Sports
At Detroit's smallest Catholic high school, rugby is a big deal
Detroit Loyola senior Raylon Murry looks for an open teammate during the Bulldogs’ season-opening rugby match against Holland West Ottawa. The sport is thriving at the inner-city high school, and Murry intends to continue playing next year in college at Mount St. Mary’s University. (Photo by Kevin Roberts | Special to Detroit Catholic) SOUTHFIELD — […]

Detroit Loyola senior Raylon Murry looks for an open teammate during the Bulldogs’ season-opening rugby match against Holland West Ottawa. The sport is thriving at the inner-city high school, and Murry intends to continue playing next year in college at Mount St. Mary’s University. (Photo by Kevin Roberts | Special to Detroit Catholic)
SOUTHFIELD — Raylon Murry had played football from a young age, but once he discovered
rugby, a whole new world opened for him.
Literally.
Murry is spending this weekend playing in the Tropic 7s travel tournament in
Tampa. Two weeks ago, he played in London. Murry’s been on pitches everywhere
from South Africa to New Zealand to Dubai. And he’s accepted a college
scholarship to continue his rugby career at Mount St. Mary’s University in
Maryland.
“I
would describe rugby as a game made for vicious people, but played by
gentlemen,” he said. “One of my favorite parts is when you sit down and talk
with your opponents and chill with them after the match. In football, after the game
the teams don’t really want to shake hands.”
Murry,
a senior at Loyola High School in Detroit, discovered the game as an eighth
grader by tagging along to watch his older brother, Rahmon, play on the
Bulldogs’ club.
Romell Murry breaks away from Holland West Ottawa would-be tacklers and advances the ball. Loyola fell to West Ottawa, 29-26, on the last play of the match. (Photo by Kevin Roberts | Special to Detroit Catholic)
“It
was the COVID year, and there was nothing else going on, so I started
practicing with them, the whole year, even though I couldn’t play,” he said. “I
went to all the practices and I picked it up.”
Soon,
Murry showed enough skill on the pitch that he became one of Loyola’s featured
players, and expanded his game through the travel opportunities.
“One
of the benefits of this is the joy of seeing kids really embrace this sport,
and really connecting with each other,” said Murry’s coach, Ron Cornell.
“Otherwise, I don’t think they would communicate and have respect and
compassion they show for their teammates. I’m 60 years old and I have done this
for 28 years. It’s kept me alive and young and excited to see new kids develop
every season.”
Cornell,
who’s also chairman of the board of Rugby Michigan, said there are only about
20 prep programs spread across the state, yet the game expands at the
collegiate level, where nearly every in-state school has a club.
“We
have outstanding athletes at Loyola, several have scholarships to play sports
in college,” he said. “It’s the traction that the kids provide; they can play
really exceptional rugby, and kids want to play for us. The kids are really
committed to playing. They have competed for positions at clubs across the
country.”
The
Loyola rugby program is unique on several levels. First of all, most of the
other scholastic clubs are from suburban public high schools that enroll
several thousand students, far above the 126 students who attend Loyola, in
Detroit’s inner city. Still, because of its success in recent seasons (such as a
6-1 record last year), Loyola plays in the upper division, which also consists
of Brighton, Forest Hills, Grandville, Holland West Ottawa, and Detroit
Catholic Central (the only other Catholic League program).
The Loyola rugby club attracts students from other schools as well, including Mason Maczuga from Madison Heights Lamphere (10), Collin Cole of Oak Park (11) and Ian Laskowski of Howell (16). (Photo by Kevin Roberts | Special to Detroit Catholic)
For
a while, a touchstone for the Bulldogs was that they were the state’s only
African-American rugby squad. But since the team is classified as a “club,”
students from other schools have joined. Several travel in from places like
Madison Heights, Northville and Brighton to play with the Bulldogs, who host
home matches at Levey Middle School in Southfield.
