Sports
Naoya Inoue And Ramon Cardenas Salvaged Boxing's Meek Weekend
Ramon Cardenas saved boxing. Or, he at least made the biggest weekend the sport has seen in years memorable for good reasons. But damn, he took a beating along the way.
Cardenas, obviously overmatched by Japanese opponent Naoya Inoue in everything but heart, knocked the mythically powerful champ down with a lightning-quick and savage left hook in the second round of their thrilling and brutal super bantamweight title fight Sunday in Las Vegas. And for a few moments, the 29-year-old, 122-pound Texan seemed on the verge of pulling off one of boxing’s biggest all-time upsets.
But Inoue got off the canvas and brushed himself off, and the bell ending the round sounded just seconds later. And by the next round, Inoue got back to doing what he does: knocking other little guys out.
Cardenas, despite taking power punches to every inch from his abdomen to his forehead from the Far Eastern assassin, was not only still standing, but throwing bombs up until referee Thomas Taylor saved him from himself and more punishment from the all-time great Inoue by waving an end to the fight in the eighth round. At the time of the stoppage, Inoue was up 68-63 on the cards of all three ringside judges. That means Cardenas won only the second round. But he’s gonna get work after this performance.
“I’m not ashamed of losing, because I went out on my shield,” Cardenas, now 26-2, said after his first loss in eight years. “He’s a fucking great fighter.”
In retaining his title, Inoue improved to 30-0, with an amazing 27 knockouts. At 32 years old, he’s long been a rock star in his homeland, but only recently began getting his due, or even noticed, by the world outside. This was his first fight in the U.S. in four years. Boxing needed Inoue’s performance. It came at the end of a rare three-day stint where more of the world was looking at the sport than usual. And what a let-down the rest of the weekend was.
The worst came during the Friday Night Fights portion, bizarrely held in Times Square. As it turned out, the setting was the only part of the entire dreadful shindig that provided any drama. None of the three billed fights was worth the time, let alone the $59.99 pay-per-view fee.
The opener, Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr., was the only fight on the bill that going in was expected to be close. It was anything but. Lopez kept his super lightweight titles by winning a thrill-free unanimous decision; one judge gave just two of the 12 rounds to Barboza.
Saying Lopez-Barboza was the best bout ain’t saying anything good. The card’s low point came with Devin Haney’s match with Jose Carlos Ramirez. Haney, the 140-pound champ, was predicted to win in a walk, and did, but seemed like he was auditioning for Dancing with the Stars from the opening bell onward. He hadn’t fought since getting pounded in a loss to Ryan Garcia in Brooklyn a year ago, and showed throughout that he had too much talent and too many tools for Ramirez to hit him. But Haney also showed zero interest in ever hitting Ramirez.
Jim Lampley, a boxing hall of fame broadcaster who worked the pay-per-view broadcast after a seven-year hiatus from ringside calls, provided some entertainment by flaunting his disgust. After hearing the ring announcer declare the Haney-Ramirez winner using his nickname as “Devin …’The Dream’… Haney!” Lampley huffed: “In order to dream, you must be asleep. And Devin just put a lot of people to sleep.”
Hell, come to think of it, Dancing with the Stars has more violence than Haney’s bout.
Lampley and lots of others who witnessed Ryan Garcia’s upset loss to Rolly Romero in the Times Square nightcap described it with some version of “stunning.” But what will be remembered most about Garcia’s performance is its wholesale lacklusterness. Losing isn’t a dealbreaker between boxing fans and their heroes; Garcia’s star only rose even while getting KO’d by a liver shot from Tank Davis in their riveting fistic chess match over seven rounds in 2023. Cheating isn’t a guaranteed demerit either; Garcia got popped for dirty pee after the Haney fight and had to serve a year’s suspension, but he came out more popular than ever. Nah, giving up in the ring is the only unforgivable sin. And Garcia committed it.
