Ospreys senior sixth in 800 final, named first-team All-American

Smilla Kolbe has swooped onto the All-American list.

From 6-8 June, St. Kitts & Nevis proudly welcomed the Eastern Caribbean’s brightest young beach volleyball talents for the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U21 Beach Volleyball Championship. Organised in close partnership with the FIVB and Olympic Solidarity, the championship brought together 24 teams representing 10 countries, all vying for top spot. 

As the official ECVA qualifier for the 2025 NORCECA U21 Championships, the tournament was a key step towards qualification for the FIVB U21 World Championships later this year. The stakes were high, as the top three teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions were promised the chance to compete at the NORCECA World Championship Qualifier, which will be held from 3 to 7 July in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. 

Against the breathtaking backdrop of Caribbean waters, the tournament was a great showcase of beach volleyball’s emerging young stars. In the men’s competition, Dominica’s Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick successfully defended their title, becoming back-to-back ECVA U21 Beach Volleyball Champions. On the women’s side, St. Lucia’s Ericka Gaspard and Clio Phillip delivered a flawless performance. Maintaining an unbroken 5-0 record without dropping a single set, their dominance and composure made for a great spectacle. 

All four remaining NORCECA qualifying spots went to beneficiaries of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme: St. Lucia and Grenada in the men’s competition, and Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica in the women’s competition. 

“This year’s championship was more than just a tournament – it was a celebration of youth, excellence, and the unmatched beauty of the Caribbean,” said the ECVA President, Glenn Quinlan. “The court setup along the Saint Kitts and Nevis coastline was truly spectacular and raised the bar for future ECVA events.” 

“This fantastic event is part of a broader strategy to build sustainable, year-round development in beach volleyball, as emphasised in the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032,” said FIVB President Fabio Azevedo. “It’s not only about competition, it’s about providing athletes, coaches, and officials with the tools and experience that they need to grow the sport at the regional level. We are grateful for the support of our partners within the Global Volleyball Movement and Olympic Solidarity in helping to make this a reality.” 

Beyond the on-court competition, the championship was complemented by a comprehensive regional training camp and a beach volleyball coaches course held from 1 to 6 June. This programme was open to both experienced and aspiring coaches, providing education and technical knowledge to help empower coaches across the region. All coaching course participants are now eligible to take part in the upcoming NORCECA Beach Volleyball International Referee Candidate Course. Additionally, all match officials, including referees, scorers and line judges, were recruited from within the Caribbean, offering them critical experience officiating at an international-level event.  

Sheila Stephens Desbans, Olympic Solidarity Head of Sport Development stated; “This is the third year we’ve proudly supported the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) through our partnership with the FIVB. With events in St. Lucia and the Cayman Islands, we’re seeing real progress in the development of athletes, coaches and officials. Sport should be a catalyst for growth, and we are proud to see that this partnership continues to deliver a meaningful and positive impact.” 

SINGAPORE – Fans can expect record-breaking feats at the July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships (WCH) in Singapore, as event organisers give the media a first look and back-of-house tour of the WCH Arena on June 16.

Built in Carpark G near the Kallang Tennis and Kallang Football Hub, the main attraction of the sheltered, purpose-built facility constructed by Kin Productions is the long-course pool which will host the swimming (July 27-Aug 3) and artistic swimming (July 18-25) events. A warm-up pool with the same dimensions is located in a separate block.

Measuring 50m by 26m with a depth of three metres, the competition pool is notably wider and deeper than the Paris Olympics’ temporary pool at the La Defense Arena, which was one metre narrower and had a depth of 2.15m.

At Paris 2024, there were four new world records and 17 Olympic records. There is a realistic prospect of more record-breaking feats here, as swimmers tend to prefer a deeper pool because the increased depth reduces water turbulence and calmer waters generally result in faster times.

Foundation work for the WCH Arena began in December 2024, and construction was done from January to May.

With a seating capacity of 4,800, there is a compact feel to the facility, which is about one-third of the size of temporary facilities constructed for recent world championships.

At the 2024 edition in Doha, Qatar, swimming and artistic swimming were hosted inside the 15,500-capacity Aspire Dome, while in 2023 swimming was held at the 15,000-seater Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A – part of the Fukuoka Convention Centre – with average daily attendances ranging from 3,000 to 5,000.

Singapore’s WCH Arena stands out for its red seats and red OSB11 starting blocks, which are the same as those used at Paris 2024.

The seats are positioned at a 32-degree angle, providing spectators with a better viewing experience. This differs from the standard 17-degree angle which is typically adopted for spectator seats at other events in Singapore.

Four 14m by 3m screens above the spectator seating and a 29m by 3m bigger screen on the south wall will display results and replays, with 46m by 1m screens along the length of the pool for sponsors’ logos.

