Janae Edmondson was a standout high school athlete with big dreams until a tragic crash changed everything. Now, she and her family are speaking out about their journey.

Inside the Edmondson home, you’ll find a lot of love — a family bond that’s always been strong and has only deepened through unimaginable tragedy.

“We spend a lot of time together. Probably too much for her with Mom and Dad,” Francine Edmondson said.

Their lives changed forever in 2023 during a trip to St. Louis for Janae’s volleyball tournament.

“It will never leave. Something you can’t unsee,” Francine said.

They were walking downtown, headed back to their hotel, when disaster struck.

“The car snatching Janae out of my hand and pinning her against a parked car. Hearing the screams that she can’t feel her legs. Looking down to see they were completely severed,” James Edmondson said.

James’s quick thinking and military background helped save his daughter’s life, though he still struggles with the moment.

Janae was crushed from the waist down. More than 30 surgeries later, and after finishing physical therapy, she is in remarkably good spirits.

“I don’t think too much ahead or dwell on the past or anything like that. I go day by day,” Janae said.

Now 20 years old, she’s coaching volleyball and attending Middle Tennessee State University.

“I coach at MIDTN, my old club that I played at, and we’re coaching 13,” Janae said.

The man who changed her life, Daniel Riley, was sentenced to nearly 19 years in prison. He was out on bond and wearing a GPS monitor with dozens of violations — and shouldn’t have been behind the wheel.

After two years, the Edmondsons settled with the city of St. Louis for $450,000.

Janae’s medical costs are in the millions, but Missouri law caps civil damages at just over $517,000 — no matter what a jury might award.

“The people cared, not the city. [The city] didn’t care or have enough compassion to say, ‘You know what? We’ve changed her life. What should we do?’” Francine said.

When things became overwhelming, they leaned on faith.

Through it all, Janae’s parents say they couldn’t be prouder of their daughter.

“She could’ve withdrawn and went into a shell,” James said.

But that’s not who she is.

“If I didn’t have the mindset that I still have, I’d be not where I am — with my ability to walk and all that,” Janae said.

“Lean on God. He’s going to get you through it,” she added.

The Edmondsons are deeply grateful for the support they’ve received from the Middle Tennessee community and beyond. They say this journey would’ve been nearly impossible without it.

Now, Janae is giving back — helping with MTSU’s volleyball camp this summer, where student-athletes from across the country will be attending. She’s also getting more comfortable with her prosthetics.

This story was reported on-air by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Longtime breakfast tradition continues for friends who met through Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship

This is a beautiful story of chosen family, proving a father figure doesn’t have to have biology in common to make a difference in a child’s life. The story of De’Andre and Alex will remind you that our relationships help determine the course of our lives. And that being supportive of someone – through a meal, a shared experience or even swim lessons can make all the difference.

– Rebecca Schleicher

INDIANAPOLIS – The Horizon League announced its Spring Scholar Athletes of the Season, with the Milwaukee track & field program sweeping the honors. Divine Aniamaka was named the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Season, while Natalie Block earned Female Scholar-Athlete recognition.
 
Block has been a consistent presence on the Horizon League All-Academic team, earning the distinction four times throughout her career, including this season for both indoor and outdoor track. She is also a three-time member of the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. A biomedical science major, Block graduated with a 3.56 undergraduate GPA and currently holds a 3.95 GPA in graduate school.
 

On the track, the Franklin, Wis., native delivered yet another record-breaking campaign. Earlier this month, she qualified for the NCAA Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., earning Second Team All-American honors in the 400m hurdles with a time of 56.92. She also claimed Horizon League titles this spring in both the 100m and 400m hurdles.
 
In just his second season with the Panthers, Aniamaka is pursuing his degree in biomedical engineering. This spring, he earned his first Horizon League All-Academic Team selection for the outdoor season and was previously named to the league’s Fall Academic Honor Roll in his first eligible semester. He currently holds a 3.84 undergraduate GPA through four semesters at Milwaukee.
 
Aniamaka won the Horizon League championship in the triple jump with a mark of 15.39m. He was the only student-athlete in the conference to surpass the 15-meter mark this season, doing so six times during the outdoor campaign. He qualified for the NCAA West Regionals, where he broke the program record with a leap of 15.42m.
 
The Scholar-Athletes of the Season awards are presented three times each year to a total of six student-athletes across all Horizon League-sponsored sports. Aniamaka and Block join Lainey Higgins of women’s soccer, who was named the Fall Scholar-Athlete of the Season in mid-December.
 
