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Jet Sports Training Week 2 Southern Arizona Pigskin Preview

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Jet Sports Training Week 2 Southern Arizona Pigskin Preview

Raul Soto-Romero of Jet Sports Network and I talked about Week 2 matches in the Southern Arizona high school football season in what will be a weekly video podcast show from the Jet Sports Studio.

VIDEO PODCAST

AUDIO PODCAST

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ALL GAMES ARE AT 7 P.M.

THURSDAY

5A: Ironwood Ridge at 4A Catalina Foothills

This will be the fifth meeting between the programs. Ironwood Ridge is 4-0 against the Falcons, and the last three meetings were blowout shutouts (30-0 in 2004, 45-0 in 2011, and 56-0 in 2012). … Daniel Sainz has returned to coaching Catalina Foothills after a one-year absence to devote time to his National Guard duties, and previously served as the head coach from 2021 to 2023. He served as Cienega’s offensive coordinator last season. Seniors Zac Mendola (safety/cornerback) and Raygan King (outside linebacker/cornerback) are expected to be key contributors. Senior Isai Valenzuela and junior Alexander Wilkerson are listed as key players on the offensive and defensive lines. … Senior Jaiden Martinez returns at quarterback. A new target is Tombstone transfer Jabari Thomas, who had 539 yards receiving (24 receptions) with eight touchdowns last year.

4A: Poston Butte at Mica Mountain

Mica Mountain has won the previous two season-opening games against Poston Butte, including last year at home. … Pat Nugent, who led the team to a 14-0 record and the state title in just its fourth year of existence, retired after the 2024 season, paving the way for Jay Campos to return to coaching after previously serving as head coach at Sabino from 2003 to 2016. He led the Sabercats to four state championship games. Despite the significant personnel losses, the program has established itself as a team that reloads with talent, including all-purpose athlete Riley Carson, linebacker Broden Schmidt, and quarterback Jaidyn Crist.

4A: Sahuarita at Walden Grove (Kickoff Classic)

Sahuarita is coming off a successful 2024 season, when it won a region title for the first time since 2013. The Mustangs (8-2 overall, 6-0 in the 4A Gila a year ago) are aiming for a playoff appearance in 2025 and have purposely scheduled a tougher non-region schedule, which includes both Walden Grove and the defending state champions, Mica Mountain … QB Rasheed Martin, a junior, returns after anchoring the offense during the Mustangs’ six-game winning streak to end last season. Senior RB/LB/S Will Thwaits is expected to be a major impact player on both sides of the ball. LB Sergio Burgos Jr., a junior, earned first-team all-region honors last season. … Walden Grove has a new quarterback — Gauge Abalos — a junior who has impressed coach Corey Noble with his leadership. DT Steven Michael Valdez Jr. is the first Walden Grove football player to commit to an FBS program on a full scholarship (New Mexico State).

Other games Thursday –

3A: Thatcher (1-0) at Apache Junction (0-1)
3A: Round Valley (1-0) at Florence (0-1)

FRIDAY

5A: Marana at 6A Salpointe

The Marana Tigers are coming off a strong 2024 season that saw them snap Salpointe’s 27-game winning streak against Southern Arizona opponents with a dramatic 27-24 comeback victory at Marana. Phillip Steward’s program eventually went 10-0 and was the No. 1 team in the Open Division. QB Colten Meyer is a senior who returns after a stellar 2024 season, in which he was named to the all-conference and all-region teams. He was the hero in last year’s win over Salpointe, throwing for 297 yards and a late touchdown, and scoring the game-winning two-point conversion. … Senior DT Hayden Utley and LB Greg Webb anchor a stout defense. … Salpointe finished its 2024 season with an 8-3 record and a league title. Salpointe’s two-quarterback system includes junior Matthew Avelar, who threw for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing score in last year’s game against Marana. Rayce Alvarez is a senior QB who throws out of the pocket. He threw for more than 1,100 yards last season. Junior receiver RJ Gory is listed as a 3-star prospect by 247 Sports and is an Arizona recruiting target. … Senior DT Noah Banhie is a returning all-conference selection.

