Catharyn Hayne / KLC fotos
Talia Fonseca and the Golden Bears will face fourth-seeded Hawaii in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals.
WPOLO5/7/2025 11:00 AM | By: Cal Athletics
Golden Bears Earned At-Large Bid, Will Make 11th Championship Appearance
BERKELEY – No. 4-ranked California will face fourth-seeded and fifth-ranked Hawaii […]
Talia Fonseca and the Golden Bears will face fourth-seeded Hawaii in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals.
WPOLO5/7/2025 11:00 AM | By: Cal Athletics
Golden Bears Earned At-Large Bid, Will Make 11th Championship Appearance
BERKELEY – No. 4-ranked California will face fourth-seeded and fifth-ranked Hawaii in the 2025 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship quarterfinals on Friday at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. The Golden Bears earned an at-large bid following a third-place finish in the MPSF Championship in late April, and will make their 11th all-time NCAA Championship appearance, all since 2010.
The quarterfinal contest between Cal (19-5) and Hawaii (21-4) – which earned an automatic berth after winning the Big West Championship title on April 27 – starts at 11 a.m. PT. The teams clashed once prior this season on Feb. 22 when Hawaii won 12-11 at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine to snap the Bears’ season-opening nine-match win streak.
With a win on Friday, Cal would advance to the NCAA Championship semifinal and face the winner of top-seeded Stanford or Wagner/McKendree at 9 a.m. PT Saturday. The championship match will air live on ESPNU at 9 a.m. PT Sunday.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP INFO
Dates: May 9-11, 2025
Location: IU Natatorium (Indianapolis, IN) | Host: Indiana University
Watch: NCAA.com
Live Stats: 6-8 Sports
2025 Season Stats: CalBears.com
NCAA Championship Bracket: NCAA.com
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE Wednesday, May 7 – Play-In Game
3 p.m. PT – Wagner vs. McKendree
Friday, May 9 – Quarterfinals
9 a.m. PT – Game 1: No. 1 Stanford vs. TBD
11 a.m. PT – Game 2: No. 4 Hawaii vs. California
1 p.m. PT – Game 3: No. 2 UCLA vs. LMU
3 p.m. PT – Game 4: No. 3 USC vs. Harvard
Saturday, May 10 — Semifinals
9 a.m. PT – Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
11 a.m. PT – Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Sunday, May 11 – Championship
9 a.m. PT – Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (ESPNU)
BEAR NECESSITIES REMATCH WITH HAWAII
Hawaii handed Cal its first loss of the 2025 season on Feb. 22, defeating the Bears 12-11 at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine. It proved to be the Bears’ biggest test of the early season and was their lone loss in the first 13 games of the year. The contest featured four first-half ties before Cal took its first lead, 5-4, on the first of Julia Bonaguidi’s three goals just before halftime.
Bonaguidi scored the first goal of the fourth quarter to give Cal a 9-7 lead and put away her third of the game two and a half minutes later to make it 10-9. The Rainbow Wahine equalized a minute later, but Rozanne Voorvelt put in a clutch goal to once again put the Bears up 11-10. Hawaii netted the final two goals to come away with the win in a game that featured nine ties and two lead changes.
REPEAT RUN?
Cal finished the 2024 season as the NCAA runner-up after advancing to the title match for just the second time in program history. The Bears’ run through the 2024 NCAA Championship included a 14-7 quarterfinal win against Fresno State and a 9-6 victory over Hawaii in the semifinals before ultimately falling short with a 7-4 loss to top-ranked UCLA in the title game.
PRIMED AND READY
Cal proved it was worthy of an NCAA at-large bid with a competitive three days at the MPSF Championship in Los Angeles on April 25-27. After rolling past San Jose State 15-7 in the quarterfinals, the Bears pushed top-ranked UCLA to the brink in a 15-14 semifinal loss in the Bruins’ home pool the next day. Cal’s strong play continued into Sunday when it topped No. 2 USC 13-12 in the third-place game; it marked the Bears’ first victory over the Trojans since March 5, 2011.
