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Is the future of college track & field, including Oregon Ducks, in jeopardy of collapse?

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There will be an ill wind blowing Friday when the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships convene at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, and not that pesky, back straight headwind.

College track and field is in real trouble.

Attempting to more fairly compensate football and men’s basketball players financially, the NCAA is on the verge of major, structural changes to intercollegiate athletics. The upshot?

College track, a revenue loser everywhere, even in Track Town USA, is beginning to look like so much collateral damage.

Virginia track coach Vin Lananna, the former Oregon coach and past president of Eugene’s TrackTown USA organizing committee, is sounding the alarm.

“I hope I’m wrong,” Lananna says. “I’d love to be dead wrong on this. But I see no evidence that dissuades me from believing our sport is under siege.”

Lananna and others say that unless college track becomes something the public can easily watch and understand, it risks descending into a tiny niche, contested by only a handful of schools. Men’s gymnastics or fencing, for instance. Time is short.

“If we don’t act now,” Lananna says, “we’ll never save it.”

Slashing track scholarships

The exact parameters of the NCAA changes still are being hammered out in the California courtroom of U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. The NCAA and Division I power conferences agreed last year to an anti-trust settlement that would pay past and current athletes nearly $2.8 billion.

As part of the deal, scholarship limits were increased but roster sizes capped. As a result, some athletes lost or are poised to lose roster spots they either had or were promised before the deal was made. How to fairly address their concerns is being argued this week in Wilken’s courtroom.

If Wilken doesn’t accept the settlement, it could be scrapped altogether. And since the new rules are supposed to go into effect on July 1, there is widespread uncertainty about what’s next.

“Clear as mud,” says Sam Seemes, chief executive of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. “I’m not sure mud isn’t clearer.”

Even if specifics of the settlement change to some degree, much of it is expected to stand. What is crystal clear is no matter what the rules are going forward, the landscape for college track is about to change for these reasons.

  • College athletes, most from revenue producing sports are set to be paid directly by the schools, which each would be allowed more than $20 million per year for that purpose under terms of the settlement. That money must come from somewhere.
  • The roster cap for football was set at 105. Every one of those players will be eligible for scholarships. Up through this year only 85 FBS players could be on scholarship, leaving schools to fill out larger squad sizes with walk-ons.
  • College track scholarship limits were bumped to 45 for both men and women, up from 18 for women and 12.6 for men. Through this season, many Division I track teams have had more than 45 athletes on their rosters because they divided scholarships and used walk-ons. The University of Oregon currently lists rosters of 54 men and 54 women.

As the settlement is structured, the Ducks would have smaller rosters and could offer more scholarships. But no school would be required to give that many track scholarships, and few are likely to spend heavily on track. Believing any school would offer 45 track scholarships is pure fantasy.

“I don’t know of any Division I institution that is going to do that,” Seemes says.

In fact, many schools are expected to slash track scholarships to help other sports. Football, for instance. But that scholarship money also could go to non-revenue sports that connect better with the public. Under terms of the settlement, the baseball scholarship limit would go from 11.7 to 34.

“I know of one institution that has reduced men’s scholarships from track to 12.6 to six, and given the other six to baseball,” Seemes says. “That institution obviously wants to be more invested in baseball than men’s track and field.”

Oregon Twilight meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Former Oregon track & field coach Vin Lananna says that college track & field competitions “are dreadful. They’re long, drawn out, fragmented, and the modern audience can’t relate to whatever it is we’re doing.” LC- The Oregonian

‘Bored to death’

College track and field once was a major spectator sport. Meets at Hayward Field were events. In 1970, Steve Prefontaine’s freshman year at Oregon, he competed in Pac-8 dual meets against Washington, Cal, UCLA, Washington State and Oregon State. Eugene Register-Guard printed pre-meet form charts that fans brought with them as they filled the stadium.

Dual meets engaged people who knew little about the intricacies of the sport, and were more interested in who won than how many runners cracked 13 minutes, 50 seconds in the 5,000 meters. People inside Hayward in May 1972 still talk about the 1,500-meter battle between Prefontaine and Oregon State Olympian Hailu Ebba in the Oregon-OSU dual.

