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Brisbane takeaways

No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka survived a stern test from No.15 seed Yulia Putintseva in the Brisbane International third round, coming from 5-3 down in the first set to win 7-6(2), 6-4 in 1 hour and 49 minutes.Sabalenka, the 2024 runner-up to Elena Rybakina, was two points from losing the opener on four occasions but held […]

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Brisbane takeaways

No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka survived a stern test from No.15 seed Yulia Putintseva in the Brisbane International third round, coming from 5-3 down in the first set to win 7-6(2), 6-4 in 1 hour and 49 minutes.Sabalenka, the 2024 runner-up to Elena Rybakina, was two points from losing the opener on four occasions but held her nerve in the most important moments to improve to 2-1 overall against Putintseva. Here are the key takeaways from the World No.1’s straight-sets victory:

‘Fabulous point!’ Putintseva’s spectacular defense foils Sabalenka

In the quarterfinals, the World No.1 will face another player who has provided a stiff challenge in the past — Marie Bouzkova, who upset No.10 seed and two-time former champion Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-4. That result was Bouzkova’s second Top 20 win of the week following her second-round upset of No.5 seed Jelena Ostapenko. 

Sabalenka has a plan to make amends with Putintseva

But whenever Sabalenka was in danger of facing a set point, she managed to keep the rallies short with accurate power of her own. Though she was unable to convert her first set point at 6-5, the three-time major champion dominated the ensuing tiebreak and carried her momentum into the second set, breaking Putintseva immediately with a bruising forehand winner.
Sabalenka’s path in Brisbane doesn’t get any easier
Should Sabalenka take revenge on Bouzkova, she will face either Andreeva or former World No.2 Ons Jabeur in the semifinals — two more players who can disrupt her power with their variety. Andreeva upset Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 in last year’s Roland Garros quarterfinals, while Jabeur has won two of their six meetings to date.
Putintseva has historically been a tough matchup for Sabalenka — the Kazakhstani won their first encounter at the 2019 US Open, then led 6-1, 4-3 in last year’s Wuhan third round before Sabalenka turned that match around. This proved the case again in Brisbane. Putintseva’s court awareness, variety and speed prevented Sabalenka from settling into a groove. The World No.29 peaked with a phenomenal defensive point, finding every line at full stretch, as she built a 5-3 lead.
A clutch first set proved decisive“I got an invitation from her for her birthday celebration next Friday,” Sabalenka said to the press. “After the match she said, ‘You’re not coming to my birthday!’ I said, ‘I’ll make sure I’ll bring you a good gift, so you’ll be OK with me.'”WTA Unlocked Canberra

Good friends off the court but renowned as two of the grittiest competitors on the Hologic WTA Tour, Sabalenka and Putintseva were able to lay it all on the line during the match before sharing an embrace and a joke at net afterward.That game proved decisive. Though Sabalenka was taken to 30-30 three more times, she did not face a break point in the second set, and sealed victory with a blistering backhand down the line.
Sabalenka and Bouzkova are tied at one win apiece, with the Czech winning their last match 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in last July’s Washington semifinals.

Sabalenka is one of just two seeds in the Brisbane quarterfinals, along with No.8 Mirra Andreeva. But there’s still danger at every turn as she bids to capture the title for the first time.

“She’s another player who’s going to make you play very long points,” Sabalenka said. “The last match we played, I have to say I didn’t play my best, and she played an incredible match. I really hope tomorrow I’ll be able to put it all together.”

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Five Montana Grizzlies qualify for NCAA West First Round track and field meet

MISSOULA — The Montana track and field program will send five athletes to College Station, Texas, next week for the NCAA West First Round. Ashley Carroll, Matthew Hockett, Kyle Iorg, Carson Weeden and Erin Wilde will represent the Grizzlies at the regional meet. The top 48 athletes from the West Region qualify for the First […]

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MISSOULA — The Montana track and field program will send five athletes to College Station, Texas, next week for the NCAA West First Round. Ashley Carroll, Matthew Hockett, Kyle Iorg, Carson Weeden and Erin Wilde will represent the Grizzlies at the regional meet.

