Sports
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The newest “athletic” facility at Pearl-Cohn High School is a double-sized classroom full of high-speed computer processors, big screens showing finely detailed animation, and students of all shapes and sizes.
It’s the new academic E-sports lab, a room that has made Pearl-Cohn a pioneer in Metro Schools – with hopes of also leading the way in the state of Tennessee.
More than a year in the making, Pearl-Cohn’s commitment to E-sports – video game competitions that are sometimes played in front of live audiences but aren’t bound by geography – is expanding quickly. In February, senior Keanthony Waller became the first E-sports athlete in MNPS history to play in (and win) a competitive match, defeating a student from Florida in the pro basketball game NBA 2K 25.
“Y’all made history!” Principal Miriam Harrington told Keanthony and the roughly two dozen other students who had assembled in the lab the next morning. 
Harrington hopes to turn academic E-sports into a viable pathway within the Academies of Nashville, the small learning communities that Pearl-Cohn and MNPS’s other 11 zoned high schools use to expose students to career opportunities throughout their four years there. Such a pathway would make history, too, as the first in Tennessee.
E-sports has become a sizable industry, generating job opportunities not only for the most successful players but also in software development, web design, content streaming, broadcasting, business management, event planning, and other areas.
“It’s taking their interest and turning it into an academic focus that can lead to a career,” Harrington said.
Positive Impact
Pearl-Cohn administrators, teachers, and others who coach and work with the students said the opportunities to play and compete – which some students might not feel interested in doing with more traditional sports – are already having a positive impact.
The program is “creating an environment where students can engage in real-world skills like critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication through the lens of ‘gaming’ and in an academic/professional environment,” said Jason Bihler, an instructional designer for the school district. 
Signs on the walls list the core values of the Pearl-Cohn academic E-sports program: challenge, community, stewardship, enjoyment, excellence, exemplary. Tyler Welch, an academy coach at the school who is also the head coach for girls’ basketball and girls’ cross country, said the design of the classroom, with rows of computer stations on one side and a more social area on the other, has given students opportunities to learn and practice social-emotional skills when they’re not competing.
“What we’re tapping into is not just playing games but treating them like adults,” added Thomas Paden, a broadcasting teacher and assistant E-sports coach. “I think it’s already paid off. Their grades are going up. We’re seeing more respect and good manners being practiced in here. And besides that, it’s fun.”
Several other MNPS schools are thinking about adding E-sports as well, Bihler said. Glencliff Elementary already has an E-sports club, and a handful of elementary, middle, and high schools are exploring the possibilities.
At Pearl-Cohn, the students compete at NBA 2K 25 as well as a chess game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Rocket League. Mikhai Moshay, a sophomore, is a member of the regionally ranked Rocket League team, enjoying a fast-paced soccer-with-vehicles game he had already been playing on his own for a few years.
“I just like that you can come in here and just game,” Mikhai said. “It’s free and open. You’re doing something you love, and it’s at school.”
Sports
Hartford Men’s Track and Field Rewrites Record Book In Yale University Season Opener
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – On Saturday, the University of Hartford men’s indoor track & field team kicked off the 2025-26 campaign competing at the Yale Season Opener in New Haven. Today was highlighted by record-setting performances as several Hawks rewrote the program record book.
Rapid Recap:
- Graduate student Kaden Leonard (Webster, N.Y.) headlined for Hartford breaking records on this Saturday season opener. He took fourth place in the 60 meter dash with a time of 6.92 seconds. Leonard out beat his own all-time record at Hartford which was previously at 6.94 seconds and continues to hold the number one all-time spot in the 60 meter dash. Along with his fourth place finish Leonard took eighth in the 200m sprint event crossing the finish line at 22.70 seconds.
- Sophomore Owen Klein (Coventry, R.I.) earned second place in the men’s mile event crossing the finish line with an impressive time of 4:29.78. Along with this feat, Klein also took third in the 3000m event at 9:11.95. In that same event senior Gulian Marconi (Southampton, Mass.) placed seventh with a time of 4:35.92. Along with teammate sophomore Daren Johnson (Meriden, Conn.) on his tail coming into eighth place at 4:36.06.
- Sophomore Marlon Pierre (Baldwin, N.Y.) finished in second place in the 60m hurdles event with a time of 8.58 seconds. With this race Pierre now holds the second fastest time in Hartford history. Just behind Pierre was freshman Burrell Laneau (Valley Stream, N.Y.) making his first collegiate debut earning fourth place with a time of 8.79 seconds
- Junior Thomas Yonkers (Farmington, Conn.) claimed second place in the pole vault event clearing a height of 4.10 meters.
