Is India next for Allianz to make a naming rights splash?
Allianz recently secured naming rights to English rugby’s iconic Twickenham Stadium. (Credit: Allianz) Allianz is recognized as a leading insurance and asset management company globally. It serves over 125 million clients across more than 70 countries, illustrating its extensive reach and influence in the insurance sector. The company is deeply engaged with several sports entities […]
Allianz recently secured naming rights to English rugby’s iconic Twickenham Stadium. (Credit: Allianz)
Allianz is recognized as a leading insurance and asset management company globally. It serves over 125 million clients across more than 70 countries, illustrating its extensive reach and influence in the insurance sector.
The company is deeply engaged with several sports entities across diverse disciplines, including multi-sport games, soccer, and motorsport. Allianz views sports sponsorship as an effective marketing tool that resonates with both existing and potential customers, fostering positive brand perceptions and strengthening brand preference.
According to GlobalData, Allianz is currently involved in 42 separate agreements worth $142.1 million per year. A core element of Allianz’s sponsorship strategy is securing naming rights to prominent sports stadiums across various continents, including Europe, North America, South and Central America, and Oceania.
These naming rights agreements signify the brand’s approach to achieving global reach with local impact, aiming to bolster brand presence in specific markets and forge stronger connections with local communities. To date, Asia has not been a priority market for the brand for sports sponsorship.
The most recent naming rights agreement the company has secured is a multi-year deal in England with the Rugby Football Union (RFU), reportedly worth £10 million annually, which is equivalent to $12.8 million annually based on GlobalData’s conversion methodology.
This agreement designates Allianz as title sponsor of the RFU’s Twickenham home, which has now been renamed Allianz Stadium Twickenham. Allianz appears to have come to the aid of the RFU, which reported unprecedented losses of £37.9 million for the 12 months ending in June 2024.
Allianz continues to seek expansion in various territories, including Asia. The company’s asset management division, AllianzGI, received approval in 2019 from the China Securities Regulatory Commission to operate as a foreign-owned public fund management company in mainland China. This move is significant for Allianz, as it allows the company to tap into one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world, enhancing its asset management services in Asia.
India is another target for Allianz as a growth market, despite the company selling to the Bajaj Group its 26% stake in non-life and life insurance joint ventures with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company. Allianz has stated that it still plans to explore new opportunities to strengthen its position in the insurance sector across India, both as an investor and an operator.
Looking at India’s insurance sector, the country is expected to have the third-largest economy globally by the end of the decade. This impressive economic growth will generate rising disposable incomes, with many Indian citizens seeking to increase their financial and risk awareness, which will boost insurance demand nationwide.
The Indian insurance sector, particularly the general insurance industry, is projected to experience significant growth in the coming years.
According to GlobalData, the general insurance industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9%, increasing from INR 3.35 trillion (approximately $40.36 billion) in 2024 to INR 4.89 trillion (around $57.3 billion) by 2028, based on gross written premiums (GWP).
In the next five years, India is expected to develop at the fastest rate among the Group of 20 (G20) nations.
A significant way for Allianz to enhance its brand visibility in India would be to secure a naming rights agreement with one of the nation’s most popular cricket stadiums.
With cricket often described as a religion in India, associating the Allianz brand with one of the country’s most renowned stadiums could be a crucial way to engage with their target audience. Over 600 million people in India watch cricket, representing a substantial portion of the nation’s total sports audience.
The commercial value of cricket in India, particularly through the IPL, is not only significant but also poised for further growth.
The combination of high match valuations, with the per-game value of domestic TV rights reaching approximately $13.78 million for matches between 2023 and 2027, extensive sponsorship deals, and the potential for further growth of the women’s IPL competition contributes to a thriving cricket economy. This underscores the potential benefits for Allianz in being associated with Indian cricket.
Since 2016, GlobalData estimates that the largest annual deal involving an insurance company and an Indian sports property is the active agreement between SBI Life Insurance and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), worth an estimated $5 million per year. The Indian life insurance company based in Mumbai serves as the official partner of the BCCI for both domestic and international home cricket.
