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Altzman on “Full Circle” Moment in Long Beach GTD Debut

Photo: Bob Chapman/Ford Jenson Altzman said making his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at Long Beach in his capacity as a Ford Performance Junior Driver Team is a “full circle” moment. Altzman, a podium finisher with the Ford Mustang GT4 in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition with McCumbee McAleer Racing, has formed Gradient Racing’s sprint race […]

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Altzman on “Full Circle” Moment in Long Beach GTD Debut


Photo: Bob Chapman/Ford

Jenson Altzman said making his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at Long Beach in his capacity as a Ford Performance Junior Driver Team is a “full circle” moment.

Altzman, a podium finisher with the Ford Mustang GT4 in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition with McCumbee McAleer Racing, has formed Gradient Racing’s sprint race lineup with Robert Megennis in the team’s No. 66 Mustang GT3.

The rising star is one of six Ford Performance Junior Driver Team members and the first to step up to GT3 competition.

“This amazing opportunity to be the first driver to bridge the gap from Mustang GT4 to Mustang GT3 and be competing at the top level that Ford Performance is currently competing in sports cars,” Altzman told Sportscar365.

“On the Junior Team side, it’s just awesome to have that presence here. I think I can showcase what Ford Performance’s Junior Program truly can deliver as far as results, as far as feedback.

“Gradient has been part of Ford Performance for the past eight months or so. Andris [Laivins, team owner] has been super awesome and wanted to work with a partner that was going to work with them too.

“That’s where he and I immediately clicked as [we] both saw the support Ford Performance can give, both on a driver side for me, and the engineering side for him.

“Coming here, getting this opportunity to work with Andris, ‘Pinky’ (Andrew Pinkerton, race strategist) and the whole Gradient team, even Robert [Megennis] is super cool.

“I want to make sure Ford Performance’s Junior Team is taken seriously.

“I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. But it’s very common we see these ‘junior programs’ form and nothing really comes of it or it doesn’t really mean anything.

“It can be something on your Instagram bio and that’s kind of it.”

Altzman said he had been talking to Ford Performance global sports car manager Kevin Groot on the concept of a junior program for over a year, although it only recently officially came together for the 2025 season.

“They took their time and when it finally got announced and I was picked — I went through the same selection process as everyone else — It was awesome to see why this took this long,” he said.

“Now having this opportunity, being here, really making the step…

“I want to deliver for Ford Performance. I want to deliver for everyone who’s a part of the Junior program and a part of putting the Junior Program together.

“I want to deliver for the other junior drivers. It’s just an amazing opportunity to come and do this, being involved with a manufacturer like Ford Performance is something I’ve dreamed about since a kid.

“This is a full circle moment in so many ways. This event, with this brand, not only for me but for the brand, having a driver make this step, it being a Junior Team driver.

“There’s a lot of good energy and we’re excited.”

Long Beach Debut Ideal Ahead of Pilot, WeatherTech Double Duty Weekends

Altzman said making his WeatherTech Championship debut at Long Beach, a track that his parents, then-safety car drivers for Champ Car and the American Le Mans Series, first brought him to at the age of 4, offers a number of benefits as he undertakes a dual series program.

The six-race WeatherTech Championship sprint race program comes in addition to his full season commitments with MMR in Pilot Challenge, alongside fellow Ford Performance Junior driver Sam Paley.

“Because the opportunity came after my Pilot Challenge season has already started, it’s certainly not a bad thing, whether it be Endurance Cup or the sprint rounds I was doing, but not having every weekend be a double header,” Altzman said.

“I want to make sure that on weekends where I’m doing both that I’m splitting my time evenly and both teams are getting information they need from me.

“Having only a handful of races where we’ll be doing both is probably a good transition for doing that.

“The first few sprint rounds help too. Long Beach — the walls don’t bother me at all. I love a good street circuit, especially this one.

“Here, it feels like a bigger, faster GT4 car that stops better.

“Then we’ll get to Laguna, where we do start to use the downforce a little bit and then we’ll go to [CTMP] where we’re full downforce. The GT3 and GT4 cars will be quite different.

“In the sense of the tracks that I’ll hit in that order will be a good progression for me to get in the car and get comfortable.

“For me to do this first race where I don’t have to be doing double duty, I can fully focus on these guys and get to know their program as in-depth as possible, so that when we get to Laguna, I know what these guys expect from me and can deliver.”



