Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith are the cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 26, the video-game developer announced Tuesday.

The electric sophomore wide receivers were picked for the second edition of the franchise’s reboot. Last year’s game was the first in 11 years and was among the best-selling video games in 2024.

Williams and Smith are posed together on the standard cover, while the deluxe edition also includes other players, coaches, mascots and former cover stars Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow and Denard Robinson.

The ‘26 edition will test if the franchise still has the same staying power it had when it was released annually in the early 2000s.

For the players who are featured in the game, it will certainly remain popular. Williams said in a statement released by EA Sports that the cover was “a dream come true,” and Smith called it “a tremendous privilege.”

“I’m proud to represent Ohio State alongside Coach (Ryan) Day while carrying the Buckeye legacy forward, celebrating the passion of our fans and the tradition of this incredible program,” Smith said.

Williams and Smith broke onto the national scene in 2024 with their miraculous catches on the biggest stages.

Williams’ spinning TD grab to help beat then-No. 2 Georgia looked like it belonged in a video game. It was one of many wowing plays from the young receiver. Williams finished his freshman season with 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.

Smith was a major part of the Buckeyes’ run to a national championship. He regularly hauled in one-handers that decimated the confidence of his defenders. In a CFP quarterfinals win over top-seeded Oregon, Smith had seven receptions, 187 yards and two touchdowns. He finished his freshman year with 76 catches, 1,315 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns.

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The Summit boys volleyball team walks off the court after winning the Class 5A Culminating Event at the Olympus Sports Center in Hillsboro on Sunday. (Colleen Woods/Submitted photo)

The Summit boys volleyball team poses with the trophy and bracket after winning the Class 5A Culminating Event at the Olympus Sports Center in Hillsboro on Sunday. (Colleen Woods/Submitted photo)

Summit’s Gavin White goes up for a kill during the Class 5A Culminating Event at the Olympus Sports Center in Hillsboro on Sunday. (Colleen Woods/Submitted photo)

The pressure felt different, but the end result was the same for the Summit boys volleyball team.

In the second year of boys volleyball as an emerging activity for the Oregon School Activities Association, the Storm ended their second season in the same way they did their first – as state champions.

“It was a different experience, but winning a state title is a different feeling, that’s for sure,” said Summit coach Dan Drum. “There was pressure this year. Last year we went in with such a young group, first year in volleyball and really no idea who we would be going against. Certainly it was a goal to win state but we didn’t have the pressure of it. This year, there was that heaviness from the get-go. We had the target on our back and anything less than a state title would be a disappointment.”

The second-seeded Storm won the eight-team Class 5A Culminating Event (unofficial state tournament) at the Olympus Sports Center in Hillsboro on Sunday. Summit took down Thurston 3-0 in the quarterfinals (25-21, 25-19, 25-21) and La Salle 3-1 in the semifinals (25-18, 18-25, 25-21, 25-20) on Saturday.

In Sunday’s final, the Storm defeated top-ranked Parkrose in straight sets (25-20, 25-20, 25-23) to win the title.

Against La Salle on Saturday, junior outside hitter Gavin White led the team with kills (12), blocks (four), digs (three) and aces (two). In the championship win over Parkrose, sophomore outside hitter Beckett White finished with 18 kills. Gavin White, sophomore middle blocker Anand Groves and junior middle blocker Nash Olegario each had five blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Brecken Murphy-Primus finished with four digs.

The 5A title capped off an impressive 17-1 season for the Storm, in which their only loss came to 6A champs Central Catholic. Summit won its final 14 matches and 47 of its 53 sets — including nine of 10 in the state tournament.

“These boys, the best match that they played was in the finals,” Drum said. “That is what you want as a coach and that was the case last year as well.”

With another state title in hand, Summit and the rest of the boys volleyball programs in Oregon must wait to learn if the sport will become a fully-sanctioned spring sport by the OSAA this coming fall.

The OSAA wanted to see growth in the second season. This spring, 68 programs from all six classifications competed.

“I was super impressed with the quality of play,” Drum said. “This year there was next-level play. The level of competition has skyrocketed. If you aren’t ready, there are guys who are going to pound the ball, the rallies are getting longer. I was blown away by the competition. It is headed in a great direction.”

About Brian Rathbone

Brian Rathbone has been the sports reporter for the Bulletin since 2019. He likes playing basketball, running and spending time with his dog, Rodger.