Like Inoue, Garcia got put down in the second round by a big left hook. Two hooks, in fact! But whereas Inoue regrouped and reloaded, the long-troubled Garcia seemed to decide in the moment that he’d had enough of boxing. He very visibly stopped trying to win. Garcia had the physical tools to survive until the final bell, and Romero, who had to realize early that the fight was his, seemed content to just win easy rounds from the celebrity non-combatant he shared a ring with. As Romero was announced as the winner by large margins on the scorecards and his hand was raised, Garcia clapped politely. Garcia’s Friday showing is the sort of performance top-flight fighters typically don’t return from. Something’s up. Absent an as-yet-unannounced physical issue that held Garcia back after the second round, it’s hardly a given that Garcia will ever even appear in a big fight again. If he wins one, that would be a real stunner.
Garcia said before all the Friday night fiascos that he and Haney had already signed for a rematch to be held later this year. That event’s prognosis is now sketchy for reasons beyond Garcia losing and likely tanking his career. Is Haney a desirable quantity for any promoter at this point? The live attendance for the Times Square card was only about 300 people due to limited space. Haney’s next fight, no matter where it’s held or how big the venue, deserves about the same size crowd.
Since the Times Square ring hosted less engagement than you’d find at a monastery, fight fans immediately looked toward Riyadh for salvation. That’s where a night later, Canelo Alvarez took on unknown William Scull for the super middleweight title. Alas, the Canelo-Scull fight, which like the Big Apple bash was a PPV event put on by Turki Al-Sheikh, a Saudi minister and boxing’s new bottomless-pocketed overlord, didn’t do anything but stick the sport deeper into its doldrums. What little gravitas the fight had coming in was done away with by an interview with Terence Crawford shown on the broadcast just before the ring walks. The Omaha-based Crawford, always in the conversation of boxing’s pound-for-pound kings, disclosed that he and Canelo had already contractually agreed to fight each other in September. Given how much of a financial hit Garcia’s implosion gave promoters a day earlier, one could envision Turki telling Scull not to get in the way of what sure looks to be the biggest fight of the year. Scull came into the ring sculpted and with obvious physical skills. But for whatever reason, he fought like he’d taken the Hippocratic oath. Scull, as a good heel would, claimed he won the fight after being announced as the unanimous decision loser. Canelo, like anybody who shelled out cash for this dreck, was in no mood to celebrate. The Mexican kingpin was just steamed at Scull’s tactics.
“I hate fighters like that,” Canelo said.
Thank the heavens the weekend’s big boxing binge ended with Inoue-Cardenas, its only non-PPV headliner. “I like to brawl,” explained Inoue after his hand was raised. At least there’s still one big-name fighter out there who does.
As a teenager, Sam Betz used to walk the halls of Danville Area High School into its athletic training room as a curious co-op student. Now he walks in as one of the school’s two certified athletic trainers, responsible for the health and safety of hundreds of student-athletes.
“Every day is different. You never know what’s going to come through the door,” said Betz ’23/25M, a Danville native and Commonwealth University–Lock Haven alumnus. “As a high school athletic trainer, you cover pretty much everything.”
Betz’s responsibilities include injury evaluation and management, game and practice coverage, and handling parts of the registration process, such as tracking physicals. On any given day, the training room fills with athletes from nearly every sport the school offers.
“I really wanted to come back to Danville,” said Betz, who completed Lock Haven’s accelerated three-plus-two athletic training program, finishing his undergraduate work in three years and advancing straight into the two-year graduate program. “This is home, and it’s pretty special to be working with the same person I did my co-op with.”
Discovering Athletic Training
Betz’s interest in athletic training started in the same place he now works, spending afternoons as a co-op high school student in the training room with John Zayas ’12/13M, the athletic trainer and Bloomsburg alumnus who’s now his colleague.
“I got to see what the job really looks like day to day,” Betz said. “I saw how much care goes into it with building relationships with athletes, coaches, and the whole community.”
What impressed him most was watching injured athletes move through the entire process.
“Treating someone, helping them through rehab, and then seeing them come back to the sport they love,” Betz said. “That really stuck with me,”
Majoring in Athletic Training
When it came time to pick a college, Betz toured several schools but kept coming back to Lock Haven. The campus, the town, and especially the athletic training faculty made the decision easy.
“I really liked the professors I met and the curriculum they had,” Betz said. “Lock Haven is a beautiful town, and the sports culture there is strong. Working with all the different teams was great.”
