Alexandria High School graduate Mya Lesnar made the most of her last home meet of her college career at Colorado State.

Lesnar set the Colorado State women’s track and field program’s outdoor shot put record with a mark of 19.60 meters at the Doug Max Invitational on Saturday in Fort Collins, Colorado. This mark set the CSU facility record, is the fifth-best in NCAA DI women’s history, and puts her at No. 1 in this season’s women’s outdoor rankings.

“I got very emotional,” Lesnar said in a Colorado State Athletics

press release

. “Not because of my mark, but because all my family got to be here, even my dog. I have a couple more months to focus on track, and I’ve sacrificed a lot to do this. The support from my teammates and boyfriend – it’s been great.”

Jaida Ross, who won the 2024 NCAA Division I women’s outdoor shot put title and placed fourth at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, occupies the top three spots in the NCAA women’s outdoor shot put record book with a mark of 20.01m, leading the way. Ohio State graduate Adelaide Aquilla is fourth all-time on the NCAA women’s outdoor shot put list with a mark of 19.64m.

Lesnar surpassed Ole Miss’ Akaoma Odeluga on the NCAA DI 2025 season best list on Saturday. Odeluga’s season best is 18.93m.

Lesnar finished in first on Saturday and has won four out of five events this season, competing in the shot put and hammer throw.

Lesnar also hold the Colorado State indoor women’s shot put program record (19.10m).

In the last calendar year, Lesnar won the 2024 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship shot put title, placed fifth at the 2024 NCAA Division Outdoor Track and Field Championships, placed 12th at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, then won the 2024 MWC Indoor shot put title and placed fourth in the shot put at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor National Championships.

Lesnar and the Colorado State Rams are ramping up for the championship portion of the outdoor season.

The 2025 MWC Outdoor Championships are set for May 15-17 in Fresno, California.

The NCAA DI West Preliminary Round takes place on May 28-31 in College Station, Texas. The 2025 NCAA Division I Track and Field Outdoor Championships are set for June 12-14, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon.

Contributed photo

Alexandria graduate Jacob Balcome is having quite the sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He won the 2025 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor heptathlon title and the 2025 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field heptathlon title.

On May 2-3, Balcome added to his resume by winning the decathlon title at the 2025 WIAC Outdoor Championships in Oskosh, Wisconsin, with a score of 6,802. This score is 113 points off he program record (6,915) he set on March 20-21 at the Klein / Nwaba Combined Events in Santa Barbara, California.

A first place finish in the pole vault (4.15m) led the way for Balcome in his WIAC Outdoor decathlon title win on Saturday. Balcome earned six second place finishes – 1500-meter run (4:40.87), discus (36.24), 110m hurdles (15.64), high jump (1.91m), shot put (11.91m), and the long jump (6.89m). He also placed fifth in the 100-meter dash (11.40), ninth in the javelin throw (43.10m), and ninth in the 400-meter dash (51.84).

Balcome is set to compete in the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 23-25 in Geneva, Ohio.

Balcome placed 16th in the decathlon at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Sam Stuve covers a variety of sports in the Douglas County area. He also is assigned to do some news stories as well.

New For 2025 

Want to watch high-level volleyball up close like never before? Courtside seats make their debut at Diddle Arena for the 2025 volleyball season. For just $200 each, catch the action up close for all 15 home matches this season. Courtside seats can only be purchased by calling the WKU Ticket Office at 1.800.5.BIGRED.  

  

Season ticket packages return and continue to offer the flexibility to attend every match, or mix and match during the season. Season ticket packages are $75 and provide fans with 15 vouchers to use throughout the season – that’s just $5 per ticket! 

  

If you prefer to go game by game, single game tickets will go on sale closer to the beginning of the season. Season ticket prices will be $10 for adults, $7 for youth (under 12) and $5 for groups of 10+. 

