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Purdue Hands EIU Softball Midweek Defeat

Morgan Hance had the first hit of the game for the Panthers in the second.  In the fifth, Sophia Olman drew a walk with pinch runner Emily Konkel moving to second on a base hit by Abbi Hatton. Those two hits would be all that EIU generated against Purdue starter Kendall Klochack (7-4).  Jordyn Ramos […]

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Purdue Hands EIU Softball Midweek Defeat

Morgan Hance had the first hit of the game for the Panthers in the second.  In the fifth, Sophia Olman drew a walk with pinch runner Emily Konkel moving to second on a base hit by Abbi Hatton.

Those two hits would be all that EIU generated against Purdue starter Kendall Klochack (7-4).  Jordyn Ramos closed the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth.

EIU fell to 19-17 overall.  Purdue improved to 21-17.

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Skidmore women’s lacrosse names Makayla Hutchinson Assistant Coach

Story Links SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College Women’s Lacrosse program is excited to announce the hiring of Makayla Hutchinson as its new Assistant Coach.   “I am beyond excited to welcome Makayla Hutchinson to the Skidmore lacrosse family,” said head coach Elizabeth Ghilardi. “Makayla’s drive, knowledge of the game, and energy will […]

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College Women’s Lacrosse program is excited to announce the hiring of Makayla Hutchinson as its new Assistant Coach.
 
“I am beyond excited to welcome Makayla Hutchinson to the Skidmore lacrosse family,” said head coach Elizabeth Ghilardi. “Makayla’s drive, knowledge of the game, and energy will be a fantastic addition to our program and culture.”
 
Hutchinson brings with her five years of Division I playing experience, competing at Central Connecticut State University before finishing her career at George Mason University, where she utilized her NCAA COVID-eligible fifth year. Known for her competitive edge and leadership, she made an immediate transition into coaching, taking on roles with PRIDE Lacrosse Club and South Lakes High School (VA), where she coached at the varsity level.
 
At Skidmore, Hutchinson will focus primarily on the defensive side of the ball, bringing fresh perspective and innovation to the Thoroughbreds’ unit. Her strong interest in statistics and analytics will play a key role in practice planning and in-game adjustments, helping to elevate both player development and team strategy.
 
“Makayla’s passion for data, creativity on the field, and commitment to growth make her a great fit for where our program is headed,” said Ghilardi.
 
Makayla will officially join the Thoroughbreds in September, just as the team begins preparations for the 2025 season.



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Six Programs Secure CSCAA Scholar All-America Awards: Four Individuals Honored

Men’s Swimming and Diving 7/11/2025 10:16:13 AM Story Links MADISON, Wis.–Six Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) swimming & diving programs have earned the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Award for the 2025 spring semester. In addition, […]

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Men’s Swimming and Diving






MADISON, Wis.–Six Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) swimming & diving programs have earned the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Award for the 2025 spring semester. In addition, four individuals were recognized.

 

Both the men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater claimed the honor for achieving a grade point average of 3.00 or higher for the semester.

 

UW-Eau Claire’s men’s team posed a 3.40 grade point average, while UW-La Crosse had a 3.50 and UW-Whitewater a 3.22.

 

For the women, UW-Eau Claire accumulated a 3.56 grade point average, while UW-La Crosse posted a 3.49 and UW-Whitewater a 3.24.

 

Individually, UW-Eau Claire’s Blake Wallen claimed Scholar All-America First Team honors, while teammates Kadin Denner, Jack Gunderson and Ben Keller were second team honorees.

 

To qualify for the Scholar All-America First Team, student-athletes must have earned a 3.5 grade point average or higher and participated in their national championship. Second Team selections must have also earned a 3.5 grade point average of higher and met a “B” time standard for the national championship or qualified for a diving zone qualification meet.

 

The CSCAA Team Scholar All-America Award is presented to college and university swimming & diving teams, who have achieved a team grade point average of 3.00 or higher. The award is presented twice annually, once in the fall semester and again in the spring to recognize teams achieving a 3.00 in the semester.

