The Swatch Nines never fail us. Somebody changes the game forever, without fail, every year when the progression session brings together the most creative, talented, and innovative athletes in skiing and snowboarding. Take just a few examples of “world firsts” that came out of Switzerland recently: – Valentino Guseli set a new world record for […]
The Swatch Nines never fail us. Somebody changes the game forever, without fail, every year when the progression session brings together the most creative, talented, and innovative athletes in skiing and snowboarding. Take just a few examples of “world firsts” that came out of Switzerland recently:
– Valentino Guseli set a new world record for the highest air ever on a snowboard in 2024.
– Norwegian snowboarder Oyvind Kirkhus stuck the world’s first switch backside quad 1620 this week.
-Skier Hiroto Ogiwara landed the first backside 2160 in 2022.
– Japanese snowboarder Reira Iwabuchi put up the first-ever frontside triple 1260 in women’s snowboarding, also in 2022.
The list could go on. And it will. That’s part of what makes the expression session so exciting. And one standout performance at this year’s event came from a para-skier named Jay Rawe. Rawe, who was injured in a BASE-jumping accident about a decade ago, became the first para-skier to land a cork 360 to 50-50. It’s a pretty psychotic trick, whether you watch it in slow motion slopeside or you see Rawe’s P.O.V. footage as he clears most of the large rail and lands flush for the 50-50 slide.
AU track and field finds success as both school and personal records are broken
American University’s track and field team wrapped up its regular season at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Relays on April 25 and 26. The Eagles’ outdoor track season has been strong, with athletes regularly setting new personal bests and breaking school records. American’s track and field head coach Sean Graham was impressed with the campaign’s […]
American University’s track and field team wrapped up its regular season at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Relays on April 25 and 26. The Eagles’ outdoor track season has been strong, with athletes regularly setting new personal bests and breaking school records.
American’s track and field head coach Sean Graham was impressed with the campaign’s trajectory and talked about his squad’s success.
“Compared to what we’ve done in the past, including what the conference is doing, we’ve exceeded some of our expectations in that the number of school records that have gone down this year has far exceeded my expectations after a short while,” Graham said.
During the Virginia Challenge on April 18 at the University of Virginia, freshman Tamara Dorval broke American’s 100-meter record to start the meet, placing 27th with a personal record of 12.00 seconds. Additionally, junior Kaden Kluth and sophomore Ciera Thacker ran their personal bests for the Eagles, each moving up to second all-time for American in the 1500-meter and 100-meter races, respectively.
The track and field team had broken records at the Dalton Ebanks Invitational at George Mason University on April 5, with the women’s 4×100 squad of freshman Zoe Clark, Dorval, Thacker, and sophomore Lorelei Bangit breaking the Eagles’ program record by six seconds, placing second in 47.05 seconds.
American’s track and field team also sent its first all-female squad to the Penn Relays, with the team narrowly missing the school records it had set previously.
At the University of Pennsylvania, Dorval, Bangit, and Clark also returned with freshman Lara Gin to beat the previous school record by 14 seconds in the 4×400 relay, finishing at 3:49.86.
As for recent notable performances on both the men’s and women’s teams, Graham mentioned junior Carver Morgan’s performance at the Patriot League Indoor Championships on the campus of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he finished with a gold medal in the 800-meter and a personal record of 1 minute, 49.37 seconds.
“And you know [Morgan] has done phenomenally so far this year and then on, come on the men’s side, we’ve got two sort of middle distance aces,” Graham said. “Now Kate includes in the 1500 and Carver Morgan, in the 800, who are pushing the needle on in the national levels of competition,” he said of junior Kate Riley and Morgan.
This year’s Patriot League Championships, hosted at the Naval Academy in a month, also saw Bangit earn silver in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.84 seconds, smashing her school record that she had set in the preliminary round the previous day. Breaking her 400 record thrice on the weekend, she also broke the school 200-meter dash record and finished in 24.96 seconds.
The men’s distance medley relay squad for American, consisting of senior Danny O’Neill, freshman Brandon Williams, Morgan and Kluth, finished the race in 9 minutes, 45.81 seconds, earning silver and a fifth all-time mark for the Eagles.
After racing in the Patriot League Championships, Kluth and Morgan ran at the IC4A and ECAC Division I Indoor Championships hosted by Boston University on March 9. In the open mile, Kluth won in 4 minutes, 3.54 seconds, with Morgan coming in fifth at 4 minutes, 7.59 seconds.