The venue will also have a fan zone with interactive activities, merchandise areas, sponsors’ booths, and food and beverage stalls.

At the one-year countdown to the WCH in 2024, Alan Goh, 2025 World Aquatics Championships organising committee co-chairperson and chief executive officer of Sport Singapore, had said that “there are many factors we took into consideration when selecting the venue”.

The 50,000-seater National Stadium was initially mooted as the venue for swimming but in January 2024 it was reported that swimming and artistic swimming could instead be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Six months later, organisers revealed that a temporary facility would be built instead.

Goh said then: “Of course, National Stadium and Indoor Stadium were (involved in discussions) as well. But when we had discussions with World Aquatics, it was clear that the National Stadium with its 50,000 capacity is way over the typical attendance for the event.

“So on balance, and having considered factors such as cost, factors such as downtime of the Indoor Stadium and National Stadium, the decision was best to hold the events in the Aquatic Centre and build a very nice facility in Carpark G.”

The temporary facility could be used as a training or competition venue for local and regional meets before and after the championships, he said.

The Straits Times understands that one consideration is for Singapore Aquatics to use the venue to prepare for competitions such as the 2029 SEA Games held here, while the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex is currently being renovated.

Over 2,500 athletes from more than 190 countries and territories will compete in the six aquatic disciplines at the world championships.

The water polo and diving events will be held at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, while Sentosa will host open-water swimming (Palawan Beach) and high diving (Palawan Green).

The June 19-29 Southeast Asia Age Group Aquatics Championships, a youth aquatics competition comprising over 500 athletes from across the region, will serve as a test event for the WCH.

The swimming (June 25-27) and artistic swimming (June 20-22) will be the first competitions held at the WCH Arena, while water polo (June 19-22) and diving (June 27-29) will take place at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.

• David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.

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In the final race of his dominating Cornell track and field career, Damian Hackett ’25 finished less than half a second behind the winner of the National Collegiate Athletics Association 1500m championship race. With his eighth-place finish, Hackett capped off a record-breaking season by earning First Team All-American honors in the 1500m.

“It’s an honor to be selected,” Hackett said. “All-American was my reach goal from the start of the season so there is a sense of accomplishment to reach that goal — especially at the conclusion of my career at Cornell.”

In the first 20 seconds of the race, Hackett ran in the top three spots. After the first half of the race, Hackett had been shuffled back to sixth as the racers bunched closer together.

As the race continued, Hackett’s competitors pushed the pace. Hackett found himself further back than he had hoped. His final lap split was 51.53 seconds, which was 0.07 seconds shy of the race’s winner, Nathan Green from the University of Washington. 

“Going into the race I knew it was going to be a stacked field. …That changes the race, because everyone is a great kicker, so you can’t necessarily rely on using your kick,” Hackett said, referring to a runner’s ability to increase their speed during the final stretch of a race. “The goal was to be more towards the front than I have been in the semifinals and use that to be more efficient.” 

In the last 30 seconds of the race, Hackett moved to the outside lane in an attempt to make a final kick. This final push landed him in eighth place — a good enough finish to qualify for First Team All-American recognition. Hackett is proud that the program has “received more recognition” on the national stage that the NCAAs offers. 

“It’s great to see our team culture come out and the [NCAAs] is an opportunity to showcase us on a bigger stage, which is great to see,” Hackett said. “[The team] is the most important thing to me,  and the support from my teammates and people back home really made a difference.”

Cornell’s last track and field All-Americans were Austin Jamerson ’17 and Rudy Winkler ’17 in 2017. Hackett’s historic career at Cornell will also be remembered by his records, as he holds the fastest 1500m time in Cornell history, 3:36.78, which is also ranked No. 26 overall in the United States. 

Hackett is number one on the all-time indoor mile list at Cornell, clocking in with a time of 3:56.15. He has the school’s best 800m time at 1:47.40, which he set this year at the Wake Forest Invitational, and the best ever 1000m time at 2:20.42. Hackett is mentioned 11 more times on Cornell’s men’s track and field record book. 

“I always knew it would be tough to accomplish [those] goals,” Hackett said. “I am really proud of the strong tradition at Cornell track, and it’s an honor to have continued that.”

In the future, Hackett intends to continue running “in some form” and hopes to compete in the Ivy League’s Izumo Ekiden — an annual long-distance relay race where the Ivy League sends a select team of alumni runners to race in Japan. 

He also recognized how important to him the team has been throughout his past four years. Hackett highlighted how proud he was to “be a Cornell runner” and an athlete in the Ivy League, which he says combines “athletic and academic” success for its athletes. 

