SEARCY — Five members of the Harding women’s track and field team have been named to the Academic All-District Team by the Collegiate Sports Communicators (CSC), formerly CoSIDA, recognizing their achievements in both athletics and academics. Seniors Cadence Sansom and Kiera Blankinship, both All-Americans on the track, will now advance to the Academic All-America ballot.

To qualify for the Academic All-District team, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically, hold a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade point average, and be ranked in the top 50 regionally in at least one event.

Harding’s honorees include:

• Josie Parks (Jr., D, Columbia, Tenn.) Parks, an exercise science major with a 3.87 GPA, was a standout in distance events. She was ranked seventh in the NCAA Division II Central Region and 40th nationally in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:52.71. This season, Parks claimed the 2025 Great American Conference (GAC) championship in the 1,500 meters (4:40.27) and finished third in the steeplechase (11:00.55).

• Dinah Winders (Sr., D, Mansfield, Tenn.) Winders, an accounting major, achieved a perfect 4.00 GPA. She was ranked 31st regionally in the outdoor 1,500 meters with a time of 4:40.58. At the GAC Championships, Winders secured a second-place finish in the 1,500 meters (4:40.81) and placed fifth in the 5,000 meters with a personal-best time of 18:01.53.

• Veagen Jones (Sr., MD, Edmond, Okla.) Jones, an exercise science major, earned a 3.50 GPA. She was ranked 30th regionally in the outdoor 800 meters, clocking a time of 2:14.21. Jones also placed fifth in the 800 meters at the GAC Championships with a time of 2:15.79.

• Cadence Sansom (Sr., PV, Lago Vista, Texas) Sansom, a criminal justice major with a 3.85 GPA, distinguished herself in the pole vault. She was ranked sixth regionally and 11th nationally in the indoor pole vault (4.03m, 13-2.5). Sansom earned Second Team All-America honors in both the indoor pole vault, finishing 11th with a mark of 4.07m (13-4.25), and the outdoor pole vault, where she placed 10th with a jump of 3.92m (12-10.25). Sansom’s achievements will now be considered for Academic All-America.

• Kiera Blankinship (Sr., HJ, Chickasha, Okla.) Blankinship, a marriage and family counseling major, was ranked seventh regionally and 21st nationally in the outdoor high jump (1.72m, 5-7.75). She earned Second Team All-America honors in the outdoor pole vault with a 10th-place finish at nationals, clearing 1.68m (5-6). Blankinship joins Sansom on the Academic All-America ballot.

The CSC Academic All-America program highlights student-athletes who excel academically and athletically, providing national recognition for their comprehensive success.

Matt Walter

College Sports, Local Sports, Sports

June 27, 2025

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The Ottawa Sports Pages’ 2025 High School Best Series profiles some of the top local student-athletes graduating from high school this year and moving on to the next level in their sport or studies.

Leading up to Canada Day, we’ll post a new story each day on OttawaSportsPages.ca to tip our caps to these great grads. You can also follow along and read each story on this webpage.

Late switch from paddling to rowing sends Henrik Neuspiel to Dartmouth College

Henrik Neuspiel is a natural athlete. Pick a sport and he has likely given it a try and had success. Sport was a natural avenue to follow as his father Victor competed in three world championships in kayaking and his mother Margaret Nelson Neuspiel played for Canada’s women’s water polo squad. For 12 years, he’s played hockey in the winter and paddled in the summer. READ MORE…

Hugo Djeumeni taking his impressive running game to Yale University

Fifty years ago this August, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band released their third studio album called Born to Run. Fifty years later, there’s an Ottawa athlete who deserves to have that title stitched on his jersey to summarize his high school football career. If you put a football in the hands of Hugo Djeumeni, stand back, he was born to run and run and run. READ MORE…

Kaiya Woodcock plans to represent University of Guelph Gryphons in soccer, athletics

When Kaiya Woodcock wasn’t using her blazing speed to accomplish this, that and everything at various sports venues, she would stop to think about her future. There was a time she wanted to go to university on a basketball scholarship. She played point guard for the West Ottawa Hornets, loved the team aspect of the game and used her acceleration on fast breaks. READ MORE…

Syracuse Orange fulfilled Nissi Ogbebor’s quest for an NCAA football scholarship

Sometimes older brothers can learn from younger brothers. Nissi Ogbebor will confirm that. He was only attracted to tackle football because his younger sibling Rohi was enjoying all aspects of the game. “My younger brother started to play when he was 11 or 12. I saw how much fun he was having and I said I should give it a shot,” Nissi said. READ MORE…

