Gopher Women's Basketball Adds Tracey Bershers to 2025
MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota women’s basketball team and head coach Dawn Plitzuweit provided depth to its strong lineup with the addition of Tracey Bershers (Fort Smith, Ark.). Bershers, who recently played at UAB, will join her sister, Zoey, on the team for her final year of play. “We are so excited that Tracey […]
MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota women’s basketball team and head coach Dawn Plitzuweit provided depth to its strong lineup with the addition of Tracey Bershers (Fort Smith, Ark.). Bershers, who recently played at UAB, will join her sister, Zoey, on the team for her final year of play.
“We are so excited that Tracey is going to join our Gopher women’s basketball family for her graduate year,” Plitzuweit said. “She understands the importance of being her best in everything that she does and demonstrates that starting in the classroom where she is a highly motivated student-athlete. On the court, Tracey is a very versatile post player who has shown comfort handling the ball in transition, shooting it from the arc, and in guarding different types of forwards throughout her career. On top of that, Tracey is someone who also brings a veteran voice based on the valuable experiences that she has had. We are really looking forward to Tracey helping us to continue to progress and develop! It is also quite special that Tracey will be playing her final season of college basketball alongside her sister Zoey who will be a freshman for us this upcoming season.”
Bershers, a 6-foot, 2-inch forward, competed at UAB the past three seasons after transferring from Oklahoma State. Bershers saw action in all 32 games as a junior last season, averaging 6.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17 minutes of play while shooting a .434 clip from the arc. She scored a career-best 22 against Mississippi Valley State, the first of seven double-figure scoring games. Bershers also competed at UAB in the 2023-24 and 2022-23 seasons and during her career shot 38.5 percent from the arc. Bershers’ first season in college was 2021-22 and she was limited to playing in three games at Oklahoma State due to an injury.
The Fort Smith, Ark., native played her high school career at Northside, where she capped off her prep career with her second state title in three years. Following a 16-point, 13-rebound title game performance, she was named the most valuable player. As a senior, she averaged 13.9 points. Bershers earned all-state honors as a junior after she averaged 15.4 points and 6.6 rebounds that season.
With Bershers joining the Gopher program, it marks the second time she’s played with a sister on her collegiate team. Tracey played with her sister, Sara, for the past three seasons at UAB.
“Choosing Minnesota was bigger than just basketball, Bershers said. “From day one, the coaches made me feel like family, and I truly believe in the vision they have for me and this program. There’s no better place for me to grow, compete, and be part of something special. One of the things I’m most excited about is the opportunity to play alongside my little sister in my final year. It’s a chance I couldn’t pass up, and I’m looking forward to what we can accomplish together. I’m ready to get to work.”
PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College Athletics celebrated its 2024-25 academic year accomplishments by handing out athletic awards to outstanding student-athletes Wednesday afternoon in the Pirate Union Building. Albin Rosenlund, Isaiah Lopez, Carliese O’Brien, Ciera Agasiva, Gemma Rowland, Evee Stoddard, Sid Gunton-Day and Konrad Mueller all won awards. The Art Feiro Award (basketball) and Wally Sigmar […]
PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College Athletics celebrated its 2024-25 academic year accomplishments by handing out athletic awards to outstanding student-athletes Wednesday afternoon in the Pirate Union Building.
Albin Rosenlund, Isaiah Lopez, Carliese O’Brien, Ciera Agasiva, Gemma Rowland, Evee Stoddard, Sid Gunton-Day and Konrad Mueller all won awards.
The Art Feiro Award (basketball) and Wally Sigmar Award (soccer) go to student-athletes who exemplify leadership, athleticism, academics and citizenship.
Those awards went to Rosenlund of Norrkoping, Sweden, for men’s basketball and to first-team all-region Agasiva of Kalihi, Hawaii, for women’s basketball.
The soccer awards went to Northwest Athletic Conference first-team all-star and defensive player of the year Stoddard of Pocatello, Idaho, for women’s soccer and to first-team all-star Mueller of Trier, Germany, for men’s soccer.
The Pirate Gold Award is given to student-athletes who share inspiration, dedication, accomplishment and ambassadorship.
Those awards went to Lopez of Okinawa, Japan, for men’s basketball and to all-defensive team selection O’Brien of Bethel, Alaska, for women’s basketball.