He can be reached at 541-668-7538, brian.rathbone@bendbulletin.com, or on X/IG @ByBrianRathbone

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On Friday, Mesa College will cap its athletic year by holding the community college’s annual Student-Athlete Graduation and Transfer Ceremony.

More than 100 athletes completing their two years as Olympians will be transferring to four-year schools, splitting more than a record $3 million in scholarships (and counting).

“Beyond what we do on fields and courts, the transfer ceremony is one of our annual highlights,” said Mesa College athletic director Ryan Shumaker. “We’re here as a step. We’re here to see our athletes compete at the next level in both sports and academics.”

Said track/cross country coach Sean Ricketts: “We recruit them in and recruit them out. When we bring an athlete in, we promise to help them develop, open doors and move on. That’s what we preach to them … we’re here to help, but make the most of this opportunity.”

Also on hand Friday will be the Chet DeVore Trophy. Named in memory of a decorated World War II Marine officer who became a coach, educator and founding president of Southwestern College, the trophy goes annually to the local community college that has the best record of overall excellence in the local Pacific Coast Athletic Conference.

Mesa College has won the award for seven straight years.

This year, the Olympians won PCAC titles in men’s cross country, track and field and volleyball and women’s cross country, volleyball, track and field and beach volleyball. In addition, the football team was ranked No. 1 among county teams.

The Olympians also thrived at state-level competitions. Mesa won three state championships, sweeping the men’s and women’s cross country titles and claiming the beach volleyball crown. They also finished second in the state in men’s track and field and volleyball and third in football and women’s track and field.

“We’re all very proud of holding the DeVore Trophy,” said Shumaker. “As a school and coaches, we’ve created an atmosphere where developing students and athletes can thrive.”

Mesa finished the school year strong by winning its first state title in beach volleyball then coming away with podium finishes in both men’s and women’s track and field.

The beach volleyball team was led by Myah Gomez and Jaiden Mojica, who finished third in the state in the individual competition. A year ago, Gomez and Kailyn Jager won the individual title.

A native of Salinas, Gomez came to Mesa College after serving in the Air Force. Mojica is a graduate of Bonita Vista High School.

“Gomez is what community colleges are all about,” said Mesa coach Kim Lester. “She joined the Air Force out of high school. This was her opportunity to relaunch herself. She loves beach volleyball. I recruited her by being able to go off a video she sent me of her playing on the beach sand talking to her on the phone.

“I have so much pride in Mesa College and what we do here. I love what we all do here. The coaches here have bought into the goal of bringing in athletes, coaching them up and finding a spot for them to continue with a scholarship.”

Lester was named the PCAC All-Sports Female Coach of the Year. Brian Hiatt-Alew, who led Cuyamaca College to its first-ever state title in soccer, was named the PCAC All-Sports Male Coach of the Year.

The last Olympians to compete this year were the members of Rickett’s track and field teams.

Mesa College claimed seven of the eight events won by local athletes at the state meet.

Ian Rosen (Grossmont High School) won the 800 meters with a time of 1 minute, 51.97 seconds. Rosen, who also led Mesa to the cross country title with a fourth-place finish last December, then finished fourth in the 1,500 meters at 4:02.48.

Mesa won the men’s 4×100 relay for the first time in school history. The foursome of Josh Schindler, Ryan Mann, Marcel Acosta (El Camino High School) and Austin Snook (Bonita Vista High School) were clocked in 40.82 seconds. The Olympians also won the 4×400 relay in 3:12.65 with the team of Acosta, Shamarion Unden (El Capitan High School), Mann and Jaden Dasher (Oceanside High School).

Ron Way (La Jolla High School) was timed in 31:30.82 to win the 10,000. He also finished third in the 5,000 meters (15:31.68). Lucas Scott (Mission Hills High School) won the javelin with a throw of 206 feet, 1 inch. Dasher also won in the 400-meter hurdles in :52.52.

Joelle Tonne of Mesa College (Oceanside High School) won the women’s 800 meters (2:17.17), finished third in the 1,500 meters (4:47.04) and ran a leg on the Olympians’ 4×400 relay team that ran fourth.

Every week during the school year, U-T contributor Bill Center highlights one San Diego college team that’s making strides on and off the field. To nominate a team, email wcenter27@gmail.com. 

Originally Published: May 27, 2025 at 2:24 PM PDT

As the clock ticks down on the NCAA Outdoor Track And Field Championships 2025 season, the best outdoor college track and field athletes have flooded to regional sites for the first round of the end-of-season competition.

This year marks the 103rd men’s championship and the 43rd for the women and will be held at the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR. 

