Sports
PANORAMA: Elite beach volleyball coming to Newport Beach; Acura to support U.S. Bobsled; official laundry service for fencing?
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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The Paris 2024 Endowment Fund announced Tuesday a series of programs to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the successful Olympic and Paralympic Games, using a portion of the €76 million (about $88.6 million U.S. today) organizing committee surplus.
Events will mark the anniversary of the Olympic opening on 26 July, Paralympic Day on 6 September and National Sports Day on 14 September. The 26 July program includes the unveiling of the “Monument of Champions” – supported by the City of Paris as well – listing the names of the Paris 2024 medal winners. Also, the opening ceremony statues of the 10 “illustrious women” will be inaugurated on the Rue de la Chapelle. An allocation of €6.36 million has been made for these projects.
The “Parc des Jeux” program with sports and cultural activities will also be re-activated at the Parc Georges Valbron, with a special concert on 26 July.
● Beach Volleyball ● In another sign of the wide impact of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Volleyball World announced a 12th Elite 16 event for 2025, to be held in Newport Beach, California, from 7-11 October.
The tour will be in Brazil for tournaments in Joao Pessoa from 17-21 September and Rio de Janeiro from 24-28 September, before coming north. Elite 16 events carry prize money of $300,000, split evenly between men and women; it’s the first Elite16-level tournament in the U.S. since October 2018, in Las Vegas. A follow-on 4×4 tournament for men and women on 12 October will have a $250,000 prize purse.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● “USA Bobsled/Skeleton today announced a multi-year Official Premier Technology and Official Automotive Partnership with American Honda, strengthening support for the organization’s world-class athletes through 2030. The collaboration brings together the elite performance of USA Bobsled and Skeleton athletes with the advanced engineering capabilities of the U.S.-based research and development (R&D) teams at Honda.”
Tuesday’s announcement confirmed that the Honda Auto Development Center in Raymond, Ohio will assist with sled development and performance efficiency, and wind-tunnel testing is already being done at Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio (HALO), in East Liberty, Ohio.
The partnership is branded for Acura, Honda’s “premium performance division,” and is a welcome assist for USABS, for the Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina in 2026 and French Alps 2030.
● Cycling ● No change in the leaderboard at the 112th Tour de France after Wednesday’s 11th stage, a hilly, 156.8 km route in and around Toulouse, with Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR) winning the final sprint with Mauro Schmid (SUI), both in 3:15:56.
Race leader Ben Healy (IRL) was 24th, in a large pack that finished 3:28 back, including nos. 2-3-4 Tadej Pogacar (SLO: +0:29, who survived a small crash), Remco Evenepoel (+1:29) and Jonas Vingegaard (DEN: 1:46).
Expect fireworks on Thursday with a brutal, 180.6 km double climb, finishing with a climb from 456 m to 1,519 m at the Hautacam ski resort in the Pyrenees! An uphill Individual Time Trial follows on Friday.
● Fencing ● USA Fencing announced Poplin as the “Official Laundry Service” of the federation. How is that supposed to help? Here’s the pitch:
“The service’s convenient app lets you schedule a pickup, hand off your sweaty gear to a trusted Poplin Pro, and get it back fresh and folded as soon as the next day. Translation: you can schedule a pickup from your hotel during a NAC [North American Cup], snag a mid-trip ‘laundry refresh,’ and still fly home Monday morning with clothes that smell sweet, not sour. It’s also a great option for officials and coaches who spend long stretches away from home and need a quick clothes reset.”
Now, that’s service that geared to the needs of your customers!
● Freestyle Skiing ● Sad news from Norway, where Audun Groenvold, 49, who won a 2005 Worlds bronze in Ski Cross and a 2010 Olympic Winter Games bronze, died Tuesday night after being hit by lightning on 12 July (Saturday).
Following his skiing career, he had been involved in coaching, selling sports equipment and as a television analyst. He is survived by his wife Kristin, and three children.
● Swimming ● Familiar faces topped the podium at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, with the men’s and women’s 10 km open-water races both finally held at a water quality delay, but in hot conditions of about 85 F or even a little higher on Wednesday afternoon.
The men’s race saw Tokyo Olympic 10 km winner Florian Wellbrock (GER) was at or near the lead for most of the race and had teammate Oliver Klemet for company on the final lap, with Kyle Lee (AUS) and Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) following.
The Italian moved up to second, but was never able to challenge Wellbrock, who won his third Worlds 10 km gold (also in 2019 and 2023) in 1:59:55.5, with Paltrinieri, the 2022 World Champion, second in 1:59:59.2, his eighth career Worlds open-water medal (2-5-1).
