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How President Russell M. Nelson helped save the Olmstead twins – Deseret News

Mother’s Day will forever be a holiday anchored in faith and gratitude for BYU women’s volleyball coach Heather Olmstead and her family. President Russell M. Nelson helped spare the life of coach Olmstead’s mother, Trudy Olmstead, during a challenging surgical procedure. The coach says opportunities for athletes to grow and share their faith abound at […]

Published

1 month ago

May 11, 2025

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Mother’s Day will forever be a holiday anchored in faith and gratitude for BYU women’s volleyball coach Heather Olmstead and her family.
President Russell M. Nelson helped spare the life of coach Olmstead’s mother, Trudy Olmstead, during a challenging surgical procedure.
The coach says opportunities for athletes to grow and share their faith abound at BYU.

Brigham Young University women’s volleyball coach Heather Olmstead doesn’t need a day like Mother’s Day to prompt a personal “put-life-in-its-proper-perspective” reset.

Olmstead’s family and faith already keep her anchored to those matters that eclipse professional priorities, such as winning conference games and titles in the hypercompetitive world of Division I college volleyball.

But make no mistake — Olmstead knows all about the elation that winning produces.

Winning, she’s quick to admit, is a lot of fun.

During her nine seasons at the helm of the Cougars’ celebrated volleyball program, the coach’s squads have walked away with victories in almost 90% of their matches.

No current NCAA DI women’s volleyball coach with more than three years tenure has a higher winning percentage than Olmstead — and no DI women’s coach has ever reached 200 wins faster.

But again — all the NCAA tournament wins, the conference titles, the national coaching awards and even a defining Final Four appearance are of distant importance to Olmstead.

For Olmstead, Mother’s Day simply serves as an unnecessary — yet still always joyful — reminder of a mother’s love. And the power of prayer. The promise of temples.

And the humble wisdom of a skilled surgeon/spiritual leader — President Russell M. Nelson — who continues to bless and guide her life.

Brigham Young University women’s volleyball head coach Heather Olmstead poses for a portrait while holding a photo of herself, her mother, Trudy Olmstead, and her twin sister, Nicole Hopkins, at Smith Fieldhouse on the campus of BYU in Provo on Friday, May 9, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Finding faith at a fearful moment

Forty-five years ago, raising a daughter to become a nationally renowned college volleyball coach was not on Trudy Olmstead’s wish list.

She simply wanted the unborn child that she would name Heather— along with her twin sibling, Nicole — to survive.

And, God willing, Trudy Olmstead wanted to survive herself.

Realizing both appeared improbable.

A team of doctors told her that a lump discovered on her right lung needed to be removed if she wanted to live. And to live, they added, Trudy would have to abort her unborn twins.

It was 1980 and Trudy Olmstead was 30 years old and relishing her life as a young Latter-day Saint wife and mother in a volleyball-loving Southern California family.

She and her husband, Rick, remember being thrilled to discover that their fourth child was on the way. They didn’t know yet that Trudy was expecting twins.

But a persistent cough tempered the Olmsteads’ excitement. Initially diagnosed as bronchitis, the cough continued. And Trudy was feeling unusually off.

A subsequent chest X-ray revealed a lump on her lung. A short time later, Trudy’s doctor discovered she was pregnant with twins.

“I was told this was life-threatening and was told I had three months to live,” recalled Trudy Olmstead, while sharing her experience with the Deseret News.

Life-saving treatments, her doctors insisted, could not be performed without aborting the fetuses.

Trudy Olmstead’s response: “Nope. We have to find an answer. There’s no way I’m going to abort two babies.”

Her decision to search for an option that did not include losing the babies was fortified by the words of her patriarchal blessing — a special Latter-day Saint blessing offering direction — which promised she would be “the mother of many” and would “live a long and useful life.”

“I was 30 years old and thought, ‘This is not what’s supposed to be happening,’” she said. “We wanted to seek out a (Latter-day Saint) doctor.”

Family photos from the life of Brigham Young University women’s volleyball head coach Heather Olmstead are displayed at Smith Fieldhouse on the campus of BYU in Provo on Friday, May 9, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

A mother traces God’s hand

When Trudy revisits those frightening and uncertain days, 45 years ago, she remembers tracing the Lord’s hand clearly.

Shortly before her diagnoses, Trudy’s father, Dwayne Andersen, was preparing to begin his calling as the first president of the soon-to-be-dedicated Japan Tokyo Temple.

