CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Seven Southeast Missouri Track & Field Athletes qualified for the NCAA West Region Preliminary round, the NCAA announced Thursday.

For each Track & Field event the top 48 athletes from the East and West Regions are chosen to move on and compete in their respective regions. 

This is the third year in a row the Redhawks will be sending seven or more athletes to the NCAA West Preliminary rounds, (9 in 2024 and 8 in 2023). 

SEMO will be competing in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M. The NCAA West Preliminary round will begin on Wednesday, May 28 and end on Saturday, May 31. 

Southeast will be sending Brianna Dixon, Luke Hatfield Jackoson, Sullivan Gleason, Clara Billing, Makenzie Williams, Paden Lewis, and Josiah Kilgore to College Station. 

On the men’s side, the veteran Hatfield Jackson will be jumping in the NCAA Preliminary high jump and long jump for the fourth time in his career. Kilgore will be throwing the javelin for the third time during his SEMO Career. Lewis swept the podium during the OVC Championship and will be throwing in all three events at the NCAA’s (Hammer throw, Weight throw, and Shot Put). First time qualifier Gleason will be competing in the pole vault. 

For the SEMO women, Billing keeps her streak alive and qualifies once again in the pole vault, her third trip in three years here at SEMO. Dixion is back competing in the high jump during her sophomore season. Williams caps off her Graduate season by earning her first trip to the NCAA’s to compete in the hammer throw.  

The top 12 athletes from each event will advance to the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday, June 11 to Saturday, June 14 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. 

SEMO’s NCAA West Region Preliminary Round Qualifiers

Men(4)

Luke Hatfield Jackson – High Jump, Long Jump

Paden Lewis – Hammer Throw, Weight Throw, Shot Put

Sullivan Gleason – Pole Vault

Josiah Kilgore – Javelin 

Women(3)

Clara Billing – Pole Vault

Brianna Dixon – High Jump

Makenzie Williams – Hammer Throw

SEMO Competition Schedule 

Wednesday, May 28

10:00 AM – Men’s Hammer (Paden Lewis)

2:30 PM – Men’s Javelin (Josiah Kilgore)

4:30 PM – Men’s Long Jump (Luke Hatfield Jackson)

5:30 PM – Men’s Pole Vault (Sullivan Gleason)

6:00 PM – Men’s Shot Put (Paden Lewis)

Thursday, May 29 

5:30 PM – Women’s Pole Vault (Clara Billing)

Friday, May 30

1:00 PM – Men’s Discus (Paden Lewis)

3:30 PM – Men’s High Jump (Luke Hatfield Jackson)

Saturday, May 31

1:00 PM – Women’s Discus (Makenzie Williams)

3:30 PM – Women’s High Jump (Brianna Dixon)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 20, 2025) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce the rosters for the U.S. Women’s and Men’s Sitting National Teams that will compete at the 2025 ParaVolley Pan America Zonal Championship, May 24-28 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

Watch the Zonals livestream.

The Zonal Championship will feature both men’s and women’s divisions, with teams from across the Pan American region battling for qualification to the 2026 World ParaVolley World Championship. This marks the third time the United States has hosted the event, previously held in Edmond, Oklahoma (2013) and Denver (2009).

Women’s Division: Clash of the World’s Best
The U.S. Women’s Sitting National Team returns to competition for the first time since winning its third consecutive Paralympic gold medal in Paris. The tournament field includes the world’s top three teams: No. 1 Canada, No. 2 Brazil, and No. 3 United States, setting the stage for a competitive event.

The U.S. Women have won gold at every ParaVolley Pan America Zonal Championship since the event’s inception and are preparing for a strong challenge on home soil. Head coach Bill Hamiter leads a veteran squad with Paralympic experience.

Eleven of the 14 women on the roster are Paralympians, including three-time Paralympian Kendra Hall, competing internationally for the first time since her retirement after the 2012 Paralympics. Six-time Paralympian Lora Webster is back at middle blocker, and she is joined by four-time Paralympians Monique Matthews (middle) and Kaleo Kahanele Maclay (setter), three-time Paralympian Bethany Zummo (libero), and two-time Paralympians Whitney Dosty (outside/opposite), Tia Edwards (middle/outside), Nicky Nieves (middle), Lexi Patterson (setter) and Emma Schieck (outside). 2020 Paralympian Jillian Williams-Coffee (middle/opposite/outside) returns after taking a break from competition.

Outside hitters Raelene Elam, MaKenzie Franklin and Courtney Baker all have significant competitive experience and were the three 2024 Paralympic alternates.

Men’s Division: Building Momentum
The U.S. Men’s Sitting National Team enters the Zonal Championship with renewed confidence after winning silver at both the most recent zonal event and the 2024 Dutch Tournament. With eyes set on gold, the U.S. will face tough competition from Canada, Brazil and Argentina—three experienced teams in the region.