“Because
of the (small) size of the school, we have always invited people from other
high schools to play on our club. They have to register with USA Rugby. It’s a
club sport, (so) we’re allowed to have kids from outside the school participating,”
Cornell said. “They come from all over — they will drive to the inner city to
be part of the club, because of the special environment.”
Loyola’s
club began eight years ago when Fr. Adam DeLeon, SJ, a former theology teacher
at the school, contacted Cornell to help develop a program.
“He
had a history — wherever he’s landed, he’s always been interested in starting
a rugby team,” Cornell said. “Detroit Catholic Central and Loyola started at
the same time 2017 as an outgrowth of a club in Northville which was folding.
It’s a unique opportunity for these cultures to mix.”
The
sport has ebbed and flowed over the past couple years, but is strong at both
Loyola and CC.
“The
top rugby programs in the country, such as St. Ignatius and St. Edward’s in
Cleveland — besides the Mormons in Utah — it’s all Catholic schools that have
embraced rugby,” Cornell said.
Rugby
is one of those sports that people have generally heard of, but aren’t quite
familiar with the rules and object of the game, Cornell said.
Detroit Loyola rugby coach Ron Cornell and Mount St. Mary’s University coach Jay Myles flank Loyola senior Raylon Murry after he signs his national letter of intent to compete at the collegiate level. (Photo courtesy of Loyola Athletic Department)
“I
think a lot of people compare it to a cross between football without pads, and
a continuation like soccer, because the ball is continuously in play,” Cornell
said. “There are certain rules for advancing the ball. You cannot pass the ball
forward. You can run the ball forward and kick the ball forward and go get
under it, but you cannot throw the ball forward.”
Fifteen
players take the field for each squad. Teams strive to advance the ball to the try line, which is comparable to football’s end zone, and put the ball on the
ground with force, earning five points. An extra point try follows.
“The
biggest impediment with football players, who play contact sports, is that play
continues,” Cornell said. “It’s not an eight-second play followed by a
45-second break. The play keeps going. Everybody can run with the ball, and
score. That’s the big attraction — we have plays designed for everyone, no
matter their size or their body type.”
And because Loyola has a talented senior class due to graduate — Patrick Green
(Wheeling University in West Virginia) and Don’Yale Sharp (Aquinas) also plan
to play in college — attracting new talent is one of the ongoing factors for
the club.
“Right
now we have a roster of 23, so we have eight subs,” Cornell said. “I’d like to
have a few more because we’re looking down the road for development. We’ve got
seniors who have played for us for four years. There’s a rugby team at almost
every college. If you’re looking for an opportunity to learn a sport, then
learn to play rugby — you can find a rugby team in just about every
community.”
For
Murry, attracting the next generation of Bulldog rugby stars is a bit more
organic.
“I
want to really pass down the experience to the younger guys. I want the program
to be at the same level, or higher, when I leave. We have a lot of seniors who
helped bring the program up to what it is today,” he said. “I just show them a
couple clips of my playing. When they see me play, they get inspired. When I
show them the clips, I tell them if I could do it, you could do it. I want to
inspire them to start playing.”
“A
great thing about this sport is it can give kids opportunities they wouldn’t
ordinarily have,” Cornell said. “It’s unfortunate that kids don’t always
recognize that they have skill sets that go beyond football and basketball, but
I tell them that rugby might open some doors for them, too.”
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Scott Breaks Pole Vault Record Again at Williams College FIRE Meet
Story Links Williamstown, Mass. – May 11, 2025 – Highlighted by another record breaking performance by Jillian Scott (Westhampton, Mass.) in the pole vault, the Springfield College women’s track and field team competed at the Farley Inter-Regional Extravaganza (F.I.R.E.) Meet hosted by Williams College over the weekend. Scott broke the school record a week […]

Williamstown, Mass. – May 11, 2025 – Highlighted by another record breaking performance by Jillian Scott (Westhampton, Mass.) in the pole vault, the Springfield College women’s track and field team competed at the Farley Inter-Regional Extravaganza (F.I.R.E.) Meet hosted by Williams College over the weekend.