Prior to departing for Japan, Andersen and his wife, Peggy, had spent several days in the Salt Lake Temple preparing for their upcoming temple assignment.

One day in the Salt Lake Temple, the Andersens discovered that an old hometown friend, Dantzel White Nelson, was in the temple attending the wedding ceremony of one of her daughters.

Joining Dantzel Nelson that day was her husband, a noted surgeon named Dr. Russell M. Nelson.

Andersen introduced himself to Dr. Nelson, who, four years later, was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, now-President Russell M. Nelson is the church’s 17th president.

A short time after Andersen met Dr. Nelson in the temple, his daughter Trudy’s life-threatening illness was revealed.

Desperate for the life of his daughter and unborn grandchildren, Andersen reached out to Dr. Nelson. He described his daughter’s dire medical condition — and her doctors’ general consensus that she should abort the twins if she wanted to survive.

Dr. Nelson asked to see Trudy’s records, including her X-rays and all of her doctors’ notes. Immediately, Andersen flew to Salt Lake City to personally deliver them to the surgeon.

“My dad handed my records to Dr. Nelson,” said Trudy Olmstead. “Dr. Nelson put them to his chest and told my dad, ‘The Lord and I will talk about this tonight — I’ll call you in the morning.’”

After meeting with a team of his colleagues on an early Sunday morning, Dr. Nelson called Andersen with hopeful news.

“First, Dr. Nelson said, ‘Do not abort those babies — the Lord will decide what happens with them.’”

The surgeon added that Trudy Olmstead did not have cancer, but that the tumor was life-threatening and needed to be removed. Chemotherapy or radiation was not an option.

And Dr. Nelson agreed to perform the operation.

“That solved it for us,” recalled Trudy, remembering the calmness she immediately felt.

Trudy and Rick Olmstead were soon traveling with the Andersens from California to Utah for the surgery. But before going to the hospital, the Olmsteads received their endowments in the Provo Utah Temple and were sealed to their three children.

“And then we drove from the luncheon after the sealing to the LDS Hospital and I was admitted,” said Trudy Olmstead.

That memorable time spent with her loved ones in the Provo temple only added to the peace she had already felt knowing that the operation to remove the tumor would be performed by a technically skilled and prayerful surgeon.

“Everything was orchestrated,” she said, “in the most miraculous way.”

Miracles and an unforgettable measure of medical resourcefulness would be demanded during the challenging procedure.

In Sheri Dew’s book “Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson,” Dr. Nelson recalled the operation proving to be more complicated and extensive than he had anticipated:

“The tumor was so close to the heart that I did not have a clamp narrow enough to put a clamp on the artery and still have space for the cutting blade of the scissors.

“Therefore, the pulmonary artery had to be cut without being clamped. My only option was to put my finger in the artery to stop the blood and keep my finger there until I was able to suture the artery closed.

“All the time, I kept thinking, ‘I have three lives depending on my finger.’”

The operation, which required the removal of Trudy’s right lung, proved successful.

Trudy’s life had been spared.

Five months later, two baby girls joined the Olmstead family. They were named Heather and Nicole.

Years later, the twins met then-Elder Nelson for the first time.

Heather Olmstead remembered the surgeon-apostle pulling out a journal where he recorded the details of the operation that saved three lives — including her own.

Elder Nelson told the young women that their mother was an angel.

“That was powerful for me,” said Heather Olmstead, as recorded in the book. “To think that she was an angel here on earth really changed my relationship with my mother.

“Elder Nelson looked at me with those piercing blue eyes of his, and I believed him.”

Brigham Young University women’s volleyball head coach Heather Olmstead poses for a portrait at Smith Fieldhouse on the campus of BYU in Provo on Friday, May 9, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

BYU: Opportunities to compete — and ‘gather Israel’

May is an “offseason” for women’s college volleyball players. But for DI coaches competing in the storied Big 12 Conference such as Heather Olmstead, there are no down periods.

There’s always another outside hitter or skilled setter that needs to be recruited. Staffs and schedules need to be solidified and finalized. Preparation, followed by more preparation.

And, of course, college coaching in 2025 means coaching in the ever-evolving, always uncertain world of NIL and the transfer portal.

Olmstead and her colleagues need to be perpetually “re-recruiting” their own athletes, even while keeping a close eye on the portal in case a prized player becomes available.

“So we’re just focusing on our relationships with our players — helping them to feel our love and BYU’s love for them,” Olmstead told the Deseret News.

