In just over a year, Triton College sophomore Ava Connerty of Riverside has seen her track and field fortunes change drastically. They did so the same way for the finals of the women’s 100-meter high hurdles at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Championships May 10 in Utica, N.Y. after a disappointing fourth-place preliminary finish in cold and gloomy conditions May 8.

“(Finals) was such a nice day. It was warm. It was sunny. I just had a different mindset,” Connerty said. “I was so confident, just in the right headspace that day. I knew I would do good and I did.” 

Connerty captured the national title with a huge lifetime-best of 15.24 seconds to become the first women’s track and field national champion in Triton history. In 2024, Connerty was second at nationals after joining the team mid-season.

Special Olympics Nebraska serves up volleyball on opening day

Opening ceremonies are jam-packed with entertainment, and a banquet is the winner at closing ceremonies

Updated: 3:53 PM CDT May 20, 2025

WELCOME BACK. THANKS FOR STICKING WITH US. THE SUMMER OLYMPICS ARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. AND HERE TO TELL US MORE IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS NEBRASKA, CAROLYN CHAMBERLAIN. CAROLYN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AT NOON. WELL, THIS IS EXCITING. YOU JUST MADE ME AWARE THAT SPECIAL OLYMPICS START WEDNESDAY HERE IN THE METRO. YES. OUR ANNUAL SUMMER GAMES KICK OFF ON WEDNESDAY AND WILL BE COMPETING THROUGH SATURDAY. OVER 700 ATHLETES. FOUR DAY EVENT. TAKE US THROUGH SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WILL BE STARTING WEDNESDAY. YEAH, WE HAVE ATHLETES AND PARTICIPANTS COMING FROM ALL OVER THE STATE AND THEY WILL ARRIVE AT CREIGHTON ON WEDNESDAY, AND THEY’LL BE WELCOMED WITH A BARBECUE. AND THEN WE WASTE NO TIME. VOLLEYBALL STARTS THAT NIGHT. NICE. AND THE NEXT MORNING, SWIMMING ALL DAY. AND THURSDAY EVENING OUR OPENING CEREMONIES, WHICH IS A NIGHT OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR OUR ATHLETES IN THE COMMUNITY. OH I BET. YEAH. AND THEN FRIDAY. OTHER FIELD EVENTS. WE HAVE A HEALTH SCREENING ALL DAY FRIDAY AND THEN SATURDAY TRACK ALL DAY. WE CLOSE WITH A FORMAL SIT DOWN BANQUET AND CLOSING CEREMONIES AND A DANCE, AND THEN EVERYBODY GOES BACK HOME ON SUNDAY. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE THE EMOTIONS YOU SEE FROM THE ATHLETES BEING ABLE TO COMPETE, JUST LIKE AT THE WORLD STAGE, ALL THE ENERGY AROUND WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM? YEAH. OUR ATHLETES TRAIN HARD ALL YEAR. A LOT OF THE SPORTS THAT YOU’LL SEE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THEY HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR, SO THEY COMPETE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THEN QUALIFY TO COME TO STATE. THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A STATE COMPETITION. BUT IT’S IT’S REALLY POWERFUL TO SEE OUR ATHLETES BE CELEBRATED FOR WHO THEY ARE AND EARNING THEIR SPOT. WE DON’T JUST GIVE THIS AWAY, THEY HAVE TO EARN IT. AND THE BEAUTIFUL PART IS THAT IT GIVES OUR ATHLETES A CHANCE TO SHINE AND TO TRAIN, TO SET GOALS, TO HIT A PERSONAL BEST RIGHT, AND TO BE CELEBRATED FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. I LOVE IT, AND A FOUR DAY EVENT LIKE THIS CANNOT GO ON WITHOUT ALL THE VOLUNTEERS. I’M SURE YOU HAVE AND STILL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHERS TO COME OUT AND VOLUNTEER. IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, THIS EVENT TAKES A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS, AND IF YOU HAVEN’T SIGNED UP, YOU STILL CAN AT OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS S O E DOT. THERE’S A LITTLE BUTTON THAT SAYS GET INVOLVED. IF YOU CLICK THAT, IT’LL GIVE YOU WAYS TO SIGN UP. OH THAT’S PERFECT. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH AS A VOLUNTEER FOR THESE VOLUNTEERS, WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM, THE REWARDS OF BEING ABLE TO HELP THESE ATHLETES COMPETE. SEE THEM TRIUMPH, AND WHAT THEY GET OUT OF IT, BECAUSE I’M SURE IT’S JUST AS REWARDING AS THE ATHLETES. YEAH, THE FEEDBACK I GET FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS IS OFTEN I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO THERE AND HELP. I THOUGHT I WAS GIVING, AND WHEN I LEFT, I REALIZED I WAS FED. I REALIZED I RECEIVED FAR MORE THAN I GAVE, AND WE HAVE SO MANY RETURNING VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE IT’S SUCH A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. ABSOLUTELY. THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. HOW ELSE CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED? MAYBE THEY CAN’T VOLUNTEER. CAN THEY COME AND WATCH AND PARTAKE IN SOME OF THE EVENTS AND SEEING AND CELEBRATING THESE ATHLETES? YEAH, ALL OF OUR EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WE DON’T CHARGE FOR ADMISSION. SO IF YOU WANT TO JUST COME BE A FAN FOR A COUPLE HOURS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME DO THAT. IT’S A COME TO OPENING CEREMONIES. IT’S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WE HAVE. LEMON FRESH DAY, LOCAL LOCAL ARTISTS ENTERTAINING. WE HAVE ALL-STAR STUNT DOGS, WHICH WILL BE PART OF THE SHOW. SO IT’S A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE SOMETHING AMAZING IN THE COMMUNITY IN OMAHA TO SUCH A GREAT PART IN SUPPORTING THIS. I LOVE TO HEAR IT.

