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Manheim Central drops Dock Mennonite Academy, barrels into PIAA Class 2A volleyball semifinals | Boys’ volleyball

There are four areas you must have covered when it comes to constructing a championship volleyball team. A handsy, see-the-whole court, traffic cop, pinpoint setter is a great start. Plus a defensive-minded, get-on-the-floor libero to dig everything out in the back. Then you have the pin-hitters. The jumping-jack guys on the outside who can tee […]

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4 weeks ago

June 8, 2025

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There are four areas you must have covered when it comes to constructing a championship volleyball team.

A handsy, see-the-whole court, traffic cop, pinpoint setter is a great start. Plus a defensive-minded, get-on-the-floor libero to dig everything out in the back.

Then you have the pin-hitters. The jumping-jack guys on the outside who can tee off and blast kill after acrobatic, power-swing kill.

But if you really want to go deep — think navigating a playoff bracket, littered with landmines — you better have a couple of sturdy middles. The tall guys in the front row who will sacrifice their hands to get all-important blocks, and chip in with some booming kills of their own.

Manheim Central is covered in all of those areas. Saturday, the Barons leaned on their trusty middles, who put on a show.

Blake Neiles, who goes 6-foot-3, dominated at the net with seven kills and five clutch blocks, 6-foot-4 all-star Landon Mattiace chipped in with seven kills and three blocks, and the Barons downed Dock Mennonite Academy 3-0 in a PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal at Cocalico in Denver.

Set scores were 25-14, 25-17 and 25-12, as Central did, well, Central things. The Barons — who will take on familiar foe York Suburban in the state semifinals on Tuesday, site and time to be announced — got contributions from everyone around the rotation, particularly Neiles and Mattiace in the middle.

“For a middle, our main job is blocking and getting the ball out to our hitters, and then putting up a wall,” Neiles said. “I’ve had some ups and downs, and my blocking isn’t always the best. But I always try my best.”

Neiles was at his absolute best against Dock Mennonite. The Pioneers, out of Lansdale in Montgomery County, had very few answers above the net on Saturday — which featured a 10 a.m. start because Dock Mennonite had graduation later in the day.

“Blake blocked extremely well,” Central coach Craig Dietrich said. “And he got a lot of touches, even if he didn’t get the block. We got a lot of contributions in the middle from him and Landon.”

When those two are wreaking havoc up front, the Barons (22-1 overall) give everyone headaches.

“If we can get our middles going, we’re kind of unstoppable,” said Central libero Colin Rohrer, who had nine digs Saturday. “Landon jumps so high, and he can pretty much swing over anybody. And when Blake gets hot, he’s pretty hard to stop.”

Dock Mennonite, the District 1/11 sub-regional champ, which survived an 11-match losing skid to make the postseason, simply could not contain Central’s dynamic duo in the middle.

“If that block isn’t there, then they can swing wherever they want,” Rohrer said. “We happen to have a really good block, so that makes it easier to play defense. Blake had so many great blocks today. He was going crazy.”

Dock Mennonite (7-16) hung around early in the first set. It was 7-7 when Central, the District 3 champ, pounced. Reagan Miller’s kill got the Barons rolling. Then came back-to-back slams by Caleb Groff and Mattiace, and Central seized control.

The Barons — who fell to Dock Mennonite in the state quarterfinals in 2022 — pushed their lead to 20-11 on Neiles’ block, before Miller and Neiles had kills.

Miller (8 kills, 4 blocks) closed out the first set with a blistering ace and Central, the reigning L-L League runner-up and at No. 2 in the PVCA Class 2A state rankings, was quickly up 1-0.

Setter of attention: Manheim Central senior standout steers Barons' successful volleyball program

It was 6-6 in the second set when the Barons found another gear. Mattiace had a kill, Neiles had back-to-back blocks — he completely bottled up the space above the net throughout — and Miller’s block polished off a 5-0 run and Central was up 11-6.

Later, the Barons had a 4-1 clip — featuring kills by Neiles and Mattiace and a block and an ace by Miller — for a 17-11 cushion. And Central, the three-time reigning L-L League Section 2 champ, closed out the second set when Mattiace had a kill, and Neiles had two slams for a cozy 2-0 lead.

Central went for the jugular in the third, with Neiles delivering consecutive kills for an 8-4 lead. Miller’s ace gave the Barons a 10-5 cushion. And Central sewed it up thanks to kills from Groff (7 kills), Neiles and Weston Longenecker, a setter dump from Musser — he had five of those, plus 25 assists — and Mattiace’s ace.

“I had one goal, and that was to help us get back to the state semifinals,” Neiles said. “That’s everyone’s goal. Now it’s one game at a time.”

