There will be an ill wind blowing Friday when the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships convene at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, and not that pesky, back straight headwind.

College track and field is in real trouble.

Attempting to more fairly compensate football and men’s basketball players financially, the NCAA is on the verge of major, structural changes to intercollegiate athletics. The upshot?

College track, a revenue loser everywhere, even in Track Town USA, is beginning to look like so much collateral damage.

Virginia track coach Vin Lananna, the former Oregon coach and past president of Eugene’s TrackTown USA organizing committee, is sounding the alarm.

“I hope I’m wrong,” Lananna says. “I’d love to be dead wrong on this. But I see no evidence that dissuades me from believing our sport is under siege.”

Lananna and others say that unless college track becomes something the public can easily watch and understand, it risks descending into a tiny niche, contested by only a handful of schools. Men’s gymnastics or fencing, for instance. Time is short.

“If we don’t act now,” Lananna says, “we’ll never save it.”

Slashing track scholarships

The exact parameters of the NCAA changes still are being hammered out in the California courtroom of U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. The NCAA and Division I power conferences agreed last year to an anti-trust settlement that would pay past and current athletes nearly $2.8 billion.

As part of the deal, scholarship limits were increased but roster sizes capped. As a result, some athletes lost or are poised to lose roster spots they either had or were promised before the deal was made. How to fairly address their concerns is being argued this week in Wilken’s courtroom.

If Wilken doesn’t accept the settlement, it could be scrapped altogether. And since the new rules are supposed to go into effect on July 1, there is widespread uncertainty about what’s next.

“Clear as mud,” says Sam Seemes, chief executive of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. “I’m not sure mud isn’t clearer.”

Even if specifics of the settlement change to some degree, much of it is expected to stand. What is crystal clear is no matter what the rules are going forward, the landscape for college track is about to change for these reasons.

• College athletes, most from revenue producing sports are set to be paid directly by the schools, which each would be allowed more than $20 million per year for that purpose under terms of the settlement. That money must come from somewhere.
• The roster cap for football was set at 105. Every one of those players will be eligible for scholarships. Up through this year only 85 FBS players could be on scholarship, leaving schools to fill out larger squad sizes with walk-ons.
• College track scholarship limits were bumped to 45 for both men and women, up from 18 for women and 12.6 for men. Through this season, many Division I track teams have had more than 45 athletes on their rosters because they divided scholarships and used walk-ons. The University of Oregon currently lists rosters of 54 men and 54 women.

As the settlement is structured, the Ducks would have smaller rosters and could offer more scholarships. But no school would be required to give that many track scholarships, and few are likely to spend heavily on track. Believing any school would offer 45 track scholarships is pure fantasy.

“I don’t know of any Division I institution that is going to do that,” Seemes says.

In fact, many schools are expected to slash track scholarships to help other sports. Football, for instance. But that scholarship money also could go to non-revenue sports that connect better with the public. Under terms of the settlement, the baseball scholarship limit would go from 11.7 to 34.

“I know of one institution that has reduced men’s scholarships from track to 12.6 to six, and given the other six to baseball,” Seemes says. “That institution obviously wants to be more invested in baseball than men’s track and field.”

‘Bored to death’

College track and field once was a major spectator sport. Meets at Hayward Field were events. In 1970, Steve Prefontaine’s freshman year at Oregon, he competed in Pac-8 dual meets against Washington, Cal, UCLA, Washington State and Oregon State. Eugene Register-Guard printed pre-meet form charts that fans brought with them as they filled the stadium.

Dual meets engaged people who knew little about the intricacies of the sport, and were more interested in who won than how many runners cracked 13 minutes, 50 seconds in the 5,000 meters. People inside Hayward in May 1972 still talk about the 1,500-meter battle between Prefontaine and Oregon State Olympian Hailu Ebba in the Oregon-OSU dual.

The winning time? Who knows? Who cares? The story was about what would prevail, Pre’s strength or Ebba’s speed. Pre won as a packed stadium roared.

Flash forward 50 years, all of that is gone. Dual meets have been largely pitched into history’s scrap heap. Star athletes going head-to-head in the 5,000 with the outcome of the meet hanging in the balance have been replaced by daylong invitational meets with no team scoring.

Regular season college meets take place before mostly empty seats, even at the beautiful, 12,500-seat Hayward Field.

“Track and field has moved away from being any kind of team sport whatsoever,” Lananna says. “Our competitions are dreadful. They’re long, drawn out, fragmented, and the modern audience can’t relate to whatever it is we’re doing.”

On any given spring weekend, a college track team might send its throwers to a throws-specific meet in one city, its distance runners to a distance carnival in another city, and its sprinters and hurdlers somewhere else.

The regular season goal has become to find places where college athletes can record times or marks that qualify them for postseason competition. Winning an event isn’t as important as a fast time or a long triple jump or throw. Spectators aren’t part of the equation.

Seemes, CEO of the USTFCCCA, says he recently attended an all-day meet that was unscored. There were a few, strong performances interspersed in what was a mind-numbing blizzard of heats.

“I’m a huge track fan,” he says. “And I’m going to tell you, I was bored to death. It might have been great for the coach and the student/athlete who had a great performance. That’s not enough.”

There can’t be a general interest sports fan in the world willing to sit through the Stanford Invitational. This year’s schedule shows the invitational’s first day’s first event began at 9 a.m. and the last event went off at 10:55 p.m. There were eight sections of the 5,000 and five of the 10,000, which translates into more than four and a half hours of athletes around in circles.

