Sports

Prep roundup: St. Laurence’s Harley Rizzs aims to defend state track title

St. Laurence’s Harley Rizzs became the first individual track champion in program history when he won the Class 2A 100 meters last year. Not only is he gunning for a repeat, he and the Vikings are trying to bring home their first state trophy after missing out on a third-place state finish by one point […]

Published

2 months ago

May 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

St. Laurence’s Harley Rizzs became the first individual track champion in program history when he won the Class 2A 100 meters last year.

Not only is he gunning for a repeat, he and the Vikings are trying to bring home their first state trophy after missing out on a third-place state finish by one point last year.

The Vikings have plenty of firepower heading into the IHSA state meet, which starts May 29 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

At the Ridgewood Sectional on May 21, Rizzs won the 100 in 10:81 seconds, just ahead of teammate Monroe Thompson Jr., who finished second at 11.08.

In the 200, Viking Joey Philip won with a 22.36 and Rizzs was right next to him with a 22.47.

Luis Flores won the 1,600 with a 4:40.62 and the 3,200 with a 9:46.77.

The Vikings’ 4×100 relay team of Thompson, Rizzs, Isaiah Little and Philip finished first with a 42.85 while the 4×200 relay team of Rizz, Jacob Diaz, Little and Philip won with a 1:30.42.

Also at Ridgewood, Chicago Christian’s Zachary Van Wyk won the 110 hurdles with a 14.88 and the high jump at 6 feet, 1.5 inches.

At St. Rita, Mount Carmel sophomore twins Michael and Gabriel Valerio finished first and second in the 400 with Michael recording a 51.44 and his brother almost matching him with a 51.58.

Caravan senior Benaiah Burks won the 110 hurdles with a :15.83 and junior Victor Friar claimed the 300 hurdles with a 41.34.

The 4×400 relay team of Jason Isais, the Valerio twins and Friar won with a 3:36.92.

At the Evergreen Park Sectional, Mustang Genesis Ward won the discus with a throw of 138-4.25. Teammate Ellis Jackson won the high jump with a 6-2.

In Class 3A at East Aurora, Sandburg junior Mateo Ramiro-Garcia was a champion in the 800 with a 1:53.14.

At Lyons, Marist’s Matt McKee was a sectional champ in the 1,600 with a 4:19.19 while teammate Patrick Wynn won the triple jump with a 44-5.5.

Brother Rice’s Gavin O’Connor won the 3,200 with a 9:16.34 and teammate Al Crema won the shot put with a 51-11.25.

Lyons’ 4×800 relay team of Charles Ciesla, Tate Pavelka, Ethan Wugazzer and Tyler Gantt placed first with an 8:04.37. Argo’s Mauro Velasquez Jr. won the discus with a 136-10.

At St. Ignatius, Morton junior runners Alex Rodriguez and Orlando Sandoval finished first and second in the 1,600 with Rodriguez coming up with a 4:24.47 and Sandoval right by his side with a 4:24.65. Mustang Noah Bey won the 110 hurdles in 15.88. The 4×800 relay team of Miguel Flores, Christian Valadez, Sandoval and Rodriguez took first with a 7:51.32.

Making a splash

Lyons girls water polo took second in the state after a 6-5 loss to Stevenson in the championship game on May 24 at Stevenson.

Maya Mladjan scored two goals for the Lions, while Isabella Recker, Avery Watanabe and Maddie Wieczorkiewicz had one each.

In boys water polo, Brother Rice lost in the quarterfinals, 15-6 to eventual state champion Naperville North.

Sandburg, Reavis anglers head to state

Sandburg finished third in the Des Plaines River-Big Basin Marine Sectional for bass fishing with a 12.3-pound haul to qualify for the state meet. Nathan Uldrych and Andrius Stankus were on the qualifying boat.

Reavis also qualified with a ninth-place finish and a 7.15-pound haul. Cesar Peralta and Adrian Gasinski were on the advancing boat.

The state meet is June 6-7 at Lake Shelbyville in Shelby County.

Net gains

Although the area did not have a sectional champion, plenty of boys tennis players qualified for the state tournament, which starts May 29 at various sites in the northwest suburbs.

At the Class 2A Sandburg Sectional, state singles qualifiers were Marist’s Jake Klooster, Sandburg’s Aryan Vora and Stagg’s Emerson Kim, who finished second, third and fourth respectively.

Sandburg’s doubles teams of Eamonn McDevitt-Ryan Smith and Neel Patel-Nate Carandang finished third and fourth respectively to qualify.

At the Class 2A Hinsdale Central Sectional Lyons’ doubles teams of Jackson Albee-Rohan Nagale and Fred Chen-Mateja Nokic finished third and fourth respectively and junior Shay Sweigard finished fourth to qualify for state.

