Abi Young has been involved in gymnastics at the Haverford Area YMCA since she was 3 years old. However, Young, now 12, always wondered why they practiced inside a gymnasium, compared to other area Ys that have a dedicated gymnastics space.

“They would divide [the gym] in half,” said Young, a sixth grader at Haverford Middle School. “There were kids playing basketball next to us, so you always hear basketballs, from time to time basketballs would fly over — it was kind of weird and not private.”

Because of the smaller space, the equipment was limited, too. The gymnastics program didn’t have a foam pit or a full-size floor. It couldn’t host competitions and would travel to compete at other YMCAs, including Rivers Crossing in Bucks County, Phoenixville, Greater Brandywine in West Chester, and Willow Grove, where there are dedicated facilities. Children were being placed on a waiting list to participate.

So about a year ago, Young, who at the time was learning how to write a persuasive essay in school, decided with others to write letters to YMCA Greater Philadelphia’s CEO, Shaun Elliott, asking for a space to expand their gymnastics program.

The letters were eye-opening, Elliott said. There had been conversations in previous years about adding a gymnastics facility to the Haverford YMCA. But after last summer, when the gymnastics team competed in the YMCA Nationals, more children have wanted to join, and it became apparent that they were outgrowing the space.

“We had a notion that we wanted to do that, but it brought a sense of urgency to it,” Elliott said. “Sometimes when you’re in a leadership role and you’re not right at the front lines, you’re not as connected as you like to be. It’s just a reminder that we’re here to serve the community. In this case, young people, so it was more inspiring than anything else.”

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In October, Elliott gathered the Y’s Haverford staff, gymnasts, and their parents together to announce the opening of a gymnastics center. The new building at 4 Raymond Drive in Havertown is about five minutes away from the Haverford YMCA. It officially opened to the public on May 8, when officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The 11,000-square-foot center features a foam pit, full-size competition floor, tumbling track, and an array of vaults, bars, and beams. Elliott said the Y needed to put down about a half-million dollars to build the center. The construction cost $450,000, while equipment cost $225,000. The Y has a 10-year lease on the building, which is valued at approximately $1.5 million.

“When I was able to announce these plans, I immediately got mobbed by all these gymnasts, and parents were clapping, cheering and crying,” Elliott added. “If that doesn’t motivate you, nothing will. If we build a new branch — or in this case, a gymnastics center, to see it flooded with young people participating is all worth it.”

The space allows Haverford’s gymnastics program to serve more than 1,000 children a week. The classes vary, including competitive, instructional, and recreational sessions. The competitive team has about 50 members, ranging from 7-year-olds to high school seniors. The team plans to host competitions in the winter of 2026.

“The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind,” said Natalie Wojcik, the director and coach of the Haverford gymnastics team. “It’s been so great to see everybody come together and put in a ton of hard work to make this possible, and it’s been really rewarding to see the kids in the gym enjoying it, practicing, and already learning new skills.”

Wojcik joined the Y staff at the end of January. The Berks County native was a gymnast at Michigan who graduated in 2023 with her master’s degree. Wojcik, 25, helped Michigan secure three Big Ten championships and was a seven-time All-American. She competed in the all-around and made three appearances in the NCAA championships. In 2022, she received the AAI Award, the Heisman Trophy of women’s college gymnastics, presented by American Athletic Incorporated.

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Her upbringing centered around gymnastics. She started at age 3, competed locally at age 7, and by her freshman year of high school, Wojcik was committed to Michigan while competing in national and international tournaments. She decided to do online school to have more flexibility with her training, but throughout her journey, Wojcik also experienced the grueling aspect of gymnastics, where she thought she needed to be a perfectionist.

The pressure from coaches led her to switch club teams multiple times, she said, because the environment was driving her away from the sport. Now, the experience serves as a lesson for the type of coach she wants to be.

“I feel like I’m really inspired by the positive coaches that I had as an athlete and I try to emulate the way that they treated me,” she said. “It’s really important to me that I instill confidence in my athletes and that I challenge them to be their very best, but also encourage them along the way.”

Overall, the center “is huge for the community,” said Amy Young, Abi’s mother.