 

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Connor Chatham Joins Women’s Hockey Staff

Story Links On Friday, Lindenwood women’s hockey head coach Taylor Wasylk announced the addition of Connor Chatham as an assistant coach. “We are so excited to welcome Connor to our coaching staff,” said Wasylk. “Connor has been outstanding with the St Louis Girls AAA Blues program over the last few seasons; he […]

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On Friday, Lindenwood women’s hockey head coach Taylor Wasylk announced the addition of Connor Chatham as an assistant coach.

“We are so excited to welcome Connor to our coaching staff,” said Wasylk. “Connor has been outstanding with the St Louis Girls AAA Blues program over the last few seasons; he knows the area and more importantly knows what it takes to win here at Centene. We expect him to make a huge impact from day one and be a big part of pushing our program to the next level.”

Chatham comes to Lindenwood after spending the last four seasons as the Head Coach of the 16U and 19U Lady Blues AAA team. Chatham was responsible for facilitating the recruiting process for all players and advising them on the next step in their lives and hockey career. He also had a coaching stop at McKendree.

The Belleville, Ill. native was the 71st pick in the 2014 NHL draft, while being selected to NHL training camp rosters from 2014-16. Chatham spent time in the USHL, OHL, ECHL, and SPHL. Most recently, Chatham played 17 games with the Evansville Thunderbolts where he compiled 16 points on seven goals and nine assists during the 2021-22 season.

Chatham was a USA Hockey U-17 selection and earned the Heart and Hustle Award with the Idaho Steelheads and was named the Blue Collar Player of the Year with the Plymouth Whalers in 2015.

Chatham earned his Bachelor’ s degree in sports management with a minor in marketing from McKendree University in 2020.

 



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Gavin McKenna gives Penn State 1 of the most hyped recruits ever, not just in hockey | NFL

Jul. 10—Two days after 17-year-old hockey star Gavin McKenna announced his intentions to play for Penn State in the fall, the school confirmed the news via press release. “His arrival to Hockey Valley is extremely significant not only to our hockey program, but to Penn State athletics and to college hockey as a whole,” coach […]

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Jul. 10—Two days after 17-year-old hockey star Gavin McKenna announced his intentions to play for Penn State in the fall, the school confirmed the news via press release.

“His arrival to Hockey Valley is extremely significant not only to our hockey program, but to Penn State athletics and to college hockey as a whole,” coach Guy Gadowsky said in the release.

Gadowsky is not exaggerating.

McKenna’s commitment gives Penn State not only one of the most hyped recruits in college hockey history, but maybe also the most ballyhooed recruit in the history of the school’s athletic programs.

Part of that is because of McKenna’s abilities, of course. He’s a 6-foot, 170-pound scoring machine who took his aura to another level when he recorded at least one point in the last 40 games of the regular season and first 14 points of the playoffs for Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League last year.

He ended up with 129 points in 56 regular-season games and 38 more in 16 playoff games.

It is also because of a major rule change in 2024. The NCAA ruled that playing Canadian major junior hockey no longer made a player ineligible to play college hockey. McKenna is the first major star to take advantage of the rule change.

Five college players have gone No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft in the past, like McKenna surely will next June, but none was nearly as acclaimed. They are Macklin Celebrini (2024), Owen Power (2021), Erik Johnson (2006), Rick DiPietro (2000) and Joe Murphy (1986).

It’s also easy to include McKenna on a short list of the most hyped recruits in any sport in Penn State history.

In football, the Nittany Lions have had two players go No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft — Ki-Jana Carter (1995) and Courtney Brown (2000) — but neither was considered a top player in the country coming out of high school.

The highest ranked football recruits in Penn State history — at least since prospect rankings became popular three or four decades ago — are wide receiver Derrick Williams and linebacker Micah Parsons. Williams was the No. 4 recruit in the country in 2005 and Parsons was No. 5 in 2018.

The closest thing to McKenna in terms of prospect hype in Penn State sports history might be a classmate of his. Wrestler P.J. Duke will be a freshman with the Nittany Lions next season, and last month, he defeated four-time NCAA champion Yanni Diakomihalis to win a spot on the U.S. national team for the world championships before wrestling his first college match.