Fans have migrated elsewhere. College baseball and softball have surged in popularity, and it’s not surprising. Their games feature schools competing head-to-head, in TV-friendly time spans. There is a clear winning team.

Volleyball, which changed its scoring rules to speed up play, is attracting ever more fans. Nebraska put more than 92,000 people in the football stadium in 2023 to watch a women’s volleyball match with Omaha.

So, when budget-strapped athletic administrators take a knife to non-revenue sports to pay for more football scholarships, will they first go after volleyball, baseball, softball or … track? Most, probably, will opt to protect sports people actually want to watch.

Women’s track has long been a hedge against a university with gender equity issues. Those 18 scholarships for female athletes have come in handy.

But there are emerging sports, such as beach volleyball, that can do the same thing and still appeal to fans in ways track does not. Women’s gymnastics has become a popular spectator sport at some schools.

“The sport that scares me right now is women’s flag football,” Seemes says. “It can involve a lot of numbers and really balance athletic departments for Title IX. The NFL is heavy behind it, and God knows, the NFL is a money machine. In collegiate athletics, money talks.”

Some solutions

College track coaches are beginning to see the peril. Oregon brought back its team invitational this spring after a hiatus of several seasons.

“I’m a big believer in the team concept of track and field,” UO coach Jerry Schumacher says. “I’d love to see more team competitions going forward. At the university level, I think the name across the front is more important than the one on the back.”

There are several ways college coaches can begin making college track more spectator friendly. They can schedule more scored team competitions in tight, TV-compatible time windows. They can cut travel costs by filling their regular season schedules with meets against neighboring schools.

They can toss out performance lists and determine fields for the NCAA Championships with teams going head-to-head in regional meets the way women’s gymnastics does, perhaps carving out spots for individuals who star on teams that don’t make the cut. They can do an end run around roster limits by creating JV teams.

It would be different, but perhaps a better option than waiting for a solution from interested parties such as former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who has been outspoken about changes he wants to see in college athletics.

Former college distance runner Victoria Jackson is a sports historian and clinical associate professor of history at Arizona State. She says many of the issues facing track and field and other non-revenue sports stem from being subject to rules and rule changes designed for revenue sports.

Rather than trying to adapt to changes made for football, Jackson says it’s past time for college track to set its own agenda.

“We have to be big and bold, and figure out our own solutions,” Jackson says. “Because, you know what? Nick Saban does not care about track and field. He can claim to, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t understand the sport, and he’s one of the people who is dictating the future of it.”

Whatever happens in Judge Wilken’s courtroom, it’s clear college track and field must re-engage with fans outside its small base to matter in the increasingly crowded sports landscape.

Seemes says the sport needs to think of itself as a business and make itself attractive in the marketplace. And soon.

“Doing what we do now, we wouldn’t be in business,” he says. “We would be broke. We would be out of business. We would not have a sport.”

— Ken Goe for The Oregonian

KenGoe1020@gmail.com

The event will be staged on Belvedere (South) Beach in Bridlington, Yorkshire. 

England will enter a total of four teams in each of the male and female U18 competitions and five teams in each of the male and female U20 competitions. Exact pairings will be confirmed at a later date. 

Other nations who will compete include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. 

The Youth event will be preceded by the Senior competition, which will run first, from Friday 27th June until Sunday 29th June. 

Spectators are welcome at both events, with no charge for admission, while matches will also be streamed live on Volleyball England’s YouTube Channel. 

England squads 

U18 Girls 

Robyn Clifford, Tilly Hutton, Elisa Jarmon, Cheryl Manfredini da Cruz, Krystina Ngatcha, Molly Quinn, Jennifer Rates, Lauren Thorn. 

U20 Girls 

Shannon Baxter, Heidi Bright, Charlie Chambers, Sophia Chedgy, Maia Darling, Natasha Frost, Alice Jagielska, Daniella Tchandeu, Katie Tuohey, Lilla Whittaker. 

U18 Boys 

Lewis Bunton, Josh Cosgrove, Ollie Harrison, Rease Jarmon, Maks Makowski, Emmanuel Oretoye, Luca Robinson, Ryan Wartnaby. 

U20 Boys 

Otto Alvarez, Maxime Carolan, Billy Henning, James Ingham, Tomo Iwata-Furlonger, Zak Maghur, Dylan Parsons, Stuart Perry, Theo Plaza, Lucas Rijvers. 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard men’s water polo announced the addition of three first-years joining the program this fall, Ted Minnis, the Friends of Harvard Water Polo Head Coach, announced today. Two players hail from the United States and one from Australia, all set to hit the pool for the Crimson this season.

“I am excited for this class and what they will bring to the program,” Minnis added. “They come from both coasts of the country and the other side of the world. I believe they will arrive on campus and contribute right away.”

The Crimson returns NWPC Rookie of the Year Dean Strauser and All-American honorable mention Jack Burghardt as it looks to build upon a 22-win season in 2024. Finishing with a 9-1 record in conference play, Harvard fell to Brown in the NWPC second round before defeating Iona in the third-place game. The Crimson has now recorded 20+ wins in each of the last ten seasons, as Ted Minnis approaches his 300th career win with the men’s program. The long-tenured head coach sits just four wins shy of the 300-win mark.

