Bree Smith ’27

Football
6/26/2025 9:45:00 AM

Jarod Minassian

EASTON, Mass. (June 26, 2025) – Stonehill College Football head coach Ei Gardner is excited to announce rising seniors Faisal Mass (Taunton, Mass.) and Brigham Dunphy (Barrington, R.I.) as its captains ahead of the 2025 season.
 
Both Dunphy and Mass have donned the purple and white for the Skyhawks for the past three seasons, earning the title of captains for their senior campaign. The duo will be part of the first graduating class for the Skyhawks, who spent all four seasons at the Division I level as members of the NEC. The Skyhawks will also be eligible for the Football College Subdivision (FCS) playoffs for the first time this fall.
 
“I am very excited for both Brigham and Faisal to have earned this recognition from their teammates,” said head coach Eli Gardner. “They have both embodied our cultural pillars of discipline, intellect, and grit throughout their time here at Stonehill, and this is a tremendous acknowledgment for them by their peers. Brigham is one of the hardest workers in our program and has an awesome approach to everything he does, on and off the field.  He is smart, tough, and a great teammate.  Similar to Brigham, Faisal has developed himself and his role to great heights during his time here. He is extremely mature and very well respected in our program. Our team did a tremendous job in selecting our captains for this season, but I know Brigham and Faisal would both agree that we have great leadership throughout this entire senior class. They will undoubtedly represent that and will do a great job of grabbing the shovel for us this season.”
 
Dunphy, a wide receiver who has also seen his share of carries out of the backfield, has tallied 29 catches for 397 yards and a touchdown in 18 games throughout his career. He has also run the ball 13 times for 51 yards and has tallied three tackles. Dunphy led the team in receptions (26), receiving yards (325), and receiving yards per game (40.6) a season ago. He also ranked in the top five on the Skyhawks with 51 rushing yards.
 
It’s a huge honor to have been named captain of this team,” said Dunphy. “I am so grateful for all my teammates and coaches who have been by my side the past three years, and I can’t wait to kick off the 2025 season. The team has been having a strong offseason, and I’m proud of the hard work we’ve been putting in. It’s time to show it between the lines; we are ready to go.”
 
Mass, a defensive end, has appeared in 22 games for the Skyhawks over the past three seasons, tallying 22 solo tackles and 20 assisted tackles, totaling 42, four of which have been for losses. Mass was ninth on the team and second among defensive linemen with 35 tackles last season. His three tackles for loss were tied for the fourth most on the Skyhawks. Mass recorded a pass deflection and a quarterback hit last season as well.
 
Being named a captain by my teammates and coaches means everything to me,” said Mass. “It’s more than just a title, it’s a sign of trust, respect, and belief in who I am both on and off the field. I take that responsibility seriously and am fully committed to leading by example and doing whatever it takes to help us win the NEC!”
 
Stonehill football will open its 12-game 2025 season on August 30 in Fairfield, Conn., when the Skyhawks take on Sacred Heart University to begin their fourth Division I campaign. The first game at the comforts of W.B. Mason Stadium will be on Saturday, Sept. 6, with Lafayette College making the trip to Easton, Mass.
 
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
 
 

There’s no way to describe Arizona gymnastics’ 2025 season except highly successful. The team produced the Big 12 co-Specialist of the Year, the WCGA Regional Assistant Coaches of the Year, and the Big 12 Coach of the Year. Over two months after concluding his season, that coach of the year has signed an extension to continue leading the GymCats.

Arizona Athletics announced that John Court has been extended through the 2028 season on Thursday afternoon. His current contract was signed in 2023 and was due to expire in 2026.

Court has been at Arizona for 26 years. He served as an assistant under both Bill Ryden and Tabitha Yim. He finally took over the program after Yim left just before the 2017-18 school year. After serving as the interim head coach for most of the season, he was given the permanent title in March 2018.

Court’s teams improved each year and had a breakout season this year. The GymCats finished second in their first season in the Big 12. Their only conference losses came to Utah in both the regular season and at the conference championships.

