Sports

How Arsenal crafted their second Women's Champions League title

Published

7 months ago

May 25, 2025

How Arsenal crafted their second Women's Champions League title

Arsenal Women are champions of Europe (again).

Eighteen years after becoming the first English side to win the Champions League, they are now the first team to go all the way through the qualifying rounds to lift the trophy.

In a rollercoaster season that began with high-profile player departures, on-pitch frustrations and managerial changes, Renee Slegers leading Arsenal to the European summit feels nearly impossible. They beat perennial Champions League winners Barcelona 1-0 after despatching record-holders Olympique Lyonnais in the semi-finals.

But, hey, this is the year of the underdog, isn’t it?

When Arsenal’s Champions League campaign began in September, with a 6-0 qualification win over Rangers, Slegers was still part of then-head coach Jonas Eidevall’s backroom staff. She was an academy player at Arsenal when they last won the Champions League, and Eidevall brought her back to work as an individual development coach.

Slegers’ focus was on the micro, on getting more out of each player in their own right, but that soon turned to the macro of forming a competitive squad that could win on the big stage.

She has succeeded where others had previously failed and became the first Dutch coach to win the Women’s Champions League. But all those efforts that came before have helped Arsenal to this moment.

Slegers took over Arsenal in October and led the team to Champions League victory (Maja Hitij / Getty Images)

Gunning for Europe’s elite

Football can work in funny ways. Arsenal and Barcelona’s men’s teams faced each other in the 2006 Champions League final, but Barcelona have been a reference point for Arsenal’s women for some time.

After Arsenal’s five-year absence from the Champions League between 2014 and 2019, Barcelona were one of the sides they sought out for a pre-season friendly in summer 2019. Arsenal had qualified for next year’s edition by winning the 2018-19 Women’s Super League, while Barcelona had just finished as runners-up in the 2018-19 Champions League to Lyon. Arsenal also lined up pre-season friendlies with fellow European heavyweights Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich.

“It’s been done on purpose,” then-head coach Joe Montemurro said that summer. “We want to play against the best teams, and we can only know where we’re at by playing them.”

Arsenal lost against all three opponents by an aggregate score of 9-2 — they were defeated 5-2 by Barca — but their aspirations for growth both on and off the pitch were clear. Big European ties proved a big pull for fans at the Emirates: that friendly with Bayern on July 28, 2019, was the first women’s game played at the stadium in six years, with 28,000 supporters watching before the men played Lyon.

In 2019, Arsenal lined up friendlies against European giants to help raise their level (Alex Pantling / Getty Images)

Fast forward to the 2021-22 season, and after a year out of Europe because of a curtailed Covid-19 season, manager Eidevall was tasked with making Arsenal a bigger force in Europe. Again, it was Barcelona who represented another key checkpoint as Arsenal’s first opponents in that year’s group stage.

Coincidentally, current Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey opened the scoring for Barcelona in a 4-1 away win, followed by a 4-0 win in the return fixture. The gulf was so apparent that it sparked something in Eidevall and his players that would accelerate their growth on the continent.

Eidevall’s quest for ‘space control’ and Slegers’ entertaining football

The Swedish coach’s main takeaway after his first experience of a Barcelona humbling was: “You can never defend one by one. You will always leave spaces, so it’s all about how you move as a unit. That the whole unit sees the same trigger, so everyone is moving at the same time. That’s almost the final level of defending, and we’re not there yet.”

He was right, Arsenal weren’t there yet. What was even more sobering was that for all Barcelona’s attacking talent, their extreme dominance came from exactly what Eidevall was speaking about. They smothered Arsenal at the Emirates in that 4-1 in the winter of 2021.

Yet, three years later, it was Arsenal who were the ones swarming Barcelona as they tried to play in the final at Lisbon. In a game where Slegers knew momentum would shift, she was brave in instructing her players to press high and unsettle their opponents.

The football Arsenal have played under Slegers since she replaced Eidevall in October has been much more fluid and free flowing, but the principles that came from their early Barcelona thrashings have been key.

Arsenal’s Alessia Russo is challenged by Irene Paredes (Maja Hitij / Getty Images)

Between those losses to Barcelona and a 1-1 quarter-final draw against Wolfsburg in his debut season in 2021-22, Eidevall said: “Space control and decision-making is very important when you play against teams (like this).”

He was happy that by the time the German side came to north London in March, Arsenal had gained more consistent control of matches. By the end of the season, he had identified a new method to improve that further: playing internal matches against Arsenal’s academy boys in the summer of 2022.

“That will decrease the time and space we have so that we have to improve our positioning and decision-making,” Eidevall said at the time.

The results of this could be seen in their early WSL dominance in the 2022-23 season (they won their first six games), but things were different in the Champions League. Caught out with a goal starting from a throw-in against Ajax in qualifying, it was a reminder that the work done that summer needed to be adhered to at all times.

By the time Arsenal faced Juventus — who were managed Montemurro — in the group stages, Eidevall felt “more comfortable” in Arsenal’s shape when defending and how they controlled games in Europe.