The top 48 athletes from the West Region qualify for the First Round, which will be held May 28-31.

Wilde, the now five-time Big Sky Champion in the women’s high jump, will be making her third straight appearance at regionals. She placed 38th as a freshman and 27th as a sophomore.

The Whitefish product is tied for 34th in the West with her mark of 5-10 set earlier this year at the Al Manuel Invitational.

Ashley Carroll reached the First Round in the women’s javelin. The runner-up at last week’s Big Sky Championship, Carroll has a season-best mark of 152-7 set at the Bengal Invitational on May 2. She ranks 47th in the region.

Carroll is making her first regional appearance. The sophomore from Shepherd placed fourth in the Big Sky as a freshman and followed it up with a second-place finish in 2025.

The Grizzlies will have two representatives in the men’s javelin competition. Kyle Iorg and Matthew Hockett will both be competing on Wednesday.

Iorg is ranked 21st in the West with a mark of 226-10 set at the Bengal Invitational on May 2. The true freshman improved in three straight meets during the regular season to reach the mark. He placed third at the Big Sky Championships last week.

Senior Matthew Hockett, who finished as the runner-up at the Big Sky Championships, will be going to his third career regional meet. He placed 41st in 2022 and 35th in 2023 before redshirting last season.

Hockett is ranked 28th in the region with his mark of 223-2 set in the season opening Al Manuel Invitational.

Carson Weeden locked up his spot in the First Round with a school-record performance at the Big Sky Championships. Weeden had a triple PR in Sacramento to finish second in the league with a mark of 17-4.5.

Weeden is ranked 27th in the region with his mark and will be making his first regional appearance.

Hockett and Iorg will compete on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Weeden will also be in action on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. The women’s javelin competition for Carroll begins at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, and Wilde will wrap up Montana’s meet at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.





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DePaul University Blue Demons – Official Athletics Website

CHICAGO – The NCAA announced Thursday afternoon that DePaul Track and Field has a total of 11 athletes with qualifying marks for the NCAA Championships West Preliminary Rounds in College Station, Texas. The total marks a significant jump from last year’s program-record eight qualifiers. The Blue Demons will be represented in sprints, throws, distance, jumps, […]

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CHICAGO – The NCAA announced Thursday afternoon that DePaul Track and Field has a total of 11 athletes with qualifying marks for the NCAA Championships West Preliminary Rounds in College Station, Texas. The total marks a significant jump from last year’s program-record eight qualifiers. The Blue Demons will be represented in sprints, throws, distance, jumps, and hurdles in what head coach Dave Dopek calls the “most complete group” the program has ever brought to the national stage.
 
Among the returners are All-American Darius Brown (110m hurdles, 4x100m) who is making his fourth-straight appearance. He is joined by Alex Bernstein (hammer throw) and Jaiah Hopf (triple jump), each earning their third appearance, and Kash Allen (shot put), making her second. The remaining seven Blue Demon athletes are set to make their NCAA postseason debut.
 
On the women’s side, Jessica Beckman (discus), Jaiah Hopf (triple jump), and freshman Tessa Roe (steeplechase) earned bids, with all three securing top-40 regional rankings behind season-best efforts at either the BIG EAST Championships or the Gary Wieneke Memorial. Additionally, Kash Allen holds the No. 34 regional ranking in the shot put after winning the third BIG EAST title of her career.
 
Brown is joined on the men’s 4x100m squad by Dominic Cole, Charles Lewis, and Demetrius Rolle, who also qualified individually in the 100m. Dustin Hudak (800m), Jaiden Gary (shot put), and Bernstein round out the men’s qualifiers, with Paul Goins and Amaru Mazibuko traveling as relay alternates.
 

