WILLIAMSTOWN, MA (May 10, 2025) – The Tufts University men’s track and field team continued to improve as they finished up competition at the Farley Inter-Regional Extravaganza on Saturday in Williamstown.

Eric Meyer took a sixth place finish in the hammer throw for the best field finish in the event for the Jumbos. His mark of 49.89m was ahead of junior Martin Decker in ninth with a 47.85m.

Quinn Hampson continued to show remarkable progress as his pace somehow got even quicker. He managed yet another personal best time of 3:51.21 to bring home sixth place and lead teammate Cullen McCaleb with a 3:57.73. Simon Donovan was just behind McCaleb with a 3:58.56.

Calvin Cummings kept his momentum from last weekend going with a third place finish in the 3000m steeplechase. It was his third straight finish with a new personal best as his 9:19.02 mark was good for a nearly five second improvement on his career best.

Jonah Reisner had to wait until the sunlight began to wane to truly shine, as he breezed through the 5000m run for fifth place. His time of 14:16.57 smashed his personal best and set the second-best time in Tufts program history. Amokrane Aouchiche also set a new personal best as he finished seventh in 14:29.60 for the fifth best time in program history.

Tufts will now shift their sights to the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Men’s Track and Field Championships at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio on May 22nd.

 

–JUMBOS–

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 3 UCLA men’s volleyball program took down No. 2 Hawai’i in straight sets, 3-0, in the semifinal round of the NCAA Championships at the Covelli Center on the campus of Ohio State University. Set scores on Saturday evening were 25-14, 25-23, 25-22.

With the win, the Bruins advance to their third national championship in the past three seasons. UCLA will take on the No. 1 seed Long Beach State in a rematch of the 2024 final, which the Bruins won in Long Beach, 3-1.

The Bruins hit .370 while limiting Hawai’i to a season-low .188 hitting percentage. Sean Kelly led the Bruins with 13 kills on 23 swings, while Zach Rama added another 10 for the Bruins. Andrew Rowan added 34 assists to dictate the Bruins offense, and defensively Sean McQuiggan recorded seven blocks.

The Bruins stormed out to a 10-4 lead in the opening set, and rattled off six straight points to take to silence the crowd. During that run Cooper Robinson provided two service aces and a couple of kills.

UCLA extended its lead to 17-8 later in the set as the Bruins continued to pile pressure on the Rainbow Warriors from the service line and the back line.

Later on in the set, the Bruins went up 23-13 courtesy of Rama from the back row before the Bruins took the first set 25-14 when Rama slammed home his fourth kill of the set to clinch it for the Bruins

As for the second set, Hawai’i opened up an 8-6 advantage before the Bruins rallied back.

A triple block put the Bruins up 13-10 in the set, forcing the Rainbow Warriors to take a timeout. Hawai’i wasn’t done though and battled back to make it 17-17 with Finn Kearney tallying a kill.

The Bruins and Rainbow Warriors went blow for blow for the remainder of the set, as neither team took more than a two-point advantage.

Hawai’i went up 23-22 before McQuiggan hammered home a kill from the middle, making it 23 all. Sean Kelly then tallied his sixth kill of the match to put the Bruins up 24-23 before an attack error by the Rainbow Warriors gave the Bruins a 25-23 set two win, and a 2-0 lead in the match.

In the third set, the Bruins took a 7-3 early lead as Kelly continued his strong night with another kill. Rowan and Robinson then recorded back-to-back kills to put the Bruins up 12-6, forcing Hawai’i to call another timeout.

Two huge solo blocks by McQuiggan then extended UCLA’s lead to 20-15, but Hawai’i roared back after that. The Rainbow Warriors closed the gap to 22-21 in favor of the Bruins, forcing John Hawks to use a timeout.

The Bruins then took a 24-22 lead courtesy of an attack error from the Rainbow Warriors before Rowan set up Robinson for his ninth kill of the match to clinch the set and the match for the Bruins, 25-22.

Up Next: UCLA will face the No. 1 seed Long Beach State in the NCAA Championship match on Monday, May 12 at 4 pm PT (7 pm ET). The match will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

 

Tyler Hendrickson

Tyler Hendrickson was born and raised in Long Beach, and started covering sports in his hometown in 2010. After five years as a sportswriter, Tyler joined the athletic department at Long Beach State University in 2015. He spent more than four years in the athletic communications department, working primarily with the Dirtbags baseball program. Tyler also co-authored of The History of Long Beach Poly: Scholars & Champions.

http://the562.org

INDIANOLA — Central College’s Peyton Steffen (junior, Marion) won both the 1500 meters and 5000 meters Saturday at the American Rivers Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, securing the league’s Women’s Track Events MVP.

Steffen also won the 3,000-meter steeplechase Friday night to contribute 30 points to the Central team score. The Dutch totaled 135 points to take third. Wartburg College was the winner with 245 points.

“It’s a tough conference and a tough meet,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “I’m super proud of what we accomplished, especially all of the PRs and people doubling up or even tripling up in events.”