The winning time? Who knows? Who cares? The story was about what would prevail, Pre’s strength or Ebba’s speed. Pre won as a packed stadium roared.

Flash forward 50 years, all of that is gone. Dual meets have been largely pitched into history’s scrap heap. Star athletes going head-to-head in the 5,000 with the outcome of the meet hanging in the balance have been replaced by daylong invitational meets with no team scoring.

Regular season college meets take place before mostly empty seats, even at the beautiful, 12,500-seat Hayward Field.

“Track and field has moved away from being any kind of team sport whatsoever,” Lananna says. “Our competitions are dreadful. They’re long, drawn out, fragmented, and the modern audience can’t relate to whatever it is we’re doing.”

On any given spring weekend, a college track team might send its throwers to a throws-specific meet in one city, its distance runners to a distance carnival in another city, and its sprinters and hurdlers somewhere else.

The regular season goal has become to find places where college athletes can record times or marks that qualify them for postseason competition. Winning an event isn’t as important as a fast time or a long triple jump or throw. Spectators aren’t part of the equation.

Seemes, CEO of the USTFCCCA, says he recently attended an all-day meet that was unscored. There were a few, strong performances interspersed in what was a mind-numbing blizzard of heats.

“I’m a huge track fan,” he says. “And I’m going to tell you, I was bored to death. It might have been great for the coach and the student/athlete who had a great performance. That’s not enough.”

There can’t be a general interest sports fan in the world willing to sit through the Stanford Invitational. This year’s schedule shows the invitational’s first day’s first event began at 9 a.m. and the last event went off at 10:55 p.m. There were eight sections of the 5,000 and five of the 10,000, which translates into more than four and a half hours of athletes around in circles.

Fans have migrated elsewhere. College baseball and softball have surged in popularity, and it’s not surprising. Their games feature schools competing head-to-head, in TV-friendly time spans. There is a clear winning team.

Volleyball, which changed its scoring rules to speed up play, is attracting ever more fans. Nebraska put more than 92,000 people in the football stadium in 2023 to watch a women’s volleyball match with Omaha.

So, when budget-strapped athletic administrators take a knife to non-revenue sports to pay for more football scholarships, will they first go after volleyball, baseball, softball or … track? Most, probably, will opt to protect sports people actually want to watch.

Women’s track has long been a hedge against a university with gender equity issues. Those 18 scholarships for female athletes have come in handy.

But there are emerging sports, such as beach volleyball, that can do the same thing and still appeal to fans in ways track does not. Women’s gymnastics has become a popular spectator sport at some schools.

“The sport that scares me right now is women’s flag football,” Seemes says. “It can involve a lot of numbers and really balance athletic departments for Title IX. The NFL is heavy behind it, and God knows, the NFL is a money machine. In collegiate athletics, money talks.”

Some solutions

College track coaches are beginning to see the peril. Oregon brought back its team invitational this spring after a hiatus of several seasons.

“I’m a big believer in the team concept of track and field,” UO coach Jerry Schumacher says. “I’d love to see more team competitions going forward. At the university level, I think the name across the front is more important than the one on the back.”

There are several ways college coaches can begin making college track more spectator friendly. They can schedule more scored team competitions in tight, TV-compatible time windows. They can cut travel costs by filling their regular season schedules with meets against neighboring schools.

They can toss out performance lists and determine fields for the NCAA Championships with teams going head-to-head in regional meets the way women’s gymnastics does, perhaps carving out spots for individuals who star on teams that don’t make the cut. They can do an end run around roster limits by creating JV teams.

It would be different, but perhaps a better option than waiting for a solution from interested parties such as former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who has been outspoken about changes he wants to see in college athletics.

Former college distance runner Victoria Jackson is a sports historian and clinical associate professor of history at Arizona State. She says many of the issues facing track and field and other non-revenue sports stem from being subject to rules and rule changes designed for revenue sports.

