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Purdy Panthers go back in time through school's 55

News Purdy Elementary students, staff and alumni time-hopped through the decades on Thursday, June 5, to celebrate the school’s 55th anniversary.  They missed the 50th in 2020 because, you guessed it, COVID crashed the party.  Panthers young and old made up for that disappointment with an exuberant extravaganza of singing, dancing, art, history and pop […]

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Purdy Panthers go back in time through school's 55
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Purdy Elementary students, staff and alumni time-hopped through the decades on Thursday, June 5, to celebrate the school’s 55th anniversary. 

They missed the 50th in 2020 because, you guessed it, COVID crashed the party. 

Panthers young and old made up for that disappointment with an exuberant extravaganza of singing, dancing, art, history and pop culture, reaching back to the school’s founding in 1970.  

Fifth grader Claire Pero imagined what it would have been like going to school B.C. — Before Cellphones. 

“Scary and, like, sad, sometimes,” she said. “But also, exciting. So, you’re going to be outdoors and all that.” 

Forbes Gildersleeve, Purdy’s first principal, attended and said it was “really exciting to see people that we haven’t seen for years and years, and still have a smile on our face and still having a really good time.” 

Now, let’s fire up the flux capacitor and have a look around. 

Purdy Elementary School students, staff and families celebrated the school’s 55th anniversary on June 5, 2025. Each grade level studied one decade-long era. First grade took on the 1990s. Photo by Christina T. Henry

Grooving in the 1970s 

Psychedelic art plastered the hallway of the fifth-grade quad. Teachers sported tie-dye and big hair. Dioramas and displays described the Vietnam War, winding to a chaotic close, as well as children’s books of the time and rock music that defined the era. 

“They said the ‘70s had amazing music,” said teacher Katie Crowell. 

Purdy Elementary was established in 1970 in portables on the nearby Peninsula High School campus, according to Chris Jardin, a second-grade teacher and longtime staff member who served on the 55th Anniversary organizing committee. Gildersleeve that year oversaw construction of the one-story building on its current site.  

In its first year, Purdy had just one class per grade level.  It now serves 464 K-5 students plus 60 preschoolers. 

Purdy Elementary School teachers get in the groove for the school’s 55th anniversary celebration, June 5, 2025. The event featured history, art and pop culture of the decades. From left, Kristen Walker, Katie Crowell, Andre Sams and Melissa Tolman. Photo by Christina T. Henry

1980s: Neon and early video games 

Frogger, the title character from the 1980s video game, hopped along the fourth-grade hallway. There, students displayed their research of events like the eruption of Mount St. Helens (1980) and The Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer (1981). They learned about 1980s sports, pop culture and toys of the decade, such as My Little Pony and the Rubik’s Cube.  

Teacher Mary Beth Beene played host to a round of 1980s “Jeopardy” in her classroom. A sample answer and question: Home planet of the Ewoks (“Return of the Jedi,” 1983) … What is Endor? 

Waylon Watkins in an R2D2 costume at Purdy Elementary School’s 55th anniversary celebration on June 5, 2025.

Having lived through the 1980s, Beene’s been on a trip down memory lane. 

“It’s been fun journeying through it, you know, having kids do their research, and then I’ll go, oh yeah, I remember that,” she said. “They were very fixated on video games and how video games have changed and technology in general. They were just really kind of blown away by that.” 

Open concept classrooms 

In one fourth-grade classroom, Purdy Panther alum Steve Perry (2000) rocked out with his niece Coral Ortiz in a neon 1980s “photo booth.”

“It’s pretty cool being back here, and seeing how different it is,” Perry said. “Nothing’s in the same place.  The playground seems a lot smaller.”

Perry was a student during the era that the school was “open concept,” meaning no walls between classrooms, a trend in education during the 1970s and ‘80s. 

“It seemed normal,” he said. “This seems nice though and I’m sure the teachers like it more.” 

Purdy Elementary School alumnus Steve Perry, holding son Noah, 10 months, rocks out with his niece Coral Ortiz in a 1980s “photo booth” at the Purdy Elementary School 55th anniversary celebration on June 5, 2025. Photo by Christina T. Henry

“It was challenging,” said Jardin. “It was hard because we all had to schedule when we were being loud, when we were being quiet.” 

Partitions between the quads (groups of four classrooms) were added sometime in the 1990s. Walls between classrooms were added during a major remodel completed in 2005. 