Starting Tuesday against York Suburban, which topped District 2 champ Holy Redeemer 3-0 on Saturday. The Barons have already blanked the Trojans twice this season: 3-0 in a nonleague match back on May 5 in York, and 3-0 in the district title match on May 29 in Manheim.

The rematch is for a trip to the Class 2A state championship next Saturday at Penn State’s Rec Hall.

Tuesday’s other semifinal will pit District 10 champ Meadville — which topped Central in last year’s PIAA finale — against WPIAL winner Shaler.

Meadville KO’d Ambridge 3-0 and Shaler blanked Brandywine Heights 3-0 on Saturday.

Manheim Central serves up win against York Suburban, bags second District 3 Class 2A boys volleyball championship

Manheim Central must navigate past Dock Mennonite Academy to continue on in PIAA Class 2A volleyball playoffs

X: @JeffReinhart77

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How volleyball helped UC Irvine’s Ofure Iselen step into her confidence

Story Links (This story was originally published on ucirvinesports.com) Journeys. Whether it be starting school or a new hobby, everyone in life goes through them – and the ups and downs that come along the way. The thing about journeys is they feel long while they’re happening but when you look back, it […]

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18 minutes ago

July 3, 2025

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(This story was originally published on ucirvinesports.com)

Journeys. Whether it be starting school or a new hobby, everyone in life goes through them – and the ups and downs that come along the way.

The thing about journeys is they feel long while they’re happening but when you look back, it really went by in a flash. Only when you take a step back and look at your journey can you see the highs and lows and realize how it was all worth it. This is how senior Ofure Iselen would describe her time at UC Irvine as a member of the women’s volleyball team: a journey.

“I would describe it as a journey. I know it’s cliche, but it flew by so fast. I can’t even wrap my head around that it’s done. I would just describe it as a roller coaster. There were the highest of highs and there were the lowest of the lows.”

Iselen’s volleyball career had an unexpected starting point. As her mom wanted her and her siblings to stay active, she was involved with multiple sports growing up. However, it was actually her friend who convinced her to try out for a volleyball team.

“Once I got to middle school, I made my friend try out for the basketball team and then she made me try out for the volleyball team. So, I was just playing middle school volleyball, nothing serious. Then once I got to high school, my mom was like, okay, you have to pick one to really get serious about.”

Since the volleyball season started in the fall before basketball, Iselen’s high school athletic career began with spikes instead of layups, and the rest is history. She made varsity her freshman year and enjoyed the experience. She had found her sport of choice.

Having only started playing competitive volleyball her freshman year of high school, Iselen had some catching up to do, but that didn’t stop others from recognizing her potential. During her high school season, a club director approached her and asked about joining their club volleyball team. Iselen was immediately interested as it would help her grow and they saw potential in her ability to play at the collegiate level.

Iselen put in the work and eventually schools started calling. When it came time to commit, UC Irvine felt like the right fit.

“I had heard of UC Irvine. Some of my friends’ older siblings went there so I was familiar with the school. It was really pretty, and it was not too far from home (the Bay Area). Also, UCI is a really well-known school and that degree holds a lot of weight, so I felt I was getting the best of both worlds. I would get to live out my dreams of playing Division I volleyball while also getting a degree that could push me further after I’m done with volleyball.”

Her freshman season was all about learning and adjusting to the college life. At the advice of her coaches, and coming off an early injury, she focused her efforts in the weight room and learning the ins-and-outs of being a Division I student-athlete.

“My freshman year, I didn’t have many expectations. Coach Ashlie (Hain) told me when I first came in to get serious in that weight room because it would help me a ton. I took that to heart, and I made sure that the weight room was my best friend. Being in the weight room seriously and trying to find that [improvement], and then senior year breaking into that starting lineup was huge for me. It felt like my whole journey kind of meant something and all my hard work didn’t go to waste. I was happy the way we ended, and I couldn’t have asked for a better senior season.”

Ofure Iselen Spike

Iselen bided her time and put in the work to continually improve. She played sparingly her first two seasons with her playing time increasing her junior year, but it wasn’t until her senior season when she earned the opportunity to be in the starting lineup. That doesn’t mean there weren’t still a few bumps along the way in her journey. While she began the season in the starting lineup, by the end of the second preseason tournament, Iselen found herself back on the bench. It was a mental battle as this was her senior year and there was no next season.

“It was probably the biggest challenge mentally and emotionally that I had to face because before it was always like you have next year to try again or get better, but getting benched during preseason of my senior year, I was like there is no next year, right? It was more of a mental challenge than it was a physical challenge because I felt like I was there physically, but mentally I couldn’t perform. I’ve never had to deal with my mental health throughout sports. I was always a pretty positive person. So, when my mental wasn’t there, it’s like, how do you get back to believing in yourself? How do you get back to who you are as a person and as a player?”

