Sports
Le Mans MotoGP
They say that winning your home grand prix is like scoring the winning goal at the World Cup final, but only one person on this planet knows what it’s like to win your home MotoGP race at Le Mans.
Because there’s nowhere better to do that than Le Mans, thanks to the vast and noisy crowd thronging the vast grandstands, built to accommodate the crowd at the circuit’s 24-hour car race.
On Sunday the 111,000 fans sounded like the best football crowd – singing football chants for winner Johann Zarco and belting out the Marseillaise time and time again.
Zarco has been in the MotoGP paddock for almost two decades, since he won the inaugural Red Bull Rookies championship in 2007. During his early years in grands prix he wasn’t a great talker and seemed to treat journalists with suspicion. (Not without reason.) More recently he’s shrugged off that somewhat dour persona to become the championship’s philosopher king, its Eric Cantona, always ready with a leftfield quote to brighten your day.
But not on Sunday. Quite rightly, the 34-year-old was overcome by the magnitude of his achievement – bottom lip trembling, fighting back the tears as he performed his traditional backflip in front of the stands that tower over the start-finish.
“I expected more tears – they are here but they are not getting out!” he grinned. “It’s very special – I can’t believe it’s happened. I race to win races, to be on the podium. I always push myself to get the best performance and I always trust that one day I can win.”
Zarco may have kept the tears from flowing but his parents didn’t. Remarkably, this was the first time his mum had visited a grand prix. Zarco had only asked her to be there because he wanted her to hear the French fans at full song. No one, not even the Zarco family, knew there would be good reason for them to sing louder than ever.
Márquez leads Quartararo, Binder, Acosta, his brother and Aldeguer on slicks at the end of lap four – two corners later Quartararo and Binder fell, triggering another mass bike swap, to rain bikes
Michelin
“It’s a bit strange because of the way it happened today,” Zarco continued. “I needed to control a lot and wait for the victory to come. I’m so happy because I love the history of motorbikes, so to write this line – to be a French winner of the French GP! – wow, that’s very special and I’m very happy for this.”
Only one other Frenchman has done what Zarco did on Saturday – in 1954, factory Gilera rider Pierre Monneret won the French 500cc GP at the Reims street circuit, 90 miles northeast of Paris.
Zarco didn’t only have the French crowd on his side, he also had the Le Mans weather behind him. Honda may have taken some big steps forward with its RC213V in recent months but the bike isn’t ready to win in the dry just yet.
Rain was exactly what Zarco and his RC213V needed. And perhaps his age – he’s the oldest rider on the grid – helped him through the chaotic preamble and early stages: the first start aborted after the entire grid ended the warm-up lap in pitlane to switch to their rain bikes, the second start following another mass bike change, to dry bikes.
Zarco was one of the few that didn’t change his mind during the second sighting lap. LCR Honda team owner Lucio Cecchinello’s weather app had told him that more rain was 100% on its way, so even though slicks seemed the right call at that time, they weren’t. That’s why Zarco had the courage of his convictions to stay with rain tyres, even while so many were going the other way.
But it all might have ended a few seconds into the race, when Enea Bastianini sent it up the inside at Turn 3 like a madman, taking out Pecco Bagnaia.
Zarco leads for the first time on lap eight, chased by Miguel Oliveira, who also started on rain tyres, but crashed out
Michelin
Joan Mir only just avoided the Italians’ disaster but missing them had the 2020 MotoGP champion collide so hard with Zarco that the LCR rider’s left hand slipped off the handlebar, the impact also smashing his switchgear. Mir fell heavily, suffering a fracture in his right hand.
By the time Zarco had ridden out of the Turn 3 gravel trap he was almost last and many riders might have thought their day was essentially over. Not Zarco. This was his 288th GP start, so he knows how to keep his head when all around are losing theirs: stay calm, don’t rush, let the race come to you.
“From there, it was: OK, don’t burn your rain tyres, take what you can take, you will see and I’ve seen it,” he added.
The first few laps were dizzying. All the riders that had swapped back to their dry bikes had to do two long-lap penalties, as prescribed in new rules, written following last month’s COTA grid palaver.
Then another sprinkling of rain. Marc Márquez was leading, chased by pole-starter Fabio Quartararo and Brad Binder, all on slicks. When they attacked the final corner on lap four, Márquez nearly lost the front, while Quartararo and Binder did lose the front, both clattering into the gravel trap. Turn 14 is always slippery when wet because its asphalt is polished by car undertrays during the 24 hour race.