This past weekend, American competed at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships, hosted by the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. On the tournament’s first day, Bangit broke school records in the preliminary rounds of both the 200-meter and 400-meter events, finishing at 54.20 seconds and 24.39 seconds, respectively. Additionally, Dorval broke her school record in the 100-meter prelims, finishing with a time of 11.86 seconds.
On the second day of the PL Championships, Kluth and Morgan won gold. Breaking American’s 17-year drought in the men’s 1500 event, Kluth won in 3:49.60, becoming AU’s first champion in the event since 2008. Morgan finished the 800-meter run with a personal best and meet record time of 1:47.91. Winning both the indoor and outdoor 800 men’s titles, Morgan now ranks 32nd in the NCAA East Region. Additionally, Bangit broke AU’s program best in the 400 meters with a finishing time of 54.00 seconds.
“So we’ve got a handful of athletes who have already qualified for the IC4A Championships with the ECAC Championships, two weeks after the Patriot Leagues at George Mason,” Graham said. “We currently have two athletes who are likely to have qualified for the NCAA first round, which is two weeks from now in Florida. And if that goes well, two weeks after that are the NCAA final rounds out in Eugene, [Oregon].”
Athletes who have qualified will go on to compete at the IC4A and ECAC Championships at George Mason University on the weekend of May 16.
This article was edited by Connor Sturniolo, Penelope Jennings and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Olivia Citarella, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Nicole Kariuki and Hannah Langenfeld.
Patrick Henry High boys’ volleyball captures City League title
The Patrick Henry High School boys’ volleyball team recently capped off an unforgettable regular season by going undefeated in league play and earning the 2025 City League Championship title. The Patriots will play a first-round Division II CIF game vs. Pacific Ridge at home on Tuesday, May 6, 7 p.m. Under the leadership of new […]
The Patrick Henry High School boys’ volleyball team recently capped off an unforgettable regular season by going undefeated in league play and earning the 2025 City League Championship title.
The Patriots will play a first-round Division II CIF game vs. Pacific Ridge at home on Tuesday, May 6, 7 p.m.
Under the leadership of new head coach David Chau, who also heads the Patrick Henry girls’ volleyball program and leads the volleyball program at Lewis and Pershing Middle Schools, the team experienced a complete turnaround.
Led by senior captains Austin Odle and Caleb Weinert, the Patriots found their rhythm early and never looked back.
Odle, a senior outside hitter, led the team with 282 kills, averaging 3.5 kills per set, and also topped the defense with 169 digs and 2.1 digs per set. His all-around contributions included 332 serve receptions and 0.5 aces per set, making him one of the most reliable and versatile players on the court.
Caleb Weinert also had a standout season as an outside hitter and middle blocker. He recorded 262 kills, averaging 3.1 kills per set, and led the team in hitting percentage at .224. On defense, he added 132 digs, 1.6 digs per set, and led the team in serve receptions with 344 and 26 blocks this season.
Reflecting on the team’s season, Weinert said, “Every single guy on this team worked hard all season long. We put in the time, trusted each other, and it paid off. I’m really proud of what we accomplished together.”
Supporting the offense at the net was junior middle blocker Finnley Corbin, who contributed 105 kills at 1.9 kills per set and posted a strong .214 hitting percentage, providing consistent offensive support.
At the core of the Patriots’ success was junior setter Sylas Doan, who ran the offense with precision and control. He tallied an impressive 926 total assists, led the team with 54 aces, and added 15 total blocks, demonstrating his skill on both sides of the court.
On the defensive side, Jack Boyd, a junior outside hitter and libero, made a major impact with 155 digs and 301 serve receptions. His consistent presence in the back row was key to maintaining momentum and transitioning into offense.
Additional key starters played a crucial role in the team’s championship run. Daniel Behne, a senior opposite, brought energy and offensive strength from the right side, along with 17 aces. Connor Carr, a junior who rotated at both middle and opposite, was a solid force at the net, tallying 19 total blocks. On defense, Peter Tu, a freshman defensive specialist, anchored the back row with dependable passing and serve receive.
This season marked a true turning point for the Patrick Henry boys’ volleyball program.
With strong senior leadership, emerging young talent, and expert coaching from Chau and his assistant coaches, the team not only went undefeated in league but also built a foundation for long-term success.
The 2025 season will be remembered as the year the Patriots rose to the top—and stayed there.
Editor’s note: This article and photo are courtesy of the Patrick Henry High boys’ volleyball team.