GlobalData reports that Allianz’s 42 current sponsorship deals worldwide are spread across 11 different sports. However, the brand is not currently investing in any cricket-related sports properties. Nevertheless, the company has a history of investing in sponsorship opportunities in the sport.
If Allianz aims to expand its naming rights sponsorship portfolio, India would be an intriguing location, given the nation’s financial forecasts and the size of the customer base that Allianz could target. This move would be significant for Allianz, as it would mark the company’s first major venue naming rights deal in Asia.
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LAKE CHARLES— McNeese head volleyball coach Sasha Karelov has announced the Cowgirls 2025 schedule, one that is highlighted by 12 home matches including the Cowgirl Classic set for September 4-6. “I’m excited about the schedule we’ve put together this fall,” said Karelov. “I believe it is the most balanced […]
LAKE CHARLES— McNeese head volleyball coach Sasha Karelov has announced the Cowgirls 2025 schedule, one that is highlighted by 12 home matches including the Cowgirl Classic set for September 4-6.
“I’m excited about the schedule we’ve put together this fall,” said Karelov. “I believe it is the most balanced and travel friendly since I’ve been at McNeese. Playing down the road at Sam Houston and at the University of Houston will be a treat for our Houston native players. I’m really looking forward to hosting the Cowgirl Classic for the third year in a row. Playing in front of our home crowd in our amazing facility is always a highlight of our season.”
Fans will get a chance to see an early glimpse of the Cowgirls with two intrasquad scrimmages set for Aug. 16 and Aug. 22. All home matches will be played in the Legacy Center.
The Cowgirls will begin their regular season at the Sam Houston Invitational (Aug. 29-30) where they will face Tulane, Sam Houston, and Southern Illinois.
A Sept. 4 match against Alcorn at the Cowgirl Classic will serve as McNeese’s home opener. The Cowgirls will also face UT-Arlington and UL-Monroe that weekend.
McNeese will also take part in the Florida A&M (Sept. 12-13) and Houston Tournaments (Sept. 19-20).
The Southland Conference schedule is based on two divisions (Black and Gold). The Black Division is made up of Incarnate Word, Houston Christian, Northwestern State, East Texas A&M, UTRGV and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi while the Gold Division is comprised of Lamar, McNeese, New Orleans, Nicholls, Southeastern, and Stephen F. Austin.
Each team in the same division will play each other twice during the regular season. Seeding for the SLC Tournament will be based on regular season finish, regardless of division.
McNeese will begin its conference schedule on the road for the first three matches beginning with Southeastern, the two-time defending regular season champs on Sept. 5 followed by matches at New Orleans and Houston Christian. The Cowgirls will also play road matches at NW State, Lamar, Stephen F. Austin, and Nicholls.
The SLC home opener is slated for Oct. 9 against Lamar. McNeese will also host Stephen F. Austin, East Texas A&M, UTRGV, Texas A&M-CC, Nicholls, New Orleans, and Southeastern.
The Southland Conference Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 21-23 in Commerce, Texas and will be hosted by East Texas A&M.
