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Final AP Poll Top 25 released after National Championship, Florida over Duke

The 2024-25 men’s college basketball season officially came to an end on Monday. Florida stood tall above the competition, defeating Houston to capture their third title in program history, and the AP Poll has been updated to reflect the Gators’ landmark win. Of course, Florida is ranked No. 1, followed by Houston in the season-ending […]

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Final AP Poll Top 25 released after National Championship, Florida over Duke

The 2024-25 men’s college basketball season officially came to an end on Monday. Florida stood tall above the competition, defeating Houston to capture their third title in program history, and the AP Poll has been updated to reflect the Gators’ landmark win.

Of course, Florida is ranked No. 1, followed by Houston in the season-ending Top 25. That’s obvious, but how did the 2025 NCAA Tournament affect the rest of the rankings? It always throws a wrench into things, and this season was no different, even if there was a bit of a lack of upsets this time around.

Check out the final AP Poll Top 25 rankings after the National Championship Game on Monday. Florida and Houston lead the way. There’s plenty of fluctuations throughout, and in some instances it provides a baseline for which teams will be competitive in next season’s chase for a title.

Florida showed itself to be in an elite group of college basketball teams all season with its balance of star power and functional depth which ultimately took over on multiple occasions through March Madness on the way to lifting the national title. The Gators ran the gauntlet against the best and leave as the unquestioned No. 1 team in the sport.

Mar 30, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson holds the trophy for winning the Midwest Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Houston made a historic run through the NCAA Tournament which was headlined by a comeback win over Duke in the Final Four, but they could not hold onto a lead late in the national championship game and walk away the runner-up. The Cougars bow out with no reason to hang their heads and still hold a spot alongside college basketball’s best.

Duke looked unstoppable for long stretches of the NCAA Tournament, but a bad stretch of basketball in the Final Four left them out against Houston. The Blue Devils still put together a season which proved their worth as one of the top teams in college basketball and ended up with a final reward in the AP Poll.

Auburn made the Final Four for the second time in program history, but lost to SEC rival Florida to end their dominant season. The Tigers held the best resume in college basketball throughout the season, but came just short of playing for the ultimate prize.

Tennessee
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Tennessee suffered a blowout loss against Houston in the Elite Eight, knocking them out of the Midwest Region. However, there was a lot to like about the Volunteers’ run to that point in March Madness this year.

Alabama made a run to the Elite Eight to finish its season, eventually falling to Duke in the East Region. However, the wins they picked up along the way in the NCAA Tournament hold them steady here in the final AP Top 25 Poll.

Michigan State advanced to the Elite Eight in the South Region, eventually falling to Auburn. The Spartans made plenty case to climb up the board in the final AP Poll, with impressive performances throughout the month.

Texas Tech guard Chance McMillian
© Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Texas Tech made its way to the Elite Eight, and even gave Florida a scare before bowing out of the West Region. The NCAA Tournament run of the Red Raiders did plenty to move them up the board and into the mix of top teams to lose in the round.

Maryland landed one of the top spots among teams which lost in the Sweet 16, losing to Florida in the West Region after two wins added to the season. The Terrapins put up plenty big performances throughout the year to establish themselves as a Top 10 team in the final AP Poll.

Michigan seemed on their way towards a rematch with Michigan State in the Elite Eight, but they let Auburn get hot in the Sweet 16. Still, the Wolverines won’t hang their heads, as they added a Big Ten Tournament trophy to their collection during the 2024-25 season, and seemed primed for future success.

Final AP Poll Top 25 — Nos. 11-25:

11. St. John’s (-6)
12. Kentucky (+6)
13. BYU (+4)
14. Purdue (+8)
15. Arizona (+6)
16. Wisconsin (-3)
17. Iowa State (-2)
18. Ole Miss
19. Texas A&M
20. Arkansas
21. Louisville (-11)
22. Clemson (-10)
23. Gonzaga (+1)
24. St. Mary’s (-4)
25. Memphis (-9)

Others receiving votes: Drake 122, Oregon 105, Illinois 80, UConn 76, Creighton 60, Colorado St. 49, UCLA 36, McNeese St. 17, Missouri 16, New Mexico 10, UC San Diego 6, Kansas 5, Marquette 2

— On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this article.