My mom is ‘a ‘90s kid?!’ 

First grade students took on the 1990s, learning about grunge fashion and music. Plaid shirts and skateboards decorated the hallway. They played retro games, like Guess Who and Bop It and then wrote opinion pieces comparing old school and current games.

Arly Andrus, a first-grade student, was collecting bracelets showing the decades she and her mom Kelsea had already visited. If students collected bracelets representing all decades, they got a commemorative Purdy 55th Anniversary token.

“It’s a really great opportunity for kids to show off the art that they’ve been doing and the things they’ve been learning,” Kelsea Andrus said. “My daughter came home and showed me the Oregon Trail video game and wanted to play with me, and she was telling me about flannels and overalls and how they’re both from the 90s.”

Purdy Elementary School student Kayne Walker shows off bracelets he earned by visiting classrooms representing each decade of the school’s 55-year history. Students who collected all bracelets got a commemorative token. Photo by Christina T. Henry

Kelsea shared with her daughter about eating Quaker dinosaur egg oatmeal, a thing at the time. 

“It was just really cool to see her connect all those things and be excited about something and then be really surprised when I was also born in the ‘90s, like I’m also a ‘90s kid, so she’s having a lot of fun learning about the decades,” Andrus said. 

In the gym, more ‘90s kids joined their first-grade students in dancing the Macarena. 

Third grade students delved into flip phones, viral videos and early social media as they studied 2000-2010. Second graders and a second-third split class reviewed 2010 through the 2020s, featuring smartphones and tablets. Those were defined by an exploding world of music and movies streaming online, and a firehose of major events, including COVID. 

Five principals, 55 years  

The anniversary committee pieced together the school’s history by interviewing Gildersleeve (1970-1990) and the school’s three other former principals: Dennis Nugent (1990-1995), Joan Butler (1995-2003) and Jim Rudsit (2003-2013). They created a commemorative video with help from Peninsula High School students and played it in the library during the celebration. 

Current Principal Kristi Brooks has led Purdy Elementary for the past 12 years.  

“We’ve had amazing principals every year, and they all work toward building community,” said Jardin. “That has been a real focus of Purdy is building family and that, as a staff, we work together as a family. And currently, we have been really blessed having Kristi as our principal.” 

Forbes Gildersleeve, Purdy Elementary School’s first principal, attended the school’s 55th anniversary celebration on June 5, 2025. The school has had five principals in its history, including current principal Kristi Brooks. Photo by Christina T. Henry

Purdy wildlife 

Purdy Elementary has a small pond in the center courtyard, a unique feature, at least for a school. The pond was there before the building was constructed around it, and each quad has an outdoor courtyard. Architects enhanced the pond with landscaping and a bridge.  

Students love getting to read by the pond during class or sitting outside during their lunch break. Several students volunteer to clean and maintain the pond.  

The pond once had koi. They died eventually, and now there are goldfish. A bullfrog lives there, happy among the aquatic plants. 

The school seems to attract wildlife. One year, a mother duck hatched her babies at the pond. Once, as legend goes, an eagle flew over the playground at recess and dropped a giant salmon. The science teacher ran out and scooped it up, capitalizing on the spontaneous science lesson. And, during the major remodel, “giant sea otters” came up a drainage ditch that had been exposed, causing wonder and excitement before they headed back to the sound. 

Purdy Panther spirit lives on 

The anniversary celebration was bittersweet for Brooks, who next fall will become principal at Pioneer Elementary as part of a reshuffle of district leadership announced in April.

“I’m so inspired by when I met all of the principals that have ever been at this school, that there’s been this longevity of principals that have been here,” Brooks said. “When we talked together, it was really incredible. We saw a throughline of community support, an incredible community that we have here, the parents that support our school and the families that we work with, that we have strong teachers, good connections, and that, really, we think of the school as a family.” 

Gildersleeve echoed Brooks’ thoughts when asked to describe the Purdy Panther spirit. “Purdy pride and caring about each other and really working together,” he said.  

Gildersleeve and the other principals set a foundation for the school that will carry on through decades to come, Brooks said. “Just seeing that with the staff and kids, and then to know it’s going to keep going, really is an inspiring thing.”  

