By Tom Coughlin

The 32nd annual New York State Indoor Kart Championships will take place Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7, at the Center of Progress Building at the New York State Fairgrounds.

Eighteen different classes will compete, with drivers age 5 and up. Saturday’s schedule begins with the building opening at 8 a.m., followed by registration at 10 a.m. and practice at 11 a.m., with racing to follow. Sunday’s schedule features an 8 a.m. opening, registration at 9 a.m., practice at 10 a.m., and racing to follow.

Royal Mountain Ski Area will host the first of three scheduled Snow Drag events for the winter on Saturday, Dec. 13. Registration runs from 4 to 6 p.m., with test passes at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Royal Mountain is located at 3072 Route 10 in Johnstown.

Fonda Speedway will present the Chill Factor Enduro on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Gates to the pit area open at 10 a.m., grandstand at 11 a.m., and racing begins at 1 p.m. Grandstand admission is $10, and pit admission is $30. Competitors may register in person or online at www.thefondaspeedway.com. Saturday, Jan. 3, is the rain date.

The 2026 Andy’s Speed Shop Racing Seminar will be held Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, at Varin Enterprises, 212 Stoner Trail Road in Johnstown. Payment should be submitted by Jan. 2 to 553 S. Comrie Avenue, Johnstown. For more information, call 518-762-1333.

The 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals take place Jan. 12-17 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The indoor midget car racing event features top drivers from various disciplines, including NASCAR and Indy Car.

Lance & Jill Sharpe Motorsports will present the 3rd annual Lebanon Valley Speedway Race Car Show on Friday and Saturday, March 13-14, at the Colonie Center Mall in Albany. The event, held in memory of Jason Herrington, will feature cars from Lebanon Valley Dragway, Lebanon Valley Go-Kart track, and Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

The Empire Super Sprints announced that their 360 winged sprint cars will make their first appearance at Port Royal Speedway in Pennsylvania on May 16, 2026.

Fonda Speedway will host the annual Bill Ag Memorial Modified Elimination Race on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The track also announced a “Fonda/Valley Challenge” event on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, pitting drivers from Fonda against those from Lebanon Valley Speedway.

The Short Track Super Series released portions of its 2026 schedule, including events at Port Royal Speedway (March 13-14), Bridgeport Speedway (March 21), Lebanon Valley Speedway (May 21), Fonda Speedway (July 1), and Afton Motorsports Park (Sept. 3). The annual Fonda 200 weekend is set for Sept. 17-19.

The Saratoga Automobile Museum is offering a membership special through Dec. 5. The museum also features a raffle for a 2025 Porsche 718 Cayman S or $75,000 cash. Visit www.saratogaautomuseum.org for details.

Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown will host its “Big Series 3” on one Sunday per month in 2026, leading up to Eastern States Weekend in October.

Utica-Rome Speedway announced it will be DIRTcar sanctioned for the 2026 season. Weekly divisions will include DIRTcar 358 modified, DIRTcar crate 602 sportsman, and DIRTcar pro stock. The track also signed a three-year broadcast deal with Floracing.

Mat Williamson was crowned the 2025 Super DIRTcar Series champion, his second consecutive title. Williamson finished in the top ten in 29 of 30 features, including five victories. The 2026 series kicks off at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida on Feb. 11-14.

Atencio, Avila to power developing Bobcats girls basketball squad

Ignacio girls basketball head coach Travis Nanaeto illustrates his point during a timeout in last season’s road game at Bayfield. (Joel Priest/Special to the Herald)

Good enough to sneak into last season’s class 3A state tournament as the No. 29 seed in the opening Round of 32, but not strong enough to then upset fourth-seeded Cedaredge, Ignacio Bobcats girls basketball, young as most of the team was, at the very least gained extra experience which hopefully will come in handy this winter.

Without a pair of Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports All-State selections, a vital post presence and an important reserve – all since graduated – head coach Travis Nanaeto knows some big shoes need filling for the 2025-26 run. But between his returning varsity players and an influx of youth, volunteers to do so shouldn’t be in short supply.

“This year I have around nine freshmen that came in, nine juniors and a couple seniors,” Nanaeto said. “Maybe one sophomore, but that’s about it. I’ve got a young bunch and so we’re getting things in order. Got a lot of things to work on, but we’re doing pretty good.”

Joined on the bench by new assistant coach Stephanie Goodtracks and new junior varsity head coach Gabriela Garcia, Nanaeto will look to build his squad around senior guard Alyssa Atencio and senior guard/forward Juliann Avila – the on-paper replacements for CCGS selections Marissa Olguin and Victoria Brown, respectively.