 

2025 Schedule 

The 30-match slate includes 15 matches at E. A. Diddle Arena as well as matchups with four NCAA Tournament teams. Three of those four teams made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while Louisville made it to the national championship match. 

WKU opens its 44th season at home in the WKU Invitational. That tournament, held Aug. 29 and 30, will feature three matches for the Hilltoppers against Wright State, Loyola-Chicago, and Drake. 

Hilltopper Volleyball will then go on a six-match road trip to play Drake, Marquette, and Buffalo at the Marquette tournament in Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 5-6. After returning from Milwaukee, WKU will travel to Johnson City, Tenn. To take on High Point, East Tennessee State, and Virgina Commonwealth University on Sept. 12-13. 

On Sept. 16, WKU is excited to host Vanderbilt Volleyball at E. A. Diddle Arena in the Commodores’ first indoor volleyball season since 1980. Later that same week, WKU Volleyball will host its eighth-annual Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic Sept. 19-20, featuring Bradley, Indiana, and Austin Peay.  

After hosting Vanderbilt and the Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic, the Hilltoppers will travel to Louisville, Ky. on Sept. 22 to take on the national runner-up Cardinals. 

Completing a preseason schedule that includes three AVCA Top 50 teams, WKU will open its Conference USA slate against Jacksonville State, Sept. 26-27.  

New to Conference USA in the fall of 2025 is Missouri State. WKU will travel to Springfield, Mo. to take on the Bears, Oct 3-4. Continuing their road trip, the Hilltoppers head to Ruston, La. to play LA Tech Oct 10-11. After their four-match road swing, WKU returns to Bowling Green, Ky. to host Sam Houston Oct. 17-18, and UTEP Oct. 24-25.  

In their 76th and 77th all-time matchup. WKU will travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for the 100 Miles of Hate rivalry against Middle Tennessee Oct 31- Nov. 1. 

On Nov. 7-8, WKU welcomes new CUSA opponent, Delaware, to Bowling Green for their final two home matches of the season. Much like last season, WKU will round out its CUSA regular season schedule against Liberty on Nov. 14-15 in Lynchburg, Va.  

The 2025 Conference USA Championship will take place at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Fla. from Nov. 21-23. 

WKU returns eight returners—Callahan Wiegandt, Callie Bauer, Gabby Weihe, Izzy Van De Wiele, Faith Young, Alivia Skidmore, Camila Adams, and Abby Schaefer—and welcomes six new faces to the WKU Volleyball program. Four of those six are freshman, Kaira Knox, Kennedy Cherry, Kate Rush, and Sonja Laaksonen, while the Hilltoppers also welcome Austin Peay transfer Taylor Baron, and Colorado transfer Kendall Meller. 

The Hilltoppers are coming off a 28-7 overall record and a perfect 18-0 in Conference USA. WKU also claimed its 10th regular season title and seventh CUSA Tournament title. 

 

TCU graduate student Daniela Alvarez’s hands and the spiked volleyball met just above
the tape for the briefest of moments Sunday, hovering in the in between of “almost”
and “National Champions.” 

Then block, point, game, set and a national championship for the TCU women’s beach
volleyball team.  

“I’m having a hard time finding the words for what I am feeling because finishing
our college career like this was magical,” said Tatiana Moreno, Alvarez’s partner
on the No. 1 pair who clinched the 3-2 victory against Loyola Marymount. “There is
nothing in the world like college sports. This morning before we started, when we
saw them walking in, the chancellor, the president, the athletic director, it was
like wow … purple power. This is TCU.” 

Victor J. Boschini, Jr., Daniel W. Pullin and Mike Buddie were not going to miss watching
TCU play for a national championship. They shuffled between courts, cheering as the
Horned Frogs’ No. 4 pair, Anhelina Kmil and Ana Vergara, and No. 3 pair, Sofia Izuzquiza
and Allanis Navas, beat LMU.  

With LMU winning at Nos. 2 and 5, though, the match came down to Alvarez and Moreno. 