Kristi Brooks, Purdy Elementary School Principal for the past 12 years, visits with students during the school’s 55th anniversary celebration, June 5, 2025. Photo by Christina T. Henry

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Meet The Providence Journal 2025 Boys Track and Field All-State team

La Salle wins the boys track and field team championship on June 8 La Salle wins the boys track and field team championship on June 8 The Providence Journal is proud to announce the 2025 All-State Baseball first and second teams. The Journal Sports staff, with some help from the coaches associations, determine the first- […]

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The Providence Journal is proud to announce the 2025 All-State Baseball first and second teams. The Journal Sports staff, with some help from the coaches associations, determine the first- and second-team members. All first-team members were nominees for Player of the Year in that sport, and winners were announced at the All-State Awards show held June 18 at the Providence Performing Arts Center, featuring Rhode Island FC midfielder Clay Holstad.

First Team

Jack Pawlik, 100, 200

East Providence, sophomore

One of this spring’s breakout performers, Pawlik swept the 100 and 200 at Brown Stadium to seal his place as the state’s fastest boy. He was the only runner to crack 11 seconds in the 100 and one of just two to break 22 seconds in the 200, winning in 21.90. There figures to be more coming from him in future seasons.

Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo, 400

La Salle, junior

Giroux-Pezzullo claimed individual gold in the 400 to go along with his key contributions in the relays. His time of 48.75 seconds made him the only runner in the field to break the 49-second mark and added 10 team points for the Rams, who earned their second championship in four years.

Eamon O’Brien, 800

La Salle, junior

O’Brien used a strong finishing kick to take gold in the 800, clocking a time of 1 minute, 54.54 seconds to outlast a challenging field. That result was good for 10 team points, and O’Brien added some important work in the relays to help the Rams lift the team championship.

Colby Flynn, 1,500

Bishop Hendricken, sophomore

The Hawks never seem to lack for distance talent and Flynn certainly fits in nicely with that tradition. His time of 3 minutes, 57.71 seconds was good for gold against a stacked field in the 1,500. Flynn helped his team to a runner-up finish over two days at Brown Stadium.

Sean Gray, 3,000

Portsmouth, junior

Much like he did last spring, Gray dominated the 3,000 field at the state meet to claim gold by more than 16 seconds. That was just a warmup for his effort at New Balance Nationals, as Gray closed fourth in the 5,000 against a decorated field. He should begin 2025-26 as the boy to beat in just about any race he enters.

Jalen Moseley, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles

La Salle, sophomore

Moseley was one of the stars for the Rams while they lifted a team championship at Brown Stadium. His time of 37.67 seconds in the 300 hurdles broke state and meet records dating to 2014 and made him the first boy to dip below the 38-second barrier. Moseley also was first to the line in the 110, clocking a time of 14.18. Moseley was named The Providence Journal Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Caleb Satisfield, High jump, long jump

Barrington, junior

Satisfield struck double gold after a spring that saw him break into exclusive company. He cleared the 7-foot mark in the high jump midway through the season and posted a mark of 6-6 while winning the state meet. Satisfield added another victory in the long jump with his distance of 22-4, besting a talented field.

Carson Dean, Pole vault

Bishop Hendricken, senior

Dean set a new state record while winning the Class A title and added a meet record while taking gold at Brown Stadium. His height of 15 feet, 6 inches took down a 15-year-old mark and helped the Hawks close runner-up in the team standings. Dean will continue his career in the fall at the University of Rhode Island.

Hunter Schobel, Triple jump

Pilgrim, senior

Schobel graduates a gold medalist in the triple jump, with his distance of 44 feet, 9 inches good enough to hold off a strong field that saw all eight scorers post marks of 40 feet or better. He was a multisport talent with the Patriots who will continue his track and field career in the fall at Merrimack College.

Kaden Thomas, Discus, shot put

Rogers, senior

Thomas was impressive while winning double gold at Brown Stadium, standing out in both of his events. He won the discus by more than 10 feet with a throw of 158 feet, 6 inches and still had plenty in the tank to win the shot put. Thomas and his mark of 60-2 made him almost 4 feet better than the competition.

Owen Spira, Hammer

Exeter-West Greenwich, senior

The state hammer field was one of the toughest this spring — six of the top eight athletes at New Balance Nationals called Rhode Island home. Spira stood above the rest by winning gold at the state meet and in Philadelphia. His marks of 233 feet, 3 inches and 231-11 put him atop both podiums. Spira will continue in Iowa this fall when he suits up for Drake.

