In this week’s CCX Sports Spotlight, Chaz Mootz profiles Hopkins track and field senior runner Henry Risser.

Growing up Risser’s first love was always soccer, but after trying out for track his freshman year at Hopkins, Risser realized that running track gave him the best opportunity to compete in college.

Risser now holds both the 400 meter and 800 meter school records at Hopkins.

Both his 400 (47.19 seconds) and 800 (1:49.52) times rank in the top five in MSHSL boys track all-time records.

Risser will run at the University of Wisconsin next year.

Hopkins High School

Track & Field

CCX News – Daily Sportscast

AB Hernandez has been competing in track and field and volleyball at Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County since her freshman year, but it wasn’t until this year, her junior year, people began protesting her participation because she’s transgender.

The 16-year-old athlete became the center of attention at last week’s California Track and Field Championships in Clovis. Controversy over Hernandez’s participation in girls’ sports included rule changes, federal investigations and online threats to the state of California by President Donald Trump.

| MORE | California track and field finals: Trans athlete AB Hernandez wins 2 events, shares podium

In an interview with KCRA 3’s Sarah McGrew, Hernandez said she just laughs off the hate.

“It’s definitely crazy, I get a lot of hate comments but I’m like, ‘I don’t care’,” Hernandez said. “[I’m a] 16-year-old girl with a mad attitude. You think I’m going to care?”

When she was outed as transgender by the president of the Jurupa Valley Unified School Board, she had no idea what to expect next.

“I just tried to fly under the radar because you know trans athletes get a lot of hate,” Hernandez said.

But soon protesters were showing up to her track and field meets, following her throughout the season, including at the state championships.

“It’s just weird at this point,” she said.

While the few dozen protestors were contained outside of the stadium gates during the state championships, Hernandez found support inside the stadium that she described as intense.

“I wasn’t expecting any of it to be honest. I was just expecting to go out there and compete alone, but the support was amazing,” Hernandez said. “They really made my experience perfect. I will forever be grateful for them because they helped me get through the weekend.”

Her biggest supporter was watching from the stands.

Nereyda Hernandez, AB’s mother, was surprised when her daughter came out to her in the eighth grade, but both say it was an experience that brought them closer together.

| PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Mom of AB Hernandez shares unwavering support for daughter in midst of anti-transgender protests

“It means a lot,” AB Hernandez said. “There’s some kids out there whose parents don’t accept who they are.”

AB Hernandez won two first-place medals and a second-place medal at the track and field state championships, awards which were shared because of a rule change by the California Interscholastic Federation days before.

“I did what I wanted to do,” AB Hernandez said. “My performance was all I wanted to be good. So all this backlash… I performed my best so that’s all I cared about.”

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

MONROE, CT — Masuk High’s boys volleyball team, the No. 2 seed in the Class M State Tournament, defeated No. 7 Pomperaug of Southbury 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 28-18) in the quarterfinals on Friday.

With the win the Panthers will take on No. 3 New Canaan at neutral site Naugatuck High on Tuesday at either 4:30 or 7 p.m. The winner faces either No. 1 Joel Barlow or No. 4 Newington in the title match at Newtown High on June 12 starting at 4:30 p.m.

Owen Lafond (No. 5) and Tyler Barringer (No. 25) go up for a block in the win over Pomperaug.

All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.

Story courtesy of The Big West

IRVINE, Calif. — Kyla Bruhn of the UC San Diego women’s water polo team will represent The Big West as a member of the NCAA Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

The Division I National SAAC is committed to being proactive in service and representation of all 160,000 Division I student-athletes. 

 

The committee’s mission is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by protecting student-athlete well-being, fostering a positive student-athlete image and inclusive student-athlete environment, and promoting student-athlete engagement at the national, conference and local levels. The Division I Governance structure gives the Division I SAAC a seat at the table to comment and react to legislative proposals, issues of interest and actions of the Division.

Bruhn’s term on The NCAA SAAC began June 1 and will continue through June 30, 2026.

A sophomore attacker from Rancho Bernardo in San Diego County, Bruhn scored six points on three goals and three assists over the 2025 season. The Tritons advanced to the semifinal round of the Big West Championship. At Rancho Bernardo High School, she was a three-time team captain and team MVP.

Bruhn is a human development major at UC San Diego.

“As a member of the D1 NCAA SAAC, I hope to represent the Big West passionately and to advocate for the student-athlete experience.” Bruhn said. “By developing relationships with other student-athletes and administrative members across the nation, I aim to learn how to empower, unite, and protect student-athletes.” 

 

Bruhn also spoke about UC San Diego and how the experience on campus has helped prepare her for this special opportunity. 

 

“Serving as UC San Diego’s Big West Undivided representative this school year inspired me to expand my efforts to a national level to advocate for the student-athletes impacted by policies that are created in spaces where our voices are underrepresented.”  Bruhn said. “I will continue to learn from the practices, successes, and cultures reflected by the institutions in my conference, and across other conferences. I am excited to represent my team, UC San Diego, and The Big West!” 

