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Gophers hockey commit traded in WHL, won’t make college jump until 2026

Gophers men’s hockey commit Jacob Kvasnicka was traded from Wenatchee to Penticton in the Western Hockey League (WHL), serving as an indicator that he won’t be suiting up for Gophers just yet. We’ve acquired ’07-born forward Jacob Kvasnicka and a 3rd-round CHL Import Draft pick from the @WHLwild_. DETAILS | https://t.co/m8v7QHGA0T pic.twitter.com/XSwhhUUZWP — Penticton Vees […]

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Gophers men’s hockey commit Jacob Kvasnicka was traded from Wenatchee to Penticton in the Western Hockey League (WHL), serving as an indicator that he won’t be suiting up for Gophers just yet.

Hailing from Burnsville, Minnesota, Kvasnicka is one of the most intriguing prospects currently committed to the Gophers. He totaled 18 goals and 39 points with the NTDP U18 team last year. There was some thought he could join the Gophers’ roster next season, but he won’t turn 18 until August and the 5-foot-11 forward will now get another season to develop at the junior level.

Related: Predicting the top 5 point leaders for Gophers hockey in 2025–26

Talented incoming freshmen LJ Mooney and Tate Pritchard are expected to make their college debuts next season with the Gophers, but Kvasnicka’s situation now gives us more clarity that forwards Mason Moe, Javon Moore and Teddy Townsend will all likely do the same. Without Kvasnicka, Minnesota now has 13 forwards projected on next season’s roster.

The Gophers have 24 players projected to be on next season’s roster, which is two below the max of 26. If they wanted to make a late roster addition, they still have some flexibility to do so.

Kvasnicka is one of a handful of Gophers eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, which takes place this weekend in Los Angeles.





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Florida Gymnast Riley McCusker Announces Fifth Year

Florida Gymnastics senior Riley McCusker announced her return for a fifth year on Instagram Monday afternoon. After spending her junior year sidelined due to an ankle injury, the 2025 SEC Uneven Bar Champion will use her final year of eligibility in the 2026 season. Riley McCusker announced today that she is officially coming back for […]

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Florida Gymnastics senior Riley McCusker announced her return for a fifth year on Instagram Monday afternoon. After spending her junior year sidelined due to an ankle injury, the 2025 SEC Uneven Bar Champion will use her final year of eligibility in the 2026 season.

Before Florida

This Gator was a six-time U.S. National Team Member in her elite gymnastics career. McCusker also won the team gold at the 2018 World Championship and won four medals at the 2019 Pan American Games, including a gold on uneven bars and in the team competition.

She committed to compete for Florida in 2016 and was set to enroll in the fall of 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic pushing back the Tokyo Games, McCusker deferred for another year to pursue her Olympic dreams. However, because of an injury she sustained at the 2021 U.S. Classic a month before the team selection, she was only able to compete bars at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, limiting her chances.

A fourth place finish in the bar competition prevented her from making the team, and McCusker shifted her focus toward being a Gator.

Gator Career

In her time at Florida, McCusker has specialized in the uneven bars, but has also appeared on beam. She has a career high of 9.95 on the beam, and her most recent performance came when she filled in for fellow senior Sloane Blakely just after her injury at Oklahoma on Feb. 21.

McCusker achieved her one career perfect 10.0 when she anchored bars for the Gators at the 2025 SEC Championship. She contributed to the record-breaking lineup, as Florida achieved the highest team bar score in NCAA history (49.85).

“I honestly couldn’t believe it,” McCusker said on March 22 following the Gators’ third place finish at SECs. “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to get a 10 in NCAA, so I’m just so excited.”





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Amid Sweeping Changes in College Hockey, Transferring to Cornell Was a “No-Brainer” for Luke Ashton ’28

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A lot goes into transferring to an Ivy League school — applications, essays, Zoom calls and everything in between. Between video chats and phone calls with the Cornell men’s hockey coaching staff, incoming sophomore defenseman Luke Ashton undoubtedly had many questions about Cornell, and everything it would take to get there. Still, […]

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — A lot goes into transferring to an Ivy League school — applications, essays, Zoom calls and everything in between.

Between video chats and phone calls with the Cornell men’s hockey coaching staff, incoming sophomore defenseman Luke Ashton undoubtedly had many questions about Cornell, and everything it would take to get there.