Still, Iselen persevered and found her way back into the lineup during the beginning of conference play. From there, she continued to play well, helping lead the Anteaters to a winning record, the program’s first season sweep of Hawai’i and an appearance in the Big West Championships. She ended her senior season ranked first in the Big West in blocks per set (1.24), while averaging 1.21 kills per set and making the Big West Fall All-Academic team.

Iselen looks back on her career fondly and will always cherish the people she met and memories she made with UCI volleyball.

“I’ve met so many amazing people at UCI that I know I’m going to have in my life forever. I never understood when people said that when they come to college, they find their forever people, but I truly did. I’m so appreciative for this school. When I was a kid out of high school, Coach Ashlie took a chance on me because I had only been playing for a few years and I’m so grateful that I was given the opportunity to showcase who I am, not just as an athlete, but as a person too.”

Off the court, Iselen spent a large amount of time with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and helped found the Black Student Athlete Alliance (BSAA) at UCI. With her involvement in these organizations and her experience as a student-athlete, a new position opened up that allowed Iselen to remain with UCI Athletics.

After graduating earlier this year with a degree in Political Science (she will walk this weekend), Iselen has served as the Student Athlete Development Coordinator the past two quarters. Her experience and relationships she built at UCI has helped her understand the needs of student-athletes and to plan events and workshops that cater to their interests.

“I work a lot with career development. Having former collegiate athletes come back, from all different sports and schools, and just kind of talk to our student athletes about life after sport and helping them with that transition.

“I feel like I have a unique experience because I’m still in it. A lot of my friends are still student-athletes. I just take their feedback of the things that they feel we’re lacking, and I have the ability to bring those things to life.”

After graduation, Iselen plans to take a gap year and then pursue her MBA. Her plan to become a marketing executive hasn’t changed.

“Coming back from the Black Student Athlete Summit (in 2023), and talking to different marketing executives there made me realize that is what I want to do, so I’ve just been growing in that area too.”

Iselen’s time at UCI wasn’t necessarily a typical one, coming in after COVID, getting a late start in the sport to becoming a key starter as a senior, to continuing to assist student-athletes after her athletic career ended, she always sees the growth in her opportunities and her work. While her journey at UC Irvine has come to a close, her next journey is just getting started. Iselen has no regrets and will forever cherish being an Anteater.

“Just going through this journey – this was such a unique experience that I was gracious to have. Going on the journey alongside people you build a bond with can’t be replaced, they’ve seen you when you were at your lowest and they were the ones that picked you up and carried you through. This is something that you definitely can’t do alone. Finding that community and finding those people who I was able to lean on when I needed to, and then, when it was their turn, for me to be there for them. You create that bond that just lasts for a long time, and I feel like that’s the thing that I probably take away the most is those relationships. I’ve definitely grown and changed a lot since my freshman year. Looking back and seeing videos of myself from four years ago, I’m like, wow, this person has come a long way.”

Ofure Iselen Celebrate

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Meet the 2025 athletes of the year, first team, honorable m – Butler Eagle

Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness won gold at the WPIAL and PIAA championships this season. Magness has been named Butler Eagle Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle Excelling as a freshman brings with it expectations. Mackenzie Magness did not wilt under that pressure — she flourished. In 2024, Magness won […]

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30 minutes ago

July 3, 2025

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Excelling as a freshman brings with it expectations. Mackenzie Magness did not wilt under that pressure — she flourished.

In 2024, Magness won a WPIAL Class 2A title in the pole vault. This spring, the Freeport sophomore raised the bar even higher, winning another district crown before earning a state championship May 24 at Shippensburg University with a height of 12 feet.

The campaign yielded a pair of school records for Magness — 12-4 in the pole vault, which won her WPIAL gold, and 17-8¾ in the long jump. Her collective effort made Magness a unanimous pick for Butler Eagle Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Related Article: Track and field honor roll: See Butler County’s all-time girls results, updated after 2025 season

Related Article: PIAA track championships: Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness wins 2A girls pole vault gold in friend’s memory

“It was a lot for me to handle at once,” Magness said regarding the flurry of achievements. “But I’m extremely happy with what I was able to do.

“There’s so many talented girls in the county, and I am super-appreciative for this honor.”

Her desire for continued improvement is evident this summer. She recently returned from a pole vault camp at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, will attend a similar camp in Louisville in July and is training for a decathlon, scheduled for August in Ohio.