The East First Round is located at North Florida in Jacksonville and includes four nights of events beginning Wednesday, May 28-31. At the same time, the West First Round will be happening at Texas A&M in College Station, TX.

Teams who have the most athletes move through will have the best chance at winning the team title—Florida and Georgia are among the teams to watch for.

It’s time for the 2025 DI NCAA Track and Field Championship preliminary rounds. Here’s the full schedule.

NCAA D1 East Regionals Track and Field Schedule

Wednesday, May 28

Track

• 6:00 p.m. ET – Men’s 110 Hurdles
• 6:30 p.m. ET – Men’s 1500m
• 7:00 p.m. ET – Men’s 100m
• 7:25 p.m. ET – Men’s 400m
• 7:50 p.m. ET – Men’s 800m
• 8:20 p.m. ET – Men’s 400 Hurdles
• 8:45 p.m. ET – Men’s 200m
• 9:10 p.m. ET – Men’s 10,000m (Semifinal)

Field

• 10:00 a.m. ET – Men’s Hammer
• 2:30 p.m. ET – Men’s Javelin
• 4:30 p.m. ET – Men’s Long Jump
• 5:30 p.m. ET – Men’s Pole Vault (Semifinal)
• 6:00 p.m. ET – Men’s Shot Put 

Thursday, May 29

Track

• 6:00 p.m. ET – Women’s 100 Hurdles
• 6:30 p.m. ET – Women’s 1500m
• 7:00 p.m. ET – Women’s 100m
• 7:25 p.m. ET – Women’s 400m
• 7:50 p.m. ET – Women’s 800m
• 8:20 p.m. ET – Women’s 400 Hurdles
• 8:45 p.m. ET – Women’s 200m
• 9:10 p.m. ET – Women’s 10,000m (Semifinals)

Field

• 10:00 a.m. ET – Women’s Hammer
• 2:30 p.m. ET – Women’s Javelin
• 4:30 p.m. ET – Women’s Long Jump
• 5:30 p.m. ET – Women’s Pole Vault (Semifinals)
• 6:00 p.m. ET – Women’s Shot Put

Friday, May 30

Track

• 5:00 p.m. ET – Men’s 4×100 Relay (Quarterfinals)
• 5:15 p.m. ET – Men’s 1500m (Quarterfinals)
• 5:40 p.m. ET – Men’s 3000 Steeplechase (Quarterfinals)
• 6:15 p.m. ET – Men’s 110 Hurdles (Quarterfinals)
• 6:35 p.m. ET – Men’s 100m (Quarterfinals)
• 6:50 p.m. ET – Men’s 400m (Quarterfinals)
• 7:05 p.m. ET – Men’s 800m (Quarterfinals)
• 7:25 p.m. ET – Men’s 400 Hurdles (Quarterfinals)
• 7:50 p.m. ET – Men’s 200m (Quarterfinals)
• 8:10 p.m. ET – Men’s 5000m (Semifinals)
• 8:45 p.m. ET – Men’s 4×400 Relay (Quarterfinals)  

Field

• 1:00 p.m. ET – Men’s Discus
• 2:30 p.m. ET – Men’s Triple Jump
• 3:30 p.m. ET – Men’s High Jump (Semifinals)

Saturday, May 31

Track

• 5:00 p.m. ET – Women’s 4×100 Relay (Quarterfinals)
• 5:15 p.m. ET – Women’s 1500m (Quarterfinals)
• 5:40 p.m. ET – Women’s 3000 Steeplechase (Quarterfinals)
• 6:15 p.m. ET – Women’s 110 Hurdles (Quarterfinals)
• 6:35 p.m. ET – Women’s 100m (Quarterfinals)
• 6:50 p.m. ET – Women’s 400m (Quarterfinals)
• 7:05 p.m. ET – Women’s 800m (Quarterfinals)
• 7:25 p.m. ET – Women’s 400 Hurdles (Quarterfinals)
• 7:50 p.m. ET – Women’s 200m (Quarterfinals)
• 8:10 p.m. ET – Women’s 5000m (Semifinals)
• 8:45 p.m. ET – Women’s 4×400 Relay (Quarterfinals)  

Field

• 1:00 p.m. ET – Women’s Discus
• 2:30 p.m. ET – Women’s Triple Jump
• 3:30 p.m. ET – Women’s High Jump (Semifinals)

When Is NCAA D1 East Regionals For Track and Field?

The NCAA D1 Track and Field West Regional will begin on Wednesday, May 28 and run through Saturday, May 31 in College Station, TX. 