Special Olympics Nebraska serves up volleyball on opening day

Opening ceremonies are jam-packed with entertainment, and a banquet is the winner at closing ceremonies

Updated: 3:53 PM CDT May 20, 2025

Special Olympics Nebraska has served the community for over 50 years.Its annual summer games kick off with volleyball on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. More than 700 athletes from around the state will arrive at Creighton University to compete in the four-day event. After the welcome barbecue, athletes will hit the court at the Kiewit Fitness Center Wednesday night. Swimming begins Thursday at 9 a.m. in Elkhorn. The evening’s opening ceremonies will entertain the athletes and the community. Friday is the field events day. Special Olympics Nebraska president and CEO Caroyln Chamberlin sat down with KETV’s Jack Keenan to discuss the opening ceremonies and the summer games. For more information, go to sone.org.

OMAHA, Neb. —

Special Olympics Nebraska has served the community for over 50 years.

Its annual summer games kick off with volleyball on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

More than 700 athletes from around the state will arrive at Creighton University to compete in the four-day event.

After the welcome barbecue, athletes will hit the court at the Kiewit Fitness Center Wednesday night.

Swimming begins Thursday at 9 a.m. in Elkhorn. The evening’s opening ceremonies will entertain the athletes and the community.

Friday is the field events day.

Special Olympics Nebraska president and CEO Caroyln Chamberlin sat down with KETV’s Jack Keenan to discuss the opening ceremonies and the summer games.

For more information, go to sone.org.

The 2025 AVP League has a national slate of beach volleyball matches in nine cities across the United States, with the season culminating in a championship weekend at Chicago’s Oak Street Beach.

Each venue will host a full weekend featuring the organization’s franchises including the Palm Beach Passion, Brooklyn Blaze, LA Launch, Dallas Dream, San Diego Smash, Austin Aces, New York Nitro and Miami Mayhem.

The season kicks off at Delray Beach Tennis Center in Palm Beach, Florida (May 23–24) and then heads to the Viejas Arena in San Diego (June 6–7). The tour then returns to Florida with competition at the Wayfair Arena in Miami (June 13–14).

