MANILA – China’s capital city of Beijing will host the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) next year.

More than 1,000 athletes from over 200 countries and regions are expected to join the six-day event, to be held in China for the third time. The 2006 edition took place in Shanghai and the 2018 edition in Hangzhou.

The announcement was made during the World Aquatics General Congress being held alongside the World Aquatics Championship and World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore.

Beijing has demonstrated excellence in hosting top-level competitions. It is the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games – in 2008 and 2022, respectively.

Beijing is also set to host the World Aquatics Championships in 2029.

“We are thrilled and deeply honored to host the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in 2026 in Beijing, a city with a proud Olympic history and a passion for aquatic sports,” China Swimming Association president Zhou Jihong said in a press statement on the World Aquatics official website Tuesday.

“This prestigious competition brings together the world’s best swimmers, and with the remarkable number of World Records broken at the last edition, we anticipate another great spectacle. We look forward to welcoming swimming fans from around the globe and providing an unforgettable experience for all.”

China has hosted 109 World Aquatics events, including the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai.

“I can’t wait to compete at the World Swimming Championships in Beijing,” said Pan Zhanle, the World and Olympic champion and men’s 100m freestyle long-course world record-holder.

“The atmosphere and energy of short-course racing, combined with the intensity of a championship event, will create an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience. With so many records falling at the 2024 short-course Worlds, I aim to add my name to that list in 2026 in front of my home fans. Hearing that this prestigious event is coming to China in 2026 is exciting, and I know the fans will bring amazing support.”

World Aquatics is the international governing body for aquatic sports. It supervises six aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and high diving. (PNA)

For Charlotte families wanting a beach weekend that doesn’t involve airport security or hours of “are we there yet?,” Hilton Head Island is an ideal summer getaway. The 12-mile-long island is about 20 miles northeast of Savannah and home to an array of wildlife, including alligators, loggerhead sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins. Unlike many popular (read: crowded) coastal spots, Hilton Head’s beaches are spacious and super walkable with hard-packed sand that’s perfect for biking, stroller-pushing, or a leisurely walk. The island’s only independent hotel, The Beach House, is home to the legendary Tiki Hut, where guests and locals can enjoy live music and time of day. It’s a four-hour drive from Charlotte, making it a great place to take the family for one last blast of summer.

STAY

The Beach House has all the essentials: ocean views, a pool, bike rentals, a sand volleyball court, and three onsite dining options. Pet-friendly rooms and suites have nautical decor, flat-screens, and minifridges; many are equipped with pull-out sofas and bunk beds for the little ones. A 2024 renovation added an updated pool deck with private cabanas with TVs, a year-round temperature-controlled pool, hot tub, and food and drink service. The hotel is just steps from Coligny Plaza, which has more than 60 shops and restaurants.

EAT
Start the day with coffee, pastries, or an acai bowl at Sweet Al’s, the hotel’s onsite bakery and cafe. (The flagship location is in Coligny Plaza.) Enjoy a sit-down breakfast, lunch, or dinner at The Porch, or order at the counter and have it delivered to your poolside cabana. Dinner at Tiki Hut is mandatory. This beachfront bar is part surf shack, part restaurant, and part live music venue. Sip frozen drinks by the firepits and toast to absolutely nothing while the kids run wild. If you venture over to Coligny Plaza, stop by Frozen Moo for gi-normous ice cream cones that drip down your hands, arms…and maybe even your shoes if you’re not fast enough.

PLAY
Reserve some bikes and pick them up at Lil Tiki (next to the Tiki Hut) and explore 60 miles of paved bike paths. If you make it to the Harbour Town Lighthouse, climb to the top and see panoramic views of the island. Rent a kayak, paddleboard, or jet ski through H2O Sports and get out on the water, or hit up Lawton Stables, where the kiddos can feed goats and pet ponies. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each night throughout the summer, catch kid-centric musical performances at Coligny Center Stage.

PUT THE BEACH TO BED

Every Wednesday night during turtle nesting season (typically from May to October), The Beach House hosts a family-friendly sustainability initiative called “Put the Beach to Bed.” Prepare the beach for nesting sea turtles by filling in holes, knocking down sand castles, and removing items left behind. After the sweep, volunteers can enjoy a complimentary Loggerhead Lemonade (cocktail or mocktail) and live music at Tiki Hut. The event starts at 6:45 p.m. and lasts until 8 p.m. Volunteers meet at the big blue Adirondack Chair in front of Tiki Hut.

Harlan Lopez joined Saint Mary’s as an assistant in the spring of 2018 and was promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2019-20 season. In 2022-23, Lopez was named the Head Coach of both the Men’s Cross Country and Track and Field Programs.

