LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A former University of Nebraska-Lincoln athlete, who has competed on American Ninja Warrior, is participating in track and field events at the Cornhusker State Games for the first time in 18 years. Maggi Thorne’s reasoning to come back, is her three children who are teaming up with their mom for the […]
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A former University of Nebraska-Lincoln athlete, who has competed on American Ninja Warrior, is participating in track and field events at the Cornhusker State Games for the first time in 18 years.
Maggi Thorne’s reasoning to come back, is her three children who are teaming up with their mom for the 4×1 relay.
All three of her children have strong interest in the sport, participating in track and field events at their schools. With Maggi’s athletic background, she’s been able to coach her kids which is something her youngest daughter, Ellie is grateful for.
“She is teaching me her ways that way I can get better with it,” Ellie said.
Ellie’s older siblings, Charlie and Fiona are echoing that similar message.
“She’s always there for me anyways, so having her as a coach is just like having a mentor that’s always there for you,” Charlie said.
“When we travel like out of state, we can still do workouts and I don’t have to contact a coach asking for a workout,” Fiona said. “If we are just sitting down having coffee or having dinner, we can go over thoughts and plans about form or what the meet is going to look like.”
Despite Maggi having an experienced background with athletics, Maggi said her kids teach her just as much.
“We are at the point where they equally train me, coach me,” Maggi said. For them to say ‘ mom you need to do this and mom you said’ and I go ‘Okay you are right, okay guys, okay coach’.”
Maggi, Charlie and Fiona have all participated in the Cornhusker State Games before, but this year, it will be Ellie’s debut and she’s doing it with the people she knows best.
“I think it is exciting because we are going to race other families too and it’s nice to just be competitive after our track season ended, it’s good to get the energy back up,” Ellie said.
While Fiona and Charlie are siblings, they will have to work closer than ever on the track at Lincoln High School on July 12.
“I’m actually really excited because I get to hand off to him,” Fiona said. “I’ve seen all the hype of him running and I love the adrenaline I get during track, I feel like it is going to be super fun to pass it along to my brother.”
Charlie told 10/11 News he has received Division one offers from schools like UNL and Oklahoma State for track and field and is looking to commit soon. However he’s looking forward to working with his sisters and mom, and cherish the moments, win or lose.
“At the end of the day, it’s about going out there and having fun with my family and just doing what we love,” Charlie said.
The day of the track and field events for the Cornhusker State Games, will be a day that sticks with Maggi forever, because after suffering from a brain injury she thought she would be done with athletics for good.
“I feel like I’m dreaming and even going up to just about a week from now, when I get in those starting blocks and I have the baton in my hand there’s a small chance I am going to weep,” Maggi said. “Because it’s really emotional for me that I get to do this with my children, this is who we are.”
The track and field events will take place at Lincoln High School starting at 7:30 a.m.
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Photo Credit: Craig Dudek Photo Credit: Craig Dudek This article contains references to products from our advertisers and/or partners, and… Photo Credit: Craig Dudek Photo Credit: Craig Dudek This article contains references to products from our advertisers and/or partners, and we may receive compensation when you click on links to products and services Use the […]
Photo Credit: Craig Dudek Photo Credit: Craig Dudek This article contains references to products from our advertisers and/or partners, and…
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– Disney’s $960M trading volume ranked 86th as streaming reforms and sports expansion drove investor optimism. – Integration of Disney+ and Hulu into a unified app aims to cut costs, boost ads, and retain subscribers amid 1% Q3 growth. – ESPN+ relaunch with NFL Network acquisition secures exclusive sports content, differentiating Disney from Netflix’s subscriber […]
– Disney’s $960M trading volume ranked 86th as streaming reforms and sports expansion drove investor optimism.
– Integration of Disney+ and Hulu into a unified app aims to cut costs, boost ads, and retain subscribers amid 1% Q3 growth.
– ESPN+ relaunch with NFL Network acquisition secures exclusive sports content, differentiating Disney from Netflix’s subscriber dominance.
– Theme park revenue rose 8% while streaming growth lags, highlighting reliance on cross-platform synergies for long-term value.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian police said Monday there were no injuries after shots were fired near an Under-20 World Cup women’s water polo game between China and Canada in the city of Salvador. China won 12-8 on Sunday — the opening day of the tournament — but footage showed the game being briefly interrupted […]
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian police said Monday there were no injuries after shots were fired near an Under-20 World Cup women’s water polo game between China and Canada in the city of Salvador.