This marks the first time Milwaukee has swept the Scholar-Athlete of the Season honors since the fall of 2021, when Ari Miller (volleyball) and Paolo Gratton (men’s soccer) claimed the awards.
 
 
 

­HONOLULU — University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball head coach Robyn Ah Mow announced the additions of three newcomers to the Rainbow Wahine roster for the 2025 season — outside hitter Ravyn Dash, middle blocker Makena Biondi and libero/defensive specialist Kāhea Moriwaki.
 
“We are looking forward to Ravyn, Makena and Kahea joining the program this coming fall,” Ah Mow said. “All three will add to the depth and competitive culture in our gym.” 
 
Dash, a 6-foot sophomore, joins the Rainbow Wahine after playing for Houston Christian in 2024. She played in 74 sets over 22 matches and started eight matches as a freshman with the Huskies. She posted 171 kills, averaging 2.31 per set, and was in on 35 total blocks. She put away a season-high 21 kills on 38 attempts to hit .395 in a five-set win over Lamar and had 16 kills in another five-set duel with Texas Tech.
 
Originally from Benbrook, Texas, Dash joined the 1,000-­kill club at Benbrook Middle-High School while earning district MVP honors in three seasons. She also earned Academic All-State honors during her prep career.
 
Biondi joins the Rainbow Wahine from Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, Calif. The 6-foot-5 middle ranks among the program’s tallest recruits in program history and an all-league selection last season after posting 132 kills and 53 blocks as a senior. Her father, Matt Biondi, is an 11-time Olympic swimming medalist, including eight golds, and is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
 
Moriwaki, a 5-foot-3 libero, helped Punahou School reach the Hawai’i High School Athletic Association Division I final in 2023 and posted 37 digs over four matches in the state tournament. She closed out her high school career with a 26-dig performance and was an All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu and Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State honorable mention pick in 2024.
 
The trio join an incoming class that includes three transfers (middle blocker Bri Gunderson, setter Audrey Hollis, and defensive specialist Leilani Lopez) and a freshman (outside hitter Cha’lei Reid) who enrolled at UH in January and took part in the team’s spring practices.
 
2025 Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Incoming Class

#HawaiiWVB

Makenzie Fischer was a record-setting water polo player at every stage of her career.

Her U.S. national team coach, Adam Krikorian, explained why rather succinctly.

“She could, on any moment’s notice, be the best player in the world in any phase of the game,” Krikorian said. “Whether it was defending the center, playing perimeter defense, on the counterattack, playing six-on-five, shooting from the perimeter, she could literally be the best player in the world.”

Makenzie Fischer makes comments to fans and family during a ceremony Friday where she was honored for her career on the U.S. national team.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

She holds the Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo career scoring with 456 goals, winning two CIF Southern Section titles in 2014 and 2015. Three championships at Stanford University followed, along with Cutino Award nods in 2019 and 2022 for the nation’s top collegiate women’s water polo player.

Fischer is also Stanford’s all-time leading scorer with 288 goals, and won Olympic gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics alongside her younger sister Aria to only help cement that legacy.

Both Makenzie and Aria Fischer were honored Friday night with a retirement celebration ceremony, prior to the U.S. national team playing an exhibition match against Spain at Irvine’s Woollett Aquatics Center.

Team USA attacker Emma Lineback looks to shoot during Friday’s exhibition match against Spain.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“I love the water polo community,” said Makenzie, 28, who actually retired back in 2022 after helping Stanford win the national championship, in a pre-match interview. “It’s been a huge part of my life. It’s fun to see all of the national team girls and be reintroduced to the spirit of what I really love, which is the team aspect of everything. It’s kind of fun to put a bow on everything, because water polo was a really big part of my life and something that still means a lot to me.”

She now remains in the Bay Area working as a mechanical engineer.

Aria Fischer, the 2023 Cutino winner who won three CIF championships at Laguna Beach and three NCAA titles at Stanford, was unable to be at Friday’s ceremony. Makenzie said her younger sister, now 26, is working at a production company in London.

Family members present included parents Erich and Leslie. Erich Fischer, who still coaches at Laguna Beach, was a two-time national champion in water polo at Stanford himself and an Olympian in 1992.