Those crashes triggered another mass bike change during the next few laps, which put Zarco into the lead, on lap eight, only another 18 to go. He spent every single one of those laps teetering on the brink of a crash because the track was never fully wet, so it was greasy, which makes it difficult to find the limit without tripping over it.
Rookie Aldeguer’s first MotoGP race in the rain announced a brave new talent. He might have done better than third if he hadn’t changed to rain tyres too late
Gresini
The former Moto2 world champion had two big concerns: trying not crash and trying to go fast enough to keep Marc Márquez behind, so he was sat on a razor’s edge for the next half hour. Márquez did try to close the eight-second gap but soon realised that going faster than Zarco would be too risky, his Jerez crash still ringing in his ears.
“Without the mistake at Jerez, I’m 80% sure I would’ve crashed today, because I know myself!” the Spaniard laughed.
Once Márquez had settled for second and built a gap over brother Alex, who later crashed twice, Zarco was safe, so long as he kept laser-like focus and didn’t let his growing lead fool him into slowing down, because if you do slow down your tyres will cool down and you’ll most likely end up on the ground.
“It was a tricky race,” said Zarco after his second MotoGP victory, 19 months after his first, with Pramac Ducati at Philip Island. “We knew it was going to rain, so my choice was rain tyres. When the race started the other guys with slicks were faster but there were some rain drops, so I knew it was too tricky [for slicks]. Then I saw them crashing and going to the box, so I gained positions. Jack [Miller] was with rain tyres and I know he’s so strong in these conditions, but when he crashed I began to trust that I could do something good.”
Zarco’s victory was Honda’s first since Alex Rins won the 2023 Americas GP and doubly important for the Japanese manufacturer because it ended Ducati’s victory streak. Two weeks earlier at Jerez, Alex Márquez had won the Bologna brand’s 22nd consecutive MotoGP race, equalling Honda’s record from the 1990s. Everyone assumed Ducati would better Honda and make history on Sunday, but thanks to Zarco and the rain that didn’t happen.
Zarco, his mum and dad and the LCR Honda team celebrate
Michelin
Marc Márquez’s second position – the first time he’s finished a GP race this year without winning it – was hugely important. The previous day he had won his sixth consecutive sprint to retake the world championship lead from his little brother. His Sunday success and Alex’s crash takes him to Silverstone next week with a 22-point lead.
Factory Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia had one of the worst weekends of his career. Struggling to magic the same speed as Marc out of this year’s Desmosedici, he crashed out of the sprint and then had Bastianini destroy his Sunday race moments after it had started. And Bagnaia would’ve been a good bet for the win, because he had started on rain tyres. Instead he rejoined the race to finish last, one place out of the points in 16th.
A preview of the Case Western Reserve University varsity athletic events for the period of winter break (December 8-January 3) and a recap of the events from the previous week of competition (December 1-7). Schedule is subject to change with updates posted on athletics.case.edu when they are known.
Last Week’s Recap
Women’s Basketball (0-2)
- Dropped a pair of close contests last week, falling to Marietta 67-66 at home on Wednesday and Denison 74-61 on Saturday on the road
- Junior guard Mya Hartjes led all Spartans with 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game
Wrestling (1-2)
- Went 1-2 at the Yellow Jacket Duals on Friday night on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University
- Lost to Division II UNC Pembroke 35-12 and #20 BW 31-15 before defeating Wilmington 45-7
- Senior Art Martinez was named the University Athletic Association Wrestler of the Week after he won all three of his matches, including two by pin
Men’s and Women’s Track & Field
- Opened the 2025-26 indoor season by hosting the Spartan Alumni Holiday Classic in the Veale Center on Saturday
- Broke school records in the women’s 200-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay and matched the program record in the 60-meter dash
- Combined to win seven events with 11 finishes in the top three
Wednesday, December 10
Schedule
CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) at Hiram (3-4)
Hiram, Ohio · Price Gymnasium
7:30 PM
Live Stats | Video
Saturday, December 13
Schedule
CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) at Allegheny (2-4)
Meadville, Pa. · David V. Wise Center
1:00 PM
Live Stats | Video
Saturday, December 20
Schedule
CWRU Wrestling (2-2) at Chocolate Duals
Grantham, Pa. · Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena
10:00 AM vs. #17 Ithaca (0-0)
12:00 PM at Messiah (3-1)
2:00 PM vs. #12 Arcadia (1-3)
Live Results | Video
Monday, December 29
Schedule
CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) vs. Oberlin (3-4)
BW Invitational
Berea, Ohio · Ursprung Gymnasium
3:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Tickets
Tuesday, December 30
Schedule
CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) vs. Kalamazoo (2-5)
Cleveland, Ohio · Horsburgh Gymnasium
2:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Digital Program
CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) at #21 Baldwin Wallace (5-2)
BW Invitational
Berea, Ohio · Ursprung Gymnasium
3:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Tickets
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Schedule
CWRU Wrestling (2-2) at 2026 UAA Challenge
Manhattan, N.Y. · John A. Paulson Center
10:00 AM vs. Muhlenberg (1-0)
11:45 AM vs. Johns Hopkins (0-1)
1:30 PM vs. Gettysburg (1-1)
Live Results | Video
CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) vs. Geneva (1-5*)
Cleveland, Ohio · Horsburgh Gymnasium
1:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Digital Program
Guest speakers will be football video coordinator Bill Sisler and Fall Male Scholar Athlete Award winner Keegan Andrews of Football.
