The Arkansas Razorbacks have earned a top-20 finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings for a program-record fifth consecutive year, the university announced Thursday.

The award is given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the colleges and universities with the most success in collegiate athletics.

The Razorbacks ranked No. 5 in the Southeastern Conference and No. 11 overall in the final standings released by the NACDA, a news release said.

Arkansas earned a total of 966.7 points and is one of 11 league programs in the top 25 of the final standings.

Arkansas finished No. 18 in 2023-24, No. 13 in 2022-23, No. 7 in 2021-22 and No. 8 in 2020-21.

Arkansas has won eight NCAA championships and 39 Southeastern Conference team championships in the past seven years, including 31 conference titles in the past five years alone, the release said.

Both conference championship totals lead all SEC programs and the Hog’s 39 titles are more than seven other league programs combined in that same time-frame.

“Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the loyal support of our Razorback Foundation members, the University of Arkansas once again ranks among the nation’s top performing collegiate athletics programs,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek in the release.

“Our program has finished in the top 20 of the Directors’ Cup for a school record five years in a row, even while competing against programs that have far more than 19 sports. We are grateful for the loyal support of Razorback fans who have and will continue to play an integral part in our success as we move forward into a new era of intercollegiate athletics.”

Football

A win over Texas Tech capped the season in style as the Razorbacks won their fourth straight AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

The win was also the third bowl win under Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, the release said.

Pittman is 3-0 as a head coach in bowl games at Arkansas, becoming the first Razorback coach to win his first three bowl outings. The victory earned Arkansas 45 Directors’ Cup points.

Baseball

The final Directors’ Cup standings include points awarded in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s beach volleyball, women’s bowling, men’s and women’s cross country, fencing, women’s field hockey, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, rifle, women’s rowing, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, skiing, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s water polo and wrestling, the release said.

Arkansas ended a strong baseball season with its 12th appearance at the College World Series. Led by Golden Spikes Award winner Wehiwa Aloy, the Hogs swept through the NCAA Regional and Super Regional rounds at Baum-Walker Stadium to earn a trip to Omaha.

Arkansas finished tied for third at the CWS and ended one step short of the championship series. The Hogs finished the season with a record of 50-15 and earned a top-5 national finish for the seventh time in school history. For their baseball season, Arkansas earned 83 Directors’ Cup points, it said.

Basketball

New head coach John Calipari’s Razorback men’s basketball team made an improbable run into the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 after starting SEC play winless in its first five games.

Arkansas finished the season with a 22-14 record, earned its 37th NCAA appearance and its 15th NCAA Sweet 16, including its fourth in the last five years, the release said.

The Hogs were a No. 10 seed and topped No. 7 seed Kansas (79-72) in the opening round, before upsetting No. 2 seed St. John’s (75-66) in the second round of the tournament.

Arkansas’ season came to an end to No. 3 Texas Tech (85-83). The Razorbacks earned 64 Directors’ Cup points for the NCAA Tournament run, it said.

Softball

Led by Bri Ellis, the Softball America and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Arkansas finished the 2025 campaign with a 44-14 overall record while making its fourth Super Regional appearance in program history, the release said.

The Hogs’ 44 wins were the most since 2022, with 48.

The Razorbacks were named the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and won the NCAA Fayetteville Regional, before falling in game three of the Fayetteville Super Regional to Ole Miss. The Hogs earned 64 points towards the Directors’ Cup from softball.

Soccer

Razorback Soccer continued its recent run of success on the pitch. Arkansas earned a No. 2 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament and hosted three rounds of postseason play in front of capacity crowds at Razorback Field.

Head coach Colby Hale’s squad advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history in 2024, including the third time in the past four seasons, it said.

The postseason success gained Arkansas 64 points in the Directors’ Cup standings.

Men’s track and field

The 2025 SEC Champion Arkansas men’s track and field team made a strong run at yet another national championship at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

A strong final day of performances clinched the Razorbacks a No. 3, just one point shy of two teams that tied for the national championship, the release said.

Head coach Chris Bucknam and the Razorback men in the past eight NCAA championships held in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. Jordan Anthony starred for the Razorbacks, capturing the individual title in the 100m with a time of 10.07. This marked the seventh podium finish for Bucknam’s Hogs.

Arkansas collected 85 Directors’ Cup points for its top-three national finish in men’s outdoor track and field.