Playing in their last match as Horned Frogs, the Olympians from Spain dropped the
first set 18-21 but came back to win 21-15 and 15-6, with Alvarez’s block deciding
the match. 

“People don’t really grasp how difficult it is to win a Division 1 athletic contest
and, to win a national championship, the work is unbelievably difficult,” said Buddie,
who became TCU’s director of intercollegiate athletics on Jan. 1. “They sometimes
make it look easy but the work that goes in behind the scenes, that stair step of
success and failure and success, it makes it totally worthwhile.” 

The chaotic joy that ensued was everything you love about sports — the Horned Frogs
rushing the sand, the endless hugging and dancing and Ole-ing, the pictures with the
trophy, the cutting of the net and then one final celebration. In beach volleyball,
they have a tradition at the national championship: the winner runs from the court
and into the ocean. 

Only two teams have made this run in eight years of NCAA play: USC and UCLA. 

Until May 3, when TCU added its name. The players led the way and succeeded in coaxing
Buddie and Pullin into the waves as well. Watching Horned Frog athletes and trainers,
coaches and administrators, friends, family and fans joyfully holding up the trophy
in the ocean, this was exactly what Pullin, TCU president who will succeed Boschini
as chancellor on June 1, envisioned when Athletics was made one of the four core pillars
in TCU’s recently launched strategic plan, LEAD ON: Values in Action. 

That pillar has a stated goal of winning 30 championships in the next 10 years. Already,
the Horned Frogs have notched Big 12 Championships in women’s soccer, women’s basketball,
men’s tennis and women’s beach volleyball before adding a national championship.    

“We already are off to a strong start,” Pullin said. “Now, fresh off this national
championship and one last year in tennis, there is a little bit of TCU swagger. We’ve
got confidence. Our shoulders are back, our head up. We’re proud of the opportunities
we are creating for our student athletes.” 

Opportunities both in athletics and academics. He and Buddie define success as giving
athletes the opportunity to earn a life-changing degree and do ocean runs after national
championships.  

Amid that chaotic joy, Boschini stood just off the court, quietly taking in a scene
he had set into motion more than nine years ago. He had greenlit adding women’s beach
volleyball and oversaw the hiring of coach Hector Gutierrez to build a program from
scratch. 

“When I got hired, I presented a plan and they weren’t scared for it,” Gutierrez said.
“They were just ‘Okay, let’s do it’. This is why I decided to come here because I
knew, when I talked to them, the school was behind it. Sometimes you go to a place
where they tell you what you want to hear but TCU is a place where, when they say
they are going to do something, they do it.” 

Boschini remembers that moment with Gutierrez, and what made him say, “Okay, let’s
try this.” 

“I loved how positive he was and also how realistic he was,” Boschini said. “Being
able to be here to watch them win a national championship, really is a full circle
moment.” 

Persistence, poise, and a touch of history defined San Diego Wave FC’s latest win — and it came courtesy of a 17-year-old.

Rookie defender Trinity Armstrong delivered a dramatic stoppage-time header to seal a 2-1 victory over Bay FC on Sunday evening at Snapdragon Stadium, extending San Diego’s winning streak to three matches and capping a match full of resilience, missed chances and unwavering belief.

“It’s such a blessing and I’m so honored that I was able to get that goal out there today,” Armstrong said postgame, still trying to process her first professional goal. “Not too long ago, I almost had to quit soccer … just having the opportunity to be on this field and for Jonas to trust me, and the girls to trust me as well — it’s just such a blessing.”

It was a night that began with a flash. Just five minutes in, the Wave struck early — again. María Sánchez, making an impact at both ends, curled in a perfect corner kick that found the head of Kennedy Wesley, who nodded it home to give the Wave a 1-0 advantage.

“Honestly, we have Maria and Kenza to thank for those services,” Wesley said. “We practice them a lot, so to be able to execute it — the timing, the service, and everything — is awesome.”

