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Bobcats send five track athletes to NCAA Championships

TXST TRACK AND FIELD Five Bobcat track athletes punched their ticket to Eugene, Oregon to compete at the NCAA National Track Meet after qualifying at the NCAA West Regionals in Texas A&M. The first Bobcat to qualify for the national track meet was junior Chris Preddie. Competing in the long jump after taking first place […]

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TXST TRACK AND FIELD

Five Bobcat track athletes punched their ticket to Eugene, Oregon to compete at the NCAA National Track Meet after qualifying at the NCAA West Regionals in Texas A&M.

The first Bobcat to qualify for the national track meet was junior Chris Preddie. Competing in the long jump after taking first place in conference, Preddie placed second at regionals with a jump 26-3 ½ and qualified for nationals.

However, Preddie’s week was not done yet. The junior later competed in the triple jump on Friday where he finished in 11th place with a jump of 52-3 ¼.

Preddie qualified for the NCAA National Outdoor Meet for the second time in his career after qualifying during his freshman season where he finished 14th. Preddie also became just the second ever male track athlete to advance to nationals in two different events and the first since Brian Veal in 2005 who also qualified for nationals in both the long jump and triple jump.

Joining Preddie is the throwing duo of sophomore Lara Roberts and junior Melanie Duron. Roberts, who took first place in the hammer throw at conference, placed fourth overall to advance towards nationals with a throw of 215-3. This is the second year in a row Roberts has qualified for the national meet, qualifying as a freshman where she placed 14th.

Duron, who took first place in the shot put at conference, placed ninth with a throw of 5411 and punched her ticket to nationals for the first time in outdoor. Duron had also qualified for the NCAA Indoor National Track Meet earlier this year.

Rounding out the week was the high jumping duo of senior Kason O’Riley and junior Aiden Hayes.

After finishing in 1st and 2nd place at the conference meet, O’Riley finished in a four-way tie for first place, jumping 7-1 ½. Hayes finished in fifth place, also jumping 7-1 ½ as both teammates qualified for nationals.

Hayes and O’Riley are the first Texas State male track athletes to both qualify for the national meet in the same event in the same season.

The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled to start Wednesday, June 11 and will run through Saturday. The event will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPNU. cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc

Junior Chris Preddie qualified for the NCAA Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in both the long jump and triple jump. Preddie is the first male Texas State track athlete since Brian Veal in 2005 to qualify for nationals in two different events in the same season. Photo submitted by Texas State Athletics

Above left, junior Melanie Duron finished in ninth place to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the shot put. Duron also qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the shot put earlier in the season. Above right, sophomore Lara Roberts took fourth place in the hammer throw to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. This is the second consecutive season Roberts has qualified for nationals in the hammer throw. Photo submitted by Texas State Athletics

Senior Kason O’Riley and junior Aiden Hayes both qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the high jump. O’Riley finished tied for first place. Photo submitted by Texas State Athletics



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Angela Hapner Musk – Assistant Coach, Cross Country/Track & Field – Men’s Cross Country Coaches

Angela Hapner Musk, a three-time All-American at Bellarmine University, returned to her alma mater to become the head women’s cross country coach in 2016 and is currently an assistant coach with the cross country and track and field program. Musk was head coach of the women’s cross country team for eight seasons until 2023 and head […]

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Angela Hapner Musk, a three-time All-American at Bellarmine University, returned to her alma mater to become the head women’s cross country coach in 2016 and is currently an assistant coach with the cross country and track and field program.

Musk was head coach of the women’s cross country team for eight seasons until 2023 and head coach of the women’s track and field team for five seasons until 2024. The program transitioned to a director model ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and Musk remained on staff under her former coach, director of cross country/track and field Jim Vargo.

The 2022 cross country season saw Bellarmine deliver nine of the program’s all-time top-50 performances in the 5k and three in the 6k. Five of the top 13 on the program’s 5k performance list came from times recorded in 2022. The 2022-23 track and field squad garnered three ASUN All-Conference accolades.

