Sports
Dhalluin scores 3 goals, Stanford beats USC 11-7 to win NCAA women’s water polo title
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Juliette Dhalluin score three goals on Sunday and the Stanford defense allowed just one second-half goal to help the Cardinal beat Southern California 11-7 to claim its 10th NCAA women’s water polo championship and third in the last four seasons. No. 1 Stanford (25-1) finished the season on a 10-game win streak, […]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Juliette Dhalluin score three goals on Sunday and the Stanford defense allowed just one second-half goal to help the Cardinal beat Southern California 11-7 to claim its 10th NCAA women’s water polo championship and third in the last four seasons.
No. 1 Stanford (25-1) finished the season on a 10-game win streak, dating to a 12-11 loss to the Trojans on March 29. The Cardinal beat USC 11-7 on April 27 in the semifinals of the MPSF Championship.
Dhalluin scored with a second left in the first half to make it 6-6 and again with 6:47 left in the third — the only goal of the quarter — gave Stanford the lead for good.
Serena Browne added a goal with 6:04 to play and another with 3:06 remaining to make it 9-6.
Ryann Neushul scored a goal to give her and has 228 — fifth most in program history — in her seven-year career (after winning the 2019 national championship, Neushul stepped away from the Cardinal for two years to train with the U.S. national team) and is the first four-time NCAA team champion in Stanford history.
Christine Carpenter had nine saves for the Cardinal.
Meghan McAninch led USC (29-5) with two goals and Anna Reed finished with 11 saves.
The Cardinal are the all-time leaders in NCAA team championship with 137 and have won at least one team title in each of the past 49 seasons.
The Associated Press
Sports
Role vacancy – Project Lead (Talent)
Volleyball England is seeking a Project Lead (Talent) to help continue to develop an enhanced Talent system that provides opportunities and supports players to achieve their potential across all formats of the sport. The role supports the Beach and Indoor Performance Programmes – including national teams – at both Senior and age group levels in […]

The role supports the Beach and Indoor Performance Programmes – including national teams – at both Senior and age group levels in line with Volleyball England’s strategy, The Game Plan.
Working within a wider Talent team, the successful candidate will coordinate annual programme registrations and selection processes for the programmes, lead on the planning and delivery of logistics for camps and competitions, support meeting the entry requirements for national and international events and maintain up-to-date athlete, camp and competition records.
They will also collaborate with the Digital and Communications team to produce content where required and project manage and execute the administrative tasks aligned to national funding grants (such as SportsAid and Backing the Best), among other tasks.
For a full role description, including key responsibilities, person specification and contractual details, please click here.
To apply please follow this link to complete the application (you will need to upload your CV and covering letter). If you have any queries, please email jobs@volleyballengland.org.
Please complete our Diversity and Inclusion Questionnaire link.
The application deadline is Wednesday 4th June 2025 with interviews planned for 10th June 2025.
Sports
Blue Tornado, Lady Lakers win 2A Regional track and field championship | Sports
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Sports
Three Dirtbags Named All-Conference – Long Beach State University Athletics
LONG BEACH, Calif.—The Big West announced Tuesday that three Long Beach State baseball players were awarded All-Conference honors. The conference’s 11 head coaches voted on all awards. Kyle Ashworth was named second-team All-Conference. Ashworth was the leading Long Beach State hitter this season. The graduate student hit .330 and had a team-high 11-game hitting streak. […]

Kyle Ashworth was named second-team All-Conference. Ashworth was the leading Long Beach State hitter this season. The graduate student hit .330 and had a team-high 11-game hitting streak. Ashworth was the club leader in runs scored (43), hits (64), doubles (12), triples (2 with three others), total bases (86), and on-base percentage (.456). Ashworth recorded 20 multiple-hit games in 2025 and nine multiple-RBI games. He did not commit an error in 117 chances (111 PO-6A). In Big West only play, Ashworth led the league in on-base percentage (.507). He was fourth in hitting (.393), fourth in walks (22), tied with two others for fourth in hits (46), tied for sixth with three others in doubles (10), and 12th in stolen bases (60). A 2024 honorable mention All-Conference selection, Ashworth moved to fourth in school history in career walks, completing his career with 99. Former MLB All-Star Jason Giambi holds the school mark with 116. Ashworth led the team in walks in 2025 with 37 and was second in the Big West in the category.