But these themes were lost as Eidevall’s time in north London came to an end, and it was not just the connections Slegers had built with players that allowed them to flourish after her appointment.

“Having the ball is very important but I don’t like us having the ball and not doing anything with it,” she told Ian Wright in January. “We want to have purpose with everything we do. It’s so important to entertain as well. Our football should be entertaining and winning.”

Slegers’ words proved true, manifesting in 14 games in which Arsenal scored at least four goals following her taking interim charge. It was a breath of fresh air after Arsenal’s play under Eidevall became too predictable.

The comeback queens

If wounded animals are the most dangerous, then that has certainly been the case with Arsenal in recent years.

This season, they became the first team to reach the final after losing the first leg of both the quarter- and semi-finals. Much of the resolve that made that possible has been built over years of hardship, with the injury crisis of the 2022-23 season the springboard.

They suffered four anterior cruciate ligament injuries that season, and still managed to come within minutes of a penalty shootout to reach a Champions League final. They lost to a 119th-minute goal of a sold-out semi-final against Wolfsburg, which could have broken some teams mentally. Instead, their whole path to that stage has been critical for their growth.

The real switch was flicked just before that year’s quarter-finals comeback win over Bayern Munich.

They had just won the League Cup final 3-1 against Chelsea after conceding in the first two minutes. It was their first trophy in four years and proved that the group was good enough to win together even amid an injury crisis.

Down 1-0 on aggregate to Bayern at the end of the month, captain Kim Little went off with a hamstring injury early in the second leg. Williamson stepped up into midfield, where she hadn’t played for a couple of years, and soon was involved in one of the best Arsenal goals ever scored at Emirates Stadium.

It was pure instinct after organised defending. Something had clicked.

“We were so clear in what we needed to do in that moment,” Williamson said after the game. “You owe it to somebody like Kim when they leave the pitch to put in a performance that we knew we had to. If you compare it to when (Vivianne Miedema) went down (with an ACL injury) against Lyon and we went so flat. I’ll be honest, it took the life out of the game for me (against Lyon). Tonight, we sort of used it to inject a bit as well.”

That night infused Arsenal’s DNA with something new. Even when all logic would say they should be down and out, they could always connect with a feral counter-strike. It was this that brought them back from 2-0 down in the first leg of their semi-final against Wolfsburg, but further ACL injuries to Williamson and Laura Wienroither left them too spread in extra time of the second leg.

The knack of coming back has stayed with Arsenal. Slegers is a different personality from Eidevall. Brought back to Arsenal by the Swede in 2023, she was a calmer presence. Her remit involved getting to know the players on a deeper level to help improve them. Those connections had already been built by the time Eidevall left in October 2024, so her moving into the head coach’s role only amplified her qualities.

Slegers’ emphasis on relationship building helped her find success quickly (Alex Pantling / Getty Images)

Williamson has spoken about how the 36-year-old coach has helped channel her emotions better, while Daphne van Domselaar has highlighted the trust that her calmness breeds in difficult situations. The standout moment for that came at half-time against Real Madrid earlier this year. Arsenal were 2-0 down on aggregate with 45 minutes left to play of the second leg. Instead of feeding into the chaos of the night, Slegers took the calm route, telling her players, “We’re so close, just tweak this and you’ll be fine. Believe in yourselves”.

Within a minute of the restart, Arsenal had scored, and 13 minutes later, they were 3-2 up on aggregate. In almost an identical situation to the Bayern game two years before, Williamson said before beating Madrid: “We’re very lucky because that stage isn’t foreign to us. Anybody who was involved in that game will take confidence from that, knowing that we know how to do it.”

In turning around these games, and the semi-final against Lyon, this group built even more European ‘football heritage’. Forced to react to unfortunate circumstances, they found something within themselves that they may not have been able to do had they taken a different path.

Even if they didn’t go behind against Barcelona in this year’s final, they were still made to suffer and dealt with serious periods of pressure. However, they had a serial cup final scorer in Stina Blackstenius off the bench to make the difference.

Level-raising recruitment

It was fitting that the ball fell to Caldentey deep in added time as Arsenal saw out their Champions League final win over Barcelona in Lisbon.

Their recruitment in the last two seasons has been aggressive, and she is the best example of that. Signed from Barcelona last summer, she joined having won 25 trophies in 10 years. That experience and know-how were on full display when she waited for two former Barca team-mates to engage her before shifting the ball from them to win a foul that almost guaranteed that she would be the one waving a Catalan flag after the full-time whistle.

Caldentey, signed from Barcelona last year, is a shining example of Arsenal’s recruitment (David Ramos / Getty Images)

Before Caldentey’s arrival, Alessia Russo, Laia Codina, Amanda Ilestedt, Cloe Lacasse and Kyra Cooney-Cross signed in the summer of 2023. Arsenal were building a squad with the aim of qualifying for the Champions League. But Arsenal failed to progress through qualifying in September 2023.

