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Forty Acres Insider: June 17

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6 months ago

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Longhorn Nation, 

Well folks, WE DID IT AGAIN! It came down to the wire, literally. I must admit I was on the edge of my seat, sweating out every point late Saturday night as our Women’s Track and Field squad put on a final surge of Texas Fight at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene to get us across the finish line. And when the number crunchers frantically tallied in our tie for 10th-place NCAA finish as well as those of the two programs on our heels (Stanford & USC), it was confirmed — the LEARFIELD DIRECTORS’ CUP WAS CLINCHED and will remain right here where it belongs on the Forty Acres! What a breathtaking and heart pumping way to cap off another fantastic year across all sports. Now it’s not officially official as we’re awaiting the final results that will come from our friends at NACDA later this month at the conclusion of baseball, but rest assured nobody can catch us now. Your Longhorns have claimed The Cup as the nation’s premier all-sports athletic program for the second-straight year and fourth time in five years (how about that for absolute dominance!). YES, we are the champions, AGAIN!

That SPECTACULAR TROPHY will be delivered soon enough and look absolutely glorious taking center stage alongside the others in our collection of the Learfield Directors’ Cups inside the Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame. It never gets old folks and shines brightly as a beacon of the PRIDE AND WINNING TRADITION of The University of Texas. This year’s Cup will forever be a bold reminder of the history made in our inaugural year as members of the Southeastern Conference. There were the eight SEC crowns (Beach Volleyball’s CCSA Championship made it nine conference titles), thrilling National Championships in Softball and Men’s Swimming and Diving, dramatic NCAA and CFP Final Four Tourney runs for Football, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Tennis, and top-three finishes from Rowing and Women’s Swimming and Diving that made it SEVEN teams among the nation’s top-three, along with 10 top-five’s and 13 top-10’s. And I’ve got to give credit where credit is due — it all starts with our unbelievable leaders — Chairman Eltife and President Davis — and their incredible support that allows our coaches, student-athletes and staff to do their thing. Longhorn Nation, you’re the absolute best too and have been right by our side helping us all vigorously row the boat in the same direction. When we do that — and keep those BBs in the box — we can accomplish anything under the sun! Y’all know, a United Texas is a reckoning my friends!

And while I’ve got you, here’s hoping everyone had an enjoyable Father’s Day weekend as we cherished the patriarchs in our lives. It was a day to applaud and thank them, and I do want to take a moment and send a shoutout to all of our Longhorn Dads. This week we will recognize and celebrate a very important Juneteenth holiday with our annual participation in the Central Texas Juneteenth Emancipation Parade on Thursday. It makes for another week of gratitude and family time filled with admiration, appreciation, reflection and love.

Speaking of appreciation, we’ve got to give our phenomenal women’s golfer Farah O’Keefe a huge round of applause and emphatic Hook ‘Em, Horns. Talk about WHAT STARTS HERE CHANGES THE WORLD, Farah was en fuego and put that Texas Fight on full display in stampeding all the way to The Women’s Amateur Championship final in Nairn, Scotland last week. Facing an elite field of 144 golfers from 30 countries, she took dead aim and advanced from stroke play through several rounds of match play, including a thrilling semifinal victory that put her in the championship match. Then on a special Father’s Day with her dad by her side, Farah battled through a grueling 36-hole final and came up just short. She left it all on the course and there’s no shame in being the runner-up on the grandest of world amateur stages. Well done my friend, we are very lucky to have you in the Burnt Orange & White.

The same can be said for our Fab Freshman Timo Legout who on Friday was tabbed the ITA Men’s Tennis National Player of the Year (making it three -straight Longhorns to earn that honor to boot). He went 35-3 on the season, 12-0 in conference for our SEC Championship squad and was the nation’s No. 1-ranked singles player this year. Another first-year phenom, Baseball’s Dylan Volantis, was named the NCBWA National Freshman of the Year. Our towering lefty and conference freshman of the year for our SEC Champions tossed 74 strikeouts against just 12 walks in 51 innings this year. He led all rookies nationally in saves (12), while ranking second in ERA (1.94) and batting average allowed (.185). Additionally last week, our sensational student-athlete Marg Van der Wal, the SEC Rower and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, was tabbed a finalist for the CRCA Athlete of the Year award and Softball’s Katie Stewart earned Academic All-America honors for her efforts on and off the field as well. Those are just another in a long line of Longhorn student-athletes that received national recognition this year! We are so proud of all of them and the time and effort our student-athletes commit to be elite in their sports, the classroom and the community.