Albert Roblez earned second-team All-Conference honors. Roblez led the team in ERA (2.78), saves (4), strikeouts (79), and strikeouts per nine innings (12.19). His strikeouts per nine innings tally is the fifth-best in school history. At 4-3, he was third on the team in victories. Opponents hit 168 (the sixth best in school history) against him in 2025. In league-only play, Roblez was the Big West leader in earned run average (1.97), opposing batting average (.146), fewest hits allowed (23), fewest runs allowed (12), and fewest earned runs allowed (10). He was fourth in strikeouts (61) and tied for fifth with five others for fifth in saves (5). In the May 19 NCAA Division I statistical report, Roblez was fourth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.25), 22nd in strikeouts per nine innings, 36th in ERA, 47th in WHIP (1.06), 93rd in strikeouts, and 149th in saves.
Kellan Montgomery was chosen as an honorable mention All-Conference. Montgomery finished the season with a team-high nine wins (9-4) and a team-high 76 innings pitched. He was second on the club in strikeouts with 60. He was named Big West Pitcher of the Week on April 14. Montgomery retired the final 19 Cal State Bakersfield batters he faced as he tossed a complete game four-hitter as Long Beach State defeated the Roadrunners 3-2 on April 13. Montgomery threw the first Long Beach State complete game since May 12, 2023, when Nico Zeglin blanked UC Santa Barbara 1-0. He struck out eight and walked two. He got 15 ground ball outs to go along with the strikeouts. Montgomery threw 122 pitches, 82 of which were for strikes. In conference-only statistics, Montgomery was third in wins (6) and fifth in innings pitched (58.1). Entering the May 19 NCAA Division I statistical report, Montgomery is 12th in victories, 11th in starts (14), and 56th in complete games.
~#LongBeachBuilt~
Sports
Six artistic swimmers reveal how they stay mentally sharp
A methodical approach to mental training may help, but it’s ultimately up to the individual to determine what works best. That process takes time, and 18-year-old Barbara Coppelli of Chile admits that she hasn’t quite figured it out. Image Source: Barbara Coppelli competes with Macarena Vial Mella in the Duet Free Final at the World […]

A methodical approach to mental training may help, but it’s ultimately up to the individual to determine what works best.
That process takes time, and 18-year-old Barbara Coppelli of Chile admits that she hasn’t quite figured it out.
Image Source: Barbara Coppelli competes with Macarena Vial Mella in the Duet Free Final at the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup 2025 in Markham, Canada (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“I have really bad concentration problems,” Coppelli says. “In training, I get yelled at ALL the time. Sometimes I’m listening to the coach, but I’m actually just seeing her, not paying attention to her.”
Coppelli, who does double-duty on the junior and senior national teams, says, “Right now, I’m just understanding when I am getting distracted. It’s like, ‘Okay, you’re dissociating. Pay attention now.’ Sometimes I do understand but I don’t do anything about it.”
Unfortunately, resources are limited. “Being a tiny country,” she says, “we don’t have the financial stuff. You see all the big countries bringing physiotherapists, massage people, photographers, psychologists [to a competition like the World Cup in Canada]. It’s, like, we were fighting to get both of our coaches here. It’s very challenging. That’s kind of stopping us a bit from moving forward in our sport.”
Image Source: Tomoka Sato competes with Moe Higa for Team Japan in the Duet Free Routine at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Japan’s Tomoka Sato, 23, says that her mental fortitude comes from “repeated practice.”
“I do image training. I close my eyes and imagine the underwater scenery,” says the 2023 world champion in mixed technical duet. When the competition grows near, “I imagine judges and spectators at the match venue, too. I add that.”
Then, just before the performance, she will incorporate music and envision a supportive atmosphere.
Image Source: Team Japan competes in the Mixed Team Acrobatic Final at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
“I swim thinking everyone is watching, including judges, coaches and the audience is on my side. This helps me relax,” she says.
Then, in the water, “even when I think, ‘It’s no good, it’s no good,’ I have to push myself. I will swim with faith in the accumulated practice I have gained,” Sato says. “If I’m nervous, I believe in my practice and keep swimming.”
Still, Sato admits, there have been moments when pressure has reduced her to tears. When that happens, she says, “I write in my diary.” And, she says, “I call my younger brother, Yotaro, who understands me the most.” (Yotaro is also her mixed-duet partner.)
