LAKE CHARLES – McNeese track and field’s “Baton Brothers” aka, the 4×100-meter relay team, has recorded the most productive and memorable outdoor season in school history and will head into this week’s Southland Conference Championships looking to make more history.
 
Built with twin brothers Kalen Beavers and Keon Beavers, along with Amari Godette and Jaden Powell, the 4×100 team broke the school record three separate meets this season, and a fourth time was disqualified due to an official error.
 
All four sprinters are from Louisiana which makes this group closer and more connected.
 
“This relay team is so special to me because we’re a bunch of guys from Louisiana with different backgrounds and able to showcase Louisiana-born talent,” said Kalen, a native of Carencro and who also holds the team’s fastest time in the 200-meters.
 
His twin, Koen, feels the same.
 
“What makes this team so special is the diversity in all of our backgrounds. Me and Kalen are the young bucks and just our second year out of high school while Jaden and Amari are the seasoned vets coming from different universities.”
 
Godette is a junior from Lake Charles and prepped at Barbe High School before starting his college career at Nicholls. Powell is a senior from Monroe and attended Garden City Community College before coming to McNeese.
 
The team first broke the then 25-year-old school record at the ULL Louisiana Classics on March 22 with a time of 40.05, beating the school record by .04 seconds. Three weeks later, the team clocked a 40.00 time at the NSU Leon Johnson Invitational on April 12. Then two weeks following that on April 26, the quartet became the first McNeese relay team to clock a sub-40 second time with a 39.98 at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.
 
The team initially broke 40 seconds at the Florida Relays on April 4, but controversial judgement by an exchange official ruled the exchange between Powell and Godette was out of the zone and the team was disqualified after clocking a 39.95.
 
But that setback only seemed to strengthen the squad as they went on to break the school record three different times and will head into the conference championships ranked fifth in the league but well within competition range for a gold medal, something a McNeese unit has done only once before and not since 2004.
 
A main part of relays is the exchanging of the baton.
 
“Exchanges might be the most critical part of the relays,” said Kalen. “Of course you need speed, but one simple mistake during an exchange can jeopardize the whole race. A fast team with bad exchanges can lose to a mediocre speed-based team who completes good hand-offs. Plus, if you drop the stick during the race, it’s over for you.”
 
Being prepared both mentally and physically for race days start early.
 
“I get up early and start my day with reading my Bible,” said Koen. “Sometimes I don’t eat breakfast. It just depends on how early I get my runs in.”
 
“I eat a good breakfast and make sure I hydrate,” said Kalen. “I put my Air Pods in and listen to some music to get me ready and locked into my race. I always make time to thank the Lord for the opportunities and blessings he has given me.”
 
The 4×100 relays will take place on Saturday evening at 5:10, the final day of the league championships which will be held at Holloway Field and Ley Track at Rice University in Houston.
 
When asked if the group has been given a nickname, the answer was no.
 
So for now, we’ll just call them “The Baton Brothers.”
 
 

Two new teams appear in the latest 2025 USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association boys volleyball Super 25. Inside the top 10, Roncalli High School made the most significant move of the week, with the Indianapolis squad landing just behind SoCal power Loyola High School. At the top of the pack, Mira Costa held firm at No. 1, with the Mustangs’ streak now hitting eight weeks in a row atop the boys volleyball hierarchy.

As more action tips off across the country, here is the full Super 25.

