College Sports

Jackson Unger Commits To Colorado College

Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com Former Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Jackson Unger has committed to Colorado College, it was announced late last week. A product of Calgary, Alta., Unger spent this past year splitting time between the Hurricanes and the Moose Jaw Warriors. In 21 games with Moose Jaw, he put up a 4-11-4 record, a 4.36 GAA […]

Published

4 weeks ago

May 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Former Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Jackson Unger has committed to Colorado College, it was announced late last week.

A product of Calgary, Alta., Unger spent this past year splitting time between the Hurricanes and the Moose Jaw Warriors. In 21 games with Moose Jaw, he put up a 4-11-4 record, a 4.36 GAA and a .887 SP. After his trade to the Hurricanes, Unger posted a stat line of 22-7-3 to go along with a 2.42 GAA and a .909 SP.

While the Hurricanes got swept by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern Conference Championship, Unger and the team still played solid hockey, with Unger posting a record of 8-8 as well as a 3.38 GAA and a .893 SP.

Drafted by the Warriors in the third round of the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, Unger played in a total of 159 career WHL regular season games, putting up a 3.38 GAA and a .895 SP.

With Unger heading to join the Tigers, they’re getting a goalie who should be able to challenge for starts as soon as he steps onto campus. While he’s had his ups and downs like anyone else in the WHL, Unger has all the makings of a valuable starting goalie in the NCAA.

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College Sports

What’s next for influencer Livvy Dunne after college gymnastics career? ‘Everything,’ she says

Livvy Dunne, middle, sister Julz Dunne, left, and Sam Green pose at an AtheteCon event on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C. designed to help college athletes, promote their name, image and likeness brand. (AP Photo/Steve Reed) By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — With her college gymnastics days behind her, […]

Published

8 minutes ago

June 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

What’s next for influencer Livvy Dunne after college gymnastics career? ‘Everything,’ she says

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — With her college gymnastics days behind her, influencer and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Livvy Dunne is moving on with life — but that doesn’t mean she’ll be far from the public eye.

Dunne, who has more than 13 million followers on social media, created a multimillion-dollar personal brand while competing as a gymnast at LSU. Now she’s trying to help other female athletes do the same, helping to educate them about name, image and likeness deals and personal branding.

“I’m going to miss gymnastics so much because it has been a part of me for almost 20 years,” Dunne told The Associated Press at AthleteCon, where she had a speaking engagement. “What’s next? Everything. I want to do all of the things that I couldn’t do while I was a gymnast” because of the time constraints of being a student-athlete.

“So there are some really cool opportunities — stay tuned,” she added.

Dunne didn’t disclose any details, but it’s clear she plans to maintain her personal brand, which she developed along with the help of older sister and manager Julz Dunne.

AthleteCon CEO Sam Green, who has helped land more than 1,000 NIL deals, invited the Dunne sisters to speak to college athletes as part of a two-day seminar. Athletes met with representatives from social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Meta, created live content and competed for NIL deals. They learned how to turn a creative idea into a brand.

More than 100 athletes attended, with another 150 turned away because of space constraints.

Green’s company slogan is “all athletes are creators.”

“I’m really big on giving athletes the tools to monetize their brand,” Green said.

Few, if any, have done that better than Livvy Dunne.

She helped the Tigers to the 2024 national championship as a junior before missing this past season because of an injury. But she was better known on social media, where she amassed more than 8 million followers on TikTok and 5.3 million on Instagram before leaving LSU.

Advertisers took notice.

She was the highest-paid female college athlete across all sports during her time with the Tigers, earning more than $4.1 million, according to On3. She worked with brands like Nautica, Crocs and Sports Illustrated, where she recently did a split on the catwalk on a “triple dare.”

Her boyfriend is Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes, who played baseball at LSU.

“She’s it,” Green said. “She’s the road map. She’s the blueprint and she was the first to do it. The Dunnes are so innovative and they have done it with genuine intent. Livvy is the definition of NIL, in my opinion, at least true NIL and what it was meant to be from the start.”

Dunne said navigating the ever-changing world of NIL was like living in the wild West.

“I learned that you don’t have to do one thing and be great at that one thing,” Dunne said. “You can do multiple different things and find success in tons of different areas.”

But there were trying times as she balanced classes, competition and the constant demand for multiple daily social media posts.

She remembers walking into LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark’s office in tears because of stress about her schedule.

She fought through it and is glad she did.

“I hope people here take away that you are more than your sport and everybody deserves to capitalize on their name, image and likeness,” Dunne said. “Curiosity is key. Ask questions, network, and just create because, who knows, the sky is the limit. It got me to where I am today. Don’t just consume, but create.

“Keep posting,” she added. “The audience is there. People are interested. They want to see what you have to offer. Everyone’s story is different and has to be told.”