Under Cael Sanderson, Penn State has snagged the No. 1 recruit in the country four other times — Morgan McIntosh (2011), Mark Hall (2016), Shayne Van Ness (2021) and Marcus Blaze (2024) — but that’s wrestling. It’s impossible to suggest any of those outstanding grapplers have the name value McKenna does.

Blue-and-white McKenna hockey jerseys are sure to be Happy Valley’s hottest fashion accessory any day now.

“He’s one of the most exciting young talents in the game and reflects the level of student-athletes we’re bringing to Penn State across all sports,” athletic director Pat Kraft said in Thursday’s press release, marking the rare occasion an AD comments on the addition of a single recruit.

“His commitment is a testament to the national reputation Guy Gadowsky and his staff have built, and we know he’ll thrive in the culture of excellence that surrounds our program. We can’t wait to see him compete alongside this incredible group and help push our program to even greater heights.”

Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.

© 2025 The Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.). Visit www.triblive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency.



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‘Gym rat’ Meleek Thomas quickly adjusting ahead of freshman season at Arkansas

Arkansas basketball will enter this season with some pretty lofty expectations. Part of that is the four returning contributors from last year’s Sweet 16 team and two veteran transfer additions from the portal. Another big reason is the highly-touted freshman class, including consensus five-star and McDonald’s All-American, Meleek Thomas. The Pittsburgh (Pa.) native was the second […]

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Arkansas basketball will enter this season with some pretty lofty expectations. Part of that is the four returning contributors from last year’s Sweet 16 team and two veteran transfer additions from the portal. Another big reason is the highly-touted freshman class, including consensus five-star and McDonald’s All-American, Meleek Thomas.

The Pittsburgh (Pa.) native was the second commitment for John Calipari‘s 2025 recruiting class and one of the most dynamic guards in the cycle. On Wednesday afternoon, media got to see the 2025-26 Razorbacks during an hour-long open practice and Thomas was one player who stood out, especially in the latter stages of the session.

Thomas showcased his elite shot-making ability, flashed as a cutter and showed promise as a fearless on-ball defender. His motor and hustle were both unmatched as the young freshman was 100% full throttle for every minute of the practice session. 

As is the case with any incoming freshman, though, there were no shortage of teachable moments and instances where Calipari needed to step in. One of Thomas strengths is being able to knock down difficult shots. Sometimes, those difficult shots are of his own creation due to poor selection and too many unnecessary dribbles. Calipari explained that’s one area he wants Thomas to clean up. 

“He’s different. He’s a basket-getter,” Calipari said. “But he is used to having the ball and then getting a basket, where we’re going to create opportunities for him to run downhill, to shoot floaters, come off a screen, pull up in transition, shoot. You’re not going to bounce it 50 times. And if you do … it better go in. Now, go ahead. You can do it. But if they don’t go in, you’re coming out. You’re not playing that way.

“But he is a bucket-getter, and I’ll tell you what else he is – he’s a gym rat, and he lives in the gym. So, he’s going to be fine. I just got to kind of point him in the right direction and let him go figure it out.”

The work ethic, motor and hustle from Thomas were all on full display during Wednesday afternoon’s practice, so it’s not hard to agree with Calipari that the young freshman will be fine. Following the open practice session, Thomas was one of the player who spoke with media and admitted he’s still adjusting to the college game.

“(I’m) getting used to everything. Some things are new for me,” Thomas said. ” Just when it comes to college, everybody gets that college welcoming, but some things are new. I’m getting adjusted to everything. Nothing’s really too too fast or too sped up for me. Like, I’m going to handle everything the way I need to, but everything is going good and the way I feel should be going.

“I really wouldn’t say it’s been a welcome to college moment. I would just say coach Calipari is doing a great job at critiquing every little thing that needs to be critiqued. I mean, that’s just the guy he is. He wants to make sure everything’s perfect or in the best shape or form. He’s gonna make sure he keeps getting it through your head, make sure he’s making his message clear.”