Rather than trying to adapt to changes made for football, Jackson says it’s past time for college track to set its own agenda.

“We have to be big and bold, and figure out our own solutions,” Jackson says. “Because, you know what? Nick Saban does not care about track and field. He can claim to, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t understand the sport, and he’s one of the people who is dictating the future of it.”

Whatever happens in Judge Wilken’s courtroom, it’s clear college track and field must re-engage with fans outside its small base to matter in the increasingly crowded sports landscape.

Seemes says the sport needs to think of itself as a business and make itself attractive in the marketplace. And soon.

“Doing what we do now, we wouldn’t be in business,” he says. “We would be broke. We would be out of business. We would not have a sport.”

— Ken Goe for The Oregonian

KenGoe1020@gmail.com



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Here are the 2025 TSWA high school all-state TSSAA volleyball teams

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January 6, 2026

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Jan. 6, 2026, 12:00 a.m. CT



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12 Chattanooga area volleyball standouts earn TSWA all-state honors

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January 6, 2026

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Less than a month after announcing her commitment to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga beach volleyball program, Camryn Neal was one of three Silverdale Baptist volleyball players to be selected to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s all-state volleyball team.

Neal showcased her versatility throughout her prep career with the Lady Seahawks as she finished with over 1,200 kills and 1,100 digs to go along with nearly 900 assists and over 225 aces.

In her senior season this past fall, Neal helped Silverdale Baptist to a 29-win season and runner-up finish at the TSSAA Division II-A state tournament, where she had 20 kills and 16 digs in a four-set defeat to Middle Tennessee Christian in the finals. Neal finished the season with 402 kills, 316 digs, 75 aces and 20 blocks.

Teammates Caroline Hilton and Sophie Easterday joined Neal on the TSWA Division II-A team.

Hilton finished her prep career with over 2,000 career assists, including 1,067 this season to go along with 252 digs, 78 aces, 67 kills and 12 blocks.

Easterday, a junior, led the Lady Seahawks in kill percentage (52.8), hitting percentage (.452), and blocks (70).

The Chattanooga area had 12 all-state selections, including two each for Arts & Sciences and Baylor following Final Four runs in Class 1A and Division II-AA, respectively.

CSAS seniors Amanda Gardner and Savanna Moore helped lead their team to a program-best 34 wins. Gardner earned district and region tournament MVP honors as she finished the season with 363 kills, 386 digs and 99 aces, while ending her prep career with over 1,200 digs. Moore led the Lady Patriots with 472 kills and added 250 digs, 55 aces and 20 blocks.

Baylor’s all-state selections were senior Emma Mulvaney and junior Rory Oleksik. Mulvaney paced the Lady Red Raiders with 390 kills while adding 224 digs, 55 aces, 47 assists and 32 blocks, while Oleksik starred defensively with 525 digs and also led the team with 69 aces.

Other area players earning all-state honors are CSLA sophomore Sydney Heisig and Sale Creek junior Jalyn Hammons in Class A, Signal Mountain senior Becca Rogers in Class AA, Cleveland senior Gunny Brock, and GPS junior Cat Nygaard in Division II-AA.

Heisig had 403 kills, 278 digs, 86 aces, 49 blocks and a 92.4 serving percentage for the Lady Eagles.

Hammons recorded 430 digs for the Lady Panthers.

Rogers had 448 kills, 463 digs, 180 blocks and 84 aces for the Lady Eagles.

Brock compiled 538 kills, 329 digs, 64 aces, and 30 blocks to lead the Lady Blue Raiders to a district and region title.

Nygaard finished with nearly 400 digs for the Bruisers.

Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.

TSWA all-state volleyball selections

Class A

OH – Derionna Bell, Gordonsville, Sr.

OH – Amanda Gardner, CSAS, Sr.

OH – Sydney Heisig, Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, So.

OH – Campbell Leathers, Eagleville, So.

OH – Savanna Moore, CSAS, Sr.

OH – Morgan Ryan, East Robertson, Jr.

OH – Gracie Sims, Union City, Sr.

OH – Jena Wright, Merrol Hyde Magnet, Jr.

