Sports

Jackson and Nate Arnold help push each other, Gulf Breeze boys volleyball

Nate Arnold was already playing beach volleyball a bit, and was part of the C2 Attack Volleyball Club in Tennessee. He and a couple friends, including Spencer Smith – also a beach player – went to a Choctaw boys volleyball practice and had one simple thought. “Why can’t we do this in Santa Rosa County?” […]

Published

3 weeks ago

May 2, 2025

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Nate Arnold was already playing beach volleyball a bit, and was part of the C2 Attack Volleyball Club in Tennessee.

He and a couple friends, including Spencer Smith – also a beach player – went to a Choctaw boys volleyball practice and had one simple thought.

“Why can’t we do this in Santa Rosa County?” they asked.

A group of parents in the Gulf Breeze area gauged interest in creating an area high school boys volleyball team. There was already a handful of beach and indoor players involved in different programs throughout the southeast, and Gulf Breeze High would be the host school.

The Dolphins had players from Gulf Breeze, obviously, while gaining others from Navarre and Central – like Arnold.

When the team was announced, Nate’s older brother, Jackson Arnold – a Central alum and a standout volleyball player who played collegiately at Webber International University – initially said he’d come and watch the team play.

After a few weeks without anyone willing to step in and build a program from the ground up, Jackson was approached to be the head coach.

“I started thinking about it and thought this would be a great way for me to give back to the game that gave me everything,” Jackson said. “I decided to do it, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since.”

That’s not to say there wasn’t any hesitation. Arnold, in his early 20s, still tries to play as much volleyball as he can. While there are times he wishes he could play the game he loves a little bit more, coaching that same game has its own rewards.

“I still get that same competitive rush and that same family feeling of being part of a team,” Jackson said. “It did help that Nate was part of the team. … I know that I have someone to tell me, ‘Hey, we didn’t like what happened at practice or this drill, and this is why.’ It’s a good feedback loop where there’s no feelings hurt and it all comes from a positive place. It’s never an attack or a negative outcome. It’s always a good amount of feedback that filters through.”

The Dolphins joined the FHSAA ranks in 2024, making it to the region tournament in their inaugural campaign. On April 30, Gulf Breeze claimed its first district championship, earning an automatic bid into the region tournament this time around.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

“Hopefully we can extend the season as much as possible. I’m just trying to take it all day by day, enjoying the process of what I was thinking on Day 1 here to what I’m thinking now with the team I have,” Jackson said. “We’ve had growth as a team, building the culture and community.”

A family within the family

When Gulf Breeze first got to practicing, building the culture and a team family was one of the top priorities for Jackson.

It helped that the not-blood-related family of the growing team was bolstered by blood-related brothers − brothers who had already played high levels of volleyball in Tennessee at C2 and around different parts of the country in both indoor and beach.

Jackson Arnold had played for about a year-and-a-half before Nate got the volleyball bug. They joined C2 at the same time, though were part of different age-group teams.

“We have our own experiences, being in different age groups. His age group was a little better suited nationally than mine was in his first year,” Jackson said. “Volleyball’s one of those sports where you learn a lot by traveling with your teammates and your family. It’s one of the coolest aspects of the sport.”

“It was cool to see more guys play volleyball,” said Nate, who noted that boys volleyball is more popular throughout the Midwest.

But a few years of traveling definitely took its toll. That’s when the opportunity for the Gulf Breeze varsity team took shape.

“Playing locally is a lot more fun and a lot easier on me, instead of having to travel every weekend,” Nate said.

All they had to do was get enough players to field a roster, while building the foundation. Thanks to the different personalities of the Arnold brothers – Jackson is more of a “vocal and communicative” leader while Nate talks on the “showing” leader – they made it work.

“He’s a different leader than what I am, which is a good mix,” Jackson said. “It’s a good cop-bad cop situation. … (Nate’s) going to do it himself and show it he’s able to do it, rather than telling people how to do it. Younger players will start picking up on his good habits and replicate those.”

“I thought we’d be teaching a lot of guys to play volleyball. I was fine with that,” Nate said. “But I’ve been pleasantly surprised that we have a lot of volleyball players instead of just athletes in Year 1 and Year 2.”

