman setter Moni Nikolov. The product out of Sofia, Bulgaria has been on-point this season distributing 10.00 assists per set. He has been a force on all sides of the ball with 1.53 kills per set and a team-best 1.51 digs per set. If that weren’t enough, Nikolov also leads the nation with 0.94 aces per set. He is currently at 97 aces on the year which is a new LBSU and Big West single-season record. His 74 service aces are just three shy of tying the NCAA All-Eras single-season mark (100).

• Middles Ben Braun and DiAeris McRaven have patrolled the net leading the Beach to a 2.65 blocks per set average. That mark leads The Big West and is good for second in the country.

• Braun, a 6-11 junior from Rancho Mirage, Calif., is averaging 1.28 blocks per set after totaling 77 over 84 sets. His blocks per set average is tops in The Big West.

• McRaven, meanwhile has put up a team-leading 86 blocks to average 0.96 blocks per set. He is ranked fifth in the conference and 27th in the nation in blocks per set.

• In his 22nd season at the helm, Long Beach State Head Coach Alan Knipe is the winningest coach in LBSU Men’s Volleyball program history, Knipe owns a career record of 448-172 for a winning percentage of 723.

• Knipe’s staff of Associate Head Coach Nick MacRae, Assistant Coach McKay Smith, Volunteer Assistant Coach Andy Read, and Technical Coordinator Jon Parry are a seasoned quartet having worked together for the last eight seasons helping Long Beach State capture two NCAA National Titles, two Big West Championships, and have led the Beach to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the last eight years.

Scouting Pepperdine

• Pepperdine comes into the 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship as the No. 5 seed after being ranked sixth in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Poll.

• The Waves own a 21-9 overall record and punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after winning the MPSF Tournament.

• The Waves are averaging 12.36 kills per set on a .326 attack percentage. Additionally, Pepperdine adds 7.95 digs per set and 1.92 blocks per set to go along with 1.75 aces per set.

• Pepperdine had five players named to the AVCA All-America Team in Ryan Barnett (First Team), Cole Hartke (Second Team), Jacob Reilly (Second Team), Gabe Dyer (Honorable Mention), and James Eadie (Honorable Mention).

• Barnett and Hartke lead the Waves with 3.67 and 60 kills per set, respectively. Barnett is hitting .337 on the year to go along with 1.16 digs and 0.53 blocks per set. He also leads the team with 46 aces. Meanwhile, Hartke adds 1.14 digs and 0.50 blocks per set, to go along with 45 aces, while hitting .298.

• At setter, Gabriel Dyer runs an efficient offense that is hitting .326 on the year. He has dished out 9.66 assists per set, while also chipping in 1.71 digs per set, 0.47 kills per set, and 0.28 blocks per set.

• In the backrow, Jacob Reilly anchors the defense with 1.79 digs per set.

• At the net, James Eadie has posted a team-leading 78 blocks to average 0.96 per set. He also adds 1.56 kills per set on a .411 attack percentage, while posting 0.42 digs per set.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Waves

Long Beach State and Pepperdine will meet for the 90th time in program history, and the Beach hold the edge in the all-time series 46-43. LBSU has won the last eight matchups against the Waves, including a five-set win in Malibu, Calif., earlier this season. When playing each other at a neutral site, the Waves lead the series 6-2. The Beach and the Waves have squared off twice before in the NCAA Tournament. Pepperine won the first meeting back in 2008 when the Waves swept the Beach, 3-0, in the Final Four at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. In their most recent postseason match, Long Beach State defeated Pepperdine in four, 3-1, in the 2019 Final Four, which was held at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. That year, the Beach would go on to capture their third NCAA Championship overall, and second in the last two years.

