By: Tim Flynn

GOLDEN, Colo. – Cross country and track & field distance stars Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge and Loic Scomparin have been named the Spring 2025 President’s Senior Scholar-Athletes before Colorado School of Mines’ Commencement ceremonies on May 8 and 9.

Awarded twice annually prior to the May and December commencements, the prestigious award is given to one male and one female student-athlete who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and the leadership qualities of an exemplary student-athlete. On Friday, McDermott will receive a B.S. in quantitative biosciences & engineering and McLeod will get a M.S. in engineering & technology management.

The most-awarded student-athlete in Mines history with 14 all-America honors (and counting), Scomparin is Mines’ only three-time top-10 finisher at the NCAA Cross Country Championships with individual placings of 10th, eighth, and eighth, leading Mines to the 2022 and 2024 team national championships along the way. On the track, Scomparin is an 11-time all-American and six-time medalist including the NCAA silver medal indoors in the 2025 3,000m and 5,000m runs, the 2024 indoor bronze medalist in the 3,000m, the 2023 bronze medalist outdoors in the 10,000m, and the 2021 bronze medals in the indoor 3,000m and 5,000m runs. He holds the program records for the indoor 3K and outdoor 10K and is among the all-time NCAA Division II leaders in both. Scomparin is a three-time Academic All-American and has earned a multitude of other academic awards in his career including RMAC Academic Athlete of the Year, RMAC First-Team All-Academic, and USTFCCCA All-Academic. Scomparin earned his B.S. in environmental engineering in May 2023 and a master’s in advanced energy systems in May 2024, and is receiving a second master’s in hydrology this week. 

The 2025 NCAA Division II national champion in the indoor 5,000m, Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge is a five-time all-American distance runner for the Orediggers. One of only three national champions in women’s track & field history, Ramsey-Rutledge is the NCAA Division II all-time recordholder in the indoor 5K and holds the Mines records in that event as well as the outdoor 5K and 10K distances. In cross country, her third-place individual finish at the 2024 NCAA Division II Championships marks the best ever by a Mines woman, and she was also 20th in 2023 to earn all-America honors. With the 2025 outdoor track season still ongoing, she ranks #2 nationally in the 5,000m and has the fastest 10K run by a D-II collegian this spring. Ramsey-Rutledge has been an Academic All-District, USTFCCCA All-Academic, and RMAC First-Team All-Academic honoree over her career. Ramsey-Rutledge is receiving her B.S. in applied mathematics & statistics.

 

MUNCIE, Ind. – – Highlighted by home matches versus Cincinnati, Purdue and Eastern Kentucky, Ball State women’s volleyball head coach Kelli Miller Phillips released the remainder of its 2025 schedule Thursday (May 8) afternoon.
 
Along with the previously released Mid-American Conference schedule (MAC Schedule Release), the Cardinals will play 13 matches in Worthen Arena this season, including one exhibition and 12 regular season contests.
 
“This year will be our toughest and most exciting schedule in quite some time,” Phillips said. “Every single non-conference match will be a battle and prepare us for the rigorous MAC schedule.  It’s going to challenge us mentally and physically but I’m confident this team will be ready!”
 
After hosting Cedarville University for an Aug. 23 exhibition contest, Ball State will be on the road for the first three weekends of the regular season starting with three matches in a tournament hosted by Minnesota Aug. 29-31.
 
From there, the Cardinals will play three matches at an event hosted by UConn (Sept. 5-6) followed by three more matches at a tournament hosted by Marquette (Sept. 12-14).
 
The battle-tested Cardinals will then host Cincinnati for its first regular season home match on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 11:30 a.m. for Field Trip Day inside Worthen Arena. The following day (Sept. 19), Big Ten powerhouse Purdue will be making its first regular season appearance in Worthen Arena since the 2008 season.
 
Ball State closes the non-conference portion of the regular season Sept. 20 once again at home versus Eastern Kentucky.
 
“I’m also really excited about our home promotional events to really rally the community like our field trip day, bringing back Purdue to Worthen, and lots of other opportunities for everyone to be a part of the fun,” Phillips added. “We will need each and every fan to help us this year so get your tickets early, join the Volley Cards Kids Club and let’s pack Worthen this fall!”
 
Overall, it will be a very challenging non-conference schedule with all 12 non-conference foes finishing the season ranked in the top 138 in the final NCAA RPI rankings, including three top 25 match-ups: Purdue (13), Marquette (16) and Minnesota (25).
 
Season tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased by CLICKING HERE. Women’s volleyball season tickets are $54 for Adults and $19 for Youth (18-and-under). Fans can also purchase Men’s and Women’s Volleyball combined season tickets for $89 for Adults and $30 for Youth (18-and-under). Single match tickets will go on sale in early August.
 
Even better, if you are a Ball State women’s volleyball fan in sixth grade or below, you can join the Volley Cards Kids Club for just $30 by CLICKING HERE. 
 
As part of the club, each young fan will receive season tickets, a member swag pack, get to take part in the high-five tunnel during starting lineups and other special opportunities throughout the season.
 