FELIX PAL | SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA | THE SCOTS COLLEGE | ATTACKER  

Competed for Scots College Water Polo 1st Team from 2022 to 2024 … Played for Sydney University Lions Water Polo Youth Teams from 2016 to 2024 and joined the club’s 1st Grade Men’s Team in 2024 and 2025 … Selected for the AAGPS 1st Water Polo Team in 2022 and 2023 … Named to the Combined Independent Schools (CIS) 1st Water Polo Team in 2023 … Scots College Water Polo MVP in 2023 and 2024 … Led Scots College 1st Grade in scoring in both 2023 and 2024 … Helped Scots College win the AAGPS 1sts Water Polo Premiership in 2024 … Competed on the Scots College Senior Swimming Team in 2023 and 2024; named Swimming Age Champion in 2019 and 2020 … Played for the New South Wales Water Polo State Team from 2021 to 2024 … Member of the Australian Men’s Water Polo Cadet Program (U18s) in 2023 and 2024 … Represented Australia on the 18U National Team at the 2024 FINA World Championships in Argentina, finishing 10th … Helped Sydney University Lions to four Australian Youth Club National Championships (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) … Claimed silver in the 2024 Australian Water Polo League (AWL) and bronze in 2025 with Sydney University Lions … Won the National State Tournament Championship with NSW Blues in 2023 … Vice-Captain of Scots College History Society in 2023 and 2024 … Active in Scots College Drama Society (2020–2022) and Pipes and Drums (2019) … Enjoys fishing, reading, and going to the gym … Cousin Colin Chiapello played water polo at Harvard from 2014–2017, captained the team in 2017, won NWPC titles in 2016 and 2017, and reached the NCAA Final Four in 2017 … Father Damon Pal played water polo at the University of California, winning NCAA Championships in 1988, 1990, and 1991.

FROM COACH MINNIS:

“Felix is a hybrid attacker who is long, fast and very athletic. He can play either on the perimeter as an attacker or at the center defender position. We will be able to use him in different places in the pool. Felix comes with so much international experience after spending time with the Australian Youth National team.”

EMIL SOGAARD-SRIKRISHNAN | GREENWICH, CT | BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL | ATTACKER

Played water polo for four years at Brunswick High School and competed for Greenwich Aquatics for eight years as an attacker … Named Rookie of the Year as a freshman at Brunswick … Helped lead Brunswick to four consecutive NEPSAC water polo championships … Also wrestled for two years … Participated in NEPSAC water polo for one year … Served as Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Oracle, Brunswick’s student publication; three-year member and one-year editor-in-chief … Co-President of Brunswick’s Computer Science Outreach Program; involved for three years and president for two … Mentored younger students through the Brunswick Connections Program for two years … Served as a Trust Leader for the Brunswick Middle School Vermont Trip as a junior … Enjoys playing the guitar, wrestling, cooking, and writing … Brother Vilas Sogaard-Srikrishnan, Class of 2027, plays water polo at Harvard … Cousin Cameron Chesnutt played soccer at Stanford and graduated in 2017.

FROM COACH MINNIS:

“Emil has been around the program for a few years, as his older brother Vilas will be a junior, and we are excited to finally have him on our team. Emil is the type of player who does all the little things that his team needs for them to be successful.  Emil sees the pool very well and is very good at getting his teammates involved in the game.”

CONNOR KIM | LOS ANGELES, CALIF. | HARVARD-WESTLAKE | ATTACKER

Played four years of varsity water polo at Harvard-Westlake … Competed for Los Angeles Premier for seven years and Bruin Water Polo Club for three years as an attacker … Named to the All-CIF First Team and Mission League honors in 2024–2025 … Earned Junior Olympics All-American honors across multiple years, including Honorable Mention, Second Team, and First Team from 2018 to 2025 … Led scoring at the 2024 Hungarian Tournament … Helped Harvard-Westlake win three Junior Olympics championships, including back-to-back titles … Contributed to a Mission League Championship at Harvard-Westlake … Member of the USA Water Polo National Team Pipeline since 2017 … Son of Alex and Heidi Kim.

FROM COACH MINNIS:

“Connor has many strengths in the water, but what stuck out to me was how well he guards the perimeter on defense. He is so fast, and he uses his speed in the transition game to cover up and slow down his opponent’s transition game. Connor will add a layer to our transition game as well, with the way he can stretch the pool. In the front court Connor is a very talented shooter who defenses will need to account for where he is at all times.” 

PRINCETON, N.J. — The Columbia Outdoor Track & Field team returns to action this weekend at the Princeton Elite Meet in New Jersey. This is the final opportunity for student-athletes to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Prelims in two weeks. 

The competition will begin on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Weaver Stadium with the women’s javelin. 

MEET INFO

For everything you need to know about the Princeton Elite Invitational, visit the event page on Princeton’s website, HERE. 

Live results will also be available, HERE. 

LAST TIME OUT

Last weekend, the Lions participated in the Outdoor Ivy League Heptagonal Championships. 

Obiora Okeke made headlines, capturing the Shot Put Ivy League Championship with a historic toss. 

In the finals on Sunday afternoon, Okeke launched a shot 20.17m, which set a new meet record as well as a program record to secure the Ivy League title. After also placing fourth in the discus with a mark of 52.21m and seventh in the hammer, Okeke was named the Most Outstanding Performer – Field of the Outdoor Championships. 