Even so, they signed American Emily Fox in January 2024 and followed that up with the arrivals of Van Domselaar and Caldentey in the summer. Upon signing, Van Domselaar told The Athletic that Arsenal’s 2022-23 run to the semi-finals was one reason for signing, as winning the Champions League was “her biggest dream ever”.

The 25-year-old, as well as Russo and Caldentey, have had transformative effects on this Arsenal team this year.

Van Domselaar has been a level above Manuela Zinsberger in goal, making vital saves and complementing Arsenal’s in-possession style equally well. Her saves after quiet halves at home to Real Madrid ensured the game did not go to extra time. She made more passes than any Lyon player in the second leg of the semi-final win.

As for Russo, the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year, her form transformed after the change in management early this season. She ended last season with a goal tally just four less than this year’s (16 compared to 20), but was nowhere near as effective. That came partly due to the juggling of minutes between herself, Blackstenius and Miedema.

That contrast was summed up in two moments earlier this season. On the opening day against Manchester City, she had a free run at goal but was too indecisive and side-footed a tame effort straight at Ayaka Yamashita in goal. A couple of months later, she had scored an instinctive left-footed half volley 64 seconds into the north London derby. She was the embodiment of Arsenal’s progress under Slegers, with the emphasis on “being calm, clear and ruthless.”

Caldentey, the WSL Player of the Year, has been the real gamechanger for Arsenal. Her experience counted in the final, but her quality and ability to capitalise on sliding doors moments got them there.

For January loan signing Chloe Kelly, who endured a tough season at Manchester City, she returned to Arsenal on loan to “be happy again” and almost immediately reignited her career. Ineligible to play Arsenal’s first two games after she signed, had to wait to don the red and white she did in her youth, but it was worth it.

Much of this squad has been together for the six years between the WSL title win and Saturday’s Champions League triumph, but these additions are what have brought Arsenal closer to Europe’s elite.

Possessing the ability to attract this level of player before winning the Champions League, Arsenal will hope this gives them more power to compete with Chelsea for domestic honours.

After a tough go at Manchester City, Chloe Kelly found success again with her childhood club, Arsenal. (David Ramos / Getty Images)

For the fans, Arsenal’s win in Lisbon serves as a release for so much built-up tension after years of waiting for a major trophy. For the players, it will be proof that the time they have spent growing together has not been wasted, even if there have been moments of frustration. For the club, it could truly be the stepping stone that is needed to properly revive their status as England’s most decorated women’s club.

The winner of this year’s Champions League was set to receive at least €1million (£840,000, $1.3m) overall for progressing through each stage and up to €320,000 more in performance-based bonuses. Arsenal had already been making groundbreaking strides in how they built the club off the pitch, but this success could take them to another level on it.

In the meantime, players, fans and staff can bask in the glory of still being the only English club to win the Women’s Champions League.

(Top photo: David Ramos / Getty Images)

Sports

Blue Devils Celebrate 2025 Season at Annual Awards Banquet

Published

3 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke track & field and cross country held its annual awards banquet Monday to celebrate the achievements from the 2024-25 track & field season and 2025 cross country campaign. Awards were presented to 14 individuals by A. Morris Williams, Jr. Track & Field Director Shawn Wilbourn and other members of the coaching staff in recognition for their excellence during the calendar year.

Women’s Cross Country MVP – Stephanie Moss:

2025 NCAA All-Southeast Region

2025 All-ACC

Registered a 6K personal best (19:35.4) at the NCAA Cross Country Championships

Placed ninth via a time of 19:41.4 at the NCAA Southeast Regional

Hit the tape in 19:47.8 and took 11th at the ACC Cross Country Championships

Took 25th in the 6K at the Nuttycombe Invitational (20:22.0) and Gans Creek Classic (19:56.6)

Won the 3K at the season-opening tri meet with North Carolina A&T and N.C. Central behind a personal best of 9:58.9

Men’s Cross Country MVP – Charlie Siebert:

Hit the tape in 30:27.1 for a 10K PR, good for 32nd at the NCAA Southeast Regional

Posted a personal best of 23:47.9 in the 8K at the ACC Cross Country Championships

Completed race in 24:32.5 at the Nuttycombe Invitational

Finished runner-up via a 4K personal best (11:51.5) at the tri meet with North Carolina A&T and N.C. Central

Women’s Track Athlete of the Year – Lauren Tolbert:

2025 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America First Team – 800m, 4x400m

2025 ACC Outdoor Champion – 4x400m

2025 Outdoor All-ACC First Team – 4x400m

2025 Outdoor All-ACC Second Team – 800m

2025 ACC Indoor Champion – 4x400m

2025 Indoor All-ACC First Team – 4x400m

Fifth in the 800m (1:59.88) and 4x400m (3:27.40) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships; Set 800m PR (1:59.39) in the prelims

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:28.81) and fifth in the 800m (2:01.96) at the ACC Outdoor Championships

First via a personal best in the 400m (51.72) and second with the 4x400m (3:30.46) at the Mt. SAC Relays