Can’t get enough of the reminders of the THRILL OF VICTORY Coach White and our Softball program provided us. This recap with Coach White and our National Championship Longhorns will take you back and have you puttin’ those Horns Up. What a fabulous time it was watching our squad dig deep and win big, there was nothing “Weak or Timid” about their Texas Fight at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City! Now that the championship hardware is home in Austin, be sure to get that National Championship gear to add to your collection, too!

Oh, and be sure to grab your copy of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine. I know y’all can’t get enough football in the offseason and thumbing through the wealth of information DCTF has provided for generations is an annual ritual for so many in our great state. Our guy COACH SARK’S ON THE COVER and it’s a keeper for sure! You can check out all the behind-the-scenes video from the photo shoot here as well.

So, folks, THAT’S A WRAP. With the Learfield Directors’ Cup clinched and our sports seasons complete, what a perfect time for our final Forty Acres Insider of 2024-25. You’ve got plenty to be oh-so-proud of, so wear your Burnt Orange & White often and keep those Horns Up all the livelong day! We’ll be prepping for the year ahead while our student-athletes put in the work to continue to chase greatness. Y’all get yourself some much-deserved good solid R&R, let your road trips commence, so you’re ready to roll when the action heats up again in August. We’ve got lots of fun on the horizon and we’ll be ready to get revved back up soon enough because our work is not done. Preparations for 2025-26 are underway! See you soon!!

M/W Track and Field put a bow on season at NCAA Outdoor Championship

Coach Flo and our Longhorns took on the best of the best over in TrackTown USA last week at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Our individual highlights included a pair of bronze medal performances. For the women, Nina Ndubuisi led the way with a third-place finish in the shot put on the strength of a personal-best throw of 19.50 meters, that’s over 60 feet y’all! Kody Blackwood paced the men with his third-place showing in the 400-meter hurdles. Both 4×100-meter relays earned points, as the women’s group placed fifth and the men’s team finished eighth in the finals. And kudos to Xavier Butler and Kenondra Davis, who both earned first-team All-America honors in the 200-meter dash with top-seven performances.

Here’s some final nuggets to carry you over this summer!

Before I let you go for the summer, I mentioned quite a few of our outstanding notables from this recently completed 2024-25 academic calendar year. But folks, here’s a few more so that you can puff your chest out at the water cooler around your co-workers at the office and take with you on your family vacations this summer. With our Men’s Swimming and Diving and Softball teams capturing National Championships this season, this marks the FIFTH-STRAIGHT year that the Longhorns have won multiple national titles in the same academic season. Excluding the COVID-shortened year of 2019-20, Texas has now won at least one NCAA team title in 10-STRAIGHT seasons! Over the last five years, the Longhorns have won 13 NCAA team championships by eight different programs, while seven additional programs have either made the Final Four OR finished in the top three at the NCAA Championships. We sponsor 21 intercollegiate programs here on the Forty Acres, and 15 OF THOSE 21 PROGRAMS have now claimed a National Championship. WOW! We qualified 20 of our 21 NCAA eligible sports for their respective NCAA Championship events. Texas was the ONLY SCHOOL IN NCAA DIVISION I to have its Football, either Men’s or Women’s Basketball, and either Baseball or Softball programs reach the Final Four of their NCAA Tournaments this season!

The Longhorns have captured 68 all-time National Championships (64 NCAA titles). And how about a few more nuggets. Our 10 top-five performances in 2024-25 marked a tie for the second-most in school history, trailing only the 12 recorded in 2021-22. And our 13 top-10 efforts also tied for the second-most in school history, just one shy of the record 14 in 2021-22. We have recorded a total of 49 top-five NCAA team finishes and 65 top-10 NCAA team finishes during the last five years.