Ella Beltran looks to ‘eat, sleep, breathe rugby’ with Queen’s University Gaels

When Ashbury College grad Ella Beltran heads to Kingston next season, the Queen’s University Gaels will add more than just a gritty scrum half to their roster, they’ll be gaining a player with rugby in her blood. Love of the game runs deep in Ella’s family, with both of her parents having played rugby in high school. She’s got Ashbury in her veins too. READ MORE…

Christos ‘The Big Greek’ Zigoumis excited to join the Dog Pound with UConn Huskies

The moment that shaped the trajectory of Christos Zigoumis’ young athletic life came on a tykes football field. His Orleans Bengals were down by two points at the end of the fourth quarter in their under-10 contest and his team scored a game-winning touchdown. The thrill of that early victory has stayed with Zigoumis throughout his career. READ MORE…

St. Louis-bound CCA player Jahda Denis’s dawg mentality ‘comes from love’

Jahda Denis was sitting in the back seat of coach Fabienne Blizzard’s van. For the second consecutive season, their Capital Courts Academy had had their hopes quashed by their arch-nemesis at Crestwood Prep, this time by a humiliating 94-55 scoreline in the championship game. But Denis had an epiphany in that moment. READ MORE…

Daniel Cova earns 3 gold at NCSSAA track finals, NCAA scholarship

On a cold and wet final day of the NCSSAA track and field championships at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, it continued to rain records for athletes from the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club. Daniel Cova wasn’t among the record-setters, but the Louis-Riel Rebelles distance runner made a valiant attempt at one of the most stubborn records on the books. READ MORE…

Quinn Beauchesne’s tough season concludes with uplifting world U18 hockey gold

In the end, the light at the end of the tunnel could not have shone brighter for London Knights top student award winner Quinn Beauchesne during his 2024-25 hockey season. The 18-year-old defenceman from Ottawa had only played four games before an injury knocked him out of the Guelph Storm’s next seven Ontario Hockey League contests. READ MORE…

U18 gold medal win over USA a ‘dream come true’ for Team Canada’s Alex Therien

There was no better way for Alex Therien to kick off her career wearing the maple leaf than by beating USA for the gold medal in the final game of the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship on Jan. 12 in Vantaa, Finland. “It was just a dream come true and something we have all been dreaming about for so long,” reflects the 17-year-old. READ MORE…

Alex Fletcher grew out of hockey, but into being a football all-star

Alex Fletcher was like most young boys with a passion for hockey. He wanted to grow up and play in the National Hockey League. His career seemed to be going in the right direction as he climbed to the top AAA level with the Rushforth Selects Hockey program. But then the defenceman started to grow and add weight to his frame. READ MORE…

Related

SEARCY — Five members of the Harding men’s track and field team have been named to the Academic All-District Team by the Collegiate Sports Communicators (CSC), recognizing their excellence in both academics and athletics. Spencer Helms, a fifth-year senior and All-American in the discus, will now advance to the Academic All-America ballot.

To qualify for the Academic All-District team, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically, maintain a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade point average, and be ranked in the top 50 regionally in at least one event.

Harding’s honorees include:

• Nathaniel Perry (Jr., D, Purcellville, Va.) Perry, a management major with a 3.86 GPA, demonstrated strong performance in distance events. He was ranked 36th in the NCAA Division II Central Region in the outdoor 10,000 meters with a time of 32:02.36. At the 2025 Great American Conference (GAC) Championships, Perry finished ninth in both the 5,000 meters (15:11.11) and the 10,000 meters (32:02.36).

• Elijah Barnes (So., PV, Argyle, Texas) Barnes, a Bible and Ministry major, boasts a perfect 4.00 GPA. He was ranked 26th regionally in the outdoor pole vault (4.61m, 15-1.5). Barnes earned honorable mention All-GAC, placing eighth in the pole vault (4.30m, 14-1.25) at the 2025 GAC Championships.

• Isaac Hodges (So., PV, Omaha, Texas) Hodges, a management major with a 3.74 GPA, excelled in the pole vault. He was ranked 25th regionally in the indoor pole vault (4.63m, 15-2.25). Hodges also earned honorable mention All-GAC with a seventh-place finish in the pole vault (4.45m, 14-7.25) at the 2025 GAC Championships.

• Chad Strickland (So., PV, West Monroe, La.) Strickland, a kinesiology and health education major with a 3.59 GPA, was a regional contender in the pole vault. He was ranked 33rd regionally in the outdoor pole vault (4.46m, 14-7.5). Strickland earned honorable mention All-GAC with an eighth-place finish in the pole vault (4.30m, 14-1.25) at the 2025 GAC Championships.

