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Root returns to GCU as associate swim coach

Story Links Grand Canyon University’s swimming and diving program has added a key piece to its coaching staff with the hiring of Paul Root, a GCU alumnus and accomplished coach across the Arizona swim scene who will now be the associate head coach.  Root returns to GCU, where he was a […]

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Grand Canyon University’s swimming and diving program has added a key piece to its coaching staff with the hiring of Paul Root, a GCU alumnus and accomplished coach across the Arizona swim scene who will now be the associate head coach. 

Root returns to GCU, where he was a swimmer and 2013 graduate, following more than a decade of coaching experience at the club, high school, and collegiate levels. Most recently, Root served as head coach of the Arizona Dolphins from 2019 to 2025, leading the team to four top-10 finishes at the Western Senior Zones and helping produce 41 state records and a 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier.

“I could not be more excited to be returning to GCU, this is a full circle moment for me,” Root said. “Having watched the University grow over the last few years I am eager to help make GCU Swimming and Diving a premier NCAA destination. Lopes up!”

Root brings experience developing talent at every level. From 2020 to 2024, he was head coach at Boulder Creek High School, where his swimmers won four relay state titles and six individual state championships. He also helped launch the swimming program at Arizona Christian University, serving as the inaugural head coach for the men’s and women’s teams from 2016 to 2020. His time at ACU included five All-America honors and a 12th-place team finish for the women at nationals in 2019.

Root began his post-GCU career at Phoenix Swim Club, where he was Head of Development from 2013 to 2019, working with youth and junior swimmers. He also holds a leadership position in Arizona Swimming, serving as the organization’s Senior Vice Chair on the board of directors starting in 2025.

“We are thrilled to have Paul joining our staff,” said GCU head coach Steve Schaffer. “Paul will bring great energy to our recruiting and coaching, and he will have a huge impact on helping us in the emerging new era of NIL development. The fact that he is one of our alums just adds all of the upsides of bringing him into our staff.”

Root now rejoins a GCU program that is continuing to rise on the NCAA stage year after year. 



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College Track and Field: Mya Lesnar punches her ticket to NCAA nationals – Alexandria Echo Press

Colorado State senior Mya Lesnar didn’t waste much time competing in the women’s shot put at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field West Prelims on Friday, May 29, 2025, in College Station, Texas. On her first shot put attempt, Lesnar, an Alexandria alum, finished with a throw of 18.50 meters. No one else […]

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Colorado State senior Mya Lesnar didn’t waste much time competing in the women’s shot put at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field West Prelims on Friday, May 29, 2025, in College Station, Texas.

On her first shot put attempt, Lesnar, an Alexandria alum, finished with a throw of 18.50 meters.

No one else surpassed 18 meters, as Lesnar went on to win the NCAA West Prelims and advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Kalynn Meyer of Nebraska finished second with a throw of 17.96m.

Lesnar had three throws on May 29. She scratched on her second attempt but had a throw of 18.46m on her third attempt, nearly topping her first throw.

Lesnar won the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Shot Put title, and placed fifth at the 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor National Championships.

The 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships are in Eugene, Oregon, from June 11-14.

Lesnar is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the women’s shot put with a throw of 19.60m.

Sam Stuve

Sam Stuve covers a variety of sports in the Douglas County area. He also is assigned to do some news stories as well.





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CSUN Adds Brittany Klaman to Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff

Story Links NORTHRIDGE, Calif — CSUN head women’s basketball coach Angie Ned has announced the hiring of Brittany Klaman as an assistant on the Matadors’ 2025-26 coaching staff. “I am thrilled to have Brittany join the staff,” Ned said. “Her pay-it forward mentality directly aligns with the culture and foundation of the CSUN […]

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NORTHRIDGE, Calif — CSUN head women’s basketball coach Angie Ned has announced the hiring of Brittany Klaman as an assistant on the Matadors’ 2025-26 coaching staff.

“I am thrilled to have Brittany join the staff,” Ned said. “Her pay-it forward mentality directly aligns with the culture and foundation of the CSUN Women’s Basketball program. Brittany is an incredible mentor and coach with great passion. Her work ethic and experience will directly provide a positive impact on the team and CSUN community!”

Klaman comes to CSUN after spending the last two seasons as the Director of Operations for the women’s program at Long Beach State. In her time at LBSU, she helped the Beach to 31 wins, including a 12-8 Big West record in 2024-25. Long Beach earned a key win over first place Hawai’i in Manoa on December 7. 

Prior to her time at Long Beach State, Klaman had a successful Division I playing career as a student-athlete at both Eastern Washington and California Baptist. She played three years (2021-23) under Coach Ned at CBU, averaging 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while totaling 61 steals and 24 blocks. The Melbourne, Australia native helped the Lancers capture the 2021 WAC Championship in her first season. 

In her final season at CBU, Klaman hit the game-winner versus Georgia Southern to help the Lancers advance to the WBI Championship game. She finished her collegiate career having played in 160 games to rank in the Top 5 in NCAA Division I games played.