Complete Transformation

After losing 10 seniors and nearly their entire starting lineup from 2024, the Beach have done a superb job rebuilding. A year ago, outside hitter Skyler Varga and middle blocker DiAeris McRaven were the only two starters who returned in 2025. Varga, however, has returned in a different position as he went from playing on the right to playing on the left. In addition, Long Beach State has made several lineup changes throughout the year all while managing to stay in the Top 5 in the AVCA Rankings, and holding the top spot for the last 14-straight weeks. With a new core group on the court in outside hitters Alex Kandev and Sotiris Siapanis, along with middles Ben Braun and Lazar Bouchkov, opposites Daniil Hershtynovich and Nato Dickinson, setter Moni Nikolov, liberos Kellen Larson, Chris Connelly and Ford Harman, as well as several key subsitutions such as Connor Bloom and Sebastiano Sani, the Beach has done an excellent job adapting to a new look on the court and not missing a beat competitively as the top-ranked team in the nation.

Aces Wild

Freshman Moni Nikolov is leading a charge against numerous serving records at Long Beach State, The Big West and the NCAA. With what is believed to be the fastest recorded serve in NCAA history, Nikolov has set a new program single-season record with 97 service aces thus far. That mark is also a new Big West record, and currently is second in NCAA history across all eras. He is just three aces shy of tying the national record. Long Beach State has served up 227 in total as a team, another program single-season record. The Beach just became the new Big West record holder for aces in a single-season, besting the 2022 Hawai’i team which finished the season with 224 aces. Meanwhile, the NCAA 25-point rally scoring record that was set last year by Saint Francis (Pa.) is just 10 more (237) than the Beach’s current total.

The Sky’s The Limit

Junior outside hitter and team captain Skyler Varga has led the team both on and off the court all season. With his extensive volleyball IQ and prowess on the court, coupled with his leadership skills off the court, Varga has led by example and has helped pace Long Beach State to nation leading marks in hitting percentage (.395) and aces per set (2.20) as he leads the way with a .376 clip which is good for 14th in the nation. Meanwhile, his 0.35 aces per set average ranks him in the top 50 in the country. Among Big West opponents, Varga is in the top 10 over four statistical categories (3rd – .376 hitting, 7th – 0.35 aces per set, 9th – 0.66 assists per set, 9th – 3.51 points per set) and has helped the Beach lead the conference in five of seven disciplines (.395 hitting, .207 opponent hitting percentage, 13.28 kills per set, 2.65 blocks per set, and 2.20 aces per set.

Big Ben

Ben Braun, a 6-foot-11 junior middle blocker, has been a huge presence on the court this season – not just in stature but also on the stat sheet. Braun is The Big West leader in blocks per set with 1.28 on the year. He earned a starting spot in the middle on March 21 and has made the most of his opportunity. His solid blocking defense has helped Long Beach State lead the conference and rank second in the nation in blocks per set (2.65). Additionally, the Beach’s defensive efforts have limited opponents to a .207 hitting percentage this season which leads The Big West and ranks second in the nation.

Moni Mania

Freshman sensation Moni Nikolov has caused quite a stir among the collegiate volleyball scene. His powerful serve, which is believed to be the fastest recorded serve in NCAA history, has led him to breaking the Long Beach State and Big West single-season marks. With 97 aces and counting, Nikolov heads into the NCAA Final Four just three service aces shy of the national record. A five-tool player, Nikolov boasts 10.00 assists, 1.56 kills, 1.51 digs, and 0.76 blocks per set, while hitting .403 on the year. With his overall popularity growing, the Beach are selling out arenas all over the country so fans can get a glimpse of the setter out of Sofia, Bulgaria.

Alex The Great

Freshman outside hitter Alex Kandev has seen increased playing time and has worked his way into the starting lineup. The Sofia, Bulgaria native has started on the outside for the last nine matches. In doing so, he has made his way up The Big West rankings coming in second in hitting percentage (.451), fifth in points per set (3.72), sixth in kills per set (3.07), and eighth in service aces per set (0.34). With his solid overall performance, Kandev earned Big West Honorable Mention accolades.

The Big Toe

Senior opposite Nato Dickinson had a career weekend to close the regular season, then bested that performance at The Big West Championship. The product out of Corona Del Mar, Calif., set a new career-high for himself with 21 kills and seven digs at Hawaii in the championship match on Saturday, April 26. He continues to build upon his career numbers as he closed the regular season with a career-best two aces from the service line. Other career-highs for Dickinson include seven blocks with he obtained against Princeton (3/15) and three assists which he has amassed a trio of times this season.