Brother Rice’s doubles team of Aidan Alving-Dominic Leodoro took fourth at the Class 1A U-High Sectional to qualify.

Nazareth’s Jack Nisivaco-Ethan Danko took third in the Class 1A Hinsdale South Sectional and qualified.

Soccer teams head to sectionals

Fifth-seeded Lyons won the Class 3A Reavis Regional with a 3-1 win over Fenwick on May 23.

Third-seeded Nazareth beat Elmwood Park 2-0 in the Class 2A Elmwood Park Regional.

Second-seeded De La Salle beat Mansueto 9-0 to win its own Class 2A regional.

Two area teams were still alive at the Class 2A Kankakee Sectional as second-seeded St. Laurence beat Ag. Science 3-0 in its own regional and fifth-seeded Evergreen Park knocked off Tinley Park 3-0 to win the Kankakee Regional.

Baseball, softball teams move on

In small-school action, Chicago Christian baseball and Horizon-McKinley softball won their own Class 2A regionals.

The Knights beat Peotone 10-0 on May 24 and the Hawks blanked Cristo Rey 18-0 on May 23.

Link

Sports

LPA’s Sydney Daniel selected to NFHS National Student Advisory Council

Watch video clips of Lincoln Park Academy’s 2025 graduation ceremony Take a look at Lincoln Park Academy’s May 23 graduation ceremony at the St. Lucie County Fairgrounds. Sydney Daniel is a student-athlete with lofty goals. The Lincoln Park Academy rising junior is already building a resume in which some of those dreams are within reach. […]

Published

25 minutes ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Sydney Daniel is a student-athlete with lofty goals.

The Lincoln Park Academy rising junior is already building a resume in which some of those dreams are within reach. In track and field this past season, she helped the Greyhounds qualify for regionals in both the 400- and 1,600-meter relays. Combine that with a 5.2 weighted GPA (3.95 unweighted) and it’s not hard to see that her future is bright.

Daniel’s work on and off the track has afforded her an opportunity to be a part of exclusive company this summer. She was one of 16 high school student-athletes countrywide selected to serve on the NFHS National Student Advisory Council. The group is set to gather at the NFHS National Student Leadership Summit, which will be held Sunday through Thursday in Indianapolis.

“To be part of this group, it’s not only something that looks good on applications or seems prestigious,” she said. “It’s truly about just communicating and advocating for all high schoolers across the nation, gathering their insights and actually implementing them into stuff that they would like to see.”

Two students from each of the eight regions nationwide were selected to participate in the council. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the students “have exhibited outstanding leadership skills, achievements in academics and sports/activities, and a commitment to making a positive impact in their communities.” Daniel’s region is Section 3, which represents the Southeast.

Responsibilities of the 16 students include identifying and communicating areas of support possibly needed from the NFHS and state associations as well as ideas to increase student involvement in cocurricular activities.

“I do understand the importance of the position and how I am someone supposed to advocate not just for my state, not just for my section but truly for the entire United States and all of the other millions of students that are involved in educationally based activity programs,” Daniel said. “So being able to be in a position in which I could do that really and truly is a blessing. I’m very excited to do so.”

The 16 members met in April in Indiana to plan for the summit. Daniel says the council’s objective is to increase involvement and get a student from every state to attend.

“We hope to encourage some of the people who attend and make sure that they know you know what the NFHS is and what the NSAC does and how they can be a part of it from their own state,” she said.

Through the encouragement of LPA athletic director Veryl Moore, Daniel is also a member of the FHSAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Through her various roles, Daniel has grown into being a leader. She believes being reliable and someone who can be key assets, but nothing has a greater value than being able to listen.

“I would say that’s the most important part of being a leader.” Daniel said. “You can have all the other attributes like being honest or be really good at advocating, but if you can’t listen to others, then there really is no point in what you’re doing.”

Daniel is also the sports editor in chief of the student newspaper and is a member of the Key Club and National Honor Society, among other clubs. She admits that being that active all while excelling in the classroom is a lot to balance.

“It’s just about prioritizing focusing on what matters most to me, which of course is my academics and my athletics and all of my extracurriculars,” she said. “It’s just realizing where they all fall in terms of importance. … I do really love having a planner, it’s probably one of the best things that I have; just being able to divide time and just allocate where my activities and where have time for each of them. Being a really good planner, planning out my weeks in advance so that I have time to include everything and all my responsibilities is really important to me.”

Daniel hopes to graduate in the top 10% of her class. Her short-term plan is to attend a four-year university to study biomedical engineering. In the long term, Daniel aspires to be an Olympic athlete.