Scott broke the school record a week ago at the New England D3 Outdoor Championships with a mark of 3.55-meters (11 feet, 7.75 inches) and followed it up by clearing 3.72-meters (12 feet, 2.5 inches) at the F.I.R.E meet on Saturday. Behind Scott in the pole vault at the meet was Ella Smith (Baldwinsville, N.Y.), who cleared 3.12-meters.
Springfield had five other student-athletes compete in the field events at Williams highlighted by a fourth place finish in the long jump by Autumn Bacik (Watertown, Conn.), who took fourth by clearing 5.36-meters. Elizabeth Lewelling (Palmdale, Calif.) followed Bacik with a mark of 5.14-meters and also posted a mark of 10.16-meters in the triple jump.
In the throws, Hannah Debian (West Springfield, Mass.) recorded marks of 10.99-meters and 40.64-meters in the shot put and hammer throw, respectively. Charlotte Gerow (Tolland, Conn.) notched a mark of 32.99-meters in the discus and Madilynn Van Etten (Cumberland, R.I.) posted a mark of 38.87-meters in the hammer.
On the track, Natalia Marchand (Hubbardston, Mass.) had the best finish for the Pride as she clocked a 1:01.43 in the 400-meter dash. Ella Couchon (Windsor Locks, Conn.) registered a time of 26.42 in the 200-meter dash, Kristina Kyle (Watertown, Conn.) crossed the line in 2:19.03 in the 800-meter run and Meghan Sullivan (Easthampton, Mass.) ran a 19:34.87 in the 5,000-meter run.
Those who have qualified will compete at this week’s AARTFC Outdoor Championships at Williams College beginning on Wednesday.
For the latest on Springfield College Athletics, follow the Pride on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to tune into all Springfield College Athletic events by subscribing to FloSports.
Sports
Men’s Program Best #HLTF Outdoor Championships Finish
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Purdue Fort Wayne men’s track and field took third at the 2025 Horizon League Outdoor Championships on Sunday (May 11) for the Mastodons’ best finish in program history at a league meet. Jonas Morris, Hunter Crew and the 4×400 meter relay squad boosted the ‘Dons with event wins during day three of the […]
The Purdue Fort Wayne team pulled in 132 points over the course of the three day event to finish in third, the program’s best finish and most points in a Horizon League Outdoor Championship. Youngstown State took first with 281 points and Milwaukee placed second with 141 points.
The podium featured four Mastodons in the hammer throw, resulting in 26 of the 101 Purdue Fort Wayne points in the final day. Crew took the title of hammer throw champion after a personal-record 53.06 meters in his first attempt. Owen Kaufman took the podium next to him in second, also throwing a personal record mark of 52.44 meters. Zyler Johnson threw a 48.17 meter mark, good for fifth. Freshman Josiah Bird and his brother Caden Bird both set personal records in the event. Josiah Bird earned seventh with a 45.35 meter throw and Caden Bird reached 44.80 meters.
The 400 meter dash was also a busy event for the ‘Dons, sending three runners to the podium for 20 total points. Jonas Morris broke his own school record, the new mark of 47.58 earned him the title of 400 meter dash champion. Noah Morris took third in the event with a time of 47.58. Cainen Northington finished in 49.74 for fifth.
The Mastodons ended the day with a bang, breaking the 4×400 meter relay school record by two full seconds and beating out all competition on the track. Northington and Lewellen started the relay, but Noah Morris cut down the gap during his turn with the baton and took the lead right before the handoff. Jonas Morris took the last corner of the relay to pass Oakland’s runner and turned on the burners to keep ahead of the Youngstown State competition along the straightaway, finishing in 3:14.05.
Nearly the same group opened the day with the 4×100 meter relay, breaking that school record too. The group of Jonas Morris, Noah Morris, Jaylin Springer and Lewellen finished in 41.17 to earn 4×100 meter relay runner-up.
Lewellen also placed second in the 100 meter dash later in the day, breaking his own school record with a time of 10.37.