Guard/forward DaLaney Wesner also finished her IHS career last season, as did backup forward/center Addison Kremer, allowing now-junior F/C Catori Aasland to contend for a starting role in ’25-26. Classmate Aubree Lucero received more and more minutes as the ’24-25 grind began winding down, and is also poised to potentially join Nanaeto’s first five.

Junior guard/forward Maliyah Martinez, sophomore post Veronica Brown and junior guard Leandra Litz could also be in the mix as Ignacio looks to build upon last winter’s 8-15 record – which included a fifth-place 4-8 mark in 3A/4A Intermountain League play.

“We’re working hard, with a lot more conditioning,” Nanaeto said. “Because for the young girls this is high school basketball, not junior high, and they’ll play girls a lot older so I’m telling them ‘Just toughen up!’”

Tipoff time versus Mancos on Tuesday is scheduled for 6 p.m., with the Jays finishing 7-13 overall last season.

After facing Mancos, Ignacio will then venture into the San Luis Valley to compete at Center’s 12/12-13 C-Town Showdown. Awaiting the Bobcats at 8 p.m. on its first day will be Blanca-based Sierra Grande, which went 6-0 in the 1A Southern Peaks last season and ended up 14-10 overall.

“I’m glad we’re playing two schools there; I’m hoping to be even with them, you know?” said Nanaeto. “And get a little experience for our younger ones, to get them ready for the Aztec tournament.”

Indeed, IHS’ next stop after Center will be Aztec, New Mexico’s Rumble in ‘The Jungle,’ Dec. 18-20.

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More than 20 Santas paddle boarded from Pleon Yacht Club to Riverside Beach and then State Street Landing Sunday morning. The annual tradition raises money for the Marblehead Food Pantry. This year, a polar bear and even the Grinch joined in.

On Saturday, about 300 people packed State Street Landing to welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus as they arrived by lobster boat. The North Pole couple was greeted by cheers and a live performance of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by the Marblehead High School chorus.

Children perched on their parents’ shoulders to catch a glimpse of the holiday magic. Lisa Cox, who recently relocated to Marblehead with her family, was excited to take part in the tradition.

“We just moved here this past summer. Last year, we knew we wanted to move to Marblehead and came to see the parade, and now we get to come as locals,” Cox said.

The group’s children — Ciaran, Camden and Coley — shared their wish lists, which included sports gear, remote-control cars, paint and an Apple Watch.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus chatted about their morning on the water.

“We had a beautiful day. We heard there was something called gale-force winds. I kept saying to the elves, ‘What is a gale-force wind?’ And they go, ‘Not good.’ But we ended up with a beautiful day. Perfect, even,” Mrs. Claus said.

This year marks the final Christmas Walk for Mary Best, Mrs. Claus’ longtime “helper” of more than 40 years. She hinted at a reveal coming in 2025.

“There’s going to be a big surprise next year as I hand down the magic cape. There will be a special reward,” she said.

A little later, Glover’s Regiment led the parade, followed by community groups, local businesses, youth sports teams and people driving antique cars. Hundreds of people lined the streets, cheering them on.

Here’s a photo and video gallery of the weekend’s highlights. Enjoy!

Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.

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LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will make its first appearance in the Capital One Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day as the Big 12 champion Red Raiders were announced Sunday as the No. 4 seed in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

The Red Raiders will receive a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff and await the winner of the 5/12 matchup between No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 James Madison. Oregon (11-1) was an at-large selection into the College Football Playoff and will host James Madison (12-1), the champion of the Sun Belt Conference, in the opening round at a date and time to be determined later this afternoon.

Kickoff between the winner of that game and the Red Raiders is slated for 11 a.m. CT on Jan. 1 from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Hard Rock Stadium is also the site of this year’s CFP National Championship Game, which pits the winner of the semifinal matchups at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

“This has been the goal of this program the entire season – to win the Big 12 title and play in the College Football Playoff,” head coach Joey McGuire said. “To be able to achieve that goal and play in such as prestigious event like the Orange Bowl is an added chapter to the story this team continues to write. We’re thankful to get a first-round bye to be able rest our team and get ready for either a very talented Oregon or James Madison team.”

Texas Tech’s path to the College Football Playoff is one rarely seen in college football season with 12 victories by 20-plus points. The Red Raiders, who improved to 12-1 overall with a 34-7 victory Saturday over previously-No. 11 BYU in the Edward Jones Big 12 Championship, joined the 2018 Alabama team as the only programs in the Associated Press era (since 1936) to record at least 12 wins in a season by 20-plus points prior to the bowl game.

