BOONE, N.C. – The App State men’s and women’s track & field team will be represented by nine Mountaineers at the USATF U20 Championships on Thursday and Friday in Eugene, Ore. Six newcomers will make their debuts in the Black and Gold and compete alongside three returners. The meet will be available to stream on USATF.tv.
 
Rising sophomore Henry Stark will start things off for the Mountaineers with the men’s 5,000 meters at 9:36 a.m. PT (12:36 p.m. ET) on Thursday. Stark stands second in the App State all-time list in the event after clocking a personal best of 14:10.86 at the Raleigh Relays (March 27-29). 
 
In the afternoon, incoming freshmen Alana Braxton and Ashlynn Wimberly will compete in the women’s triple jump (4:30 p.m. PT, 7:30 p.m. ET). On the track, incoming freshman Allie Kinlaw and rising sophomore Thomas Wlazlowski compete in the women’s and men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively. The women’s race is set for 5:33 p.m. PT (8:33 p.m. ET), with the men’s to follow at 5:47 p.m. PT (8:47 p.m. ET). Wlazlowski stands 10th in the App State all-time list in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal best of 9:03.65, which he set at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships (May 8-10). Wlazlowski placed third in the conference championship race, securing Third-Team All-SBC honors.
 
On Friday, Braxton will return to the jumps runway with fellow incoming freshman Kelly MacBride to compete in the women’s long jump, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET). At 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET), incoming freshmen Tate Shore and Bryant Young will make their debuts for the Mountaineers as they compete in the men’s 1,500 meters.  
 
Stark and fellow rising sophomore Memphis Rich will close competition for the Mountaineers on Friday in the men’s 3,000 meters, which is slated for 6:17 p.m. PT (9:17 p.m. ET). Rich holds the Randy Marion Track & Field facility record in the men’s 3,000 meters with a time of 8:57.88, which he set at the Sunday Night Qualifier (May 18th). 
 
App State’s USATF U20 Schedule 
Thursday, June 19
9:36 a.m. PT (12:36 p.m. ET) – Men’s 5,000 meters | Henry Stark

4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET) – Women’s Triple Jump | Alana Braxton & Ashlynn Wimberly
5:33 p.m. PT (8:33 p.m. ET) – Women’s 3,000-meter Steeplechase | Allie Kinlaw
5:47 p.m. PT (8:47 p.m. ET) – Men’s 3,000-meter Steeplechase | Thomas Wlazlowski
 
Friday, June 20

3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET) – Women’s Long Jump | Alana Braxton & Kelly MacBride

4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET) – Men’s 1,500 meters | Tate Shore & Bryant Young
6:17 p.m. PT (9:17 p.m. ET) – Men’s 3,000 meters | Henry Stark & Memphis Rich
 

2025 PORTLAND STATE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

For at least one weekend this fall, the eyes of the volleyball world in the state of Oregon will be focused squarely on Viking Pavilion as the Portland State volleyball team hosts Oregon and Oregon State, Sept. 19-20. The in-state weekend provides a clear highlight for the Vikings’ 2025 schedule, which the program released Wednesday.
 
It’s only the second time in the past 15 years that the Vikings will host both Oregon and Oregon State in the same season. They also hosted both programs in 2022 as part of the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown. The Vikings’ match against the Ducks at that tournament brought a record crowd to Viking Pavilion. They then set another attendance record this past fall when 1,340 fans came to see the Vikings host then-No. 12 Oregon.
 
That record figures to be under threat again this fall. The Vikings will host the Ducks at 7 p.m. on Sept. 19, while their match against the Beavers will begin at 5 p.m. on Sept. 20.
 
That weekend will close out a road-heavy non-conference schedule for the Vikings. Portland State will host an exhibition against Corban on Aug. 18. After that, they’ll play on the road for the first three weekends of the season before hosting the Ducks and Beavers.
 
The road-heavy start to the season figures to test what will be a youthful Viking team in 2025. The Vikings will have only one true senior in Tyra Schaub this fall, while two-thirds of their team will be made up of underclassmen.
 
That youth will need to get their feet wet in a hurry, then, as the Vikings begin on the road at a tournament at Air Force. The Vikings will play neutral-site matches against Jacksonville State and Seattle U, both on Aug. 29, before facing host Air Force on Aug. 30.
 
The next weekend will see the Vikings play Long Beach State and San Francisco at USF’s home tournament on Sept. 4 and 5, respectively. The Vikings will stay in the Bay Area for a match against Cal Baptist on Sept. 6 that will be played in Santa Clara, Calif.
 
The Vikings will face Cal Baptist again the following weekend when they head to CBU’s home tournament, Sept. 11-13. The Vikings open the tournament against New Mexico on Sept. 11. They’ll face host Cal Baptist on Sept. 12 before closing out the tournament against Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 13.
 
The home weekend against Oregon and Oregon will precede the start of Big Sky play. The Vikings open their conference schedule with a split weekend, hosting Idaho State at Viking Pavilion on Sept. 25 before hitting the road to play Montana State in Bozeman on Sept. 27.
 