More: 2025 USA TODAY Sports/AVCA boys volleyball regional rankings: Week 10

National scoreboard from ScoreStream: Live in-game results around the nation as they happen

1. Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 32-2 | PR: 1

2. Marist High School (Chicago, Ill.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 30-2 | PR: 2

3. Huntington Beach High School (Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 34-3 | PR: 3

4. Carlsbad High School (San Diego, Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 33-2 | PR: 4

5. Corona Del Mar High School (Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 24-6 | PR: 5

6. Newport Harbor High School (Newport Beach, Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 26-11 | PR: 6

7. Glenbard West High School (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 28-3 | PR: 9

8. Redondo Union High School (Redondo Beach, Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 27-10 | PR: 7

9. Loyola High School (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 27-7 | PR: 8

10. Roncalli High School (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 23-3 | PR: NR

11. Torrey Pines High School (Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 31-7 | PR: 23

12. Perry High School (Gilbert, Ariz.)

Region: West | Record: 39-4 | PR: 10

13. Meadville High School (Pa.)

Region: Northeast | Record: 26-1-2 | PR: 11

14. Cumerberland Valley High School (Mechanicsburg, Pa.)

Region: Northeast | Record: 14-0 | PR: 12

15. Oak Park River Forest High School (Oak Park, Ill.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 25-4 | PR: 19

16. Lake Howell High School (Winter Park, Fla.)

Region: South | Record: 26-2 | PR: 15

17. Timber Creek High School (Orlando, Fla.)

Region: South | Record: 27-2 | PR: 16

18. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 25-12-2 | PR: 18

19. Downers Grove North High School (Ill.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 27-4 | PR: 20

20. Lincoln-Way East High School (Frankfort, Ill.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 23-5 | PR: 13

21. Sandburg High School (Orland Park, Ill.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 25-4 | PR: 14

22. St. Xavier High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Region: Midwest | Record: 19-2 | PR: 21

23. Beckman High School (Irvine, Calif.)

Region: West | Record: 32-7 | PR: 22

24. Brother Rice High School (Chicago, Ill.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 26-6 | PR: 25

25. Saint Xavier High School (Louisville, Ky.)

Region: Midwest | Record: 26-1 | PR: NR

NORFOLK, Va. – The 2025 MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships are set for May 15-17 at William Dick Price Stadium in Norfolk, Va. North Carolina Central’s men’s and women’s track & field teams are set to compete against the seven other conference institutions.

The championships begin on Thursday with the men’s decathlon at 1 p.m. The men’s and women’s discus, high jump and 10,000m champions will be crowned on day one.

Friday’s events include long jump, shot put, 3,000m steeplechase and hammer, along with all track preliminary races.

On the final day, all race events in the oval will go final. Pole vault, triple jump and javelin events will also wrap up to conclude the championships. Saturday’s competition will be live streamed on ESPN+ starting at 1 p.m.

The Eagles had eight medalists in last year’s outdoor championships, with both teams finishing sixth. At the indoor championships this season, the men’s team also finished sixth and the women’s team earned its highest finish ever in the Division I era, placing third.

Tickets for the championships are available online only HERE. All-Tournament passes are a one-time fee of $40, which grants access each day. Daily passes cost $15 per day.       

Before the outdoor championships kick off, the MEAC announced the 2025 Outdoor Track & Field All-Academic selections. The Eagles had 21 honorees out of 149 student-athletes, tied for the most alongside Delaware State.

All MEAC competitors must be at least a sophomore with a 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average. Transfers are also eligible under the same academic requirements.

Below are the 2025 All-Academic honorees from the NCCU men’s and women’s track & field teams. The full list including selections from every school can be found HERE.

North Carolina Central (21) 
Nelson Anderson 
Nyree Bacchus 
Allen Barnes 
Ryan Chong 
Alitza Dennard 
Sa’Niya Fowler 
Jaeda Harris 
Naliah Hope 
Laila Jackson 
Kayla Johnson 
Evans Kimutai 
Corey Little 
Tia Lucas 
Gianna Marquez 
Emmanuel Paddyfote 
Christopher Rollinson 
Octavious Smith 
Travis Stuckey  
Melanne Sutton 
Matthew Swepson  
Victoria Swepson 

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Following a national search, Lehigh Athletics has named Shawn McLaughlin the 13th head volleyball coach in program history. McLaughlin brings more than 15 years of coaching experience, having spent the previous three years as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Delaware.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shawn to Lehigh as our new head coach of women’s volleyball,” said Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics Jeremy Gibson. “His energy and experience, particularly his impactful role in building a strong program at the University of Delaware, stood out in our search. We are confident that his leadership, and commitment to student-athlete development will elevate our program and inspire excellence both on and off the court.”