Wesley’s goal wasn’t just a spark; it was a milestone — the 100th regular-season goal in club history since Wave FC’s inaugural season in 2022.

Bay FC responded quickly. In the 18th minute, a well-placed through ball from Racheal Kundananji set up Karlie Lema, who calmly slotted a low shot past goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to level the score at 1-1.

From there, chaos reigned. San Diego hit the woodwork three times, missed a penalty kick, and dominated possession with 64% of the ball. Still, the go-ahead goal remained elusive — until Armstrong’s moment of magic.

“Leading up to it, Kenza and I were congregating about switching it up and going back post,” Armstrong explained. “I just had a strong feeling about it … and then I locked eyes over the ball, and the rest was a little bit of a blur. But I saw it go in, and I was like, ‘Oh, thank goodness.’”

Armstrong’s 95th-minute goal — assisted by Kenza Dali, who was named to April’s Best XI of the Month — sent the Snapdragon crowd into a frenzy. It was the third-latest goal in club history and perhaps the most symbolic yet: a teenager who once thought her soccer dreams might end, now scoring the winner for a top-three team in front of 20,000 roaring fans.

San Diego Wave FC forward Makenzy Robbe (15) heads the ball towards the goal off a corner kick against Bay FC on May 4, 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium.

“To see a 17-year-old not only scoring a goal on this stage but also taking her space — that is very important if you want to develop,” said first-year head coach Jonas Eidevall. “She has a winning mentality. She’s brave in the way she plays.”

That bravery echoed throughout the locker room. Wesley praised the team’s fortitude in a match that saw nearly everything go wrong — and yet still finished with a win.

“We didn’t deviate from our game plan. We stuck to our principles,” she said. “That was reiterated at halftime, and it played out really well. We earned that win.”

Eidevall, now seeing his team climb to third in the NWSL standings with a 4-2-1 record, emphasized persistence as the theme of the night.

“There are more situations that we handled well,” he said. “We were really pushing in the second part, and it was great to see the mentality — not to be satisfied with a tie result, to keep going for it.”

The Wave finished with 17 shots (five on target) and 11 corners. Despite Bay’s physicality and 16 fouls, San Diego’s depth and youth again proved decisive.

“When you have 11 different goal scorers already this season, that’s the sign of a deep squad,” Eidevall said. “We don’t call them bench players — we call them game changers.”

And Trinity Armstrong — on this night — was the game changer.

“I dedicate it to my past self,” Armstrong said, fighting back tears. “Just for pushing through all the different obstacles to get to this point — and not giving up.”

San Diego Wave FC will stay home to host the Portland Thorns on Saturday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m. PT, broadcast nationally on ION.

ERIE, Pa. – Women’s softball player Sadie Carroll (North Canton, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) and baseball player Dom Costello (North Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted) have been selected as the Gannon University Student-Athletes of the Week for the week of May 4. The Gannon Student-Athlete of the Week Award is sponsored by Chick-fil-A of Erie.

Carroll enjoyed an outstanding freshman campaign helping the Gannon softball team finish second in the Western Division. The Golden Knights finished at 29-19 after appearing in the PSAC Tournament last week.

Carroll took over as Gannon’s shortstop during the season and hit .378 with 13 doubles and 26 RBIs. She finished the season with a 2-for-4 effort in the final game vs. California (Pa.), driving in two runs and hitting her first career triple.

Costello helped Gannon split four games against Indiana (Pa.) this past week. He was part of a huge turnaround this year as the Golden Knights doubled their win total finishing at 22-25 and 14-14 in the PSAC West.

The sophomore outfielder/first baseman hit .314 for the season and went 6-for-12 with a pair of doubles in the final series vs. IUP. He drove in four runs and scored three times.