New York will have two events, with the first coming at EHP Resort and Marina in East Hampton (June 21–22) and the second in Central Park in New York City (July 19–20). Between the two New York events is a stop at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles (July 11–12).

The final two events before the championship are in Texas — the H-E-B Center in Austin (August 1–2) and Comerica Center in Dallas (August 8–9). The 2025 AVP League Championship will be at Oak Street Beach in Chicago from August 30–31.

“Each of these venues was hand-selected to deliver something truly special — not just for the players, but for our partners, the fans and the cities we’re coming to,” said Robert Corvino, AVP commissioner. “From the Intuit Dome to Central Park in New York City to Oak Street Beach in Chicago, the 2025 AVP League is putting beach volleyball on some of the biggest stages in sports and entertainment. It’s the kind of exposure this sport deserves, and we can’t wait to bring the energy to every venue.”

AVP has also announced a multi-year deal with Wasserman to create sponsorship and fan experiences at every venue.

“We’re excited to collaborate with the AVP to take the partner experience to new and unforeseen heights and help bring the sport to premier venues across the country,” said Chris Foy, executive vice president, managing director at Wasserman. “These are incredible locations that reflect the rising profile of the AVP League and its incredible athletes.”

2025 AVP Schedule

May 23–24: Delray Beach Tennis Center, Palm Beach, Florida
June 6–7: Viejas Arena, San Diego
June 13–14: Wayfair Arena, Miami
June 21–22: EHP Resort and Marina, East Hampton, New York
July 11–12: Intuit Dome, Los Angeles
July 19–20: Central Park (Wollman Rink), New York City
August 1–2: H-E-B Center, Austin
August 8–9: Comerica Center, Dallas
August 30–31: Oak Street Beach, Chicago (League Championship)

The Keiser Seahawk track and field team will conclude their 2025 season this weekend at the NAIA Outdoor National Championship meet, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University. The Seahawks come into this meet with a total of 11 athletes in their competition party, and will be hunting for national championship glory. 

NAIA Outdoor National Championships

Indiana Wesleyan Track and Field Complex

Marion, Ind.

Live Results

Live Video

Hugo Biget, Junior, Quimper, France

• Biget will be making his fourth career NAIA National Championship appearance 
• He will be racing on KU’s 4x100m relay team
• The Keiser 4×100 relay team qualified for NAIA Nationals with a B-standard 40.85 mark at the Sun Conference Outdoor Championship meet
• The prelim round for the 4×100 relay is set for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and the final round is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. on Friday

Devin Christopher, Junior, St. Rose, La.

• Christopher will be racing as a part of Keiser’s 4x100m relay squad
• During indoor season, he was a key component of Keiser’s record breaking, conference champion DMR team
• The Keiser 4×100 relay team qualified for NAIA Nationals with a B-standard 40.85 mark at the Sun Conference Outdoor Championship meet
• The prelim round for the 4×100 relay is set for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and the final round is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. on Friday

Alex Cruz, Freshman, Wesley Chapel, Fla.

• Cruz will be racing as a part of Keiser’s 4x100m relay squad
• This will be his first NAIA Nationals appearance
• The Keiser 4×100 relay team qualified for NAIA Nationals with a B-standard 40.85 mark at the Sun Conference Outdoor Championship meet
• The prelim round for the 4×100 relay is set for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and the final round is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. on Friday

Francesco De Nicola, Freshman, Casalnuovo di Napoli, Italy.

• De Nicola will be racing as a part of Keiser’s 4x800m relay squad
• This will be De Nicola’s NAIA Nationals debut
• The Keiser 4x800m relay claimed their spot in NAIA nationals at the STU Under the Lights meet
• The 4x800m prelim round is set for 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, with the final slotted for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday
• The 800m prelim is slated for 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, with the final set to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday

Dallas Desouza, Freshman, West Palm Beach, Fla.