5A: Buena at Cienega

Buena senior QB Kaleb Layton matched against Cienega’s Julian Hainley should be entertaining. Layton, a transfer from Walden Grove, threw for almost 2,000 yards last year with 19 touchdowns. Hainley passed for more than 1,600 yards with 13 touchdowns. … The Colts have plenty of talent around Layton, including seniors Tyler Gjerde (lineman), Michael Lujan (running back) and receiver Jayden Thomas. On defense, senior LB Cooper Kraus is a prospect to watch. … Hainley has talented target Jaden Rodgers (who committed to Idaho State on Wednesday) and a defense that includes stellar prospects in LB Davion Ross and DE Andrei Davis-Lopez.

5A: Mountain View at Tucson

Mica Mountain has plenty of contributors on defense returning with six players recording at least 38 tackles last year, led by senior LB Jason Pogue (63 tackles, 10 for loss). DE Caden Rudy had 17 tackles for loss last season. …Tucson High had a historic season last year under coach Zach Neveleff, winning its first playoff game in 53 years. The Badgers’ last playoff win before that came when Tucson beat Tempe in the 3A state championship game in 1971 to claim back-to-back titles under legendary Tucson coach Ollie Mayfield. Tucson’s nine wins were the program’s most since the 1971 championship season when the Badgers went 11-1. Some of Tucson’s top players include senior QB Derek Mesa, senior athlete Noah Chanez, senior linebacker Dominic Drow, and sophomore defensive back Ezra Spivey.

The rest of the slate Friday –

5A: Desert View at Sunrise Mountain
5A: Sunnyside at Vista Grande
5A: Canyon del Oro at Browne
5A: Maricopa at Mountain Pointe
4A: Douglas at 5A Flowing Wells
4A: Amphitheater at 5A Nogales
4A: Rio Rico at Combs
4A: Cibola at Rincon/University
4A: Pueblo at Youngker
4A: Sahuaro at Empire
4A: Cholla at Yuma
3A: Pusch Ridge (1-0) at ALA-Ironwood (0-1)
3A: Gilbert Christian (1-0) at Sabino (0-1)
3A: San Tan Foothills (0-1) at Dysart (0-1)
3A: Chinle (0-1) at Coolidge (0-1)
3A: Blue Ridge (1-0) at Safford (0-1)
2A: Palo Verde (0-1) at ALA -Anthem South (0-1)
2A: Willcox (1-0) at Arizona Lutheran (1-0)
2A: Bisbee (0-1) at Cortez (0-1)
2A: Heritage Academy Laveen (1-0) at Desert Christian (1-0)
2A: Santa Rita (0-1) at Miami (1-0)
2A: Tanque Verde (0-1) at Morenci (1-0)
2A: Benson (1-0) at Phoenix Christian (1-0)
2A: Globe (1-0) at Santa Cruz (1-0)
1A: St. David (1-0) at Baboquivari (0-1)
1A: Valley Union (0-1) at Desert Heights (1-0)
1A: Ray (0-1) at San Manuel (1-0)
(BYE) 2A Catalina (1-0)







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No. 3 Badgers stifle Panthers to kick off postseason action

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MADISON, Wis. – The No. 3 Wisconsin volleyball team dominated in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, sweeping Eastern Illinois (25-11, 25-6, 25-19) behind another strong performance on the offensive end. 

The Badgers (25-4) advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament with the help of a .435 (47 – 10 – 85) hitting percentage—jumping out of the gates in set one. 

Outside hitter Mimi Colyer continued to lead the way for UW, tallying six kills on eight attempts in set one. The Badgers won 13-of-14 rallies early on to take a 17-3 lead, forcing a Panthers’ (24-8) timeout. 

From there, UW never looked back in the first frame, as right side Grace Egan racked up a kill to put away Eastern Illinois with a 25-11 final score. 