MH – Millie Emerson, Summertown, Sr.

S – Brooke Briggs, Gordonsville, Sr.

S – Presley Campbell, Eagleville, Sr.

S – Gentry Hansen, Merrol Hyde Magnet, So.

L – Jalyn Hammons, Sale Creek, Jr.

L – Preslee Knowles, Eagleville, Jr.

L – Breleigh Winters, Loretto, Sr.

Class AA

OH – Anarela Mejias Ayala, Valor Prep, Jr.

OH – Abby Baker, Creek Wood, Sr.

OH – Stella Huber, Lexington, Sr.

OH – Jentelle McNairl, Valor Prep, So.

OH – Makayla Moore, Sullivan East, Fr.

OH – Abigail Prado, Seymour, Jr.

OH – Becca Rogers, Signal Mountain, Sr.

OH – Jacey Taylor, Chuckey-Doak, So.

MH – Rylee Key, Dyer County, Jr.

MH – Wesley Thornton, Crockett County, So.

S – Raylie Gray, Volunteer, Jr.

S – Emery Huddleston, Upperman, Jr.

S – Kierstyn Ray, Dyer County, Jr.

L – Ella Burd, Lakeland Prep, Sr.

L – Evie Rogers, Dyer County, Jr.

Class AAA

OH – Elia Dinsmore, Independence, Sr.

OH – Addie Harris, Arlington, Jr.

OH — Gunny Brock, Cleveland, Sr.

OH – Eliza Hicks, William Blount, Sr.

OH – Maggie Kalisz, Summit, Sr.

OH – Mia McGrath, Siegel, Sr.

OH – Daisy Oatsvall, Brentwood, Sr.

OH – Molly Teague, Blackman, Sr.

OH – Sydni Vice, Houston, Sr.

MH – Keira Garinger, Clarksville, Sr.

MH – Eliza McKnight, Brentwood, Sr.

S – Mela Brice, Dobyns-Bennett, Sr.

S – Lauren Duncan, Brentwood, Sr.

S – Lucy O’Daniel, Science Hill, So.

S – Amanda Shanahan, Summit, Sr.

L – Isa Dau, Science Hill, Jr.

Division II-A

OH – Jada Burns, MTCS, Sr.

OH – Darby Felts, Lakeway Christian, Sr.

OH – Sadie Kroeger, PCA, Sr.

OH – Camryn Neal, Silverdale, Sr.

OH – Anna Ofenheusle, Friendship Christian, Sr.

OH – Anna Clay Shirley, MTCS, Sr.

MH – Kayte Madison Bjornstad, PCA, Sr.

MH – Sophie Easterday, Silverdale, Jr.

MH – Kendall Stansbury, Knoxville Grace, Sr.

S – Addison Addair, Lakeway Christian, Sr.

S – Bailee Culpepper, MTCS, Sr.

S – Caroline Hilton, Silverdale, Sr.

S – Sarah Johnson, Northpoint, So.

L – Addison Burks, MTCS, Sr.

L – Annie Harney, BGA, Sr.

Division II-AA

OH – Tallulah Carney, Knox Webb, Sr.

OH – Heidi Green, Father Ryan, Jr.

OH – Mia Kinney, Knox Catholic, Jr.

OH – Emma Mulvaney, Baylor, Sr.

OH – Camille Northcross, Briarcrest, Jr.

OH – Raegan Reeves, CPA, Sr.

MH – Lucy Haywood, CPA, Sr.

MH – Haylee Munsey, Knox Catholic, Sr.

MH – Nancy Ward, Briarcrest, Jr.

S – Maddie Hobbs, Pope John Paul II, Jr.

S – Elise Jensen, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.

S – Sarah O’Connor, Briarcrest, Sr.

L – Ella Fisher, Pope John Paul II, So.

L – Cat Nygaard, GPS, Jr.

L – Rory Oleksik, Baylor, Jr.



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Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Weekly Awards

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January 6, 2026

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IRVINE, Calif. – The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team swept the Big West Weekly Awards after its two-match sweep of NJIT over the weekend in Honolulu.
 
