JACKSONVILLE, Fla.— Obiora Okeke punched his ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday afternoon at the NCAA East Regionals hosted by the University of North Florida.

Okeke needed a top-12 finish in his event to qualify for a spot in the finals in Eugene, Oregon. He did so in the first round of the shot put, finishing in fourth place overall. After fouls on both his first two throws, Okeke clutched up on his third and final throw with an impressive mark of 19.52m (64-1) to punch his ticket. 

 

This will mark Okeke’s second straight appearance at the NCAA Championships. 

The results for the entire weekend can be found HERE, including the times from every Lion competing in Jacksonville.  

Okeke will advance to compete in the finals of the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The meet is set to begin on Wednesday, June 11th. 

The schedule will be released soon.

Still to compete at East Regionals will be Madison Williams, taking part in the first round of the long jump at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. 

In the evening session on Thursday, Rory Clare will get things started in the first round of the 1500m at 6:30 p.m. Lucy Henkel will then compete in the first round of the 800m at 7:50 p.m. Both will look to advance to the quarterfinals of each event which will take place on Saturday evening. 

Okeke will compete in his third event of the weekend, the first round of the discus, on Friday at 1 p.m.

The full schedule for every event can be found HERE. Follow along with live results HERE. Tickets are available HERE. Stream information for all four days can be found HERE. 

COLUMBIA NCAA EASTERN REGIONAL RESULTS

Women

800m: Lucy Henkel (TBD)

1500m: Rory Clare (TBD)

Long Jump: Madison Williams (TBD)

 

Men

1500m: Matt Gatune (43rd – 3:47.45)

Hammer: Obiora Okeke (44th – 58.82m)

Hammer: Parker Kim (42nd – 59.25m)

Shot Put: Obiora Okeke (4th -19.52m) TICKET PUNCHED!!

Discus: Obiora Okeke (TBD)

 

Stay up to date on all things Columbia track & field by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsXCTF), Instagram (@culionsxctf) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).

ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Behrend women’s water polo junior Darragh Martin (Green Lane, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and sophomore Makenzie Rickerd (Rockford, MI/Rockford) were selected 2025 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Division III All-America Honorable Mention.

Martin, an All-CWPA Second Team selection, led the Lions with 41 goals. She also tallied 37 steals, 16 assists, six drawn kickouts, and five sprint wins. This marks the second straight year that she has earned this honor.

Rickerd, a first time All-American, recorded 39 goals, 27 steals, 18 assists, and 12 drawn ejections in her second collegiate season. She was also named to the CWPA All-Tournament Team.

The ACWPC All-America award is a prestigious honor that recognizes athletes nationally and throughout all collegiate divisions. This award is presented to water polo athletes who exhibit immense talent in the pool, provide leadership, and have helped build and advance the sport.

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – The Kansas Track & Field team wrapped up Day Two of the NCAA West Prelims, with Erica Ellis qualifying for Nationals, making the total of five Jayhawks heading to nationals through two days of NCAA West Prelims.

The day kicked off with the Women’s Pole Vault team, where Erica Ellis cleared 4.42m bar to advance to NCAA Nationals in Eugene, Ore. The Women’s Pole Vault squad has now had back-to-back years with a member of the team qualifying for Nationals, with Mason Meinershagen qualifying last outdoor season. 

As for running events, in the Women’s 1500m, Emmaculate Jemutai, who holds the School Record in the event, ran a time of 4:20.07 to qualify for the Quarterfinals on Saturday. Pearl Awanya tied her PR running a time of 52.36 in the Women’s 400m to qualify for the Quarterfinals on Saturday. In the Women’s 800m, Aaliyah Moore ran a season-best time of 2:03.94 to move her into the Quarterfinals Saturday night.

The Jayhawks continue at the NCAA West Prelims tomorrow, starting with Joseph Kieny & Dimitrios Pavlidis in the Men’s Discus at 1 PM CT, Tanner Talley in the Men’s 1500m at 5:15 PM CT & TJ Robinson at 7:05 PM CT in the Men’s 800m. 

HOW TO FOLLOW:

Updates throughout the meet will be available on the Kansas Track and Field Instagram and X accounts. Fans who wish to watch the event will be able to stream the broadcast on ESPN+.

The Mira Costa boys volleyball team has a chance to make history.

The Mustangs, who won their ninth CIF Southern Section championship two weeks ago and a CIF Southern California Regional title last week, now have their sights on winning a CIF State championship.

This is the first year that there are state championships for boys volleyball.

Mira Costa (36-2) will face Archbishop Mitty (40-2) in the Division I final at Fresno City College on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Mira Costa won regional titles in 2016 and 2021 before winning its third title last week by sweeping Huntington Beach. Mira Costa lost in the regional final in 2018 and last year.