The Badgers put together their best showing of the season in the second set, winning 25-6. The six points allowed were the least by a Wisconsin unit in the rallying scoring era in the NCAA Tournament, dating back to 2007. UW earned four service aces in the set—including a pair from setter Charlie Fuerbringer

Wisconsin enjoyed another large run in the second frame, winning seven-straight rallies to go up 19-5. Outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres provided a quality spark off of the bench in set two, recording back-to-back kills in the latter half of the frame. The sophomore earned four kills on four attempts, a season-best. 

Eastern Illinois provided a response in the third set, but the Badgers were able to answer quickly to earn the sweep. Middle blocker Tosia Serafinowska concluded the match with her first kill of her postseason career, punching the Badgers’ ticket to a battle with North Carolina tomorrow evening at the UW Field House. 

Colyer tallied double-digit kills for the 16th consecutive match, finishing with 10 on a .562 swinging percentage. Vajagic put together a solid showing in her postseason debut, also accumulating 10 kills to complement her five digs. 

Defensively, libero Kristen Simon was a staple in the back row, as the freshman notched 15 digs—tying her highest total since the Badgers’ match against Indiana on Nov. 9. 

The middle blockers for UW continued to be efficient, as seniors Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew combined for 12 kills and zero hitting errors. 

Fuerbringer did it all for the Badgers to round out the standouts, paced by 35 assists. The sophomore added eight digs, four blocks and a pair of service aces, too. 

Straight from the Court

Head Coach Kelly Sheffield (on tonight’s performance): “Really happy with the way we came out and played. We did a lot of good things. Kristen really set the tone behind the service line and was aggressive defensively, getting balls and just hunting, making strong moves.”

(On everyone gaining in-match experience): “You certainly don’t go into the match thinking you’ll empty the bench. We have a lot of people who work hard and when an opportunity presents itself in the NCAA Tournament where you can add year played to their experience, especially in the Field House, that is pretty special.”

Middle Blocker Alicia Andrew (on what went well tonight): “I was really impressed with both Mimi and Kristen. They were really going for it on their serves and it showed. They got the team out of the system a lot and that was so much fun to watch. I think our side out transition game, like Coach mentioned, we were able to be in the system a lot of the time courtesy to Kristen and that was really good.”

Libero Kristen Simon (on continuing to build confidence): “It’s been a process just building up my confidence and going for every ball. Obviously, you find more range and just find more confidence behind the defensive line and just reading your hitters.”

Notes: 

  • With the sweep over EIU, Wisconsin moves to 27-1 all-time in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, and 71-29 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
  • The match-up against EIU marked the first time the two teams met since 1995. Wisconsin improves 5-2 all-time against the Panthers.
  • For the seventh time this season, the Badgers hit .400 or better (47-10-95). The Badgers outhit EIU .435 to .022.
  • The Badgers surrendered just six points in the second set to EIU making it the lowest point total by an opponent in program history of the NCAA tournament.
  • For the 16th-consecutive match, outside hitter Mimi Colyer totaled double-figure kills. She led the team with 10 kills. The senior is now tied at third in program history with Arlisa Hagan (1991-92) for most consecutive matches with double-digit kill totals.
  • Sophomore Morgan Van Wie made an appearance in the third set as a serving substitute.
  • The 49 digs marks the fourth-highest dig total in a three set match this season for the Badgers.
  • Sophomore Maile Chan recorded her first service ace in the third set.
  • Senior Carter Booth recorded her seventh match without a hitting error. Both totaled seven kills on 11 swings.
  • Libero Kristen Simon led the team with 15 digs. This marks Simon’s 20th match with double-figure digs.

Up Next: The Badgers are back in action tomorrow evening in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, as they will take on North Carolina at 7:00 p.m. CT at the UW Field House. Wisconsin holds an 8-2 record all-time against the Tar Heels, as the two teams last competed against each other back in 2019. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.



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Volleyball Closes Season Against No. 1 Kentucky in NCAA Tournament

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LEXINGTON, KY. – The Wofford volleyball team was defeated by the No. 1 seeded Kentucky Wildcats 3-0 on Thursday night inside of Historic Memorial Coliseum in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers close the season 17-14 with a 10-6 record in conference action. Kentucky will take on UCLA tomorrow night.

