GAME 2: AUSTRALIA 19 d ARGENTINA 11

Australia have notched up another win at the Men’s U20 World Championships in Croatia overnight, with a 19-11 victory over Argentina.

The Aussies shot out to an early lead in the first quarter, with two goals to the green and gold while managing to keep their opponents to one.

In the second quarter, the Australians managed five goals with the Argentinians slotting four into the back of the cage.

With the scores standing at 7-5 at half time, the Aussies were eager to up the ante in the second half.

A 6-4 third quarter saw the Aussies extend their lead to 13-9 heading into the last quarter, before a fourth quarter push saw them slot another six goals while keeping their opponents to two, the final score 19-11 in the Aussies favour.

GAME 1: AUSTRALIA 16 d COLOMBIA 11

Australia have opened their U20s World Aquatics Championships campaign with a strong 16-11 win over Colombia in Zagreb, Croatia.

Both teams took a conservative start to the match, working on their combinations to get things moving in the pool. A low scoring affair, Colombia would go on to hold a 2-1 lead at the completion of the first quarter.

That would all change in the second quarter when Australia came out firing with back-to-back goals to Daniel Magasanik and Zac Izzard startle their opponents, heading into the second half with a healthy 7-4 lead over their South American counterparts.

Head Coach Dragan Bakic’s men continued their dominance on the scoreboard in the second half and despite having less shots on goal, the Aussies defence held strong to run out 16-11 victors at fulltime.

Harper Stewart who was awarded Man of the Match, was impressed with his team’s performance.

“We had a really good preparation and it’s exciting. It was good to get those first game jitters out and I think a couple of the players felt the same.”

The team’s focus on building on their performances throughout the tournament was clear post match. As each match is crucial in the lead up to the crossover phase of the tournament.

“I felt like as a team our counter-attack was really good, but we’ve just got to fix a couple things defensively and I think we’ll be good for the rest of the games coming up.”

Australia will shift back into gear this evening when they meet Argentina this at 6:30pm AEST.

AUSTRALIAN 20&U MEN’S DRAW

Sunday 15 June | 6:30pm AEST | Australia v Argentina

Monday 16 June | TBC | TBC

Friday 20 June | TBC | Quarter-Finals

Saturday 21 June | TBC | Semi-Finals

Sunday 22 June | TBC | Finals

AUSTRALIAN 20&U MEN’S TEAM

Sam Bloomfield (Sydney Uni, NSW), Sean Bright (Queensland Thunder, QLD), Ashton Brown (Sydney Uni, NSW), Zac Izzard (Sydney Uni, NSW), Daniel Magasanik (Phoenix, VIC), Jake Martin (Fremantle, SA), Rex Palazzi (Cronulla, NSW), Ethan Payne (Cronulla, NSW), Oliver Purcell (UTS Balmain, NSW), Lewis Saupin (Sydney Uni, NSW), Thomas Serhan (UTS Balmain, NSW), Jamie Sharman (Sydney Uni, NSW), Harper Stewart (UNSW), Harry Tucker (UWA, WA), Cory Webber (Sydney Uni, NSW) Head Coach: Dragan Bakic

The tightest race of the day came in the 100m, where USC’s Samirah Moody edged out favourite JaMeesia Ford by just three thousandths of a second. Both were timed at 11.14, but Moody took the win.

Ford didn’t leave empty-handed, coming back strong to win the 200m in 22.21, just ahead of Madison Whyte, who clocked 22.23.

New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei, the African U-20 champion from Kenya, completed a long-distance double, adding a 5000m win (15:33.96) to her 10,000m victory earlier in the week. She held off Vera Sjoberg, who finished in 15:34.77.

In the 800m, Stanford’s Roisin Willis surged from fourth to first in the final stretch, winning with a personal best of 1:58.13.

Elena Kulichenko, the Russia-born athlete competing for Cyprus, scaled the bar at 1.96m to claim the women’s high jump title ahead of Ghana’s Rose Yeboah (1.93m), whom she shared the title with last year. Both athletes represented their countries at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Sophie O’Sullivan of Washington, daughter of Republic of Ireland’s former world champion and four-time Olympian Sonia O’Sullivan, took the 1500m title in 4:07.94 — a full second ahead of the next finisher, Margot Appleton.

The heptathlon was another close contest. Oklahoma’s Pippi Lotta Enok, last year’s champion, narrowly defended her title with a personal best of 6285 points, just 29 ahead of runner-up Jadin O’Brien.

The Trojans began their Saturday with a 4x100m win — they ran the fastest time in qualifying on Thursday, and finished in a new DI #1 42.22 seconds. Starter Samirah Moody, who also won the 100m, said that race was “probably one of the first races all season where I really knew I won.”

“I crossed the line screaming,” she said, “so I knew.”

Georgia, though, entered Saturday with the overall lead (26 points, ahead of then–second-place Louisville by nine), and didn’t let it go. The Bulldogs added wins from three day two events to a day one women’s hammer throw title to claim the national team championship.