After switching nationalities from Mexico to the US, Ana Martinez, 23, says the mental game is harder than ever.
Due to a three-year waiting period to represent her new nation, Martinez says, “Last time I competed, the sport was called synchro, had different rules, and no base marks, so I have been preparing a lot. I’ve been visualizing what I need to do. When you’re eight people in the water, you have to think in patterns. Maybe it’s a line. Maybe it’s two lines.
“You also have to be tighter on the counts. We count one through eight. Sometimes we move on every count, or maybe we move on one count, then hold it for another two counts. It depends on the choreography. But the judges are very strict. If we’re not on count, you can get a ‘minor’ [error which carries a 0.1 penalty], an ‘obvious’ [error which costs 0.5 points], or a ‘major’ if it’s too off,” which yields a 3.0-point deduction.
As a result, she says the team works on visualization every time it swims through the entire routine. And when they do, Martinez says, “Some people visualize themselves – like how do I want to look in the water?” so they imagine how high they want to be, how a limb should look, or maybe their facial expressions. In contrast, she says, “Some people visualize what they’re looking at when they’re swimming.”
Many athletes choose one point-of-view or the other, but Martinez – whose role as a “pusher” means she’s at the bottom of every team structure – does both.
“If it’s a new routine,” she explains, “I like to look what I’m looking at [in the water]. But if it’s a very worked [out] routine, I like to look at myself.”
In addition, the US team has studied and established breathing exercises.
“When you exhale fast, it makes you ready to perform,” Martinez says, “versus if you inhale fast and exhale slow, then it relaxes you. I don’t know if you’ve seen this – but that’s why, when swimmers are about to go on, they go, “HA!”
American flyer Elle Santana, 19, says it helps to be able “to feel your team – even on land,” so she appreciates when the US does its group breathing together “to calm ourselves and stay in our little bubble. It doesn’t matter what other teams are doing in the pool; as soon as we walk into the competition, we’re very honed in.”
Image Source: Halle Pratt of Canada competes during the Solo Free Routine Final at the Japan Open at Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center in Tokyo, Japan (Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Sometimes, switching the brain off can also be effective. The key to staying mentally sharp “for me,” says Canada’s Halle Pratt, 25, “is downtime, making sure you’re well-rested. I try to sleep 8½ hours every night, and a little more towards competition. But I’m not afraid to take a nap in the middle of the day. I think that’s super-helpful.”
Image Source: Diego Villalobos Carrillo competes with Itzamary Gonzalez Cuellar for Team Mexico in the Mixed Duet Technical Preliminaries at the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Mental training, however, is not universal.
Mexico’s mixed duet specialist Diego Carrillo Villalobos, 20, is an ex-diver who went from complete beginner to world championship silver medallist in just three years. “I don’t have any special mental training,” he says. “I visualise a little bit, but I think it stresses me. I just trust in my work, and that relaxes me.”
Image Source: Team Spain competes in the Team Technical Routine at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Clive Rose/Getty Images
Ultimately – whatever the method (or non-method) of mental training – most artistic swimmers agree on a few universal truths.
Martinez, the Mexican-American says, “I think confidence is key. The first step is to believe you can do it, right? Then, you look at the details. And, of course, trusting your preparation and all the training you have.”
After spending eight hours in the pool six days of the week, and about 80 run-throughs of a routine, it becomes second nature.
Sports
A&M-Texarkana athletes soar in the classroom and on the field
TEXARKANA, Texas — The Texas A&M University-Texarkana athletic department has announced that the overall GPA for all student athletes in the Spring 2025 semester was a 3.25. There were 319 student athletes enrolled at the university during the spring semester that ended on May 7, 2025. There were 45 student athletes who earned a 4.0 […]

TEXARKANA, Texas — The Texas A&M University-Texarkana athletic department has announced that the overall GPA for all student athletes in the Spring 2025 semester was a 3.25.