The team then accomplished another first. They advanced to the NCAA regional finals for the first time since the postseason format changed in 2019, pulling off an upset over Georgia to take second in their session. They also defeated Arizona State for the third time this season. It made them one of the last 16 teams standing.

Court’s extension follows the announcement of assistant Kylie Kratchwell’s promotion to associate head coach on June 18. She shares that title with Court’s longtime assistant Taylor Spears. The pair joined first-year assistant Shelby Martinez in earning the WCGA’s regional staff honors for the South Central Region.

Lead photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics

Michigan’s hockey program has landed two more commitments from Canadian Hockey League players.

Winger Jacob Larose of the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and center Jimmy Lombardi of the Flint Firebirds in the Ontario Hockey League announced their verbal pledges to the Wolverines on Thursday. Larose, 20, will join the Michigan for the 2025-26 season, while Lombardi, 18, will play one more year with the Firebirds before beginning his college career.

The Wolverines continue to tap into a new pool of prospective student-athletes, with players in the three CHL leagues eligible to play at the NCAA level for the first time.

Previously, they were banned from competing in the NCAA because the governing body of college athletics considered them professionals since they received stipends from their major junior teams.

Michigan has been busy recruiting in Canada, receiving six verbal pledges from CHL players this offseason. Larose should add some offense to head coach Brandon Naurato’s lineup next season. The 5-foot-9 Quebec native totaled 26 goals and 61 points in 63 games last season split between Drummondville and Victoriaville. His best season in the QMJHL came in 2023-24, when he registered 38 goals and 80 points in 67 games.

Lombardi is the second Firebird to commit to Michigan in as many days, following defenseman Matthew Mania’s announcement Wednesday. The 6-foot Lombardi (no relation to former Firebirds forward and Red Wings draft pick Amadeus Lombardi) had 13 goals and 45 assists in 63 games for Flint last season and is a projected mid-to-late-round pick in this week’s NHL draft.

The Wolverines, who missed the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 2019, will have a new-look roster in 2025-26. They are bringing in at least 10 freshmen and have added three transfers.

Women’s Lacrosse | 6/26/2025 9:30:00 AM

ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College Athletics announced the hiring of Geri Seif (Battle Creek, Mich.) as its next Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach.

“I could not be more grateful to the Russell Sage search committee, athletic department, and the women’s lacrosse team for giving me this opportunity to lead this program,” said Seif. “I want to thank my family, my mentors, and past players that helped me get to this point, I couldn’t have done it without them! I’m so pumped to start recruiting future Gators and I look forward to building a strong successful culture for years to come.”

“Russell Sage is thrilled to bring Geri Seif to the Swamp as our head women’s lacrosse coach ,” said RSC Director of Athletics Jim Lyons. “With a coaching philosophy that emphasizes positivity and a growth mindset, Geri will become a strong role model for each of the athletes in her program.  I am certain that with the consistency and leadership she can provide our team, that Russell Sage women’s lacrosse can become a fixture in the Empire 8 Conference playoffs for years to come.”   

Seif comes to Albany from nearby Union College, where she served as an assistant coach since 2022. The Garnet Chargers, under the direction of former RSC Head Coach Alyssa Treanor, have reached the Liberty League Championship Tournament semifinals in each of the past four springs, including a trip to the finals in 2025.

Before Union, Seif was the head girls’ lacrosse coach at East Grand Rapids High School for one season and as an assistant coach at Aquinas College (NAIA) for four years. She led East Grand Rapids to a 23-2 record and a MHSAA Division II State Championship during her one year at the helm, while helping the Saints to a WHAC Tournament semifinal appearance during her final season. 

 

Seif played collegiately at Olivet College, serving as a four-year captain for the Comets. She led the team to the best season in program history as a senior, scoring a school-record 50 goals with 10 assists for a record 60 points in 2015. A two-time All-MIAA second-team honoree, she is the school’s all-time leader in goals (155), assists (19), points (174), shots (374) and ground balls (126), while also holding school single-game records for goals, assists and points.

 

She graduated from Olivet in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a marketing concentration.

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE

The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.

 

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