Women’s outdoor track and field

Arkansas women’s outdoor track and field tallied 70.5 Directors’ Cup points after the Razorbacks finished eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

Led by a runner-up finish in the 4-x-400-meter relay and a bronze medal effort from Rosey Effiong in the 400 meters, the Hogs earned a top-10 finish at the national meet for Coach Chris Johnson.

This marked the fourth straight top-10 finish and the 10th time in the past 12 NCAA Outdoor meets, the Running Razorback women’s squad has accomplished that feat, it said.

Women’s golf

While making history, the Razorback women’s golf team pushed its way to a deep run in the postseason.

Arkansas advanced through the NCAA Regional and team stroke play at the NCAA Championship, before losing in the quarterfinals of match play competition to the eventual national championship team in Northwestern.

Sophomore Maria José Marin led the team and, in the process, became the third Razorback in history to win the individual national championships. For its NCAA quarterfinal finish, Arkansas scored 72.75 in Directors’ Cup points, the release said.

Men’s golf

Returning to a familiar place again in 2025, Arkansas men’s golf made the NCAA postseason. The Razorback men’s team played in its 17th straight NCAA Regional and competed as a team or with individuals in 31-of-36 Regionals held since 1989, it said.

Arkansas finished in the top seven as a team at the NCAA Amherst Regional and stumbled just short of qualifying for the NCAA Championship. For its regional appearance, the Razorbacks earned 33.5 Directors’ Cup points, it said.

Gymnastics

Razorback Gymnastics netted Arkansas 60.8 Directors’ Cup points in a strong season. The Hill’s Gymbacks advanced to the NCAA University Park Regional as a team before finishing one step shy of the NCAA Final.

Senior Maddie Jones and freshman Joscelyn Roberson moved to the NCAA Championship in individuals, with Jones competing on the uneven bars and Roberson competing in the all-around competition.

Men’s and women’s indoor Track and Field

Arkansas was on the podium following both the men’s and women’s competition at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Jordan Anthony won the 60-meter and a silver medal finish for Jack Turner in the heptathlon propelled the Arkansas men to a fourth-place trophy finish.

Anthony became the first Razorback to win the 60-meter at the NCAA Indoor, it said.

Turner’s score of 5,962 points placed second to Peyton Bair of Mississippi State in the heptathlon. The Running Razorbacks collected 80 Directors’ Cup points for the team finish.

Isabella Whittaker ran an amazing performance, producing an American and collegiate record in the 400-meter as she blasted a 2025 world-leading time of 49.24 seconds to lead the Razorback women, it said.

Arkansas finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in team standings with 31 points, earning 76.2 Directors’ Cup points.

Swim and dive

Freshman diver Maria Sanchez competed in three different events and led the Razorbacks to a 40th-place finish at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Sanchez-Moreno competed in the 1-meter (20th), 3-meter (13th) and platform (24th) dives.

Her performances at the national meet earned All-America Honorable Mention honors and earned Arkansas 26 Directors’ Cup points in women’s swimming and diving, the release said.

Cross country

The Razorback men’s cross country team earned the program’s first top-5 national finish of the year.

No. 3 Arkansas secured a third-place finish at the national meet with 202 points, it said.

Three Razorbacks earned All-America honors as the Hogs secured their 24th top-four NCAA Cross Country finish in school history. Bucknam’s squad earned 85 Directors’ Cup points for its championship performance.

Paityn Noe led the Razorbacks women’s cross country team recorded a top-20 finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, it said.

Noe crossed the line seventh in the individual race to earn All-America honors and lead the Razorbacks to a No. 17 team finish. Arkansas earned 57 Directors’ Cup points for the performance.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Three University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire seniors have been named UW-Eau Claire’s Male Athletes of the Year for 2024-25. Nathan Donovan (Sr. – Hazel Green, Wis./Wahlert Catholic), Yakob Ekoue (Sr. – Hopkins, Minn.) and Jared Stricker (Sr. – High Bridge, Wis./Ashland) all finished their careers as some of the best in Division III history in their respective sports, earning them a three-way tie for this year’s award.

Donovan starred for the men’s soccer team, Ekoue was a national champion for the men’s track and field team, and Stricker won another national crown with the wrestling team.