Her upcoming squad is a young team, she added, “so we’re still trying to learn which players are going to lead this team and help us through the summer.”

Meanwhile, coaching at a school sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presents both challenges and opportunities.

BYU’s Honor Code, insists Olmstead, is a benefit.

“Whether it’s spiritually, athletically, or academically, our recruits know what they’re getting into when they come here,” she said. “So we want to lean into that Honor Code.”

A pragmatist, Olmstead is also choosing to focus on the opportunities offered by today’s college sports realities.

“It’s here to stay,” she said. “So adapting to the NIL and the transfer portal and the Honor Code are all things that are going to help us reach our goals.”

The coach counts the opportunities that BYU offers its athletes “to share the gospel of Jesus Christ” as defining. Wearing the school’s blue-and-white jersey — and what it represents — stretches beyond victories inside the lines.

“President Nelson,” she said, “has said there’s no greater work than the work that’s happening to gather Israel on both sides of the veil.”

BYU, added Olmstead, is a faith-based institution. “That gives us the opportunity to really praise God and just understand that we’re representing something bigger than ourselves — and our players do a really good job at that.”

There are inherent pressures of competing for BYU. Players are watched closely by the school’s global fanbase and others because of its unique aspects.

“We talk about that all the time: Doing the best you can with what you have and being honest and true and having integrity and playing with character.”

It’s easy to spot the same spiritual impulses that guided Trudy Olmstead at a difficult moment 45 years ago now at play in the life of her daughter.

During the good times — and the rough times — Heather Olmstead discovers strength through her faith. “Just by turning to the Lord and being able to be in the temple weekly and growing in my relationship with Jesus Christ.”

A ‘volleyball family’ not defined by volleyball

The Olmsteads, of course, are one the church’s first families of volleyball.

Rick Olmstead played volleyball at what’s now known as Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He later coached the sport, counting sport legend Karch Kiraly as one of his players.

Growing up in Southern California gave the Olmstead kids almost daily opportunities to hone their skills. Several played volleyball at the college level — including Heather (Utah State) and her older brother, Shawn, who’s now the men’s coach at BYU.

So are all Olmstead family gatherings and discussions centered around volleyball?

“We don’t talk about volleyball at all when we’re with family or celebrating,” said Heather Olmstead, laughing. “We’re just living our lives. We’re at baptisms. We’re at Thanksgiving and we’re at family gatherings. We’re at missionary homecomings for our nieces and nephews. … There’s no volleyball talk.”

And, no, Heather Olmstead never drops unsolicited coaching advice on her brother, Shawn — or vice versa.

Still, she’s quick to add she welcomes and appreciates coaching mentors — including her brother, her dad and family friend, Karch Kiraly.

Olmstead’s own unique faith and family history continues to inform her interactions with her players in a highly-competitive and always scrutinized college sports environment.

“How can we help them remember,” she asks, “that their individual worth comes from being a daughter of God?”

Cherishing each Mother’s Day

For many years, Mother’s Day was, well, work, for Trudy Olmstead. After all, the holiday falls on a Sunday. It may have been mom’s “special day” — but there were also seven active kids that needed to be scrubbed and dressed for church.

But time has deepened Trudy’s appreciation for the holiday.

“I cherish it,” she said. “I am so grateful as a mother to have my children and to have my grandchildren.

“Mother’s Day, to me, is like the celebration of life, because I was given life.”

And, yes, anytime the Olmsteads watch President Nelson provide people, worldwide, with their own reasons to hope and believe, their spirits are once again lifted.

“I say to myself, ‘The prophet had my heart in his hands,’” said Trudy Olmstead. “He did, literally, have my heart and lungs in his hands — but also figuratively. My heart is completely in awe and respect and love for him.”

And with each passing year of her own life, Coach Olmstead’s “awe and respect” for her mother — and the risks she made, without hesitation, for her and Nicole — only expand.

“Being able to be with my mom,” she said, “and to spend Mother’s Day with her, and show my gratitude and my love for her, has been special.”

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Men Wrap Up Season at NCAA Outdoor Championships

Story Links EUGENE, Ore. – The TCU men wrapped up their 2025 season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday at Hayward Field. TCU senior Kashie Crockett led the way, securing Second Team All-American honors in the 200m to end his collegiate career. The Horned Frogs competed in six events on […]

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6 minutes ago

June 12, 2025

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EUGENE, Ore. – The TCU men wrapped up their 2025 season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday at Hayward Field. TCU senior Kashie Crockett led the way, securing Second Team All-American honors in the 200m to end his collegiate career.