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Massachusetts high school sports highlights for May 6

Natick boys’ volleyball handed top-ranked Brookline its first loss of the season in a thrilling five-setter. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe On a rainy Tuesday that saw almost the entire baseball and softball slate get washed away, we do a lot of catching up from a weekend stocked with high school sports news. But […]

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Massachusetts high school sports highlights for May 6

Natick boys’ volleyball handed top-ranked Brookline its first loss of the season in a thrilling five-setter. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe

On a rainy Tuesday that saw almost the entire baseball and softball slate get washed away, we do a lot of catching up from a weekend stocked with high school sports news.

But first, the recaps: Scoreboard | Boys’ lacrosse | Girls’ lacrosse | Boys’ volleyball | Girls’ tennis | Boys’ tennis

1. Milestones and walk-offs

The milestones were few on a quiet Tuesday night, but Bedford senior Jackson Malio scored four goals, pushing him past 100 for his career in a 12-5 win over Tewksbury and Whitman-Hanson junior captain Shannon Balfe scored her 100th goal in a 17-5 loss to Scituate.

On Monday, Braintree senior Bella Duffy netted her 250th goal as part of a six-goal day to beat Pembroke, 15-5, Westford senior Kassidy Carmichael, committed to Ohio State, recorded her 500th career point, Foxborough senior captain Cate Noone notched her 300th career point, and Ipswich juniors Allie Wile and Jade Wilcox both reached 100 career caused turnovers.

Tuesday offered just one walk-off victory, when sophomore Andrew Kelly finished off his hat trick with an overtime goal that handed Masconomet a 9-8 win over Peabody.

2. Daily lacrosse leaderboard

Goals

Alex Morin, St. John Paul II, 7

Nathan Tremlett, Medford, 7

Raegan Dillon, Swampscott, 6

Nick Emsing, BC High, 6

Sara MacLeod, Billerica, 6

Jack Webb, Walpole, 6

Victoria Thermidor, Acton-Boxborough, 6

James Carr, Brookline, 5

Trey Kean, North Andover, 5

Ryan Jenness, Lexington, 5

Alex Fivek, Concord-Carlisle, 5

Brayden Mattera, Walpole, 5

Joselyn Silva, Beverly, 5

Jude Sloman, Shawsheen, 5

Leo Torres, Brookline, 5

Akira Umbrello, St. John Paul II, 5

Points

Mattera, Walpole, 10

Tremlett, Medford, 10

Kean, North Andover, 9

Dillon, St. John Paul II, 8

Sophie Philbrick, St. John Paul II, 8

Richardson, St. John Paul II, 8

Webb, Walpole, 8

Ryan Wilson, Brookline, 8

LaRosa, South Shore, 7

Emsing, BC High, 6

Charlie Hostetter, Falmouth, 6

Jenness, Lexington, 6

Mario LaRosa, South Shore, 6

MacLeod, Billerica, 6

Victoria Pierro, Swampscott, 6

Russo, Swampscott, 6

Silva, Beverly, 6

Aidan Stone, Monomoy, 6

3. Two hot topics for hockey committee

At Tuesday’s MIAA Hockey Committee meeting in Franklin, the re-introduction of the Division 1A tournament (Super 8) and changing the margin of victory were hot topics of discussion.

Single elimination vs. double elimination and whether a new format is needed sparked the Super 8 debate. With all other state tournaments being single elimination, issues arose over the equity of a double-elimination format. The committee will continue its dialogue in future meetings, with more data needed to evaluate all options.

Mike Flaherty, the Duxbury bench boss and coaching representative to the committee, presented changing the margin of victory. Currently, hockey uses a three-goal cap for power rankings.

Flaherty noted the margin of victory alters how coaches game plan, especially when it comes to pulling a goalie. The main goal of the proposal, from the coach’s perspective, would be to give kids more ice time.

“I think a reduction would go a long way in helping our game,” said Flaherty. “The biggest part for us is, how do we get more kids involved? The coaching side, we can handle — that’s our own decision, how we want to handle it. But how do we get more student-athletes playing? I think that’s a big part of it.”

Needham girls’ coach Allison Furano-Foster echoed Flaherty’s statements.

“Any time you introduce these variables, you’re thinking about something else other than winning the game and playing your kids,” she said.

The MIAA will run data for how one-goal and two-goal margins would have affected past seedings for further discussion at the next meeting, set for September.