The NCAA West Preliminary Rounds will take place May 28-31 at E.B. Cushing Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M. The top 12 in each event will advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
 
FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS

For all of the latest on DePaul Cross Country, Track & Field, stay tuned to DePaulBlueDemons.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, and X.





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Florida Atlantic University Athletics

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic beach volleyball senior Sydney Schroder sat down with Assistant Coach Kristi Tekavec for this week’s Inside the Owl’s Burrow: Life’s A Beach segment.   Coach Tekavec has been an instrumental part of the Sandy Owls’ success over her five seasons in Boca Raton.   Tekavec joined Florida Atlantic in […]

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BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic beach volleyball senior Sydney Schroder sat down with Assistant Coach Kristi Tekavec for this week’s Inside the Owl’s Burrow: Life’s A Beach segment.
 
Coach Tekavec has been an instrumental part of the Sandy Owls’ success over her five seasons in Boca Raton.
 
Tekavec joined Florida Atlantic in 2020 as a volunteer assistant before being elevated to Assistant Coach in the fall of 2022.
 
The Owls have had tremendous success over the past five seasons, winning three conference championships (2021, 2023, 2025), in addition to earning three NCAA Championship appearances, including the program’s first in 2022. FAU has also had three 20+ win seasons during that span, including a program record 23 wins during the 2022 season.
 
Coach Tekavec also currently competes professionally in the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP).
 
Enjoy getting to know Coach Tekavec on Life’s a Beach presented by Inside the Owls’ Burrow.

FOLLOW THE SANDY OWLS

For updates, follow @FAUBeachVB on X and Instagram, or like FAU Beach Volleyball on Facebook.

 





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Sailing Completes Three-Peat – Stanford Cardinal

ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – Stanford sailing won its second national championship of the season on Friday evening, capturing the ICSA Women’s Fleet Race Championship for the third consecutive season.  The Cardinal paced a strong 18-team field with 198 points, holding off runner-up Tulane (209 pts) and third-place Harvard (223 pts) through 16 races.  Friday’s victory […]

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ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – Stanford sailing won its second national championship of the season on Friday evening, capturing the ICSA Women’s Fleet Race Championship for the third consecutive season. 

The Cardinal paced a strong 18-team field with 198 points, holding off runner-up Tulane (209 pts) and third-place Harvard (223 pts) through 16 races. 

Friday’s victory marks the program’s seventh overall national championship, as Stanford became the first school to win three consecutive Women’s Fleet Race Championships since the United States Naval Academy from 1979-81.

The Cardinal has been particularly dominant since claiming the program’s first women’s national title in 2023, having now won five of the last six national regattas. 

“This championship required a full team’s effort. Our team came together, picked each other up and found a level required to take home hardware,” said head coach Chris Klevan, who has guided the Cardinal to six national team crowns. “This year’s team took the lessons learned watching legends of the past and applied them to the present. That speaks to something more than just two days of hard work and perseverance. Our competition made the challenge harder, but in turn, the victory seemed extra sweet. I could not be more proud.”

Stanford varsity teams have now won 171 national championships overall (77 men, 92 women, 2 coed). This is Stanford’s fourth national team title of the 2024-25 campaign. In addition to Sailing also winning the ICSA Women’s Team Race championship last month, the Cardinal has secured national crowns in Artistic Swimming and Women’s Water Polo.

Action kicked off on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Eastern Semifinals, where the Cardinal outperformed the likes of Cornell, Boston College and Harvard. Over two days of competition, Stanford tallied 69 points and secured four victories, finishing with an 18-point lead over the rest of the field.

Following a rain-shortened Thursday session which featured just three races across both divisions, the Cardinal stood in fourth place in the team standings, trailing leader Tulane by 12 points.

The action continued on Friday as the Cardinal flourished in the final 13 races of the championship, taking a lead it never surrendered after six races. Fueled by six wins in the A division and 10 top-10 placements in the B division, Stanford held strong to secure its third straight Women’s Fleet Race title.