• Desouza will be competing as part of the A-standard 4x800m relay squad, and the 4x100m relay squad
• During the indoor portion of the season, Desouza was a part of Keiser’s record breaking 4x800m relay squad
• He was also an NAIA All-American in the 600m dash
• The 4x800m prelim round is set for 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, with the final slotted for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday
• The Keiser 4×100 relay team qualified for NAIA Nationals with a B-standard 40.85 mark at the Sun Conference Outdoor Championship meet
• The prelim round for the 4×100 relay is set for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and the final round is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. on Friday

Sacha Gangloff, Sophomore, Metz, France.

• Gangloff will be making his return to NAIA Nationals after missing most of indoor season with an injury
• The sophomore returned from his injury at the Keiser Twilight Invitational, and quickly logged a B-standard 7.29m mark
• He will be taking part in the long jump, an event that he became an NAIA All-American in during the 2024 indoor season, as well as a Sun Conference champion that same year
• The men’s long jump championship is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Thursday

Gorata Gabankitse, Freshman, Gaborone, Botswana.

• Gabankitse will be making his second nationals appearance of the year
• The freshman punched his ticket to NAIA Nationals with a B-standard 1:51.73 mark in the 800m
• Gabankitse also holds a spot on Keiser’s A-standard 4x800m relay squad
• The Keiser 4x800m relay claimed their spot in NAIA nationals at the STU Under the Lights meet
• The 4x800m prelim round is set for 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, with the final slotted for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday
• The 800m prelim is slated for 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, with the final set to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday

Sigmund Le Fjeld, Freshman, Kolsås, Norway.

• Le Fjeld will make his second NAIA nationals appearance of the year
• The freshman has six top-10 finishes in the triple jump this season
• He punched his ticket to NAIA Nationals with a 14.61m triple jump at the Emory University Thrills in the Hills Meet
• The men’s triple jump is set for 1:30 p.m. on Friday

Yanis Le Mouillour, Freshman, Vannes, France

• Le Mouillour will be making his second NAIA nationals appearance of the year
• He was chosen as the Sun Conference Men’s Indoor Freshman of the Year, and was named Sun Conference Cross Country Men’s Freshman of the Year this past fall
• Le Mouillour set a Keiser program record in the 800m
• He is also a part of Keiser’s 4x800m relay team
• The Keiser 4x800m relay claimed their spot in NAIA nationals at the STU Under the Lights meet
• The 4x800m prelim round is set for 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, with the final slotted for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday
• The 800m prelim is slated for 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, with the final set to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday

Adrian Rivadulla, Freshman, Ferrol, Spain.

• Rivadulla will be racing on Keiser’s 4x800m relay team
• This will be his second appearance of the year at NAIA nationals
• The Keiser 4x800m relay claimed their spot in NAIA nationals at the STU Under the Lights meet
• The 4x800m prelim round is set for 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, with the final slotted for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday
• The 800m prelim is slated for 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, with the final set to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday

Claudio Pugnetti, Freshman, Udine, Italy.

• Pugnetti will be making his NAIA Nationals debut
• He qualified for nationals with an A-standard 62.43m javelin throw at the Keiser Twilight Invitational
• That mark is fifth best in the nation, and a Keiser record
• The freshman has placed fifth or better every time he has thrown the javelin in outdoor season, and was the Sun Conference Outdoor Champion
• The javelin throw will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday

For all the latest on Keiser track and field, follow @keisertf on X and Instagram and like us on Facebook.

General athletic news can be found at KUSeahawks on Facebook, kuseahawks on Instagram, and kuseahawks on X.

When the BYU men’s volleyball season ended in a fifth-set defeat to Stanford last month in the MPSF tournament, it struck a nerve — a nagging nerve that plagued the Cougars on multiple occasions in big moments throughout the season.

“Unfortunately, throughout the course of the year, we struggled to finish,” BYU coach Shawn Olmstead said. “We got ourselves in positions where we had every opportunity to (win).”

After getting to those positions, the school faltered on a few too many occasions — Stanford proving to be the last straw.