The Horned Frogs competed in six events on day one of the championship meet; however, none advanced to the finals of their respective events.

TCU’s 4x100m relay turned in a season best 39.35 to start off the meet. Freshman Justin Frater stepped in as an alternate and didn’t disappoint running the opening leg before passing off the baton to Crocket. Jordan Parker and Sanjay Slamon ran the final two legs to help the Frogs finish 18^th overall and earn Honorable Mention All-American honors.

In the javelin throw, freshman Preston Kuznof closed out his rookie campaign. The Big 12 Champion threw 64.62m (214-10) to place 20^th and earn Honorable Mention All-America status.

Running in the 800m, Lloyd Frilot went down on the final turn as he attempted to make a move to the outside. Although he was tripped up, the senior got back on his feet and crossed the finish line as an Honorable Mention All-American in Hayward Field.

Sophomore Jayden Douglas made his debut at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He competed in the 400m hurdles, turning in a time of 54.16 for his first career All-American nod (Honorable Mention honors).

Back at the championship meet for the second straight season in the 200m, Crockett ran a 20.48 (+0.4 m/s), finishing fifth in his heat. His time was good for 12^th overall, officially making him a two-time All-American in the event (2025 Second Team Indoor and Outdoor).

The Frogs closed out the meet with a 17^th place finish in the 4x400m relay (3:05.16). Ronnie Kendrick, Douglas, Destin Drummond and Frilot finished just over half a second behind Georgia adding Honorable Mention All-American honors to their name.

The TCU women are up next, competing on Thursday, June 12. They will be represented with 11 entries and look to advance to Saturday’s finals.

For all the latest TCU track and field news, follow the Frogs on X at @TCUTrackField, on Instagram at @tcu_track_xc and on Facebook at TCU Track and Field.

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McManus advances to steeplechase finals at NCAA Championships | Montana State

Montana State senior Rob McManus took a tumble during the final lap but was still able to finish fourth in his heat and advance to the men’s 3000 meter steeplechase finals at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday in Eugene, Oregon. McManus finished in 8:34.54, taking fourth in his heat and 9th overall […]

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21 minutes ago

June 12, 2025

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McManus finished in 8:34.54, taking fourth in his heat and 9th overall out of 24 racers. He held the sixth fastest time in the field heading into Thursday’s action. His career-best time of 8:26.83 was set earlier this season at the Bryan Clay Invitational in April.

The Cashmere, Washington native was leading the race during the final lap but took a spill getting through the final water jump, allowing three competitors to pass him down the finishing stretch.

McManus recovered from a fall during the final water jump to finish fourth in his heat and earn an automatic qualifier to Friday’s finals.

Video Courtesy of the NCAA and ESPN

McManus has now advanced to finals for the first time in his career after making his third straight appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The steeplechase finals will take place on Friday at 6:24 p.m. MST.

Earlier on Thursday’s opening fay action, Bobcats sophomore Harvey Cramb competed in the 1500 meter semifinals. The Australian product was in the top half of the pack midway through the race but faded down the stretch to a last place finish in his heat, crossing the finish line in 3:44.57. Cramb’s heat was the faster of the two, so his time ended up ranking 12th out of 24 total runners between the two semifinal races.

Cramb faded during the final lap, taking last in his heat during the 1500 meter semifinals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Video Courtesy of the NCAA and ESPN

Still to come at this week’s national championships meet will be several more Bobcat competitors.

On Thursday, Billings native Hailey Coey will compete in the women’s long jump finals, scheduled for 6:40 p.m. MST.

Also on Thursday, the Montana State women’s 4×400 relay team will be in action for a semifinals race at 8:36 p.m. MST.

On Saturday, Seeley Lake native and Colorado State junior Klaire Kovatch will compete in the women’s discus, set to get underway at 1:30 p.m. MST.

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Hofstee, Machu Lace Up for NCAA Outdoor Championships

Story Links 2025 NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS THURSDAY, JUNE 12 | HAYWARD FIELD | EUGENE, ORE. ESPN LIVE STREAM | LIVE RESULTS 6:56 p.m. | 10,000m National Final | Logan Hofstee, Rosina Machu EUGENE, Ore. – Gonzaga women’s track will make program history Thursday evening at […]

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40 minutes ago

June 12, 2025

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EUGENE, Ore. – Gonzaga women’s track will make program history Thursday evening at Hayward Field, racing two athletes in the same National Final event for the first time ever. This will also mark the first time two Bulldog women have qualified for the NCAA Championship week, as Logan Hofstee and Rosina Machu will compete in the 10,000-meter final at 6:56 p.m. on ESPN.