In 2021-22, Bellarmine set one indoor freshman record while Anna Wells garnered ASUN Outdoor Academic All-Conference plaudits. The Knights had three cross country runners earn spots on both the program’s 5k and 6k top-20 performance lists, and two apiece land top-40 placements in the list of all-time 5k and 6k times.

The 2020-21 season marked Bellarmine’s first in Division I and the ASUN Conference. The Knights set a combined four new program records in the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. They delivered three All-Conference performances in relays over the two ASUN Championships and added another in the discus. Katrina Kamarute earned a spot on the ASUN Indoor Academic All-Conference team. 

Under Musk’s tutelage, Karly Gawarecki in 2018 became the women’s cross country program’s fourth Division II All-American after she finished 18th at the NCAA Championships. That performance came after Gawarecki placed third at the NCAA Midwest Regional, tying the program’s third-best finish in the regional meet. In the ensuing track and field season, Yashira Rhymer-Stuart became the program’s first national champion after placing first in the high jump at the NCAA II Indoor Championships while adding a second All-America accolade after landing runner-up honors at the outdoor meet. 

In 2017, Musk pushed Bellarmine to a second-place finish at the GLVC Cross Country Championships and within two points of heavy favorite Southern Indiana. For her efforts, Musk was named GLVC Coach of the Year. The Knights set a program record with five All-GLVC plaudits, which are reserved for the top 15 finishers at the conference meet. In the track and field season, Musk helped lead the Knights to a GLVC Championships indoor title. Three distance runners in both the indoor and outdoor seasons competed at the NCAA Championships.

In Musk’s first cross country season, she guided Bellarmine to a runner-up finish at the GLVC Championships. During the regular season, the Knights won the title at the Fast Cats Invitational. Musk oversaw three Knights collect All-GLVC notice, and Erin Crone earned a berth in the NCAA Championships. 

In her highly distinguished career at Bellarmine, Musk earned two of her All-America accolades in track and field and another in cross country. Her track and field acknowledgements came in 2012 (distance medley relay, indoor season) and 2013 (1500 meters, outdoor season). Her cross country honor came in 2012 after she placed 12th at the NCAA Championships.

In addition, Musk was named the GLVC Runner of the Year for cross country in 2012 after racing to first place at the GLVC Championships. She had placed second the year before and ninth as a sophomore to total three All-GLVC campaigns. Musk secured All-Region plaudits in 2011 and 2012, garnering runner-up honors in the latter season. Also in 2012, Musk was named the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country.

Musk was named the GLVC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2013 after placing first in the 800 meters, mile and distance medley relay at the GLVC Championships. She racked up eight All-GLVC notices over her track and field career, seven of which were first-team selections. She received the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for track and field in 2013.

Musk helped lead the cross country team to the 2010 GLVC Championships title and the track and field team to the 2012 and 2013 GLVC Indoor Championships crowns.

Musk left the Knights cross country team with the top 5K and 6K times in program history. Her name remains a large presence among the all-time best 5K and 6K performances.

 

 

 



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93 Tritons Named to Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team

Story Links IRVINE, Calif. — UC San Diego had 93 scholar-athletes recognized Thursday on the 2025 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team, the most of any Big West institution.   The spring team features the sports of baseball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s […]

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IRVINE, Calif. — UC San Diego had 93 scholar-athletes recognized Thursday on the 2025 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team, the most of any Big West institution.
 
The spring team features the sports of baseball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s volleyball and women’s water polo. UC San Diego sponsors all but beach volleyball and women’s golf.
 
To be eligible, scholar-athletes must carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00, be at least a sophomore academically with one full year at the institution prior to this season and compete in 50 percent of their team’s contests.
 
Triton track and field’s Jeremy Frank was one of 13 Big West scholar-athletes with a perfect 4.00 GPA.
 
