The Case Western Reserve University women’s cross country team saw a talented class of first-year runners lead the way, as the team was represented at the NCAA Division III Championships for the sixth time in the last seven years in 2025.

CWRU was led by a pair of first-years, as Francesca Taracila was the top-finishing Spartan in three races during the year, while Halina Tompkins crossed the finish line first among Spartans on four occasions. Taracila got stronger as the season went on and was the first CWRU runner to cross the line at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship, earning an NCAA Championship berth with a ninth-place finish overall at the meet with a career-best time of 22:28.8 in the women’s 6K.

Taracila went on to place 74^th out of 290 total finishers at the NCAA Division III Championship in Spartanburg, South Carolina the following week. Her time of 22:35.9 was the seventh-fastest among 45 total first-year runners at the meet. It marked the 22nd consecutive season that the Spartans have been represented by at least one men’s or women’s team member at the NCAA Division III Championship.

In addition to Taracila, Tompkins also claimed all-region honors with a 26^th-place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Region Championship. Also scoring for the Spartans at the meet were seniors Arianna Holbrook (41^st) and Ayla Grabenbauer (42^nd), along with first-year Reid Smith (46^th). CWRU placed sixth out of 37 total teams at the regional championship.

CWRU also placed seventh at the UAA Championship on November 1 behind a 29^th-place finish from Tompkins and a 33^rd-place finish from Taracila.

The Spartans were featured in all nine United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Great Lakes Region polls during the year, and were ranked as high as fourth in the region over the course of the campaign. CWRU has been ranked in 12 consecutive regional polls dating back to last season.

Other highlights from the season included team wins at both the Daniel Mullen Memorial Invitational on October 4 and the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble on October 18.  CWRU placed five runners in the top-10 at the Daniel Mullen Invite, including Taracila (second), first-year Aditi Mukundhan (fourth), sophomore Cecilia Postma (fifth), Smith (sixth), and sophomore Becca Liaw (ninth). Tompkins also led the way at the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble with a 10^th-place finish and was followed by Taracila (12^th), Holbrook (16^th), Liaw (21^st), and Mukundhan (22^nd). Eight of the 12 Spartan runners who competed at Oberlin recorded season-best times, including Tompkins, whose time of 22:17.9 was the fastest by a Spartan in 2025.

The Spartans added a third-place finish out of 11 teams at the Pre-National Meet and opened the season with a 15-50 win over John Carroll at the Bill Sudeck Invitational with each of the top seven finishers in the race coming from CWRU.

In addition to the team’s athletic success during the season, eight members of the women’s cross country team received UAA Fall All-Academic honors, including Grabenbauer, senior Julia Hluck, senior Lauren Iagnemma, sophomore Ciara Ledford, Liaw, senior Medha Patria, Postma, and sophomore Julia Walko.

The Spartans earned the following individual honors during the 2025 season:

Colorado College opened the 2025-26 track & field season at the Colorado Running Company Pre-Holiday Invite and Multi last weekend at UCCS.
 
Freshman Riley Webb posted the best individual performance for the Tigers, placing fourth in the women’s 400 with a time of 1:01.42. Senior Allison Barker followed in sixth place in 1:02.92 and sophomore Chloe Johnson was 14^th in 1:07.65.
 
Senior Emma Jones and freshman Jane Keenan tied for 10^th in the pole vault, while sophomore Jordyn Tomlinson placed 12^th in the shot put.
 
Junior Zaniya Bruno Munn and sophomore Keely Lueckeman ran in the prelims of the 60-meter dash, while Lueckeman and fellow sophomore Clara Kirr competed in the prelims of the 200-meter dash.
  
The Tigers return to action at the Colorado Invitational, Jan. 23-24, in Boulder, Colo.
 

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary volleyball announced the signing of three student-athletes to its incoming 2026 freshman class on Monday. Joining the Tribe is Regan Hill, Emily McKee, and Teagan Pocius.

“We are so excited to welcome our 2026 signing class!” said William & Mary interim head coach Emma Minnick. This group brings high-level club experience, strong talent, and an immediate commitment to our program’s culture and goals. We are confident they will elevate our play and we can’t wait for them to join the team!”

 

2026 W&M TRIBE VOLLEYBALL FRESHMAN SIGNING CLASS
NAME	POS	HT	HOMETOWN / HIGH SCHOOL
Regan Hill	OPP	5-10	Garnet Valley, Pa. / Garnet Valley HS
Emily McKee	OH	5-11	Stamford, Conn. / King School
Teagan Pocius	MB	6-0	St. Louis, Mo. / Marquette HS

Regan Hill
5-10 • Opposite hitter • Garnet Valley, Pa. • Garnet Valley High School

HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time first team all-state selection at Garnet Valley High School where she holds the school record for kills, blocks, and aces… Earned all-district and All-Central League honors three times… Varsity captain… Played for club teams Dynamic Volleyball Academy and East Coast Power.

PERSONAL: Intends to major in biology… Had a 3.97 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society and National Art Society… Four-time honor roll selection and two-time distinguished honor roll… Grandfather played football at Northwestern College in Iowa.

Why W&M? “I chose William & Mary because it has a really strong academic program and opportunities to help me in my career development. I’m also excited to get the chance to play volleyball there, challenging myself both academically and athletically. Lastly, the atmosphere there is everything I was hoping for. The community is so supportive, and the campus is beyond gorgeous.”