 

2024-25 Gannon University Chick-fil-A Athlete of the Week Recipients

Week 1 (9/10/2024)

Jessie Watkins (Women’s Soccer)

Luke Malena (Men’s Cross Country)

Week 2 (9/17/2024)

Alexis Abbett (Women’s Cross Country)

Alexandros Kotskar (Men’s Water Polo)

Week 3 (9/24/2024)

Bengisu Arslan (Women’s Volleyball)

Petar Markovic (Men’s Water Polo)

Week 4 (10/1/2024)

Grace Emanuel (Women’s Soccer)

Shota Toyama (Men’s Soccer)

Week 5 (10/8/2024)

Emma Hall (Women’s Volleyball)

Charles Calhoun (Football)

Week 6 (10/15/2024)

Alexandria LeCureux (Women’s Golf)

Rasmus Seppanen (Men’s Golf)

Week 7 (10/22/2024)

Hailey Koch (Women’s Volleyball)

Mattia Parrini (Men’s Golf)

Week 8 (10/29/2024)

Ditte Petersen (Women’s Golf)

Jayden Whitaker (Football)

Week 9 (11/5/2024)

Carissa Dunham (Women’s Basketball)

Dorian Crosby Men’s Wrestling)

Week 10 (11/12/2024)

Bella Philips (Women’s Wrestling)

Tasman Goodrick (Men’s Basketball)

Week 11 (11/19/2024)

Trinitee Harris (Women’s Basketball)

Donell “Tank” Mason (Football)

Week 12 (11/26/2024)

Paige Taylor (Women’s Soccer)

Eli Reese (Men’s Wrestling)

Week 13 (1/6/2025)

Tori Mayes (Women’s Basketball)

Jerry Echevarria (Men’s Wrestling)

 

Week 14 (1/13/2025)

Nila Burgess (Women’s Wrestling)

Ernest Shelton (Men’s Basketball)

 

Week 15 (1/20/2025)

Kat Pendergrass (Women’s Wrestling)

Logan Sallot (Men’s Wrestling)

 

Week 16 (1/27/2025)

Maddy Wheatley (Women’s Basketball)

Kuba Loboda (Men’s Swimming)

 

Week 17 (2/2/2025)

Kate Ratliff (Women’s Basketball)

Ethan Richner (Men’s Wrestling)

 

Week 18 (2/9/2025)

Andrea Maibach (Women’s Basketball)

Pace Prosser (Men’s Basketball)

 

Week 19 (2/16/2025)

Peyton Oliver (Acrobatics & Tumbling)

Kenny Kiser (Men’s Wrestling)

 

Week 20 (2/23/2025)

Lili Ujfalvi (Women’s Wrestling)

Will Retsch (Men’s Swimming)

 

Week 21 (3/3/2025)

Brigid Carmody (Women’s Water Polo)

Patrick Jackson (Men’s Wrestling)

 

Week 22 (3/10/2025)

Avrey Kirisits (Women’s Lacrosse)

Wes Parker (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) (Baseball)

 

Week 23 (3/17/2025)

Ella Todd (Women’s Lacrosse)

Giovanni Delorenzi (Men’s Golf)

 

Week 24 (3/24/2025)

Emma Smerick (Softball)

Justin DeBuck (Men’s Basketball)

 

Week 25 (3/31/2025)

Natalia Mallozzi (Softball)

Jacob Skolnik (Competitive Cheer & Dance)

Week 26 (4/7/2025)

Katie Armstrong (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) (Softball)

Ian Soto (Florida, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristiana de Manati) (Baseball)

 

Week 27 (4/14/2025)

Cloe Mateo (Women’s Golf)

Jake Boynar (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville) (Baseball)

Week 28 (4/21/2025)

Abbey Girman (Softball)

Alex Bemis (Baseball)

Week 29 (4/28/2025)

Caroline Stevens (Women’s Lacrosse)

Chris Mullins (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) (Baseball)

 

Week 30 (5/5/2025)

Sadie Carroll (North Canton, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) (Softball)

Dom Costello (North Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted) (Baseball)