- Sophomore Aidan Lybarger (South Burlington, Vt.) took third place in the men’s shot put with a distance of 14.76m on his second throw, earning also the second furthest distance of all time for the history books at Hartford. Lybarger also took 10th in the men’s weight throw, tossing a distance of 14.91 meters.
- Freshman Julius Lowe-Wannamaker (Springfield, Mass.) launched his collegiate debut earning second place in the long jump event clearing a distance of 6.82m. He also finished in 6th place in the high jump event clearing a height of 1.90 meters.
- Sophomore Ethan Fiorenza (Dover, N.H.) took third place in the 5000m event crossing the line at 15:51.81.
- Hartford ended the day with a strong showing in the 4×400 event, it was senior Spencer Beane (North Reading, Mass.), Yonkers, freshman Mikael Isaacs (Danbury, Conn.), and sophomore Aidan Quee (Springfield, Mass.) to earn fourth place with a team time of 3:31.32.
Post Game Press:
“During my time off, I focused on cleaning up my form and building strength so I could come back more efficiently and ready to make a run at nationals,” said graduate student Kaden Leonard (Webster, N.Y.). “Even though I wasn’t competing, I was hungry the whole time, ready to chase PRs. My teammates fed off that energy adn ambition during block starts, workouts, the weight room, and time trials. Iron sharpening iron.”
“We had an incredible season opener,” said head coach Connor Green. “Now while school records and and top 10 marks are a goal and excellent when they happen, what we really loved with seeing all of our new athletes was to get a chance to showcase all of the hard work they’ve been putting in. As well as all of our returners really stepping up and putting themselves in a great position for the rest of the season. Across the board it was a stellar day and we are thrilled with how our athletes performed. We can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Up Next:
The Hawks will compete next Saturday, December 13th at the SCSU Art Kadish Invitational.
For the latest information on Hartford Athletics follow the Hawks on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
Sports
UW-Oshkosh volleyball wins 2025 Division 3 national championship
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WBAY) – The UW-Oshkosh volleyball team is the best in the country for the first time in program history, as the Titans took down La Verne to secure a Division 3 national championship.
The Titans won 18 consecutive sets in the national tournament en route to the championship. They last dropped a set against UW-Eau Claire in the WIAC championship match on Nov. 15.
The volleyball title marks the 33rd Division 3 national championship in the history of the UW-Oshkosh athletic department.
Copyright 2025 WBAY. All rights reserved.
Sports
Lea’s Facility and School Record Headlines Impressive Bison Opener for Women’s Track & Field
Results
Lea’s time obliterated her old personal best of 40.88, which was fifth in school history, and reaffirmed to the track & field world that the second-year runner has gained additional speed. The time is Lea’s first facility record, her first indoor school record, and third overall school record.
Three of Lea’s teammates joined her in the 300-meter top ten list. Alison Cooke finished second logging 40.85, improving upon her sixth-best time in school history. Freshman Raygan Lust moved into seventh place after finishing third with a time of 41.22. Alexa Goll set a new personal record, running 41.41, for fourth in the event and eighth in Bucknell history.
Megan Baggetta began her junior campaign with a win in the triple jump. The Bison veteran jumped 38-2.75 for the comfortable win.
Anna Carruthers collected the decisive win in the 800-meter run. Her time of 2:16.34 easily paced the field.
Isabella Johns won the mile run with a time of 5:09.88. She broke her previous best time of 5:23.23 by nearly 14 seconds.
Two Bison freshmen made immediate impact in the 60-meter dash. Grace Camerlingo lit a roaring fire in the sprints corps by running 7.62 for a second-place finish. Her time ranks third in Bucknell history behind legends Meghan Quinn and Katie Salisbury. Piper Portacio also made an impressment, racing 7.76, for fifth place in the event and eighth in Bison history.
Madison Fowler collected two second place finishes in the weight throw and shot put. She posted a 43-0.25 mark in the shot put and threw 58-4 in the weight throw.
Noelani Sadler slotted third in the 60-meter hurdles, logging 8.92. She won the preliminaries with a time of 8.80.
Sara Bronson set a vastly improved personal record in the 3000-meter run. The Bison distancewoman ran 10:57.64 to finish third and shatter her old mark of 11:34.12.
