ARLINGTON, Texas — Grand Canyon competed in the 2025 WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a strong three-day performance, earning podium finishes, regional qualifying marks and rewriting parts of the school record book across both the men’s and women’s teams.
With injuries mounting both before and during the meet, the Lopes backed off an aggressive meet schedule to conserve for the NCAA West First Round in under two weeks. GCU’s men finished second and the women finished fourth, with Utah Valley claiming both team titles.
Day 1: Early momentum from field, multis
The Lopes got off to a strong start Thursday behind contributions from the women’s pole vault and javelin squads.
Sophomore Regan Parnell (3.67 meters, fourth), freshman Kennedy Benjamins (3.67m, fifth), and graduate Madison Gawthorp (3.52m, eighth) combined for 10 points in the pole vault. Senior Lucy George (43.47m, third) and Camdyn Bruner (41.25m, sixth) added nine more points in the javelin.
Junior Hana Hall scraped out a gritty point in the 10,000 meters to close the day with a time of 38 minutes, 19.99 seconds.
On the men’s side, graduate Andrew Wells and junior Ryan Norton placed fifth and sixth in the hammer throw with marks of 54.89m and 51.20m.
The decathlon trio of senior Casey Tow, sophomore Blayk Kelton and senior Justice Fair each sat in scoring positions.
On the track, junior Miguel Rosario III (200m) and freshman Nina Thevenin (200m) advanced to finals, while graduate Daviciea McCartney and senior Cam Wilmington posted the top-two qualifying times in the 400m hurdles.
Day 2: Gold for George, multis heroics from Tow, Bruner
Friday belonged to George, who defended her WAC title in the women’s shot put with a throw of 14.94m—No. 2 all-time at GCU. That led a 14-point performance from the Lopes in the event.
Graduate Camdyn Bruner capped her heptathlon with a runner-up finish and the No. 2 all-time GCU total (5,151), adding eight more points.
The men’s decathlon closed with a flourish as Tow broke his own school record (7,561) en route to second place, and Fair battled through injury to finish sixth.
Freshman Jack Sindt placed sixth in the steeplechase, while sophomore Francisco Marques broke the WAC Championships meet record in the 110m hurdles prelims (13.57).
In total, GCU advanced a host of sprinters and hurdlers to finals, including senior Michaela Lewis (800m), senior Amanda Thrue (100-meter hurdles), and a trio in the men’s 400m—senior Joshua Gittens, junior Ben Stratman and junior Sydney Peal.
Day 3: Lopes win 5 events
Saturday’s finale was headlined by five GCU event champions.
In the women’s triple jump, senior Jazmine Scott won the title with a mark of 12.70m and punched her ticket to the NCAA West First Round.
GCU’s dominance in the men’s 110m hurdles netted 25 points, as sophomore Prosper Ekporere (13.66) led a 1-2 finish with Marques (13.68), while McCartney (13.82) and Wilmington (14.07) also scored. Ekporere’s time broke GCU’s record in the event.
The men’s javelin was another massive haul, collecting 22 points behind a championship from junior Matthew Kaitschuck (60.88m), a runner-up finish from Tow (60.54m), and scoring performances from freshman Strider Aston (57.16m) and junior Jacob Nash (56.49m).
The Lopes added 13 points in the women’s 400m behind a second-place finish from junior Taliyah Booker (53.85) and fourth from senior Aaliyah Rifort-Delem (54.48), and senior Michaela Lewis added another silver medal in the 800m (2:11.33).
After a long weather delay postponed the final event of the meet, GCU’s women’s 4×400-meter relay team perservered to claim one final championship. Rifort-Delem, senior Alyssa Blockburger, Lewis and Booker ran 3:40.41 to win the outdoor crown after capturing the indoor title earlier this year. The men’s squad of McCartney, Wilmington, Stratman and Gittens finished second in 3:11.92.