Opposite Kristian Titriyski was named Offensive Player of the Week, setter Tread Rosenthal earned both Defensive Player of the Week and Setter of the Week, and setter Magnus Hettervik was Freshman of the Week.
 
For Titriyski the award marked his third career offensive recognition and seventh time he was honored by the conference with a weekly award. Rosenthal has now compiled 13 career weekly awards including his sixth setter award and first defensive honor.
 
Titriyski, a sophomore from Sofia, Bulgaria, averaged 3.83 kills per set and 5.17 points per set and hit .439 in the series. He was the only player on either team to record double digit kills in the two matches and also had a team-best five service aces.
 
Rosenthal, a junior from Austin, Texas, led the team with 11 blocks in the series for an average of 1.83 blocks per set and directed an offense to a combined .517 hitting percentage in the series with only 11 attack errors in 118 attempts. In Friday’s season-opener, he tied his career-high with eight blocks in a straight-set win.
 
Hettervik, a freshman from Stavanger, Norway, made his UH debut in the team’s win on Sunday and recorded three assists and his first career ace in the second set.
 
The Warriors will host No. 7 Loyola Chicago this week in a two-match series, Thursday, Jan. 8 and Friday, Jan. 9 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
 
 

#HawaiiMVB

 
 
 



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Clarksville High senior volleyball player earns TSWA All-State honors

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January 6, 2026

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The TSWA has announced its selections for the volleyball all-state team for all five classes in the state. Clarksville High senior Keira Garinger earned a selection for her play throughout the 2025 season.

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) has announced its selections for the volleyball all-state team for all five classes in the state. Clarksville High senior Keira Garinger earned a selection on the class 3A team for her play throughout the 2025 season.

Garinger was the driving force behind the best season in Clarksville High’s history, earning their first state tournament appearance, while finishing third place in the state. She finished this year with 489 kills, 67 aces, 48 blocks, 475 digs and she was selected as the district 13-4A MVP.

Garinger made a major impact on the program as a whole, compiling a record of 137-22 over her career and winning four district and region titles. Garinger will be taking her talents to Arkansas State in the fall to continue her volleyball career.

| SPORTS REPORT: Sign up for the new weekly Clarksville sports newsletter



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YSU Mid Major Invitational Presented by Southwoods Health Pre-Meet Information

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January 6, 2026

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14th Annual Youngstown State University College Indoor Track & Field Mid Major Meet Presented by Southwoods Health 

Friday, January 30 and Saturday, January 31

Meet: Open NCAA sanctioned Indoor Track & Field Competition

Timing: Fully automatic FinishLynx system

Location: The Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS) on the YSU campus. The WATTS features a full-length Shaw Sportexe Power Blade HP+ synthetic turf system football field, a 300-meter state-of-the-art mondo track surface, two long-jump pits, a high-jump pit, four batting cages, protective netting, a training room and locker rooms.

GPS address: 651 Elm St. | Youngstown, OH 44555

Entry’s: Entry’s are due by Tuesday, January 27 by 7 p.m., consisting of event entries with best marks from the previous year or realistic projected marks. All entries will be done on-line at www.directathletics.com.

Please visit the Direct Athletics website at your earliest convenience in order to familiarize yourself with how the entry process works. 

Also, please limit Eight athletes per event. If you have an event with more than eight quality athletes, please text Brian Gorby at (330) 519-7591 to get permission to email additional entries to bdgorby@ysu.edu.

We always try to help to accommodate all entry’s. 

**Note: Please check YSUsports.com after the entry deadline for changes or adjustments to the meet time schedule!

Please check to make sure your athletes are entered correctly. If there are mistakes or scratches, please email bdgorby@ysu.edu & ysutrackmeets@gmail.com. 

Entry Fees: $ 500

per each team, men or women separate, consisting of 10 or more individuals in unlimited events are paid online, when you complete Entry’s on Direct Athletics or $25 per individual event entry & paid online at Direct Athletics as well. 

