YORKTON – It was been a great season to-date for Kain Salmond in terms of chuckwagon racing.

Heading into a huge week where he is scheduled to run three days at the Yorkton, then heading down the road to race Saturday and Sunday in Sheho, Salmond was leading the season results in the Eastern Professional Chariot & Chuckwagon Association.

“Last year I was running pretty tough,” he told Yorkton This Week before the first heats in the city Wednesday. “I was sixth overall last year.”

This season Salmond, who hails from the Bertwell area in Saskatchewan, made a change to the team he runs on the wagon.

“I changed one horse. That really set me up,” he said.

Salmond, 22, explained that the new horse is his right lead horse, which of course is a key member of a team, in part because of its ‘smarts’.

“You can get by with a dumb one on the pole. . . A lead horse has got to be a little smarter,” he explained.

The new horse is the final cog in the engine one might say.

That said Salmond noted the other three horses he runs were with him last year, and that means they have experience, and that plays into a solid running team.

“Three of the four are the same . . . they know each other better,” he said.

Familiarity means cohesion in the traces.

Of course once on top the goal is staying there, which Salmond said will not be easy.

“Anyone can beat anyone,” he said.

For Salmond the top spot in the standing is another step in a driving career that was near destiny given his family lineage. His dad Clint has been driving chuckwagons since he turned 16 – the minimum age to drive.

“Grandpa Wayne was driving horses back in the bush logging when he was 11 or 12,” said Kain, adding he has raced for years.

The family experience is something he draws on too, adding he and his Dad often discuss “who we’re hooked up against, or what the track conditions are like.”

A couple of his horses come from Grandpa too.

Salmond said he certainly wouldn’t be at the level he is today without the help and support of what is a very extensive racing family – he expected 10 would race in Yorkton.

It’s the same with sponsors, another key partner in success, said Salmond.

“We wouldn’t make it down the road without them,” he said.

So Kain grew up around race tracks and horses.

“Every summer I travelled with Dad and Mom,” he said, adding he developed an interest at a young age “and here we are I guess.”

Kain started out driving chariots – as most drivers do – and still runs those too. In fact he often runs two teams, using the spare horses he carries on a second hitch as a way to keep them in shape should they be needed on his main chariot or the wagon.

Interestingly his first wagon run came in Yorkton back in 2021.

“Obviously there were more nerves,” he said, adding he just wanted to “get around the track.”

After the race the excitement manifested.

“I’d been waiting a long time to get in the wagon box,” said Salmond.

The North Jackson volleyball program is technically under new leadership, but that new leader is a familiar face at the school.

Arielle Haynes, a former three-sport standout and 2022 North Jackson graduate, was recently named the school’s new head volleyball coach. She will be the head coach for both the Chiefs’ varsity and junior varsity teams.

“The goal is to build a competitive and respected program,” Haynes said. “Clear objectives have been set for this year’s team. Our focus this season is to strengthen team culture, establish a strong identity and develop leadership qualities. These goals will help us grow into a more competitive and successful team. I want these girls to succeed both as athletes and as students at North Jackson. I want them to hold each other accountable, compete in every set and take pride in wearing the NJ logo every match.”

Haynes was an all-county basketball player and a state champion softball player for the Chiefs before playing one season at Calhoun Community College. She served as the North Jackson junior high volleyball head coach last season — players from Bridgeport and Stevenson Middle Schools play together under the North Jackson banner at the junior-high level — as the Chiefs went 16-1 and won a Jackson County Tournament championship. 

Haynes also served as a varsity/junior varsity assistant for Melissa Brown, who stepped down as head coach last spring after two seasons. Haynes also is an assistant softball coach for the Chiefs.

North Jackson volleyball competes in Class 4A Area 16 with DAR, Madison County, New Hope and Plainview. 

Haynes said the Chiefs must “demonstrate discipline, consistency, energy and a coachable mindset” and being “team players” and working “well together under pressure” will be pivotal to their 2025 campaign and beyond.

Haynes said coaching at her alma mater is added extra motivation for her.

“Coaching at the school where I once played and graduated from carries a greater responsibility and a deeper emotional connection for me,” she said. “I’m now coaching in the same gym where I played, made mistakes and discovered who I was. Now I have the privilege of teaching and guiding the next generation through that same journey. I understand the culture of North Jackson and the expectations that come with it. I hold myself and this team to a higher standard so that the players can experience the pride and success I once did. I am not just here to coach this volleyball program. I’m here to build teams that stand for something greater. I’ve been blessed with this opportunity and can’t wait for the season to begin. I care deeply about these players, this school and this community and I’m ready to give back to all that North Jackson has given me.”

CLEVELAND – UC Santa Barbara Athletics has won its first-ever Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) All-Sports Trophy, tallying 235.00 points to claim the prestigious title for the 2024-25 school year.

“What an honor for our UC Santa Barbara campus and department to be recognized with the All-Sport Trophy by the D1-AAA Athletic Directors Association,” said Arnhold Director of Athletics Kelly Barsky. “It is a reflection of the incredible efforts and grit showcased by our Gaucho Student-Athletes, the leadership and expertise of our head coaches, and the incredible service and care provided by our coaches, staff, and community across the board.”