For women’s soccer, it was first-team all-star and student body president Rowland of Shedd, Ore., and the men’s winner was second-team all-star Gunton-Day of Bristol, United Kingdom.
“These eight student-athletes represent a truly remarkable Class of ’25,” said Rick Ross, associate dean. “The coaches had so many options for these awards. It was a year of high-achieving, high-energy and high-quality young women and men. We are blessed to get to do what we do, coaching and working with athletes from all over the world and helping them advance through their higher education journey.”
As a program, Pirate Athletics won Northwest Athletic Conference championships in women’s and men’s soccer, their 15th NWAC titles since 2010, and claimed three more North Region titles in women’s and men’s soccer and women’s basketball.
The 80 student-athletes combined for an average grade point of 3.2 with about 40 students on the honor roll and president’s list each quarter.
More than 25 sophomores will go on to play at the next level.
Mizzou gymnastics star graduates this spring | Mizzou Xtra
COLUMBIA − Amari Celestine is a force on the floor. She has been a part of Mizzou Gymnastics all four years of her college career. She has been involved with gymnastics since she was a toddler. “I really don’t consider myself good at any other sport,” Celestine said. “Gymnastics has always just been innate to me […]
COLUMBIA − Amari Celestine is a force on the floor. She has been a part of Mizzou Gymnastics all four years of her college career.
She has been involved with gymnastics since she was a toddler.
“I really don’t consider myself good at any other sport,” Celestine said. “Gymnastics has always just been innate to me its just been natural.”
Celestine’s ultimate goal that drove her was getting to college. Now, after helping her team place third at the NCAA Championship final, Celestine will graduate on Saturday.
Celestine helped her team score the highest floor score in Mizzou Gymnastics program history. She has scored 9.900 or higher on floor in 10 of 16 meets this season. She recorded five-straight scores of 9.900+ on bars.
After Mizzou gymnastics earned a third place finish at the NCAA Championship final, Amari talked about the doubters that did not think the team would make it that far. She is a crucial part of uplift to the team, and was determined to leave a mark at Mizzou.
“We can’t let what they feel about us define our efforts,” Celestine said. “We want to say, okay, well this is gonna be the sweetest ‘I told you so’ in the world. Like, you’re gonna see, you’re gonna learn, so I think that’s been really helpful,” Celestine said.
Since being at Mizzou, Amari has earned a handful of awards, earning WCGA Vault Floor First Team All-American in 2022, WCGA All-Around Second Team All-American and WCGA South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year this year. She was also named the 2025 NCAA Seattle Regional Outright Vault Champion.
Celestine has been on the All-SEC team four times. She is only one of two Mizzou gymnasts to earn four All-American honors in four years.
With being on the team for four years, Celestine serves as a leader and a player her teammates can count on. “If I could describe Amari in one word, it would be inspiring,” fellow Mizzou gymnast, Kennedy Griffin, said.
Griffin is a sophomore gymnast who has been under Celestine’s wing. She said she appreciates how Amari genuinely cares for her and her team as teammates and as people outside of the sport.
“She is someone I can come to with something even outside of gymnastics, like helping me apply to an internship that I’m currently doing,” Griffin said.
Post graduation, Amari will be an intern at Rich Paul’s sports agency in Los Angeles, Klutch Sports Agency. She will also be a graduate assistant in southern Alabama this coming fall.
Northwestern Wildcats Ready for NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinal Vs. Penn
When Northwestern takes the field Thursday at Martin Stadium, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to reach their sixth consecutive Final Four. Just like 2024, Penn stands in the way in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal. The ‘Cats have two decades of championship-caliber history, but they aren’t looking to the past as they gear up for […]
When Northwestern takes the field Thursday at Martin Stadium, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to reach their sixth consecutive Final Four. Just like 2024, Penn stands in the way in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal.
The ‘Cats have two decades of championship-caliber history, but they aren’t looking to the past as they gear up for another title run. Instead, they’re taking it one game at a time.
“This is such an exciting time of the year,” senior midfielder Emerson Boelig said on Wednesday. “We call it Christmas because, like holiday season, you’re so excited. Everyone on the team is ready to go for the next game, and you’re only guaranteed one game, so why wouldn’t we put everything we can into it?”