As an undergraduate, Betz took courses in anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology and sports psychology, among others. Those classes, he said, laid the groundwork for graduate study.
“I really enjoyed learning about the body, especially in lab,” Betz said. “Getting that foundational understanding was huge for going into the master’s program.”
Advancing in Athletic Training
In graduate school, Betz said the focus shifted to higher-level skills. Courses in evaluation techniques and functional anatomy were particularly meaningful. Betz points to the cadaver lab as a pivotal experience.
“Being able to see a real human body — muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels — that’s pretty much everything you’d want to see,” he said. “It made the anatomy we learned in undergrad come to life.”
Betz credits his evaluation techniques courses with shaping him as a clinician.
“Evaluation and assessment are one of the big domains of athletic training,” he said. “Those classes were probably my favorite, because that’s where you really learn how to assess the body.”
Clinical Rotations
Clinical experiences started close to campus. Betz’s first rotation was at Lock Haven, where he worked with football, volleyball, track and field. His second rotation took him to Lycoming College in Williamsport, where he focused primarily on men’s lacrosse, with some time with wrestling and women’s lacrosse.
A third rotation exposed him to multiple settings in quick succession. He spent time at Bald Eagle High School, rode along with an EMS crew, and observed at a chiropractor’s office that emphasized sports patients. He also participated in an industrial athletic training day at the Frito-Lay facility in Williamsport.
“In the industrial setting, you’re working with people in factories, doing a lot of ergonomics and injury prevention,” Betz said. “It’s a different world, but it’s good to know those options exist. Amazon and other companies hire athletic trainers for those roles.”
High-Level Immersion at Clemson
The capstone of Betz’s clinical training was his immersion experience — a full-semester internship that serves as the fourth and final clinical rotation in the graduate program. Betz headed south to Clemson University and joined the track and field sports medicine staff for five months. The internship sharpened skills in three key areas, he said.
“First was rehab,” Betz said. “Really understanding how to program rehab. My preceptor (internship mentor) emphasized how important that is.”
Second was preparation.
“I didn’t travel much with the team, but I helped pack before trips,” Betz said. “You make sure you have everything — rehab equipment, electrical stimulation units, medications, foam rollers, cupping sets. You may not need all of it, but if you do, it has to be there.”
The third lesson was about balance.
“Athletic training is a serious job, because you’re responsible for people’s health,” Betz said. “You need to build relationships, ask athletes how school is going, what their goals are. Crack a joke once in a while. That makes a difference for them.”
High-impact Experiences
Across his clinical rotations, Betz saw athletes from a wide range of sports and levels. That variety, he said, is essential for athletic training students.
“Different sports come with different injury patterns,” he said. “In swimming and baseball, you see a lot of upper extremity injuries like shoulders and elbows. In track and cross country, you see a lot of lower extremity injuries. Football adds more acute injuries like ankle sprains and contusions.”
Prepared for the Profession
Looking back, Betz says Lock Haven’s athletic training program gave him both the technical skills and the confidence he needed.
“The professors were really supportive in the classroom, with clinical placements, and with helping you figure out your goals,” Betz said. “The curriculum prepared me to pass the board exam and to do my job day to day.”
That preparation shows up every time an athlete walks in with a new injury.
“There are moments where I’m doing an evaluation and I can remember sitting in class learning the exact technique,” Betz said. “It’s a good feeling to know that what you learned translates directly to helping someone in front of you.”
“The first meet back from break really tests how much work athletes put in while away,” said assistant coach Megan Tomei. “Training without proper facilities, a coach present, or training partners isn’t easy, but those challenges aren’t excuses. The work still has to get done.”
“I’m proud of how this group showed up and competed against strong competition. A lot of PRs on the board. We’re excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds.”
The day started with the high jumps, with all Hoosiers finishing in the top 15. Kaselle Davis (7th), Taylor Schoonveld (T-8th), Chayla Rankin (T-8th), and Josie Page (11th) all recorded a height of 1.70m/5-7 in the women’s competition. Lee Martin earned a fifth-place finish with his height of 2.03m/6-8.75. Jay Hmurovich also placed 11th with a height of 2.00m/6-6.75.