For Hofstee, she becomes the first true freshman to reach the NCAA Championships after a gritty 11th place finish at the NCAA West Prelims in College Station on May 29. Her time of 34:30.82 in College Station came amidst the chase pack, working her way into the Top 12 before crossing just one second ahead of the final qualifying mark. She reached the qualifying round with a time of 33:17.80 at the Stanford Invitational in April.

Machu makes her second consecutive 10,000-meter Final appearance, placing 15th to earn Second Team All-America honors last spring in Eugene. Two weeks ago, she finished third at the West Prelims in 33:50.76 after running a qualifying time of 32:33.18 at Stanford in April. Machu is just the third-ever repeat finals qualifier and first since James Mwaura in 2023, and she’ll look to become the first female two-time All-American on the track in GU history.

Including Gonzaga’s first appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2015, the Zags will send at least one athlete to the final week of NCAA competition for the eighth time in the last ten championship meets (2020 canceled due to COVID-19). In five of the previous seven instances, GU has walked away with an All-American. Fraley was the first Zag to earn the honor in 2017 before Mwaura earned five over the span of three years in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

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CU Buffs’ Kole Mathison finishes 21st in steeplechase at NCAA finals – Boulder Daily Camera

With the future of the Colorado track and field program in transition, a small contingent of Buffaloes hit the track on Wednesday in Oregon for the NCAA outdoor track and field championships. Assistant coach Lindsey Malone’s final appearance for the Buffaloes won’t be an extended one. Kole Mathison was unable to advance out of the […]

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57 minutes ago

June 12, 2025

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With the future of the Colorado track and field program in transition, a small contingent of Buffaloes hit the track on Wednesday in Oregon for the NCAA outdoor track and field championships.

Assistant coach Lindsey Malone’s final appearance for the Buffaloes won’t be an extended one.

Kole Mathison was unable to advance out of the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase semifinal, while CU’s only other entrant in the championship meet, fifth-year senior Nick Bianco, hit the halfway point of the men’s decathlon well down the leaderboard at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Mathison, a sophomore, finished 21st overall, posting a time of 8 minutes, 45.05 seconds. In an event in which the top five finishers in each of two heats, plus the next two best finishers, advance to Friday’s final, Mathison finished 10th in the second heat and was more than 15 seconds behind the final at-large qualifier for the championship heat.

Bianco finished the day in 21st place in the decathlon with 2,958 points. Among Wednesday’s events, Bianco’s best finish was a 12th-place mark on the long jump. He begins the first of his final five events on Thursday at Hayward Field in the 110-meter hurdles at 10:45 a.m. MT.

Malone, CU’s combined events coach, is facing the elimination of her position, as is her husband Casey Malone, the Buffs’ longtime throws coach.

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OUTLOOK ON NEW FOOTHILL AREA RELEAGUING: Artesia could see more sports fighting for playoff spots in future new conference

June 11, 2025 By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X This is the first in a series of area schools involved in the upcoming Foothill Area releaguing that will begin for the 2026-2027 school year. The 20 schools involved, in what will be a new conference are from the current 605 League, Del Rio League, […]

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June 12, 2025

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June 11, 2025

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

This is the first in a series of area schools involved in the upcoming Foothill Area releaguing that will begin for the 2026-2027 school year. The 20 schools involved, in what will be a new conference are from the current 605 League, Del Rio League, Gateway League and Mid-Cities League. The name of the new conference and potential leagues will be determined during the 2025-2026 school year. This is the third time since the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year that area schools have been involved in releaguing.

When Artesia High, and two other area schools, broke off from the old Suburban League after the 2017-2018 school year to form the 605 League with the addition of three other schools, it was meant to create more competitive equity in its athletic program. In the past seven years, the Pioneers have seen some success while other sports continued to struggle.

Now, those struggling sports will have a chance to do something that was not possible in the former Suburban League, or even the 605 League-compete for a CIF-Southern Section playoff berth.

Artesia athletic director Matt Soriano, who hasn’t been in his position as long as the other athletic directors, wasn’t as skeptical when the process began leading up to the May 1 Foothill Area releaguing vote.