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – Florida State All-Americans Lottie Woad and Mirabel Ting finished in tie for second place in the individual standings, and the No. 2 ranked and No. 1 seeded Florida State women’s golf team won the team title of the NCAA Lexington Regional Championship at the Keane Trace Golf Club. The Seminoles defeated Georgia Southern and Kansas State by five strokes each to win the third regional in school history following regional championships at Louisville in 2021 and in Tallahassee in 2022.

The Seminoles led the regional from start to finish as they won their single-season school-record seventh team championship of the season. Florida State has won team championships at the Landfall Tradition, Collegiate Invitational at the Guadalajara Country Club, Moon Invitational, Briar’s Creek Invitational, Florida State Match Up, ACC Championship, and now the NCAA Lexington Regional Championship. The Seminoles have won team championships in six of their seven events this spring and in seven of their last eight dating to their final event of the fall season.

Florida State will now play in the NCAA Championship Finals for the school-record ninth consecutive year. The Seminoles have qualified for each NCAA Championship Finals tournament since 2016 (there was no tournament played in 2020). The NCAA Championship Finals will be played in Carlsbad, Calif., at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa May 16-21.

Florida State will be joined at the NCAA Finals by Georgia Southern, Kansas State, Southern California and Vanderbilt as the top five finishing teams from the Lexington Regional Championship.

Both Woad and Ting finished with 10 under par totals of 210 to finish in a tie for second place in the individual standings. Woad carded a 69 in the final round and Ting scored a 70 to close the tournament. Carla Bernat of Kansas State carded a 6 under par 66 in the final round to and finished with a 12 under par score of 204 to win the individual regional championship.

The 10 under par and 206 scores for both Woad and Ting tied the school record for lowest individual score under par and lowest overall score in an NCAA regional championship in school history. Morgane Metraux and Amanda Doherty also totaled scores of 10 under par 206 in leading the Seminoles to the team championship at the NCAA regional championship in Tallahassee in 2018.

“All of the girls played really good golf this week, and I’m so proud of all of them,” said Seminole head coach Amy Bond, the 2025 ACC Coach of the Year. “Advancing from the regional championship is one of the goals we set for ourselves when the season began. The girls took a lot of stress out of the week because they all played well.

“To make it to the national championship is what we’ve worked all spring to do. Now we have the opportunity to test ourselves against the best teams in the nation as one of the last 30 teams standing.”

Woad led the Seminoles in the final round with a 3 under par score of 69 for a three-round total of 10-under par 206. She totaled six birdies in the third round and finished the 54 hole tournament with 15 birdies – the second-highest total of birdies by any player in the field.

Woad has now finished in the top three in the individual standings of each of her 10 collegiate tournaments during her junior season. She is a total of 44 strokes under par for her junior season and has finished under par in seven consecutive collegiate events. Woad also finished in third place with a 9 under par score of 207 at the 2025 Augusta National Women’s Championship.

Woad, the 2024 ACC Golfer of the Year, is the No. 1 ranked player in the world according to the WAGR and the No. 2 ranked collegiate player by the NCAA.

Ting carded a 2 under par score of 70 in the final round and finished with a 10-under par score of 206. She totaled three birdies – including her third birdie on her final hole of the day – to finish under par for her eighth consecutive tournament. Ting has now finished under par in each of her eight collegiate events during her junior season.

Ting, the 2025 ACC Golfer of the Year, is the No. 1 ranked player in the NCAA and the No. 2 ranked amateur in the world by the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Senior captain Kaylah Williams carded an even par 72 and finished in a tie for 18^th place in the individual standings with an even par score of 216. She totaled five birdies and was never above par in the final round. Williams totaled 11 birdies in her three rounds of play as she finished in the top 20 of the individual standings for the fifth time in 10 events during her final season as a collegiate player.

Freshman Layla Pedrique, who played in the first postseason round of her Seminole career, carded a 76 – a score that counted towards the Seminoles’ third consecutive under par team total.

Florida State finished the championship at 15 under par and as the only team to play under par golf in each of the three rounds of the championship.

“I am happy for the girls who have worked hard to earn a trip to the national championships,” said Bond. “It’s a great feeling to be able to finish the season with an opportunity to play for a national championship.”

NCAA Lexington Regional Championship/May 5-7, 2025

Keane Trace Golf Club/Nicholasville, Ky./Par 72

1/12.-Florida State, 849

T2.-Mirabel Ting, 206

T2.-Lottie Woad, 206

T18.-Kaylah Williams, 216

T38.-Sophia Fullbrook, 223

S.-Layla Pedrique, 76

S.-Alexandra Gazzoli, 158

 

NCAA Lexington Regional Championship/May 5-7, 2025

Keane Trace Golf Club/Nicholasville, Ky./Par 72

1.-Florida State, 849

T2.-Georgia Southern, 854

T2.-Kansas State, 854

4.-Southern California, 857

5.-Vanderbilt, 866

6.-TCU, 867

7.-Louisville, 871

8.-Miami, 874

9.-Pepperdine, 878

10.-Western Kentucky, 884

10.-Morehead State, 888

12.-Fairleigh Dickinson, 916

 

Ryann thinks she gets her humor from Peter. There are flavors of sarcasm and honesty that permeate the Neushul household. 