“Accepting this position truly feels like a full-circle moment for me.” Klaman said. “I had the privilege of playing under Coach Angie during my college years, and now having the opportunity to work alongside her is incredibly special.”

Also honored for her performance in the classroom, Klaman was a three-time WAC All-Academic Team selection with the Lancers.



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Bobcats send five track athletes to NCAA Championships

TXST TRACK AND FIELD Five Bobcat track athletes punched their ticket to Eugene, Oregon to compete at the NCAA National Track Meet after qualifying at the NCAA West Regionals in Texas A&M. The first Bobcat to qualify for the national track meet was junior Chris Preddie. Competing in the long jump after taking first place […]

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TXST TRACK AND FIELD

Five Bobcat track athletes punched their ticket to Eugene, Oregon to compete at the NCAA National Track Meet after qualifying at the NCAA West Regionals in Texas A&M.

The first Bobcat to qualify for the national track meet was junior Chris Preddie. Competing in the long jump after taking first place in conference, Preddie placed second at regionals with a jump 26-3 ½ and qualified for nationals.

However, Preddie’s week was not done yet. The junior later competed in the triple jump on Friday where he finished in 11th place with a jump of 52-3 ¼.

Preddie qualified for the NCAA National Outdoor Meet for the second time in his career after qualifying during his freshman season where he finished 14th. Preddie also became just the second ever male track athlete to advance to nationals in two different events and the first since Brian Veal in 2005 who also qualified for nationals in both the long jump and triple jump.

Joining Preddie is the throwing duo of sophomore Lara Roberts and junior Melanie Duron. Roberts, who took first place in the hammer throw at conference, placed fourth overall to advance towards nationals with a throw of 215-3. This is the second year in a row Roberts has qualified for the national meet, qualifying as a freshman where she placed 14th.

Duron, who took first place in the shot put at conference, placed ninth with a throw of 5411 and punched her ticket to nationals for the first time in outdoor. Duron had also qualified for the NCAA Indoor National Track Meet earlier this year.

Rounding out the week was the high jumping duo of senior Kason O’Riley and junior Aiden Hayes.

After finishing in 1st and 2nd place at the conference meet, O’Riley finished in a four-way tie for first place, jumping 7-1 ½. Hayes finished in fifth place, also jumping 7-1 ½ as both teammates qualified for nationals.

Hayes and O’Riley are the first Texas State male track athletes to both qualify for the national meet in the same event in the same season.

The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled to start Wednesday, June 11 and will run through Saturday. The event will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPNU. cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc

Junior Chris Preddie qualified for the NCAA Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in both the long jump and triple jump. Preddie is the first male Texas State track athlete since Brian Veal in 2005 to qualify for nationals in two different events in the same season. Photo submitted by Texas State Athletics

Above left, junior Melanie Duron finished in ninth place to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the shot put. Duron also qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the shot put earlier in the season. Above right, sophomore Lara Roberts took fourth place in the hammer throw to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. This is the second consecutive season Roberts has qualified for nationals in the hammer throw. Photo submitted by Texas State Athletics

Senior Kason O’Riley and junior Aiden Hayes both qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the high jump. O’Riley finished tied for first place. Photo submitted by Texas State Athletics



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Sutton Announces 2025 Volleyball Schedule and Season Tickets

Story Links Renew Your Season Tickets Purchase Season Tickets BOONE, N.C. – App State Volleyball head coach Chad Sutton on Wednesday announced the schedule for the 2025 season, his first in charge of the Mountaineers.   This fall’s slate will […]

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BOONE, N.C. – App State Volleyball head coach Chad Sutton on Wednesday announced the schedule for the 2025 season, his first in charge of the Mountaineers.
 
This fall’s slate will feature a nonconference tournament, a pair of nonconference midweek matches and eight home conference matchups. The Mountaineers’ nonconference slate will feature clashes with a trio of ACC opponents and a clash with Big 10 contender Michigan State. 
 
Season tickets are available to purchase and renew for $65. App State faculty and staff have the opportunity to redeem a discount for a $35 season ticket by calling the ticket office at 828-262-7733. Fans interested in courtside seats may also call the ticket office for availability. 
 
​​”I am really excited for this schedule,” Sutton said. “We have a strong non conference slate composed of P4’s and high RPI mid-major opponents. I believe this will be critical to our development and help prepare us to compete in the Sun Belt, while pursuing our goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament.”
 
The Mountaineers will open non conference play at the College of Charleston Classic. App State will take on Mercer in that event on Aug. 29 before challenging the College of Charleston and Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 30. 
 
The Black and Gold will open its home slate with a midweek clash against Elon on Sept. 2 in the Holmes Convocation Center. App State will take on VCU and Virginia in the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Va. (Sept. 5-6) before heading down to Kennesaw, Ga., for the Kennesaw State Invitational (Sept. 12-13) to clash with Michigan State and Kennesaw State. On Sept. 16, App State will head to Chapel Hill for a midweek clash against North Carolina before hosting the Mountaineer Classic on Sept. 19-21 in Holmes. The tournament will feature a clash with Duke on Sept. 19 and a match against Davidson on Sept. 21. 
 