Kai Sorlien, Javelin

South Kingstown, junior

Sorlien is a multi-sport standout with the Rebels, and that includes championship ability in track and field. He won state meet gold in the javelin this spring by more than 10 feet, thanks to his mark of 184 feet, 2 inches at Brown Stadium.

4×100 — La Salle (Joshua Aceto, Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo, Jackson Alves, Amari Monteiro)

The Rams used some relay gold to help build their point total while chasing the team title. This foursome clocked a time of 42.09 seconds that was just off the meet record. Aceto is committed to Iona and Monteiro graduates a state champion while Giroux-Pezzullo and Alves both figure to help La Salle in a bid to repeat next season.

4×400 — La Salle (Joshua Aceto, Eamon O’Brien, Amari Monteiro, Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo)

This quartet banked the final 10 team points as the Rams clinched a title over two days at Brown Stadium, winning their race by more than five seconds in 3:19.38. They’re also among a cadre of runners who helped La Salle close inside the top 10 in the sprint medley, 4×200 and 4×400 at New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia.

4×800 — Barrington (Brady Andrew, Henry Stockwell, Michael Chun, Marius Bonard)

The Eagles started the action on the track at the state meet with victory in the distance relay. Two juniors handed off to two seniors while completing eight laps in 7 minutes, 57.42 seconds. Barrington was the only team in the field to break eight minutes and prevented La Salle from making it a clean sweep.

Second Team

100 — Joseph Forbes, Central, senior

200, long jump — Jalen Moseley, La Salle, sophomore

400 — Thaden Leomensah, La Salle, senior

800 — Xavier Ohl, Moses Brown, senior

1,500 — Myles Napolitano, Barrington, senior

3,000 — Colby Flynn, Bishop Hendricken, sophomore

110 hurdles — Tristan Jordan, Bishop Hendricken, senior

300 hurdles — Bobby Wind, Barrington, senior

4×100 — East Providence (Julius Cortes, Justin Jardine, Kwamahn Gilliard, Jack Pawlik)

4×400 — East Providence (Julian Monteiro, Kwamahn Gilliard, Julius Cortes, Justin Jardine)

4×800 — La Salle (Nikolai Konichev, Joseph Fernandez, Michael Fernandez, Eamon O’Brien)

High jump — Diego Rocchio, Prout, junior

Pole vault — Alexander Campbell, La Salle, senior

Triple jump — Daniel Akan-Disu, St. Raphael, senior

Discus — Ryan Evans, East Greenwich, junior

Hammer — Jack Harmon, North Kingstown, senior

Javelin — Gideon Lane, Moses Brown, senior

Shot put — Brandon Wolfenden, Pilgrim, senior

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25



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80 Student-Athletes Across 10 Spring Sports Recognized As Academic All-Big West

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State had 80 total student-athletes honored as Spring Academic All-Big West, recognizing excellence both in the classroom and in competition.   Student-athletes from the Big West receiving recognition must carry a 3.00 cumulative grade point average, meet participation criteria relevant to their specific sport, and have completed a full […]

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State had 80 total student-athletes honored as Spring Academic All-Big West, recognizing excellence both in the classroom and in competition.

 

Student-athletes from the Big West receiving recognition must carry a 3.00 cumulative grade point average, meet participation criteria relevant to their specific sport, and have completed a full academic year prior to the season for which the award is being received.

 

Baseball had six honorees, as Cristien Banda, Connor Charpiot, Josh Donegan, Jake Fields, Kellan Montgomery, and Reid Montgomery earned Academic All-Conference. Beach Volleyball also had six honorees in Haley Carrington, Mahala Esser, Malia Gementera, Taylor Hagenah, Julia Westby, and Megan Widener.

 

Four from each golf program earned recognition: Krishnav Chopraa, Alejandro de Castro Piera, Charlie Forster, and Clay Seeber from the men’s team, and Erin Lee, Madison Le, Janae Leovao, and Jasmine Leovao from the women’s team.

 

Eight softball players met the standard: Kate Barnett, Jacquelyn Bickar, Rebekah Durazo, Erica Estrada, Shannon Haddad, Carly Robbins, Corissa Sweet, and Malayna Terrones. Women’s Tennis had only one player eligible with seven freshmen, but upperclassman Paulina Franco Martinessi was selected as a junior.