First in the 400m (51.83) and 800m (2:01.87), second as part of the 4x400m (3:36.14) at the Duke Invitational

Won as a member of the 4x400m (3:28.82) and took second in the 800m (2:03.09) at the Jim Click Shootout

First in the 400m (51.86) and with the 4x400m (3:31.31) and set a PR in the 200m (23.63) at Raleigh Relays

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:31.88) at the ACC Indoor Championships

Third in the 800m (2:02.75) at the Tiger Paw Invitational

First via a PR in the 500m (1:10.49), first on the 4x400m (3:34.12) and third in the 800m (2:07.85) at the Doc Hale VT Meet

First via a PR in the 600m (1:28.15), first with the 4x400m (3;36.82) and third in the 400m (54.29) at the Hokie Invitational

First in the 300m at the Virginia Tech Invitational with a personal best of 37.67 seconds

First with the 4x400m (3:44.66), fourth in the 200m (24.35) and fifth in the 1000m with a PR (2:50.67) at the Liberty Kickoff

Men’s Track Athlete of the Year – Aden Bandukwala:

2025 Outdoor All-ACC Second Team – 800m

Competed in the 800m (1:52.55) at the NCAA East Regional

Clocked an 800m PR (1:46.99) and took fifth at the ACC Outdoor Championships

First in the 800m (1:47.53) at Duke Twilight

Ran a personal best of 3:46.87 in the 1500m at Penn Relays

First in the 800m (1:49.21) and fourth as part of the 4x400m (3:12.71) at the Duke Invitational

Competed in the 800m (1:50.46) and as part of the 4x400m (3:09.63) and DMR (9:39.66) at the ACC Indoor Championships

Posted PRs in the mile (4:04.27) and 3000m (8:25.86) at the BU Valentine Invite

Fifth in 500m at the Doc Hale VT Meet via a personal best of 1:05.07

Ran a personal best in the 1000m (2:24.89) in the 1000m at the Hokie Invitational

First in the 800m (1:51.22) and fourth in the 1000m (2:25.83)

Women’s Field Athlete of the Year – Gemma Tutton:

2025 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America Honorable Mention – Pole Vault

2025 ACC Outdoor Bronze Medalist – Pole Vault

2025 Outdoor All-ACC First Team – Pole Vault

2025 Indoor All-ACC Second Team – Pole Vault

Vaulted 4.09m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

Third in the pole vault (4.32m) at the ACC Outdoor Championships

First in the pole vault (4.40m) at Duke Twilight

Third in the pole vault (4.17m) at the Charlotte Invitational

Fourth in the pole vault (3.92m) at the Wake Forest Invitational

Vaulted a personal best of 4.42m to win the Duke Invitational

Fourth in the pole vault (3.95m) at Raleigh Relays

Cleared 4.22m at the ACC Indoor Championships

First in the pole vault (4.11m) at the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge

Men’s Field Athlete of the Year – Christian Toro:

USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America First Team – Hammer Throw

2025 ACC Outdoor Champion – Hammer Throw

2025 Outdoor All-ACC First Team – Hammer Throw

2025 Indoor All-ACC Second Team – Weight Throw

Eighth in the hammer throw (68.94m) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

First in the hammer throw at Duke Twilight (68.87m) and the ACC Outdoor Championships (68.35m)

Recorded a personal best (70.13m) and took first in the hammer throw at the Duke Invitational

Third in the hammer throw (69.45m) at the Jim Click Shootout

Threw the hammer 69.47m to finish runner-up at Raleigh Relays

Fifth via a personal best in the weight throw (20.53m) at the ACC Indoor Championships

Second in the weight throw at the Liberty Kickoff (20.28m), Doc Hale VT Meet (20.26m) and Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational (19.47m)

Women’s Most Improved Senior – Abby Geiser & Megan McGinnis:
Abby Geiser

2025 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America Second Team – 4x100m

2025 ACC Outdoor Bronze Medalist – 4x100m

2025 Outdoor All-ACC Second Team – 4x100m

Raced at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as a member of the 4x100m (43.77)

Ran a 100m personal best (11.32) in the prelims of the NCAA East Regional

Third as a member of the 4x100m (43.97) at the ACC Outdoor Championships

Second as a member of the 4x100m (43.42) and third in the 200m (23.62) at the Mt. SAC Relays

Second in the 100m (11.51) at the Duke Invitational

Second as part of the 4x100m (43.94) and fourth in the 100m (11.35) at the Jim Click Shootout

First as part of the 4x100m (44.8), third as part of the 4x400m (3:37.17) and fourth in the 100m (11.44) at Raleigh Relays

Fourth as a member of the 4x400m (3:50.26) at the Doc Hale VT Meet

Third in the 200m (24.39) and fourth in the 60m (7.58) at the Hokie Invitational

Second in the 60m (7.46) at the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge

Second in the 60m (7.45) and fourth in the 300m (38.99) at the Liberty Kickoff

Megan McGinnis

2025 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America First Team – 4x400m