Still, though, he had a nagging thought that he needed to ask the coaches.

Do the Cornell fans really throw fish at Harvard?

“It was one of the things I had to question the coaches about because I saw videos online,” Ashton said with a laugh. 

With his transfer announced on April 24, Ashton is one of two sophomore transfers set to debut in Ithaca this fall, and part of a sizable 14-player incoming class that stands as one of the largest in recent memory. After spending his freshman year at Minnesota State University, Ashton knew “right away” that Cornell was the place he wanted to be.

“I’m super grateful for my time at Minnesota State. I had a great time, but I felt like I needed a change in Cornell,” Ashton said. “When I was looking at other schools, Cornell had a lot of things that I felt like I missed that were offered, and I was super excited to head in their direction.”

The current landscape of college hockey is a murky one. On top of the transfer portal, a Nov. 7, 2024 rule change now allows Canadian Hockey League players to play in the NCAA — a feat that was previously banned due to the NCAA Division I Council considering the CHL a “semi-professional” league.

That’s all while the House v. NCAA settlement was approved this summer, allowing schools to pay their athletes and essentially ending amateurism in college sports. Along with the rest of the Ivy League, Cornell will not opt into the settlement, continuing the longstanding tradition of the Ivy League’s attitude towards athletics — still, no Ivy League athlete can receive an athletic scholarship.

Big 10 hockey schools have begun offering near millions of dollars to prospective recruits. Penn State reportedly offered an NIL package of over $250,000 to Porter Martone, a CHL player who went sixth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft on June 27. Michigan State and Penn State engaged in a bidding war for Gavin McKenna, another CHL recruit that is the prospective No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

It was reported by multiple sources on Monday that McKenna will also attend Penn State. The Nittany Lions offered nearly $700,000 to land the blue-chip recruit, who — much like many other CHL-to-NCAA bound players — will likely only play one year of college hockey before making the jump to the NHL.

Despite all of that, Ashton chose Cornell.

And when asked about what he’s most excited about, Ashton — grinning widely — said he couldn’t put a finger on one thing.

“I’ve found an exciting part for me about college hockey is the people,” Ashton said. “You get to go to school with your friends and play in front of the crowd. From everything that I hear, Cornell is quite an exciting [and] special place to be. So being able to cherish those memories and make those memories with not only my teammates but students around campus, I’m really looking forward to.”

Ashton was lured by the culture that Cornell hockey cultivates, the prestige of an Ivy League school and the program’s longstanding commitment to success both on the ice and off.

“The history is something to just be in awe of,” Ashton said. “[In] both school and hockey, the team has a winning reputation. I know that Cornell is quite a prestigious school with a lot of rich history, which I love.”

Ashton didn’t go into the process blindly — he was originally recruited by head coach Casey Jones ’90 when Jones was the head coach at Clarkson. When Ashton entered the transfer portal on April 16 — nearly a month after the portal opened — Jones was quick to reach out to Ashton a second time.

The easy part, for Ashton, was deciding to transfer to Cornell.

The hard part? Doing the actual transferring.

“I mean, the timing of it was tough, because I won the portal late, and then applications were due a week later,” Ashton said. 

After a three-day road trip from Minnesota State in Mankato, Minnesota back home to North Vancouver, British Columbia, Ashton had to hastily write his essay and cross off boxes on forms. It was “definitely worth it,” he says.

The numbers Ashton put up at Minnesota State were solid — five goals and eight assists for 13 points as a depth defenseman — but not necessarily what he’s known for. Standing at 6’6”, 239 lbs, Ashton’s uniquely massive stature separates him from the rest of the pack. Others have taken notice, too — Ashton was drafted in sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

DSC09829 Ashton.jpg

Ashton stands heads and shoulders above his competition, measuring in at 6’6″. His two-way game makes him an intriguing prospect for Cornell defensive corps. Photo courtesy of the Columbus Blue Jackets

After Cornell’s defensive corps was rattled by both graduation and the transfer portal, Jones confided in Ashton — as well as incoming sophomore defenseman Michael Fisher, a transfer from Northeastern — to help fill in the gaps.

“I’d like to definitely consider myself as a two-way defenseman,” Ashton said. “Obviously, I’m quite tall and big with my stature, but good with my stick. I play physical [and] hard in the defensive zone, but I definitely like to push the pace up the ice and bring an offensive element. I love to use my shot, for sure.”