Angie Allen, Assistant Commissioner/Compliance & Student-Athlete Engagement from The Big West, also shared enthusiasm for Bruhn representing the conference at the national level.  

“We are proud to have Kyla representing the Big West on the NCAA Division I SAAC. Her passion and leadership make her a powerful advocate for our student-athletes.” said Allen. “We are confident that she will champion their voices, stand firm in the face of challenges, and work tirelessly to advance equity, opportunity, and the future of collegiate athletics. This appointment is not only an honor—it is a call to serve, and Kyla is more than ready to answer that call.” 

——
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
 

Massive changes are coming to the NCAA this year.

On Friday, June 6, Judge Claudia Wilken approved the House vs. NCAA legal settlement that will fundamentally change Division I college athletics for the imminent future. Some track and field and cross-country rosters could be significantly reduced as a result of the decision, which goes into effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

The class-action settlement has three major parts. It will allow universities to share revenue with athletes for the first time—expected to be $20.5 million in the first year—and will provide $2.8 billion in back payments to former NCAA athletes who were not eligible to receive NIL money from 2016-2024.

A third part of the settlement has already been affecting many track and field and cross-country athletes. The settlement will set roster limits on each sport. For cross-country, schools will be capped at 17 roster spots, and track and field will be limited to 45. Only schools that opt into revenue sharing will be bound to these numbers.

Previously, there was no limit on roster numbers and schools instead had to adhere to scholarship limits: 18 total for women and 12.6 for men. Now, institutions can provide as many scholarships as they have roster spots. But few schools are expected to have the financial resources to use all 45 or 17 potential scholarships.

Many schools that opt into the settlement have rosters that are larger than the new limits.

Over the past year, some schools that are members of the Power 4 conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC) have begun preparing their rosters for the new numbers. The University of Florida, for example, had 56 men listed on their track team this year and 19 on the cross-country roster, and athletes like Alec Miller were faced with the possibility of not having a spot next year. And some athletes, like Jake Rimmel at Virginia Tech, were already cut in anticipation of the settlement.

The SEC, additionally, will limit rosters even further than the settlement’s numbers. Men’s programs will be limited to 35 athletes for track and just 10 for cross-country.

Originally, the settlement mandated that teams must adhere to new roster limits for the 2025–2026 school year—and no athletes would be grandfathered in. At that time, Yahoo Sports estimated that over 15,000 athletes across all Division I members could be cut, depending on how many schools opt in to the settlement.

But after significant pushback from athletes, the settlement was amended to allow—but not mandate—schools to grandfather in athletes who would have otherwise lost their spot.

The schools are instructed to use “good-faith efforts” to identify athletes who “were removed or would have been removed from the roster for 2025-26 due to the implementation of the roster limits.” Those individuals will not count toward roster limits for the rest of their eligibility. This applies to current athletes and those who were recruited to be on a team for the 2025-2026 school year (e.g., incoming freshmen). Schools have until July 6 to identify these athletes.

On May 8, Notre Dame became the first school to commit to grandfathering in all athletes.

While the settlement was preliminarily approved in October by Judge Wilken, many athletes, parents, and coaches voiced concerns about roster limits—a part of the agreement that was originally not as widely discussed as back payments and revenue sharing. This pushback delayed the approval for nearly two months after the April 7 final hearing.

Track and field was one of the sports that was at the center of the debate around roster cuts. At the final approval hearing, Gracelyn Laudermilch, a senior distance runner at Northeast Bradford High School in Pennsylvania, gave a powerful speech about declining opportunities for athletes.

Last fall, she was prepared to commit to an unnamed school but was advised by the school’s coach to go elsewhere because the coach had learned they would have to cut at least 15 women from the team to adhere to roster limits. Laudermilch argued to Judge Wilken that roster limits would reduce chances for her and “thousands of athletes” and encouraged her to deny the settlement.

Laudermilch also discussed how smaller roster sizes could discourage schools from taking chances on less-developed runners. She cited Olympian Emily Mackay, who was a walk-on in college, as an example of someone who thrived with a long-term approach.

NCAA coaches have also expressed concerns with budgets cuts (or complete team eliminations) that could occur due to new expenses from revenue sharing. In March, some of the most prominent coaches in the sport—including Vin Lananna, Ed Eyestone, and Maurica Powell—expressed displeasure with the settlement in a “call-to-action” email, where they mentioned that although scholarship limits will technically increase, “collegiate track and field programs won’t likely see funding across institutions.”

Revenue sharing could strain athletic department budgets. Yahoo Sports has reported that most Power-4 schools plan to allocate 90 percent of revenue sharing to football and men’s basketball—the two sports that have the highest chance at generating athletic department revenue. Cross-country and track and field programs generally do not bring in much revenue, if any.

On June 7, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) issued a joint statement, along with coaching associations for wrestling, volleyball, and swimming and diving. The organizations voiced worries that funding for Olympic sports could shrink, and they urged Congress to intervene.