McLaughlin was instrumental in leading one of the most successful stretches in Delaware Blue Hens history that included a 61-23 record, Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championship in 2023 and runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2024. Under his leadership, McLaughlin helped coach and develop the 2023 CAA Player of the Year and All-American, 2024 CAA Setter of the Year and eight All-CAA honorees.

“I’m honored to step into the role of head volleyball coach at Lehigh University,” said McLaughlin. “This program has a strong tradition of excellence – both athletically and academically – and I’m excited to build on that legacy. Together, we will grow as individuals and as a team, representing Lehigh with pride and purpose.

“I want to sincerely thank Jeremy Gibson, Sue Troyan, Stacy Shiffert and the entire search committee for the opportunity,” McLaughlin continued. “I’m thrilled to represent Lehigh Athletics and to lead a program that reflects integrity, excellence and community.”

Prior to his time at Delaware, McLaughlin served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at South Alabama for the 2021 season, helping lead the Jaguars to the program’s first-ever Sun Belt Conference (SBC) regular-season title, first SBC Tournament championship and first NCAA postseason appearance. The Jaguars posted a 25-7 overall record, including a 15-1 mark in conference play. McLaughlin also assisted in coaching four all-SBC selections and two all-tournament honorees, including the SBC Championship Most Valuable Player.

McLaughlin spent three seasons (2018-20) as an assistant coach, recruiting and offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama Birmingham. While in Birmingham, McLaughlin coached two Conference USA all-freshman selections and an all-conference honoree. McLaughlin also worked as an assistant coach at the University of the Incarnate Word (2013-18), helping the Cardinals make the transition from Division-II to Division-I. While in San Antonio, McLaughlin coached and developed four all-conference honorees and qualified for the Southland Conference tournament every season.

In addition to his roles in Texas, Alabama and Delaware, McLaughlin also served in assistant and volunteer assistant coach roles with UC Davis (2009-11), the University of Nevada (2011-12) and the University of Denver (2012-13). His coaching career kicked off in the club volleyball circuit, where he has worked as head coach of Force Volleyball Club (2009-11), head coach and lead trainer of Silver State Volleyball Club (2011-12), head coach of San Antonio Magic Volleyball Club (2013-18) and oversight director of the Lower Alabama Volleyball Club (2022). While with San Antonio Magic, McLaughlin won a gold medal at the 2014 USAV Nationals, coached two Prep Volleyball All-Americans and achieved a top 50 ranking in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

McLaughlin was an accomplished player in college, playing at Lindenwood University from 2004-09. The Lions three-peated during his time there, winning conference championships in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

McLaughlin graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in history education from Lindenwood.

Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.

 

Looking for the kids to go on some adventures this summer or learn a new skill like swimming or cooking? Registration for D.C. summer programs opens Wednesday.

The list of activities available range from DJ classes and piano lessons to introduction to lacrosse and indoor kayaking.

There’s also the Camp Riverview program: “Our young people can go to Scotland, Maryland, 75 miles outside of the District, for a natural good time,” said Department of Parks and Recreation Director Thennie Freeman.

In-person sign-ups are required for that camp and registration ends Friday. The camp is for 8- to 13-year-olds who will spend an entire week away in Scotland.

Freeman said the summer camps can present an opportunity.

“We can counter summer learning loss, because any youth in our program will still be learning something,” Freeman said. “It’s an experiential learning process.”

Freeman said there are also programs where parents can get involved with a “Mommy and Me Swim Class” and a “Daddy and Me Cooking Class.”

“When you talk about memorable moments and you think back to your childhood, we always go back to, ‘Oh, I remember when,’ and that’s what DPR does. We’re in the business of creating memorable moments,” Freeman said.