The pole vault is obviously her best event, but Magness also has potential in the jumping events. She earned WPIAL medals in the long and triple jump this year.

“I got a lot of work in for the jumps during the indoor season over the winter,” she said. “It helped me become more explosive.”

Related Article: PIAA track championships: North Catholic 4×100 girls relay wins gold; Butler boys relays ends with 2 medals

Related Article: WPIAL track and field: Butler’s Aubrey Rock defends pole vault gold; Seneca Valley’s Gavin Skarbek realizes 400 dreams

Butler’s boys 4×400-meter relay team (from left: Jace Gratzmiller, Carter Ekas, Aaron Stebick and Regan Peth) set a school record this season with an all-time Butler County-best effort of 3 minutes, 17.49 seconds. The quartet won a WPIAL Class 3A title with a district-record time and placed sixth in the state and is this year’s Butler Eagle Boys Track and Field Athletes of the Year. Submitted Photo

Boys Athletes of the Year

With one performance, Butler’s 4×400-meter relay team reached legendary status.

The scene was the WPIAL Class 3A Championships at Slippery Rock University in May. Up until then, the Golden Tornado had turned in very good times in the event.

Regan Peth, Aaron Stebick, Jace Gratzmiller and Carter Ekas teamed up to rewrite three record books. Their time of 3 minutes, 17.49 seconds broke the school standard, district meet record and Butler County’s all-time record.

The team went on to place sixth at the state meet, the only squad from Western Pa. to medal in the event.

All four runners have been voted Boys Track and Field Athletes of the Year.

Related Article: Track and field honor roll: See Butler County’s all-time boys results, updated after 2025 season

Related Article: WPIAL track and field: Butler boys 4×100 and 4×400 relays break district, school records

“The guys had been running so well throughout the year, but you still want to see improvement every time out,” Butler coach Mike Seybert said. “We were hoping to break the school record, but to get the WPIAL record, too, they exceeded our hopes.”

Gratzmiller was injured for part of the year.

“When he came back, it was good to see and I knew he was going to be strong for us,” said Stebick, the one senior of the group who is headed to compete at Westminster College. “We had a great time this season. It felt amazing to achieve something big with my friends.”

Butler had a bevy of runners to choose from for the relay.

“We had nine kids under 51 seconds in the open 400, which is unheard of,” Seybert said. “It’s the deepest group we’ve ever had at Butler. You literally could have flip-flopped our 4×1 and 4×4 teams.”

Butler’s 4×100 team of Grayden Brown, Logan Ekas, Chris Rubcic and Kevin Shriver also won a WPIAL title with a school-record and all-time Butler County-best effort of 41.85.

Following are the other athletes who made the Eagle’s first team, followed by honorable mentions, listed alphabetically.

Girls First Team

North Catholic’s girls 4×100 relay team (from left: Anna Lazzara, Audra Lazzara, Seava Cresta and Daphne Flerl) won Class 2A gold during the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. All four have been named Butler County all-stars. Derek Pyda/Butler Eagle

Seava Cresta, sr., sprints, North Catholic

Returned from a torn hamstring suffered during the indoor season to run on North’s 4×100-meter relay team that won WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A titles. The state crown came with a school and Butler County record time of 48.06 seconds. She also earned district medals in the 100 and 200 dash.

College: Duquesne

Mars’ Morgan Duker takes third place in the girls 100-meter dash with a time of 12.95 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Morgan Duker, sr., sprints, Mars

Qualified for the state meet in the 400 by placing fourth in the WPIAL, then earned a PIAA medal in the event with an eighth-place finish. Also medaled in the 200 dash at WPIALs. Finished the season with Butler County’s best time in the 400 at 57.01 seconds and graduated with school records in the 400 and 200 (25.90).

North Catholic’s Daphne Flerl was part of the district and state champion 4×100 team and medaled in the triple jump at WPIALs. Derek Pyda/Butler Eagle

Daphne Flerl, sr., sprints/jumps, North Catholic

A member of the Trojanettes’ 4×100 relay team that won district and state titles, closing the season with a Butler County all-time best effort of 48.06 seconds. Qualified for states by placing fifth in the WPIAL in the Class 2A triple jump. Also helped North place second in the 4×400 relay at WPIALs and fourth in the state.

College: Davidson

North Catholic’s Anna Lazzara won three individual WPIAL medals this season. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Anna Lazzara, so., sprints/jumps, North Catholic

Earned a berth in the state meet in three individual events after WPIAL efforts in the 100 (fifth), 200 (fourth) and long jump (third).

Placed third in the state in the long jump and was the anchor of North’s 4×100 relay team that won WPIAL and state titles. Had Butler County’s top time this season in the 100 (12.31) and 200 (25.27).