‘A really good understanding of responsibilities’

Having your older brother as your coach doesn’t come without its struggles. Even if they are light-hearted at times.

“I get questions all the time, ‘What’s Jackson doing at practice?’” Nate said with a laugh. “I tell them, ‘I don’t know, he doesn’t tell me anything. I know as much as you do.’”

Teaming up has also allowed the Arnold brothers’ relationship to grow even more. After practices and games, Jackson and Nate can “deep-dive” into what went right or wrong, and why it happened.

Opportunities also present themselves for Nate to be a “buffer” or the middle man between the coach and other players.

“Sometimes players don’t want to tell their coaches what’s going on. Sometimes they’d rather just tough it out. Nate is good about being able to explain situations,” Jackson said. “Or, if other players don’t understand something I’m saying, Nate can put it in better terms so they understand it.”

Being at practice or in games together allows the duo to see each other grow in different aspects of life and in their own volleyball journeys.

Nate noted Jackson’s maturity, taking on the responsibility of leading a high-level high school team, and, in some instances, being just a few years older than the players he’s coaching.

“From a coaching perspective, I think that’s helped Jackson develop even more as a player,” Nate said.

Jackson’s noticed even more of a boost in Nate’s volleyball IQ and assessment of the game from both an analytical and “feeling” side of the game.

“You’ve got to be able to identify who’s in a good rhythm and who’s not. I’ve definitely seen Nate grow in his decision-making, based upon those factors,” Jackson said. “As a teammate with emotional intelligence, he’s grown. He’s found ways to pick up his teammates.”

But, at the end of the day, they’re still brothers. Now, they’re just working together on a common goal for the Dolphins.

“I just have to forget he’s my brother whenever we’re at practice or at games. It’s Coach Jackson, not my brother Jackson,” Nate said.

“If you have a sibling, you know how it is. Everything’s always competitive. But whenever he’s on the court and I’m coaching, we have a really good understanding of responsibilities and boundaries. My responsibility is to provide this team with the best opportunity, and Nate’s responsibility is to execute the gameplan on the court,” Jackson said. “Yes, I am his coach. And yes, we are brothers. But he understands that I’m doing him an injustice if I don’t push him as hard – if not harder – than his teammates. Our team will not be as strong as if he is not pushed to his limit, as well.”

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European Aquatics and EBU renew exclusive broadcast deal for 2025–2028

European Aquatics and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are pleased to announce the renewal of their long-standing partnership, securing exclusive broadcast coverage for Europe’s top aquatic competitions from 2025-2028. This extended agreement will see the EBU and its network of public service broadcasters continue to showcase the premier events on the European Aquatics calendar from […]

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26 minutes ago

May 22, 2025

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This extended agreement will see the EBU and its network of public service broadcasters continue to showcase the premier events on the European Aquatics calendar from 2025 to 2028. These include the European Swimming Championships, the European Short Course Championships, the European Senior Diving and Artistic Swimming Championships, and the European Water Polo Championships.

Both organisations are committed to further strengthening their collaboration, working closely not only with each other, but also with European Aquatics’ National Federation members. This united approach aims to broaden the reach of aquatic sports, ensuring greater visibility and accessibility for fans across Europe.

A total of 22 EBU Member broadcasters across will cover the events inclusive of the new agreement, bringing unmatched reach and visibility of the sport, while the EBU’s free-to-air streaming platform, Eurovision Sport, will provide fans with complementary access to live and on-demand coverage of European Aquatics events.

This renewed partnership reflects a shared ambition to grow aquatic sports and bring elite European competition to the widest possible audience across multiple platforms.

European Aquatics President Antonio Silva said: “Our strategy has always been to reach the maximum number of people on free-to-air channels, so we are very happy to be able to renew this contract with the EBU and to work together to grow the sport. The digital landscape is rapidly evolving, and this agreement enables us to continue to have a presence on eurovisionsport.com, which is an added benefit for fans of the sport.”

Glen Killane, Executive Director, EBU Sport said: “Through this renewed agreement, we will continue to offer comprehensive, free-to-air access to top-tier aquatic competitions for fans across Europe.

“Working closely with European Aquatics and our Members, we remain committed to expanding the reach and impact of these sports across all platforms, including complementary coverage via our free streaming service, Eurovision Sport.”