After spending a few days in Columbus, Ohio for the Blue Jackets’ development camp, Ashton will return home to North Vancouver to continue training. He’s even been able to acclimate himself to the team early on, skating with fellow British Columbia natives junior defenseman Hoyt Stanley, senior defenseman Jack O’Brien and senior forward Sean Donaldson.

Chatting with them about his future school, Ashton’s excitement is palpable.

“You can just sense a great vibe from not only the team, but the school and the people who go to Cornell. Everyone has good things to say about it,” Ashton said. “So it was kind of a no-brainer.”


Jane McNally

Jane McNally is a senior editor on the 143rd editorial board and was the sports editor on the 142nd editorial board. She is a member of the Class of 2026 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. You can follow her on X @JaneMcNally_ and reach her at jmcnally@cornellsun.com.


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Denver Gymnast Rylie Mundell Named CSC Academic All-American

Story Links DENVER – University of Denver gymnast Rylie Mundell has been named to the 2024-25 CSC Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team, College Sports Communicators announced on Tuesday.   Mundell captured second-team honors, marking the second time in the last three years that she was named to the CSC Academic […]

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DENVER – University of Denver gymnast Rylie Mundell has been named to the 2024-25 CSC Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team, College Sports Communicators announced on Tuesday.
 
Mundell captured second-team honors, marking the second time in the last three years that she was named to the CSC Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team.
 
The CSC Academic All-America Teams honor the top student-athletes in the nation based on their combined athletic and academic performances. The Academic At-Large teams are open to student-athletes from fencing, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling. Nominees must hold at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA and have met participation requirements as determined by each sport.
 
Mundell completed her bachelor’s degree in physics in June 2024 before pursuing a graduate program in global information system for the 2024-25 academic year. She held a 4.00 GPA in her post-graduate work after finishing her bachelor’s degree with a 3.97 GPA.
 
In 2025, she ended her stellar collegiate career as an individual bars qualifier to the NCAA National Championships and tied for No. 24 overall on the event. She won a total of eight titles during the 2025 season including four on bars, moving her to No. 4 in Denver history for most career wins on the event (19).
 
Mundell finished her career among some of the best in Denver Gymnastics history, ranking in the top five for most career scores of at least 9.900 with 60, 30 of which came on bars. In total, she won 42 career titles across all four events and in the all-around, now the 11th most in program history. She achieved career highs of at least 9.900 on all four events including near-perfect 9.975s on bars and beam.
 
Four times in her career, she picked up Academic All-Big 12 Conference Team honors, doing so in every season that she was eligible. She also owns four WCGA Scholastic All-America awards and is expected to add a fifth for 2024-25 when the honors are announced later this summer.
 
This is the second career CSC Academic All-America honor of Mundell’s career after earning third-team recognition in 2022-23. She becomes the eighth University of Denver student-athlete and the first gymnast to earn multiple CSC Academic All-America Division I nods. Denver now boasts four Academic All-America honors from gymnasts: two from Mundell and one apiece from Karen Beer (first team, 1982-83) and Emily Bankhead (third team, 2003-04).
 
In total, 46 Division I student-athletes earned spots on the 2024-25 CSC Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Teams. Mundell is one of two Denver student-athletes to be named to the teams, joining two-time NCAA skiing champion Sara Rask, who collected first-team honors. Gymnastics is the most-recognized sport on this year’s DI at-large teams with Mundell as one of eight honorees.
 
Mundell and Rask become the fourth and fifth DU student-athletes to earn CSC Academic All-America status in 2024-25 after men’s soccer players Ronan Wynne and Sam Bassett – second and third team, respectively – and men’s swimmer Brandon Chapman (third team).
 
So far, Denver has now had at least one CSC Academic All-American in each of the last five years and in 11 of the last 12. Over the last two academic years, Denver has boasted 11 honors.
 
The men’s at-large team will be announced on Wednesday, July 9.
 
TICKETS:
Season ticket renewals and deposits for the 2026 University of Denver gymnastics season are now on sale and can be purchased online, by calling 303-871-4625 or by visiting the Ritchie
 
Denver’s Home for College Sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Gymnastics on Facebook.
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Gymnastics on Twitter.
Follow @DenverPioneers and @Denver_Gymnastics on Instagram.