At the Harvard Classic on Saturday, Catherwood took the top spot in the men’s 5K with a time of 13:58.38. The Central Valley, N.Y. native also broke the men’s 5K indoor program record.
Irving made 37 saves to backstop hockey to a 2-0 win at No. 12/11 Northeastern on Sunday in a non-conference matchup at Matthews Arena, recording his second shutout of the season. The Newbury, Massachusetts native currently holds a .934 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA on the year.
Charlotte, NC (December 9, 2025) – Week One of CIAA Indoor Track and Field showcased both returning standouts and emerging talent as programs opened the season with competitive early meets. The conference saw strong sprint performances, record breaking throws, and athletes establishing early momentum. The CIAA recognizes four student athletes for their standout performances during the week of November 30 through December 6.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Olivia Cosby, Winston Salem State
Junior sprinter Olivia Cosby opened her season with an impressive performance at the Visit Winston Salem College Kickoff at JDL. Cosby placed third in the 400m seeded with a time of 56.83 and later anchored the 4x400m relay to a total time of 3:58.54, closing her leg with a strong 58.72 split. Her effort set an early tone for the Rams as they launched their indoor campaign.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Breanna Reid, Bowie State
Freshman thrower Breanna Reid made a memorable collegiate debut at the Fastrack Season Opener, breaking the Bowie State school record in the weight throw with a mark of 14.32m. Reid’s second place finish introduced her as an immediate contender in the CIAA and showcased significant promise for the Bulldogs’ throws unit.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Dareon Faircloth, Bowie State
Sophomore sprinter Dareon Faircloth began his season in commanding fashion, winning the 60m dash in 6.74 to set a new Bowie State school record. He added a runner up finish in the 200m with a time of 21.89, demonstrating elite range and establishing himself as one of the conference’s top early season sprinters.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Darius Brown, Bluefield State
Senior jumper Darius Brown delivered a strong showing in a competitive meet that included Division I opponents, placing third in the triple jump with a mark of 14.55m. His performance provided a solid start to his final indoor season and highlighted his experience and consistency.
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the United States and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for swimming & diving and indoor track & field on Tuesday. Student-athletes from Carleton, Macalester, Saint Benedict, Saint John’s, and St. Olaf claimed the Conference’s weekly honors.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference’s sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the winter season, team sports (basketball and hockey) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (swimming & diving and indoor track & field) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week archive has complete details on each week’s selections and winners.
MIAC Men’s Swimming Athlete of the Week
Brayden Slavik
Saint John’s University
Sr.
Green Isle, Minn. / Chaska
Brayden Slavik won two events with NCAA B-cut times and finished second in one more event at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-6. Slavik won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:30.15, which surpassed the NCAA B-cut time of 4:31.24. He added his second B-cut time of the weekend in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:43.14 to win the event. Slavik beat that cut time by nearly seven seconds. Slavik also finished second in the 400-yard individual medley (4:04.88) and was a member of three SJU freestyle relay teams at the meet.
MIAC Men’s Diving Athlete of the Week
Hans Anderson
Carleton College
Sr.
Watertown, Minn. / Watertown-Mayer
Hans Anderson was the top NCAA Division III diver in both the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-5. Anderson scored 440.30 points on the 1-meter board to place second overall on 12/4 before totaling 458.45 points off the 3-meter board on 12/5 for another runner-up performance overall.
MIAC Women’s Swimming Athlete of the Week
Haley Zelen
College of Saint Benedict
Jr.
Shakopee, Minn. / Shakopee
Haley Zelen rewrote the CSB record book at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-6, breaking three individual program records and contributing to a relay record while earning three NCAA Division III B-cut times. Zelen set new marks in the 50 free (23.07), 100 fly (54.72), and 100 free (50.79), and helped the 200 CSB medley relay team post a new record time of 1:46.69. Zelen’s time of 1:05.77 in the 100 breast ranks second in Saint Benedict history.