Among The Nation’s Best

Long Beach State is ranked in the Top 5 in in the country in five different statistical categories this season. The Beach lead the nation in hitting percentage (.395) and aces per set (2.20). The team ranks second in blocks (2.65) and kills (13.28), and fourth in assists per set (12.19).

Individually, the Beach boasts four players who rank in the Top 50 in the nation in their respective disciplines. Leading the way, setter Moni Nikolov leads the nation in aces per set (0.94), and is ranked 14th in assists per set (10.00). DiAeris McRaven comes in 27th in the nation with a 0.96 blocks per set average, while Skyler Varga leads the way with a .369 hitting percentage which is good for 14th in the country, while his aces per set (0.35) are good for 47th. Rounding out the Fab Four, is Daniil Hershtynovich who is ranked in the NCAA Top 50 in three different statistical categories. His .354 clip is good for 19th in the nation, while his points per set average (3.77) ranks him 42nd and his kills per set mark (3.18) puts him 47th.

Up Next

Should the Beach win the semifinal match against No. 5 seed Pepperdine, Long Beach State will advance to the National Championship match which is scheduled for Monday, May 12 at 4 p.m. (PT)/7 p.m. (ET) at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.

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Monarch High School’s Star Receiver Jabari Brady Makes College Pick

7 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp 11Shares Jabari Brady. {Top Shot Media} Monarch High School’s four-star receiver Jabari Brady officially announced his commitment to the University of Missouri. Brady is entering his senior year at Monarch. He is ranked as the No. 38 wide receiver nationally and received 41 scholarships throughout his recruitment process. He […]

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June 15, 2025

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Monarch’s Jabari Brady Named All-American: All-Conference Teams Announced

Jabari Brady. {Top Shot Media}

Monarch High School’s four-star receiver Jabari Brady officially announced his commitment to the University of Missouri.

Brady is entering his senior year at Monarch. He is ranked as the No. 38 wide receiver nationally and received 41 scholarships throughout his recruitment process. He played on the varsity football team at Monarch, catching 43 passes for 864 yards.

He then went on to catch 70 passes for 1,392 yards and 10 touchdowns before starting his junior season at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, catching seven touchdowns in seven games for the Knights. Brady also participated in the Navy All-American Bowl, catching a pass for nine years. Brady will have one more year left with the Knights before competing in the SEC with Coach Eli Drinkworth.

Got News in Coconut Creek? Send it Here. Don’t Miss reading NW Broward County’s #1 News Sites: Parkland Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Margate Talk, Tamarac Talk, and Sunrise FL Talk.

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Matt Rothman: Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.

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Georgia T&F Women Run Away With First NCAA Outdoor Championship

EUGENE, Ore. — The Georgia women’s track and field team exploded for 73 points to win its first national outdoor title by 26 points as the NCAA Championships wrapped up on Saturday. Senior Elena Kulichenko (high jump), junior Aaliyah Butler (400-meter dash) and Butler, Michelle Smith, Dejanea Oakley and Sydney Harris (4x400m relay) captured […]

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June 15, 2025

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EUGENE, Ore. — The Georgia women’s track and field team exploded for 73 points to win its first national outdoor title by 26 points as the NCAA Championships wrapped up on Saturday.

Senior Elena Kulichenko (high jump), junior Aaliyah Butler (400-meter dash) and Butler, Michelle Smith, Dejanea Oakley and Sydney Harris (4x400m relay) captured national crowns while Oakley collected silver in the 400m, Smith managed bronze in the 400m hurdles and freshman Skylynn Townsend posted a personal best to take sixth in the triple jump.

Final Women’s Team Scores: Finishing behind Georgia (73 points) was USC (47), Texas A&M (43), Washington (31) and Illinois (29.5) in the top five.