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Gavin McKenna Chooses Penn State In Landmark Hockey Recruiting Battle

In what has been one of the biggest recruiting chases in the history of college hockey, Gavin McKenna has made his decision. The projected No. 1 pick for the 2026 NHL Draft is heading to Penn State University for the 2025-26 season according to multiple reports and independently confirmed by FloSports. McKenna is expected to […]

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In what has been one of the biggest recruiting chases in the history of college hockey, Gavin McKenna has made his decision.

The projected No. 1 pick for the 2026 NHL Draft is heading to Penn State University for the 2025-26 season according to multiple reports and independently confirmed by FloSports. McKenna is expected to formally announce the decision on ESPN during the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter.

McKenna narrowed a list down to Michigan State and Penn State, choosing to go to the Nittany Lions after weeks of deliberations and recent visits to both schools.

It is believed that Penn State was able to offer the most lucrative NIL package to help entice the top prospect. With NHL earnings surely on the way, money likely wasn’t the primary deciding factor, but the best player going to the highest bidder certainly does not hurt. Sources indicated that McKenna wanted to take on the opportunity to be a game-changing player at a program like Penn State which has yet to produce a single NHL regular since entering the NCAA in 2011.

There is momentum in State College, however.

The Nittany Lions are fresh off their first ever Frozen Four appearance last season and went on a tremendous second-half run that positioned the program well for attracting new recruits, especially as things opened up for CHL players.

McKenna is by far the highest-profile recruit in Penn State history and will likely go down as likely the highest-profile recruit to enter men’s college hockey ever. Even though others like Macklin Celebrini, Adam Fantilli and Jack Eichel played in the college ranks, they made their commitments well before they were the household names they would become in prospect and scouting circles. Their recruitment was not nearly as closely viewed as McKenna’s has been and their decision certainly was not a big topic of conversation on SportsCenter.

McKenna has been viewed as the No. 1 pick for 2026 for the better part of two years, but the college option wasn’t even open to him until a landmark decision made last fall.

The NCAA made a ruling that allowed, for the first time, players from the Canadian Hockey League to be eligible to play college hockey. Many players have already made commitments to the NCAA including several high-profile recent draft picks, but none matches the pedigree and potential of McKenna, who is coming off of an incredible WHL season with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Here is our brief report on McKenna where he was ranked No. 1 in our way-too-early 2026 NHL Draft Top 10 Rankings:

Between the regular season, playoffs and Memorial Cup, McKenna put up 173 points in 76 games. His 129 in the regular season ranks third among U18 players in the WHL in the last 35 years. He had points in 54 consecutive games. We can keep going on and on with the points.

What will make Gavin McKenna the No. 1 pick however is his impressive pace, ability to process the game at remarkable speeds and hand skills that will make more than a few defenders look silly even at the NHL level. He is a play-driving winger who craves the puck and makes plays in any way you can imagine. He is a legitimate shot-pass threat, though I think he’s a better playmaker than a goal scorer. 

He’s a winner, too. McKenna led Canada to the U18 World Championship in 2024 while setting the Candian scoring record in the tournament, then took Medicine Hat to the WHL championship and the Memorial Cup final. He’s a special, special talent.

In terms of pedigree, college hockey has not yet seen a player with this impressive a resume come into the college ranks in recent years. This is a massive coup for Penn State, putting the program even more firmly on the map as a destination for top prospects. That, is of course, if everything goes to plan and McKenna is the runaway No. 1 pick as everyone expects him to be next June.

Penn State has been extremely aggressive in recruiting top prospects from the CHL, but now have the centerpiece of their 2025-26 roster with McKenna.

In addition to McKenna’s arrival, the Nittany Lions also picked up a commitment from Jackson Smith, who was selected 14th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2025 NHL Draft. He is the highest-drafted player ever to commit to the Nittany Lions, or at least will be until McKenna goes next season.

Additionally, the Nittany Lions still have Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist Aidan Fink and recent second-round draft pick Charlie Cerrato returning from last year’s team. Goalie transfer Kevin Reidler, an Ottawa Senators draft pick, will be joining the team this year, as will Hobey Top 10 finalist and strong NCAA free agent defenseman Mac Gadowsky who starred at West Point. Calgary Flames draft pick Luke Misa, Florida Panthers pick Shea Busch and point-per-game forward Lev Katzin also were added as recruits this year out of the CHL, among others.