STARS SHINING
Senior attacker Ruby Swadling highlighted six Golden Bears who collected All-MPSF accolades in late April prior to the MPSF Championship. Swadling – a Cutino Award Watch List member – was named to the All-MPSF First Team and leads the Bears with 55 goals this season. She also ranks among conference leaders in steals (32), sprint wins (14) and field blocks (12).
Swadling was flanked by fellow senior attacker Elena Flynn on the All-MPSF second team, senior utility Rozanne Voorvelt and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Talia Fonseca as All-MPSF honorable mentions, and freshmen Miriam Bogachenko and Rosalie Hassett on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team.
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27 San Clemente High School Student-Athletes Commit to Colleges | Sports & Outdoors
San Clemente High School recently gathered 27 of its student-athletes for a ceremony honoring those who have signed financial aid and scholarship agreements with colleges across the country to continue their athletic and academic careers in the fall of 2025. (The NCAA eliminated the National Letter of Intent in October 2024.) The Tritons’ girls soccer […]
San Clemente High School recently gathered 27 of its student-athletes for a ceremony honoring those who have signed financial aid and scholarship agreements with colleges across the country to continue their athletic and academic careers in the fall of 2025. (The NCAA eliminated the National Letter of Intent in October 2024.)
The Tritons’ girls soccer team had the most signees, with five players making their college choices, followed by the football and boys soccer teams with four apiece.
The full list, broken down by sport:
WOMEN’S SOCCER (5): Gianna Melton (University of San Diego), Camille Brophy (Oregon), Makena Wood (Chico State), Wynn Farrell (Portland State) and Taylor Hernandez (Illinois Tech).
FOOTBALL (4): Matai Tagoa’i (USC), Puka Fuimaono (Arizona State), Max Kotiranta (Northern Arizona) and Zeke Rubinstein (Baker University).
MEN’SSOCCER(4): Griffin Blair (Cal State Fullerton), Cole Harris (UC Santa Barbara), Ryker Joutz (Princeton) and Owen Hornig (Wisconsin).
WOMEN’SLACROSSE(2): Sophia Yeskulsky (University of Colorado) and Charlotte Yeskulsky (University of Colorado).
BASEBALL(2): Mike Erspamer (Stanford) and Haken Quade (Westmont).
WOMEN’SWATERPOLO(2): Phoebe De-Moss (UC Santa Barbara) and Talyn Pelkey (University of Hawaii-Minoa).
No. 17 Men’s Track advances five at NCAA West Prelims
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 17 men’s Texas track and field program advanced five sprinters to Friday’s quarterfinals at the NCAA West Prelims on Wednesday. Kendrick Smallwood won heat 1 of the men’s 110-meter hurdle first round with his time of 13.38. It was the third-fastest time […]
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 17 men’s Texas track and field program advanced five sprinters to Friday’s quarterfinals at the NCAA West Prelims on Wednesday.
Kendrick Smallwood won heat 1 of the men’s 110-meter hurdle first round with his time of 13.38. It was the third-fastest time in the field of 48. Smallwood will compete in Friday’s quarterfinals for a spot at the NCAA Championships.
Nabil Tezkratt also advanced to the 400-meter quarterfinal finishing third in Heat 2 with a time of 46.36 for the automatic spot.
The Longhorns later advanced two in the 400-meter hurdles after Kody Blackwood ran the fourth-fastest time of the night in 49.86 to win Heat 5. Chris Brinkley also advanced on time at 51.04 to compete on Friday.
Xavier Butler was the final Longhorn to advance after winning Heat 6 of the 200-meter with a time of 20.45. It was the third-fastest time of the day.
The No. 11 women will compete on the second day of the NCAA prelims.