John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John


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Drake Athletics Prepared to Evolve with Changing Landscape of College Athletics

Story Links Bulldog Nation, Thank you for your continued support of Drake Athletics and our more than 370 student-athletes. Your generosity plays a vital role in our ability to provide a championship-level athletic experience and an elite education—hallmarks of the Drake University student-athlete journey. Over the past few years, the […]

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Bulldog Nation,

Thank you for your continued support of Drake Athletics and our more than 370 student-athletes. Your generosity plays a vital role in our ability to provide a championship-level athletic experience and an elite education—hallmarks of the Drake University student-athlete journey.

Over the past few years, the landscape of collegiate athletics has changed dramatically. The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), expanded transfer rules, and several landmark legal cases have fundamentally reshaped the NCAA model.

Now, with the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement, a new chapter begins—and Drake University is prepared to meet it with clarity, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to student-athlete success. We do so in a manner consistent with the values of our institution and department so that we may provide opportunities and experiences relative to our present and aspirant peer groups.

What This Means

Beginning July 1, NCAA institutions who are members of conferences outside of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC, will be permitted to opt into the terms delineated in the House v. NCAA settlement. The most publicized aspect of the settlement is that NCAA Division I athletics departments that “opt in” will have the ability to directly share revenue with student-athletes and manage NIL agreements at the institutional level. These shifts represent a significant transformation in how college athletics operates—but they also offer tremendous opportunity.

After much deliberation and evaluation, Drake University has opted in to the settlement and is ready to embrace this new era. At our core, our pursuit of sustained excellence in the classroom, competition, and community remains the same. For us to remain competitive and relevant, we must be willing to adjust with the changing times, especially in the sport of basketball. The pride and enjoyment our men’s and women’s basketball teams have provided us in recent years has also served as a reminder to the significance their success has on the rest of the department. In short, our basketball programs and the Drake Relays are the rising tide that lifts all other boats in our department. In order for all of our student-athletes and sport programs to grow, we must position our basketball programs and Drake Relays to flourish. 

Supporting Bulldogs Through Revenue Sharing

One of the most important elements of this transition is the ability to directly support student-athletes through revenue sharing. For Drake, that means the generous contributions you make—especially tax-deductible gifts to Drake Athletics—are now eligible to be part of this shared revenue model.

To support this shift, we’ve established two dedicated funds:

  • Drake Men’s Basketball Excellence Fund

  • Drake Women’s Basketball Excellence Fund

These funds are managed by Drake Athletics and directly benefit the greatest needs of our basketball programs. They have a direct impact on the operating budget of these programs as well as the student-athletes, coaches, and support staff of these teams. This will also be your way to provide financial resources for our student-athletes.

While Men’s and Women’s Basketball are the initial programs we have established Excellence Funds for, if supporters of other Drake programs are interested in providing financial support to create revenue sharing opportunities for other Drake student-athletes, that ability is also available and can be discussed with myself or Tim Tesar, Sr. Associate Athletics Director, (tim.tesar@drake.edu or 515-271-2132).

The Excellence Funds can be supported via one-time or recurring online gifts, donor-advised funds, stock donations, IRA distributions, or check. All contributions are a gift to Drake, and qualify for Bulldog Club benefits and DAPPS points.

These new funds are institutionally managed, tax-exempt, and focused on both recruitment and retention. They offer a clear, impactful, and compliant way to help Drake stay competitive while directly enhancing the student-athlete experience. Creation of an Excellence Fund budget and agreement on disbursement of Excellence Funds will be a collaborative effort between a head coach and sport administrator. In the sport of men’s and women’s basketball, I serve as the sport administrator and will work closely with Coach Henderson and Coach Pohlman on identification of their program’s greatest needs. As we move forward, Excellence Funds will be the preferred funds for supporting our athletes in this new era.