 

Track and Field had numerous honorees, 33 in total. On the men’s side, TJ Funches, Cameron Gill, Malik Harness, Kyle Jankans, Patrick Henderson, Tyler Knowles, Micha Norfles, Milo Orona, Miguel Orozco, Glen Quayle, Kyle Reden, Omri Shitt, Everett Steward, and Aiden Turner were honored. On the women’s side, Faitalia Ah-Fook, KiiKii Brown, Alli Bryan, Amyah Davis, Mackenzie Hack, Daryana Hall, Giszelle Hrehor, Elani Huntley, Jenelle Hurley, Sofia Lavreshina, Riley Millard, Isela Ochoa, Charlotte O’Connor, Jadyn Palaschuck, Tori Plummer, Marikay Schwab, Nataly Toledo, Rahni Turner, and Brooke Willoughby earned recognition.

 

Nine National Champions from the Men’s Volleyball program were Academic All-Big West, including Elite 90 Award winner Georgi Binev, Connor Bloom, Ben Braun, Daniil Herstynovich, Dane Hillis, Kellen Larson, Ryan Peluso, Sebastiano Sani, and Skyler Varga. Finally, nine from Women’s Water Polo also earned Academic All-Big West: Chiara Amoroso, Martina Cardona, Olivia Dam, Hailey Multz, Jamie Oberman, Chelsea Oliver, Elisa Portillo, Amanda Price, and Emma Seehafer.

 

Overall, including the Fall and Winter awards, Long Beach State had over 110 student-athletes honored for their combined efforts in the classroom and in competition.

 



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Ustaszewski in Singapore with Team USA for World Championships

UC San Diego’s men’s water polo head coach, Matt Ustaszewski, is representing Team USA as an assistant coach at the World Aquatics World Championships in Singapore from July 11 to July 24. This marks his fifth time in this role for the Championships, and he previously helped the U.S. secure a Bronze Medal at the […]

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UC San Diego’s men’s water polo head coach, Matt Ustaszewski, is representing Team USA as an assistant coach at the World Aquatics World Championships in Singapore from July 11 to July 24. This marks his fifth time in this role for the Championships, and he previously helped the U.S. secure a Bronze Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ustaszewski expressed gratitude for the opportunity, highlighting the professional development it affords while looking to make his family and university proud. Team USA will begin group play against Canada, with upcoming matches against Brazil and Singapore.

By the Numbers

  • This is Matt Ustaszewski’s fifth time coaching at the World Championships (2019, 2022-2024).
  • Team USA’s men’s national team achieved a Silver Medal at the U20 World Championships in Croatia, its best finish ever in World Championship play.

State of Play

  • Team USA is preparing to compete in group play against Canada, Brazil, and host Singapore.
  • Live streaming for all matches will be available on Peacock, offering fans a chance to follow the action closely.

What’s Next

The upcoming matches for Team USA are crucial as they aim to capitalize on their recent success and pursue a strong showing at the World Championships. The outcome will determine their progress into crossover and elimination rounds, including quarterfinals and finals.

Bottom Line

Matt Ustaszewski’s participation in this World Championship underscores his growth and the solid support from UC San Diego. The event represents a significant opportunity for Team USA to showcase their talent and continue building upon their recent successes in international competition.





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Fists of fury, warm heart makes Greentree a special champion

Boxer Emma-Sue Greentree has a warrior’s spirit, but she hasn’t allowed it to make her heart so hard . . . or cold . . . that there’s no warmth in it for the children she assists as a Special and Inclusive Education Teacher’s Aide.  Greentree, a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder, […]

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Boxer Emma-Sue Greentree has a warrior’s spirit, but she hasn’t allowed it to make her heart so hard . . . or cold . . . that there’s no warmth in it for the children she assists as a Special and Inclusive Education Teacher’s Aide. 

Greentree, a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder, is preparing to leave Sydney tomorrow to fight in Columbia. She’ll then head to the UK in August for a pre-world championships training camp in Glasgow before throwing her loaded lefts ‘n rights at the world championships in Liverpool, England this September.

But any notion of the 26-year-old from the Central Coast being a hard-boiled pug holds no weight the instant she speaks about her students, especially the trust she’s earned from them.