Amy Young has been a supporter of the Y since moving to Havertown in 2014. It’s where her two children had their first exposure to playing sports. She worked in the membership department about 10 years ago and still helps out at times.

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Her daughter, she said, has a new drive to compete since its opening. She believes with these resources available, the center will bring in more children and grow the area’s gymnastics scene.

“This extra space just allows them to do so much more,” Amy Young said. “I went a couple days ago, and I’ve seen my daughter compete and I’ve seen her practice, but I got chills, literally standing there in the second level just watching her and her teammates. They had the music going, they were laughing, they were cheering each other on from across the gym.

“It’s such an encouraging, safe space for these girls to grow, and at these prime ages that they are from 8 to 15 years old, it is such a feeling that these girls need right now.”

ST. MARY’S, MD (May 28, 2025) – The Jumbo coed sailing team advanced to the finals of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Open Fleet Race Championship after placing eighth in the Western Semifinals which ended on Wednesday.

The top nine teams from the semifinal would advance to the finals. The Jumbos began the day in eighth place after their scores from four races on Tuesday. They held their position during six races today to finish eighth overall.

For 10 races total at the two-day semifinal, the Jumbos earned scores of 77 in A division and 108 in B’s for a 178 final.

Junior skipper Ben Mueller led the Jumbos to fifth place in A division for the semis. In Wednesday’s six races, he teamed with sophomore crew Cody Lamoreux for the fifth, sixth, ninth and 10th starts. Sophomore crew Courtland Doyle was on board for the seventh and eighth races. The Jumbos had four top-nine finishes out of their six A races today, with Mueller and Lamoreux posting outstanding sixth, third, fourth and first scores in their four races together.

For B division racing, the Jumbos were ninth as sophomore skipper Kurt Stuebe teamed with senior crew Naomi Pedersen on Wednesday. They had fourth-, fifth- and seventh-place finishes in today’s second through fifth starts.

Stanford University won the Western Semifinal (36-46-82) They will join Tufts, Yale University, Bowdoin College, Boston College, Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, College of Charleston and the University of Miami as the nine teams to move on to the finals out of the Western Semis.

Nine teams from the Eastern Semifinals will join the Western qualifiers for an 18-team, two-day final which will begin on Thursday. The action is scheduled to start at 9:30 AM.

 

–JUMBOS–

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Three members of the St. Olaf College men’s and women’s track and field teams were officially named All-Americans by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Wednesday following their performances at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships last week.

Senior Alison Bode, junior Ignatius Fitzgerald, and junior Kevin Turlington were honored in the USTFCCCA’s announcement, with Bode earning first-team honors, while Fitzgerald and Turlington were second-team honorees. The top-eight finishers in their respective individual events and relays collected first-team accolades, while those who finished ninth through 16th individually or ninth through 12th as part of a relay were second-team honorees.

Bode secured her third consecutive All-America accolade in the 10,000-meter run by finishing seventh with a school-record time of 34:54.92 in Geneva, Ohio last week. The All-America accolade was the fourth of Bode’s career overall, as she placed 34th nationally in cross country this past fall in addition to the three 10K honors. Her seventh-place finish was the highest by an Ole in the event since Emma Lee ’13 was sixth in 2013.

Competing in his first national track and field meet, Fitzgerald finished ninth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:08.67) to land his first All-America accolade. The junior’s performance marked the second year in a row St. Olaf has had an All-American in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as Will Kelly ’24 was fourth in 2024.

Turlington collected his third All-America accolade of his junior year by placing 11th in the 5,000-meter run (14:23.51). The 11th-place showing matched his national finish in the event indoors earlier this season. Turlington was also 23rd in cross country in the fall, as he became the fifth Ole to earn All-America accolades in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field in the same academic year.

 

Waterville, Maine – Colby College is excited to announce the selection of Sean Elvert, a multi-faceted and accomplished professional in the soccer industry with a history of success as a player, assistant coach, and head coach, as the new leader of its men’s soccer program.  He becomes the fourth coach of the men’s soccer program since 1975.
 