Archbishop Mitty won the 2013 Division I Northern California Regional title and lost in the regional final last year.

“It would mean everything just to be the first real California state champions,” Mira Costa middle blocker Alex Heins said after the regional final. “That would be such a cool honor. We all want it so bad.”

The two losses this season for Archbishop Mitty (40-2) were to Junipero Serra of Modesto on April 3 and a five-set match against Santa Cruz on April 14.

The Mustangs lost their first match of the season March 8 against Loyola in the final of the Best of the West tournament in San Diego. Their last loss was on April 5 to Chicago’s Marist High in five sets in the finals of the Karch Kiraly Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara.

After going the five-set limit against Huntington Beach in the CIF-SS Division 1 final, the Mustangs swept their way through the CIF SoCal Regional defeating Beckman, Newport Harbor and Huntington Beach.

For seniors like Thatcher Fahlbusch, winning would be the perfect way to cap their high school volleyball careers.

“I made the switch to Costa (after transferring from Loyola),” Fahlbusch said. “I had to do the 35-day sit-out and last season (junior year) wasn’t easy for me.

“I came back this year and I knew I had a chance to come in and work for a starting spot, a lot went into that. A lot of work and I think the ups and downs, made me who I am today and I’m grateful for them.”

Fahlbusch initially committed to Grand Canyon University. However, in April GCU announced that it was cutting the men’s volleyball program.

Earlier this month, Fahlbusch announced that he committed to Hawaii.

Match info

The state final match will air live on the NFHS Network at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are available via GoFan for $12 (general admission) and $8 (children 5 and over; students and seniors 65 and over).

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (5/29/25) – Arkansas State track and field’s Carly Pujol shattered her own program record in the women’s pole vault on Thursday at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds and punched her ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Pujol cleared a career-best 4.42m (14-6) on her third attempt to earn her spot in Eugene, tying for ninth in the event and becoming the first A-State women’s pole vaulter since 2013 to advance to the NCAA Championships. Her mark also puts her second in Sun Belt outdoor history in the event.

Michelle Ogbemudia finished just outside the top 12 in the women’s shot put, placing 13^th with a top throw of 16.23m (53-3) to cap her senior season.

Friday will see Colby Eddowes compete in the 110-meter hurdles quarterfinals (6:15 p.m.), as well as Jacob Pyeatt in the semifinals of the 5000 meters (8:10 p.m.). Both races can be seen live on ESPN+.

SOCIAL MEDIA

For the latest on the A-State track and field and cross country programs, follow @AStateTrack on Twitter and @astatetfxc on Instagram, while also liking the team’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateTrackAndField.

GRANBY — Trailing 8-6 in the fifth and final set of Thursday’s MIAA Division 2 preliminary round match against No. 34 Keefe Tech, No. 31 Granby had to turn it around in a hurry if the Rams wanted to continue their season into the weekend. A Broncos service error put the ball in Daniel Santiago’s hands, and he rifled an ace to tie the set at eight apiece.

Behind Santiago’s strong serve, Granby rattled off the next four points to jump ahead 12-8 and put itself in the driver’s seat to advance. However Keefe Tech battled back and eventually knotted it up at 14. The Rams clawed back in front 16-15, and on the ensuing point, Brandon Chatel sent the ball over to Keefe Tech’s side. It deflected off a Broncos player’s hands and landed on the Granby gymnasium hardwood – clinching a 3-2 victory for the Rams.

Their 21-25, 25-15, 25-22, 23-25, 17-15 victory sent them through to the Round of 32, where No. 2 Westfield is waiting. That match is scheduled for Saturday at noon at Westfield High School.

“We just needed to play with confidence,” Granby head coach Chad Gagnon said. “They’re really good players when they play with confidence. If they don’t believe in themselves, then they start to not want the ball and struggle. But as long as they play with confidence they are great. You don’t have to play above your ability, you just have to play to what you can do. And they did that in the fifth set to help us close this one out.”

It was the Broncos who brought the energy off the bus ride from Framingham, as they raced out to an early 1-0 lead following a 25-21 first-set victory. For most of the frame, Granby played a bit timid – perhaps the nerves of a state tournament match getting to them.

That quickly went away over the next two sets. Chatel recorded an ace to clinch set No. 2 and tie the match at one, and in the third set, Keefe Tech went for a kill down 24-22 and it sailed out of bounds to put the hosts in front 2-1. During those two sets, Gagnon witnessed the team he has become accustomed to seeing this season.