Emily McKee

5-11 • Outside hitter • Stamford, Conn. • King School

HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year varsity player and two-year captain at King School in Connecticut… Four-time FAA All-League First Team selection… Named 2025 NEPSAC Class A Player of the Year… Helped lead King to four FAA championships, four NEPSAC championships, and three undefeated seasons with a total record of 86-1… Holds the school record for kills with over 1,000… Named to the 2025 AVCA All-American Watchlist and AVCA Girls High School All-Region Team playing for Northeast Volleyball Club.

PERSONAL: Intends to major in business… Participated in the Fellowship Friday Mentor & Clinker Buddy Program Mentor, which provides mentoring to younger students in the community… Earned high honors in the classroom every year of her high school career.

Why W&M? “I chose William & Mary because the sense of belonging I felt with the volleyball team was unmatched. It’s a place where I know I’ll be pushed both academically and athletically, and the program’s supportive, competitive, and team-oriented culture truly stood out to me. I can’t wait to get on campus and be a part of this program.”

Teagan Pocius

6-0 • Middle blocker • St. Louis, Mo. • Marquette High School

HIGH SCHOOL: All-state, all-district and all-conference selection at Marquette High School… Owns school records for career kills (986), career blocks (413), single-season blocks (139), single-game kills (32), and single-game blocks (10)… Named to the 2024 USAV All-Tournament Team… Earned AVCA All-Region honors in 2024 and 2025… Tabbed to the AVCA All-America Watch List… Played for Rockwood Thunder Club team.

PERSONAL: Intends to major in business analytics… Had a 3.96 GPA and was a four-time academic all-state selection… Has played viola in orchestra since fourth grade… Member of the National Honor Society.

Why W&M? “I chose W&M because it’s literally a complete package. It has everything down to the academics, the athletics, the team, and the environment I was looking for. Truly, [it was] such an easy choice to make.”

FOLLOW TRIBE VOLLEYBALL

Fans can keep up with the Tribe by following @WMTribeVB on X/Twitter and Instagram.

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State track and field coaches are offering all ages and genders to attend 10 Monday afternoons of educational and instructional sessions at the Wildcats home facility, the Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track. Interested athletes can register at the link above.
 
Starting December 29 through March 4, from 5:00-6:30 p.m., attendees will develop proper running mechanics, speed, strength and event specific skills. Coaches will also teach injury prevention and warm-up/cool-down techniques.
 
Dates:
December 29
January 5, 12, 19, 26
February 4, 11, 18, 25
March 4
 
Attendees will be charged $750, plus a $41.50 fee, and are expected to bring their own athletic gear and necessary equipment. Any questions can be sent to assistant coach Trey Brokaw at tbrokaw@kstatesports.com or (309) 335-3895.
 
 

— k-statesports.com —

 
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.

Another deep run in the NCAA Tournament is over for the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns (26-4) after falling to the No. 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers (28-4) in the Elite Eight on Sunday at Gregory Gymnasium in a 3-1 defeat.

Texas was consistently out of system for the entire match and struggled to consistently match Wisconsin in any area of the game even though the Horns held a statistical edge in several categories. The biggest issue was the subpar performance from junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford, who hit .132 with nine kills and four attacking errors — the Longhorns needed more from their star, outshone on her home court by Badgers standout Mimi Colyer notching a match-high 23 kills on a .309 hitting percentage.

The young Texas team struggled to find answers across the board as head coach Jerritt Elliott tried to find sparks from his bench, a failed effort.

In the first set, both teams came out swinging and stayed neck to neck attacking the net at 5-5. True freshman outside hitter Abby Vander Wal aided the Longhorns with four kills during the set, alongside fellow true freshman outside hitter Cari Spears landing three kills in the first set. Texas was able to gain a small lead as Wisconsin continued to capitalize on attacks and force errors to gain a 23-17 lead. Longhorn middle blocker Nya Bunton snagged a two kills for Texas as the match closed out with Wisconsin taking the opening set, 25-22, despite the Longhorns saving five set points.

In the second set, Wisconsin jumped out to an early 4-2 lead with Colyer snagging early kills. The Longhorns cut the lead to 11-10 by forcing attacking errors, but the Badgers stayed steady, maintaining their lead with outside hitter Grace Egan swinging strong at the net to extending the lead to 18-13. The Longhorns stayed in the match with the leadership of senior outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein tagging four late kills, but the Badges closed the second set, 25-21, having never trailed in it.

All gas in the intense third set with both teams pumping attack after attack with the Longhorns taking a 8-7 lead. While both teams stayed on each others heel’s by countering each other’s attacks until Longhorn setter Rella Binney served back-to-back aces to put Texas up 15-12. The Longhorns stood strong at the net, forcing Badger errors to close the third set, 25-20, to prolong the match, albeit only briefly.

In the fourth set, the Longhorns use the momentum from the third set and go on a 4-0 run with kills from Vander Wal and Spears. The Badgers did not lay down as they were able to for errors and counter attack with the aid of outside hitter Una Vajagic to go on a 12-4 run, putting Wisconsin up, 12-8. The Longhorns managed a 4-0 run while libero Ramsey Gary landed an ace bring the match to 18-15, but the Badgers eventually closed the fourth and final set by forcing seven Longhorn errors to end the match, 25-19.