• Spencer Helms (5th, T, Lawrenceville, Ga.) Helms, an exercise science major with a 3.65 GPA, was a dominant force in throwing events. He was ranked third regionally and ninth nationally in the outdoor discus (55.69m, 182-8). Helms won the 2025 shot put title at the GAC Championships and earned First Team All-America honors in the discus with a throw of 57.16 meters (187-6) at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Due to his All-America status, Helms will now be considered for Academic All-America.

The CSC Academic All-America program recognizes student-athletes who achieve outstanding results both academically and athletically, providing national recognition for their holistic success.

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon track and field community is mourning the loss of one of its most iconic figures, Bill Dellinger. The 91-year-old passed away on Friday, marking the end of a lifetime defined by love and legacy. 

At the University of Oregon, Dellinger emerged as one of head coach Bill Bowerman’s first standout athletes. He stunned the track world as a sophomore by winning the 1954 NCAA mile title. He went  on to become a three-time All-American, win every collegiate cross-country race he ran, and set an American record in the 5,000 meters at the 1956 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Dellinger was also a three-time Olympian for Team USA, competing in the 5,000 meters at the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympic Games. His perseverance paid off in Tokyo, where he earned a bronze medal and cemented his place among the world’s elite distance runners.

After a short stint coaching at Lane Community College, Dellinger returned to Eugene in 1967 as Bowerman’s assistant. He became Oregon’s head cross country coach in 1968, just as a young Steve Prefontaine arrived on campus. He played a pivotal role in molding Prefontaine into the national icon that he is today.

Dellinger’s impact at the University of Oregon was monumental. Over three decades, he led the Ducks to four NCAA cross country team titles, 12 top-three national finishes, and coached athletes to 45 All-America honors. His teams won 13 conference and four district titles, while Oregon individuals under his guidance claimed eight Pac-8/10 and six regional championships.

GULF SHORES — Sand Castle University (SCU), Alabama Gulf Coast’s master sandcastle sculptors, launched collaborations with Toyota automotives and L’Oreal cosmetics to mark two more “big” partnerships for the local business.

“These are by far the largest national brand collaborations we have done yet,” said Anita Spicer, with SCU.

Spicer said the sculptors at SCU partnered with Toyota after the company’s marketing agent reached out asking for a commercial for their new Grand Highlander. Janel Hawkins, sculptor and owner of SCU, took up the offer.

Parts of the advertisement were posted to SCU’s social media pages with the full commercial posted to their YouTube channel.

“Janel did a great job filming and editing — very professional,” Spicer said. “She sculpted a steering wheel, a seat, a dash module and a wheel/tire. Plus, the logo.”

For L’Oreal, Hawkins sculpted the headquarters building, and on top she placed a bottle of the new sunscreen the company is pitching. This content has not been posted as of press time.

Hawkins said on the partnerships, “Having opportunities for larger collaborations in the last couple of years has been really exciting and validating to me as an artist and business owner.”

Spicer mentioned previous sculpts Hawkins did for advertising movies including Disney’s “Moana 2,” Warner Brothers’ “AquaMan 2,” Netflix’s “SpongeBob: Saving Bikini Bottom” and Hulu’s “Vacation Friends Two.”

“Of course, in our everyday life, we do quite a few business logo sculptures — including Margaritaville at The Wharf — proposal sculptures, baby announcements, etc.,” Spicer said. “Not to mention the sculptures we did for Sand in My Boots fest.”

Hawkins said she will never stop sculpting for fun and plans to continue sculpting for proposals and local business logos to “stay plugged into our community.”

“Now that we are getting more requests for big collaborations and custom sculptures, I have been able to shift my focus from teaching full time to sculpting, whether that’s under contract or simply fun social media content,” Hawkins said. “Luckily, I have built an amazing team this season and other instructors are able to take over some of my class duties. It’s been a great thing to move forward in my business and who knows what the future may bring?”

As previously reported by GCM, Hawkins launched SCU in 2017, but business “pretty much exploded” during the COVID-19 pandemic after Alabama beaches opened back up quicker than other states and families were looking for “private, outdoor activities.

SCU hosts classes and creates commissioned sand sculptures for events such as Hangout Music Festival and the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships. SCU also sculpts for local and visiting corporate events and even creates marketing content for local businesses, such as a recent sculpt for Young’s Suncoast Realty & Vacation Rentals.

SCU has a constantly growing social media presence with Hawkins’ videos often featuring a time lapse of her working on an intricate, sandy creation or a short video of her stomping on and crushing some creations.

In December 2024, SCU reached one million followers on TikTok and currently has 444,000 on Instagram, an increase of 10,000 since the beginning of May, and 714,000 on Facebook.