ENTRY FEES

$ 25 per ENTRY (i.e. 2 events entered would be $ 50 )  Entry fees must be paid in advance online when you enter on DirectAthletics (all major credit and debit cards accepted).

Relay Entry’s $ 7 per runner for a total of $ 28 per relay team.  

Refund Policy

We understand that these are uncertain times.  As such, please rest assured that any entry fees (and processing fees) paid on DirectAthletics are 100% refundable in the unlikely event we have to cancel a meet. However, outside of meet cancellation, there is a strict NO REFUND policy on entry fees.  Absolutely no refunds will be processed due to scratches, change of plans, inability to travel, illness, injuries, etc. No day of Meet Entry. 

Spikes: ONLY 1/4 inch or shorter pyramid spikes will be allowed and all spikes will be checked prior to events. NO pin or needle spikes, spike elements, or any other type of spike will be allowed.

High Jump: All high jump competitions will be conducted on the Mondo surface.

Sections/Heats/Flights: Flights will be seeded by distance with best marks in the latest sections/flights. Finals in field events will consist of the top nine marks from the qualifying rounds.

Implement Weigh-In: 30 minutes prior to event at the Throws area.

January 30, 2026 | YSU Mid-Major National Collegiate Meet

1:00pm – Women’s Pent begins (60M H, HJ, Shot, LJ, 800M Run)

2:00pm – Long Jump (Women, Men to Follow)

2:00pm – Weight Throw (Women, Men to Follow)

3:00pm – Women’s Pole Vault

3:45pm – Men’s Heptathlon (60M Dash, LJ, Shot, HJ)

4:00pm – Running Events begin; 5000M, 500M, 1000M, DMR

January 31, 2026 | YSU Mid-Major National Collegiate Meet

8:10am – Guy’s Mile Run

9:30am – Men’s Hept (60M H, PV, 1000M Run)

9:30am – Shot Put (Men, Women to follow)

9:30am – Triple Jump (Men, Women to Follow)

9:45am – High Jump (following the Men’s Pentathlon 60M Hurdles) (Women, Men to Follow)

9:45am – Running Events Begin – Women first, followed by Men

Mile Run 

400M 

60M Hurdles

60M D 

Men’s Elite Mile Heats 

800M 

200M 

3000M 

4x400m relay

12:30pm – After the Men’s Pentathlon, Men’s Pole Vault



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Spartan Club Athletes of the Week for Jan. 5: Anand Dharmarajan & Mya Hartjes

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January 6, 2026

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The Spartan Club, comprised of Case Institute of Technology (CIT), Western Reserve University (WRU) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) alumni, parents of current students, faculty and staff, and friends of the University, is aimed at helping foster and honor the proud tradition of athletics at the University, while also supporting the current student-athletes. For more information on the Spartan Club, and to help support its purpose by becoming a member, CLICK HERE.

Case Western Reserve University senior Anand Dharmarajan, a guard on the men’s basketball team, and junior Mya Hartjes, a guard on the women’s basketball team, have been named the Spartan Club Athletes of the Week for their performances this past week.

Dharmarajan had a career day during the team’s 97-80 win over Kalamazoo. He scored a career-high 30 points over 29 minutes of action during the game, making 10-of-16 shots overall and seven-of-12 from three-point range. The seven three-pointers matched his career-best mark and were just one shy of the program’s single-game record. He added three rebounds and a steal in the effort. Dharmarajan is averaging 11.4 points per game this season on 46.8% shooting overall, including 45.3% from long range, and has added 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per contest. The Spartans stand at 7-3 overall this season and have won four consecutive games.

