EUGENE, Ore.—Babson College rising sophomore Aithan Bezanson (Danvers, Mass.) finished seventh in the decathlon at the USA Track & Field U20 Championships at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon last Friday. 

Bezanson recorded career-best marks in three events, the 100-meter dash, the shot put and the discus, and a top-four finish in four different disciplines while totaling 6225 points. 

After opening the meet with a sixth-place finish in the 100-meter dash (11.34), Bezanson placed fourth in the long jump with a leap of 21-feet-, 4.25-inches and came in sixth in both the shot put (41-feet, 1-inch) and the high jump by clearing 5-feet, 11.50-inches. He concluded the opening day of competition by coming in eighth in the 400 meters with a time of 57.89. 

Bezanson opened day two of the meet by coming in ninth in the 110-meter hurdles (16.57) and fourth in the discus with a mark of 118-feet, 8-inches. He placed 10th in the pole vault by clearing 10-feet, 2-inches and finished strong by taking second place in both the javelin with a throw of 173-feet, 5-inches and the 1500 meters in a time of 4:36.96. 

Bezanson’s performance in the USATF U20 Championships comes on the heels of a rookie campaign that saw him set new school records in both the 400-meter hurdles (54.94) and the decathlon (6355 points). His score in the decathlon ranked 35th overall on the Division III qualifying list and first in the east region. 

By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY – As music played over the speakers and young girls continued to have smiles spread across their faces, the Oak Mountain volleyball team took time out of their summer to give back to the community at the Oak Mountain Volleyball Camp.

Held from June 11-13 at Oak Mountain High School, 55 younger volleyball players got the chance to improve in their skills while learning from the girls they idolize that play on the varsity level.

Oak Mountain volleyball coach Anna Claire Harris led her second camp as head coach of the Eagles, and for her, the week was all about seeing the joy on the faces of the campers as they participated in activities.

“I had a little girl (during camp) come in, two kids, and say, ‘I talked to my mom last night about getting to play volleyball,’” Harris said. “For me, it’s not something where I’m like, ‘Oh yeah we did this.’ It’s showing kids this is an option… but I think for a lot of kids, volleyball is growing, especially in Birmingham.”

Throughout the camp, girls were able to learn basics and other techniques in passing, serving, setting and hitting, while also learning how to move their feet properly and get set.

The campers were also able to participate in “Minute to Win It” games, where they competed in teams in other games that were not focused on volleyball, but kept the competitive aspect alive. The winning team at the end of the week got to pie Harris and their camp counselors in the face.

The camp counselor positions were served by players on Harris’ varsity squad, which the coach felt was an exciting and important period in their careers.

“Getting to see my girls interact with the younger girls on like a babysitting side, but also, they’re teaching them how to play volleyball,” Harris said. “I’m setting up and running things, but I’m giving them a lot of power to do it themselves. Seeing them step into leader roles as well is exciting.”

Heading into the upcoming season, Harris feels what her players did in the camp will help when it comes to game action on the court, as she says it is essentially like competing at camp, just on a higher level.

“I want kids to know the ‘why,’” Harris said. “Going into the season knowing, ‘This is what I’m doing, this is why I’m doing it,’ but them understanding it, I think, is crucial.”

Oak Mountain’s volleyball program has had a lot of success in recent years, including in the 2024 campaign in Harris’ first season at the helm.

As volleyball continues to gain popularity in the state of Alabama, Harris feels like camps like these are important for the kids to develop and find a love for the game. However, there is also a bigger goal in mind than anything the game can bring.

“At the end of the day, there’s not a large percentage of kids that end up playing in college. That’s fine with me,” Harris said. “I want kids to have a place. I’ve got some kids who have never played a sport… The more kids that you can get interested, and honestly, this day and time, even if they don’t want to play in school, at least they’re being active and they’re not sitting at home in front of an iPad or a tablet.”

The Finland National Team will whittle their roster down by one to 14 before competing in their two European Championship qualifying games in August.

“Neea’s participation on the Finnish Volleyball National Team is a huge honor and opportunity,” said Utah Volleyball head coach Beth Launiere. “This is a big step for Neea, and is representative of the type of player she is and the direction she is headed in her volleyball career. We’re so excited for her to play against the best players in the world, and to represent her home country as well as Utah Volleyball. Utes fans are going to love watching her play this fall.”

 

Joki transferred to Utah this past spring after spending one season with Clemson Volleyball. As a Tiger, Joki made a quick impact being named to the ACC All-Freshman Team, leading Clemson in aces with 27, and finishing third on the team in scoring with 292.5 points (2.81 points per set).

Utah’s pin attacker is no stranger to competing at a high level for her home country as a member of the Finnish Volleyball Junior National Teams (U14-U19) where she won the North European Championships (NEVZA) four times (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), was voted the 2022 Breakthrough Player of the Year in the Finnish League, and was named the 2021 Finnish Volleyball Female Junior of the Year.