Rosario closed his standout weekend with a runner-up finish in the 200m, clocking 20.67 for the No. 2 time in school history.
Other top-three event finishes not already mentioned: men’s 800m (junior Germain Lemaitre, 1:51.34, third), men’s discus (sophomore Harrison Cornell, 50.22m, third), men’s high jump (sophomore Praise Jibunor, 2.05m, third) and men’s pole vault (senior Misael Colon, 4.99m, second).
Grand Canyon showcased its depth and balance throughout the meet, tallying points in 17 men’s events and 18 women’s events across sprints, jumps, throws and multis. With school records, national qualifying marks, and WAC titles in hand, the Lopes now turn their focus to the NCAA West First Round in College Station, Texas, beginning on May 28.
Three incoming Nebraska volleyball student-athletes will compete in the 2026 Under Armour Next All-America Match on New Year’s Day at The Venue on the campus of UCF in Orlando.
Gabby DiVita will play on Team Pearls, while Jayden Robinson and Keoni Williams will be on Team Roses.
The Under Armour Next All-America Match will be streamed live on the SCNext YouTube Channel at 3:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 1, with ESPNU re-airing the event at 6 p.m. CT on Jan. 4.
The Under Armour Next All-America match features some of the nation’s best high school seniors as they prepare to join some of the top college volleyball programs in the country. This elite class has committed to 16 different colleges.
Oakwood’s Isabelle Anderson sets the ball to a teammate during the Hawks’ 2025 season. Photo: Courtesy of Anna-Liza Anderson
Oakwood School emphasizes its strong academics. The Morgan Hill school is seeing its athletic teams excel too. On the girls side, coach Anna-Liza Anderson’s volleyball program just racked up another superb season.
In 2025, the Hawks reached new heights with its fourth straight strong year. Behind two-time unanimous league MVP Isabelle Anderson and a solid young group of teammates, the Hawks finished 20-6 overall and tied Notre Dame Salinas for the Pacific Coast Athletic League, Santa Lucia Division title with a 13-1 mark.
Since 2021, Oakwood has fielded a 70-25 record, 42-8 in league play. The 2025 season began with high hopes but with some rebuilding and construction to do.
“Half the team was new,” co-captain Isabelle Anderson said. “Only having four seniors, we performed very well. Our goal was to be league champion.”
Anderson, a 5-11 senior, directed the offense to the tune of 510 assists, 7.1 per set. She delivered 138 aces from the serving line, an amazing average of two per set, ranking first in both the Central Coast Section and the state of California, and No. 11 in national stats.
Major contributions also came from co-captain libero Nalani Goulart, whose on-the-mark passing was a crucial foundation to the Hawks’ success. The junior racked up 259 digs, which led the league.
Junior outside hitter Sophia Fieler paced the Hawks on the attack with 262 kills, a phenomenal 10.1 average per match, tops in league. Both Goulart and Fieler joined Anderson in receiving First Team All-League recognition.
Senior Gianna Garcia delivered 139 kills to supplement the offense and received Second Team plaudits. Contributions in the middle were key to diversifying the offense and providing blocking at the net. That effort was led by junior Olivia Wong and sophomore Sophia Wong.
Defensive help in the back row came from Camilla Mendoza and Jocelyn Velasco. Depth was provided by Gabriella Zelenyak, Arya Vaid and Georgia Alves.
“It’s also a very mental game,” coach Anderson said. “I engage all the players. I tell them in any given moment, they need to be ready. We’re doing this together.”
It all started with Isabelle Anderson, coach Anderson’s daughter. Goulart provided the crucial complement in the back row.
“Those two are my captains,” coach Anderson said. “Isabelle’s competitive level helps the whole team. She makes a play out of every single ball. She makes sure our hitters get the kills. She is also our strongest hitter. People can’t get her hits up.”
Isabelle Anderson looked to rip kills when opportunities provided themselves. She totaled 114, turning on second balls or as a right side option. The versatile Goulart helped by setting Anderson when feasible.