A total of 756 scholar-athletes who participate in spring sports across The Big West were honored for their work in the classroom and athletic competition. The Big West recognizes individuals academically per season—fall, winter and spring—for all conference-sponsored sports. The fall team announcement is available here, and the winter team announcement is available here.
 
UC SAN DIEGO HONOREES
Baseball (11)
Michael Crossland – Sophomore, Human Biology
Matthew Dalquist – Senior, Data Science
Zack Ernisse – Senior, Business Economics
Patrick Hackworth – Senior, Business Economics
Sam Hasegawa – Senior, Mechanical Engineering
Devon King – Sophomore, Real Estate and Dev.
Landon Marchetti – Sophomore, Data Science
Steele Murdock – Sophomore, Communication
Anthony Potestio – Sophomore, Real Estate and Dev.
Spencer Seid – Junior, Business Economics
Cooper Thacker – Senior, Communication
 
Men’s Golf (5)
Francis Catalano – Junior, Management Science
Kyle Dougherty – Senior, Business Economics
Akira Isayama – Senior, Cognitive Science: Machine Learning & Neural Computation
Davis McDowell – Senior, Management Science
Nathan Tseng – Junior, Business Psychology
 
Softball (5)
Claire Adams – Junior, International Studies – Economics
Alexa DeMarse – Senior, Political Science/American Politics
Morgan Eng – Senior, Human Developmental Sciences
Marissa Hassis – Senior, Human Biology
Lily Hermosillo – Junior, Business Psychology
 
Men’s Tennis (5)
Carson Lee – Sophomore, Global Health
Zach Pellouchoud – Junior, Cognitive Science
Charles Qian – Senior, Business Analytics
Pelayo Rodriguez – Senior, Structural Engineering
Diogo Tinoco – Senior, International Studies
 
Women’s Tennis (5)
Grace Gamal – Junior, Neurobiology
Kelly Leung – Senior, Business Economics
Naomi Nguyen – Senior, Global Health
Adriana Tabares – Senior, Cognitive Science: Machine Learning & Neural Computation
Katelyn Vu – Senior, Cognitive Science: Machine Learning & Neural Computation
 
Men’s Track & Field (19)
Blake Armstrong – Sophomore, Human Biology
Shane Badcock – Sophomore, Business Economics
Miles Bennett – Senior, Structural Engineering
Bryan Chang – Junior, Molecular and Cell Biology
Jett Collins – Sophomore, Public Health
Kai Dettman – Senior, Structural Engineering
Charlie Frank – Senior, Mechanical Engineering
Jeremy Frank – Sophomore, Computer Science (4.00)
Thomas Fry – Junior, Human Biology
Ian Gammal – Sophomore, Business Economics
Nathan Garderes – Senior, Mathematics/Economics
Nathaniel Grant – Senior, Cognitive Science
Jordan Haney – Senior, Aerospace Engineering
Evan Hild – Junior, Human Biology
Frank McGowan – Sophomore, Global Health
Tate Meaux – Sophomore, Communication
Brandon Orlow – Sophomore, Biology
Cesar Salazar – Sophomore, Sociology
Liam Urich – Junior, Human Biology
 
Women’s Track & Field (25)
Allyson Abandonato – Junior, Public Health
Chidiebere Agunanne – Sophomore, Data Science
Chinanu Agunanne – Sophomore, Pharmacological Chemistry
Tamara Aimufia – Sophomore, Cognitive Science
Meilani Castillo – Sophomore, Speculative Design
Julia Di Silvestri – Senior, Neurobiology
Roxanne Ehrig – Sophomore, Structural Engineering
Alexandra Farfaras – Sophomore, Human Developmental Sciences
Idara Ibekwe – Senior, Human Biology
Amari Jenkins – Grad, Public Health
Destinee Jones – Sophomore, Public Law
Leila Kepler – Junior, Cognitive Science
Camille Lindsay – Sophomore, Business Psychology
Gabriella Lopez – Sophomore, Political Science/Data Analytics
Lauren McBride – Junior, Global Health
Sophia Menchine – Sophomore, Psychology
Sylvana Northrop – Senior, Cognitive Science
Kate O’Malley – Sophomore, Political Science
Lauren Pritchard – Senior, Environmental Systems
Jenna Satovsky – Junior, Biology
Lauren Schiele – Junior, Global Health
Logan Shojgreen – Sophomore, Communication
Jordyn Thomas – Sophomore, Cognitive Science
Kimberly Willard – Sophomore, Mathematics-Computer Science
Kelsie Yamano – Senior, Bioengineering
 