There were 319 student athletes enrolled at the university during the spring semester that ended on May 7, 2025. There were 45 student athletes who earned a 4.0 for the semester and qualified for President’s Honors, 101 who finished with a GPA higher than 3.5 and earned University Honors, and 239 who finished with at least a 3.0, which will earn them a spot on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
“We are exceptionally proud of the dedication our student athletes have for their work in the classroom,” said A&M-Texarkana President Dr. Ross Alexander. “To have so many of them qualify for academic honors while competing at a championship level is a testament to their work ethic and drive. We have made adding additional sports and student athletes an integral part of our growth strategy at A&M-Texarkana, and this is precisely why. These are strong students who we know will excel not only during their time with us, but in their careers as well.”
“Our student athletes had an outstanding year both in the classroom and in competition,” said Ryan Wall, A&M-Texarkana Director of Athletics. “With over 40 students earning a perfect 4.0 GPA across multiple sports, it’s clear they’re excelling in every area. This success is a reflection of their hard work and discipline, as well as the commitment of our coaches who continue to recruit high-character individuals and hold them to high standards on and off the field. Kudos to both our student-athletes and coaches for setting the bar high and representing our institution with pride.”
Texas A&M University competes in the NAIA’s Red River Athletic Conference and currently fields 17 varsity sports including men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, cross country, track and field, and tennis, as well as baseball, softball, women’s volleyball, women’s beach volleyball, competitive cheer, competitive dance and esports. The Fall 2025 semester will see the addition of four new sports, with men’s and women’s bowling and golf joining the program.
Sports
Here are 15 minor league, independent baseball teams in Illinois
The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes gear up for their season opener May 27 against the Normal CornBelters, marking the centennial of historic Robin Roberts Stadium.The team, owned by Golden Rule Entertainment’s Capital City Baseball LLC, is part of the Prospect League, a collegiate summer league. There are more than a dozen minor league-affiliated and independent league baseball […]

The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes gear up for their season opener May 27 against the Normal CornBelters, marking the centennial of historic Robin Roberts Stadium.The team, owned by Golden Rule Entertainment’s Capital City Baseball LLC, is part of the Prospect League, a collegiate summer league.
There are more than a dozen minor league-affiliated and independent league baseball teams around the state.
Here’s where to catch a ballgame this summer.
Chicago Dogs (Rosemont)
League: American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
Stadium: Impact Field, 9800 Balmoral Ave., Rosemont (seats 6,300)
Of note: According to its website, the Dogs are named after “Chicago’s favorite and oldest culinary tradition.”…Infielder Zion Pettigrew played at the University of Illinois Springfield, signing with the Washington Nationals as a free agent.
Website: thechicagodogs.com
Kane County Cougars (Geneva)
League: American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
Stadium: Northwestern Medicine Field, 34W002 Cherry Lane, Geneva (seats 10,923)
Of note: The franchise’s immediate descendant is the Wausau Timbers, but the team played for more than 75 seasons as the Decatur Commodores, or Commies…On Aug. 2, the Cougars hold a “No Soup for You” promotion with actor Larry Thomas, “the Soup Nazi” from “Seinfeld.”
Website: kccougars.com
Gateway Grizzlies (Sauget)
League: Frontier League
Stadium: Grizzlies Ballpark, 2301 Grizzlie Bear Blvd., Sauget (seats 6,000)
Of note: During an Aug. 21, 2016, game, Grizzlies outfielder Brandon Thomas launched a grand slam home run, which smashed the windshield of his own truck…The Grizzlies sell a burger with a Krispy Kreme doughnut substituting as a bun, topped by melted cheese and bacon and checking in at 1,000 calories.
Website: gatewaygrizzlies.com
Joliet Slammers
League: Frontier League
Stadium: Slammers Stadium, 1 Mayor Art Schultz Drive, Joliet (seats 6,016)
Of note: The Slammers’ ownership includes Mike Veeck, architect of “Disco Demolition” at Comiskey Park; comedian Bill Murray and Veeck’s son, William “Night Train” Veeck…According to the Joliet News, duck and bacon-filled wantons are among new concession stand offerings.
Website: jolietslammers.com
Schaumburg Boomers
League: Frontier League
Stadium: Wintrust Field, 1999 Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg (seats 8,107)
Of note: The Boomers name honors the Greater Prairie Chicken, which was once prevalent around Schaumburg, but is now on the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board. “Boomer” refers to the loud sound the bird makes as it “dances” to assert its dominance over other male birds during mating season…Wintrust Field has been named Stadium of the Year for the past three seasons.