4. College corner

Middlebury’s Hope Shue, a Dover-Sherborn alumna, became the fifth women’s lacrosse player to win the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons. She also earned her fourth All-NESCAC accolade with a spot on the First Team for the third straight season. Shue led the league in goals (63) and points (88). She is the school’s all-time leader in goals (283) and points (360) as they enter the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid.

Amherst freshman Lily Samoska, a Hingham graduate, was voted NESCAC Rookie of the Year, the third Mammoth since 2018 to garner the honor. She started all 16 games in net, finishing with a 10.22 goals against average and 6.25 saves per game. Amherst also received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division 3 Tournament.

Also making the all-NESCAC First Team was Hanover’s Maggie Coughlin (Middlebury), Bedford’s Allie Zorn (Tufts), Boxford’s Madeline Delaney (Tufts), Reading’s Kiara Tangney (Wesleyan), and Scituate’s Kylie Wilson (Middlebury).

Keene State’s Lola Varricchione, a Mansfield High graduate, was the only freshman chosen for all-Little East Conference second team after finishing the season with 33 goals and 14 assists.

5. Commitment central

Andover quarterback Dominic Papa announced his commitment to Husson University after posting 50 total touchdowns and 4,722 total yards as a senior. Papa threw for 4,180 yards and 43 touchdowns, completing 58 percent of his passes, adding seven rushing touchdowns and 600 yards on the ground.

Two football commitments came out of Lynn, where St. Mary’s 6-foot-1-inch senior cornerback/wide receiver Devell Pamplin announced his commitment to Curry and 5-10, 215-pound defensive end/offensive guard Adrian Lule put pen to paper to play at Husson.

Marshfield senior Nathan Looney made his commitment to run at UMass official in a signing ceremony.

6. Coaching carousel

Winchester boys’ basketball JV coach Mike Borgasano is heading home, taking over the varsity program at his alma mater, Woburn. Borgasano is an ESL teacher at Kennedy Middle School in Woburn.

Beverly announced the hiring of girls’ volleyball coach Rory Harmon, the school’s former JV coach and a 2021 graduate. The former defensive specialist is also currently the head coach at Avidity Volleyball Club, bringing five years of coaching experience across all ages.

Andover High announced the hiring of former NFL offensive tackle Pete Clifford as offensive line and run game coach. Clifford, who played at Michigan State, was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and later signed with the Titans and Jets.

7. Diving into swim awards

On Sunday, the Eastern Mass Swim Coaches Association held its Hall of Fame induction and presented awards at the Natick Elks Lodge.

Joining the EMISCA Hall of Fame were coach Michael Gavin (Waltham, Weston), diving coach Rebecca Driscoll (Haverhill, Chelmsford, St. John’s Prep, Andover, North Andover, Central Catholic, Reading), and official Bob Young, who served from 1972-2005 and was a founding member and first league assignor of officials.

The college scholarships were presented to Paul E. Phillips (Clark University) and Abby Brady (MIT), the Peter Foley Student Athlete of the Year winners were was Zuri Ferguson (Attleboro) and Isabela Teixeira (Acton-Boxborough), the Priscilla Davis Silver Service Award went to John A. Pelli, the Richard “Whit” Whitworth Courage award went to Duxbury’s Henry Perda, and the Jack McDonald Award was given to Wellesley’s Doug Curtin.

8. Odds and ends

Georgetown’s Aidan Carroll, a 2020 BC High graduate, was selected in the first round of the Premier Lacrosse League draft. The attack was taken seventh overall by the Whipsnakes. Carroll’s former BC High teammate Carter Rice, now at Syracuse, was taken in the fourth round by the Redwoods.

Uxbridge native and St. Mark’s forward Caiden Pellegrino was taken in the seventh round (102nd overall) by the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL Phase I Draft. His St. Mark’s classmate, William Manchuso, a Stow native, was selected by the Sioux City Musketeers in the 11th round (180th pick) of the USHL Phase II Draft.

Arlington defenseman Kurt Beck was selected in the eighth round, 119th overall, by the Youngstown Phantoms; Catholic Memorial defenseman Colin Yandle was selected 131st overall by the Madison Capitols; and Troy Hamelin was taken out of Pope Francis with the 188th pick by the Musketeers.

Nobles teammates Alex Munoz and LJ Bianchi won the first high school tournament hosted at the Boston Pickleball Club at Hyde Park last weekend. They took home gold from a pool of competitors from Westwood, Cardinal Spellman, Dedham, Needham, and Governor’s.

Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie. Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.

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Highlights from high school track and field meet at Milbank

MILBANK — Milbank’s Emmett Hanson, Clark-Willow Lake’s Kamryn Nesheim and Groton Area’s girls relays each took advantage of some nice weather to turn in notable performances May 6 in the Valley Queen Cheese Invitational track meet. Athletes from 12 area high schools competed in the meet. Milbank cruised to the boys division title with 218 […]

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Highlights from high school track and field meet at Milbank


MILBANK — Milbank’s Emmett Hanson, Clark-Willow Lake’s Kamryn Nesheim and Groton Area’s girls relays each took advantage of some nice weather to turn in notable performances May 6 in the Valley Queen Cheese Invitational track meet.

Athletes from 12 area high schools competed in the meet.

Milbank cruised to the boys division title with 218 points. Great Plains Lutheran followed at 98, Groton Area 77.5, Aberdeen Roncalli 60.5 and Britton-Hecla 56.

Clark-Willow Lake took the girls division with 166.5 points. Milbank and Groton Area tied for second at 121.5, followed by Webster Area at 81 and Aberdeen Roncalli 46.5.

Zayda Townsend of Milbank, second from left, beats Addison Byer of Florence-Henry (left), Cadence Bochek of Clark-Willow Lake (third from left) and Siera Wenzl of Milbank to thefinish line in the girls' 400-meter dash during the Valley Queen Cheese Invitational track and field meet on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Milbank. Byer took second, Bochek third and Wenzl fourth.

Stars of the meet

Hanson, a senior, had a big day for the host Bulldogs. He not only swept the hurdle races, taking the 110-meter hurdles in 15.08 seconds and the 300s in 41.7, he also anchored Milbank’s winning 800 (1:33.17) and 1,600 (3:37.15) relays that also included Graham Lightfield, Harley Zemlicka and Bryan Meyer.

Nesheim, a freshman distance runner, opened her day by anchoring the Cyclones to a runner-up finish in the 3,200 relay (10:07.33). She ended her day by winning the three individual distance races (800 in 2:29.03; 1,600 in 5:27.20; and 3,200 in 12:58.29.

Groton Area’s girls won four relays: 800 (1:48.82), 1,600 (4:07.8), 3,200 (9:51.40) and sprint medley (4:35.76). Kella Tracy and Taryn Traphagen each ran on all four relays and McKenna Tietz and Laila Roberts each three. Faith Traphagen and Ryelle Gilbert joined Tracy and T. Traphagen on the winning 3,200 relay, which broke the old meet record of 9:55.2 set by Aberdeen Roncalli in 2012.The record was the only one broken in the meet, but a number of personal records were set by individuals.Runners, from left, Keegen Tracy of Groton Area, Micah Holien of Great Plains Lutheran, Rylan Thue of Hamlin, Henry Witt of Webster Area and James Behan of Aberdeen Roncalli sprint to the finish in their boys' 100-meter dash heat during the Valley Queen Cheese Invitational track and field meet on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Milbank. Holien won the event, followed by Tracy and Thue.Other multi-event winnersOther multiple event winners in the boys division included Micah Holien (100 dash, 11.2 and 200 dash, 22.42) and Hessel Andringa (long jump, 20-5 and triple jump, 40-5) of Great Plains Lutheran.Jayden Schwan of Groton Area won the 1,600 run (4:50.32) and also anchored the winning 3,200 relay (8:44.94) that also included Jace Johnson, Tristin McGannon and Blake Pauli.THE LAST 35: Writer Roger Merriam’s look at the athletic success of area high schools from 1985 through 2020

Paytyn Marlow of Langford Area (100 dash, 12.85 and long jump, 15-9) and Zoe Nichols of Clark-Willow Lake (100 hurdles, 16.21 and high jump, 4-11) each won two individual events in the girls division.

Tietz also took the 300 hurdles (49.11) to go along with her relay wins in the 800 and 1,600.

Clark-Willow Lake's Kamryn Nesheim leads Ryelle Gilbert of Groton Area and Alyvia Geffre of Tri-State in the girls' 1,600-meter run during the Valley Queen Cheese Invitational track and field meet on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Milbank. Nesheim won, followed by Gilbert and Geffre.