Men’s Volleyball (7)
Anthony Cherfan – Senior, Communication
Keegan Cook – Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering
Jim Garrison – Senior, Computer Science
Leo Pravednikov – Junior, Business Economics
Nick Rigo – Senior, Public Health: Medicine Science
Josh Schellinger – Junior, Business Economics
Peter Selcho – Senior, International Studies: International Business
 
Women’s Water Polo (11)
Allie Bartholomew – Junior, Psychology
Caroline Christl – Senior, International Studies: International Business
Lucia Doak – Senior, Sociology: Economy and Society
Kenzie Larson – Senior, Human Biology
Abby Moll – Senior, Business Economics
Sofia Munatones – Junior, Cognitive Science: Design & Interaction
Sydney Munatones – Junior, Public Health: Medicine Science
Olivia Obando – Sophomore, Communication
Courtney Okumura – Senior, Human Biology
Lexi Stahl – Senior, Psychology
Kendall Thomas – Senior, Visual Arts: Art History
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 93 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
 



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Why Barbara Kendall backs women’s Olympic water polo campaign

In 2015, Barbara Kendall received the Sport NZ Leadership Award at the Halberg Awards. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2015 www.photosport.co.nz Five-time Olympian Barbara Kendall has thrown her weight behind the New Zealand women’s water polo team in their bid to qualify for the next Games. The ‘White Caps’ believe they have a golden opportunity to qualify […]

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In 2015 Barbara Kendall was presented with the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award at the 52nd Halberg Awards.

In 2015, Barbara Kendall received the Sport NZ Leadership Award at the Halberg Awards.
Photo: Photosport Ltd 2015 www.photosport.co.nz

Five-time Olympian Barbara Kendall has thrown her weight behind the New Zealand women’s water polo team in their bid to qualify for the next Games.

The ‘White Caps’ believe they have a golden opportunity to qualify for Los Angeles 2028, with the Olympic quota for women’s water polo increasing from 10 teams to 12.

The team narrowly missed out on Paris 2024, falling just two goals short of Olympic qualification.

Women’s water polo was only added to the Olympics in 2000, with men’s water polo on the programme since 1900. No New Zealand team have ever qualified for the Olympics in the sport.

Kendall competed at five Olympic Games, winning gold, silver and bronze medals in windsurfing. She is now the White Caps performance coach and was introduced to water polo through her two daughters.

“They started playing at school and just loved it,” she said. “There was no-one at the school really managing it, so I just stepped in and ended up managing water polo for Whangaparāoa College, right up until both of them finished.

“I didn’t really know much about it, but I knew how to put a team together.”

Eldest daughter Samantha later joined the Atlantis City club in Auckland, where Kendall met White Caps head coach Angie Winstanley-Smith.

“What she was trying to achieve was a big dream with very little resource to try and get a team to the Olympic Games in Paris,” Kendall said. “There was no money, so it was pretty much a voluntary role, just building a plan and it’s taken a long time.

“She was, like, ‘Barbara, we’d love to have you on the team just supporting’ and I went, ‘Yep’.”

NZ women's water polo team - the White Caps.

