WORCESTER, Mass. – The men’s swimming and diving teams helped Bentley to an overall second place finish at the WPI Gompei Invitational this weekend with several podium finishes.

Combined, the men’s and women’s teams had 5,091 points to finish in second place overall among the 10 teams in the meet.

Matt Walden won the 200 IM with a time of 1:53.03 and the junior from Cumberland, Rhode Island had two other podium finishes on the weekend. He was second in the 200 back (1:50.38) and third in the 400 IM (4:05.03).

Daniel Ivanchikov won the 200 fly with a time of 1:53.06

Distance freestyle swimmer Leighton Wielgoszinski had second place finishes in the 500 (4:41.26) and the 1650 (16:22.07).

In the diving events, Owen Angkatavanich was second in both the 1 and 3 meter dives. In the 1 meter he scored 330.55 and the 3 meter 325.95.

The Falcons also performed well in the relays. The 800 free team won in 6:58.54 with the team comprised of Jakub Zukowski, Wielgoszinski, Alex Kosel and Ivanchikov.

The 200 free team of Ivanchikov, Zukowski, Jack Meekins and Ethan Rehkopf were second (1:25.30) and the 400 free team were second as well (3:07.32). That squad was comprised of Meekins, Ivanchikov, Kosel and Rehkopf.

Kosel had a third place finish in the 200 free (1:43.50) and Rehkopf was third in the 50 free (21.43).

The swimming and diving teams have wrapped up competition in the fall semester. They kickoff competition in the spring semester on January 8 at Saint Michael’s.

 

NASHVILLE – Tennessee State women’s basketball showed strong stretches on both ends of the floor Sunday afternoon, taking a 34–28 lead into halftime and battling throughout before ultimately dropping a hard-fought 63–55 road decision at Lipscomb.

The Lady Tigers (1–7) were paced by another standout performance from Aaniya Webb, who poured in 16 points and added two steals as she continued her steady offensive rhythm. Erin Martin gave TSU a major spark off the bench with 12 points and six rebounds, while Brianna Wooldridge controlled the paint with nine points, seven boards and two blocks.

TSU’s effort on the offensive glass was one of the bright spots of the day. Led by Kiki Roberts and her five offensive rebounds, the Lady Tigers attacked the boards with energy, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds that turned into 15 second-chance points — a category TSU dominated.

Defensively, Tennessee State put together one of its stronger outings of the season, holding Lipscomb to just 36.2 percent shooting from the field and a cold 21.7 percent from three-point range.

The Lady Tigers will look to build on the positives from Sunday’s performance as they continue their road stretch.

How It Happened

Tennessee State got off to a slow start offensively, until Brianna Wooldridge sparked a 7-4 run to end the first quarter up 10-9.

The Lady Tigers responded with their best stretch of the game to open the second period, erupting for a 6–0 run highlighted by buckets from Xai Whitfield, Aaniya Webb, and Wooldridge to make it 25-19 halfway through the second quarter. TSU controlled much of the quarter with solid execution and transition play, heading into halftime with a 34-28 advantage thanks to continued defensive pressure.

Lipscomb rallied in the third, using a late push to take a 46-43 lead entering the final quarter. A pair of free throws from Erin Martin, a forced turnover, and a bucket from Whitfield, and the Lady Tigers regained the lead early in the fourth. The teams traded leads before a late Bison layup lifted Lipscomb passed the Lady Tigers.

Game Notes

» The Lady Tigers held the Bisons to only 36.2 percent shooting from the field.

» The Tennessee State bench came alive by scoring 24 points to its scoring output.

» The Tennessee State defense forced 23 turnovers.

» The Lady Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording nine blocks as a team.

» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.

» Aaniya Webb led the Lady Tigers with 16 points.

» Tennessee State got a team-high 10 rebounds from Kiki Roberts.

STOCKTON, Calif. – University of the Pacific is adding STUNT as a varsity sport, making it the university’s 21st NCAA Division I program.

“We are thrilled to create more opportunities for student-athletes to excel in ways that few other schools are doing,” said Pacific President Christopher Callahan. “Athletics Director Adam Tschuor is at the forefront of identifying creative new ways to grow , that not only benefits athletics but also elevates the entire university community.”

The rapidly growing sport of STUNT is a head-to-head, four-quarter sport in which two teams perform the same routines of partner stunts, pyramids and tosses, jumps and tumbling, and team routines. Judges score the competition based on execution, technique and synchronization.