The Vikings return to Viking Pavilion to host Sacramento State on Oct. 3 before hitting the road again to play at Northern Arizona (Oct. 9) and Northern Colorado (Oct. 11).
 
Four straight home matches will give the Vikings a chance to find a groove. The Vikings host Montana State and Montana on Oct. 16 and 18, respectively, then stay home to host Eastern Washington and Idaho on Oct. 23 and Oct. 25.
 
The Vikings play at Weber State (Oct. 30) and Idaho State (Nov. 1) the following weekend but then return to Viking Pavilion to close out their home schedule against Northern Colorado (Nov. 6) and Northern Arizona (Nov. 8).
 
Three straight road matches will wrap up the regular season for the Vikings as they play at Sacramento State (Nov. 14), Idaho (Nov. 19) and Eastern Washington (Nov. 21).
 
The Idaho-Eastern Washington road trip will be played a day earlier than a usual conference weekend. The Vikings will face them on Wednesday and Friday, rather than the usual Thursday-Saturday schedule during Big Sky play. That’s due to a change in the Big Sky tournament schedule this year. Instead of playing over Thanksgiving weekend, the Big Sky Conference will host its tournament Monday to Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Northern Colorado will host the tournament, having earned the right as last year’s regular-season champion.
 
Tickets and other information regarding the Vikings’ 2025 volleyball schedule will be released at a later date.
 

Swimming SA (SSA) has suffered a blow in seeking to control all aquatic sports in the country after losing its legal bid to shut down the emergent SA Water Polo (SAWP).

Cape Town high court judge Judith Cloete on Wednesday dismissed the national federation’s case against SAWP with costs. 

“The applicant has failed to demonstrate any of the requirements for final interdictory relief,” she said in a written judgment.

SSA — the body responsible for swimming, water polo, diving and artistic swimming — sought to interdict SAWP, accusing the newly formed body of passing itself off as the national federation responsible for water polo and interfering in its running of the sport, among other issues.

SAWP said when it launched in March it had wanted to discuss taking over the running of water polo with SSA and, failing that, it would approach World Aquatics for recognition.

General | 6/18/2025 10:05:00 AM

INDIANAPOLIS– Wartburg’s Marshun Williams was selected to attend the NCAA Career in Sports Forum May 28-31, 2025.

The four-day event in Indianapolis brought together third-, fourth- and fifth-year student-athletes interested in staying in sports in their professional careers. 

Whether through coaching, working in the health care system, elevating through the ranks of professional sports, finding a sport-adjacent career or staying in collegiate athletics, the Career in Sports Forum educated participants on the intersection of personal strengths and career opportunities.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to network with industry experts, learn about different opportunities in college athletics, and develop professionally and personally,” said Williams. “The fellowship provided me with insight into the behind-the-scenes work of collegiate athletics, ranging from compliance and operations to student-athlete development.

“One of the most useful takeaways for me was seeing the passion and purpose that motivates so many people in this industry,” he continued. “It sparked my interest in working with collegiate athletics in the future and provided a clearer picture of how I may combine my personal interests with a meaningful job. It taught me that athletics are not everything in life, and that it’s the journey through life that leads to significant friendships and memories. Having friends, coaches, and people who care about you is what is most important, and it cannot be taken away.”

Here is a survival map, based on the program’s theme, “Campfires to Careers,” that program participants followed on their four-day trip to the national office.

Forge your path

The Career in Sports Forum provided tangible experiences for student-athletes to explore professional and career development strategies while offering insights into careers available in sports.

Learners participated in industry-specific breakouts, including coaching, internal relations, external athletics and professional sports. 

Participants also listened to keynote speakers each day, including Joey Graziano, executive vice president of strategy and new business ventures for Pacers Sports and Entertainment, and Lacee’ Carmon-Johnson, director of basketball advancement for the Toronto Raptors. 

In his keynote speech, motivational speaker and author Charles Bailey encouraged the student-athletes to define themselves outside of the parameters of their athletics career.

“Most of you have prepared athletically, but you have not invested in preparing yourself with the career choice you need. You need to start preparing yourself now. You are one of the blessed few that have been in a room full of the most incredible speakers, teachers and leaders in the world. The things they will give you, if you let them, will change your life,” he said.

Conquer new trails

Each session broadened participants’ understanding of the diverse roles available in the sports sector, helping them to envision their futures more clearly. 

Pitch your tent

The participants were divided into small groups, better known as their “career camp sites,” to have more personal discussion and interactions.

Within each camp site, two facilitators guided a group of around 30 student-athletes to explore their interests, form tangible goals and learn how to network.

Find your North Star

The Career in Sports Forum provides student-athletes with invaluable opportunities to network with peers and decision-makers at various levels of college athletics. 

A networking night allowed student-athletes to meet with professionals in their desired careers. Around 35 career professionals formed one-on-one connections with the participants about their careers in marketing, coaching, communications, administration, academics, student-athlete development, finance, compliance, and strength and conditioning.

The favorite aspect of the forum for many student-athletes was the ability to meet their peers.

“Connect with your peers and learn from each other,” Jennifer Lynne Williams, emcee of the forum and chief development officer at USA Basketball, told the participants. “We talk a lot about networking up, but networking across with your peers is equally as important.