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College Sports

Nies Named Miami Hockey General Manager

Story Links OXFORD, Ohio— Miami Hockey head coach Anthony Noreen announced today that David Nies has been named the program’s general manager. Nies has served as the RedHawks’ assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since joining the Miami coaching staff in May 2024. He had previously been the United States National Team Development […]

Published

9 minutes ago

June 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

OXFORD, Ohio— Miami Hockey head coach Anthony Noreen announced today that David Nies has been named the program’s general manager. Nies has served as the RedHawks’ assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since joining the Miami coaching staff in May 2024. He had previously been the United States National Team Development Program’s Assistant Director of Player Personnel.

In his new role with the Red and White, Nies will be responsible for all areas of player procurement, including scouting, recruiting and player development.

“We are proud to name David Nies the first General Manager for Miami University Hockey,” Noreen said. “David knows the type of student-athletes we want to build this program around. His evaluation skills, work ethic, and ability to build strong relationships make him ideal for this role.”

“I’m honored to accept the role of General Manager with Miami University Hockey,” said Nies. “I deeply appreciate the trust placed in me, and I am committed to helping build a culture of excellence through our student-athletes and this amazing university.”

Since joining Miami, Nies has helped the RedHawks earn national recognition on the recruiting trail. Miami’s incoming class and its group of transfer portal additions are both ranked among the top 10 in the country by Neutral Zone.

During his time with the USNTDP (2023-24), Nies was involved in all aspects of identifying, scouting and recruiting players in the 2008 and 2009 birth classes. He had previously served as an assistant coach under Noreen with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm (2021-2023).

In Nies’ time at Tri-City, the Storm won the Anderson Cup in 2021-22, bolstered by the top-ranked penalty kill in the league. Nies oversaw the penalty kill and was responsible for defensemen development, in addition to assisting Noreen in all facets of team management.

Nies’ previous stop, also in the USHL, was with the Omaha Lancers, where he served as associate head coach and assistant general manager from 2018-2021. He has coached with Amarillo in the NAHL (2017-18) and been part of college coaching staffs at Merrimack College (2016-17), Curry College (2015-16), Ohio University (2014-15) and the University of Southern Maine (2013-14).

Before coming to Oxford, Nies scouted and coached a total of 33 NHL draft picks and 133 Division I college players in his various stops. He worked as an on-ice skills coach with NHL Draft picks Jordan Harris, Sam Colangelo, Michael Kesselring and Alex Jefferies.

As a player at Southern Maine, Nies was an ECAC All-Academic honoree from 2010-2013 and served as the Huskies’ team captain from 2011-2013. He owns a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology from USM and a Master’s in Sports Pedagogy from Ohio.

Miami Hockey opens its 2025-26 season on Friday, Oct. 3 vs. Ferris State at Steve “Coach” Cady Arena.

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College Sports

RinkWise podcast: Eric Boguniecki on development and life in hockey

Eric Boguniecki played 178 NHL games. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) Eric Boguniecki has done it all in hockey. After playing prep school hockey at Westminster, the New Haven, Conn., native played four years of college hockey at the University of New Hampshire. He captained the Wildcats as a senior in 1996-97 before embarking on a 13-year […]

Published

27 minutes ago

June 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Eric Boguniecki played 178 NHL games. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Eric Boguniecki has done it all in hockey.

After playing prep school hockey at Westminster, the New Haven, Conn., native played four years of college hockey at the University of New Hampshire. He captained the Wildcats as a senior in 1996-97 before embarking on a 13-year professional career that included 178 games in the NHL between the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders.

Boguniecki was also a three-time All-Star in the AHL. He led the league in goals and was named MVP in 2002 after posting 38 goals and 84 points in 63 games for the Worcester IceCats.

After his playing days, Boguniecki was an assistant coach with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, from 2011 to 2021 before joining the Utah Mammoth (then the Arizona Coyotes) as a scout in 2022.

Boguniecki’s son, Jake (Orange, Con..), recently made the USNTDP after standing out on the blue line with the Mid Fairfield 15Os.

Eric joined New England Hockey Journal editor Evan Marinofsky and writer Patrick Donnelly on the latest RinkWise podcast to discuss various topics. They touched on Boguniecki’s life in hockey, his son’s journey, player development, finding a balance in youth sports, changes in prep hockey and more.

RinkWise podcast: Eric Boguniecki

What does he watch when scouting players?

Boguniecki: “It varies from scout to scout, obviously, but for me, the most important thing is character and compete. Without that, it’s hard. You watch these [NHL] playoffs, and you see how hard the game is and the way they play. If you don’t have that ability to elevate, it’s gonna be real hard for you when you get to these levels. I also look for hockey sense. It’s extremely important. If you don’t have it, it’s tough to play at the higher levels. For me, hockey sense is one of the most important things. Everyone thinks it’s skating or this and that. Obviously, that’s a factor, but without a brain, you can’t accomplish much in a game.”