The 2024 cross country season proved to be the best to date under Coach Lopez’s tutelage. His team finished within the top-five at the WCC Championship meet for the first time in his tenure at head coach. The team also picked up their first meet win under his guidance, taking home first place at the Pacific Invitational. 

From July 2016 to March 2018, Lopez was the head men’s and women’s cross country/track coach at Holy Names University. He cultivated a culture of success through emphasizing commitment to teammates as well as investing in a goal setting atmosphere. He guided success for the program as he helped the men’s team to a fifth-place finish at the 2016 PacWest Cross Country Championships, the highest finish for any sports program in school history. Lopez also led efforts to the women’s team to a program best 11th-place finish.  

Lopez’s coaching expertise continued to the University of Texas at Austin where he was an assistant for the men’s cross country and track team from 2012-13. Lopez worked directly with the steeplechase group where three athletes made the regional meet and one athlete made the national meet. He assisted the Longhorns to a 2nd place finish at the 2012 Big 12 Cross Country Championships, a 1st place finish at the South Central Regional Championship and a 9th place finish at the NCAA Cross Country National Championships. 

In 2004 he was the head distance coach for the Diablo Valley Track and Field Club in Lafayette where he organizes travels, accommodates race entries for the Junior Olympics and most importantly introduces young athletes to encourage them to follow their passions while working in a holistic athletic lifestyle. 

Lopez was a student athlete at the Northern Arizona University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies in emphasis in Psychology. While attending NAU he was qualified for Big Sky Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships and scored in the 10,000 meters in 2007. From 2010-11 Lopez attended San Francisco State University and received a single subject credential program in Physical Education and was also a recipient of the Athletics Honor Roll. Lopez not only coached at Holy Names University, he also completed a masters degree in Urban Education. 

Lopez’s outstanding leadership and organization is a USA Track and Field Level 2 certified coach in endurance.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 28, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s U23 National Team dominated Suriname, 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-7) at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s U23 Pan American Cup on Monday in León, Mexico.

The U.S. (2-0) concludes pool play against Costa Rica tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29, at 3 p.m. PT.

The U.S. outscored Suriname 75-30 and hit .521 (43 kills and only six errors in 71 total attacks). Suriname finished with more hitting errors (17) than kills (15). The U.S. registered the only five blocks in the match and 10 of the 11 aces.

Setter Caroline Kerr ran the nearly unstoppable U.S. offense while scoring five points on one kill, one block and a match-high three aces. Libero Emmy Klika totaled 18 digs and 12 successful receptions.

The top five scorers in the match were from the U.S., with each totaling at least nine points. Outside hitter Norah Sis hit .600 with 13 kills and only one error in 20 attacks, adding two aces for 15 points. Middle blocker Cara Cresse also reached double digits with 11 points on nine kills and two blocks.

Middle Raven Colvin (five kills with two blocks an aces), outside Ava Martin (seven kills and two aces) and opposite Lauren Rumel (eight kills and an ace) all totaled nine points.

A Cresse kill on a slide gave the U.S. an 8-3 lead early in the match. The U.S., which went on a 9-2 run for a 17-5 lead, took its biggest lead on the final point on an ace by Martin. Rumel recorded five kills with Sis (four kills) and Martin (three kills in addition to her ace) adding four points.

Suriname took its first leads of the match 2-1 and 3-2 in the second set. The U.S. scored five consecutive points, culminating with a Sis kill on a back row attack, to prompt a timeout. After the teams split the next 10 points, the U.S. went on a 5-1 run to take a 16-9 lead on a Rumel ace.

The lead reached double digits, 20-10, on a Kerr kill and moved to 11 (23-12) on a Kerr service ace. Colvin ended the set by putting a ball down after an overpass on one of the longer rallies of the contest. Sis produced five kills, Cresse scored five points on four kills and a block, and Colvin finished with four points on three kills and a block.

Two Kerr aces and a Colvin block led the U.S. to a 6-0 start to the third set. After Suriname put together three consecutive points for the first time in the match, the U.S. went on another 6-0 run that included a pair of aces by Sis.

Leading 16-5, the U.S. scored seven consecutive points and nine of the last 11 to close out the match. Sis led the way with six points on four kills and two aces.