China won 12-8 on Sunday — the opening day of the tournament — but footage showed the game being briefly interrupted as players got out of the pool, laid down and took cover by a small barrier after hearing gunshots outside the water polo venue in the Pituba neighborhood. China led Canada 3-2 at the time.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Story Links Coming off of its first-ever Big West regular season title, Hawai’i will open its 2025 season with a nonconference match at Long Beach State on Thursday at 4 p.m. HT. Following Thursday’s season opener, the Rainbow Wahine will head up the California Coast to take on Pepperdine Sunday at […]
Coming off of its first-ever Big West regular season title, Hawai’i will open its 2025 season with a nonconference match at Long Beach State on Thursday at 4 p.m. HT.
Following Thursday’s season opener, the Rainbow Wahine will head up the California Coast to take on Pepperdine Sunday at 9 a.m. HT. UH trails the all time series against both schools (3-10-4 vs. LBSU, 0-6-1 vs. PEP) but won the last meeting against The Beach with a 1-0 victory in the regular season finale last year.
| HAWAI’I (12-8-1, 8-1-1 Big West) at Long Beach State (6-9-3, 3-5-2 Big West) // Pepperdine (12-4-5, 6-1-3 WCC) | ||||
| Date / Time | Thursday, Aug. 14 Hawai’i at Long Beach State — 4:00 p.m. HT Sunday, Aug. 17 |
|||
| Location | Long Beach, Calif. | Malibu, Calif. | |||
| Live Stream | Thursday | |||
| Live Stats | Thursday | Sunday | |||
| PDF Notes | Hawai’i | Long Beach State | Pepperdine | |||
| Social Media | @HawaiiWSoccer  | #HawaiiWSoccer | @HawaiiWSoccer  |
|||
HEAD COACH MICHELE NAGAMINE
At Hawai’i: 86-115-25 (14th season)
Collegiate Record: 110-145-26 (17th year)
SERIES VS. LONG BEACH STATE
Overall: LBSU leads, 10-3-4
Last Meeting: Oct. 31, 2024 (UH won, 1-0)
Streak: W1
SERIES VS. PEPPERDINE
Overall: PEP leads, 6-0-1
Last meeting: Sept. 19, 2010 (PEP won, 2-0)
Streak: L2
ON THE PITCH
DID YOU KNOW?
2024 Big West Midfielder of the Year Nalani Damacion finished tied for third nationally and first among all freshmen with seven game-winning goals. Her seven game-winners were also the most by any NCAA freshman since 2015 (Cece Kizer, Ole Miss).
REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS!
Hawai’i is coming off of a magical 2024 season in which it captured the program’s first ever Big West regular season title. The Rainbow Wahine dominated the Big West regular season, going 8-1-1 and setting a school record for conference wins while finishing with 25 points – the most by a Big West school since 2016. The regular season title gave UH the right to host the semifinals and finals of the Big West Championship, however, the ‘Bows saw their historic season come to an end with a semifinal loss to CSU Bakersfield.
» Set a school record with a nine-match unbeaten streak that ran from Sept. 12-Oct. 20.
» Seven match winning streak was the longest in a single season and tied the overall program record.
» Outscored teams 12-6 in 10 league games, with all eight wins coming by one goal.
» First Big West team to start 5-0 in conference play since 2010 (UC Irvine).
RAISING THE EXPECTATIONS
The Rainbow Wahine enter the 2025 season with lofty expectations following last year’s conference regular season title. UH was picked first in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, marking the first time since 2008 that the program has been tabbed as a preseason conference favorite. It’s also the first time since Hawai’i joined the Big West that it has been picked to finish atop the conference. Additionally, Amber Gilbert and Nalani Damacion each earned Preseason All-Big West recognition.
FAB FRESHMEN TO SUPER SOPHOMORES
A huge key to last season’s Big West regular season title run was the contributions UH got from a number of freshmen. The Rainbow Wahine’s group of eight sophomores combined for three Big West All-Freshman honors and eight conference player of the week recognitions a year ago as freshmen and will be counted on to play key roles again in 2025.
» Kennedy Justin earned Big West Goalkeeper of the Year honors last year as a redshirt freshman.
» Justin became the first freshman ever to claim that honor and matched a school single-season record for goalkeeper wins with a record of 11-8-1.