2025 ACC Outdoor Champion – 4x400m

2025 Outdoor All-ACC First Team – 4x400m

2025 ACC Indoor Champion – 4x400m

2025 Indoor All-ACC First Team – 4x400m

Fifth as a member of the 4x400m (3:27.40) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:28.81) at the ACC Outdoor Championships

Second as part of the 4x400m (3:30.46) and fourth in the 200m (23.70) at the Mt. SAC Relays

Runner-up as part of the 4x400m (3:36.14) and third in the 200m (23.62) at the Duke Invitational

First on the 4x400m (3:28.82), second in the 400m (52.63) and fifth on the 4x100m (3:28.82) at the Jim Click Shootout

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:31.31) and fourth in the 200m (23.49) at Raleigh Relays

Won as part of the 4x400m (3:31.88) at the ACC Indoor Championships

Took first with the 4x400m (3:34.12), second in the 400m (54.14) and third in the 200m (24.33) at the Doc Hale VT Meet

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:36.82) and fifth in the 400m (54.88) at the Hokie Invitational

Fourth in the 200m (24.73) at the Virginia Tech Invitational

Runner-up in the 200m (24.27) and third in the 300m (38.62) and with the 4x400m (3:47.33) at the Liberty Kickoff

Men’s Most Improved Senior – Michael Bennett & Max Forte:
Michael Bennett

2025 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America Second Team – 4x400m

2025 Outdoor All-ACC Second Team – Decathlon

2025 Indoor All-ACC Second Team – Heptathlon

Fifth as a member of the 4x400m (3:27.40) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:28.81) at the ACC Outdoor Championships

Second as part of the 4x400m (3:30.46) and fourth in the 200m (23.70) at the Mt. SAC Relays

Runner-up as part of the 4x400m (3:36.14) and third in the 200m (23.62) at the Duke Invitational

First on the 4x400m (3:28.82), second in the 400m (52.63) and fifth on the 4x100m (3:28.82) at the Jim Click Shootout

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:31.31) and fourth in the 200m (23.49) at Raleigh Relays

Won as part of the 4x400m (3:31.88) at the ACC Indoor Championships

Took first with the 4x400m (3:34.12), second in the 400m (54.14) and third in the 200m (24.33) at the Doc Hale VT Meet

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:36.82) and fifth in the 400m (54.88) at the Hokie Invitational

Fourth in the 200m (24.73) at the Virginia Tech Invitational

Runner-up in the 200m (24.27) and third in the 300m (38.62) and with the 4x400m (3:47.33) at the Liberty Kickoff

Max Forte

2025 ACC Outdoor Bronze Medalist – Long Jump

2025 Outdoor All-ACC Second Team – Long Jump

Fifth as a member of the 4x400m (3:27.40) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:28.81) at the ACC Outdoor Championships

Second as part of the 4x400m (3:30.46) and fourth in the 200m (23.70) at the Mt. SAC Relays

Runner-up as part of the 4x400m (3:36.14) and third in the 200m (23.62) at the Duke Invitational

First on the 4x400m (3:28.82), second in the 400m (52.63) and fifth on the 4x100m (3:28.82) at the Jim Click Shootout

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:31.31) and fourth in the 200m (23.49) at Raleigh Relays

Won as part of the 4x400m (3:31.88) at the ACC Indoor Championships

Took first with the 4x400m (3:34.12), second in the 400m (54.14) and third in the 200m (24.33) at the Doc Hale VT Meet

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:36.82) and fifth in the 400m (54.88) at the Hokie Invitational

Fourth in the 200m (24.73) at the Virginia Tech Invitational

Runner-up in the 200m (24.27) and third in the 300m (38.62) and with the 4x400m (3:47.33) at the Liberty Kickoff

Women’s Hell Raiser Award – Braelyn Baker:

2025 USTFCCCA All-America First Team – 4x400m

2025 USTFCCCA All-America Second Team – 400mH, 4x100m

2025 ACC Women’s Outdoor Freshman of the Year

2025 ACC Outdoor Silver Medalist – 400m

2025 ACC Outdoor Bronze Medalist – 200m, 4x100m

2025 Outdoor All-ACC First Team – 200m, 400m, 4x100m

2025 Indoor ACC Champion – 4x400m

2025 Indoor All-ACC First Team – 4x400m

Fifth as a member of the 4x400m (3:27.40) and ninth in the 400mH (56.35) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

Also posted a personal best at the national meet in the 400mH prelims (56.35)

Second in the 400m (51.69) and third in the 200m (22.83) at the ACC Outdoor Championships, both coming via personal bests

Finished third at the ACC Outdoor Championships as a member of the 4x100m (43.97)

Second in the 200m (23.25) at Duke Twilight

Runner-up at the Mt. SAC Relays as a member of the 4x100m (43.42) and 4x400m (3:30.46)

Second in the 200m (23.57) and third in the 400m (53.13) at the Duke Invitational

First as part of the 4x400m (3:28.82), second on the 4x100m (43.94) and fourth in the 400mH (57.25) at the Jim Click Shootout