Elsewhere, the Lions earned 14 medals including four silver and three bronze.

After Joshua Adams won the Lions’ first silver medal on Saturday in the long jump, Rory Clare claimed the team’s first silver on Sunday in the 1500m, clocking in at 4:25.64, just over a second off of first place. 

Haydn Brotschi also took home a silver medal, taking second in the 400m with a time of 46.80, just under two tenths of a second away from gold. 

The final silver medal came from the men’s 4×800 relay, consisting of Ben Bergey, Justin Gottlieb, Matt Gatune, and Jacob Van Orden. The team finished with a time of 7:23.90 to claim the medal. 

The women’s 4×800 relay took home a bronze medal, as the squad of Isabella Shertzer, Clare, Grace Carr, and Lucy Henkel finished with a new program record time of 8:32.46. 

The men’s and women’s 4×100 relays also each earned a bronze medal. 

Full results from the Ivy League Indoor Heps can be found HERE. 

ON DECK: 

With the regular season wrapped up, attention will turn towards NCAAs, beginning with the Outdoor Prelims. For qualified student-athletes, the competition will begin on Wednesday, May 28 at 3 p.m. in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Columbia’s schedule for the rest of the 2024-25 outdoor season can be found HERE. 

 

Stay up to date on all things Columbia track & field by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsXCTF), Instagram (@culionsxctf) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (May 15, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s National Team has unveiled its 30-player long-list roster for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), featuring a competitive mix of Olympic veterans, seasoned pros, and rising stars. The 2025 VNL promises high-stakes action as the world’s top 18 men’s teams clash over three weeks of preliminary play, with the top eight advancing to the Final Round.

The U.S. Men’s National Team, under the guidance of head coach Karch Kiraly, will select 14 athletes from the long-list to compete at each stop: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 11-15), Hoffman Estates, Illinois (June 25-29), and Chiba, Japan (July 16-20). The VNL Final Round will take place July 30-Aug. 3 in Ningbo, China.

GET TICKETS TO WATCH THE U.S. MEN COMPETE JUNE 25-29 IN HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS

“We’re incredibly excited about the talent and depth we have to begin this new Olympic cycle,” said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Karch Kiraly. “The veterans on this roster continue to lead by example, while our younger athletes are pushing hard, bringing fresh energy and hunger. It’s a powerful combination. This VNL season will be a vital part of our journey toward the 2025 World Championships and beyond.”

The long list includes four Olympians, including three who competed in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: libero Erik Shoji, middle blocker Jeff Jendryk and setter Micah Ma’a. Opposite Kyle Ensing was the official alternate in Paris and competed on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team.

Eleven athletes on the roster have competed in previous VNLs for the U.S.: opposite Gabi Garcia, setter Quinn Isaacson, liberos Mason Briggs and Kyle Dagostino, outside hitters Ethan Champlin, Jordan Ewert and Jacob Pasteur, and middle blockers Patrick Gasman, Matthew Knigge, Michael Marshman and Daniel Wetter.

Seven athletes have competed for the senior U.S. National Team in NORCECA events: setter Andrew Rowan, middle blocker Merrick McHenry and outside hitters Nolan Flexen, Camden Gianni, Kaleb Jenness, Zach Rama and Cooper Robinson.

Eight athletes have yet to compete for the senior U.S. National Team: setters Tread Rosenthal and Michael Wright, opposites Kyle Hobus and Kevin Kobrine, middle blockers Shane Holdaway, Cameron Thorne and Parker Tomkinson, and libero Jacob Reilly.

The U.S. Men are currently ranked No. 3 in the world and have medaled four times in VNL history, including silver medals in 2019, 2022 and 2023 and bronze in 2018.

U.S. Men’s Preliminary Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Camden Gianni (Opp, 6-4, Carlsbad, Calif., Grand Canyon, Southern California)
2 Kaleb Jenness (OH, 6-6, Mount Pleasant, S.C., Ball State, Palmetto)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
5 Kyle Ensing (Opp, 6-7, Valencia, Calif., Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
6 Quinn Isaacson (S, 6-2, Plainfield, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
7 Jacob Pasteur (OH, 6-4, Westminster, Md., Ohio State Univ., Chesapeake)
8 Kevin Kobrine (OPP, 6-6, Newport Beach, Calif., UCLA and USC, Southern California)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
10 Kyle Dagostino (L, 5-9, Tampa, Florida, Stanford Univ., Florida)
12 Shane Holdaway (MB, 6-6, Huntington Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
14 Micah Ma’a (S, 6-3, Kaneohe, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California)
16 Jacob Reilly (L, 6-2. Cypress, Texas, Pepperdine, Lone Star)
17 Andrew Rowan (S, 6-7, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
18 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
19 Patrick Gasman (MB, 6-10, Clovis, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Northern California)
20 Cameron Thorne (MB, 6-2, Hollywood, Calif., UCLA, Florida Region)
21 Zach Rama (Opp, 6-8, 2004, Phoenix, Ariz., UCLA, Arizona)
22C Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford Univ., Aloha)
23 Nolan Flexen (OH, 6-9, Rio Rancho, N.M., UC-Irvine, Southern)
24 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
26 Tread Rosenthal (S, 6-9, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Southern California)
27 Michael Marshman (MB, 6-7, Glenmont, N.Y., St. Francis Univ., Excelsior Empire)
28 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)
30 Daniel Wetter (MB, 6-5, Camarillo, Calif., CSU-Northridge, Paris Volley)
31 Michael Wright (S, 5-9, Richmond, Va., Ohio State, Old Dominion)
32 Parker Tomkinson (MB, 7-0, Carlsbad, Calif., USC, Southern California)