Donovan became the first player in program history to earn United Soccer Coaches Division III National Player of the Year honors last fall. The two-time All-American led all of NCAA men’s college soccer — regardless of Division — in scoring with 26 goals this fall. He also had a team-high 15 assists for a total of 67 points. His goal and points totals both set new UW-Eau Claire single-season records. He was the United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Kwik Trip Offensive Player of the Year as well as the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete this season.

Donovan’s success was the Blugolds’ success. With Donovan leading the line, UW-Eau Claire won WIAC regular season and tournament championships and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. The Blugolds won 17 games this season and spent the entire year nationally ranked.

The senior forward’s career goes down as one of the best in the history of Division III men’s soccer. He ranks third in DIII history with 229 career points and fourth with 94 career goals.

Ekoue, like Donovan, was also the national athlete of the year in his sport. He was the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s NCAA Division III Field Athlete of the Year this spring, earning the honor for the second time in his career.

Ekoue won a second consecutive national championship in discus at the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships this season, setting a facility record in the process. He also placed third in both shot put and hammer throw to earn All-America honors in both events. He scored 22 team points for the Blugolds, helping the squad finish as national runner-up.

His efforts at nationals earned him Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Championships honors. It was his second time receiving that distinction.

Earlier in the season, Ekoue won a WIAC title in discus. He holds school records in both discus and hammer throw. He finished his Blugold career with 13 All-America honors and four national championships. He joined an elite group of athletes in Division III history to earn 10-plus All-America honors.

This marks the second consecutive year Stricker earned UW-Eau Claire Male Athlete of the Year honors. He became the first two-time national champion in the history of Blugold wrestling this winter. He went unbeaten at 43-0, posting the most victories by a Division III wrestler this season, as he clinched another 174-pound crown.

Stricker was named WIAC Wrestler of the Year for the second consecutive season and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA Championships. He finished his career with 169 victories, which is believed to rank in or near the top five in the history of Division III. There is no official leaderboard for career victories in Division III.

This season, Stricker became the WIAC’s all-time leader in career wins and also broke UW-Eau Claire’s career pins record with 75. He ended his career on a 71-match win streak, the longest in program history. He was a three-time All-American and four-time WIAC champion.

Off the mat, Stricker was named a National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American this season.

YORKTON — The Extravadance Performance Group kicked off their first day of summer holidays June 27 with a barbecue fundraiser.

“We’re doing it drive-thru style to keep it convenient,” said Kristin Weber Karcha, owner and operator of Extravadance.

The initiative marks the beginning of fundraising efforts for the studio’s 2027 performance group — a cohort of young dancers preparing for a trip packed with workshops and performances in Los Angeles and Disneyland.

“This is our 2027 performance group. They are fundraising. These kids are going to go dance in Los Angeles and do some workshops. They’re going to do a parade at Disneyland. They’re going to do workshops at Disneyland,” said Weber Karcha, adding, “they are probably going to have the best trip of their lives.”

Weber Karcha said that the group comprises 26 young dancers, with an average age of eight or nine. Organizing such a trip is no small feat, especially with the current exchange rate.

“We usually do trips every few years. We pushed it a third year because the dollar in the States isn’t ideal right now. It also gives us a bit more time to make sure things are good to go with travel down there,” said Weber Karcha.

Fundraising will continue in the coming weeks with the group operating canteens at several community events. Their next appearance is at the Saltcoats Canada Day celebrations, followed by running a canteen at the Yorkton Exhibition running from July 2-5, and another three days in Saltcoats — July 18, 19 and 20 — for an event featuring live music.

“A lot of cooking coming up in the next bit,” said Weber Karcha said with a laugh.

In addition to flipping burgers, the group is also offering volunteer services for local events.

“If people are looking for designated driver services or someone to run a bar at a wedding they can reach out to us because we also provide services like that,” said Weber Karcha.

For those interested in supporting the group or booking services, Weber Karcha encourages people to contact the studio at (306) 621-2818.

 

Syracuse sports talk host Jim Lerch is exiting Cumulus Media sports talk outlet WSKO-AM, Syracuse after 23 years. CNYCentral reports that Lerch, host of “The Manchild Show with Boy Green,” is exiting after today’s program as he transitions to a digital platform. Lerch is quoted saying, “When I started this back in 2002, I never thought I’d last nearly a quarter of a century on the radio. It’s been my life’s pleasure entertaining and interacting with our incredible listeners over two decades of Syracuse sports history and I look forward to my new journey as a digital sports content host.” See the CNYCentral story here.