Hook ‘Em Horns,

Chris Del Conte

P.S. — Glad we’ll be able to be a part of Coach Corso’s final GameDay show. He’s been an institution for generations and is the absolute best!

P.S. — Hope all Longhorn Dads had a great Father’s Day!

P.S. — The boys are hard at work!

P.S. — Toast of the Town!

P.S. — What Starts Here!


HEADLINES:

Former Longhorns Raynard Davis, Sharon Neugebauer-Shepard earn spots in San Antonio ISD Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025

Women’s Golf’s O’Keefe advances to final at The Women’s Amateur Championship

Baseball’s Volantis, Galvan collect ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors

Men’s Basketball to host Virginia in 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge

Women’s Basketball to host North Carolina in ACC/SEC Challenge

Baseball’s Volantis, Galvan earn spots on NCBWA All-America Teams

Additional kickoff time, TV window assignments announced for Football

ESPN’s College GameDay coming to Football’s opener at Ohio State

Baseball’s Rodriguez, Volantis headline Perfect Game Freshman All-Americans

Men’s Golf quartet named to PING All-Central Region Team

Baseball lands four on ABCA/Rawlings All-Region teams

Baseball’s Volantis tabbed Freshman All-American





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South Carolina Gamecocks Defensive Back Plans to Enter the Transfer Portal

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31 minutes ago

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December 28, 2025

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After transferring to South Carolina prior to the 2025 season, defensive back Myles Norwood will enter the transfer portal in hopes of finishing his last year of eligibility elsewhere next fall. Norwood began his career at Iowa State, transferred to Ball State, and then to South Carolina. He will be looking for his fourth home this offseason.

Norwood was a collegiate track star turned defensive back in his college career. His journey began at Iowa Western Community College where he was a track and field participant for the Reivers. Following his freshman year in track he moved on to Iowa State to play for then head coach Matt Campbell (now Penn State). He spent two seasons with the cyclones appearing in just one game against West Virginia in 2022. In 2024, he transferred to New Mexico State in February, but never played for the Aggies before transferring to Ball State just three months later.

At Ball State, Norwood appeared in all 12 games for the Cardinals making seven starts. He was credited with with 38 tackles including 2.0 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and a team-leading 10 pass breakups. After his breakout season with the Cardinals, Norwood commited to the Gamecocks for the 2025 season. He appeared in 10 games, with two starts, in his time in Columbia as he racked up 19 total tackles this past season.

Updated Transfer Portal Tracker

Cason Henry enters the transfer porta

South Carolina offensive lineman Cason Henry (75) blocks Louisiana State University defensive end Bradyn Swinson (4) during the third quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Saturday, September 14, 2024. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In addition to Norwood, 11 other Gamecocks have entered the portal so far with the offensive line room taking the biggest hit. That list includes OL Tree Babalade, OL Cason Henry, WR Brian Rowe Jr., QB Air Noland, OL Mac Walters, OL Nick Sharpe, OL Trovon Baugh, DL Zavian Hardy, LB Jaron Willis, LB Taeshawn Alston, and K Peyton Argent.

A few others have already declared their move to the 2026 NFL Draft. Wide receiver Jared Brown was the latest to make his intentions known. He joins defensive tackle Monkell Goodwine, defensive tackle Nick Barrett, and defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. as those entering their names in the 2026 NFL Draft, with tight end Jordan Dingle expected to be the next name as his eligibility is out.

Join the community:

  • Follow Alex Joyce on Twitter: @AlexJoyceSI
  • Follow Joey Walraven on Twitter: @thejoeywalraven

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking “Follow” on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to follow us on X at @GamecocksDigest and on Facebook!