“The addition of STUNT places Pacific at the cutting edge of one of the fastest-growing women’s sports in the country,” Tschuor said. “The program not only expands competitive opportunities for women but also aligns perfectly with our department’s commitment to innovation, equity and community engagement. STUNT brings an exciting, high-energy sport to our campus, and we are proud to invest in a program that reflects the strength and ambition of Pacific Athletics.”

STUNT was developed by USA Cheer as a distinct competitive sport that emphasizes athleticism, technique and head-to-head competition.

“We applaud University of the Pacific for investing in women’s athletics with the addition of STUNT at the Division I level,” said Executive Director of USA Cheer Lauri Harris. “As the sport advances toward NCAA Championship status and continues its nationwide growth, Pacific’s decision reinforces the importance of creating competitive, meaningful pathways for female athletes. We are excited to welcome Pacific into this transformative moment for STUNT.”

Amy Haney, director of College and High School STUNT at USA Cheer, said STUNT will connect Pacific with “a strong pipeline of student-athletes while strengthening campus spirit and community engagement. This addition reflects the university’s commitment to providing impactful, competitive opportunities for female student-athletes, and we are proud to welcome Pacific to the STUNT community.”

The program will begin in the 2026-27 academic year and will begin to compete in spring 2027. More than 70 NCAA institutions currently offer STUNT programs.

Pacific also recently announced the reinstatement of men’s volleyball after a 13-year hiatus. Tschuor said the momentum behind both sports reflects strong community support, a growing

national landscape and the university’s commitment to expansion during a period when Division I programs are being cut nationwide.

“The return of men’s volleyball and the launch of STUNT reflect Pacific’s continued belief in expanding opportunities for student-athletes, not reducing them,” Tschuor said. “At a time when many institutions are contracting, Pacific is choosing to invest, grow and build programs that match the energy and passion of our community. These additions strengthen our department, broaden our reach nationally and create pathways for students to compete at the highest level.”

The new programs follow Pacific’s recent additions of men’s cross-country and men’s track and field as well as the addition of diving to both women’s and men’s swimming programs .With the addition of STUNT, Pacific will now offer 21 Division I athletics programs.

Prospective STUNT student-athletes can learn more about the program by contacting Director of Spirit and Community Engagement Andrea Sanchez-Johnson at asjohnson@pacific.edu.

#PacificProud

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky is hosting the 2025 NCAA Volleyball Lexington Regional. Matches will be played Thursday and Saturday at Memorial Coliseum.

Top-seeded Kentucky opens play Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET against Cal Poly, who beat the No. 4 seed USC in five sets Friday to advance. In the regional’s opening match, second-seeded Arizona State will play third-seeded Creighton at 1 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will have live coverage of the matches Thursday, with both also shown live on the ESPN app. The two winners of Thursday’s matches will meet Saturday afternoon in the regional final, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Final Four the following weekend in Kansas City, Missouri. The Lexington Regional final on Saturday will be aired live on the ESPN networks, with a time to be announced Thursday.

All-session tickets for the 2025 Lexington Regional go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. ET through UK Athletics by calling the ticket office at 859-257-3838 or visiting the ticket office in the Joe Craft Center. Fans interested in purchasing single-session tickets can acquire those tickets beginning at 10 a.m. ET Tuesday. One ticket will get fans into both regional semifinal matches Thursday.

2025 NCAA Volleyball Lexington Regional Memorial Coliseum — Lexington, Ky.

Thursday, Dec. 11

• Match 1: 1 p.m. ET — (2) Arizona State vs. (3) Creighton [ESPN2]
• Match 2: 3:30 p.m. ET — (1) Kentucky vs. Cal Poly [ESPN2]

Saturday, Dec. 13

• Match 3: Time TBA — Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2 [TV TBA] — Winner advances to NCAA Final Four

Eastlake High School volleyball player Giselle Gandara has been named to the MaxPreps Freshman All-American volleyball team.

The 5-9 outside hitter had 427 kills, 378 digs, 66 blocks and 53 aces for the Falcons, who finished 36-5 and won two playoff matches this past season. She is one of five Texas players on the 20-person team.

“Giselle is a fantastic player,” Eastlake coach Roel DeAnda said. “She has a strong work ethic and her future is bright. It’ll be great to see her compete in the next three years.”

Gandara’s sister, Genna, is the setter for Eastlake and is a junior.

“To see Giselle’s growth as player has been amazing,” Genna said. “She’s hard working and plays with confidence,”

Added Giselle: “It was a blessing for the great season we had as a team. Playing alongside my sister Genna helped me so much, I learned a great deal from here. I wanted to make an impact as a freshman. I wanted to prove people wrong this year and that I could play at a high level. We had an amazing team and beating Keller in the playoffs was a special moment.”