“Our mindset was to come out and leave it out there,” said head coach Lynze Roos. “I feel like we competed in some really good points. They got some separation and that was tough, but I’m really proud of the way that these women competed in the season that we had.”

 

Wofford totaled 27 kills on 26 assists throughout the match. On defense, the team posted 54 digs and four blocks. The Wildcats finished the match with 45 kills on 44 assists. Kentucky also posted 56 digs and four blocks.

 

Leading Wofford was Bradley Brown who had 10 kills on a .259 hitting percentage. Brown also led the team with three blocks. Following behind was Chloe Smith with six kills. Maddy Frazier dished out a team-high 13 assists, while Taylor Pecht had 10. Laney Klika recorded a team-high 13 digs, along with 10 from Caroline Przystup. Annemarie Rakoski and Natalie Arnold tallied one block apiece.

 “We talk a lot about playing relentless defense and going for every single ball. We knew that tonight was going to be a tough task, but you never really know unless you go for it,” said Laney Klika

“We talked a lot before the game about playing how we play and not letting their offense or defense change the way that we like to play,” added Annemarie Rakoski.

“It was amazing just to be able to have some family and friends that I don’t get to see very much anymore come watch me play. It was super cool to just have that support,” said Chloe Smith.

 

Kentucky grabbed the first two points of set one, but Wofford responded with a solo block by Annemarie Rakoski. Another solo block from Bradley Brown kept the Kentucky lead within one point. With the Wildcats leading 13-8, Kentucky would add four unanswered points to bring the Wofford deficit to nine points. The Terriers could not overcome the Kentucky lead, losing set one 25-11.

 

The teams were back-and-forth to start set two, as the Terriers would take an early 5-4 lead. Wofford took its biggest advantage – a 15-13 lead – after a pair of Kentucky attacking errors. The Wildcats fought back to take a 20-19 lead, and the team scored the final five points of the stanza to take set two 25-19. Bradley Brown totaled eight kills and one block in the second set alone.

 

Wofford jumped out to a 2-0 lead to start the third set of the match by way of a Bradley Brown kill. Kentucky responded with a 7-1 run, however, to regain the lead. The Wildcats would eventually take a 13-4 advantage. Wofford cut the deficit to six points a few rallies later, but the team would lose set three and ultimately the match.

 

Wofford concludes the season 17-14 with a 10-6 mark in Southern Conference play. The team entered the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed and defeated both No. 6 Samford and No. 2 Furman to reach the championship match. The Terriers took down No. 1 ETSU to win their third-straight conference championship and earn another bid to the NCAA Tournament.

 



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Demon Deacons Open Season at Liberty Kickoff

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LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Wake Forest track and field team opened their 2024-25 indoor track schedule on Thursday afternoon as a pair of Demon Deacons competed in the Liberty Kickoff at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.

Junior Seren Rodgers secured a third place finish in the pentathlon, totaling 3,771 points. With the result, the Taunton, England, native now sits sixth all-time in program history in the women’s indoor pentathlon.

Overall, Rodgers recorded three podium finishes during the competition, including a pair of runner up results in the long jump, where she recorded a jump of 10.32 meters, and the 800m, crossing the line in 2:19.62. Rodgers also claimed third place in the 60m hurdles after clocking a time of 8.86 seconds.

Meanwhile, freshman Julia Aere also competed in the pentathlon, securing eighth place with 3,462 points in her collegiate debut. The Delray Beach, Fla., native placed inside the top-10 in all five events, highlighted by a third place finish in the shot put after recording a distance of 11.13 meters, as well as a fifth place result in the 800m after recording a time of 2:27.34.