Elena Kulichenko (SR – Georgia) led the way with a women’s high jump win and a clearance of 1.96m (6-05) — a personal-best and new DI #2 mark.

“It was so amazing, because my outdoor season wasn’t as great as I wanted,” Kulichenko said. “I never jumped 1.90m-plus this season outdoors, so it was really important for me to go there, do my best and help the team to win this title.”

Georgia took home maximum points from the 400m, too, where the Bulldogs finished first and second for an 18-point haul. Aaliyah Butler (JR – Georgia) won the race in a new personal-best, DI #1 49.26 seconds, while her teammate Dejanea Oakley (JR) was close behind in a PB, DI #2 49.65.

“It was an immediate shift (to the 4x400m after the 400m), but Aaliyah made sure we took the moment to hug each other and embrace the moment, because it doesn’t get much bigger than this,” Oakley said. 

The Bulldogs left no doubt with a DI #1 4x400m win in the final event of the meet — Butler and Oakley both ran legs in a 3:23.62-second race that stacked 10 more points onto their final 73-point total.

“We worked really, really, really hard,” Georgia head coach Caryl Smith-Gilbert said. “We have a team that’s starting to form into something that’s going to be a great program.”

Early on Saturday, Cierra Jackson (SR – Fresno State) set a meet-record in the women’s discus on her way to her first-ever NCAA title. Jackson, whose first throw registered at 65.82m (215-11), was one of seven athletes to throw a personal-best mark.

Women’s heptathlon winner Pippi Lotta Enok (JR – Oklahoma) trailed after the first half of the multi on Thursday, but seized the lead with a 6.39m (20-11 ¾) long jump and didn’t let it slip. Enok won her second outdoor heptathlon title (2023) ahead of two-time NCAA indoor pentathlon winner Jadin O’Brien (SR – Notre Dame) by just 29 points.

“I feel like I perform the best under the pressure,” Enok said. “It feels like deja vu — two years ago, the difference was 27 points, and I had to just run (in the 800m). Today was the same.”

Utah Valley University head women’s volleyball coach Sam Atoa announced the 2025 schedule on Thursday, highlighted by in-state rivalries and a strong nonconference slate that includes six postseason teams from last year.

The Wolverines will face all NCAA Division I in-state opponents, including home matches against Utah State and BYU. The schedule features four teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament and two others that participated in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

“It’s hard to believe we’re already approaching another season,” Atoa said. “I’m excited for the challenge ahead and the strong schedule we’ve put together. We’re building on what we accomplished last year and have high expectations for this group.”

Utah Valley opens the season by hosting the Utah Valley Invitational. The home opener is set for Friday, Aug. 29, against Montana at 12:30 p.m. MT, followed by a matchup with Navy at 7 p.m. inside Lockhart Arena. The opening weekend wraps up with a regional showdown against Boise State on Aug. 30. The Broncos went 19-10 last season and finished sixth in the Mountain West Conference.

UVU hits the road for the first time in 2025 at the Outrigger Invitational, hosted by Hawaii. The Wolverines will face San José State, St. John’s, and host Hawaii, the defending Big West Tournament champions, who finished 21-10 last season and fell to TCU in the NCAA first round. St. John’s finished 24-13 in the Big East and made the semifinals of NIVC. Utah Valley’s in-state schedule kicks off with a trip to Utah on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The Utes advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished 25-6 in their first season in the Big 12. UVU then travels east to face Duke on Sept. 12 and Coastal Carolina on Sept. 13. The week before conference play features a string of in-state contests, starting at Weber State (Sept. 16) in Swenson Gym.

The nonconference schedule concludes at home against Utah State (Sept. 18) and BYU (Sept. 20). BYU finished 19-10 and 12-6 in the Big 12 before falling to Loyola Chicago in the NCAA first round. The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) schedule includes 12 matches in a home-and-home format. UVU opens league play with home matches against Abilene Christian (Sept. 25) and Tarleton State (Sept. 27).

October begins with a road trip to Utah Tech for the Old Hammer Rivalry, followed by a home match against UT Arlington, the defending WAC champions, on Oct. 9. Later in the month, the Wolverines will travel to face California Baptist (Oct. 16), and Southern Utah (Oct. 18). Utah Valley’s final three WAC home matches form one of the team’s longest home stands of the season, hosting Utah Tech (Oct. 25), Southern Utah (Oct. 30), and California Baptist (Nov. 1). UVU will then head to Texas for two final road trips. The first includes Tarleton State (Nov. 6) and UT Arlington (Nov. 8), followed by a match at Abilene Christian on Nov. 15.

The Wolverines will host the 2025 WAC Tournament at Lockhart Arena, set for Nov. 20-22, with an automatic NCAA Tournament bid on the line.

Women’s soccer makes coaching moves

Utah Valley University head women’s soccer coach Chris Lemay has announced the addition of former Wolverine standout CJ Graham to the staff as an assistant coach overseeing goalkeepers. Lemay also announced promotions within the program for Sydney Bushman and Ashton Gordon, who have each taken on elevated coaching roles heading into the 2025 season.