Change of Leadership Announced for Beach Volleyball Program
COLUMBIA, S.C. — COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati announced today that Moritz Moritz will not return as head coach of the Gamecock beach volleyball program. Moritz has been at the helm of the program since its founding in 2013, leading the team through its first competitive season in 2014. […]
COLUMBIA, S.C. — COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati announced today that Moritz Moritz will not return as head coach of the Gamecock beach volleyball program. Moritz has been at the helm of the program since its founding in 2013, leading the team through its first competitive season in 2014.
“I appreciate Moritz pouring his heart and soul into the program and the student-athletes,” said Donati. “He has done an excellent job using intercollegiate athletics as a platform to teach life lessons and help develop young women for future success, both on and off the court.”
Under Moritz’s leadership, the Gamecocks achieved numerous program milestones including seven 20-win seasons, two NCAA tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018, three all-Americans and five all-conference individuals. In the national rankings, South Carolina was ranked in 72 polls in a row from March of 2017 through May of 2023.
Before launching the beach volleyball program, Moritz served as an assistant coach for the Gamecock indoor volleyball team during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
A national search, lead by TurnkeyZRG, will begin immediately.
Local athletes take on MAC Track and Field Championship – Pottsville Republican Herald
Thought of the Day…There have been few greater minds in history than that of Leonardo da Vinci. Since we are often writing about young, developing minds, here’s what Leonardo had to say about them: “Learning never exhausts the mind.” Higher Education Yahoo (HEY) Awards…The first weekend in May marked the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Track […]
Thought of the Day…There have been few greater minds in history than that of Leonardo da Vinci. Since we are often writing about young, developing minds, here’s what Leonardo had to say about them: “Learning never exhausts the mind.”
Higher Education Yahoo (HEY) Awards…The first weekend in May marked the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Track & Field Championships, and the event was a tour-de-force for Eastern University senior women’s distance runner Hailey Shreffler (Panther Valley), who earns today’s first HEY award.
Shreffler was crowned a MAC Champion in two events, with a record-breaking win in the 1,500 meters, a win in the 800 meters and a third place medal as a member of 4×400 relay team.
In the 1.500, she ran a 4:32.63, breaking the long-standing existing conference record by close to two seconds and also setting a new championship meet record. After also winning the 800, Shreffler finished her senior season as a three-time MAC champion, second-team All-MAC in the mile and third-team All-MAC in two relays across the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Prior to the conference championships, Shreffler had been named MAC Runner of the Week (for the second time) after an outstanding performance at the Hopkins Loyola Invitational. There, Shreffler won the 800 meters in a season-best time of 2:12.34, in a field of runners from all three NCAA divisions.
Lebanon Valley College (LVC) recently awarded one of its highest honors involving learning and community to senior women’s tennis team captain Sarah Kramer (Hamburg). At LVC’s spring awards event, Kramer was the recipient of the LVC Athletic Service Award and thus earns a HEY award.
Kramer, a four-year member of the tennis team, was inducted into Phil Alpha Epsilon, the honor society recognizing academic achievement and service, with more than 550 hours of service. Kramer is a first-year mentor helping to lead orientation services on the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, is a member of a team benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and has completed more than 350 volunteer hours with the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
On top of that, Kramer is a pretty darn good tennis player, with a lifetime record of 27-19 in singles and 44-15 in doubles.
Two local softball players who have been named as second-team selections to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)-East All-Conference team.
The first is Kutztown senior right-handed pitcher Haley Gravish (Hamburg), who has been the workhorse of the 39-16 Golden Bears. Gravish has a 26-7 record and a 2.50 ERA, both of which lead her team. She also leads KU in appearances (39), starts (25), complete games (22), innings pitched (196.0) and strikeouts (164). She has one save, two shutouts on her own and was part of a third.
In the PSAC, Gravish ranks second in wins, is tied for second in starts, innings pitched and complete games, and her ERA places her eighth in the conference.
The second All-Conference selection is Bloomsburg senior center fielder Mia Nemeth (Marian). In a breakout season, Nemeth is second on the Huskies in batting average (.381), leads in hits (61) and ranks second in runs scored (34), doubles (11), triples (3) and RBIs (44). She is tied for third in home runs (4), has a .416 OBP and a .563 slugging percentage, all career-highs.
St. Joseph’s freshman softball right-handed pitcher Marla Freiwald (Blue Mountain) was recently named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. Freiwald, who has a 7-3 record (she ranks second in wins), has made 30 appearances and four starts. She has a team-leading five saves to go with her team-leading 2.94 ERA. In 71.1 innings pitched, Freiwald has struck out 33 while allowing only 11 walks.