This is a potential transformational period for Penn State in landing the highest-profile recruits. They have not yet had this kind of splash in their program’s history. Now they have by far their most talented recruiting class. Though McKenna is almost certainly a one-and-done player, the rest could be sticking around for longer.

So how did Penn State land such a high-profile piece despite the intense competition for his services that included every major program in the country?

I’m told that McKenna was enticed by the opportunity to help build something at Penn State. If he’s going to be an NHL cornerstone piece, why not get a head start at a program that has been searching to gain a foothold among college hockey’s blue bloods since arriving at the Division I level in 2011? 

Additionally, Penn State has world class facilities, access to elite level off-ice training and a competitive-enough team to give McKenna a chance at chasing another trophy after winning the WHL last season. 

Plus, the opportunity McKenna had to earn the highest NIL figure ever given to a hockey player is important, too. Though an official figure has not been confirmed, reports indicate his earnings will be as high as $750,000 USD. Additionally, McKenna is sponsored by a number of brands including Bauer, increasing his earning potential.

In the NIL era, where sports that are not football or basketball have a harder time getting athletes paid big dollars, McKenna’s arrival and whatever impact he’s able to make could make an impact on the pool of money afforded to hockey players by their athletics departments and NIL collectives in the future. The one caveat is that so few players will enter the collegiate ranks with the pedigree McKenna currently can boast.

Penn State has punched above its weight at times, but still hadn’t become the destination for bluechip recruits. McKenna’s value was not going to be any higher for another Big Ten program than it is for Penn State’s. To be completely honest, they couldn’t pay him enough to match the value a player of his caliber saying yes to the program will bring for their future recruiting opportunities. McKenna is an especially influential player given his status as one of the CHL’s very best talents and what he does will not go unnoticed. That’s why this feels like such a big deal, especially for the Nittany Lions.

This is a monumental moment not just for Penn State, but for college hockey.

The arrival of McKenna is a flashpoint moment for the new era with CHL players being eligible and could be the most important test balloon for players weighing decisions about where to play in their 18-year-old and 19-year-old seasons. Several players with high-profile aspirations including McKenna’s former Medicine Hat Teammate Cayden Lindstrom at Michigan State, and Victoria Royals duo Keaton Verhoeff and Cole Reschny heading to North Dakota, have already made the decision, which made an impact but not in the same way McKenna’s will.

Now the big question is going to be how much more competitive this makes Penn State. That may take a bit longer to determine. Younger teams in college hockey tend to have a more difficult time because some programs are going to be much longer on experience. Penn State has a high number of returnees from its national championship team, but also sustained key losses including in star goalie Arsenii Sergeev turning pro with the Calgary Flames.

Though programs like Michigan, Boston University and Boston College, among others, have loaded up on top prospects and first-round picks, that has not been a recipe for success. Denver won a national championship in 2024 with future first-rounder Zeev Buium on the team, but before that, Riley Tufte was the last first-round pick to win a national championship with Minnesota Duluth in 2019. Teams like Quinnipiac and UMass won national titles without top prospects dotting their rosters.

The NCAA field is going to be awfully crowded and one of the more veteran teams in the country is going to be Michigan State, the school McKenna passed up. They have the best returning goalie in the country in Trey Augustine, the reigning Hobey Baker winner in Isaac Howard and one of the best recruiting classes they’ve pulled in, in many years. And don’t count out defending champion Western Michigan. They had some losses, but loaded up on transfers and will return starting goalie Hampton Slukynsky. Winning in the NCAA does not come easy, especially not in the power conferences.

Because of the wide range in ages of players in college hockey — 17 to 24 — having the most skilled team doesn’t always lead to success. But it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Regardless of if the Nittany Lions win a national title this year, though, this is a massive moment to celebrate for a program that has had seemingly all the tools to land players like this, but for whatever reason hadn’t yet. The talent influx in college hockey heading into the 2025-26 season is unlike anything we’ve ever seen and Penn State just added the very best player of that bunch. It is certainly a new era in Hockey Valley.

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don’t miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

Watch the AHL, ECHL, QMJHL, USHL, And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.