A New Model for NIL

As part of this realignment, we’re also evolving our relationship with DU Great Collective, our official NIL collective supporting Drake Men’s and Women’s Basketball. We’re deeply grateful for the role DU Great played during the early NIL era and for the leadership of many including, but not limited to, Kyle Mertz, Ryan Boatman, Mike Nixon, Kurt Brewer, Pat Schneider, Becca Mataloni, Spencer Harsch, Ted Brewer, Doug Shull, Louie Laurent, and Brook Rosenberg. Together, we’ve determined that Drake Athletics will primarily lead efforts to manage NIL opportunities for basketball student-athletes. The services provided to our student-athletes who benefited from a relationship with DU Great (interactions with local charities and community groups, compensation through NIL activities, taxation forms, etc.) will now be performed by Drake Athletics. DU Great will not dissolve for a myriad of reasons but individuals who financially supported DU Great, whether on a one-time, occasional, annual, or monthly basis, will be asked to continue their support through the aforementioned Excellence Funds of a specific sport at Drake.

Looking Ahead

We know you’ll have questions—and we’re committed to communicating clearly as these changes take hold. I recently sat down with Michael Admire for a podcast to discuss these shifts in greater detail. I invite you to watch or listen to our conversation [link to podcast below].

Drake Athletics continues to thrive because of the culture built by our coaches, staff, and student-athletes—and the loyalty of our fans and donors. To sustain this momentum and reach even greater heights, we must continue investing in our programs in new and meaningful ways.

Thank you for standing with us—and for helping lead the Bulldogs into this next era of excellence.

Go Bulldogs,

Brian Hardin

Director of Athletics

Drake University



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Former Smithville athletes compete in college

Editor’s Note: The Courier-Tribune is recognizing athletes from Smithville High School who are already currently playing in college or recently finished up their collegiate careers.… Login to continue reading Login Sign up for complimentary access Sign Up Now Close Link 0

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Editor’s Note: The Courier-Tribune is recognizing athletes from Smithville High School who are already currently playing in college or recently finished up their collegiate careers.…



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Josh Rocha, Holy Redeemer – Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice

He’s one of the best volleyball players in Pennsylvania. He’s put up eye-popping numbers, some of those digits reminiscent of video-game numbers. He averaged 10 kills a set. Not a match. Just one set. Yet, spend a few minutes with Holy Redeemer’s Josh Rocha, and it’s never about him. Sure, the senior hitter had goals. But […]

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He’s one of the best volleyball players in Pennsylvania.

He’s put up eye-popping numbers, some of those digits reminiscent of video-game numbers. He averaged 10 kills a set. Not a match. Just one set.

Yet, spend a few minutes with Holy Redeemer’s Josh Rocha, and it’s never about him.

Sure, the senior hitter had goals. But it wasn’t any kind of individual accolades. Instead, everything was team focused. Especially winning a district title.

“For me, it was about learning to be the best teammate that I could be, and also, just having fun because it was my senior year,” he said.

Rocha accomplished both.

He made memories on the court with his friends, and was able to drape a gold medal around his neck. For his efforts, Rocha is the Citizens’ Voice Boys’ Volleyball Performer of the Year. It’s the second consecutive year he’s been named as the Voice’s top player.

There isn’t much missing from his resume.

He’s the program’s all-time leader in kills.

He helped Holy Redeemer back to the top perch in the District 2 Class 2A volleyball world.

He also guided the Royals into the state quarterfinals.

Rocha’s numbers are unbelievable. He finished with 956 kills, which ranked No. 1 in the country, according to MaxPreps. He added 91 service points, 31 aces, 75 blocks and 125 digs.

The senior sat down with The Voice to talk about his senior year, what it meant to win a district gold medal in his final season, and about his future at Penn State.

Q: You entered this season as the featured hitter at Holy Redeemer, which brings a lot of pressure and attention. Talk about the expectations and the pressure of that spot.

A: For me, the expectations didn’t come with any pressure because I’ve been in this situation before. The past four years, I’ve always been a varsity starter, so I really didn’t feel any type of additional pressure. My coaches, teammates and family, they have always kind of alleviated that pressure. We came into the season expecting more than last year. Although we did lose a lot of players, we really wanted to get that district title, especially myself, because I didn’t get a district title in my first three years. We were really hungry to win, and we came in every day and put the work in.

Q: You did lose a lot of talented players from last year’s team. What was it like at the first practice with a group of newer athletes in the lineup?

A: It was overwhelming at times, but also, every day, I was really hopeful. Each day, we would look better than the day before. It was a constant growth from every single one of those players. I was so just proud of every one of them because they put in the time to get better.

Q: What was the bond like between you and your setter, Jack Wasiakowski?