DATE OPPONENT SITE Sat. Aug. 16 Blue/Gold Scrimmage I Lake Charles Fri. Aug. 22 Blue/Gold Scrimmage II Lake Charles
Fri.-Sat, Aug. 29-30 Sam Houston Inv. Huntsville, Texas
Fri., Aug. 29 Tulane
Sam Houston
Sat., Aug. 30 Southern Illinois Thur., Sept. 4-6 COWGIRL CLASSIC Lake Charles Thur., Sept. 4 UT-Arlington vs. UL-Monroe Alcorn Fri., Sept. 5 Alcorn vs. UL-Monroe UT-Arlington Sat., Sept. 6 UT-Arlington vs. Alcorn UL-Monroe
Thu., Sept. 11 Florida A&M
Fri., Sept. 12 Georgia State Tue., Sept. 16 Southern Lake Charles
Fri., Sept. 19-20 Houston Tournament Houston, Texas
Fri., Sept. 19 Liberty
North Alabama
Sat., Sept. 20 Houston
Thur., Sept. 25 Southeastern* Hammond
Sat., Sept. 27 New Orleans* New Orleans
Thur., Oct. 2 Houston Christian* Houston, Texas
Sat., Oct. 4 Incarnate Word* San Antonio, Texas Thu., Oct. 9 Lamar* Lake Charles Sat. Oct. 11 Stephen F. Austin* Lake Charles
Wed., Oct. 15 NW State* Natchitoches Sat., Oct. 18 East Texas A&M* Lake Charles Thur., Oct. 23 UTRGV* Lake Charles Sat. Oct. 25 Texas A&M-CC* Lake Charles
Thur., Oct. 30 Lamar* Beaumont, Texas
Sat., Nov. 1 Stephen F. Austin* Nacogdoches, Texas Wed., Nov. 5 Nicholls* Lake Charles
Sat., Nov. 8 Nicholls* Thibodaux Tue., Nov. 11 New Orleans* Lake Charles Thur., Nov. 13 Southeastern* Lake Charles
Fri.-Sun Nov. 21-23 Southland Conference Tournament Commerce, Texas
Can the fastest NFL players beat the NCAA track stars? Here’s what the numbers say
Are football players faster than track and field athletes? It’s a question that’s been in the spotlight recently, with the likes of Tyreek Hill (NFL’s Miami Dolphins) challenging Usain Bolt (arguably the greatest Olympian sprinter ever) and more. However, before we get to the all-time greats, we should figure out if NFL players can even […]
Are football players faster than track and field athletes? It’s a question that’s been in the spotlight recently, with the likes of Tyreek Hill (NFL’s Miami Dolphins) challenging Usain Bolt (arguably the greatest Olympian sprinter ever) and more. However, before we get to the all-time greats, we should figure out if NFL players can even beat the best sprinters in the NCAA.
I compiled data from the NFL and the top collegiate sprinters to finally get an answer to the oft-asked question. Here’s what the numbers say.
Fastest 2022 regular season NFL speeds
Every year, the NFL uses Next Gen Stats to track the fastest players each game. Below you’ll find the fastest players that carried the ball from the 2022 regular season.
RANK
SPEED (MPH)
PLAYER
POSITION
TEAM
NFL WEEK
1
22.11
Parris Campbell
WR
Indianapolis Colts
18
2
22.09
Kenneth Walker
RB
Seattle Seahawks
7
3
21.87
Breece Hall
RB
New York Jets
7
4
21.72
DeSean Jackson
WR
Baltimore Ravens
12
5
21.72
Christian Watson
WR
Green Bay Packers
13
6
21.68
Jaylen Waddle
WR
Miami Dolphins
16
7
21.68
Dalvin Cook
RB
Minnesota Vikings
10
8
21.62
Travis Etienne
RB
Jacksonville Jaguars
17
9
21.6
Devin Duvernay
WR
Baltimore Ravens
2
10
21.58
Tariq Woolen
DB
Seattle Seahawks
4
In total, 36 NFL players ran faster than 21 mph during the 2022 regular season, but only Parris Campbell and Kenneth Walker surpassed the 22 mph threshold. Campbell’s 22.11 mph speed ranks as the fifth-fastest top speed by a ball-carrier during an NFL season since 2016.
: Here are the DI track and field teams with most NCAA championships
RANK
SPEED (MPH)
PLAYER
Year
TEAM
1
23.34
Tyreek Hill
2016
Kansas City Chiefs
2
23.09
Raheem Mostert
2020
San Francisco 49ers
3
22.3
Matt Breida
2019
San Francisco 49ers
4
22.13
Jonathan Taylor
2021
Indianapolis Colts
5
22.11
Parris Campbell
2022
Indianapolis Colts
6
22.09
Matt Brieda
2018
San Francisco 49ers
7
22.05
Leonard Fournette
2017
Jacksonville Jaguars
So, how do these speeds relate to the top track and field athletes? Let’s find out.
DESTINATIONS: The greatest venues in outdoor track and field, according to you
Fastest NCAA track athletes in 2023
While mph data for NCAA track and field races isn’t always readily available, there’s luckily data from NCAA sprinters who participated in the 2022 World Athletics Championships. We’ll be using that data for this article.