“What I appreciate most about my father is that he tells me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear,” Ryann said. “And to me, that is the biggest kindness you can show a person you love. I don’t want someone around who, when there’s food stuck in your teeth, won’t point it out. The great thing about my dad is he will always tell you — ‘There’s food in your mouth, Sweetie. Just thought you should know.’ Or, in the case of water polo, ‘Yeah, I think you could have done better there. Work on that shot in practice.’”

Cathy is no-nonsense. In parenting and coaching, there are rules to follow. And if there is a rule,  it must be followed. Unapologetically strict, Cathy kicked out Ryann out of her share of practices, holding her daughters to the highest of standards.

When Ryann was 13, she told her mom that she was too tired to go to soccer practice.

“OK,” Cathy said. “If we’re going to miss this practice, we’re done with soccer forever.”

“Just one practice?”

“You can’t decide when you want to go to practice. This isn’t optional. If you’re not buying into a team and committed to going, you’re done.”

Cathy doesn’t recall that conversation, but agrees it’s something she would have said. Ryann indeed never played soccer again, and the lesson stuck, though she never would have done the same in water polo, which she enjoyed more anyway. It emphasized the importance of showing up and committing to a team.

“I feel this sense of loyalty and honor to any team I’m on, because of how important my mom stressed that,” Ryann said. “You don’t get a player like myself or my sisters without a mother who’s pushing the importance of it.”

Kiley, a USA Water Polo Hall of Famer, recently was hired to give a personal hour-long training session to a young player. The thought amused her. Kiley never had a private lesson, partly because each day in the pool with her parents and sisters was a personal training session of its own.

When Ryann was nine and Kiley already a 16-year-old star, Kiley took her little sister into the pool and dared Ryann to block her shot. Ryann didn’t have a chance, but Kiley never relented.

“You need to get your block up because I’m going to keep shooting,” Kiley told her.

Shot after shot after shot, these were the types of lessons that can’t be bought.

“When I played against Ryann, I never grabbed her suit,” Kiley said. “I never kicked her. I never punched her. I never had to kick off of her to do something. I would say 95 percent of water polo players need to do that. But against Ryann, I was always like, ‘I will beat you and I will do it the right way.’”

Ryann welcomed these trials, and continues to challenge herself in any way possible. 

“This game makes you fight, it makes you find the will,” she said. “Sometimes, it feels like you got hit by a car, and you’ve got to keep playing. You have to dig deep – you have to dig real keep – and that digging deep is what prepares you for the Olympic Games. If you don’t have that hard work, if you don’t have that toughness, then you don’t have anything to draw from.”

On a similar subject, Ryann recalled this story:

“I want to get faster at swimming,” a teammate once asked at practice. “How do I do that?”

Aria Fischer, a former Cardinal who won gold in Rio, mulled the question over and came up with this answer.

“You wake up and you swim,” Fischer said. “And the next day, you wake up and you swim again. And the day after that, you wake up and swim. Day after that … swim. You swim and then you swim and then you swim until you get faster.”

In other words, you can’t do it without the work.

“In water polo, you’re always tired,” Neushul said. “So, if you make decisions while you’re super rested all the time in practice, it may look really beautiful, but then you’re going to get in the game and you know, this Italian woman’s going to be hitting you, and you’re going to have to make a decision.

“That’s what water polo is. It’s being pushed to your physical and mental limit. Every week you’re like, How am I going to get up tomorrow? But you get up. The human body, and your mentality, can do so much more than you think it can.”

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State track & field program will close its regular season with a doubleheader on Friday. The Redbird squad will compete at two meets on Friday at the Billy Hayes Invitational hosted by Indiana and the Sycamore Open hosted by Indiana State. Both events are scheduled to begin at noon.

Illinois State heads to the Hoosier State following its last home meet of the campaign on May 2. The Redbirds put on a show in front of the home fans in their last home appearance, with three Redbirds recording top-10 marks across the day.

Freshman Zach Paul entered the program’s top-10 list for the men’s 100m dash after he ran a time of 10.42. Paul currently sits fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference and sixth all-time in Redbird history.

Freshman Victor Byaundaombe joined Paul to become the second freshman Redbird to enter the top-10 list. Byaundaombe moved to seventh in Illinois State history for the men’s triple jump with a mark of 15.32m (50-3.25). Byaundaombe also sits first in the Missouri Valley Conference for the event.

Senior Kiley Sanders stood out in her last appearance at the Redbird Track & Field Complex by entering the top-10 list for the women’s high jump. Sanders cleared the bar at 1.75m (5-8.75). She now sits eighth in program history and has a top-10 mark in indoor and outdoor.

UP NEXT

Following the conclusion of Friday’s events, the Redbirds prepare for the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Carbondale, Ill. The two-day event is set to begin on Saturday, May 17.