Lee outlasted Klemet for third, 2:00:10.3 to 2:00:10.4; Joey Tepper was the top American, in 12th at 2:01:53.8. Of the 78 starters, 16 did not finish or were lapped.
The women’s race was all about Australia’s Moesha Johnson, the Paris Olympic silver winner. She had the lead by the third of six laps and maintained a steady lead over Italy’s Ginerva Taddeucci and Monaco’s surprising Lisa Pou, who separated from the rest of the chasers on the final lap. At the touch, Johnson won by 2:07:51.3 to 2:07:55.7 to 2:07:57.5. It’s Johnson’s first individual Worlds medal; Taddecci moved up one position from her Paris Olympic bronze last year, while Pou got her first career Worlds medal.
Mariah Denigan was the top American, finishing 14th in 2:11:54.1; 16 of the 69 starters did not finish.
● Table Tennis ● As a follow-up to hosting its first United States Smash in Las Vegas last week, the International Table Tennis Federation and its commercial arm, World Table Tennis, announced Tuesday that a combined business and training center will be launched in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.
This is part of a grow-the-game effort in the U.S. and the Pan American region by the ITTF, with the commercial and federation activities opening by the end of 2025 and the WTT Global Training Center in the second quarter of 2026.
● Water Polo ● Group play in the men’s tournament at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore concluded on Wednesday, with Italy, Spain, the U.S. and defending champ Croatia all finishing at 3-0.
The play-in games to the quarterfinals will be held on Friday (18th) and the quarters on the 20th (Sunday), with the U.S. facing the winner of Paris Olympic champ Serbia (2-1) and Japan (1-2).
● Wrestling ● USA Wrestling confirmed a dual meet of younger national men’s Freestyle team members against Russia on Monday (21 July) in Budapest (HUN), in coordination with the Professional Wrestling League:
“The teams are meeting in a neutral site in Budapest due to the logistical convenience for both federations. Some of the U.S. athletes in the dual meet also will compete in the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial UWW Ranking Series Event in Budapest, July 17-18. Based upon the success of PWL 9, there is hope that more dual meets can be organized, including a return to matches in Russia and the United States.”
United World Wrestling allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as “neutrals” under the UWW flag; those who have shown support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are considered ineligible.
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Sports
Spartan Digest – Winter Break 2025-26
A preview of the Case Western Reserve University varsity athletic events for the period of winter break (December 8-January 3) and a recap of the events from the previous week of competition (December 1-7). Schedule is subject to change with updates posted on athletics.case.edu when they are known.
Last Week’s Recap
Women’s Basketball (0-2)
- Dropped a pair of close contests last week, falling to Marietta 67-66 at home on Wednesday and Denison 74-61 on Saturday on the road
- Junior guard Mya Hartjes led all Spartans with 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game
Wrestling (1-2)
- Went 1-2 at the Yellow Jacket Duals on Friday night on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University
- Lost to Division II UNC Pembroke 35-12 and #20 BW 31-15 before defeating Wilmington 45-7
- Senior Art Martinez was named the University Athletic Association Wrestler of the Week after he won all three of his matches, including two by pin
Men’s and Women’s Track & Field
- Opened the 2025-26 indoor season by hosting the Spartan Alumni Holiday Classic in the Veale Center on Saturday
- Broke school records in the women’s 200-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay and matched the program record in the 60-meter dash
- Combined to win seven events with 11 finishes in the top three
Wednesday, December 10
Schedule
CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) at Hiram (3-4)
Hiram, Ohio · Price Gymnasium
7:30 PM
Live Stats | Video
Saturday, December 13
Schedule
CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) at Allegheny (2-4)
Meadville, Pa. · David V. Wise Center
1:00 PM
Live Stats | Video
Saturday, December 20
Schedule
CWRU Wrestling (2-2) at Chocolate Duals
Grantham, Pa. · Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena
10:00 AM vs. #17 Ithaca (0-0)
12:00 PM at Messiah (3-1)
2:00 PM vs. #12 Arcadia (1-3)
Live Results | Video
Monday, December 29
Schedule
CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) vs. Oberlin (3-4)
BW Invitational
Berea, Ohio · Ursprung Gymnasium
3:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Tickets
Tuesday, December 30
Schedule
CWRU Men’s Basketball (4-3) vs. Kalamazoo (2-5)
Cleveland, Ohio · Horsburgh Gymnasium
2:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Digital Program
CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) at #21 Baldwin Wallace (5-2)
BW Invitational
Berea, Ohio · Ursprung Gymnasium
3:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Tickets
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Schedule
CWRU Wrestling (2-2) at 2026 UAA Challenge
Manhattan, N.Y. · John A. Paulson Center
10:00 AM vs. Muhlenberg (1-0)
11:45 AM vs. Johns Hopkins (0-1)
1:30 PM vs. Gettysburg (1-1)
Live Results | Video
CWRU Women’s Basketball (5-3) vs. Geneva (1-5*)
Cleveland, Ohio · Horsburgh Gymnasium
1:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Digital Program
Sports
Catherwood & Irving Selected As UMass Student-Athletes Of The Week
Guest speakers will be football video coordinator Bill Sisler and Fall Male Scholar Athlete Award winner Keegan Andrews of Football.
