FORT COLLINS, Colo. – On the heels of a historic season, Colorado State thrower Mya Lesnar has been named one of 10 finalists for The Bowerman Award – the top honor in collegiate track and field.
 

Beginning in 2009, The Bowerman – named after legendary track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Bill Bowerman – is bestowed to collegiate track and field’s top male and female athlete of the year. The Bowerman Advisory Board, and ultimately, The Bowerman Voters, are instructed to consider performances inclusively from the collegiate indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons only.
 
Lesnar has produced a resume worthy of being considered among the top 10 women for the prestigious award, becoming the first Ram from either CSU program to be named a semifinalist.
 
The crown jewel of her 2025 campaign was the dominant performance that won the NCAA outdoor shot put national championship two weeks ago at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Entering the meet as the heavy favorite, Lesnar surpassed 19 meters on her first attempt (19.01) – a mark only she was able to reach across the entire outdoor season – and secured the second national title of her career. Lesnar’s second-best attempt of 18.87 would also have put her atop the podium.

 

Add to the list a fourth-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships, a pair of First Team All-America honors, two conference shot put gold medals, and the fifth-best outdoor shot put throw in NCAA history (19.60/64-feet-3.75 on May 3) and Lesnar’s case becomes even stronger.

 

The Bowerman will announce its three finalists for the award on July 7, with the winner announced on Thursday, December 18 at the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Convention in Grapevine, Texas.

 

Allstate Sugar Bowl Recognizes State Champs in a Pair of Sports

NEW ORLEANS (June 26, 2025) – The Slidell volleyball team, which became the first public school to win the Division I state title since 2011, have been selected as the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Outstanding Prep Teams from the Greater New Orleans area for 2024-25.

The New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, has selected Sugar Bowl Athletes of the Month and each year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl Sports Awards Banquet presented by LCMC Health on August 2. Honorees are currently being announced, wrapping up with the New Orleans’ Outstanding Girls Prep Team of the Year were Haynes Volleyball and St. Scholastica Swimming. Haynes came together behind sisters Virginia and Marilyn Voitier to upend top-seeded Hannan to capture the LHSAA Division III state championship in the school’s first-ever trip to the state title match. St. Scholastica’s swimming dominance continued as the Doves used a balanced effort to tally 365 points, 91 points ahead of second-place to win their 14th straight Division II team title at the LHSAA state swim meet.

The other finalists for the Jimmy Collins Awards: Brian Marelo, Hahnville

Hank Tierney, Archbishop Shaw Football

Courtney Ward, Sacred Heart Basketball

My-Anh Holmes, Willow Tennis

Kade Anderson, LSU Baseball

Edna Karr Football

Slidell Volleyball

Eddie Robinson Award – July 7 (Monday)

Corbett Award – Female: July 9 (Wednesday)

Shan Foster, Basketball, Bonnabel HS/Vanderbilt/NBA, 2001-13
Joe McKnight, Football, John Curtis Christian School/USC/NFL, 2004-16
www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.

CLEVELAND – LMU Athletics has earned the school’s highest finish in the annual LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Division I Final Standings.
 
LMU placed 94^th overall among Division I schools, surpassing 2024’s previous high mark of 115^th in the nation. Additionally, the Lions placed 7^th among DI non-football schools. This is the first time that LMU has finished inside the top 100 overall and inside the top 10 among non-football schools.

“Achieving our best-ever finish in the Directors’ Cup truly reflects the relentless dedication and hard work of our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff,” said LMU Athletic Director Craig Pintens. “We are eager to keep raising the bar, with the goal of becoming the top Division I-AAA athletic department in the nation still clearly in our sights. This milestone marks yet another step on our journey.”

The Lions earned 200 points, based on the postseason successes of Beach Volleyball, Women’s Volleyball, and Women’s Water Polo. All three teams earned automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament after winning their conference last season.

 

Beach Volleyball earned 90 points, the most-ever in program history, by virtue of advancing all the way to the National Championship dual. The program finished second in the nation this season and extended their NCAA Tournament appearances to five consecutive.

Women’s Volleyball returned to the postseason for the 16^th time after winning their first West Coast Conference Title since 1996. The Lions advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Washington in five sets in the opening round to earn 50 points in the Director’s Cup Standings.

Women’s Water Polo earned the university 60 points as well after returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 and playing in the quarterfinal round against No. 2 UCLA. This spring’s return marked the 10^th NCAA Tournament appearance for Women’s Water Polo.  

 

SCORING REMINDER

Overall, 19 sports are counted in the final DI standings, five of which must be women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and baseball. The next highest (1 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.

The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships.

Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, please visit www.thedirectorscup.com and follow us on Twitter @ldirectorscup.

About Learfield: Learfield is a media, data, and technology services leader in intercollegiate athletics. The company unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. Learfield services include licensing and collegiate sports properties’ multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics and insights; ticketing software; and ticket sales, premium seating, and fundraising services; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for NACDA’s acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, recognizing athletic departments across all divisions.

 

The Fordham Rams men’s water polo team, fresh off their historic season, has announced their highly competitive 2025 schedule. This season includes 13 matches against top-ranked opponents, including four NCAA Championship competitors. The season kicks off with the Bruno Classic featuring MIT and Harvard, followed by a significant showing at the Princeton Invitational where they face defending champs UCLA. The Rams aim to continue their dominance in the MAWPC as they pursue their fifth consecutive championship.

By the Numbers

• 13 matches against 2024 poll-ranked opponents.
• 4 contests versus teams that participated in the National Collegiate Championship.

State of Play

• Season opener at the Bruno Classic on August 30-31 in Rhode Island.
• Key matches include UCLA and Stanford; Rams also host MAWPC championship in November.

What’s Next

The Rams will focus on their initial matchups in August, which set the tone for their season. Following the early tournaments, they anticipate fierce competition in the MAWPC league play, with pivotal contests against other top teams ahead of the championship.

Bottom Line

The Rams’ ambitious 2025 schedule aligns with their aspirations for defending their title, showcasing their commitment to maintaining a high level of competition throughout the season. Key matchups will be crucial for their quest for a fifth consecutive MAWPC title and NCAA Championship berth.

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Three student-athletes from SWOSU Track & Field have been named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selections, announced this week by the organization.

Breegan Barnett, Jaci Shelton, and Marleigh West each earned the academic recognition. West is now a three-time All-District selection, while Shelton and Barnett receive honors for the first time. 

Academic All-District selections were based on combined academic and athletic qualifications. Athletically, student-athletes needed to be ranked in the top-50 of the region in at least one event. In addition to the athletic qualifications, award winners must also hold a minimum of a 3.50 cumulative GPA or higher and be at least a sophomore.

The 2024-25 Academic All-District® Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

 

ROSEMONT, Ill. (WLS) — ABC7 Chicago’s Tracy Butler was Cooking up a storm Thursday with a couple of summer staples: hot dogs and baseball.

You can enjoy both without breaking the bank in the Chicago area.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The Chicago Dogs is a minor league team playing at Impact Field in Rosemont.

Cooking Up A Storm: Thai noodle bowl from Old Town Pour House

A night out with the family can be done on a budget.

Shawn Hunter, who owns the Chicago Dogs, and Evan Gersonde, the operations manager at the park, joined ABC7 Chicago to talk more about it.

The perfect and classic Chicago-style hot dog ingredients are an all-beef hot dog in a poppy seed bun topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet green pickle relish, tomato slices, a dill pickle spear, sport peppers and celery salt.

Visit thechicagodogs.com for more information.