NZ women’s water polo team – the White Caps.
Photo: Catharyn Hayne Photography

NZ Water Polo chief executive Jan Shearer competed at three Olympics in sailing, winning a silver medal with Leslie Egnot at Barcelona 1992.

Olympian Polly Powrie joined the White Caps a couple of years ago as team manager. Powrie is a two-time Olympic medallist, winning gold at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016, alongside teammate Jo Aleh in the women’s 470 sailing class.

England-born Winstanley-Smith represented Great Britain for 11 years, including the 2012 London Olympics, before retiring in 2014 and moving to New Zealand.

“Angie is an outstanding individual,” Kendall said. “Most people wouldn’t dedicate their life to it, it’s a real life calling.

“Then, when Jan became CEO, it was, like, ‘Right, I’m in’, because Jan’s an amazing operator, and then Polly joining as well. When you have really good operators in behind a good coach, who knows what can happen, so that was why I joined.”

Kendall knows what it’s like to prepare for Olympic qualification, but that’s brand new territory for the White Caps squad members. Some have spent time playing in the American college system on scholarships, some are coming from club level.

“Taking them from that level to actually what’s required when you step up into high performance systems is quite a big jump and some people don’t make it, because it’s relentless, it’s 24/7.

“It’s meticulous and so many boxes need to be ticked to ensure that you are operating under a high performance energy stream. It’s tiring and it’s really hard.”

Kendall enjoys working within a team sport.

“What a privilege to work with a group of female athletes striving to be their very best,” she said. “The dynamics are quite different, because you can have one person off and it can affect the whole team.

“They learn to understand their teammates, and what stresses them or what motivates them. They have to be able to adapt and have empathy.

“All those things you learn from a team sport, which you probably don’t learn from an individual sport, because it’s all about you, but in a team sport, you’ve got to look outside yourself a lot more.”

The NZ Women's water polo team at a training base in Auckland, June 2025.

The NZ women’s water polo team at a training base in Auckland.
Photo: Supplied

Kendall said she had a “million stories” she could share about the realities of high performance sport, “based on everything I learnt in 25 years of travelling overseas, sleeping in cars, little support”.

“When you get to the end of it, you may not qualify for the Olympic Games,” she said. “You may not win a medal, but what you have learnt that has made you you, that’s priceless …and that’s where I come in.”

Kendall’s philosophy is to grow the person, then the athlete will flourish.

“In high performance sport, you go into pressure cooker situations and all your fears surface, so it’s how you embrace them and learn through them. It can be a really tough journey, so understanding that is actually when the most growth occurs, and you are much stronger and resilient from those times.”

The White Caps are currently on the road, gaining valuable experience in Europe against the world’s top teams, before heading to the world aquatics championships in Singapore.

Kendall will rejoin the team there, after a quick detour to watch daughter Aimee Bright compete at the 2025 iQFOiL world championships in Denmark. Bright is one of New Zealand’s top young windfoilers, a newer evolution of windsurfing.

Stacked with Olympic experience

New Zealand sailors Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie.

New Zealand sailors Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (right) at the Olympics.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Winstanley-Smith, who started coaching the team in 2017, appreciates that she has now got a management team stacked with Olympic experience.

One of her assistant coaches is Eelco Uri, a former Dutch player, who competed at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics with the Netherlands men’s team.

Winstanley-Smith said of Kendall: “Anyone who meets Barbara, it’s impossible not to feel energised.

“She’s been to five Olympics, she works with the IOC. Ultimately, what she brings is, ‘Yes, this is high performance, but it’s fun, we choose to be here’,” she said.

“She challenges the environment, and gets us to look at each other as people and how we can connect, and how everyone is different and how we navigate that within a team, so she’s been gold in that respect for me.”

Shearer spent three years as CEO of Snow Sports NZ, before taking charge of NZ Water polo in 2021, when Covid was having a big impact. She is also board chair of Canoe Racing NZ.

Winstanley-Smith’s first three months of communication with Shearer was over Zoom, when Auckland was in lockdown.