Top male sprinters
The 100 meters is the premier male sprinting event, with track athletes running the shortest distance during an outdoor meet. To compare the 100 meters to football, it equates to just over 109 yards, roughly the front of one end zone to the back of another end zone.
It’s rare that a football player will ever run 100 meters in a straight line continuously in a game like a sprinter would in a race, but a football player still needs to hit his peak speeds to escape from opposing players in the same way a sprinter needs to hit his peak speeds to win a race.
That said, here are the fastest 100 meter sprinters that returned to collegiate track and field in 2023.
SPEED (MPH)
PLAYER
School
Time (Round)
26.2
Favour Ashe
Auburn
10.00 (Heats)
25.6
Ismael Kone
Florida State
10.17 (Heats)
24.3
Shaun Gill
Texas A&M-Kingsville (DII)
10.76 (Prelims)
All three of the collegiate 100 meter sprinters ran faster than all NFL players since 2016. Yet, none of the collegiate sprinters above made the 100 meter final at World Championships, meaning there were even faster sprinters in track and field in 2022.
NCAA T&F: Here’s how the outdoor track and field championships work
What about the equipment?
A common cry in debates between football and track speed is that football players where equipment that can slow them down. Per Sports Illustrated, football equipment like shoulder pads, helmets and more can weigh more than 10 pounds. While there’s no hard data on how much football equipment slows down a player, one can assume that it likely knocks off tenths of a second from top speeds.
40-yard dash
That said, we have seen football players run their top speeds in non-game like settings via the NFL Combine’s 40-yard dash. Take a look a some of the speeds from 2022’s NFL Combine.
Kalon Barnes ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL history, only one-hundreth of a second behind the NFL record of 4.22 seconds. Tariq Woolen ran the fifth-fastest time in NFL history.
However, none of the top-speeds from the 2022 NFL Combine ran without football equipment surpass the top two recorded speeds from the NCAA athletes listed above at World Championships.
While the 40-yard dash is a decent indicator of speed, it’s not the end all be all as shown by analytics experts. There’s no correlation between 40-yard dash speed and in-game speed, with players with slow 40 times running just as fast — with equipment on — as players with fast 40 times.
Data suggests no correlation between the 40-yard dash & play speed (MPH) for many reasons. For example, both Jordan Howard & Ted Ginn have reached a max speed of 22 mph although Howard ran a 4.59 & Ginn a 4.28 40-yard dash. Don’t over-emphasize the 40. #NFLCombine2022pic.twitter.com/BeciA7lw76
Moreover, the NFL record of 4.22 seconds in the 40-yard dash pales in comparison to what track athletes have ran in the 40-yard dash. Take former NCAA Champion Christian Coleman for example. He ran a 4.12 second 40-yard dash back in 2017, blowing the NFL Combine record out of the water. Coleman even beat NFL legend Bo Jackson’s rumored 4.13 second 40-yard dash time.
In 2024, Iowa sprinter Kalen Walker took running the 40-yard dash as a track athlete to the next level, running the dash at halftime of the Hawkeye’s game against Northwestern. Walker didn’t match Coleman’s time, but still finished 4.15 seconds, with the wind of an outdoor environment.
— Iowa Track & Field/Cross Country (@IowaXC_TF) October 26, 2024
Coleman and Walker’s 40-yard dash performances shows that even in similar conditions, without equipment, track speed is faster.
The DK Metcalf race
While Christian Coleman tested out NFL conditions with his run in the 40-yard dash, NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf did the opposite, running a 100 meter race on the track.
Metcalf ran the 100 meters at the Golden Games in an attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic trials. In his first 100 meter race with only a few months of training, Metcalf ran a 10.37-second time to finish 15th out of 17 competitors in the preliminary round.
Great start for @Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) May 9, 2021
Metcalf’s speed paled in comparison to track and field sprinters in a race that didn’t include some of the America’s best 100 meter runners. Yet, when it comes to the NFL, Metcalf is one of the fastest in the league with a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash and a top speed of 22.64 mph 2020.