How To Watch NCAA D1 East Regionals For Track and Field

Live streaming of both the West and East Regionals for NCAA D1 Track and Field Championships can be found on ESPN+. 

Men’s NCAA D1 Track and Field Top 10 Rankings

1. Southern California, 235.95 points
2. Tennessee, 221.14 points
3. Arkansas, 216.21 points
4. Texas A&M, 208.42 points
5. Georgia, 200.89 points
6. New Mexico, 179.93 points
7. Nebraska, 175.79 points
8. Auburn, 172.91 points
9. Minnesota, 166.06 points
10. BYU, 160.06 points

Women’s NCAA D1 Track and Field Top 10 Rankings

1. Georgia, 310.57 points
2. Texas A&M, 242.74 points
3. Texas Tech, 232.15 points
4. Southern California, 211.25 points
5. Arkansas, 197.52 points
6. Baylor 193.12 points
7. South Carolina, 180.11 points
8. Oregon, 174.46 points
9. BYU, 159.18 points
10. Florida, 158.34 

NCAA D1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships Recent Winners

Men’s

• 2024
  • Winner – Florida
  • Runner-up – Auburn
• 2023
  • Winner – Florida
  • Runner-up – Arkansas
• 2022
  • Winner – Florida
  • Runner-up – Texas
• 2021
  • Winner – LSU
  • Runner-up – Oregon

Women’s 

• 2024
  • Winner – Arkansas
  • Runner-up – Florida
• 2023
  • Winner – Texas 
  • Runner-up – Florida
• 2022
  • Winner – Florida
  • Runner-up – Texas
• 2021
  • Winner – Southern California
  • Runner-up – Texas A&M

FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year

Don’t miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Join The Track & Field Conversation On Social

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 27, 2025) – The eighth-ranked U.S. Men’s Sitting National Team earned a spot in the gold medal match at the 2025 ParaVolley Pan America Zonal Championship with a thrilling 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 15-12) victory over Canada.

The U.S. Men (3-1) will play fifth-ranked Brazil (4-0) in the gold medal match on Tuesday, May 28, at 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT. Admission to the ParaVolley Pan America Zonal Championship is free for all spectators at the Colorado Convention Center. Watch the Zonals livestream.

Outside hitter James Stuck led five U.S. players in double figures with a match-high 20 points on 17 kills and a team-high three blocks. Fellow outside Zach Upp posted 19 points on a match-best 17 kills with one block and once ace.

Outside Eric Duda tallied 16 points on 13 kills and three aces, middle blocker Roderick Green totaled 13 points on 11 kills and two blocks, and outside Jason Roberts finished with nine points on six kills, two blocks and an ace.

The U.S. finished with a 65-44 edge in kills, while Canada held advantages in blocks (17-9) and aces (8-6).

Three kills by Stuck helped the U.S. jump out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth set. The lead was three points late in the set, 12-9, when Canada reeled off three consecutive points to tie. Green, Upp and Stuck registered three kills in a row to give the U.S. the hard-fought semifinal win.

After Canada won the first set, the U.S. bounced back to take the next two sets. A Roberts kill gave the U.S. a two-point win in the second set and Stuck’s five kills and two blocks keyed the victory in the third set.

“We came out and we were kind of flat, and they dictated the match from the jump,” team captain Rod Green said. “Coach (Greg Walker) called us over and he said ‘just play your game, look for hands; if you have an open scene take them, don’t try to force anything.’ Those are the adjustments that we made. We just went back to playing the ball that we had been training for all year long.”

The U.S. Men seemed poised to win the match in four sets, using an 8-1 run to take a 19-15 lead, but Canada scored 10 of the final 11 points of the set to even the match at two sets apiece.

Green said he’s been happy with the team’s performance this tournament.

“I think the team’s been doing great, more [than just] on the court,” he said. “It’s the things that people don’t see. We’ve come together so much as a program over the past two years. They’re more like brothers and family, and laughing while playing. This has been one of the most comfortable teams I’ve ever been on for sitting volleyball, and I’ve been on this team since 2007. This is the most together we’ve ever been as a unit. In the past, we would go down and we’d be down two sets or one set, and we would just fold. We fought back and we pushed it, and we won the match.”

