DURHAM, N.H. – Sophomore Emma Reaves (Westminster, Md.) of the UNH women’s track & field team and senior Kyle Chauvette (Goffstown, N.H.) of the UNH men’s hockey team were named the Service Credit Union Student-Athletes of the Week on Dec. 8. 

Emma broke her own school record in the shot put with a first-place throw of 47 feet, 2.25 inches. Rhody Tri-Meet Opener at Mackal Field House in Kingston, R.I. on Friday (Dec. 5). She previously set the indoor record when she threw 46′ 1.50″ last season. 

In addition to her record-breaking performance in the shot put, Emma also had a first-place finish in the weight throw with a toss of 17.87 meters to secure the victory and cap off an impressive weekend. 

UNH returns to action on Jan. 24 as the indoor track and field team hosts Bryant University at Paul Sweet Oval in Durham, N.H. 

Kyle was excellent in the Wildcats’ sweep of 11th-ranked Maine this past weekend. In the first game, he posted 21 saves and a shutout on Friday, Dec. 5 to lead the ‘Cats to a 1-0 victory. The following night he proved to be just as effective with a total of 28 saves to propel New Hampshire to a 3-2 win that gave the Wildcats’ their first road sweep of Maine since 2008. 

UNH will return to the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex on Sunday, Dec. 14 versus Granite State rival Dartmouth at 4pm as fans can Skate with the ‘Cats after the game. CLICK HERE to buy tickets  

Check back every week during the season to get to know two more Wildcats as part of the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week. Thank you to Service Credit Union for sponsoring the Student-Athlete of the Week. 

• JoBurg junior Mady Peppin was named the Gaylord Herald Times Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
• Peppin also earned All-State third-team honors after leading the area with 445 kills and 49 blocks.
• Gaylord St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston volleyball teams both secured district championships in 2025.

GAYLORD ― Fall can sometimes be seen as “football season” to high school sports fans. However, volleyball teams across Otsego County have been consistently more successful at bringing home championships, and 2025 was no exception.

Both Gaylord St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston brought home district titles this year, GSM’s first since 2022 and JoBurg’s first since 2020. Meanwhile, a tumultuous season for GHS somewhat overshadowed the end of the careers for a group of influential seniors in Gaylord’s program.

Before we move on to the winter sports season for good, let’s take a look back at the individuals who made this past high school volleyball season so fun to watch. Here is the 2025 all-area team:

CRETE, NEB. — After the first weekend of indoor track & field action of the season, Central College’s Olivia Bohlen (senior, Belle Plaine) has the best pentathlon score in all of Division III following her effort at the Doane Happy Holidays Multi-Event.
           
She tallied 3,546 points to finish third. Zoey Brinker of Kansas State University won with 3,880 points. Teammate Sage Austin (junior, Carlisle) was ninth with 2,343 points.
           
In the men’s heptathlon, Kale Hobart (junior, Mason City) was second with 5,069 points. He’s No. 2 in the country. Freshman Landon Pote (freshman, Ankeny) totaled 4,641 points in his first collegiate heptathlon to take fourth place.

“The athletes did great and this is an exciting way to start the year.,” assistant coach Aaron Fuller said. “We are leaving with a good number of personal bests and looking forward to the rest of the season.” “This was a great way to open the year for Olivia and Kale. They are both starting off the season where they ended their All-American season last year.”

           

Dutch sweep mile at Frigid Bee Opener – At the Frigid Bee Opener hosted by St. Ambrose University on Saturday the Dutch swept the mile races.

           

On the women’s side, Peyton Steffen (senior, Marion) finished first in 5:01.11 while Jack Brown (junior, Norwalk) took the men’s race in 4:07.80. Both won their races by over four seconds.

           

Central hosts the Dutch Holiday Preview on Friday inside H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse, starting with field events at 10 a.m.

 

WESTON, Mass. – After a standout debut at the season-opening meet, freshman Zoe Kirk has been recognized by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) as the Rookie of the Week for her performance this past weekend.

Kirk earned a third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 9.84 seconds, and later placed sixth in the high jump with a mark of 1.45 meters – just 0.01 shy of the program record in her first collegiate competition.

Kirk and the Pride return to action after the New Year with a trip to Wesleyan University on Saturday, January 10.

COLLEGE STATION – A contingent of ACU Wildcats kicked off the 2026 indoor track season in at the McFerrin 12-Degree Invitational, with several successful times and marks.