» Nalani Damacion was named Big West Midfielder of the Year after leading the team with seven goals.
» Damacion became the first freshman ever to claim the honor.
» All seven of Damacion’s goals were game-winner, ranking third nationally and first among freshmen.
» Alice Davidson earned Big West All-Freshman honors after finishing with four assists (T-1st on team).
» UH earned six total Big West Freshman of the Week honors (Damacion: 5x; Laule’a Ah Mook Sang: 1x)
RAINBOW RELOAD
The Rainbow Wahine will welcome in a talented group of eight newcomers to compliment their deep pool of returnees. UH brings in three players out of the transfer portal while adding five freshmen to the mix in 2025. Defenders Rikako Hayami and Solala Nasu will fill some key roles on the back line while three-year Division I goalkeeper Julia Ortega gives UH depth in the net. Isabella Kaemmerer, Karissa Kira, Saira Johal, Montana Longcrier and Sophia Nygaard make up the group of five incoming true freshmen.
» Hayami spent the 2024 season at Arizona and previously was an NJCAA All-American in 2023.
» Nasu returns home after spending freshman season at South Dakota State; was the three-time HHSAA State Tournament Most Outstanding Player from 2022-24.
» Ortega has totaled 137 saves in 29 career starts in goal at Southern Utah and Arizona State.
» Kaemmerer and Kira were high school and club teammates, winning an ECNL U17 national title in 2024.
Olivia Ekponé made her return to Aggieland to join head coach Pat Henry’s staff at the start of the 2024/25 season. Since landing back in College Station, she took on the role of athletics assistant for the Maroon & White, helping in multitude of roles for the track & field program. Assisting on the track, she […]
Assisting on the track, she aids both Coach Pat Henry and Coach Kurt Henry with the decorated 400m and sprint groups for practice and meet day preparation. Her experience as an athlete helped those groups, as she contributed to the men’s programs fifth NCAA Outdoor National Title and first SEC Indoor Championship during the 2025 season.
Her groups on the men’s side accounted for 10 points at the NCAA outdoor championships and eight points at the indoor championships. Collecting honors throughout the season, Ekponé’s squads tacked on 13 All-America accolades and three conference medals. The women’s team also saw success through her leadership, with 19 All-America honors and three league medals.
As an athlete, Ekponé was a four-year letterwinner and 12-time All-American for the Maroon & White. She played a key role in securing the women’s team’s fourth NCAA outdoor championship in 2014 and the program’s first SEC outdoor team title in 2013. She also anchored the women’s 4x100m relay team to a national title at the 2014 outdoor meet, winning the final in 42.80. Her outstanding performances won her SEC Runner of the Year honors in 2014, and helped guide the team to another trio of top-three program finishes during her time as a student-athlete.
She also etched her name in the Aggie history books, as Ekponé remains the school-record holder in the women’s outdoor 200m with a time of 22.23, as well as ranking in the top-10 in both the indoor 60m (7.25) and outdoor 100m (11.11).
Following her graduation, Ekponé stayed in the track & field world, as she worked for MileSplit and FloTrack in a sports media roll covering athletes from the youth to professional levels.
Saturday will mark the start of my 20th year here at SBJ. Twenty years since I shifted away from a career as an attorney and into sports journalism — and I’ve never looked back. Research. Data analysis. Writing. Editing. Podcast hosting. Moderating panels. Even playing beach volleyball in my suit jacket and pants alongside Olympian […]
Saturday will mark the start of my 20th year here at SBJ. Twenty years since I shifted away from a career as an attorney and into sports journalism — and I’ve never looked back.
Research. Data analysis. Writing. Editing. Podcast hosting. Moderating panels. Even playing beach volleyball in my suit jacket and pants alongside Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings. I’ve tackled a number of duties and responsibilities at SBJ. Now, it’s time for my next role: sports media beat reporter.
As many reading SBJ Media will know, I’m no stranger to this area, having written about TV viewership for years. Now, I’ll formally expand on that expertise and take on all intersections of media and sports business.
I’m champing at the bit to start this next challenge. Thank you to so many in the business that have already reached out. I look forward to working with all of you!
And I want to hear from all SBJ readers. What are you paying attention to? Who do we need as a guest on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast? Got a tip? Email or call anytime.
SBJ remains the tip of the spear for those seriously tuned in to sports business, and I’m incredibly honored to be taking on this new role.
Let’s rock!
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