Full Stats (PDF)

Men’s Roster

No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
2 Dan Regan (OH, 6-0, St. Louis, Mo.)
3 Nick Dadgostar (L, 6-0, Sidney, Neb.)
4 Ben Aman (OH, 6-5, Edmond, Okla.)
5 Eric Duda (S/OH, 6-5, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
6 Alex Wilson (OPP/OH, 6-6, Saugerties, N.Y.)
7 Robbie Gaupp(OH, 6-4, Gatesville, Texas)
8 James Stuck (S/OH, 6-5, New Kensington, Pa.)
10 Robbie Onusko(OH, 6-0, Daytona Beach, Fla.)
11 Roderick Green (MB, 6-3, West Monroe, La.)
14 John Kremer (L, 5-9, Buford, Ga.)
17 Zach Upp (OH, 6-5, Bartlett, Ill.)
20 Jason Roberts (OH, 6-3, Moncks Corner, S.C.)
22 Brett Parks(OH, 6-0, Miami, Fla.)
23 Will Curtis (S/L, 6-0, Cumberland, Maine)

Schedule/Results

May 24
Men: USA def. Argentina, 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-14, 25-19)

May 25
Men: USA def. Canada, 3-1 (25-22, 25-20, 33-35, 25-16)

May 26
Men: Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-23, 27-25, 25-23)

May 27
Men’s Semifinal: USA def. Canada, 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 15-12)

May 28
Men’s bronze medal match: Canada vs. Argentina, 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men’s gold medal match: USA vs. Brazil, 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m.PT

When the Bradford family walks together on a beach, at an airport, in a restaurant, eyes turn. They aren’t just tall, they’re giants. They aren’t a basketball family — they play volleyball. On Memorial Day, mom, dad, daughter and son were at the beach looking for games.

Lee Bradford was a 6-foot-7 middle blocker at Pepperdine in the 1990s. His wife, Sara, is 6-1 and played basketball at Fordham. Their oldest daughter, Carissa, was the 6-2 City Section volleyball player of the year at Granada Hills, played at Tennessee and South Alabama and is now head coach at Bates College.

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Their son, Derek, is 6-8, won a CIF title with Royal and now trains with the USA beach volleyball team. Their son, Grayson, is a 6-11 senior at Mira Costa and plays for a state championship on Saturday in Fresno. He’s committed to UCLA.

Even the youngest in the family, 12-year-old daughter Brooke, is 5-10 and headed for volleyball stardom. Talk about good height genes — no giant shoes go unused in this family.

Dad gave his kids a choice growing up. “I love the sport and offered free private lessons,” he said.

They took him up and the rest is history. Lee has been a teacher at Granada Hills and used to be an assistant coach to Tom Harp. He eventually moved his family to Manhattan Beach after driving to the South Bay for years for club competition.

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“We made a really good decision four years ago to go to a high level club program,” he said. “It’s been a great journey.”

Grayson has been a key player for Mira Costa, which won the Southern Section Division 1 championship, then the Southern California regional championship and play San José Archbishop Mitty in the first state Division 1 boys title match on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Fresno City College.

It’s a weekend for championships. The Southern Section baseball will be held Friday and Saturday at Cal State Fullerton and Blair Field in Long Beach.

The Southern Section softball finals are Friday and Saturday in Irvine.

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The state track and field championships will be Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis (temperatures will hit triple digits). The state tennis championships are Saturday in Fresno.

The City Section softball finals are Saturday at Cal State Northridge.

Tuesday’s Division 1 baseball semifinals produced a shocker. No. 1-seeded Corona, which started the year considered as high school baseball’s version of the Dodgers, was beaten by St. John Bosco 2-0. It was the first high school pitching defeat for Seth Hernandez, who came in 18-0.

St. John Bosco has unleashed a closer extraordinaire in junior Jack Champlin. Last week, in the bottom of the seventh inning with the score tied, Villa Park had the winning run on third and Champlin was brought in to get a strikeout. He threw 2 1/3 hitless relief before the Braves won 5-4 in nine innings.

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He was inserted into the game with a 2-0 count, one runner on and one out in the seventh inning against Corona. He walked the first first batter, then got a strikeout and fly out to end the game.

He said of the situation, ““I love it,” he said. “There’s close to 1,000 people and it’s electric. I didn’t feel any pressure, didn’t feel nervous. It’s just fun to compete against all these Power 5 players.”

That kind of closer’s mentality and confidence should help St. John Bosco in Friday’s 7 p.m. Division final against Santa Margarita at Cal State Fullerton. Champlin will gladly take the ball whenever coach Andy Rojo offers it.

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“I haven’t had a blown save,” he said.

That’s not the kiss of death. That’s a teenager who wants the ball with the game on the line.

Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.