Andrew Roman and Cody Loshe both took the podium in the pole vault. Roman earned second with 4.61 meters and Loshe placed seventh after clearing 4.31 meters.
Boden Genovese earned a spot in the finals with a school-record 800 meters time of 1:53.04 in prelims, which he then broke again in the finals. The freshman’s new record of 1:52.97 earned fifth at the championships.
Ambrose English ran a personal-record 54.34 time in the 400 meter hurdles, finishing fifth.
Jonas Morris and Noah Morris also ran in the 200 meter dash. Jonas Morris placed sixth with 21.93 and Noah Morris ran 23.65 for eighth.
Sam Dunnett earned a sixth place spot in the 1500 meters after finishing in 3:51.78.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Sports
Yale hosts Ivy League track and field championships
The Yale Bulldogs took on the rest of the Ivy League this weekend during the Ivy League track and field heptagonal outdoor track and field championships — the team’s final competition of the season. Chloe Edwards 12:11 am, May 12, 2025 Staff Reporter Yale Athletics This weekend, Yale hosted the 2025 Ivy League heptagonal outdoor […]

The Yale Bulldogs took on the rest of the Ivy League this weekend during the Ivy League track and field heptagonal outdoor track and field championships — the team’s final competition of the season.
Chloe Edwards
Staff Reporter

Yale Athletics
This weekend, Yale hosted the 2025 Ivy League heptagonal outdoor track and field championships at Cuyler Athletic Complex and Dwyer Track.
The Bulldogs placed eighth on the men’s side with 23 points for the weekend — less than any other team — and the women’s team finished in fifth with 45 points. Princeton’s men’s and women’s teams both ran away with the championships.
Saturday’s events included field events and preliminary races, which set the group of athletes that qualified for Sunday’s finals. In addition to the typical track and field races and field events, the championship featured the heptathlon and decathlon.
“Heps is such a special meet because we race for more than ourselves,” first year Zoe Martonfi ’28 told the News. “There is so much tradition and pride that fuels every race.”
Nolan Recker ’26 came in sixth place on Saturday in the men’s hammer with a distance of 59.95 meters. Dominique Romain ’25 came in fifth place overall in women’s long jump and Charlotte Whitehurst ’26 came in fifth place in the women’s 10,000 meter.
In order to qualify for the finals during a preliminary race, an athlete had to place in the top 12 of their event. The top five in each heat automatically qualified, plus the next two best times overall.
Six members of the women’s team qualified for the final races on Sunday: Carmel Fitzgibbon ’27 in the 1500-meter run, Lucija Grd ’27 in the 100-meter hurdles, Peyton Parker ’25 and Gloria Guerrier ’27 in the 400-meter run and Victoria Guerrier ’27 and Iris Bergman ’25 in the 800-meter.
On the men’s team, Owen Karas ’26 and Brian Gamble ’27 qualified for the finals in the 1500-meter run, Kit Colson ’25 in the 100-meter and 200-meter, and Max Bishop ’28 in the 800-meter.
Sunday also included the steeplechase, in which Martonfi finished sixth. The women’s team also finished second in the 4×400-meter relay and fourth in the 4×100-meter relay.
“In my race, I felt the love and support from my team through every step, which propelled my legs even after a face plant into the water,” Martonfi said. “I am proud of what Yale brought today, and I am excited for what I know we will bring in the future.”
Makayla White ’26 finished the heptathlon in seventh place with 4,772 points, setting a new record for Yale.
The heptathlon is a multi-event competition consisting of 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, the 200-meter run, long jump, javelin throw and the 800-meter run. An athlete scores points based on their placement in each event, and the points are compiled to determine overall rankings in the event.
For the men, Winslow Atkeson ’25 came in fourth in the steeplechase, and Karas finished second in the 1500-meter race. Karas earned over half of the men’s team’s points, between the 1500-meter race and his fourth-place finish in the 5000-meter run later on Sunday.
The team also earned points for their sixth-place finish in the 4×100-meter relay and fifth-place finish in the 4×800-meter relay.