“It’s important to recognize what we have at Cornell, now more than ever, and the Ivy League more broadly — where culture is the key to success,” Hackett said. “I feel really good about leaving the program in a stronger place than it was when I came as a freshman. It’s definitely what I am most proud of.”

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Courtland rising senior Kayden Whitaker was runner-up in the Class 4 state 100-meter dash and was a part of the school-record setting 400 relay team that won a state championship last weekend at Liberty University in Lynchburg.

Fredericksburg-area track and field athletes took home both individual medals and team hardware this postseason.  

Athletes from Courtland, Colonial Forge, James Monroe, and Massaponax high schools were a step ahead of the competition at their respective state competitions last weekend. 

Courtland rising senior and second-year runner Kayden Whitaker didn’t just win races — he set records. He was named MVP of Courtland’s track team, earned all-Battlefield District honors and ran the 100-meter dash in 10.57 seconds, which now stands as a school record. 

The accolades didn’t stop there.  

Whitaker was voted Runner of the Year after earning the most regional votes from area track coaches. His older brother, Kwame Whitaker Jr., was part of Courtland’s 400-meter relay unit that previously held a school record, but his younger sibling and three others broke the mark.   

Kayden Whitaker, along with Anthony Marshall, Daijon Edwards, and Brayden Bachiller, eclipsed the record with a blazing time of 41.75 seconds to win the state championship at Liberty University in Lynchburg. 

Whitaker said the camaraderie established with teammates like Marshall, Edwards and Bachiller was a highlight of his season. 

One of the group’s most memorable moments came when Whitaker received the baton neck-and-neck with a Varina High runner, but burst past the field on the final leg, winning the Region 4B race by a tenth of a second. 

Whitaker finished runner-up in the state in Class 4 in the 100 but took first place in the district and region competitions. He is now preparing for Adidas Nationals June 21-22 at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he’ll compete in the 100 and the 200 as well as the 400 relay.  

“I really like my chances at nationals. I put in a lot of work over the last year,” he said. 

His parents, Kwame Whitaker Sr. and Elena Whitaker, credit Courtland coach Kristen Lowery for shaping all three of their children — including daughter Akeila Edwards — into standout athletes. 

“All of my kids have held state and school track records under Coach Lowery’s guidance. It’s just a testament to her coaching,” Elena Whitaker said. 

The Colonial Forge boys captured the first track and field team state championship in Stafford County history last weekend. (Photo courtesy of Sean Hill)

Eagles’ boys soar to first team track title in county history

Just a few miles north in Stafford County, Colonial Forge head coach Sean Hill led the Eagles’ boys to the Class 6 state title. It is the first track and field team title in Stafford County history. Hill, a 2003 Colonial Forge alum, previously coached at Riverbend (2014–16) and returned to Forge as an assistant before becoming head coach this year. 

This season, his son, Brian Harris, won the state triple jump title with a mark of 47 feet, 1¼ inches, and sophomore Taishaun Daniel took the state title in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 8 inches. Harris has committed to Richard Bland College in Petersburg. 

Hill’s 400 relay team of seniors Malik Dark, Harris, Matt Fisher, and Owen Sharlow didn’t just win the state title — they set the Class 6 state record with a time of 40.97 seconds. Fisher will continue his track career at George Mason University. 

Looking back on the season, Hill said, “there were some good times and some bad times.”

His team battled injuries, and after losing regionals by just four points, they had a two-week recovery period and bounced back to win it all at the state meet at Todd Stadium in Newport News. 

“The boys really stepped up,” Hill said.  

It was a year of hard work for the Eagles. They practiced five days per week from 2:30–4 p.m. during the season. Hill said they had to “trust the process, not the outcome,” but the ending was sweet for Hill and his athletes.  

“The work is done in practice,” Hill said. “I’m proud of the kids for banding together to make history.” 

Forge’s 400 relay squad is preparing for the New Balance Nationals, held at the University of Pennsylvania June 19–22. 

Fredericksburg area girls also stood out on the track at the state level. The James Monroe girls’ 400 relay team captured the Class 3 championship at Liberty with a time of 48.74 seconds. The squad features sophomores Zariya Cole and Finé Swain, junior Harmony Jones and freshman Jaziah Banks. They capped a dominant season that also included Battlefield District and Region 3B victories.   

In the Class 5 boys 300-meter hurdles at Todd Stadium, nobody was better than Massaponax junior Davian Booker, who won his second straight state title with a time of 37.39 seconds. Booker was also the Commonwealth District and Region 5D champion. He’s the defending national champion in the 400 hurdles after capturing the crown at last year’s New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet. 

The future is bright for track and field in the area, with Booker and several other athletes now preparing to compete on the national stage.