First as part of the 4x100m (44.80) and 4x400m (3:31.31), third in the 100m (11.38 PR) and 400mH (58.37) at Raleigh Relays

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:31.88) and sixth in the 200m (23.62) at the ACC Indoor Championships

Second in the 200m (23.38) and fourth in the 400m (52.94) at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational

First in the 200m (23.64) and as part of the 4x400m (3:34.12), fourth in the 60m via a PR (7.51) at the Doc Hale VT Meet

First in the 400m (53.63) and as a member of the 4x400m (53.63) and ran a 600m PR (1:33.84) at the Hokie Invitational

First in the 200m (24.04) and second via a personal best of 37.80 seconds at the Virginia Tech Invitational

Second in the 300m (38.34) and third as part of the 4x400m (3:47.33) at the Liberty Kickoff

Men’s Hell Raiser Award – Phillips Moore:

Competed in the shot put (18.02m) at the NCAA East Regional

Threw 17.68m in the shot put and 61.43m in the hammer throw at the ACC Outdoor Championships

Fifth in the hammer throw (59.54m) at Duke Twilight

Notched a personal best of 61.72m in the hammer throw and took fourth at the Mt. SAC Relays

Third in the shot put (18.03m) and fifth in the hammer throw (61.43m) at the Duke Invitational

Posted a personal best in the shot put (18.12m) at the Jim Click Shootout

First in the shot put (17.96m) at Raleigh Relays

Competed in the shot put (13.82m) and weight throw (18.58m) at the ACC Indoor Championships

First in the shot put (17.83m) and fourth in the weight throw (18.18m) at the Doc Hale VT Meet

Runner-up in the weight throw at the Hokie Invitational via a personal best of 19.10m

Fourth in the weight throw (18.17m) at the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge

Third in the shot put (16.08m) and fourth in the weight throw (18.54m) at the Liberty Kickoff

Community Service Award – TJ Clayton:

2025 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America Second Team – 4x400m

2025 ACC Outdoor Bronze Medalist – 4x400m

2025 Outdoor All-ACC Second Team – 4x400m

First to sign up to volunteer at events and was a catalyst for getting Duke track and field into the community

Competed as a member of the 4x400m (3:04.28) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

Third as a member of the 4x400m (3:04.49) and fourth with the 4x100m (39.33) at the ACC Outdoor Championships

First as part of the 4x100m (39.68) and fifth via a personal best in the 100m (10.41) at Duke Twilight

Fourth in the 100m (10.46) and fifth in the 200m with a personal best of 21.04

Took part in the 200m (21.63) at the ACC Indoor Championships

First as a member of the 4x400m (3:11.43) and second in the 60m (6.74) at the Doc Hale VT Meet

First in the 200m (21.40) and second as part of the 4x400m (3:12.57) at the Hokie Invitational; Also had a 300m PR (34.49)

Won the 60m race at the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge with a collegiate best of 6.69

First in the 60m (6.77) and fourth in the 200m (21.58) at the Liberty Kickoff

Curtis Beach Performer of the Year – Simen Guttormsen:

2025 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America First Team – Pole Vault

2025 ACC Outdoor Champion – Pole Vault

2025 Outdoor All-ACC First Team – Pole Vault

2025 NCAA Indoor Champion – Pole Vault

2025 ACC Indoor Champion – Pole Vault

2025 Indoor All-ACC First Team – Pole Vault

2025 CSC Academic All-America Team Member of the Year

Fifth in the pole vault (5.53m) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

Won the pole vault at the ACC Outdoor Championships via a mark of 5.60m

First in the pole vault (5.21m) at Duke Twilight

Vaulted a personal best of 5.71m and placed first at the NCAA Indoor Championships

First in the pole vault (5.67m) at the ACC Indoor Championships

First in the pole vault (5.62m) at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational

Cleared 5.55m and placed fourth in the pole vault at the Doc Hale VT Meet

To stay up to date with Blue Devils cross country and track & field, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching “DukeTFXC.”

#GoDuke

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Spartan Digest – Winter Break 2025-26

Published

1 hour ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A preview of the Case Western Reserve University varsity athletic events for the period of winter break (December 8-January 3) and a recap of the events from the previous week of competition (December 1-7). Schedule is subject to change with updates posted on athletics.case.edu when they are known.