MIAC Women’s Diving Athlete of the Week
Nina Schwab
Carleton College
So.
Piedmont, Calif. / Piedmont
Nina Schwab won the 1-meter diving competition by nearly 80 points with a score of 486.00 at the Rochester Invitational on 12/5. That point total eclipsed her own program record set last season and also established a new MIAC overall standard, besting the previous mark of 485.40 that had stood since 2013. Schwab also won the 3-meter diving competition on 12/4 with a score of 427.90. She totaled 438.85 points during the preliminary round.
MIAC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Lance Nemecek
St. Olaf College
Sr.
Minnetrista, Minn. / Mound-Westonka
Lance Nemecek ran the second-fastest 800-meter time in NCAA Division III this season with a meet record time of 1:54.02 at the M City Classic on 12/5. Nemecek’s time ranks third on both St. Olaf’s all-time performers’ and performances lists. He also led off the first-place 4×400-meter relay that won the event in a meet-record time of 3:21.77, which ranks fifth nationally and second on both St. Olaf lists.
MIAC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Soren Kaster
Carleton College
Jr.
Horace, N.D. / West Fargo Sheyenne
Soren Kaster placed third overall and second among NCAA Division III competitors in the heptathlon with 4,606 points at the M City Classic on 12/5-6. Kaster’s score was the third-best in program history and ranks third in D-III this season. He clocked times of 7.44 in the 60-meter dash, 9.03 in the 60-meter hurdles, and 2:53.49 in the 1000-meter run; measured 10.09 meters in the shot put and a personal-best 6.31 meters in the long jump; and cleared 1.70 meters in the high jump and a MIAC-best 4.35 meters in the pole vault.
MIAC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Ariella Rogahn-Press
Macalester College
So.
Albuquerque, N.M / Bosque School
Ariella Rogahn-Press won the 400 meters by more than five seconds at the M City Classic in Minneapolis on 12/5 with a time of 57.43. Her converted time ranks third in NCAA Division III this season.
MIAC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Svea Frantzich
St. Olaf College
Fy.
Stillwater, Minn. / Breck
Svea Frantzich recorded the fifth-highest pentathlon score in NCAA Division III this season with 3,005 points in her collegiate debut at the M City Classic on 12/5. Frantzich posted top-10 all-time performances on St. Olaf’s indoor list in the 60-meter hurdles (9.47) and long jump (5.44m) on her way to compiling the No. 8 pentathlon score on the Oles’ all-time performers’ list.
The Dukes began the season at VMI’s Colonel Bev Read Opener on Dec. 6, and will return to action in 2026, starting with the Virginia Tech Invitational (Jan. 16-17). JMU will remain in the Commonwealth for another trip to Lexington for the VMI Invitational (Jan. 23-24).
From there, JMU will close January at the Penn State National Open (Jan. 30-31) before turning its attention to the ECAC Championship, taking place at Boston University’s Track & Tennis Center, Feb. 7-8.
The Dukes return to Virginia for Liberty’s Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational (Feb. 13-14). James Madison then turns its attention to the Sun Belt Championship in Birmingham, Ala. at the Birmingham CrossPlex, Feb. 23-24.
JMU will look to qualify individuals for the NCAA Championships (March 13-14), which will be held at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.
PRINCETON, N.J. – After a record breaking showing in Boston over the weekend, sophomore Harlow Tong earned Ivy League Men’s Athlete of the Week status, becoming the first Crimson to receive the honor this season.
Racing in the opening heat of the men’s 300m at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener, Tong made an instant impact. Tong finished in first place with a time of 33.07, as his mark represents a new school record in the men’s 300m, surpassing the former record of 33.67 set by Oliver Murcko ’25 at the 2021 HBCU & Ivy Challenge. Tong’s time is also a new facility record at the renowned Boston University Track & Tennis Center.
A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Tong is looking to build off a stellar first-year season as he begins his second campaign with the Crimson. Last year saw Tong breakout in the outdoor portion of the season, winning an Ivy League title as a member of Harvard’s men’s 4x100m relay team. Tong is also the school record holder the outdoor men’s 400m, running a 46.55 at the Tiger Track Classic.
The Crimson return to action on Saturday, Jan. 17, as Harvard hosts the Beantown Challenge at Gordon Indoor Track.
For complete coverage of Harvard Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardSB) and Instagram (@harvardsb).
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