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Trio of Utah State Women Compete on Second Day of NCAA West First Rounds

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Three women representing Utah State women’s track & field team competed at the 2025 NCAA West First Rounds in College Station, Texas, on Thursday.   The Aggies’ first competitor on Thursday was junior Krysthina Vlahovic, who clocked in at 14.32 in the 100-meter hurdles to finish 46th in the competition. Vlahovic, […]

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Three women representing Utah State women’s track & field team competed at the 2025 NCAA West First Rounds in College Station, Texas, on Thursday.
 
The Aggies’ first competitor on Thursday was junior Krysthina Vlahovic, who clocked in at 14.32 in the 100-meter hurdles to finish 46th in the competition. Vlahovic, who made her first career appearance at the NCAA West First Rounds, will now turn her attention to national competition as she qualified for the 2025 Canadian Track & Field Championships, to be held in Ottawa, Ontario, from July 30 through August 3.
 
Senior Emma Thornley and sophomore Brianne Smith raced in the 10,000 meters, where Thornley finished in 35:22.35 and Smith clocked in at 36:45.32 to place 30th and 40th, respectively. Thornley, competing in her second-straight NCAA West First Rounds, improved on her place (37th) and time (35:49.68) from a year ago. Smith, one of just two sophomore women to represent USU at this year’s NCAA West First Rounds, took part in her first career NCAA preliminary race. Thornley will race again on Saturday, competing alongside junior teammate Sarah Ellis in the 5,000 meters.
 
Friday’s competition will shift back to the men’s side, where 10 Utah State athletes will feature across five different events. Senior Nate Franz and sophomore Joseph Turner will begin the day’s action in the discus competition, to be followed by freshman Taite Priestley in the high jump. On the track, the 4×100-meter relay team will begin the evening’s races, to be followed by junior Logan Garnica and sophomore Garrett Woodhouse in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and sophomore Landon Bott in the quarterfinals of the 800 meters. Live coverage will continue from College Station on ESPN+.
 
Fans can follow the Utah State track and field programs on X at USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at USUTF_XC. Aggies fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on X at USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
 
2025 NCAA West First Rounds – Day 2
E.B. Cushing Stadium | College Station, Texas | May 29, 2025
 
USU Women’s Results:
 

 
-USU-





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Utah beach volleyball players upset with decision to shut down program

Colby Burleson walked into a meeting on the afternoon of April 29, expecting good news. Utah beach volleyball was coming off its best season in program history, finishing with a 21-14 record after losing to No. 10 Arizona State in the Big 12 semifinals. Burleson, formerly an assistant coach with the program, was hoping to […]

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Colby Burleson walked into a meeting on the afternoon of April 29, expecting good news.

Utah beach volleyball was coming off its best season in program history, finishing with a 21-14 record after losing to No. 10 Arizona State in the Big 12 semifinals.

Burleson, formerly an assistant coach with the program, was hoping to step up as the program’s next head coach following the retirement of Brenda Whicker at the end of the season. But, as he opened the door and strolled into the conference room, his optimism evaporated.

“I instantly had a pit in my stomach,” Burleson said.

At that meeting, Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan told Burleson and a group of returning volleyball players that the U. was discontinuing the program.

“It was pretty cut and dry,” Burleson said. “There wasn’t a lot of explanation at that point. We were all pretty blindsided.”

In a news release, Harlan cited “little evidence of the sport expanding at this time” among the reasons the Utes decided to cut the sport.

“With the sport’s growth stunted, and without the home facilities with amenities that allow us to host championship-level events, we are not providing the world-class experience that we seek to provide to our student-athletes,” Harlan said.

The Ute athletic director noted that there are only three other teams in the Big 12, short of the six teams required for an automatic qualifier in the NCAA championship.

The program also lost money — about $157,000 in the 2024 fiscal year, according to the U.’s latest financial reports.

Harlan and the U. have promised to help the beach volleyball athletes find new teams if they don’t want to remain at Utah simply as students.

Still, multiple athletes who spoke to The Salt Lake Tribune said they were frustrated with the way Utah officials handled the matter, saying they were disheartened by the decision and felt disrespected in a follow-up meeting with Utah administrators.

