The Long Beach Century Club hosted its 68th Annual Sports Night Banquet this week recognizing the city’s top high school athletes along with a host of special award winners.

The562’s Mike Guardabascio and Tyler Hendrickson hosted the awards and started by naming Long Beach State coaches LaTanya Sheffield and Gavin Arroyo as the Century Club’s Co-Coaches of the Year. Both coached at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where Sheffield served as head coach of Team USA’s women’s track and field team, while Arroyo was an assistant for the men’s water polo team.

A few more Olympians were then honored as the Century Club’s Players of the Year, with the honors going to Team USA water polo’s Max Irving, Hannes Daube, Chase Dodd, and Ryder Dodd. The four Long Beach natives played a key role in Team USA’s bronze-medal finish in Paris, and Daube and Chase Dodd were present at the banquet to accept the award.

This year, the Century Club also had four new inductees into the Hall of Fame: Vania King, Patty Gasso, Tara Cross-Battle, and Lashinda Demus.

King, a Long Beach Poly alumna, achieved a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world in doubles and No. 50 in singles. She won Wimbledon and US Open doubles titles in 2010 with partner Yaroslava Shvedova, and went on to capture 15 doubles titles on the WTA Tour. She also won a singles WTA Tour title at the 2006 Bangkok Open.

Gasso played softball at Long Beach State from 1983 to 1984 and began her coaching career at Long Beach City College in 1990. She was hired as the head coach of Oklahoma softball in 1995, where she just wrapped up her 31st year with the program. She has led the Sooners to eight national championships and holds the record for most wins by a coach in program history.

Cross-Battle led Long Beach State to an NCAA title in 1989 and was named AVCA Player of the Year in both 1988 and 1989. Cross-Battle earned an Olympic bronze medal in 1992 and was later inducted into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame (1995) and the International Volleyball Hall of Fame (2014).

Demus set national high school records at Wilson High in the 300-meter hurdles, as well as on the 4×400-meter relay team. She went on to compete for the University of South Carolina before winning multiple world titles and an Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles in 2012—becoming the first American woman to the event.

Less than a week after competing at two events at the NCAA championship, Florence Caron is a national champion in another country.

Caron raced at the Royal City Inferno on Wednesday, where she took home the title of Canadian National Champion in the 10,000-meters with a time of 33:18.84.

The Quebec native was the only collegiate athlete to race in the event, lining up against eight club runners. However, she took first place by nearly 10 seconds, showcasing her dominance on the track.

Last week, Caron raced in the 10,000m at the NCAA championship, where she finished 11th overall in 32:23.71. Two days later, she raced in the 5000-meters, running 15:49.72 for 16th place.

MORE SPORTS COVERAGE

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 19, 2025) –The U.S. Women’s National Team started strong before falling to Poland, 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-18) in 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) play on Thursday in Belgrade, Serbia.

The U.S. (2-4) will have a day off before facing the Netherlands on Saturday, June 21 at 7:30 a.m. PT. Poland moved to 5-1 with the win.

Outside hitter Logan Eggleston led the U.S. with 24 points on 22 kills and two blocks. Middle blocker Brionne Butler led all players with six blocks, adding five kills and two aces to finish with 13 points. Libero Morgan Hentz played a tremendous match on defense, leading the team with nine digs and making multiple great plays to keep points alive.

The U.S. totaled 12 blocks to just seven for Poland and were nearly even in kills (50-48 Poland), but yielded 10 aces, including five in the fourth set.

“We would want to go back and pass some better balls at the end,” said Eggleston, when asked what she would have liked her team to do differently. “We lost the serve and pass game, which is super important, so we will get back in the gym and work hard to get ready for Holland on Saturday.”

“We just need to be more consistent. That is the frustrating piece. I don’t feel like we competed at a level that we held ourselves to the last three or four matches that we played,” remarked head coach Erik Sullivan. “We need to get back and regroup a little bit and make sure we are ready for our next match. Serve and pass is always important. We can’t give up three- and four-point runs and expect to be in sets, so that’s always going to be a focus for us.”