This squad of 16 Bulldogs, including a relay alternate for both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, represent seven different nations and featured six first timers at the meet and four true freshmen.  Georgia finished as the runner-up in back-to-back years in 2017-18 and its 2025 point total of 73 is a school record, topping the 62.2 in 2017.

While this is the first NCAA outdoor team title for the Georgia women, they did capture the 2018 indoor team championship.  The Bulldogs’ outdoor crown is the 52^nd overall team national championship for UGA, including the men’s outdoor championship in Eugene in 2018, tying LSU and Arkansas for the second most team titles in the SEC.  This is the fourth national championship for UGA this academic year after women’s tennis won the indoor and outdoor crowns and equestrian captured the championship.

Director of Track & Field Caryl Smith Gilbert adds the 2025 championship to her 2018 and 2021 women’s titles while leading USC’s program.  Smith Gilbert was also on Tennessee’s staff when the indoor squad won the 2005 championship.  With Saturday’s championship, Smith Gilbert becomes the first collegiate female coach to win NCAA track and field championships at two separate schools.

“We worked really, really, really hard and we have a team that is starting to form into something that will be a great program,” Smith Gilbert said.  “It’s very important to me for us to have points all over the place.  Track and field is track and field so we made a point this year and for the future to build all parts of the program, not just the sprints.  I have the greatest coaching staff on the planet and a Director of Athletics in Josh Brooks and a president in Jere Morehead who support our program to no end.  I am so proud to bring home this championship to Athens.”

Meet Schedule: Other than the decathlon running Wednesday-Thursday and the heptathlon going Friday-Saturday, the meet was set up to be a men’s competition on Wednesday and Friday and a women’s competition on Thursday and Saturday.

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday Highlights: Georgia only had a pair of high jumpers compete on Friday and senior transfer Eddie Kurjak tied for eighth place and earned First Team All-America honors after coming from a NCAA Division II program.

During the women’s first day of action on Thursday, graduate transfer Stephanie Ratcliffe won her second career hammer throw title and became the first NCAA representative to accomplish the feat at two separate schools and in non-consecutive years.  Freshman Manuela Rotundo and senior Lianna Davidson finished second and fourth in the javelin to give Georgia its first pair of scorers in the event since two Bulldogs were in the top eight in 2005.  Finally, senior Kelsie Murrell-Ross steadily improved during her series to finish sixth in the shot put, becoming the first to earn scoring All-America honors in the event for UGA since 2000.

On Wednesday, senior transfer Moustafa Alsherif finished fourth in the javelin to give the Bulldog men a scorer in the event for the fourth straight year.  Also, freshman Jayden Keys complemented his Southeastern Conference long jump title with an eighth-place finish in the event to score for the men.

Full Results: To check out live results throughout the four-day season finale, please check: https://gado.gs/da0

The Lowdown: Kulichenko, a Ondintsovo, Russia, native, shared the national crown in 2024 but left no doubt as she claimed her first sole title in the high jump.  Coming in at 1.84 meters/6-0.50 on Saturday, Kulichenko went over five heights, including the winning mark of 1.96m/6-5, on her first try and topped Illinois’ Rose Yeboah for the championship.  This is UGA’s fourth national championship in the event.

Butler, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native, collected her first individual national championship in the 400m and the second in school history (Lynna Irby, 2018).  She came in as the national leader and left with a fresh school record and became the No. 5 all-time collegiate performer.  Only one member of the field, Butler’s teammate Dejanea Oakley, came within striking distance of her.

Oakley, who hails from Clarendon, Jamaica, sped to her own personal record of 49.65 to earn the silver medal as Georgia tallied 18 points in the event to take control of the meet.  Oakley’s time dropped Irby’s previous No. 2 time in the school record books to No. 3.

Butler later combined with Smith, Oakley and Harris to win Georgia’s first women’s 4x400m relay outdoors in history.  Topping the school record and taking over the No. 8 spot on the collegiate all-time performer’s list, the Bulldogs passed the baton around for a 3:23.62 to top Arkansas (3:24.25) for gold.  Butler scorched an anchor leg of 48.79 to move into the overall lead during the final 100 meters and put an exclamation mark on Georgia’s point total.