Head Coach:  Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coach: Luka Slabe
Assistant Coach: Javier Weber
Performance Analyst: Nate Ngo
Physiotherapist: Aaron Brock
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach: Tim Pelot
Senior Sports Dietitian: Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker
Team Manager: David Dantes
Consultant Coach: Chris McGown
Consultant Coach: Marv Dunphy
Team Doctors:  Eugene Yim, Mark Hutchinson, Michael Shepard, Warren Young

U.S. Men’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV
(All times PDT)

Week 1: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 11 at 10 a.m. vs. Ukraine
June 12 at 5 p.m. vs. Iran
June 14 at 9:30 a.m. vs. Slovenia
June 15 at 1 p.m. vs. Cuba

Week 2: Hoffman Estates, Illinois
June 25 at 5:30 p.m. vs. China
June 26 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Canada
June 28 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Poland
June 29 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Italy

Week 3: Chiba, Japan
July 16 at 11:30 p.m. vs. Türkiye
July 18 at 11:30 p.m. vs. Argentina
July 19 at 3:30 a.m. vs. Germany
July 20 at 3:20 a.m. vs. Japan

CHATTANOOGA—The Chattanooga Mocs just completed a fantastic semester. NIT Championships in men’s basketball and men’s tennis as well as several individual performances in NCAA Tournaments in multiple sports did not dim the focus in the classroom one iota.

The Mocs combined for a 3.4339 grade point average for the spring term, which eclipses 3.421 in the spring of 2020 for the best on record. Of the 299 student-athletes enrolled, 215 made the Dean’s List with 245 total earning A.D. Honor Roll merit.

 

“It was another impressive semester for our student-athletes,” Vice Chancellor for Athletics Mark Wharton shared. “The work they put in to compete at the highest level in all phases of the collegiate experience is elite and appreciated.

 

“We thank (Asst. Vice Chancellor) Dr. Emily Blackman and the work of her academic support staff in continuing an impressive run of excellence in the classroom.”

 

The run includes three consecutive semesters above the 3.30 mark. It’s also the third in a row that every program topped 3.0 or better as a team. There is also the 3.0 run of 14 straight terms for the department as a whole.

 

Two new records were set in the honor categories.

• 71.9% Dean’s List | Former mark: 71.0%, Spring 2020
• 81.94% A.D. Honor Roll | Former: 81.88%, Spring 2020

 
Sixty-five earned perfect 4.0 marks is fourth most. That was led by Southern Conference Regular Season Champion softball with 11, while football and soccer added 10 apiece. The top team in spring 2025?
 

Soccer again proved top of the table with its fourth straight term of 3.70 or higher. The 3.7527 bested women’s golf in second (3.7097). Seven squads – soccer, women’s golf, softball (3.6691), women’s cross country (3.6517), women’s track & field/cross country (3.6047), volleyball (3.5948) and men’s tennis (3.5439) exceeded 3.5 for the semester.
 
Nine teams improved their strong work from the fall. Women’s golf made the biggest jump of .2180 and was joined by football (.1811) and volleyball (.1213) in exceeding their previous marks by 0.10 or higher.
 
The Mocs Student-Athlete Academic Enhancement Center has been led by Dr. Blackman since 2010. Lindsey Felix, assistant athletics director, has been a key member of her staff for nearly as long helping guide the unit. Their staff includes assistant director Amber Evans, academic advisors Katie Feeney and Leland Malloy, director of learning services Kaelin King and assistant learning specialist Shantih Crowdis.
 

The Student-Athlete Study Abroad Experience through the Health & Human Performance program has 13 students set for a 10-day trip to Argentina May 26-June4. The program focuses on developing individual and global citizenship through the lens of leadership and sport while gaining an understanding of the economic, political, cultural and social factors at play in an international context.
 
Click here to donate to reduce the total cost of $6,000 per student for the course including airfare, lodging, meals and tuition.
 
Sport-by-Sport Breakdowns
Men’s Basketball – 3.32 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 13 | Dean’s List: 10 | 4.0: 4

• 3.32 is the second-best semester GPA behind 3.36 in spring of 2020.
• This semester’s 3.3299 was .0061 ahead of the 3.3238 registered in the fall. Easily the best academic year in program history.
• Three straight 3.0 semesters for the first time. Eighth total for the program.
• Record four 4.0 students: Frank Champion, Garrison Keeslar, Parker Robison and Bash Wieland. Keeslar and Robison were 4.0 for 2024-25.
• 10 Dean’s List: Frank Champion, Sean Cusano, Honor Huff, Garrison Keeslar, Ryan Lopez, Collin Mulholland, Isaiah Otyaluk, Makai Richards, Parker Robison & Bash Wieland.
• 13 AD Honor Roll: Frank Champion, Sean Cusano, Latif Diouf, Houston Holland, Honor Huff, Garrison Keeslar, Jack Kostel, Ryan Lopez, Isaiah Otyaluk, Makai Richards, Parker Robison & Bash Wieland.