Road Trip Essentials

Expedia: Shop discounted airfare, transportation and more

Kayak: Save on flights, hotels, and more

Airbnb: Travel with the privacy of your own home

Top wireless charger: Yootech Wireless Charger

Best portable battery pack: Mophie Powerstation Plus

Last-minute supplies: Walmart has you covered

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

Link

Sports

HBCU Olympian Returns to Elite Form in First Race Back

Randolph Ross wasted no time making an impact. In his first race after a three-year suspension, the former HBCU Olympic Gold Medalist from North Carolina A&T ran 45.41 seconds in the men’s 400 meters at the Meeting International de Marseille. He finished second behind fellow American Demarius Smith, who won with a personal best of […]

Published

33 minutes ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The performance was a strong return. While it wasn’t close to Ross’s personal best of 43.85—one of the fastest 400-meter times in history—it was enough to turn heads. His time ranked among the top 25 by an American this season and showed he still belongs on the track.

A Return With Meaning

The race marked more than just a finish line. It was a test of whether Ross still had the speed and mindset that once made him a rising star. After missing three years due to a ban for whereabouts failures and tampering, Ross is back—and still competitive.

HBCU Randolph Ross North Carolina A&T Olympic Gold Medalist

He continued to train, though restrictions prevented him from working with USATF-affiliated coaches or athletes. One exception allowed him to continue training with his father due to their family connection. Now that he can, the 24-year-old HBCU athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist aims to rebuild his career. Ross opened his return in Marseille, and if he competes again this summer, strong results could help reopen doors to national and international competition.

HBCU Roots, Global Goals

His story continues to resonate, especially in the HBCU sports world. North Carolina A&T helped develop Ross into a world-class sprinter. His father, Olympian Duane Ross, guided him through college and still supports his training. That foundation helped Randolph become an NCAA champion, an Olympian, and one of the brightest prospects in American track.

Now, after years away, he’s working to prove that one mistake does not define a career. The early signs are encouraging. And if Marseille was any indication, Randolph Ross’s comeback may just be getting started.

Link

Sports

Former HBCU Football Player Killed, Current Student Charged

Police say a “parking garage dispute” at the Mac4460 apartments near South MacGregor Way and Calhoun in Houston, Texas, ended with the fatal shooting of a former HBCU athlete Friday evening. The victim, 24-year-old Tyler Martinez, played four seasons as a defensive tackle at Texas Southern University. Martinez completed his football career in 2023. He […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene. Police arrested 22-year-old Isaac Robinson, who is enrolled as a sophomore at Texas Southern University and is a fellow resident of the apartment complex, after he reportedly returned to the scene. Authorities charged Robinson with first-degree felony murder and set his bond at $100,000. If released, he must wear a GPS monitor, follow a nightly curfew, avoid weapons, drugs, and alcohol, and stay within Harris County or adjacent counties.

HBCU Tyler Martinez Houston Texas Southern University — #93 Tyler Martinez, Courtesy of Texas Southern Athletics

Details of the Incident and Legal Proceedings

Houstonstringer.com reports that Robinson admitted to his involvement in the shooting in court records. Prosecutors said a woman connected to Robinson handed him a firearm during the altercation. Witnesses said Martinez had begun to withdraw when Robinson “allegedly fired three shots into Martinez’s torso.” Robinson appeared overnight in Harris County Probable Cause Court. He currently attends Texas Southern University as a sophomore and works for a local security company.

Martinez, a Houston native and Humble High graduate, joined the TSU Tigers in 2019. Standing 6-3 and weighing 283 pounds, he played every season through 2023. He recorded 57 tackles in 20 games, including four sacks. HBCU football analysts recognized his steady performance. The Bluebloods network called him “the best DT in the SWAC,” reflecting his significant impact on the field.

Concerns Raised for HBCU Student Safety

This case highlights concerns about safety in off-campus student housing and emphasizes the need for conflict resolution efforts within the Houston community. We will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates as they become available.

Link

Sports

Canada outlasts Thailand 3-2 in women’s Volleyball Nations League

By Canadian Press on July 13, 2025. ARLINGTON — The team from the Land of the Smiles went home disappointed after dropping a tough match to Canada in the women’s Volleyball Nations League tournament on Sunday. Canada defeated Thailand 3-2 in the best-of-five match, played at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. Thailand won the […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By Canadian Press on July 13, 2025.

ARLINGTON — The team from the Land of the Smiles went home disappointed after dropping a tough match to Canada in the women’s Volleyball Nations League tournament on Sunday.

Canada defeated Thailand 3-2 in the best-of-five match, played at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

Thailand won the opening set 25-17, but the Canadians bounced back with 25-23 and 30-28 wins to take a 2-1 lead. Thailand forced a fifth set with a 25-23 win in the fourth.

Canada won the tiebreaker 15-13.

Hilary Howe Johnson led all Canadian scorers with 25 points, while Emily Maglio had 19. Kongyot Ajcharaporn led Thailand’s scoring with 27 points, while Kokram Pimpichaya had 23.

Canada committed more unforced errors in the match (24-20) and had more blocks (14-7). Thailand led in digs (166-144) and attacks (84-66).