USA Volleyball Women’s U23 Roster

Name, (Pos., Height, Hometown, College/Pro, Region) 
1 Emmy Klika (L, 5-7, 2003, Novelty, Ohio, Pro Volleyball Federation, Ohio Valley)
3 Chloe Chicoine (OH, 5-10, 2004, Lafayette, Ind., Univ. of Louisville, Hoosier)
4 Cara Cresse (MB, 6-6, 2003, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Univ. of Louisville, Hoosier)
6 Raven Colvin (MB, 6-1, 2003, Indianapolis, Ind., Pro Volleyball Federation, Hoosier)
8 Eva Hudson (OH, 6-1, 2004, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Univ. of Kentucky, Hoosier)
9 Norah Sis (OH, 6-2, 2003, Papillion, Neb., Pro Volleyball Federation, Great Plains)
10 Averi Carlson (S, 5-11, 2003, Lucas, Texas, SMU, North Texas)
11 Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (MB, 6-2, 2004, Flower Mound, Texas, Texas A&M, North Texas)
13C Caroline Kerr (S, 5-11, 2004, Champaign, Ill., Univ. of Tennessee, Great Lakes)
15 Ava Martin (OH, 6-1, 2004, Overland Park, Kan., Creighton Univ., Heart of America)
16 Jurnee Robinson (OPP/OH, 6-1, 2004, Simpsonville, S.C., LSU, Palmetto)
18 Lauren Rumel (OPP, 6-2, 2003, Tucson, Ariz., Oregon State Univ., Arizona)

Alternates
7 Brooke Bultema (MB, 2004, Cincinnati, Ohio, Univ. of Kentucky, Ohio Valley)
12 Ella Swindle (S, 6-2, 2004, Columbia, Mo., Univ. of Texas, Heart of America)
14 Devin Kahahawai (OPP, 6-4, 2004, Kailua, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
17 Marianna Singletary (MB, 6-4, 2004, Charleston, S.C., UCLA, Southern)
19 Maya Sands (L, 5-7, Rock Falls, Ill., Univ. of Missouri, Great Lakes)

Coaches
Head Coach: Marie Zidek (DePaul)
Assistant Coach: Kayla Banwarth (PVF, Olympian)
Assistant Coach: Danielle Scott (LOVB, Olympian)
Performance Analyst: Matthew Adams (Michigan)
ATC: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Team Lead: Taylor Marten (Ozark Juniors)

Schedule

All times Pacific

July 27: USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-21)
July 28: USA def. Suriname, 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-7)
July 29: USA vs. Costa Rica, 3 p.m.
July 30: Quarterfinals
July 31: Semifinals and Classification Matches
Aug. 1: Medal Matches and Classification matches

VILLANOVA, Pa.—One of the biggest weeks of the summer track & field season is set to commence as countries from all parts of the globe hold their senior national championships in the final days of July and early days of August. There is added significance to national competition this year with these meets serving as qualification procedures for World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 coming up in September.
 

As is always the case on the national and worldwide stages, the Wildcats will be well represented by current student-athletes and alumni who are competing at the highest levels of the sport. Most notably, a group of eight athletes will be in action at the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships in Eugene, Ore. starting on Thursday afternoon and continuing through Sunday afternoon. Coverage of the championships can be seen on NBC live and on-demand as well as USATF.tv on-demand. Visit the meet homepage for a full television schedule and live results.
 
Rising senior Marco Langon (Raritan, N.J.) and rising junior Dan Watcke (Hinsdale, Ill.) are each qualified for the USATF Championships in the 5000 meters and the 800 meters, respectively. Both are veterans of national and international competition and are coming off sensational collegiate seasons over the past year which included first team All-America performances in their respective events. Just over a month after closing out his record-setting collegiate career with a third straight appearance at the NCAA Championships, men’s distance runner Liam Murphy will be running the 1500 meters at the USATF Championships.
 
Veteran middle distance runner Sean Donoghue (Dublin, Ireland) will be running the 1500 meters this week at the Athletics Ireland National Outdoor Track & Field Senior Championships. Donoghue is returning to the Wildcats for a fifth collegiate campaign in 2025-26. During his collegiate career, Donoghue is a two-time BIG EAST champion and a two-time Penn Relays champion who ran the leadoff leg of Villanova’s 4xMile relay in 2024 which recorded the second-fastest time in world history. At home in Ireland, he was a two-time Irish U20 champion in the 1500 meters and advanced to the final of the event at the National Senior Championships.
 
The men’s 5000 meters at the USATF Championships consists of one championship race which is set for Sunday afternoon at 4:52 p.m. Eastern time (1:52pm Pacific time) at Hayward Field in Eugene. Langon is coming off a third place finish at the same venue in the NCAA Championships final last month. Earlier in the year he placed sixth in the 5000 meters and seventh in the 3000 meters at the indoor NCAA Championships, and he finished the 2024-25 collegiate competition season with All-America honors in cross county, indoors and outdoors. He most recently ran a lifetime best time of 13:12.89 in the 5K in Belgium on July 19.
 
Watcke will see a familiar face in the men’s 800 meters in Oregon as former teammate Sean Dolan is another entry in the event. The first round heats of the 800 meters are scheduled for Thursday at 6:07 p.m. Eastern time (3:07 p.m. PT), with the top finishers moving on to the semifinal round on Friday afternoon. Watcke earned first team All-America honors in the 800 meters with a fifth place finish at this year’s indoor NCAA Championships. It was his first collegiate NCAA Championships meet and the result came in his redshirt freshman indoor campaign. Watcke ran a lifetime best of 1:46.32 in the 800 meters at Penn State in January and recently set an outdoor PR with a time of 1:46.60 in Ireland on July 9.
 