Other event winners

Ethan Schwenn of Wilmot (400, 51.75), Hayden Karli of Great Plains Lutheran (800, 2:07.35), Jeter Scoular of Milbank (3,200, 11:17.19), Lawson Novy of Milbank (shot put, 48-0), Tate Everson of Hamlin (discus, 140-6), Jakob Steen of Clark-Willow lake (javelin, 150-4), Chaz Vietor of Britton-Hecla (high jump, 5-11) Samuel Rick of Milbank (pole vault, 12-3) each added event wins in the boys division.

Roncalli won the 400 relay in 46.49 with runners James Behan, Parker Grieben, Aiden Fisher and Brody Weinmeister. Sisseton runners Brett Hansen, Caden Gibson, Mario Alverez and Ryder Graff combined to win the sprint medley relay in 3:52.18.

Cadence Bochek of Clark-Willow Lake (200 dash, 26.97), Zayda Townsend of Milbank (400 dash, 1:00.31), Katie Braun of Webster Area (shot put, 34-3), Shali Laurence of Tri-State (discus, 117-10), Sidney Johnson of Sisseton (javelin, 105-6), Rylee Scoular of Milbank (pole vault, 9-9) and Gabby Thomas of Roncalli (triple jump, 33-6.25) also took individual events in the girls division.

Madison Brenden, Nevaeh Reitz, Kadee Frankfurth and Kelsey Hofer led Clark-Willow Lake to victory in the 400 relay (51.89).

Complete results of the meet are available at www.athletic.net.

Milbank runners, from left, Harley Zemlicka, Emmett Hanson, Graham Lightfield and Bennett Hunt head to the finish in the boys' 110-meter hurdles during the Valley Queen Cheese Invitational track and field meet on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Milbank. Hanson won, followed by Lightfield and Zemlicka. Hunt placed fifth.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

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Sussex Academy girl's soccer blanks Delmar in Henlopen South showdown

3 hours ago GEORGETOWN, Del. – Sussex Academy girl’s soccer took down Delmar 1-0 on Tuesday in Georgetown. The teams played to a 0-0 draw in the first half, thanks in part to the efforts of Wildcats goalkeeper Lily Baker, who stood tall against consistent pressure from the Seahawks’ offense. The match remained scoreless until […]

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Sussex Academy girl's soccer blanks Delmar in Henlopen South showdown

GEORGETOWN, Del. – Sussex Academy girl’s soccer took down Delmar 1-0 on Tuesday in Georgetown.

The teams played to a 0-0 draw in the first half, thanks in part to the efforts of Wildcats goalkeeper Lily Baker, who stood tall against consistent pressure from the Seahawks’ offense.

The match remained scoreless until Sussex Academy final broke through with just over 20 minutes to play. Maya Hastings sent a ball into a box that found the foot of Natalie Roblero Chavez in a dangerous position. Roblero Chavez sent it to a cutting Addyson Bleile in the heart of the box who finished past the outstretched arms of Baker.

The freshman Bleile’s goal proved to be the difference in the game, giving Sussex Academy a 1-0 victory over Henlopen South foe Delmar.

After the game, Seahawks Head Coach Chase Humphrey talked about how his group was finally able to break through, saying, “Just keeping our discipline. At the beginning of the first half we were forcing things too much, gave them goal kicks, played into space for no reason. I think once we settled down in the second half and found feet and broke them down, Addy [Bleile] had a great finish and that was all we needed.”

Sussex Academy moves to 10-3 with the victory, with Delmar falling to 10-2-1.

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Trump Live Updates

The United States and Houthis in Yemen reached a deal to halt American airstrikes against the group after the Iranian-backed militants agreed to cease attacks against American vessels in the Red Sea, President Trump and Omani mediators said Tuesday. Mr. Trump broke the news of the truce during an unrelated Oval Office meeting with Canada’s […]

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Trump Live Updates

The United States and Houthis in Yemen reached a deal to halt American airstrikes against the group after the Iranian-backed militants agreed to cease attacks against American vessels in the Red Sea, President Trump and Omani mediators said Tuesday.

Mr. Trump broke the news of the truce during an unrelated Oval Office meeting with Canada’s prime minister, surprising even his own Pentagon officials.

“They just don’t want to fight,” Mr. Trump said. “And we will honor that and we will stop the bombings. They have capitulated, but more importantly, we will take their word. They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore.”

But despite his claim of success, it remained unclear whether the United States had achieved its objective of stopping the Houthis from impeding international shipping after a costly seven-week bombing campaign.