Canada remains 16th in the 18-team preliminary round robin with three wins, while Thailand is 17th with just one win.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025.

The Canadian Press

11
-10

Link

Sports

Spartan Chosen sends 11 athletes to the AAU Junior Olympic Games

When Forest track and field head coach Brett Stanley started Spartan Chosen ten years ago, he had one goal: giving his athletes the foundation to compete at the highest level of sport. “We had 38 All-Americans last year and six national championships last year,” Stanley said. “We’re running the same course this year.” Of those […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

When Forest track and field head coach Brett Stanley started Spartan Chosen ten years ago, he had one goal: giving his athletes the foundation to compete at the highest level of sport.

“We had 38 All-Americans last year and six national championships last year,” Stanley said. “We’re running the same course this year.”

Of those six national champions nine-year-old Joseph Sorrentino III holds the AAU nationals record for the Turbo Javelin in the 7- and 8-year-old divisions. Sorrentino along with Terry Holloway, Jakari Thomas, Troy Rushing, Ariana Damon, Amiyah Damon, Taraji Rushing, Jarod Palmer, Tyrail Moore Jr., Nicolas Sorrentino, and Amiya Cogdell all qualified for the AAU Junior Olympics Games in Humble, Texas on July 28 – August 2.

Love and discipline drive the Spartan Chosen program. Way before you suit up for an event with Spartan Chosen you have to meet strict GPA requirements to toe the line. Creating a component few AAU programs regardless of sport rarely enforce.

“Just understanding workflow, how to train the body, what the body needs and honestly man loving on the kids, man we have to,” Stanley said.

The benefits of having children as young as five-years-old partner with Chosen Spartan chosen to train and discipline their bodies for any sport they play in the future. The team is another support system every young athlete needs on their journey.

With Stanley’s program functioning as a training ground for at least five of the seven public schools in Marion County, Spartan Chosen isn’t the only program that benefits from their youth development.

“We’re developing and building relationships because track and field as a whole, not just in Marion County, is an afterthought,” Stanley said. “We’re trying to expose kids to track and field and build that relationship. Spartan Chosen has a home in family.”

Koi Davis comes from a family of sprinters. Now he’s taking the track

Spartan Chosen’s developmental status doesn’t hinge on the Junior Olympic performances. While that title holds weight, its the personal improvements Stanley sees in his team on-and-off track that give his athletes a head start.

“What we do in the summer is to make sure we give back,” Stanley said. “Once you start seeing these accolades from these young kids who are going to eventually be at high school level. If the county is starting to see these kids progress right now on this level and becoming national champions out of 10,000 athletes. Just imagine how good they get on the high school level with the proper facility in place.”

Link

Sports

2025 MLB Draft Central | Arkansas Razorbacks

ATLANTA – The 2025 MLB Draft is here! ESPN and MLB Network will have full coverage of the first three rounds of the draft, which is set to begin at 5 p.m. CT Sunday, July 13. Day 1 of the draft consists of 105 picks: the first three rounds, compensatory rounds, competitive balance rounds and […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ATLANTA – The 2025 MLB Draft is here!

ESPN and MLB Network will have full coverage of the first three rounds of the draft, which is set to begin at 5 p.m. CT Sunday, July 13. Day 1 of the draft consists of 105 picks: the first three rounds, compensatory rounds, competitive balance rounds and prospect promotion incentive selections.

Coverage of Day 2 of the draft — consisting of rounds 4-20 on Monday, July 14 — will be streamed on MLB.com beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT.

MLB Draft Schedule
Day 1 (Rounds 1-3)
» 5 p.m. CT Sunday, July 13
» Watch on ESPN & MLB Network

Day 2 (Rounds 4-20)
» 10:30 a.m. CT Monday, July 14
» Watch on MLB.com

By The Numbers
6 – program record for most position players selected in a single draft (1985)
7 – program record for most pitchers selected in a single draft (2013)
10 – Razorbacks selected in the first round of the draft
11 – program record for most total selections in a single draft (2013 & 2018)
267 – all-time draft selections in Razorback history

Razorback Draft Notes
» Since 1975, Arkansas has had at least one player selected in each of the past 50 MLB drafts.
» Since 2018, no school in the country has more overall draft selections than Arkansas (53).
» Arkansas has had double-digit players selected in a single draft on three occasions: 1985 (10), 2013 (11), 2018 (11).
» Since Matt Hobbs’ first season as pitching coach in 2019, Arkansas has had 23 pitchers selected in the MLB draft, including 16 pitchers taken in the first 10 rounds.
» Since Nate Thompson’s first season as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator in 2018, Arkansas has had 24 hitters selected in the MLB draft. No program in the country has had more hitters selected in the MLB draft than Arkansas since Thompson’s first year on the job.

For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).

Link