The first European Aquatics event to take place under the new agreement will be the European Aquatics Diving Championships Antalya 2025, which start at the Gloria Sports Arena tomorrow. To follow all the action please go to: https://europeanaquatics.org/european-diving-championships/where-to-watch/

Broadcasters under the agreement are as follows: BNT (Bulgaria), HRT (Croatia), CT (Czechia), YLE (Finland), FT (France), ARD & ZDF (Germany), ERT (Greece), MTVA (Hungary), RUV (Iceland), The Sports Channel (Israel), RAI (Italy), LRT (Lithuania), NOS (Netherlands), TVP (Poland), RTP (Portugal), TVR (Romania), RTS (Serbia), RTV (Slovenia), SVT (Sweden), SRG SSR (Switzerland), TRT (Turkey), Suspilne (Ukraine)

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College track and field: Harrison’s unique career ends

College track and field: Harrison’s unique career ends Published 9:38 pm Wednesday, May 21, 2025 The Harrisons. Staff report ASHEVILLE — Adalie Harrison, all 61 inches of her, ran the last meet of her college career in the rain in the Big South Championships, but she brought sunshine to tracks, fields and […]

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57 minutes ago

May 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

College track and field: Harrison’s unique career ends

Published 9:38 pm Wednesday, May 21, 2025

The Harrisons.

Staff report

ASHEVILLE — Adalie Harrison, all 61 inches of her, ran the last meet of her college career in the rain in the Big South Championships, but she brought sunshine to tracks, fields and gyms for a long time.

Harrison, a 2020 East Rowan graduate, was Rowan County Female Athlete of the Year during the COVID era. Her senior year she was the county cross country champion in the fall and scored her 1,oooth point in basketball and led a 20-win group of Mustangs in the winter. Her senior soccer and track and field seasons — she was planning to double up on spring sports — were wiped out by COVID.

She headed to Lenoir-Rhyne with the goal of being a cross country/basketball/track athlete for the Bears.

On Jan. 27, 2021, Harrison made a free throw for L-R basketball in a game against Mars Hill. That would be the only point of her college career, but officially it will make her four-sport college athlete in the history books.

While college basketball didn’t work out for her , she did fine in the running sports and transferred to Division I USC Upstate for the 2022-23 school year. She debuted in cross country in September 2022.

Harrison competed in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track for the Spartans, so she was running and competing year-round.

Her track PRs were 2:31 in the 800; 5:38 in the mile; 19:26 for 5000 meters; 5:12 for the 1500 meters, and 11:19 for the 3000 meters.

In cross country, her best times were 19:50 for a 5K (she ran that time in 2024) and 25:08 for a 6K.

Her 800 PR came recently in the Big South Indoor Track Championships.

She ran the 1500 and 5000 in less than ideal conditions in the Big South Outdoor Championships to close her career. She ran 5:17 in the 1500 and 19:52 in the 5000.

She graduated last December with a nursing degree and was a graduate student in psychology during the spring semester.

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Men’s Track & Field: John Ihrke Qualifies for All-Region Honors

Story Links Ihrke ST. PAUL, Minn. – Macalester College first year John Ihrke (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) earned All-North Region honors in the 800 meters from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the organization announced today. Athletes must be ranked in […]

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1 hour ago

May 22, 2025

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ST. PAUL, Minn. – Macalester College first year John Ihrke (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) earned All-North Region honors in the 800 meters from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the organization announced today. Athletes must be ranked in the top five regionally in an individual event, or top three in a relay to receive All-Region honors.

Ihrke posted his best time of the season in the 800 at Hamline’s Meet of the UnSaintly on April 30, winning with a time of 1:51.70. The time ranks fifth in the region, 45th in Division III and second all-time at Macalester. At the MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 10 at Macalester, Ihrke finished third in the 800 in 1:51.97 and anchored the Scots’ 4×400-meter relay team to a third-place finish with a time of 3:18.36 to earn All-MIAC honors in both events.

During the indoor season this winter, Ihrke won the MIAC title in the 800 and was named the MIAC Indoor Track & Field Rookie of the Year. He then broke the school record in the 800 indoors with a time of 1:53.57 at the Wartburg Qualifier on Mar. 8. That time ranked third in the North Region, earning Ihrke Al-North Region accolades indoors.