Notable Finishes

Pentathlon

2025-26 Indoor Track and Field Top-10 Marks in School History

From the Staff
“I’m really pleased with how the competition progressed today. Julia and Seren competed well and this meet was a great measure of how hard we have worked throughout the fall semester. It gave us a chance to get out, perform at a high level and still recognize that we left some points on the table, which is exciting. We are in a great place heading into the holiday break and this will keep us motivated and hungry. These two ladies set the tone early for the team and we are eager for the rest of the team to compete this weekend.” – Assistant Coach Ryan Grinnell

Up Next

The Demon Deacons return to action on Saturday with a pair of meets. One group of Wake Forest athletes will travel to Boston to compete in the 5K race at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. Meanwhile, several Deacs will compete at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-off at the JDL Fast Track.



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Lopes unveil 2025-26 indoor slate

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Grand Canyon unveiled its 2025-26 indoor track and field schedule, which starts this week with the first of eight regular-season meets and concludes with the Mountain West Indoor Championships in late February.
 
After the Lopes dominant WAC indoor run of 14 conference titles between the men’s and women’s teams, GCU will compete in its first season as a Mountain West member.
 
Coach Flood celebrates with sprinter after final “This schedule and competition should prepare both our men’s and women’s teams to make a lot of noise at our inaugural Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships, as well as send a lot of our athletes to the NCAA Indoor Championships,” GCU head coach Tom Flood said.
 
Grand Canyon’s indoor schedule will feature meets in trips to Flagstaff, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Reno, Nevada.
 
“Again, we are really excited about our indoor schedule,” Flood said. “We will again be competing at some of the finest indoor facilities in the country and against some of the best track and field programs in the country.”
 
The 2025-26 season begins Thursday as the Lopes travel to Reno, Nevada, before taking a break until the new year. From there, they will travel to Flagstaff and Albuquerque before heading back to Reno for the Mountain West Indoor Championships.
 
GCU aims to represent at the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be held March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
 
For the full indoor schedule, click here.

 



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Men’s and Women’s Track and Field 2026 Season Preview

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A new era in Hope College track and field begins today with the first indoor meet of the 2026 season.

Beginning at noon, the Flying Dutch and Flying Dutchmen are competing at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Open under the leadership of first-year head coach Jordan Bartolazzi, the 11th women’s head coach in program history and the 13th men’s coach.

Bartolazzi, who built his alma mater, Elmhurst University (Illinois), into a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin power before coming to Hope, is thrilled with the progress both teams made during preseason workouts.

“There was a lot of good stuff going on here to build on,” Bartolazzi said. “Our focus, with every practice, has been preparing to compete, whether we’re an All-American or trying to crack the conference lineup. We have a lot of student-athletes working really hard. We’ve been having a ball. There has been really good energy. I think it’s been a good start for us.”

The Flying Dutch, who finished third in the MIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Preseason Coaches Poll, feature a roster of 73, with 17 seniors, 17 juniors, 14 sophomores and 25 freshmen.

The Flying Dutchmen, who also tookl thjird in the MIAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field Preseason Coaches Poll, have a roster of 64, with 18 seniors, nine juniors, 17 sophomores and 20 freshmen.

Coaching Staff

Head coach: Jordan Bartolazzi, first season

Distance coach: Mark Northuis

Distance assistant coaches: Dan Campbell, Mike Northuis

Throws coach: Paul Markel

Jumps coach: Addy Gerig

Pole vault coaches: Jon Lunderberg, Ben Turner

Women’s Roster

Senior Sara Schermerhorn (Traverse City, Michigan / Traverse City West) is Hope’s top returner after claiming All-America honors in four events for the second consecutive season in 2025: indoor and outdoor 200 meters and indoor and outdoor 400 meters.

The exercise science major swept MIAA Most Valuable Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete honors as a junior and earned MIAA Most Valuable Indoor Track Athlete accolades in back-to-back seasons. She became the first sprinter in league history to win titles in the 60, 200 and 400 at the same meet.

Schermerhorn set MIAA records in the indoor 200 and 400 meters last season. She also ran on the MIAA champion 4×400 relay, which returns two other sprinters: senior Frances Cozzens (Lyman, New Hampshire / Saint Johnsbury Academy) and sophomore Sofia Fisher (Lombard, Illinois / Montini Catholic).