Results:
Kendrick Smallwood – 3rd – 110mH | 13.38 Q
Xavier Butler – 3rd – 200m | 20.45
Kody Blackwood – 4th – 400mH | 49.86 Q
Kelsey Daniel – 15th – Long Jump | 7.57m (24-10)
Sam Abati – T-15th – Pole Vault | 5.17m (16-11.50)
Chris Brinkley – 19th – 400mH | 51.04 q
Brennen McHenry – 19th – Long Jump | 7.44m (24-5)
Nabil Tezkratt – 23rd – 400m | 46.36 Q
Michael Piñones – 28th – Shot Put | 17.83m (58-6)
Logan Popelka – 31st – 400m – 46.59
Solomon Washington – 34th – Long Jump | 7.16m (23-6)
Wildcats Punch Tickets to Eugene on Day 1 of NCAA West First Round
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas. – Jesse Avina, Reinaldo Rodrigues, and Zach Landa punch tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Day 1 of the West First Round in College Station, Texas. Jesse Avina recorded a personal best in the men’s javelin (72.48/237-9) to finish 5th, Reinaldo Rodrigues finished […]
COLLEGE STATION, Texas. – Jesse Avina, Reinaldo Rodrigues, and Zach Landa punch tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Day 1 of the West First Round in College Station, Texas.
Jesse Avina recorded a personal best in the men’s javelin (72.48/237-9) to finish 5th, Reinaldo Rodrigues finished 10th in the long jump with a mark of 7.71m (25-3 ½), and Zach Landa won the men’s shot put with a throw of 20.06m (65-9 ¾) to punch their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 11-14.
Zach Extine finished 5th in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.45. Extine will be back in action at 4:15 p.m. MST on Friday with hopes of advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene.
Tyson Tippett finished third in his heat with a time of 10.47 to advance to the men’s 100m quarterfinals on Friday at 4:35 p.m. MST.
Yan Vazquez ran a personal best 49.98 to finish second in his heat (6th overall) in the 400m hurdles, marking the second-best time in program history to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.
Day 1 Other Finishes – Men
Hammer – Michael Ogbeiwi (38th, 59.94m), Zach Landa (42nd, 58.32m)
Shot Put – Youssef Koudssi (28th, 17.80m), Tyler Michelini (29th, 17.77m), Sam Hala’ufia (42nd, 17.15m)
100m – James Onanubosi (46th, 10.68)
200m – Brian Limage (45th, 21.48)
The men’s team will be back in action on Friday with the discus opening the full schedule at 11 a.m. MST.
Men’s 4×100 Relay (3 p.m.) – James Onanubosi, Brian Limage, Isaac Davis, Tyson Tippett
Men’s 110m Hurdles (4:15 p.m.) – Zach Extine
Men’s 100 Meters (4:35 p.m.) – Tyson Tippett
Men’s 400 Hurdles (5:25 p.m.)* – Yan Vazquez
The Arizona women’s track and field team will be in action tomorrow starting at 12:30 p.m. MST with the women’s javelin, and the full day of events will conclude with the women’s 200m at 6:45 p.m. MST.
THURSDAY, MAY 29 (DAY TWO) (WATCH LIVE)
Women’s Javelin (12:30 p.m.) – Erin Tack
Women’s Long Jump (2:30 p.m.) – Jenica Bosko
Women’s Pole Vault (3:30 p.m.) – Jathiyah Muhammad
Women’s Shot Put (4 p.m.) – Tapenisa Havea, Mackenna Orie, Lauryn Love
Women’s 200 Meters (6:45 p.m.) – McKenna Watson, Jade Brown
Jade Brown enters the NCAA First Round ranked No. 5 in the 100m nationally (11.07). The women’s 100m first round is scheduled for Thursday, May 2,9 at 5 p.m. MST.
Tack enters the regional ranked No. 10 in the javelin (54.37m), and she begins competition on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. MST.