Click here to view the USTFCCCA All-Region release.

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University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics

LOS ANGELES – Junior Jordan Woolery of UCLA Softball has been selected the Student-Athlete of the Week for competitions held between May 13-19. The infielder on No. 9-seed UCLA softball team recorded a .556 batting average (5-for-9), two home runs and seven RBIs to help the Bruins (52-10) to a mercy-rule sweep in NCAA […]

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2 hours ago

May 22, 2025

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LOS ANGELES – Junior Jordan Woolery of UCLA Softball has been selected the Student-Athlete of the Week for competitions held between May 13-19.

The infielder on No. 9-seed UCLA softball team recorded a .556 batting average (5-for-9), two home runs and seven RBIs to help the Bruins (52-10) to a mercy-rule sweep in NCAA Regionals last weekend. Woolery homered and logged two hits in each of the final two victories of Regionals against San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara. She tallied her third five-RBI performance of the season with a triple and home run in the Bruins’ 10-0 shutout victory over the Aztecs on Saturday. On Sunday, Woolery recorded her 22nd home run of the season with an opposite field shot the fourth inning against the Gauchos.

Woolery and the Bruins will begin NCAA Super Regional play this Friday at South Carolina at 10 a.m. PT. The contest will be televised on ESPN2.

The junior secures her fourth-career UCLA student-athlete of the week award, the second of her 2025 campaign.

Also Nominated

Sydney Johnson, W. Track & Field; Michael Pinckney, M. Track & Field; 2V4+, W. Rowing

Previous Winners
Aug. 21 – Bridgette Marin-Valencia, W. Soccer; Aug. 28 – Lilly Reale, W. Soccer; Sept. 4 – Cheridyn Leverette, W. Volleyball; Sept. 11 – Ryder Dodd, M. Water Polo; Sept. 18 – Bode Brinkema, M. Water Polo; Sept. 25 – Sofia Cook, W. Soccer; Oct. 2 – Pablo Ereño, M. Golf; Oct. 9 – Quincy McMahon, W. Soccer; Oct. 16 – Jose Contell, M. Soccer; Oct. 23 – Ethan Garbers, Football; Oct. 30 – Grayce Olson, W. Volleyball; Nov. 6 – Carson Schwesinger, Football; Nov. 13 – Quincy McMahon, W. Soccer; Nov. 20 – Maggie Boyd/Sally Perez, Beach Volleyball; Nov. 27 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; Dec. 4 – Carson Schwesinger, Football; Dec. 11 – Ryder Dodd, M. Water Polo; Dec. 18 – Tyler Bilodeau, M. Basketball; Dec. 24 – Kiki Rice, W. Basketball; Jan. 1 – Eric Dailey Jr., M. Basketball; Jan. 8 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; Jan. 15 – Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics; Jan. 22 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; Jan. 29 – Aday Mara, M. Basketball; Feb. 5 – Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics; Feb. 12 – Taylor Tinsley, Softball; Feb. 19 – Mulivai Levu – Baseball; Feb. 26 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; March 5 – Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics; March 12 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; March 19 – Jordan Woolery, Softball; March 26 – Chae Campbell, Gymnastics; April 2 – Lauren Betts, W. Basketball; April 9 – Megan Grant, Softball; April 16 – Megan Grant, Softball; April 23 – Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics; April 30 – Omar Morales, M. Golf; May 7 – Jeremy Zammit, M. Track & Field; May 14 – Spencer Johnson, M. Tennis

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Four Bulldogs Earn 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field All-Region Honors

Story Links NEW ORLEANS, La. – All Region honors for the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season were announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) following the conclusion of the regular season. Top-5 individuals in each event from each region earned […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 22, 2025

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NEW ORLEANS, La. – All Region honors for the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season were announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) following the conclusion of the regular season. Top-5 individuals in each event from each region earned All-Region honors, in addition to each of the members of a top-3 ranked relay team. Data is compiled based on regional TFRI.

The 2025 season proved to be a remarkable one for the Bulldogs, as four standout athletes earned All-Region honors for their performances on the track and in the field.