Diamond Doings…In the last column, we talked about hot starts, notably that of Mansfield senior first baseman/DH Jacob Houtz (Schuylkill Haven).
Houtz has not cooled off. He bats cleanup for the Mounties and has started every game, leads his team and the PSAC in batting average at .445. He also tops his team and the conference in on-base percentage (OBP) at.566 and slugging percentage (.874). He leads the Mounties in RBI’s (44), and that puts him second in the conference.
Other statistical ares in which Houtz leads his team are runs scored (42), hits (53), doubles (15), home runs (12), total bases (104) and even being hit by a pitch (14). He ranks second in walks (19), third in at-bats (119) and has stolen six-of-seven bases.
Another former Haven Hurricane having an outstanding season is Widener sophomore left-handed pitcher Trae Sanders. Sanders is 4-3 and coming into the playoffs, his 2.96 ERA led the Pioneers’ regular starters, as did his 59.2 innings pitched. He has made 11 starts, one of his most recent a 7.0 inning gem in which he shut out Hood College, allowing only six hits and striking out five. Sanders’ 41 K’s ranks second on his team. In the MAC – Commonwealth Conference, Sanders ranks second in innings pitched and third in ERA.
Widener was the fourth seed in the MAC-Commonwealth Championships, but was defeated by top-seeded Messiah, where Pine Grove graduate Owen Hannevig is a freshman pitcher. He has made 11 relief appearances with a 2.92 ERA and one save.
Turning back to Hood College baseball (see Sanders above), senior starting center fielder Keegan Brennan (Nativity) has a flawless 1.000 fielding percentage. Brennan has handled 97 total chances, with 94 putouts and five assists, third in the MAC-Commonwealth.
Brennan is batting .235, but his 18 bases-on-balls ranks second, his 24 runs scored ranks third and he has a .371 OBP, 11 RBI’s, two doubles and a home run. He’s also tied for the team lead in stolen bases with 8 out of 10.
The top-seeded Lebanon Valley softball team has captured the MAC Freedom Conference with a 29-13 record. Freshman pitcher Maycee White (North Schuylkill) is 4-1 with a 4.26 ERA. She’s made 11 appearances with six starts, two complete games and two shutouts in 38.0 innings of work.
Eastern (29-9) made it to the finals of the MAC-Commonwealth tournament before being defeated by Messiah, and Tamaqua grad and junior pitcher Bryn Clifford is an integral part of the team. Clifford leads the team with three saves, and has a 2-0 record and a 1.97 ERA (2nd on the team) in 32.0 innings pitched (16 appearances, five starts). She’s struck out 16 and walked only five.
Bermuda’s volleyball teams — Sean Tucker, Benjamin Barnett, Megan Hands & Hailey Moss — won silver medals at the ECVA Senior Beach Volleyball Championships in St Lucia, marking the first medals ever won by Bermuda’s senior beach teams at this level. A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Men’s and Women’s Beach Volleyball Teams concluded play at […]
Bermuda’s volleyball teams — Sean Tucker, Benjamin Barnett, Megan Hands & Hailey Moss — won silver medals at the ECVA Senior Beach Volleyball Championships in St Lucia, marking the first medals ever won by Bermuda’s senior beach teams at this level.
A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Men’s and Women’s Beach Volleyball Teams concluded play at the 2025 ECVA Senior Beach Volleyball Championships.
“The women’s pair of Hands and Moss started the final day of competition taking on Grenada for a spot in the Gold Medal match. The match saw Bermuda victorious over the Grenada Team 2-0 [26-24, 21-15]. The women advanced to the Gold Medal match where they faced St. Kitts and Nevis for the title. The women fell to St. Kitts and Nevis 2-0 [21-14, 22-20] in the Championship match, ending the competition with a Silver Medal.
“The men’s team of Barnett and Tucker followed the women’s success in their semifinal match where they faced Dominica. The thrilling match saw the Bermuda men defeat Dominica 2-0 [32-30, 21-16]. The men advanced to the Gold Medal match where they faced St. Lucia for the Championship Title. The men’s team fought hard, however fell to St. Lucia in 3 Sets 2-1 [14-21, 21-15, 15-8]. Despite falling in the Championship match, the Bermuda Men ended the Tournament with a Silver Medal.
“The Bermuda Volleyball Association is ecstatic to celebrate a historic achievement at the 2025 ECVA Senior Beach Championships, where both our senior national teams secured silver medals.