Highlights in the meet were two victories for the Wildcats, as Vincent Luffey won the men’s mile with a personal best time of 4:12.16 (with teammate Benjamin Castro close behind in 2nd in a personal best time of 4:13.06) and Rhet Punt, last season’s National Junior College Athletic Association national champ, winning the weight throw handily with a toss of 62-10.25/19.16m.

There were several other highlights, including:

• Miguel Hall finishing in 3rd in the 60 hurdles with a time of 8.03, a few fractions off his personal best, with Canaan Fairley in 6th in a time of 8.18
• Mariana Van Dyk in 5th place in the shot put with a big personal best throw of 46-2/14.07m, with freshman Ciera Tilley close behind in 6th with a throw of 44-3.25/13.49m. Mariana also finished 5th in the weight throw with a strong season opening throw of 47-8.25/14.46.
• In the men’s 3K run, Mark Barajas finished in 3rd in a time of 8:19.52, with Carlos Cortez close behind in 5th with a time of 8:20.41 – both times substantial improvements over their previous personal bests.
• Running in the 1000-meter run, Emma Santoro finished 3rd in the women’s race with a time of 2:57.96 and Evan Martin placed 4th in the men’s race running a time of 2:28.74.
• In the women’s 600-meter race, Madelyn McFadden finished in 2nd with a time of 1:35.12 and Jalyn Childers was just behind her in 3rd running a 1:36.23.
• ACU had a large group of freshmen running in the women’s 60-meter dash, led by Kee’Lani Whitlock, who finished in 7th with a time of 7.66
• The women’s 4×400 relay finished in 2nd with a team made up of 800-meter runners – Anna Vyn, Emma Santoro, Gracee Whiteaker, and Madelyn McFadden, in a time of 3:50.94 and Gracee with the fastest split time of 56.45.

The Wildcats will now enter a season of hard training over the holiday break, before the team’s next indoor track meet, the Texas Tech Corky Classic on January 16-17, 2026.

Gophers volleyball kicked off the weekend with a strong performance, winning against Fairfield University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament and then taking down Iowa State University. 

These two wins advance the Gophers to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022. Their first appearance under Head Coach Keegan Cook. This tournament marks the program’s 30th NCAA Tournament appearance and 11th consecutive one. 

Cook spoke about how the team approached the tournament with confidence.

“It didn’t feel like some accomplishment that wasn’t within our reach,” Cook said. “Anything can happen. This tournament is the place where you can become a different player.” 

Minnesota’s performance against Fairfield showed a team playing with confidence and control from the opening serve. Minnesota steered clear of the mistakes that often decrease momentum. 

The Gophers maintained defensive organization and control, sustaining rallies with precise passes that enabled them to regroup and execute their offense. Their points were generated through a consistent combination of fast sets in the center and accurately targeted hits from the outside, which consistently left Fairfield disconnected. 

Minnesota focused on open areas using tip shots and cross-court plays, consistently placing the ball in zones where Fairfield’s defense was sluggish to adjust. 

In the next round, Iowa State posed a more difficult challenge. The Cyclones demonstrated more power at the net and showed enhanced intensity in their defense. Minnesota countered with another three-set sweep, yet this win demanded greater patience, wiser choices and strong conclusions in critical moments.

Senior outside hitter Julia Hanson showcased an impressive performance, scoring consistently in key moments and offering the reliable presence Minnesota required. Her ability to hit through the defense and place the ball effectively gave Minnesota a reliable source of momentum throughout the match.

Redshirt freshman setter Stella Swenson also played a key role. Her distribution of the ball kept Minnesota’s offense balanced, involving multiple hitters and preventing Iowa State from locking in on any single player. Her calmness and ability to read the flow of each rally helped Minnesota maintain control as the match progressed.

Reflecting on the challenges earlier in the season, Swenson said the growth that shaped her performance.

“Losing people early on meant that lineups changed constantly. So it meant learning what my hitters liked and didn’t like, right away,” Swenson said. “I had to figure out what they needed, what they didn’t want. The fact that I made those connections and that I can set Julia blindfolded is huge for our team.”

The team had a strong defense, which stopped Iowa State from advancing further. This type of playing showed fans that Minnesota is focused and ready for the next round of the tournament. Not only is advancing to the Sweet 16 an impressive accomplishment for Minnesota, but it is evidence of the progress made under Cook’s leadership. 

Minnesota is headed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, next. The next round will be the Gophers’ most competitive game since they faced No. 1 Nebraska. 

The Panthers are ranked No.1 in the Gophers’ bracket, but the Gophers are riding the momentum of the successful first two rounds as they enter the Sweet 16, which will help them maintain the same confidence they played with this weekend.