“To be honest, I don’t think I had the most positive favoritism towards a 20-team league”, said Soriano. “As a new A.D., I just heard, ‘oh, it’s time to revote for bylaws and see if anyone’s open to releaguing’”.

The initial buzz amongst the athletic directors was to simply keep the 605 League together and not add other schools. But all six proposals which were brought to the table last month involved a 20-school conference.

“We kind of sat down as A.D.’s and said, ‘hey, we like the six of us staying together in most sports’ even though we would get killed by Cerritos and Whitney in some tennis events or golf events,” said Soriano. “We’re competitive in every other sport, and I like the six of us about it.”

The 2018-2019 school year had mixed feelings around the 605 League with Artesia winning two league titles and sharing one of the major sports in the inaugural year. The most notable one was the football team where the Pioneers won all three league games and advanced to the Division 12 championship game. Since then, the program has finished in second place and earned a playoff spot.

Boys soccer won its first 605 League title in 2019 and the softball team tied Cerritos High for first place that spring. Since then, the Pioneers have won 11 league titles, six coming from boys soccer, three from boys basketball, and one each from girls flag football and girls soccer.

Soriano went to the first meeting with the plan of just moving for football only because he thought that’s how Orange County schools did their releaguing.

“We sat down as A.D.’s and said if we’re going to support something, I need to know number one, we’re all in this, or if we’re going to be against this, we’re all against it,” said Soriano. “The one commitment we couldn’t have was that Glenn would still field a football team.”

With the new 20-school conference, Artesia may not face ABC Unified School District rival Cerritos in league competition, but the program figures to be in a desirable place for playoff contention every season.

“We were not the best team in [the 605 League], but every school had a chance to qualify for the playoffs every year,” said Soriano. “And I think that’ s the way we wanted it to be. There were years where we won on the last play on a double reverse against Pioneer to qualify for the playoffs. There were years that Glenn was up there in the top two; there were years where they weren’t in the top two. Pioneer didn’t get an automatic bid this [past season] but they went to the [CIF-Southern Section] finals. The 605 League gave people what they wanted out of it, football-wise.”

Soriano says other than boys basketball and some of the other major sports, which has been near or at the top of the league consistently, the other sports aren’t nowhere near the other schools. Part of that reason, which the league has looked at and voted together as a league, is some schools in certain sports have a lower level team.

Since the 605 League was formed, the Artesia girls volleyball program has finished no higher than third place while the other two fall sports, boys water polo and girls tennis have finished in fourth place or below. In fact, of the major sports, the Pioneers have finished in fourth place 18 times, fifth place 10 times and last place nine times.

Boys basketball and the two soccer programs have done quite well as has the softball program and should be grouped in with the upper to ‘middle of the pack’ schools once the new conference begins. Sports like boys tennis, boys volleyball, boys water polo, girls basketball and girls tennis are projected to be situated in the last of the three or four leagues in two years and be with other fifth and sixth place teams from the Del Rio League, Gateway League and Mid-Cities League. It should be noted that in a six-team league, the top three get an automatic playoff berth.

“It is going to be every sport on a per sport basis,” said Soriano. “So, just like in Orange County, your football team may be in this league, but your basketball teams will be in a different league. The model, I think, that makes the most sense…is if there are 20 teams in every place but football, you do four leagues of five [teams]. That would make the top three all get an [automatic] berth. Technically, you would get 12 automatic spots out of your 20 teams.”

Soriano believes that the new conference will benefit Artesia in a lot of the sports that aren’t mentioned on an everyday basis. For example, Artesia’s girls basketball team most likely wouldn’t have to play Cerritos, Pioneer or Whitney twice every season in league competition.

“I’m not even saying it will help us get wins, it will just help the games be more competitive,” said Soriano. “The big part about it is we have to sit down as a group and decide…I guarantee the first year is going to be based on CIF rankings. But they talk about some relegation or promotion. If you’re in the middle league, hey, you won and you get to move up to the top league. I would prefer to see two teams [go] up and down every time.”

He continued to add that since this will be a conference, divided into three or four leagues, technically by the rules, the conference can do whatever it wants regarding the movement of teams to other leagues every year instead of going off power rankings.