“I think the main thing we’re really just upset about is the disrespect that [Harlan and Green] have shown us,” Utah senior Sonja Wessel said. “Obviously, there’s no easy way or easy time to cut a program.

“I think it was very disrespectful the way they handled it. They didn’t talk to us. They didn’t keep any of us in the loop.”

But the members of Utah’s now-defunct beach volleyball program said they are still fighting to save their team with the help of a prominent alum.

‘It was handled terribly’

Several days after the initial meeting with Harlan, the 18-member volleyball team requested a meeting with Harlan and Green to address the athletes’ concerns.

Some were frustrated they weren’t part of the initial meeting. Before the meeting, they prepared talking points and passed out papers with analytics. But at least four of the volleyball athletes who attended the meeting described the tone of U. officials as “defensive” and “disrespectful.”

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Lassonde Beach Volleyball Courts at the University of Utah, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

“We wanted to go in prepared, and we wanted to genuinely ask questions about the decision,” said Bella Vezzani, a senior starter on the team last season. “That respect was not reciprocated at all.”

Associate athletic director Charmelle Green “came in and said, ‘That’s my seat, and that’s my athletic director’s seat, so you guys can move down there,’” said Ellyn Collins, a graduate on the team.

Vezzani said it felt like “they were bossing us around from the start.”

“I just think the whole situation was a mess,” Collins said of the meeting. “Charmelle Green interrupted us several times, and we were interrupting them. It was ridiculous, and I thought it was handled terribly.”

U. officials said they “dispute the characterization” of the meeting.

“Athletics administration agreed to this second meeting, which lasted more than an hour, for three administrators to listen to concerns and answer questions,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. “We are very understanding of the disappointment and strong feelings associated with receiving and processing this decision, and in the meeting, we reaffirmed our commitment to supporting the student-athletes and offering as many services as possible to assist them throughout this process.”

In the end, some players said the hour-long meeting left many of the players more frustrated, angry and confused. But they said they still hold out hope there’s a chance for a reversal of the decision.

“This group of women, we have always kind of been the underdogs in this, especially in Utah,” Wessel said. “We’re going to fight as hard as we can.”

Maeve Griffin, a senior on the team, added: “What’s next on the agenda for us, as seniors and as a members of the team, is to advocate for the program and to keep fighting for female sports.”

An effort to save the program

Utah beach volleyball alum Melissa Powell says she is still “so passionate about this program” years after her last match as a Ute.

Now a professional beach volleyball player, Powell has remained close to Whicker, the program’s former head coach, and has even practiced with the team during the offseason. That’s why Powell said she knew she had to do something when she learned about the program’s fate.

Powell is currently preparing to open the Beach Box Utah complex, an Olympic-level indoor beach volleyball training facility in Pleasant Grove — and she wants it to be the new home of the Utes.

Powell sent a letter to Harlan and the Ute athletic administration on May 3, offering Beach Box as a place to host practices and tournaments for free.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Keana Smalls reacts after scoring a point for Utah, in beach volleyball action between Utah and Colorado Mesa, in the first home tournament in history for the University of Utah, Saturday, April 13, 2019.

“It makes sense to me that — if I’m offering resources for free or getting the community to rally behind these girls — it would be a no-brainer to reinstate,” Powell said.

The Ute alum doubled down on her offer by including the services of Pompilio Mercadante, Brazil’s beach volleyball head coach in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as the program’s next head coach. She said she offered to pay his entire salary.

The university spokesperson confirmed they had received Powell’s proposal.

“We have had dialogue with Melissa Powell, and are appreciative of her concern and passion for the beach volleyball program. Conversations between Melissa and athletics administration will remain private,” a university spokesperson said.

The U. said it began reviewing the viability of the program in January.

“This was a very thorough and comprehensive process that resulted in a definitive decision shortly before the end of the season. We determined it would be best to inform the team immediately upon the conclusion of their season,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the U.’s latest financial report, beach volleyball brought in nearly $223,000 in revenue for the 2024 fiscal year but had $380,000 in expenses — a net loss of about $157,000.