 

According to the DI-AAA ADA, the All-Sports Trophy is awarded to the institution that has the highest point total in all sports in which at least 25% of the eligible I-AAA membership sponsor the given sport. In layman’s terms, this trophy is given to the best all-around Division-I athletics program that does not sponsor Football, of which there are 98 institutions. The 21 sports included in the points total are Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track, Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track, and Women’s Volleyball.

 

Three Gaucho programs finished atop the DI-AAA ADA standings in their respective sport—Softball, Women’s Tennis, and Men’s Outdoor Track & Field.

 

Overall, the Gauchos were lifted by having five conference-championship teams. Along with Softball and Women’s Tennis, Women’s Soccer, Men’s Swimming, and Women’s Swimming all claimed Big West titles; it was the first time since the 2004-05 school year that four women’s programs won conference championships. Men’s Soccer and Men’s Tennis also earned at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament.

 

“On behalf of our Association, I would like to congratulate UC Santa Barbara for capturing its first-ever DI-AAA All-Sports championship this year,” said Shaney Fink, DI-AAA ADA president and current vice president for athletics at Seattle University.

 

UC Santa Barbara edged out Pepperdine (212 points), Providence (202.5), Creighton (198), and the University of Denver (174.5). For more information about this award, visit nacda.com.

 

General | 7/2/2025 1:56:00 PM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – St. John Fisher University had an Empire 8-high 257 student-athletes named to the conference’s President’s List for the spring 2025 semester, the league office announced on Wednesday. The Cardinals also had 25 teams honored as E8 All-Academic Teams, the second most in the conference behind Nazareth (26).

President’s List honorees include E8 student-athletes who achieved at least a 3.75 grade-point average during the spring semester. Teams that earned E8 All-Academic honors logged a 3.20 GPA or higher. 

A total of 1,660 student-athletes and a league-record 190 teams earned recognition from the E8 for their academic excellence this past semester. 

St. John Fisher All-Academic Teams (25)

Football
7/2/2025 2:42:00 PM

Michael Abdella – Assistant AD for Strategic Communications

There are many ways collegiate student-athletes can spend their summers: staying in shape, gaining first-hand experience for the future career, and learning skills that will set them up for post-college life, to name a few. This summer, rising junior William Howell has found a way to do both each of these through an internship with the one of the top NCAA Division I football programs in the country.

Since the end of May, Howell has been a football strength and conditioning intern with the University of Georgia football program, which won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings. As a kinesiology major, this internship has allowed Howell to gain valuable hands-on experience in his field in a setting with some of the biggest names and faces in the college football world.

Howell’s path to the internship started in an Intro to Kinesiology class he took in the fall when a speaker from a private performance training facility came in one day to talk to the class and answer questions. At the end of the class, Howell introduced himself and told him he was interested in an internship, which led to an internship during St. Olaf’s January Term, a one-month period where students focus on one class or internship.

During January, Howell learned that one of the coaches he was working with had done the internship at the University of Georgia and asked for more information. After reviewing the opportunities that were available for internships, Howell decided he was most interested in the one at Georgia. Before applying, he visited the Piper Center for Vocation and Career – which helps St. Olaf students explore careers, gain experience outside of the classroom, and pursue meaningful post-graduate work – to develop a resume, cover letter, and references. Later, he received a call from the intern coordinator at Georgia and was offered the position.

Howell credits St. Olaf Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance John Waters and the Kinesiology Department for helping him secure the internship.

“Coach Waters introduced me to a high standard for the operations of a collegiate strength program,” Howell said. “With his help, and advising from others in the Kinesiology Department, I feel that I was prepared to take on this internship.”

In Georgia, Howell is part of a staff that includes five full-time strength coaches and roughly 15 interns, who help run the summer strength program for the Bulldogs. Most days, Howell arrives at the facility around 6 a.m. to prepare for the workouts or runs the team will complete that day. This may mean preparing power racks for lifts, setting out cardio equipment and stations for team conditioning, or preparing hydration stations for the athletes.

Once the team arrives, Howell and the other interns direct them to their stations, ensure they have the correct weight loaded for their exercises, spot for the lifts, and help with whatever else is most urgent. When the workout is complete, they clean up and reset the room, so it is ready for the next day.

As someone who aspires to have a future career in strength and conditioning, Howell has gained significant insight into the field during his time in Georgia.

“This opportunity has shown me a lot about what it takes to be a strength coach,” he said. “You need to be passionate, punctual, and dependable. At this level of competition, there are very high expectations for everyone involved. From the head coach to the student support staff, everyone is expected to give their best every day. Additionally, my time here has enabled me to practice many skills that I can use in the future, and I have improved my communication skills and attention to detail.”

Howell’s internship runs through July 31 and has cemented his hope to one day work with athletes at high levels of competition, while helping him learn important skills that will carry over when he returns to The Hill.

“The emphasis on dependability and accountability that I am practicing this summer will surely help my down the line as a student-athlete,” he said. “Being proactive and having the ability to adapt to difficult circumstances are essential to being successful as a student and as a football player at St. Olaf.”