“Nalani is fearless,” coach Anderson said. “She has a great platform and that aids her in her passing. She is an amazing passer and can also set.”
The two co-captains recognized the synergy and cohesion.
“She (Nalani) makes setting easier,” Isabelle Anderson said. “She makes accurate passes. The last two seasons, we’ve had a great feng shui connection.”
Goulart has confidence that Isabelle Anderson will distribute to different hitters, even if the pass is not entirely on target.
“On any pass I make, she can do something out of it,” Goulart said. “She can always turn it into something the offense can use.”
Non-league matches provided strong competition and toughened the team. Highlights included sweeps of Mt. Madonna and Everett Alvarez, along with tournament victories over North Monterey County, North Salinas and Marina. The latter four were in a higher PCAL division and Mt. Madonna is a member of the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, a league two levels higher.
The squad jelled quickly. In league play, the Hawks routed York and Trinity before colliding with powerful Monterey Bay Academy. In that home contest, Oakwood rallied past MBA 25-14, 22-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-12. Fieler shined with 15 kills and Garcia added nine.
Anderson smacked seven kills, served 10 aces and had five blocks. Mendoza and Zelenyak provided extensive contributions in the back row defense.
A big highlight came two weeks later with a Sept. 25 win over Notre Dame Salinas, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19, 25-16. Fieler was on fire with 21 kills. Olivia Wong had five blocks and Garcia had four blocks. Anderson served seven aces. Goulart had 24 digs and 15 serve receives.
Later in the year, Oakwood lost a rematch with Notre Dame Salinas but outlasted MBA on the road. The Oct. 7 road victory over MBA was crucial to avoiding dropping back in the league race. The Hawks prevailed via a reverse sweep, 19-25, 22-25, 25-16, 30-28, 15-11.
The gym was roaring as MBA won the first two sets. Oakwood responded with a dominant third set.
“We had nothing to lose,” Goulart said. “We came together as a team. After the third set, we kept the energy going.”
That they did. Coach Anderson also made defensive adjustments. Fieler was ripping kills line and cross, on her way to a 17-kill night. Anderson served 10 aces and had five blocks.
“There was a lot of back and forth,” Isabelle Anderson said. “As a team we worked together and used the energy for us. Everyone played their part.”
The Hawks won a dramatic fourth set 30-28 and carried the momentum into a 15-11 fifth for the victory and a joyous ride back to Morgan Hill.
The end result was a co-championship with Notre Dame, with MBA back in third place. Further behind in the division were York, Trinity, Ceiba, Chartwell, Kirby Prep and Anzar.
Personal landmark efforts during the year were many. Fieler, who closed the season with nine or more kills in each of the last 12 matches, put down 22 kills against Soledad and 21 in the first match with Notre Dame.
Garcia smashed 15 kills in the second Notre Dame game and had nine or 10 on five other occasions. Anderson served 10 aces in six matches and hit her high mark of 11 against Everett Alvarez. Goulart had 31 digs and 30 digs in the two York matches. She also had 24 and 25 respectively against ND Salinas.
Both Isabelle Anderson and Goulart complimented coach Anderson’s approach.
“She’s a really good coach,” Goulart said. “She helps me play better. She pushes us all to do better. It’s fun yet she knows when it’s time to be serious.”
Goulart noted that coach Anderson’s even-keel demeanor on the sideline was very helpful. Isabelle Anderson commented that she and the team have learned resiliency.
They both noted that the volleyball program and coach Anderson’s leadership have helped them with perseverance and mental toughness, along with off-the-court benefits such as time management.
“It’s like a family,” coach Anderson said. “I want to build strong, confident, accountable girls. Push them a little outside their comfort zone. Oakwood is strong with academics. Yet one can balance the academics with athletics. I want to challenge them at a different level.”
Women’s college volleyball continues to be a solid growth property for ESPN.
