TALLAHASSEE – The awards are continuing to stack up for freshman pitcher Jazzy Francik as she was named one of 10 finalists for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award. Francik was the only ACC player to make the list and continues the Seminoles’ streak as having a top 10 finalist for the award in four consecutive seasons. 

Francik has been a breakout star for the Noles in the circle as she leads the team with a 1.64 ERA in 81.1 innings. Francik is 9-2 this season and has been outstanding as of late. In her last three starts, Francik has pitched 19 scoreless innings and struck out 21 batters while allowing just five hits. Francik threw the first no-hitter against a ranked opponent in program history last week against Virginia Tech. It was also the first no-hitter by a true freshman since Lacey Waldrop in 2012. 

The list will be trimmed to three athletes on May 22. 

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When it comes to athletes at the top of their respective sports, it’s hard to fathom anyone in North American sports comparing with the like of Michael Jordan or Tom Brady. So, when either of them dishes on their playing days, it’s hard not to fault us for lapping it up.

Recently, Brady appeared on Logan Paul’s podcast, where he discussed some of his former opponents, including who he feared the most when he looked over the line of scrimmage.

“Ray Lewis was at the top,” Brady said, according to Pro Football Talk. “Ndamukong Suh, I didn’t like getting hit by him. J.J. [Watt] wasn’t very fun to get hit by. Haloti Ngata, you remember him? He was about 340 pounds for the Ravens. He was massive.”

Brady, made sure to avoid Lewis at all costs too, as the legendary linebacker only sacked Brady once, in a 2009 playoff game. However, Brady was sacked 565 times in the regular season and 81 times in the postseason over his storied career.

The key to his ability to endure such a beating over two decades in the league? Brady says it was his offseason regimen.

“When you’re getting hit, there’s a discipline with your physical body that you need to take into account,” Brady said. “Because if you [expletive] around, you’re gonna get hurt. . .

“You don’t mess around with your training, because you will pay the price when you got Aaron Donald chasing you.”

Ironically, Aaron Schobel, who sacked Brady more than anyone else, did not make his list of most feared opponents.

Women’s

Men’s

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 1 Long Beach State made its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance, its eighth showing in the last nine seasons, and came away with a 3-0 [25-21, 25-16, 25-16] sweep of No. 8 seed Fort Valley State in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Thursday night at the Covelli Center.

The Beach (28-3) will go on to play the winner of the No. 4 seed Loyola Chicago-No. 5 seed Pepperdine on Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. (PT) / 5 p.m. (ET).

The Wildcats finish their season with a 16-10 overall record after having gone undefeated at 10-0 in SIAC action.

Freshman setter Moni Nikolov paced Long Beach State to a .367 hitting percentage as he dished out 31 assists distributing the ball evenly. Nikolov turned in an all-around performance as the 6-foot-10 rookie contributed eight kills, eight digs, three aces, and one block on the night. His three aces bring his season total to 97 as he closes in on the NCAA Single-Season aces record of 100 which was set in 2011 by Curtis Abraham.

Senior outside hitter Nato Dickinson turned in his third-straight double-figure kill performance as he led the Beach with 12 on his way to hitting .429 (12-3-21). He went on to collect five digs and two blocks on the night.

The tor-NATO strikes again!??? #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/JicqzYjutW

— Long Beach State Men’s VB (@LBSUMVB) May 8, 2025

Ben Braun, a junior middle blocker from Rancho Mirage, Calif., was efficient as he hit .800 knocking down nine kills on 10 swings, while committing just one error.

Defensively, freshman libero Kellen Larson anchored the defense that held Fort Valley State to a .129 hitting percentage. Larson’s collected seven digs, and picked up 14 perfect receptions, while adding a pair of assists.

The Beach opened the match scoring three-straight points to take a 3-0 lead. However, the Wildcats were quick to counter with three-consecutive points of their own to even the score at 4-all. After the fourth tie of the set, the Beach broke the game open with a 6-0 run, highlighted by a pair of kills from DiAeris McRaven, to open up a 22-16 advantage. After LBSU sent it to set point (24-17), the Wildcats tallied four-straight points to cut the Beach’s lead down to three (24-21). Following a Long Beach State timeout, Dickinson put the game away with a kill to win the first set, 25-21.

Long Beach State hit .450 in the second set as the Beach broke through early. A Skyler Varga kill kicked off a 4-0 run to give LBSU a lead (4-1) that it would not relinquish the remainder of the frame. Up 15-9 at the media timeout, the Beach used a block assist from Braun and Varga to extend their lead to eight (23-15) before Varga secured the set, 25-16, with a kill.

Holding a 2-0 set lead, Long Beach State hit .476 in the third set and never trailed. After two early ties, the Beach got a kill from Braun that kicked off a 3-0 run as LBSU led FVSU, 5-2. After falling behind the Beach, 18-12, after an Alex Kandev kill, Fort Valley called a timeout. The break did little to cool off Long Beach as they surged ahead and closed the set and match on a 5-0 run that saw back-to-back aces from Nikolov and a kill from Braun to win it, 25-16.

Fort Valley State was led by Isaiah Fedd’s 14 kills on a .357 attack percentage. At setter, OShane Farquharson dished out 15 assists, while libero Constantine Ononye recorded five digs.

 

DICKINSON, N.D. – Valley City State University track and field claims two conference titles and record five All-Conference performance at day one of the North Star Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
VCSU’s Karly Just started the day running the 10,000-meter in 40:04.61 claiming the conference title.
 
Viking freshman Jordan Mount later claimed a conference title of his own in the 400-meter running a 48.94.
 
The Vikings had five athlete earning All-Conference honors. NSAA All-Conference is earned by finishing in the top three of an individual event. Joining Just and Mount were Kendra Odegard who earned second in the javelin with a 38.94-meter throw. Freshman Tayshaun Robinson took second in the 110-meter hurdles after running a 14.93. Cameron Champagnie a sophomore took second in the triple jump with a 14.03-meter attempt.
 
In the top eight was Emma Muggli in the 100-meter hurdles finishing in fourth running a 15.74. Muggli also took fourth in the triple jump with a 10.47-meter attempt and sixth in the javelin with a 35.55-meter throw. Just ahead of Muggli was Sadie Hansen who took fifth in the javelin with a 35.91-meter throw.
 
Aaron Cutshall took sixth in the triple jump with a 12.72-meter attempt and senior Rigo Garcia took seventh in the 10,000-meter running a 38.29.93.
 
View Complete Results
 
VCSU Women – Top 8 Finishes:
100m Hurdles: 4 Emma Muggli, SO, 15.74
10000m: 1 Karly Just, JR, 40:04.61
Triple Jump: 4 Emma Muggli, SO, 10.47m
Javelin: 2 Kendra Odegard, SR, 38.94m
Javelin: 5 Sadie Hansen, SR, 35.91m
Javelin: 6 Emma Muggli, SO, 35.55m
 
VCSU Men – Top 8 Finishes:
110m Hurdles: 2 Tayshaun Robinson, FR, 14.93
400m: 1 Jordan Mount, FR, 48.94
10000m: 7 Rigo Garcia, SR, 38:29.93
Triple Jump: 2 Cameron Champagnie, SO, 14.03m
Triple Jump: 6 Aaron Cutshall, SO, 12.72m
 
UP NEXT: The Vikings will compete in day two of the NSAA Conference Championships on Friday, May 9 beginning at 10:00 a.m.