Murphy finished the 2025 collegiate campaign as the all-time NCAA record holder in the event with a lifetime best of 3:33.02 set on March 27 at North Carolina State. Murphy set seven NCAA and/or school records while wearing the Villanova singlet, and in his final season as a collegian he tied the Wildcats records for career All-America honors (nine) and career BIG EAST titles (11) by a men’s athlete. Murphy has excelled on the big stage before. Last summer he made a remarkable run through the 1500 meters competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, becoming the first Villanovan since 1988 to make the final and ranking as the third collegiate runner to cross the finish line in the final.
 
Two of the top women’s middle distance runners in program history – McKenna Keegan and Angel Piccirillo – are each entered in the women’s 800 meters this week. They will get underway in the first round heats on Thursday at 6:37 p.m. Eastern time (3:37 p.m. PT) and will be vying to advance to the semifinal on Friday afternoon.
 
Men’s distance runner Casey Comber is competing in the 3000 meter steeplechase this week, beginning with first round competition on Thursday at 8:39 p.m. Eastern time (5:39 p.m. PT), with the event proceeding to a final on Saturday afternoon. Women’s high jumper Sanaä Barnes will be in action in the final of her event on Friday starting at 7:05 p.m. Eastern time (4:05 p.m. PT).

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, — Fans of Penn State women’s volleyball will have plenty of chances to watch the defending national champions on national TV this season. The Nittany Lions are scheduled for 16 matches across three networks – FOX, BTN, and FS1 – during the regular season.

Penn State’s first five matches of the season will air live national TV, starting with the season opener against Creighton on FS1. That match is part of the AVCA First Serve event and is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 23 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Nittany Lions’ second match of the event against Kansas in Sioux Falls, South Dakota will air on B1G Network on Monday, August. 25.

The Nittany Lions then have three straight matches on FOX. That stretch includes contests against Arizona State (Aug. 31) and TCU (Sept. 1) at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, and the team’s home opener against Kentucky on Friday, Sept. 5. The Nittany Lions are back on FOX later in the season when they host Nebraska on Friday, Oct. 3.

Penn State has 11 matches scheduled to air on B1G Network. In addition to the matchup with Kansas, that list of opponents includes Pitt, UCLA, Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska and Iowa.

The 2025 Penn State women’s volleyball season is presented by Musselman’s.

 

Sport	Day	Date	Visiting Team		Home Team	Site	TV	Time (ET)	Notes
Volleyball	Saturday	August 23, 2025	Penn State	vs.	Creighton	Lincoln, NE	FS1	6:00 PM	AVCA First Serve
Volleyball	Monday	August 25, 2025	Kansas	vs.	Penn State	Sioux Falls, SD	BTN	6:30 PM	Sanford Pentagon
Volleyball	Sunday	August 31, 2025	Penn State	vs.	Arizona State	Pittsburgh, PA	FOX	5:00 PM
Volleyball	Monday	September 1, 2025	Penn State	vs.	TCU	Pittsburgh, PA	FOX	5:00 PM
Volleyball	Friday	September 5, 2025	Kentucky	at	Penn State	University Park, PA	FOX	8:00 PM
Volleyball	Wednesday	September 17, 2025	Pittsburgh	at	Penn State	University Park, PA	BTN	7:00 PM
Volleyball	Sunday	September 28, 2025	UCLA	at	Penn State	University Park, PA	BTN	12:00 PM
Volleyball	Friday	October 3, 2025	Nebraska	at	Penn State	University Park, PA	FOX	8:00 PM
Volleyball	Friday	October 10, 2025	Wisconsin	at	Penn State	University Park, PA	BTN	7:00 PM
Volleyball	Friday	October 17, 2025	Penn State	at	Washington	Seattle, WA	BTN	10:30 PM
Volleyball	Saturday	October 18, 2025	Penn State	at	Oregon	Eugene, OR	BTN	10:00 PM
Volleyball	Friday	October 31, 2025	Penn State	at	Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	BTN	6:30 PM
Volleyball	Sunday	November 2, 2025	Indiana	at	Penn State	University Park, PA	BTN	4:00 PM
Volleyball	Sunday	November 9, 2025	Penn State	at	Illinois	Champaign, IL	BTN	4:30 PM
Volleyball	Friday	November 28, 2025	Penn State	at	Nebraska	Lincoln, NE	BTN	6:30 PM
Volleyball	Saturday	November 29, 2025	Penn State	at	Iowa	Iowa City, IA	BTN	TBD