Northwestern, the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, enters Thursday with a 17-2 record. The team’s only two losses have come to No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Boston College.
The Wildcats played six opponents this season who reached the NCAA Tournament, but the Penn Quakers were not one of them. Madison Taylor, the nation’s leading scorer who logged a tournament-record 10 goals against Michigan on Sunday, said the ‘Cats relish the challenge that comes with facing a team for the first time.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to play a different opponent,” Taylor said. “We’re all really embracing that, working really hard on the field and watching film off the field… We’re really excited just to go out there and play one last game at home this year.”
Boehlig and Taylor were both on the 2023 National Championship team, as well as the 2024 group that fell just short in a rematch with Boston College. While each postseason game gives the players experience in high-pressure moments, Taylor said that coach Kelly Amonte Hiller preaches calmness throughout the game.
It’s this calmness that could take the Wildcats all the way to their ninth National Championship. First, though, Northwestern will have to get past the Quakers on Thursday, with the opening draw set for 11 a.m. CT.
Better golf swing: Nick Saban, Tommy Tuberville, Charles Barkley or Kalen DeBoer? You tell us
College football coaches are all about evaluating talent. Now, we want you to flip the script and evaluate a couple of former coaches when it comes to their golf swing. Who has the better swing: Nick Saban or Tommy Tuberville? Both were in action this week at the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at […]
College football coaches are all about evaluating talent.
Now, we want you to flip the script and evaluate a couple of former coaches when it comes to their golf swing.
Who has the better swing: Nick Saban or Tommy Tuberville?
Both were in action this week at the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at Greystone in Hoover.
And, just for fun, we’ll throw in a couple of pretty prominent folks for your consideration.
In addition to the former Alabama and Auburn coaches, consider Auburn football great Bo Jackson, Auburn basketball legend Charles Barkley, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron and Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
Like being a member of the College Football Playoff committee, your evaluation is completely subjective.
There was plenty opinions and interactions among the high-profile ball strikers Wednesday.
Barkley and DeBoer shared some pleasantries.
Meanwhile, DeBoer couldn’t dodge the ever-lingering question about the Crimson Tide quarterback battle.
Barkley, on the other hand, is a huge fan of Birmingham, went after the NCAA and NIL, then revealed his go-to playlist and how much weight he has lost.
Saban, of course, talked about his new appointment to President Donald Trump’s sports commission.
Plenty to sink your teeth into, but what about those swings?
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
Renata Engel to serve as interim vice president for Commonwealth campuses | University Park Campus News
Renata Engel has been named interim vice president for Commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor of the Commonwealth campuses, effective May 19. Formerly the Vice Provost for Online Education, Engel will be filling the role previously left by Margo DelliCarpini, who had moved on to pursue a career at The College of New Jersey. Karen Pollack […]
Renata Engel has been named interim vice president for Commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor of the Commonwealth campuses, effective May 19.
Formerly the Vice Provost for Online Education, Engel will be filling the role previously left by Margo DelliCarpini, who had moved on to pursue a career at The College of New Jersey. Karen Pollack will fill Engel’s former position.
Engel’s previously held Associate Vice Provost for Online Programs, Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Engineering and Director for the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Penn State.
“I know this is a time of great change for our Commonwealth Campus communities as the University’s leadership team and Board of Trustees consider changes that will position Penn State for success long into the future,” Engel said in a Penn State press release.
Engel was an undergraduate student at a commonwealth campus herself, and started her bachelor’s degree in engineering science at Penn State Fayette, and later graduated from the University Park campus. Engel then went on to complete a doctorate in engineering mechanics from the University of South Florida.
Shewas a part of the launch of the Penn State World Campus Chaiken Center for Student Success, which works to “ support resources that have been developed for World Campus students” and bring together academic advising services, according to the release.
“I have always thought that we are at our best as a University when we work together to develop innovative solutions to solve our challenges,” Engel said. “That is why I approach every decision or recommendation with the breadth and comprehensiveness of this university in mind.”
MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi released the Commonwealth campus closure recommendation…
If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.