Arriving on the Oregon campus seeded 11^th nationally, Townsend, a native of Prosper, Texas, posted six fair attempts in the triple jump and topped out at a personal record to finish sixth at her first Nationals.  Townsend’s second try of 13.52m/44-4.50 situated her in sixth place with a comfortable cushion as she joined the great four-time NCAA outdoor triple jump champion Keturah Orji as a UGA First Team All-American.

How To Keep Up With The Dogs: Results and recaps from the NCAA Outdoor Championships will be found at georgiadogs.com.  News and updates from Georgia’s track and field and cross country teams are always located on X/Instagram at @UGATrack.

Bulldog Day 1 Scorers
Name                                     Event                          Mark/Time – Place
Moustafa Alsherif                 M. Javelin                  76.69m/251-7 – 4^th
Jayden Keys                         M. Long Jump           7.80m/25-7.25 – 8^th
Bulldog Day 2 Scorers
Stephanie Ratcliffe              W. Hammer Throw  *71.37m/234-2 – 1^st
Manuela Rotundo                W. Javelin                  60.35m/198-0 – 2^nd
Lianna Davidson                  W. Javelin                  59.03m/193-8
Kelsie Murrell-Ross             W. Shot Put               17.80m/58-4.75
*national leading mark
Bulldog Day 3 Scorers
Eddie Kurjak                         M. High Jump           2.15m/7-0.50 – T-8^th
Bulldog Day 4 Scorers
Elena Kulichenko                 W. High Jump           1.96m/6-5 – 1^st
Aaliyah Butler                       W. 400m                    *^49.26 – 1^st
Michelle Smith                      W. 400mH                 55.20 – 3^rd
Skylynn Townsend              W. Triple Jump         ^13.52m/44-4.25 – 6^th
Dejanea Oakley                   W. 400m                    ^49.65 – 2^nd
Butler, Smith                         W. 4x400m Relay    *^3:23.62
Oakley, S. Harris

Final Team Standings (top 10)
MEN

T-1. Texas A&M (41 pts.)
T-1. USC (41)
3. Arkansas (40)
4. Auburn (35)
5. New Mexico (31)
6. Oklahoma (30.5)
7. Minnesota (25)
T-8. Florida (22)
T-8. Kentucky (22)
T-8. Ole Miss (22)
45. GEORGIA (6.33)

WOMEN
1. GEORGIA (73)
2. USC (47)

3. Texas A&M (43)
4. Washington (31)
5. Illinois (29.5)
6. Stanford (29)
7. South Carolina (28)
8. Arkansas (26)
9. New Mexico (25)
T-10. Oregon (23)
T-10. Texas (23)

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Princeton University

EUGENE, ORE. – Mena Scatchard earned Second Team All-American honors and Georgina Scoot became an All-American Honorable Mention as the Tigers closed out competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Saturday in Eugene. In the 1500m final, Scatchard raced hard, kicking out several runners in the final 200m to clock in at 4:11.04 for ninth […]

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June 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, ORE. – Mena Scatchard earned Second Team All-American honors and Georgina Scoot became an All-American Honorable Mention as the Tigers closed out competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Saturday in Eugene.

In the 1500m final, Scatchard raced hard, kicking out several runners in the final 200m to clock in at 4:11.04 for ninth place overall.

The performance capped off an incredible career for the Tiger who graduated last month, while adding “Second Team All-American” to Scatchard’s long list of accolades at Princeton.

Scatchard now concludes her career in the Orange & Black as an NCAA runner-up, a two-time All-American, eight-time Ivy Champion, and the record holder in eight events across indoor and outdoor track.

Scoot took to Hayward Field again to compete in the triple jump after earning Second Team All-American honors in the long jump on Thursday.

She cleared 12.56m/41-2½” to be named an All-American Honorable Mention. This trip to Eugene marked Scoot’s second NCAA appearance, and it capped off a dominant season that saw Scoot win two Ivy titles at Heps to become the Ivy League Most Outstanding Field Performer.