The Bucknell “B” Team of Madeline Sipe, Ava Lomberto, Abigail Michaelson, and Juliette Reed finished third in the 4×400-meter relay combining for a time of 4:10.18.
Liliana Wakenshaw placed third in the high jump, clearing 5-3, in her return to competition after injury hobbled her last season.
Jordan Muraglia started her collegiate career by placing third in the long jump. The freshman jumped 18-2.50.
Elizabeth Bryant cleared 12-1.50 for third place in the pole vault.
Ella Boback finished sixth in the 200-meter dash, running 25.99.
Bucknell will return to action in 2026 at the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 17.
Sports
ISU Falls at Minnesota in the Second Round
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – No. 23 Iowa State (23-8, 12-6 Big 12) ended its season at No. 17 Minnesota (24-9, 12-8 Big Ten) in the NCAA Championship Second Round Saturday night. Iowa State fell in straight sets by scores of 22-25, 21-25, 14-25.
Nayeli Ti’a went out to a double-double with an errorless 12 kills at a .500 clip and 11 digs ending her season with seven double-doubles. Ti’a led the Cyclones in both categories.
SET ONE
Ava Martin served up an ace to make it 4-3 with Minnesota ahead, and the home team was the first to 10 with the Cyclones close behind at 7. Minnesota’s Julia Hanson followed slamming down kill No. 7 on 11 attempts, putting the Gophers up 14-9 to cause an ISU timeout. The Cyclones pulled within four after Goolsby’s third kill (18-14), and the freshman put down another soon after to make it 19-15. With Minnesota at set point 24-19, ISU fought back with three-straight kills as the Gophers called their second timeout, but Minnesota took the opener on the next play with a block. Minnesota hit at .425 while ISU hit .293.
SET TWO
ISU went up two (6-4) after two straight Minnesota errors while the Gophers took a run of three to get the lead back at 7-6. After a tie at 8s, Minnesota scored five straight forcing a Cyclone timeout. ISU answered with a run of its own, taking four in a row to make it a one-point set (14-13) and cause a timeout by the host. Ti’a slammed down a kill to tie it out of the timeout, while Van Gorp had her second ace of the run to take the lead at 15-14. ISU held onto the lead before Minnesota flipped it at 21-20, and after another Hanson kill Iowa State took a timeout. Minnesota remained with the advantage, winning the second 25-21 on Hanson’s 20th kill.
SET THREE
Minnesota again hit 10 first with ISU holding six. Out of an Iowa State timeout, Amiree Hendricks-Walker and Goolsby put up a block to stop a Gopher run. Minnesota continued to control the set running ahead 19-12 hitting at .450 in the frame as ISU took its final timeout. The Gophers went on to seal the sweep on a 6-0 run at 25-14.
Sports
Track & Field Teams Claim 19 Top-10 Finishes
Men’s Track & Field | 12/6/2025 7:48:00 PM
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> The Saint Francis track & field teams opened its indoor season at the Bison Opener.
>> Saint Francis compiled 19 top 10 finishes.
>> The Red Flash faced the following colleges: Shippensburg, Lock Haven, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Lincoln (Pa.), West Chester, Millersville, Mount St. Mary’s, Penn State, Bloomsburg, and Indiana (Pa.)
FLASH WOMEN NUGGETS
The women’s team accumulated seven top 10 performances.
Olivia Renk finished second in the 200-meter and fourth in the 60-meter on the women’s side. The sophomore clocked in a time of 25.46 in the 200-meter and a 7.72 time in the 60-meter.
In the women’s long jump, Taylor Foster finished in fifth place in the event with a jump of 5.29m. Foster also claimed eighth place in the women’s triple jump with 10.63m.
Aubrie Wells and Karsyn Ford both finished with 3.25m to tie for eighth place.
Rounding out the top 10 finishes was Rylee Nicklas taking 10th in the women’s weight throw with a toss of 14.22m.
FLASH MEN NUGGETS
The men’s team registered 12 top 10 finishes on the day.
1-weight throw,
Jayden Foster took eighth place in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 22.81. Meanwhile, Tyler Craft claimed the ninth spot with a time of 37.08 in the 300-meter. Craft jumped his way into second place in the long jump with 6.94m.
Staying in the meter dashes, James Parmelee (1:10.38) took third and Holden Schreier finished seventh (1:12.90) in the men’s 500-meter.
Two more Red Flash placed top 10 in the high jump, Ayden Martinage (8th, 1.85m) and Braydon Beach (10th, 1.80m).
