NORFOLK, Va. – The North Carolina Central women’s and men’s track & field teams concluded competition at the 2025 MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 15-17 at William Price Stadium, with both teams finishing fourth. This is the highest finish in the Division I era for the Eagles in the outdoor championships.

The podium for the women’s teams included Howard (292 points), claiming its fourth consecutive conference title. Norfolk State (189) and Morgan State (74) finished in front of the Eagles. NCCU was one point shy of third with 73 points. Delaware State (72), South Carolina State (50), Coppin State (25) and Maryland Eastern Shore (25) completed the standings.

For the fourth straight year, Norfolk State (227 points) won the men’s conference championship. Coppin State and Howard trailed behind in a tie as both teams collected 111.5 points. NC Central (93), South Carolina State (81), Delaware State (71), Morgan State (67) and Maryland Eastern Shore (52) rounded out the championships.  

Two Eagles won individual gold as Tia Lucas and Gabriel Urraca topped the podium. Lucas won her second career gold in the women’s high jump clearing 1.77m for a new personal record and the top mark in the MEAC. Urraca took home his first medal as an Eagle after throwing 17.61m in the men’s shot put for a season best.  

Two silver medals were placed on the shoulders of Jonathan Raijon-Koger and Nelson Anderson. Raijon-Koger leaped for a season-best 2.09m in the men’s high jump. He also won silver at last year’s outdoor championship and gold indoors this season. Anderson finished second in the men’s hammer throw with 51.10m as his best distance.

Sa’Niya Fowler left Norfolk with two bronze medals in women’s discus (42.92m) and hammer (51.72m). On the track, Nyree Bacchus added to NCCU’s point total after a third-place finish in the women’s 400m (54.62). Laila Jackson ran for her third straight medal in the 800m, this time crossing the finish line in third (2:09.63).

The final two bronze medals went to Matthew Swepson in men’s hammer and javelin throw. In the hammer, Swepson had a season-best 46.95m throw, finishing right behind his teammate Anderson. On the final day, he threw 52.17m, placing third in the javelin event. Swepson also competed in the discus and shot put, finishing sixth in both events. He collected 18 points for the Eagles, earning Outstanding Co-Field Athlete Performer at the championships. This is the third time that Swepson has won this honor throughout his career at NCCU.   

Gold

Tia Lucas – women’s high jump (1.77m) *All-MEAC First Team – HJ

Gabriel Urraca – men’s shot put (17.61m) *All-MEAC First Team – SP

Silver

Jonathan Raijon-Koger – men’s high jump (2.09m) *All-MEAC Second Team – HJ

Nelson Anderson – men’s hammer (51.10m) *All-MEAC Second Team – HT

Bronze

Sa’Niya Fowler – women’s discus (42.92m) *All-MEAC Third Team – DT

Sa’Niya Fowler – women’s hammer (51.72m) *All-MEAC Third Team – HT

Matthew Swepson – men’s hammer (46.95m) *All-MEAC Third Team – HT

Nyree Bacchus – women’s 400m (54.62) *All-MEAC Third Team – 400m

Laila Jackson – women’s 800m (2:09.63) *All-MEAC Third Team – 800m

Matthew Swepson – men’s javelin throw (52.17m) *All-MEAC Third Team – JT

Outstanding Co-Field Athlete: Matthew Swepson

Women’s MEAC Outdoor T&F Championships (Division I)

2025 – 4th (73 points)

2024 – 6th (63)

2023 – 6th (56.5)

2022 – 7th (42)

2021 – 7th (4)

2019 – 6th (50.5)

2018 – 8th (28)

2017 – 11th (20)

2016 – 10th tie (22)

2015 – 11th tie (20)

2014 – 6th (54)

2013 – 9th (41)

2012 – 9th (35)

Men’s MEAC Outdoor T&F Championships (Division I)

2025 – 4th (93 points)

2024 – 6th (76)

2023 – 5th (80)

2022 – 5th (75)

2021 – 6th (32)

2019 – 9th (29)

2018 – 12th (18)

2017 – 9th (40)

2016 – 9th (38)

2015 – 10th (14)

2014 – 12th (3)

2013 – 13th (19)

2012 – 10th (30)

*2020 – No outdoor championships due to Covid-19

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.

Greg Browning’s paddleout at 16th Street in Hermosa Beach spanned generations, from Haggerty’s Surf Club legends to South Bay Boardriders Club groms. Browning’s stoke for surfing, both in front of and behind the camera inspired and bound South Bay surfers in a kinship that transpired all differences

“No sad shit,” Browning made his brother Jeff promise after his passing from ALS last month.

His wish was respected. The paddleout was all Geebs. ER

TULSA, Okla. — The junior division of the Sandfest Volleyball Tournament is raising money for the Little Light House for the 18th year.

Tracy Weldon, the director of the Little Light House Fundraiser Volleyball Tournament, explained the services Little Light House provides for kids.

“It’s a school here in town for special needs kids for people who don’t know what that is. They provide services like speech therapy, physical therapy, several services that a lot of families don’t get anywhere else other than the Little Light House. They are private donations, corporate donations, their funding comes from those. They are not government funded, United Way, funded any other way. So our tournament is just a way for us to give back part of that.”

Since Weldon’s employer Webco had often been a sponsor of Little Light House in the past, he approached them when he decided he wanted to put together a volleyball tournament to benefit the school.

“It started when Owen, my oldest son, was a student at the Little Lighthouse and the volleyball community really embraced the tournament, which I was a part of that community before I was ever married and that’s kind of where I got the idea, but I had no idea that it would grow like it would.”