One thing that can really help young guys such as Thomas is having veteran players around them, especially this early in summer practices. Junior guard DJ Wagner is entering his third season playing for Calipari and knows firsthand what Thomas is going through. According to Thomas, Wagner has been a major help as he gets adjusted to the college game. 

“DJ, he’s doing an amazing job of just teaching me to slow things down at times,” Thomas said. “Everything doesn’t need to be so sped up, and he’s learned that through multiple years of college, and just a lot of good talks. ‘Slow things down.’ He’s helping me be in better positions on the floor, helping me know where to be at on offense and defense, helping me to continue to communicate even though I already do that at a high level, I feel. Just add an extra gear, I would say, and be an amazing teammate.”



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Gavin McKenna gives Penn State 1 of the most hyped recruits ever, not just in hockey

Two days after 17-year-old hockey star Gavin McKenna announced his intentions to play for Penn State in the fall, the school confirmed the news via press release. “His arrival to Hockey Valley is extremely significant not only to our hockey program, but to Penn State athletics and to college hockey as a whole,” coach Guy […]

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Two days after 17-year-old hockey star Gavin McKenna announced his intentions to play for Penn State in the fall, the school confirmed the news via press release.

“His arrival to Hockey Valley is extremely significant not only to our hockey program, but to Penn State athletics and to college hockey as a whole,” coach Guy Gadowsky said in the release.

Gadowsky is not exaggerating.

McKenna’s commitment gives Penn State not only one of the most hyped recruits in college hockey history, but maybe also the most ballyhooed recruit in the history of the school’s athletic programs.

Part of that is because of McKenna’s abilities, of course. He’s a 6-foot, 170-pound scoring machine who took his aura to another level when he recorded at least one point in the last 40 games of the regular season and first 14 points of the playoffs for Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League last year.

He ended up with 129 points in 56 regular-season games and 38 more in 16 playoff games.

It is also because of a major rule change in 2024. The NCAA ruled that playing Canadian major junior hockey no longer made a player ineligible to play college hockey. McKenna is the first major star to take advantage of the rule change.

Five college players have gone No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft in the past, like McKenna surely will next June, but none was nearly as acclaimed. They are Macklin Celebrini (2024), Owen Power (2021), Erik Johnson (2006), Rick DiPietro (2000) and Joe Murphy (1986).

It’s also easy to include McKenna on a short list of the most hyped recruits in any sport in Penn State history.

In football, the Nittany Lions have had two players go No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft — Ki-Jana Carter (1995) and Courtney Brown (2000) — but neither was considered a top player in the country coming out of high school.

The highest ranked football recruits in Penn State history — at least since prospect rankings became popular three or four decades ago — are wide receiver Derrick Williams and linebacker Micah Parsons. Williams was the No. 4 recruit in the country in 2005 and Parsons was No. 5 in 2018.

The closest thing to McKenna in terms of prospect hype in Penn State sports history might be a classmate of his. Wrestler P.J. Duke will be a freshman with the Nittany Lions next season, and last month, he defeated four-time NCAA champion Yanni Diakomihalis to win a spot on the U.S. national team for the world championships before wrestling his first college match.

Under Cael Sanderson, Penn State has snagged the No. 1 recruit in the country four other times — Morgan McIntosh (2011), Mark Hall (2016), Shayne Van Ness (2021) and Marcus Blaze (2024) — but that’s wrestling. It’s impossible to suggest any of those outstanding grapplers have the name value McKenna does.

Blue-and-white McKenna hockey jerseys are sure to be Happy Valley’s hottest fashion accessory any day now.

“He’s one of the most exciting young talents in the game and reflects the level of student-athletes we’re bringing to Penn State across all sports,” athletic director Pat Kraft said in Thursday’s press release, marking the rare occasion an AD comments on the addition of a single recruit.

“His commitment is a testament to the national reputation Guy Gadowsky and his staff have built, and we know he’ll thrive in the culture of excellence that surrounds our program. We can’t wait to see him compete alongside this incredible group and help push our program to even greater heights.”

Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.





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