Beach volleyball wasn’t, though, the only program to lose money. Utah’s baseball team recorded a $2.17 million loss in 2024, for example.

“I think it sends a horrible message,” she said. “I’m scared for women’s sports, because if they’re just looking at this [as a] revenue perspective … I’m worried we’re going to get rid of all women’s sports.”

The U. received a $14 million donation to support women’s sport initiatives this year.

A Utah spokesperson said the U. “remains confident” in its Title IX compliance following a comprehensive review. Scholarship funds previously allocated to beach volleyball will be moved to the U.’s other women’s athletics programs.

Powell followed up with Green via text on Tuesday, May 20, asking if she “ever got a chance to talk to Mark [Harlan]” about the offer.

Green replied: “Both Mark [Harlan], and I are aware of your desire to support in the areas of facility access, coaching and fundraising. Thank you.”

On May 27, Powell followed up with an email to Green, Harlan and other members of Utah’s athletic administration, asking for an answer regarding her proposal. In the email, Powell said, “I simply ask for clarity at this point so I can determine the best next steps moving forward.’

As of publication, Powell said she had not received a response from either Harlan or Green.

“I really hope that they consider it at least,” Powell said. “Hopefully, they give me the time of day to let me know that they’ve considered it and whether or not they’re denying or accepting it.”

‘All flipped right in front of us’

With Ellyn Collins’ Utah career likely over, she is trying to make decisions about what’s next for her future.

Collins said she was hoping to transfer to play indoor volleyball in her home state of Washington, while pursuing a teaching certificate. However, because the administration did not inform the team until April 29, she says she has missed application deadlines for schools there.

“The applications for these programs were due two months ago,” Collins said, “They said that they would help us and try and reach out to those programs. But it’s so much work at this point to make it all happen.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Students play on the Lassonde Beach Volleyball Court at the University of Utah, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

“My plan right now is, honestly, to just be done and go home and figure out my life for a year and go on from there.”

If any of the athletes want to stay at the U., the school will honor their scholarships until they complete their undergraduate degrees or through the projected completion of their athletics eligibility, whichever comes first.

“Utah will do all that it can to facilitate the process,” for those wanting to leave the program, Harlan said in a news release.

According to a statement from a university spokesperson, Utah’s athletic administration is working closely with beach volleyball athletes to help manage and resolve issues regarding signed apartment leases, including reimbursement for deposits lost due to terminating a lease.

As players and former members of the program continue to survey next steps, hope still remains for those wanting the beach volleyball program to be reinstated. In a petition organized by members of the program, they’ve amassed over 5,500 signatures in support of their cause.

But that hope dwindles as time passes.

“We were just so excited to come back,” Collins said. “Then, in a week, we literally all had to just change the trajectory of our lives.

“It was all flipped right in front of us.”

Note to readers • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.



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Men’s Basketball Adds Impact Scorer In Shaquil Bender

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chris Acker and his staff announced the addition of a major Division I transfer, welcoming guard Shaquil Bender to the Beach after two seasons at Manhattan.   Shaquil Bender | Guard | 6-2, 185 | Philadelphia, Pa.   Hailing from Philadelphia where he was All-State as a senior, Bender got his […]

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chris Acker and his staff announced the addition of a major Division I transfer, welcoming guard Shaquil Bender to the Beach after two seasons at Manhattan.

 

Shaquil Bender | Guard | 6-2, 185 | Philadelphia, Pa.

 

Hailing from Philadelphia where he was All-State as a senior, Bender got his collegiate career started in the junior college ranks in Southern California. As a true freshman, Bender averaged 19.0 points and 2.0 assists per game while earning First Team All-South Coast Conference honors. Transferring to Fullerton College as a sophomore, Bender led the Hornets to a CCCAA State Championship, going 32-1 while averaging 13.6 points and 1.3 assists per game, shooting 47.1 percent from three, and scoring 23 points in the state championship game.

 

Making the move to Division I, Bender led Manhattan in scoring at 13.8 points per game while shooting 34.1 percent from distance. Last season, he averaged 11.2 points per game and over two assists per game for the Jaspers, who made a 10-game improvement.