North Catholic twin sisters, track and field stars Anna Lazzara, left, and Audra Lazzara. Audra won the WPIAL Class 2A 100 hurdles title this season. Derek Pyda/Butler Eagle

Audra Lazzara, so., sprints/hurdles, North Catholic

Won a WPIAL Class 2A title in the 100 hurdles before finishing second in the state. Also qualified for the state meet by placing fifth in the district in the 300 hurdles. Ran a leg on the WPIAL and PIAA championship 4×100 relay. Finished the season with the county’s best time in the 100 hurdles at 14.93.

Seneca Valley’s Jordan Monteleone won the WPIAL Class 3A high jump title and medaled at states. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle

Jordan Monteleone, jr., jumps, Seneca Valley

Her best event is the high jump, and she delivered with a WPIAL Class 3A title and fourth place in the state. Finished the year with Butler County’s top height in the event at 5-6. Also earned a WPIAL medal in the long jump.

Slippery Rock’s Aiva Reich, middle, won District 10 Class 3A 100 hurdles gold and medaled in the 300 hurdles. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Aiva Reich, sr., hurdles, Slippery Rock

Captured a District 10 Class 3A title in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.40, which put her in Butler County’s top five for the season. Also medaled at districts with a fourth-place finish in the 300 hurdles and helped the Rockets’ 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams medal in D10.

College: Grove City

Butler’s Aubrey Rock won WPIAL Class 3A gold in the long jump and pole vault. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Aubrey Rock, sr., jumps/pole vault, Butler

Closed her high school career with a banner season, winning WPIAL Class 3A titles in the long jump and pole vault. Placed seventh in the state in the pole vault. Her 19-2.5 in the long jump broke the Butler County-area’s all-time record by 4 inches. Was a member of the 4×100 relay team that set a new school standard at 48.92.

College: Westminster

Girls Honorable Mention

Adraya Baxter, sr., hurdles, Butler; Phoebe Brandon, so., sprints/jumps, Karns City; Karlee Buterbaugh, sr., throws, Knoch; Autumn Christie, so., javelin, Slippery Rock; Aubrey Erdos, sr., pole vault, Seneca Valley; Kara Fennell, sr., jumps/pole vault, Knoch; Maddee Fischer, sr., sprints, Seneca Valley; Aubrey Popp, jr., sprints, Seneca Valley; Jocie Slesinski, sr., sprints, Butler; Augelina Williams, fr., sprints, Seneca Valley; Izzy Yuhouse, so., sprints, Seneca Valley

Boys First Team

Karns City’s Griffin Booher won the District 9 Class 2A title in the 800. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Griffin Booher, sr., middle distance, Karns City

Won a District 9 Class 2A title in the 800 run, then capped his high school career by going 1:59.96 to crack Butler County’s top five this season. Was named first team all-conference in the event.

Freeport’s Michael Braun finished with two WPIAL silvers in the 1,600 and 3,200, then did the same at the PIAA championships. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Michael Braun, sr., distance, Freeport

Was runner-up in WPIAL Class 2A in the 1,600 and 3,200. Placed second in the state in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600. Broke his own school record in both events this year and ranks third and fourth on Butler County’s all-time honor roll with times of 9:02.25 and 4:11.97, respectively.

College: Penn State

Moniteau’s Ashton Grossman won the pole vault at the District 9 championships. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Ashton Grossman, sr., pole vault, Moniteau

Broke his own school record in the pole vault several times this season, graduating with a best effort of 15-3. Won a District 9 Class 2A crown in the event and placed runner-up in the state. Was named first team all-conference.

College: Slippery Rock

Seneca Valley’s Dakari Payne won medals in all three jumping events at the WPIAL championships, including high jump gold. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Dakari Payne, jr., jumps, Seneca Valley

For the second straight year, he finished the season ranked in Butler County’s top five in all three jumps, including tops in the high jump at 6-7. Earned three WPIAL medals, including first place in the high jump.

Seneca Valley’s Gavin Skarbek won gold in the 400 in the WPIAL Class 3A championships. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Gavin Skarbek, sr., sprints, Seneca Valley

Earned a WPIAL Class 3A title in the 400 with a time of 48.99, the best effort in Butler County this spring. Also placed second in the WPIAL in the 200 and had the county’s best finish in that event at 22.11.