 
Women’s Basketball – 3.45 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 11 | Dean’s List: 11 | 4.0: 1

• Third-best academic semester on record with all coming in the spring (2020: 3.64/2024: 3.474).
• Jade Moore not only had a 4.0 in spring, she did it for the 2024-25 academic year. The program has had at least one 4.0 student in every semester since fall of 2016 (17 in a row).
• 13th semester with double digits on Dean’s List: Brooke Anya, Masa Buzic, Ava Card, Gianna Corbitt, Takia Davis, Caia Elisaldez, Kalifa Ford, Jade Moore, Karsen Murphy, Sigrun Olafsdottir & Frode Flos van der Schans.
• AD Honor Roll: Brooke Anya, Masa Buzic, Ava Card, Gianna Corbitt, Takia Davis, Caia Elisaldez, Kalifa Ford, Jade Moore, Karsen Murphy, Sigrun Olafsdottir & Frode Flos van der Schans.

 
Beach Volleyball – 3.35 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 14 | Dean’s List: 12 | 4.0: 3

• 10 straight semesters besting 3.30 GPA.
• Three 4.0 students: McKenna Faychak, Maddie Lecik & Doga Ocal. All three posted 4.0 for the academic calendar.
• 12 on Dean’s List: Jordyn Butler, Neva Clark, Taylor Clark, McKenna Faychak, Paige Gallentine, Kit Gresham, Ansley Gulledge, Julia Lawrence, Maddie Lecik, Madeline McCabe, Doga Ocal & Corina Vale.
• 14 made the AD Honor Roll: Jordyn Butler, Neva Clark, Taylor Clark, McKenna Faychak, Paige Gallentine, Kit Gresham, Ansley Gulledge, Sydney Jackwin, Joy Courtright, Julia Lawrence, Maddie Lecik, Madeline McCabe, Doga Ocal & Corina Vale.

 
Men’s Cross Country – 3.30 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 6 | Dean’s List: 5 | 4.0: 2

• 32nd semester above 3.0 and 29th at 3.3 or higher.
• Two 4.0 terms: Cash Coggins & Wes Gibbs.
• Dean’s List (5): Cash Coggins, Wes Gibbs, Riley Hanson, Aaron Isbell & Jack Martin.
• AD Honor Roll (6): Cash Coggins, Ian Etheridge, Wes Gibbs, Riley Hanson, Aaron Isbell & Jack Martin.

 
Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field – 3.65 GPA (XC)/3.60 (T&F) | AD Honor Roll: 26 | Dean’s List: 22 | 4.0: 9

• 25th time the cross country program turned in 3.60 or better, 18th for track & field as a whole.
• Nine 4.0s is a record for cross country: Lola Baker, Lesley Boyd, Sarah Brotton, Taylor Crawford, Michaela Dabney, Kaitlyn Fisher, Lexi Foley, Anna Roberson & Brooke Tyll.
• Two shy of the track & field record with 22 on the Dean’s List: Lola Baker, Leah Boyd, Lesley Boyd, Sarah Brotton, Taylor Crawford, Michaela Dabney, Andrea Ellis, Kaitlyn Fisher, Lexi Foley, Maya McCloskey, Ava McGue, Adelaide McKeown, Aubrey Park, Kennedy Reynolds, Anna Roberson, Ryleigh Simmons, Olivia Steele, Emma Thweatt, Brooke Tyll, Ellie Von Herrmann, Audrey Wade & Maddie Wheatcroft.
• 26 on the AD Honor Roll: Lola Baker, Leah Boyd, Lesley Boyd, Sarah Brotton, Taylor Crawford, Michaela Dabney, Andrea Ellis, Kaitlyn Fisher, Lexi Foley, Norah Haney, Stella Henry, Maya McCloskey, Ava McGue, Adelaide McKeown, Aubrey Park, Kennedy Reynolds, Anna Roberson, Ryleigh Simmons, Olivia Steele, Emma Thweatt, Brooke Tyll, Sarah Unterholzner, Ellie Von Herrmann, Audrey Wade & Maddie Wheatcroft.

 
Football – 3.25 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 60 | Dean’s List: 52 | 4.0: 10