Team USA’s Emily Ausmus makes an inside pass against Spain during Friday’s match.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“I think it’s fun to have water polo as a common thread,” Makenzie Fischer said. “He clearly loves it, he’s still coaching. It’s always been a fun part of our family. We love watching the Stanford games, the national team games. It’s kind of fun to be able to transition to a new role as a spectator, have a little bit less of a front seat but still be able to talk about it with him. It’s definitely something that bonds us, for sure.”

Team USA edged defending Olympic gold medalist Spain in the exhibition match that followed the ceremony, 9-8.

Jenna Flynn led the Americans with three goals, while Ryann Neushul scored the match-winning power play goal with 1:06 remaining. Goalkeeper Amanda Longan made 13 saves.

Team USA goalie Amanda Longan makes a save up close against Spain during Friday’s exhibition match.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The match was the first international match of the new quad for Team USA, which finished fourth at the Paris Olympics last summer.

“We are a newer team, which is super exciting, and I think it gives us a lot of wiggle room,” said Flynn, who plays for Stanford and was a member of the Paris Olympics group last year. “Spain is a super-talented team, and that competition between the U.S. and Spain is just really strong for as long as I’ve been in the water polo world. It’s definitely a privilege to come here and explore with this young team, but against such good competitors.”

Laguna Beach alumna Emma Lineback had a goal, an assist and a field block for Team USA. Lineback, a left-handed attacker coming off a second-team All-American season for UCLA as a redshirt junior, was aiming for a spot on the Paris squad but was not selected.

Team USA attacker Rachel Gazzaniga scores the game’s first goal against Spain on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Now, she said she has a short-term goal of making the U.S. roster for her first World Aquatics Championships next month in Singapore.

“It makes you rethink what the little wins are, because you’re playing with the best of the best every day,” Lineback said of being back with the national team. “It pushes you to work really hard, harder than you think is possible. That was kind of my motivation to come back, because I knew that I wasn’t done growing. I just love this environment. It really is special. College is great, but the buy-in here is just different.”

Spain beat Team USA 7-5 on Sunday in the second of the two-match exhibition series, led by a hat trick from Paula Camus. Emily Ausmus led the Americans with a pair of goals.

Team USA opens play at the World Aquatics Championships on July 10, with a match against China.

Members of the Team USA women’s water polo national team wear shirts in honor of Makenzie and Aria Fischer prior to Friday’s match.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Not one but two Jackson distance runners will be headed to the East Coast to compete at the college level, as Jack Overbay will be attending Bates College in Maine, and Boomer Weisman will be going to Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Both of these young men competed in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track in their prep careers.

Overbay was 11th at the 2024 4A  State Cross Country Meet in Cheyenne in 16.56.70, and he displayed marked improvement from his junior year when he finished 39th. At the State Outdoor Track Championships, Overbay took 3rd in the 4A 800 meters in 1.56.58 and was 5th in the 1600 in 4.26.95. He took 6th place in the 4A 800 meters at the State Indoor Track Championships in 2.01.29 and was 16th in the 1600.

Weisman competed at the 4A State Cross Country Meet and took 30th in 2024 and 21st in his junior season. At the Outdoor Championships in May, Weisman was 10th in the 4A 3200 meters in 9.50.24 and 13th in the 1600 with a clocking of 4.33.17. On the indoor track circuit, Weisman placed 10th in the 4A 1600 and 15th in the 3200.

Both Overbay and Weisman ran in the Nike Cross Country Nationals in Boise, and both will be competing at the next level in the New England Small College Conference, which is in Division III.

EUGENE, Ore. — Six members of the University of Michigan track and field team represented the Maize and Blue at the USATF U20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 19-20, with three bringing home medals.

Abigail Russell earned a pair of medals, winning the shot put with a mark of 16.07m (52-8.75) and finishing third in the discus throw at 52.92m (173-7). Her discus mark came just 0.22m shy of her personal best.

In the 1,500-meter run, Brendan Herger captured gold with a time of 3:48.77. The rising sophomore sat in third after the first lap before falling to fourth at the halfway point. Herger surged ahead three places to take the lead entering the final lap, holding his position and finishing nearly two seconds ahead of the runner-up.

The final Wolverine to earn hardware was Coraline Haggarty, who finished third in the 800-meter run with a personal-best time of 2:08.06. Payton Smith narrowly missed a top-three finish in the 400-meter dash final, placing fourth at 53.17, just 0.01 seconds behind the third-place finisher.

Neil Howard finished sixth in the 400-meter hurdle final (52.42), while Kourtney Rathke placed 11th in the pole vault at 3.85m (12-7.5).