A: I would say, this year, we were a lot closer. Our connection was great. His location was so good this year, and I am so proud of him. He’s going to do a lot of big things next year. That connection, it’s so important. He would always say that he would just put the ball up there for me to slam it because he trusted me. I think it’s so important to have that level of trust.

Q: You put up some really big numbers this year. One match, you had over 50 kills. Do you ever look back at the stat sheet the next day, and just say to yourself, “Whoa, I just did something pretty special?”

A: Honestly, I would always say to myself that I could do better. I always push for that next level.

Q: What was the feeling like when you finally got that district championship that you were striving for?

A: It was awesome because I was finally holding that gold medal after all these years. I’m just glad that I did it with this team because I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. I didn’t know what to do. I just took a few deep breaths and said to myself that this was really it, and I accomplished a major goal.

Q: How have you grown over the last four years?

A: I learned a lot about myself, actually. It is time-consuming to be a student-athlete, but I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything. It’s something I love doing, and I am glad that the freshman me decided to play volleyball.

Q: Talk about your future. What does the next few months look like?A: I am taking some time. Right now, I am playing volleyball for Prevail and I am going to nationals in Florida. After that, I am going to attend Penn State where I am going to study pre-med and play volleyball.

Q: What was the decision like to attend Penn State to study pre-med?

A: It was a tough decision, but I kind of felt like I always wanted to go to Penn State. I’ve talked with all of my friends that are on that pre-med track and they all love it. Their experiences have also pushed me to go there.

Q: If you would, pass along some words of advice to the underclassmen or someone thinking about playing volleyball at Holy Redeemer.

A: Growth doesn’t happen right away. It’s a long process, especially for myself. These past two years, people have started to see me shine. My freshman and sophomore years, I didn’t get all that glory. It’s about that hard work. If you keep working hard, you are going to get there in no time.



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Seven Cowichan schools represented at track and field provincials

The 2025 B.C. High School Sports provincial track and field championships took place in Langley June 5-7 and there were no shortage of athletes representing the Cowichan Valley.  Students from Frances Kelsey, Queen Margaret’s School, Ladysmith, Quamichan School, Chemainus Secondary, Brentwood College School,and Shawnigan Lake School all participated and some even brought home medals. Frances Kelsey […]

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The 2025 B.C. High School Sports provincial track and field championships took place in Langley June 5-7 and there were no shortage of athletes representing the Cowichan Valley. 

Students from Frances Kelsey, Queen Margaret’s School, Ladysmith, Quamichan School, Chemainus Secondary, Brentwood College School,and Shawnigan Lake School all participated and some even brought home medals.

Frances Kelsey

The bronze medallist last year, Kelsey Grade 12 high jumper Nova Wedmann-Kent improved her result to a silver this year in the senior girls category. Wedmann-Kent also ran the senior girls 100m and 200m races but did not qualify for the finals.

Kelsey tenth grader Charlotte Gough finished third in the junior girls 800m preliminaries and fifth overall. She also raced to fifth in the junior girls 1500m preliminaries and went on to place seventh overall — a three spot improvement over last year’s 10th place. 

Queen Margaret’s School

Jessica Tshibangu of Queen Margaret’s School placed seventh overall in the junior girls high jump and 12th in the long jump. Schoolmate Cohen Bartfai was ninth in the junior boys long jump after a second-place finish in the Grade 8 division last year.

Grade 12 jumper Mike Chen was 19th in the senior boys triple jump finals while Grade 10 thrower Elsie Jones was 27th in the junior girls shot put. 

Ethan Chen made the provincials in the senior boys high jump but did not jump.

Ladysmith Secondary

Four members of the Ladysmith track team made the provincials including William Cram, Skyla Lewis, Lila Jeffries, and Lina Anh Chay.

Cram was first in the junior boys 800m preliminaries and went on to earn the silver medal in the final. Also, after placing third in his preliminary race, Cram was sixth overall in the junior boys 400m race. 

Lila Jeffries placed 12th in the junior girls hammer throw event. 

Lina Anh Chay was 18th in the junior girls javelin final. 

Skyla Lewis was 28th overall in the junior girls 3000m race. She was 18th in the 1500m preliminary and did not advance to the 1500m final.