The Department of Parks and Recreation offers reduced rates for qualifying D.C. residents. To apply for reduced rates, residents must be approved before registering.

“Making sure that our young people, no matter where they live in the city, have something to do,” Freeman added.

Registration is first come first served at its website.

Registration for aquatic programs has opened. All others open at noon Wednesday.

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On Wednesday, May 21, Michael Nagle, Founder and CEO, Ashling Digital, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect May panel “FAST Break: Packaging and Selling Sports on FAST.” Premium sports streaming is a big event business, with licensing fees reaching into the stratosphere and large-scale, global delivery traffic demands threatening to overload the most formidable networks. The highest-profile sports streams happen on premium subscription services and draw users through exclusivity. As sports increasingly makes inroads with FAST, exclusivity is a much smaller part of the equation, according to the latest Gracenote data. What do FAST sports channels look like, what kind of sports programming works on FAST, and how do successful FAST sports channels target audiences and satisfy advertisers while breaking ranks with the industry trend of sports rights exclusivity?

Confirmed panelists include:

Get your free pass for Streaming Media Connect 2025 today!

Michael Nagle has spent his entire career in media. He is the Founder and CEO for Ashling Digital, where he assists FAST channels with distribution, marketing, and partnerships. Home Media Magazine listed him as one of its “Digital Drivers” in both 2016 and 2017. Nagle has served in leadership roles for Bloomberg, Playboy, Nature Vision, and Invincible Entertainment. He was GM of Streaming for USA TODAY and USA TODAY Sports from 2022 to 2024. In 2023, Michael was honored as one of “Gannett’s Greatest” for Diversity & Inclusion. He also teaches Advertising and Marketing Communications at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York.

“I’m seeking to get a better understanding of which sports help FAST stand out and whether live broadcasts are a crucial element for streaming sports,” Nagle says. On the panel, “I think we’re also going to cover some sports betting topics and what is necessary to draw not only viewership but also advertisers.”

Christy Tanner has transformed the world’s most recognizable brands and startups into dominant, profitable multi-platform media competitors. Recognized internationally for her innovations in live-streaming, AI, and social and digital growth strategies, Tanner currently chairs Swerve TV, serves as a Board Director of Audacy, and is a trusted C-suite consultant. Previously, as the leader of two divisions for CBS Interactive, she launched game-changing new streaming services that established market dominance and created exponential revenue growth for CBS’s Sports, News, Local, and Media businesses. 

“Live sports viewership is surging in FAST—from well-established sports such as boxing to ascendant sports such as MMA. At Swerve, we’re focused on helping leagues expand their fanbases and on providing more opportunities for fans to watch the sports they love,” Tanner shares. “We have found that exclusivity is not critical to drawing audiences and monetizing content. In fact, our partners see a lift across the board in their sport’s fandom, whether that’s attendance in-person or viewership on other platforms.”

Cathy Rasenberger is President of Rasenberger Media LLC, a leading media industry consulting firm providing business development, outsourced management, and strategic advisory services. Rasenberger is also a Founder and Co-President of Sports Studio, a global sports platform, distribution, and monetization company dedicated to delivering and monetizing free, high-quality sports programming across linear and on-demand platforms. Sports Studio, owns and operates Free Live Sports TV, which is among the world’s largest dedicated free sports platforms. Rasenberger has been included among CableFax’s “Top 100 Heavy Hitters” and “Most Powerful Women,” and she was inducted into the Cable TV Pioneers.

“Sports on FAST is experiencing a big transformation. Until recently the most underrepresented category in FAST, sports is now the fastest growing, with sports FAST channels more than doubling in the past 9 months from 107 channels to 220 channels,” Rasenberger states. “Sports FAST services are adding many more marquee and live events, including the Super Bowl on TUBI, MLB and Formula 1 on ROKU Channel, and NBA on Amazon Prime Video. As viewership continues to shift from cable to streaming, major sports leagues and programmers are moving more premium and live content to FAST to reach audiences no longer watching traditional TV, particularly Gen Z. The growth of live sports on FAST will be a major driver for user acquisition, viewership and monetization on FAST, just as live sports on ESPN drove the early success of Cable TV.”