App State’s conference slate will feature eight home matches, beginning with a pair of matches against James Madison on Sept. 26 and 27. The Mountaineers will travel to Lafayette, La., to challenge Louisiana on Oct. 3 and 4 before returning to the High Country to host Old Dominion on Oct. 10 and 11. After stops in Statesboro, Ga., and Conway, S.C., to take on Georgia Southern (Oct. 16 and 17) and Coastal Carolina (Oct. 24 and 25), the Mountaineers will return to Boone to host Georgia State on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The regular season slate will wrap up with a pair of road matches against Marshall (Nov. 6 and 7) and a weekend in Boone against Troy (Nov. 14 and 15). 
 
The Sun Belt Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 20-23 in Foley, Ala. 
 
Season Ticket Information
Season Tickets: $65

Faculty & Staff Season Tickets: $35 (must call the Ticket Office at 828-262-7733)
Courtside Season Tickets: $125 (must call the Ticket Office at 828-262-7733)
Renew Your Season Tickets
Purchase Season Tickets
 
 



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Headlined by a Second Place Finish in the Men’s All-Sports Standings, Gaels Take Fifth in WCC Commissioner’s Cup Race

Story Links SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The final standings for the WCC Women’s All-Sports Award, Men’s All-Sports Award, and Commissioner’s Cup have been released this morning. Saint Mary’s finished second in the Men’s All-Sports Award race, while finishing fifth in the Women’s All-Sports Award and Commissioner Cup standings. This is just the […]

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SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The final standings for the WCC Women’s All-Sports Award, Men’s All-Sports Award, and Commissioner’s Cup have been released this morning. Saint Mary’s finished second in the Men’s All-Sports Award race, while finishing fifth in the Women’s All-Sports Award and Commissioner Cup standings. This is just the Gaels second time over the past five years finishing in the top-five in the overall Commissioner’s Cup standings, and their highest men’s finish since 2017. Here is a look at the overall standings:

Commissioner’s Cup














Finish Institution Score
1 Santa Clara 85.98
2 Pepperdine 84.43
3 LMU 81.10
4 Gonzaga 80.90
5 Saint Mary’s 77.30
6 San Diego 71.60
7 Portland 68.00
8 San Francisco 63.60
9 Pacific 54.03

 
 
Women’s All-Sports Award














Finish Institution Score
1 Pepperdine 51.10
2 Santa Clara 49.80
3 LMU 47.80
4 Gonzaga 47.70
5 Saint Mary’s 41.30
6 Portland 37.40
7 San Diego 34.40
8 San Francisco 31.80
9 Pacific 18.15

 
 
Men’s All-Sports Award














Finish Institution Score
1 San Diego 37.20
2 Saint Mary’s 36.00
3 Santa Clara 35.88
4 Pacific 33.38
5 Pepperdine 33.33
6 LMU 33.30
7 Gonzaga 33.20
8 San Francisco 31.80
9 Portland 30.60

On the men’s side, the Gaels climbed from a fourth place finish last year, to second play this year. This was due in big part to conference titles won by Men’s Basketball and Baseball, as well as top five WCC finishes from Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Tennis, and Golf. In total, the men’s programs of Saint Mary’s finished the year with a combined record of 76-59-6, and won two conference championships for the first time since the 2015-16 academic year. 

For the women, the Gaels picked up just their third top five finish in the past decade. Paced by a conference title from Softball, a third place finish from Beach Volleyball, the Gaels women finished with a combined overall record of 84-94-3, and picked up at least one conference title in back to back years for the first time in program history. 

On another extremely successful year, Saint Mary’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Matoso noted:

“The continued success of Saint Mary’s athletic success has clearly been on display in the 2024-25 academic year. We surpassed the 150 win mark for the second consecutive year, and saw three different programs hoist WCC title trophies for the first time since 2015-16, and just the fourth time in program history. I am extremely proud of all of our student-athletes, coaches and support staff that made this season such an incredible success!”

#GaelsRise



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Nathan Kent Selected NAAA Athlete of the Week

Story Links ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Nathan Kent from the men’s track & field team has been named this week’s Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) Athlete of the Week, presented by Northrop Grumman, for his performance at the NCAA East Region First Round last weekend.   Kent punched his ticket to the NCAA […]

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Nathan Kent from the men’s track & field team has been named this week’s Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) Athlete of the Week, presented by Northrop Grumman, for his performance at the NCAA East Region First Round last weekend.
 
Kent punched his ticket to the NCAA Championship when he broke Navy’s 400m record of 45.32, which he previously set at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last June when he ran 45.23 and placed fourth. The Rocklin, Calif., native was also a member of the 4x400m relay team that qualified for the for nationals as it clocked a school-record 3:04.05. 
 
Kent and four other student-athletes – Pete deJonge (4x400m relay), Jacques Guillaume (4x400m relay), Murphy Smith (10,000m) and David Walker (4x400m relay) – will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championship on June 11-13 in Eugene, Ore.



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