Outside hitter Sarah Franklin scored eight points on seven kills and a block playing the final two sets, opposite Logan Lednicky earned her eight points on six kills and two blocks, and middle blocker Molly McCage tallied five points on three kills and a pair of blocks. Amber Igiede and Roni Jones-Perry each scored two points, and Olivia Babcock and setter Ella Powell each had one.

With its fifth block of the first set, the second by Lednicky, the U.S. took a 15-11 lead. Poland evened the score at 16 before Eggleston scored three consecutive points to give the U.S. the lead for good. Two Butler kills, an Eggleston ace, and a free ball that fell in between four Poland players after a great dig by Hentz sealed the set victory.

Eggleston scored nine points on seven kills and two aces, Lednicky scored six points on four kills and a pair of blocks, and Butler added two kills and two blocks for four points.

An early ace gave Poland a 7-4 lead in the second set. An Eggleston kill on a back row attack gave the U.S. its last lead of the set, 13-12. Lednicky scored by putting a ball through the block to even the score at 17, but Poland finished the set on an 8-3 run.

Poland led for most of set three. Franklin, playing her first set of the match, scored after a great up by Hentz for an 8-7 lead and again when she hit the end line on an out-of-system attack to give the U.S. its final lead of the set, 9-8. A Butler ace closed the gap to one, 12-11, and another Butler block cut the deficit to two later in the set, 17-15. Poland ended the set on an 8-2 run. Franklin scored four points on three kills and a block.

Butler’s sixth block of the match, after another great save by Hentz, and ace gave the U.S. a 9-5 lead in the fourth set before Poland scored the next five points. Eggleston’s 23rd point of the match put the U.S. ahead 15-14 but Poland again scored five consecutive points to take control of the set. Eggleston recorded six kills in the set and Franklin added four.

Week Two Roster for 2025 VNL

U.S. Women’s Preliminary Roster for 2025 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Delta)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)
28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)

Reserve
15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

Coaches
Head Coach:  Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors:  William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

Week 2 Schedule: Belgrade, Serbia (all times PDT)
Matches will be shown on VBTV, Big Ten Network and/or CBS Sports Network. Please check listings for BTN and CBSN.

June 18 USA def. Serbia, 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 15-11)
June 19 Poland def. USA, 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-xx)
June 21 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Netherlands
June 22 at 7:30 a.m. vs. France

Week 1 Results: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 4 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28)
June 5 Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
June 6 Czechia def. USA, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 27-25)
June 8 USA def Korea, 3-0 (25-13, 28-26, 25-17)

By: Jason Pugh, Associate Athletic Director for External Relations

NATCHITOCHES – As a track and field coach, Leon Johnson left an indelible imprint upon Northwestern State.
 
The impact he made upon those who competed for him – regardless of when or where – is of matching depth and importance.
 
Johnson, a legendary figure in Northwestern and the Southland Conference’s track and field history, died Tuesday at the age of 86. There will be a celebration of life for Johnson held at Magale Recital Hall on the NSU campus at 3 p.m. Sunday. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Saturday at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home, located at 848 Keyser Avenue in Natchitoches.

“I am saddened today to learn of the passing of my dear friend, coach and mentor, Leon Johnson,” said former Northwestern State President Dr. Chris Maggio, who ran for and coached under Johnson before ascending the ranks of university administration. “My life has been greatly blessed and enriched because this gentleman reached out to me 43 years ago and said, ‘My name is Leon Johnson, and I am the new track and field coach at Northwestern State University, and I want you to become my first recruit at NSU.’ Thankfully, I said yes to his invitation and words cannot adequately express the magnitude of life lessons that I learned from him.  

 

“He will be remembered as a Hall of Fame coach who mentored 50-plus All-Americans and won several conference championships. I, too, will remember him for his coaching accolades, but I will also remember him as a Christian man, a great role model and for the hours and hours he spent working with young men and women on the track no matter their athletic abilities. It didn’t matter if you were an All-American or a beginner, Coach would be there for you teaching and coaching you to be better in your event and better in your life. Thank you, Coach Johnson changing the lives of thousands of young people.”

 

The individual and team accolades Northwestern compiled under Johnson were many. Three Southland Conference team championships and top-20 finishes in the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Fifty-seven All-Americans and nearly 100 NCAA championship qualifiers. Two Olympic triple jumpers.