Metcalf’s top speed in the NFL is one of the fastest since the NFL has tracked the data. However, when Metcalf transferred his football speed to the track — without equipment — his speed didn’t keep up.
Tyreek Hill vs. Noah Lyles
For the longest time, NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill — one of the fastest players we’ve seen in the NFL during the 2020s — and Olympic and World Champion Noah Lyles taunted each other over who would win in a race. The two were supposed to line it up on the track in the Summer of 2025 before the big plans fell through.
However, Hill still showed off what he could do on the track. Hill ran his first 100 meters since 2013 at the Last Chance Sprint Series. Hill finishing in 10.15 seconds at the age of 31 — much faster than Metcalf’s 10.37.
To put that in perspective, Hill’s previous 100 meter PR was 10.19 from 2012 at 18 years old, and he hadn’t ran an outdoor track race since a +5.0 9.98 100 meters while in JUCO in 2013.
When on a tour of Oklahoma State university in 2024, I personally asked Head Coach Dave Smith — Hill’s coach when he finished fifth in the 2014 NCAA indoor 200 meter finals — what he thought of Hill’s speed and his challenging professional track athletes. To summarize Smith’s sentiments, he explained that if Tyreek Hill chose to focus on track instead of football, he had the talent to compete at the highest level against the top sprinters of today.
Smith’s point is validated after Hill ran 10.1 in a season-opener. That’s no small feat and is on-par with some of the Olympic-level sprinters to start their seasons. 2024 Olympic 100m Bronze medalist Fred Kerley opened 2025 with a 10.23. The fifth-place 100m finisher Marcell Jacobs opened with a 10.30. The sixth-place 100m finisher and Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo opened with a 10.55.
No matter how you look at it, Hill’s 10.15 performance was impressive.
Tyreek Hill runs a decent 10.15s to win his 100m at the Last Chance Sprint Series!
His first official 100m since 2014 and a new Personal Best (PB) for him.
For all the comparisons between NFL and track speed, there’s one person who blurred the lines in 2022, Devon Allen. Allen, an NCAA champion and Olympian, was a finalist in the 110 hurdles at the 2022 World Championships and also is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles roster, even scoring a touchdown during the preseason.
OLYMPIC SPEED. @DevonAllen13 flies into the end zone!
Devon Allen hit a top speed of 20.93 mph on his 55-yard touchdown in the preseason. While Allen’s top speed ranks below some of the top speeds in the NFL this year and the top collegians in track and field at the World Championships, Allen is an Olympian hurdler, running the third-fastest 110 hurdles time ever (12.84 seconds) at Worlds. With out football pads and routes and without hurdles, Allen’s top speed is likely much higher.
: Wind and scoring in track and field, explained
NCAA football x track speed
Texas A&M’s Devon Achane is a soon-to-be NFL player with legit track speed. How do we know this about the 2023 NFL draft prospect? Because he actually ran track in college.
Achane qualified for the 2022 DI outdoor championships in sprint events. Achane finished in the semifinals during the outdoor championships with a 10.48-second 100 meter time. On the gridiron, Achane was clocked at 22.2 mph in 2021 on a kick return for a touchdown.
Achane’s speed on that kick return is faster than any NFL player’s top speed during the 2022 regular season. He’s one of the select few players than when someone says “he has track speed” legitimately does.
FOOTBALL TRANSITION: Arkansas’ Rojé Stona’s attempted transition to NFL
Elsewhere, Kentucky has a football-track standout of its own — and he’s only a freshman. Jordan Anthony plays wide receiver for the Wildcats and runs sprints. Prior to enrolling, he won the U.S. U-20 200 meter title with a personal-best 20.34-second finish.
Anthony kicked off his 2023 indoor season with less than a week of track practice between the transition of football and track season by breaking the Kentucky freshman record in the 60 meters in 6.57 seconds. That performance comes after Anthony redshirted on the gridiron, playing in just two games.
Anthony is another dual-sport athlete with true “track speed”.