“Making the connections with the kids,” is Central Coast-based Greentree’s response when asked to name the most rewarding part of her job. “Some have trouble outside of school, so it means a lot that they trust me enough to talk about things.

“Last week we took a few of them on a snow trip, just watching some of them smile when they saw snow for the first time was incredible; a great feeling. My job is, primarily, to provide support to the teacher, while I also do things like administer the medications to the kids who need them.”

When she applies her ‘fighter’s face’ Greentree speaks passionately about the dream of competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, as well as the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. She doesn’t hide that the thought of wearing Australia’s battle colours on the big stage drives her to take on all-comers.

Greentree celebrates her victory over Russia’s Saltanat Medenova at the 2023 World Boxing Championship in India

Greentree’s Olympic dream was sparked when she watched her sister, Belinda, return from the 2008 Beijing Games with a bronze medal for softball. It was a magic moment for her family, but nine-year-old Emma-Sue – who has nine siblings – unintentionally became the centre of everyone’s attention when she was rushed to hospital not long after the medal ceremony.

“When Belinda came home, all the attention was on me because I was diagnosed with diabetes,” she said. “Mum was overseas at the Olympic Games, so I stayed at another older sister’s house watching the game on the television . . . and then ended up in hospital!”

Greentree was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a disease which requires lifelong insulin dependency and has a much higher risk of severe complications than Type 2 diabetes. One of her key messages for anyone with it is to not allow diabetes to stop them from following their dreams.

And Greentree, who won a world championships bronze medal two years ago, lives what she preaches. Before taking up boxing she represented the Hunter Region in schoolgirl rugby and was also an outstanding junior athlete who competed in heptathlon at a national level.

While Greentree gained an impressive collection of medals for her Track and Field performances, her athletic career ended because, she says, her opponents’ improvements outweighed her own.

“I had to try something else,” she says matter-of-factly.

She was introduced to pugilism by her father’s work colleague, Steve Mannix, who owned the Central Coast Boxing Club. It didn’t take long for Greentree to find her eye of the tiger amid the high-octane training environment.

“Was I a natural? Well, I think the competitiveness you need to box came naturally, along with the coordination,” said Greentree. “But I did have a background in sport, and I think it was the right fit for me.”

Emma-Sue Greentree and former NSWIS scholarship holder Kaye Scott display the precious metal they won for Australia at the 2023 World Boxing Championships in India

Greentree said while her diabetes hasn’t hindered her boxing career she admitted to needing to tread carefully when shredding weight before a tournament.

“I just have to make sure my blood sugars are always at a stable level,” she said, before talking about the boxers’ curse of cutting weight. “When I competed internationally [for the first time] it was at 81 kilos, but that wasn’t an Olympic weight.

“I’ve had to drop down to 75 kilos to try to get that. I’ve bounced between the two weights since I started, so it’s pretty normal for me now. However, with this new Olympic cycle and Commonwealth Games, I’ve needed to sit closer to 75 kilos.

“I’ve seen [some fighters undergo] a couple of gnarly weight cuts, so I never ever want to be a week out from competition and need to cut the weight. I just couldn’t imagine putting my body through what some people do.”

Greentree said one of the challenges she enjoys as a boxer is counteracting the variety of fighting styles she’s pitted against.

“It’s an art more than anything else, and I appreciate it,” she said of boxing. “There isn’t always video on everyone, but, then again, you can watch video on your next opponent, and they come out and box completely differently to what you’ve studied.

“I find you need to adapt within the first 30 seconds of a bout because you only have three rounds. In that 30 seconds I watch their feet, see how much they move around, where their hand placement is, any habits they have:  l watch to see if they’re going to throw a jab whether they drop their hand before they throw it? They’re the little things you look for.”

And Greentree, who regularly spars against males, enjoys making it hard for her opponents to find their rhythm.

“I like to be aggressive,” she said. “I’m strong. I like to overwhelm my opponent. I can box from off the back foot if needed, but I want to be pushing forward.

“I like my jab, it’s a good, stiff jab that stops them . . . kind of freezes them [from putting their punches together] . . . but my coach wants me to ensure I mix it up between the head and body and put my right hand behind it. I’m always learning, and there’s always things to add on.”