Special Collector’s Issue: “1984: The Year BYU was Second to None”

Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football’s 1984 National Championship season.

In their final match of the year, the Cougars led late in the first set before watching the Cardinal roar past them, scoring nine of the final 12 points to beat a bewildered BYU 25-23.

“Every year we’re trying to figure out how we can get a little bit better attacking out at the pins; how we can get better from the service line,” Olmstead said. “Those are the keys to this game, to our level.”

—  BYU coach Shawn Olmstead

Stanford then cobbled together a similar ending in the final moments of the third set, using an 8-2 run that snatched a victory from the Cougars — who had three set-point opportunities — for a 27-25 triumph. The Cardinal sealed the match in a fifth-set victory that they never trailed.

“We had many opportunities to just capitalize and put away a set, and we didn’t,” Olmstead said of the match against Stanford. “We couldn’t put together the things (we needed to) down the stretch.”

BYU had similar opportunities slip through its fingertips in matches throughout the season — against No. 5 UC Irvine, No. 3 Hawaii, No. 6 USC and No. 2 UCLA.

“That kind of kept biting us in the butt,” Olmstead said. “We couldn’t overcome that. (Things) didn’t go the way we anticipated.”

Despite the Cougars’ nagging inconsistencies in some of their biggest moments of the year, they still finished with a No. 8 national ranking and 11 victories over teams that were listed in the final AVCA poll. The school’s greatest feat proved to be a pair of wins against MPSF tournament champion and No. 4 Pepperdine to close out the regular season.

“You try to learn from the great moments and you learn from the tough moments,” Olmstead said. “I thought we should have accomplished a little bit more down the stretch. And I think the guys feel that too and so that’s hard because a lot of those guys aren’t going to be with us next year. We’re going to be kind of a brand-new team.”

With the departure of five seniors, new NCAA roster regulations, and transfers, BYU could see more player turnover than normal this offseason.

“We knew that with the changing landscape of the NCAA and what is on the horizon … that the transfer portal was going to look … different than it has in years past,” Olmstead said. “We were right into the transfer portal immediately.”

The transfer portal has already yielded results for Olmstead and his staff as they retool the roster for 2026. Olmstead says next season the school will have more transfer players than it ever has had.

“I’m not allowed to comment on them specifically, because they’re going through the normal admissions that any athlete does in the transfer portal,” Olmstead said. “All of them are … guys that have played a lot in their respective programs, quite a bit actually. One of them is an All-American at (his) former school.”

BYU could look a lot different come next season, but it all is motivated by its desire to improve.

“Every year we’re trying to figure out how we can get a little bit better attacking out at the pins; how we can get better from the service line,” Olmstead said. “Those are the keys to this game, to our level.”

The Cougars won’t be able to get back together for official practices until school resumes next fall; however, Olmstead and his staff are staying busy doing all they can to address their team’s needs over the summer. They don’t want another season to end, feeling their team didn’t maximize its potential.

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Beach Volleyball has gone international for its seventh announced signing entering 2025-26, adding German Theresa Habrik, the Texans announced on Tuesday.
 
Habrik (5-11) is from Erlenmoos in Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She arrived in the United States in 2023. She spent the last two years playing both beach volleyball and indoor volleyball at Hartnell College in Salinas, California.
 
Habrik was named the conference’s Most Valuable Player in both beach volleyball and indoor volleyball in 2024, plus First Team All-Conference. In beach that year, Habrik played 22 matches on the top court, going 20-2 at the No. 1 position, including a Coast Conference championship. She also qualified for the state championships.
 
This past indoor volleyball season, Habrik had 904 assists as the setter, averaging 7.8 per set. The next closest member on the team had 51 assists on the year.  
 
Habrik played 13 years for the club team called TG Biberach in Germany, with three appearances in the national championship. She graduated from Gymnasium Ochsenhausen in 2023.
 
Habrik, who was placed on the President’s List at Hartnell, will study mathematics at Tarleton State University.