The network announced earlier this week that this year’s NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament was the most-watched on record, averaging 666,000 viewers across 15 matches on the ESPN family of networks, up 13% year-over-year.
This year’s tournament was capped off with Texas A&M’s straight-set win over Kentucky in the championship, which averaged 1.4 million viewers on ABC opposite the Week 16 Sunday afternoon NFL slate. The championship was the second most-watched in history behind only the 2023 title match between Texas and Nebraska, which averaged 1.69 million viewers. Texas A&M’s win saw an 8% year-over-year viewership increase compared to the Penn State-Louisville matchup in 2024.
While the title game fell short of a viewership record, both the regional finals and regional semifinals were the most-watched in history. The semis averaged 402,000 viewers while the finals averaged 753,000 viewers. In addition to record-setting regional semifinal and final rounds, the women’s college volleyball regular season also set a new high on ESPN, averaging 190,000 viewers, up 36% from 2024.
Overall, it was the most-consumed NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament on record according to ESPN, with 1.3 billion minutes consumed across the entire competition. Four matches averaged over one million viewers: the championship, national semifinals, and a regional match between Texas A&M and Nebraska, which averaged 1.2 million viewers.
Networks are rightfully investing more into women’s college volleyball, and the audiences are following. Will the sport ever reach the same heights of women’s college basketball? Unlikely. But the sport is solidifying itself as quite a valuable property, similar to college softball, during its postseason run. And the more ESPN leans into promoting the event, the closer the gap could become between volleyball and other more popular sports.
LINCOLN, Neb — Three incoming Nebraska volleyball student-athletes are set to showcase their talents at the 2026 Under Armour Next All-America Match on New Year’s Day. The event will take place at The Venue on the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando. Gabby DiVita will join Team Pearls, while Jayden Robinson and Keoni Williams will compete for Team Roses.
The match, featuring some of the nation’s top high school seniors, will be streamed live on the SCNext YouTube Channel at 3:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 1. ESPNU will re-air the event at 6 p.m. CT on Jan. 4. This elite group of athletes has committed to 16 different colleges, preparing to join some of the top college volleyball programs in the country.
Madras High School recently announced the hiring of new head coaches for two spring sports programs. Mario Mendoza will head up track and field operations, and Bailey Daniels is the new head coach of the MHS softball team.
Mario Mendoza
Mendoza has been a volunteer coach for MHS track the past several years and has helped young runners as a leader in the Madras Runners Club as well. A world-class ultra-distance runner in his own right, Mendoza has for several years been sponsored by Brooks running shoes.
In November, Mendoza won the 100-kilometer Ultramarathon Guatemala, which he indicated may be his final major race.
Mendoza replaces Mike Dove, who retired following the end of the 2025 season.
Growing up in California, Mendoza became a standout distance runner after an injury kept him from playing soccer and prompted him to the track to rehab the injury. He fell in love with running and became a standout distance runner in college, graduating from St. Mary’s College of California.
“My first goal is always that we become better people and better athletes,” he said. “We can win districts, and we can take the whole team to state, so I have a goal of that. I know that with patience and trust and discipline, I just think there’s a lot of talent in this team and in the coaches, and I think a lot of cool stuff can happen.”
Bailey Daniels
Bailey Daniels
Daniels, a physical education health teacher at the Jefferson County Middle School, replaces Shawna McConnell, who retired following last season as well. McConnell had led the program for 17 years. Daniels was the lead assistant and junior varsity coach last year.
Growing up in Roseburg, Daniels played high school and travel softball. She became a Division 1 athlete as a member of the rowing team at Oregon State University.
Daniels praised McConnell for her long dedication to the program and all that she shared with her that has helped Daniels prepare to take over. Daniels is also eager to put her own stamp on the program.
“I’m looking forward to bringing fresh ideas, a competitive mindset and a clear vision for what Madras softball can become,” said Daniels.
Information for this story was provided by 509J School District Communications Director Joey Pretchl.