Joki isn’t the only Ute representing on the National-level this summer, joining teammates Devyn Wiest (USA U19 World Championship team), Kamryn Gibadlo (USA U21 National Training team), and associate head coach Alyssa D’Errico (assistant coach for the USA U19 World Championship team).

For an inside look at the Utah Volleyball program, including tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @UtahVolleyball | Instagram: @utahvolleyball).

 

Five swimmers living and training in the Eindhoven region managed to qualify for the world championships in Singapore. The athletes managed to qualify via the National Championship or via selection for the World Long Course Swimming Championships, from 27 July to 3 August.

Out of the 13 players selected for the Dutch swimming team at the World Cup, five are training at the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium at the Tongelreep: Thomas Jansen, Nyls Korstanje, Sam van Nunen, Marrit Steenbergen and Maaike de Waard.

Gold

In long track swimming, the events are divided into distances and types of strokes. Think freestyle, backstroke, butterfly stroke and breaststroke in 200 metres, for example. The most successful sports swimmer from the region going to the World Championships in Singapore is Marrit Steenbergen from Geldrop. At the previous World Championships, she won gold in the 100-metre freestyle and with the relay team in the 4×100-metre freestyle. Earlier, she captured bronze twice: at the 2016 World Championships with the 4×100-metre freestyle relay and in 2022 on the 4×100-metre medley.

Water sports

TeamNL is yet to announce which event each swimmer will compete in at the World Championships. The Dutch team will leave for Singapore in the second half of July. When they arrive in the Asian country, there are also world championships of several other water sports, such as water polo, diving and synchronised swimming.

Source: Studio040.nl

Translated by: Anitha Sevugan

Alabama track and field star sophomore Doris Lemngole from Kenya, East Africa, defended her women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase national title on the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. 

The four-time national champion ran a blistering 8:58.15 race, marking the first time in NCAA history that a woman has run a sub-9:00 time, while also capturing this year’s world-leading time in the event. 

Katelyn Adel from Zurich, Switzerland also made Alabama history on the final day of the heptathlon, as the freshmen used three consecutive personal record setting performances in the long jump (6.18m| 20-3.50), javelin (36.57m| 119-11), and 800m (2:16.85) to secure a school-record 5,834-point total. With Adel’s eighth-place, podium finish, she became the first student-athlete to earn All-American honors (first team) since Kaylon Eppinger in 2012. 

High jumper Miracle Ailes finished things off for the Crimson Tide with a tied-for-13th-place finish to successfully secure Second Team All-American recognition. UA women’s track and field team finished the NCAA championship national meet in Eugene, Oregon, in 19th place with 14 points. 

“I’m extremely proud of the effort and determination our team displayed throughout the four days of competition,” Head Coach Dan Waters Said. “Samuel Ogazi capturing his first national title in the 400 meters and Doris Lemngole successfully defending her steeplechase crown in historic fashion were exceptional accomplishments. Across the board, though, our student-athletes rose to the occasion, earning All-America honors in several events, and represented the University of Alabama with great pride and integrity. Their performance is a true reflection of the hard work and commitment they’ve shown all season.”

Crimson Tide’s Day Four Results

• Heptathlon Day 2

• Long Jump

• Javelin

• 800m

• Final Point Total

• Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase Event Final

• Women’s High Jump Event Final

RENO, Nev. – With the 2025 volleyball season quickly approaching, season tickets are now on sale, as announced by the athletics department on Monday.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (775) 348-PACK or by clicking here. Fans will not want to miss any of the action inside Virginia Street Gym this season, with new theme nights and giveaways scheduled.

The Pack, led by Head Coach Shannon Wychoff-McNeal, will have 12 home games, including hosting a three-day tournament in mid-September. 

Nevada returns multiple standout players from last season, including Bella Snyder, Kinsley Singleton, Sierra Bernard and Masyn Navarro. 

After making an appearance in the Mountain West Tournament in the 2024 season, the Pack are ready to once again make a run for the conference title.

Season ticket pricing and home schedule can be found below.

Season Ticket Pricing

• Adult Season Tickets – $65
• Senior (55+) Season Tickets – $55
• Family Four Pack Season Tickets – $150 ($37.50 per ticket)
• Youth Season Tickets – $30

2025 Home Schedule
Thurs. Sept. 11, 6 PM – Nevada vs. Eastern Washington
Fri. Sept. 12, 5 PM – Nevada vs. Pacific
Sat. Sept. 13, 12:30 PM – Nevada vs. CSUB
Thurs. Sept. 25, TBA – Nevada vs. Utah St.
Sat. Sept. 27, TBA – Nevada vs. Boise St.
Thurs. Oct. 16, TBA – Nevada vs. Wyoming
Sat. Oct. 18, TBA – Nevada vs. Colorado St.
Sat. Oct. 25, TBA – Nevada vs. San Diego St.
Thurs. Nov. 6, TBA – Nevada vs. Fresno St.
Sat. Nov. 8, TBA – Nevada vs. San Jose St.
Tues. Nov. 11, TBA – Nevada vs. Air Force
Thurs. Nov. 13, TBA – Nevada vs New Mexico