Brentwood College School

The lone athlete from BCS at this year’s track and field provincials was Ava Heenan. The 400m specialist participated in both the senior girls 400m dash and 400m hurdles. In the hurdles, she placed ninth in the preliminaries, just outside of a spot in the final. In the 400m dash, the Grade 11 athlete placed 21st in the preliminaries and did not advance.

Shawnigan Lake School

Grade 12 thrower Thabisa Mangena-Jellema’s top result was 11th in the senior girls discus. She also participated in the senior girls shot put event, placing 21st overall.

Quamichan School

Tate McGeachy was the lone Quamichan School representative and he placed 16th overall in the Grade 8 boys 400m dash preliminaries, missing the finals.

Chemainus Secondary

Iza Durante represented Chemainus at the provincials and placed 11th in the 400m dash preliminaries, missing the final.



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First West Nile case of season confirmed in Yolo County | News

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Country United States of […]

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RTL Group to acquire Sky Deutschland

RTL Group has acquired Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), for €150m, creating a media business with some 11.5m subscribers. The deal –  which is subject to regulatory approvals – combines Sky’s premium sports rights, including Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Premier League and Formula 1, with RTL’s entertainment and news brands across RTL+, free-to-air and pay TV. It […]

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RTL Group has acquired Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), for €150m, creating a media business with some 11.5m subscribers.

The deal –  which is subject to regulatory approvals – combines Sky’s premium sports rights, including Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Premier League and Formula 1, with RTL’s entertainment and news brands across RTL+, free-to-air and pay TV. It also unites the streaming platforms RTL+ and WOW.

RTL Group chief executive Thomas Rabe described the deal as “transformational for RTL Group”.

He said: “It will bring together two of the most powerful entertainment and sports brands in Europe and create a unique video proposition across free TV, pay TV and streaming.

“It will boost our streaming business, with a total of around 11.5 million paying subscribers, further diversify our revenue streams and make us even more attractive for creative talent, rights holders and business partners.”

Rabe said the synergies are estimated to be around €250 million per annum within three years after closing, creating “significant shareholder value”.

He added: “Together, RTL and Sky will be in an even stronger position to invest in people, content and technology in Germany and in Europe to compete with the global tech and streaming players. I want to recognise the outstanding work of the Sky Deutschland team, whose strong performance over recent years has laid the foundation for this next phase.”

Rights deals and strategic content partnerships

At the end of 2023, RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland struck a two-year partnership for seven Formula 1 races to be broadcast live on RTL in Germany, alongside one game from the English Premier League per match week on RTL+, and three conference broadcasts of the 2nd Bundesliga on RTL.

As part of the commercial agreement, Sky Deutschland received rights to two Europa League or Europa Conference League games per match week, providing subscribers access to premium live sport every Thursday.

At the time, RTL said “sharing live sport and content is the start of a broader partnership between RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland, with the ambition of finding further ways to share content in the future”.

And, at the end of last year, RTL Deutschland secured for the 2025/6 Bundesliga season onwards the exclusive free-to-air TV rights to broadcast the Saturday evening games of the 2. Bundesliga, as well as a highlights rights package for Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga on RTL+.

At the time, RTL Deutschland said its portfolio now includes matches of the German national team, the Uefa Europa League and Uefa Conference League and – in cooperation with Sky Deutschland – three live conference broadcasts of the 2. Bundesliga per season, and a top match from the English Premier League per match week.

According to the agreement, RTL Group will fully acquire Sky’s businesses in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, including customer relationships in Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol on a cash-free and debt-free basis. The purchase price consists of €150 million in cash and a variable consideration linked to RTL Group’s share price performance of up to €377m.

Barny Mills, Sky Deutschland CEO, will continue to lead the Sky Deutschland business until the transaction is completed. Stephan Schmitter will stay in his current role as CEO of RTL Deutschland until closing of the transaction and then lead the combined company. RTL Deutschland will remain headquartered in Cologne and Sky Deutschland in Munich.

Dana Strong, Group CEO at Sky, added: “Sky Deutschland has made significant progress over the past three years, delivering strong operational performance and reaching a record number of customers.

“The business is on track to achieve EBITDA break-even, reflecting the success of our turnaround plan. Combining the strength of our brand with RTL builds on that momentum and opens up even greater opportunities. This deal provides a strong platform for long-term success, and ensures Sky continues to share in the growth of the combined business.”





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