At the Harvard Classic on Saturday, Catherwood took the top spot in the men’s 5K with a time of 13:58.38. The Central Valley, N.Y. native also broke the men’s 5K indoor program record.
Irving made 37 saves to backstop hockey to a 2-0 win at No. 12/11 Northeastern on Sunday in a non-conference matchup at Matthews Arena, recording his second shutout of the season. The Newbury, Massachusetts native currently holds a .934 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA on the year.
Sports
WEEK ONE CIAA INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Charlotte, NC (December 9, 2025) – Week One of CIAA Indoor Track and Field showcased both returning standouts and emerging talent as programs opened the season with competitive early meets. The conference saw strong sprint performances, record breaking throws, and athletes establishing early momentum. The CIAA recognizes four student athletes for their standout performances during the week of November 30 through December 6.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Olivia Cosby, Winston Salem State
Junior sprinter Olivia Cosby opened her season with an impressive performance at the Visit Winston Salem College Kickoff at JDL. Cosby placed third in the 400m seeded with a time of 56.83 and later anchored the 4x400m relay to a total time of 3:58.54, closing her leg with a strong 58.72 split. Her effort set an early tone for the Rams as they launched their indoor campaign.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Breanna Reid, Bowie State
Freshman thrower Breanna Reid made a memorable collegiate debut at the Fastrack Season Opener, breaking the Bowie State school record in the weight throw with a mark of 14.32m. Reid’s second place finish introduced her as an immediate contender in the CIAA and showcased significant promise for the Bulldogs’ throws unit.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Dareon Faircloth, Bowie State
Sophomore sprinter Dareon Faircloth began his season in commanding fashion, winning the 60m dash in 6.74 to set a new Bowie State school record. He added a runner up finish in the 200m with a time of 21.89, demonstrating elite range and establishing himself as one of the conference’s top early season sprinters.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Darius Brown, Bluefield State
Senior jumper Darius Brown delivered a strong showing in a competitive meet that included Division I opponents, placing third in the triple jump with a mark of 14.55m. His performance provided a solid start to his final indoor season and highlighted his experience and consistency.
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the United States and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Sports
MIAC Athletes of the Week – December 9, 2025
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for swimming & diving and indoor track & field on Tuesday. Student-athletes from Carleton, Macalester, Saint Benedict, Saint John’s, and St. Olaf claimed the Conference’s weekly honors.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference’s sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the winter season, team sports (basketball and hockey) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (swimming & diving and indoor track & field) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week archive has complete details on each week’s selections and winners.
MIAC Men’s Swimming Athlete of the Week
Brayden Slavik
Saint John’s University
Sr.
Green Isle, Minn. / Chaska
Brayden Slavik won two events with NCAA B-cut times and finished second in one more event at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-6. Slavik won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:30.15, which surpassed the NCAA B-cut time of 4:31.24. He added his second B-cut time of the weekend in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:43.14 to win the event. Slavik beat that cut time by nearly seven seconds. Slavik also finished second in the 400-yard individual medley (4:04.88) and was a member of three SJU freestyle relay teams at the meet.
MIAC Men’s Diving Athlete of the Week
Hans Anderson
Carleton College
Sr.
Watertown, Minn. / Watertown-Mayer
Hans Anderson was the top NCAA Division III diver in both the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-5. Anderson scored 440.30 points on the 1-meter board to place second overall on 12/4 before totaling 458.45 points off the 3-meter board on 12/5 for another runner-up performance overall.
MIAC Women’s Swimming Athlete of the Week
Haley Zelen
College of Saint Benedict
Jr.
Shakopee, Minn. / Shakopee
Haley Zelen rewrote the CSB record book at the Rochester Invitational on 12/4-6, breaking three individual program records and contributing to a relay record while earning three NCAA Division III B-cut times. Zelen set new marks in the 50 free (23.07), 100 fly (54.72), and 100 free (50.79), and helped the 200 CSB medley relay team post a new record time of 1:46.69. Zelen’s time of 1:05.77 in the 100 breast ranks second in Saint Benedict history.