The women’s 4x400m relay team looks to build on its third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. It enters the NCAA First Round ranked No. 11 nationally (3:33.88). Simms, Hall, Aguilar-Perez, and Sanchez Nunez compete on Saturday, May 31, in the quarterfinals at 6:45 p.m. MST.
Sanchez Nunez finished 4th in the 400m hurdles at the Big 12 Championships and enters the competition ranked No. 6 nationally (56.18). The 400m hurdles first round is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. MST on Thursday, May 29.
Havea, after earning a podium appearance at the Big 12 Championships, enters the NCAA First Round ranked No. 12 in the discus (56.46m).
The 4x100m relay team, featuring Ava Simms, McKenna Watson, Dakota Minor, and Jade Brown, finished fifth with a program-record time of 44.13 at the Big 12 Championships. The team looks to add to its legacy, entering the NCAA First Round ranked No. 14 nationally.
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Mexican Baseball Fiesta paved the way for Tucson's new team
When the Mexican Baseball Fiesta wraps up its four-day event at Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in October, which kicks off the Mexican Pacific Winter League season, one of the teams won’t have to return to Mexico. Tucson is set to have a team from the Mexican Pacific Winter League, also known as Liga ARCO Mexican […]
When the Mexican Baseball Fiesta wraps up its four-day event at Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in October, which kicks off the Mexican Pacific Winter League season, one of the teams won’t have to return to Mexico.
Tucson is set to have a team from the Mexican Pacific Winter League, also known as Liga ARCO Mexican del Pacifico (LAMP), for the upcoming season, the first non-independent professional team to call the Old Pueblo home since 2013, when the Tucson Padres, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, moved to El Paso in 2013.
Tucson was also a longtime home to other minor-league franchises, including the Tucson Toros (Houston Astros) and Tucson Sidewinders (Arizona Diamondbacks), which played its last season in 2008.
Last week, Mayos de Navojoa announced its plans for the Sonoran team to relocate to Tucson, becoming the first U.S.-based team in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, which has 10 teams and was founded in 1945. The Mexican Pacific Winter League has seen several MLB standouts, including Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the late Ricky Henderson, Robinson Canó and former Arizona Diamondback Yasmany Tomás, among others. Valenzuela and Henderson both played for Mayos de Navojoa.
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Mayos de Navojoa, a regular participant in the Mexican Baseball Fiesta at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, are relocating to Tucson and will play at Kino full time.
Kelly Presnell photos, Arizona Daily Star
For Tucson’s inaugural season, similarly to the NFL’s Washington Commanders and the NHL’s Utah Mammoth, the franchise will be known as “Tucson Baseball Team,” and fans will have an opportunity in the future to vote on a team name for the second season and beyond.
An official media event to welcome the franchise to Tucson will be in June, and the first official home game at Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium is slated for Oct. 16. The Mexican Pacific Winter League’s 68-game regular season starts in October and ends in late December, with the postseason in January. The champion will play in the Caribbean Series, an annual tournament with the top teams from leagues in Latin America.
Mexican Baseball Fiesta co-founder Francisco Gamez, who started the Mexican Baseball Fiesta in 2011, was a pitcher for Mayos de Navojoa’s last championship team in 2000.
Landing a Mexican Pacific Winter League team “was a dream come true for me and the Mexican Baseball Fiesta,” said Mexican Baseball Fiesta CEO Frank Gamez, the son of Francisco Gamez.
“We’ve been paving the way, hoping that was something we gain from doing the Fiesta,” said the younger Gamez.
Mayos de Navojoa third baseman takes it on the chin fielding a hopping ground ball by a Mexicali batter off his glove at the Vamos a Tucson Mexican Baseball Fiesta, Tucson, Ariz., October 3, 2021.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
In recent years, the Mexican Baseball Fiesta has drawn an average of 20,000-22,000 people over four days. Coupled with the World Baseball Classic qualifiers earlier this year, along with the Mexican Pacific Winter League hosting its international series between Yaquis de Obregón and Águilas de Mexicali, Tucson’s baseball events in the wake of minor-league baseball and MLB Spring Training leaving “showed that the Tucson community is hungry for baseball,” Gamez said.