College: Slippery Rock

Boys Honorable Mention

Nicco Baggetta, so., javelin, Butler; Grayden Brown, sr., sprints, Butler; Logan Ekas, jr., sprints, Butler; Austin Friedline, jr., sprints/hurdles, Knoch; Dustin Joyce, sr., jumps, Slippery Rock; Chris Rubcic, sr., sprints, Butler; Kevin Shriver, so., sprints, Butler; Logan Skibinski, jr., sprints, Union/A-C Valley; Zachary Slear, sr., middle distance, Butler; Jack Steineman, fr., distance, North Catholic; Alex Wilson, so., pole vault, Karns City

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Women's Basketball Announces 2025

Story Links WILMINGTON, N.C. – UNCW women’s basketball head coach Nicole Woods and staff have finalized the Seahawks’ 2025-26 roster, featuring eight returners and five newcomers for the upcoming season. In her second season at the helm in 2024-25, Woods led the Seahawks to a 14-18 record, improving their win total by nine to reach the second […]

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1 hour ago

July 3, 2025

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WILMINGTON, N.C. – UNCW women’s basketball head coach Nicole Woods and staff have finalized the Seahawks’ 2025-26 roster, featuring eight returners and five newcomers for the upcoming season.

In her second season at the helm in 2024-25, Woods led the Seahawks to a 14-18 record, improving their win total by nine to reach the second round of the Coastal Athletic Association tournament.

UNCW also won eight conference games during the 2024-25 season, matching the previous total from the past four seasons combined.

Five guards return to the roster in 2025, including senior Kate Hollifield, who led the CAA by shooting 43.5% from 3-point range in conference games, and sophomore Tia Dobson, who led all freshmen in the CAA last season with 65 assists.

Kylah Silver, a redshirt sophomore guard, will return to the court after missing the 2024-25 campaign with an injury. Silver averaged 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds as a freshman in 2023-24.

Senior guards Mary Ferrito and McCall King return to bring veteran experience to the backcourt. King played in all 32 games last season, making 14 starts.

UNCW will return three post players for the 2025-26 season. Corrie McLaughlin, a junior, played in 26 games last season, while redshirt freshman Angelina Pelayo and redshirt junior Torin Rogers return after dealing with injuries last season.

Five newcomers, Rori Cox (Virginia Union), Sarah Oduro (George Mason), Paige Smith (CCBC Essex), Icyss Storm and Ebbony Wilson join the Seahawks for the 2025-26 season.

2025-26 UNCW Men’s Basketball Roster

#	Name	Pos.	Cl.	Ht.	Hometown
0	Ebbony Wilson	G	Fr.	5-10	Los Angeles, Calif.
1	Mary Ferrito	G	Sr.	5-10	Plain City, Ohio
2	Paige Smith	G	Jr.	5-7	Hagerstown, Md.
3	Kate Hollifield	G	Sr.	5-10	Shelby, N.C.
4	Tia Dobson	G	So.	5-7	Daytona Beach, Fla.
5	Rori Cox	G	Gr.	5-7	Brooklyn, N.Y.
7	Sarah Oduro	C	R-Fr.	6-3	Gainesville, Va.
10	McCall King	G	Sr.	5-10	Easley, S.C.
11	Torin Rogers	F	R-Jr.	6-1	Brasstown, N.C.
13	Corrie McLaughlin	F	Jr.	6-2	Raleigh, N.C.
21	Kylah Silver	G	R-So.	5-10	Greenville, N.C.
23	Icyss Storm	F	Fr.	6-1	Durham, N.C.
24	Angelina Pelayo	C	R-Fr.	6-3	Louisville, Ky.

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Skagit Valley Herald Girls’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Lyla Self | Local News

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Gamecocks in Minor League Baseball

Another month is in the books for former South Carolina Gamecocks who have taken their talents to the MiLB. Here’s how they performed in June. Garrett Gainey – Bowling Green Hot Rods With the Hot Rods, Gainey has managed to improve his overall ERA from 7.36 to 5.91 after adding 21 innings of work. Gainey’s strikeout […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Another month is in the books for former South Carolina Gamecocks who have taken their talents to the MiLB. Here’s how they performed in June.

Garrett Gainey – Bowling Green Hot Rods

With the Hot Rods, Gainey has managed to improve his overall ERA from 7.36 to 5.91 after adding 21 innings of work. Gainey’s strikeout number has increased from 11 to 36 as he continues to grow on the mound.

Cole Messina – Spokane Indians

Through 70 at-bats in June, Messina scraped together 13 runs off of 20 hits with nine RBI. Messina had a month-high three hits and two runs on June 24. The South Carolina native continues to take reps at designated hitter and catcher for the Indians.

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Eli Jones – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

The 6-foot-1 righty Jones took the mound four times in June for the Mighty Mussels, during which his ERA increased from 3.74 in May to 5.65 in June.