The day started with the jumps group. Lee Martin led the men’s side with a fifth place finish in the high jump (2.05m/6-8.75. He was followed by Jay Hmurovich with his mark of 2.00m/6-6.75.
In the long jump, Elle Knepp set a new personal best with her jump of 5.54m/18-2.25. Alex Smith followed in the men’s jump with a season best mark of 7.00m/22-11.75 to finish ninth.
Indiana continued to show bright spots with the throwers in the weight throw. Hannah Alexander put up a personal best to finish fifth with a distance of 19.99m/65-7. On the men’s side, Hunter Smith (20.81m/68-3.25), Nikolaos Sidirenios (20.00m/65-7.5), and Michael Neuenroth (19.39m/63-7.5) all saw top 10 finishes.
The field events finished with season best marks in the women’s pole vault. Kailen Kramer (3.90m/12-9.5) and Isabel German (3.75m/12-3.5) placed 10th and 11th, respectively with their best marks of the early season.
It was a great first day on the track for the cream and crimson, starting with the sprints.
Aliyah Johnson and Jasiah Rogers ran qualifying times for tomorrow’s 60-meter finals. Tyler Tarter and John Colquitt will also be advancing the 60-meter hurdle finals after earning automatic qualifying times.
In the 400m, Keira Davis earned the first event win of the weekend, running a time of 53.50 that ranks third in IU history. Ava Olomajeye earned also earned a fifth place finish with her time of 55.71. in the men’s race, Kalen Sargent took home a fourth place finish in a time of 48.07.
The Hoosiers continued to gain top 10 finishes. Amelia Dodds (1:28.76) and Ciara Kepner (1:33.89) finished second and seventh, respectively, in the 600-meter run. Daquan Tate and Cameron Mullens followed in the men’s race, placing third and eighth, respectively.
The Day finished with the women’s 1,000-meter run where another school record was broken. Lily Myers finished in a record time of 2:43.32 to become the second Hoosier this season to become a record holder (Trelee Banks-Rose; 300m).
The final day of competition will start tomorrow, Jan. 10th, at 10:30 am with the men’s shot put.
Follow Indiana track and field and cross country via X, Facebook and Instagram.
#NeverDaunted
Senior and reigning NCAA Outdoor men’s high jump champion Arvesta Troupe was in midseason form in his first collegiate competition since claiming his national crown last June. Troupe already had the competition won with his first clearance at 2.13m/6-11.75, as no other jumpers in the field were able to clear any higher than 2.05m/6-08.75.
From there, Troupe got to work, passing to 2.20m/7-02.50 and clearing on his first attempt, and then passing again to 2.23m/7-03.75, which he cleared on his third and final attempt. That height stands as an indoor PR and improves upon his spot at No. 3 in the Ole Miss record books indoors.
Troupe went on to take three attempts at 2.26m/7-5 – one quarter-inch off his career-best 2.27m/7-05.25 that won his national title last year – but was unable to convert in today’s season debut.
Ole Miss also got straight to work with two powerful performances in the weight throw competitions, particularly in the women’s edition.
Junior Akaoma Odeluga unleashed a five-foot PR on her sixth and final attempt of the day to win at 22.95m/75-03.50, moving her to No. 5 in that stacked section of the Ole Miss record book. Fellow junior and reigning SEC silver medalist Skylar Soli had a career day as well, finishing runner-up at a PR of her own at 22.21m/72-10.50 to improve upon her spot in sixth all-time at Ole Miss.
Ole Miss also received two powerful debuts from newcomers Nyah Edwards and Natalie Brown. Edwards, a senior transfer from East Carolina, uncorked a four-foot PR in the third round to finish fourth at 20.50m/67-03.25, good already for ninth in school history. Brown – a freshman from Matthews, North Carolina – began her college career with a ninth-place finish and a finals appearance, topping out at her second-round effort 18.87m/61-11 to already rank 13th in school history.
In the men’s weight, All-American senior Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan began his final collegiate season with an impressive opening performance. Robinson-O’Hagan – a member of the preseason watch list for The Bowerman, college track & field’s version of the Heisman Trophy – was the top collegiate finisher in second place at 23.78m/78-00.25.