The men’s track and field team has 11 seniors, and the women’s team has nine.
Sports
Meet the High Divers of the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025
Up next in the men’s competition is Zach Picton. Zach placed 19th at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha 2024 and is looking forward to competing in the World Championships in Singapore 2025. We put Zach into the question-and-answer hot seat. Here’s what we got from him: Image Source: Zach Picton competes at the Doha […]

Up next in the men’s competition is Zach Picton. Zach placed 19th at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha 2024 and is looking forward to competing in the World Championships in Singapore 2025.
We put Zach into the question-and-answer hot seat. Here’s what we got from him:
Image Source: Zach Picton competes at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships-Doha, Qatar (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Zach dreams big, and when asked where he’d love to dive, his answer was iconic. “The Statue of Liberty would be sick,” he said.
Zach has competed in stunning locations, but one stands out. “Switzerland,” he shared. “I’ve done a couple of competitions there. The landscapes, the lakes, and the mountains are just picturesque. Beautiful.”
When asked which celebrity he’d invite to watch him dive, Zach had an unconventional pick. “Togi,” he said. “He’s a fitness influencer on Instagram. I think he’s the funniest guy alive.”
Image Source: Zach Picton competes in Men’s High diving a the World Aquatics Championships- Doha 2024 (Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics)
Unlike many divers who calm themselves before a dive, Zach takes a different approach. “Anything metal, anything to get me going,” he said. “I like to super psych myself up on the platform. A lot of the divers calm themselves down, but I like to be hyped and ready. So, if I smack, I’ll take it like a champ!”
Zach is pushing the limits of the sport with his ambitious dive goals. “a reverse quint,” he said when asked about his dream dive. “This has not been done yet in the world. I hope to be the first to do.”
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Dartmouth Closes Out Successful Weekend at Ivy League Outdoor Championships
By: Maddie Omana Story Links NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Dartmouth men’s and women’s track and field teams closed out the Ivy League Outdoor Championships at Yale on Sunday. The Big Green had a combined 20 podium finishes and rewrote the top ten all-time list multiple times. Jada Jones continued to […]

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Dartmouth men’s and women’s track and field teams closed out the Ivy League Outdoor Championships at Yale on Sunday. The Big Green had a combined 20 podium finishes and rewrote the top ten all-time list multiple times.
Jada Jones continued to stand out for Dartmouth, defending her title as the 200m Ivy League champion and setting a 23.55 school record in the event. She also ran a 54.47 in the 400m, bringing home a bronze medal for the Big Green. For the men’s 400m, Liam Murray placed fourth with a 47.31 mark.
Madeleine Locher placed second in the 5000m, finishing the race with a final time of 16:25.45. On the men’s side, Albert Velikonja placed fifth in the 5000m with a 14:06.58 finish.
Roy Leibovitz placed third in the triple jump, bringing home a bronze medal for the Big Green with his 15.19m mark. Charlotte DiRocco placed fourth in the high jump, clearing 1.68m.
Mariella Schweitzer finished fourth in the 100m hurdles with a final time of 13.73, which is good for second all-time. Schweitzer, alongside Daniela Ruelas Lomeli, Danielle Johnson, and Jada Jones, helped the women’s 4×100 relay to a fifth-place 46.27 finish, which is good for sixth all-time.
Painter Richards-Baker had his first Ivy League Championships podium placement, finishing fifth in the 110m hurdles with a fifth all-time best of 14.22.
Andie Murray had a fifth-place finish with her 2:06.52 mark in the 800m, which was good for third all-time. Murray, Anna Banovac, Julia Pye, and Bella Pietrasiewicz also placed sixth in the women’s 4×800 relay with their 8:44.04 finish.
The men’s 4×800 relay, featuring Ashton Bange, DJ Matusz, Connor Foley, and Noe Kemper, had a 7:33.28 finish, which was good for sixth place.