In addition, Jones pitched fewer innings in June at just 13.2 compared to 21.2 in May and 22 in April. In June, Jones had 10 strikeouts and walked 9 batters.

Braylen Wimmer – Spokane Indians

It was a busy month for Wimmer as he took 101 at-bats in 25 games. At the plate, he produced 14 runs off 30 hits with four homers and 17 RBI.

As a utility man for the Indians, Wimmer was named NWL player of the week during the first week of June.

Jack Mahoney – Hartford Yard Goats

Taking the mound five times in June, Mahoney pitched to a 5.14 ERA across 21 innings. As a starter, Mahoney allowed 12 runs off 27 hits with 12 strikeouts and 10 walks. Mahoney has improved from last month’s 7.88 ERA, as his ERA now sits at 6.45.

Will Sanders – Iowa Cubs

On June 19, the Iowa Cubs moved Sanders to the Development List. Sanders had previously pitched to a 4.32 ERA in June after being transferred to the Cubs from the Knoxville Smokies. During his three starts in June, Sanders pitched 16.2 innings with 13 strikeouts.

James Hicks – Corpus Christi Hooks

Hicks remains on the 60-injury list after being transferred on May 12. The last time he took the mound was on April 24.

Noah Hall – Brooklyn Cyclones

Hall continues to dominate on the mound for the Cyclones, pitching to a 2.45 ERA in June. His ERA is down from 2.96 in May, with 23 strikeouts and just five runs allowed.

Cade Austin – Tampa Tarpons

As a strong relief pitcher for the Tarpons, Austin pitched to a 2.79 ERA in 9.2 innings across June. Allowing just seven runs and eight hits, Austin produced a 1-1 record with 12 strikeouts.

Brady Allen – Erie SeaWolves

Allen’s batting average improved slightly from .138 in May to .171 in June. Taking only 18 at-bats, Allen struck out seven times with five hits and two runs scored.

Julian Bosnic – Greensboro Grasshoppers

Bosnic’s ERA continues to improve as 2025 passes. After pitching to a 4.63 ERA in May, he got down to a 2.53 ERA in June. Across 10.2 innings of relief, Bosnic threw nine strikeouts, allowing just three runs off seven hits.

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Colin Burgess – Augusta Green Jackets

With the Green Jackets, Burgess batted .265 in June with eight RBI and left the yard twice. He produced 13 hits with six runs scored and slugged .429 with a .308 OBP in 49 at-bats.

Wes Clarke – Corpus Christi Hooks

Big changes came for Clarke in the month of June. On June 17, the Nashville Sounds transferred Clarke to the Development List.

Then, on June 19, the Milwaukee Brewers traded Clarke to the Houston Astros in exchange for cash. The Astros assigned Clarke to the Hooks the same day.

With both the Hooks and the Sounds, Clarke batted .357 in June with eight runs scored and 15 hits. Clarke also produced five homers with 12 RBI in 42 at-bats.

Carlos Cortes – Las Vegas Aviator

In June, Cortes batted .369, improving from .257 in May. His strong month included him hitting eight homers and driving in 36 runs in 103 at-bats.

Thomas Farr – Chattanooga Lookouts

After being assigned to the Dayton Dragons from the Chattanooga Lookouts on May 30, Farr was sent back to the Lookouts on June 3. From there, Farr was placed on the seven-day injured list on June 5.

Farr pitched one inning on June 25 but recorded no stats.

Brett Kerry – Salt Lake Bees

The Bees activated Kerry from the seven-day injured list on June 3. However, during June, Kerry struggled and pitched to a 9.85 ERA across five games. With four starts, Kerry had a 1-3 record and allowed 27 runs off 35 hits.

Daniel Lloyd – Chesapeake Baysox

In June, Lloyd pitched to a season-high 3.38 ERA, allowing six runs off eight hits. With 11 strikeouts in 10.2 innings, Lloyd made seven relief appearances for the Baysox.

TJ Shook – Binghamton Rumble Ponies

From May to June, Shook’s ERA increased from 0.69 to 4.38. Across seven starts, he threw 12.1 innings and allowed 9 runs off 15 hits. Shook also had just two walks compared to 14 strikeouts.

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Sports

A look at all of the men’s events

Safety improvements at Eugene’s Prefontaine Memorial complete Some of the changes include adding a railing to protect visitors from the road, along with an expanded sidewalk and a viewing area. Register-Guard Oregon’s Olympic gold medalist is coming home. Cole Hocker, in his first race at Hayward Field since his thrilling and unexpected victory in the […]

Published

3 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Oregon’s Olympic gold medalist is coming home.