Fellow senior Bryson Smith was right behind him in third place, tossing a career-best heave of 22.11m/72-05.50 that ranks second in school history behind Robinson-O’Hagan. Senior Mason Hickel rounded out the Rebel men in competition, finishing fourth at a strong opener of 21.27m/69-09.50.
Sophomore Lily Beattie, the defending silver medalist in the SEC women’s pole vault outdoors, began her second campaign with the Rebels above the four-meter line. Beattie was the fifth-place finisher at 4.05m/13-03.50.
On the track, sophomore Tarique Wright had a superb beginning to his 2026 season. Wright shaved half a tenth off his prior best in the 60-meter dash, finishing seventh in the preliminary round before running that same exact time in the semifinal, where he finished 11th overall. That time moves him into a tie for 11th in Ole Miss history.
Elsewhere on the track, Ole Miss received solid performances from Stone Smith in the men’s 1000-meter (second, 2:28.65; event debut), Jonathan Stock in the men’s 600-meter (sixth, 1:19.51; PR), multi athletes Caughran Fowler (8.46, PR) and William Numnum (8.66, PR) in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, and Lizzie Hatton in the women’s 200-meter dash (27th, 25.22; PR).
Competition resumes for Ole Miss at 9:30 a.m. CT with the women’s shot put.
REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION
Men’s 60-Meter Dash – Prelims
7. Tarique Wright – 6.79q – PR, T-No. 11 Ole Miss History
Men’s 60-Meter Dash – Semifinals
11. Tarique Wright – 6.79 – Ties PR
Women’s 200-Meter Dash
27. Lizzie Hatton – 25.22 – Indoor PR
Women’s 400-Meter Dash
13. Patchnalie Compere – 59.17 – Collegiate Debut
Men’s 600-Meter
6. Jonathan Stock – 1:19.51 – PR
Men’s 1000-Meter
2. Stone Smith – 2:28.65 – Event Debut
Women’s 60-Meter Hurdles – Prelims
35. Bayli Major – 8.90 – Collegiate Debut
40. Carmela Coulter – 9.15 – Collegiate Debut
44. Nyajah Gordon – 9.38
Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles – Prelims
12. Caughran Fowler – 8.46q – PR
17. William Numnum – 8.80q – Collegiate Debut
Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles – Semifinals
12. William Numnum – 8.66 – PR
17. Caughran Fowler – 8.67
Women’s High Jump
NH Carmela Coulter
Men’s High Jump
1. Arvesta Troupe – 2.23m/7-03.75 – Indoor PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History Indoor
Women’s Pole Vault
5. Lily Beattie – 4.05m/13-03.50
T6. Mary Cate Doughty – 3.90m/12-09.50
11. Katie McFarland – 3.75m/12-03.50
13. Aly Francolini – 3.75m/12-03.50
T14. Rachel Homoly – 3.75m/12-03.50 – Ole Miss Debut, No. 15 Ole Miss History Indoors
NH Katelyn Hulsey
Women’s Long Jump
10. Indya Dotson – 5.73m/18-09.75
25. Nyajah Gordon – 5.19m/17-00.50
FOUL Lizzie Hatton
Women’s Weight Throw
1. Akaoma Odeluga – 22.95m/75-03.50 – 5-foot PR, No. 5 Ole Miss History
2. Skylar Soli – 22.21m/72-10.50 – PR, No. 6 Ole Miss History
4. Nyah Edwards – 20.50m/67-03.25 – Ole Miss Debut, 4-foot PR, No. 9 Ole Miss History
9. Natalie Brown – 18.87m/61-11 – Collegiate Debut, No. 13 Ole Miss History
13. Naomi Woolfolk – 17.90m/58-08.75 – PR, No. 15 Ole Miss History
16. Temidayo Owoyemi – 16.66m/54-8 – Collegiate Debut
Men’s Weight Throw
2. Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan – 23.78m/78-00.25 – Top Collegiate Finisher
3. Bryson Smith – 22.11m/72-05.50 – PR, No. 2 Ole Miss History
4. Mason Hickel – 21.27m/69-09.50
The one-day meet will take place at the Rock Norman Track & Field Complex, providing the Bulldogs with their first of two trips to Clemson’s campus this season.