• Program record GPA.
• The 10 best GPAs in program history have come in Coach Rusty Wright’s tenure (13 semesters)
• 10 4.0 students marked double digits for the program for the fifth time with all five coming in the last five terms: DJ Adams, Battle Alberson, Chase Artopoeus, Gabe Flores, JJ Heath, Kobe Joseph, Alen Karajic, Ryan Merklinger, Kristian Ozane & Nick Paul. Alberson, Artopoeus, Flores & Joseph all had 4.0s for the academic year.
• 52 on Dean’s List. 3rd time with 50+ (52-Spring 2020/54-Fall 2024): DJ Adams, Battle Alberson, Watts Alexander, Chase Artopoeus, Samari Brooks, Will Brown, Erik Bussmann, Gunnar Clary, Matthew Clemmer, Taylor Crumedy, Chris Domercant, Kaelin Drakeford, Jarian Dunlap, Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez, Landon Feggins, Gabe Flores, Bryce Goodner, Hudson Gray, Leroy Harris III, JJ Heath, Gavin Helton, Montrell Henderson, Ryan Ingram, Tracy Jackson, Malachi Jeffries, Heath Jehu, Josh Jones, Kobe Joseph, Alen Karajic, Luke Keith, Gray Kelley, Jude Kelley, AJ Little, Devin Lively, Solomon Locke, John McIntyre, Ryan Merklinger, Ethan Myers, Jules Ney, Camden Orth, Kristian Ozane, Nick Paul, Tee Perry, BJ Ragland, Grant Reid, Luke Schomburg, KJ Sejour, Peter Sesterhenn, Tylor Smiley, CJ Smith, Christian Va’a & Joshua Williams.
• 60 on AD Honor Roll. Fourth time with 60+: DJ Adams, Battle Alberson, Watts Alexander, Chase Artopoeus, Samari Brooks, Will Brown, Erik Bussmann, Gunnar Clary, Matthew Clemmer, Taylor Crumedy, Amanuel Dickson, Chris Domercant, Kaelin Drakeford, Jarian Dunlap, Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez, Landon Feggins, Gabe Flores, Bryce Goodner, Hudson Gray, Daniel Green, Leroy Harris III, Isaiah Harvey, JJ Heath, Gavin Helton, Montrell Henderson, Ryan Ingram, Tracy Jackson, Malachi Jeffries, Heath Jehu, Josh Jones, Kobe Joseph, Alen Karajic, Luke Keith, Gray Kelley, Jude Kelley, AJ Little, Devin Lively, Solomon Locke, John McIntyre, Ryan Merklinger, Ethan Myers, Jules Ney, Camden Orth, Kristian Ozane, Nick Paul, Tee Perry, BJ Ragland, Tyrell Ragland, Grant Reid, Luke Schomburg, KJ Sejour, Peter Sesterhenn, Tylor Smiley, CJ Smith, David Stewart, Ky Tayo, Christian Va’a, Chris Victor, Joshua Williams & Journey Wyche.

 
Men’s Golf – 3.39 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 10 | Dean’s List: 8 | 4.0: 2

• Fourth-best semester GPA (3.39) and highest since 3.49 in the spring of 2021.
• Two 4.0 students: Camden Braidech & Aidan Cohl. Braidech, a 2025 NCAA Tournament Qualifier, recorded a 4.0 for the academic year.
• Dean’s List (8): Camden Braidech, Dalton Burts, Dalton Chuba, Aidan Cohl, Nick Etherton, Ward Harris, Carson Johnson & Elliott Simonsen.
• Tied program record (Spring 2014) with 10 on the AD Honor Roll (10): Camden Braidech, Dalton Burts, Dalton Chuba, Aidan Cohl, Nick Etherton, Ward Harris, Carson Johnson, Elliott Simonsen, Braedon Wear & Ethan Whitaker.

 
Women’s Golf – 3.70 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 6 | Dean’s List: 6 | 4.0: 0

• Reached the 3.70 threshold for the ninth time.
• 20th occasion with six or more on Dean’s List: Makenzie Cooper, Alexis Daniel, Violeta Fernandez-Tagle, Giulia Foresta, Kera Healey & Chloe Stevenazzi.
• Six also on AD Honor Roll: Makenzie Cooper, Alexis Daniel, Violeta Fernandez-Tagle, Giulia Foresta, Kera Healey & Chloe Stevenazzi.

 
Soccer – 3.75 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 24 | Dean’s List: 24 | 4.0: 10

• Best GPA in the department and fourth straight semester at 3.70 or better.
• Program record GPA.
• 6th time with double digit 4.0 students: Ella Attaway, Anna Hussey, Sylvie Keck, Carmya Mastrangelo, Zoey Mize, Hannah Morton, Nicole Solete, Brenna Swiger, Kelly Tuerff & Lilly Kate Varino. Attaway, Hussey, Keck, Solete, Swiger and Varino all had 4.0 over both terms in 2024-25.
• Ninth semester with 20 or more on Dean’s List. Ella Attaway, Savannah Dunahay, Caroline Ekern, Anna Hussey, Naomi Kato, Sylvie Keck, Abbey Marak, Carmya Mastrangelo, Sophia Mize, Zoey Mize, Taylor Morris, Hannah Morton, Betha Pucek, Caroline Richvalsky, Ella Roth, Clarissa Salinas, Nicole Solete, Brenna Swiger, Paige Thomas, Kelly Tuerff, Lilly Kate Varino, Elle Wakefield & Reese Wilson.
• 20 or more on AD Honor Roll for 16th time. Ella Attaway, Savannah Dunahay, Caroline Ekern, Anna Hussey, Naomi Kato, Sylvie Keck, Abbey Marak, Carmya Mastrangelo, Sophia Mize, Zoey Mize, Taylor Morris, Hannah Morton, Betha Pucek, Caroline Richvalsky, Ella Roth, Clarissa Salinas, Nicole Solete, Brenna Swiger, Paige Thomas, Kelly Tuerff, Lilly Kate Varino, Elle Wakefield & Reese Wilson.