Sports channels showing pickleball, cricket, poker, MMA fights, and other events that aren’t necessarily mainstream “are also finding success on FAST,” she says, because “FAST has made these niche sports accessible due to lower costs and [fewer] barriers to entry.” Rasenberger adds, “According to eMarketer, Free Ad Supported Streaming accounts for 20% of all media viewership, yet ad spend on FAST is only 8% of total. The growth of more sports on FAST will be the magnet to attract bigger brands and ad budgets to FAST and help close that gap.”

Pamela Duckworth is an award-winning executive producer with extensive experience across all production disciplines and brand marketing. She is head of Fubo Studios, which is Fubo’s original production division dedicated to sports and entertainment programming across multiple formats. Duckworth brings more than 25 years of production experience—from initial conception to final distribution—in pay TV (live streaming, cable), commercials, live sports and events, syndicated television series, and short-form content to Fubo. In her role, Duckworth is responsible for all strategy, creative direction, and original programming for the company’s growing owned and operated TV networks, including Fubo Sports, Fubo Movie Network, and Fubo Latino Network.

“More audiences are watching sports on FAST platforms than ever before,” Duckworth agrees. “In 2024, global sports channel viewership on FAST increased 150%, according to Amagi’s Global FAST Report,” she notes. “FAST has carved out space for all types of sports and leagues to land broader distribution and attract more eyeballs. Now it’s not just the major leagues that are commanding viewers, it’s also the niche and emerging sports that are thriving thanks to FAST.” 

Duckworth says that this is evident on Fubo Sports, “where we stream over 900 hours of live sports content a year, including breakout leagues like Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and classics like World Poker Tour.”

Tom Buffolano is Head of Business Development at Tata Communications. He previously served as Head of Business Development, College Sports, at The Switch. A seasoned expert in the sports broadcasting and entertainment industry, his experience spans business development and partnerships, sales and marketing, rights acquisition, programming and production, distribution, and monetization. Buffolano holds decades of experience growing businesses and driving new partnerships at leading media companies, including MTV Networks, CBS College Sports, LTN Global Communications, BitFire Network/Studios, and LiveU. Buffolano co-founded and was Chairman of the SVG College Sports Summit and College Sports Media Awards.

“FAST Sports content can be programmed in a variety of ways, including live content and VOD according to the target audience preference, location/time zone, language, and sponsor integration,” Buffolano shares, and in addition, the content “does not rely on subscription, so it is 100% accessible to be viewed when and where you want it.” 

He observes that sports that are too niche don’t really work, because “[w]hile FAST can help grow an audience, you need to sow revenue to offset operations costs, and you need a relatively large audience to do that.” The most important thing is “finding a target audience that will be loyal to your FAST Channel, [which] comes with research and a comprehensive programming plan, providing a predictable viewing experience.”

H. Robert Muzac is Director of Operations at HRM International Media. Muzac created a Sports Documentary Series called “Lacrosse Legends.”  A comprehensive look at America’s greatest game featuring Legends past, present, and future.  In 5 years “Lacrosse Legends” has played a part in getting at least 8 different lacrosse players induction in various Hall of Fames.  Muzac also runs HRMI Media, a company which creates media advertising campaigns, by producing video & audio commercials and scheduling them on broadcast platforms throughout the country.  Muzac has been in advertising sales since 1998. At Power 99fm (Philadelphia), HOT97fm, WCBS Newsradio 88, and the NY Yankees (NY).  Muzac also successfully completed the 2010 Broadcast Leadership Training Program given by the National Association of Broadcasters (Washington DC).

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