When Do The Bulldogs Start?: The Bulldogs will open competition in the men’s pole vault with Alon Rogow, Maximus Tucker and Romet Vahter at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The women will start action in the long jump at 12 p.m. with Toni Birden, Ava Kitchings, Chelsi Williams and Ella Rush competing.
Where To Catch The Action: There will be ESPN streaming coverage of the Clemson Invitational starting at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday.
ESPN+ Info:
Clemson Invitational – Saturday, January 10
ESPN+ – https://gado.gs/dxl
Live Results: For results on Saturday, please visit: https://gado.gs/dxm
Coach Caryl’s Comments: “The beginning of January is always an exciting time for those of us involved in collegiate track and field, and that level of excitement is even more elevated this year in Athens. We are coming off 2025 indoor and outdoor seasons that saw us have three top two national team finishes, including the women winning the NCAA outdoor title, we have more than 45 newcomers with unlimited potential and we are getting the opportunity to practice and compete on our brand new Spec Towns Track. The energy level is extremely high and I can’t wait to get going in Clemson. Go Dawgs!”
A Look Back At The 2025 Indoor Season: Georgia posted matching second-place finishes on the men and women’s side at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships after the Bulldog women finished fourth at last year’s SEC indoor meet and the men took ninth. UGA opened at the Ted Nelson Invitational in College Station, Texas, last year.
Where This Season Will Take The Dogs: Following Saturday’s meet, the Bulldogs will head to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collegiate Open on Jan. 23-24. Georgia will have another four regular season meets before opening the postseason at the SEC Indoor Championships on Feb. 26-28 in College Station. The NCAA Championships will be held two weeks later as the indoor season wraps in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 13-14.
Where To Find Bulldogs News: Results and recaps from the Bulldogs’ indoor season will be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia’s track & field and cross country teams are always located on X/Instagram at @UGATrack.
RESULTS
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. | The Farmingdale State College indoor track and field teams opened 2026 competition Friday night at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, as the Rams took part in the St. Thomas Aquinas Invitational.
The Rams’ men’s contingent was led by high jumpers Ethan Zacarolli (Fr.; Hillsdale, N.Y.) and John Juste (Sr.; Uniondale, N.Y.), who paced the event when they both cleared a height of 1.93 meters (6-4). Zacarolli’s time of 8.74 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles was good for sixth place, while FSC’s 4×200 meter relay team of sophomore Daniel Akpan (Selden, N.Y.), sophomore Nathaniel White (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), freshman Xavier Anthony (Dix Hills, N.Y.) and senior Dontay Taylor (Layou, St. Vincent and the Grenadines) placed fourth by clocking a 1:32.67 time.
Farmingdale State junior Mishell Delgado (Bronx, N.Y.) moved to No. 3 on the school’s all-time performance list in the pole vault, clearing a third-place height of 2.75m (9-0.25). The Rams’ 4×200 meter relay quartet placed sixth, with senior Olivia Finnegan (Massapequa, N.Y.), freshman Emily Graziano (East Islip, N.Y.), senior Mia Harris (Manhattan, N.Y.) and freshman Amelia Vitale (Hauppauge, N.Y.) running a time of 1:53.46.
FSC is back on the track next Saturday, January 17, when the teams travel to New London, Conn., for the Coast Guard Academy’s Winter Invite No. 1 competition.
FLAGSTAFF – Sun Devil Track and Field had a strong showing to open the 2026 indoor campaign on Friday night at the NAU Axe’ Em open. Four different Sun Devils claimed individual first-place finishes, while both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams took first place as well.
Arizona State was well represented at top of the women’s triple jump, as the Sun Devils claimed two spots on the podium. Senior Aliyah Adams took first in the triple jump with a 15.88m effort, followed by Myla Tate who earned a 12.02m to take third.
Ashantai Bollers bursted out the gate in the Women’s 200m and never looked back. Bollers managed to clock in at 24.08 to bring home an individual first place.
The women’s 4x400m relay team saw Alexia Schofield, Naiya Morgan, Aliyah Canty, and Taiwo Mary Kudoro take first after posting a 3:51.56 finishing time. The men’s 4x400m relay team led by Amir Thompson, Mateo Medina, Nasir Tucker, and DeMar Coleman posted a 3:12.98 time that earned a first-place finish in a nail-biting event to close out the NAU Axe’ Em open.