As the Tigers finish their time out West, they close out the 2024-25 year with much success to look back on both as individuals and as a team, including a historic third Ivy League Triple Crown and multiple All-Americans.

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Pellicoro Closes Season With First Team All-American Honors, Breaks 800m School Record

Story Links EUGENE, Ore. – Senior Laura Pellicoro delivered a record-breaking performance in the women’s 800-meter final at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships this evening at Hayward Field, clocking 2:00.84 to place seventh overall and earn First Team All-American honors. Pellicoro shattered her own school record […]

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1 hour ago

June 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, Ore. – Senior Laura Pellicoro delivered a record-breaking performance in the women’s 800-meter final at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships this evening at Hayward Field, clocking 2:00.84 to place seventh overall and earn First Team All-American honors.

Pellicoro shattered her own school record and personal best in the final, capping off a historic season among the top mid-distance runners in the nation. The Italy native becomes one of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history, earning All-American recognition across cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track.

A three-time Cross Country All-American (2022, 2023, 2024), Pellicoro was also named to the All-Region Team and earned First Team All-WCC honors every year from 2022 to 2024. She was the 2022 WCC Co-Runner of the Year and a two-time WCC All-Academic First Team selection. As a sophomore, she was honored with the Fr. Chester Prusynski Student-Athlete of the Year award for her outstanding contributions both athletically and academically.

In indoor track, Pellicoro made history at the 2025 UW Preview, where she ran the fastest collegiate women’s 1,000-meter time ever recorded (2:37.04). She also set school records in the mile (4:25.60), 800m (2:00.92), and now holds five indoor school records across the 600m, 800m, 1000m, mile, and 3000m. She was named to the 2025 Bowerman Watch List, becoming the first Pilot ever to earn the honor, and was recognized as the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week in January. Pellicoro is a three-time NCAA indoor mile qualifier (2023–2025) and a three-time Second Team All-American indoors (2022, 2024, 2025).

Internationally, she claimed gold in the 800 meters at the 2023 World University Games, further establishing herself as a world-class competitor.

Outdoors, Pellicoro previously broke the school 800-meter record at the NCAA Semifinal with a time of 2:01.07 before lowering it again to 2:00.84 in the NCAA final. She made two NCAA Outdoor Championship appearances prior to this year (2022 – 800m; 2023 – 1500m).

The full result of women’s 800-meter final is listed below.

2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Eugene, Ore. (Hayward Field)

June 11-14, 2025

Thursday, June 12

Women’s 800m Semifinal

1. Michaela Rose, LSU, 1:58.95 Q

2. Lauren Tolbert, Duke,1:59.39 Q

3. Makayla Paige, North Carolina,1:59.92 Q

4. Meghan Hunter, BYU, 1:59.96 Q

5. Roisin Willis, Stanford, 2:00.33 Q

6. Smilla Kolbe, North Florida, 2:00.70 q

7. Laura Pellicoro, Portland, 2:01.07 (2:01.061) q (PR, School Record)

8. Victoria Bossong, Harvard, 2:01.07 (2:01.063) q

9. Veronica Hargrave, Indiana, 2:01.54 Q

Friday, June 13

Men’s 5000m Final, 6:55 PM (PT)

Matt Strangio, 13:24.14

Saturday, June 14

Women’s 800m Final

1. Roisin Willis, Stanford, 1:58.13

2. Makayla Paige, North Carolina,1:58.97

3. Meghan Hunter, BYU, 1:59.03

4. Michaela Rose, LSU, 1:59.47

5. Lauren Tolbert, Duke,1:59.88

6. Smilla Kolbe, North Florida, 2:00.37

7. Laura Pellicoro, Portland, 2:00.84 (PR, School Record)

8. Veronica Hargrave, Indiana, 2:01.00

9. Victoria Bossong, Harvard, 2:03.86

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Sports

Tait Places Fourth, Earns First Team All-American Honor at NCAA Outdoor Championships

Story Links MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Graduate student Sarah Tait of the West Virginia University track and field team earned her second career First Team All-American honor at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday in Eugene, Oregon. Tait soared to a new personal best time of 9:27.80 in the […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Graduate student Sarah Tait of the West Virginia University track and field team earned her second career First Team All-American honor at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday in Eugene, Oregon.