Website: boomersbaseball.com
Windy City Thunderbolts (Crestwood)
League: Frontier League
Stadium: Ozinga Field, 14011 S. Kenton Ave., Crestwood (seats 4,200)
Of note: Former Chicago White Sox closer and 2005 World Series champion Bobby Jenks is the ‘Bolts field manager…The ‘Bolts were founded as the Cook County Cheetahs.
Website: wcthunderbolts.com
Peoria Chiefs
League: Midwest League
Stadium: Dozer Park, 730 SW Jefferson Ave., Peoria (seats 8,500)
Of note: St. Louis Cardinals great Albert Pujols made his pro debut with the Peoria Chiefs on Apr. 6, 2000…In 2005, the team re-branded its indigenous imagery associated with the Chiefs name, going to a logo of a dalmatian as a fire chief.
Website: milb.com/peoria
Springfield Lucky Horseshoes
League: Prospect League
Stadium: Robin Roberts Stadium at Lanphier Park, 1415 N. Grand Ave. E., (seats 6,000+)
Of Note: The ‘Shoes “Centennial Game,” making the park’s 100th anniversary, will be its opener, May 27 against Normal. Tickets are just $1…The ‘Shoes have gotten into the name, image, likeness (NIL) game, announcing a partnership last fall with NOCAP, which specializes in athlete branding…A Sam Antonacci Bobblehead Night (July 20) will honor the first ‘Shoes’ player to be drafted in the MLB draft.
Website: shoesbaseball.com
Danville Dans
League: Prospect League
Stadium: Danville Stadium, 610 Highland Blvd., Danville (seats 4,000)
Of note: “The Babe” (John Goodman) was filmed at the stadium in 1991… Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese were among the Brooklyn Dodgers to play against its minor league affiliate in Danville in 1947.
Website: danvilledans.org
Normal CornBelters
League: Prospect League
Stadium: The Corn Crib, 1000 W. Raab Road, Normal (seats 7,000)
Of note: The CornBelters share the Corn Crib with a team in the Kernal Collegiate League called the Normal GroundSloths…Former Major Leaguer Hal Lanier, the CornBelters’ manager for their inaugural season in 2010, piloted the Springfield Redbirds to the 1980 championship in the American Association.
Website: cornbeltersbaseball.com
Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp (Peru)
League: Prospect League
Stadium: Schweickert Stadium at Veterans Memorial Park, 2600 Plank Road, Peru (seats 2,200)
Of note: A pistol shrimp uses its snapping claw to emit a powerful sonic blast to stun or kill its prey, including small fish, crabs and other invertebrates. The team’s mascot is Southclaw Sam.
Website: pistolshrimpbaseball.com
Quincy Doggy Paddlers
League: Prospect League
Stadium: QU Stadium, 1800 Sycamore Street, Quincy (seats 2,000)
Of note: Ownership adopted the team name the Doggy Paddlers after receiving over 1,000 name submissions. Its mascot is Barkley the Paddler…QU Stadium is known as “the Rockpile.”
Website: paddlersbaseball.com
Alton River Dragons
League: Prospect League
Stadium: Lloyd Hopkins Field (Gordon Moore Park), 95 Arnold Palmer Rd., Cottage Hills (seats 1,800)
Of note: The team is having a Tall People Celebration at the park on June 12 in honor of Alton native son Robert Wadlow, who stood 8-foot-11-inches…The River Dragon team name comes from the Piasa bird, a mythical monster depicted in a painting on a cliff overlooking the Mississippi River north of Alton.
Website: altonbaseball.com
Thrillville Thrillbillies (Marion)
League: Prospect League
Stadium: Marion Stadium, 1000 Miners Drive, Marion (seats 7,000)
Of note: The team announced a $20 game ticket that includes unlimited access to ballpark food…The stadium has Sportexe Turf instead of regular grass and dirt.
Website: thrillbillies.com
Rockford Rivets (Loves Park)
League: Northwoods League
Stadium: Rivets Stadium, 4503 Interstate Blvd., Loves Park (seats 3,279)
Of note: The “Rivets” nickname is a nod to Rockford’s once-thriving production of rivets, screws and other fasteners, made by companies like National Lock. Many companies nationwide that employed women became popularized as “Rosie the Riveters” during World War II…The Northwoods League is a summer collegiate league, like the Prospect League.
Website: northwoodsleague.com/rockford-rivets
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
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