MIAC Women’s Diving Athlete of the Week
Nina Schwab
Carleton College
So.
Piedmont, Calif. / Piedmont
Nina Schwab won the 1-meter diving competition by nearly 80 points with a score of 486.00 at the Rochester Invitational on 12/5. That point total eclipsed her own program record set last season and also established a new MIAC overall standard, besting the previous mark of 485.40 that had stood since 2013. Schwab also won the 3-meter diving competition on 12/4 with a score of 427.90. She totaled 438.85 points during the preliminary round.
MIAC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Lance Nemecek
St. Olaf College
Sr.
Minnetrista, Minn. / Mound-Westonka
Lance Nemecek ran the second-fastest 800-meter time in NCAA Division III this season with a meet record time of 1:54.02 at the M City Classic on 12/5. Nemecek’s time ranks third on both St. Olaf’s all-time performers’ and performances lists. He also led off the first-place 4×400-meter relay that won the event in a meet-record time of 3:21.77, which ranks fifth nationally and second on both St. Olaf lists.
MIAC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Soren Kaster
Carleton College
Jr.
Horace, N.D. / West Fargo Sheyenne
Soren Kaster placed third overall and second among NCAA Division III competitors in the heptathlon with 4,606 points at the M City Classic on 12/5-6. Kaster’s score was the third-best in program history and ranks third in D-III this season. He clocked times of 7.44 in the 60-meter dash, 9.03 in the 60-meter hurdles, and 2:53.49 in the 1000-meter run; measured 10.09 meters in the shot put and a personal-best 6.31 meters in the long jump; and cleared 1.70 meters in the high jump and a MIAC-best 4.35 meters in the pole vault.
MIAC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Ariella Rogahn-Press
Macalester College
So.
Albuquerque, N.M / Bosque School
Ariella Rogahn-Press won the 400 meters by more than five seconds at the M City Classic in Minneapolis on 12/5 with a time of 57.43. Her converted time ranks third in NCAA Division III this season.
MIAC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Svea Frantzich
St. Olaf College
Fy.
Stillwater, Minn. / Breck
Svea Frantzich recorded the fifth-highest pentathlon score in NCAA Division III this season with 3,005 points in her collegiate debut at the M City Classic on 12/5. Frantzich posted top-10 all-time performances on St. Olaf’s indoor list in the 60-meter hurdles (9.47) and long jump (5.44m) on her way to compiling the No. 8 pentathlon score on the Oles’ all-time performers’ list.
Sports
Track & Field Release Indoor Schedule
The Dukes began the season at VMI’s Colonel Bev Read Opener on Dec. 6, and will return to action in 2026, starting with the Virginia Tech Invitational (Jan. 16-17). JMU will remain in the Commonwealth for another trip to Lexington for the VMI Invitational (Jan. 23-24).
From there, JMU will close January at the Penn State National Open (Jan. 30-31) before turning its attention to the ECAC Championship, taking place at Boston University’s Track & Tennis Center, Feb. 7-8.
The Dukes return to Virginia for Liberty’s Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational (Feb. 13-14). James Madison then turns its attention to the Sun Belt Championship in Birmingham, Ala. at the Birmingham CrossPlex, Feb. 23-24.
JMU will look to qualify individuals for the NCAA Championships (March 13-14), which will be held at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.
Sports
Tong Garners Weekly Ivy League Honors
PRINCETON, N.J. – After a record breaking showing in Boston over the weekend, sophomore Harlow Tong earned Ivy League Men’s Athlete of the Week status, becoming the first Crimson to receive the honor this season.
Racing in the opening heat of the men’s 300m at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener, Tong made an instant impact. Tong finished in first place with a time of 33.07, as his mark represents a new school record in the men’s 300m, surpassing the former record of 33.67 set by Oliver Murcko ’25 at the 2021 HBCU & Ivy Challenge. Tong’s time is also a new facility record at the renowned Boston University Track & Tennis Center.
A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Tong is looking to build off a stellar first-year season as he begins his second campaign with the Crimson. Last year saw Tong breakout in the outdoor portion of the season, winning an Ivy League title as a member of Harvard’s men’s 4x100m relay team. Tong is also the school record holder the outdoor men’s 400m, running a 46.55 at the Tiger Track Classic.
The Crimson return to action on Saturday, Jan. 17, as Harvard hosts the Beantown Challenge at Gordon Indoor Track.
For complete coverage of Harvard Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardSB) and Instagram (@harvardsb).
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