Last Week’s Recap

Women’s Basketball (0-2)

Dropped a pair of close contests last week, falling to Marietta 67-66 at home on Wednesday and Denison 74-61 on Saturday on the road

Junior guard Mya Hartjes led all Spartans with 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game

Wrestling (1-2)

Went 1-2 at the Yellow Jacket Duals on Friday night on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University

Lost to Division II UNC Pembroke 35-12 and #20 BW 31-15 before defeating Wilmington 45-7

Senior Art Martinez was named the University Athletic Association Wrestler of the Week after he won all three of his matches, including two by pin

Men’s and Women’s Track & Field

Opened the 2025-26 indoor season by hosting the Spartan Alumni Holiday Classic in the Veale Center on Saturday

Broke school records in the women’s 200-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay and matched the program record in the 60-meter dash

Combined to win seven events with 11 finishes in the top three

Wednesday, December 10

Schedule

CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) at Hiram (3-4)

Hiram, Ohio · Price Gymnasium

7:30 PM

Live Stats | Video

Saturday, December 13

Schedule

CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) at Allegheny (2-4)

Meadville, Pa. · David V. Wise Center

1:00 PM

Live Stats | Video

Saturday, December 20

Schedule

CWRU Wrestling (2-2) at Chocolate Duals

Grantham, Pa. · Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena

10:00 AM vs. #17 Ithaca (0-0)

12:00 PM at Messiah (3-1)

2:00 PM vs. #12 Arcadia (1-3)

Live Results | Video

Monday, December 29

Schedule

CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) vs. Oberlin (3-4)

BW Invitational

Berea, Ohio · Ursprung Gymnasium

3:00 PM

Live Stats | Video | Tickets

Tuesday, December 30

Schedule

CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) vs. Kalamazoo (2-5)

Cleveland, Ohio · Horsburgh Gymnasium

2:00 PM

Live Stats | Video | Digital Program

CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) at #21 Baldwin Wallace (5-2)

BW Invitational

Berea, Ohio · Ursprung Gymnasium

3:00 PM

Live Stats | Video | Tickets

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Schedule

CWRU Wrestling (2-2) at 2026 UAA Challenge

Manhattan, N.Y. · John A. Paulson Center

10:00 AM vs. Muhlenberg (1-0)

11:45 AM vs. Johns Hopkins (0-1)

1:30 PM vs. Gettysburg (1-1)

Live Results | Video

CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) vs. Geneva (1-5*)

Cleveland, Ohio · Horsburgh Gymnasium

1:00 PM

Live Stats | Video | Digital Program

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Catherwood & Irving Selected As UMass Student-Athletes Of The Week

Published

1 hour ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts track and field junior Collin Catherwood and hockey junior Jackson Irving have been named the UMass Student-Athletes of the Week, it was announced on Tuesday. The duo will be honored at the UMass Sports Luncheon this Wednesday at the Berkshire Dining Commons from Noon to 1 p.m.

Guest speakers will be football video coordinator Bill Sisler and Fall Male Scholar Athlete Award winner Keegan Andrews of Football.

At the Harvard Classic on Saturday, Catherwood took the top spot in the men’s 5K with a time of 13:58.38. The Central Valley, N.Y. native also broke the men’s 5K indoor program record.

Irving made 37 saves to backstop hockey to a 2-0 win at No. 12/11 Northeastern on Sunday in a non-conference matchup at Matthews Arena, recording his second shutout of the season. The Newbury, Massachusetts native currently holds a .934 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA on the year.

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WEEK ONE CIAA INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Published

2 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Charlotte, NC (December 9, 2025) – Week One of CIAA Indoor Track and Field showcased both returning standouts and emerging talent as programs opened the season with competitive early meets. The conference saw strong sprint performances, record breaking throws, and athletes establishing early momentum. The CIAA recognizes four student athletes for their standout performances during the week of November 30 through December 6.

WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Olivia Cosby, Winston Salem State

Junior sprinter Olivia Cosby opened her season with an impressive performance at the Visit Winston Salem College Kickoff at JDL. Cosby placed third in the 400m seeded with a time of 56.83 and later anchored the 4x400m relay to a total time of 3:58.54, closing her leg with a strong 58.72 split. Her effort set an early tone for the Rams as they launched their indoor campaign.

WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Breanna Reid, Bowie State

Freshman thrower Breanna Reid made a memorable collegiate debut at the Fastrack Season Opener, breaking the Bowie State school record in the weight throw with a mark of 14.32m. Reid’s second place finish introduced her as an immediate contender in the CIAA and showcased significant promise for the Bulldogs’ throws unit.

MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Dareon Faircloth, Bowie State

Sophomore sprinter Dareon Faircloth began his season in commanding fashion, winning the 60m dash in 6.74 to set a new Bowie State school record. He added a runner up finish in the 200m with a time of 21.89, demonstrating elite range and establishing himself as one of the conference’s top early season sprinters.

MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Darius Brown, Bluefield State

Senior jumper Darius Brown delivered a strong showing in a competitive meet that included Division I opponents, placing third in the triple jump with a mark of 14.55m. His performance provided a solid start to his final indoor season and highlighted his experience and consistency.

Media Contact
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com

About the CIAA

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the United States and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management for both 2018 and 2019.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

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MIAC Athletes of the Week – December 9, 2025

Published

2 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for swimming & diving and indoor track & field on Tuesday. Student-athletes from Carleton, Macalester, Saint Benedict, Saint John’s, and St. Olaf claimed the Conference’s weekly honors.

The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference’s sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the winter season, team sports (basketball and hockey) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (swimming & diving and indoor track & field) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.