 

There was the 1986 birth of the Lady Demon track and field program that also occurred on Johnson’s watch.

 

In other words, Northwestern could build a trophy case simply for Leon Johnson and his student-athletes’ accomplishments. What transpired in the past 48 hours could fill a virtual one as well.

 

“I first stepped foot on the Northwestern State campus 40 years ago this August,” former Director of Athletics Greg Burke said. “Even then, as an intern, I recognized what kind of man, what kind of mentor and what kind of coach Leon Johnson was. I had the good fortune to come back as athletic director and have him sitting at our head coaches’ table. The perspective he offered, the respect he had among coaches and staff within the department was really remarkable.

 

“One needs to look no further than social media in the past 48 hours and read the number of posts – and not just the number – but the heartfelt messages from so many track alumni,” Burke said. “Oftentimes, the true measure of a coach’s impact — and how lasting that impact is — will be reflected in the sentiments expressed by the student-athletes who practiced and competed under that coach.”

 

Johnson began his career as a high school basketball coach in Colorado before coaching state champion high school track and field track and field teams in Louisiana at Opelousas and DeRidder, ultimately taking over at Northwestern where his name became synonymous with the school.

 

Northwestern track and field athletes compete in the Leon Johnson Invitational each spring after entering the Walter P. Ledet Track and Field Complex via Leon Johnson Lane.

 

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s state cross country championships also conclude in that area, thanks largely to Johnson’s push to bring the event to Natchitoches where it has become a staple of the city’s athletic calendar, with Johnson and staff doing yeoman’s work each November to make it happen.

 

What Johnson built at Northwestern was done so on the foundation of a family feel – one that serves as a living testament to Johnson’s approach.

 

“He helped shape so many men’s and women’s lives,” said current Northwestern track and field coach Mike Heimerman, who competed under Johnson before coaching with him and, ultimately, succeeding him as the program’s leader. “Hundreds of athletes – probably closer to thousands – came through Northwestern under coach Johnson, and he helped shape and mold them into young men and women, good mothers and fathers, good husbands and wives.

 

“He made Natchitoches and Northwestern State a home for so many young men and women, including myself. That was an attraction to NSU and to Natchitoches. That’s something we’ve tried to instill in the program now. It’s something I learned from him, and we tried to take it up a notch. The other thing I learned most from him is making sure the student-athletes get a degree and that you care for them. When you care for them, they do more for you. That’s been very evident in the past here with the men’s and women’s programs and the success we’ve had.”

 

Johnson’s legacy was made working with Northwestern’s track and field athletes, but his influence permeated the athletic department as a whole.

 

Late in his career, former Demon men’s basketball coach Mike McConathy utilized Johnson’s ability to provide insight on flexibility and conditioning for McConathy’s team. It proved to be a learning experience for both the Demon players and their longtime coach.

 

“His impact was invaluable in the fact he taught me as well as the kids so much,” McConathy said. “It was the respect my players had for him. The way he taught and instructed them was amazing. He used the technique of lower volume. He had something they were interested in. They all locked in with no distractions. That taught me something, taught my staff something.

 

“The attention he gave them showed me they had a tremendous amount of respect for his ability. It was just incredible to witness. I don’t know that you can paint a word picture to describe what we actually saw.”

 

 

 

Vancouver city councillors have voted to approve the park board’s request for an additional $22.5 million in funding to renovate the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, bringing the price tag for the controversial project to $175 million.

The decision came Wednesday night after several speakers, including multiple children, shared their opposition to replacing the existing 50-metre, Olympic-sized pool with a new 25-metre one, citing impacts to competitive swim training.

After considering the potential impacts of a delay and the building’s seismic safety, councillors voted 10-2 in favour of approving the funding. Coun. Peter Meiszner was absent, and Coun. Peter Fry abstained from voting due to a conflict of interest.

“We’re kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place right now,” said Coun. Rebecca Bligh after the vote.

The aging Vancouver Aquatic Centre made headlines in March 2022 after a large piece of the building’s facade fell off.

The centre has served as a premier sporting venue in Vancouver’s densely populated West End since it opened in 1974, drawing swimmers, synchronized swimming teams, water polo players and divers for training and competitions.