“She came in, and just provided a support for me and a guidance in the New Zealand high performance environment, and her connections and ability to get stuff done is just incredible.

“Immediately, her knowledge and expertise, she came from Snow Sports and we’ve all seen the success they have had, and also Canoe Racing New Zealand, so two organisations she’s been involved with who’ve had a lot of Olympic success, I don’t think that’s by chance.”

Leslie Egnot (right) with Jan Shearer at the Barcelona Olympic Games, 1992.

Jan Shearer (left) and Leslie Egnot at the Barcelona Olympic Games, 1992.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Winstanley-Smith said Powrie was the most unassuming, laid-back person she had ever worked with.

“So level-headed, which is fantastic for me, because she balances my ADHD out, so it’s great,” she laughed.

“She just loves being involved in sport, but not for the limelight. The girls can sit down at breakfast in tournament and chat through, ‘What was the morning like before you went out to sail your last race and won gold’ – those key moments that Polly has lived that she can bring real-life experience.”

White Caps captain Jessica Milicich, 29, has been in the squad for nine years and said missing out on Paris was difficult, but it made them confident they could make it.

She said having so much Olympic experience around the team was invaluable.

“Having Angie lead our programme has been really important for us,” Milicich said. “We wouldn’t be in the position that we are today without her.

“She’s really driven the women’s programme forward in the time that she’s been head coach. I’ve never met anyone as technically capable as her.

“She understands what you’re going through in high-pressure moments, she is very calm in times of stress, she is just so valuable and we are lucky to have someone like her involved.”

Jessica Milicich of the NZ women's water polo team - the White Caps.

Jessica Milicich of the NZ women’s water polo team.
Photo: Deep Blue Media

Milicich said also having Powrie and Kendall in their camp filled them with confidence.

“They both came to the Doha world champs with us last year and the impact that they had was so positive, so all of our feedback was that we wanted them to be involved moving forward.

“Barbara creates an atmosphere where she brings out the best in everyone. She is really focussed on how we can perform as a group and individually at our best, so I think that is really important, because when you get to those international moments, she has so much experience and value to offer.

“Then Polly is just awesome. Having the two of them, I think we are very fortunate, and I don’t think you’d look across any other staff or team management, and have the same kind of experience or value.”

Traditionally, Europe produces strong water polo teams like Hungary, Greece and Italy. USA is strong in women’s water polo and Australia won silver in Paris last year.

“For us to break in to that upper tier, we are a little bit further away, so the more we get exposed to those kind of teams, the better,” Milicich said.

Water polo is now one of 10 recognised team sports under the High Performance Sport New Zealand programme, which has bumped up their funding.

“Singapore is one of our first world championships where we haven’t had to do much fundraising,” Milicich said. “It’s covered, but normally, it has been self-funded.

“To get to this point where we can now move forward and hopefully continue to grow the sport is really exciting.”

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USATF MOURNS PASSING OF OLYMPIAN AND COACHING LEGEND BILL DELLINGER

Bill Dellinger, a three-time Olympian who earned bronze in the 5000 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Games and went on to one of the most storied coaching careers in American track and field history, died June 27. He was 91. Born March 23, 1934, in Grants Pass, Oregon, Dellinger attended Springfield High School, where he […]

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Bill Dellinger, a three-time Olympian who earned bronze in the 5000 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Games and went on to one of the most storied coaching careers in American track and field history, died June 27. He was 91.

Born March 23, 1934, in Grants Pass, Oregon, Dellinger attended Springfield High School, where he earned numerous accolades and won the Oregon state class A 880-yard and mile titles as a senior in 1952.

Taking his talents to the University of Oregon, where he eventually captured three Pacific Coast Conference golds, Dellinger won NCAA gold in the mile as a sophomore in 1954, and silver in 1955. In 1956 he moved up in distance and was the national champion in the 5000, setting the stage for his first Olympic Trials. At Los Angeles on June 29, he broke the American record in the 5000 with a 14:26.0 that gave him a three-second margin of victory.