Graduate student Brandon Lloyd opened the season on a high note with a 19.13m effort in the men’s shot put to secure a spot atop the podium. To round out the evening, freshman Malith Yasiru shined in his debut, landing a 15.1m triple jump to earn first.
The Sun Devils will be back in action from Jan.16-17, as the team is set to hit the road and compete at Texas Tech’s Corky Classic.
Top-three Sun Devil finishers
1) Aliyah Adams, Women’s Triple Jump (12.55m)
1) Ashantai Bollers, Women’s 200m (24.08)
1) Malith Yasiru, Men’s Triple Jump (15.10m)
1) Brandon Lloyd, Men’s Shot Put (19.13m)
1) Women’s 4x400m (3:51.56)
1) Men’s 4x400m (3:12.98)
2) Alexandria Johnson, Women’s Long Jump (5.86m)
2) Kayla Case, Women’s mile (5:21.70)
2) Ashantai Bollers, Women’s 60m (7.43)
2) Alexia Schofield, Women’s 200m (24.59)
2) Brennen McHenry, Men’s Long Jump (7.54)
3) Richlu Tudee, Men’s 60m (6.76 PR)
3) Myla Tate, Women’s Triple Jump (12.02)
3) Ava McCumber Gandara, Women’s 400m (55.42)
3) Naiya Morgan, Women’s 200m (24.66)
3) Preston Beery, Men’s Shot Put (18.07 PR)
FRIDAY NIGHT AXE ‘EM OPEN FULL RESULTS
Women’s Long Jump:
Second place – Alexandria Johnson (5.86m)
Weight Throw:
Sixth place – Ines Lopez Arias (15.88m)
Women’s 1 Mile:
Second place – Kayla Case (5:21.70)
Fourth Place – Alizee Garcia Parsons (5:28.99)
Ninth place – Ashley Tarasenko (5:51.33)
Men’s 1 Mile:
Fourth place – Glenn Thomas (4:30.97, PR)
13th – Brady Nieto (4:43.43)
Men’s Weight Throw:
Sixth place – Charlie Merritt (17.51m, PR)
Ninth place – Sam Cappos (16.38m)
12th place – Owen Lee (15.73m)
60m Hurdles:
Fifth place – Nolan Bartley (8.11)
Women’s 60m Finals:
Second place – Ashantai Bollers (7.43)
Seventh place – Kennedi Porter (7.65)
Eighth place – Kennedi Porter (7.65)
Men’s 60m Finals:
Third place – Richlu Tudee (6.76, PR)
Fourth Place – Marlon Colbert (6.78, PR)
Women’s High Jump:
Fifth place – Grace Cunningham (1.66m)
Women’s Triple Jump:
First place – Aliyah Adams (12.55)
Third place – Myla Tate (12.02)
Men’s Triple Jump:
First place – Malith Yasiru (15.10m)
Women’s 400m:
Third place – Ava McCumber Gandara (55.42)
Fourth place – Taiwo Kudoro (55.86)
Tenth place – Aliyah Canty (58.00)
Fifteenth place – Mia Chavez (59.71)
Men’s 400m:
Sixth place – Kingston Waring (49.11)
Eighth place – Tyler Schierenberg (49.86)
Twelfth place – Wyatt Preble (50.81, PR)
Women’s 800m:
Sixth place – Sophie Mann (2:20.71, PR)
Eighth place – Jade Allen (2:25.13)
Men’s 800m:
Ninth place – Asher Leslie (2:00.16)
Women’s Shot Put:
Third place – Ines Lopez (15.14m)
Sixth place – Harlie Medrano (11.98m)
Women’s 200m:
First place – Ashantai Bollers (24.08)
Second place – Alexia Schofield (24.59)
Third place – Naiya Morgan (24.66)
11th – Kennedi Porter (25.61)
Men’s 200m:
Fifth place – Duaine Mayrant (22.15)
Women’s 4x400m:
First place – Alexia Schofield, Naiya Morgan, Aliyah Canty, and Taiwo Kudoro (3:51.56)
Men’s 4x400m:
First place – Amir Thompson, Mateo Medina, Nasir Tucker, and DeMar Coleman (3:12.98)
Men’s Shot Put:
First place – Brandon Lloyd (19.13m)
Third place – Preston Beery (18.07, PR)
Fourth place – Owen Lee (17.17)
Fifth place – Charlie Merritt (16.95, PR)
Sixth place – Sam Cappos (16.70, PR)
11th – Trey Wakefield (13.51m, PR)
Women’s Long Jump:
Second place – Alexandria Johnson (5.86m)
Men’s Long Jump:
Second place – Brennen McHenry (7.54)
Seventh place – Jaden Patterson (7.12m)
Ninth place – Trey Wakefield (6.77m)
Follow along
Keep up with the Sun Devils throughout their 2026 season via the team’s social media, @SunDevilTFXC, which will be updated regularly with news, results, stories and more.