“I’m honored and grateful to lead this dynamic Colby team,” said Elvert, “and I am thankful to Amanda DeMartino and the search committee for their trust and support. The last three years with Scott Palguta at a program as distinguished as Colorado College has prepared me well for the opportunity and I couldn’t be more excited to help shape the future of Colby men’s soccer.”
 
Colby competes in the highly competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), a conference that saw eight member institutions selected for the 2024 NCAA Division III tournament, with three advancing to the Final Four.
 
Elvert comes to Colby from Colorado College where he served as an assistant coach from 2022-2025.  He helped guide the Tigers to a 22-0-5 record in the SCAC conference over his three seasons with back-to-back NCAA Division III tournament appearances, advancing all the way to the Elite Eight in 2023.  Colorado College held a 13-game unbeaten streak in 2022 and in their most recent season maintained an NCAA top-10 ranking for the entirety all the way from preseason through the tournament.
 
Elvert also had a remarkably successful career as a leader in the net during his time as a student-athlete at Loras College, guiding the Duhawks to four conference championships and two trips to the NCAA Division III Final Four. Entering into the coaching realm, Elvert held assistant stints at Ohio Northern and Bluffton Universities before landing the head coaching role at Bluffton, guiding the Beavers to their first winning season in 30 years. 
 
Elvert has also been active in the junior ranks, guiding Colorado’s top youth players for Arsenal Colorado and Real Colorado in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL).
 
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Sean to Mayflower Hill,” said Amanda V. DeMartino, the Harold Alfond Director of Athletics.  “The search committee was impressed with the combination of his high level playing and coaching experience, his passion for Division III athletics and his vision for the next era of Colby men’s soccer.  Sean understands the importance of striving for competitive excellence while providing a stellar student experience.  He has proven to be a talented recruiter yielding high-academic athletes, and his commitment to developing students as both players and people aligns perfectly with our values.”
 
“With a strong foundation in place, I’m thrilled to provide stability and guidance for the program moving forward,” continued Elvert. “We’re well positioned to offer a holistic student-athlete experience rooted in on-field success, and I cannot wait to get started with the Mules.”
 

Bruins

“College — it’s a different level of hockey. It’s harder. It’s not junior hockey. It’s tough to score every given night.”

James Hagens has heard all the noise at this point.

Once crowned as the top player in the 2025 NHL Draft class, the dynamic Boston College forward has seen his stock slip over the last few months.

While Hagens’ consolidated draft ranking on Elite Prospects still has him tabbed as the No. 3 prospect in this group behind defenseman Matthew Schaefer and center Michael Misa, there is some variance as to where the 18-year-old forward could land in the draft order in late June. 

TSN’s Craig Button even went so far as to put Hagens as the No. 8 prospect in the upcoming draft, with forwards with lower ceilings like Brady Martin (No. 6) or injury concerns in Roger McQueen (No. 5) slotted ahead of him.

Such a dip would be a steep drop for Hagens — who entering the 2024-25 collegiate season as the next potential Jack Hughes.

But Hagens’ murky stock could also offer the slim hope that a Bruins team starved for elite offensive talent could potentially have the Long Island native in their crosshairs next month with the No. 7 pick.

“I love Boston,” Hagens said on Tuesday. “Being at Boston College, we’re right in the middle of Boston there. So it’s a beautiful city. Only great things to say about it. I love it there.”

For all of the discourse surrounding Hagens and the tape he submitted as a freshman at Boston College, the young forward was candid about the performance he put forward in the collegiate ranks this winter.

“I thought I had a great season. You’re playing against guys that are 25, 24 years old every night. It’s tough,” Hagens said. “It’s hard hockey, but I’m super grateful to be able to have the year that I was able to have with the group of guys that we did have.”

Hagens closed out his first season in college hockey with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games. 

That stat line pales in comparison to the production orchestrated by other potential top-10 selections like Misa (62 goals, 134 points in 65 games in the OHL) or Jake O’Brien (32 goals, 98 points in 66 games in the OHL).

But the quality of competition in college hockey — especially in Hockey East — is far more daunting than what phenoms like Misa and Co. feasted on in the Canadian Junior ranks.