“There is no question about a fanbase in Tucson, because we’ve been working — at least the hispanic side of the fanbase — heavily with the Mexican Baseball Fiesta,” Gamez said. “When teams looked at us and said, ‘Hey, can we go? Is this something that can happen? Is this something we can do?’ For us, we had all the cards on the table.”
Gamez recently joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson to discuss the influence of Mexican Baseball Fiesta, team names and Tucson’s team becoming America’s team. Here’s part of that interview:
How did all of this happen?
A: “We’ve been bringing the team that is moving, Navojoa, throughout our whole (Mexican Baseball Fiesta) history. My dad, Francisco Gamez, played for Navojoa the year of their last championship. I lived in Navojoa and my dad played there, so it’s a beautiful circle. We’ve been working with them and they’ve trusted us, especially early on when it was just three or four teams (in the Mexican Baseball Fiesta). That has been fostering in Mexico. … We’ve been hearing about baseball coming back to Tucson, and we were like, ‘Hey, we’re the baseball people. What’s going on? We want to be involved.’ That led to the World Baseball Classic qualifiers.
“As we were taking the next step, Tucson took the next step. … Part of it is the momentum of the Mexican Baseball Fiesta and another part is the hunger that Tucson has for baseball. It was the perfect storm and it made people interested in the Tucson market.”
Obregon shortstop JC Gamboa, left, puts the awkward tag on the stolen base attempt by Jalisco’s Billy Hamilton’s, ending the fifth inning of their matchup on the opening night of the 2024 Mexican Baseball Fiesta at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Oct. 3.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
How much influence do you think the Mexican Baseball Fiesta had in bringing a team to the U.S. and Tucson?
A: “I think we had an influence. Tucson is a great geographical location when it comes to the Mexican Pacific Winter League. Where it is, it keeps everything within a drivable distance. But this (opportunity) would be years down the road if we didn’t pave the road with Mexican Baseball Fiesta. … It definitely expedited the process. To them, to me, to people involved, it has promise, but it would’ve taken a longer time for this to happen.
“We have a proven concept for the preseason that excites us to have the whole winter and bring baseball back and have a team that wants to win, stay here and win championships. From a competitive side, that’s what gets me excited.”
Pima County spent $1.12 million — $700,000 for a video board and $425,000 for a new playing surface — on renovations for Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium leading up to the World Baseball Classic qualifiers. How does the stadium stack up against other venues in the league?
A: “Now that it has a video board and beautiful grass, it looks ready and good to go. A lot of stadiums in Mexico have two or three video boards. Now that we have one, it’s the perfect start to put a team (in Tucson) and create noise around Kino. In two or three years, we’ll have another (video board).”
Mexicali’s mascot Lucho appears to pick the pocket of a fan after giving him a big hug during their game against Los Mochis in the Mexican Baseball Fiesta, Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, in Tucson.
Ron Medvescek, Arizona Daily Star
Any leads on team names?
A: “We had some names and we’re really excited about those, but the idea is we want to involve the community. When we bring it to Tucson, we don’t want it to be called something else and Tucson follows us. … We started with Spanish names and we’re trying to find something that’s in the lingo. It’s something that’s easily said for the general market and Americans. It’s Tucson, so the Spanish influence is heavy, but if we get too fancy with it, it could get changed.”
With Tucson having the only U.S.-based team in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, it’s akin to the Toronto Blue Jays as the only Canadian team in MLB. How will the American dimension affect the league?
A: “We made that analogy when we were talking to a group of people to try and get them excited, because that is literally what it’s going to be like. … What we really want to do for the team is make it their own and make it a Tucson thing. For the Blue Jays, even though it’s MLB, when you go to Toronto, that’s their team. That’s what we want to do.