“These are the first medals ever won by Bermuda’s senior beach teams at this level, marking a monumental step forward for the sport on our island. We wish to congratulate the athletes, coaches, and support staff and eagerly anticipate continued success for Bermuda beach volleyball throughout the year.”
Coming home: Winningham rejoins alma mater as Head Athletic Trainer
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who bleeds Purple and Gold more than Jennifer Winningham Owens. So when the opportunity arose for Winningham to return to Tennessee Tech as its newest Head Athletic Trainer, the decision was an easy one. “There has always been hope that […]
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who bleeds Purple and Gold more than Jennifer Winningham Owens. So when the opportunity arose for Winningham to return to Tennessee Tech as its newest Head Athletic Trainer, the decision was an easy one.
“There has always been hope that I would someday get to return home to Tech in this position,” Winningham said. “I am super excited to be returning to Cookeville and Tennessee Tech.
“This isn’t just a job for me. This is coming back to my alma mater that I have had such pride in since starting school in 1999. You will not find anyone with more Tech pride than the Winningham family.”
That is definitely true. Winningham’s father, longtime state legislator Les Winningham, earned both a bachelor’s in health and physical education in 1964 and master’s in curriculum and instruction in 1967 from Tennessee Tech, while all five of his daughters all attended the University.
“We have 10 degrees from Tech between us,” Jennifer said, proudly, “and my nephew is currently a sophomore.”
The elder Winningham instilled that pride in the University to his daughters at a young age.
“Growing up, my dad used to drive me and my sisters through campus and would say things like ‘When you all are at Tech…’ or ‘When you start school at Tech…”. Tech has always been a special place to my family. Coming back means so much and I wish my parents were still here to see it.
“I always say that Tennessee Tech is a special place and now that I am back, I can’t wait to help show more people just how special it is.”
In her time at Tennessee Tech as a student athletic trainer to a member of the staff in her previous tenure from 2005 to 2009, she worked with two long-time Tech head athletic trainers in David Green and Joe Erdeljac, learning valuable experience under their watch.
“Coming back to be the head athletic trainer after them will be tough and I have big shoes to fill,” Winningham said. “They both lead Tech through different times. I can only hope that I can have as great of an impact on Tech Athletics as they have. I want to make a positive impact on the student-athletes, coaches, staff and Tennessee Tech as a whole.”
Even in the last year, when a group of Tech athletic trainers were stranded because of the effects of Hurricane Helene this past fall, Winningham volunteered to help the Golden Eagle training staff with the football game at Gardner-Webb. She also made the trek over to Columbia, S.C., to cheer on the Tech women’s basketball team in the NCAA Regional against No. 1 South Carolina.
She may not have been wearing the Purple and Gold, but Tennessee Tech still meant a lot to her.
“We are truly excited to welcome Jennifer back to Tennessee Tech,” said Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson. “To have her come home to the University to watch over our student-athletes is a tremendous addition to our staff. Jennifer is a consummate professional and her pride in all of our programs is strong. With her years of experience, I have complete faith and know she will bring a lot to the table for our sports medicine staff.”
Following her graduation from Tech in 2003, Winningham served two years as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Louisiana Tech, working with volleyball and softball and assisted with women’s basketball.
She returned to Cookeville for the first time in 2005 and stayed through the 2008-09 academic year. With the Tech Sports Medicine group, she provided primary coverage with track and field and men’s and women’s tennis while assisting with football during her internship, then shifted duties to the primary contact for soccer and softball, then women’s basketball and volleyball.
In August 2009, Winningham joined the staff at Louisiana-Monroe, where she was primarily the contact with women’s basketball and a secondary with football, while also spending time with women’s soccer and softball.
She continued at ULM through May 2013 when she was hired as an athletic training coordinator at UNC Charlotte. Winningham advanced through the ranks as assistant athletic trainer from 2013 to 2015, the associate head athletic trainer for women’s athletics in 2015, then the athletic training coordinator for Atrium Health in 2023.
While at Charlotte, Winningham was primarily responsible for women’s basketball, while assisting with men’s and women’s tennis and baseball. She also assisted WNBA athletes Maya Caldwell, Tiffany Mitchell and Cierra Burdick during offseason recovery and rehab.
She has been the acting athletic trainer on site for multiple Ohio Valley Conference, Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA tournaments and has even been an athletic trainer at the 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball First and Second Rounds in Shreveport, La., and the 2015 and 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds in Charlotte. She has also been an athletic trainer for the 2017 USA Basketball Youth Regional Camp.