The Houthis themselves stopped short of declaring a full cease-fire, saying that they would continue to fight Israel. And Houthi officials and supporters swiftly portrayed the deal as a major victory for the militia and a failure for Mr. Trump, spreading a social media hashtag that read “Yemen defeats America.”

For more than a year, the Houthis have been firing projectiles and launching drones at commercial and military ships in the Red Sea in what the militia group has described as a show of solidarity with Gaza residents and with Hamas, the militant group controlling the Palestinian territory.

In mid-March, the United States began striking hundreds of targets to try to reopen international shipping lanes. The campaign has cost well over $1 billion, congressional officials said they learned in closed-door briefings with Pentagon officials last month. The rate of munitions used in the campaign has caused concern among some U.S. military strategists, who are worried it could undermine readiness for a potential conflict with China.

After Mr. Trump unexpectedly broke the news of the deal between the Houthis and the United States, Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, said his country had mediated the agreement.

“In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping,” he said in a statement on social media.

For his part, Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi politician, said that if the United States halted its attacks on Yemen, the Houthis would halt their attacks on a smaller group: “American military fleets and interests.”

However, Mr. Al-Bukhaiti said the Houthis would continue military operations until Israel lifted its siege on Gaza, “no matter the sacrifices, even if we have to fight until Judgment Day.”

His statement left unclear whether the Houthis would stop attacking other vessels in the crucial shipping lane. The Houthis have said that they were targeting only ships with links to Israel or the United States, but the militia has in the past targeted vessels with no obvious link to either. In an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, Mr. Al-Bukhaiti did not answer specific questions as to whether the group would continue to attack Israeli-linked ships.

Mahdi al-Mashat, another senior Houthi official, made clear the group intended to retaliate against Israel for its bombing of the main international airport in Yemen on Tuesday. Mr. al-Mashat said the response from the Houthis would be “earth-shattering, painful, and beyond the capability of the Israeli and American enemy to bear.”

Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a senior member of the group, also described Mr. Trump’s announcement as a “victory” for the Houthis, implying in a social media post that the agreement meant that the United States was no longer supporting Israel’s battle against the Houthis.

The U.S. Central Command, responsible for operations against the Houthis, referred questions about the agreement to the White House. The White House declined to elaborate on Mr. Trump’s remarks or respond to inquiries about what the administration would do if the Houthis continued strikes against Israeli vessels.

Mr. Trump, who is prone to make offhand remarks that can upend foreign policy, appeared to catch his own Defense Department off guard. Three Pentagon officials said Tuesday afternoon that the military had yet to receive word from the White House to end its offensive operations against the Houthis. The officials were scrambling to figure out how Mr. Trump’s announcement had changed military policy.

The new U.S. truce with the Iranian-backed militants comes as American officials are working to negotiate a deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, and the agreement with the Houthis could play a role in those broader discussions.

Two Iranian officials said on Tuesday that Iran used its influence with the Houthis as part of Oman’s effort to broker a cease-fire and get them to stop firing on U.S. ships. The officials, one in the foreign ministry and one with the Revolutionary Guards, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The Houthis receive weapons and funding from Iran, and are part of a network of what is regionally known as Iran’s axis of resistance. A recent social media post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened action on Iran over Houthi attacks on American ships.

For the past few weeks, Iranian officials have publicly distanced themselves from the Houthis, saying Iran has no control over the group and that their actions are a response to the war in Gaza. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in mid-March that “Houthis act independently based on their own interests and personal views,” and denied Iran had any proxy militia in the region.

Ahmad Zeidabadi, a prominent reformist analyst, wrote on social media that the cease-fire news between the United States and Houthis was “the best news for him” and the worst news for hard-liners in Iran who support proxy militias in the region.

Still, national security experts cast doubt that an agreement would lead to a long-term cessation of attacks in the Red Sea. Mr. Trump’s announcement came just hours after the Houthis released a statement that said it was fighting a “holy war in aid of the wronged Palestinian people in Gaza” and confronting an “Israeli-American-British” enemy.

The Houthis have described their attacks as an attempt to pressure Israel into increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where more than two million Palestinians have struggled to obtain food and water — a blockade that has only deepened recently.

Palestinians in Gaza have been under siege by Israel since Hamas carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel in October 2023 and took hostages. Israeli and Houthi forces have also conducted strikes against each other.