Hope returns three runners from the MIAA champion distance medley relay: senior Molly Durow (Glenview, Illinois / Glenbrook South), junior Amanda Markham (Hoffman Estates, Illinois / William Fremd) and sophomore Lily Sackrider (St. Johns, Michigan / St. Johns).

Durow is coming off an All-America cross country campaign this fall. The special education major finished 32nd at the Division III national championships and was runner-up at the Great Lakes Regional and MIAA Championships.

“We have great leadership,” Bartolazzi said. “Not only do we have some great upperclassmen, but we have some really wonderful seniors who have made an effort to welcome our freshmen and newcomers to the program. It’s a gift to have great senior leadership in year one.”

Men’s Roster

Hope returns senior sprinter Liam Danitz, the 2025 First Team All-MIAA honoree and MIAA Most Valuable Men’s Indoor Track Athlete.

Danitz (West Branch, Michigan / Ogemaw Heights) set an MIAA record in the 200-meter dash (21.59), earned First Team All-America honors with a fifth-place national finish in the 200 (21.93), and took second in the 60-meter dash (6.83) for All-MIAA Second Team honors.

The exercise science major also contributed to an All-MIAA Second Team 4×400 relay alongside returning junior Dylan Terpstra (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville).

Senior Erickson Kunzler (Marne, Michigan / Grand Rapids Catholic Central) returns as the MIAA 800-meter champion after posting a winning time of 1:56.09.

Senior Carston Cole (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) and junior Carter Dean (Traverse City, Michigan / Traverse City West) also return from last year’s All-MIAA First Team distance medley relay.

Cole recorded Hope’s top cross country finish at nationals this fall. The Flying Dutchmen placed 23rd in the nation as a team and made history with their first Great Lakes Regional title since 1980 and first MIAA crown since 1986.

Sophomore Logan Begeman (Portage, Michigan / Portage Central) ran away with the Great Lakes Regional and MIAA individual championships.

“They’re hungry,” Bartolazzi said of the Flying Dutchmen. “Having that breakthrough season in cross country is such a gift. They felt like they were close and believed they could compete at the conference and national levels. They showed they could. That carries over to the track season.”

Schedule

The Flying Dutch and Flying Dutchmen are scheduled to compete in 10 indoor meets and eight outdoor meets.

The MIAA Indoor Championships are Saturday, Feb. 28, at Trine University.

The NCAA Indoor Championships are Friday-Saturday, March 13-14, in Birmingham, Alabama.

Hope will host the MIAA Outdoor Championships on Friday-Saturday, April 30-May 1, at Brewer Track.

The NCAA Outdoor Championships are Thursday-Saturday, May 21-23, in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

“One thing I wanted to do this year was get our student-athletes on banked tracks a little more,” Bartolazzi said. “Nationals will be on a banked track, so I want them to know what that feels like. It’s a great thing in West Michigan — you don’t have to go far to race against really good people.”

 



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Mustangs Open Track and Field Season This Weekend

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Blue-Gold Invite 

Loftus Sports Center – South Bend, Indiana 

Friday, December 5, 2025 

Live Results 

McFerrin-12 Degree Invite 

Fasken Indoor Track – College Station, Texas 

Saturday, December 6, 2025 

Live Results | Watch  

Sharon Colyear Danville Season Opener  

BU Track & Tennis Center – Boston, Massachusetts   

Saturday, December 6, 2025   

Live Results | Watch 

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram   

SMU Mobile App Apple | Google Play 

DALLAS, Texas (SMU) — The Mustangs will open up their 2025-2026 track and field season across three different meets this weekend. The distance ponies will split between Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Invite and Boston University’s Sharon Colyear Danville Season Opener. The rest of the team will travel to Texas A&M’s McFerrin-12 Degree Invite. 

This meet will serve as a soft opener for the Mustangs with the remainder of the season beginning in mid-January. The distance athletes are coming off a successful cross country season, which concluded with an appearance at the national championship for Rose Mburu, but this will be the first competition for the sprints, jumps, and multis after fall training. 

The action will begin on Friday at Notre Dame and continue at the other two meets on Saturday. 





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