The Spartans will close out their non-conference schedule on the road against La Roche College in Pittsburgh on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Hartjes led the Spartans to two wins in three games over winter break. Hartjes led all CWRU players with 19.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game during the three contests, shooting 53.7% (22-of-41) overall, 52.0% (13-of-25) from three-point range, and converting both of her free throw attempts. She added five assists, a block, and two steals during the stretch. In a 68-55 win over Oberlin on December 29, she scored a career-best 25 points, making nine-of-15 shots overall and hitting a career-best seven threes on 10 tries, while contributing nine rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal. She followed that by leading the team with 16 points in a 76-52 loss to 23rd-ranked Baldwin Wallace on December 30, making six-of-12 shots overall, including four-of-seven from three-point range, while collecting five rebounds and an assist. For her efforts over the two games, she was named to the All-Tournament Team at the BW Holiday Classic. Rounding out her week, Hartjes scored 18 points in a 75-65 win against Geneva on January 3, hitting seven-of-14 shots overall, two-of-eight from three-point range, and both of her free throw attempts, while adding a team-best eight rebounds with three assists and a steal. Hartjes has averaged 16.3 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game this season with 3.5 assists per contest. The Spartans ended their non-conference schedule with a 7-4 record.

With its non-conference schedule complete, the Spartans will now turn their attention to their University Athletic Association slate. CWRU will begin its 14-game conference journey on Saturday at 3 p.m. on the road against Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

The Spartan Club Athletes of the Week are selected by the CWRU Department of Athletics each Monday, based on their performance during the previous week of competition.

Honorable Mentions:

Senior Art Martinez (wrestling) went 6-0 over the last two weeks, including a win over the then top-ranked wrestler in Division III, to lead the 21st-ranked Spartans to six dual wins over the holiday break. On December 20 at the Chocolate Duals in Grantham, Pennsylvania, Martinez defeated opponents from Ithaca, Messiah, and Arcadia. He started the day with a 21-4 technical fall over George McAteer of Ithaca and followed with a 22-4 technical fall over Tyler Ratledge of Messiah. In the final match of the day, Martinez delivered a decisive 18-4 major decision over Jacob Blair of Arcadia who was ranked first in Division III at the time of the dual. It marked Martinez’s first win over a nationally ranked opponent this season. CWRU won all three matches at the duals, defeating Ithaca 30-17, Messiah 23-20, and Arcadia 31-16. On January 3 at the UAA Challenge hosted by NYU, Martinez and the Spartans continued their winning streaks, defeating all three opponents at the annual event. Martinez earned bonus points in all three of his bouts, secured two technical falls and one pin at the event. This season, he is 20-1, including a 13-0 mark against Division III opponents, with six pins and a team-leading eight technical falls. CWRU improved to 8-2 in dual matches.  

The Spartans return home for the Claude Sharer Duals on Saturday hosting Manchester University and the University of Mount Union at the Veale Center.

2025-26 Spartan Club Athletes of the Week:

Sept. 2: Jacob Slater (men’s cross country) & Jamie Goldfarb (women’s soccer)

Sept. 8: Mitchell Fein (men’s soccer) & Maggie Farra (women’s soccer)

Sept. 15: Bradley Winter (men’s soccer) & Ceci Dapino (women’s soccer)

Sept. 22: Daniel King (football) & Halina Tompkins (women’s cross country)

Sept. 29: Sam DeTillio (football) & Kalli Wall (volleyball)

Oct. 6: Osi Chukwuocha (football) & Ceci Dapino (women’s soccer)

Oct. 13: Kalli Wall (volleyball) & Claire Kozma (women’s swimming and diving)

Oct. 20: Jacob Slater (men’s cross country) & Halina Tompkins (women’s cross country)

Oct. 27: Bradley Winter (men’s soccer) & Ellie Palaian (women’s soccer)

Nov. 3: Art Martinez (wrestling) & Sohalya Rawlins (women’s swimming and diving)

Nov. 10: Thomas Wagner (wrestling) & Emily Plachta (women’s basketball)

Nov. 18: Jacob Slater (men’s cross country) & Kalli Wall (volleyball)

Nov. 24: John Drumm (men’s swimming and diving) & Claire Kozma (women’s swimming and diving)

Dec. 1: Andrew Fox (men’s basketball) & Maura Schorr (women’s basketball)

Dec. 8: Antonio Sidoti (men’s track and field) & Gianna Phipps (women’s track and field)

Jan. 5: Anand Dharmarajan (men’s basketball) & Mya Hartjes (women’s basketball)



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