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Malabuyo, Moors Named First Team Academic All-Americans

UCLA’s Emma Malabuyo and Brooklyn Moors were selected to the 2024-25 Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large first team, as selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC). They become the fifth and six UCLA gymnasts ever to receive the award. Malabuyo, who earned her degree in Communication, was the NCAA balance beam runner-up in 2025 and helped […]

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UCLA’s Emma Malabuyo and Brooklyn Moors were selected to the 2024-25 Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large first team, as selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC). They become the fifth and six UCLA gymnasts ever to receive the award.

Malabuyo, who earned her degree in Communication, was the NCAA balance beam runner-up in 2025 and helped lead UCLA to a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships and to the Big Ten regular season and championship titles. A first-team All-Big Ten selection and AAI Award nominee, Malabuyo had a team-high five event victories on the balance beam and 12 Top 2 finishes in 2025. The 2024 Philippines Olympian and four-time All-American was UCLA’s honoree for the 2025 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and was included on the Winter Academic All-Big Ten team, her third conference academic honor of her career. Malabuyo was a finalist and sport winner for the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar and a three-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree.

Moors graduated in 2024 with a degree in Sociology and earned a postgraduate certificate in project management in 2025. This past season, she won the NCAA and Big Ten floor exercise titles and was named the College Gym News Breakout Performer of the Year. She scored her first career perfect 10 on floor at the Big Ten Championships and also set new career highs on vault with a 9.925 at the NCAA Regional semifinal and on beam with a 9.900 three times. Moors, a 2020 Canadian Olympian, earned first-team All-America honors on floor during the regular season and in the postseason and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection, a Big Ten All-Championships team honoree and an Academic All-Big selection in 2025. She has also earned three WCGA Scholastic All-America honors in her career and was a three-time member of the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll and two-time CSC Academic All-District® award-winner.

UCLA student-athletes have earned a total of eight Academic All-America® honors so far this season, tied for the second-most in a single year in school history. Over the last two seasons, UCLA has earned 18 Academic All-America® honors to increase its overall total to 158.

UCLA’s 2024-25 CSC Academic All-Americans

Emma Malabuyo, At-Large, Gymnastics (1st team)

Brooklyn Moors, At-Large, Gymnastics (1st team)

Kiki Rice, Women’s Basketball (1st team)

Carson Schwesinger, Football (2nd team)

Alexander Hoogmartens, Men’s Tennis (1st team)

Maggie Boyd, At-Large, Beach Volleyball (2nd team)

Jessica Clements, Softball (3rd team)

Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, Women’s Tennis (3rd team)

 



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Tennessee State men’s hockey halts inaugural season. Here’s why.

The inaugural season for Tennessee State men’s hockey is over before it even began. The first ever ice hockey team at an historically Black, public university was expected to begin play in 2025-26, but now that will not happen, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who wished to remain anonymous because the […]

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The inaugural season for Tennessee State men’s hockey is over before it even began.

The first ever ice hockey team at an historically Black, public university was expected to begin play in 2025-26, but now that will not happen, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who wished to remain anonymous because the news has not yet been made official.

The team is now hoping to play its inaugural season in 2026-27.

Concerns about the men’s hockey program at Tennessee State come to light two years after the team was announced at Bridgestone Arena ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. Uncertainty about a home ice location or practice facilities, a lack of fundraising, and unrest about the school’s financial situation are all contributing factors for the delay of the program.

The university has undergone massive leadership and financial upheavals over the last 18 months while facing budget deficits and declining enrollment. Interim President Dwyane Tucker, who took office in December, repeatedly said the school would run out of money this spring if nothing changed. He presented an ambitious five-year financial plan to key state leaders in February and helped strike a deal with them to infuse $96 million into the university’s budget in June. The money, which was part of a fund previously reserved for building and infrastructure projects, will help stabilize the university’s budget and address its immediate operational needs. However, it’s not clear if any of that money would go toward the university’s athletic programs.

A source with knowledge of the situation, who wished to remain anonymous because the news has not been made official, said Tennessee State’s hockey team had not met its fundraising goals for 2025-26.

In addition, no schedule or roster has been posted to Tennessee State’s men’s hockey website.

The Tennessean reached out to the athletics department regarding game dates and opponents for 2025-26 but the university was unable to provide a schedule.

The Tennessean’s Rachel Wegner contributed to this story.

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.





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