EMMA-SUE GREENTREE FAST FACTS

  • Greentree obtained her driver’s license at 17 so she could drive to boxing training
  • She had her first fight after only three months of training
  • Greentree has had 44 bouts
  • She is a two-time national boxing champion
  • The 26-year-old has fought in the USA, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Poland, India, Bulgaria and Hungary
  • Greentree’s ‘handle’ on Instagram in Type1boxer – a reference to her diabetes
  • Having multiple world champion Claressa Shields reply to one of her social media stories left her feeling starstruck
  • She tells supporters that diabetes is not something to be taken lightly, and she thanks her team – which includes NSWIS practitioners Krystal Sharp (physiotherapy) and Billy Macklin (S&C) for helping to manage it whilst being an elite athlete
  • When Greentree attended a diabetes camp as a mentor it ‘broke my heart’ to hear children say they couldn’t play sport because of the disease
  • She trains in the morning at 5am, works, and trains again at 5pm. She makes a point to get in as many steps as possible during a day, including a walk after dinner.
  • Greentree credits boxing for giving her life structure, discipline, and excitement.
  • Among her many athletics achievements was winning the NSW under-14 high jump title after a ‘jump off’



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Jordan Aboites – Director of Player Development/Operations – Baseball Support Staff

Jordan Aboites joined the Long Beach State baseball staff in fall 2021 and continues in his role as Director of Player Development/Operations under head coach TJ Bruce. A former two-way standout at Arizona State, Aboites brings a versatile coaching background that includes experience with pitchers, infielders, and hitters. From 2021–22, he served as the Dirtbags’ […]

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Jordan Aboites joined the Long Beach State baseball staff in fall 2021 and continues in his role as Director of Player Development/Operations under head coach TJ Bruce. A former two-way standout at Arizona State, Aboites brings a versatile coaching background that includes experience with pitchers, infielders, and hitters.

From 2021–22, he served as the Dirtbags’ bullpen coach, helping guide a nationally ranked unit that finished in the NCAA top 25 in key statistical categories. He also assisted with infield development, contributing to a Big West-leading fielding percentage and top-40 national ranking in back-to-back seasons. In 2023, he added responsibilities with the team’s hitters, further showcasing his all-around coaching skill set.

Aboites previously coached in the Cape Cod League with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox and held collegiate coaching roles at Biola University and Cypress College. In 2019, he managed the So-Cal Shepherds to their first-ever playoff appearance and was named All-Star Game manager in the Sunset Baseball League.

As a player, Aboites was a reliable two-way contributor for Arizona State from 2012–16. He earned Pac-12 honors as both a pitcher and infielder, including 2016 All-Defensive Team recognition. In his senior year, he served as the Sun Devils’ Saturday starter and starting third baseman, finishing with a 7–2 record and 3.69 ERA.

Professionally, he signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League, helping the team win a league championship in 2017. He was runner-up for Rookie of the Year and later played for two additional AAA-level Mexican League clubs before retiring in 2018.

Aboites holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a Master of Science in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. A Long Beach native, he and his wife, Stephanie, reside in the area with their two children, Kayla and Kylo.



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East Texas athletes fight back after abrupt sports cuts, Title IX concerns

Beach volleyball players like Sophia Myers had just returned home for summer break when they received a surprising message. NACOGDOCHES, Texas — On Jan. 17, Stephen F. Austin State University announced its upcoming beach volleyball schedule — just months after the team wrapped up the most successful season in school history. But 125 days later, […]

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Beach volleyball players like Sophia Myers had just returned home for summer break when they received a surprising message.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — On Jan. 17, Stephen F. Austin State University announced its upcoming beach volleyball schedule — just months after the team wrapped up the most successful season in school history.

But 125 days later, those same athletes were told they’d never play for SFA again.

Players like Sophia Myers had just returned home for summer break when they received a surprising message.

“I got up and. There was a message at 8:15 in the morning from our compliance saying, hey, mandatory Zoom call at one. And so everybody in our group chat is texting like, ‘what do you guys think this is? Just kind of waiting from eight in the morning till 1 p.m. was just kind of — it was torture, honestly.”

During that Zoom call, the team was blindsided: SFA was cutting the beach volleyball program.

Hours later, the university released a public statement: men’s and women’s golf, women’s beach volleyball, and even the two-time national champion women’s bowling team were all being eliminated.