Jackson Hayward made an immediate impact in his debut season, securing a spot on the 2025 All-Region team in the 200-meter dash. Hayward’s standout moment came at the CUAA Alumni Legacy Meet, where he posted a personal-best time of 21.51 seconds. His impressive performance not only earned him All-Region recognition but also marked him as one of the top sprinters in the region.

“Jackson Hayward came in as a freshman and instantly made an impact”, said Interim Head Coach Kaylie Laskody. “Through injuries he was able to drop a 21.51 in his 200 this outdoor season”.

Cameron Overmyer continued to build on his already stellar career by being named to the All-Region team in the pole vault. Overmyer finished second at the 2025 MIAA Outdoor Championships with a vault of 4.26m (13-11.75), earning Second Team All-MIAA honors. His personal-best mark of 4.75m (15-7), set at the 2024 MIAA Championships, ranks him second all-time in program history.

“Cameron Overmyer is a senior who took over pole vault in the conference right from the start of his freshman year”. “He placed 2nd at outdoor conference in his senior season and ended his last year with a mark of 4.65m (15-3)”.

KJ Scott earned All-Region honors in the discus after recording a personal-best throw of 48.86m (160-4), which ranked him fourth in the region and second all-time in program history. At the 2025 MIAA Outdoor Championships, Scott displayed his versatility, finishing ninth in the discus, 10th in the hammer throw, and 18th in the shot put.

“KJ Scott shot up the top-10 record board in discus to second with a throw of 48.86m (160’4″) in his junior season”, said Interim Head Coach Kaylie Laskody. “That mark also put him top 50 in the nation at 43rd and should see some improvement as we head into next season”.

Alysia Townsend had a historic first season as a Bulldog, earning All-Region honors and several entries in the program’s record books. Townsend set a new all-time school record in the long jump with a leap of 5.79m (19-0). She also ranks second all-time in the 100-meter dash (12.41 seconds), fourth in the 200-meter dash (26.20 seconds), and second in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.92). Her outstanding performances at the MIAA Championships earned her All-MIAA honors in the high jump, long jump, and 100-meter dash, and ultimately led to her being named the MIAA Women’s Field Athlete of the Year.

“Alysia Townsend dominated this outdoor season, said Interim Head Coach Kaylie Laskody. “Taking home two first place medals at conference while also jumping a record-breaking long jump with 19’0 and ended the season being 24th in the nation as just a freshman and being named MIAA Women’s Field Athlete of the Year is a big accomplishment for anyone and especially as a freshman”.

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Dominant first season for DNA Volleyball Girls | Sports

Naples based DNA Volleyball, originally an all-boys club, added a girls team this season. The new team has made a remarkable debut. In their first year, DNA Volleyball’s girls team has not just competed; they have dominated, medaling in all but one tournament. “This team by far stands out out of a lot of the […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Naples based DNA Volleyball, originally an all-boys club, added a girls team this season. The new team has made a remarkable debut.

In their first year, DNA Volleyball’s girls team has not just competed; they have dominated, medaling in all but one tournament.

“This team by far stands out out of a lot of the teams that I have coached, just because their chemistry is insane,” said Priscilla Medal, DNA Volleyball Girls Head Coach. “I mean, they’ve been together since they were very little, and now up to this point, they had a rough season last year, but now this year, they’re just showing up and showing out.”

The team’s bond is driving their outstanding season after joining the new club.

“It’s honestly just the atmosphere. These girls, even in their losses, show such great growth, and they just have great mentality. And that’s what a great athlete is. It’s just having that great mentality to push through all the games, all the practices, and they’re the type of girls that want that extra rep, and that makes a huge difference.”

The DNA girls boast a 45-12 record and an 80% win rate. For many of these 15-year-olds, the journey is just beginning.

“It’s very impactful for them, because these girls, as they’re getting older, they are going to be coming across college recruits and…showing up all the time and giving more than 100% effort, it’s really going to show up and give them some success in the future.”

As the season winds down, the growth on and off the court is evident.

“I think their spirits were maybe not expecting to win as much as they have this whole season, but they’ve definitely led themselves with a lot of confidence, and they’re very humble.”

The success seems to be just beginning for DNA’s rising stars. The team has one more tournament this weekend before competing at AAU Nationals next month.

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