Anthony continued to prove he has track speed with his 2025 NCAA DI 100 meter win while running for Arkansas (he also had a stop at Texas A&M before transferring to the Razorbacks). The victory came after Anthony won the 2025 NCAA DI 60 meters and after he ran the No. 2 all-conditions 100 meter race in NCAA history, finishing in 10.75 seconds (+2.1). Anthony’s success on the track led to him signing an NIL deal with adidas and turning pro in track in June of 2025, foregoing the rest of his football career.
Arkansas’ Jordan Anthony runs 9.75! Watch every men’s 100m quarterfinals from 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships
@Jordan_anthony6 wins the Rod McCravey Memorial with a #UKTF Freshman Record time of 6.57. Fellow Wildcat @lang_jackson9 finished in 3rd, stopping the clock at 6.77.
In July 2024, track speed again made the news thanks to South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor. Harbor drew recognition around the country for his 99 speed and 99 acceleration rating in EA College Football 25.
Meet Nyck Harbor, the Most OP Player in EA CFB 25
At 6’5 242:
-99 Speed -99 Acceleration -98 Jumping -79 Strength (strongest WR in the game)
Harbor’s speed caught many by surprise, but not track and field fans. Harbor finished 16th in the 100 meters and 10th in the 200 meters in the 2024 Division I track and field championships.
Just absolutely GLIDING! @Nyck1k with a new wind-legal PR time of 20.47 and he will represent the Gamecocks in the 200m finals on Saturday pic.twitter.com/FWm1m8az70
— Gamecock Track & XC (@GamecockTrack) May 9, 2024
MORE: Complete history of The Bowerman award
So who’s faster?
From the data, it’s clear than the top-end speed of NCAA track and field athletes is faster than the top-end speed of NFL players. While there are other external factors like distance run, equipment weight, directions run and more, the top-end speed data is plain to see.
Could things change if the fastest NFL players raced track and field’s best? Maybe, but until that happens the win goes to the trackletes.
For reference when NFL Players say they’re faster than track athletes:
The top NFL MPH the last 6 years
‘21 Jonathan Taylor: 22.13 ‘20 Raheem Mostert: 23.09 ‘19 Matt Breida: 22.3 ‘18 Breida: 22.09 ‘17 Leonard Fournette: 22.05 ‘16 Tyreek Hill: 23.24
Ghana National Volleyball team train ahead of Africa Qualifiers
On Tuesday, June 17, the Ghanaian beach volleyball teams, both men and women, completed their last training sessions for the week leading up to the Africa Beach Volleyball Championship qualifiers in Morocco at La Boma Beach. From June 22 to June 30, 2025, the competition will serve as a qualifying round for the World Championship […]
On Tuesday, June 17, the Ghanaian beach volleyball teams, both men and women, completed their last training sessions for the week leading up to the Africa Beach Volleyball Championship qualifiers in Morocco at La Boma Beach.
From June 22 to June 30, 2025, the competition will serve as a qualifying round for the World Championship in Australia in August.
Ghana Volleyball Association President George Tetteh said he is confident in the teams, especially following their recent success in Rwanda, and called the present preparations the greatest he has seen.
George Tetteh, President of Ghana Volleyball Association
Additionally, Bawa Fuseini, the Association’s Board Chairman, stressed that qualifying in Morocco will increase their chances of obtaining corporate sponsorship.
The men’s team’s head coach declared that his players are prepared to create an impression in the World Championship in Australia because they have mastered the technical parts of the game.
Team Captain , Kelvin Caboo
Kelvin Caboo, the men’s team’s acting captain, expressed his confidence that Ghana can emerge as a dominant power in African volleyball and commended the current administration.
Gannon Lands 11 on WWPA Women’s Water Polo All-Academic Team
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OAKLAND, Calif. — The Western Water Polo Association announced the 2025 WWPA Women’s All-Academic Team on Wednesday with 11 members of the Gannon women’s water polo team recognized. A total of 96 student-athletes were honored for their performances in the classroom. Cal State Monterey Bay led the conference with 22 […]
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Western Water Polo Association announced the 2025 WWPA Women’s All-Academic Team on Wednesday with 11 members of the Gannon women’s water polo team recognized.
A total of 96 student-athletes were honored for their performances in the classroom. Cal State Monterey Bay led the conference with 22 total selections and Biola followed with 19. Salem led the East Region with 16.