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Tennessee Tech Closes 2025 with Tennessee State at Eblen Center

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3 hours ago

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December 28, 2025

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By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations 

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech (6-7, 1-1) men’s basketball plays its final game of 2025 against Tennessee State (7-5, 1-1) at Hooper Eblen Center at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

The Golden Eagles return to the hardwood after an extended break for the holidays to face the Tigers. TSU has won five of the last seven games but most recently fell, 91-82, to SEMO, opening OVC competition 1-1. Tech has won three of the last four games and opened conference play with an 85-74 victory over SEMO, then fell to UT Martin (L, 62-86).

TTU enters today’s game 4-2 at home this season with wins over SEMO, Bethel (101-69), Berea (86-64), and Va. Lynchburg (118-58), and losses to West Ga. (L, 59-61) and UT Martin (L, 62-86).

GAME INFORMATION
 Matchup: Tennessee Tech (6-7, 1-1 OVC) vs. Tennessee State (7-5, 1-1 OVC)
Date & Time: Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Hooper Eblen Center
Watch: ESPN+ | Dylan Vazzano (PxP) and Frank Harrell (Analyst)
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle | Noah McKay (PxP) and Jacob Vinson (Analyst)
Promotion: Purple Haze – WEAR PURPLE! 

INSIDE THE SERIES
 Overall: TSU leads, 41-39
In Cookeville: Tech leads, 23-17
In Nashville: TSU leads, 18-22
Neutral sites: TSU leads 2-0
Current Streak: TTU won 1
Last Meeting: TTU won 77-74 in Cookeville (Feb. 22, 2025)

TECH NOTES
 Dani Pounds leads Tech in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game (19th in OVC), and Mekhi Cameron is second on the team with 12.2 points per game (20th in OVC). Pounds is fourth in the OVC in free-throw percentage, shooting 84.1 from the line. Pounds leads the Golden Eagles in rebounds with 4.8 per game (20th in OVC).

JaJuan Nicholls is second on the team in rebounds per game (4.7), which is 23rd in the conference.

Tennessee Tech’s 118 points against Va. Lynchburg (W, 118-58, 11/10/25) mark the third-most points scored in a single game by an OVC team this season.

Ty Owens is second in the OVC with 4.2 assists per game (54 total). Nicholls is tied for fifth in the conference in blocks per game (1.2) and fourth in the OVC in total blocks (16).

The Golden Eagles are second in the conference in points per game (79.7), as well as fourth in the conference in scoring margin (3.5). TTU holds the second-best shooting percentage in the OVC (47.0, 365-777), making three fewer shots than the conference leaders (Lindenwood, 47.4).

OPPONENT NOTES
 Tennessee State (7-5, 1-1) leads the all-time series 41-39 as the teams split the last two matchups during the 2024-25 season.

The Tigers are coming off a hard-fought 91–82 loss to Southeast Missouri at the Gentry Center, while the Golden Eagles also enter the contest following a defeat.

The game marks the return to action for both programs after a 10-day break. Tennessee State will open the 2026 calendar year on the road at Little Rock on Saturday, Jan. 3.

Aaron Nkrumah leads the Tigers in scoring with 17.0 points per game, averaging 4.8 rebounds per contest and 2.6 assists per game. Travis Harper II is second on the team with 15.8 points per game, and Dante Harris is third on the squad per contest with 12.6 points on average.  

PURCHASE TICKETS
Tickets for Tennessee Tech Men’s Basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or order online at TTUsports.com.

FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Fans can be sure to follow the Golden Eagles men’s basketball team on X (@TTU_Basketball), Instagram (TTUMBB), and Facebook (TTU MBB) for all of the news, notes, and updates.

 





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Top 25 Moments of 2025

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3 hours ago

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December 28, 2025

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Helms, a transfer from Texas A&M, bested his previous Heptathlon score of 5394 which he earned at the Stan Scott Invite and Multis taking place on Jan. 30-Feb. 1, hosted by Texas Tech. He has had immense success in the Key City, posting three different splits at the Red Raider open in the 60m hurdles (8.30), 4x400m (3:16.21, 49.27 split) and pole vault (16-2/4.93m).