Running over to the pole vault, Dylan Andrews finished with a jump of 4.25 to give himself seventh place.
Clark Gulycz took fourth in the men’s shot put with a mark of 17.07m.
Saint Francis took another two top 10 finishes, this time in the men’s triple jump. Nehemyah Williams gained third place with a leap of 14.35m. Ian Conway was not far behind him in seventh with 12.54m.
Vincent Franco finished out the Red Flash in sixth place with a time of 15.94m.
NEXT UP FOR FLASH
Track & field will next compete at the Wagner College Seahawk Shootout hosted by Wagner College on Friday the 12.
Sports
No. 3 Aggies Sweep Campbell to Advance to NCAA Tournament Second Round – Texas A&M Athletics
The Aggies (24-4) put on an offensive masterclass to book their ticket in the second round, as the group hit .417 percent which broke the postseason record for hitting percentage in a three-set match during the rally-scoring era. Two individuals also made postseason history, as Logan Lednicky with 18 kills at .654 percent and Emily Hellmuth with 10 kills at .667 percent downed the record for hitting percentage in a three-set postseason match previously set at .650.
Back-and-forth scoring opened the contest (7-7), before the Maroon & White forged separation behind a 6-1 run as Campbell (23-7) called their first timeout, 13-8. The onslaught continued, as the gap extended to double digits on Lednicky’s sixth kill of the frame (22-12). The Camels battled cut the deficit to three late (23-20), but the Aggies closed the opener courtesy of a block from Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Lednicky, 25-20.
Texas A&M carried the momentum into the second frame, ripping off a 9-4 streak forcing Campbell to huddle up. The break didn’t slow the Maroon & White down, as they tacked on to the lead, doubling the Camels point total as they called their second timeout, 18-9. The Aggies’ foot stayed on the gas, closing the frame on a 10-1 run (25-10).
It remained all Texas A&M in the third, jumping out to an early lead as Campbell tried to slow the bleeding with a break (9-3). The Maroon & White extended the gap to 10 at the midway point in the frame (16-6) and didn’t look back, holding the advantage late, 23-13. The deal was sealed by Taylor Humphrey at the service line, recording back-to-back aces to secure the set (25-13) and match, 3-0.
STAT LEADERS
Kills – Logan Lednicky – 18
Hitting Percentage (Min. 10 kills) – Emily Hellmuth – .667
Assists – Maddie Waak – 29
Aces – Taylor Humphrey – 2
Digs – Ava Underwood – 9
Blocks – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 6
GAME NOTES
- Logan Lednicky climbed to No. 4 on Texas A&M’s kill list after recording her 1,587th of her career.
- Ifenna Cos-Okpalla recorded her 165th block of the year which is the most in a single season since 1999.
- Emily Hellmuth broke the program record for hitting percentage in a postseason three-set match (minimum 10 kills) at .667 percent on the day.
- The Aggies broke the postseason program record for team hitting percentage in a three-set match during the rally-scoring era with a .417 clip.
- The aggies broke their postseason attendance record with 5,830 fans in the stands.
COACH’S QUOTES
Head coach Jamie Morrison on today’s match…
“We talk a lot of being effortlessly ourselves, and I thought we were that tonight in the NCAA
tournament, which is hard to do. I noticed it when we were in the SEC tournament, under the most extreme pressure that we enjoy being ourselves in the big moments and that’s what it takes to win this tournament. The fact that we were effortlessly ourselves and we played really smooth volleyball in the first round of the NCAA tournament, it’s a good sign for things to come.”
PLAYER’S QUOTES
Senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky on the team’s offensive efficiency…
“Right off the bat, Maddie [Waak] was putting up great balls for all of us tonight. I think balanced offense is the best thing you can do for a volleyball team. A one-woman show won’t get you very far. By having us so balanced, it’s going to take us very far and it’s nice like he [Jamie Morrison] said to start right off the bat in the beginning of the tournament.”
Senior Outside Hitter Emily Hellmuth on her double-digit showing…
“That feels great to just be able to get off on the right note, and again, we talk so much about having a
balanced team. I saw a lot of space tonight and I had a lot of splits and that would not be the case if we didn’t have a great setter and great middles and a great side of the court on that opposite pin. I’m just grateful to be on the team that we’re on because I think it makes it fun for all of us.”
UP NEXT
The Maroon & White return to Reed Arena tomorrow for the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they host No. 6 seed TCU with first serve set for 7 p.m.
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
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