Tait soared to a new personal best time of 9:27.80 in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, solidifying her spot at No. 2 all-time in program history. Additionally, she ran 10 seconds faster in the event final than she did in the semifinals on Thursday inside of Hayward Field.

The Edinburg, Scotland, native becomes just the second Mountaineer of all time to earn the First Team All-America accolade in the women’s steeplechase. With the fourth-place finish, she joins her teammate, graduate student Ceili McCabe.

The time was good enough to best the Scottish national record, which has been held by Ellish McColgan since 2013. Tait smashed McColgan’s previous record, 9:35.82, by eight seconds.

With Tait’s finish, the Mountaineers complete the 2024-25 track and field season.

For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Sports

Best girls athlete for the 2024-25 season

VIDEO: Vero Beach’s Jada Mosley captures girls weightlifting state title The Vero Beach High School senior became the eighth lifter in program history to win a state title. School is out for summer. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to move on from the year that was. As our Spring All-Area teams continue to be […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

School is out for summer. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to move on from the year that was.

As our Spring All-Area teams continue to be revealed this week, the 2024-25 athletic calendar remains the subject of TCPalm’s Summer Celebration series, a weekly poll to vote on who are the area’s best programs, athletes, traditions and more from last year and beyond.

Last week, we wanted to see who was the area’s best boys athlete from the 2024-25 high school calendar. Vero Beach junior pitcher Sebastian Dimitroff won the poll with 47.47% of the vote.

This week, we ask the same question, this time with the girls. The poll is set to close at 12 p.m. Friday.

Without further ado, it’s time to punch in the votes and continue enjoying the summer.

Hailey Brereton, St. Lucie West Centennial soccer and softball

Year: Senior

Brereton was the backup goalkeeper for an Eagles soccer team that finished with a 10-7 record. However, she’s a nominee because of her work on the softball field. The Murray State signee paced all local pitchers with 227 strikeouts and an .144 opponents batting average. while boisting a record of an 11-4 record and a 1.74 ERA.

What helped Brereton win TCPalm’s Softball Player of the Year was her strong pitching campaign combined with her work at the plate. After hitting just two home runs through her first three seasons, the senior went deep four times. She added six doubles, two triples, 24 RBIs, batted .429 and compiled a 1.392 OPS.

Emerson Brinn, South Fork cross country and track and field

Year: Junior

Brinn started her junior season by being named TCPalm’s Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year after she claimed eighth in the Class 3A state championship meet with a personal-best time of 18:43.8. She ended her year with an All-Area First Team selection in track and field thanks to winning a district title and third-place state finish in the 1,600-meter run.

Ivy Cooper, Fort Pierce Central volleyball

Year: Senior

Cooper was not only viewed as the area’s best prospect but her talent has caught the attention of plenty across the state and country. The senior captain was named an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, which recognizes her as one of the top 250 players in the United States. The Virginia Tech signee put up 355 digs, 75 assists, 39 kills and 39 service aces during the 2024-25 season.

Kha’Lyah Delva, Fort Pierce Central wrestling

Year: Senior

The Cobras senior capped her career with back-to-back state runner up finishes. Delva started the season at 155 pounds before making the switch to 145 at the start of the calendar year. The change didn’t slow her down as she claimed district and regional titles en route to a 40-2 record.

Valerie Gomez, Jensen Beach tennis

Year: Senior

When you suffer your first singles defeat at the final match of the season, you’ve had an exemplary campaign. Gomez was comfortably the area’s best player as her performance propelled the Falcons to the Class 3A state championship match. There, she lost to Nease No. 1 Kylie Kochis in straight sets to wrap up her singles season at 14-1.