Dellinger lowered his American record to 14:25.5 at Berkeley in October, and after losing the record to Max Truex the next weekend, he regained it in a big way with a 14:16.2 at Los Angeles in his final Olympic warmup meet. At the Melbourne Olympic Games Dellinger easily qualified for the 5000 final with a third place 14:26.8 in his heat, but he was not able to finish the final.

Finishing third in the AAU 5000 in 1957 and again in 1958, Dellinger embarked on a European tour in the summer of ’58 that yielded an American record of 3:41.5 in the 1500 in a dual meet with Hungary. He also placed second in the 5000 in matches against the Soviet Union and Greece.

The next summer saw Dellinger take the AAU 5000 crown before going on to win gold at the Pan American Games. He was the runner-up to Jim Beatty in the 1960 Olympic Trials 5000, garnering his second Olympic berth, and in Rome he missed out on the final with a fourth place effort in the heats.

Putting the pieces all together in 1964, Dellinger tied with Bob Schul for the 5000 win at the Olympic Trials and went to Tokyo with his eyes on the podium. Facing miserable running conditions with heavy rain falling, Schul and Dellinger faced off against pre-race favorite Michael Jazy of France. Jazy had a good lead going into the final bend, but Schul burst past him halfway down the home stretch to become the first American to win the 5000 at the Games. Dellinger and Harold Norpoth of West Germany also passed the quickly tiring Jazy and Dellinger edged the Frenchman for bronze in a lifetime best of 13:49.8.

Dellinger had started teaching at Thurston High School in 1960 after serving in the U.S. Air Force and was an unpaid coach for the school’s track team to avoid jeopardizing his amateur status. In April 1966 he accepted a position on the physical education staff at Lane Community College, and a year later he began what would be a legendary coaching stint at his alma mater.

Joining the Oregon coaching staff under Bill Bowerman on Sept. 1, 1967, Dellinger moved up to associate coach in 1970 and in 1972 was the Ducks’ interim head coach while Bowerman served as head coach for the U.S. team for the Munich Olympic Games. That title became permanent in March 1973 after Bowerman stepped down to lead a fundraising effort to renovate Hayward Field, and Dellinger would remain at the helm until his retirement in late 1998.

Oregon’s track and field and cross country success continued under Dellinger’s leadership as the Ducks won the 1984 NCAA outdoor championships and four NCAA cross country team titles to go with three Pac-10 team crowns. Among the athletes he helped guide were Steve Prefontaine, Rudy Chapa, Joaquin Cruz, Bill McChesney, Jr., and Alberto Salazar. Dellinger was named to the coaching staff for Team USA at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Dellinger was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2001, and in 2021 USATF honored him with the Legend Coach Award. He is a member of the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame as an athlete and as a coach and is also in the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. Dellinger is a member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame, the Drake Relays Hall of Fame, and the Grants Pass Hall of Fame.

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Chargers’ Charles Woodhams named 2024-25 G-MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year

Story Links As a talented shooting guard and a two-year starter at Hillsdale College, Charles Woodhams was a force on the court for the Chargers men’s basketball team. As special as Woodhams was on the hardwood for Hillsdale, however, his achievements in the classroom might be even more impressive. Woodhams’ incredible balance […]

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As a talented shooting guard and a two-year starter at Hillsdale College, Charles Woodhams was a force on the court for the Chargers men’s basketball team.

As special as Woodhams was on the hardwood for Hillsdale, however, his achievements in the classroom might be even more impressive.

Woodhams’ incredible balance of athletic and academic success has earned him a major honor from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, which named him the league’s Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 campaign.

The G-MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year award is presented to the men’s athlete who has compiled the most outstanding record in athletics, scholarship and leadership over the course of the school year across all sports the G-MAC offers. Athletic departments across the G-MAC nominate one individual for the award each year, and the winner is selected based on a vote among all institutions.