 

Acker on Bender:

“It was incredibly important for us to secure Shaq, simply because he’s a guy who knows how to win and I know he’s been coached extremely hard. He’s a very good scorer, but most importantly for us, he is an elite competitor. We needed to address toughness, grit, and scoring and he checks all of those boxes.”

 

Bender is Long Beach State’s second Division I addition via transfer this summer, joining Isaiah Lewis of Little Rock and becoming part of the growing group forming the 2025-26 roster.

 



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Club volleyball team qualifies for national tournament

Club Z volleyball club is led by coaches Brianna Wyatt and Madi Edwards. Team members include Cortez’s Tessa Jackson, Anna Tewell, and Mikayla Pena, Dolores’ Aubree Wyatt, Kendall Chavez, and Madison Thornbrugh, Mancos’ Lexi Lyons, Durango’s Devyn Edwards, and rising high schoolers Addyson Wyatt and Layla Mitchell. Team includes players from Southwest Colorado Club Z, […]

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Club Z volleyball club is led by coaches Brianna Wyatt and Madi Edwards. Team members include Cortez’s Tessa Jackson, Anna Tewell, and Mikayla Pena, Dolores’ Aubree Wyatt, Kendall Chavez, and Madison Thornbrugh, Mancos’ Lexi Lyons, Durango’s Devyn Edwards, and rising high schoolers Addyson Wyatt and Layla Mitchell.

Team includes players from Southwest Colorado

Club Z, a new Farmington-based volleyball club, won the 16-and-under division at the Stars and Stripes Festival tournament in Mesa, Arizona, over the weekend of May 24-26 and qualified for the AAU National tournament in Phoenix from June 26-29.

Led by coaches Brianna Wyatt and Madi Edwards, team members include Montezuma-Cortez High School’s Tessa Jackson, Anna Tewell, and Mikayla Pena, Dolores’ Aubree Wyatt, Kendall Chavez, and Madison Thornbrugh, Mancos’ Lexi Lyons, Durango’s Devyn Edwards, and rising high schoolers Addyson Wyatt and Layla Mitchell.

The team is run by directors Shawn and Lindy Edwards, and tryouts for next year’s club season will be from July 15-24. For those interested in getting involved in Club Z can reach out to Shawn Edwards at clubzsce@gmail.com.





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Spring Intramurals Cap Off Campus Recreation for the Year  — The Santa Clara

It started in the fall with flag football, then continued with co-ed soccer in the winter. Now, the wildly popular intramurals are coming to an end as the school year wraps up.  Slow-pitch softball led the way this quarter, with each team having the opportunity to advance to the playoffs. Seven innings, one hour of […]

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It started in the fall with flag football, then continued with co-ed soccer in the winter. Now, the wildly popular intramurals are coming to an end as the school year wraps up. 

Slow-pitch softball led the way this quarter, with each team having the opportunity to advance to the playoffs. Seven innings, one hour of softball or a 15-run lead determines the winner, whichever comes first. Division D brought the action with two heavy-hitting teams facing off in an elimination game, but it all began with a round-robin style bracket.

The four teams in this group all played each other once. “Portland Pickles” went undefeated but had two close matchups against “Fake Billionaires.” Their first matchup ended 8-7, while the second elimination game was 8-5. Both games went the full seven innings. Despite their two losses to the Pickles, the Billionaires had quite the strong season of their own. They came in second in the division with two thrilling walk-off wins against “Vineyard Vines.” The first came in the first game of the regular season, resulting in a 14-13 win. The second came in the last game of the regular season, resulting in a 15-14 win. 

“The season went well. We got good wins under our belt and built a good community,” Fake Billionaire first baseman Abhinav Shanbhag ’27 said.

Beach Volleyball was another exciting round-robin spring sport. The matches are the best of five sets, with each going to 15 points.

Division F had a dominant performer in “Beach Babes,” who went 4-2 on the season. They played back-to-back games to end the season, winning the first 3-1 but being eliminated after losing the second 1-3.