“We want to make this about Tucson. There’s enough culture blend and I think it’s a beautiful melting pot here. Living here in Tucson, you don’t see those lines when it switches from one community to another, it’s a mix. That’s something I’ve always loved here. We want people to resonate with it.”
Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Air Force junior Texas Tanner secured his spot in the finals of next month’s NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday, May 28, when he finished third in the hammer throw at the West Prelim in College Station, Texas. After waiting out two weather delays that pushed the start of the hammer […]
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Air Force junior Texas Tanner secured his spot in the finals of next month’s NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday, May 28, when he finished third in the hammer throw at the West Prelim in College Station, Texas.
After waiting out two weather delays that pushed the start of the hammer back more than an hour, Tanner opened the three-attempt competition with a 64.80-meter (212’7″) throw. He improved that distance to 70.32 meters (230’8″) on his next attempt – a throw that secured his spot in next month’s NCAA Outdoor Championships. Tanner finished the meet as one of only three throwers to surpass the 70-meter barrier at the NCAA West Prelim – and one of only four to do so between the two Preliminary sites.
Not long after concluding his competition in the hammer throw, Tanner headed to the infield of E.B.Cushing Stadium for the regional final of the shot put where he recorded a throw of 17.58 meters (57’8¼”) to finish 37th.
Senior Joe Nizich narrowly missed a spot in the national final of the javelin throw on Thursday, as he finished just 0.24 meters outside of the top 12. Recording the second-best throw of his career – 68.55 meters (224’2″) – on his final attempt, the senior placed 13th in the overall field. Nizich was one of two Falcons to compete in the javelin throw, as freshman Brayden Richards – already a national finalist in the decathlon – placed 47th with a distance of 53.93 meters (176’7″).
Senior Cooper Stroka joined Tanner among the top 20 of the hammer throw finishers on Wednesday, as he recorded a distance of 64.15 meters (210’5″) to place within the top half of the 48-thrower final (20th).
In addition to the field events, one regional final (national semifinal) was contested on the track, as juniors Jayden Nats and Max Sannes finished 39th (29:49.27) and 43rd (30:19.06), respectively. In the 10,000-meter run.
Several opening-round races were also contested tonight in College Station. Freshman Saketh Rudraraju and junior Ben Scheller placed 42nd (3:56.94) and 48th (4:10.09), respectively, in the first round of the 1500-meter run, while senior Javin Bostic finished 34th in the opening round of the 200-meter dash (21.07) and freshman Asher Jenkins placed 41st in the 100-meter qualifying (10.63).
The Falcons remain in Texas for three more days of West Prelim action. The women will be at E.B. Cushing Stadium tomorrow (May 29), with junior India Jones competed in the 10,000-meter run at 9:10 a.m. (CT).
Bermuda’s volleyball teams, the Devil’s Isle Women and the Ace Boyz Men, encountered varying results on the second day of competition at the 2025 USA Volleyball Open National Championship. The Devil’s Isle Women’s squad lost all three of their matches in straight sets. Their day commenced with a second loss to the Chicago Coast, 25-19, […]
Bermuda’s volleyball teams, the Devil’s Isle Women and the Ace Boyz Men, encountered varying results on the second day of competition at the 2025 USA Volleyball Open National Championship.
The Devil’s Isle Women’s squad lost all three of their matches in straight sets. Their day commenced with a second loss to the Chicago Coast, 25-19, 25-9. They were subsequently defeated by the SHOG Dogs, 25-20, 25-21, and Blono Elite, 25-14, 25-13.
The Ace Boyz Men’s team secured a victory against the Scrubs with scores of 25-17, 25-18. Their winning form continued against Sets in the City, whom they defeated 27-25, 25-14. However, their run ended with a loss to Fog Canada. The Bermudian team narrowly lost the first set 30-28 and the second set 25-21.