Recently, however, the pool has been described as being at “the end of its functional lifespan.”

A majority of voters in the 2022 municipal election supported the aquatic centre’s renewal, but the first mention of a smaller 25-metre pool didn’t come until February of this year — revealed in the design proposal brought forward by city staff — sparking outcry from the swimming community.

Park board staff said it wasn’t feasible to deliver a 50-metre pool within the existing building footprint while also meeting industry standards for maintenance and accessibility.

The Vancouver Park Board approved the design the following month, subject to city council agreeing to an additional $22.5 million for the project — a request swimming advocates asked city council to reject, earlier this week.

During the Wednesday meeting, one speaker said the park board has “lost the trust and confidence of the people of Vancouver and especially the swimming community.”

“No one voted for a lazy river and a 1,300-square-foot hot tub,” said resident Scott Lear.

“Vancouver just needs a 50-metre pool, it doesn’t need a fancy designed building. It needs something functional first, and form second,” he said.

WATCH | Dozens speak out against aquatic centre proposal:

One 10-year-old, Georgia Neill, who trains with the Canadian Dolphin Swim Club at the aquatic centre, appealed to councillors to “please think of other ways to keep our 50-metre pool, not for me or my teammates, but for all the people who signed the petition to say this is not what we want in Vancouver.”

Another young swimmer, Geoffrey Mu, said relocating the club and training to the Hillcrest Aquatic Centre, as park board staff have recommended, would make it difficult to attend practice, or force other members to consider joining another swim club.

“If you support VAC’s plan to change our 50-metre pool, you’ll be taking away the future of many young swimmers including me,” said the 12-year-old.

WATCH | 50-metre pool not feasible, staff report says:

Addressing the speakers after the vote, Bligh said she’s not in favour of doing away with a 50-metre pool, but that she understands the need to upgrade the aquatic centre.

She thanked speakers for their advocacy and acknowledged their concerns.

“This is an impossible decision for me on the topic…. We have to get to a better solution here,” Bligh said.

“I’m not sure we’re going to find it today, but I’m absolutely in your corner for what you shared and what you brought to the conversation today.”

The Vancouver Aquatic Centre is scheduled to close for the renovations in 2026 and reopen sometime in 2029.

Six Lake County High School senior athletes will be taking their sport to the next level and competing in college during the 2025-2026 school year. A signing day was held on Wednesday, June 4 to celebrate these athletes, their accomplishment, and the transition.

In the last 20 years, very few Lake County athletes continued their sports in college. Two years ago, two athletes moved on to collegiate Nordic skiing and cross country running. Last year, LCHS had three athletes sign with colleges in three different sports – volleyball, Nordic skiing and cross country track & field. Within this current class, the seniors will be participating in four different sports and an activity.

Isaiah Martinez, who led LCHS’ basketball team in many categories including scoring, is headed to Ottawa University in Kansas to join the Braves’ men’s basketball team. 

Amara Olsen, who earned a state pole vault medal this spring, will be attending Colorado College on a pole vault scholarship. 

Her twin, Indigo Olsen has been part of the state champion and state runner-up LCHS women’s cross-country teams through her four years of high school. She was also a member of the school record 4×800-meter relay team. Indigo will continue her running on the cross country and track and field teams at Smith College, a private liberal arts women’s college in Massachusetts.

Susie Bullock helped the LCHS Nordic team win the first CHSAA women’s team championship this winter. She was also Lake County’s lone representative at All-State choir in January. In August, Susie is off to Western Colorado University, where she will join the Nordic ski team and pursue instrumental and vocal music. 

Completing the other twin pair, Ella Bullock has committed to Williams College in Massachusetts for Nordic skiing. Ella was a two-time CHSAA state champion her sophomore year in high school. She’s been a member of Colorado’s junior national Nordic ski team throughout high school. 

Matthew Wilson, Lake County’s two-time state silver medalist and current pole vault school record holder, will continue his vaulting career at the Division III level at Asbury University in Kentucky.

“Each of these athletes has been a significant member of our programs at Lake County High School. They will be greatly missed, but we’re so proud of them and are eager to hear about what they will accomplish at the collegiate level,” said athletic/activities director Amy Peters.