Steffen ran the 1500 in 4 minutes, 30.41 seconds and the 5000 meters in 18:06.21.

“It’s always tough to do three events at the conference meet, especially in the heat,” Sturman said. “She didn’t have to run the 5K but she took one for the team and scored 10 team points. I’m really proud of what she did.”

Amber Vroman (senior, Seneca, Ill.) won the pole vault with a clearance of 11 feet, 5 inches. Teammates Leah Howard (junior, Auburn, N.Y.) and Kylie Meyer (freshman, Andalusia, Ill., Rockridge HS) finished second (11-1) and fourth (10-1.25), respectively.

“We had a good day in the pole vault,” Sturman said. “Amber’s been a great leader for us and it is nice to see her go out on top and get that championship one more time.”

Junior Emily McMartin (Pella) was an all-conference performer in three events. She broke a school record in the 400-meter dash (55.62) while finishing second. She also was third in the 200-meter dash (24.80) and anchored the 4×400-meter relay team to a runner-up finish as well in 3:51.02. She was joined on the 4×400 squad by Olivia Bohlen (junior, Belle Plaine, Ava Parkins (sophomore, Monmouth, Ill., Burlington Notre Dame [Iowa] HS) and Alivia Roerdink (sophomore, Tiffin, Ohio, Hopewell-Loudon HS).

Bohlen was second in the 110-meter hurdles (14.62 seconds) and Roerdink was third in the 800 meters (2:15.07) to round out the all-conference honorees.

A small contingent of Dutch athletes will compete at the Augustana Twilight Qualifier next Wednesday and Thursday in Rock Island, Illinois.

 

Top-eight finishes – women

100 meters (finals) – 4. Mary Gustason, 12.41

200 meters (finals) –  3. Emily McMartin, 24.80; 6. Ava Parkins, 25.48

400 meters (finals) – 2. Emily McMartin, 55.62; 5. Ava Parkins, 57.27

800 meters (finals) – 3. Alivia Roerdink, 2:15.07

1500 meters – 1. Peyton Steffen, 4:30.41

5000 meters – 1. Peyton Steffen, 18:06.21

4×100 relay – 4. Mary Gustason, Ava Parkins, Danika Arnold, Emily McMartin, 47.39

4×400 relay – 2. Olivia Bohlen, Ava Parkins, Alivia Roerdink, Emily McMartin, 3:51.02

110-meter hurdles (finals) – 2. Olivia Bohlen, 14.62

Pole vault – 1. Amber Vroman, 11-5; 2. Leah Howard, 11-1; 4. Kylie Meyer, 10-1.25

 

SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

POOL PLAY

DIVISION 1

#6 Newport Harbor d. #7 Redondo Union, 18-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-12

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION 2

Mater Dei d. St. Francis, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17

Peninsula d. St. Margaret’s, 13-25, 25-23, 25-16, 27-25

DIVISION 3

Tesoro d. North Torrance, 25-17, 25-19, 25-16

Orange Lutheran d. Warren, 25-23, 19-25, 25-20, 25-14

DIVISION 4

Santa Barbara d. Corona Santiago, 25-21, 25-16, 30-28

Sage Hill d. Crean Lutheran, 3-0

DIVISION 5

Esperanza d. Newbury Park, 25-12, 25-17, 19-25, 21-25, 16-14

Kennedy d. Vista Murrieta, 25-19, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22

DIVISION 6

Quartz Hill d. Village Christian, 3-2

El Toro d. Laguna Blanca, 3-2

DIVISION 7

Brea Olinda d. San Jacinto, 3-1

Brentwood at San Gabriel Academy, Monday at 4 p.m.

DIVISION 8

Katella d. Lancaster Desert Christian, 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21

Wildwood d. Avalon, 3-2

DIVISION 9

California Academy of Math & Science d. San Jacinto Valley Academy, 3-2

Beverly Hills at Downey, Monday at 5 p.m.

Note: Finals in Division 1 Friday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at Cerritos College; Finals in Divisions 2-9 May 16 or 17 (sites and times TBA).

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Led by five first-place finishes and 10 all-conference performances, the St. Olaf College women’s track and field team finished fourth at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday and Saturday at Macalester Stadium.

St. Olaf’s five first-place performances were the program’s most since 1999-00, as the Oles took fourth in the 12-team standings with 118 points. St. Olaf finished 13.5 points behind third-place Bethel University and 22 points behind second-place Concordia-Moorhead. Gustavus Adolphus College won the team title with 170.5 points.

Over the course of the two-day meet, St. Olaf had 10 All-MIAC performances (places 1-3) and seven Honorable Mention All-MIAC performances (places 4-6), highlighted by senior Alison Bode sweeping the conference titles in the 5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run. Bode is believed to be the first Ole to sweep the MIAC outdoor titles in those two events.

