WAVERLY, Iowa- Connor Lancial is named the Elite 90 Winner for DIII Men’s Outdoor Track & Field. Lancial has become the fourth winner in school history and the third winner from track & field.

The NCAA ELITE 90 award honors the exceptional achievements of student-athletes. This prestigious accolade is given to those who have not only excelled at a national championship level in their sport but have also achieved the highest academic standards among their peers. The Elite 90 is proudly awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.

Lancial is set to compete in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2025 National Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Championships will take place on May 22 (Thu) – May 24 (Sat) at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio. 

Concordia University Irvine in Irvine, California has announced the elimination of four swimming programs, including its NCAA Division II men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs. The school also eliminated its men’s and women’s tennis programs, effective at the end of this season.

This reduces the school’s athletics department to 20 varsity programs (counting all track & field programs separately), and does not field a varsity football team.

“The decision follows a comprehensive evaluation of the university’s academic and athletic offerings, resource allocation, and long-term strategic priorities,” the school said in a statement. “University leadership, in partnership with the Department of Athletics, determined that the current model is not sustainable in the midst of increasing operational costs, facility limitations, and significant changes in the collegiate athletics landscape.”

Student athletes who choose to stay at Concordia will retain their scholarships.

Concordia head coach Bert Bergen informed the team of the news on Tuesday. His email read, in part:

“I am so terribly sorry about this news and am horrified by the timing.  You put your faith in me, you chose this program to continue your athletic pursuits and I cannot imagine what you are feeling.

I understand how terrible this timing is.  I want each of you to know that I will be available for phone calls and will do everything I can with every available NCAA and NAIA institution in this country to find you a new home.

I am sickened that you won’t get to be a part of this community, that I will not have the wonderful opportunity to coach, mentor and learn from you.  You will always be very special to me and I know that God has a plan for your futures.  Please do not be discouraged. Take time to process and then, let’s find solutions for each of you.”

Bergen has been actively seeking homes for his athletes on college swimming recruiting Facebook pages, among other places.

According to Federal data, the swimming program had 23 men and 25 women to start the season, while the tennis program had 10 men and 10 women.

The school, which has undergraduate enrollment of 1,474, is a private Lutheran-affiliated school. The school was an NAIA school but completed its transition to become a full NCAA Division II member in summer 2017. Student-athletes make up almost a third of the school’s enrollment.

The swimming & diving teams finished 6th on the women’s side and 4th on the men’s side at the 2025 PCSC Championship meet.

The swimming & diving programs (and water polo programs) use the nearby William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, which is about a 10 minute drive from the school’s main campus. That pool is part of the United States’ national hosting rotation and will host the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships, among many other meets.

The men’s tennis team, meanwhile, just won their first-ever NCAA West Regional and advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they lost 4-2. The women’s team finished 5th in the PacWest.

The swimming program joins Union Commonwealth University in Kentucky, and Cal Poly in California as programs lost this summer. That has been offset, though, by the addition of programs at D1 Marquette University and D2 Pitt-Johnston University in recent weeks.

Zaltos is the first Gopher to earn the outdoor Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships since 2009 when Aaron Studt was honored. The Maroon and Gold set three Big Ten Outdoor Championship meet records during the weekend, starting with the men’s hammer throw and Kostas Zaltos. In his final Big Ten Championships Zaltos won his fourth Big Ten gold medal with an effort of 77.67m (254-10). The fourth Big Ten title in the hammer throw makes Zaltos the first man to win the event at the conference meet four times. Zaltos’ meet-record toss of 77.67m (254-10) broke the meet record that was held by his teammate, Angelos Mantzouranis, who finished second overall to claim his second Big Ten medal of his career as just a sophomore.

“I am happy to be here again and compete,” Zaltos said after his victory. “That was my last dance, I was very pumped and excited to be here and perform and set another meet record. Last year Angelos messaged me saying ‘I broke it a little bit just to give you something for next year,’ and I said, ‘just wait, I will break it again,’ and I am happy I did.”

 

Zariyah Black was given the B1G Sportsmanship Award after finishing 10th in the women’s 100m hurdles in Eugene. The recent UMN graduate clocked a time of 13.66, the second-fastest time of her 2025 outdoor season, and missed a spot in the Big Ten final by just 0.006 seconds. Black also was the lead leg of Minnesota’s 4x100m relay team. 

 

Manser was the men’s recipient of the B1G Sportsmanship Award for 2025. The Edina, Minn., native competed in the men’s 400m prelims where he clocked a 48.56 and finished 22nd overall. 

 

Up Next

Minnesota next competes at the 2025 NCAA West Regional from May 28-31 in Bryan-College Station, Texas, at Texas A&M. The meet will be contested at E.B. Cushing Stadium. 

 

For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.

Leadership Youngsville and the Youngsville Chamber of Commerce are hosting a beach volleyball competition to support Youngsville first responders, Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 6 PM -9 PM at Sugar Beach at the Youngsville Sports Complex. The main event will feature the Youngsville Police Department and the Youngsville Fire Department competing against each other in a friendly, competitive beach volleyball tournament.

Interested beach volleyball players who want to play in the tournament can sign up at www.YoungsvilleSportsComplex.comfor $120 or call (337) 857-6804. The deadline to register is Friday, May 30, by 3:00 PM.

Free admission Lost in Art Custom Gallery will be offering face painting for kids and donating a portion of their proceeds to the first responders. Bon Temps Concessions will be providing food and drinks. Fun for the whole family.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Youngsville Police Department and the Youngsville Fire Department. Sponsorship opportunities are available at www.YoungsvilleChamber.com or contact Angie Eckman, angie@adworx.com or call (337) 278-2841.

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Melissa Humana-Paredes warms up with her volleyball partner Brandie Wilkerson on Delray Beach.

The two know each other well — they won a silver medal together at the Paris Olympics last summer. Now, they’re teaming up again for a tournament this weekend at the Delray Beach Tennis Center.

WATCH: Olympic medal winners to play in Delray Beach

Professional volleyball heading to Delray Beach Tennis Center this weekend

Humana-Paredes says she’s often described as a scrappy player.

“When it gets down to the mix, I will be a little bit of a killer. They call me the smiling assassin because I will take you down and smile while I do it,” she said.

The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), the premier professional beach volleyball league in the world, kicks off its 2025 season this week in Delray Beach. This style of volleyball is quite different from the typical college or Olympic format, where matches are played to 21 points and follow a best-of-three format.

“This game’s to 15, only one side switch, so things are happening really fast. There’s not a lot of time to make huge comebacks or huge momentum swings. You get to see high-level action from the first point,” Wilkerson said.

Both players admit the pro life is tough but say it’s absolutely worth it.

“I get to be a student of life and love everything I’m doing every day, there’s nothing more I could ask for,” Wilkerson said.

Humana-Paredes agrees with her partner.

“It’s everything I thought it would be and more, because it pushed me in ways I never thought I could overcome,” she said.