Woodhams is the fourth Hillsdale athlete to win the G-MAC Scholar Athlete Award since the Chargers joined the G-MAC in 2017, and the third male athlete from Hillsdale to win in the past five years. He joins softball player and swimmer Victoria Addis (2019-20), football player Joey Brenner (2020-21) and baseball player Lewis Beals (2022-23) as a Hillsdale athlete to win the award.

An excellent student throughout his time at Hillsdale, Woodhams graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hillsdale in May with a 3.93 GPA and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. He plans on becoming a doctor and is choosing among the medical schools who’ve accepted him to determine where he’s attending in the year to come.

During his time in college, Woodhams participated in the prestigious LAUREATES program to fund undergraduate research, conducting a study and presenting the results to a Beta Beta Beta National Biology conference in 2025. Along with membership in Beta Beta Beta, Woodhams also was a member of the Sigma Zeta National Science and Math honorary and was named the CRC Outstanding Chemistry Student of the Year during his time at Hillsdale.

Woodhams was named to the NABC Academic Honors Court three times in his collegiate career, was a four time Academic All-G-MAC honoree, a three-time D2ADA All-Academic Honoree and made the CSC Men’s Basketball Academic All-District team twice.

On the court, Woodhams was a key player offensively for the Chargers in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, scoring in double digits in both campaigns and leading Hillsdale in points per game in 2024-25. He earned first-team All-G-MAC honors as a senior, scoring in double figures in 27 of Hillsdale’s 30 games, with a season-high 26 points in a 83-78 road win over Ashland on Jan. 2 highlighting a stellar year.

As a player, Woodhams was known for his offensive efficiency, finishing sixth in the G-MAC in field goal percentage (.495) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.403), rare numbers for a 6-foot-3 guard who spent much of his time on the perimeter. He also made a huge impact defensively for the Chargers, serving as one of the top perimeter stoppers for a team that finished in the top two in the G-MAC in scoring defense in both of his seasons as a starter and led the G-MAC in 2024-25 at 65.4 points conceded per game.

He leaves Hillsdale with a winning legacy, going 105-38 over his collegiate career, including four 20-plus win seasons, and he was a part of the Chargers’ first-ever NCAA DII Midwest Regional championship and Elite Eight appearance in 2022.

 



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Ole Miss Volleyball Officially Signs Coveted Transfer Aniya Lewis to 2025 Roster

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss volleyball program and head coach Bre Henry has added another dynamic hitter in the transfer portal, signing Aniya Lewis as a transfer. Lewis joins the Rebels following her first season of collegiate action at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, Ill., and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Lewis […]

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OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss volleyball program and head coach Bre Henry has added another dynamic hitter in the transfer portal, signing Aniya Lewis as a transfer.

Lewis joins the Rebels following her first season of collegiate action at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, Ill., and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Lewis joins an impactful group of transfers for the 2025 season, alongside Gabi Placide (Northern Colorado), Jordyn Towns (Alabama) and Vivianna Samaniego (Cal State Bakersfield).

An outside hitter from Kankakee, Ill., Lewis quickly emerged as one of the top hitters in the NJCAA Division II ranks, ranking second in the NJCAA in kills per set with 5.12.

Lewis tallied 353 kills, hitting .295 with 45 total blocks, while tallying 397.5 points over 29 matches and 69 sets played.

Lewis is a gifted athlete, having a standout athletic career in high school as well, where she was an All-Conference and regional champion in volleyball and graduated summa cum laude.

Additionally, Lewis is a two-time state champion and All-American in track & field and an All-Conference Special Mention and regional champion in basketball.

The Rebels are set to open the 2025 regular season on Friday, Aug. 29 against Arkansas State in Atlanta, Ga., on the campus of Georgia Tech.

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.





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