To qualify, a student-athlete must meet the following: Be an active participant of their team having competed in at least 50 percent of games; maintain over a 3.0 cumulative GPA; classified as a full-time student for all terms of attendance; and completed a minimum of one semester or two quarters at their institution.
Molly Sebunia (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Ellie Velasco (Bronx, Calif./Arlington) are now four-time honorees while Molly Fehr (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria) and Claire Rogilio were honored for the third year in a year. Jillian Heinrich (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Emma O’Gorman (Johannesburg, South Africa/St Stithians College) earned the honor for the second time. Jade Strickland (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) and Ana Carrera (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona) along with freshman Brigid Carmody (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), Claudia Orte Branch and Izabella Trunzo (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) were named for the first time.
Three Coyotes head to Eugene for U20 Nationals this week
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VERMILLION, S.D. – Fresh off strong freshman campaigns, three South Dakota women’s track & field athletes are set to compete at the Nike Outdoor Nationals & USATF Under 20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon this week. Anna Willis (women’s pole vault), Berkeley Engelland (800-meters), and Mariah Fenske […]
VERMILLION, S.D. – Fresh off strong freshman campaigns, three South Dakota women’s track & field athletes are set to compete at the Nike Outdoor Nationals & USATF Under 20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon this week.
Anna Willis (women’s pole vault), Berkeley Engelland (800-meters), and Mariah Fenske in the 3,000-meter steeplechase will compete at the U20 Championships beginning Thursday. Willis and Engelland earned all-Summit League honors in their events this spring, as Willis was the pole vault runner-up and Engelland won the 800-meters. Fenske finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeple, one place off the podium.
Engelland will be the first to compete Thursday, running in the prelims at 6:37 p.m. Central Time (4:37 p.m. Pacific). Her personal best in the 800-meters is 2:08.65, set at the USD Tune Up at the beginning of May. She won the Summit League title in the event with a time of 2:11.03. If Engelland were to advance to the finals, she would run at 7:26 p.m. Central (5:26 p.m. local) Friday night in the finals.
Fenske will compete in the finals of the steeple Thursday night with a start time of 7:33 p.m. Central. Fenske’s personal best of 10:50.77 was set at the Summit League Championships this May.
Willis is set to compete in the women’s pole vault at 7:30 p.m. Central Thursday. The first team all-American and Summit League Runner-Up in the pole vault holds a personal best of 14-10, set at the Summit League Championships, and recorded a height of 14-6 ¾ at the NCAA Championships in Eugene last week.
All the live results can be found on Athletic Timing. RunnerSpace will provide live webcasts of the meet.
Canada loses 3-2 to South Korea in women’s Volleyball Nations League action
ISTANBUL — Canada’s women’s team opened the second leg of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League with a 3-2 loss to South Korea on Wednesday. Set scores were 27-25, 25-18, 15-25, 20-25 and 15-13. ISTANBUL — Canada’s women’s team opened the second leg of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League with a 3-2 loss to South Korea […]
ISTANBUL — Canada’s women’s team opened the second leg of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League with a 3-2 loss to South Korea on Wednesday. Set scores were 27-25, 25-18, 15-25, 20-25 and 15-13.
ISTANBUL — Canada’s women’s team opened the second leg of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League with a 3-2 loss to South Korea on Wednesday.
Set scores were 27-25, 25-18, 15-25, 20-25 and 15-13.
Canada came back from a 2-0 deficit and led the final set 6-1 before the Koreans stormed back.
Abby Guezen, playing in her first VNL match this year, led Canada with 17 points, all off the attack.
Anna Smrek added 16 points, including four off the block.
Canada (2-3) sat in 10th place at the tournament heading into a match Thursday against host Turkey.
“It’s not the result we wanted,” Canada head coach Giovanni Guidetti said. “Korea put our attack in trouble and our block defence was not enough. But we knew that we came to Istanbul with a very young team with many players in their first full VNL match.
“I’m happy the team didn’t give up after going down 2-0. … We want to keep working, progressing and pushing every match.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.