“We pushed hard in our back-to-back games but ultimately we just fell short,” Beach Babes captain Sophia Alvarenga ’27 said. 

Team “Club Soccer” defeated “NSBE n’ Company” in the single-day kickball tournament, 8-7, while “TNC” defeated “24 Mavs” 15-10 in the single-day 3v3 basketball tournament. 

Want to play intramurals? You’ll have to wait until next fall for dodgeball, flag football and ultimate frisbee, but it’s never too early to start building your team!



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York Suburban boys’ volleyball swept in district final by Manheim Central

The Trojans couldn’t quite keep up with the top-seeded Barons, who captured the District 3 Class 2A title on Thursday night. Ryan Vandersloot  |  For The York Dispatch York Suburban wrestler lives out childhood dream of wrestling York Suburban wrestler Angela Imorhoa wrestles to claim her spot at the state level tournament in March at […]

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The Trojans couldn’t quite keep up with the top-seeded Barons, who captured the District 3 Class 2A title on Thursday night.

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MANHEIM — The York Suburban boys’ volleyball team knew it was not that far away from knocking off a heavyweight like Manheim Central. The two premier heavyweights in District 3 Class 2A had already played May 5, with the Barons escaping with a narrow sweep of the Trojans.

That setback, while disappointing, opened the eyes of coach Oliver Good’s players to the possibility that, if they played better in a rematch, a reversal of fortune was within reach. And with a pair of district playoff sweeps, the Suburban boys earned that very chance. But they couldn’t flip the script.

With a district title on the line Thursday evening in Manheim, the the match was nip-and-tuck early on, with the lead being traded back and forth a handful of times. Just as they did back on May 5, however, the Barons showcased a late-game kick that the Trojans couldn’t match. The top-seeded hosts won Set 1 by a 25-22 clip and never let up en route to a 25-17 victory in Set 2. The teams kept things close again in the third set before Manheim Central pulled away to win 25-19, close out a second sweep of Suburban and claim the program’s second District 3-2A title.

“I think we have to continue to work on the mental part of our game,” Good said afterwards. “They certainly were able to execute at a higher level than us today.”

While the Barons (21-1) were far from perfect, the Lancaster-Lebanon League powerhouse had far fewer miscues, especially late in sets. Those points — one here, one there — can add up quickly.

“They played in a state final before,” Good said of the Barons, the 2024 PIAA Class 2A runners-up. “We’re still learning how to play at a really high level and just how much mental focus its takes to maintain that.”

When the Trojans (16-3) were able to get the ball to outside hitter Trent Weinstein, things typically turned out for the best. Weinstein showcased his domination with a few booming kills that left the Manheim Central boys little chance to dig it out, but he was only able to tally nine kills over the three sets.

On the other side, sophomore Reagan Miller stood out as a sparkplug for the Barons. Amid a lineup with much taller hitters, Miller was able to create problems for the Suburban defense all night. He registered a match-best 11 kills, leading a group of four Manheim Central players with at least eight.

“He just got rolling today,” Good said, “and we didn’t really have an answer for him.”

Landon Mattiace finished with 10 kills for the Barons, while Dylan Musser and Weston Longenecker tallied eight apiece. The Trojans’ duo of Josh Slade and Zac Perryman had five kills each.

While the Trojans were understandably upset with the reality of not winning a district title, solace could be found down the road from a familiar place. It was but last year that Manheim Central dropped the D3-2A final against Exeter Township only to gain the ultimate payback with a victory over the Eagles in the state semifinals. The Trojans and Barons are both two victories away from making that happen again

Manheim Central will host the District 12 runner-up on Tuesday, June 3, while Suburban will travel to the Philadelphia area and visit the District 12 champ that same night. With a win, the Trojans would likely see state-ranked Holy Redeemer in the quarterfinals, with the winner potentially getting Manheim Central in the semifinals if the Barons keep rolling.

“We’re going to go to Philly Tuesday and do the best that we can,” Good said. “And hopefully we’ll get a chance to play (Manheim Central) again, but Tuesday is all we’re going to focus on right now.”



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