“We even had girls who had committed two days before to our school, to our team, and they’re sitting in on the Zoom call. And it was just kind of like, ‘hey guys, thanks for joining.’ And then they just dumped probably the worst news we could have heard about our program on us,” Myers said. “It was just me, my teammates, and our head coach and our assistant coach, and she asked us, ‘does anybody have anything to say,’ and everybody was just in tears crying. 

Myers recalled being mad and frustrated. She asked how is this allowed under Title IX?

Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education or athletic program receiving federal funds.

This is where Arthur Bryant, a longtime civil rights attorney, came in. Myers and five other athletes turned to him to fight for their teams. 

On June 30, the athletes filed a federal lawsuit claiming sex-based discrimination and seeking to stop SFA from eliminating the women’s beach volleyball, bowling and golf teams.

“Well, we have two goals with this lawsuit. The first is to immediately stop the elimination of these teams, but the larger and even bigger, more important goal is to get SFA to comply with the law and treat women and men equally when it comes to participation opportunities going forward, ” Bryant said. 

Bryant’s team says they have uncovered more than a decade of Title IX noncompliance at SFA.

Under Title IX, athletic opportunities must reflect student body demographics. SFA’s undergraduate population is 63% female.

Before the cuts, women made up just 47% of the athletic program. After the cuts, the women’s sports make up 42%.

“That’s way off. It’s mass sex discrimination. To actually get in compliance with Title IX, SFA would have to add over 200 opportunities for women to play sports,” Bryant said. 

Instead, Bryant’s team says SFA has cut every women’s sport added since 2003. The only men’s sport added in that time —baseball — is still active.

The university cited budget issues and looming revenue-sharing rules in Division I sports as reasons for the cuts.

“You can’t discriminate against women to make money,” Bryant said. “You can’t discriminate against women to avoid losing money. You can’t avoid discriminating against women because some people would rather support men’s sports or watch men’s sports than women’s sports. Doesn’t matter.”

The university promised to honor athletic scholarships for affected athletes, but Myers wasn’t on scholarship. As a walk-on, she now relies solely on academic aid.

“You’re going to walk on, and we’ll be able to give you money later, is what the coach told me,” Myers said.

The school is also allowing these athletes to transfer, but changing colors just isn’t as easy as walking through the portal, especially for athletes like bowling, whose transfer portal had already closed.

“We had only a couple of days to get ourselves in the portal and start communicating with coaches, essentially. And I only had one school in mind, and unfortunately, that school had already filled all their spots because the portal had already been open for some time,” Myers said. “So it made things extremely difficult, and also, not to mention, if I wanted to transfer, there would be a good bit of my credits of school that wouldn’t transfer over.”

Bryant noted that normally schools would notify athletes of much sooner than SFA, such as the beginning of the school year rather than the end. 

“SFA announced at the very end of the year when people had already put down money for housing for next year, when they’ve put things in storage, when they’ve left and gone out of the state, when clients have gone, miles and miles and miles away,” Bryant said. “It couldn’t have been worse just how it affected these young women and the men and the team that was eliminated. Just the way it was handled was truly disturbing.”

Despite all this, every woman involved in the lawsuit has decided to stay at SFA. Their legal team has filed for a preliminary injunction, hoping the court will reverse the cuts immediately so the teams can have and prepare for a season.

“Beach volleyball isn’t something that you can just hop into,” Myers said. “It’s a very physical sport, and it takes a lot of endurance, and you can’t just stop playing and then show up in August and say, ‘hey, I’m on the team.’”

And compete in the sport these women love.

“It is really hard to accept and swallow. Honestly, I just — I have no words when I talk about it, because it does affect me, and I know volleyball isn’t forever, and that’s why I chose a school like SFA, so that I could do academics along with it. But it’s like, these are my last four years to finish my sport and, like, be done and come to terms with that. But not knowing it was my last season, and not knowing that was my last time with my teammates is just really — it’s just so sad,” she said. 

When asked for comment on the lawsuit, SFA released the following statement, “The university takes its Title IX obligations seriously and is prepared to respond through the legal process. As this is an ongoing legal matter, the university will not comment further at this time.”

Bryant said he strongly believes they’re going to win this case. 

“We believe strongly that we’re going to get the preliminary injunction, because what SFA is doing is a blatant violation of Title IX,” he said.

The court will hear the athletes’ request for their motion for a preliminary injunction in attempt to keep the women’s sports programs on July 30 to 31 at the federal courthouse in Lufkin.



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