The MIAC Athlete of the Week archive has complete details on each week’s selections and winners.

MIAC Men’s Swimming Athlete of the Week
Brayden Slavik
Saint John’s University
Sr.
Green Isle, Minn. / Chaska

Brayden Slavik won two events with NCAA B-cut times and finished second in one more event at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-6. Slavik won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:30.15, which surpassed the NCAA B-cut time of 4:31.24. He added his second B-cut time of the weekend in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:43.14 to win the event. Slavik beat that cut time by nearly seven seconds. Slavik also finished second in the 400-yard individual medley (4:04.88) and was a member of three SJU freestyle relay teams at the meet.

MIAC Men’s Diving Athlete of the Week
Hans Anderson
Carleton College
Sr.
Watertown, Minn. / Watertown-Mayer

Hans Anderson was the top NCAA Division III diver in both the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-5. Anderson scored 440.30 points on the 1-meter board to place second overall on 12/4 before totaling 458.45 points off the 3-meter board on 12/5 for another runner-up performance overall.

MIAC Women’s Swimming Athlete of the Week
Haley Zelen
College of Saint Benedict
Jr.
Shakopee, Minn. / Shakopee

Haley Zelen rewrote the CSB record book at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-6, breaking three individual program records and contributing to a relay record while earning three NCAA Division III B-cut times. Zelen set new marks in the 50 free (23.07), 100 fly (54.72), and 100 free (50.79), and helped the 200 CSB medley relay team post a new record time of 1:46.69. Zelen’s time of 1:05.77 in the 100 breast ranks second in Saint Benedict history.

MIAC Women’s Diving Athlete of the Week
Nina Schwab
Carleton College
So.
Piedmont, Calif. / Piedmont

Nina Schwab won the 1-meter diving competition by nearly 80 points with a score of 486.00 at the Rochester Invitational on 12/5. That point total eclipsed her own program record set last season and also established a new MIAC overall standard, besting the previous mark of 485.40 that had stood since 2013. Schwab also won the 3-meter diving competition on 12/4 with a score of 427.90. She totaled 438.85 points during the preliminary round.

MIAC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Lance Nemecek
St. Olaf College
Sr.
Minnetrista, Minn. / Mound-Westonka

Lance Nemecek ran the second-fastest 800-meter time in NCAA Division III this season with a meet record time of 1:54.02 at the M City Classic on 12/5. Nemecek’s time ranks third on both St. Olaf’s all-time performers’ and performances lists. He also led off the first-place 4×400-meter relay that won the event in a meet-record time of 3:21.77, which ranks fifth nationally and second on both St. Olaf lists.

MIAC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Soren Kaster
Carleton College
Jr.
Horace, N.D. / West Fargo Sheyenne

Soren Kaster placed third overall and second among NCAA Division III competitors in the heptathlon with 4,606 points at the M City Classic on 12/5-6. Kaster’s score was the third-best in program history and ranks third in D-III this season. He clocked times of 7.44 in the 60-meter dash, 9.03 in the 60-meter hurdles, and 2:53.49 in the 1000-meter run; measured 10.09 meters in the shot put and a personal-best 6.31 meters in the long jump; and cleared 1.70 meters in the high jump and a MIAC-best 4.35 meters in the pole vault.

MIAC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Ariella Rogahn-Press
Macalester College
So.
Albuquerque, N.M / Bosque School

Ariella Rogahn-Press won the 400 meters by more than five seconds at the M City Classic in Minneapolis on 12/5 with a time of 57.43. Her converted time ranks third in NCAA Division III this season.

MIAC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Svea Frantzich
St. Olaf College
Fy.
Stillwater, Minn. / Breck

Svea Frantzich recorded the fifth-highest pentathlon score in NCAA Division III this season with 3,005 points in her collegiate debut at the M City Classic on 12/5. Frantzich posted top-10 all-time performances on St. Olaf’s indoor list in the 60-meter hurdles (9.47) and long jump (5.44m) on her way to compiling the No. 8 pentathlon score on the Oles’ all-time performers’ list.

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Track & Field Release Indoor Schedule

Published

2 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison track & field unveiled its indoor slate for the 2025-26 season on Tuesday afternoon, as announced by Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Delethea Quarles.

The Dukes began the season at VMI’s Colonel Bev Read Opener on Dec. 6, and will return to action in 2026, starting with the Virginia Tech Invitational (Jan. 16-17). JMU will remain in the Commonwealth for another trip to Lexington for the VMI Invitational (Jan. 23-24).

From there, JMU will close January at the Penn State National Open (Jan. 30-31) before turning its attention to the ECAC Championship, taking place at Boston University’s Track & Tennis Center, Feb. 7-8.

The Dukes return to Virginia for Liberty’s Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational (Feb. 13-14). James Madison then turns its attention to the Sun Belt Championship in Birmingham, Ala. at the Birmingham CrossPlex, Feb. 23-24.

JMU will look to qualify individuals for the NCAA Championships (March 13-14), which will be held at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.

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