In addition to Bode’s two first-place finishes, senior Sophie Abernethy won the 1,500-meter run, junior Isabel Wyatt won the 800-meter run, and St. Olaf won the 4×800-meter relay, with three of the Oles’ five first-place performances coming on Friday.

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FRIDAY RECAP

St. Olaf earned 26 of its 64 points on the opening day with a 1-3-4-5-8 finish in the 1,500-meter run to sit in second place, just three points behind Concordia-Moorhead.

In the first event of the meet on the track, Abernethy got the Oles started by leading the 1-3-4-5-8 showing in the 1,500-meter run by winning her first MIAC individual title in 4:38.09, which was over six seconds faster than the runner-up. The senior was St. Olaf’s first conference champion in the event since Megan (Daymont) Thomas ’03 in 2002-03.

Junior Ella Landis, junior Lauren Walda, senior Jules Fromm, and first year Abi Lindquist all joined Abernethy in scoring in the event, with Landis also earning all-conference honors in third (4:46.12). Walda and Fromm grabbed two of the three honorable-mention all-conference spots in fourth (4:47.47) and fifth (4:47.84), respectively, while Lindquist scored in eighth (4:50.03). Fromm’s fifth-place finish was the highest individual finish of her career, while Walda ran the event at the conference meet for the first time.

Bode capped the night by winning the 10,000-meter run, which was pushed back a couple of hours due to the 80-degree temperatures, in 35:35.82. The senior won the event by over three-and-a-half minutes to become the first Ole to win the event since Emma Lee ’13 in 2012-13 and claim the first MIAC individual title of her career. The time also ranks 16th nationally, positioning Bode to qualify for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. First year Arabella England earned All-MIAC honors with a third-place finish (39:39.82) to give the Oles two of the top-three finishers in the event.

St. Olaf’s 4×800-meter relay of sophomore Siri Erickson, Fromm, Landis, and Abernethy outpaced second-place Concordia-Moorhead by over eight seconds with a winning time of 9:17.96, which broke the facility record of 9:18.91 established by the College of Saint Benedict in 2015. The quartet’s performance gave the Oles their second consecutive title in the event and their time ranks fifth on St. Olaf’s all-time list.

Wyatt was one of three Oles to qualify for the finals in the 800-meter run with top-nine performances in the prelims. The junior posted the top qualifying time by over five-and-a-half seconds (2:10.25) to better her No. 2 standing on St. Olaf’s all-time list at the time. Sophomores Molly DiNardo (6th, 2:18.33) and Nora Mickelson (7th, 2:18.46) qualified sixth and seventh, respectively, with just over 0.1 seconds between them.

Junior Ashlyn Jore added an honorable-mention performance in the long jump by placing fourth with a mark of 5.36 meters (17′ 7″) on her sixth and final attempt. Senior Emma Johnson moved up to eighth on St. Olaf’s all-time list in the shot put with a seventh-place result (12.01m, 39′ 5″), while first year Erika Nesseth rose to ninth all-time in the pole vault after clearing 3.18 meters (10′ 5 ¼”) to take ninth.

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SATURDAY RECAP

After winning the event indoors, Wyatt completed her double in the 800-meter run by breaking the school record of Megan (Daymont) Thomas ’03 by just over three-tenths of a second in 2:09.44. The MIAC title was the second of Wyatt’s career, while her time ranks 14th in the country this season. Wyatt’s win made her the first Ole to win the event since Audrey Weber in 2006. DiNardo (6th, 2:19.40) and Mickelson (8th, 2:21.85) also scored in the event for St. Olaf.

Bode finished off her two-title meet by winning the 5,000-meter run in 17:14.72, which was over eight seconds faster than the rest of the field. The senior became St. Olaf’s first conference champion in the event since Christina Vetter ’00 in 1997-98. Walda gave the Oles two all-conference performers in the event in third (17:33.13).

Sophomore Mara Larson claimed her third MIAC runner-up finish and fourth All-MIAC accolade in as many attempts in the high jump by clearing 1.57 meters (5′ 1 ¾”). Larson had fewer misses than two other competitors to clear 1.57 meters, missing once on 1.54 meters (5′ ½”) and once on 1.57 meters before going out on 1.60 meters (5′ 3″).

St. Olaf’s 4×400-meter relay of first year Izzi Jaeckle, senior Jules Fromm, junior Rachael Wilson, and senior Emma Storbakken landed the final all-conference accolade in third (3:59.14), while junior Grace Moeller added an honorable-mention, fourth-place showing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:20.68). The time was the fastest of Moeller’s career and bettered her No. 6 time on St. Olaf’s all-time list by less than one second.

After finishing 11th in the event as a first year, sophomore Otelia Lighthill moved all the way up to fifth in the discus throw (39.75m, 130′ 5″) to secure honorable-mention honors and break onto St. Olaf’s all-time list in ninth. St. Olaf’s 4×100-meter relay of first year Sophie Herweijer, Storbakken, senior Zoe Matre, and Jaeckle also posted a top-10 time in program history, slotting in in seventh after placing eighth (49.70).