“I would anticipate the Houthis will continue to look to strike Israel, as well as what the group calls ‘Israeli-linked’ ships in the Red Sea,” said Gregory Johnsen, a former member of the U.N. Security Council’s Panel of Experts on Yemen. “If that happens, what does the U.S. do: restart the strikes or let Israel deal with the Houthis?”

He also expressed skepticism that the commercial shipping industry would return to the Red Sea en masse, given that the Houthis “haven’t been defeated or degraded to the point that they can’t carry out these attacks.”

“They’ve only promised not to, and whether or not the shipping industry is willing to take the Houthis word for it remains to be seen,” he said.

Helene Cooper contributed reporting from the Pentagon, Eric Schmitt from Washington, Farnaz Fassihi from New York and Shuaib Almosawa from Sana, Yemen.

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High school sports roundup

Softball Edmonds-Woodway defeated Archbishop Murphy 11-6 The Warriors head to left field for a post-game huddle after defeating Archbishop Murphy 11-3 to secure the Wesco 2A/3A Conference Championship Monday, May 5. (Photos by Joe Christian) Edmonds-Woodway pitcher Helena Marsh held Archbishop Murphy to three runs over six innings on Monday. E-W senior Mara Gooch rounds […]

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High school sports roundup

Softball

Edmonds-Woodway defeated Archbishop Murphy 11-6

The Warriors head to left field for a post-game huddle after defeating Archbishop Murphy 11-3 to secure the Wesco 2A/3A Conference Championship Monday, May 5. (Photos by Joe Christian)
Edmonds-Woodway pitcher Helena Marsh held Archbishop Murphy to three runs over six innings on Monday.
E-W senior Mara Gooch rounds third base and heads home to score.
Warriors’ senior Ella Campbell (top) tries to tag Archbishop Murphy’s Maliya Dixon (3) at first base.
EW’s Catie Ingalls (right) cheers as left fielder Abby Tracy catches a difficult flyball to end the inning.
The Warriors’ Ellie Alderson (5) beat the throw to first base and advanced on to third as the ball got away from the Wildcats’ defense.
The Warriors celebrate as Wesco 2A/3A Conference champs.

The Edmonds-Woodway Warriors wrapped up the Wesco 3A/2A South Division regular-season title with the win over the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats, 11-6. The Warriors improved their league record to 10-1 and are 14-5 with one regular season game remaining before turning their attention to the upcoming District tournament.

Edmonds-Woodway offense highlights:
Madeline Jones: 3 for 4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
Catie Ingalls: 2 for 5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Ella Campbell: 2 for 5, RBI
Abby McCorvey: 2 for 4, 2B, R, RBI, SF
Audrey Sommer: 2 for 4, R, 2 RBI
Ellie Alderson: 1 for 4, 2 R
Neva Cheeney: 1 for 4, HBP, R, RBI
Noa Gillespie: 1 for 5, R
Abby Tracy: R
Mara Gooch: R
Helena Marsh: SAC

Edmonds-Woodway pitching highlights:
Helena Marsh: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 9 K

Archbishop Murphy offense highlights:
Markella Vick: 1 for 3: BB, HR, R, 3 RBI
Carly Madhavan: 2 for 3, BB, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Sarah Fletcher: 2 for 4, R
Ari Dixon: 1 for 3
Saylah Lopez: BB, 2 R, SB
Maddie Evans: BB, R, SB
Kayla Hookfin: SB

Records (league and overall): Edmonds-Woodway 10-1, 14-5; Archbishop Murphy 8-3, 12-7
Edmonds-Woodway next game: at Mountlake Terrace; Wednesday, May 7; 6:30 p.m.

Meadowdale defeated Shorewood 6-5 (8 innings)

Madison Mitchell’s double scored Arianna Lyon for the walk off victory as the Mavericks defeated the Stormrays in eight innings.

Meadowdale offense highlights:
Jaeden Sajec: 2 for 3, BB, 3 R, 3 SB
Samantha Martens: 3 for 3, BB, R, RBI
Payton Fry: 3 for 4, RBI
Olivia Feistel: 1 for 3, BB, 2B, R, RBI
Madison Mitchell: 1 for 4, BB, 2B, RBI
Sophia Billy: 1 for 4, RBI
Zoe De Mello: 1 for 5
Arianna Lyon: BB, R

Meadowdale pitching highlights:
Olivia Feistel: 8 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K

Shorewood offense highlights:
Lillian Perrault: 2 H, 2 RBI
Grace McLaughlin: 2 H
Ellie Van Horn: 2 H

Records (league and overall): Meadowdale 8-3, 9-9; Shorewood 6-5, 11-8
Meadowdale next game: at Archbishop Murphy; Wednesday, May 7; 4 p.m.