From Clemson Clinics to Friday Night Lights
Hoosiers Close Day One From Rod McCravy
College enforcement group voices ‘serious concerns’ with spiraling transfer portal
Track & Field Opens Strong at Day One of Rod McCravy Memorial – Ole Miss Athletics
T&F Set To Start At Clemson Invitational
Track and Field Kicks Off Calendar Year at St. Thomas Aquinas Invitational
QB Brendan Sorsby’s transfer to Texas Tech triggers $1M Cincinnati buyout: Sources
Track and Field shows out to open indoor season
College Sports Commission reminds athletic directors about NIL rules
College enforcement group voices ‘serious concerns’ with spiraling transfer portal
Porsche runs Panamericana tribute livery at Mexico City
Dead dogs, dead cat discovered at Bedford Twp property amidst animal neglect investigation
Supreme Court to Hear Cases on Trans Youth Sports Bans as Advocates Warn of Mental Health Harm
The SEC is out of the College Football Playoff again. Now comes the adjustment
Top 5 Big 12 college football transfer portal additions
#11 Volleyball Practices, Then Meets Media Prior to #2 Kentucky Match
Stempien to seek opening for Branch County Circuit Court Judge | WTVB | 1590 AM · 95.5 FM
Ross Brawn to receive Autosport Gold Medal Award at 2026 Autosport Awards, Honouring a Lifetime Shaping Modern F1
Maine wraps up Fall Semester with a win in Black Bear Invitational
Nascar legal saga ends as 23XI, Front Row secure settlement
Princeton Area Community Foundation awards more than $1.3 million to 40 local nonprofits ⋆ Princeton, NJ local news %
Downtown Athletic Club of Hawaiʻi gives $300K to Boost the ’Bows NIL fund
Sunoco to sponsor No. 8 Ganassi Honda IndyCar in multi-year deal
NASCAR, 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports announce settlement of US monopoly suit | MLex
WNBA’s Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers in NC, making debut for national team at USA camp at Duke
Hope College Tops MIAA Commissioner’s Cup Fall Update
Badgers news: Wisconsin lands 2nd commitment from transfer portal
Nike Signs 10 LSU Athletes to NIL deals
Three Clarkson Volleyball Players Named to CSC Academic All-District List
Five Youth Sports Trends We’re Watching in 2026
-
Sports2 weeks agoBadgers news: Wisconsin lands 2nd commitment from transfer portal
-
Rec Sports1 week agoFive Youth Sports Trends We’re Watching in 2026
-
Sports3 weeks agoIs women’s volleyball the SEC’s next big sport? How Kentucky, Texas A&M broke through
-
Sports2 weeks agoKentucky VB adds an All-American honorable mention, loses Brooke Bultema to portal
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoDr. Patrick Staropoli Lands Full-Time O’Reilly Ride with Big Machine Racing
-
Rec Sports3 weeks agoNBA, Global Basketball Community Unite for World Basketball Day Celebration
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoBigRock Motorsports Retains Its Championship Title At ISRL Season 2 Grand Finale In Calicut
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoNASCAR, IndyCar, and F1 Share These Race Days in 2026
-
Sports2 weeks agoTexas A&M volleyball’s sweep of Kentucky attracts record viewership
-
Sports2 weeks ago2025 Volleyball Player of the Year: Witherow makes big impact on Central program | Nvdaily