“They always start slow,” Gagnon said of his bunch. “We’re a slow-starting team. They have to have a couple good plays to kind of get themselves rolling. Once that happens, you saw what can happen in set two. That’s the team that I know we are. We have the ability to have nice, smooth offense because we have good passing. When you play tight and tense, that passing starts to fall apart.”

Granby was led by Braeden Gallagher on Thursday, as the junior put down a whopping 18 kills and added 15 digs and an ace. Any time the going got tough and the Rams needed a point, they would dial up Gallagher on the outside – who time and time again put down a monster kill. Nathan Walsh (30 assists) set him up perfectly on a number of occasions.

Gallagher does a little bit of everything for Granby, and the team needed every bit of it to sneak out a preliminary round win.

“He gives us stability,” Gagnon said of Gallagher. “He’s always solid, he’s always a good player no matter what you’re asking him to do – whether it’s from the service line, the hitting line or defensively, where he’s rock-solid. He passes perfect almost all the time. When you have that, it’s nice to be able to lean on it. That’s why he’s a captain.”

Chatel added seven kills, 10 digs, one block and one ace, Santiago dug up 10 balls and put down three kills while recording a match-high six aces thanks to his powerful serve and Durant Garden had four kills in the Granby win.

The Rams have been without perhaps their best player in Jake Gagnon for over a month, as he suffered a season-ending injury earlier this season. Granby had high hopes of repeating as Western Massachusetts Class C champions, but were unable to do so this spring.

Earning a state tournament win and seeing several Rams players step up in the absence of Jake Gagnon is exactly what Chad Gagnon, Jake’s dad and head coach, hoped would occur.

“We’ve had a lot of guys step up and play better and better and better, every game,” Chad Gagnon said. “They’re filling in the roles of their jobs better, because they’re not leaning on a guy like Jake. They’re all stepping up and it’s great to see at this point in the season.”

Granby (13-6) has won five of its last six and eye an upset over powerhouse Westfield this weekend.

No. 28 Frontier 3, No. 37 Lynn Voc Tech 0 — A grueling regular season schedule has the Frontier boys volleyball team prepared heading into the state tournament. 

Of the Redhawks’ 20 regular season matches, 15 opponents qualified for either the Div. 1 or Div. 2 state tournament while nine of those teams earned top 10 seeds, showcasing the level of opponent Frontier played throughout the season. 

Hosting 37th-seeded Lynn Vocational on Thursday in the Div. 2 preliminary round, 28th-seeded Frontier looked like a team ready for the tournament. 

Frontier pulled away in the first set, grinded out a victory in the second and got going late in the third set to walk away with a 3-0 sweep over the Tigers at Goodnow Gymnasium. 

“We had a loaded schedule,” Redhawks coach Courtney Parent said. “We played veteran teams that have been around for a long time, much like our girls’ team. We get to a point where we have to remind them that this is just our fourth year having a team and they’ve come so far in those four seasons. I do think to a point our schedule makes us better but it’s hard to keep the morale.” 

For Frontier (8-13) on Thursday, it was about focusing on themselves and performing their best regardless of the opponent. 

“We talked a lot about error management and keeping our side together,” Parent said. “We wanted to control what we can control on our side of the court and the rest will come together if we keep our serves in, keep our unforced errors low.” 

Tegan Dexter was a force all night long for the Redhawks as Frontier tried to get the ball to him early and often. 

Dexter smashed four kills early that helped the Redhawks build a 10-6 lead in the opening set. Frontier pulled ahead 21-12 after Dexter and Will Reading put down kills and the Redhawks went on to earn a 25-16 win to take a 1-0 lead. 

Frontier led 22-16 in the second set but Lynn Vocational (16-5) rallied, cutting the lead to 24-22. The Redhawks held on and scored on a Dexter kill to earn a 25-22 set win to go up 2-0. 

Leading 14-13 in the third, Frontier scored 11 of the final 16 points to seal the win with a 25-18 set win. 

Dexter led the way with 20 kills and 12 digs, Tavo Vincent-Warner distributed 37 assists, Nate Rivera put down nine kills to go along with 11 digs, Reading finished with nine kills and seven digs and Will Petrin added two kills, two aces and five digs in the winning effort. 

It’ll be a familiar opponent for the Redhawks in the Round of 32, as they go on the road to take on No. 5 Chicopee Comp on Saturday at a time to be determined. The Colts beat Frontier, 3-0, earlier in the season. 

“I’m excited to see them again,” Parent said. “They are a top 10 team and competed well in Western Mass. A lot of their guys play in the offseason. They’ll be a team to reckoned with and it’ll take a lot if we want to beat them Saturday.”