Led by head coach Greg Walker, the U.S. men are blending experienced leaders with dynamic newcomers, aiming to continue their upward trajectory on the international stage.

Six sitting volleyball Paralympians are on the 14-person roster, including two-time Paralympian Eric Duda (outside hitter). Ben Aman (outside), Rod Green (middle), James Stuck (outside), John Kremer (setter) and Dan Regan (outside) all competed at the 2016 Paralympics.

The remaining eight players include libero Nick Dadgostar, who has been competing with the team since 2017; opposite Zach Upp, one of the team’s top players since 2018; and a handful of rising stars: opposite/outside hitter Alex Wilson, outside hitters Robbie Gaupp, Robbie Onusko, Jason Roberts and Brett Parks, and setter/libero Will Curtis.

Event Admission and Streaming
Admission to the ParaVolley Pan America Zonal Championship is free for all spectators. All matches will be live streamed for free on our event page.

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)

Women’s Roster

No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
1 Lora Webster (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y.)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif.)
3 Lexi Patterson (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn.)
7 Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla.)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla.)
11 Jillian Williams-Coffee (MB/OPP/OH, 5-10, Odem, Texas)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Oklahoma City, Okla.)
15 Kendra Hall (5-7, Westfield, Ind.)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla.)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky.)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)
24 Raelene Elam (OH, 6-1, St. George, Utah, Northern California)

Schedule

MT/PT

May 24
Women: USA vs. Canada, 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men: Brazil vs. Canada, 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT
Men: USA vs. Argentina, 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT
Women: Canada vs. Brazil, 5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT

May 25
Women: USA vs. Brazil, 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men: Brazil vs. Argentina, 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT
Men: USA vs. Canada, 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT
Women: USA vs. Canada, 5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT

May 26
Women: Canada vs. Brazil, 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men: Canada vs. Argentina, 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT
Men: USA vs. Brazil, 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT
Women: USA vs. Brazil, 5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT

May 27
Men: Semifinals, 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 at 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT and 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT
Women: Gold medal match, 1 vs 2 at 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT

May 28
Men’s bronze medal match: 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men’s gold medal match: 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m.PT

NEW YORK — Six Columbia Track & Field student-athletes have qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Eastern Prelims after posting a top-48 mark in their respective events this season. The Lions will be sending three men and three women individually, which was made official by the NCAA on Thursday afternoon.

Obiora Okeke made headlines, qualifying in three different events: Shot Put, Hammer, and Discus. 

 

The eastern prelims are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, May 28 and run through Saturday, May 31 in Jacksonville at the University of North Florida. 

 

COLUMBIA QUALIFYING MARKS

Women

800m: Lucy Henkel (31st – 2:04.45)

1500m: Rory Clare (27th – 4:15.33)

Long Jump: Madison Williams (29th – 6.2m)

 

Men

1500m: Matt Gatune (27th – 3:40.34)

Hammer: Obiora Okeke (40th – 62.64m)

Hammer: Parker Kim (43rd – 62.49m)

Shot Put: Obiora Okeke (5th – 20.17m)

Discus: Obiora Okeke (37th – 54.34m)

The full release from the NCAA can be found HERE, including the entire list of men’s and women’s selections. 

A full preview of NCAA prelims will be provided next week. 

To qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championship finals in Oregon, a top-12 finish is needed at the eastern prelims. For qualified athletes, the finals of the NCAA Championships will begin on Wednesday, June 11. 

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

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) is proud to announce Steve Potts, former director of athletics at Pepperdine University, as the 2025 Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

“I am so overwhelmed and humbled to even be considered for this incredible award,” said Potts. “I wish to express my sincere thanks to DI-AAA ADA for this honor and for all they do for our unique member institutions. Any achievements and successes that may have been credited to me in my position as the director of athletics at Lipscomb University and Pepperdine University were the direct result of the talent, dedication and commitment of coaches, sta? members and student-athletes with whom I was blessed to associate.”

Steve Potts (JD ’82), who oversaw one of the nation’s most successful Division I-AAA programs as Pepperdine’s director of athletics, retired at the conclusion of the 2023–24 academic year after leading the Waves since January 2011.

A Nashville native, Potts earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Tennessee-Martin in 1979 and went on to earn his juris doctor degree from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 1982. Prior to his position as Pepperdine’s AD, Potts spent 17 years at the university as an administrator and a professor and serving as the school’s associate dean of administration and an assistant professor of law from 1990–99. In July 2008, Potts returned to Malibu as the senior associate AD after serving as the director of athletics at Lipscomb University from 2000 to 2008.