Texas Tech’s second win over BYU this season Saturday secured the Red Raiders’ first Big 12 title and their first outright conference crown since winning the Border Conference in 1955. The win placed Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff for the first time, continuing a memorable season for the Red Raiders, who have already set a new school record with 12 wins behind a stifling defense and a high-scoring offense.

“On behalf of our entire athletics department and university, Texas Tech is excited to make its first appearance in the Capital One Orange Bowl,” Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt said. “As a former resident of the Miami area, myself, I know Red Raider Nation will enjoy the hospitality and entertainment the Orange Bowl is known for and turn South Beach into West Texas.”

Ticket requests for the Capital One Orange Bowl are now being accepted from Red Raider Club members and current season ticket holders. Due to limited ticket inventory, Texas Tech will allow only eight requested tickets per Red Raider Club account at the $5,000 level or above and then four tickets for all other accounts. As a reminder, College Football Playoff tickets are not guaranteed and will be filled based on Red Raider Club priority points, while tickets remain.

Red Raider Club members and current season tickets holders can submit ticket requests now by logging into their account on TexasTech.com. The Texas Tech Ticket Office will open at 8:30 a.m. Monday and can be reached at 806-742-TECH for any College Football Playoff ticket information.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men’s track and field team had four first-place finishes at the season-opening M City Classic on Friday and Saturday at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse.

Senior Lance Nemecek, sophomore Jackson Bullock, and senior Kevin Turlington won individual events on the track for St. Olaf, which also had a first-place performance in the 4×400-meter relay. The Oles put recorded five performances that ranked on their all-time top-10 performers’ list at the first indoor meet of the season.

Nemecek, senior Cullen Moore, first year Paxon Myers, and junior Christian Fells all ran top-12 times in NCAA Division III this season in the 800-meter run to post the four fastest times of the day. Nemecek won the event in 1:54.02, followed closely by Moore in 1:54.16, which rank second and third in the country and third and fourth, respectively, on the Oles’ all-time list. Myers edged Fells at the line by one one-hundredth of a second in 1:55.73, as the pair posted the No. 10 and No. 11 times nationally.

Nemecek, Moore, and Myers were joined by sophomore Austin McInturff on the winning 4×400-meter relay, which compiled a time of 3:21.77 to rank second on St. Olaf’s all-time list. That time is just seven one-hundredths of a second off the program record set in 2016 and ranks fifth in the country.

St. Olaf logged the top-three times of the meet in the one-mile run, led by Bullock’s first-place time of 4:23.01. Senior Eli Doran (4:23.04) and junior Alex Bjork (4:23.37) were within half a second of Bullock, with all three Oles posting top-20 times in NCAA Division III to date.

Senior Kevin Turlington added a win in the 5,000-meter run with the fifth-fastest time in NCAA Division III (14:35.39). Fellow senior Gael Manzur Strandlund was third in 15:19.86 as well.

Sophomore Cristian Escobar Pearson bettered his No. 2 time on St. Olaf’s all-time list in the 60-meter dash in both the prelims (7.07) and finals (7.05) to finish eighth in the event. Junior Jesse Olson recorded the No. 8 score on the Oles’ list in the heptathlon (4,153) by registering four personal-bests in the seven-event, two-day competition to take fourth. Olson’s highest finish came in the high jump, where he placed third after clearing 182 meters (5′ 11 ½”).

St. Olaf will be back in 2026 at the Ole Opener at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Tostrud Center.

 

Minnesota volleyball is in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, and they now have a chance to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2021.

After sweeping Fairfield University 3-0 in the first round of the tourney on Friday night at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, the Gophers dominated Iowa State in a sweep Saturday night to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Gophers took the first set 25-22 before securing the second set 25-21. They crushed the Cyclones 25-14 in the third set to roll into the regional semifinal, where they will face No. 1 Pittsburgh on Thursday for a chance to reach the regional final, which would come with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

The Gophers were seeded fourth in their region, while Iowa State was the No. 5 seed.

Minnesota finished the regular season 22-9 and ranked No. 17 in the AVCA poll. Pittsburgh is ranked No. 4 in the nation, sporting a 28-4 record.

The Minnesota-Pitt regional semifinal will happen at 6 p.m. CT Thursday, and the Panthers will be hosting the match at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh.

The match will be televised on ESPN2.