 
Softball – 3.66 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 25 | Dean’s List: 24 | 4.0: 11

• Program record GPA. Second consecutive semester posting a new standard.
• Ninth semester at 3.5 or better.
• Department-high 11 4.0 students is also a team record: Abi Bunt, Anna Dovey, Shayna Glass, Grace Hixson, Alyssa Lavdis, Olivia Lipari, Taylor Long, Abi Pikas, Baileigh Pitts, Emma Sam Reed & Kailey Snell. Bunt, Lipari, Long and Snell all turned in 4.0s for the academic year.
• 24 on the Dean’s List is another new program record: Abi Bunt, Izzy Carlyle, Camryn Cernuto, Lexi Cooley, Anna Dovey, Shayna Glass, Peja Goold, Grace Hixson, Meghan Kernea, Alyssa Lavdis, Olivia Lipari, Taylor Long, Peyton O’Flaherty, Alyssa Orlando, Abi Pikas, Baileigh Pitts, Jayce Purdy, Emma Sam Reed, Acelynn Sellers, Kailey Snell, Presley Williamson & Zoe Wright.
• 25 on AD Honor Roll. Abi Bunt, Izzy Carlyle, Camryn Cernuto, Lexi Cooley, Anna Dovey, Shayna Glass, Peja Goold, Grace Hixson, Meghan Kernea, Riley Lamb, Alyssa Lavdis, Olivia Lipari, Taylor Long, Peyton O’Flaherty, Alyssa Orlando, Abi Pikas, Baileigh Pitts, Jayce Purdy, Emma Sam Reed, Acelynn Sellers, Kailey Snell, Presley Williamson & Zoe Wright.

 
Men’s Tennis – 3.54 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 12 | Dean’s List: 9 | 4.0: 2

• 10th time the program has reached 3.5 or better for the team GPA. The 3.54 ranks eighth on that list.
• 4.0 students (2): Gabriel Castillo & Kristof Kincses. Kincses was a 4.0 student for the academic year.
• Dean’s List (9): Gabriel Castillo, Carson Gompert, Cortland Grove, Sebastian Johnson, Jakub Jupa, Kristof Kincses, Matej Laibl, Ryan Mudre & Carter Ramthun.
• 12 AD Honor Roll student-athletes makes it 11 of last 12 semesters in double figures. Ethan Carr, Gabriel Castillo, Carson Gompert, Cortland Grove, Sebastian Johnson, Jakub Jupa, Kristof Kincses, Matej Laibl, Jaxon Lamb, Ryan Mudre, Carter Ramthun & Walker Valentine. Twelve ties the program record (set in the fall of 2023.

 
Women’s Tennis – 3.44 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 8 | Dean’s List: 5 | 4.0: 2

• 25th time posting 3.40 or better as a team including three in a row.
• 4.0 students (2): Rozalie Dohnalova & Alice Hall.
• Dean’s List (5): Zara Burns, Rozalie Dohnalova, Alice Hall, Emma Pedretti & Savannah Presson.
• 100 percent of the roster made AD Honor Roll (8). Zara Burns, Rozalie Dohnalova, Alice Hall, Rufaro Magarira, Margaret Manolache, Madlena Orlova, Emma Pedretti & Savannah Presson

 
Volleyball – 3.59 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 17 | Dean’s List: 16 | 4.0: 5

• 10th on the all-time list for team GPA and 17th occasion besting the 3.5 mark.
• 4.0 students (5): Finley Hilliard, Cansu Kornosor, Chiara Napoli, Doga Ocal & Elena Vukmanov. Ocal was a 4.0 both terms of 2024-25.
• 10th time with 15+ on Dean’s List (16): Chandler Alter, Marcelle Baez-Carlo, Caiti Barthel, Bailey Burgess, Jordyn Butler, Paige Gallentine, Finley Hilliard, Kynli Kirkendoll, Cansu Kornosor, Mallory Merz, Chiara Napoli, Doga Ocal, Elaine Redman, Gracie Rose, Elena Vukmanov & Destiny Wiggins.
• 14th time with 15 or more making AD Honor Roll (17). Chandler Alter, Marcelle Baez-Carlo, Caiti Barthel, Bailey Burgess, Jordyn Butler, Paige Gallentine, Finley Hilliard, Sydney Jackwin, Kynli Kirkendoll, Cansu Kornosor, Mallory Merz, Chiara Napoli, Doga Ocal, Elaine Redman, Gracie Rose, Elena Vukmanov & Destiny Wiggins.

 
Wrestling – 3.19 GPA | AD Honor Roll: 20 | Dean’s List: 16 | 4.0: 5

• Best academic year on record with program-record GPA in the fall (3.39) and the spring’s 3.19 ranking fifth.
• 4.0 students (5): Kendrick Curtis, Jackson Hurst, Landon Lewis, Kaleb Snodgrass & Connor Strong. All five were 4.0s for 2024-25 on the whole.
• Dean’s List (16) – 8th time with 16 or more: Blake Boarman, Easton Cooper, Kendrick Curtis, Sergio Desiante, Wyatt Gibbs, Hayden Hughes, Jackson Hurst, Eli Knight, Landon Lewis, Cavarius Liddie, Tre McTorry, Kamdyn Munro, Brody Murray, Kaleb Snodgrass, Connor Strong & Logan Webster.
• AD Honor Roll students (20) – 8th occasion with 20 or more. Blake Boarman, Tavian Camper, Carson Chalk, Easton Cooper, Kendrick Curtis, Dayne Dalrymple, Sergio Desiante, Wyatt Gibbs, Hayden Hughes, Jackson Hurst, Eli Knight, Landon Lewis, Cavarius Liddie, Bryce Luna, Tre McTorry, Kamdyn Munro, Brody Murray, Kaleb Snodgrass, Connor Strong & Logan Webster.

 
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here. NIL opportunities with Chattanooga Mocs student-athletes can be found here.