Cole Hocker, in his first race at Hayward Field since his thrilling and unexpected victory in the men’s 1,500-meter final in Paris last summer, is among the headliners in a stacked field of competitors entered in the Bowerman Mile – the signature event in the annual Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet at Hayward Field July 5.

The former NCAA champion and a two-time U.S. outdoor champion, had an Olympic- and personal-record finish in Paris with his win in 3 minutes, 27.65 seconds to take down a field that also included Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who was fourth in the 1,500 final but won gold in the 5,000, and American Yared Nuguse, who claimed bronze.

Nuguse is also entered in the Bowerman Mile, but Ingebrigtsen – who won three straight Bowerman Miles from 2021-23 – has recently pulled out of the meet.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Bowerman Mile, named in honor of legendary former Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman in 2000.

Ingebrigtsen is the meet record-holder from his 2023 win in 3:43.73, which is also a Diamond League record. The slowest winning time since 2000 is 3:51.84.

The 16-man field also includes 2024 U.S. Olympian Hobbs Kessler, who was fifth in the Paris final, and Grant Fisher, who became the first American to medal in the 5,000 and 10,000 at the same Olympics when he won bronze in both last summer.

Also entered are 2024 Olympic 1,500 finalists Niels Laros (sixth) and Stefan Nillessen (ninth) of Netherlands, Neil Gourley (10th) of Great Britain, and Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot (11th), who was the silver medalist in Tokyo in 2021 and the 2019 world champion.

Here’s a look at the other Pre Classic men’s events as of July 1, keeping in mind the list of entries are fluid and the participants could change right up to the start of the meet.

Prefontaine Classic men’s program

100 meters – Kishane Thompson won silver in Paris after missing out on gold in a photo finish with Noah Lyles. The Jamaican will bring a PR of 9.79 to Hayward Field, making him second-fastest among entries to American Trayvon Bromell, who has run 9.76. Great Britain record-holder Zharnel Hughes is also entered, as is American Christian Coleman.

200 meters – Letsile Tebogo, the 22-year-old sprinter from Botswana who was once committed to running collegiately for Oregon, is the reigning Olympic champ. American Kenny Bednarek is the reigning Olympic silver medalist and Diamond League champion. They’ll go head to head for the eighth time on Saturday. Also entered is former Duck Kyree King.

400 meters – American Quincy Hall returns to Hayward Field as the Olympic champion and will face a field that will also include Paris bronze medalist Muzala Samukonga of Zambia and Grenada’s Kirani James, a three-time Olympic medalist and one of the event’s all-time greats.

International mile – Current Ducks Simeon Birnbaum and Elliott Cook are entered in this mile race, as is former Duck Sam Prakel.

10,000 meters – American Conner Mantz, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials winner in 2024 and U.S. half-marathon record-holder, is entered in a 20-man field that includes 14 Kenyans in a race that is doubling as the Kenyan national championships.

400-meter hurdles – Five-time Olympic medalist and American record-holder Rai Benjamin is the headliner. Benjamin already has two wins this season at Diamond League meets and has won 11 straight 400 hurdles races beginning with his victory during the Diamond League final in Eugene in 2023 and including the Olympic final in Paris. His competition will include Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos, the Paris bronze medalist.

Para 100-meter mixed classification – Reigning Paralympics gold medalist Noah Malone is entered. The American is a five-time Paralympic medalist and the 2023 Pre Classic champion.

Para 200-meter T62/T64 – Hunter Woodhall is a three-time Paralympic medalist in the 400, including gold in Paris in the 400 T62. He is also the American record-holder in the 100 T62 and 400 T62.

Shot put – Oregon native, three-time Olympic champ and world record-holder Ryan Crouser was expected to compete but has pulled out of the meet. Fellow American, three-time Olympic silver medalist and four-time Pre Classic champion Joe Kovacs is entered, however, as is Olympic bronze medalist Rajindra Campbell of Jamaica.

Discus – World record-holder and Paris silver medalist Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania will get another chance to defeat Roje Stona, who made history last summer when he won Jamaica’s first Olympic gold in the discus. Also entered is reigning world champion Daniel Stahl of Sweden.

Hammer – Canada’s Ethan Katzberg has been a big-meet performer the past two years, winning Olympic gold in 2024 and World Athletics Championship gold in 2023. Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine was the bronze medalist in Paris.

Pole vault – Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, the U.S.-born sensation who competes for his mother’s native Sweden, first broke the world record in 2020 and has since reset that mark 11 times. Two of those have come at Hayward Field – during the World Athletics Championships in 2022 and during the 2023 Pre Classic. Among those trying to top him this weekend are American Sam Kendricks, who won Olympic silver in Paris, and Renaud Lavillenie of France.

Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG

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