Under Potts’ leadership, Pepperdine earned the I-AAA Athletic Director’s Association All-Sports Award (given to the top-performing non-football school in Division I) three times (2011–12, 2021–22 and 2022–23), while finishing in the top three five additional times. Throughout Potts’ tenure, the Waves won 69 conference regular-season or tournament titles (through the 2023-24 school year) and captured the 2021 NCAA men’s golf national championship.

Potts brought beach volleyball to the university and the team captured the inaugural AVCA national championship in 2012, and again in 2014. In addition, men’s golf won the 2021 national championship. Through his tenure, multiple teams experienced firsts, including but not limited to the following:

• 2014 – baseball advancing to a Super Regional for the first time; women’s soccer advancing to the Sweet 16
• 2015 – men’s basketball making its first postseason appearance since 2002
• 2018-19 – women’s basketball winning 20 games for the first time since 2010 and won its first postseason game in the modern era.
• 2020-21 – men’s basketball winning the College Basketball Invitational
• 2021 – women’s soccer advancing to the Sweet 16; women’s tennis advancing to national championship match
• 2022 & 2023 – women’s swimming and diving team won back-to-back PCSC titles
• 2023-24 – women’s tennis doubles advanced to NCAA Tournament final match; men’s water polo captured first WCC regular-season title

Pepperdine’s various facilities have also been upgraded under Potts’ leadership, which has provided student-athletes and coaching staff exceptional opportunities to excel in their respective sports and increased the level of recognition of the Waves’ great athletics history.

Prior to Pepperdine, Potts oversaw Lipscomb’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division I, successfully guiding the athletics department through four years of NCAA Division I provisional membership. In 2003, Lipscomb received active membership status and joined the Atlantic Sun Conference.

About Division I-AAA ADA: Now in its 24^th year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association’s mission is to enhance initiatives common to its Division I-AAA membership (non-football institutions), in particular, aspects related to their flagship basketball programs. For more information on the Division I-AAA ADA, please visit www.div1aaa-ada.com. The Division I-AAA ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 60^th year. For more information on NACDA and the 19 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

This includes the opening of a new headquarters in Budapest, formally approved by Member Federations at the 2023 World Aquatics General Congress in Fukuoka, Japan. An interim headquarters was opened in the Hungarian capital in November 2024.

International energy company MOL Group is headquartered in Budapest with an active presence in more than 30 countries. It is a long-time supporter of sport through a series of partnerships with athletes and teams, and will work closely with World Aquatics as the organisation progresses with its transition to Hungary.

MOL – New Europe Foundation, founded by the Hungarian Government and MOL Plc is dedicated to performing a range of public tasks. The partnership with World Aquatics fits to its engagement in various areas of talent development and sport in Hungary and beyond.

MVM Group is headquartered in Hungary with an active presence in 23 countries, providing energy to millions of businesses and homes across the Central-Eastern Europe region. It also holds significant expertise in the production of carbon-neutral energy, and has committed to achieving net carbon neutrality by 2050.

The partnership will contribute to World Aquatics’ energy efficiency planning for its new headquarters in Budapest.

OTP Group is one of Central and Eastern Europe’s leading independent banking groups, and brings over 75 years of experience of market-leading financial infrastructure. OTP will support World Aquatics’ activity in the region by providing tailored banking services for World Aquatics in Hungary.

“As we expand our operations in Hungary, it is vital World Aquatics aligns with trusted and forward-thinking partners in the region,” said President of World Aquatics, Captain Husain Al-Musallam.

“MOL Group, MOL – New Europe Foundation, MVM Group and OTP Group have strong global reputations, and these agreements come at the perfect time as we advance with the development of our new headquarters in Budapest and open an exciting new chapter.

Member of the Board of Trustees of MOL New Europe Foundation and COO of MOL Hungary György Bacsa said: “With full commitment, we support every cause and organization that creates value for Hungary and provides opportunities for our talents. And we already owe a great deal to aquatic sports: there is no generation that hasn’t cheered for and rejoiced over a gold medal won at an international competition, and perhaps there is no other Olympic sport that has made so many Hungarians world-renowned. Aquatic sports are about noble competition, world-class talent and records, as well as the conscious and persistent training behind them, the excellent coaches, and the clubs. I am proud that MOL and the MOL-New Europe Foundation can contribute to this success story.”

MVM Group CEO Mátrai Károly said: “This collaboration is a strategic choice: we believe that supporting sporting talent, performance and the wider athletic community is just as much a part of responsible corporate operations as energy security. Joining World Aquatics fits well with MVM’s development trajectory – we work for development with domestic foundations, regional ambitions and an increasingly strong international presence, along with values ​​that lead to success in the world of sports.”

OTP Group CEO Csányi Péter commented: “We are delighted and proud to welcome the decision of World Aquatics to relocate its global headquarters to Budapest. This move further strengthens the role of the Hungarian capital and our country in international sports. As a banking group with Hungarian roots and international presence, the OTP Group is, as of today, the World Aquatics Global Banking Supplier.”