Young soccer players are finding different ways to launch pro careers
Of the emerging young players in the National Women’s Soccer League this season, Sam Meza has had one of the more unusual journeys to start her professional career. Meza was drafted by the Seattle Regin in 2024 out of North Carolina. She made one appearance with the team before she was loaned to the Dallas […]
Of the emerging young players in the National Women’s Soccer League this season, Sam Meza has had one of the more unusual journeys to start her professional career.
Meza was drafted by the Seattle Regin in 2024 out of North Carolina. She made one appearance with the team before she was loaned to the Dallas Trinity for the first season of the women’s pro USL Super League.
Meza, who earned Super League player of the month honors for November, was brought back to Seattle this season.
She’s one of several young NWSL players who have launched their careers in an ever-growing women’s soccer ecosystem that offers a variety of professional pathways. Other players have skipped college soccer, or have navigated the job hunt without the benefit of a college draft.
While Meza considered the loan a blow at the time, now she sees the value in it.
“Ultimately, it was an opportunity for me to learn prove to myself, which is the most important, and to prove to everybody else that I was a player that I’ve always been. It just took me a little bit more time to get to where I wanted to be,” Meza said.
As veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock nurses a knee injury, Meza has started six games for the Reign. She assisted on Jordyn Huitema’s game-tying goal in a 1-1 draw with Bay FC last month, and she is tied for second in the league for tackles with 32.
Angel City FC forward Riley Tiernan (33) runs during an NWSL soccer match against the San Diego Wave FC in Los Angeles, March 16, 2025. Credit: AP/Kyusung Gong
“She’s a great example of how loans can be really good, and sticking with it, sticking to the journey, because last year was really challenging for her going on loan,” Reign coach Laura Harvey said. “She wanted to do it in the end, but I’m sure she would have preferred to be with us the whole time.”
Meza, a Dallas native, is a member of the final draft class in the NWSL. The league eliminated the college draft in the latest collective bargaining agreement and 2025 was the first year without a draft.
She’s also one of a handful of players who have been loaned to the Super League, which is on the top tier of women’s soccer in the United States alongside the NWSL but is only in its first season. Those deals are expected to grow.
North Carolina Courage defender Natalia Staude followed a similar path. She started her pro career on loan to the Super League’s Tampa Bay Sun before joining the Courage this season.
Alyssa Thompson, left, and her younger sister Gisele Thompson speak to the media at the National Women’s Soccer League Media Day at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 24, 2025. Credit: AP/Anne M. Peterson
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said one of the strengths of the league on the international stage is its depth — and part of that is due to its emerging young stars. The loan process helps develop young players who in the past may have left soccer altogether.
“There have been examples where our teams have loaned players to those other leagues when they anticipate that a particular player isn’t going to get playing minutes, or that it’s not the right fit from a technical environment perspective, but they want to give the player an opportunity to continue to develop and play,” Berman said. “So I think optionality for players is good, and I think a robust ecosystem that allows for players at all levels to be able to continue to play is a good thing for the sport.”
Some of the other emerging young players who haven’t taken traditional paths to launch their pro careers:
Riley Tiernan, Angel City
In the absence of a draft, Tiernan was a non-roster invitee to Angel City’s preseason training camp this year. She did so well she earned herself a spot on the team and signed a two-year contract. She’s scored five goals, tied for second in the league.
Claire Hutton, Kansas City Current
Hutton initially committed to North Carolina but then decided to go pro instead. She was signed by the Current ahead of the 2024 season via the NWSL’s Under-18 Entry Mechanism and was a finalist for NWSL Rookie of the Year. Hutton followed in the footsteps of other talented NWSL players who skipped college, including Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman.
Olivia Moultrie, Portland Thorns
Although Moultrie made her professional debut in 2021, she’s still just 19 years old. She turned pro at just 13 when she hired an agent and signed a deal with Nike. But she wasn’t allowed to play professionally because of an NWSL rule that required players to be 18. In 2021, she sued for the right to play and won. Moultrie’s legal fight created the pathway for the rule that Hutton and many others have used to turn pro.
The Thompson Sisters, Angel City
Alyssa was the first high school player drafted into the NWSL when she was the No. 1 pick in 2023. Gisele Thompson was just 17 when she joined Angel City ahead of the 2024 season through the under-18 rule. She scored this month against Bay FC with an assist from Alyssa for the league’s first sister-to-sister goal.