“We are concerned that the new financial obligations placed on schools will force administrators to divert attention and resources away from non-football and non-basketball sports—the very programs in which the majority of NCAA student-athletes participate,” the statement read. “This is no hypothetical. Budget cuts and program eliminations have already occurred in anticipation of [the settlement’s approval], and more are likely to follow.”

Theo Kahler is the news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)

AGAWAM – It’s not often two teams from Western Massachusetts are scheduled to compete against each other in their respective state tournament bracket.

But when they do, it’s meaningful.

Friday night was another prime example, as the No. 1 Agawam boys volleyball team defeated No. 8 East Longmeadow in the Division II state quarterfinals by a final score of 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-16) inside Clifford P. Kibbe Gymnasium.

“This is exciting because I love how teams from the West have represented well,” Brownies coach Kevin Pender said. “When I look at the Elite 8 teams, I’m so proud of how far volleyball has come in the West.”

David Dzhenzherukha (game-high 16) and Elijah Ramos (14) earned 30 combined assists to help Agawam improve to 22-2. Although one of those defeats came against No. 2 Westfield in the regional Class A championship last month, the Brownies have since claimed nine consecutive sets in the state postseason.

“That was a big wakeup call,” Pender said. “I think it gave us important licks and lessons. We took our licks, and we didn’t bring our best that day, so we paid for it. But thankfully, it wasn’t a scenario where we were turning in our jerseys the next day.

“And now we’ve been able to incorporate kind of some of those pieces we need to work on in practice daily. But it’s about staying hungry for the next stop because nothing is guaranteed.”

Agawam will now face No. 4 West Springfield in the D-II state semifinals on Tuesday night from Chicopee Comp at 6:30 p.m.

Despite eight assists from Christian Bui and 13 combined kills between Ben Mannheim (seven) and Tavion Rehbein (six), the Spartans completed their historic season at 18-5.

East Longmeadow won its first 15 games, 13 of which were via shutout, as it earned its best start in school history. But despite losing three of its next four games, which included a five-set loss against Sci-tech in the sectional Class B semifinals last month.

The Spartans then defeated No. 25 Minnechaug and No. 9 Boston Latin Academy to snap their two-consecutive year streak of losing in the D-II Round of 32.

East Longmeadow also bid farewell to its three seniors: Caleb Yeager, Cameron Loranger, and Mannheim. Regardless, though, Spartans coach Kyle Andolina couldn’t be more proud of his team’s accomplishment.

“If you look back historically, this was our best year,” Andolina said. “But it’s all about the hard work the guys have put in each day, so I’m proud of them. I don’t think a lot of people expected us to make it here, let alone win our last-round matchup, so just to be here was a win in our books.

“I hope we’re back here next year. The younger guys have seen what it takes to be here. Though we’re replacing three starters, what we’re really replacing is the heart. Like the captains who show up, so hopefully the younger guys can step up and show what they are made of next year.”

Moments into the first set, Loranger recorded one of his two aces to move East Longmeadow ahead by one as the crowd rose to their feet. The momentum was shortlived, though, as Dennis Nesen continued Agawam’s streak of five consecutive points with a one-handed slam to move them back on top 11-7 before the opposition called timeout.

It wasn’t enough, however, as unforced errors helped the Brownies make it a 10-0 run before Mannheim located a kill between multiple defenders along the left edge. Rehbein then followed with a teardrop along the front of the left net to cut the Spartans’ deficit to 23-13.

But none of that mattered, as the Brownies scored the final two points to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Agawam’s success continued in the second, as the home team took advantage of its height, strength, and experience. For example, the Brownies’ primary objective has been to locate opposing defensive holes and weaknesses.

And that’s precisely what occurred Friday, as Chase Gerani (six kills) earned a kill along the weakside before Timothy Karcha (eight kills and seven digs) earned an impressive ace in the back middle to extend the Brownies cushion to 18-3.

“Having the experience has helped us get the momentum we needed,” Karcha said. “We haven’t lost a set yet, so we’re going to be focused for our next game and push through.”

Agawam maintained a comfortable double-digit lead late in the second set. East Longmeadow said otherwise, though, as the Spartans used an impressive 11-5 run to keep it a 23-14 deficit before Benjamin and Nicholas Mannheim earned a combined block down low to keep the set alive.

Despite the valiant effort, Agawam recorded two of the following five points to claim its eighth consecutive set.

“We’re doing the best we can,” Pender said. “We try and do our homework the best we can so we can execute our strengths against their weaknesses. And sometimes, it’s about being familiar with your opponent.”

In the end, that set the stage as the Brownies claimed the opening two sets and never looked back as their 17th combined season shutout solidified their third consecutive appearance in the D-II state semifinals.

Agawam, though, will attempt to move one step closer to raising its first state crown since 2023.

“West Springfield knows us as well as we know them,” Pender said. “I got to coach some of those guys in the winter, so that gets tough because there’s no surprises that we can throw at each other.

“We have to execute our brand of volleyball at the highest level to try and get past a great team in them.”