Now, the tournament has to be spread across two separate weekends to accommodate all players.

“We originally started with a grass tournament. The first year was five teams and it has grown over the years to where we have a juniors division and an adult or open division. This is our 18th year and it’s gotten big enough that we have to do juniors one weekend and then the adult tournament later in the summer on a different weekend, so it’s grown quite a bit since the first five team tournament.”

Weldon said this weekend’s junior tournament had about 55 teams competing.

“All the money we raise goes directly to the Little Lighthouse. Now, we have expenses for court rental and stuff like that…All of the people that help us put on the tournament, that’s volunteer work strictly. Nobody gets paid anything for that, so other than court rental and T-shirt costs, stuff like that, everything else goes to the Little Lighthouse.”

The Adult tournament is set to be held the first weekend of August.

To learn more about Little Lighthouse, click here.

Naperville North boys water polo has won three straight sectionals, and this year, they are attempting to do it as hosts against Neuqua Valley. On the other side of the pool, the Wildcats look for an upset and avenge a 22-12 loss earlier this season. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

Naperville North opens the IHSA Boys Water Polo Sectional Semifinal with a 6-0 lead against Neuqua

Four minutes in with an early 1-0 lead, the Huskies start to work it around and inside to Jack Reif, who scores to go up 2-0.

Looking to get on the scoreboard, Declan Puacz flicks it to Mario Valente, whose point-blank shot is stopped by the arm of Caleb Uson. Neuqua stays scoreless.

After a save late in the quarter, Uson sends it down the pool to Jack Boudeman. Boudeman is free to get close, rise up and shoot. His goal puts North ahead 3-0.

The Huskies’ offense starts to heat up as two quick passes set up Jack Reif, whose thunderous shot finds the net. 4-0 North, holding Neuqua scoreless in the first quarter.

Down 6-0 in the second, Puacz gets a quick steal and takes off on his own…  They have a numbers advantage on the break, and the senior rises to fire home the Wildcats’ first goal.

Huskies extend lead to double digits and move on to play Waubonsie Valley in the Sectional Final

The Huskies didn’t let off the gas at all. Here is Reif being hounded by two defenders and still finishing strong. 7-1 North.

Here’s a perfect pass to start the break. It lands right in front of Mason Hoffman, who hustles ahead to free himself up. He raises up, pump fake! And he flicks it over for some style points. 9-1 North as they roar ahead.

For Neuqua, Puacz finds Milan O’Connor in front of the net; he slings it off the post, and it doinks in. North leads 10-3 now.

Here’s Reif working around the side of the net. He passes it to Hoffman, who muscles in another shot. North leads 11-4.

Already with a commanding lead in the second half, North takes possession again. Jack Reif is right where he wants to be and scores again.  North takes it 19-9, without much struggle. They play Waubonsie for the sectional final.

LAFAYETTE ― McCutcheon boys volleyball coach Keith Crisler saw his players meld together after two years of learning the sport together.

Boys who picked up the sport for the first time two seasons ago became a formidable group that learned to pass, digs and score points together as a unit.

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McCutcheon was swept in the first IHSAA sectional boys title title on Saturday afternoon to Zionsville 25-19, 25-14, 25-18, but the program summitted after going 11-20 in 2023 and 6-18 in 2024.

For Crisler, finishing with a 15-10 record in 2025 was a breakthrough for his Mavericks.

More: Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA

“One word I would say is growth,” Crisler said. “Growth as individuals, as athletes and as a program in the sport. Boys volleyball and men’s volleyball in Indiana has (some time) to grow, but I feel like we’ve had a successful season because we took that pioneering step to learn something new and that’s not an easy thing to do.”

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The number of boys volleyball teams expanded from 35 in 2022 to the 133 competing in the IHSAA playoffs this spring.

As the competition grew, so did McCutcheon.

“I don’t think anyone should leave this season with their head down and their shoulders slumped,” Crisler said. “They are pioneer men and left their mark in their first official year in Indiana.”

The growth of McCutcheon volleyball was headed by graduating starters senior libero Khelan Patel, middle blocker Jayden Heygood, setter Kieraan Jordan, outside hitter Josh Madsen and outside hitter Malachi Kenner.

Patel, Heygood, Jordan, Madsen and Kenner were the “founding fathers of McCutcheon boys volleyball,” per Crisler.

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More: IHSAA boys volleyball sectional semifinals: McCutcheon advances to championship against Zionsville

“They are the true pioneers,” Crisler added. “A lot of what we did this season is because of them. With experiences they had and how they led the younger boys in our program, they should probably have a statue or something like that.”

Patel was a consistent libero who attacked and placed shot receives in playable directions for his offense.

“It just shows the effort and drive we had for the game,” Patel said. “I know all of us who have been playing, we go play during the offseason because of how much we love the sport. We really took it upon ourselves to grow the game, build the program and build what we had within our community at McCutcheon volleyball.”

Jordan distributed the ball as a setter but could also provide an extra body at the net to make blocks or earn kills and points for his team.

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“It’s truly something special to be there during the first year and build this thing from the ground up when it wasn’t a fully sanctioned sport,” Jordan said. “It’s just awesome to see it blossom into this and see it expand like football and baseball.”

Jordan and Patel saw the culture grow at McCutcheon through their activity, setting an example for future players to come.

“It shows how much we’ve grown from March 10 and the first day of the season to now,” Jordan said. “We’ve been really focused and bought into the program and this was our goal, to make it to the championship. It showed there was so much focus put into this team.”

Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at  ethan_a_hanson.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon boys volleyball shows growth in 2025 season