The World Aquatics interim headquarters in Budapest currently houses a team of 25 staff. The wider transition to Budapest is planned around the 2027 World Aquatics Championships, which will also be hosted in the Hungarian capital.

Lausanne will remain home of the Aquatics Integrity Unit, which provides independent oversight of all integrity-related matters in aquatics, and the new World Aquatics Foundation, continuing the organisation’s proud history in the city.

About World Aquatics

Driven by the vision of a world united by water for health, life and sport, World Aquatics is the international governing body for aquatic sports. Founded in 1908, World Aquatics is an independent organisation formed of 210 National Federations and five Continental Organisations.  

World Aquatics oversees six aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving – and is recognised as the leading global authority of these sports by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). For more information, please visit: www.worldaquatics.com

About MOL Group

MOL Group is an international energy company headquartered in Budapest, operating in over 30 countries with 25,000 employees, three refineries, two petrochemical plants, and nearly 2,400 service stations. The company currently produces in eight countries and holds exploration assets in nine.

MOL is committed to a smart energy transition — gradually transforming its fossil-based operations into a low-emission, sustainable business model with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. MOL Group aims to make the region greener, more competitive, and more self-sufficient, while driving the circular economy in Central and Eastern Europe. For more information, please visit: https://molgroup.info/en

About MOL – New Europe Foundation

The MOL – New Europe Foundation was established by law in 2021 through a partnership between the Hungarian Government and MOL Plc. As a public-interest asset management foundation, it is dedicated to performing a range of public tasks. The Foundation provides funding and is actively involved in various public initiatives, including talent development, sustainability, social affairs, culture, heritage protection and sports in Hungary and beyond. For more information, please visit: https://molujeuropaalapitvany.hu/

About MVM Group

MVM Group is the 2nd largest company in Hungary, and the 6th in Central Europe. It is a dynamic, innovative company group continually gaining dominance also on regional level. Through its professional competences it offers significant contribution to the security of supply in Central-Eastern Europe. With its active presence in 23 countries, with more than 19 000 employees and with serving more than 11 million household and company clients (including almost 2 million in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania), MVM Group is a significant player of the CEE region’s energy ecosystem. MVM Group is ready to supply 3.4 million Romanian customers in case of taking over the majority stake of EON Energie Romania. Since 2024 MVM Group has a significant interest in Azerbaijan as well. MVM Group acquired a stake in one of the world’s largest offshore natural gas fields called Shah Deniz. MVM is also an important energy knowledge centre with significant expertise in carbon-neutral energy production, retail energy solutions and energy trading. For more information, please visit: www.mvm.hu.

About OTP Group  

OTP Group is one of the fastest growing, leading independent banking groups in Central and Eastern Europe with a bridgehead in Central Asia. It operates in 11 countries—10 in the CEE region and 1 in Uzbekistan—employing nearly 40,000 people and providing universal financial services to 17 million customers. 

Founded in 1949, OTP Group has evolved into a universal financial services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services including retail and corporate banking, leasing, asset management, investment funds, pension funds, and insurance. The Group’s commitment to innovation and digital transformation ensures high-quality financial services across its extensive network of over 1,500 branches and digital channels. 

OTP Group is listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange and maintains an outstanding capital and liquidity position, reflecting its prudent financial management and strategic growth initiatives. The Group’s dedication to corporate social responsibility is evident through its support for various cultural, educational, and sports initiatives. 

As a Global Supplier of World Aquatics, OTP Group reinforces its commitment to promoting aquatic sports and fostering international cooperation. This partnership aligns with the Group’s values of excellence, community engagement, and sustainable development. 

For more information, please visit: www.otpgroup.info.

GENEVA – Nicole Tarpley and Jackie Tuzil of the Carthage women’s track & field team competed in the discus throw at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Thursday afternoon. Tarpley placed 12th, earning Second Team All-American honors, and Tuzil placed 21st.
 

Tarpley and Tuzil started day one of the championships for the Firebirds, competing in the discus throw. Tarpley’s furthest mark of 40.60 meters, first throw, placed Tarpley in 12th and earned Second Team All-American honors. Tuzil placed 21st with a mark of 37.01 meters. 

“A bit of a rough start to the weekend as it didn’t take anything amazing to make the final,” said assistant coach Greg Raimondi. “The weather was definitely a factor, but regardless, we didn’t execute at the level we are capable of in these conditions. Nicole still has the hammer throw on Saturday, and I am looking forward to seeing what she can do. This was Jackie’s first national meet, and having to compete with the conditions as a first timer adds another factor to deal with mentally. Jackie has grown a lot as a competitor this year, and this setback will hopefully push her to grow even more next year.”

Two Firebirds will compete tomorrow, Friday, May 23, at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Geneva, Ohio. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.