Max Klein set the second all-time best in the shot put with his 18.28m mark, securing a fifth-place spot on the podium. Colton McMaster placed sixth in the discus, launching it 51.13m. Kylee Bennett put herself at tenth all-time in the hammer throw with her 52.90m mark.
J’Voughnn Blake finished fourth in the 800m with a time of 1:49.25. Bryce Thomas placed fifth in the 100m with a 10.52 finish.
Jack Intihar was the runner-up in the decathlon with 7321 points, putting him at sixth all-time. Intihar also tied for eighth all-time in the long jump with his 7.32m mark. Jack Inglis followed closely behind, placing third in the decathlon with 6451 points.
ALL-TIME RESULTS
Women’s 100m Hurdles
- 13.39 – Cha’Mia Rothwell – 2017
- 13.73 – Mariella Schweitzer – 2025
- 14.29 – Lauren Ready – 2015
- 14.32 – Anoush Krafian – 2022
- 14.35 – Danielle Johnson – 2025
- 14.45 – Abby Feeney – 2015
- 14.45 – Janea Dunchack – 2014
- 14:46 – Daniel Ruelas Lomeli – 2025
- 14.52 – Sarah Kenney – 1999
- 14.53 – Allison Frantz – 2015
Women’s Long Jump
- 6.25m – Bridget McNally – 2023
- 6.23m – Cha’Mia Rothwell – 2018
- 6.10m – Mariella Schweitzer – 2025
- 5.84m – Mollie Gribbin – 2013
- 5.83m – Mattie Chatterton-Richmond – 2006
- 5.80m – Cassandre Tanner – 2008
- 5.76m – Leanne Atencio – 1988
- 5.74m – Emma Cunningham – 2021
- 5.64m – Shaina Damm – 2002
- 5.63m – Janae Dunchack – 2013
Women’s Hammer Throw
- 59.34m – Emily Daly – 2009
- 56.30m – Lily Lockhart – 2022
- 55.73m – Cathy Liebowitz – 2015
- 54.48m – Amelia Ali – 2017
- 54.46m – Sarah Hayes – 2001
- 53.80m – Jessie Long – 2008
- 53.01m – Jamila Smith – 2006
- 52.93m – Alen Collins – 2019
- 52.93m – Megan Verdeyen – 2003
- 52.90m – Kylee Bennett – 2025
Women’s 4x100m
- 45.59 – Whitehorn, S.Kikut, A.Kikut, Meech – 2014
- 45.77 – Enaowho, Jones, Quinn, McNally – 2023
- 45.94 – Pringle, Enaohwo, Hoffer, McNally – 2022
- 46.19 – Whitehorn, S.Kikut, Evans, Meech – 2016
- 46.22 – Enaowho, Jones, McNally, Pringle – 2024
- 46.27 – Ruelas Lomeli, Johnson, Jones, Schweitzer -2025
- 46.33 – Whitehorn, Evans, S.Kikut,Meech – 2015
- 46.50 – Schweitzer, DiRocco, Jones, Ruelas Lomeli – 2025
- 46.80 – Cunningham, Enaohwo, Hoffer, McNally – 2022
- 46.81 – Johnson, DiRocco, Jones, Schweitzer – 2025
Women’s 200m
- 23.55 – Jada Jones – 2025
- 23.70 – Sara Kikut – 2014
- 23.88 – Cha’Mia Rothwell – 2017
- 23.89 – Kaitlin Whitehorn – 2014
- 24.01 – Jennifer Meech – 2014 5
- 24.16 – Nicole DeBlasio – 2018
- 24.25 – Jada Jones – 2024
- 24.32 – Cori Hoffer – 2022
- 24.63 – Michelle Quinn – 2023
- 24.67 – Anoush Krafian – 2022
Women’s 800m
- 2:03.81 – Julia Fenerty – 2023
- 2:03.82 – Megan Krumpoch – 2014
- 2:06.52 – Andie Murray – 2025
- 2:06.99 – Meggie Donovan – 2014
- 2:07.35 – Annie Jackson – 2024
- 2:07.40 – Bella Pietrasiewicz – 2025
- 2:07.86 – Kristin Manwarning – 1996
- 2:08.11 – Abbey D’Agostino – 2013
- 2:08.12 – Abbey Livingston – 2018
- 2:08.15 – Cecily Garber – 2003
Men’s Long Jump
- 7.66m – Lane Burks – 1997
- 7.51m – Nils Wildberg – 2023
- 7.50m – Taylor Smith – 2002
- 7.49m – Don Blount – 1941
- 7.37m – Rich Konsens – 1980
- 7.35m – Nicolas Robinson – 2017
- 7.34m – Corey Muggler – 2016
- 7.32m – Jack Intihar – 2025
- 7.32m – Harry Worthington – 1916
- 7.29m – Scott Huray – 1987
Men’s Decathlon