At the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Robertson has etched herself in the record books. At the NCAA Outdoor National Championships, she recorded the best finish by a Bronco since the 2022 campaign by finishing 53rd in a field of 254 total runners.

Robertson was the first Bronco woman to earn All-America honors in the 1,500 since 2019 (Emma Bates). Hanna Ackermann also posted a top finish while in Eugene. Ackermann recorded a time of 9:54.21 in the steeplechase. The time was the third-fastest time in Boise State history.

Helms registered a score of 7,696 in the decathlon. His mark ranks third in Boise State school history and improved his previous mark in the decathlon at the 2025 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships which were hosted by Fresno State in Clovis, California.



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Shondell Inks Transfer Lameen Mambu – Purdue Boilermakers

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4 hours ago

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December 28, 2025

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Outside hitter Lameen “Mimi” Mambu is set to transfer to Purdue volleyball, announced by head coach Dave Shondell. Mambu joins the Boilermakers after spending her freshman season at Georgia Tech, where she led the Yellow Jackets’ offense with 345 points and 304 kills.

“What a wonderful Christmas gift to get the commitment from a smart and dynamic student-athlete,” Shondell said. “We’re excited to have this hard-hitting high-flyer join our team after such a strong first season at Georgia Tech where she helped lead them to an NCAA tournament appearance. We watched Mimi play in high school and knew she would be a special player. Mimi learned so much about our program from Kash [Akasha Anderson] and Isabelle Bardin who are good friends from the D.C. area.”

2025 // AS A FRESHMAN AT GEORGIA TECH

  • Played in all 30 matches as a freshman, making 25 starts
  • Led Georgia Tech’s offense with 345 points, 304 kills and 854 attempts while averaging 2.92 kills per set
  • Posted 10 digs, seven kills and two block assists at Purdue in Georgia Tech’s 3-1 win at Purdue (9/3).
  • Averaged one dig per set with .46 blocks per set
  • Recorded a season-high 17 kills vs. Georgia (9/19)
  • Secured a career-high 20 points vs. Arkansas State (8/31), including a career-high 16 digs and 16 kills
  • Registered three double-doubles
  • Went nearly errorless on the attack in the sweep at Clemson (11/12), posting a .481 attack % behind 14 kills and one error on 27 swings
  • Saw at least 20 attacks in 25 matches and 40 attacks in four matches
  • Served up four aces in the season-opener vs. Wofford (8/29), a career-high
  • Totaled 14 kills, second-most on the team, along with four digs and a block assist in the five set loss to UCLA in the NCAA First Round

 

HIGH SCHOOL

  • Spent four years playing at Chantilly High School
  • A three-time District Player of the Year award winner (2022-2024)
  • Three-time All-State First Team honoree (2022-2024)
  • Four-time All-Region First Team honoree (2021-2024)
  • Led her to team to become three-time District Champions (2021, 2022, 2024) and two-time Regional Champions (2022 And 2024)
  • 2025 Under Armor Next Volleyball All-American competitor
  • Won a silver medal with the United States U19 National Team during the summer of 2025



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Best of small school volleyball in Palm Beach

Published

4 hours ago

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December 28, 2025

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Dec. 28, 2025, 10:54 a.m. ET

The 2025 Palm Beach Post All-County teams are here!

The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the Player of the Year nominees for small school volleyball.

Player of the Year winners will be announced at the South Florida Fair in a live ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 24. Nominees will be able to register to attend for free, thanks to sponsors. For more information about the show, please reach out to deputy sports editor Eric J. Wallace (ejwallace@pbpost.com).



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Best of large school volleyball in Palm Beach

Published

4 hours ago

on

December 28, 2025

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Dec. 28, 2025, 10:54 a.m. ET

The 2025 Palm Beach Post All-County teams are here!

The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the Player of the Year nominees for large school volleyball.

Player of the Year winners will be announced at the South Florida Fair in a live ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 24. Nominees will be able to register to attend for free, thanks to sponsors. For more information about the show, please reach out to deputy sports editor Eric J. Wallace (ejwallace@pbpost.com).



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