This upcoming school year will be a stressful one for the athletic directors and principals for the 20 schools. When the 605 League was formed, there were four school districts involved and transportation, while difficult at times, wasn’t as big as an issue as it will be in two years. The scheduling of sporting events will be a nightmare, especially during the winter season as your traditional girls-boys basketball doubleheaders could be compromised.

“When we started meeting as the 20 schools, that was the whole 605 League’s contention; is how do you guys do it,” asked Soriano. “La Mirada kind of looked at me and was like, ‘well, when we ask for a bus, my district gives us a bus’. Well, my district doesn’t. Every bus that we took as a sports team was an overtime payment to a bus driver. My transportation [bill] is huge, and that’s with me sending boys and girls basketball to the same place.”

Another issue that schools will have to navigate through is the splitting up of cheerleaders during basketball games or other school functions. Soriano was quick to mention that Artesia decided to have its senior prom on a Thursday night in the middle of league. He worked with the other five athletic directors to have the games off that Thursday so the players could go to the prom and admitted he doesn’t know if he can get that same commitment from the other 14 schools that will be part of the new conference.

One bright area of the new conference will be schools reuniting with old rivals from previous leagues. It’s a fact that Artesia will face Bellflower High, La Mirada High, Mayfair High and Norwalk High in many sports. Those four schools were in the Suburban League prior to 2018.

“I don’t come from a time when all the rivalries [happened],” said Soriano. “I know I can just look up scores and see the main ones; the football, the soccer and basketball. We had some battles with Mayfair, but some of it is if we wanted to renew rivalries and things like that, we would have called them earlier and played non-league [games].

“We, as a 605 League, didn’t even want to play Gahr in anything anymore, even though they’re a part of a school district that had three of us in it,” he continued. “It took a long time for Cerritos football to say [they’ll] play Gahr. When we were playing Gahr and the scores weren’t very close…if Gahr is with us, then it should say that we should be competitive with them, and I think that’s the point of a conference.”

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Murphy Finishes Sixth in Semifinal Heat of 1500 Meters at NCAA Championships Get Underway

Story Links EUGENE, Ore.—Villanova kicked off four days of competition at the 2025 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships with national semifinal heats of the 1500 meters on Wednesday afternoon. Fifth year distance runner Liam Murphy (Millstone, N.J.) finished sixth in his heat and showed elite speed with a final lap […]

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1 hour ago

June 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, Ore.—Villanova kicked off four days of competition at the 2025 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships with national semifinal heats of the 1500 meters on Wednesday afternoon. Fifth year distance runner Liam Murphy (Millstone, N.J.) finished sixth in his heat and showed elite speed with a final lap of 51.13. It is the third straight year that Murphy has been an outdoor qualifier for the NCAA Championships in the 1500 meters.

Murphy was an automatic qualifier for the semifinal round after two races at the NCAA East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Fla. two weeks ago. He raced in the first of two heats at Hayward Field on Wednesday and produced a closing 400 meters which shows why he has been on the cusp of a World Athletics Championship qualifying mark this season. Murphy’s final lap of 51.13 in his semifinal heat is just over three seconds faster than his bell lap of 54.18 at the Raleigh Relays earlier this year when he set the collegiate record of 3:33.02 in the 1500 meters.

By this point of the season any section of an event is going to be a strong one filled with competitors capable of winning a national title. That was true of the first heat in the 1500 meters, which featured nine runners (out of 12) who had run faster than 3:40 this season and five who were under 3:35 during their collegiate careers. The race went out slow for two-plus laps and the entire field came through the first seven meters in just over two minutes. Less than three-quarters of a second separated one through twelve in the ranks with both 800 meters left and at the bell.

It was almost as crowded at the finish line and Murphy was less than one-tenth of a second behind the runners who came in fourth and fifth in the race. Murphy wound up 18^th overall in the semifinal round and will earn honorable mention All-America honors when those accolades are officially announced next week.

Murphy set the collegiate record of 3:33.02 at the Raleigh Relays on March 27 and is a qualifier for the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene from July 31-August 3. The top athletes coming out of that meet will be selected for the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo in September. Murphy’s PR and collegiate record is just two-hundredths of a second off the World Championship qualifying time of 3:33 flat.

Villanova continues competition at the NCAA Championships on Thursday night when senior women’s distance runner Sadie Sigfstead (Edmonton, Alta.) runs in the championship race of the 10000 meters. It is the second straight year that Sigfstead is running in this race. She came in 12^th in her outdoor NCAA Championships debut last season and has run a PR of 32:39.54 this season.

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