Vanessa Lahrkamp and Alice Schmid led the A division with seven wins and 52 points in 15/16 completed races. Lahrkamp teamed up with Ashtyn Tierney for a fifth place finish in race 7 to put the A division trio at 57 points overall, clearing Harvard’s Cordelia Burn and Margo Silliman by 32 points.

“B” boat duties were handled by a combination of Cardinal duos, starting with Ellie Harned and Kit Harned, who earned 67 points through the first eight races. The remaining eight races were controlled by Sophie Fisher and Piper Blackband with the duo recording 63 points as the Cardinal “B” boat earned an eighth place finish with 130 points overall.



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Hobart, Steffen represent Central on All-American podiums

Story Links PELLA —  Friday at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships saw a pair of Central College student-athletes secure a spot on the All-American podium. Kale Hobart (sophomore, Mason City) took runner-up honors in the decathlon with 6,916 points. He started day two strong with a time of […]

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PELLA —  Friday at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships saw a pair of Central College student-athletes secure a spot on the All-American podium.

Kale Hobart (sophomore, Mason City) took runner-up honors in the decathlon with 6,916 points. He started day two strong with a time of 14.70 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, the fastest time in the field. He also had the second-best discus throw with a mark of 127 feet, 7 inches.

 

Reid Pakkebier (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) also earned second-team All-American honors with an 11th place finish in the decathlon, scoring 6,329 points.

 

Peyton Steffen (junior, Marion) improved upon her career-best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing in fifth place in a time of 10 minutes, 28.78 seconds. She becomes the fourth Dutch female to land on the All-American podium in the steeplechase in the last two seasons.

 

Olivia Bohlen (junior, Belle Plaine) finished just off the podium in the women’s heptathlon, taking ninth place with 4,840 points. She still clinched second team All-American accolades.

 

In the men’s 110-meter hurdle preliminaries, Central’s Gunner Meyer (junior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS) qualified for Saturday’s final in fifth with a time of 14.26 seconds. Grant Miller (junior, Norwalk) was 12th in the prelims (14.48 seconds) and earned second team All-American honors.

 

Central College NCAA Championships schedule of events

Saturday, May 25 (times are EST)

11 a.m. – men’s triple jump (prelims and finals)

2:10 p.m. – men’s 110-meter hurdles (finals)

4:25 p.m. – women’s 5000 meters (final)

 



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Gianna Bartalo Returns to Denver Volleyball Program as Assistant Coach

Story Links DENVER – University of Denver volleyball coach Megan Pendergast has hired Gianna Bartalo to serve as an assistant coach, Pendergast announced on Thursday. “We’re stoked to bring Gianna Bartalo home,” Pendergast said. “Her love for this program and deep understanding of what makes Denver special is rare, and something we’re […]

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DENVER – University of Denver volleyball coach Megan Pendergast has hired Gianna Bartalo to serve as an assistant coach, Pendergast announced on Thursday.

“We’re stoked to bring Gianna Bartalo home,” Pendergast said. “Her love for this program and deep understanding of what makes Denver special is rare, and something we’re incredibly proud to have on staff. Gi went through a competitive interview process and earned this opportunity every step of the way. She’ll lead the defensive side of the ball, where her volleyball IQ and firsthand knowledge of what it takes to win here will be immediately felt across our program.”

Bartalo led Denver in digs starting libero in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and ranks eighth all time in Denver program history with 1,202 career digs. In her final season at Cal, Bartalo posted 468 digs, good for the eighth-highest in a single season and fourth-best in the ACC.

“Returning to the University of Denver as an assistant coach is incredibly meaningful to me,” Bartalo said. “I’ve been watching Denver volleyball since I was 12 years old, and this program has shaped so much of who I am, both on and off the court. To be back at the University that has given me so much is an honor I don’t take lightly. I am very grateful to Megan Pendergast for believing in me and for giving me the opportunity to come back home.”

 

 

Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of Denver’s NCAA Division I sports.

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