On the rise in specialization and finding a balance:

Boguniecki: “I’m gonna piss people off, and that’s OK. I’m used to that. But you have people making salaries off this stuff now, so they’re gonna tell you something differently. To me, you need the breaks. Mentally, physically, no matter what angle you look at it, you need those breaks. What baseball’s done for Jake’s hand-to-eye and everything, it’s been incredible. The pressure of pitching in important games or situations has been incredible for him mentally. With hockey, I didn’t do tournaments with Jake growing up. We didn’t do any of that. … My message would be, all those tournaments you’re running to, you could take half of that money and put it into skill development. You’ll get more out of that than going to some weekend in Minnesota and playing five games in three days. Save your money and put it towards something better and useful.”

The RinkWise podcast can be streamed here and on major platforms, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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College Sports

States making NIL income exempt from taxes.

New Jersey is the latest state to introduce a bill to exempt part or all of an Athletes NIL income. In New Jersey it would exempt $100,000 annually. Arkansas already passed theirs making income exempt. Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa and Illinois are also working bills to be completely exempt. Pattern: All SEC/BIG […]

Published

45 minutes ago

June 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

New Jersey is the latest state to introduce a bill to exempt part or all of an Athletes NIL income. In New Jersey it would exempt $100,000 annually.

Arkansas already passed theirs making income exempt. Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa and Illinois are also working bills to be completely exempt.

Pattern: All SEC/BIG 10 locations.

DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.

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College Sports

Six Union Student-Athletes Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

Story Links SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Six Union College student-athletes were among the 37 students recognized for their outstanding academic achievements with induction into the Union College chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the College announced this week. Union boasts New York State’s oldest chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and the fifth-oldest in […]

Published

47 minutes ago

June 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Six Union College student-athletes were among the 37 students recognized for their outstanding academic achievements with induction into the Union College chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the College announced this week.

Union boasts New York State’s oldest chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and the fifth-oldest in the United States, having inducted students since 1817.

Juniors and seniors of academic distinction who are candidates for bachelor of arts or general bachelor of science degrees are eligible for membership into Phi Beta Kappa. Election is based on scholarship and character, with particular attention given to intellectual maturity and breadth, and is one of the biggest distinctions given for academic achievement.

Six different Union sports were represented in this year’s class of Phi Beta Kappa inductees. The six Union student-athletes from the Class of 2025 elected into Phi Beta Kappa this year are: Liz Bentsianov (women’s golf), Wyatt Goldfisher (men’s soccer), Emma Hebert (women’s hockey), Sarah Murphy (women’s lacrosse), Aurelie Truquet (women’s swimming & diving) and Josh Vaidman (men’s crew). The sextet are joined in Phi Beta Kappa by classmate Liam McGovern (men’s lacrosse), who was inducted last year and finished his collegiate lacrosse career this spring.

Click here to read the College’s full release: https://www.union.edu/news/stories/202506/phi-beta-kappa-inducts-new-members

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College Sports

17 Edmonds

Edmonds-Woodway Athletic Director Tyler Geving introduces a crowd of family and friends to 17 EWHS senior Warrior athletes signing commitments to their college choices at the EWHS gym on Thursday, June 5. (Photos by Michael Bury) Warriors track and field athlete Nick Manz has committed to Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. E-W soccer teammates […]

Published

55 minutes ago

June 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Edmonds-Woodway Athletic Director Tyler Geving introduces a crowd of family and friends to 17 EWHS senior Warrior athletes signing commitments to their college choices at the EWHS gym on Thursday, June 5. (Photos by Michael Bury)

Warriors track and field athlete Nick Manz has committed to Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

E-W soccer teammates Kate Baldock (left) and Gabbie Martin-Mazzeo (right) have committed to Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and Pomona-Pitzer College in Claremont, California, respectively.

Warriors dance athlete Adison Oliver and family celebrate her commitment to Montana State University in Bozeman.

Softball athlete Abby McCorvey and her parents celebrate her commitment to the Edmonds College Tritons.

Volleyball athlete Rienna Mostrales with her parents. Rienna will play for the Everett Community College Trojans.

Warriors basketball teammates Julian Gray, William Anseth and coach Tyler Geving celebrate with Cameron Hiatt on his commitment to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Seventeen Edmonds-Woodway student athletes who will be competing at the collegiate level signed their national letters of intent during a ceremony at the high school Thursday afternoon. Teammates, family members and coaches were in attendance to watch as the athletes committed to continuing their athletic careers in college.

The athletes are:

Abby McCorvey – Edmonds College – Softball

Catie Ingalls – Nebraska Wesleyan University – Softball

Kate Baldock – Emerson College – Soccer

Gabbie Martin-Mazzeo – Pomona-Pitzer College – Soccer

Isak Haverlock – Olympic College – Baseball

Josh Akiyama – Shoreline Community College – Baseball

Noah Ushikubo – Northwest University – Track and Field

Nick Manz – Northwest Nazarene University – Track and Field

Luke Adams – Carroll University – Cross Country/Track and Field

Soloman September – Illinois College – Football

Rienna Mostrales – Everett Community College – Volleyball