Gomez had similar success at doubles competition alongside sophomore Domenica Ayleen Monserrate. The duo went 11-1 together, winning their first 10 matches after taking a loss against St. Thomas Aquinas’ top pairing in the state semifinals. She was a state qualifier in both singles and doubles competition after winning District 14-3A titles. Gomez will play collegiate in Pensacola at the University of West Florida.

Ella Gravlee, Vero Beach volleyball

Year: Sophomore

With Cooper off to Virginia Tech, this rising junior will likely talent over the mantle as the area’s best volleyball prospect. Blasting shots from the middle of the floor or any area at the net, the 6-foot-3 Gravlee and her powerful, precise swings made her the area’s most intimidating presence. She used her power and shot variety to lead all local players with 336 kills. Gravlee had six matches of 20 or more kills, including a 23-kill effort during the team’s regional semifinal win over Olympia.

Jada Mosley, Vero Beach weightlifting

Year: Senior

Mosley was yet another dominant lifter to come out of Vero, becoming the eighth champion in program history after claiming the Olympic title at the 199-pound weight class in the Class 3A state meet. The senior won the crown with total lifts of 385 pounds. She later backed that up with a runner-up state finish in traditional competition. Prior to state, Mosley swept through districts and regionals.

Taylor-Nicole Overton, Vero Beach track and field

Year: Sophomore

Overton concluded her first season in Vero by doing something the program hasn’t seen in 23 years. The sophomore became the program’s first track state champion, winning the 400-meter dash in a personal-record time of 53.19 seconds at the Class 4A state meet. She outpaced Fletcher’s Zyaire Thomas by 0.05 seconds.

Overton wasn’t done as she placed second in the 200 (23.99), 10th in the 100 (12.22) and helped Vero’s 1,600-meter relay team to a fourth-place finish. She swept the four events at districts and regionals.

Adrienne Rivera, Fort Pierce Central flag football

Year: Senior

For the third consecutive season, this Cobras quarterback is TCPalm’s Flag Football Offensive Player of the Year. It’s hard to argue that anyone else was more deserving as Rivera set career highs in completion percentage (68%) and quarterback rating (122.8) while tying her career best of 60 touchdown passes and throwing for a career-low 16 interceptions.

She led the area with 4,524 passing yards while adding 595 yards and 15 more scores through the running game. Following a legendary prep career, Rivera has signed to play collegiately at Keiser.

Ellie Smith, Vero Beach volleyball

Year: Senior

Starting all four years of her varsity career, Smith saved her finest campaign for her last en route to being named TCPalm’s Volleyball Player of the Year.

The captain and leader of the Treasure Coast’s best team, the 5-foot-7 setter topped the area with 708 assists and averaged 9.8 assists per set. She also added 135 digs, 24 aces and 15 blocks. Smith will play collegiately at Northern Illinois.

Savannah Tatum, South Fork flag football and soccer

Year: Senior

Tatum was a star for both on a Bulldogs soccer team that captured a district title and a Bulldogs flag football team that enjoyed an eight-game improvement.

On the pitch, she recorded an assist in 14 games to lead the area with 25 assists while pouring in 13 goals. Tatum was even better on the football field as the senior threw for 2,152 yards, 33 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for 1,309 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Giovanna Waksman, Pine soccer

Year: Sophomore

It wasn’t simply that she ran circles around opponents or that she smashed the Knights’ all-time record books while facing constant double and triple teams, Waksman’s production was elite even by national standards. According to MaxPreps, the sophomore led the country with a whopping 87 goals and 188 points. She appeared in every match, averaging 4.6 goals and 9.9 points per game to lead the program to its first state title game appearance.

Her success directly impacted whether or not Pine went home victorious or in defeat as the Knights were 16-0-1 in matches where Waksman scored and 0-2 in matches she didn’t. Beyond uncanny dribbling skills and tremendous ability to send missiles off either foot, the Brazilian star is a particularly intelligent player willing to deliver beautiful balls to a teammate making a run. The sophomore had a team-best 14 assists.

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Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

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