“Bringing CJ in as our goalkeeper coach is really exciting for our program,” Lemay said. “As a player, she proved her ability to compete and perform in the most critical moments. She is mature, dependable, hard working and has a passion for UVU Women’s Soccer. She will be a great mentor for our talented goalies.”

Graham returns to the program following a decorated collegiate career, including her final two seasons at Utah Valley. She helped guide the Wolverines to back-to-back Western Athletic Conference regular season championships in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, she started 13 matches in goal, allowing just nine total goals on the year while posting an 8-1-4 record with two shutouts. Her 0.78 goals against average set a new UVU single-season record, and her .804 save percentage ranks third all-time. She added 17 more appearances in 2024 as a graduate student, finishing her UVU career with 88 total saves and four shutouts.

Before joining UVU, Graham was a standout at Lipscomb University, earning ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year, First Team All-Conference, and United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors. She posted 21 career shutouts and led the Bisons to conference titles and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021.

Along with the addition of Graham, Lemay announced that Sydney Bushman has been promoted into a full-time assistant coaching role. Bushman joined the UVU staff in 2024 after an impressive playing career in Orem. She started 75 of her 79 career matches as a defender, winning two WAC regular season titles and playing a key role in the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in 2020. She was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and helped UVU to seven shutouts during her senior season.

Ashton Gordon, who joined the staff in February as the Director of Operations, has also been elevated into a new coaching role and will take over Bushman’s previous position. Gordon brings a strong background as both a player and coach, having served as an assistant at the University of Pittsburgh in 2024 and having starred collegiately at Arkansas and Pitt. She helped lead Pitt to its first NCAA National Quarterfinal and ACC Semifinal in 2023. The staff updates position the Wolverines with an experienced and energized coaching unit heading into the 2025 campaign.

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas officially concluded its 2024-25 athletics year on Saturday night, as Women’s Track and Field ended its season with a tie for 10th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Longhorns recorded two NCAA Championships, seven top-three, 10 top-five and 13 top-10 NCAA finishes and a league-best eight Southeastern Conference titles in their first official season in the SEC.

Texas registered NCAA team titles in Men’s Swimming Diving and Softball, which marks the fifth-straight year the Longhorns have won multiple national titles in the same academic season. Excluding the COVID-shortened year of 2019-20, Texas has won at least one NCAA team title in 10-straight seasons.

Over the last five years, the Longhorns have won 13 NCAA team championships by eight different programs, while seven additional programs have either made the Final Four or finished in the top three at the NCAA Championships. Texas sponsors 21 intercollegiate sport programs, and with Softball earning its first NCAA title, 15 of those 21 programs have now claimed a National Championship. The Longhorns have captured 68 all-time National Championships (64 NCAA titles).

Texas produced 10 top-five and 13 top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships during the recent academic year. The 10 top-five performances marked a tie for the second-most in school history, trailing only the 12 recorded in 2021-22. The 13 top-10 efforts also tied for the second-most in school history, just one shy of the record 14 in 2021-22. The Longhorns have registered a total of 49 top-five NCAA team finishes and 65 top-10 NCAA team finishes during the last five years.

In addition to the pair of National Championship performances, the Longhorns recorded NCAA top-five team showings in Women’s Swimming and Diving (third), Rowing (third), Football (tied for third in the College Football Playoff), Women’s Basketball (tied for third/NCAA Semifinals), Men’s Tennis (tied for third/NCAA Semifinals), Beach Volleyball (tied for fifth/NCAA Quarterfinals), Women’s Golf (tied for fifth/NCAA Quarterfinals) and Men’s Golf (tied for fifth/NCAA Quarterfinals). Texas added NCAA top-10 finishes in Volleyball (tied for ninth/NCAA Round of 16), Women’s Tennis (tied for ninth/NCAA Round of 16) and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field (tied for 10th).

The Longhorns qualified 20 of their 21 NCAA eligible sports for their respective NCAA Championship events. Texas was the ONLY school in NCAA Division I to have its Football, either Men’s or Women’s Basketball, and either Baseball or Softball programs reach the Final Four of their NCAA Tournaments this season.

In addition to its success on the national level, UT earned a league-best eight Southeastern Conference titles during the 2024-25 season: Soccer (tournament), Men’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Basketball (regular season), Men’s Tennis (regular season and tournament), Rowing and Baseball (regular season). Of note, the eight championships doubled the next closest member institution, as South Carolina had four SEC titles. With Beach Volleyball also winning the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) tournament title, the Longhorns won a total of nine conference championships in 2024-25 and have now claimed 663 all-time league titles in school history.

All University of Texas NCAA Finishes in 2024-25

Most Top-5 Team Finishes at NCAA Championships by Texas Athletics

(since UT added Rowing as varsity sport starting in 1997-98)

Most Top 10 Team Finishes at NCAA Championships by Texas Athletics

(since UT added Rowing as varsity sport starting in 1997-98)

Most SEC Championships by School in 2024-25

(includes regular season and postseason combined)