- 7937 – Mustafa Adbur-Rahim – 2004
- 7498 – Ben Ose – 2014
- 7460 – Tyler Koskenoja – 2008
- 7434 – Greg Johnston – 1999
- 7338 – Nico Robinson – 2017
- 7321 – Jack Intihar – 2025
- 7198 – Ben Colello – 2018
- 7196 – Karl-Oskar Pajus – 2022
- 7043 – Andrew Hall – 2005
- 6979 – Tim Wunderlich – 2007
Sports
Ali Sparks and Both Relays Win Events at #HLTF Championships
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s track and field team finished in third at the 2025 Horizon League Outdoor Championships on Sunday (May 11), earning the most points in program history. Ali Sparks and both relay teams highlighted the final day of the meet. The Mastodons earned a program-best 129 points to land […]
The Mastodons earned a program-best 129 points to land in third place. Youngstown State secured the victory with 190.5 points and Milwaukee placed second with 148 points.
Following the meet, freshman Makenna Dommer was named Horizon League Women’s Freshman of the Year – Field. The Indiana native was crowned discus champion on day one of the meet (May 9) after throwing a 41.66 meter mark.
The Mastodon relay squads started and finished the day by in the same fashion, taking the title of champion and breaking the school record. The 4×100 meter relay squad of Jordan Yanders, Lillian Hurd, Aniya Young and Harmony Johnson ran a 45.73 to break the school record for the third time this year. The 4×400 meter relay team of Sanayah Ruffin, Amelie Mach, Marissa Van De Weg and Hurd finished in 3:46.12, breaking their own record to finish the meet.
Ali Sparks added another hammer throw champion to her titles, making it six in her career and four between the 2025 indoor and outdoor season. The Fort Wayne native won the event and broke her own school record with a 55.14 meter throw. Francesca Carlo set a personal record in the event, throwing 46.94 meters.
Harmony Johnson and Aniya Young both ran personal record times in the 100 meter dash to earn podium visits. Johnson ran a 11.77, good for second, and Young finished in 11.87 to take fourth.
The 400 meter hurdles was the busiest event for the ‘Dons, sending three runners to the podium. Senior Marissa Van De Weg earned third with a time of 1:01.71. Amelie Mach placed seventh with 1:04.77. Ella Jenkins ran a 1:05.50 for eighth.
Senior Jordan Yanders finished in third during the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.71. Jenkins also ran in the event, taking eighth with 14.23.
Bella Hodges ran a personal-record time in the 800 meters, crossing the finish line in 2:11.31 for third.
Riley Tate placed third in the 5000 meters, finishing in 17:16.17.
Louiza Kruiswijk and Kaylee Rogaczewski earned spots on the triple jump podium. Kuiswijk finished in fifth after a 11.98 meter leap and Rogaczewski cleared a personal-record 11.82 meters for sixth.
Young also ran in the 200 meter dash, completing a new school record time of 24.56 that placed sixth.
Ava Genovese was the lone Mastodon to compete in the 1500 meters, finishing in 4:35.80 for sixth.
The freshman pair of Lillian Hurd and Sanayah Ruffin earned podium visits after the 400 meter dash. Hurd took seventh with a time of 57.20 and Ruffin ran a 57.45 for eighth.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
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