Lake Stevens defeated Mountlake Terrace 10-2

Lake Stevens pitching highlights:
Mara Sivley: 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 15 K

Lake Stevens offense highlights:
Alaina Emme: 3 for 4, 3 RBI
Alyssa Anderson: 2 for 3, BB, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 SB
Alexis Osterholtz: 2 for 4, R, RBI
Cora Quintel: 1 for 4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Katie Lingren: 1 for 3, BB, R, RBI, SB
Reese Breckenridge: 1 for 4, BB, R, 2 SB
Cassie Raysbrook: 3 R

Mountlake Terrace offense highlights:
Bri Reyes: 2 for 4, RBI
Hailey Taron: 1 for 3
Olivia Brown: BB, RBI
Charlotte Snook: R
Ruby Gilbert: R

Records: Lake Stevens 10-8; Mountlake Terrace 7-11
Mountlake Terrace next game: vs Edmonds-Woodway; Wednesday, May 7; 6:30 p.m. at Mountlake Terrace High School

Shorecrest defeated Lynnwood 20-1 (5 innings)
No details reported

Records (league and overall): Shorecrest 2-10, 5-12; Lynnwood 0-11, 1-16
Lynnwood next game: vs Shorewood; Wednesday, May 7; 4 p.m. at Lynnwood High School

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High School Sports

2 California high schools leaving Nevada association over Trump transgender ban

A recent decision by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) is costing the conference two longtime member schools from California, and one more may soon leave as well.  Who is leaving the NIAA? Starting this fall, North Tahoe and Truckee, two Northern California schools close to the Nevada border, have decided to leave the NIAA […]

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May 6, 2025

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2 California high schools leaving Nevada association over Trump transgender ban

A recent decision by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) is costing the conference two longtime member schools from California, and one more may soon leave as well. 

Who is leaving the NIAA?

Starting this fall, North Tahoe and Truckee, two Northern California schools close to the Nevada border, have decided to leave the NIAA because of the association’s vote to ban transgender athletes from playing in girls sports. According to the Reno Gazette Journal, South Tahoe High School will remain in the NIAA for now.  

On Tuesday, April 3, the NIAA voted to ban transgender girls from playing girls’ sports. Athletes on girls’ teams will have to prove their sex assigned at birth if a school raises a claim that they are transgender.

The athletic association said they are following President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s school sports. Attorney Paul Anderson said not approving the transgender policy puts Nevada schools at risk of losing federal funding.

What are the California schools saying about the move?

The two California schools making the move away from the Nevada conference believe they have to abide by California laws that bar discrimination based on sex or gender identity. 

“We are a California school district, and so we must adhere to California state law,” Amber Burke, spokesperson for Truckee schools, told the Gazette Journal.

Truckee Tahoe Unified School District’s Superintendent Kerstin Kramer explained the school’s decision to leave the NIAA in a letter to parents.

“We understand how incredibly important high school sports are to so many of our students, families, and community members. Please know that this decision, while driven by our requirement to comply with California state law, was not taken lightly,” Kramer said. “Recent NIAA policy changes regarding student-athlete eligibility based solely on biological sex directly conflict with California laws protecting gender identity and expression, including AB 1955, which guarantees students’ rights to privacy and protects them from discrimination.”

Why is the move upsetting to parents and students?

The schools are moving to the California Interscholastic Federation, but that means much longer trips for games and other activities. Many opponents will be an hour or more away in the Sacramento suburbs.  

Truckee High School is a football powerhouse, winning two of the past three state Nevada 3A football championships. In all, Truckee has won 14 state football championships in Nevada.

How are other states trying to navigate Trump’s executive order?

Several states have had to grapple with President Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports. In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi warned officials in Maine, California and Minnesota to comply with President Trump’s executive orders or face legal action. 

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, D, previously sparred with Trump at a National Governors Association meeting over her state’s refusal to implement the ban. She responded to the President’s threat to take away Maine’s federal funding with a curt “See you in court.”

There are currently several cases challenging Trump’s executive order making their way through state and federal courts.

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