Still, scouts were likely expecting a No. 1 pick like Hagens to mimic the standout collegiate seasons orchestrated by other generational freshmen talents like Jack Eichel (71 points in 40 games), Adam Fantilli (65 points in 36 games), and Macklin Celebrini (64 points in 38 games) over the last decade. 

But even if a point-per-game pace might be deemed as underwhelming for a player of Hagens’ caliber, he has few regrets over his play at Chestnut Hill. 

“I love making plays,” Hagens said of his approach on the ice. “I love being able to find a guy back door, that’s something that I feel like is a big part of my game, my whole entire career.  So I wouldn’t say that I ever deflect away from shooting the puck. I know when to shoot and when to pass. 

“Just something that really helps take my game [to] the next level is the way I’m able to kind of find other guys. … College — it’s a different level of hockey. It’s harder. It’s not junior hockey. It’s tough to score every given night. It’s low-scoring games. You have to work to score goals.”

Beyond his play at the college level, Hagens’ track record speaks for itself. 

Hagens closed out his tenure with the U.S. National Team Development Program with 102 points in 58 games in 2023-24. 

That same season, Hagens set a new scoring record at the 2024 World U18 Championships with 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in just seven games, breaking the previous record set by Nikita Kucherov. 

In an NHL that now relies heavily on skating and skill, Hagens brings it every single time he hops over the boards — with the forward citing Patrick Kane, John Tavares, and Logan Cooley among those he models his game after. 

But talent evaluators still have some qualms about whether or not Hagens’ size or play style can translate to the NHL, at least as it pertains to him being a legitimate franchise talent. 

“At BC, he had stretches this season where he was hard to notice at even strength and had too many games where he was invisible,” The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote this week of Hagens. “He struggled to consistently get to the inside against bigger college defenders. He also struggled to score goals this season. 

“At barely 5-foot-11 and without a physical edge, his profile becomes harder to project as a top-line NHL center who you can win with. His compete level is decent and looked good at the World Juniors, but I wouldn’t call it a standout trait.”

As tantalizing as Hagens’ skillset is, there is a reason why physical forwards like Martin are starting to see their stock soar at this point on the NHL calendar as GMs and other evaluators start projecting how these 2025 forwards could fit into their lineup. 

With the NHL scouting combine set to commence in less than a week, Hagens is looking to dispel some of the narratives surrounding his game once he’s able to meet face-to-face with teams in Buffalo.

“I’m just trying to explain just how high my compete level is at the combine,” Hagens said. “I’m getting ready to show that with all the tests. I love winning. I will do anything to win. Something that’s helped me get to the point where I am today is just how hard I’ve been able to work my whole life. 

“Nothing’s ever come easy. I’ve had to work for everything that I’ve ever gotten before, and that’s something I’m super grateful for. That’s something that’s just within my family, something that I was raised up, taught from my parents and my coaches. So, going into those meetings just really expressing how hard I compete, and how badly I want to be on a team and hopefully win a Stanley Cup one day.”

Hagens would not be the first blue-chip prospect to sink down the draft leaderboard. It would be a welcome sight for a team like the Bruins — who would seemingly tune out any of those shortcomings in his game if Hagens realizes his potential as a legitimate top-line pivot in the coming years. 

Even if Hagens isn’t exactly a carbon copy of Jack Hughes, an offensively-deficient team like Boston would welcome a scenario where Hagens develops into another Clayton Keller (90 points in 81 games with Utah this past season). 

Hagens sporting the spoked-B still stands as wishful thinking.

Even if he slips past teams like Chicago (No. 3 overall) or Utah (No. 4), teams starved for young talent down the middle like Nashville (No. 5) or Philadelphia (No. 6) would likely do somersaults in their draft war room if Hagens dropped down the order.

But regardless of where he lands on June 27, Hagens is embracing the twists and turns that await in the lead-up to the draft.

“Getting drafted has been my dream my whole entire life,” Hagens said. “That’s why I started playing hockey. That’s why I still play. But I’m really just grateful for everything right now. The noise will always be there, but you just have to make sure you’re living in the moment and taking it day by day.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.